AN: Another update so soon? What is this sorcery? Enjoy.

Chapter 34: Even Dead Cats Bleed

Soft raindrops pattered gently against the ground, beating the leafy ground in a steady pattern that was so comforting to just sit and listen to. Gray clouds bubbled and boiled above the vibrant green forest, spilling the rain that soaked the leaves. A gentle breath of wind buffeted the long grass and tugged lightly at the little flowers that dotted the long grass.

The scene was so perfect that it hurt. The way the rain fell on the grass seemed too gentle to be real rain. Everything seemed just too gentle.

His breath billowed out in white clouds in front of him, telling him that the air was chilly but he couldn't feel it. His body felt warm but his mind was cold. His body was strong but his heart was weak. Nothing felt real anymore. Nothing felt right.

A bramble bit into his flank and made him flinch but the pain was gone as soon as it came. He stared down at his flank where a mark should have been, only to find it bare of blood. He shuddered. It wasn't right for a cat not to bleed. Dark Forest Cats bleed and their already dead. Why are you worrying about dead cats when you can't even bleed? The small voice in the back of his head made surprising sense. Why was he worrying about anything else apart from himself?

No answer came to mind, so he continued making his way through the long grass. Every few seconds he would pause in his walk to stoop down and inhale the sweet smell of the flowers. They were pretty flowers, orange in colour tinged with yellow on the outside, and their smell was intoxicating. He wanted to just stop, lie down and smell them all day long. But some part of his mind told him to continue walking. It told him that there was something waiting for him at the end of his walk. He just didn't know what.

Murmurs reached his ears and he stopped, one paw raised, ears stretching to pick up anymore words. He could hear them but couldn't make out any of the words but a part of him recognised the voice and yearned for it, longed for it, ached for it. He sunk lower to the ground and began to crawl closer to where the murmurs were coming from, claws slipping out from their sheaths. He had yet to meet any other cats on the trail but he wasn't about to let his guard down.

And then he saw the cat that was murmuring and his heart came to a shuddering stop. His breaths came out in short gasps as his eyes came to rest on the she-cat that sat with her tail flicked over her paws. Her eyes were focused on the three small kits that tussled on the ground in front of her. But he had his eyes solely focused on the she-cat's sharp face with her red patches that looked like splashes of blood. All the memories came rushing back in a painful torrent and he nearly collapsed onto his knees at the sudden wave of pain that crashed over him.

"Berrypaw," he choked out.

Her head snapped up to stare at him with her pretty blue eyes. "Screech," she murmured, gesturing for him to join her. "Come sit with me."

He didn't need to be asked twice. "I miss you already," he mewed once he had sat down, only to be bowled over by the three rambunctious kits. They squeaked loudly as they scampered all over his dark black tabby pelt, soft paws pummelling him gently. He laughed as he felt their teeth pinching his skin in places as they pretended he was an enemy. In retaliation he rolled over and chuckled as their squeaks of surprise reached his ears as they slid off of his flanks.

Berrypaw's tinkling laughter sent a shudder of longing down Screech's spine. He missed her so much it hurt, like some cat was pricking his tail with their claws. Pain suddenly blossomed in his heart but he pushed it away. Now was not the time to be sad. He needed to cherish the left over time he had with his beloved. "Whose are they?" he asked as he watched the kits play amongst each other.

"Ours."

Screech blanched, "We didn't have kits though?"

"No, we did not," Berrypaw replied as she rested her head on Screech's shoulder. "But the…ancestors have allowed me to create the kits we could have had to keep me company whilst I wait for you." She smiled weakly. "They fill a small part of the large hole in my heart."

Screech felt his eyes drawn to the kits and he began to pick out resemblances between the kits and their 'parents'. All three of them had Berrypaw's blue eyes whilst only one had her red patched pelt; the other two had inherited his own black tabby pelt. It brought a smile to his face to see the kits he could have had playing happily with each other. He leant over and drew his tongue over Berrypaw's muzzle, dragging a purr out from her chest.

She smiled up at him and for once he felt at peace. He could stay here forever.

But then he went rigid as realisation crashed over him like an icy wave. He felt so stupid not to have picked up on it earlier. Berrypaw's eyes weren't blue. They were green.

The dream collapsed around him, plunging him into inky darkness as hauntingly familiar laughter filled his ears and froze the blood in his veins. "Oh little cat you really are so stupid, leaving your mind so open. I didn't even have to try to pick out your most intimate memories and then use them against you. Missing Berrypaw are we? What a shame."

Pain once again stabbed Screech in the heart as the world began returning underneath him. He recognised the forest where he had run into Kitty in the first place and it hurt him more than it should have. This was the place Berrypaw had sacrificed herself for him, the place she had died so that he might win the Games and have a better life. As the vision returned to his eyes he picked out Kitty standing above a patch of crimson blood, fox-like muzzle curved into a vicious smile. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" he croaked as he attempted to stand.

"Because you stepped into my forest and refused to play with me. You have to be punished for that. But I didn't know that there were two of you until I slipped into your mind and plucked through your memories. Two of you refused to play with me so two of you must pay the price. No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings!?" Screech spat as he stood shakily with his amber eyes blazing. "You killed the cat I loved more than myself and then used a memory of her to create your own nightmare! I've felt those hard feelings and am still feeling them now!" He crouched down and curled his lip to bare his white fangs. "Now let me tear your head off." He pounced and crashed into Kitty with a feral snarl. She whacked him over the head with a heavy paw that sent stars dancing before his vision. Screech shook it off and raked his claws through her coarse black fur, spots of red blood already beginning to appear.

She, with blue eyes aflame with rage, sunk her fangs into his scruff and threw him into a rock that protruded from the ground. He smashed into it with a loud crack and he cried out in pain. Something was defiantly broken this time. A burst of pain ripped through him every time he tried to put pressure on his left leg. He assumed his shoulder blade had broken. Kitty appeared before him, smiling darkly with her plumy tail flicking slightly. "Just kill me," he gasped weakly before lashing out at Kitty, his claws tearing through the skin on her muzzle. She screeched in pain and kicked out at him with her hind legs, once more knocking him to the ground. Another crack rang out followed by Screech's shriek of pain as his shoulder cracked even more.

"Killing you would be showing mercy and I am not a merciful creature. Letting you live will be torture enough. I can't imagine what it must feel to have to live with the knowledge that you were the reason for your mate's death," she cooed as she pressed her paw into his throat. He stared up at her with eyes glazed over with pain, begging her to end his miserable life but he knew that she would not. "Get out of my forest, Screech, and don't ever come back."

He watched warily as Kitty began to slink away, plumy tail swishing from side to side. When he was certain she was gone he rose painfully to his paws and began to limp away, following the sound of rushing water he had noticed mere moments ago.

He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do with a broken shoulder. If he was to run into another contestant then he'd die, he was sure of that, which meant he'd have to creep through the undergrowth like a timid mouse, jumping at every sound, fretting that death was just around the next bush. It wasn't an appealing thought but it would mean survival and the small chance that he might be able to win the Games and go home.

Go home to who? You're father disowned you, you're siblings haven't spoken to you, you're mother's off with other toms and you're mate is dead. Who do you have to go home to?

Once again the small voice in the back of his head was right. He didn't have anyone to go home to, not anymore.

The sound of rushing water grew steadily louder until it became a loud roar that rumbled violently in the near distance. The smell of running water blasted Screech in the face but he barely felt it. All he could think about was no longer having Berrypaw by his side. The image of the kits they could have had filled his mind, three perfect kits that looked like him and looked like Berrypaw. He shook his head. Berrypaw didn't even get her warrior name, she was just an apprentice and already dead. It brought tears to his eyes, tears that dribbled from the corners of his eyes and splashed onto his paws as he limped along.

The grass beneath his paws became shorter as the trees around him thinned out to reveal a beautiful waterfall that splashed down into a serene pool many fox-leaps down below. Screech stepped out from the safety of the trees and onto a cliff that jutted out beside the waterfall. The view was dizzying but beautiful, a view he would have loved to have shared with Berrypaw. A sharp pain pierced his heart once more, a pain that he was already starting to hate.

"Oh, Berrypaw," he sighed as he came to a stop at the edge of the outcrop. "I don't know what to do anymore. You were everything to me and now you're gone. My heart feels like it's dying every time I think of you because I know that we'll never be able to have the life we wanted to. Seeing those kits that Kitty created hit me so hard because I know how much you wanted kits of your own and now you can't have any, because of me!" Tears began to pour from his eyes as he cried out his pain to the Clans that he didn't know were watching. "Berrypaw, how can I continue knowing that your death is my fault!? If I had of known that Kitty was in that forest then I wouldn't have gone running in without a plan but I did and now you're gone!"

"I don't know if I can go on without you."

His eyes were drawn to the bubbling water that seemed so very far below him. It suddenly looked so very appealing almost as if it was calling to him. "I can't go on without you."

And then he jumped.

-000-

They were all prepared to fight to the death for the chance to rule over the afterlife territories as the supreme rulers. None were more prepared than the six Callers as well as Scourge and Palesun. They couldn't wait to sink their claws into stinking hides of the High Stars. Scourge grinned devilishly at the thought of tearing into Iceshard.

Their nerves heightened slightly when they crossed the border and were nearly intercepted by two cats claiming to be their guides. It didn't take long for their throats to be slit and bodies hidden. Scourge didn't need any guides; he had the Callers and Hawkfrost to take him and his army to where the High Stars were waiting. Again the image of the High Star's bleeding bodies filled his mind and he chuckled quietly to himself.

Palesun pricked her ears and smirked at him, "I've never met a cat so pleased at the thought of killing other cats."

"Yes you have. You're one of them," Scourge retorted with a wink.

"No," Palesun murmured, shifting her gaze to her paws. "That part of me belongs to Cypress, that's why I don't let her out very often." She shifted uncomfortably and jumped a little when Scourge pressed his nose into her shoulder.

He smiled softly at her, "Cypress isn't as interesting as you are."

They fell silent as they continued their walk through the Dark Forest, trying to dodge around muddy puddles, fallen trees and clumps of bramble bushes. Each cat paid close attention to the six Callers that had spread out to keep an eye out for any more guides. Thankfully there were none. The Dark Forest was eerily quiet.

That was until they drew close to the centre of the Dark Forest, the place where the High Stars thrones sat. Scourge brought his army to a stop, hoping that his cats remembered the plan he had explained to them a little while ago. If they didn't then it was going to get messy.

"We ready?" he called to the Callers as they neared him. Palesun hadn't left his side.

Tigerstar nodded, "The High Stars are there as well as the other two leaders with their advisors. We have the largest group by three cats."

"Are you sure they won't get suspicious when all six of you turn up with me?" Scourge pressed warily.

"They might but we are able to choose which territory we live in," Ivypool answered. "It is one of our rights as a Caller. They cannot stop us."

Scourge snorted and began to shoulder his way through the thick foliage that ringed the High Stars clearing. His body was beginning to tingle in anticipation. It wasn't long now until he became a High Star with Palesun at his side. The foliage ended and opened up in the grassy clearing, the four stone thrones protruding from the ground towards the back of the clearing. His eyes were drawn to the other two leaders and their advisors. Hiddenstorm sat towards the edge with Sinkingsun sitting beside him. A small chuckle bubbled up from Scourge's throat when he noticed the yellow she-cat. Hawkfrost was going to be a little distracted. But it was the other leader that Scourge did not know, the leader of StarClan.

A few days ago Redflame had been the leader but now a large – and rather ugly looking – gray she-cat sat in his place with five other StarClan cats surrounding her. Each of them stared warily at the stone thrones obviously traumatised by something. "Nice to see you again, Scourge," Hiddenstorm rumbled as he rose to his paws and dipped his head.

Scourge did not return the gesture, "I'd say the same but I doubt one of my cats would like me for it."

Hiddenstorm tilted his head to one side in confusion before his eyes came to rest on a bristling Hawkfrost. "Oh," the leader murmured, eyes straying to where Sinkingsun sat proudly. "I see."

"And who are you?" Scourge asked the gray she-cat that was staring at him intently.

She purred softly and batted her eyelids causing Scourge to shudder a little. "Shadelight, the new overseer of StarClan after Redflame's untimely demise."

Realisation hit Scourge. He'd heard about Iceshard's siege on StarClan that had ended in the complete annihilation of all StarClan cats. Now the territory of StarClan was just being used as a dumping ground for the weaker Clan cats that had perished recently. Scourge smiled a little. Iceshard may be weak but she certainly knows how to annihilate a Clan. "I hope you are enjoying dealing with petty Clan cats," he smirked to Shadelight and turned to Palesun. "She will make a weak ally but an ally none the less."

Palesun wrinkled her nose, "Only because she is infatuated with you."

"Her infatuation will cloud her decisions."

"Yes, but it will make her very annoying," Palesun hissed. "Besides, I might be tempted to kill her off for rubbing up against you."

Scourge arched his brow and rubbed his muzzle against hers. "You're the only one for me."

Before Palesun could reply a cat stepped out from behind one of the thrones. Her fur was a dull brown colour and her eyes were an ugly yellow and emotionless. "Please compose yourselves for the arrival of the High Star."

The gathered cats grew silent as they awaited the arrival of the High Stars but Scourge was confused. He'd heard the brown she-cat only mention one High Star, had the others died? What one was left? He hoped it was Iceshard so that he could tear her apart but any of the High Stars would be nice.

Paw steps could be heard bending the grass as they approached from behind the stone thrones. Each cat held their breath in anticipation. Black fur flashed behind the thrones followed by cream fur and then other patch of black fur. Those aren't the fur colours of the High Stars...

Three cats stepped out from behind three of the thrones, three cats that were not dead and certainly not part of the Dark Forest. Three pairs of eyes, green, blue and red stared down at the gathered cats from atop the raised hill. One of them tilted their head to one side and blinked down at the shocked cats. "Hello, my followers," the red eyed one purred. "I am glad you were all able to make it."

"Who are you?" Hiddenstorm spat angrily.

The black she-cat turned her blood red gaze onto the tom and he shivered under their burning glare. "My name is Crimson and these are my trusted..advisors, Jinx," she gestured to the cream she-cat, "and Tornheart."

Scourge heard Ivypool gasp behind him. "You, you're that she-cat that's been terrorizing the Clans! But you're not dead so how are you here?"

"Would you believe me if I said magic?" Crimson smirked. "I
can travel freely between realms because I was created here. My advisors are sleeping in their nests down in the living world; I merely summoned them here to walk beside me. It's an easy process when you have powers such as mine."

"Created here? What do you mean created here?" Shadelight growled.

It was Jinx that answered, her soft voice not suiting the scarred body it belonged to. Scourge observed the cream she-cat by the name of Jinx, finding the large scar that ran across her left eye to be surprisingly appealing. "The previous High Star, Death, created her as a supposed overseer for StarClan but during her creation he slipped up and fed her all his power plus the power of the other High Stars. You can blame him for her usurping the High Star thrones and for taking over the Clans."

Wary eyes became admiring eyes for Crimson. No other cat could brag about taking over the Clans and killing off the High Stars. But, despite finding her to be a powerful ally, Scourge was angered by the fact that someone else had killed Iceshard before he could. "So you're telling us that you killed Iceshard, Eternity, Settingsun and Death as well as took over six Clans? Doesn't sound very believable to me," Scourge scoffed.

A clawed paw caught him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and then the grassy floor rushed up to meet him. He groaned and looked up to stare into the green eyes of Tornheart, her lips curled in a silent snarl. "I'd believe it if I were you," she spat. "I can always demonstrate to you how we took over six Clans."

"That I would like to see," Tigerstar rumbled. All eyes turned to stare at him and he puffed out his chest, "I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'd just like to see them fight."

The others all nodded. "We will fight six of you," Crimson meowed.

"Six?" Palesun blurted. "Against three of you? That I would like to see!"

Three of Shadelight's cats stepped up to fight followed by Thistleclaw, Breezepelt and Ivypool. Crimson, Jinx and Tornheart slunk over to join up with each other and sat silent whilst the other six cats discussed a battle plan. "Are you ready?" Jinx spat impatiently.

"We are," Thistleclaw retorted as his battle group broke up and spread out. Scourge stepped forward to start the fight.

"No rules, you fight to the death," the small black tom grinned. "Go."

Tornheart shot to one side and tackled one of Shadelight's cats, slitting his throat before the tom could even sink a claw into her fur. Within heartbeats Jinx had taken down one of the others, her fangs stained red by his blood. Both of them winked at each other as they circled the remaining tom, grinning devilishly at him. But before they could kill him they were both taken to the ground by Breezepelt and Ivypool. Shrieks and snarls erupted from them as they clawed and bit into each other. For once Jinx and Tornheart had found themselves evenly matched.

That left Thistleclaw and Crimson to stalk in a tight circle. He spat insults and curses at her. She remained silent, red eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. Words spilt from her mouth, almost silently, words that made no sense to any cat that could hear them. Then Thistleclaw fell to the ground screeching in pain. His eyes were wide and filled with pain as he writhed around on the ground trying to rid his body of the immense pain filling it.

His breathing became choked and hurried as Crimson neared him, her eyes focused on him only as they burned with frightening intensity. But then she broke away, breaking the contact which ended the pain Thistleclaw was feeling. He took a gulping breath only to receive a clawed paw to the face. Crimson's claws ripped down his face, tearing through his right eye and sending him rolling in pain again.

Scourge watched with wide eyes as Crimson pounced on Thistleclaw and sunk her claws into his stomach. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the black she-cat dragged her claws down his stomach, ripping it open. Blood poured from the jagged wound that was still leaking out blood. Thistleclaw jerked a few times and then fell still.

Moments later Jinx broke the neck of the Breezepelt and Tornheart tore Ivypool's throat out.

Silence fell over the remaining cats as they stared at the rapidly fading bodies of their old friends and Clan mates. "Well," Palesun's voice broke the silence, "I can see now how you managed to take over six Clans and kill the High Stars. You three certainly do make a strong team."

"We know each other's strengths and weaknesses," Jinx replied before she returned to grooming the blood from her soft fur.

Crimson tapped a rock lazily with one claw as she contemplated what she was going to say next. "I asked you to all gather here so that I could tell you that you must step down from your positions as leaders and overseers of the other afterlife territories so that I can preside over them as the only leader. Understand?"

"What!?" Scourge spat in shock, "there is no way I'm stepping down!" He risked a glance at Hiddenstorm and found the tom whispering quietly to Sinkingsun. The yellow she-cat had her ears pinned against her skull, green eyes wide.

Tornheart snarled at Scourge and took a menacing step toward him, "If you do not then we will simply kill you."

"Maybe stepping down would be wise," Palesun murmured quietly.

"What!?" Scourge hissed in surprise. "We'd lose all our power over our ca-"

"Just do it, trust me," she interrupted.

He eyed her cautiously and then his eyes softened. He could trust her because she loved him. "Okay," he sighed and turned his head to stare at Crimson. "I will give up my position as leader to you."

"I will do the same," Hiddenstorm grumbled.

"As will I," Shadelight purred. "I'd be glad to join your army."

Crimson's eyes brightened at Shadelight's words and she trotted over to the ugly gray she-cat. "I'll let you join my army. Hold still and don't scream." Shadelight blanched but didn't have enough time to move before Crimson knocked her to the ground and held her there, red eyes blazing.

She murmured the words to her spell, eyes locked with Shadelight's. Within a heartbeat the gray she-cat began to screech in pain as her fur began to turn brown. Her eyes lost their amber colour, changing to pale yellow. Crimson chuckled evilly as her newest army member fell silent. And then she gasped in pain as blood began to spurt from chest, oozing out from where her heart beat quickly.

Tornheart and Jinx jumped forward, rushing to hurry their bleeding leader. They allowed her to lean against them as she struggled to remain on her paws. "Get me away from here," Crimson ordered hoarsely. "Something has happened elsewhere, I just need some time to recover."

"Understood," Tornheart replied and began helping Crimson towards the cover of the forest.

Jinx watched them enter the shadows before she turned to face the remaining cats. "I recommend you stay in the Dark Forest until Crimson has concluded her business with you." Then she picked Shadelight's motionless body up in her jaws and melted away into the shadows.

No one spoke; they just sat there staring at the place the three she-cats had just vanished. None of them understood what had just happened but one decided it would give him a chance at earning back his kingdom. Scourge turned to his cats with a toothy grin. "We have some planning to do."

AN: Please don't kill me. Screech's time in the Games was up but I'll let you decide what happened to him after he jumped. This chapter was 4505 words, damn long. This story is actually starting to wrap up but I'm not exactly sure how many chapters there are left. Might hit 40.

Competition is still running, waiting on a few entries still.

-Hunter