NOTE: I don't own anything warriors other than two of the characters. All credit is given in the Allegiances section.

Just so you're aware: I developed bronchitis around February 16 so I was completely wiped out when writing this and other chapters. That's why these took so long. But at least I'm better now!

BoneMeal: Both versions of your stories have their benefits and places of improvement. That's how all stories will be. Take it slow and don't feel pressured to write a chapter for each chapter I write. Trust me, it took forever for me to be able to write this fast. I'll admit that your minor changes have caused confusion in the past but characters do changed as they develop their own stories. You have no idea how often my own characters have changed before they even appeared in a story. That's what I love about stories: they change over time. Where you begin isn't where you end. In terms of improving your writing, all I can say is to keep working at it. I suck at proofreading my own stuff. As you continue to write, you will develop a specific way of explaining and describing your characters/situations. I suggest try writing a short "perspective" piece for each character. Make a general situation and put each character in it and explain the scenario through their eyes. It's practice for when describing a situation but you don't want to give away everything. Hope this helps. Always free to ask me questions. I'll help in any way I can!

Back to Lightningfur…and his new problem.

Review and Enjoy!


Reviving Blood

Chapter 8: Blood on Marble

Lightningfur rolled onto his back. Both back paws slammed into the tom's white chest as he caught the charge. Flash's amber eyes stretched wide with shock as he went sailing. Then his body collided with the stone wall. Almost instantly he was on his dark brown paws. Lightningfur had also risen. A cold smile touched Flash's face. Lightningfur snarled in return. The way Flash held himself, the ease of his attack, the cocky attitude reminded the white tom of Oak. That meant Flash had been an apprentice of the brown cat. Both pair of eyes darted towards Trenton as the Twoleg approached. Lightningfur winced as the sword tip scratched the marble floor. Dominic's shadow fell over the white tom. The warning was too explicit:

Don't get involved.

Flash lifted a paw and slowly licked it. His amber eyes had returned to the white tom. Then he gave a lazy wink. That's when Dominic lunged at him. Flash easily leaped away. Like a slippery fish, he darted around Trenton's legs. The Twoleg let out an ear-piercing whistle. He was calling for back-up. Obviously Flash was a dangerous enemy. The tom hopped among the other Twolegs as he dodged each of their attempts to capture him. Lightningfur's blue eyes narrowed. The tom was just too cocky. Then he noticed the faint form that always remained two steps ahead of the autumn tom. He snarled angrily. Oak was here. He was helping Flash outmaneuver the Twolegs. His claws unsheathed and his tail trembled. Flash would never be able to outrun him. This fight could be over in a matter of seconds. A low grunt made him look at Dominic. The dog was in a crouch, ready to leap at Flash or stop Lightningfur.

Trenton glared at Flash, "Stand and fight, coward! Or is dodging and backstabbing all Oak ever taught you?"

"Oak taught me much, Twoleg," Flash spat at Trenton. Those claws unsheathed, "He was like the father that I never had. And you tried to kill him. You betrayed him."

"It was Oak who betrayed Trenton," Lightningfur meowed from Dominic's side. Flash glared at him as he continued softly, "Trenton bought Oak from a Twoleg that treated him like dirt. He trained Oak, gave him everything, but Oak and his allies tore one of Trenton's friends apart in return. He betrayed Trenton long before Trenton ever hurt him. So stand down, young one."

"Never," Flash yowled.

He charged forward. Dominic seized Lightningfur's scruff and pulled him out of the way. Sharp claws came within inches of the white tom's hind legs. Flash slid to a halt before he ran nose first into the stone wall. Lightningfur watched him with narrowed eyes. The tom was heavily muscled. His stomach was thin. He was a strength fighter. Agility and speed were his weaknesses. The white tom smiled. Oak had trained Flash to be his equal but never thought to teach the tom how to fight by any other means. His ears flicked backwards as the massive doors opened. More cats and dogs started circling around the intruder. Trenton stepped up to Dominic's side, keeping Lightningfur behind him. Flash snarled at the newcomers. His tail lashed violently as he eyed them.

Trenton tapped his sword tip against the marble.

Adder and Range lunged at Flash. A single leap backwards saved the tom from their claws. Spinning left, he scratched Bridget on the side of her face. A back paw sent Tom rolling away. Lightningfur's eyes narrowed as Misty reared on him and Silver grabbed his back legs. Flash snarled at them. Then he whipped around in a circle. Silver was pulled off her feet and thrown against Misty. Amber eyes glared at the others. Flash was furious. These cats were daring to challenge him. They were challenging Oak. He wasn't going to allow it. Dagger charged at him head-on. Flash smiled cruelly as he raced to meet the cat.

"This isn't working," Lightningfur muttered as Flash slammed Dagger into the marble.

His blue eyes spotted four pairs of wide eyes looking through the door. Instantly he recognized Chloe. The others were young like her. Newest fighters. All of them were fresh out of training. Quickly he glanced up at Trenton. The Twoleg was too focused on Flash to notice the white tom at his feet. Dominic was the same way. Lightningfur raced for the doors. Sliding to a halt, he studied each of them carefully. Chloe was hiding on the left side of the door. On Chloe's right was a white she-cat with large black and brown patches on her back and sides. A red-orange tom crouched on the opposite side from the she-cats. Slightly behind him was a light tan tom with dark brown ears. All of them looked at Lightningfur with something akin to awe.

"What are your names?" he asked the cats he didn't know.

The white she-cat looked down at her paws, "Hymn."

"Red," the red-orange tom meowed. He indicated the tan tom at his side, "This is Jackal. He's mute."

"You willing to listen my every command?" Lightningfur asked after nodding his head in understanding. All four dipped their heads, eyes shining with nervous fear. "Good. Flash was trained by Oak to use brute strength to his advantage. Speed and agility are best defense against those tactics. I think you four have the best shot. Willing to try?"

Chloe smiled, "We're with you."

Jackal tapped his claws against the marble. His tail lashed back and forth, blurring the color change from the dark brown top and light tan bottom. Lightningfur nodded with pride. These three had the best chance of defeating Flash. They were still young. They were the most adaptable. Turning, he charged back towards the fight. The four younger cats charged after him. Slowing down on the outskirts of the fighting half-circle, he signaled left and right with his tail. Red and Jackal went left while the Chloe and Hymn dove right. He nodded for Jackal and Hymn to spread out a little further. They did so without hesitation.

As Flash sent Adder rolling, Lightningfur let out a powerful yowl. The four younger cats charged in unison. Flash sensed all of them incoming. His head whipped around as he desperately tried to figure out who to attack first. Lightningfur flicked his tail and cuffed the air with his front right paw. Red dove under Flash while Jackal broke off his attack. Hymn swerved away from Flash, giving Red a clear path to run. Chloe was the one who slammed into Flash, bringing him down. Quickly Lightningfur tapped the marble with his claws. Jackal instantly leaped onto Flash's broad shoulders. The tom yowled as the tan tom's teeth bit into his head. Hymn darted in and scratched a shallow wound along his right flank. Red came in from the left side and did the same. Then Jackal was thrown off with powerful twist. Flash grunted as Chloe raked her claws across his muzzle.

Now the tide of the battle was against Flash. These four younger cats were agile and swift. With Lightningfur's coordination, they were impossible for him to catch. Remembering the white tom's words, the younger cats made sure they retreated before Flash turned on them. Already the intruder was bleeding from several shallow wounds. None of the other cats had managed to nick him. And Flash had yet to scratch one of his attackers. Those amber eyes locked onto Lightningfur. He was the reason the four were so strong. His mind couldn't believe they were more skilled than he was. Thus his imminent defeat was all because of the white tom. With a yowl, Flash lunged towards his mentor's killer. Lightningfur easily leaped out of the way. A flick of his tail called the four younger cats off their attack. Claws flashed in the sunlight as Flash continued to scratch at Lightningfur. The white tom always remained just out of reach. Casually he ducked and dodged. It was as if Flash was moving at a snail's pace…

Which only infuriated Flash even more.

His front left paw slashed at Lightningfur's throat. The white tom sidestepped to the right. He watched as the autumn red tom sailed past him. That's when he realized the trick. Realization dawn a little too late. The tom's hind paws kicked him in the side of the face. Grunting in pain, Lightningfur felt his head snapped backwards. His body hit the marble hard. He slid a few feet away from his attacker. Flash whirled around and lunged at him. His claws seized ahold of Lightningfur's shoulders. Red teeth almost snapped shut on his throat. A flash of gray was led by a powerful yowl. Flash hit the ground with Chloe on top of him. Lightningfur stared after them in shock. He had been expecting to die…

But now Chloe was vulnerable.

Flash forced them to roll together. He slammed the silver she-cat into the marble. Rage blinded him to the world around him. All he wanted was for someone to die. His teeth gripped Chloe's throat in vice-like grip. The she-cat let out a weak meow of fear. Ignoring the consequences of his actions, Lightningfur charged in. His claws dug deep as he hauled Flash off the silver she-cat that had saved his life. The tom had just hit the ground when Red and Jackal leaped on top of him. Hymn dashed past around the tussling toms. Her claws slipped in wherever there was an opening. Lightningfur crouched beside Chloe. His front paws pressed against her bleeding throat. Chloe's light blue eyes were pale and dull. She was losing the fight with death. Deep inside Lightningfur willed her to hold on. His head jerked up as Flash let out a powerful screech. He hurled Red and Jackal off of him before racing towards the window. Several cats tried to stop him but it was futile. The tom simply plowed through them. He leaped through the hole in the window and vanished.

Trenton growled angrily before striding towards Lightningfur. The tom gently nuzzled Chloe's cheek. She weakly meowed at him. Those eyes were starting to shine again. She was near death's door but she would make it with proper medical treatment. Her eyes looked up at Trenton as the Twoleg came closer. Lightningfur turned his head to face him. His body stiffened right before Trenton seized ahold of his scruff. A cry of pain escaped his jaws as the Twoleg picked him off the floor. Then he turned and marched out of the throne room. Dominic yipped loudly before giving chase to them. Lightningfur lung limp from Trenton's grip. He knew it was futile to struggle and fight. Trenton pushed open the door to his apartments. Then he hurled Lightningfur into his cage and slammed the door shut.

"Trenton?" the tom meowed as the Twoleg turned his back to him.

Trenton growled angrily over his shoulder, "Get comfortable, Poppy. You're not leaving that cage any time soon."

"But I didn't fight!" he cried.

Icy blue eyes swung towards him, "Didn't fight? Didn't fight!? You taunted him instead of coming to me. When he brought down the female cat, you raced in and pulled him off. That's more than you should have done."

"So you would've let her die when she risked her own life for me?" Lightningfur snarled.

Trenton snarled angrily, "Your life is worth far more than her's to me. I would've gladly let her die if it meant keeping you out of harm's way. And if you had come to me instead of taunting Flash then she wouldn't have gotten hurt."

With that, he marched over to a small table with several drawers. He started opening the drawers and pulling out medical items. He had to see how much damage was done. He had to patch the tom up. Dominic whimpered weakly at his feet. Trenton gently scratched his chin. Then he noticed the bloody paw prints on the floor. A piece of glass had lodged itself in the dog's front left foot. Lightningfur winced as he watched the Twoleg carefully remove it. Dominic snarled and growled in agony. Once he was patched up, Dominic limped over to his bed and curled up. He knew Trenton's orders. That's when Trenton opened the cage, pulled Lightningfur out, and started taking care of him.

That night was one of silence. Trenton remained in his apartments for the rest of the day. Lightningfur was kept locked in his cage. Dominic remained in his bed. Several times the dog would shift or whimper. Each time attracted the attention of a worried Trenton. He was afraid the wound would get infected. However, each time was a false alarm. Dominic was simply in pain. The cat could see how hard he tried to remain relaxed and peaceful. Loyal to the heart, it pained Dominic to see his master worrying so much about him. There was several times the tom would rattle his cage until he attracted Trenton's attention to the dog. There wasn't much the cat could do but he wanted his friend to be alright. That meant having Trenton take care of foot, regardless of whether or not it was infected. With a fire crackling in the fireplace, Trenton sat in his favorite chair with a book. Dominic had been moved a bed at his master's feet. Lightningfur curled up in his cage, watching them. He would have preferred to curl up in front of the fire or on Trenton's lap. Anger, however, still flowed from Trenton in waves. The tom knew better than to ask. He closed his eyes. Sleep was better than wishing for something that wouldn't happen.

But that's when his nose caught a scent…

His head snapped up, mouth opening to cry a warning…

And something sent his cage sliding off the table.

The world spun briefly. Lightningfur's head slammed into the wiring with a sickening thud. Darkness pulled at his vision. The last thing he remembered was seeing Dominic shaking his head vigorously…

Before letting out a short cry of pain.


Cats (in order of experience/training):

Lightningfur: pure white tom with deep blue eyes, long legs that make him tall, and a long, flexible tail. Nightfur's mate. Father of Blizzardsky, Forestclaw, Leafshine, Jayflight, Cloudpaw, Ravenpaw, Dapplepaw, and Snowpaw.

Adder: tan tom with dark brown paws and green eyes. Long scar left shoulder to right haunch (going over his back).

Tom: long-furred black tom with a white muzzle and hazel eyes. Three scratches crossing his face.

Bridget: white she-cat with black rings on her tail and amber eyes. Right ear is missing.

Dagger: storm gray tom with blue eyes and a black muzzle. Half of his tail is missing and front left paw is badly burned.

Silver: a silver she-cat with white ears and green eyes. Scars striping her back from a whip.

Range: orange tom with pale yellow stripes, white paws, and amber eyes. Blind in left eye and a torn right ear.

Misty: dark gray she-cat with a silver muzzle, white paws, and green eyes. Scratch scars on her shoulders.

Chloe: silver she-cat with light blue eyes.

Red: red-orange tabby tom with black stripes, white paws, white tail tip, and green eyes.

Hymn: white she-cat with black and brown patches along her back and sides, hind paws are black, and green eyes.

Jackal: light tan tom with dark brown ears, dark brown top of tail, and amber eyes.

Many more.


Dogs (in order of experience/training):

Dominic: massive dark brown male with large folded ears and brown eyes. Faint pale scars cover his entire body. Black collar around his neck.

Reaper: golden male dog with brown pointed ears and striking blue eyes. Scar crossing his chest.

Scarlet: dark ginger female with brown eyes and a black right front paw. Both ears have been bitten to small stubs.

Collie: mottled black, gray, brown, and white female with brown eyes flecked with green. Three scratches on muzzle crisscrossing each other.

Many more.