Chapter 11: Missing you

YAKON :K

Yakon snarled at the burly tom next to him. "It's not enough! We need an army, a whole bloody army to defeat the guardians!" The tom growled back, unafraid. "We are trying to raise them! But it's too cold here, they need warmth! If you don't do something about this, I'm going back." Yakon sneered at the warrior. "Go back? To where? It's not like you can save Kougar anymore."

Tigerstar's dark self froze.

"You have Kougar?" His voice was deadly quiet.

Yakon's blood chilled, but he let smugness mask his fear. "Of course. I knew you would try to run. You were always cowardly, dark self or not." Tigerstar roared. "I'm not Tigerstar, I'm his darker side. Don't you dare compare me to that weakling. Kougar was the one who saved him, aka me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here right now."

Yakon licked his chest fur, acting bored even though his heart was pounding. "And what you are trying to say is?"

"Let her go, or I will kill you."

Yakon sighed. "If you kill me, you'll die too. I gave you a part of my soul to let you survive. You won't kill me. You want to rule the Dark Forest and Starclan too. You're too greedy to do this." The words were a sneer. Tigerstar smiled cruelly, revealing unnaturally sharp, deadly teeth. He sneered back. Blood dripped from his canines.

"You're right. I do want to rule. I'm bloodthirsty. I'm greedy. But I'm powerful. More powerful than you, even though you constantly tell me that I'm not. I'm Tigerstar's darker self. This means I can succumb to evil. It means I don't have to obey the warrior code. It means that I am invincible."

Tigerstar chuckled menacingly.

Yakon refused to cower. "You want to kill me? Then do it after we conquer the Guardians."

Tigerstar thought for a while. His eyes gleamed. "Of course. You know I'm a fair cat. It will be a one-on-one match, you and I. The one who loses dies."

Yakon tried to mask his fear. "Deal. Now go, raise my army." Tigerstar bristled at the word 'my', but he didn't attack. Yakon cocked his head, waiting. Inside, he was shivering with fear. Then Tigerstar stalked away, and he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He quaked.

Tigerstar was an impatient cat. It wouldn't be long before he threatened him again.

LIONSTAR ~

"I can't, I can't do this. I can't live like this, without her," The clan leader's voice was filled with so much despair that Spottedleaf's heart ached. "Is this because of Eaglewing?" Her voice was soft, comforting, but it did nothing to lessen Lionstar's growing ache in his heart. With each day without Eaglewing, his heart had broken more.

He had never yearned for another like that.

Lionstar whimpered, his tail swishing to cover his face. Spottedleaf watched the tom lay despairingly on the ground, his body thinner than the last time she saw him. Even though she was a medicine cat, she had no herb that could cure his heartbreak. "Lionstar, don't do this to yourself," Spottedleaf began, nudging his tail away from his face.

He shook his head, but still lifted his tail away. When he looked up to meet the she-cat's eyes, Spottedleaf almost let out a gasp. Not once had she ever seen any cat so sad, his eyes so empty. Sorrow swirled in those emerald irises, and some of his fur had even turned white.

"What do I do, Spots? I can't stop worrying. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is her face… I can't think of anything else. Cloudstorm's doing everything for me. I'm useless without her, Spots. I need her back. Can't you take her back? Won't you help me?" Lionstar's voice was layered with sadness; such deep sadness.

Spottedleaf's heart ached for the orange tom. His stripes seemed faded; his fur seemed to have lost its shine. "I want to, but you know how it is now in Starclan. The Dark Forest grows stronger every day. Power pulses from within; I can feel it. It reeks, Lionstar. It reeks of death and something else. Something worse than Brokenstar. You have to get yourself together, protect your clan. Stop worrying. I'm sure she's safe somewhere."

Lionstar growled, the sound loud and frightening. What was she saying? Those words had nothing to do with Eaglewing at all. "Show me where; Tell me. I'm going to find her, I am," Lionstar spoke those words with such determination, such conviction. Spottedleaf knew that she wouldn't be able to stop him.

"I won't even try to stop you, Lionstar. But I've had a vision about Eaglewing. She was-" Lionstar snarled, pouncing on Spottedleaf, pushing her against the ground. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You knew I missed her." Spottedleaf sighed. "I didn't want to give you hope, then smash them when you come back unsuccessful-" Lionstar cut her off again with a deadly, low hiss.

"I won't fail this. I won't fail her. I lost her once. I'm not going to lose her again."

THUNDERPAW :)

Thunderpaw didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Sure, her new pelt was prettier than her old fur ever was, but she liked her old fur. Boomer chuckled at her happy-sad expression. "Dude," He nudged Frost, "look at her. What kind of expression is that?" Frost sniggered back, "feline, I don't even know."

Thunderpaw frowned at the duo and cleared her throat.

"Oopsie Thundy, we forgot about you for a moment there. I hope you're ready," Frost started, pushing her towards the huge stone. Closer now, Thunderpaw's eyes were wide as she saw the vines climbing up the rock. They were actually moving in front of her eyes, the tendrils snaking slowly up the altar.

"Awesome," Thunderpaw breathed. "How?"

Boomer grimaced at her question. "Long story short, the stone is kinda sorta 'possessed' by our Guardian King, who controls all elements. He's also known as Tails." Thunderpaw stared at the tom blankly. Huh. Complicated much? Thunderpaw shot him a knowing smile, pretending that she knew what he was talking about when she didn't.

"Great, now let's begin. Don't look so scared, Thundy, all you need to do is climb onto it and touch noses with the stone. You'll be pulled into Tail's world, Dreamland. He might show you a vision, or maybe appear before you if he wants to." Frost ended her explanation with a creepy smirk. Boomer's expression mirrored hers.

Thunderpaw tilted her head. "That's all?"

"Yup," Boomer replied.

Thunderpaw sighed, wondering if the cats were keeping something from her.

Here goes nothing.

Thunderpaw climbed up the stone, placing her paws in the footholds- yes, footholds, awesome much? - And reached the top soon. She didn't dare look down. Instead, she lay down and tucked her front paws under her belly. Then she touched her nose to the warm stone, which seemed to be pulsing with energy.

At that moment, a rumble shook the ground, and she found herself falling. A yowl tore from her throat. Yakon was back to get her. Frost and Boomer were just illusions, fake friends. As the thought sounded in her head, a voice from reality sent her spiraling back down to the ground. She landed gently, unscathed.

"Hello, Thunderpaw. You've come, at last."

WOLFPAW ~~

"Wolfpaw, concentrate!" Silverfall, his mentor, yelled once again. The tom's eyes were bleak and dark, shadows of despair swirling in those chocolate brown eyes. Silverfall sighed in annoyance. "You have great potential, Wolfpaw, and from what I believe, greater than the other apprentices. I have scheduled your assessment from Apprentice to Warrior at moon-high tomorrow, so please, just concentrate."

Wolfpaw's eyes brightened for a moment, his gaze meeting his mentor's. Then he looked at the trees surrounding the training grounds. Longing filled his eyes. "I want to be a warrior with Thunderpaw. She would be so proud of me. She would like me more when I'm stronger. But she's not here now. What's the point of promoting me?" Each word was laced with a touch of wistfulness, and Wolfpaw's paw instinctively dug into the ground, hiding the tattoo.

If she found out that he was a Guardian, she wouldn't want to be with him. She would think he wouldn't be able to make time for her.

Wolfpaw's heart ached so much; he couldn't breathe. His breath came out in pants.

Silverfall's eyes widened. "Wolfpaw? Wolfpaw are you alright? Wolfpaw! Wolfpaw!"

Longing, wanting, aching…

Wolfpaw moaned, his heart clenching. Can't breathe. His vision blurred; he wobbled unsteadily on his feet. Silverfall's face was at his face, blocking his view of the trees. He wanted to snarl, to yowl at him.

Go away! I must see if she came back, for me. My Thunderpaw, mine…

Wolfpaw's lungs burned with the need for oxygen, but he couldn't breathe. His chest was constricted, aching. Thunderpaw. Only Thunderpaw can ease my pain. Wolfpaw gasped, collapsing weakly onto the sand covered ground. His eyes fought to stay open. Thunderpaw would come for him, wouldn't she? Comforted, Wolfpaw sighed, shutting his eyes in bliss.

My Thunderpaw…

ME :LOL

Herro guys! :) IM BACK FINALLY LOL idk why i couldnt log on for so long, but IM BACK YAY so heres a longer than usual chappie :)) forgive me? :3 my next upload would probs be on tues, or if i dont update then, it would be NEXT YEAR :(( coz im going on hols on wed till end of dec... well CHEERS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

MERRY SUPER DUPER EARLY CHRISTMAS HAHAZ :))