Hey! I wanted to do a double update… your welcome:) I know you guys are probably too excited to wait another 24 hours, (or usually more like 30) so here ya go!

Oh, and thanks to everyone who will comment on both chappies!

NOTE: not the last chapter (Probably) xD

Four paws, claws out, were holding her down, along with one jaw on her scruff. Her eyes were blocked by her attacker's fur, or more clearly, her brother's fur. Stripefang, her own brother, was with the Darkforest.

It confused her how she wasn't surprised.

Okay, the claws were starting to sink into her fur now, so she kicked her remaining free hind leg at the attacker she couldn't see, hearing a satisfying grunt as her claws fore flesh, and the weight and claws disappeared, leaving just Stripefang holding onto her. She struggled some more, and was able to sink her fangs into his foreleg, earning a hiss of pain as he too retreated.

She was finally able to take in her situation. She was only lightly bleeding from her belly and shoulders, so she was okay, for the moment at least. Silverdust was nowhere to be seen. Stripefang was panting a few paces to her right, inspecting his foreleg with a hiss of irritation. Solo and Falter are on the ground, motionless. A shadow is over them; the other unknown cat.

The other cat was… Nightmask.

This did surprise her. How was he in the Darkforest?! He was so kind… he would never have gone here of his own free will, she was sure of that.

She was distracted again as Stripefang looked her straight in the eyes. "I won't let you kill Silverdust, Emberwing. That is out of the question."

Fawnleap was right about one thing, at least. Her heart throbbed as she remembered her conversation with the now dead Windclan leader.

"Emberwing… I've been watching you for a while, now."

She just looks at the leader, not quite believing what she was being told.

"There has been…

Claws dig into her fur again, and Emberwing is now a puppet. She doesn't really see what is going on, as much as just watching through her own eyes. The red has overtaken her completely, something that has never happened before now. She had been close but never as far gone as this.

Sorry for the interruption… if you have the time and are lost on how much more crazy Embie can get, look up on YouTube: "Maka goes insane" *eng dub or eng sub it doesn't matter* it's from an anime, around two minutes long… and is exactly what I think her insanity is like. Enjoy!

Nightmask joins in, biting and scratching and tearing, his eyes blank. He has no emotion as he carries out his tasks, just… soul less.

Then, it finally clicked into place.

"Nightmask… he's a Taint, isn't he?" she spits this in Stripefang's face, but since she had to take over control of her body to speak, he is able to cuff her around the head, bringing stars to hinder her vision.

"Yes, sister, he is. He was weak enough to be completely overtaken; the Nightkit that you knew is dead. His body is just a shell that holds a Darkforest warrior."

Emberwing mourned as she continued to block Stripefang's attacks, never able to strike back because of her brother's immense speed.

"In Fact, Sister, I believe we both know another who is a Taint." He is not even breathless, instead just striking against her and smirking as it takes all of her energy and attention to not get hit. He is just toying with her, not really trying. Nightmask sits just beyond reach with a blank stare. Emberwing doesn't think she ever saw him blink this whole time, now that she thinks about it.

"There has been a mistake… I'm sure you know of Silverdust's past by now, yes?"

She is now bleeding into her eyes, making it hard to see.

"Who, yourself," she grunts, wincing as he cuffs her 'round the head once again.

"No, silly. I think we both know what I am; you too."

"Well, Silverdust didn't tell you the whole story…"

Fawnleap's voice is ringing in her ears as she falls to the ground. She has to let the insanity in her come out if she wants to ever survive this, but she was hesitant. She wasn't sure if she went so deeply into the madness, she would never return.

But she had to try.

Suddenly, she was watching again. She felt no pain. She felt no fear of death. All she saw was an annoying cat who should be dead.

"Is that all you got?" she slurred, twisting in such a way that Stripefang had to let go to escape falling.

She lashes at his face, giggling as he grunts and stumbles.

This was way too easy.

"Come on, brother, fight me, and stop holding back! Show me what you learned here in this death hole."

Stripefang says nothing, just looks at her and smiles, showing his fangs. They start to lengthen, until when he closes his mouth again, they still are clearly sticking out. His eyes are now completely black, no more white in his gaze, or green. His claws are hooks.

"You want me to get serious, sister, so serious you will get, but before you die, don't you want to know what happened to Morningbird?"

He takes her moment of hesitation to attack, rolling her over onto her back to tear her belly with his hint legs as he latches onto her throat. She is able to push him off, but barely. She can't feel pain, but the injury is slowing her body down.

"It's pretty obvious you killed her, brother, who else would've?!" she lashes at his face again.

He giggles back at her. "Oh, come on! You couldn't have pretended to be curious?! Great sibling you are!" he stops attacking, instead looking at her with huge, completely black eyes and a pouting expression.

She stops fighting too, but she is sure she looks manic.

"You are no sibling of mine. My brother is dead to me." She said exactly what he had said to her. And it felt good.

He growls, and lunges straight for her neck.

Stripefang stops suddenly, his eyes huge, and peers down at his chest, where a paw in sunken into it. He frowns, and looks like he is about to speak when he closes his eyes and collapses.

Nightmask stands over his unmoving form. He looks at Emberwing after a moment, tears in his eyes.

"Emberwing… good to see you again. It's been a while, huh?" his voice is dry and tear-choked.

She stumbles over to him, tears of her own in her eyes as she buried her nose in his fur. He smells like blood and death, but his face is alive again, his eyes are awake. He looks horrified.

"Emberwing… get away from me. I can't hold him off for too much longer, and he will kill you!" he starts to panic, looking at her with fear.

"How... how long have you been under his control?"

"The night we met at the Fourtrees was he last night I was myself."

She chocked back her tears. He had been trapped that long?! She didn't know how he could've stood it; it took all her will and them some to pull herself from the insanity.

"Silverdust didn't tell you the whole story; her kits never went to Starclan."

"Oh, Nightmask…"

"He's coming back… look, Emberwing, I'm supposed to be dead already. Do you know why I haven't died, yet?"

She shook her head. She had tears falling.

"I never disappeared because I never told you I loved you. Now I can finally…" his voice hitched, and his face went blank once again. The life faded from his eyes.

He took a step towards her, but she made no move. Nightmask had loved her. He had endured all of the pain and torture to tell her he loved her, and now he was gone.

Nightmask—no, the Darkforest cat controlling his body, takes another step forward, walking on Stripefang's body.

Starclan, was that a bad move.

Emberwing had known Stripefang wasn't dead, his chest had still been moving shallowly the whole time they had been talking, but it seemed the Darkforest cat didn't know this. When he was right in front of Stripefang, her brother lashed at the black cat, bringing him to the ground, and tore out his throat.

"If I can't... kill my sister… no…one can." He was gasping, his wounds leaking too much blood for him to live. He looks at her, his eyes back normal.

"Your..." he wheezes.

She was confused. "What, Goldkit and Greenkit?"

Fawnleap nods. "Yes. They never went to Starclan. They stayed, roaming the Clans for the next Taints."

"Welcome…" his chest stops moving.

"And did they ever find a Taint to take over?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Emberwing, or should I say,"

"Goldkit…" his eyes close.

"Goldkit."

Stripefang and Greenkit are both dead now, but she is too far gone to care. She was going to do what she should've done too long ago to remember.

She was Goldkit, and she was going to kill Silverdust.

Know this chapter is a little intense/choppy, but I hope you guys liked this double update!

The story will be over tomorrow or the day after :( :)

Till tomorrow and the battle that determines it all,

EmberFall