Blossompaw's Escape

Part Six: The Battle

With paws of lead they marched through the forest and up the grassy slopes. The forest abruptly diminished into a giant clearing. The mass of Niko's fela was already at the battle field, waiting anxiously for the clan and pack's arrival. Blossomstar nodded at Niko. The cream furred she cat ordered three of her own cats to head to Blossomstar's camp to guard it. Blossomstar was uncomfortable with the thought of anyone knowing where Ashclan was, but she had to trust Niko. Bugs and both medicine cats were back at the camp, preparing nests for the aftercare of the wounded. But Whisperheart and Icefire would soon be heading towards the battlefield with jaws full of herbs. They'd hide in the trees and whenever they saw a cat fall they'd rush out to help them.

Niko's fela positioned themselves in the tree line - ready to burst forth and attack Shane's gang upon their arrival. Blossomstar and all of her warriors and the pack sat in the middle of the field. Then they waited in anticipation for the arrival of Echo and Shane. It didn't take long. The first of Shane's cats appeared at the far tree line, their eyes glittering maliciously. Shane and Echo were at the front, their expressions didn't give away any surprise at seeing Blossomstar waiting for them in the field instead of at Ashclan's camp.

Blossomstar gulped, something didn't feel right. She glanced behind her, back at where Niko's fela was hiding. She didn't see any cats. Either they were concealing themselves very well or...

"I must say Blossomstar I'm a little disappointed," Echo called out. Blossomstar turned her attention back toward's her opponents. "I'd expected you'd amass more of an army than a few dogs."

"This won't be a challenge at all," Shane agreed and flexed his muscles. His dark eyes narrowed as his nose twitched. His sniffed the air deeply.

"Niko, you can come out now," he growled. Blossomstar's blood ran cold. He knew Niko was here? How could he know and not be surprised in the least...unless Niko was double crossing Ashclan.

Niko calmly walked out of the tree line, her tail swaying from side to side.

"Shane, what a displeasure it is to see you this fine morning."

"Niko!" Blossomstar hissed softly. "You're working with Shane now?"

Niko ignored her. "I must say I'm surprised with your new taste in she-cat Shane. That little scrap of fur Zilla? Or Echo, as she now calls herself. I thought you were smarter than that."

Echo bristled at Niko's words. "There is time for taunting later, it is time to fight now!" the gray she cat announced.

"Is it really time to fight? You might want to change your tactic or you'll be outnumbered Shane," Niko purred, it seemed she was just playing a game, keeping all sides guessing what she'd do next. For the first time Shane looked confused, and a little scared.

"We have the numbers Niko - they only have a tiny clan and some dogs."

"And me, don't forget," she jeered.

"We had a deal!" Shane growled. He seemed to grow in size as his temper boiled. Blossomstar waited expectantly for Niko's response. Just what exactly had the she cat been up to?

"Oh right, the deal. I help you defeat the fearsome Blossomstar and you would give me more territory in the city. Like carrion you'd ever do that!" Niko laughed at the absurd thought. It appeared she had told her ex mate she'd help him in exchange for territory, but she was now going to stick to her original promise to help Blossomstar. "Now Echo, do you still want to fight?"

Echo seemed to be thinking quickly, her golden eyes angry and lost in thought. She suddenly whispered something to Shane, and he nodded and disappeared into the trees. A moment later he returned, dragging another cat with him.

"Well well well. You have done a better job that I first thought Blossomstar. But no matter, I still have my bargaining piece," Echo said as the cat Shane had been dragging struggled to his paws - the sunlight caught his earthy green eyes.

"Flintmask!" she couldn't help but gasp. Hope swelled in her chest, he was still alive. Would Shane and Echo really give Flintmask back to her if she called off the battle now? But Echo's next words were not what she expected.

"I let Flintmask run back over to your side, if you run over to mine," Echo said with a sly smirk. Blossomstar was confused, until she heard her own warriors shouting in fear and outrage.

"I will let Flintmask live if you lay down your own life. All nine of them. It's you or him Blossomstar," she continued speaking.

"No Blossomstar, don't!" Braveheart rasped. His voice was pained - he'd already lost so much and now he was faced with the prospect of losing another friend.

"There must be another way!" Frost exclaimed. Shiverspots was silent, it was a lose lose situation for her no matter what. In fact it was lose lose for everyone. But still, Blossomstar had to make a decision. And this time there was no escape.

Her right paw stepped forward, and a hush fell over all sides. She took another step, and Flintmask realized she'd made her choice.

"No Blossomstar, you can't. You promised me you would fight no matter what!" he shouted. She ignored his pleas and continued walking until she was face to face with Echo. Shane was dragging Flintmask across the field over to Ashclan's side. Echo had her gaze locked on Blossosmtar's. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, then she felt Echo's claws tear through her throat. She heard Flintmask scream in anguish behind her. And then she died.

She awoke in Starclan, heartbeats later. Her father was sitting beside her, tears glistened in his eyes. She buried her nose in his flank and drank in his scent. He rested his muzzle on her head and she could feel him shaking.

"We'll be together soon my sweet daughter. I wished you would not join me here for many moons to come."

She looked up into her fathers face, tears blurred her own vision.

"I'm scared," she admitted. There were no words of comfort Adderfang could offer her. None at all.

She heaved upward again as air refilled her lungs, she was alive again. And would die eight more times. Echo raised her paw again to end Blossomstar's next life, but her face was filled with astonishment. Starclan had really given her nine lives, and was a force to be reckoned with. But not even Starclan could get in the way of Echo's desire for revenge. Nothing could. She took away another life.

This time as the blood seeped out of Blossomstar's neck she stared at Echo, she forced the she cat to hold her gaze. If Echo was going to murder her in cold blood then she'd have to watch the life leave her eyes all nine times. Before Blossomstar's eyes dulled she saw the hair raised on Echo's pelt as the sickening feeling crawled through her.

She died, awoke, and Echo prepared to kill her a third time. All while Blossomstar stared at her, Echo unflinchingly claimed another life - but her eyes revealed that she had become unnerved. Blossomstar knew when she awoke again Echo would only kill her another time. But when her eyes opened she saw Echo shaking, and she saw a flash of something ignite in the other she cat.

Blossomstar remembered the dream she'd had, one that felt like ages ago. Where there was another cat inside Echo's body - and she'd asked Blossomstar to kill her. The real Zilla was fighting to get out of whatever had taken control of her mind. The moment only lasted a heartbeat before Echo was in control again and poised to strike again. But that split second moment had been enough time for Blossomstar to struggle to an upright position. As Echo's claws slashed at her neck she surged upward, dodging the blow and knocking the other she cat off her paws. Echo went flying backwards, with Blossomstar's blood still fresh on her claws.

She landed heavily and the battlefield erupted in chaos as Shane's cats ran forward to meet her own. Blossomstar was winded from that brief struggle with Echo and she could hardly even stand. Braveheart was at her side and gently picked her up in his large jaws. He dashed to were Whisperheart and Icefire were and dropped Blossomstar off at their paws. Then he was back on the battle field, taking on five cats at once.

There was nothing the medicine cats could do to help Blossomstar, Starclan had healed the wounds. She'd just need time to regain her strength. She caught her breath for a few minutes before she stood to go join the fight. Icefire and Whisperheart were busy dragging a wounded she cat off the field and Blossomstar was able to jump into the heat of the fight without them telling her to rest.

Her claws met fur and she began sparring with a tom cat. Her bit her shoulder hard, and she retaliated with a few strong kicks to his belly. He loosened his grip and she broke free. Fawndapple appeared beside her and together they fought off the tom cat, he ran into the tree line and away from the battle. Blossosmtar scanned the field, searching for her next opponent.

Aspen was working with Shiverspots to hold off two toms, and Frost was working on her own to hold off another two. Foxtooth was scrapping with a group of cats, but Fawndapple already ran forward to help her mate. The apprentices and Astrid were sticking together to fight and watching each others backs. Charlie and Halle were working as a team. Blossomstar spotted Rabbitleap in the battle, and she darted forward to help him drive off another cat.

They may have outnumbered Shane, but his group was still strong. Blossomstar couldn't keep track of her warriors for long as they spread out on the field, taking on new cats. The pack was good at breaking up the giant clusters of fights, and Niko's cats dove in to finish off the individuals. She was breathing hard, exhausted with the fight. There was so much movement around her, so many cats wailing and screeching. The sound of claws digging into the flesh flooded her ears. But she kept fighting.

Then her eyes landed on Echo. Before she knew what she was doing she had charged the other she cat and had pinned her to the ground. Echo struggled beneath her but she kept a tight hold of her and dug her claws deeper into Echo's skin.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "You're not Zilla, you somehow got inside her head and made her do horrible things. So who are you really?"

"Ask Whisper," she hissed and bit Blossomstar's foreleg. Blossomstar ignored the pain and dug her claws even deeper in.

"I'm not asking Whisperheart I'm asking you!" she said angrily.

"I'm more powerful than any cat who's ever existed before. I died, but I came back as a spirit. And then I took over this body."

"Why do you hate Ashclan, why do you want to destroy us so badly?"

"It's better to burn out than to fade away!" Echo shouted fiercely. "Sit up in that perch called Starclan, watching everyone play and fall in love when you can never have that again? I don't want to fade away and be forgotten, so watch me burn Blossomstar. I will fight until I am all burned out." With those final words Blossomstar clamped her jaws around Zilla's neck until she tasted blood.

Zilla was innocent, but the cat who had taken control of her body was not. There was only one way to stop Echo, and that meant killing Zilla too. The body struggled beneath her and Blossomstar blocked that moment out of her mind - the moment she stopped struggling.

Zilla lay dead on the ground, her golden eyes glazed over. Blossosmtar saw a flash of a shadow, and then it was gone. Had that been Echo's spirit, whoever Echo was? Blossomstar heard a faint voice in the back of her head. You can't run from the shadow's.

She looked up at the battlefield around her, and it didn't make sense anymore why they were all fighting. There were many dead, all lying across the clearing. And what had the fight been? A dead spirits unknown battle for revenge against a clan. The city and the pack had no fight here. And now cats and dogs alike were dying and killing each other.

"Enough!" she shouted, her voice carrying across the caterwauls and shrieks. "Echo is dead! This battle is over!"

Shane seemed hesitant for a moment before he saw the crumpled body at Blossosmtar's feet.

"Retreat!" he ordered. His gang of cats fled the scene at his command, dissapearing into the forest in minutes. No one cheered as Shane retreated. It was a pyrric victory. They'd won the battle, but at what cost? Now came the gruesome task of counting the dead. Niko's fela was somberly gathering the bodies of their fallen. Blossomstar offered condolences to Niko, who was staring at her fela with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry this fight ever had to happen," she murmured to the city boss.

"Our alliance is now over, I expect to see no more of you in my city." Niko said flatly and joined her she cats to collect their fallen. Of the bodies that were left on the field most were from Shane's group. The pack had already found their fallen, two she cats. Blossosmtar rememebred their names were Coral and Robin. She looked frantically for her clanmates, making sure they were all fine.

Foxtooth and Fawndapple are both okay - Pebblepaw, Tansypaw, and Dovepaw are with them. Astrid is fine. Charlie and Halle are with Whisperheart but they look like they'll be okay. Rabbitleap Flintmask and Shvierspots are still standing.

An earsplitting cry rang across the sky.

"Aspen!" Frost screamed and ran to her friends side. Aspen was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Her eyes were closed and Frost buried her face in her friends neck. Her sobs could still be heard through muffled fur. Before Blossomstar could comfort Frost a small white she cat caught her eye. Whisperheart was already by her side, tears ran freely down his face.

"Icefire," Blossomstar breathed in shock. She looked almost as if she could be sleeping, but there was a small red gash across her throat, staining the surrounding fur crimson. Icefire was so young, she had so much passion and spark and now...Blossomstar couldn't even finish the thought.

Flintmask appeared by her side. He was worse for wear, his fur torn and scratches covered his pelt.

"Blossomstar..." there were no words of comfort for the loss of Icefire and Aspen. But Flintmask wasn't looking at either of the she cats. His gaze was on something past Blossomstar's shoulder. She turned around and felt weak at the sight before her.

"No," she breathed and stumbled towards the body a few fox lengths away. "No Braveheart, wake up. You have to be alright."

The great dog was lying on his side, deep gashes covered his body and blood still oozed from the wounds. His eyes were open and staring sightlessly ahead. She put both paws on his flank and pressed hard.

"Wake up!" she shouted. "Please, you can't leave me."

His eyes flashed towards her, he was still alive, barley.

"Whisperheart! Help!" she called for the medicine cat. She stopped herself before she could call for Icefire too.

"Hang on Braveheart," she pleaded. He shifted his weight slightly and leaned upwards. His tongue grazed the side of her face gently.

"Take care of yourself, kid." he said so quiet she almost missed it. Then his head dropped back to the ground and his eyes closed.

"Braveheart," she whimpered and nudged him with her head. She couldn't control her tears, they came fast and hard and wracked her body. She lay next to Braveheart for so long his fur turned cold. She uselessly begged him to stay, but he was already gone. Flintmask slowly pulled her away from Braveheart, she leaned on him and let him guide her away from the dog.

"I'm never gonna hear his voice again," she realized. Flintmask was crying too, but he held his emotions down before Blossomstar and simply let her cry until she tired herself out. Niko's fela was still on the battle field. They were digging graves alongside the pack and Ashclan, they were even burying Shane's cats - since no one had claimed their bodies.

"Wait!" Blossosmtar called out before they could lower the bodies into the ground. "We will bury them like warriors - everyone who fought today, no matter what side, showed great courage."

Niko nodded and allowed Whisperheart to walk forward. They lined up the dead and cleaned their wounds, Whisperheart covered each individual with lavender petals. Together everyone who survived sat vigil, remembering all the memories they'd shared with the fallen. At the first rays of dawn they put the dead to rest. Without a word Niko's fela stood up and began to walk towards the city, Niko stayed behind a moment longer. The pack began to head out too, gently refusing Blossomstar's offers of help.

"Thank you, but we just need to go home now." Talia said to Blossomstar.

"I understand." They touched noses and the pack followed the stream out of the forest. Niko approached Whiserpheart - her expression emotionless.

"I have a message for you," she murmured. Whisperheart allowed her to deliver it. "Your brother, Sol, contacted me. He says he needs your help - the Eclipse is coming."

Whsiperheart was frozen in place and Niko calmly walked off towards the city.

"Whisperheart?" Blossomstar asked. "What was that about?"

"I haven't spoken to my brother in years..." Whisperheart was lost in thought. He turned to Blossomstar. "There is something I have to do, and you're going to have to trust me."

"I do trust you Whisperheart...I just have one question to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Was Echo your sister?"

Whisperheart looked at her for along time. "She was," he said softly. Blossomstar nodded.

"Do what you need to do, Ashclan will persevere."

...

Over the next moon Ashclan recovered from the battle. The losses of Aspen, Icefire, and Braveheart still felt like fresh wounds everytime they crossed someone's mind. Blossomstar appointed Foxtooth as her new deputy. She loved Flintmask with all her heart, and he was one of the most loyal warriors in Ashclan, but Foxtooth was a leader. And he had proved how much he cared about Ashclan.

With one glance Blossomstar knew Ashclan would thrive for many seasons to come. Because through thick and thin a clan won't die, it isn't the traditions of the clans or the skills of the warriors that make a clan. What makes a clan is the love and courage of the cats it has. And never in Blossomstar's life had she met a better group of cats.

We are Ashclan, and we will survive anything.

The End