Chapter 17: A Killer's Lullaby

He slowly got up, head spinning from what had just occurred. Maybe Darkpaw wasn't a cat from the Place of No Stars after all.

You've broken the rules...You're the darkest one.

What did that mean? He wasn't darkness. He was trying to stop it. Still shaking, Blaze walked off to find where the demon had gone. He was the only one who could possibly know what just happened. Unless he was being possessed by someone. Unless it was all an act. Trying to spook Blaze into trusting Darkpaw, and letting him in. And then he would kill Blaze when the time was right.

As he walked through the forest, slowly to prevent from puking or worse, he started tasting blood in his mouth.

What is this? He thought. He never grabbed my throat...or even hurt me for that matter. He just freaked out and somehow made my legs weak and my stomach ache.

"Hush little kitty don't say a word..." It was singing. Blaze vaguely remembered the tune, but he couldn't quite place it. He looked around, looking for who had started the song, but neither saw nor scented anyone, "Lion's gonna get you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird don't croak, Lion's gonna get you a poisoned rope. With that rope that I've got you, kill the one who hates you. Then kill more and more and more, until blood covers the floor. Hush little kitty don't you cry, don't dare cry and you won't die."

Blaze's eyes glazed over. Red tinted the edge of his vision. Blood dripped from his mouth. He just stood there, in the middle of the forest. Eyes and mouth covered in blood. Standing perfectly still. Ears ringing with the words of the song.

Then kill more and more and more, until blood covers the floor.

His mother had sung that to him. He remembered. His beautiful mother. Who had the loveliest voice. Who had toms wrapped around her claws. Who never seemed to fault. Except with her morbid thoughts. Blaze had always thought she was perfect. Especially with the way she thought. He never saw fault with it.

Then kill more and more and more, until blood covers the floor.

Blaze smiled. He smiled, swallowed some of the blood dripping from his mouth, then turned to walk towards the ShadowClan camp. All thoughts about being the darkest one had vanished. All thoughts about breaking the rules have vanished. All thoughts about anything but killing everyone in his Clan had vanished.

"He isn't listening." She growled, "We've given him all these signs, and he hasn't listened to a single one!"

"Hush now, Squirrelstar." He replied coolly, "This is all new to him. The curse was placed on him suddenly." His eyes narrowed, "Shadow rushed him."

She scoffed and turned her head from the pool, "So you're saying he wasn't ready?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. He didn't deserved this at such a young point in his new life."

Squirrelstar's eyes widened in disbelief, "Wait wait wait wait wait. He's had other lives?" She shook her head, "Only StarClan cats can achieve that."

He looked back at the pool, ignoring Squirrelstar's comment. He didn't want to point out to Squirrelstar that he was currently living in two bodies. That would make her go crazy with questions. She knew enough for black tom was running away again. Away from the only real family he will ever know. He knew they were cruel to make him feel mistreated and hated, but his part was crucial in the game they were playing.

"Bramblestar..." Squirrelstar interrupted the silence, "What happens if he fails?"

"Then he goes back and tries again. We've all agreed that he is the only one capable of playing the part of the Cursed One. No one else has been spotted who would fit his place better."

"I've spotted someone." Squirrelstar mewed quietly. He could barely hear her, "Another ShadowClan cat. The she-cat."

"No." Bramblestar growled, "A she-cat couldn't possibly carry this task."

"What about Hollystar?"

"She's always been more tom-like. That's why she volunteered for our first experiment."

"But this she-cat would be the perfect assistant at least." Squirrelstar's voice was curious. She knew that she wasn't getting the whole story. And she wanted to know the whole story.

"I'm sorry Squirrelstar, but he can't have any real friendships. This is his job, and his job alone."

"But he wants friends. And he practically has all the she-cat falling for him. Which strikes me as odd."

"Fine!" Bramblestar growled, "He can have is mouse-brained friends and mouse-brained mates. But I doubt he'll ever fall in love. He only uses the word for the way someone's fear scent. Beautiful too. He doesn't know what love is, or looks like."

"We can help him learn..." Squirrelstar suggested, "We can teach him in his dreams..."

Bramblestar whirled around, fur bristling, "NO! We will not do anything of the sort. He will live the way he wants to. ShadowClan and Hollystar will teach him all he needs to know." He took a deep breath and turned back to the pool, "And all he needs to know is how to stop Opin. The ShadowLands have started to collapse. All because of that mouse-brained tom who decided that the enemy should also be given a prophecy."

"He gave the real one?"

"Yes, Squirrelstar, he was idiotic enough to tell Opin that she was going to be destroyed by her son. Of course he didn't tell her the real prophecy. His version had the demon. Not the angel."

Then kill more and more and more, until blood covers the floor.

Both cats' eyes widened at the sudden voice in their heads. They exchanged glances and nodded, "She's coming." They mewed in unison.

"Gather ThunderClan. All of them. You hold her off until he can save us."

Squirrelstar nodded and ran off. Bramblestar looked back into the pool. He was at the lake. Staring at the sun. His blood red eyes gave him the appearance of a demon.

Hush little kitty don't you cry, don't dare cry and you won't die.

The image in the pool shifted to a golden-brown tom, blood covered his face. Bramblestar glared at the tom, knowing that Opin was closer than he realized. She was surprising them left and right. With her lullaby. Her murderous lullaby. Hypnotizing innocent cats into obeying her.

"Help us, angel." Bramblestar muttered, "Help us."

I heard the music first. Then I saw Blaze with his blood covered face. I didn't know what to do, so I ran back to camp. Hollystar would surely know what to do. We were basically the same.

Hush little kitty don't say a word, Lion's gonna get you a mockingbird.

As I burst into the camp, I crashed into Nettlepaw. I almost forgot what I was doing, because it was just freaky how much I bumped into her. But I had to get to Hollystar.

"Darkpaw?" Nettlepaw questioned as I quickly stood up and started running, "What are you doing."

"No time to talk." I mewed, "Gotta tell Hollystar about some serious voodoo stuff."

If that mockingbird don't croak, Lion's gonna get you a poisoned rope.

I ran faster, cursing whoever made this camp for making the clearing to the leader's den so large, "Hollystar!" I yowled, "We have a problem!"

With that rope that I've got you, kill the one who hates you.

"What do you want, Darkpaw?" Hollystar groaned, "And where's Blaze? Wasn't he showing you the territory?"

"We got interrupted by him trying to kill me." Hollystar's eyes widened, "And then there was this weird song...and then he turned into a psychopath killer and he's coming here to most likely kill us all."

Then kill more and more and more, until blood covers the floor.

A sudden yowl of alarm sounded. Cats rushed everywhere, trying to see what was going on. It wasn't until I saw the first body flying fifty tail-lengths into the air that I moved. I flung myself at Blaze.

Hush little kitty don't you cry, don't dare cry and you won't die.

He easily dodged my attack and I realized that it wouldn't be easy to fight a cat who suddenly turned into a psycho killer. I furiously claws at his eyes. That's his weak spot right now. They're already bloody.

The only problem was that he dodged all of my attacks. All of them.

"Hollystar!" I yelped, "I need help over here!"

She was instantly at my side. Together, we slowly overpowered him. I attacked his face. She attacked everywhere else. He had a harder time dodging, but he was still conscious. That was a big problem. We needed him to be not able to kill cats.

"She's here!" Blaze mewed with joy, "Mother's here!" I froze. Mother. Somehow, I thought of Opin. But she's dead. So why would I think of her? "She's going to bring you all to her perfect. Little. World."

Then he swat at me. I flew all the way across the clearing. I couldn't move when I hit the ground. I was covered in blood. For the first time ever, I was covered in my own blood. I would have scars now. Multiple scars. But I had to get up. I had to. Or else everyone would die. I would be to blame. I tried to move. Desperately tried.

But I couldn't.