Chapter 24
All right, yes, I know! I haven't updated in a LONG while! That's because I was trying to finish up another fan fiction, and now I've decided I'll do that with this one too. The next update will most likely be soon; I'm trying to finish the two that are nearly done up so I can focus on a lot less and have less stress to update, and that would hopefully mean not so many one/two month update waits. …Like this one. XD Sorry about that! Please remember to review!
Riverstar had led Bubblestar to the Twoleg camp in her dreams before she awoke to the sound of the siren. They had seen mysterious creatures of all shapes and sizes flooding out toward the cats' home.
"No," she'd breathed, not able to make her voice louder.
"This is the prophecy," Riverstar had murmured.
They turned to a group of cats, yowling commands and laughing maniacally.
"They're leading these animals to us," Bubblestar had gasped, horrified. "How could they do that—?"
But before Riverstar could give her an answer, the sirens blared and she had awoken.
Coyotefur trotted along the outskirts of the forest warily. The reek of the Twoleg's horrifying torture camp filled his nostrils and the ear-piercing yowl coming constantly out of it made his ears flick, as if they were trying to escape the sound. The unbearable wailing had frightened WindClan, and he was sure it had frightened the other three Clans as well. He looked over his shoulder, wondering if Bubblestar had been frightened by it and wanting to be able to comfort her. Then he snorted at himself, knowing she wouldn't so easily admit out loud to being afraid.
His ears pricked suddenly and a chill ran down his spine. He looked back over toward the Twoleg camp, opening his jaws and breathing in deeply. The smell from the place almost made him gag, but there was a scent in the air that brought back Coyotefur's memories of the brutal slaughtering of his family so many moons before. His eyes narrowed to slits as he recalled the events.
He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the earth beneath his paws angrily. He swore, if he ever saw those murderous cats again he would kill them. Coyotefur let out a hiss as the cruel cats' faces flashed through his mind.
Are those cats coming here? he thought to himself. Are they at the Twoleg place?
He flicked his tail in hesitation, staring out at the Twoleg camp. There was a flashing light along with the sirens that seemed ominous and disturbing. Like blood red stars. Then he bounded back into the forest.
On his way back to WindClan, he crashed into a RiverClan apprentice running at top speed through the trees. Their limbs tangled, they tumbled into the base of huge tree, grunting in pain. With a twitch of annoyance, Coyotefur gracefully yanked away from the apprentice.
"What're you doing?" he asked impatiently, forcing back a hiss.
The apprentice scrambled to his feet, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. He stared at Coyotefur, slightly confused.
"Are you the…phantom cat?" he asked dazedly.
Coyotefur blinked. The moonlight was shining on his pelt from a gap in the tree, making it seemingly sparkle with the help of how his fur was from the start. "No," he lied. "I'm Coyotefur. You're Bubblestar's apprentice, aren't you?"
The tom nodded, a glint in his eye. "I'm Ribbonpaw. I remember you now. How could I have mixed you up with the phantom cat?" He let out a mrrow of amusement. Coyotefur frowned, his ears flicking in irritation. What would the apprentice say if he found out that Coyotefur was the phantom cat?
"Well, what're you doing?" Coyotefur repeated his question.
Ribbonpaw's face turned dark and serious. "You can help me, actually. Bubblestar sent some cats out to the other Clans to tell them to bring all of their warriors and apprentices to the river. There's going to be a big battle."
Coyotefur turned serious as well, and nodded. They raced off together to WindClan.
They arrived in the WindClan camp to a group of warriors fighting off a strange looking, larger cat. It had no tail, and was grey and white with tufts of fur pointing out from its cheeks. It hissed and spat, and easily swatted away Dragonheart, who had leaped boldly up to the cat with her claws outstretched. Dragonheart quickly jumped to her feet again, hissing.
The larger cat's back was turned to Coyotefur and Ribbonpaw. Coyotefur looked at the apprentice and they both nodded, then silently crept forward. When they were close enough, Coyotefur leapt up onto the big cat's back and bit furiously into its neck. Ribbonpaw tore his claws across its hind legs, causing it to screech in pain and buckle to the ground.
Coyotefur felt his teeth sink into a vein, and the blood flowed out even faster. Slowly, the cat sank to the ground and died.
Coyotefur finally pulled his mouth away from its neck and spat out fur and blood. "Get all of the apprentices and warriors to the river—except for two, who can guard the camp! Now!" he hissed, and the cats sprang to action, confused but willing to follow the orders.
"Why?" Frozenheart called out.
"There's going to be a gruesome battle," Ribbonpaw meowed ominously. That was enough for the WindClan cats.
Coyotefur clenched his teeth together. Please be all right, Bubblestar.
Bubblestar led her warriors and apprentices over to the river, Runningsky beside her. Her heart was pounding faster with each pawstep. She knew the battle would be bloody, and not without lost lives. But hopefully they'd get rid of the creatures leaking in through the Twoleg camp and they could live peacefully again.
Finally they stood looking over at the flashing red lights of the terrible place and the wailing only got louder. It was deafening and frightening. But Bubblestar swallowed her fear. She had to lead her warriors with strength and courage.
The bushes rustled, and WindClan, followed by ShadowClan, stepped into the clearing. Ribbonpaw, Wreathpaw and Coyotefur dashed over to her.
"I was scared that ShadowClan wouldn't listen," Wreathpaw panted proudly, "but Darkstar is a very agreeable cat."
"I ran into Coyotefur on my way to WindClan," Ribbonpaw meowed, his own chest heaving, "and we went together. When we got there, a big funny cat was invading the camp. Coyotefur killed it. Then we all came down here." He gestured to WindClan, waiting patiently but nervously.
Finally, Featherpaw emerged from the trees with ThunderClan.
"So what's going on here?" Eaglestar demanded.
Bubblestar hopped up onto to a rock to elevate her and be heard and seen by all the cats. "The creatures are somehow being let loose from their cruel cages in the Twoleg camp over there." She flicked her tail over to it in indication. "And they are all coming to the forest to attack us."
A ripple of murmurs went through the crowd. Darkstar, Eaglestar and Cranestar had shouldered their way over to Bubblestar.
"Tonight," Bubblestar continued, casting her gaze around the clearing, "it would seem that all of them have been let loose." Her thoughts turned to the interrupted dream. "And it would seem that a group of cats is leading them to us."
She noticed Coyotefur's hackles raise suddenly. "What is it?" she asked him.
"I knew it," he spat, digging his claws into the earth beneath him. "I got a whiff of their scent earlier." When he looked up at Bubblestar, his gaze was intense. "I know who those cats are. They're the cats that murdered my family."
Cranestar swung her head to look at the warrior. Their eyes met. They were both clearly pained by a memory they shared. Other cats from WindClan had that look, too. "Are you sure?"
Coyotefur nodded. "I think they're coming here with this…this army of creatures to finish what they started."
The maniacal laughter from Bubblestar's dream sounded from the top of the hill going down to the Twoleg camp.
"So you figured it out, eh, Coyotepaw?" a female voice meowed, amused.
Coyotefur hissed violently, his eyes flooding with hate as he looked at the cats before him. He moved closer to them, pushing some Clan cats aside.
"Vixenpelt!" he shrieked, hissing again. His fur was standing on end and his claws were digging straight into the dirt he stood on. "I'll kill you!" He leapt forward suddenly, but Vixenpelt didn't move. She only flicked her tail and a big, ugly black tom barreled Coyotefur over.
Vixenpelt clicked her tongue. "Aw, Coyotepaw, are you still mad at me?" Coyotefur growled. Vixenpelt's face filled with mock sadness. "What? Why? I didn't do anything! Oh, unless killing your family counts, honest! I did nothing!"
Coyotefur's breaths were coming out in rasping growls. He struggled against the big tom's hold.
"You know you won't get away from him, Coyotepaw," another she-cat said, stepping out from the shadows.
"Chipmunkstripe's right, Coyotepaw, and you know it," Vixenpelt purred.
"I'm Coyotefur now," he told them, a low, threatening rumble tumbling out of his throat.
"Oh, did the little apprentice get made into a big, strong warrior?" Vixenpelt sounded like she was talking to a newborn kit. "I'm so proud! Aren't you so proud, Chipmunkstripe?"
Chipmunkstripe smiled sweetly and cruelly. "Of course I am. But Coyotepaw still has a nice ring to it," she meowed, giggling. Her giggle sent a cold shiver down Bubblestar's spine. "I think I'll stick with that."
Bubblestar's eyes widened. It was incredibly rude to continue calling a cat by their apprentice name even though you knew full well that the cat was a warrior.
She noticed the looming shadows slowly moving up the hill behind the group of terrorizing cats. Her stomach churned.
"Oh look, the full army has arrived!" Vixenpelt chirped. "Isn't that wonderful?" She was addressing the big tom holding Coyotefur down. He nodded silently.
"Well now, army," Chipmunkstripe purred, staring at the crowd, seeming to be looking into every single cat's eyes. "We've given these stupid Clan cats quite enough hints over the past moons."
"Many, many moons," Vixenpelt chimed in. "Starting with an eagle."
Bubblestar's heart almost stopped. The eagle that had killed Gooseflight, all those moons ago. The eagle that nearly killed Bubblestar. Coyotefur had saved her. That was their first meeting.
"Now they're ready for all of you to attack at once!" Chipmunkstripe meowed cheerfully.
"Not really, but oh well!" Vixenpelt giggled.
"Gooseflight died…because of you?" Bubblestar meowed, shaken but still loud enough to be heard.
Vixenpelt and Chipmunkstripe looked up at her at the same, then smiled, their eyes gleaming with hatred. "Yes," they mewed together.
Then the animals from behind them all charged at the Clans.
DUN DUN DUH! And the battle begins! Who will win! Who will lose? Who will live? Who will die! Who are these strange and evil cats? Why do they want revenge! Will the prophecy be fulfilled? Will Coyotefur and Bubblestar finally be able to be together! What am I having for dinner? REVIEW TO FIND OUT! By the way I accidentally deleted chapter two. Hehe. Don't look for it. I thought I didn't have an original copy of it anymore and went through all the trouble to rename the chapters properly. Then I found the chapter and REALLY didn't feel like changing everything back. So it's gone. ;D REVIWE TO FIND OUT!