A/N: Here is the second of the three chapters I'm posting tonight. Enjoy! (:


Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Greater Good

Longfang let out a short laugh as he knocked Lionpaw away. His eyes set and glittering, he took a step back, looking Lionpaw up and down.

Lionpaw was bowled into the mud; struggling to get back up, he found he couldn't. He tasted his blood, sharp and salty, and felt his body aching everywhere. Death was sooner than he'd thought.

Longfang slowly stepped towards him, and there were many emotions in his eyes. Hatred. Anger. Confusion. Lionpaw shivered... because there was something else in Longfang's eyes. Something terrifying and shocking at the same time.

Regret.

"You are the son of Snowstar. You're destined for greatness; and once you're a warrior, you will be a formidable enemy. So why should I let you live?" Longfang stared at Lionpaw, who lay in the mud and rain, shivering, not daring to talk, to move, to think.

"Yesterday, young Lionpaw... I wanted to kill you. You know my secret. It's true; I killed Firerunner." He stared at Lionpaw hard, eyes burning. "It was for the greater good. I was the true warrior; never letting myself grow soft or sympathetic or merciful. Firerunner is like Snowstar; another soft fool. Had I killed you and Pebbleheart yesterday, and gone on to become leader... I would have made us great. We would be the stuff of legends and myths." His eyes narrowed as his voice lowered into a growl.

"But I don't want to kill you, Lionpaw. I can't. I need you alive. Because we will meet again; and in true battle. I will not kill you in the shadows; I will be fair. Kind." He smirked. "We belong in a battle, where I can kill you honorably."

"Honor?" Lionpaw heard himself choke, voice angry. "You... are a killer. You will never know honor."

Longfang chuckled. "So sure of everything. Yes, when you're young... everything makes sense. But when you're older, it divides. It is harder, and more complex. There's consequences to every decision, and pain everywhere. It only makes sense to live in this world with no heart. Then you can never get hurt."

Lionpaw shakily sat up, and stared between him and the lion who had tried to kill him twice. It was a shock; a bitter, shaking kick in the stomach.

Longfang was truly mad; because here was was, talking calmly, like nothing had ever happened. He was a killer, yet he was a warrior. It all made no sense. Why was he sparing his life? So he could kill him at a later date?

Longfang shook his head as he stood up. "I am a monster. I am a killer. I am everything you fear," he said quietly. "But do not forget, Lionpaw, when you tell my tale; I didn't want to kill Firerunner; not completely. But I had to." He stared at Lionpaw. "For the greater good."

Lionpaw stared at him, unable to say anything. Was Longfang lying? Trying to shake his views on the evil deputy? He shook his head, growling low in his throat and trying to get up.

"Lionpaw! Are you out there!" came the cries again. Lionpaw looked around; they had grown closer. He turned his head back to Longfang. They spoke not a word, but Lionpaw knew that, for the first and last time in his life, he was even with Longfang. They were enemies, and would never stop being. But he understood the killer now; at least, he thought he did.

He wasn't sure of anything.

And so the deputy ducked away before Lionpaw could change his mind. Quietly, Longfang disappeared; the lion who had sacrificed his soul for power, who'd murdered his Clanmate and ripped apart a heart; who'd tried to kill him twice and spared his life once.

Next time, they would be enemies. Next time, there was nothing to spare.

Lionpaw knew this.

There came a crashing in the forest as lighting flashed weakly in the sky; the rain was letting up. Thunder snarled softly in the sky, and Lionpaw sighed, gazing up at the dark, swirling mass. It was only morning, but he was ready for nothing else. And the hardest part was only to come.

He had to tell the Clan.

"Lionpaw!" came a voice. He turned, and saw Brightpaw rushing towards him; Cricketpaw, Frostpaw, and even Rowanpaw raced after their striped

Clanmate. Buzzardflight and Bluefur padded after them, eyes widening in relief when they saw Lionpaw.

"What was that all about?" Brightpaw whispered, pressing his muzzle to his friend's cheek. "We were terrified. I have to know what's going on,

Lionpaw," he breathed, eyes hard.

Lionpaw gazed at his friend, and sighed, slowly standing up. He felt their eyes scoring his cuts and matted fur, and they were speechless.

"Where's Longfang? Cricketpaw squeaked.

Buzzardflight touched his tail to her flank before turning to Lionpaw, eyes cold. "Why were you fighting him?"

Lionpaw gazed at the trees, where the killer had slipped away. Only StarClan knew where he was now, probably running and beginning to realize what he'd done.

He'd let his secret live.

Had he wanted the Clan to know?

Lionpaw shook his head, almost collapsing back into the mud. Frostpaw dove forward, pressing against him to lift him up. Her pale fur was instantly smeared by his blood and muddy fur, but she didn't care. Her wide blue eyes searched his.

"Longfang is gone," he croaked.

Bluefur tensed, and stepped over to her son, ears flattened. "What do you mean, Lionpaw?" she breathed.

Lionpaw hung his head.

"What did he do?" Rowanpaw asked quietly. Lionpaw didn't look at his Clanmate, but felt unease trickle through him. He had to tell the truth. After moons of hunting and wondering and fighting, it was time. It was the day to reveal Firerunner's killer.

But would they believe him?

And... what would he tell? What would he not say?

He could almost hear Firerunner next to him, whispering urgently, voice hollow.

The truth.

Lionpaw grimaced. But what was the truth? Here he had so many stories... so many truths, so many revelations. Which were right? And more than that, which were right to tell the Clan? He had to be careful.

He understood what he had to do.

He had to protect Pebbleheart. He wasn't sure if her story was the truth, or if Firerunner's was; but either way, he wouldn't risk her. She was tortured enough as it was.

"I fought with Longfang," he said, voice shaky, as they all listened, ears pricked uncertainly. "I realized the truth."

A chill fell over the small group. "What truth?" Buzzardflight murmured.

Lionpaw gazed at Brightpaw. His friend already understood.

"Longfang killed Firerunner."

Snowstar was in his den with Bluefur and Pebbleheart. Only this morning, the Clan had woken to hear a fight. They'd caught glimpses of his son,

Lionpaw, and his deputy, Longfang, struggling in the middle of the camp right before racing into the jungle, and then the storm had hit.

Snowstar had tried to calm his confused Clan, and sent out searching parties for both of them. He had no idea what was going on, but had kept his cool. For the sake of the Clan.

Now, an hour later, Lionpaw was in the medicine-lion den, tended to by Amberpaw, and the Clan was in a state of shock. Bluefur's searching party had found Lionpaw, hurt and exhausted, in the middle of the dark jungle. And he'd come with a terrible story.

The truth of Firerunner's death.

He'd barely been able to tell what he knew to the Clan before blacking out, and had been taken to the medicine-lion den. Before the shock faded, Snowstar had gathered his mate and his medicine-lion, and demanded answers.

"These are deadly charges," he growled as he paced, his muscles rippling under his taut skin. He felt weak and shocked, but had to push away his own feelings. He had to help the Clan. But it made absolutely no sense. "How could Longfang have killed Firerunner? They were friends. They grew up together. And I know Longfang. He was my first apprentice, for StarClan's sake!" he snarled. "I trained his properly! I must have!"

"Snowstar," Bluefur said urgently, gazing unhappily at her leader, her mate, the father of her wounded son who was now in Pebbleheart's den.

"They were competitors. After your old deputy stepped down, we all knew it was either he or Firerunner who would be chosen. And we all knew how ambitious Longfang was."

"But not to the point of becoming a killer! Lionpaw must be making it up. He must be confused. I would have known. I would have never appointed a killer as my deputy!" Snowstar hissed, tail lashing furiously. He felt betrayed, and confused, more than anything. He had no idea how to control that.

The whole time, Pebbleheart had gazed at her paws, and said nothing. She looked terrified for some reason, and there was so much racing in her eyes...

"Lionpaw is your apprentice," Bluefur said harshly. "He's your son, for StarClan's sake. Do you think he would lie about something like this? And you saw he was beat-up. He's clearly fought Longfang, and he'd have to have a reason for that."

Snowstar sighed, and looked at Pebbleheart, then back at Bluefur. "I... I know. I just..." He shook his great mane, eyes strained. "Pebbleheart, has

StarClan shared anything with you? Anything at all?"

Pebbleheart looked stricken as she bowed her head. No answer.

Snowstar sighed, and turned away, to face Bluefur. Her face was lost and unhappy, and he knew his mate was as shocked and distraught with the charges of Longfang's killings. And it unburied many painful memories: the discovery of Firerunner's body, the anger towards DarkClan... had it really all been a lie? And Snowstar was the reason for all the madness. He had failed to see Longfang's treachery, and even chosen the murderer as deputy.

What did this say about his leadership? Was he getting too old?

Snowstar cleared his throat, trying to banish the dark thoughts. "Bluefur..."

There came a padding of feet, and Snowstar looked over to see Amberpaw nearing the cave. She walked slowly, paws hesitant, and her eyes glanced fleetingly towards Pebbleheart before meeting her father's. "Snowstar," she bowed. "Lionpaw is awake. He wants to talk to you."

Snowstar narrowed his eyes, and nodded. "Very well. I will come to the medicine-lion den. Bluefur, try to calm the Clan as best you can for the moment; Pebbleheart, come with us."

I love a good villain. Don't you?(: