A/N: While trying to finish this before the week ended I realized that the conclusion of this story was turning out to still be too long to be wrapped up in a single chapter that wasn't pain killingly long. As things have turned out I've had to split the finale apart a second time. And so while I get to work finishing the third and final part, I leave you all with part two of the story's finale. Enjoy!
Chapter 11: Oblivion: Part two
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Icefrost stared at the white she-cat before him as the blue hue from the pool bathed her body in an eerie glow. His cold blue eyes met her mad green ones which shone with unconcealed contempt for the tom before her. There was no mistaking her intentions now; he had been tricked.
"You shouldn't look so surprised, Icefrost," Rosethorn crooned mockingly. "Anyone with half a brain saw this coming moons ago."
A deep growl rumbled in Icefrost's throat as he unsheathed his claws.
"Insolent she-cat, you have the nerve to betray me? You have no idea the wrath you've just called upon yourself."
Rosethorn answered the threat with a crazed bout of laughter, causing Icefrost's rage to boil in the process. What right did she have to dismiss him so easily? Her arrogance was infuriating! He could just as easily kill her with a swift swipe right now.
"You're out of your league here, Icefrost; you always were," Rosethorn taunted. "Don't you get it yet? You've already lost."
Icefrost narrowed his eyes. "I've already lost? That's quite a bold statement to make seeing as I can still kill you and just take the heart."
Rosethorn's eyes glowed for a moment. "You lost that chance the moment you stepped paw here."
Faster than Icefrost could anticipate the ground below him cracked and split open as tendrils of vines adorned with thorns sprouted out and latched on to his hind legs. A startled cry rang from his lips as the thorn vines slithered further up his body, digging painfully into his skin as they grew tighter around him.
With terror rising in his chest as the vines threatened to overwhelm him, Icefrost lashed out at the vines, trying desperately to free himself. Two frightened yowls caught his attention as he glanced up to see more of the same vines wrapping themselves around Brightstar and Amberheart.
Icefrost noted how weakly Brightstar bit and batted at the vines ensnaring her, too drained and injured from her battle with Cloudstorm to put up much of a fight. She'd be captured in a matter of moments. The medicine cat wasn't far off herself. For every vine she seemed able to knaw away from her body, another soon sprouted and took its place. With a start Icefrost realized the same to be true for his own predicament. No matter how many vines he tore and snatched away two more quickly take their place, rapidly curling their way further and further up his body.
The onslaught frenzy of vines continued, wrapping their way firmly across Icefrost's back before forcing the dark tom to the floor. Icefrost writhed back and forth, refusing to give in, but those struggles soon became futile as the tendrils slithered their way across his throat. Icefrost felt his breathing constrict and neck sting as the thorns pierced his throat. Faced with the knowledge that continuing to struggle would only cause the vines to tighten more and unable to free himself, the dark tom could do nothing else but lay still, glaring hatefully at the white she-cat before him in spite.
"I told you so," Rosethorn laughed, walking over to flick Icefrost's nose with the tip of her tail.
The dark tom glared at Rosethorn, the burning rage and hate surging behind his eyes enough to tell her he wished for nothing more in the world than to kill her right now. Rosethorn returned the glare with a sideways smile before padding away, leaving the heart unguarded and uncared for right in front of Icefrost as a silent taunt at his expense.
"This was just too easy," Rosethorn spoke, padding over to the edge of the blue pool. "For moons I sat back and watched you all plot and scheme against each other while all this time oblivious to where the true threat lurked. Your arrogance has led to your downfall."
"Who are you?" Brightstar demanded from the confines of her vines. "And what's this all about?"
Rosethorn turned from the pool to grin wickedly at Brightstar. "Who I am isn't important, Brightstar, but for the sake of things you can call me Rosethorn."
Brightstar eyes widened in shocked. "Rosethorn? Not Rosethorn the scourge, infamous kit killer of the four Clans?"
A mad cackle sounded from Rosethorn. "Ah, so my prestigious title exceeds me even now. But to get back on subject what this is all about is simple. The absolute and complete destruction of everything this twisted history stands for. I'm not just talking about StarClan, no the Dark Forest and the four Clans also."
"What?" Icefrost interrupted, staring at Rosethorn unable to hide the shock and rage in his voice. "You didn't say anything the Dark Forest or the entire forest. You said ShadowClan wouldn't be harmed. You said there would be survivors when you initiated the plague! What about my reincarnation? I can't become and lead a life that no longer exists!"
Rosethorn turned to Icefrost with a look of surprise before throwing her head back in uncontrollable laughter.
"Reincarnation, Icefrost? After all these moons of accumulating power and being left to suffer in the Dark Forest, your plan to get StarClan back was by leading a horde of cats here and while everyone's preoccupied have yourself another shot at complete domination of the forest?"
Rosethorn snorted, shaking her in disgust.
"Do you know how long I've waited for this? The eternity of moons I was left to fester away in that accursed forest having been scorned by the very same cats I once healed? I was simply biding my time waiting for some misguided fool like you to come by seeking power. The day you came to me I saw my chance and promised you your heart's desire of having another chance at Clan unification by telling you, you could resurrect yourself from the dead to become reborn as a kit in ShadowClan who was prophesized to become leader."
"Listen to how ridiculous that sounds," she continued. "Even Goldenshine's unaware of my true intentions. He's just as clueless as you are actually believing that I'm going to wipe out every Clan except for ShadowClan and the moment that kit is born he has to kill it, making room for your soul as you used one of the lives you stole from Nightstar to help revive the body as you dived into the pool the moment the kit's soul left its body so that yours could enter it. It's completely idiotic, but you never saw reason to doubt me or my powers before so why then. From there I just allowed you to think you were in control while secretly working you like a pawn from the shadows."
"So everything you had me do was pointless!" Icefrost growled angrily. "Taking Leafbreeze's heart and stealing Nightstar's lives was all just a part of your lie?"
"You're finally learning," Rosethorn answered, laughing. "The reason I had you take them was a lie, yes, but it wasn't pointless. To get StarClan to focus all their attention upon Cloudstorm I had you order him to slay Leafbreeze and take her heart as it ultimate show of defiance which turned out perfectly. From there I needed a way to weaken StarClan even more and decided what better way than by not only having a Clan defect from their grasp, but have a cat they gifted with nine lives willingly give their remaining ones up. Everything's gone perfectly up till now, but I can't finish this without Cloudstorm."
Everyone's attention suddenly shifted to the still body of the recently deceased tom that lay off to the side.
"From the start I knew there was something special about Cloudstorm," Rosethorn stated, leaving the edge of the pool to stand by his body. "The aura of hate and rage he exuberated was so tantalizing, so much like my own that I knew only he could possess the nourishment that was required" she purred softly, reaching out a paw to stroke Cloudstorm's face.
"Don't you touch him!"
Rosethorn paused at the sudden outburst before turning her head in the direction of Amberheart. The cream colored she-cat struggled against the vines that encased her, glaring at Rosethorn through fury filled eyes.
"Don't you dare touch him," she repeated, growling for emphasis.
Rosethorn's face twisted into a lopsided smile before stepping away from Cloudstorm to go stand towering over Amberheart, her green eyes shining dangerously.
"And at last we finally meet, RiverClan water rat," Rosethorn spoke, slowly trailing her claws along Amberheart's face. "I've pondered a long time about what I'd do the moment I finally got you within reach of my claws. You may be unaware of this, but you caused me quite some heartbreak when Cloudstorm refused to join me because of his love for you. How pathetic that he should choose such a disgrace for a medicine cat when he could have me. It's a pity he's dead now because I would have really wanted him to see this."
"I'm not afraid of you," Amberheart growled, staring bravely into the mad she-cat's eyes.
"Oh, I certainly hope not," Rosethorn whispered sinisterly, stopping her claws just at the edge Amberheart's left eye. "It wouldn't be as satisfying to slowly break you if you were."
In that instant Rosethorn slashed downward with her claws. Blood went flying as the air was suddenly filled with the painful chorus of agonized shrieks. Rosethorn pulled her now crimson stained paw back as she admired the three new long gagged lines that etched from the bottom of Amberheart's eye to the end of her face. She licked the blood from her claws, smiling maniacally as she relished in the metallic taste of blood.
Amberheart closed her eyes and clenched her teeth together as blood pooled from the cuts on her face. Her body shook from the searing amounts of pain as Rosethorn gleefully watched on.
"Did that hurt little river rat?" she taunted, raising her claws for a second time. "I hope so because it's about to get worse. Or it would," she said, suddenly lowering her claws and taking a step back. "But I'm afraid I can't finish our little playtime together."
Amberheart blinked in surprised as Rosethorn turned away, shocked that the sadistic white cat was actually just going to stop there when there was nothing keeping her from torturing her further.
Rosethorn retraced her steps back, coming to stand directly over Cloudstorm's body again. Her glittering green eyes swept across the dead tom's bloody and scared body once before placing a paw on the open wound on his shoulder.
With a start, Amberheart stifled a gasp as Rosethorn plunged her paw into the wound, digging deeply before snatching her paw out as a flood of blood began to flow from it now spilling to ground.
"What are you doing?" Amberheart cried out, unable to help herself. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
This cat, this creature that had the audacity to call herself a medicine cat was mutilating Cloudstorm's dead body. How could any cat that'd carried the title of medicine cat do such a thing as desecrate another cat's body? It was an outright crime against nature itself.
Rosethorn turned to her grinning wickedly. "Patience, river rat, the process is starting now."
They all continued to watch as Cloudstorm's blood pooled from the wound, swirling and seeping into the ground. As the blood began to slowly amass in size and grow into a small red puddle of crimson, a divide in the bloods thickness occurred. It started out minuscule, almost undetectable to the eye before slowly growing until a split in the red waters happened and the protrusion of a small bud emerged.
Suddenly the bud split open and with a source of newfound energy it began to sprout. The form of a thin green stalk rose higher from the depths of the blood, slowly twisting and straightening as it grew longer. The transformation continued until finally the flower stood in full bloom, the center piece of its sinister beauty being the countless red petals aligned so smooth and delicate.
"You can't be serious." a snort rose from Icefrost. "All that big talk and anticipation you built up about your deadly plague and your great reveal is a single rose. I have to say that I'm disappointed."
Rosethorn snickered while shaking her head. "And it's precisely that kind of thinking that led me to so easily overthrow you, Icefrost. There's a reason I named this rose the plague. It's a disease that rots and decays a place from the inside, claiming countless lives in the process and this rose will do just that."
"For once I agree with Icefrost," Brightstar spoke up. "There's no way a mere rose could do what you're claiming."
"And that's also the reason why you were so easy to take down as well," Rosethorn laughed. "This isn't some mere rose. I created this with sole purpose of being the bane that rotted StarClan from the inside." She cast a brief glance at Cloudstorm. "He would have made the perfect mate. He was the only cat in this world whose own hatred rivaled and possibly surpassed my own. It's thanks to that hate and rage flowing through his blood that was able to provide the fuel and nourishment my rose needed to finally sprout. It almost seems funny that the demise of the Clans should be brought about by something so delicate and small."
Rosethorn turned to stare at them. "The life you all fought to control is about to end. All I have to do is drop this rose in the waters of the pool and then the destruction commences."
"I don't understand," Amberheart spoke, staring at Rosethorn in desperation. "I can understand your hatred against StarClan, but what have the living cats of the forest done to you? They're completely innocent in all of this. Why make them suffer?"
"You think I care?" Rosethorn spat, her eyes flashing. "You're all no different, none of you are! Every last one of you dead and alive are nothing but insignificant insects with a history that consists of senseless bickering and fighting amongst each other while attempting to judge and control those you deem weaker than yourselves. You're the very hindrance to your own growth and I'm tonight I'm going to put an end to this disgraceful legacy by wiping it from history."
Rosethorn bent down and chew through the stem of the rose. She stood up with it clasped in her jaws and without a look backwards headed for the pool.
"We have to stop her!" Brightstar shouted writhing furiously against her vines. "I won't let you get away with this."
"Give it up, Brightstar, she's won," Icefrost stated bitterly. "Accept your demise with some dignity."
But the fiery she-cat didn't listen. She struggled and snarled against her bonds as Rosethorn grew closer to the pool's surface. She couldn't believe this. As a matter of fact who could have ever guessed that a forbidden romance would have led to the complete annihilation of the Clans history?
She let a frustrated yowl of despair as she slumped her in defeat. This was it, she realized with a bitter notion. She had failed to protect her home, failed to save all her friends and the cats down below in the forest. Her throat stung as grief overwhelmed her and with a grim realization Brightstar wondered if this was how Cloudstorm had felt the day Amberheart had died, having absolutely now power in being able to save what meant most to him?
"Amberheart?" she called out softly to the medicine cat.
The cream colored cat raised her head slowly, eyes downcast. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry," the fiery cat uttered, surprising Amberheart as she focused her full attention on Brightstar. "I haven't been fair to you at all. All this time I kept pushing you away, refusing to let you help or talk to Cloudstorm despite how much I knew it hurt you. I caused all of this; it's my fault this is happening. I'm sorry for everything, you, Cloudstorm, all of it."
It shocked Amberheart to hear Brightstar so broken. This was a cat who from the moment she first met her had commanded a presence that demanded respect. Never in this lifetime would she have ever believed she see such a proud former leader so completely displaced and downcast.
"It's okay," she said softly, absolving Brightstar of her guilt. "I don't blame you for any of it. You were only doing what you thought was right. For what it's worth despite what Cloudstorm's feelings may have been towards you I forgive you."
Brightstar's ear perked up at Amberheart's words. Doing the best she could from her bonds Brightstar locked eyes with Amberheart and slowly dipped her towards to the medicine cat. Amberheart's eyes widened for a second before she returned the gesture, signifying the newly found peace between them.
Rosethorn finally came to the edge of pool, the blue light from the water casting her in a sinister glow. This was it. The history of the Clans was about to be extinguished. She leaned across the water and then proceeded to release the rose from her jaws.
Rosethorn suddenly paused as her ears picked up a sound. A raucous of noise was currently from the bushes before splitting open to reveal the form of two cats. One was a considerably large golden brown tabby with a glittering pelt that revealed him as a member of StarClan. The extremely small golden tom beside him though was what caused Rosethorn's eyes to widen in shock.
"I guess you were right, kit," Lionstar rasped to Goldenshine, surveying the scene before them. "Do I even want to know what's going on here?"
Brightstar stared at Lionstar in disbelief, finding it hard to believe he was actually. Her stupor lasted all of three seconds before remembering the dire situation they were in.
"Quick, stop her!" she shouted. "She's going to destroy everything."
Lionstar's and Goldenshine's attention snapped to Brightstar before glancing at Rosethorn hovering on the edge of the pool. Goldenshine's eyes widened at the rose in her mouth, but before he or Lionstar could do anything Rosethorn whipped her head and slung the rose into the water.
"You're too late!" she sneered before turning and running away into the woods.
Lionstar made motion to go after her, but stopped as a frightened yowl sounded from Goldenshine. His attention turned back to the pool and he felt his heart drop at the same moment. Just like a switch the light from the pool suddenly died, turning gray. A tremor suddenly shook the ground and like a creeping fog the deathly gray from the pool began to extend to the bank. The moment it touched land the color was sucked from the grass and before everyone's eyes it wilted.
The gray continued. Its reach spreading further along to the edge of the trees surrounding the clearing before sucking the color and life out of them in one fell swoop as they rotted and decayed before everyone's eyes. The trees seemed to deflate like the air had just began squeezed out of them, the leaves crumbling to dust and the branches turning stone black.
The gray washed across the clearing eliminating every shred of life as the cats watched frightened as the grass beneath their paws turned ash gray and the forest around them melted before their eyes. It was just as Rosethorn had predicted. StarClan was dying from the inside.
Goldenshine stood watching in shock as the beauty of the forest was ripped away with a savage swipe of this creeping gray sickness. His eyes trailed across the cats present before falling upon a still body. The shock hit harder as he realized it was Cloudstorm.
Lionstar quickly sped to Brightstar's side and proceeded to tear the vines binding her which had withered to gnarled roots. "What in the name of StarClan is going on? That she-cat, who was she?"
"It doesn't matter now, you were too late to stop her," Brightstar growled, leaning against Lionstar as she struggled to her paws. "We need to get out of here and warn the others. StarClan's rotting away."
"Weren't you listening," a low growl sounded as Brightstar and Lionstar turned to stare at Icefrost. "There's no escape. Not for us or all the cats of the forest below."
"What happened?" a hollow voice called from behind Icefrost, surprising the dark tom as he swiveled his head around to stare at Goldenshine.
He snorted, pushing himself to his paws as the withered vines around him ripped apart. "I don't suppose that you came here to help me?"
Goldenshine shook his head. "I couldn't go through with it, Icefrost. I couldn't take the life of an innocent kit. I needed to make everything right so I came here hoping that I could somehow stop you two and ran into him on my way," he motioned towards Lionstar.
"A lot of good it did you," Icefrost rasped. "It was all a lie, everything Rosethorn told you and me. Her true plan all along was to destroy everything. That plague of hers isn't just stopping with StarClan. It's going to wipe out the Dark Forest and entire forest below as well. If I had to guess that storm that's currently going on is about to get a lot worse. By daybreak the Clans will have perished, having all drowned or been crushed."
Goldenshine mouth gaped open in shock before the realization of what had happened fully hit him and he lowered his head in shame.
"It's all my fault," he whispered to himself.
"If it's anyone's to blame here, its Icefrost," Brightstar growled, hobbling closer on her own paws as Lionstar went to free Amberheart.
"So quick to place the blame on anyone but yourself, Brightstar," Icefrost snorted, glaring at the she-cat. "You're at just as much fault here as I am."
Brightstar opened her mouth to retort before a call from Amberheart silenced her.
"Arguing amongst ourselves isn't going to change anything," she spoke, climbing to her paws as Lionstar tore the last vines from her body. "We have to work together to find some way to fix all of this."
"Stupid she-cat didn't you hear me the first time? It's over!" Icefrost growled.
"Maybe not," Goldenshine said, his eyes falling upon the heart.
"What are you talking about?" Brightstar asked, watching as the golden tom slowly trotted over to the heart.
"It may just be a chance to revert the process," he spoke more to himself than anyone. "If we could find Rosethorn and interrogate her there may be some way to combat the plague and save everyone. It's a slim chance but at least we have one."
"And how do you suppose we track her down?" Brightstar asked skeptically. "She could be anywhere."
Goldenshine's paw fell upon the heart as he slowly toyed with the notion of what he was about to suggest. There was a big possibility it would be shot down, but it was a try anyway.
"Rosethorn's my mentor so I have an idea as to where she'd probably go. If anything she's fled back to the Dark Forest so as to be the final cat left to watch the collapsing of StarClan and the Dark Forest, but my knowledge of the forest's layout is poor. I'll need a Dark Forest cat to help guide me. I need you, Icefrost."
Icefrost glanced at him, surprise evident on his face and Brightstar glared at him like he was insane. "You can't be serious? You expect me to let Icefrost help save StarClan after he just tried so hard to destroy it?"
"Icefrost has just as much to lose as we all do, Brightstar," Goldenshine said. "I'd rather I didn't need his help either, but the fact remains that I need his knowledge of the Dark Forest's territory if I'm going to be able to track down Rosethorn."
"He has a point," Lionstar interjected much to Brightstar's displeasure.
The fiery she-cat grunted, glaring hatefully at the dark tom. "Well?" she demanded. "Are you going to help or not?"
Icefrost glanced at all their faces before letting out a humorless chuckle. "And just like that the fate of everyone's survival depends on me. How ironic. Fine then," he said, fixing Goldenshine under his cold stare. "I'll guide you, but only so that I can kill that traitorous she-cat. No one betrays me and gets away with it."
Goldenshine let out a sigh of relief at the first part of his plan going smoothly. But now, however, is where things were about to get harder.
"And now that that's been settled I have one final request. I want Cloudstorm to go with us."
Brightstar made a sound like she was choking and Amberheart looked at Goldenshine in surprise.
"Uh, I don't know how to tell you this, kit, but I'm pretty sure he's dead," Lionstar rasped, glancing over at Cloudstorm's body.
"I'm fully aware of that," Goldenshine stated without missing a beat. "However, we have the means of bringing him back," he spoke, keeping his paw firmly on the heart. "The only question's that's left is whether my old mentor is willing to do it."
The three StarClan's cats stared at each other in total bewilderment while Icefrost merely snorted in response.
"You're too soft for your own good," he said before turning to pad up the slope. "Hurry up will you? We don't have time to waste. She'll do it as long as you command it. The heart forces her to comply."
"I know," Goldenshine replied, channeling power into the heart as the body of his former mentor began to materialize. "But I'm leaving it up to her."
Leafbreeze blinked several times, trying to focus her eyes on the sudden new change of scenery that'd just been sprung on her. It'd been a while since she'd experienced the feeling of having her body pulled from one plain to the next, and she wasn't looking forward to wait it entailed seeing how disastrous things had gone for her the last time.
What she hadn't been expecting was the sight of two familiar faces, Brightstar and Amberheart. Confusion spread across her face. How? Was she in StarClan? Leafbreeze opened her mouth to ask what was going on before her eyes shifted across to a face that took her by even more surprise.
"Hello, Leafbreeze," Goldenshine greeted melancholy. "It's nice to see you again."
Her eyes widened. What was he doing here? What in the name of StarClan was happening?
"Where am I?" she asked, addressing Brightstar.
"StarClan," Brightstar replied. "And we're in a bit of a crisis at the moment."
Leafbreeze blinked in confusion. "Crisis? What's happening?"
"This isn't anytime to explain," Brightstar said. "Leafbreeze, we need your help."
Her ears perked at this. "My help?" she asked. "What can I possibly do?"
Goldenshine stepped forward suddenly. His eyes were casted down so as not to meet her eyes. He took a deep breath as if reestablishing his resolve before finally looking up to lock gazes with her.
"Cloudstorm's dead. We need you to use one of Nightstar's lives stored inside you to revive him."
The intense reaction of shock and outrage that flashed across Leafbreeze's face was enough to make Goldenshine want to bury his head in the ground. Anger, hatred, hurt, it was all there in her eyes. Without even realizing what he was saying Goldenshine began to talk, letting all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions he had bottled up this entire time finally flow free.
"You have every right to hate him and me, and you should. What we did was unforgivable…what I did was unforgivable. I'm sorry." he bowed his head to her, his voice heavy laden with anguish. "A single day hasn't gone by where I haven't regretted what happen that night, wishing more than anything else that I could take it back."
Goldenshine's body shook from the amount of over pouring of emotion, gripping the dirt tightly between his claws.
"I'm worse than scum." his said bitterly. "I should have never blamed you or StarClan for not being able to save my mother. StarClan wasn't the enemy. It was no one's fault – I just wanted somebody to blame. That's how the Dark Forest got to me; that's how Rosethorn found me. They gave me something to blame my own insecurities on and from there everything just spiraled out of control. I allowed them to control me and from there on I made the biggest mistake when I hurt you."
Leafbreeze stood there simply listening and watching as the golden tom poured his soul out to her. This was unexpected. Of all the things she'd expected to hear from Goldenshine, considering what had occurred the last time the two of them had been face to face, this had not been it.
Goldenshine did something that surprised Leafbreeze then. Reaching down, he took his paw and pushed her heart towards her. She could only stare at the gesture in surprise, completely unable to believe what he had just done.
"I won't force you to do anything you don't want to," he spoke softly, meeting her gaze evenly. "Everyone deserves to be able to control their own life and so I'm giving you yours back. Thanks to me and the actions of others the life we've all come to know is in jeopardy of being wiped out forever, and all I want now is a chance to fix those mistakes, fix my mistakes. You might not believe me, but there's good in Cloudstorm and I think he deserves a chance to redeem himself."
Goldenshine then dipped his head to Leafbreeze in respect, the proper respect that a cat who was his true mentor and had taught him so much deserved. He had a lot to atone for. Not just for what he'd done to Leafbreeze, but helping contribute to the fate that was currently befalling hundreds of innocents right now.
He didn't know what Leafbreeze's answer would be. With everything that he'd done to her, she had every right to say no and he wouldn't blame her if he did. It was only to be expected if she in fact did shoot down his proposal.
Leafbreeze stood stoically, staring at him silently. Her face was unreadable, not the slightest hint of emotion present. As the drawn out silence started to get to Goldenshine, Leafbreeze surprised him by walking forward and softly bumping her head against his.
"Hold your head high," she stated firmly. "I trained you to be a proud medicine cat and expect you to carry yourself as such."
A rush of joy flooded warmly through Goldenshine as he looked up to see Leafbreeze smiling. She didn't verbally need to say she forgave him. That speech alone was enough to tell him.
Leafbreeze looked behind Goldenshine to stare at the three StarClan cats.
"Tell me is there anything left redeemable in Cloudstorm?"
Amberheart cast a questioning look towards Brightstar who glanced at Lionstar. The golden brown tabby merely snorted. "Despite everything the mousebrain's done there was something about him that Hawkgaze ended up giving his life up trying to save. I don't know for sure, but the brief moment I observed him up closed I never once saw him as being evil. It was more so simply being misguided by grief."
"I've seen the good in Cloudstorm," Amberheart said. "I believe if we give him the chance he'll surprise all of us."
Finally everyone's attention turned to Brightstar. The fiery she-cat's eyes glanced at all the faces staring at her before giving a brisk nod.
"Do it," she rasped.
Leafbreeze nodded before turning around. She may not like the idea of helping to bring back the tom that had murdered her, but if Brightstar was willing to tolerate his help then so would she.
"Would you mind lending me a paw?" she asked Goldenshine.
Goldenshine nodded, bending down to pick up Leafbreeze's heart and padding after her. He carefully placed the heart down by Leafbreeze's side who stood examining Cloudstorm's battle-scarred body.
"I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work," Leafbreeze admitted. "And with how ravaged his body is there's no telling if he won't soon die again he's been revived."
"Please try anyway," Goldenshine asked. "If the process works the same way it does when a leader comes back to life than hopefully the wounds will heal enough where he's able to help."
Leafbreeze studied Goldenshine's face for a moment. "You seem to care an awful lot about Cloudstorm wellbeing. Why are you so eager to bring him back?"
Goldenshine met Leafbreeze's questioning stare before his gaze fell upon Cloudstorm. "I'm not entirely sure. It just doesn't feel like it deserves to end this way for him. It's hard to explain, but I have this feeling that he'll be able to help somehow."
Leafbreeze stared at him before nodding. "Let's hope you're right then."
She traced a paw along Cloudstorm's body before stopping near the tip of his nose. "Here," she whispered to herself, causing Goldenshine to glance questioningly at her.
"Place the heart on his chest." Leafbreeze said, not taking her eyes off Cloudstorm.
Not sure where Leafbreeze was going with this this Goldenshine grasped the heart between his jaws before placing it on Cloudstorm's chest. He took a step back and watched as Leafbreeze placed her paw over the heart. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly before leaning over to touch noses with Cloudstorm.
The process was almost instantaneous. A glow of energy began to emit from the heart, engulfing Leafbreeze and Cloudstorm both in a shower of exploding colors. Goldenshine shirked away unable to stand the intensity from the blinding light.
As the light finally started to recede Goldenshine opened his eyes to see Leafbreeze slowly stepping away from Cloudstorm's. She turned to him with an uncertain look on her face. Despair began to fill the golden tom before out the corner of his eye he caught the slightest twitch of motion from Cloudstorm's tail.
He sped over to the dark gray tom's side, watching his face closely and a leap of joy rushed through him as he saw one of his suddenly twitch. Slowly Cloudstorm's eyes opened. The gray tom's seemed unfocused, but the moment he caught sight of Goldenshine's gold pelt they immediately fixed upon him, strength flowing behind them.
It had worked. Cloudstorm was back.
