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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:23:04 GMT -5
Banner by me Summary: Some are afraid to die, not wanting the pain of death or fearing what comes after. However, death is exactly what Tide seeks. After a life of evil and greed in his ancient clan, he was cursed by his ancestors to live forever, until he can prove himself just. At first, this doesn't seem so bad, but over the many seasons, the tom came to crave the sweet relief of death. Watching those he grew to care about die around him, facing the pain of death without actually dying, and festering in his own thoughts and guilt broke him down to almost nothing. Now, he must try to redeem himself in his new clan- one of the many he found wandering the earth - for, undoing his sins is the only way to be set free. "The rules are: you may not kill any other being with a soul in cold blood. You may not tell any other soul of your punishment. You cannot delay or prevent another's due death. And you, above all else, may not be selfish or greedy in any way. Break any of these rules, and there is no chance for redemption.”WARNING: This story contains bloody scenes, violence, battles, and a lot of death. Nothing is too graphic, but it's all still present in the story, so this is your warning for it.
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:24:10 GMT -5
Territory: The territory consists of fern-dense, soggy forest. Moss and ferns make up most, if not all, of the forest floor, while strands of hanging moss adorn the trees. Almost everything is coated in nice shades of green for most of the year, and the rain falls often with slightly colder temperatures as normal. Small streams run throughout, and to the far south is a tiny twoleg place. Rocky cliffs occasionally jut up out of the earth.
Camp: Camp is composed of a thick wall of ferns, brambles, and fallen trees, nestled safely on a small hill with a rocky outcropping. Small creeks surround the little mass of land, creating an island on which a large, gnarled sycamore resides. The sycamore itself is draped in hanging moss and has a den dug within its roots for the nursery, as it is the safest place in camp. However, branches are used to address the clan when sat upon. Other dens are made up of sticks, ferns, and the occasional hollowed out log. Cast of Characters: Tide – ginger tabby tom with green eyes and many scars.
Storm – dark gray she-cat with green eyes. (dead) MossClan:Leader:Sevenstar – light grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Deputy: Fernwhisker – black tom with blue eyes and white whiskers, chest, paws, and belly.
Medicine Cat: Brackenwish – brindle torti she-cat with yellow eyes.
Warriors: Lizardfang – tiger tabby tom with long fur and amber eyes.
Stripewing – orange tabby tom with yellow eyes. (apprentice: Oakpaw)
Flamingleaf – long-furred, cream orange tabby she-cat with white belly and paws and blue eyes.
Halftail – white tom with light gray patches, yellow eyes, and half a tail.
Rabbitstride – sandy gray she-cat with green eyes. (apprentice: Sparrowpaw)
Turtletail – calico she-cat with amber eyes.
Frostbite – blue-gray tom with white muzzle and belly, blue eyes, and an underbite with protruding fangs.
Cloudleap – white tom with light gray paws and patch on the side of his face with blue eyes.
Queens: Rainwing – blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes.(expecting Halftail’s kits)
Shadowowl – black she-cat with amber eyes.(mother of Nightkit and Darkkit)
Apprentices: Sparrowpaw – brown and black tom with yellow eyes.
Oakpaw – pale orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.
Elders: Hawklight – brown molted tom with one foggy and one yellow eye. Blind in one eye.
Kits: Nightkit – lithe black she-cat with white tail tip and amber eyes.
Darkkit – black tom with blue eyes.
RockClan: Leader: Howlstar – light gray tom with yellow eyes and darker patches.
Deputy: Rushwing – black she-cat with white muzzle, paws, and chest and amber eyes.
Medicine Cat: Fawnlight – light brown she-cat with white chest and pale yellow eyes.
Warriors: Duskstone – dark gray she-cat with black paws and muzzle and blue eyes.
Thornfall – molted gray tom with yellow eyes. (apprentice: Redpaw)
Leafdance – sandy-orange tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.
Snowtail – white tom with amber eyes. (apprentice: Wildpaw)
Barkfur – brown tom with yellow eyes and no tail.
Queens: Cricketsong – gray tabby she-cat with green eyes.(expecting Barkfur’s kits)
Apprentices: Redpaw – reddish she-cat with green eyes.
Wildpaw – light gray tom with long fur and amber eyes.
Elders: None
Kits: None
WaterClan: Leader: Hollystar – black and white she-cat with green eyes.
Deputy: Lightleap – lithe pale orange tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. (apprentice: Whistlepaw)
Medicine Cat: Featherwillow – light brown she-cat with yellow eyes.
Warriors: Batflight – black tom with yellow eyes and folded ears.
Minnowclaw – light gray she-cat with green eyes.
Algaejaw – black tom with underbite and pale yellow eyes.
Windfur – molted gray, long-furred tom with blue eyes.
Queens: None
Apprentices: Whistlepaw – light gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Elders: None
Kits: None
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:42:37 GMT -5
Wishers(fans):mintedstar/fur🦇 phantomstar57 ~Sapphire~ Wolfyy- Pyropelt Maplestone360 scint Fan Art:Tide in Snow by: Me Story Fun Facts: - Halftail is a nod to the original stories' Halftail. Same name, same half-tail, but completely different cat.
- Lizardfang is a reference to Ravenskull's Dream, another one of my earlier fics.
- Storm and Tide go way further back than just her being his Guide, and their relationship is pretty complicated. More will be revealed in the story itself.
- I get a lot of my inspiration from the show The Walking Dead for different scenes and characters.
- This story is classified as a drama, because that's apparently all I can really write well, lol.
- Tide is 43 years old in the beginning of Chapter 1, which is way older than any cat could live, much less a stray clan cat.
- Tide is very narcissistic, selfish, and hard-shelled on the outside, but he does have a conscious that's more than just Storm. He has a good side you will see more of throughout the story. It's just hard to get to.
- Sevenstar and Hollystar are distant kin. They share a grandfather, who used to be MossClan but left to WaterClan, leaving some kits in Moss and soon having more in Water.
- Hollystar and Algaejaw are littermates.
- Tide's old clan was called SeaSide.
- Tide had never had living kits.
- Cloudleap was originally supposed to be named 'Cloudstep,' but I kept writing '-leap' instead. So, it's now just officially changed.
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:52:13 GMT -5
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Prologue “No, please. My friends, you do not wish to do this,” the tabby tom begged as he stared down the glaring eyes of all those whom he used to call his family.
“It is too late for pleads of life now, Tide.” The large yellow tom took a threatening step forward, eyes filled with rage and hatred. “You’ve betrayed us all. It is because of your selfishness that so many are dead. Now, you must pay.”
Tide shook his head in fear and disbelief. He tried to take a step back once the other tom stepped forward, but his tail was already pressed up against the cold rock as far it could manage. Before him, the other clan cats blocked any hope for escape. “I am sorry,” he gulped, now shrinking to the ground to cower.
The yellow tom, nor any of the others, gave him another word. They simply rushed him at once, some clawing at his sides and legs and others biting down on his tail and back. But, the lead tom gripped Tide’s throat tightly in his jaws.
Tide wanted so desperately to scream, to cry out in agony, but the hold was too great. It inhibited any audible sounds, other than a slight choking crackle. Tide felt every sting from every bite and claw slash, the searing ripples of pain, yet he did not struggle. He couldn’t. Soon, the world began to fade to silent black, darkness creeping the edges of his vision while sounds of his screeching attackers started to fade.
When he opened his eyes again, he no longer found himself on the seaside’s rocky shore. Instead, all around him was a dark abyss. A void. Nothing presented itself before him other than a gaping blackness which seemed to stretch on forever. Even as he rose to his paws, the ground beneath him was the same black, not even showing distinction between ground and air.
‘Where am I?’ the tom thought to himself, glancing around in all directions. Suddenly, he remembered what had just transpired, and he took in a deep breath by instinct. Nothing held it back. Surprised and confused, he turned to gaze over his shoulder at what he was sure to be a mangled, wound-riddled body. Yet, upon inspection, not even a single scratch resided among the orange stripes on his pelt. Even the pain was missing.
“Confused?”
A sudden female voice from in front made him jump nearly out of his skin. His fur fluffed out as he wiped his head around to face the mysterious voice. Before him suddenly sat a gray she-cat. But, this wasn’t just any random she-cat, no. She was one he knew very, very well.
Tide’s green eyes widened in quick, terrified realization. “Storm? N-no, it c-cannot be… ” he stuttered and began to step back cautiously. “You’re dead.”
The she-cat narrowed her own green gaze at him slightly. “Yes, I am. And now, so are you.” Her mew was calm yet held a hint of resentment.
Tide perked up at his, but not in the good way. Dead? He was dead? He realized what had happened, the images of swiping claws, gnashing teeth, and rage-filled eyes still so fresh in his memory. Even the pain of it all still scorched his mind. His gaze fell, eyes like moons yet growing more hollow as the actual realization of the situation sunk in. “I am dead… So, this is what death is like?”
“Not quite,” came a deeper, more raspy meow. Tide looked back up to now see another familiar face before him, an old leader. A long-haired, white and gray tabby tom sat to the gray she-cat’s left. His yellow eyes held striking authority. “This is just what it’s like for you.”
Tide shook his head, taking another step back. “I…do not understand,” he meowed, growing fear rising in his belly. Was this his punishment for all those things he’d done in life? An empty black void of nothingness? And his dead clanmates to torture him? He blinked, and another she-cat appeared on Storm’s other side, silvery fur glistening somehow despite the lack of any light source. This cat, he did not know.
“You are here to be judged,” she told him, her tone holding much authority like the other tom’s gaze. “We know there is good in you, but you’ve been far too corrupted by the greed and selfishness you’ve come to allow control you.” She swept her tail across the blackness behind, and rows upon row of other ghostly cats suddenly faded into existence beyond these three. Every single gaze was on Tide. He felt an overwhelming sense of unease.
“You know we do not believe in bad cats,” the other tom spoke once more. “So, when you are ready, you will be able to join us in a peaceful rest. However, until you can prove yourself just and wash your spirit of all the wrong doing you’ve committed in life, you will be cursed to wander the lands.”
Storm nodded, as did the other she-cat. The silvery one was who next spoke up. “Indeed, you must prove yourself worthy before joining us in Paradise. We will wait as long as it takes.”
Tide felt his eyes shifting from one to the next in rapid succession. Barely, did he hear their words. All he could focus on was how many firm gazes rested on his being. However, he did catch the last little bit. “Cursed? I cannot come to Paradise?”
Nobody bothered to answer those questions. “There will be rules you must follow once you’re back in the living world,” the gray and white tom told him. You must follow them all and never break one. The rules are: you may not kill any other being with a soul in cold blood. You may not tell any other soul of your punishment. You cannot delay or prevent another's due death. And you, above all else, may not be selfish or greedy in any way. Break any of these rules, and there is no chance for redemption.” The words echoed in Tide’s ears. It would be a while before he came to realize just how haunting they would be.
“Living world?” he asked, getting hopeful now. “You mean I am going to go back? I get another chance at life?” What once had been unsettling fear quickly turned to jolting excitement.
“Yes, but you must follow the rules-“
The tom barely finished before Tide cut him off. “Rules are stupid.” He rolled his eyes, now eager to return to his living body. “When do I go?”
The three head cats looked at each other then the silvery one sighed. “In a moment, but you will be assigned a Guide,” she meowed then gestured to Storm next to her.
“What? Her? You mean she gets to come back, as well?” Tide complained, putting his ears back and giving the gray she-cat a displeased look.
“Not quite,” the silvery one replied. “She will come back with you but in spirit form. She will not be alive, and only you will be able to see and hear her. She will give you helpful advice when needed and keep you on the right path. Not to mention, she will always be watching your every move, so the moment you slip up, we will know,” she explained. “So, I suggest behaving and acting like a true clan cat, or you will never be allowed into Paradise.”
Tide sighed, displeased. “Fine, but I am sure she will simply feed you poison about me anyway,” he commented. It would be just like Storm now, he thought, to lie to these cats about him.
“No, I will not,” Storm stated firmly, sitting tall. “I, unlike you, am an honorable Trooper. I do what I am told by my superiors and do not lie nor steal nor go out of line. I am actually a cat worthy of Paradise.”
Tide narrowed his eyes at the she-cat, claws slipping out of their sheaths slightly.
“There will be none of that here,” the other tom interjected with a loud voice, almost like a roar. Tide sheathed his claws once more. “Tide, you will be sent back now, but know that we will be waiting for you here once you’re ready to join us, however long it takes. Know that this situation is very serious, and know you are not a just cat. You are scum, loathsome, despicable scum. Hopefully, this curse teaches you a much needed, valuable lesson.”
Before Tide could even say another word, he found himself gasping in gulps of air. Light flooded his vision, and the roar of the ocean with its salty breeze scent flooded his ears and nose. Abruptly, the orange tabby sat up and gazed around. He was back in the little rocky alcove of the beach where he’d been attacked.
“I’m back…” he breathed to himself then quickly looked over his pelt like when first arriving in the Void. Unlike in there, his fur was very ruffled, and still bleeding gashes littered his body. He once more felt the sting, slowly noticing it. Even on the ground, upon looking, were splashes of glistening crimson.
“Welcome back.” He jumped at the sound of Storm’s voice from his side. Pain racked his body, searing and hot.
“Will you stop startling me like that?” he hissed at her transparent form. But he soon remembered the cats’ words from his dream, and how he could see the rocks through her once-solid body.
Storm twitched her whiskers. “Not a chance,” she replied, a glint of amusement in her ghostly green eyes. “I hope you’re feeling every scratch and bite. Doesn’t hurt nearly as much as getting torn apart by a horde of rats.”
Tide placed his ears against his skull, eyes narrowing. He chose to ignore that comment. “So, it was all real then, correct? Not simply a fabricated dream? You’re here, after all, unfortunately.”
“Seems that way, doesn’t it?” Storm answered with her own inquiry. She sat down, eyes glossing over the still growing pools of red. “I’d say you’re starting to lose enough blood to die soon, if you were normal that is.”
Come to think of it, Tide was getting dizzy. He could himself swaying on his paws, and his view was getting dark again, fuzzy. “Be quiet,” he growled at her, not wanting to admit she was right. Yet, fear pounded against his chest, clenching his heart in icy claws.
Soon, he fell to the ground, expecting the last bits of his life to fade away once more. Just when he’d thought he’d cheated death, here he was in its gaping maw. It hurt.
Storm rolled her eyes as she watched. “You’re not going to die. That’s your curse, remember? Honestly, you used to be so much more clever.”
Tide opened his eyes back up and gazed at her, what he could see of her, anyway. Only the tiniest circle in the center of his vision could he actually make out her form. The rest of his view was obscured by blurred blackness. “I…”
“I’m glad it hurts. It always will, but you will never die.” Storm rose to her paws and padded by his side, gazing down at him. “No matter what happens, no matter how badly mangled your body becomes, how much blood you lose, how much water you breathe instead of air, you will never die. Just simply live in agony until it passes. It’s possibly a better Punishment than the Void.”
Tide’s head spun, or maybe it was the rock itself. It felt as if the entire rock on which he laid could be tumbling down the stony slope, soon to plummeting into the raging sea below. He could comprehend the she-cat’s words, but it hurt his head to do so.
“After this passes you’ll have to get moving. You obviously cannot return to the clan,” Storm told him, contempt in her mew. “I have a good feeling this journey will be a fun one, for me at least.” She chuckled to herself before Tide simply passed out for the time being. ✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 1 “Why does it have to be so cold in these areas? We should have stayed near the ocean where it’s warmer.” The orange tabby trudged on through the thin layer of snow covering the ground. More white flakes fell all around him, promising to blanket the land in an even heavier embrace. “Because there were too many giant storms along the sea, remember?” Storm reminded the tom, padding beside him and leaving no footprint in the snow like he did. “It’s not even that cold. Cease complaining. You complain about everything.” Tide shot her a sideways glare for a moment. “You’re dead. You can’t even feel the cold,” he retorted as he padded on. His thicker coat did help to keep some of the frigged air at bay, yet some would always seep through and send a chill down his spine. “I’ve already frozen once before, and I’m not inclined to do it again.” Storm couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “Yes, I remember that. Honestly, you looked quite peaceful curled up in the icy holly bush. Probably one of the least painful ‘deaths’ you’ve had thus far.” “It was, nearly painless. But, that doesn’t mean I want to do it again. Waking up from that was a nightmare. My body was way too stiff, and it hurt to move.” He shook his head. “You’re a sick cat for not caring about me, you know that?” Storm narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “Well, I’m still better than you with all the things in your natural life you’ve done. All that evil… I still wonder why the Council gave you a chance at redemption, especially when it’s been taking so long. How long has it been now?” “Four decades,” Tide answered with a grumble. “But, at least I still only look three years old, like when I first died.” It really had been taking way too long, even if he’d retained his youth. He’d been traveling for as long as he could remember now, walking through lifetimes and generations of normal cats. He’d come near death so many times, but he always awoke to this nightmare once more, the pain of every ‘death’ lingering intensely. The pain of the near-death was what he really hated. He was sick of it. Deep down he knew it was his own fault, still showing signs of his typical, self-centered being. Yet, he felt that he was also being cheated. He had to have redeemed himself by now! How many ‘deaths’ did he have to go through to have his debt repaid? How long would it take? How much pain did he have to feel? Perhaps the Council was cheating him, giving him endless punishment for all his wrongdoings? Probably, he thought. Another gust of wind snapped the tom out of his mind, bringing him back to the cold reality before him as a flurry stung his face. He squinted against the blinding, tiny ice shards, also pausing in his steps to hunker down slightly against the wind. Unfortunately, the bare tress around provided no shelter from the whistling wind. Only their skeletons remained for the season. “Are you finally listening?” Storm questioned from his side, a tinge of annoyance in her mew. But, that was normal for her when speaking with her despicable companion. “What do you want now?” Tide growled back, the cold grasping his ears in chilled claws. No matter how far back against his skull he tried to brace them, the wind always had its hold. Storm rolled her eyes. “I was saying that there’s cat scent up ahead. I can smell it on the wind. Smells like another clan, if I’d have to guess,” she informed him, pointing her nose forward as she sniffed more. Tide could not smell it himself, nor much of anything. The cold stuffed his nose up and stifled most of his senses. “Really? Good. Maybe I can hunker down with them until this snow passes.” The idea was very enticing for the tom. He hated the cold more than anything else in nature. It was his least favorite thing, and the whether that came with it. “Perhaps. Although, they aren’t always so friendly, I must remind you,” Storm mewed. However much she despised the tabby tom, she was still his Guide. She, by order of the Council, was still to give him proper advise any time it felt necessary. Tide spat on the white ground. “If they are then I’ll just run. I’m not getting ganged up on and mauled again. Not unless I actually die for real this time.” Being attacked by anything - whether it be other cats, foxes, dogs, badgers – it was one of his least favorite ways to ‘die.’ It was way too painful. While he sought out actual death, he, by now, knew that it wouldn’t come from normal circumstances. Only the pain came, then the blacking out, then waking up with aches and new scars within hours. It wasn’t worth it. “You won’t,” Storm told him very matter-of-factly. She knew he wouldn’t die for real, they way he so craved. She knew he, by far, was not ready to enter Paradise, and therefore, not ready for the afterlife. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence and hope,” Tide replied dryly. As the strong gust stopped, he straightened once more. “Let’s just go. I wanna get any shelter I can right now, especially before the sun sets.” He started to pad forward once more, hoping that whatever group of cats was up ahead that they were friendly enough. It didn’t take long for them to reach the border of the territory. The forest looked just the same as the rest of the area he and Storm had come through. However, now the strong scent of cat markings made a perfect border among the trees and sparse undergrowth. The scents, yet, smelled a couple suns stale. “They haven’t been this way in a little while,” Tide commented, leaning down and opening his mouth near the base of some white-dusted bracken. “I don’t want to wait for a patrol to come by, but if I just stroll right in the territory, they won’t be very happy either.” This was always a predicament, and both options didn’t appeal to him. “You won’t have to wait long,” Storm informed him, staring ahead as three figured moved their way. “A patrol is on their way right now. I suggest you don’t act like your normal self if you wish to win their favor.” “Shut up,” Tide snorted then squinted in the distance. He did soon see the three cats of a patrol coming to meet him. Their pace quickened as soon as they seemed to notice him. “Who are you?” one serious mew called out, now approaching even quicker until the new cat came to a halt just inside the border. Muscle ripped under her yet slender, light gray form. The tabby stripes along her pelt also rippled, but they did so more like waves from the ocean. In a word, she was stunning. Although however stunning, Tide knew by now that he could never have a mate again, nor should even attempt to. Sure, he could grow close to other cats, but having a mate simply was not part of the deal anymore. Plus, he had to act a little more sensible and appropriate than usual if he wanted to gain their trust. Two toms followed the tabby she-cat, coming to a stop on both her sides. All three of their gazes looked pretty serious, but the one tom – white as the snow with a smudge of gray on his face and half-buried paws. His blue gaze held a serious inclination yet also genuine concern. The third, in contrast, held a steady, firm gaze like the she-cat in which he’d followed. He looked much like the gentler tom – a coat of white but donning more numerous patches of light gray. His own gaze, a bright yellow, did not welcome Tide’s presence. To Tide’s slight surprise, it also seemed that this cat was missing half of his tail. “I’ll ask one more time. Who are you?” Tide snapped back from his thoughts as the she-cat addressed him again. Her amber gaze was now even more stern, and perhaps slightly hostile. Getting lost in his thoughts and observations was a habit Tide needed to work on, he knew. He turned his attention back to the small group’s leader. “My name’s Tide. I’m a traveler,” he answered her, careful to keep his tone polite. He’d have to if he had any hope of claiming temporary shelter from this cold. The she-cat narrowed her eyes at him, looking his scar-littered body up and down. “A traveler, huh? And you’re hoping to pass through MossClan territory?” she questioned, a tad skeptical. “Be careful of her,” Storm informed him, walking in a circle around the newcomers. They had no idea she was even there, scanning them with her gaze. “She’s definitely the leader type. Perhaps actually the leader of this MossClan, or deputy. Persuasion may be difficult. This half-tailed tom seemed quite serious, as well.” She padded next to the last cat, placing her face right next to his and staring into his eyes. “This one shows more sympathy. He’ll be easier to win over.” Tide merely glanced at Storm, taking in her words but giving no indication of it, since he was in front of others who could not know of her presence. “Not entirely,” he replied to the tabby she-cat. “Honestly, I was hoping to borrow some shelter for the night, if I may. It’s awfully cold out, and I’m afraid I haven’t been having any luck finding viable shelter on my own. All I ask is one night, then I will be as gone as the wind itself.” The she-cat seemed intrigued by his request. It had to be one she did not often receive, and she seemed to ponder it for a moment before speaking again. “Do you come alone?” she asked then stepped forward and out stretched her neck slightly to sniff him, making sure he was not with one of the other clans. Tide didn’t even hesitate to answer. “Yes, I do.” While Storm was always with him, she was a spirit. Trying to explain anything would result in him looking crazy. Besides, one of the rules of his redemption was he could not speak of his punishment to living souls. This included mentioning Storm, as he’d been told by her many times before. “Hmmm…” The she-cat pondered more and stepped back, glancing him up and down for a second time. “Very well. You may stay the night,” she finally granted. “My name is Sevenstar, and this is Halftail and Cloudleap.” Sevenstar? Tide had come across leaders and cats with odd names before, but Sevenstar did still have to strike him as rather odd. Maybe there was an interesting story behind it? Oh well, he most likely wouldn’t be able to find out. As, he would be gone the next sunrise, to his disappointment. He would have loved to wait out the winter in a comfy shelter with food, staying with a real clan again, but that generally didn’t happen. Besides, the last few times he’d stayed with clans more than a few sunrises, they kicked him out due to his selfishness and arrogance. Or, he’d grown to care for someone only for them to die, and then he had to leave in order to escape heavy grieving. “Thank you,” Tide meowed, thankful to be able to have some shelter, if even for a little bit. It provided some relief for his freezing bones. “Halftail, Cloudleap, remark the border while I get a head start on escorting our guest here back to the camp,” Sevenstar ordered. The two toms nodded and split up and to complete the task. Tide watched them for a heartbeat then followed the she-cat. ‘Difficult, huh? I think that was pretty easy to get in with the clan leader,’ he thought to Storm. Storm rolled her eyes as she and Tide followed the clan leader. She could hear his every thought. It came with the territory of being his Guide, to ensure even his thoughts weren’t malicious or purely selfish. Unfortunately, treading in the tom’s mind could be rather cumbersome sometimes. “Yes, you are unfortunately charismatic when you need to be,” Storm replied, earning a rolling of Tide’s eyes in turn. “If only I had known that before.” “Shut up,” Tide said allowed on accident, much to his dismay. This caused Sevenstar to stop in her tracks and turn to the tom, curious and confused. “I didn’t say anything,” she meowed then narrowed her eyes a bit. “Even if I had, that’s not how you should speak to a clan leader, much less a cat who was kind enough to agree to your stay in our camp.” Her tail tip twitched. Tide paused, knowing he’d messed up. He was too used to speaking with Storm allowed that his speech had merely slipped his tongue. He had to think of an excuse quickly. “Uh, no. I wasn’t talking to you, of course,” he meowed quickly then glanced around for something to save his tail. “I meant…the wind! Yes, it’s howling is rather annoying, wouldn’t you agree?” Sevenstar’s curious gaze didn’t falter, but she did take an obvious moment to listen to the audible whistling of the wind through the trees, ears pricked. “Yes, I suppose so. Although, I’m quite used to it in leaf-bare, so I don’t notice much anymore,” she finally replied. “At any rate, let’s keep moving. We have a ways to go before we get to camp yet.” Tide nodded his reply, inwardly relieved that he’d come up with a convincing enough lie on the spot like that. Well, it’s not like he didn’t have practice, after all. He gave Storm a revolting look as she chuckled at what she found to be a dumb excuse, even if it had worked. The tom thought some colorful words to her in return. “It’s not like I haven’t heard those all before,” Storm responded, not at all phased by what he’d called her. “So, Tide, was it?” The tom nodded and Sevenstar continued. “Where are you from? Where are you headed? You must be from somewhere far away, or had been with twolegs, to have such an odd name.” These inquiries were nothing new to him, and the replies would be ones he’d given possible hundreds of times before. “I used to live by the ocean, and I was named after its rolling waves,” he told her then recalled an inland cat wouldn’t know what the ocean even was. “It’s like a giant, salty lake with sandy and rocky shores, and the waves are constant and roaring strong. It stretches out further than you can even hope to see. As for where I’m going, I’m not sure. I just move along and see where the breeze takes me, pretty much. I have no real destination or home.” Sevenstar nodded as she listened but kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, focused on where they were treading. “I see. The ocean sounds like a very wondrous place. Although, it must be sad to have no home or nowhere to really go, nowhere that you’re looking for,” she commented, trying to imagine what that must be like. “Why did you leave the ocean?” “It just wasn’t the place for me anymore.” That answer wasn’t entirely a lie, but it also wasn’t the full truth. If she knew what he’d really done to be kicked out of the clan, to be cursed for so long to be alone and wonder, she would never let him even look at her again. Sevenstar was about to say something else, but the two white and gray toms from before bounded up from behind them, interrupting their conversation. This, Tide was perfectly fine with. The less questions he had to answer about his past, the better. “We’ve finished marking the border,” the one called Halftail reported, coming to pad right by the leader’s side. Maybe he was the clan’s deputy? He seemed to have a lot of authority, Tide concluded. “Very good,” the she-cat replied, pleased with the news. “Have there been any signs of foxes?” “No, nothing fresh. I think they finally moved on after we drove that male out,” the tom meowed back, voice deep and tone firm. He leaned in and whispered something to her then, to which she nodded in understanding but whispered something back. ‘What are they saying?’ Tide asked Storm in thought. This was the advantage of having her hear his thoughts. They could converse privately, and she could even spy on others for him. If any information was important at all, she could figure it out for him. Storm picked up the pace for a moment to listen in then reported back, “This 'Halftail' doesn’t like you and doesn’t want you staying with them. He’s worried you’re a danger. Frankly, I can agree to that.” The other tom, Cloudleap, joined in then for a heartbeat then dropped back to speak with Tide himself. “You must be hungry,” he mewed, that sympathetic emotion glazing his blue eyes. “I know prey is pretty scarce lately.” “Well, it is.” Tide could agree to that. He also was very hungry, starving, in fact. He’d starved many leaf-bares before, and it was one of the most painful ways for him to ‘die.’ It was way too slow, agonizing, draining. If he could avoid going through that again, he would. “I’m starving too, unfortunately. Haven’t had any luck hunting lately at all.” “Well, I’ll make sure you get a little bit of something,” Cloudleap promised. “It might have to be the scrawniest mouse or sparrow we have, but it’ll at least be something."
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Chapter 2
Tide licked his lips as the warm juices of mouse bathed his taste buds. This was exactly what he had needed. The thickly weaved branch walls and moss and feather lined floor provided grateful shelter from the howling wind outside. In here, it was warm and smelled of the fresh-kill that was almost gone.
“Thank you for the prey,” Tide meowed, truly happy to have received it. Even though it’d been only a small mouse, the scrawniest, as expected, it was still something to keep his belly from aching of starvation.
“It’s no problem,” Cloudleap replied with a purr, clearly happy to just help out. “I can’t eat tonight, but it’ll be alright. I ate last sunrise. I’m glad to help out someone in need.”
It amazed Tide how compassionate this other tom seemed to be. In all his time wandering, it was rare to find a cat so compassionate and caring. Eh, it probably wouldn’t last. It never did once they either found out his true personality, or he had to leave to wander some more.
He finished his meal then licked his lips a final time and sighed. Cloudleap watched happily, sitting across from him. “It’s getting late. If you’d like to sleep then you can,” the white and gray tom told him.
Before a reply could be given, Halftail padded into the den. He gave Tide a hard look then went to his nest and curled up for the night. “If you try anything tonight, you’ll be dead before you can even blink,” he threatened then laid his head down and placed his tail over his muzzle.
Tide couldn’t help but find his threat funny. If this cat could kill him then he’d be grateful. But, he knew he’d only end up being in pain then in the black then back to the living world once more. The most that would come out of this other tom attacking him was temporary pain and then another few scars to add to his growing collection.
“Don’t mind him,” Cloudleap meowed, rolling his eyes and brushing off the threat easily. “My brother has always been like that, really stern and serious.”
“It’s fine,” the orange tabby replied. Although, it did come as sort of a shock to him how this tom could be so caring while his brother was so stern, almost angry even. “I’ll just sleep now.” He curled up into the nest given to him for the night and closed his eyes to sleep, Storm keeping watch right by his side.
Tide woke up to the loud sound of snarling and a cat’s screech. He jolted up, fur standing on end as adrenaline momentarily pumped through his veins. No one else was in the Warrior’s Den anymore upon a quick glance around, but outside, in the dark of the night, came more snarls and yowls and now thuds of bodies hitting the ground.
“There’s a small troop of foxes invading the camp,” Storm informed him, her translucent fur bristling. “Tide, you have to go and help them fight.”
“Why? It’s their camp. They can take care of themselves,” Tide stated, calming down from his short adrenaline rush. He sat back down into the feathery nest and began to groom himself calmly, licking his paw then swiping it over his shredded ear.
This is what Storm really hated about the tom she had to watch for so long. “You’re so selfish and uncaring!” she snapped at him. Rage kept bubbling inside her. “These cats were kind enough to offer you their camp for the night, along with some of their prey! The least you could do is help them fight off the foxes!”
“That’s not my problem,” the tom replied simply and continued to groom himself as if he had no care in the world.
“This is exactly why you’re in this predicament in the first place, you selfish rat! I hate being your stupid Guide!”
Tide paused mid swipe at her words. He placed his paw back down into the nest and narrowed his eyes at her, tail tip twitching. “Well, if you’d just tell the Council that I’m able to come to Paradise, you wouldn’t have to be my Guide anymore. Not like I want you to be around me so much anyway.”
Storm’s rage only grew. “You’re not worthy of Paradise. If the Council could only see that you’re the one cat not able to be redeemed, then this could all be over, and you could just spend the rest of eternity in the Void by yourself.”
Tide rose to his paws, tail now lashing. “You’re such a-“ he was cut off as a fox’s jaws snapped down on Storm’s head, appearing in the den entrance. Of course, Storm felt nothing, and the teeth went right through her. However, the fox had its sights set on Tide now, its eyes showing nothing but pure fury.
Tide’s anger dissipated rather quickly as the fox pushed its way further into the den, causing the carefully woven sticks to snap under the force. It snapped its jaws again, this time closer to Tide’s face. The tom backed up until he reached the den wall with his tail. While he didn’t fear death at all anymore, he feared the excruciating pain he knew would come if this fox got hold of him.
He glanced quickly from side to side, trying to find some other way out of the den, but the only way out now was between the fox’s front legs and under it. It was either race there or wait for the creature to push its way in and grab him.
He’d have to go for it. Tide mustered up his courage and bunched his muscles then darted towards the fox, to its surprise. The fox was startled, but once tide was half way under it, it realized what he was doing and clamped down on his tail to stop his escape.
Tide felt the sharp pain shoot up from his tail. Pain was something he’d never gotten used to and the one thing he still really feared in his life. He’d avoid it at all cost, and right now it was all through his body.
Instinct kicked in, and he latched into the fox’s nearest leg, its front one, and began to furiously claw at it. Tufts of thick, red fur began to fly as he tore into its hide and screeched in agony.
The fox, in turn, let go of his tail and backed up out of the den to escape the counterattack. Tide was left lying on his side, in the snow for a moment. The fox shook his head, but Tide jumped onto its face without even thinking. He wanted revenge.
He swiped at the animal’s nose and eyes and ears in a fury, soon climbing up onto its shoulders. He sunk his claws into the orange hide then bit down hard its ear, easily piercing it with his fangs. This fox wasn’t leaving here without a few new scars itself.
The fox shook is head to knock him off at first, but upon having the cat climb onto its back and swipe and bite it from above, it took only a moment before rolling on the ground. Tide had no choice but to jump off and then hiss, arching his back at it.
Its eyes still glowed with amber hatred, although now much more intense. Blood now dotted the snow, dripping both from the fox’s face and a little from Tide’s own tail. It wasted no more time in lunging for him again.
Tide dodged this time, having a lot of experience with fighting at this point. He’d managed to hone his reflexes and more efficiently dodge enemy attacks. The tom lunged for the fox instead, getting a good couple swipes in on its flank before jumping back once more. He did this several times, the fox lunging and him dodging it then coming in for an attack of his own. It continued until the fox finally retreated, running away with yelps trailing it out of the camp.
Tide panted, watching it go. Only then did he notice the rest of the camp fighting off their own fox enemies. Cats worked together to battle off their foes, some being distractions while others actually moved in to attack then they’d switch roles. He noticed two cats viciously defending a den underneath the towering sycamore tree, in the middle of camp, presumably the Nursery. A fox stood its ground and snapped at them.
However, upon hearing its friend go running off, howling in pain, it turned. This earned a good strike to the side of its neck, sending it running after its friend. The other few foxes noticed this and decided it best to follow. They went pile out the hole in the camp wall they’d made, kicking up snow as they did so, yelps soon echoing in the distance.
“Is everyone alright?” Sevenstar’s concerned mew sounded loudly, catching Tide’s attention. She had a few cuts and scrapes in her fur, but she still stood tall. Yet, genuine concern glittered in her eyes and flowed with her voice as she padded towards the Nursery and glanced around at everyone.
“I think so,” a black and white tom answered. He had been one of the cats defending the Nursery, along with another black cat that appeared to be one of the queens. “We kept the kits and Rainwing safe.” Just then two black kits emerged from the tree den and huddled underneath the black queen. “it’s okay, little ones. Mom and Dad would never let anything happen to you,” the black and white tom cooed to them to sooth their scared expressions.
“Is everyone else alright?” Sevenstar asked, wanting to make sure each and every cat wasn’t hurt too badly. Murmurs and nods were given in reply, and a brindle torti began to make her way around, gathering cats up to herd them to her Medicine Den.
Cloudleap trotted over to tide, concern written all over his face. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly but then got pretty excited almost instantly after. “I saw the way you fought off that fox all by yourself. It was incredible!”
Tide couldn’t help but enjoy the compliment. “Well, I am pretty amazing,” he mewed but once again noticed the stinging in his tail. But, he knew it would quickly pass. He healed much faster than regular cats. What took them several suns to heal would only take him about a single one, if not half of one. It all depended on the wound. One like this, a single bite to the tail, was nothing.
Sevenstar approached them, satisfied that everyone else was relatively unscathed. “I saw your bravery in battle,” she meowed, pleased. “I’d like to offer you a position in our clan. We could use a cat with battle skills like yours, especially with RockClan trying to steal prey from us lately.”
Tide had heard this all before. He’d do something that impressed a clan leader – or one took pity on him – and he was offered a place among their ranks for a time. While it was something he was getting tired of, joining a clan and then having to soon leave it again anyway, the leaf-bare was only in its early stages. It would prove to get harder, and who knew how long it’d be before he was able to find good food or shelter again? Besides, traveling with only Storm to talk to so often made him go crazy.
Though he’d never admit to it, he’d had companions of the past he’d had to leave. He’d never admit to the pain it caused his heart once the ones he’d call a friend or even more had to depart this world for another, leaving him behind like everyone else did. This caused a fear to quell inside him, a fear that always came when offered this sort of thing by other clans. Yet, the promise of prey and warmth and rest for however long he could stay was too tempting to pass up. He just wouldn’t get too attached to anyone, he decided.
“Sure, thanks. I’ll stick around,” Tide replied. At least now he could go back to sleep in the warm den.
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Chapter 3
“All cats of the clan gather for a meeting!” Tide cracked open his eyes at the shrill sound of the leader’s call – at least, it was shrill to him. With a sigh, not wanting to get up for another mundane meeting, the tom pushed himself to his feet, knowing he’d have to anyway. This is how it always went. He came to a clan, they invited him to stay for one reason or another, the leader called a meeting to make it official, and then he had to act like part of the place until they inevitably kicked him out.
“Hey, maybe don’t mess everything up this time?” Storm suggested, always opting to start off the morning with a snarky comment to her despicable companion.
Tide gave her a colorful remark in reply then arched his back in a stretch. He did turn his attention to Cloudleap as the other tom climbed out of his nest.
“Good sunrise,” the white and gray tom greeted cheerfully. His fur stuck out in wild positions with fragments of moss clinging loosely. “How are you?” he asked then padded to the den entrance. “Come sit with me for the meeting.”
Tide simply answered with ‘tired’ to his question then sighed quietly. Why was this tom so overly friendly? At least he wasn’t overly hostile. But being too friendly could be just as annoying, the orange tabby thought.
“Be nice to him. He’s showing you compassion, something you clearly don’t possess yourself,” Storm practically scolded. She went to the den entrance as Tide followed, now ignoring his spirit nagger.
Cloudleap led Tide to the growing crowd of cats, taking a seat near the back. He turned to Tide as the other tom sat down beside him, not looking too thrilled. “I know it’s early, but do try to look a little more awake,” he teased.
“Yeah? Well, maybe you should actually groom before being in public,” Tide retorted, giving plenty of attitude to his mew. He didn’t care if this cat was kind to him. It wouldn’t last. It never did. So, why be kind back? Why get attached? It wouldn’t be long before he was kicked out anyway – or ran away if he did actually manage to get attached to someone and they died. This earned a sharp scolding from Storm, but he ignored it.
Cloudleap gave a confused expression for a moment but then chuckled. “Oh! Yeah, I guess I forgot to actually pat my fur down and get the moss out, huh?” He began to rasp his tongue over his fur.
Genuine shock overcame Tide for a heartbeat. Cloudleap wasn’t at all offended, or even slightly bothered, by his obviously rude remark? Not even in the slightest bit? That was something different.
“Hey, Flamingleaf, come and sit by us!” Cloudleap paused in his grooming to call out to a cream-orange she-cat who was approaching them.
“I’m coming, don’t worry,” she replied with a light purr. She came over to sit beside Cloudleap. “How are you this sunrise?” she asked softly.
“Great!” Cloudleap answered happily back. “Hey, have you met Tide yet?” He turned to his newfound friend, leaning forward a bit so Flamingleaf’s head appeared behind him. “Tide, this is my best friend, Flamingleaf. She’s pretty awesome.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” she purred politely, almost as cheery as Cloudleap himself. Her blue eyes were filled with friendliness, and the rising sun danced off her long pelt, making it seem as though the fur itself was beautiful fire. No wonder she was named ‘Flaming.’
Tide felt a small lump come up in his throat at her appearance, but he shoved it down. No way would he be getting involved with another she-cat. The last time he’d done that things had gone so horribly wrong. It still hurt him deep inside, but those types of feelings would never see the light of day again. This, he was determined to make true.
To avoid such things, he gave a simple nod to the she-cat instead of saying a word. It was at this time that the entire, small clan had gathered in the middle of camp. All of them faced the gigantic, gnarled sycamore tree which housed the Nursery; the faces of two queens and two kits poked out of the den entrance. Upon one of its thick branches sat Sevenstar, waiting patiently for the clan to settle in.
Once it had, she spoke. “Welcome, all,” she began with a rather pleasant tone. “I have gathered you here this sunrise to welcome a new addition to our clan. This cat has demonstrated exceptional skill in battle with the foxes last night. And, for that, I would like us all to welcome him. He will be a great asset to our clan and in our ongoing endeavor of keeping RockClan from our territory.” Her gaze swept the crowd but landed on Tide. “Tide, would you please come to the base of the tree?”
“Go on!” came Cloudleap’s excited mew before Tide could even make a move to get up. He was shifting on his paws like a giddy apprentice.
Tide rolled his eyes, stifling a sigh this time. He rose to his feet and padded forward, up the gentle slope to the sycamore before coming to a stop at the base, right near the Nursery entrance. The queens’ and kits’ gazes pierced him. It’s not like they were hostile, but just having them watch so intently sent a small shiver down his spine. He never was a fan of kits especially. They were always too noisy and in the way.
Sevenstar jumped down from her perch to stand right by Tide’s side. “Because you show such skill in battle, I’ve decided not to assign you a mentor. However, you will need a guide to teach you the ways of our clan and the layout of our territory,” she announced loudly, though talking mostly to Tide himself. “And, considering Cloudleap has taken quite a liking to you, he can be your guide.”
‘I already have one. I don’t need a living one, too,’ he thought with distaste but said nothing verbally. He merely nodded, knowing he actually should have someone to show him around the territory, at the very least.
Cloudleap, meanwhile, seemed quite pleased by the whole thing. He whispered something excitedly to Flamingleaf, to which she gave a cheerful expression and nod. He then started to call out Tide’s name with Flamingleaf joining in. A few others called out too, including the queens. But some, like Halftail and a sandy-colored she-cat only glared in response.
“You should first get acquainted with our territory,” Sevenstar told Tide once the cheering died down, bringing his attention back to her. “Cloudleap can show you around.” She nodded to him, addressing the other tom now. “You’ll show him around, won’t you?”
“Oh, definitely,” Cloudleap replied with his ever-present chipper attitude.
“And I assume you’ll be taking Flamingleaf with you, correct?” the leader asked with amusement. She was clearly used to the two doing a lot together. Cloudleap nodded. “Very well. Take him to RockClan’s border first. Make sure they aren’t trying to steal prey again.”
“Sure thing. We’ll take a look,” Flamingleaf replied this time, eyes sparkling. “And show him around.”
Sevenstar nodded her thanks. “Now, time for a quick discussion about the Meeting this sunset. When we meet with RockClan and WaterClan we must be polite but firm. I will not have battles breaking out in the midst of a Meeting, especially not with StarClan watching,” she warned, to which the clan cats nodded their understanding.
“Then what are you going to say to Howlstar?” Halftail demanded from the crowd, his stumpy tail lashing the air. “They have no right to keep trying to steal our prey. How many times can they claim they were chasing something, and it crossed our scent markers?”
“Calm yourself, Halftail,” Sevenstar meowed sternly. “It will be discussed at the Meeting. Everything will. Their behavior will not be tolerated any longer, and it will not be brushed over. You just need to keep your temper in check, understood?”
Halftail grumbled but nodded, his gaze then drifting away. The sandy she-cat next to him whispered something to him, Tide saw. But, Sevenstar didn’t seem to notice, or she didn’t care.
“Now, those going to the Meeting later are obviously myself, Fernwhisker, and Brackenwish. Cloudleap, you can bring Tide along to meet everyone and see what it’s like at the Meeting. Halftail, you’re also welcome to come, as long as you keep your temper in check. And, Sparrowpaw, you may come, as well.”
The cats dispersed after the meeting’s end, leaving Tide with Cloudleap and Flamingleaf. “Alright, let’s get going,” Cloudleap meowed enthusiastically. “I know you’ll really like the territory and seeing what all it has to offer. Although, it’s much nicer new-leaf and green-leaf, rather than right now.”
Tide gave a slow, uncaring nod. “I’m sure it is,” he said rather blankly. Frankly, he’d much rather go back to his new nest and ponder his life, figure out exactly what he had to do to get into Paradise.
He’d lived so long already, done so much. But, yet, there was something he was missing. Something out there he needed to do but had yet to do it. Something, he knew, is specifically what the Council and Storm were looking for from him. He’d asked his companion many times, but she’d never give the answer. She would always say he had to figure it out on his own. Now, thinking, perhaps this little walk would give him some kind of hint. Just maybe. After all, Storm did want him to be kind to Cloudleap and the others. Maybe they played some kind of part in all of this, like pieces of the puzzle he was trying so desperately to put together.
With this new thought in mind, Tide gained a sense of pleasure at the inclination of going on patrol with them. “Let’s go. Show me everything you can,” he told the other tom.
At his newfound sense of enjoyment to the idea, Cloudleap let out a purr. “Great! We’ll show you everything at RockClan’s border, for now. You can even help us renew the scent markings, since you’re one of us now.”
Flamingleaf didn’t seem as gleeful, not quite as blind to Tide’s ignorance. However, she also wasn’t rude back and gave a nod instead. “Yeah, you can help out with that,” she said politely, but she could see that he had ulterior motives to the sudden change of heart to go on this patrol.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Storm told him as the group set out together, going through the branch tunnel which made up the camp entrance. “Taking advantage of these kind cats for your own gains with no gratitude at all.”
‘What else am I supposed to do?’ Tide thought back, knowing she heard his every thought and not wanting to speak out loud in front of the others. ‘You won’t tell me how to get into Paradise and die already. What else am I supposed to do? I have to try ever option presented to me.’
Storm flattened her ears against her skull, padding alongside him with her eyes narrowed. But, this sort of behavior was all too typical of the tom. “I’ve told many times how to redeem yourself. You simply can’t fathom how, because you’re so selfish and narcissistic.”
‘I am not! I am just looking out for myself, just like I always have had to do,” the tom thought angrily then felt a slight pang of sadness stab his heart like a thorn.
Like his thoughts, Storm could feel his emotions, as well. Even after everything, she also felt a bit of sympathy for the tom. “It wasn’t always like that,” she told him, her tone growing softer. “I know how the clan treated you from the beginning, but you also know how I treated you, too. And you know what you did to earn this blessing in disguise.”
Tide paused in his steps. ‘Blessing? How could this possibly be a blessing? This is a curse! A curse meant to make me suffer over and over. Haven’t I already suffered enough when I was in the Clan of Crashing Waves?’
“Tide? Are you alright?” Flamingleaf asked, turning to look back at him. She had noticed him stop walking and wanted to make sure everything was alright. Cloudleap stopped also but remained quiet to get an answer.
The orange tom turned to the material cats and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just thought I saw a bird is all, but it’s gone now,” he lied easily. The other two cats bought the fabrication pretty easily and continued on, him following along once more.
Storm glanced at them then continued on with the group. “You have suffered a lot, I will agree. Yet, this is not meant to be a punishment. It may seem like a curse to you now, but that is simply because you cannot look beyond this for what it is. You only see it for the bad, not for what lies beyond. Everything bad holds good within the end,” she meowed to him. “You were given this endless chance to show the good within you, so that you may join the others in Paradise. We could have left you to rot alone in the Void, but that is not the kind of fate we wanted for you. That is not the kind of fate you truly deserve.”
‘What do I deserve then? To continue to wander this world alone, with only you to talk to? To be eventually hated by everyone I meet? To constantly feel the pain of every kind of different death imaginable, only to come back to experience everything all over again?’ The resentment and rage boiled up inside the tom’s body. It always did when they had these kinds of conversations. He hated it. He hated everything.
Storm remained calm, despite receiving his feelings. “No. If you were meant to have that as a punishment then I wouldn’t be here.” She gazed ahead, her eyes thoughtful. “You need to stop and actually think about the real situation for once. I gave up being in Paradise to be here with you, to help, despite everything. I didn’t have to. I wasn’t made to. I wanted to. I wanted to help you, because I know who you can be. I see you for who you want to be. I always did.”
Another thorn stabbed his heart at her words. In all of their conversations, she had never once said something like this before. She really gave up being with the others in Paradise to help him here? Maybe she… No. He shook his head, the anger rising again. ‘You’re the reason I’m here in first place. You may not be in Paradise, but you’re the one keeping me in this Void, only this one isn’t just endless darkness. But it’s still loneliness, hatred, and pain. Surrounded by others but still hated. No matter what you say, I know you’re the reason I’m still here. I might listen to your advice sometimes, but I won’t listen to your lies,’ he decided.
Storm had nothing more to say at the moment. If he wouldn’t listen even when she offered some of her heart then there was no point, not right now. Instead, she opted to continue padding by his side as she was supposed to, keeping alert for outside threats and opportunities.
“So,” Flamingleaf piped up then. “What do you think?” She glanced back to Tide.
“Huh?” he asked, lifting his sight from the snowy ground to the firry she-cat. He shoved the thoughts and emotions from Storm’s conversation down for now.
“The territory,” she elaborated. “What do you think of it so far? It’s more impressive and beautiful without all the snow and with leaves and moss, but it’s still nice, isn’t it?”
Tide nodded. “Yeah, it’s alright,” he answered, actually now looking around at the frosty trees and white ground for the first time.
“You should see it in new-leaf,” Cloudleap joined in happily, also slowing his pace a bit to take a spot next to Tide. “Hanging moss is everywhere, and soooo green. It’s amazing, really.”
Tide didn’t have it in him to be rude right now. Maybe it was because of what Storm had said, or maybe he was just emotionally drained after being so angry with her. It didn’t matter. “I believe it,” he said simply, no real tone to his reply but not really leaving it hollow either. It was more soft and quite than anything.
Cloudleap noticed this and didn’t care for it. “Hey, are you okay? Is something wrong?” he inquired, tilting his head to the side slightly. “You can talk to me anytime if you need. I’ll listen, and I won’t judge. Promise.”
Tide inwardly scoffed. Wouldn’t judge, huh? That was about as big a lie as what Storm told him. “Everything’s fine,” he replied, just opting to keep everything inside right now. If anything, he wouldn’t be getting too attached to anyone here.
Cloudleap clearly didn’t believe him by the look on his face, but he nodded, not wanting to pry. “Alright, but I am here if you need.” He continued to pad along silently for a moment before wanting to change the subject. Awkward silence was never a good thing. “So, tell me more about yourself. Anything you can think of. I’d love to learn more about you.”
This was something a little newer to the ancient tom. No one ever wanted to know too much him, beyond where he came from, his name, the basic clan skills he had, and especially if he was a threat or not. But, just wanting to know more about him as a cat? Now, that was foreign.
“Um, there’s not much to tell really,” Tide responded, not sure how to answer this. “I’m a traveler, as you know. I’ve seen so much…” The deaths of others, pain, battles, destruction of lives and families…
“Like what?” Of course, Cloudleap would ask that question. How could anyone not after such a vague and trailing answer?
“Just some bad stuff, and also a lot of different territories,” the orange tabby decided to say instead of what he was really thinking. “I’ve seen the rolling waves of the ocean, mountains that scratch the sky, twoleg camps so huge it took a season to walk through, deserts as dry as bones, and forests as thick as fur.”
Cloudleap’s eyes grew wider with each word Tide spoke. Nothing but pure amazement glittered within them. “Wow,” he breathed out then half-shouted, “That’s amazing! It all sounds so cool and beautiful. I can’t imagine seeing mountains that tall or places so huge. Were they beautiful? The places you’ve been?”
Tide’s gaze fell slightly, but not in a sad way, more of a thoughtful one. Perhaps, it was even a bit wistful. “Yeah, I guess so,” he answered with the slightest bit of enjoyment. “I guess I could be considered a little lucky to have seen them, since many cats wouldn’t.” This was a new spin on things, seeing the places he’d been not as simply just areas but as something big and beautiful. But it seemed that Cloudleap could put a positive spin on anything, so far.
“I bet they were,” the white and gray tom meowed, his mew softer now. “Oh, looks like we’re here.” He nodded to up ahead. “That boulder in the ground right there is a marker for our territory. We share that boulder with RockClan.”
Tide looked up ahead and nodded. The trees here seemed a little more sparse, and the terrain was already rockier, gradually increasing in the stone ratio as they padded onward. No wonder this other clan was named ‘RockClan.’ Other, smaller, boulders jutted from the ground as if desperately trying to free themselves form the earth yet being frozen by the forest floor’s grasp.
“We need to sniff around and make sure there’s no fresh sign of RockClan coming into our territory again,” Flamingleaf reminded both toms. “And rescent the border. Sevenstar said we won’t tolerate them anymore, so we have to reinforce the border more.”
“I’m on it, General!” Cloudleap meowed playfully but still with his own sense of seriousness. He bounded off ahead to the large boulder and began to sniff around it.
Tide tilted his head slightly as he watched the fully-grown tom scamper off like a kit. “Is he always like this?” he asked Flamingleaf, genuinely curious.
She chuckled. “Pretty much. He’s always excited about everything, kitish, and full of energy. But it’s nice. He’s a great friend and always ready to help or make every situation fun or positive in some way,” she answered with a slight purr. “He’s the kind of cat everybody needs in their life.”
Tide merely nodded, letting those words sink in and pondering them as they approached the boulder themselves. He listened as Cloudleap reported no fresh scent of RockClan on their side of the boulder, around the large rock. The two cats began to renew the scent markers, but Tide glanced around, not feeling right.
Storm confirmed his feelings with fact. “There is a small patrol of enemy cats behind those rocks there,” she told him and flicked her tail to a group of smaller boulders just a couple fox-lengths away. The still air kept scent from traveling, but Storm didn’t need just scent or sight to know others were around like living cats did. “They may ambush.”
“Hey!” Tide yelled out. “Come out.” Flamingleaf and Cloudleap looked up at him, confused. They then followed his gaze to the cluster of stones. It took a moment, but four other cats emerged.
Three were definitely seasoned warriors, but there was a younger apprentice among them. The warriors seemed to keep their composure, yet the apprentice was clearly confused as to how Tide know of their presence.
“Duskstone, Thornfall, Leafdance, and Redpaw. Why were you hiding behind those rocks?” Flamingleaf demanded yet kept her cool at the same time. “Waiting for us?”
“That’s none of your business, Flamingleaf,” Thornfall, a molted gray tom, snapped back. He wasn’t so good at keeping his cool, it seemed.
A dark gray she-cat with black patches flicked her tail at him to calm down. She held her head high. “We are allowed to do whatever we want in our territory,” she stated calmly then looked to tide. “And who is this? Picked up a rogue, have you?”
Tide felt no offense, having been called much worse before. But, before he could even speak Cloudleap interjected. “No, he’s a new member of MossClan, and my new friend,” he stated firmly, puffing out his chest. “And he’s an awesome fighter. He took on a full-grown fox by himself, so I’d watch out if I were you, Duskstone.”
There was a hint of uncertainty in the she-cat’s eyes, but only for a split heartbeat. “Lies,” she responded, turning her head away and swishing her tail to dismiss the claim. “You can lie all you want, but it makes no difference to us.”
“That’s right,” the sandy-orange she-cat beside Duskstone chimed in. Her claws slid out from their sheaths, sinking into the snow with ease. “Nothing you can say will change the fact that we’re better than you.”
Flamingleaf rolled her eyes. “Better than us? That’s all you’ve got? What, are you still a kit?” she asked with a scoff. The she-cat clearly possessed a hidden sassy side that was now starting to reveal itself. “If you were better than us then how come YOUR clan continues to trespass on OUR territory, hmm? Honorable cats don’t trespass.”
“You shut your disrespectful mouth, filthy Moss!” Thornfall snarled, taking a threatening step forward, fur along his spine rising and claws out.
“Yeah!” the apprentice piped up, her red fur fluffing up, too.
“Cool it,” Duskstone ordered. “They only want to rile us up. Don’t give them that satisfaction. They’re cheap, dirty, flea-bags.”
“If we’re cheap, dirty, flea-bags then I wonder what that makes you?” Flamingleaf inquired with snarky mischief in her blue eyes. “Since you’re the ones always breaking the honorable Warrior Code.”
Thornfall had clearly had enough. “That’s it! You’re dead!” he yowled then flung himself at the she-cat, claws flashing in the air.
Flamingleaf easily dodged, knowing it had been a matter of time before the short-tempered tom broke and tried to fight. She spun around to face him then lashed her own claws at him, catching his nose. A few droplets of red colored the blank snow.
Thornfall hissed and lunged again, this time knocking Flamingleaf back into the cold fluff and sending a small shower of it flying, along with orange fur. He began to rip into her, pinning her down on the frozen ground while she tried to beat his belly with her hind legs and block blows with her front.
Cloudleap quickly interjected, tackling Thronfall off from the side and sending him reeling away. The white tom stood guard between him and his friend, stance wide and teeth bared in a hiss. His usually pleasing and friendly self was no longer there, quickly replaced by a seasoned warrior.
Tide watched as the other RockClan cats started to get involved, going for Cloudleap mostly and then Flamingleaf behind him. However, the sandy-orange she-cat went for Tide himself, leaping at him with a battle yowl.
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Chapter 4 With the sun in the middle of the sky now, blinding rays shone into Tide’s eyes as they reflected off the snow, blocking his view of the attacking she-cat. She landed a solid blow to him, knocking the tom back and off his feet. All the air left his lungs in the assault, a puff of white stirring upon impact.Claws raked Tide’s muzzle, causing red to dot the snow once more. He yowled in pain yet knew what to do, as he’d been in this very same situation all too many times. His hind leg muscles bunched underneath his assailant, and he then shoved her off with one, mighty push. She rolled into the snow, away from him. But, this only lasted a moment as she got back up once more, fury in her eyes. She charged back at Tide while he stood back up, however was stopped by another cat barging into her side. Cloudleap hissed loudly and tackled the sandy-colored feline to the ground then batting her anywhere he could with unsheathed claws.Tide watched for a moment, slightly shocked but then scoffed. Even in battle the tom was very cocky. He could have taken her on just fine by himself. He would prove that and saw the perfect opportunity to when Duskstone pinned Flamingleaf down and Thornfall worked with her to beat up the cream MossClan cat.He would show them how strong he really was. Tide charged at them duo, claws ready. They had no idea what was coming, and he got the perfect attack in while he tackled Duskstone off of Flamingleaf. The black she-cat froze, stunned, and was then given a barrage of strong blows to the face, shredding one of her ears and causing many bleeding gashes. Even when Thornfall left Flamingleaf to help it was of no use. Storm let her companion know the tom was coming, so he caught Thornfall off guard by jumping away, even though he’d had his back to him, then quickly spinning around and lashing out at his flank, fur flying.The battle didn’t last much longer as a battered and exhausted Duskstone called for a retreat. The defeated patrol fled together, leaving behind small trails of crimson, patches of fur, and stirred up snow. A ‘We’ll be back!’ echoed, but they were gone.Tide panted from the exertion of energy, but other than being a little tired and a new scratch on his muzzle, he was totally fine. He looked to Cloudleap and Flamingleaf, the two a little worse for ware, but they were also generally fine. Only a multitude of scratches littered their pelts, but they were nothing serious. Just more, everyday battle scars.“Are you okay?” Cloudleap asked his she-cat friend who nodded a response then asked the same of him. “Yeah, I’m fine. A little beaten up, but I’m okay.” He then turned his attention to Tide. “Are you alright?”“Fine,” he replied, not at all too bothered by what had just happened. It had been more of a hassle than anything, really. Fights never bothered him much anymore, not small ones like this, anyway. Cloudleap’s concern turned to a glowing sort of pride. “You handled them so well. I never saw anybody fight like that before,” he praised happily. “I mean, I know you took on a fox by yourself, but two clan cats at once, too? It’s like you just knew Thornfall was rushing you, even though you couldn’t see him and there wasn’t any real sound from the snow. Kind of like you have a sixth sense. That was amazing!”Tide glanced to Storm. She was simply sitting by and listening to it all, but she did give Tide a smug sort of look, knowing she was thee reason he had pulled off such an otherworldly move. “Yeah, sixth sense,” he responded, honestly just enjoying the praise and attention. “I know I was pretty awesome.”“Even so, we had better finish up patrolling the border here,” Flamingleaf meowed, interrupting their little conversation. “We still have a lot of it to check and more markers along it to renew.” She didn’t want to sit there and listen to the overly kind Cloudleap inflate this tom’s ego – she already knew Tide had to think pretty highly of himself.“Oh yeah.” Cloudleap shook his pelt out then started to head off, tail flicking for them to follow. “Still, Sevenstar will be happy to hear about we did here. Well, sort of.” No way would she be happy to learn a RockClan patrol attacked her patrol, in MossClan territory.The other two followed, Tide holding his head up high as if he’d won some great war all by himself and he was some sort of hero. “Don’t let your head get too much bigger. You’ll faceplant right into the snow,” Strom commented, a small bit of smugness in her mew. ‘Do you ever stop talking?’ the tom thought back, wanting to enjoy the pride he felt from Cloudleap’s small shower of compliments. “I talk less than you do,” she replied, her tongue now growing sharper. “Besides, you wouldn’t have been as amazing in that fight if I hadn’t warned you about Thornfall coming from behind. Without me, you’d be much more injured and not so great.”Tide felt a burning in his stomach, knowing she was right. But he couldn’t admit that. ‘Just mind your own business right now,’ he decided to mentally reply instead.Storm scoffed at this. “Again, you wouldn’t be nearly as great without me. You would have most likely ‘died’ again.” Her tail swished in the air. “We really should come up with a better name for that, your fake deaths. It would make things much easier,” she then changed the subject, aware that she was getting nowhere with the stubborn tom on this previous topic.‘I don’t know. Call it feigning then. Not like it was ever a problem before anyway.’“Well, it always has been. You’re just always too stubborn to listen when I brought it up any time before. But, feigning is fine. It works nicely.” Storm then got a sort of mischief in her tone next. “Oh, look at that. You actually had a good idea for once.”Tide glanced to her, surprised at her use of sarcasm. That was quite unlike the old-fashioned, sophisticated she-cat. Honestly, it was more his thing. The comment itself didn’t sting too much, at least. This sort of thing was normal banter between them, even if it wasn’t so playful like most banter.The rest of the MossClan border shared with RockClan was checked and marked without incident. Once back at the camp, Flamingleaf went straight to Sevenstar’s den to report everything. Cloudleap turned to Tide. “We should go and see Brackenwish to make sure these wounds don’t get infected,” he told Tide.“Sure,” he replied simply. He’d had infected wounds before, and they were not at all fun. It’d turned so bad that his body had almost been eaten away by the infection, and it, of course, caused an extremely slow and unpleasant feign. No way did he want to go through that again, even if his only real wound was on his muzzle. Without another word, the tabby followed Cloudleap, listening to the white and gray tom chatter on about nonsense Tide didn’t really pay any attention to. They arrived to a fallen log after their short journey, dormant vines ensnaring it all. Only a small hole in the side of the log seemed to have the wooden tendrils moved aside. Even with his cold-numbed nose, Tide could smell the strong scent of herbs coming from inside, wafting out into the still air.“I think you’ll like Brackenwish. She’s a great Medicine Cat and very friendly,” Cloudleap told him the poked his head into the den, calling out to her. “Brackenwish? We need some help if you could, please.”“Come on in,” a very feminine and sweet-sounding voice answered from inside. Cloudleap did as he was told and padded inside, Tide following.Inside the den, it was remarkably warm somehow. Darkness filled the spacious area inside, yet it seemed that with the dark came such a comforting warmth, a seemingly impossible warmth with the freezing climate outside. Still, the stench of herbs almost made the tom want to gag. How could any cat stand this for too long, much less work in it all the time?A dark shape moved at the very back of the den, only tiny slivers of light poking through a carefully woven, wooden wall. Fragments and snippets of brindle were briefly illuminated in these light rays as the figure moved. “What happened?” the sweet voice came from the figure.“RockClan patrol attacked us, but we drove them off,” Cloudleap answered, not seeming too bothered by it at all. Most cats would still have adrenaline wearing off in their systems, or they would be beyond irritated about the assault, yet this tom spoke with no hatred or contempt in his voice. He didn’t seem to hold even the faintest grudge for the cats who’d attacked them, who had been invading the territory and apparently attacking others of his clan.“You could learn a thing or two from him,” Storm commented but said nothing more after as she took her place in the middle of the log den.Tide simply ignored her and paid more attention to the two living cats before him. The Medicine Cat sighed, tired of the border fights. “Alright, I’ll prepare something up,” she told them and began to gather certain herbs and chew them up. It didn’t take long at all before she was hobbling towards them, a leaf in her mouth and some herb mush on her one forepaw.As she approached, Tide could make out the colors of her pelt and why she had been so barely seen at the back. The brindle torti rested before them and set the leaf in her jaws down. “Alright, Cloudleap. Let’s see the damage here.”Her yellow eyes scanned the tom up and down, briefly locking onto any scratch he had, no matter how small. “It doesn’t look too bad overall,” she reported to him. “Just hold still, sweetie.” Cloudleap had no problem complying as the mashed-up mix was applied to every tiny wound he had that seeped even a drop of red. Before he knew it, it was Tide’s turn. “I don’t have any wounds, except this scratch on my muzzle,” he informed her. Although, he was not looking forward to having that disgusting smelling poultice directly above his nose.“I’ll give you a once-over just to be sure,” Brackenwish mewed. “All you have to do is hold still for me, sweetie.” She didn’t need an answer to get started, her gaze now thoroughly scanning him over. It was a different feeling to become self-conscious about all the scars he’d had from battles and feign’s past. Yet, she said nothing about any of it, only about his fresh wound. “It doesn’t look bad at all, but we don’t want it to get infected. I’m just going to place a small bit of this herb poultice over the cut. It may a sting a little, but I’m sure you can handle it.” Tide felt the faint urge to retort that he wasn’t a kit and knew what was going to happen. It wasn’t the first time he’d been treated by a Medicine Cat, but he chose to just bite his tongue this once. After all, Brackenwish honestly was being quite sweet and gentle, something he had to enjoy. Anybody had to enjoy it; it was impossible not to, after all. Instead of making a smart remark, he simply gave a curt nod then held still when instructed.Brackenwish dipped her paw into the mush on the leaf she’d brought over then dabbed the cite on his muzzle lightly. It did give a faint sting, but compared to everything else he’d already experienced, it was nothing. “Thanks,” he said afterwards, finding it a good idea to be polite to this cat.She gave him a light purr in reply. “It’s no problem at all, sweetie. Just keep that on until next sunrise. Try not to rub it off,” she instructed then took the leaf and remaining poultice back to the shadows of den’s end. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. We will need more energy for the Meeting tonight, when the full moon rises,” Cloudleap told Tide, chipper as ever. * “Alright, is everyone ready?” Sevenstar stood at the head of the small garrison of cats. Her gaze swept them all, looking for nods of confirmation. By now, the moon was rising high into the night sky. Thankfully, the clouds had stayed clear, so silver rays could shine bright below and glittering stars could accompany its larger companion.Tide stuck right by Cloudleap’s side, actually rather nervous about this. He’d been to Meetings between several clans before, but they always caused him some anxiety for some reason. Although, he did raise his head high once he caught the hateful gaze of Halftail on him. Tide wouldn’t allow the angry tom the satisfaction of thinking he’d unsettled him.“You guys be careful,” Flamingleaf meowed, padding over to him and Cloudleap for a moment. “I hope all goes well, and I’ll be looking forward to hear how it goes once you’re all back.”Cloudleap purred back at her. “We’ll be okay. Nothing too bad can really happen at a Meeting, right? StarClan wouldn’t allow it,” he replied. “But we’ll be careful, and I’ll tell you all about it, for sure,” he promised happily.Flamingleaf nodded, feeling a little more confident now. “I’ll see you guys then. Have fun.” With that, she padded back to the Warrior’s Den but sat outside it to watch them off.“Alright, let’s get moving,” Sevenstar called and turned, padding outside the camp entrance with a flick of her tail for them all to follow behind. Fernwhisker, the deputy, followed along right behind her with Brackenwish by his side and the apprentice Sparrowpaw on his other side. Halftail went next but continued to cast angry glances over his shoulder at Tide, as if silently challenging him.Tide paid no mind to it and walked out with Cloudleap. “So,” he said to the other tom. “You and Flamingleaf are pretty close, huh?” He could tell they were, since they spent so much time together and seemed to work so well together.“Oh yeah, she’s my best friend,” Cloudleap answered then hopped lightly onto the frozen creek which normally protected the island camp was situated on. The ice didn’t so much as crack as he continued on over it like a playful kit.Tide simply walked over it like normal, rolling his eyes at the full-grown Warrior’s kit-like behavior. The ice froze his already numbed paw pads. “Do you like Flamingleaf? Like, as more than a friend?” Might as well make conversation, and this was a topic which provoked some interest.Cloudleap paused and looked over at him, confused. “What? No, of course not. She’s just my best friend is all,” he told him then continued on with his playfulness, although his voice was slightly more serious. “We’ve known each other since we were kits, and we’re kin anyway. Her mother was my father’s sister.”“Oh, my bad then,” Tide apologized in his own way. Well, so much for that. “Okay, are there any cats you’re into?” Tide himself would love to have a mate again, someone to be with him and tell him how much he mattered, but that was impossible with his curse in place. Even without the curse he’d finally die for real the instant it was gone, so there really was never a chance for love again. He glanced at Storm, expecting some sort of scolding for prying into Cloudleap’s own affairs like he was, but she simply padded along and listened herself, also interested. It was a bit of a surprise, but Tide wouldn’t complain about her not lecturing him for once since becoming his Guide. But, he couldn’t help feel a pang of sadness for the thought he’d never be truly loved again. Oh well. It didn’t matter anymore.His attention went back to Cloudleap as he spoke once more. “No, not really. None of the cats in the clan are for me,” the tom answered then hopped back onto frosty land, walking normally again. “They’re all cool in their own ways, but I’m not looking for any of them to be my mate or anything.”“Really? I would think some of the she-cats would be appealing.” That was a bit of a surprise to Tide. After all, he did find Flamingleaf to be rather beautiful, even if Cloudleap couldn’t exactly see her the same way. Sevenstar was quite enchanting, too, and he was sure she didn’t have a mate yet. Although, being mates with the clan leader would be extremely hard to do.Cloudleap let out a small bought of laughter, confusing the orange tabby. What was so funny about thinking some of the she-cats of the clan were appealing? Though, he got his answer right away. “I’m not into she-cats,” the tom told him, still chuckling a bit. “I like toms.”
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Chapter 5 “You like toms?” This information came as a shock to Tide. He’d experienced many clans and met countless other cats, but rarely did he find a cat that preferred their same gender in this way. Even when he did, it wasn’t always well received by the other cats of the clan. He glanced ahead to the other cats in the small patrol. “Don’t they tell you you’re wrong to like other toms?” he inquired, being a bit quieter so as to not draw attention. Cloudleap looked at him like he had been asked an entirely different, more outrageous question then shook his head. “No, not at all. They don’t care,” he replied and hoped back onto snowy land. “Well, most of them. Turtletail doesn’t like it much, but she’s always grumpy.” “Oh.” Tide wasn’t sure what else to comment towards that. He hadn’t properly met Turtletail yet, but he assumed she was that one she-cat who hadn’t cheered for him when he’d officially become part of the clan. He remembered one she-cat like that, and Halftail. Neither of them looked happy in that time. “Why?” The tabby tilted his head slightly. “Why what?” “Why did that shock you?” Cloudleap now inquired back. “Do most other cats you’ve known not like it when a tom likes toms?” His eyes shown with genuine and almost kit-like curiosity. In fact, the warrior acted more like a kit than not, it seemed. Tide shook his head as he padded along. “Not really, no. They’re generally shunned and made to either take a she-cat mate or never have a mate at all. I also once watched a she-cat who liked other she-cats be banished from the clan. It was honestly horrible.” His gaze fell for a moment before realizing Storm was looking at him with a kitty smirk. The tabby narrowed his eyes at her, puffing out his chest somewhat. ‘What?’ he demanded accusingly, like she had caught him in a moment of weakness, to his own dismay. So, he had to hide it with attitude and offensiveness. Storm was easily unaffected by his sudden change in demeanor and simply looked away, still enjoying what she had caught. “Nothing,” came her simple, calm yet amused response. “You okay?” Cloudleap’s voice came, causing Tide to turn his head and attention back to the white and gray tom. He was obviously confused. Tide flattened the fur along his spine, which had apparently been starting to bristle. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thought I saw something, but it was nothing,” he lied easily, although now feeling a little dumb for having reacted in such a way in front of someone else. It was just embarrassing. “How much further to this place?” he asked then, hoping to change the subject entirely. Cloudleap glanced around to gather his bearings quick. “Oh, not far. We’re almost there,” he replied, brushing off the incident rather easily. “Have you ever been to a Meeting before?” “A couple times,” Tide answered, thinking back but then sighing. “But that was a long time ago, way back to when I was with my original clan.” As soon the words left his mouth he stiffened, eyes widening. He wasn’t supposed to say that! It brought up too many questions, questions he wasn’t used to answering in lies. “Your original clan? What happened to them? Why were you traveling so much instead of being with them?” And there they were, the questions he dreaded. As stated in the rules of his condition, he wasn’t allowed to tell a living soul about his curse. Nobody, not at all. Not outright, not in hints, nothing. And those conditions of his sentencing were burned into his memory. Sure, he’d brushed them off at first, but soon after his first death it had become apparent just how strictly these rules had to be followed. He had to come up with a lie and fast. “Uh…I don’t like to talk about it.” That’s all tide’s brain could manage to cook up, and it came out without any confidence behind them at all. His eyes darted to Storm, now filled with fear. She was his judge, and if he messed up, she would tell the Council, preventing him from ever being accepted into Paradise and instead plunging him deep into the Void. Thankfully, she didn’t seem too concerned with his choice of words. Intently, she was listening, but there wasn’t anything for her to work with here. It’s not like she wanted him to be condemned to the Void anyway. So, she simply flicked her tail to dismiss it and continued onward. Unimaginable relief washed over Tide, but only for a moment before he realized Cloudleap was still a possible problem. He turned back to him on his other side, anxiety bubbling up again but dying out instantly at what he said next. “Oh, okay. I understand. Don’t worry about it.” While relief had its embrace around him, Tide was also a bit confused. That was it? Cloudleap wasn’t even the least bit curious to know why he wasn’t with his original clan? He didn’t suspect him of being exiled? “He’s a good cat,” Storm commented. “You should take lessons from him.” Tide would normally counter with a snarky or sarcastic reply, but this time he was cooling down from what he felt was a close call to going to the Void. So, he held his tongue to be thankful he could still walk the land, for now. “We’re here,” Sevenstar called back from where she led the garrison. Everyone gathered around behind her, some coming to the edges of a large ravine which tore through the earth. “It seems the other clans are already here.” Tide and Cloudleap made their way up to the edge and peered down. Below them was a mass of trash that Tide knew to be twoleg rubbish. White boxes, bags, cans, and so many other items he’d seen throughout his life were piled into the ravine carelessly. Even a few monster skeletons jutted out from the trash, as if they’d become trapped in it and died there. On top of it all were cats, many cats. It seemed as if the other clans had brought the entirety of their ranks to the Meeting. And, on top of the largest monster skeleton, two cats sat together and chatted away. That seemed to be where the leaders addressed everyone. “Alright, like usual, be careful of what you say,” Sevenstar told her group quietly but firmly. “Don’t mention RockClan’s intrusions. I’ll take care of that. Just try to enjoy yourselves and let me handle the serious situations. Let’s go.” With that, she bounded down the side of the ravine, and the clan followed. Tide stayed by Cloudleap’s side as they poured into the makeshift landfill, although he honestly didn’t care for the idea of being on top of so much rubbish. Still, his paws touched down on some white material which crunched under his weight. Chatter died down as they entered but didn’t stop, yet many eyes were on them. Tide caught a majority of those eyes staring him down warily and even aggressively. In fact, the entire Meeting was filled to the brim with tension, not many cats mingling. Most seemed to be sticking with others from their clan. It was odd, but no problem of Tide’s. Even their hostile glares at him were nothing. Being no stranger to danger, he puffed out his chest and held his tail and head high in their presence. Why should he let them get into his head? It’s not like they could actually do anything to him. Not to mention it WAS a Meeting with a full moon out. Their traditions wouldn’t allow violence tonight. “Come on, let’s go and see if we can find Algaejaw,” Cloudleap meowed and padded off; though he did look back to insure the other tom followed. When he did, the white tom continued. “Algaejaw is from WaterClan. He’s really fun and friendly. You’ll like him.” “I hope so,” Tide replied, glancing around as they walked through the throng of cats, others parting and making way for them. Every single cat they passed seemed to glare at him. No fear came to him, but it was at the very least a bit annoying. “He’s all black, so it might be tough to spot him,” Cloudleap continued on, not appearing to notice the hostility surrounding him while he scanned the crowd. Suddenly, he perked up. “Found him! Come on!” He bounded off over the trash, away. “Hey, hold on!” Tide called after him, not ready. But he followed his escort, his paws slipping over the extremely uneven and unpredictable surfaces below. In all his time, he’d never once been in such a place like this. Usually, they were to be avoided. A black shape appeared against the colorful landscape, and it turned upon hearing Cloudleap calling out. Pale yellow eyes pierced the shadow, lighting up at the sight of the other tom. “Cloudleap! How are you, my friend?” he asked happily. Tide paused, confused. This black tom’s speech sounded wrong, very wispy and even a little whistly. Why? That was soon answered as he slowly continued to catch up, stopping by Cloudleap’s side, getting a better look at the new cat. Algaejaw had a serious underbite, his lower jaw much longer than the top with the bottom fangs protruding visibly. Then, attention was on Tide. “Who’sss thisss?” the black tom asked, curious but not hostile like the others had been. “I’m good, and this is Tide. He’s new to the clan and my new friend. He was a traveler,” Cloudleap replied excitedly. “He’s really cool.” He turned back to Tide then. “Tide, this is Algaejaw.” Tide wasn’t sure what to make of the midnight tom, but he gave a polite nod, at least. “Hi,” he said simply, his eyes fixed on the abnormal underbite. “Don’t stare at him like that!” Storm scolded, not even getting Tide to look away. “You’re such fox dung,” she sighed angrily. Algaejaw merely chuckled. “The jaw getting you?” he asked, amused rather than angry or embarrassed. “Yeah, it usually grabsss a lot of attention from catsss who don’t know me. It’sss alright. I don’t mind it anymore. I’ve proven myself plenty capable asss a warrior.” He sat a bit taller to show his confidence, while still being merry. “Where do you come from, Tide? You have a rather odd name.” Tide finally broke his own trance and blinked a few times. “A place very far away,” was all he could manage before Cloudleap interjected. “Yeah, some place called the ‘ocean.’ It’s supposed to be like a lake but so big you can never see the other side!” The white tom’s voice raised in volume from excitement. Clearly, he enjoyed the idea of Tide’s adventures and place of birth. “And there’s sand and rocky cliffs everywhere, too!” Instead of being annoyed, Algaejaw was amused by Cloudleap’s enthusiasm and chuckled once more. “Wow. That soundsss like quite the place. I bet it’sss beautiful. It soundsss beautiful.” Tide nodded, but there was no more time for them to speak amongst themselves as a loud yowl echoed through the air. Everyone, including the orange tom, turned to look at the high monster skeleton and the three cats standing atop it. “The Meeting will now begin,” a tom announced loudly, the rest of the hollow now hushed. “I will go first.” He took another step forward, head high and gaze hard as stone. “RockClan has been well. We are getting through the tough leaf-bare fine and are sticking together. Prey is scarce, but we are still strong and can handle any battle that may arise.” He scanned the cats as ones clearly from RockClan cheered. He then held his tail up for silence to continue. “And we have named a new warrior. Barkfur. He has proven himself strong and nothing but loyal to the clan.” The RockClan cats cheered again, while others murmured to each other. “Howlstar’s sssuch a show-off and liar,” Algaepaw muttered, his expression showing clear distaste for the speaking tom. Tide listened to the speaker intently. So, his name was Howlstar. This was the leader of RockClan, the big reason for MossClan’s trespassing problem? He did act like he was more important than he probably was. The way he called the entire Meeting to order showed both leadership and pushiness. Not to mention of sense of needing the spotlight. ‘I don’t like him either,’ he thought to Storm. “Really? He reminds me an awful lot of someone I know,” she replied back, earning herself a glare. She didn’t care and continued to watch as Howlstar stepped back, his light gray form melding into the shadows with the black patches owned by the rest of his pelt. A black she-cat then took his place, her white chest and muzzle breaking the darkness around them like her green eyes. “WaterClan has been having some trouble with dogs from Twoleg Place, following their twolegs into the forest to hunt like every leaf-bare. Like always, they do rid us of coyotes, but their dogs have been particularly…irritable this leaf-bare,” she announced. “However, this does not mean prey is not running well and that we are not strong.” WaterClan chered, including Algaejaw. “We will endure like we always have.” She glanced back at Howlstar then back to the gathering. “That’s all for now.” She stepped back, allowing Sevenstar to step forward to speak. She stood tall, almost straining it looked like. “MossClan wishes to start off by welcoming a new official member to our ranks. A tom by the name of Tide had demonstrated remarkable skill in battle, and we welcome him with open paws and hearts into our clan.” Only a few cats cheered at this. MossClan, obviously cheered, all but Halftail. Tide could see Cloudleap’s sibling sitting by himself and watching Sevenstar intently but quietly. Algaepaw was kind enough to cheer, though. Cloudleap, of course, howled above the rest. Sevenstar flicked her tail and the hollow went silent once more. “However, bad news always accompanies good, and this is something I must address.” Her tone turned more serious and even grave. “RockClan has trespassed past our border too many times. I will not allow this to happen any longer. Too many unnecessary fights have broken out, and I won’t allow such disrespect for me and my clan to continue.” MossClan cheered, Halftail now shouting loudly, “Yeah, stay out, you filth!” Cloudleap stayed silent now, his kit behavior and excitement gone, replaced with a seldom seen seriousness of his own. Tide watched as RockClan cats’ pelts bristled, some snapping comments to Halftail, to which he snapped some back. “That’s a lie!” Howlstar growled, stepping up by Sevenstar to confront her. “You’re spreading lies!” “No, she’s not.” The black and white leader of WaterClan stepped up on Sevenstar’s other side to defend her. She remained composed but now also firm. “Your warriors were scented crossing our borders, as well, recently. I had been hoping to avoid conflict at the Meeting, but it must be addressed.” “Be quiet, Hollystar! You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve been leader barely two seasons,” Howlstar spat. “I’ve led my clan for many moons. You’ve got nearly zero experience.” Sevenstar narrowed her eyes yet remained calm. “Experience has nothing to do with it,” she stated firmly. “Your warriors and apprentices have been coming into MossClan territory, and apparently also WaterClan’s. And, when they’re in ours they fight with my patrols and spill blood that does not need to be spilled. I’ve heard it’s even been said that your cats claim to be chasing prey which has run into our territory. That makes it ours, not yours. It’s against the Warrior Code to trespass and to steal prey.” Howlstar’s claws glistened in the moonlight as they slid out. “We are not breaking the Warrior Code! You do nothing but lie!” His fur rose up and ears flattened against his skull. It looked as if he was ready to attack the MossClan leader. “This does not look good,” Storm murmured from Tide’s side, watching the whole scene unfold before them. Her tone turned grim. “If something happens now…” Even around them the cats of the gathering were growing increasingly hostile. Thankfully, it seemed like none of them were willing to throw the first swipe, but if Howlstar did then surely a massive fight would break out. Algaejaw and Cloudleap stuck together, including Tide in their little huddle. At least they still seemed keen on staying friendly towards each other. Brakenwish was with what tide presumed to be the other clans’ Medicine Cats, and they all looked extremely worried as tension grew and the sounds of growling and the leaders’ argument filled the silent night. “Thisss isn’t going well…” Algaejaw muttered, his pupils dilating as he looked around at the increasingly agitated cats. He pressed his back to Cloudleap’s like he was ready to cover him at his blind spot if a fight really did break out. And they scooted closer to Tide so he could join them. Tide didn’t see it as such a big deal for him, since he couldn’t actually die. But, then again, he really didn’t want to get mauled again… He pressed his back to theirs, forming a protective trio with all their angles covered. Yet, amidst the tension, everyone still paid some attention to the leaders. By now, Sevenstar and Hollystar had moved to stand side by side, standing their ground to Howlstar. However, Hollystar was starting to get worked up now, too. Her claws glistened like Howlstar’s, and her ears flattened like his. “Don’t engage in his petty acts, Hollystar. You’re above that,” Sevenstar told her, remaining in her calm composure. Although, her muscles were tensed and ready to defend herself if attacked. She never took her eyes off Howlstar as she spoke to the other, leading she-cat. “I knew Mintstar well, and he would never allow such petty grievances to shake him, or to ruin a Meeting. Right?” The black and white leader took a deep breath and stood tall once more, sheathing her claws and forcing her ears to stand up again. “Right,” she sighed out. Her eyes pierced the gray and black tom, who still looked ready to strike at any moment. “You aren’t worth angering StarClan.” Howlstar looked ready to finally snap. “Why you-“ “Look! The moon!” the loud cry of a she-cat in the crowd broke everything. Everyone stopped what they doing to turn their noses towards the sky. In the dark air, wispy clouds of grave gray floated over the moon, shrouding it and the stars around. “StarClan is angry,” one tom called out, sounding very distraught. Another she-cat’s voice followed. “We’ve angered them!” Suddenly, all the tension and hostility were replaced by anguish and distress. The cats of the Meeting began to mill about, dividing back up into their respective clans. But, thankfully, no swipes were taken or blood drawn. “This is not over, Howlstar,” Sevenstar meowed loudly, clearly wanting every cat to hear. “If you or your clan cats set one more paw into MossClan territory, we will have no choice but to retaliate with force. And we WILL take it to your camp if that’s what needed to get the message through your dense skull.” She gave the still aggressive tom no time to reply as she jumped down off the monster skeleton in one bound. “The same goes for WaterClan. Keep to your own territory,” Hollystar hissed to him and followed Sevenstar off. Then, the two she-cat leaders split off to go to opposite sides of the garbage hollow and to their respective clans. “I’ll be ssseeing you guysss later,” Algaejaw whistled out then headed off to join Hollystar and the rest of his clan. He continued to be on edge as he padded through the sea of parting cats. “Let’s go,” Cloudleap muttered, glancing around. He was on edge, too, understandably. Tide had no problem following his white companion as they left the gathering. Now that he was sure he wouldn’t get into a deadly fight, Tide felt calm and uncaring like before. Things would be fine for him, so there was no need to worry. However, it was still annoying to trek over the uneven, crumpling rubble. “At least an actual fight didn’t break out,” Storm sighed as she walked effortlessly beside him. ‘I guess, but it’s not like it matter so much to us. Nobody else even knows you’re here,” Tide thought to her. Storm narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “While they may not know I exist, I know they exist. You might not be able to die now, but they can. You can still get hurt, and so can they. Unlike you, I actually care about others. Even you, though you’re not worth much to anybody else.” Tide paused in his steps, Cloudleap going on ahead and not seeming to notice right away. The tabby gave Storm a confused but soft look. “You still care about me?” he asked out loud, not realizing it. Cloudleap looked back then over his shoulder. “What?” he asked. “Why’d you stop? Something wrong?” Tide turned his attention to him then quickly shook his head. “No, nothing. I was just thinking about what happened,” he answered, lying as always. But it worked, as the white tom nodded. “It doesn’t matter now. Come on. We’re going home.” He continued on, getting to the ravine wall and scaling it carefully. “I never stopped caring about you. That’s why I’m here now,” Storm mewed quietly, watching Cloudleap then looking down but not in a sad way. In fact, a glitter sparkled in her eyes. She drew in a breath and nodded to Cloudleap. “Better hurry up, or you’ll be left behind,” she informed normally. Wanting to stay and process what his Guide had just said, he opened his jaws to protest. Yet, he closed them right away and sighed through his nose then clambered over the distance to catch up. But the words Storm told him so genuinely echoed in his mind. She really still cared about him? After everything he’d done to her?✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 6 “Hey, Storm, can I ask you something?” Tide’s nerves were getting in the way, but the tom couldn’t stop thinking about she’d said a few sunrises ago, after the Meeting. Yet, asking such a…vulnerable question, it wasn’t like him. So, it left him with a weird bundle of nerves. “You just did,” came Storm’s smart-tailed reply, accompanied by a glint of mischief in her eyes. Tide gave her a flat look, which actually made her chuckle a bit. “Go on then,” she told him, curious to hear what he had to say, anyway. Tide took a deep breath, working up the courage to actually say what he wanted to. But, for the typically arrogant tom, it was actually rather difficult. Finally, after mustering the courage up for a few heartbeats, he let the breath out in one string of words. “What did you mean when you said you never stopped caring about and that’s why you’re here? The Council made you be here, didn’t they?” He had to pause in his walking to breathe after that one. Storm paused, as well, and looked at him, thinking. She found it interesting that’s what he’d chosen to ask. “I meant exactly what you think,” she replied. “But I don’t know what that means!” Tide blurted out, exacerbated. “What about the Council then? They sent you, didn’t they?” The tom had such a hard time comprehending that Storm, of all cats, would choose to stick around him for so long. Storm shook her head. “I chose to be here,” she told him rather softly. “I chose to be your Guide.” Suddenly, she perked her ears up and listened, hearing something. She put them back then. “There’s a fox over there,” she reported and nodded to a ticket of brambles around a cluster of large rocks. Tide looked over at it, not seeing anything, but he trusted Storm on this. Unless it was a distraction from the questions and answers he sought? But no, for only a moment later the large but skinny fox emerged from behind the snowy boulders. “We should head back to camp now and report it, get reinforcements for a fight,” Storm advised. She was well aware Tide had great fighting skills on his own, but the fox was huge and obviously very hungry. Tide held his head up. “Pfft, it’s just one fox. I can take it easily,” he boasted, once again going back to his normal, arrogant self. “Tide, no, that is a horrible-“ She cut herself off as the tabby charged right at the fox, sending the new powder snow flying around him. The fox turned in time to see Tide lunge right for its shoulder. It let out a yelp as it was knocked to the ground, making more snow fly. Tide landed on top of its side as it laid there and thrashed, while he swiped furiously at it. This made rusty fur fly as much as the white blanket beneath. However, Tide’s attack was short lived as the fox chomped down onto one of his forepaws, causing a sickening crunching of bone to sound. The tom cried out, his yowl echoing far into the distant camps. He was then thrusted deep into the snow then pulled back out again. The fox shook him up and down, back and forth by his leg, severely disorienting him and causing pain so great it began to numb his whole body. Finally, the fox flung the cat aside. “Tide!” Storm came to his side, her smoky paws not even leaving prints as they rested delicately on the rapidly coloring white. She stood over Tide, nothing but worry overwhelming her. The tom laid motionless and emitting a low groan, his eyes shut. He was for sure almost feigning from that experience, teetering on the brink of it. If he feigned then the fox would surely try to consume him the way any predator did prey, especially given how emaciated this one was, despite its strength. But, if he lived then his wounds would take a moon or more to heal, just like a regular cat. His wounds only healed rapidly if he feigned, Storm recalled. Yet, she could not allow this mangy fox to eat him. She turned to face the still snarling beast as it approached to finish the job. Like everyone and everything else living, besides Tide, it had no idea she was there. Not a trace of Storm existed to it. But now she’d have to fix that. But how? Storm looked back to Tide’s body for a moment as his shallow breathing gradually decreased with each feeble breath he took. Then, she looked to the cloudy, gray sky. Flecks began to lightly fall once more. She closed her eyes with her nose to the heavens. “Please, Paradise, help me save him,” she prayed to her friends, family, and ancestors. “If not for him, for me. I beg of you.” Suddenly, her eyes opened, and she saw nothing but white before her. Her body hurt, and she felt cold creeping in ever further. Yet, above it all was a strange feeling of which she could not explain. It was as if she was no longer in her own body. That’s when she noticed the bare tree trunks jutting out of the side of her view, as if the ground was suddenly place like a twoleg wall. They did not come out of the ground but straight from the side. And then it clicked. She had fallen over and was simply seeing the world different as she laid there. The snarling of the fox snapped her attention back to the situation at paw, and she stood. Her forepaw buckled for a moment but quickly regained itself, strong. Upon looking down as it buckled, she gasped. Her smoky gray fur was no longer so but was instead a striped orange. She had somehow entered Tide’s body! Shock froze her but only for a split heartbeat, as the fox lunged at the now again standing rival. Storm leapt away from its gnashing jaws, stumbling a bit. ‘His body is much heavier and slower than mine,’ she thought. ‘But, either way, this must be a blessing from those in Paradise.’ This was the single explanation that even possibly made sense to the Guide. ‘I have to use it well and protect his body until he wakes up.’ She stood ready in defense as the fox spun around to face her. Already, she could feel weakness coming about, Tide’s body draining away her spiritual energy to regenerate faster. She couldn’t stay in his body for long. “Come and get me, dungface!” she shouted to the fox in Tide’s voice. ‘We are one, you and I, Tide. We can do this, even if you’re asleep right now. I’ll do it for you,” she thought then let out a thundering, determined battle yowl and charged the fox head on. It hadn’t been expecting its prey to charge, and so its confidence faltered. Predators never expected their prey to fight back. This was its own mistake. Storm launched herself in Tide’s body at the fox’s face, claws outstretched. She landed square on it, knocking it back once more, and she let out a furious barrage of attacks. The fox could barely struggle with the heavy weight of Tide’s body pinning its head down and having spent a majority of its energy in the offense that he crippled him. In fact, it barely put up much more a fight as Storm wailed on it. Eventually, she ceased only when it stopped moving, and she felt her own energy almost diminished. She collapsed by its body, panting through Tide’s jaws. “Don’t say…I didn’t…ever…do anything…for you…” she breathed out loud then closed her eyes. A gray mist emanated from Tide for a moment before disappearing into the air. Tide let out a small groan. His entire body ached, and he felt slightly dizzy. He cracked open his green eyes to see the white snow filling it with some of the sideways tree trunks. “Oh Paradise…” He blinked a few times then slowly, and with much effort, hauled himself to his paws. He stood fine on all four, his broken bones and wounds almost completely healed. Only the intense ache remained as proof, for now. “What happened?” he mumbled to himself out loud, glancing around. His eyes landed on the lifeless, defeated fox next to him. Surprise jolted him, eyes widening. Did he do that? If so, how? The tom racked his mind for an explanation, but the last thing he could remember was the world a blur as he was thrashed around and then the unimaginable pain throughout his entire body. He looked down to his paws, specifically the one by which the fox had grabbed him. Unlike what he was expecting, only a small and slowly closing laceration met his gaze where there should have been much more extensive damage. “What…?” The tabby looked around in confusion. “Storm, what happened?” he asked but got no response. “Storm?” He spun around, scanning the surrounding area for her, but there was no sign of the ghostly she-cat. But why? She never strayed far from him. She couldn’t, or let him out of her sight. “Storm? Storm!” He called out for her, but there still was nothing. This caused panic to well up in his belly. Where had she gone? Why was she gone? Did Paradise take her back? But why? Was killing the fox enough to get him into his wonder-filled afterlife finally? He wondered, but then subconsciously shook his head. No. It didn’t feel right. Besides, Storm always told him that stuff like this wouldn’t be what got him into Paradise. But where was she? Then, his eyes finally landed on another cat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Storm. The feline’s form was solid and brown, yellow eyes as big as moons while staring back at Tide with mouth agape. Tide immediately stood ready for a fight, the fur along his spine lifting up defensively. This cat was from RockClan, and he knew it. They were right by the border, because he’d wanted to go for a walk by himself, but always with Storm, by the border. He had thought it’d be funny to antagonize any RockClan warriors who were hanging around, but they instead found that fox. Until now. “What do you want?” Tide snapped at the other tom, digging his claws into the frozen ground beneath the snow. He then demanded, “Why are you just standing there looking like you’re about to get hit by a monster?” The brown tom didn’t even blink. “You…you just took out that fox all by yourself, but…” He took a step back, actually fearful. “You were dead, or at least dying. I saw it break your paw and throw you around. You shouldn’t be alive, much less standing right now… And that smoke coming from your body…” Without another trembling word, he turned and ran off, bounding through the snow as fast as he could go. Tide watched him go, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. “Smoking coming from my body…?” What did that mean? But, he knew the tom had a point. He shouldn’t be alive right now, well, he wouldn’t be under normal circumstances. He had definitely feigned, the tom was sure. Still, why was Storm missing, though? There was no time to ponder the question which still sent silent panic rising. A familiar voice called to him from behind, further into MossClan territory. He turned to see Cloudleap and Flamingleaf running to him with Sevenstar in toe. “Tide! Are you alright?” Flamingleaf asked as they got closer. “We heard you yowl all the way back at camp,” Cloudleap meowed, extremely worried. He stopped by Tide and sniffed his shoulder, smelling the fox on him but also another scent. Then, he noticed the body. “Oh my StarClan! Did you kill that fox yourself? And fight off some rogue?” “Rogue?” Where’d he get the rogue idea from? “I mean, yeah, I fought the fox.” He had no clue what had happened, but he couldn’t let the others know that. “But there was no rogue. Why do you think that?” “There’s another cat’s scent on your pelt,” the warrior as white as the snow around them answered, placing his ears back in concern. “Some she-cat?” ‘Storm!’ Tide knew for a fact it had to be her scent. No other she-cats were around, until now, that was. But no living being should be able to detect her at all… “It doesn’t matter right now,” Sevenstar stepped up and glanced Tide over quickly. “You seem fine, miraculously. I knew you were a skilled fighter, but I had no idea you could kill a fox on your own. Still, you have some wounds I can see that Brackenwish should attend to. Come, we should head back to camp now.” She turned back in the direction but glanced over her shoulder. “Are you okay to walk?” Tide nodded, still confused and terrified about Storm not being around, but he pushed it all down to hide the emotions and nodded. “Yeah, I can walk.” Sevenstar nodded back. “Good, but I still want you two, Flamingleaf and Cloudleap, to support him on either side while we head back,” she ordered. The two cats nodded and moved to their positions, Cloudleap on his right and Flamingleaf pressing lightly on his left side. “Alright, let’s go,” the creamy she-cat meowed, carefully stepping with him through the snow. Tide went with them willingly, not even putting up a fuss about them being so cautious and careful with him. He looked back at the fox’s body and swallowed. ‘Where are you, Storm?’✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 7
“You must have had such a tough time with that fox, dearie. Your wounds aren’t too severe, thankfully, but you’re not to go out on patrols for a few suns.” Brackenwish dabbed the strong-smelling poultice into Tide’s open wounds. Tide simply gave a quiet nod, for once not saying anything to retaliate. He stared blankly at the den floor, his mind searching desperately for his Guide. Ever since he had gained his curse countless moons ago, she had been by his side. It felt so wrong without her there; he felt so hollow. ‘Storm? Are you there at all?’ he thought, his own voice echoing in what seemed to be an empty void of his mind. ‘Where are you?’The Medicine Cat gave him a slightly concerned look, watching his spaced-out expression. “Is there something you’d like to talk about? I help with more than just physical wounds, you know?” she asked him, but he only shook his head. She let out a small sigh. At least he was listening enough to respond. “Well, I’m here if you ever need me.”She didn’t take too long to finish up, and by the time she had Sevenstar was at the den entrance, poking her head in. “If you’re done with him, I’d like to speak with Tide,” she told Brackenwish.“I am, but I don’t know how much you’ll get out of him,” she said and glanced back to the orange tom. “Best to not pry on things too much and let him rest soon.”Sevenstar nodded. “I understand. Tide, will you come with me to my den, please?” Tide blinked and looked over at her then got up and followed without so much as a ‘thank you’ to Brackenwish. They went to the Leader’s den – a small place made up of carefully woven together sticks and bramble tendrils. The den itself wasn’t the most secure and warm place ever, but the nest inside was extremely fluffy and warm with moss and bird feathers.Sevenstar stepped into the nest and turned to face back to Tide, then lying down with her paws tucked underneath her chest. “Have a seat. This won’t take too long, but you should still get comfortable.”Tide, still without saying a word, did as he was told and sat down right at the entrance. He watched her silently, his green eyes still giving away his distant thoughts.“What is it that troubles you so?” the leader inquired, her mew suddenly much more gentle. “Is it the fox attack?”The orange tabby blinked once more but then shook his head and finally spoke. “No. Something is just on my mind. I don’t want to say,” he told her, his voice solemn, as if he had lost a dear friend. He couldn’t tell her anyway, as that was against he rules – revealing Storm.“Alright then, but I am here to talk to if you so need, and I’m sure Brackenwish said the same. Not to mention Cloudleap and Flamingleaf would surely, gladly be there for you,” she told him softly. But, she would respect his wishes. “I will just move on to what I wanted to talk to you about in the first place then. I wanted to ask more about your past, where you came from.”Tide perked up a bit at this, but not in a good way. He stiffened, and his ears pricked forward at attention. This type of conversation was never good. “You said you came from a place called the Ocean,” Sevenstar went on. “But what’s it really like? Why did you really leave? I find it hard to believe anyone leaves their territory purely to travel.”Tide’s ears went back, now nervous. This was so unlike him, getting nervous at such simply answered and rehearsed questions. Yet, something hit him then. Storm wasn’t with him, true, so did that mean he was free to break the rules without getting caught? Did that mean… He shook his head, doing it to himself yet still visibly performing the action in front of Sevenstar. The she-cat tilted her head slightly to the side, intrigued by his action. “Are you alright?”Tide looked back to her and drew in a sharp, short breath, realizing what he’d done and how odd that looked from the context. “Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about something else,” he replied then let out a deeper breath through his jaws. “The Ocean, it was beautiful. Vast, salty waters as far as you could see. Rolling waves lapped at sandy shores constantly, and in the shallow portions of the water were reefs with many colorful fish. Shells littered the beaches, and along some of it were rocky cliffs with claw-sharp spikes. It was a dangerous yet amazingly beautiful place.” His heart started to ache. No matter how long ago he had left his home, it still hurt to think back to it and know he’d never be back. He still missed the familiarity and beauty of it all. He might not miss his old clan anymore, but their home was the best place he’d ever seen.“It sounds very lovely,” Sevenstar meowed, a sparkle of wonder in her eyes. She clearly would love to be able to see it, even though it would never be possible with the distance that needed to be covered and her duties here in MossClan.Tide nodded his agreement. “It was.”“So, why did you leave? You obviously didn’t hate the place. Why give that up?” There had to be a reason, a much better one that simply wanting to travel. It sounded to her, and appeared by how he now presented himself, that he was homesick for the place.He stiffened more, muscles tensing up at the inquiry. How could he answer this one now? Normally, the perfect reply presented itself in an instant. Yet, there was now nothing to deceive the she-cat. He’d have to come up with something quickly.“Um…” Nothing was coming to mind!The she-cat waited for a moment but then flicked her tail for him to be silent, to not even try. “You were exiled, weren’t you?” she guessed. However, her words harbored no hostility or accusation.Tide actually physically flinched, taken aback by the accurate guess. He opened his jaws to argue and mislead her mind, but she flicked her tail again.“It’s fine. You don’t have to justify yourself to me. Most rogues who come to any clan have been exiled from other clans. Yes, some are simple former kittypets or their parents were rogues, but the clans around here have seen our fair share of exiled cats before,” she explained calmly. “The reason for your exile matters not. I have seen plenty of exiled cats become great, loyal warriors for their clans.”Tide couldn’t believe what he was hearing currently. She didn’t want to know why he had been exiled? Never before had anything like this happened. Everyone always demanded to know why he’d been exiled once they figured it out, or he told them, if he was dumb enough in the instance. Yet, Sevenstar seemed genuinely unconcerned. How? Why?“I can tell you’re shocked. You must have gotten that before with other clans, correct?” She purred a bit, rather smug but still not being obnoxious about it. In fact, she found it rather amusing. “I have a good feeling about you. I did when we first met at the border. You’re already a great warrior in combat, and you have adequate hunting skills. But, I think your awareness is what impresses me most. From what I have heard, you can tell where other cats are before anyone else, and that’s quite remarkable, I must say.”‘Yeah, it was until Storm left. Without her I can’t do any of that anymore. I can still fight, but not nearly as well…’ he thought unhappily.“I’m glad you came to our clan and accepted my invitation to stay,” she continued. “You’re already a great asset to have, especially now with RockClan getting increasingly hostile by the sunrise.” Her gaze flicked away to the side for a moment at the mention of the other clan, but it soon returned back to Tide. “Anyway, I’d like to know some more about you still. What is ‘tide?’ What does that name mean? I’ve never heard anything like it until you came here.”He felt a bit of relief. This question was an easy one to answer. “It’s what makes the waves of the Ocean move. It’s called the tide. I was named after its current, basically,” he told her. “It’s supposed to be a name of strength and agility, as the tides are powerful and swift.”The clan leader nodded slowly, pondering the answer. “I can see why you were named that then,” she told him, soft and joyful. “It’s an interesting word, but it fits you well.”“Thanks,” he meowed but then got an idea. “Can I ask you about your name? I’ve never heard anyone named after a number like you. Why ‘seven?’”She let out a chuckle as if the question itself was a funny one to ask, though, it was pretty logical. “I have had too many cats ask me that before,” she said then ceased laughing but remained light with her attitude and tone, despite the answer that came next. “I was the last kit to be born of a litter of seven. That in and of itself is truly remarkable, however, none of my siblings survived. Neither did my mother. She stayed alive long enough to finally have me and give me my name but then was soon gone. The kitting had been too hard on her body, even if my siblings and I were tiny.” She didn’t even pause or show any sign of sadness as she spoke. “My father took care of me with the help of another queen who had had her kits a moon before my birth, Flowerdust. She acted as my mother, and her two kits were my siblings. As they grew, I did not. My tiny body was always weak, and I lagged behind. Even kits born after me grew quicker and bigger than I. But, I fought. I trained endlessly and vowed to never give up on my dream – making my father and mother proud as I became a true warrior. With the hard work I put it, it happened. And, eventually, I was rewarded by being named deputy of the clan.”Tide stared, increasingly in awe, as she went on. So, she had been the last to be born of a litter of seven and was the only one to survive? Then, she became leader of the entire clan? That was so amazing! Something in him wished he could be so great. Although he would continually say how amazing he was and such, he knew he couldn’t be on her level after this story. “Oops. I didn’t mean to give you my life’s story,” the leader chuckled, still seemingly not unhappy, even after her tender story of her family. “But, there you have it. Now you know why I was named with ‘seven.’ Funny thing is, my warrior name was ‘Sevenstrike,’ because of how quickly and efficiently I could battle. Yet, I have gotten a bit lazy with the title of Clan Leader now. I’m not like I used to be, but age also does that, as well.” She shook her head slightly to herself. Tide did notice the flecks of white hairs appearing on her muzzle then. She seemed pretty young still, but her light gray fur was giving her away. She had a way to go before she’d be considered an elder, at least, though.“How old are you, Tide? You look quite young, only a few seasons old. But, I find that hard to believe for some reason. I can’t quite put my claw on it, however.” Sevenstar’s eyes examined him up and down as she tried to figure it out.“No, I am three seasons old,” he told her, having to lie about this. There was no choice. Besides, he had been three seasons old whenever he’d been exiled and given his curse. Age just didn’t affect him anymore since then. She nodded. “Huh. Well, alright then.” She got to her feet and stretched out her back, leaning her head towards the ground and placing her tail high in the air for a moment. “I’m five seasons old right now. I’ve lived a long time, but only because of my lives. Shame I only have two left, but I know Fernwhisker will make a fine leader once the time comes.”“He seems like a strong and respectable cat,” Tide meowed, trying his best to stay on Sevenstar’s good side by sucking up to her a bit. He was a lot more nervous without Storm being around, that was for sure. “Sevenstar!” Halftail raced to the den entrance, practically shoving Tide out of the way. “RockClan is invading Waterclan territory. They’re trying to take over the camp,” he reported urgently. “Their deputy’s apprentice, Whistlepaw, came here to request assistance. What should we do?”Sevenstar’s previously light demeanor turned instantly serious. It was as if a switch had flipped, and she was whole new cat. “We assist. No clan should be able to take over another’s entire camp,” she told him, leaving the den with him. Tide turned to follow, curious to hear more. He noticed a new she-cat in camp. She was small and young, definitely the apprentice who had been mentioned. Whistlepaw. She looked terrified, shifting nervously on her paws.“Everyone, gather!” Cats quickly crowded around, sensing the urgency. “WaterClan needs our help. We are not officially at war with RockClan. RockClan is attacking WaterClan’s camp directly, and if they’ll do it to them then it won’t be long before RockClan tries the same with us,” she announced. Fernwhisker, you keep Stripewing, Rabbitstride, and their apprentices here to guard the camp in case some RockClan warriors try to invade us, too.”The black and white deputy nodded, his gaze hard like stone. The designated cats moved to gather around him, ready to defend their camp. “Tide, you’re staying here, too. You’re not fit to go into battle,” Sevenstar ordered him. Of course, he now had to protest sheerly because of his defiant personality. “I can still fight. It’s only a few minor wounds,” he argued. Of course, to him, the cuts and bites he had sustained were minor wounds. But, he did get an idea then. He’d thought of it previously but pushed the thought aside. If Storm wasn’t here, did that mean he could actually die? And if he did manage to die then he would have to go to Paradise, right? He figured so, anyway. Even if not, he didn’t want to live with this curse any longer. Even the Void seemed pleasant anymore.Sevenstar gave him a piercing glare, holding her head high with authority. “You will not be in this battle. No exceptions. Fernwhisker, make sure he does not leave camp,” she actually almost growled.The other tom made his way over to Tide, coming to stand beside him. “Don’t try to defy her,” he told him in a deep, serious mew. “Just stay here. If anything happens, we’d need more warriors here anyway.”Tide caught Halftail’s snicker then. Beside him, a warrior called Turtletail did the same. They shared a moment of obnoxious content while Sevenstar continued to shout out names and orders. Soon, they were out the camp entrance with Whistlepaw leading the way. Once the cats flooded out, Cloudleap and Flamingleaf going, too, Tide got back to his feet.“Don’t try it,” Fernwhisker threatened. He swiftly moved to stand in front of the orange tom, blocking his path to the camp entrance. “I’m not here to kitsit you. We’re all here to protect the camp should RockClan come for us next, while we’re down other warriors.Tide narrowed his eyes at him, but he backed off. He turned and padded away a couple fox-lengths then looked down at the ground, back to the deputy. His eyes landed on his paw. It was still covered with poultice, now dried. He knew it had been broken before. Thankfully, that had healed like all wounds when he feigned, yet the other bites and less serious injuries had not. It made no sense to him, but he didn’t care. He knew he could run on his paw. He could run away to join the fight, hopefully to die and break the curse once and for all.He glanced back at Fernwhisker. He was now guarding the entrance, sitting facing the side, so he could easily see down the tunnel outside and if anyone approached from the camp itself. Brackenwish had gone back into her own den, surely to prepare for incoming injuries. The two apprentices – Oakpaw and Sparrowpaw – were doing their own things. The shier Sparrowpaw was pacing nervously near the entrance, sort of patrol but clearly not wishing for any actual conflict. Oakpaw, on the other hand, was already jumping through the air and swiping at leaves, as if in imaginary combat. Stripewing and Rabbitstride were sitting on either side of camp, their heads on swivel and eyes on the camp walls, awaiting any indication of approaching enemies from all angles. All, that is, except the back.Of course, the back of their camp gave way rocky mountain, but this gave Tide his advantage. He looked up at the brown and gray rocks, gazing steadily at them and assessing their structure. It wasn’t quite like the beach, but it was similar. In fact, these rocks weren’t nearly as hazardous looking. Although it had been a very long time since he’d been on those stony shores, navigating the sharp spires and winding, narrow cliff paths, he was sure he could do this. ‘Whether you’re here or not, Storm, I’m going to do this. I’m going to fight without you, and I’m going to die. I can’t take living like this anymore.’ He bunched his muscles and sprinted towards the bramble wall of camp and rocky wall directly beyond. ‘No one is gonna stop me.’✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 8 Vision blurred around the outskirts, his gaze fixed on the one target up ahead, rapidly approaching. His own heartbeat pounded in Tide’s ears as time seemed to slow around him. ‘I have to do this. I have to know. I have to die.’ With quick paws and fierce determination, Tide sprinted to the wall then leapt, clearing it easily from this side. He landed on the jagged rocks beyond, paws slipping and sending a small shower of shale below him. He fumbled but managed to keep his balance and glanced back into camp. “What are you doing?” Fernwhisker demanded, bounding over and coming to a stop just on the other wide of the wall. “You’re crazy. Get back in here!” Tide panted from the quick exertion of energy, breath billowing around his muzzle, but it wasn’t over yet. The journey had only just begun. He narrowed his eyes at the clan deputy. “You can’t stop me.” With that, he jumped off the rocks and onto the icy stream surrounding the camp. It crunched and cracked under his paws but maintained hold. “He’s trying to get to the battle. Don’t let him get away!” Fernwhisker called from inside camp. Tide heard the footsteps mobilizing, so he bolted. Unfortunately, they would be able to easily track him from the paw prints he was leaving behind on the fallen snow. But he didn’t care. He just hoped that if he ran far enough that they’d give up, since they were originally supposed to protect the camp. That was their top priority, not him. His unhealed injuries stung at first while he ran, but they soon grew numb from the cold. However, his lungs did start to burn as the freezing air performed its own battle against him. Yet, he kept his gaze fixed ahead, dodging patches of dead bramble tendrils and weaving through trees. Behind him, his pursuers continued to give chase, at least three from what he could hear. He didn’t dare glance back, though. For, if he did, it would surely only slow him down and give them the advantage of closing some distance. ‘Come on, give up. Go back to camp,’ he thought, chest becoming increasingly pain-filled. The more he ran in this icy air, the worse it hurt to breathe. Finally, he heard the patrol behind him yield to reality, the reality he wasn’t going to let them catch him. Their sounds became distant and eventually faded. However, a loud ‘Tide, you dung-brain!’ from Fernwhisker echoed through the otherwise still and silent forest. Tide continued to run for a few more moments to ensure he had lost them. Only when he was sure did he slow down to a walk, now panting heavily and sending shrouds of fog up around his face with each breath he took. “Geez, they didn’t give up as easily as I would have hoped,” he said to himself under his breath. He then glanced around, just now realizing that he didn’t know where the other camp would be located at. He’d been to the border of WaterClan before, but he’d never taken so much as a step beyond yet. “Great…” He sighed and glanced around, hoping to find some sort of sign to lead him into the right direction. Because of the snow and cold, there weren’t exactly any plausible scent trails to follow or find. But he could try to look for tracks. At the very least, if he went to the border, he could wander up and down it until he found a trail coming from MossClan and entering WaterClan. “Alright.” Going with that quick plan, he headed onward, this time at a brisk walking pace. “At least I’m headed in the right direction,” he muttered to himself, used to speaking out loud from Storm being around. He noticed the trees and some boulders, marking the way as confirmation. ‘I wish Storm was here…’ a little voice inside his head echoed longingly. But he consciously shook his head. “Why am I thinking like that? She’s the reason I’m in this Void now,” he told himself out loud, trying to justify feelings of resentment for the she-cat. Or, perhaps, he was more trying to deny that he missed her out of pure pride. Bu, his heart knew the truth. It was just simply too hard for the prideful tom to admit yet. Tide reached the border between Water and Moss and glanced up and down the clearly marked scent barrier. Both sides granted him no confirmation of cats having recently passed through. “Mouse dung,” he muttered to himself then decided to head to the left down along the border to look for the trail. Thankfully, it didn’t take him too long, as a path of very recently churned up snow appeared, streaking right through the border and onward into deep WaterClan territory. ‘Yes! Let’s do this.’ He began to bound along the disturbed snow then, doing his best to ignore the stinging as it reemerged in his chest. ‘Just think of the bliss after. Think of never being in pain again. Think of being out of this curse…’ he told himself internally to distract himself from all outside influences and the sting. As he pressed on, it soon became apparent that a raging battle was ensuing up ahead. Screeches of agony and sharp battle cries echoed. Upon hearing this, Tide pushed himself harder and sprinted onwards through the unfamiliar territory. Luckily, the snow still provided him his way until he came to what had to be the clan’s camp. By now, trees had thinned out to become more of a meadow, and before him sat a small, frozen over pond. Next to it was the camp, enclosed by dead reeds and a thick wall of woven together plants and sticks. The wall had holes in it now, clearly where RockClan had invaded. In fact, some cats were still crashing through the walls, not to go in this time but bursting out as they fought. Right in front of him, two cats tumbled out through the frosted, grassy wall. They screeched at each other, tumbling around as claws and teeth wiped through the air and at the other. Snow and fur flew, as did droplets of red. Tide had no idea who was supposed to be good or bad either, not recognizing either cat. So, he went past them and entered the camp to the real frenzy. Cats he both did and didn’t recognize stood off against each other or flailed about as they were attacked. He saw Sevenstar with a cat he didn’t know, battling side by side, fighting against three other cats. Near them, Flamingleaf and Halftail were tumbling around with some other cats, and Cloudleap was working with Algaejaw, from the Meeting, to watch each other’s backs. Tide honestly wasn’t sure to go to get in the fight. Everything was so chaotic. But, by a viral miracle, a cat hurled itself onto him from the side. He had no time to react before he was shoved onto his side then sent rolling in the snow. He had had no idea what had hit him, but when he looked up, he saw an angry, golden she-cat. She was about to pounce onto him again. Then, she was attacked from the side by another cat. This gave Tide time enough to get to his paws once more. “You!” He whipped around to see the same brown tom from when he’d fought that fox not much earlier. “I saw you die to that fox before then come back, but you’re not a clan leader.” He bared his teeth and flattened his ears, claws out, as he took a threatening step forward. Tide, with nothing really to lose, didn’t flinch. He stood his ground and put his own ears back, sliding his claws out. “I didn’t,” he growled back. He may be wanting to die once and for all, but, if by chance his plan didn’t work, then he didn’t want others to witness his secret and either kick him out into the cold or question him about it. Both were terrible fates in his mind. He just had to hope that he could die for good here and go to Paradise anyway. It was a small bit of hope, but he needed it. “You’re crazy.” The tom shook his head, never taking his piercing amber gaze off Tide. “Nobody believes me. I’ve become the laughing stock of my clan. ‘Barkfur is crazy. Barkfur, you need to stop talking about something that didn’t happen. It’s only a fantasy, Barkfur,’” he hissed then stepped closer. The world around them seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of them to face each other. “That’s not my fault or my problem,” Tide growled back, taking his own step forward. “But I’ll prove to everyone that I was right, or I’ll just make sure you stay dead.” The brown tom launched forward then, claws first. Tide was ready for him and rolled out of the way, butt he brown warrior was surprisingly fast and spun around the moment his paws hit the ground. He lunged once more, this time catching Tide from behind. The orange tom let out a pain-filled yowl as thorn-like claws raked down his back, and he was sent down to the ground by the weight of the other tom. He twisted his body and managed to get a good swipe on Barkfur’s muzzle, causing him to pause in his attack for a split heartbeat. Tide took this opportunity and gave him another swipe then got his hind legs under Barkfur’s belly, twisting completely around to lie on his back. He then shoved the cat back off him and scrambled to get back up on his paws. He couldn’t allow this insane cat to fight him here. If he did manage to kill him, then Tide couldn’t be exposed if he managed to also come back, like usual. His plan to stay dead was theoretical at best. “Come and get me, furball,” he dared Barkfur then turned and sprinted to an opening in the camp wall, muscles beginning to ache from overexertion. He had to get away from the frenzy inside. Barkfur followed without thought, tearing through the snow after him. “Get back here, coward!” He chased Tide outside of camp and then around the pond, going behind the thick reeds to block any view. Tide, once out of sight of camp and other fighting, spun around to once again face his enemy. “Let’s go, you mouse dung warrior,” he continued to antagonize. He stood ready, stance wide and sturdy. Barkfur saw only red. “I’ll kill you and show them all!” With that, he lunged at Tide head on. Surprisingly enough to him, Tide took the hit and fell back; he didn’t even try to dodge. But Barkfur wasn’t even thinking about it, so he just continued to wail on Tide. His claws met with fur at first, but enough of that was soon on the snow instead. It took all of the tabby’s willpower to not fight back or struggle too much. His body naturally writhed around in agony, but he sheathed his claws and didn’t even try to shove Barkfur off. ‘It hurts so badly, but I can’t fight back. This plan has to work. Please work…’ Another, a much quieter whisper, spoke inside his head. “It won’t.” Tide soon blacked out, whether from the pain or Barkfur doing his job, he did not know. All he knew was right before everything went black, his world was fading and becoming numb. As Tide stopped moving, Barkfur got off his target. He stepped back, panting heavily from it all. Closely, his eyes watched the other tom’s body for any signs of life. His chest didn’t move one bit, and blood stained his coat with wide, deep gashes covering the body. “Come on… I know you’re gonna come back…” Barkfur murmured to himself then began to slowly pace around Tide as he laid there on his back limply. His gaze continued to scan carefully as the moments ticked by. For a heartbeat, the brown tom received a pang in his stomach, temporarily fearing he may have actually just killed a cat in cold blood. Well, he sort of had, but if Tide didn’t come back to life then it was much worse. Meanwhile, Tide opened his eyes to a bitter-sweet, familiar sight. Around him were rolling waves on one side, and rocky cliffs stood strong on the other. Beneath his paws laid soft, tan sand, sun rays warm on his pelt. “What? How am I back here?” he asked, glancing around. Excitement began rising in his belly. Was he finally in Paradise? But, it looked exactly like his old clan’s territory on the beach. Was it supposed to? “Welcome to the deepest reaches of your mind.” Tide whipped around, not having been expecting anyone else to be there to greet him. He was even more shocked to see the cat who came to greet him was Storm, but she looked much different. Unlike her usually smooth and kempt fur, her smokey coat was now ruffled and missing patches and gashes adorning her body. Her green eyes were dull and tired looking, even a bit foggy as if she was a walking corpse, and her tail was bent and broken, not curled neatly around her paws while she now sat before him. Yet, her voice held no tone of anguish or aggression. However, it did give away the appearance of exhaustion. “Storm…you look…” “Like I have been through a pack of rats, I know,” she meowed and stood up. “This is what happens, apparently, when I use up all my energy protecting you.” Tide placed his ears back slightly at the comment involving rats, but he didn’t address it. “What do you mean?” he asked then glanced around. “Is this really inside my own head?” He had no doubt that he was dead right now in the real world, but that wasn’t a concern right now, since they had been away from the clans and such. Storm limped over to him, and he only then noticed that one of her forepaws was twisted horribly. It looked extremely painful. She stopped in front of him and looked out at the rolling waves of the ocean, calmly lapping at shore. “This place is where the memories you try so hard to forget are stored, the ones you’re too terrified to face. And this is where I now reside until I regain strength enough to be the spirit I usually am out in the material world,” she informed him calmly, but she chose not to mention the fox. She turned her head to look back at him. “You really did not think you would get rid of me that easily, did you?” Tide glanced down and shuffled his paws a bit. “Well…” Storm rolled her eyes. “Your plans rarely work out the way you want. I would have hoped you would have learned that by now. It has been how many seasons now?” Tide twitched his tail at that, a bit annoyed. “I just want to die already and stay dead. I don’t want to be in this world of suffering anymore, seeing everyone I care about die or having to leave them myself. Why can’t I be in Paradise already?” He didn’t realize it, but the more he spoke, the more his voice turned angry and rose in volume. “This isn’t fair! I’ve suffered enough!” Storm remained calm, as always. She simply blinked at him. “You know it is not for me to decide when you go back. I am only the messenger for the Council,” she replied. “Then tell them I’m reformed!” “You are aware I cannot lie to them,” the she-cat meowed back and tuned, padding away a bit, towards the rocky cliffs. She lifted her head, looking at the high rising cliffs and jagged spires. “Do you remember the day I died?” she asked then gave a single, soft chuckle to herself. “Of course, you do. After all, it’s the same day many died, including yourself for the first time.” Tide felt more anger rising up inside him. He turned to face her and stomped over, moving to stand direction in front of her. He got right in her face, their noses almost touching. “Don’t you dare bring that up! I don’t want to ever relive those memories again!” Storm, without even flinching, looked him right in the eyes. “If you never confront the memories that plague you so then you can never move on from them. You have to accept what happened, what you have done,” she meowed, causing him to be the one to flinch. All the anger quickly turned to guilt and sorrow. Tide stepped back and looked away. “I never meant for any of it to happen…” He felt his throat closing up with sadness. The urge to wail in despair grew stronger and stronger with each passing heartbeat in this world. “I know, but you cannot keep denying it.” Storm limped closer, closing the small gap of distance he had made, and she nuzzled him with a soft purr into his neck. “I know how badly you regret it, how much you wish to forget. But the harder you try to forget the past mistakes you have made, the more you will only hurt. Now, come with me. We will face the memories together.”✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 9 Guilt and apprehension gnawed at Tide’s heart like rats on bone. The thing Tide most feared – besides perhaps the Void itself, at most times – lie ahead of him. There really was no running away from it anymore. He could only assume that continuing to do so would keep him in this dream state forever, and, in a way, that fate was worse than the Void itself. It was worse than staying cursed. He just wanted out. But Storm was right, and he honestly knew that. These memories plagued him constantly, haunting his very existence ever since they occurred in the real world. At least, it wouldn’t be so bad to face these memories with Storm by his side, right? Although, what would she say once she appeared in them herself? “Come, Tide.” Storm paused her pace and glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Be brave and face your fears. You can do this.” The tabby took a deep breath, shakily exhaling, and then reluctantly followed. His paws were heavy stone as he went along Storm’s trail, head and tail down with his ears back. His heart beat faster, shallow, quivering from the suspense. They rounded a rocky spire and emerged at an alcove among the rocks. It was a deep divot in stone with a natural pocket of sand to make up a softer floor. Spires made up the walls, and small tunnels and caves carved by water long ago broke off into the solid earth. Tide recognized the place immediately. It felt as if the gnawing teeth on his heart turned more to rabid fangs and gave one, hard bite and wasn’t letting go. His heart hurt at the sight of his old clan camp, what had once been his home. But the negative feelings only grew as ghostly cats began to appear among the stone, milling about or lazing. He knew every name and face in view. “Camp was a lovely place,” Storm commented and padded forward with her limp continuing. The spirit cats didn’t acknowledge her at all, almost as if she did not exist. This was nothing new for her or to Tide, but what was new is she was usually the transparent one, the spirit. But not this time. This time, the roles were reversed, and everyone else but Tide himself were the ghosts. “Come.” Tide felt frozen for a moment, looking from face to face as the cats moved fluidly. Even though he was scared and rather shocked, never having thought he’d really see them all again, the tom searched the cats for a few specific faces. However, once Storm gave him a much sharper command to follow, he reluctantly gave in once more and padded on. Oddly enough, some of the cats walked right into him, dissipating for only a heartbeat then rematerializing on his other side, like he was never really there. It didn’t even leave a trace of feeling, not even one like a breeze. Nothing. He stopped outside one of the caves, coming to stand beside Storm. He knew exactly where they were, and he peered in the darkness to see nests of seagull feathers and grass. A milky-sweet scent wafted into his nose. “The nursery.” Storm nodded and flicked her kinked, broken tail at it. “Look inside, really look. Do you see them?” she asked him, her tone soft. “Now listen.” Tide squinted, straining his eyes to see into the den. It’s not as if the dark made it difficult to see, but his vision only showed the nests and nothing more. But, then, they started to appear. Apparitions of six cats faded into view, and then came the grunts of pain from one of them. A cream orange and white tabby she-cat laid in one of the nests, a stick between her jaws as pain rippled throughout her body. Next to her sat two toms, one Tide knew to be the Healer, and one that wretched his heart. He glanced away to see a black and white she-cat lying in another nest, an onlooker of the action. At her belly and peering over the nest wall was a smokey-gray head and jet black one by her side. Soon, the cream she-cat let out a wail through clenched jaws. Tide’s view was blocked by a white pelt, the one who hurt him. But it only lasted a moment, and once the white bulk moved, he saw a tiny, orange form. The bean squirmed and let out a soft mew as the Healer helped it to breathe then nuzzled it to the mother’s belly. Only for a moment could the mother be joyful while the kit nursed, for another contraction hit her, this one much more painful. Moments went by, and instead of more healthy kits, only blood appeared. The mother grew weak and the white tom frantic. The healer did what he could, which wasn’t much, but soon the she-cat was simply gone, after whispering something to her only kit. “Be strong, my little Tide.” Tide shook his head and glared at Storm, both scared and confused. “I thought you said this was my mind, and we would be reliving my memories? How can this be my memory when I was just born?” he accused. “Well, this one is mine, actually,” Storm replied calmly and nodded to the gray kit in the other nest, watching with wide eyes. “I remember watching you being born, watching your mother die. I remember the look of hatred in your father’s eyes once it was all over. The way he looked at you…with such shame and anger and betrayal, it hurt my heart for you.” She shook her head slowly. Tide’s ears flattened, and his gaze went to the ground. “I know he blamed me for my mother’s death. He reminded me every sun about it and had most of the rest of the clan convinced about it, too,” he muttered. “They thought I was cursed…” He let out a single, ironic chuckle. “Funny how that turned out.” “Yes, it was truly awful to watch you suffer,” she sighed. “But my mother was good to you, at least enough to take care of you.” She watched as the Healer placed the lonely kit in the other nest, by the other mother’s side. He begged her to take care of him, reminding her that if she were to let a kit die then Paradise would not be happy. The kit fed, but as Storm and her brother tried to get close, the mother shooed them away, not wanting her precious kits near him. Suddenly, the scene shifted. The dead mother no longer existed, and the kits were grown. A young Storm, only about four moons old, tackled her brother. The two tumbled out of the nursery, right between the adult Storm and Tide himself. Behind them came a younger Tide, wobbly on his legs. As soon as he emerged, the cats of the clan cast hateful or worried looks his way. “Wait for me!” the tiny kit squeaked, heading straight for the playing siblings. He could be no older than three moons. Storm pushed her brother off and rolled onto her back, stretching her paws out to him, ready to play once he reached her. But her brother arched his back, black fur bristling with a hiss. “Do not play with him!” he scolded his sister. “He is a curse!” Storm lifted her head to look at the other tom, unhappy. “He is not, Feather,” she stated firmly. “He is just a cat.” Little Tide almost made it to Storm, but he was quickly picked up by their mother and carried back to the entrance of the nursery where he was roughly put down. “What have I told you about being too close to my babies?” the black and white she-cat scolded him angrily. “I will take care of you, but you are not to associate with my pure kits.” His little, orange head went down in shame. As costumery for their clan, he then got down to the ground and pressed his face to the sand. “Yes, Mist. I am sorry,” he mumbled, the sand not allowing clear speech. She nodded curtly, seeming satisfied with the humiliating apology. “Good, now get back inside. You are to clean out the nest,” she ordered him. He looked back up at her quickly with a disappointed expression. “Again? But I did it last sunset,” he complained. “I do not care!” Mist snapped at him. “I gave you an order, so follow it. Be useful since I am taking care of you. Do you want a worthless life?” Once again, his head dropped. “No…” Without another word, he turned and headed back into the nursery, casting only one sad glance back to the siblings. The adult Tide sighed as he watched the scene end. “I remember that vividly. It was pretty much an every sun occurrence. You two would play, and I would have to clean out the nest or drag prey to the nursery for Mist. Then, she’d yell at me for getting sand all over it, but I was too small to lift it off the ground when fetching it.” Watching these memories, whether Storm’s or his own, hurt him the deepest parts of his soul. “And let’s not forget your father,” Storm meowed in a rather hollow way. She did feel greatly for him, but, as she had said before, these memories had to be faced. The sooner they got through them all, the better. At the mention of his father, Tide visibly flinched. “I hate him…” he half-growled then. Storm nodded understandingly. “I am aware, and you have every right to feel as such,” she justified but turned head to look more towards the middle of the sandy camp. “Now, watch.” Before them the scene shifted again, this time going to the white tom from before. He was eating a fish by the deputy of the camp, a large tom with a golden pelt. They seemed to be having a good time, sharing conversation with each other. That was, until a Tide about six moons old wandered over to them. “Father, I have good news,” the young tom announced. However, instead of being excited or even remotely interested in listening, the white tom only sighed in annoyance. The yellow deputy appeared rather indifferent, though. Trying to be unfazed by the common occurrence, the young Tide puffed his chest out. “I have caught my first fish!” he regaled hopefully. It was clear how much he wanted even just the slightest bit of pride from his father. “Gale showed me how. He said my fishing was improving greatly.” But all he got in return for the news was a dismissive flick of his tail. Crestfallen, Tide sank, his tail and ears falling. “But Father, I am getting better. I can contribute more to the clan-“ Suddenly and without warning, the white tom stood up with his teeth bared. “You will never contribute to this clan like others!” he snapped, causing the young Tide to further shrink. “You are practically worthless, a curse, a plague on my life and on everyone else’s. It is because of you that my love died. It is because of you that I suffer each day with that knowledge, the image of her dying body lying before me. It is your fault that I must run this clan alone. It should have been you who passed, not her.” He lashed his tail. Meekly, Tide tried to comment and have his own say, only to be cut off again by a hiss. “But-“ “’But’ nothing! The only reason you are still here is because Paradise Council would not have it if you were left to die or cast out young. That is it! Now, get out of my sight.” There was no arguing with the irate tom, so Tide simply laid down and pressed his face to sand like he had done countless times before to apologize. “I am sorry, Wind.” With that, he got back to his paws and turned, dragging his feet as he went elsewhere, passing by the real Tide and Storm. “He was always like that to you,” Storm said solemnly. “I always watched him treat you worse than the dirt itself. He never listened to anything you had to say, nothing beyond apologies. It was never right.” Once more, without the real Tide saying a thing, it changed. But, this time, many scenes flew by. They went from that day and showed time progress rapidly throughout each passing day since, up to a point. They showed how Tide aged and grew, how he slowly stopped caring what the others thought of him, how he stopped trying desperately to gain his father’s approval. They portrayed how everyone continued to treat him as a curse, everyone except for the Healer and Storm. The only good to come about the fast-flying memories was the transformation of him growing to despise the clan to him becoming a little happier as he grew closer to Storm. But even those memories hurt for their own reasons. Finally, they stopped flying by on a scene of him and Storm, him nearly grown up fully. They were lying together, cuddled up, at the edge of the camp and against one of its guarding walls. The rest of the camp was empty and dark, everyone else in their nests, asleep. They both looked happy, gazing at each other with a soft love shared between them. Finally, that tide spoke up. “Storm,” he started, seeming to be rather nervous. “I wanted to ask you something.” The older Storm tilted her head in response. “Yes? What is it?” she asked, curiosity burning softly in her green eyes as the stars above twinkled in her gaze. Tide’s nervousness seemed to fade as he peered into her eyes, his own expression growing even softer. “Storm, we have spent much time together, and I feel as if you are the only one who will ever truly care for me… You make me feel as if I am not a curse; you treat like I am not, like I am a normal cat. I do not ever want this to end. Storm, I love you with all of my heart. Would you do me the honor of being my mate?” The spirit Storm instantly purred. “I thought you would never ask,” she replied and nuzzled his cheek with hers. “I would enjoy that very much.” The two spent the rest of the memory sharing tongues happily and purring together. “I remember that night…” the real Tide murdered, looking on with sadness, and perhaps even longing. “It was the best day of my life, but now it seems to only be a distant memory. Well, I guess it is just a memory right now.” Storm nodded beside him, watching it all, too. “Yes, I remember it, as well. It was the happiest night of my life, too.” She gave a small sigh. “I remember you growing to resent everyone in the clan, except for Mint and I, for we were the only two who did not resent you. I know how your personality grew to be narcissistic, because you felt as if you had to love yourself because hardly anyone else would. You grew cold and distant, not even the least bit fazed by your father’s death. You grew to only look out for yourself, until we really bonded. Then, our friendship grew as did our bodies. We grew up together, and I never let anyone’s comments about us upset what we had developing.” She paused, reminiscing. “The closer we grew, the more you began to open up about how you felt, and the happier you became. Until one sun…” Before them, views morphed from a love scene shrouded in the night to more pain in the nursery. The two appeared in front of the cave, this time the past Storm lying in the nest with a swollen belly. Tide leaned over her, licking her head as she clenched a twig between her jaws. The healer, now much more gray due to age, sat next to them. He helped Storm through the whole process of bearing the kits, but it turned out that not one of the three born had survived. “I am sorry,” the Healer rasped out, his voice crackly from a possible illness or just his old age. “None of them breathe.” Storm wailed out in grief, but Tide only stared at the lifeless little bodies before him. His gaze was hollow, expressionless. The memory faded. Tide shook his head violently, as if to shake the memory out of his brain. “I hated that day more than any other, except…” “I know,” Storm meowed abruptly, her own gaze cold at the memory. “But you must face it was the moment you began to resent me, blaming me for the death of our kits as everyone blamed you for your mother’s death.” Guilt swarmed around him, angry like stinging wasps. “Storm-“ “Don’t. I know,” she cut him off, giving a swift flick of her tail. “It is in the past, and I have long forgiven you for it.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You were hurting. You had thought things would be better, that they would change for your life. But then, only more pain came. The only thing I had wished was that you would consider my pain, as well. During that time, you were not the only one hurting.” She shook her head slowly, gaze at her rugged paws. “After that, you stopped talking to me completely. Even when I tried to speak with you, you rejected my attempts. Every, single time. We grew more and more distant with each passing sunrise and sunset, and I grew more bitter towards you. You may have refused to talk to me, but I did not end it.” Shame of her own entered her glazed, green eyes. “Just as the others of the clan did, I began to harass you for everything, for anything. I became the bully you had always feared I would become, even if it was your own undoing. After five moons of this, of misery and hostility, the worst of your memories occurred.”✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠ Chapter 10 “I’m not going back there,” Tide argued. He planted his feet firmly on the sandy ground, though this didn’t seem to even make indentations in the dream realm. Still, he gave his companion a hard look, stubborn in this affair. Storm looked back at him, watching his stern gaze with her own tired one. “If you do not face it then you will never achieve your wish of Paradise,” she told him gently. Tide perked up a bit at that. “So, if I do this then I’ll finally be able to get in?” he asked, now a lot more willing to face the horrid past suddenly. “I can finally die for good?” She shook her gray head. “No. Unfortunately, it takes more than just facing your inner demons. However, if you do come to terms with what happened then you’ll be one big step closer to your end goal.” Tide’s ears went back, and his gaze fell to the ground as he thought. This one event wouldn’t guarantee his entrance into Paradise and a final death, yet it would bring him closer… But how much closer? Would it rally be worth it? Then, another thought popped into his head. His past had been haunting him all his life, ever since the events took place. It hurt to think about, and it was something that had constantly always lingered in the back of his mind, unable to completely shut it out. This may be his one chance to get rid of it once and for all. With a deep breath in and sigh out, he nodded. “Excellent.” Storm limped away, going to the camp entrance, and he followed suit, his paws dragging and heart heavy. He knew exactly what was to come. As he exited camp, the environment around changed dramatically. Instead of the normal rocks and spires around them, he was transported to one of the high cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Storm stood beside him as he peered down over the edge to see the untamed waves below, crashing mercilessly into the rock face. White sprays of mist flew up from the force yet remained far beyond their feet. “You must let the memories flow now,” the she-cat told him, moving closer to press her ragged pelt against his scarred one. “Look there and remember.” She nodded lightly to a part of the cliff a couple fox-lengths away. On it were three cats. Tide marched along with Storm, and, with them, a third and black cat – Storm’s brother, Feather – patrolled the area. Feather took the lead with Storm close behind and Tide, looking about as old he actually currently did, trailed along behind. “Why do we even have to patrol this part of the territory? Nothing is going to come at us from this side. There’s nothing but sea,” the false Tide complained, clearly quite irritated. Or, perhaps, he was merely wanting to stir up some trouble. Feather glanced back, amber eyes narrowing. In his jaws dangled an enormous rat, but he set it down to speak. “Because it is what we do as Guards of the clan,” he half-snapped back. “Anything could happen, and we must be ready. And we must hunt. It is not like I wanted you here anyway.” He picked the rat up once more and took another step forward before pausing, pricking his ears. “Do you hear that?” he asked in a muffled voice after a moment, still trying to focus on whatever noise he was picking up above the crashing waves. Tide and Storm both stopped, too, listening. “It sounds like small thunder almost…” Dream Storm replied, perplexed. The other Tide shook his head. “No, it’s something else. Like many footsteps.” He glanced around for only a heartbeat when he spotted it. Coming up from the cliffs in front of them came a massive wave. But this was not a wave of water; it was a wave of rats. Hundreds of them started to pour over the stone, coming straight for the small patrol. Feather dropped the dead rat he had killed to let out a scream, nothing but pure fear in his voice as they rushed towards him. He turned and scrambled away, knocking Storm over hard with his hind legs as his claws skidded across the smooth rocky surface. Storm, consequently, not only fell over but rolled right off the edge of the precarious cliff. She let out a yowl as she tumbled over. Tide’s heart immediately began to race. He knew it had been a horrible idea to kill that rat, because they never came alone. But Feather had insisted it was fine and had done it. No doubt, that rat’s colony was now going for their revenge. In fact, it looked like their kill was bigger than any of the rat sin this attack, perhaps the leader. Even so, Tide had no time to dwell on this. He watched in horror as Storm tumbled over the edge. On instinct alone, he rushed over to where she had fallen to see what had become of her. His heart skipped a beat as he peered over to see her barely hanging on to a clinging tree root by her forepaws, but it was starting to give way already. “Tide!” Dream Storm called up him, eyes bigger than moons and swimming in pure terror. “Help me! Please!” Frantically, the tom looked around for any way to help, but he was soon pushed off himself. The rats had caught up, momentarily having been gone from his mind, and they had shoved him off the cliff, too. Tide yowled as he was flung over the edge himself, but he was able to catch a root that sat higher up, very near the edge itself. His claws strained to keep him there, hurting within moments. The rats looked down at them then started to form another mob, this time headed down below them. Most of them ran along the cliff’s rocky surface with great agility until they came to another, wider cliff space below both cats. They were waiting for the fall. “Tide!” Storm called again, now glancing below to see the crowd forming. “They are waiting below! They are going to kill us!” Never before had the she-cat sounded so fearful or distraught. Even losing her kits didn’t boast this much epic distress. Heart pounding in his ears and adrenaline rushing through his veins, Tide peered down for only a moment to view the moving mass of gray-brown. His claws hurt worse by the heartbeat, but he looked down at Storm. The root she clung to gave way more and more, tiny shards of shale plummeting down as the root dislodged further. He could never have imagined the fear she showed him when he looked into her green eyes just then. It seemed to be something out of fantasy, not even comprehensible to his brain. But he knew that there was nothing he could do to save her. She was below him, and the only way she could leave that root, besides falling, was to climb over him. Yet, he knew if she even tried, the pain would cause him to let go of his hold, and they would both fall to their deaths. It was either him or neither of them, and he had to survive. Looking back up at the edge they had fallen from and the sky, he saw no more rat faces looking down at him. So, he quickly let go with one paw and reached up higher on his root, gripping the root once more in a better position to begin climbing up. Storm watched from below, eyes wide. “Tide, do not leave me!” she called up to him, begging with everything she had. “Please! I still love you!” The sound of crumbling rock seemed to drown out her plea when the root finally gave way. With one last scream, she fell into the masses below, the fall definitely not being her cause of death. Tide braced himself, flattening his ears as far back against his skull as he could to block out the cries. His muscles tensed and heart clenched in stony claws as her echoing yell faded. He pulled himself up over the cliff, struggling to do so. His claws scraped against the cliff, but he fumbled his way over the edge. However, there was no time for him to breathe, as some of the rats had stayed up top just in case of this very event. They instantly ran at him, baring their long and sharp teeth. He jumped over one of the lunging rodents, fur puffing out. It wasn’t over yet. Many more came at him, and the ones from below thundered back up to come after him, having easily taken care of Storm. All he could do was run. So, that’s what the tom did. Tide bolted, not making the same mistake as Feather and skidding by keeping his now aching claws sheathed. Using his pads more, he ran more effectively, blood rushing in his ears. Blindly, mind numb, he ran until he reached his clan’s camp, bursting through the entrance. “Rats are coming!” he yelled out at the top of his lungs. Feather didn’t seem to have come back to the camp, as every cat was calm and looked to Tide as if he were insane. “Rats? What rats?” the golden leader asked with mistrust. “Run!” Tide didn’t even explain, not feeling he had the time. “Or you will all die!” “I do not believe him,” a red she-cat stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at the orange tabby. “You don’t believe this cursed cat, do you, Sun?” she asked the leader. He pondered for a moment, looking Tide up and down as he gave them a pleading look. “He does seem rather scared…” The she-cat rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. It is just a prank,” she told him, lashing her tail and then giving Tide a glare. “You are-“ She cut off as a distant thundering grew noticeably louder, causing all the cats in the camp to stop what they were doing to look around for the source, confused. Tide’s heart sank. “They are here…” He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the entrance being flooded by the rodents as they rushed in. In an instant, the little camp was filled with cries of terror and pain and swarming rats, rushing cats. Tide had to get to safety, so he ran to the back of camp and leaped up onto one of the spires guarding the camp. The sharp edges jutting out of it sliced his paw pads, but he didn’t care. Honestly, he barely even felt it as he climbed up further onto the spire. Behind him, Sun got mobbed, disappearing into the masses with a yell. The rats rushed other cats, swarming the Apprentice’s Den, Medicine Den, Guard’s Den, and even the Nursery. All around behind Tide, his clanmates disappeared in agony. Only a few were able to make it to their own spires, climbing up onto them and momentarily escaping the riot of rodents. Among them, Sun broke free from his torture, surely losing a life or two, and managed to get up onto his own spire. Tide dared not watch the whole thing, only glance back on occasion as he climbed out of morbid curiosity, and to make sure the rats weren’t climbing up after him. Thankfully, they didn’t, instead opting to take care of the cats who were unfortunate enough to get caught or not have more than one life. He strained to climb the tall, jagged spire until he reached the top of the rocky bowl in which the camp had sat. That’s when he pushed off, falling over the edge and onto more sharp rocks. They tore at his fur and skin, but he managed to stand and still flee, thanks to the adrenaline numbing the pain. behind him, a few of the clan’s cats followed, tumbling over the wall and landing on the rocks. Sadly, two of those cats didn’t land right, getting thrown off by the terrain in which they never traversed and causing them to knock their heads off the ground. They fell still, escaping death in one way only to die another. The ones who managed to get out, Tide included, ran away as fast they could. Trailing them were the sounds of rat squeaks and a few lingering, ever distantly growing wails of falling clanmates. Then, the scene ended. Everything turned a somber gray, details molding together to create a solid background and floor, no distinction remaining after a moment. It was nothing but soft, sad gray. The real Tide could barely bare to watch any of it, trembling from every limb. He had long since collapsed, only made to watch by Storm’s command and help. But he didn’t think he could have actually looked away anyway, the gruesome scenes unfolding in such detail and emotion, forcing his attention upon them. Storm sat beside him as he crouched there, shaking as if he were leaves in an actual storm. She placed her kinked tail over his shoulders, watching him with sympathy. “I know it was not your fault,” she told him gently. “My death…there was nothing you could have actually done. I realize this.” She shook her head lightly. “The Council still blames you for leading the rats to camp and getting so many clanmates killed, but I know it was all an accident. You tried to warn them, but nobody listened. Their blood is not on your paws.” Tide said nothing, only continuing to shake. He, totally out of character, began to wail in despair. If cats could cry, he would have been sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m sorry!” he wailed. “It is my fault! I should have helped you, or at least gone down with you. I shouldn’t have led them to camp. I shouldn’t have been such a jerk to you after the kits…” Storm narrowed her eyes and lifted a paw, giving him a hard cuff over the ear. This caused him to look up to her with distraught eyes, while she looked back down with stern ones. “You did not cause any of that to happen,” she stated firmly. “The point of all this was not to get you to confess or apologize. It was to make you face the reality of what happened, to accept it, then to move on. Dwelling on your past only brings sorrow and pain. You have to accept what happened, no matter how painful and hard, to move on and live happy again.” She puffed her chest out, and, before the tom’s vary eyes, her wounds began to fade. The crimson wounds all over her pelt sealed shut, and gray fur grew in all at once over pink patches. The kin in her tail over his shoulders faded in its rigidity, leaving behind a soft curl as it draped over his spine. Notches in her ears grew out, and her dull, milky eyes cleared up to be shining emeralds once more. Even her crooked paws straightened with no effort. “I do not blame you for anything that happened that day, nor before it. Admittedly, I did blame you for a long time after our kits’ deaths, but I did not lie when I told you that I still loved you, while I hung on that cliff. I had never stopped loving you deep down, and, after my death, all I wanted to do was help you.” Her expression softened, and she crouched down to be at his level, still gazing into his eyes. “There was not much I could have done right after my death, but I entered Paradise immediately, others soon following because of the assault on camp. I begged the Council to give you another chance at life, to let me help you. I made them truly curse you,” she confessed, yet her voice showed no remorse, only still gentle love. “But I did not see it as a curse, but as a blessing. I wanted you to be able to have a chance to come to Paradise, to forgive yourself for what happened, to tell you that I was sorry for everything that happened that hurt you or that you took the blame for. None of that would have been possible in the Void. There, you would only rot continually forever. I could not have that. It would not have been fair to you.” She shook her head lightly, her eyes closing and then falling to her paws. “I am sorry, Tide. I know I had good intentions, but this…curse…it has only caused you more pain for so many moons. It should have been your choice, not mine nor the Council’s. For everything, I truly am sorry.” Without saying a word the whole time she spoke, Tide listened. The more she spoke, the more grief and guilt was replaced by burning anger. It was really her fault he was suffering so much with an endless life? He could have had a say but didn’t get one because of her? And now she brought him to deepest, darkens parts of his mind to torture him with memories of the past that had haunted them since their happening, only to make him break down because of them playing out once more before his eyes? He wanted to scream at her, to let out all his rage at once and rip her apart by his claws. But, instead, he swallowed all of those emotions. Seeing the guilt Storm had for everything, hearing it, he couldn’t bare to make it worse. As much as he hated having to live so long, travel so much, and suffer continually, he couldn’t blame her. She had only been trying to help. And, deep down, he knew he had to face his past sooner or later. Frankly, he knew he should be glad to have gotten it over with and still have someone, her, to bare it all with him, so he wasn’t alone in it all. He sighed and placed his tail over her shoulders, making her look to him with a sad expression. He gave her a very faint purr, the first one he had mustered up in a very, very long time. “Thank you,” he told her, his own voice now soft. “I spent most of my original life being selfish and looking out for only myself, blaming others for everything. Even the many chances after that I did the same, only arguing with you and giving you grief at every turn. For that, I am sorry. So, now I want to make it up to you. No matter what, you were always there to help me, even if it meant simply keeping me company on lonely nights as we traveled. Now, I will do my best to change my ways and show you more gratitude for what you’ve done for me. And I will start to do the same for others, too. I promise.” Storm couldn’t believe her ears, but she lightened up a bit and gave a small nod. “Thank you,” she said softly.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 11 “Come on, I know you’re not really dead.” The brown tom paced impatiently around his fallen foe’s body, causing a rut to form in the snow as he circled. His amber eyes stayed fixated, searching for any sign of life, such as breathing movement of the sides or a twitch of the whiskers. If Barkfur had more than a stump of a tail, it would have surely cut the air as it lashed, but now it could only twitch back and forth by his flanks. Finally, Tide’s sides heaved as he took in a deep breath, and his green eyes flew open. He knew where he was and what had just happened, that Barkfur had killed him in a desperate attempt to expose Tide for what he truly was, but it felt like such a long time ago now. After experiencing his long-buried memories again, that fight felt like an eternity ago. Barkfur jumped a little when his foe actually came back to life, but it was for joy and not fear. “Yes! I knew you’d come back,” he growled wickedly. Tide looked at him and tried to get up, but the brown tom jumped on him, digging him claws into his pelt as he glared with wicked delight right into Tide’s eyes. “You aren’t going anywhere.” Tide gritted his teeth at the pain, but he didn’t try to fight back or shove the other tom off. After feigning, Tide was always drained of a majority of his energy. It took a lot of power to be able to die then come back to life. Reliving his darkest memories was also extremely emotionally draining. He’d have to use his cleverness here. “And what now?” he asked the tom, only his head held up and not pressed into the snow. “You wanted to show everyone in your clan about me, right? How do you plan to do that when they’re all at WaterClan’s camp, fighting?” Barkfur narrowed his yellow gaze. “I’ll just call for them,” he replied rather coldly. Tide kept his cool and looked back up at him. “Do you really think they’ll hear you over all that fighting, over the screaming and battle yowls, the cries of pain? We can hear them from here, but there’s no way they will hear you in the midst of everything,” he retorted. “Then I’ll wait for them to win,” he hissed, digging his claws in deeper, causing Tide to wince further. “They’ll drive WaterClan out and then come looking for me. They’ll find me right here, holding you down. Then, I’ll kill you again as they watch you come back to life, just like a clan leader. But I know you’re not a leader with nine lives.” “They won’t win,” Tide spoke through his clenched teeth. “Half my clan is there, helping WaterClan to beat your pathetic warriors.” More pain shot through him as Barkfur pressed harder with the word ‘pathetic.’ But Tide continued speaking. “It’s a clan and half against a clan. We outnumber you. They’ll run after they lose, fleeing back to your camp. And once they do then they won’t be looking for you.” He narrowed his eyes back at the tom finally. “I might not be a leader with nine lives, but you won’t win this. No matter what, all of your options lead to the same outcome – me going free and your clan losing the battle. “Shut up!” Barkfur lifted a paw to bring it down on Tide’s head, but Tide took the opportunity to knock the brown cat off balance. He shot up, making Barkfur fall back into the snow at the sudden jolt of movement. He scrambled back to his paws immediately and fluffed out his fur, arching his back. “I won’t let you win!” he snarled then lunged. Tide saw this coming already; Barkfur was so predictable. Any cat who was acting on anger was predictable, all the same. He dodged the attack easily to the side then spun and caught Barkfur’s leg, swiping it and pulling it out from under him. This caused the tom to fall forward into the snow with his face from lack of support. Tide then jumped on him and used a paw to keep Barkfur’s face pressed into the snow in a more humiliating gesture, his body weight making his foe stay down, as well. “I already won,” Tide meowed down at him. Barkfur struggled, but it was to no avail. Tide knew he couldn’t keep Barkfur there forever, and he didn’t intend to, but he stayed like this until the battle in the camp eventually subsided. Sounds of painful cries turned to triumphant yowls as cats fled the scene. The orange tabby watched in satisfaction as cats ran across the ice and snow to flee the camp. That is, he until he noticed who the cats actually were. He recognized Algaejaw among them, and then Cloudleap, Sevenstar, and Hollystar. Next, came some cats he didn’t know, but they followed the others. More of his clan trailed behind them, and Tide’s heart sank. RockClan had won? He watched as all the fleeing cats headed right towards MossClan territory in the distance, Sevenstar making her way to the front to lead the charge. Each cat who ran with her carried their own battle wounds, leaving a red trail in their wake. “What…?” Cloudleap glanced over and noticed Tide holding Barkfur down. “Come on!” he called out, pausing only enough to yell that to him then continuing on the crusade. Beneath him, Barkfur started to chuckle, that soon turning into full on maniacal laughter. “We won, didn’t we?” he asked mockingly, his voice muffled by the snow around his jaws. “I told you we would.” Tide bared his teeth in anger and lifted his paw to let Barkfur’s head up, but he stayed perched on his beck to not let him up completely. “How? What did you do?” he demanded in a snarl. How could so many cats lose to a small clan like that? It made no sense! Barkfur turned his head, ears back, so he could see Tide with one eye. “Isn’t it obvious? We didn’t stop at just surrender. We all went for the kill,” he answered then started to laugh again. Tide’s eyes grew wide like moons. They broke the Warrior Code, honor, to win? RockClan killed to gain WaterClan’s territory? How many did they kill? “You…” He let out a yowl and sunk his claws deep into Barkfur’s pelt, but the brown tom didn’t seem too fazed by it. “Get off our territory,” he spat instead of crying out. “Or you’ll be up against the rest of my clan. You may not die, but I know you can still feel pain. I saw it on your face while I held you down. Or do you like it?” “I’ll kill you!” Tide shouted but was quickly met with an unpleasant reply. “Do it!” Barkfur snarled then chuckled again. “You won’t. I can tell you won’t. I can read you like a piece of prey. You won’t kill me while I’m down here like this, under your feet. For self-defense maybe, but you won’t do it while I’m here, no matter how badly you want to.” His eye sparkled with something Tide had never seen before in all his years of being alive. What it was, he could not describe, but it definitely was not something positive. Taken aback and knowing Barkfur was right, Tide cursed under his breath and moved reluctantly off him. No matter how strongly he had the urge to kill Barkfur right then and there, it would violate the rules given to him from the Council. It would be considered a cold-blooded killing. Instead, he swiped some snow onto him as one last, humiliating gesture then turned and ran off, back to MossClan territory. Thoughts raced through his mind as he ran back to camp. How many had been killed? Cloudleap was alright, but who all from the clan was dead? How much of WaterClan remained? He had to know. Wounds stinging, Tide pushed himself harder to reach camp faster. Eventually, he made it and burst through the camp entrance to find only a small portion of WaterClan there with most of MossClan. Brackenwish and WaterClan’s Medicine Cat, Featherwillow, were going around to each cat, frantically trying to tend to everyone’s battle wounds. Every cat there looked either enraged or defeated. “I can’t believe they lost all honor and killed on purpose!” Halftail snarled, not even looking at Brackenwish as she tended to a large gash on his flank. “Turtletail and Rabbitstride are gone because of them…” “I know; it’s unacceptable,” Sevenstar meowed, looking at the ground with a mix of sadness, remorse, and anger swimming in her amber eyes. “I can’t believe they would stoop to that low of a level to gain some territory…” “And they even took two of your lives,” Halftail continued with a hiss. “Now you only have two left, don’t you?” Sevenstar shook her head. “Actually, no. This life is my last,” she confessed, clearly unhappy to do so. “but that doesn’t matter. What matters is ensuring RockClan does not try to take our territory next and training and healing to be ready for if – when – they try.” She glanced over and noticed Tide, seeming a bit more relaxed once she had seen him. “Tide, I’m glad you made it out okay.” Tide placed his ears back, not liking how things were going, what he was hearing. He padded over, ignoring everyone else. “I’m sorry this happened,” he meowed, his gaze falling to the ground. If only he hadn’t been in his memories so long then maybe he could have done something to help, to prevent all this destruction and death. ‘No, there is nothing you could have done,’ Storm’s voice echoed in his mind. He glanced around but didn’t see her manifest, which meant she was still healing in his mind. But, at least, she could speak to him again. ‘You were only in your mind for a few heartbeats in this world’s time. Nothing you could have done in that time would have prevented any of this. It is not your fault.’ Tide clenched his teeth and dug his claws into the frozen earth in frustration. “What do we do now?” he asked Sevenstar. “If RockClan has taken over WaterClan’s home then where will they stay?” “Here,” the MossClan leader answered calmly. “If we were to turn them away in this time of need then we would be no better than RockClan, leaving them to die. Only eight of them survived the bloody battle anyway.” She looked over at Hollystar as she shooed her Medicine Cat away to tend to others instead of her. Cloudleap and Algaejaw crouched together, conversing quietly with defeated looks on their faces, Falmingleaf with them. She had not been in the battle, having stayed behind to watch camp in case of another invasion, but she looked just as crestfallen as the two toms. Tide noticed Whistlepaw, the one who had come to ask MossClan for help in the first place, sitting next to a badly hurt pale, orange tabby she-cat. He vaguely remembered her to be WaterClan’s deputy, Lightleap. Featherwillow made her way over to tend to the deputy while Whistlepaw looked on worriedly. A black tom with folded ears and light gray she-cat Tide did not know sat together, Lizardfang sitting with them. Next to them was a molted gray tom with long fur that Tide also did not know. He was pacing anxiously by them, expression showing his mind lost in deep thought. What really caught Tide’s eyes then, or ears, was MossClan’s own apprentice, Sparrowpaw, sobbing as his sister, Oakpaw, tried to comfort him. Tide then remembered that Rabbitstride, one of the cats declared dead by Halftail, had been his mentor. That meant they would need to find a new one for the shy apprentice. At least the apprentices had been ordered to remain in camp, so Sparrowpaw didn’t have to witness his mentor being slain. “It’s a very sad day,” Sevenstar sighed, shaking her head slowly. “I knew Howlstar was too ambitious and could be aggressive, but I never would have thought he’d actually stoop this low for some territory. Killing Warriors to win…” Her eyes narrowed slightly, determined, with a stony appearance coming to them. “We will fix this,” she decided, looking up and around at the defeated cats of the two clans. “We will not let this happen again because of greed.” Tide’s paw prickled with unease. The way Sevenstar spoke, the look in her eyes… It did not bode well for the clans, and he feared how things would really turn out.
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:52:26 GMT -5
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Chapter 12 The sun had almost completely set by the time camp settled down. By now, all of the injured had been taken care of, to the Medicine Cat’s best extent, and nest accommodations had been arranged. The sun barely peeked over the territory’s mountains, casting a soft yet ghostly, bronze and orange glow among the land and cats amidst it. Tide crouched by Cloudleap, Flamingleaf, and Algaejaw. The four formed a circle together, conversing about the day’s events and how to deal with them. He wasn’t sure what to make of everything, having never really been in such a situation as this before. “I really think Sevenstar will come up with a good plan to get WaterClan’s territory back. Of course, with Hollystar helping too, it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a functional plan,” Cloudleap meowed, glancing around at each cat in their little circle. “I would like to believe that, too, but it’s hard to think of any sort of viable plan when RockClan is willing to go such lengths,” Flamingleaf replied with a worried look in her eyes and ears back. “We can’t stoop down to their level and just start trying to murder their Warriors, as well.” Tide shrugged. “Maybe that’s exactly what we’ll have to do,” he suggested. It wasn’t desirable, especially for him, but it might just be what had to be done. The fear of killing others still haunted him, as per the rules. However, if it was self-defense then that was different, but that did not mean the threat of the Council filing through technicalities didn’t send shivers of apprehension down his spine. The tom would simply rather not take the chance. “No, there has to be another way,” Cloudleap argued, shaking his head side to side slowly with his gaze on the ground. “There just has to be.”Algaejaw was silent still for a moment longer before speaking up. “Well, it might really be our only opttttion. I mean, they will have no problemssss with killing ussss. If anything, it would have to be sssself-defensssse.” He sat up then. “It’ssss not like I want to do it, but I don’t ssssee any other real opttttion.” Flamingleaf sat up, too, and shook her head a little more vigorously. “I don’t like this at all. This whole situation is so messed up. Why doesn’t StarClan just take care of it? They could go to Fawnlight and tell her to back off and go back to their own territory, to not mercilessly kill other Warriors. I mean, she is their Medicine Cat. Howlstar has to listen to the clan’s Medicine Cat, right?” “Not exactly,” Tide spoke up. “In theory, it would work fine like that, but that’s also in a dream world.” He, too, came to sit up. “I don’t really believe in your StarClan, but I can tell you right now that not all cats listen to their religious beliefs. Some simply think they know better, or are too blinded by things such as power to see they’re in the wrong. Howlstar doesn’t have to listen at all if he chooses not to. It’s very possible Fawnlight has already tried to speak with Howlstar, and he simply rejected her words in favor of his own ideas,” he proposed. The other cats of the circle dipped their heads in thought. “I guess you’re right,” Flamingleaf sighed, sounding half-defeated. She didn’t want to give up yet, but fixing all this wrong-doing was hard, even if they were only coming up with ideas for the time being. “I really hope Sevenstar does come up with a good plan to fix this,” Cloudleap finally spoke up, breaking the looming silence that had fallen over the group. “She’s never let us down before.” Flamingleaf wanted to try and be optimistic, but that was hard to do right now. “Yes, but we’ve also never had a problem like this before either,” she replied with a worried look. Tide shook his head. “We should all get some sleep,” he decided. “We can think of more ideas in the morning. Maybe even something will come to us in our dreams tonight.” He hoped that could happen, just to make things a little easier. Flamingleaf got to her paws. “Yeah, you’re right. We all need some sleep. It’s been a long sun.” With a sigh, the she-cat turned and walked away a couple of paces before looking back over her shoulder at the group of toms. “Goodnight, guys.” Then, she headed into the Warriors’ Den. “Goodnight,” Cloudleap meowed back and finally got to his paws, as well, having been the last one still crouched to the ground. “I won’t be able to sleep.” The snowy tom knew he wouldn’t not with the looming threat of RockClan possibly coming after their camp next and all these thoughts causing turmoil in his head like a tornado. Tide nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, sleeping is going to be very hard right now,” he sighed then glanced at Algaejaw. “I’m going to try,” the black tom decided. “I’ll ssssee you guyssss later.” With that, he headed into the Warriors’ Den like Flamingleaf had. All WaterClan cats were divided up into sleeping in the Elders’ Den, Warriors’ Den, or the Nursery. Half of it was because of lack of space in just the Warriors’ den, and the other half of reasoning was due to protecting the kits and queens of MossClan. Only WaterClan’s deputy – Lightleap – was housed in the Medicine Den, due to her extensive injuries. “I’m going to take a walk,” Cloudleap decided after having watched his friend leave them for the night. He looked to Tide then. “You can come with me if you want.” With that, the white tom padded off to the camp’s entrance. Tide raised himself to his paws and followed. “I’m coming.” Maybe a walk would help to give them some ideas? At the very least, it may, hopefully, calm them down a bit with all the worry of an impending attack. Two cats sat guard at the camp’s entrance, both sitting right outside of it so they could be scanning the forest at all times. “Where are you two going?” Halftail demanded, narrowing his eyes at mostly Tide while he sat guard next to Frostbite. “Just for a walk,” Cloudleap answered, not at all even remotely defensive. He sounded more defeated than anything. “We’ll be back soon.” “It’s dangerous to be out right now,” Frostbite told them, his deeper mew laced with concern. Like Algaejaw, he had an underbite that showed his fangs, but he spoke in a much more normal way, without the lisp. He had probably practiced for his whole life, as the tom was getting more up there in years now. His white muzzle gave that away. His belly was also more of a white color, but it was clear that his muzzle was turning white with more age than just naturally being part of his coat. “We’ll be alright,” Tide assured him, trying to have some more confidence than his friend. “If anything happens then we will come right back here, even if we catch whiff of any other cats. Promise.” Halftail narrowed his eyes angrily at Tide. “I bet you’re going out there to tell RockClan to attack us,” he accused. “I bet you’re a spy for them. Rogues can never be trusted.” Tide was about to say something, but Cloudleap growled back before he could even get a word out. “Shut up about him already!” His fluffy tail lashed behind. “He’s not a rogue anymore. Tide is an official member of the clan, whether you like it or not. No one ever asked for your opinion anyway, so keep your mean comments to yourself and stop acting like a frustrated kit. You’re supposed to be a Warrior; act like it already.” Halftail looked taken aback by the usually passive tom’s angry outburst of insults and defense. But, this only lasted for a moment, before he narrowed his eyes back at Cloudleap. “I-“ He was cut off as Frostbite gave him a cuff over the ear. “Enough,” he hissed quietly yet sternly. “Cloudleap is right. Tide has done nothing to prove himself other than loyal to the clan, and Sevenstar had named him part of the clan ages ago. Besides, you have no evidence or reason to accuse him of working with RockClan. Get over your petty grudge.” Halftail’s eyes flashed with both anger and embarrassment at having been scolded by a senior Warrior, but he merely grumbled something under his breath to himself then turned his head away to keep watch. He now ignored the other cats around him. “Thanks,” Tide meowed simply, to which Frostbite nodded and let them pass on without further interruption or trouble. Tide walked onto the icy stream like he had many times before at this point. However, unlike the other times doing this with Cloudleap, his companion simply padded across it. He no longer slid across the slick surface or pawed pieces of fractured ice along it like a playful kit. He merely seemed lost in deep thought. “This whole situation is quite the predicament,” Storm said from Tide’s side as she padded along with him. Thankfully, she had fully recovered now and was able to once again stay literally by his side, rather than just dwelling solely in his head. ‘Yeah, you’re telling me. There’s no way to know if RockClan will come for us next, or when,” Tide thought back, obviously not wanting to speak out loud to her with Cloudleap right next to him. Storm thought for a moment, glancing around as they walked. “Perhaps they will come, but I am sure the clan will be ready. We outnumber them, at the very least,” she pointed out, hoping that would make her companion even a little better feeling. ‘That doesn’t matter, not when they are willing to kill, but we aren’t.’ He knew that prospect alone put them at a huge disadvantage. From what he had learned in his time traveling and staying with other clans, most preferred to not kill, or even seriously injure others. Even in wars, it was generally considered taboo to purposefully kill others, only fighting to the point of the enemy fleeing. But he knew full well that that way of fighting wouldn’t work here. RockClan would kill, and if everyone else didn’t do the same then they would lose. RockClan wouldn’t take prisoners nor probably wouldn’t flee. The way that clan was fighting now, they would most likely battle to the death before running away. “I see, but you can kill,” Storm told him. “So long as you feel there is no other option while in battle, it is fine. Self-defense if a loophole you can use while in battle, as long as you have not attacked them first.” ‘I know, but I’m still scared to try it,’ Tide mentally sighed. ‘I don’t want to be exiled from Paradise before I even get there. I don’t want to stay on this world for decades longer. I have suffered so much from that already, from this curse.’ Storm offered no more words of idea or encouragement. She knew how he felt about his situation already, all too well. “Then I suppose you will simply have to do what you feel you can do,” she decided then fell silent. Cloudleap had padded along silently the whole time Tide and Storm conversed mentally. Finally, he did stop and sat down in the snow, his white pelt melding in with the powdery fluff, as if he himself were part of it. Only his blue eyes and slight patches of light gray stood out among the endless white. “I’m so tired,” he muttered then, gaze on his buried paws. Tide’s ears went back slightly with sad sympathy. He didn’t even have to try to feel sorry for this tom. Unlike with others, there was no real conscious effort to care for him. His rules did not encourage it, as these feelings were all his own. He closed the short distance between them and came to sit next to the cat he truly considered to be his friend. “I’m sure you are,” he mewed and placed his tail lightly around the other tom’s shoulders to try and be of any comfort he could. “It’s so hard to be so optimistic all the time,” Cloudleap confessed to him, never lifting his gaze up. “I mean, it’s part of my personality, but it’s still exhausting. It’s exhausting to always be the peppy one, to try and encourage everyone else and brighten the mood constantly. It’s exhausting to have to fight real and subconscious battles.” That perked Tide’s ears up. Subconscious battles? What did he mean by that? “What kind of battles do you mean? I get they’re ones in your won head, but why fight them? What are they about?” Pure curiosity bubbled up inside of him. What sort of mental battles could such a cheery cat have? Cloudleap did finally tear his eyes away from the snow below and slowly turned his head to face Tide. Now, his blue gaze shown with fear and apprehension. It was as if he was scared to tell Tide the truth. Tide’s ear folded once more. “You don’t have to tell me,” he told his friend, not wanting to force anything. If it was a secret then it was a secret, and he would have to respect that, or at least try to. Cloudleap took a breath and shook his head. “No, you deserve to know. Besides, it’ll be good for me to get it off my chest finally,” he decided. Clearly, the apprehension of actually telling Tide grew inside of the gray and white tom. “Tide, I-“ He cut off as the snap of a twig sounded from up ahead, near the RockClan border, and his head whipped around to face the direction of the noise. All fear drained out of Cloudleap in an instant and quickly replaced by tension and readiness to fight. Tide also looked towards the noise and stood up then gave Storm a glance. She had to know what it was and quietly questioned her. Storm narrowed her eyes for a moment but then got a look of genuine surprise on her face as a fit looking, black tom padded out from behind one of the large tree trunks ahead. His amber eyes glowed in the growing darkness as his gaze fell upon Tide and then Storm; he could actually see her. And he seemed to completely ignore Cloudleap altogether. Tide’s eyes grew larger than the moon itself as his gaze rested upon the newcomer. No, it couldn’t be… How could this be possible? His jaw dropped while the black tom slowly strolled forward through the snow, leaving behind delicate pawprints. He was real… Storm’s own jaw hung open as she gazed upon the cat who had been there with her since the very beginning to the very end. “Feather?” The tom stopped just shy of a fox-length from the small group. His eyes flicked to Storm, and a sort of smirk came upon his face, twitching his whiskers. “Hello, sister. It’s been a while,” he mewed with a smooth yet sinister tone. A sense of dread seemed to follow him and draped the group. “Tell me who you are!” Cloudleap demanded in a snarl, his usual façade really gone now, since it had been fading away ever since the battle with RockClan. No longer was there any friendliness or cheerfulness to him, only hostility and the urge to keep anything else bad from happening. Tide gaze flickered to Cloudleap for less than a heartbeat. He must have been yelling demands at Feather for some time now, but he had only just noticed, too shocked by the new yet familiar tom until now. Even still, he continued to watch the black cat, examining him up and down yet finding no signs of aging at all. It was as if he hadn’t aged a single sun since the day Tide first died, all those many cycles ago. Feather looked to Cloudleap at the hostile demand, but he didn’t address it or even acknowledge the white tom further. Instead, he looked back to his ghostly sister and to Tide. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I was really starting to think I wouldn’t find you, but I never gave up. Finally, here I am, meeting you face to face again, my favorite little piece of mouse dung,” he directed to Tide, the calmness to his mew and gaze very unsettling. “How are you here?” Tide demanded, actually fearful. He took a step back even, ears against his skull and muscles tensed to either fight or run. “You can’t be here. You’re supposed to be dead! You’re too-“ “Old?” Feather cut him off then chuckled gravely. “Only about as old as you are, my friend.” He sat down then, curling his midnight tail neatly around his paws, amber eyes seething with hidden hatred. Tide took another step back, shaking his head. “How?” How was it possible that he was here? Unless… “What? You really thought you were the only one?” Feather asked then chuckled again, shaking his head. “Oh, you stupid, little plague. You aren’t nearly as special as you think you are, Tide. You never were special. You were only ever a curse onto everyone else’s lives. After all, you’re the reason I’m here in the first place, making me track you down all these seasons after I was cursed by the Council for accidentally hurting Storm.” Storm padded forward now, having slightly recovered from the shock of seeing her brother again, alive. “Feather…” Feather’s fur bristled a bit. “Shut up,” he snapped at his sister, losing his composure for a moment but then quickly regaining it. “My apologies, dear sister, for everything. But I don’t want you to try and talk me out of what I’m about to do. I have waited too long for this, traveled so far, festered for so long… I don’t need you get involved, because I will do this for you and for our clan. Just know that I never meant for you to be hurt like you were, and I am so sorry for that. Yet, I have to do this.” “Do what?” Cloudleap snarled and took a threatening step forward. His own fur bushed out, standing on end with his claws surely sinking into the frozen earth beneath his paws as his tail lashed behind. Once again, Feather ignored him and locked eyes with Tide, his calmness growing even more sinister in his gaze. “I will finally do what I vowed. For the clan, SeaSide, you have devastated; for myself, whom you’ve caused this curse upon me; and, most importantly, for my dear sister, whom you’ve hurt endlessly and continue to torture.” He bared his fangs, shining in the moonlight. “I will cause you endless pain like you’ve made us all suffer and kill you over and over until the end of time, and neither my sister nor the Council will stop me.” Tide stepped back once more, shaking his head but never taking his eyes right off Feather’s own. “You can’t, or you’ll go to the Void,” he warned him, actually terrified. He may not die forever, but the thought of endless pain terrified him. He also couldn’t believe that Feather was even here, put under the same situation as himself – forced to live endlessly by the Council before rotting in the Void forever. It had never seemed possible to have anybody else be the same as him. Yet, here was another, and one who wanted to cause nothing but pain and misery. Cloudleap stepped in front of Tide protectively, tail still lashing and fur on end. “I don’t know what the Dark Forest you’re talking about, you crazy-tailed tom, but I will not let you hurt my best friend,” he snarled with such a ferocity that it actually frightened Tide a little more. He had never imagined the passive, friendly tom could ever be so angry, so intense. Feather narrowed his eyes back at Cloudleap. “Then I suppose I’ll just have to kill you, too. I don’t care about the Void. All I car about is getting revenge for the suffering the plague behind you has caused,” he replied then let out a battle yowl that shook Tide to the core before leaping at Cloudleap, claws and teeth bared with blazing fire of hate in his eyes.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 13 “Feather, please, no!” A cream orange and white she-cat appeared as an apparition in front of the lunging tom. Her voice was desperate, begging the tom not to do what he had planned on doing for so long plus more. But, it seemed, Cloudleap did not notice, and Feather didn’t care. Feather pounced onto Cloudleap, sending the white tom tumbling back. Cloudleap was a seasoned Warrior, but any cat who lived over decades would be better suited for combat, having accumulated endless skills and honed them. This did not bode well for the MossClan cat, and he was soon bombarded with a flurry of claws to his face. He shrieked from the pain, struggling under Feather’s weight and trying desperately to bring his own paws up to either shove him off or get in a few hits himself. Though, neither seemed to be working against the more well-trained cat.Tide watched for only a moment before adrenaline and instinct kicked in. He would not allow another to die because of him! Besides, once Cloudleap was gone, he would be next, dying over and over again to constantly relive the pain Feather so wanted to wish upon him.Bunching his muscles, the orange tom leapt into the fray. He jumped on the black cat’s back and dug his claws in as far as they would go and then heaved himself backwards, shifting his weight that way. This worked perfectly as planned, dragging Feather back and off of Cloudleap. Tide fell back, as well, and was momentarily trapped underneath Feather’s own back, but they both soon scrambled to their paws. “Protecting another for once?” Feather snarled at him. “I must say, I’m amazed, frankly. However, this does not mean I will cease my now life-long mission. You still let my sister and half of our clan die. It’s your fault they’re all dead!” He then lunged for Tide, attention fully focus on him once more.Tide, having just as much combat experience in life, dodged to the side then spun around on quick paws. “You’re the one who pushed her off the cliff and ran away!” he yelled back, more scared now than anything. Feather posed such a serious threat. “There was no way I could have helped her, and she knows that. But you shoved her off. You ran like a coward. You didn’t even run back to warn the clan like I did.” Anger started to rise in him, bubbling up from within. “When I went back, you were nowhere to be found! You say it’s my fault they’re dead, but at least I tried to warn them while you fled like a coward!” His eyes narrowed as his voice grew less accusing and angry and turned calm, scarily calm. “And the Council knows it, too, don’t they? That’s why you’re like me.”Feather let out a ferocious yowl. “Shut your lying jaws!” With anger boiling up more than ever, he sprinted to Tide and tackled him. They both went rolling on the ground with the force, but Feather stayed close and started showering Tide’s face with blows rather than Cloudleap’s.“Brother, stop this!” Storm begged from the slidelines, unable to really do much about it. She tried to get back into Tide’s body and mind, to control him like she had done with the fox attack, but it didn’t work. She didn’t even know how she had done it in the first place. She prayed to Paradise again, but nothing happened, so she could only watch in horror, along with the cream orange tabby apparition who seemed to be with Feather. But she clearly did not approve of this either.As Tide was battered horribly, Cloudleap was the only one who could do a thing about it. He was the only one with a physical body right now. Face bloody and scratched up to the Void, the white and gray tom got to his feet, legs shaking a bit, one eye closed because of the flood of red. But his fur bushed up as tall as it would stand, and blue fire burned in his one, open eye. “Get away from him!”With the snarl, he tackled Feather from the side, sending them both tumbling once more. But, this time, he was the one on top, rather than the enemy. The Warrior started to give Feather blow after blow of heavy paws, rage an inferno in his eye. Feather couldn’t do much to fight back at first, taken aback by the sudden attack and force of it all, by the sheer ferocity of the white tom. But, he did finally get his hind paws under Cloudleap’s belly and dug claws in then pushed, shoving him off long enough for Feather to jump to his feet.Instead of raging again, he began to chuckle, his own face now leaking red. “I must say, you have surprised me,” he told the other tom with twisted amusement on his face as his tail slowly danced back and forth. “Not many normal cats can get the jump on me like that. However, this does not mean I will let you live after interfering with my plans. You do not understand what he, the one you are trying so desperately to protect, has done.”Cloudleap shook his head. “I don’t care what he did in the past,” he stated firmly, glaring back at Feather and keeping his muscles tensed for another incoming attack. “He’s my friend now, and he’s helped me and my clan. He’s not the same cat you think he is.”Feather gave a kitty smirk. “Oh, really? You think so? And would you still trust him so much if I told you the reason I want to kill him so badly is because he killed my sister? And over half our clan?” he inquired, his tail lashing more now. “He is a criminal. He only hurts those around him then runs away like a frightened piece of prey. He will only do the same to you soon.”“No, he won’t!” Cloudleap shouted back, his own tail slicing the air. He didn’t want to hear any more of this. He didn’t want believe any of it. Maybe this tom was right. Maybe Tide did do these things in the past, but that was the past. He was different now. He could see it in Tide’s eyes any time he looked into them, including a glance over at the orange tom now. He was different. The cat that stood before him now and the one this enemy spoke of; they were two completely different cats. Cloudleap stood tall, puffing out his chest. “The past doesn’t matter, because it’s already gone,” he stated to Feather confidently. “What matters is who you are now. And, right now, Tide is a good cat and good friend. And I won’t let you hurt him anymore, even if that means you kill me.”Feather was a bit taken aback, but he soon let out some more chuckles. “You are one naïve little cat, aren’t you?” he asked hypothetically. “But, like I said before, I have no problem with killing you, even if I can admire your loyalty. It won’t get you anywhere here.”“Yes, it will!” Tide sprinted for Feather one last time, springing from the snow and sending it showering. He landed on Feather’s side and did what had been done before, raining down blows of claws onto him. But, he didn’t know if he could kill the tom. It should be self-defense, which was a perfectly reasonable explanation for murder, in this case. Yet, he was hesitant to, not wanting to go to the Void. “Kill him,” Storm’s voice echoed in his mind. It was a mix full of regret, sorrow, and malice. Feather was her brother, and, in life, they had been close. But she knew what had to be done. If Feather wasn’t killed now, he would only go on to torture Tide and kill Cloudleap for interfering. But she knew that if Feather were to die now, after violating the Council’s rules for the Curse – killing, or attempting to kill, out of cold blood – his soul would be forever sent to the Void. “He’s chosen his own fate.”That was all the confirmation Tide needed. The two toms did wrestle for a bit, but Tide had the upper paw now. He was over Feather, pinning him down on his side as he battered him. Finally, when an opening presented itself, he went for it. He lunged for his throat, and, in one, swift motion, ended the tom’s long life.Tide panted heavily once Feather’s body laid still. A black mist emanated from the corpse, and it soon blew away in the wind, taking the body and all traces of it along. The only thing that remained was the damage done and the imprint of where the body had been in the snow. “I am so sorry this happened.” Tide turned to face the cream orange tabby she-cat. She hadn’t been able to do much that entire fight, so a look of pure apology and regret adorned her face. “He followed all of the rules up until now, but I knew his plans all along. There was no way I could stop him… So much pain for nothing.”Tide straightened a bit, his eyes widened as he recognized the new figure from the memories Storm had shared with him. “You’re…my mother.” His words could only come out in a breath, a flood of every kind of emotion washing over him.The orange she-cat nodded, her gaze soft now that the battle was over. “Yes, I am. Hello, my little Tide.”✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 14 The world spun as strong walls crumbled down to rubble, into nothing but metaphorical pebbles. The ground seemed to shake as trees became snakes and swayed. Then, all feeling in Tide’s legs vanished, and he was left with no structural support underneath. He collapsed, eyes transfixed onto the ghostly cat who claimed to be his mother. Storm was right by his side, and she crouched to nudge him lightly, though he would never feel it anyway. “It is alright,” she told him softly, though, her emerald eyes held a mirroring shock. The orange-cream she-cat gave an expression of apology, but her eyes held a mix of joy, guilt, and sorrow. “My poor, little Tide,” she sighed quietly. “I am sorry that we had to meet like this, on such shocking and threatening terms.” She took a few steps forward but stopped as Tide raised himself to his paws on very shaky legs. “Y-you’re really my m-mother?” he stammered. It was odd for him to stutter like this, as he never lost his composure so badly. Even if he had called out the she-cat for being his mother and she confirmed, he still had to ask again. It was all just too unbelievable. The she-cat let out a tiny purr then and closed the distance between her and the tom, touching noses with him. She closed her eyes as the soft purr rumbled in her throat. “I have missed you so much.” Even though Tide couldn’t physically feel the other cat’s nose on his, a tingle of something went through him. It was comforting. He, too, closed his eyes, listening to the light purr emanating from the spirit. Warm seemed to accompany the soothing sound. Cloudleap stood by, watching everything. However, from his perspective, all he could see was Tide freaking out about the air, speaking with nothing, and now stretching out his nose to more absence. What was going on? He padded over, looking the tom up and down, who stood there with eyes closed and his nose to the air. Wounds leaked crimson, but none of them seemed to be a bother. Honestly, the tom was debating on whether to try and snap Tide out of it or not. “Seems you have company,” Storm meowed to Tide, staying by his side with tail draped neatly over paws. “I am sure your behavior will be interesting to explain to him.” Sympathy laced her mew. How much would Cloudleap actually believe? Tide couldn’t tell him much anyway or violate the rules. Nobody was to know of his immortal life or the guardian he was given or why. What could Tide say to not only make Cloudleap believe him but also stay within the rules’ guidelines? Tide opened his eyes once more and turned his head to meet the other tom’s blue eyes. He was obviously confused, but Tide was much more at ease now. “Cloudleap…” Yet, that didn’t mean he had a good explanation for anything right now. “What just happened?” Cloudleap demanded, more panicked and confused than anything else. “The tom’s body just evaporated into black mist! And now you’re here talking to the air and doing whatever else with it? Why did he want to kill you so badly, really?” More panic started to arise. Tide felt a pang of sympathy for the white and gray tom. How could he not? He had risked his life to help him and called him his best friend. Cloudleap was his friend. But what could he actually say about all of this? “Listen,” he started off then paused to think. “I can’t tell you the entire situation, or I’ll get in trouble. Big trouble,” he started then glanced at Storm who nodded, confirming he was choosing the right words, for now. “But I’m not entirely the cat you think I am.” ‘Can I tell him that I can see dead cats, from my past?’ he mentally asked Storm. ‘I won’t say why or who any of you are in relation to me, or why you’re here. Just that I can see you, and that your name is Storm.’ He had to confirm first. “I suppose so,” Storm replied. “Just be sure to choose your words carefully.” She did not want this to be the moment he, too, had to be sent to the Void. “What do you mean by that?” Cloudleap asked, his eyes growing wider. It appeared that his panic would only continue to grow. His claws even sunk down into the frozen earth, beneath the snow. Tide moved to place his tail lightly over the white tom’s shoulders. “I mean that I can see dead cats, cats from my own past,” he explained, treading carefully. “One of them is always with me. Her name is Storm, and she helps me out a lot. She can’t talk to anyone else, and nobody else can see her, but she talks to me and sees things that I don’t. And another cat is here now, one who was very close me to in life for a short time.” He glanced to his mother then back at Cloudleap, keeping his voice calm. “And that cat we fought, Feather; he wasn’t a very nice cat. He hurt another before and blamed me for it. So, he wanted revenge. But now that he’s dead, he went to a place that cats go when they’re not very good cats. A place my old clan used to believe in.” He paused and sighed. “I’m aware of how absurd this all sounds, but it’s the truth. I just can’t tell you any more of it, or I may follow Feather. But I thank you so much for standing up for me, for being here for me, for being you.” Cloudleap was silent the whole time Tide spoke. His mind reeled and spun while the other tom talked. Everything he said sounded really crazy. Why would telling the truth get him in trouble? What kind of cat was Tide really? He could see dead cats from his past and communicate with them? Really? The white tom shook his head. “This is too much,” he said and stood up, backing away a bit and blinking as his eyes landed on the ground. “How could you expect me to believe all of this? That you really talk to ghost cats?” Tide’s heart sank a bit, but he remained calm, although a little more saddened, too. “Well, your Medicine Cats and leaders speak to your own dead clanmates, don’t they?” he retorted calmly. Cloudleap’s thoughts whipped faster. “Yes, but…but…” Suddenly, it all stopped. The storm within his head froze then faded. There really was no comeback for what Tide said, because it was true. Brackenwish and Sevenstar did communicate with StarClan, so why couldn’t Tide speak with his own version? There honestly was no other reasoning that made any more sense, besides Tide being insane. But he didn’t want to believe that one even more. He slowly lifted his head to watch Tide sitting in the snow as more flurries delicately fell around them. “Can you prove it in any way?” he inquired then, hoping that there was some way to do so. Just to make it all a little more real, a little more truthful. Tide glanced to Storm, hoping she had an idea, because his own mind was blank of one. Storm thought for a moment. “Tell him to go behind a tree, out of sight, and leave paw marks in the snow. I’ll tell you how many he left without you moving,” she decided. It was the only way she could think of doing this without revealing too much. ‘Perfect.’ Tide sat a little straighter. “Go behind that large oak there,” he nodded to it in the near distance, “and make some paw marks in the snow. Go where I can’t see, but I’ll tell you how many you made, based on what Storm tells me.” Cloudleap gave a look of doubt but nodded. “Alright.” Ears back, he padded over to the tree and went behind it, waiting for a moment to ensure he wasn’t being watched, and to clear his own mind a little further. Finally, he lightly placed his paw into the snow and drug it to produce a whisker-length score. Then, he did this several times until six clear marks were in the snow. He then padded around the tree to find Tide in the exact same spot he had been left with no paw prints to indicate he had ever moved. “Okay,” the white tom meowed, now rather nervous of how this would turn out. Storm did her thing and walked behind the tree, taking a look at all the marks made. “Six,” she called back to Tide. “And one of them he made going across another one.” It formed a ‘plus’ sign, just as an extra thing to see if he could trick or further disprove Tide’s method. Yet, once Tide gave everything correctly, Cloudleap’s heart skipped a beat. “You made six marks, and two overlap, going across each other,” Tide replied, watching Cloudleap’s jaw drop. “Oh, my StarClan…” he whispered. There was no choice now. He had to believe Tide. He had wanted to this whole time, but it had been so hard to with his wild story. And, yet, here he had guessed it all correctly without having seen a thing or moved. How could he not believe now? “I told you,” Tide meowed with some hopefulness. “Storm helps me, and I’m not that crazy.” Cloudleap started to chuckle then and shook his head. “No, maybe you aren’t,” he laughed then padded over and gave Tide a large nuzzle under his chin, a purr now rumbling within him. “I’m so glad of it, too. I wanted to believe you, and now I really can.” Tide felt an odd warmth from Cloudleap right now, but he rather enjoyed it. It was a feeling that was familiar yet alien at once. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. “I’m glad you’ve stuck with me all this time,” he purred back. Cloudleap pulled away to gaze up into Tide’s eyes, his own now filled with warm joy. “Of course. After all, I love you,” he purred back with a slow blink. “My little Tide has another love!” The orange she-cat exclaimed with much excitement. She even spun around on prancing paws like a little, giddy dance. “Oh, I am so excited now! I have waited so long to see this happen again!” Tide’s shock for his friend’s words could only be short-lived, as he turned to watch his mother dance about like an excitable little kit. It was something he had simply never seen before from anyone, ever, in his years of traveling. Even Cloudleap hadn’t appeared so kittish to him as his mother was in this moment. Cloudleap tilted his head, disappointment flashing within his eyes as Tide said nothing back but turned his head away with confusing in his own eyes. But then he perked up a bit, hopeful. “Is Storm doing something interesting?” he asked, hoping that’s what it was. Tide glanced back but then actually let out a tiny chuckle. “No. Another cat that was close to me, actually. She’s really happy about what you said,” he replied, watching his mother still. “And so am I.” That’s when he turned his attention back to Cloudleap and purred some more. It had been a long time since he felt genuine love from somebody, since he felt so good about wanting to protect someone else like this. It made him realize something. The biggest reason he had killed Feather wasn’t to save himself; it wasn’t self-defense. It was to keep Feather from killing Cloudleap. Cloudleap fought hard to protect him and defeated anything Feather said about Tide as lies. Tide, then, had the ferocity when battling Feather to make it all mean something, to ensure his best friend stayed alive and came out as unharmed as possible. Thankfully, it all still aligned with the rules, too, since the kill hadn’t been in cold blood. Cloudleap only seemed to purr louder at this then nuzzled him again, to which Tide nuzzled him back this time. It felt so good, so right. That tingle ran down his spine, and he knew what it was this time. He recognized it as love. Tide glanced to Storm as he continued to purr and now snuggle Cloudleap. ‘I had forgotten this feeling for long. No, I ignored it,’ he told her mentally. ‘I know you’ve been giving this to me for forever now, and I’m sorry for not giving it back. I’m sorry for everything wrong I did and said to you, Storm. It was always so painful to remember this feeling we shared so long ago while you were alive, to remember what I’d done. Oddly enough, it felt better to just keep building to the negativity and push the memories and feelings away. But never again, really. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and will do. I owe you so much more than I can give.’ Storm let out a purr of her own. “Do not get too emotional on me now. It is a happy time. Enjoy it,” she told him, her eyes as soft as downy feathers. “For this is my reward for it all, seeing you happy again.” It filled her with a special kind of warmth, the same Tide was feeling right now. But hers had never gone away. Even though Tide and her would knock heads a lot and argue and such, she had never stopped loving him. Every time she reminded him of that, it was never once a lie. So, seeing him happy like this again, even if it wasn’t with her, there was nothing better she could ask for. “We better get back to the clan,” Cloudleap meowed, pulling away finally. “It’s cold out here, and Brackenwish needs to see me again. I’m racking up quite the battle scar collection,” he lightly joked. Though, his pelt confirmed it all to be true with patches of fur missing and scars and old wounds with dried poultice on them laced his body. Tide nodded his agreement. “In a moment,” he meowed then turned to his mother, who had stopped prancing around to watch happily. “I’m glad to meet you again,” he told her. “It’s really nice to know somebody,” he paused and glanced to Storm for a heartbeat, “somebody else from the old clan likes me.” Her eyes went softer as his mother gazed at him. “From the moment you were born, I never felt anything but absolute love for you, my kit,” she mewed, her voice almost like a melody to Tide’s ears. “No matter what you went through, no matter what they did or said to you, or how your feather treated you, I have always loved you. And it made me so happy to see when somebody else did that, too.” She looked to Storm and gave her an approving nod and then did the same for Cloudleap, even if he couldn’t see. “The clan may have thought you a curse, and they may have not approved of such relationships between two toms, but a good parent only wants what is best for their kits and what makes them happiest. I am so glad to be apart of this now, to see you as the strong tom you have become, despite everything you have been endured.” She raised her head towards the sky and sighed. “But it seems I must go now, since Feather is dead. Paradise wants me back.” She let out another purr and gave Tide a slow, loving blink as her form began to slowly dissipate. “Wait!” Tide spun and took a step towards her, not wanting her to go just yet. He only just met her! He had so much he wanted to ask her, but it seemed only one question would be allowed before she was gone completely. “What’s your name?” After all this time, that was the one thing he had never known. Nobody ever spoke of her in the clan, and he had never asked Storm the answer. But, now, he had to know from his mother herself. She blinked once more, her paws and tail and tips of her ears already gone. “Breeze,” she replied softly, the word becoming a whisper on the wind. She faded. “Breeze…” Tide repeated softly under his breath, his heart now feeling more at ease. He looked to the sky, watching the delicate snowflakes float down towards him. He whispered, “Thank you, Mother.” Then, he turned to Cloudleap, who appeared to be getting used to it all already, and nodded in the direction of camp. “Come on, we had better get back to get you taken care of. And to share the news,” he told him, content and happy. Cloudleap tilted his head slightly and got to his paws. “News? About what? You can’t tell everyone you talk to dead cats. They won’t believe you like I do,” he warned, not wanting Tide to get shunned or made fun of for it. Tide shook his head. “No, not that news,” he said with a purr. “We have to tell them that we’re mates now, right?” Cloudleap’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting them to become mates so quickly, after spilling his secret to Tide. But how and why would he argue? He nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Let’s go now, hurry!” He bounded towards camp a couple fox-lengths then turned back to Tide, pure joy adorning his expression. “Come on! I’ll race you, too, Storm!” With that, he turned and bounded off, tail high in the air. Tide and Storm glanced at each other, but they both ended up chuckling and following along together behind the white tom. “Wait up!” Tide called with a chuckle, his heart feeling free and happy.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 15 Cats sat in congregation together as they all lifted their heads towards their leaders. Hollystar and Sevenstar sat among the towering sycamore’s branches. Their heads were held high as they perched together on the high branch, looking down at their clanmates before them as they all settled into place, within the light snowfall. Tide and Cloudleap padded through the camp entrance together, their tails intertwined. Weightless happiness floated about them, until they noticed the gathering. “Oh no, we almost missed a clan meeting,” Cloudleap whispered and quickened his pace until he came up beside Flammingleaf and Algaejaw to sit next to them. Flammingleaf looked over at him, irritated. “There you are!” she hissed in a whisper. “You’re late. This meeting is probably the most important one since we’ve become Warriors.” Cloudleap’s went back in apology. “Sorry. Some…something happened, but we’ll tell you about it later.” He glanced to Tide, causing the orange she-cat to do the same. But she then shook her head. “Alright, just pay attention,” she told the two toms. Her attention reverted back to watching the two leading she-cats then. Algaejaw was silent the whole time but listened, a confused look on his face. But, still, he said nothing and also turned back to the leaders soon after the conversation was over. Sevenstar waited another moment before she began to address the two clans. “MossClan and WaterClan, we called this meeting to discuss the situation with RockClan,” she announced, her gaze sweeping the throng of felines. Her eyes were hard and cold like frozen stone. “Hollystar and I have discussed thoroughly on the matter, and we have come to the conclusion that if Howlstar and his Warriors see it fit to murder for the simple item of territory then we, all of us, have no choice but to do the same.” Some of the clans’ cats gasped in shock that normally cool-headed leader would say such a thing and have Hollystar also agree. Yet, some others murmured to each other or nodded approvingly. After all, if RockClan were going to kill them anyway to take over land then what choice did the other clans have? They could either leave or stay and fight the same. Hollystar’s chest puffed out slightly as she straightened more. “That’s right. Howlstar is out of control. He and his clanmates have killed several of our Warriors already when we tried to show them mercy in battle, and we cannot allow them to continue to murder us if we try to show mercy. Therefore, we have no choice but act accordingly and mirror their style,” she added with a stern tone and equally as steely gaze as Sevenstar. Tide listened in shock, surprised that Sevenstar would propose such an idea. He didn’t know Hollystar very well, but even she didn’t seem the type to want to wage war, either. Yet, here the two were, ordering their clans to kill other Warriors. This would be a hard thing for Tide to do. If things came down to a fight, he was still terrified to hurt another cat. Sure, he could do it in self-defense, but the thought still worried him that he may do it and end up finding a loophole. “Murder?” Storm’s ears went back as she listened from beside Tide. “I understand that the other clan will do it to them, but it is not right to do the same.” She shook her head and looked down. “Dark times are coming, for sure.” “We are aware of how awful it sounds,” Sevenstar spoke up once more. “But there is no other choice for us. We can either stay and fight their way to make it fair and give us all a chance, or we can run and abandon our territories forever. I won’t make anyone kill, but if you want to leave then now is your chance.” The clowder was silent for a bit, cats’ heads turning to look around and at each other. Finally, one cat spoke up, a Warrior of WaterClan. “What does StarClan have to say about all this?” he asked from among the crowd. “Have either of you spoken to them recently?” Hollystar and Sevenstar shared a glance, neither sure what to say. “I’ve spoken with them,” Brackenwish piped up then from below the tree, at the Nursery entrance in its roots. “They’re not happy about any of this, but from what I have been told, RockClan must be stopped and driven back into their own territory.” Loud murmurs and chatter erupted from the crowd. Algaejaw leaned over towards Cloudleap to whisper something to him, to which the white and gray tom nodded. Tide watched but said nothing and watched the cats then looked back to Brackenwish as she called for attention. “Listen!” The normally soft-tempered she-cat’s voice struck like lightning. Her fur puffed out a bit as she sat tall with her head high, determination sparkling in her eyes. “StarClan has told me that we will have to kill to win back territory, but we should also show mercy to those who need it. This means that if we’re in a fight and some cats show true fear or try to run then we must show them mercy. Only kill when we ourselves are in threat of being killed. However, Howlstar MUST be taken down. Treestar himself told me so.” More chatter came from the crowd at the mention of that name. Tide listened for a heartbeat then turned to Cloudleap, leaning near him. “Who’s Treestar?” he inquired in a whisper. “He was RockClan’s leader before Howlstar,” the other tom replied in a whisper of his own. “It’s really rare for the leader of another clan to speak to a different clan’s Medicine Cat. Things have to be really serious for that to happen.” It just showed how dire the situation actually was now. Hollystar held her tail up for silence, but a few still chattered among themselves anyway, either not noticing or not caring. They probably didn’t care the WaterClan leader had asked, since they were a few MossClan cats who were known for having attitudes, such as Halftail. “Silence!” Sevenstar yowled loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention instantly. “As long as WaterClan is here, you ALL will respect Hollystar and I equally. If one of asks for silence, then you shut your jaws immediately!” The clans fell into instant and stunned silence. “Now, as I was going to say,” Hollystar started, “Sevenstar and I have also decided to officially rage war on RockClan.” Despite the clear shock among some in the crowd, nobody made a sound or even gasped. “From this sun forth, until Howlstar is dead and RockClan retreats back to their own territory without trying to take over more, WaterClan and MossClan are at war with RockClan!” “War? This cannot be good,” Storm said, worry adorning her face as she looked up to the leading she-cats. “War only brings about death unnecessarily.” She sighed then and shook her head, her eyes closing and head tilting downwards. “But I suppose it is their only option in this instance. This Howlstar really has taken things too far if he resorts to murder and invading other territories to take them over.” ‘Yeah. This leaf-bare is hard, but it’s not that hard. Unless they really didn’t have hardly any food in their own territory,’ Tide thought to Storm while the clans began to discuss again. ‘maybe they don’t, and that’s why they’re so intent on taking over other territories. But, even so, it’s not right.’ “Yes,” Storm agreed. “They are still driving others out, leaving them to fend more for themselves, basically. They do not care what happens to those they make flee.” It was all so pointless and horrid. Just as Sevenstar was about to call the meeting over, a brown shape burst through the camp’s entrance tunnel, skidding to a halt. Everybody turned around to see who or what had barged into the camp. Sevenstar jumped down from the high branch and parted the crowd, going over to the newcomer, confused. “Fawnlight? What are you doing here?” she questioned, a hint of suspicion in her mew. The light brown she-cat panted, her white chest and belly heaving to inhale as much frigid air as possible, even though the coldness of it stung her lungs. “Sevenstar,” she panted and watched with wide eyes as Hollystar, Brackenwish, and Featherwillow – WaterClan’s Medicine cat – followed behind the MossClan leader to listen. “I have to…tell you…RockClan is…coming…” Hollystars ears perked up. “What? Here?” her eyes narrowed then. “When?” Fawnlight panted out again, “Now.” “What?” Sevenstar’s fur started to bristle. If RockClan was on their way to the camp now then they had very little time to prepare. “How do you know we can trust her?” Halftail spoke up then accusingly, stepping forward from the crowd. “She could just be trying to get us panicked. After all, she is RockClan’s Medicine Cat. We just waged war on them!” A few other cats murmured to each other, some nodding in agreement from both allied clans. Tide glanced around at every cat within his sight, worried. If they decided on it, the cats who didn’t believe this Medicine Cat could take her out with very little effort. It wouldn’t even be a fight. Sure, he was worried for the clans and about the war, but he also didn’t think a single cat, especially not a healer, would put themselves into such a dangerous situation without truly having good intentions to help and follow their morals. “She could be working with them!” a WaterClan cat shouted out, backing up Halftail. “Yeah! How do we know she’s not just trying trick us?” another cat from MossClan yelled from the crowd. Brackenwish and Featherwillow went to Fawnlight’s side as she collapsed to lie in the snow with her paws tucked under her as she struggled to breathe. Both standing Medicine Cats turned to face the riled up clans, puffing out their chests and standing as tall as they could. “She is not lying,” Featherwillow stated confidently. Brackewish nodded her agreement. “Howlstar may have lost touch with StarClan, but a Medicine Cat’s faith is the strongest among any clan member. No matter what, we listen to what they have to say, and our moral code goes above all else,” she spoke up. “We swore to help cats, all cats.” “Look at how much she’s struggling to breathe,” Featherwillow pointed out also, her tail flicking to Fawnlight’s form. “It’s clear that she ran here as fast as she possibly could to warn us of the impending attack.” “So, she’s good at acting,” Halftail countered coldly. There was some submission for the Medicine Cats, but he was still being firm in his belief that the newcomer from RockClan was lying to trick them. Tide stood up then, done with this all and with Halftail. He knew Halftail was only trying to protect the clan – even if he was being a jerk about it – but it was clear to Tide that this she-cat wasn’t trying to trick them. If both other Medicine Cats could stand up for her then so could he. The orange tabby moved to stand by Featherwillow, his own head high. “Can’t you understand that not all cats from outside the clan are bad?” he asked of Halftail. “I don’t know what your bias is all about, but not everybody is an ill-intentioned outsider. You hate me, but I never once did anything against this clan since being here. Now, you call a Medicine Cat a liar when they’re trying to warn us of danger just because of the clan they were born into.” Halftail tried to interject, taking another step forward and holding his ground. “But-“ “’But’ nothing!” Tide growled, not going to back down. “Enough!” Sevenstar yowled. She came to stand between the Medicine Cats and Tide together with Halftail and the crowd on her other side. “Quarreling now won’t solve anything. Truth or lies, it won’t hurt us any to prepare for a battle, either way.” Hollystar nodded her agreement. “I believe Fawnlight. No cat would run themselves so ragged to warn opposite clans for nothing, not even for a cheap trick that would have failed anyway,” she stated, coming to stand by Sevenstar. “As such, we must prepare for a hard battle where the enemy will be trying to kill us. Remember, everyone, we must not be hesitant to fight back the same way. Only show mercy when absolutely warranted,” Hollystar announced. “Not every RockClan Warrior will want to murder, so don’t betray them that way if they try to back down.” Tide backed down once the she-cats got involved and glanced back at the exhausted Fawnlight, who was now being tended to by the other two Medicine Cats as best they could. But Fawnlight struggled to stand. “Howlstar will kill…your kits,” she rasped. That shocked everyone. Now, the RockClan leader was really going too far. “You were quite brave standing up for the brown she-cat like that,” Storm told him, standing by them all. “I can admire that, and it shows that you are keeping your promise. However, this war will be a tough one for you.” She padded off into the snow, leaving no prints. “You may kill in self-defense, but you cannot kill to defend others if their time is due.” She stopped by the two kits of MossClan – Darkkit and Nightkit – who were huddled up by their mother, Shadowowl. All three black cats stood out drastically against the white-laden background. Everything covered in snow, and these three forms melded together in darkness. Next them sat the other queen of MossClan, Rainwing. Her blue-gray pelt stood out almost as much, her belly swollen with Halftail’s kits and making her look huge compared to other cats currently. Each of the four held grim or fearful expressions. Tide’s eyes softened for a heartbeat as he gazed upon the two queens and two additional young kits. But then he put his ears back in determination. ‘I’ll find a way to keep them safe. I won’t let some evil murderers kill kits or queens.’ “For their sake, I hope you do. But for your own sake, I hope you do not try to tempt the fates,” Storm told him. She didn’t want kits and queens to die either, but Tide was so close to being able to go to Paradise now. He had come so far, and she would hate to see it all wasted because he went against a dumb rule that said he couldn’t save one of these vulnerable cats from being killed. Sevenstar and Hollystar split up, and each went onto either side of the crowd. “Everyone, prepare for battle!” Sevenstar called out. “I want the kits, queens, and elders in the Nursery, under the sycamore tree. And I want at least five Warriors guarding them. Form a circle around the tree.” Cats started to divide from the group, doing as they were told and deciding who would be where. Frostbite, Algaejaw, Halftail, Fernwhisker, and another WaterClan Warrior – Windfur – gathered around the Nursery as the queens and kits huddled up inside, beneath the large tree’s roots. “Oakpaw, Sparrowpaw, I’m sorry it has to be done like this, but you should both enter this battle as Warriors. From now on, you’ll both be known as Oakbreeze and Sparrowspot. I want you both to watch the Medicine Den with at least two other Warriors.” Oakbreeze looked to her leader with wide, green eyes. She had been so eager and ready to receive her warrior name, but she had never thought it would come about like this. However, she would not complain. “Yes, Sevenstar!” she responded seriously but enthusiastically and followed the Medicine Cats as they nudged Fawnlight gently into the den. Sparrowspot looked on with wide eyes, as well, but for a different reason. The shy brown and black tom could hardly believe it. This was how he got his Warrior name? Right before a major battle where the enemy leader was willing to kill kits and queens? He looked down but went with Oakbreeze as he was told, though Tide could hear a low but audible, “We’re gonna die…” “The rest of us will spread out and form a circle within the camp’s walls. I want every spot watched and guarded,” Hollystar ordered. “Sevenstar, you and I can sit in the sycamore and keep watch for when they get here.” The towering tree would provide an effective look out point. The bare branches would make the two she-cats obvious, but they would also easily be able to see when RockClan approached. It was their best bet to get any kind of additional warning as to their impending war battle. The clans divided up and got into position. Tide and Cloudleap stood ready at the Medicine Den, but Brackenwish came out to nudge him inside with her and the other Medicine Cats. “What are you doing?” Cloudleap asked, confused as to the she-cats behavior. He stumbled a bit as she nudged him, but he did try to stand his ground a little bit, not knowing what was going on. “You’re not staying out here to fight,” the brindle she-cat meowed sternly. There wasn’t going to be any arguing with her, but the tom was going to try. This was probably the biggest fight he’d ever be in, so why should he not fight? “Look at yourself!” Brackenwish exclaimed with her whiskers twitching. “You’re such a mess still from all those other battles. Barely any of your wounds have healed properly yet. I can’t let you be out in this fray like everybody else.” She could see that Cloudleap was about to protest, opening his jaws to do so, but she intervened before he could speak. “Besides, if cats get past everyone outside the den, you’ll be the one who has to protect us. We medicine cats can’t fight so well, you know?” The tom stared at her, contemplating the decision for a moment before he finally nodded. “Fine.” He turned to Tide and nudged him affectionately. “Be safe, okay? You’re not allowed to die on me.” ‘Oh, you have no idea,’ Tide thought but nudged him back without saying a thing about it. “You, too,” was all he told him then watched the two other cats go into the den. Flamingleaf came over and took a spot next to Tide to defend the Medicine Den, Oakbreeze and Sparrowspot coming to aid as commanded. Batflight from WaterClan also came to help. The two leaders climbed up into the bare branches of the tree and sat like sentries perched on opposite sides of the massive trunk. Their eyes started to scan the frozen landscape around while the cats below finalized their positions. Once everyone settled down, there was nothing but silence. The wind didn’t even blow the slightest breeze as a light flurry fell and anticipation grew stronger. Cats looked around, observing each other’s composure and waiting, straining to hear any sound of stirring paws or crunching snow. But nothing. Tide kneaded the solid ground anxiously. For some reason, the lack of sound and movement was putting him on edge. Was Fawnlight really lying? But what benefit would that bring if she was? And what if she wasn’t lying? In that case, everyone would be in for the fight of their lives. “Relax,” Flammingleaf breathed from beside him, in front of the Medicine Den. “No matter what, we are going to win, and we’re going to be fine.” She gave him a reassuring purr. “We’ve got this.” Tide looked to the other orange tabby and nodded but didn’t feel too uplifted by her attempts. He simply couldn’t be relaxed or believe what she said. Sure, they had a good chance of winning due to their numbers with it being two clans against one, but he was worried about how many of the lives he’d come to enjoy and appreciate would be snuffed out. Flammingleaf only had one life, one chance. It was the same for Cloudleap, but at last he was safer off in the Medicine Den. Sevenstar only had two lives left, too, and with the way it sounded like RockClan wanted to play things they would cheat to snuff her out. Not to mention, he would absolutely hate to see innocent kits and queens be killed, and even Algaejaw, as the odd-speaking tom had started to grow on him, even if he was from WaterClan. There was just too much of a chance that those who cared about or felt were innocent would die soon. Strom sat in front of him, her tail curled neatly around her paws as she gazed straight ahead to the entrance tunnel of camp. In the barren wasteland of snow, the camp’s wall and entrance were almost entirely see-through. Normally, it was all made up of thorn tendrils, ferns, and branches. Now, only the branches and dead brambles remained, allowing for a lot of visual opportunity, especially for a spiritual cat like herself. “They are coming,” she reported suddenly, her voice eerily calm. She rose to her paws and walked over to the front of camp then slipped through the wall, or, rather, the wall slipped through her while she simply walked onwards. Stopping just beyond the tendrils, she stared ahead, gazing out at the beautifully white landscape. Beyond the borders, she could see for fox-lengths. Trees stripped of their leaves and soil blanketed by undisturbed cold provided an ideal look-out opportunity. Approaching from a distance, there they were. A garrison of cats bounded through the dead forest, kicking up mists of soft snow in their wake. Each cat had their tails held high as they came barreling towards camp, Howlstar in the lead. “Only a few more heartbeats until they’re here,” Storm called to Tide. In that moment, Hollystar spotted them from the sycamore. “Incoming!” she announced to the camp. Everybody below instantly stiffened and prepared to defend the camp and their respective positions. Beside Tide, Sparrowspot trembled as his amber eyes stared intently, fearfully at the camp’s entrance. Next to him, his sister nudged him lightly with her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” Oakbreeze told him with determination glinting in her green eyes. “We’ll be okay; we’ve got the whole of MossClan and WaterClan on our side. We can do this.” Sparrowspot glanced at her for a split moment but then went right back to watching the entrance. He couldn’t speak. No matter how badly he wanted to believe his much braver sister, he just couldn’t say a thing about it. All he could do was let out a terrified howl as RockClan cats burst through the entrance tunnel and even through some weaker parts of the walls, surrounding the camp. Tide’s eyes widened as he watched the sheer number of enemy cats pour into Camp. There had to be every single RockClan cat there to invade, malic in Howlstar’s eyes as he headed right for the Nursery, under the sycamore. This was it. This was the start of the war. Instantly, the quiet hollow turned into a frenzy. Waves of cats began to fight, throwing swipes and claws and gnashing teeth together. Sevenstar and Hollystar jumped from the sycamore to help defend the Nursery, with the added intention to kill Howlstar. Around them, other RockClan Warriors began to scuffle with defending felines, some fighting with all that they had to get past and into the dens or to murder, but some others were noticeably shaken and fearful to take things too far. At least, it was proof that not all of RockClan cats wanted to go through with Howlstar’s evil ideals. Tide didn’t even have much time to think as they were sieged. A white she-cat whose pelt almost completely camouflaged her within the snow leaped onto Tide from the front. Only her pale, yellow eyes that burned with fury gave away her assault. Even Storm was too slow to warn him. Tide fell back, claws ripping into his shoulders as he let out a screech of pain and surprise. The she-cats eyes blazed into his as they came face to face, Tide lying on his back. There was not much that the immortal tom feared anymore, having experienced so much danger and pain, but these enemy’s eyes, they struck him a new kind of terror. He’d never seen anything like it before in all his years, such a lust for blood. She tore into him, ripping up his winter pelt and beyond with strong claws. All Tide could seem to do was struggle but feebly. The pain was too great for his brain to function, to tell him what to do to make the agony stop. Very quickly, all around camp and from Tide himself, red stained perfect white, melting holes into the cold. “Tide! You have to fight back!” Storm shouted frantically. She appeared by his side, but, since she was nothing more than a spirit seen and heard only by him, there was nothing she could do. Even that one time where she had possessed his body in order to fight off a fox, he had been unconscious and about to be devoured. It was highly unlikely that she would be able to replicate those actions again. If Tide died then he died, but he would come back. It’s the pain-filled yowls that she hated, to know he was in absolute agony because of this crazed she-cat and there was nothing to be done about it from her end. That’s when someone else intervened. From inside the Medicine Den came a burst of white and gray. The she-cat was knocked off of Tide with force as Cloudleap pounced. He landed on her, poultice and burrs in his fur from recent treatment for other battle wounds. He hissed as he jumped off the other white cat, coming to stand between her and Tide, his back arched and fur fluffed out as far as it would go. His eyes stayed on the she-cat as she picked herself up, but he did speak back to his new mate. “You okay, Tide?” Tide laid there in shock, his mind not adequately comprehending what had just happened. The cold stung his nose and paws but numbed his bleeding wounds. Above him, the sky was dark with rolling, gray clouds, and light snow fell. His eyes stared up at it, no stars or sun in sight, only darkness and sky’s ash. Only the sound of battle yowls and cries of agony hit his ears, muffled in their volumes. “Get up,” Storm ordered him, worried but stern. “You have to get up, or they will only hurt you more!” Her voice seemed to do nothing for him; he didn’t move or even blink. It was as if the tom was no longer aware she even existed. So, she had to make him pay attention to her, make him hear. She leaned over his face, close and stared into his eyes. Their muzzles almost touched – if she could have touched him. In her eyes held a blazing passion of her own, one that was much more stern yet loving and warm. Finally, Tide blinked, and his own gaze seemed to focus on her. “You have to listen to me,” Storm declared. “You have to get up and fight. Right now. Fight! Help the clans live! Save them; save Cloudleap!” The words echoed in his ears, ringing and resonating within. Finally, it seemed to click. Tide flipped around and rose to his feet, shoulders torn up and leaking crimson, but a new fire burned within, reflected in his emerald eyes. Cloudleap and the white she-cat tumbled near him, a ball of screeching and claws and red. Their pelts melded together and merged with the snow, only their crimson and fierce eyes distinguishing them. The she-cat struck Cloudleap across the nose, slashing it open. In retaliation, he went for a bite on her shoulder, crunching down as hard as he could while she then reached around to grip his skull in razors as he held her. Instinct kicked in, and, before he knew it, the she-cat was on the ground. Tide pinned her, having pounced and knocked her away from his mate, his friend. Adrenaline filled his veins, numbing every wound he had, along with the cold’s help, and allowing for full-force attacks. “You have to kill her,” Storm interjected in his numb, muffled mind. “Go for the throat. She will kill you and Cloudleap and everyone else if she can get her jaws around their throats. Do it!” Storm’s voice in his mind was only an echo, muffled like everything else was right now in his ears and brain. There were no thoughts, only actions. No noise mattered, only what was right in front of his tunnel-vision eyes right now, in this moment. Yet, he listened. That little, faint echo of influence was all he needed. The she-cat snarled and swiped at him, on her side now. It seemed they were both driven superficially by adrenaline, but their inner desires that really ran the show were vastly different. While she wanted to kill and conquer – even if it was to ultimately survive – his desire was to protect those he cared about and those who could not protect themselves. Ultimately, there was no question as to who would win the struggle. Tide took the hit to his muzzle easily as he had done so many times in the past. Another advantage he had over any enemy here was experience. He’d been attacked and bitten and battered, broken so many times that when it came right down to it, he could take a hit like it was nothing. In these types of moments, it was less than nothing. He snarled back at the snowy cat and opened his jaws wide. Storm’s voice continued to echo in his mind, triggering the tiger within. His gaze caught the she-cat’s for only a moment before he went down on her throat with his teeth, sinking them in. Her eyes, for a split moment, flickered from ferocity to pure fear as she realized what he was doing. And she also knew that there was nothing to be done to stop it. Soon, all life faded from her body, and she went from trying to struggle underneath him while pinned to the ground to lying totally still. Lifeless. After the deed, the tabby tom turned to see Cloudleap watching with a mixture of pain, horror, and relief. He only gave a curt nod in response then retreated to the Medicine Den, dodging other quarreling cats. Right by the entrance, Sparrowspot tumbled with a Warrior much bigger than himself. The RockClan cat was bulkier by far, but Sparrowspot was doing his best to use his lithe, agile body against that. However, his inexperience was getting the better of him. The young tom got pinned, enemy priming his jaws to clamp down on his throat. Then, Flammingleaf interjected, leaping onto the bigger cat’s back and tearing into him with a large gash across her side. Not even a heartbeat after that, Algaejaw joined the fray and came in from the side. He bit down onto the bigger tom’s front leg with his malformed jaws, sending a sickening ‘crack’ through the air with all the other sounds of brutal battle. Sparrowspot scrambled to his paws and opted to retreat back towards the Medicine Den entrance. Tide turned his attention elsewhere, seeing that they were handling the situation. Storm’s voice came again. “Behind you!” With that, he spun around on a whim just in time to see his nemesis barreling through the crowd towards him. Barkfur’s fury far surpassed that of the white she-cat who Tide had tussled with previously. This time, Barkfur knew he could expose Tide in front of everyone, in all the clans. He knew he could kill his quarry as much as felinely possible. Tide’s heart still raced, still sent adrenaline coursing. The fire emanating from Barkfur didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Tide was going to end his legacy right now, end this brutal feud and madness, end Barkfur.
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Chapter 16 ‘Are you sure it’s alright to kill him?’ Tide thought, his mind racing. It made the moment freeze in time, Barkfur hurling himself at Tide in slow motion, the mind quicker than lightning. “Yes,” Storm answered back, her response just as quick, as if they two cats really did share a mind. “He is clearly out for blood, most intruders here are. They only way to stop them is to kill them, or they’ll kill everyone. I promise your fears mean nothing in this instance; you will be alright to shed blood.”That’s all the confirmation that Tide needed. While he wasn’t a killer really himself, he had done it before with the fox in the forest and others who have tried to murder him. He needn’t seek out the intentions of killing, but when they came to him, the tom could work with it.Time sped up once more in his perspective, and he was able to jump, mostly, out of the way of the barreling brown tom. However, as the enemy leapt at him, claws did manage to catch his side, opening up three small but long gashes over his ribs. Tide gritted his teeth with a hiss but stuck the landing, spinning to face Barkfur.“This time everyone will see!” Barkfur snarled, landing a bit away and whipping around. The intensity and crazed desire in his eyes made him seem almost in-feline. It was nearly like the tom was possessed by a greater evil, a more powerful force.His claws dug deep into the frozen ground, showing just how much force he was exerting with the anger. “Never again will my clan laugh at me or call me crazy! Never again will only my mate show sympathy towards me at their mocking!” He twitched a bit. Then, his voice seemed to shift, going a tone deeper and running more smoothly. I will make you pay for what you have done to me. You will die!” Fur puffed up completely, he rushed back towards Tide, even kicking up some chunks of stiff dirt with the powdery snow.His heart sank as Tide watched the brown tom come for him like this. He really wasn’t a cat inside anymore, not a normal one. Something drastic had changed. Honestly, the tom had no idea how to fight someone so angry and insane. It all caught him off guard way too much. In the blink of an eye, Tide’s world was spinning, tackled with such force that he and Barkfur were sent tumbling together several tail-lengths. They bumped into other cats, splitting up another fight momentarily, until those cats remerged to continue.Tide ended up with his back on the cold, hard ground. His sight was filled with a turning image of Barkfur leaning over him, weight on his chest so as to not let in any air. Barkfur dug stinging claws into the orange cat’s front legs, pinning them to the ground with teeth bared in his face. “Now, everyone will see. Now, I will finally have my revenge for what you’ve done, after all these seasons,” Barkfur hissed in that deep, dark tone of voice. He locked eyes with Tide, his the narrowest of slits and wild. Yet they seemed to be glazed over, too, as if he was only a vessel for the extreme violence and rage.Tide looked up, actual fear coursing through his veins. Even if he died and knew he’d come straight back, it made no difference. Something things – some cats – were just to terrifying to shrug off, no mater who you were or how many chaotic, horrible things you’ve experienced. This was simply one of those things, one of those times. Even though he knew there was no point in holding back in battle, even that wouldn’t save him now. As Barkfur opened his jaws wide, priming them for the killing bite, a voice rang out loud and clear across the battlefield camp. “Stop!”Everyone, in all clans, paused their battles to gaze towards the source. Atop the rocky outcropping of MossClan’s camp stood a gray she-cat, her fur decorated in stripes and belly heavily swollen. She stood tall and proud in the lightly falling snow, her expression and green eyes stern.Barkfur, too, looked up to see the familiar she-cat, and it seemed as if the malice in his eyes faded instantly with even the pupils growing some from their thin state. “Cricketsong?” he called out. “What are you doing here?” His grip loosened on Tide, and that was the opportunity he needed.Tide shoved Barkfur off with his hind legs under the belly, and then he scrambled up to his paws. Turning, he faced his attacker with puffed up fur and arched back, claws bared and ready. Yet, Barkfur only stumbled off, casting a single glance to Tide before returning his attention back to the gray she-cat. It was suddenly as if Tide meant nothing to him.“Get back to the camp!” Barkfur called up to the other cat. “You’re due any sun now; you can’t be out here in this harsh cold!” Concern rang throughout his voice, that glazed look in his eyes fading.Cricketsong narrowed her steely eyes slightly but lost none of her composure. “No, Barkfur. I am sick of this fighting and needless death. It isn’t right,” she stated back, immovable. “You may be my mate, but you’ve changed too much. You are not the tom I fell in love with, the tom I want my kits to know.” She swept her gaze across the now still and silent clearing. “You’ve all changed. This is not the RockClan I grew up in. This is savagery, merciless killing against StarClan’s wishes. Only very few of you are the good cats I know. The rest of you lot are monsters, murders with no sense of right or wrong anymore. I will not have it any longer!”Whispers and murmurs began to sweep the clearing as RockClan cats conversed quietly, some coming to their senses and realizing what they had done, what they had been doing. She was right, some thought. Their loyalty to Howlstar had clouded their judgement too much. Eyes fell upon the patch-pelted clan leader. Howlstar had been listening, but he did so with another cat at his feet, one he had just killed just outside the nursery. The young brown and black tom’s pelt stained red, eyes glazed over with fear as he laid still at Howlstar’s paws.The corrupt leader sneered back to Cricketsong. “And who are you to tell us such things?” he challenged. “You’re only a Queen, barely even a Warrior before that. You have no experience to run a clan and tell us what to do or believe. StarClan doesn’t care about this, for it is for the good of the clan. With more territory and less competition comes more food for all of us and your lying mouth,” he hissed back, standing with his head held high.“No.” Fawnlight stumbled through the Medicine Cat entrance with Cloudleap by her side, supporting her upright. “You lie,” she announced back. “You may have spoken with StarClan because you’re the leader, but they don’t want this. They want this to stop. I may be young, but I have spoken with them many more times than you have. Even what you have convinced yourself of is not their will. You may want to believe this is for the good of the clan, but all it is, is senseless murder. Nothing more and nothing less.”More chatter wisped through the crowd. All those who didn’t belong to RockClan simply sat and listened, waiting to see what would happen next. Duskstone – a RockClan cat who had caused trouble for both WaterClan and MossClan in the past with arrogance and readiness to fight – rose higher in posture. “You told us this is what our ancestors wanted, what they told us to do in order to survive,” she challenged Howlstar. Blood was shining on her midnight pelt, but she held a steady and accusing glare at the leader. “Yeah, you told us this is what we had to do,” another RockClan cat joined in. “You lied to us so we’d kill for you!”Howlstar narrowed his eyes at them then looked back up to Cricketsong. “I said what needed to be spoken,” he addressed the clan while keeping a fixed gaze on Cricketsong atop the rocks. “I was saving us.”“No, you were saving your greed,” Cricketsong countered, holding her ground against him. Howlstar bared his fangs and folded his ears back as far as they would press. “You think you can stop me? Stop us?” he hissed at her. “If you think what I’m doing is so wrong then you can die, too, just like everyone else who tries to stand in my way!” With that, he left the corpse at his feet and raced for the rocky outcropping spire that she was on. Cricketsong reared back in shock, not having expected the tom to charge at her like this. Sure, she had wanted to stand up and stop the war and death, but she still had kits in her belly. She had to protect them. But, before she could run, a blur of brown intercepted Howlstar and shoved him away, right before he reached the base of the rocks. Howlstar went flying with the force, his journey ending with a bank of snow piled up behind him from skidding on the ground. He shook his head and rose to his paws, anger visibly burning with a passion within. “Don’t interfere, Barkfur!”The brown tom stood defensively between him and Cricketsong, stump of a tail lashing back and forth as much as it possibly could. “I won’t let you hurt her!” he snarled back, mirroring the crazed leader’s passion. “You’re nothing to me then.” Howlstar flung himself at Barkfur, and the two tumbled onto the ground, turning into a mass of shrieks and claws and fury. Snow flew up everywhere in their wake, providing a dense curtain which blocked the view of most. Although, Cricketsong could still see from her perch. “Barkfur, no!”Tide watched the white shroud the bloodshed but not perfectly. He caught a glimpse of Barkfur getting a clawed slap in the face, red trailing behind from the blow. Then, there was another glimpse of Howlstar’s ear getting shredded. It was as if everything returned to that state of slow motion, but now it wasn’t for his thoughts. The fight seemed to go on forever yet last only a few heartbeats. When the snow finally settled, it was clear who had come out the victor. On the ground, in a growing pool, laid Barkfur’s body, his throat torn open but fangs still bared as if he was still in the fight. Oddly, a black cloud of what appeared to be smoke rose from his body, dissipating in the air soon after. Howlstar stood with half an ear missing and other smaller wounds and cuts oozing red. He panted as he turned his attention back to Cricketsong. “Your turn,” he growled.Cricketsong looked on with devastated grief, no fear residing but only sadness for her fallen mate. He may have been obsessed with exposing Tide, but he had still given that and his life up to protect her and their unborn kits. She took only a single step back but could manage no more with her eyes locked on Barkfur’s lifeless body. Even the black smoke emanating from the body wasn’t a concern, not to anyone after what had just happened.That’s when others snapped out of the same trances of shock at seeing the whole scene. Half of the RockClan cats moved through the crowd swiftly, mobilizing to form a wall protectively in front of Cricketsong. “This has gone too far,” Duskstone meowed, stepping out of the middle of the living wall confidently. “It was one thing to have to take territory to sustain the clan, but this is too much. This is too much murder. I cannot stand behind any cat who wants to kill a pregnant queen and then actually kills her mate who gave his life to protect her.”“You’re betraying me, too?” Howlstar demanded, eyes narrowing. “All of you? Fine then, I don’t need soft-bellies like you lot to have a great clan that thrives. It’ll be better without any of you in it!” The other half of RockClan shoved their way through the crowd to stand behind Howlstar, expressions fierce and tails lashing. “We will be the ones who prevail!”Sevenstar limped forward, emerging from behind other cats. One of her eyes was shut, missing, and her right hind leg was held up off the ground and bent at a weird angle near the paw, broken. Other gashes and claw marks littered her ragged body. “I implore you to think again,” she responded, ever clam and confident despite her visible injuries and exhaustion. “That’s right. You are vastly outnumbered here, and evil like you will never win.” Hollystar moved to stand beside the other leader, offering support silently but getting denied with a simple shake of Sevenstar’s head. That’s when the rest of the clan cats, both WaterClan and MossClan, moved to surround Howlstar and those who were still loyal to him. The numbers of both clans had been drastically reduced, but the ones that remained standing – even those who were extremely injured – stepped up to show their support and were ready to keep fighting till the end.“You have nowhere to run and no way to fight us all,” Sevenstar told Howlstar, pushing down the urge to pant and forcing herself to speak and breathe normally. “You can’t win here.”“We’ll see about that,” Howlstar spat back at her. He raised his tail, and everyone, absolutely everyone in the camp still breathing, tensed. Tide knew what this meant; they would have to wipe out all these other cats for peace, however temporary or permanent. Once Howlstar’s tail fell for the signal for his followers to attack, that would be it. He didn’t take his eyes off the light gray tom, his darker patches seeming to now pulsate form the tension. In fact, it was so intense in the air that no sound could be heard in Tide’s ears, other than his own blood pumping from an increasingly pounding heart.Storm was silent, as well, watching. She sat next to Tide, in the first wave of the surrounding circle. She knew what was to come, and it was necessary. If Howlstar wanted blood so badly then he would be getting it. He would have his own spilled. While she did not converse or associate at all with their StarClan, she still knew what was right and how events had to happen in order to achieve what was right. Only when Howlstar and the cats who still followed him were dead would these clans and Tide get any peace. Of course, it was easy to walk away, for her and Tide to just wander and move on like they always had before, but this time wasn’t like that. This time was different than all the rest. He was different, and Storm would stick by Tide’s side no matter what happened. This, she had vowed to do long ago.Finally, it happened. Howlstar’s tail dropped, and those who remained following the twisted tom lunged at whomever was closest in the circle to them with fire and fury. But the circle retaliated, stronger. As one corrupt cat leapt for one with a conscience, two more good Warriors came to help. Effectively, this gave the kinder cats a huge advantage of three against one foe. Howlstar himself went for Sevenstar, seeing she was exceptionally weak from the battle already and finding her to be an easy kill. However, Hollystar remained by her side and fought the tom instead. They met each other with tooth and claw, screeching blazing passion. Hollystar managed to get good swipe on Howlstar’s muzzle, but he did the same back and then played dirty by kicking up snow into her eyes. For that split moment her eyes were closed, the gray and black tom knocked her back. He leaned over her and unleashed a flurry of forepaw blows to her head and chest. Still, unable to see and getting beaten up now, the WaterClan leader returned the favor to his belly with her hind paws, opening up gashes in the soft underfur. Howlstar shrieked and jumped off her, stumbling a bit as he did so. “You’ll pay for that,” he snarled and was about to lunge again, but it was Sevenstar’s turn. As injured as she was, she could not let Hollystar defend her and fight alone. Perhaps it wasn’t the smartest move, but it was her honorable one. The tabby she-cat tackled Howlstar while his attention was on the other leader, able to catch him off guard with the attack. He got knocked onto his side, leaving himself vulnerable, which Sevenstar took advantage of. She swiped a few times, slow but powerful, at his already damaged belly. Only one hit really landed and did any damage, as the tom blocked most others relatively easily with his forepaws. “You’re getting slower and weaker, Sevenstar,” he mocked her. “You yourself might as well give up, Crippledstar.” His eyes glinted with malice and hatred.“Don’t call her that!” That’s when Tide joined in on the fight. He bounded towards them, claws ready to sink into Howlstar’s arrogant being. He would not let him kill the clan leaders!Howlstar scrambled up, swiping Sevenstar in the muzzle, as well, to push her away. “Come and try me, rogue,” he hissed to Tide and spread his feet for a wide, ready stance. Though, he had to also keep his eyes on the tow she-cats, too.Tide let out a battle yowl as he charged, leaping and then hitting Howlstar head on. The two rolled together, Tide coming out on top. He started to batter and beat the corrupt leader’s face with unsheathed claws, screeching as he did so. Howlstar had to take a few hits, but then he raked his hind claws down Tide’s belly, causing pain to shoot up through him intensely and forcing him to jump off to the side, now bleeding. He stumbled a bit to stay upright from the pain. The snow of the camp never seemed to stop being painted.Howlstar was about to jump up, but Hollystar intervened then. She got back into the fight and took Tide’s place, despite her own injuries. However, instead of going right overtop of him, she stayed to the side and went for the throat.He yowled back at her and swiped, hitting a few times but growing fatigued from all the fighting he had already done. Everyone was. He had to end this and fast. He waited for her to lunge at him again, and once she did, he wrapped his forepaws around her neck and bit down onto her throat, trapping her and landing the killing blow. Sevenstar rushed to help – as much as she could – and bit down as hard as possible onto his hind leg, causing it to emit a load ‘snap.’ However, it was too late. The bite had already been delivered, and when Howlstar let Hollystar go, she stumbled back a bit, heavy red flow emerging from the wound. Her eyes flicked to Sevenstar and Tide quickly, stunned, and then she collapsed. The life and color drained from her, and, slowly, her eyes closed for the final time, her last life lost.“No!” Sevenstar shrieked out, jaw now agape with an expression of pure horror. Her friend, the leader of WaterClan, was dead. For good.Howlstar began to chuckle at their reactions, at his victory. Soon, that chuckling turned into full-on evil laughter. “What are you going to do now? Eh, Cripplestar?” he sneered as he rose to his paws. His injured one hung in the air, and it obviously had to hurt horribly, but he appeared to ignore it in favor of seeming superior.Sevenstar couldn’t answer. She couldn’t even will herself to think of words or take her eyes off of her friend’s now lifeless body. Everything – the world, her heart, her mind – it all seemed so numb and quiet.Tide stared in disbelief but managed to snap out of it himself. He took a step forward, Storm by his side. Pain still radiated through him, and his belly wounds continued to leak. Yet, he had to fight. Sure, it hurt, but he wouldn’t die, not for good, not like Hollystar.But, before he could even take another step forward, Fawnlight, RockClan’s Medicine Cat, bolted from the Medicine Den where she had been recovering from exhaustion. Seeing her leader murdered in such a way brought so much rage to her that it fueled her body. She jumped onto Howlstar's back in a surprise attack and started to beat him on the back of the head with her claws. He let out a surprised yowl and began to flail weakly under the heavy weight with hind paw held slightly in the air, the one Sevenstar had bit. “Get off!” Then, the other two Medicine Cats joined in. Brackenwish went for his flank, biting down on his tail and hind legs to make him unsteady. Featherwillow rushed in next, taking Howlstar head-on at the front and delivering swift, effective blows. The Medicine Cats – Brackenwish and Featherwillow especially – had not been involved in the battle yet, so they had all of their energy to spare. This made their attacks much stronger and more effective against the already very hurt and exhausted Howlstar.It didn’t take long for the tom’s legs to give out on him with the weight of Fawnlight on his back and the other two Medicine Cats attacking from both the front and behind. After collapse, his body was shrouded from sight by the she-cats’ fur and fierce blows. After only a few heartbeats – even if they did seem to last a lifetime – the she-cats ceased their assault and stepped back, revealing a very ragged and battered Howlstar. He laid still and motionless, not even the rise and fall of his sides from breath remained.“Howlstar is dead!” Fawnlight announced in a yowl to the camp. With that, the fighting haulted, and cats turned to see the truth. Their eyes, all of them, gazed upon the ragged tom. Most were joyful and glad of this, but the few that remained who had still followed him emitted shock and now even panic. What were they to do now? “We took all three of his remaining lives,” Brackenwish meowed, stepping up to stand by her fellow Medicine Cat, her voice and gaze stern.Featherwillow came to stand by them, as well. “And if those of you who still thought it was a good idea to follow him on his cruel path want to continue to live, unlike him, I suggest you flee now.”Just then, several cats turned tail and bolted through the camp entrance, leaving the battle over and won but also leaving behind numerous, lifeless bodies of the fallen – both good and bad. Tide’s eyes swept the camp, taking in the full extent of the damage. Some cats he had known were gone, and it honestly pained him. Halftail was among those dead, and even that brought some sorrow to his heart. He noticed Fernwhisker, the MossClan deputy, among the dead. Worse yet, Sparrowspot lie motionless by the Nursery, right where Howlstar had left him, before trying to deal with Cricketsong. Oakbreeze went to her brother, her wail of despair piercing the silence as she tried desperately to wake him up.“No,” she cried and pushed on his side with her paws. “You have to get up, Sparrowspot. Please. We won; you have to be okay. I promised you’d be okay…” She buried her head into his still shoulder as sobs of pure anguish escaped her jaws.Sevenstar seemed to snap out of her trance then as cats of all clans – even the remaining RockClan who had turned their backs on Howlstar – went to their fallen friends. The leader’s expression was so tired and defeated, despite their victory against evil. Still, she went to the base of the sycamore tree, by the Nursery entrance, and yowled loudly to call attention to herself for a mass meeting of all the clans.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠ Chapter 17 All surviving cats turned their attention to Sevenstar as she drew it. No one moved to get any closer or gather like a true mass at normal meetings, because nobody wanted to traverse through the carnage left behind by their epic battles. Instead, all stared on right from where they currently stood or sat, but every bit of attention was on the MossClan leader. Even those in the midst of mourning the dead watched on. Tide looked on like the rest.“This sun is a horrible one filled with blood and cruelty,” Sevenstar began. Her exhaustion was evident, but she still made her voice strong as her one remaining eye swept the ravaged camp. “We have lost many friends, much family, and almost an entire clan. But this bloodshed does not come without light, for now we are forever rid of an immense lake of greed disguised in fur.” She took a moment to breathe deeply, catching her breath. “Things will never be the same again, but this doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” she continued on after the pause. “This sun, I would like to propose that we all live in peace, at least for a while. No more fighting over prey or territory or scrabbles over borders. I’m well aware this idea is merely that – an idea – and that it will not last forever. However, if we work for it, we can all thrive in peace, as friends and allies, at least for a while. Let those who have fought bravely and honorably from all clans who’ve fallen not die in vain.”The crowd began to murmur as cats discussed the proposition, but many nodded in agreement. Tide was one of those who showed approval. Seeing this kind of fighting, this kind of crimson spilled on the ground and lives lost… He had seen this only one other time – when his original clan was attacked by the rats. It sickened him to his very core, and he would never wish for this to ever happen again to anyone.“We need a new leader,” a WaterClan cat called out from among the mass. “Hollystar and Lightleap are dead. We have no leader nor deputy.” More panicked chatter arose, all from WaterClan cats who remained. “What are we going to do?”“Has this ever happened before?”“Will StarClan choose a new leader for us?”Tide looked all around him, listening to their desperation. He got an idea then and made his way up to the sycamore, by Sevenstar. “Put it to a vote,” he announced. This grabbed the cats’ attention. “Just vote to see who you all think would make the best leader.”The cats all turned to look at each other, unsure. “StarClan may not like that,” one cat called out.“Yeah, it’s never been done like that before,” another added.Tide shook his head. “So what? Just because it hasn’t been done that way before doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” he told them. “And if StarClan objects to it then fine, find another way. But there’s no harm in trying a vote first, right?”They chattered some more, deciding on it. Then. Algaejaw stepped forward. “I’d like to sssstep up and try to be leader,” he announced, causing even more noise.“I will also step up.” A tom who looked almost identical to Algaejaw came to stand beside him. They shared the same midnight fur and bright yellow eyes. The only differences between the two were Algaejaw’s prominent underbite and the other tom’s slightly bulkier form with him also having folded over ears.A stunned meow came from the crowd. “Brothers competing for leadership?”“I hope this doesn’t go bad like in haunting tales…” another voice stated uncertainly. The new black tom shook his head. “It won’t. My brother and I have no ill will against each other and won’t, even if the other is chosen.”Algaejaw nodded. “Batffflight and I are both good cats, and you all know thissss. We only wishhhh to help the clan.”Sevenstar stood by, letting the leader choosing happen. This wasn’t just her meeting, despite the setting. It was the meeting of all the clans, of all the cats. And this, WaterClan acquiring a new leader after losing theirs and their deputy, was very important. “If StarClan objects to either of these two toms being chosen by vote as the new WaterClan leader, please, give us a sign now,” Sevenstar howled to the heavens. Of course, as the only remaining leader of all three clans, she did feel the need to assist the ceremony as best she could.The sky stayed the same as her words echoed in freezing air. Light bits of snow continued to fall, soft and peaceful. The darkening sky got no blacker than normal, and no outside noises sounded. Everything was still.A few heartbeats went by, but when nothing happened, the MossClan leader nodded. “There you all have it. No objections have been made clear, so vote now,” she told the crowd. “All those WaterClan cats in favor of Algaejaw becoming your new leader, stand and raise your tails to be counted.” Several cats did as they were told and rose to their paws, raising their tails up into the air, eyes on the black tom. Sevenstar nodded and motioned for them to sit. “All those in favor of Batflight becoming your new leader rise and raise your tails.” The rest of the WaterClan cats showed their vote then sat back down.Sevenstar thought for a moment, going over the numbers in her head to double check mentally. “It would seem we have a tie,” she meowed, unsure of what to do now. Another wave of conversation erupted from the crowd.Batflight and Algaejaw turned their heads to look at each other, mirroring the same thoughtful gaze. “I think you should take it then,” Batflight spoke up to his brother after a moment.Algaejaw looked to his brother in shcok. “Are you ssserioussss?” he asked, totally not expecting this turn of events. “But you’re sssuch a better fighter than I am. And I sssspeak weird. Do you really thhhink thhhe clan would lisssten to me over you?” He couldn’t see it happening too much. Of course, he wanted to help and do what he could to lead the clan well if he did end up being leader, but since his brother was also running – a cat he admired and thought to be better than himself – he doubted things.Batflight blinked slowly, showing his trust and own admiration. “Perhaps I am, but you are wiser than I ever could be. And you’re much more brave,” he told him with a purr. “We were both made fun constantly for our abnormalities, but you took always pushed through it. No matter what anybody else said, you always did your best to prove you were worth their respect. You were always so kind to everyone, no matter what they said about you. Me, I trained to fight well. I lashed out at those who disrespected me and grew stronger to earn my place in the clan that way. But you worked on strategy, and you’ve forged friendships stronger than any I could ever hope to, even if some are outside of the clan. You may not speak like a normal cat because of your jaw, but your words are wise, and they say more than I could ever hope to. Brother, you are an ambassador and should lead, because I know you will lead with wisdom and a pure heart. That’s what our clan needs right now. That’s what all the clans need now.”Algaejaw couldn’t believe his ears, and the expression on his face showed that. “Thank you,” he meowed, his mew cracking a bit as if he was ready to tear up, if he could. He turned back to the crowd and puffed out his chest. “I promissse to lead thhhe clan to the bessst of my ability ssso thhhat we prosssper.”The WaterClan seemed to accept this and yowled their approval. After such a beautiful brotherly speech, who could they not? “Algaestar! Algaestar! Algaestar!” they chanted. Tide cheered with them, Cloudleap very loud amongst the noise.After the cheer died down, a RockClan cat spoke up. “What about us?” Duskstone appeared in the crowd, the cats parting just a bit to reveal her more. “We have so few cats that we cannot even have a clan anymore.”Cricketsong made her way down into the little hollow. “She is right,” she said, sweeping all the cats with her gaze. “If we try to stay as a clan in our original territory, we will surely perish. I don’t agree with Howlstar’s actions at all, but one of the reasons he overtook your territories was to save us, not only from starvation but also from a pack of coyotes who’ve moved in at the far edge of our territory. Like other creatures, they are hungry and have been moving in closer and closer to our camp,” she announced. “They’ve already killed several of our Warriors and Apprentices and drug them back to the rest of their pack. We haven’t even had bodies to mourn or bury. If we go back in our small numbers, it’s an absolute death wish.”Tide clenched his jaws. That was quite predicament, but he highly doubted there was anything he could do. He didn’t think anybody else would want to do anything else either, considering what most of the RockClan cats had done to them, even if those now asking for help had turned against Howlstar in the end. “I’m not allowing any RockClan in our camp anymore!” A WaterClan cat piped up angrily. “You’ve taken too much already!” Yowls of agreement followed. Some started to spit and spat at the RockClan cats, throwing hisses and nasty words their way.Algaestar folded his ears back, not liking the instant hostility that arose. Sure, they had fought for Howlstar and took their WaterClan home for a bit, but not all had participated. Not all had wanted to do such horrible acts. And now they needed help. How could he leave them to die like that, whether to coyotes or starvation? Both were terrible ways of death. Yet he knew that trying to take in any would be disastrous on its own, since most of his clan seemed very keen to reject them all. But he had to try. “I’m sssory. But we cannot take in all of you. However, I believe that you, Cricketsssong, can come withhh ussss,” the newly appointed leader decided. “Becaussse you are a pregnant queen, I fffeel you could provide WaterClan withhh new Warriorsss and the ressst of thhhe clan cannot cassst out ssssomeone like yourssself. Plusss, I greatly admire how you sssstood up to Howlssstar. But it’ssss your choiccce if you’d like to come withhh ussss.”Cricketsong gave a sad look in return. Not wanting to leave her clan – or what was left of it. She had no problem joining up and merging with one of the other existing clans, but she didn’t want to separate from those she knew and cared about.The WaterClan cats quieted down. They really couldn’t object to Algaestar’s points. She was a heavily pregnant queen, and if they were to cast her out then that would reflect very poorly on them all. Plus, the addition of new Warriors after the deaths of so many was a very promising thing. The others could fend for themselves, but Cricketsong, they all decided, could be the only RockClan accepted into WaterClan.Cricketsong turned to who remained of her old clan. “I don’t want to leave you all,” she whimpered. She would literally be parting with her family right after having her mate be murdered defending her and having so many others she cared about die. These few cats were all she had left, them and the unborn kits in her belly. Duskstone’s eyes softened for the first visible time to Tide and so many others. “It’s what’s best for you and your kits,” she told the other she-cat. “You know it is. It’ll be okay. I know they’ll take good care of you. I may not like that annoyingly-jawed tom, but he has a good enough heart, and he’s their leader now. They’ll listen to him, and he won’t let anyone hurt or talk bad about you or your kits.” She then added in a more lighthearted, teasing way, “Because if they do then I’ll sense it and come running to rip them all to ribbons for you.”Cricketsong got the faintest hint of amusement on her face before it faded, transitioning into saddness once more. “But I’m going to miss you all,” she choked out. “You’re my family, my home. I’ve lost so much of it already; I don’t want to lose anymore.” Her legs started to shake as if the weight of despair was growing to be too much to bear on her shoulders.Duskstone shook her head then nuzzled Cricketsong’s cheek with her own briefly. “You won’t be losing us. We’ll always be around. They will be your new home, but, no matter what, we will always be your family.”The gray tabby sank to her knees, pressing her head into Duskstone’s foreleg. “But what about you guys?” she rasped with a voice now muffled by fur.The darker gray she-cat let out a small sigh and then purred, bringing her head down to rest her nose on the queen’s skull. “We’ll be alright. Don’t you worry about us. Just make sure you and your kits are safe, alright? For us.” The other RockClan cats gathered around them and placed their own noses gently down on Cricketsong, bowing their heads to do so in a silent vigil of loving farewell.Algaestar, Tide, and all the others of both WaterClan and MossClan looked on. Most of their hearts were breaking with the touching display, but none said a word. No one would dare interrupt. After a few heartbeats of the emotion, the RockClan cats stepped back to give Cricketsong room to leave. She struggled to her paws and glanced at them all, her family, with such heartache in her eyes. But she dipped her head then and shuffled over to join a few WaterClan cats. She felt so alien among them, like she did not belong and should hide away or run. Yet she stayed put, keeping her head down and keeping to herself.Thankfully, those she had chosen to come to welcomed her, some warmer than others. Featherwillow made her way down from being with the other Medicine Cats to sit with and comfort her. “I’d like to join you, too,” Fawnlight spoke up. “You’d all be fools to reject a Medicine Cat, and she needs someone else she knows to be with her. Or she may risk putting the kits at risk from elevated stress.” She was firm in her tone and stood tall despite being about as exhausted as Sevenstar from earlier. Algaestar seemed relieved to have another viable RockClan cat step up to join. He was well aware he couldn’t take many, let alone the Warriors who stole his own territory before, but the Medicine Cat was a good idea and a valuable aspect to the clan. He was sure the others couldn’t reject her like they could the Warriors. “Yesss, you may join, asss well. Welcome.”Fawnlight gave a nod of thanks then went to Cricketsong, the queen instantly pressing herself into the only other cat she really knew for some assemblance of comfort. The Medicine Cat began to lightly groom her while Featherwillow sat by, sad for the distraught queen.Sevenstar watched then looked to the remaining few RockClan cats. Only five of them were left. That definitely wasn’t enough to take on a pack of coyotes. They could be cast out to fend for themselves and to live as a group of rogues, but that would be cruel in this kind of whether, and in general. Two of the cats were only young Apprentices, too, and they clearly were scared and probably hadn’t even wanted to fight like Howlstar did. The two pressed up to their mentors like frightened kits to their mothers.The mentors wrapped their tails around the younger cats but did their best to stand tall and present themselves as noble. Yet the entire, tiny group stuck close together, almost as if expecting to be attacked once more or chased out of the territory entirely. In their eyes, the future was shrouded in uncertain shadow, and they could face it only so boldly.“We will take the rest of you RockClan cats in,” Sevenstar decided then, much to the shock and disagreement of many MossClan cats. Some began to protest, but she held her tail up for silence with a piercing stare to the rowdy crowd.“We lack Warriors now, and StarClan would consider us foul to cast them out to die,” she told her followers sternly. “Like it or not, taking them in is our best and kindest option. They may have fought for Howlstar, but, in the end, these cats turned their hearts to fight against him and help us. Two of them are mere, young Apprentices. Surely, they are no older than nine moons, even. Are you all willing to send out such inexperienced cats to die in the cold or at the jaws of vicious coyotes? Even the seasoned Warriors would be no match for more than a single coyote. And if they were to steer clear of those beasts, there is no way they would be able to gather enough prey to feed every mouth, nor would they easily find sufficient shelter. We will take them in and treat them as such, as MossClan. And RockClan territory will be divided in half for MossClan and WaterClan to partake in. Is this acceptable?” She looked to Algaestar who nodded agreement.Tide didn’t know how to feel about this, taking in those who had fought so hard to steal his new home. Sure, he felt bad for the stray cats, but would bringing them into MossClan really be the best idea? His apprehension wasn’t even really for what they had done but rather how the clan would treat them. He knew how they would actually be treated, despite Sevenstar’s wishes. They would be just like him in his original clan – seen as rubbish, as a curse or burden. Maybe a few MossClan cats would treat them fairly, like Brackewish and Cloudleap, but most would only be against them. Most would detest them and never change.Duskstone stepped forward, clearly being the head of the small group. “I know we have given a lot of trouble in the past, even before all of this, but you have my word that we will pay your generosity forward and serve your clan well and with honor,” she meowed up to Sevenstar, head high.The leader nodded acknowledgement. “I’m sure you will, and it is appreciated,” she said back. “But you can’t treat us like segregated cats, either. We are all one clan now. We are all MossClan, and you must treat us as your clan now. I won’t have any of this ‘your clan’ nonsense. Understand?”Duskstone lowered her pride and bowed her head. “Yes, Sevenstar.” The other bowed their heads, as well, all showing their respect for the MossClan leader. All showing their acceptance for her as their new leader.“It’s settled then. I will not say this again: everyone must treat them as MossClan and not enemies or that they do not belong. I will not have it,” the gray leader announced sternly to her clan. “Is that understood, everyone?”A majority of the clan begrudgingly nodded, while others didn’t seem to be too bothered by the new arrivals to the clan. Those cats were Cloudleap, Flammingleaf, and Brackenwish. Naturally, they were a lot more accepting and kindhearted. That’s why they were Tide’s friends, after all, because they had been the ones to really accept him, along with Sevenstar herself, when he came to the clan.“Now then,” the leader spoke up once more. “I have another act of business to address. Since Fernwhisker is deceased, sadly, I will have to pick a new deputy.” Tension rose up again within the MossClan cats. Who would it be?“Who could replace Fernwhisker? He was so noble and strong,” one cat piped up.Lizardfang, a large tom chimed in. “I could do it. I have the strength and fighting skill.” Some others agreed.However, Sevenstar shook her head. “No. I have already had another cat in mind for a while, just in case, and you are not it. I’m sorry, Lizardfang. You are a great Warrior and cat, but there is one who I think will fit the role the best.” She turned her head to look at Cloduleap who was sitting by the Nursery entrance near her. The white and gray tom’s eyes widened to the size of moons. “Me?” Sevenstar nodded with a slow blink of approval. The tom rose to his paws, one in the air slightly from being hurt in the fight. His side still hung open from the large gash that adorned it with only bits of the medical poultice clinging to his red-stained fur now. But he held his head high as he hobbled over to his leader and bowed his head. “I’ll accept with honor, if you’re sure.”Sevenstar couldn’t help but actually let out a light chuckle. “Yes, I’m sure. Cloudleap, you have a pure heart and can make allies from anybody. You’ve proven to have good instincts,” she glanced to Tide, indicating that Cloudleap wanting to keep him around was a good idea in her mind, “and I know you will continue to serve the clan to the best of your abilities, if not even better now.” She licked each of his shoulders then his head to seal her choice. Tide couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. Cloudleap was deputy now! And Sevenstar was glad to have taken him into the clan, on a smaller note. It actually swelled his heart with joy, all of it. He rose his nose to the sky. “Cloudleap! Cloduleap!” he chanted at the top of his lungs, completely ecstatic. Flammingleaf and Alagestar were the next to join in. Even if Algaestar wasn’t MossClan, Cloudleap was still a good friend of his, and he had to cheer his congratulations. “Cloudleap! Cloudleap!” Slwoly, the rest of MossClan joined in.The former RockClan cats hesitated, but Tide looked to them and nodded with acceptance. He would try his best to help them out, to prevent them from being like him so many times. He wouldn’t let them be outcasts.One of the Apprentices, a light gray tom with long fur puffed his chest out some and took a single step away from his mentor then started to chant. “Cloudleap!” The other Apprentice, a red she-cat with piercing green eyes followed his lead and did the same thing. Gradually, all the others did the same, cheering the name of the new deputy, their new deputy.After the celebration died down, Sevenstar spoke to the crowd for the last time. “Now, there is one final thing to do. The camp must be cleared and those who fought bravely should be laid to rest properly.” All cats agreed to this. “Considering the distance and whether, all cats shall be taken to the river and left to float. Adrift in the waters their bodies can be cleansed of blood and regrets they may have had in life,” she told them all. “I would like to bury them here or in their respective territories, but the frozen ground and heavy snow above it wouldn’t permit this. The streams outside of this camp, however, can send them somewhere they can rest.”All cats began to look for those whom they’d lost and loved among the carnage. Once they were picked out, friends and family began to haul the bodies out of camp and to the frozen streams, some holding back wails as they did so. Tide looked around the mass of mourning cats, not having suffered any major losses himself, since those he considered to be friends were are all still, thankfully, alive. Yet his eyes did land on Oakbreeze trying desperately to drag Sparrowspot’s lifeless body to the entrance and through the piling snow, yet he was too heavy for her and no others seemed to notice. He remembered hearing the poor, young tom’s words right before the fight, how he was afraid to die. And there he was, his soul gone from his body. “Go and help her,” Storm told him, her sorrow for the young cats evident. “I know you want to. Do not hesitate; just do it. You will not be interjecting, so do not fear that. She will be thankful. I promise.”Tide glanced to Storm then nodded, making up his mind. He walked over to the young she-cat she tried so hard to get her friend to the camp entrance by herself. He nudged Oakbreeze’s jaws from Sparrowspot’s scruff where she’d had ahold of him then took her place himself. “Grab his tail. We’ll take him out together,” he told her through muffling fur.Oakbreeze’s eyes broke his heart with they way they looked at him, such pain shimmering within. But a small bit of relief came across, and she then did as she was told. She gripped his tail in her jaws, able to lift part of Sparrowspot’s body off the ground now with Tide taking most of the weight himself. Together, they filed through the entrance with so many others in front and behind. A line formed where a few cats had broken a hole in the water’s surface ice to place the fallen. Even RockClan cats got their time without hassle. Perhaps it was because most couldn’t be distinguished as having actually been good and fighting against Howlstar or not, and no one wanted to take the chance of disrespecting a good Warrior. But it didn’t matter. Every cat who had fallen was getting their own, short vigil. Whether or not they went to StarClan or the Dark Forest was not for any living cat to say, so all got the same, honorable treatment for the stream.Once their time came, they lowered the young tom into the calmly running waters to take him away to a better place. For a moment, they stood in silence with their heads bowed in respect for the tom’s bravery and effort and short life. Then, they split and went their own ways.‘Today wasn’t a good day, and the pain that came from everything will haunt us all for a long time to come. But we’ll be strong. We will all fight and live on, and I’ll make sure to help the joining RockClan cats, my new clanmates, to ensure they don’t go through the same thing I have so many times over, especially not when I had my first life,’ Tide thought to himself. Storm sat beside him as they took in the scene of watery burial and mourning vigils. “You know, you really have come a long way since your first life,” she told him softly, her eyes over the line of noble cats. “I am glad to have been a part of your journey.” She then turned her head to watch him with a loving gaze he hadn’t seen in so many years. “Perhaps we will see each other again when in Paradise. I would like it very much if we could.”Tide’s heart sank then, and his jaw fell open for a moment before speaking. “Wait, are you saying this is it? I’ve earned my spot in Paradise?” he asked out loud, not even realizing he was verbally speaking to her. Yet nobody else seemed to notice, too busy with their own endeavors. “And you’re leaving?”With a slow, gentle blink, Storm nodded. “Yes. You have proven yourself redeemed. There is no longer any reason for me to stay with you like this. You do not need me anymore, but it has been a great pleasure, even if you did get on my nerves many times.” The last statement was light and teasing, her attempt at easing the sorrow that now flooded Tide’s eyes.“But what if I want you to stay?” he demanded of her, his ragged ears going back and voice beginning to crack. “I don’t think I can imagine living without you here now.”Storm started to console him. “You will be fine-““No,” he interrupted, shaking his head. “I won’t be. When you were gone, when I couldn’t hear or see you because you were so hurt and hiding inside the deepest reaches of my mind…I felt so alone. I was scared, scared that you were gone forever,” he admitted. “I know you can feel how I feel, and right now I feel like that if you leave me, I’ll have lost a huge portion of myself.” His voice really started to crack then. “You’re my best friend, and you were my first love. I know how I acted and that I should have treated you better, but I always hurt so much and didn’t know how to handle it. Yet you stuck by me all this time, even choosing to come back to help me after you died, after I got you killed. I have to repay you somehow, and I can’t have you just leave. Please, Storm. I still love you. I know you know I always have deep down.”His words touched her heart. Storm’s demeanor softened even more, and she sighed with a shake of her head. “You were always such a kit,” she teased him lightly. “Whatever you think and feel, you do not need me. However, you know I cannot say no to a kit who cries. I will stay with you until your final death, as you wish. However, you must keep your word of helping these former RockClan cats, and you must treat Cloudleap better than you ever treated me as your mate, understood?”Excitement and relief bubbled up inside Tide, and he nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, of course. I won’t ever treat him wrongly or unfairly, no matter what. I do love him, and I really am sorry for everything I ever did and said to you to hurt you. Please, forgive me,” he almost begged solemnly. Storm chuckled. “Yes, of course. You have long been forgiven. And, so this no longer weighs on your heart, you did not get me killed. It was an accident, and one that Feather caused, at that. Everyone else may have blamed you, and you may have blamed yourself, but I know the truth. It was not you, so now you can finally put that to rest.” She stepped closer and gently nuzzled his cheek, and he could swear he actually felt the warmth from her then. “Now, let us go and help the others put these souls to rest in the stream.”Tide rose to his paws and gave a nod. “Of course.” He joined Cloudleap and Flammingleaf, giving his new mate a lick on the cheek and finally spreading the news of their status to Flammingleaf, who reacted quite happily. Still, after that bit of joy, they all three went back into the camp to hep clean up and give every fallen cat a place to be at peace.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 18 “Wow, you really fought a bear?” Cloudleap’s eyes were as big as moons with his jaws agape. He couldn’t believe his ears, but he had no reason to suspect Tide of lying. He hadn’t lied to him yet, and he’d done so much to prove otherwise. Tide nodded with a light look in his eyes. “Oh yeah. It was terrifying, even if I couldn’t die. But I had no choice at the time. It was either try to fight and hope I somehow won or get mauled against the rock wall it had be backed up against. I chose to fight instead of going out like a scared kit,” the orange tom told his mate. “That must have been wild.” Cloudleap shook his head. “I can’t believe you’ve been alive for so long and did all of these insane things.” It really was mind blowing, but it was all so interesting, too. The stories Tide told him were just absolutely thrilling. “Do not forget the part where you actually managed to jump on the thing’s head and claw its eye,” Storm added to Tide, amused at the white tom’s reaction to the stories. “Oh yeah, thanks, Storm.” Tide purred to Cloudleap, “Storm reminded me of how when it swiped at me once, I jumped onto its head and got a good claw right in its eye. It was not happy after that.” He chuckled, thinking back at the crazy adventure. Flamingleaf shook her head. Listening to Tide’s stories almost made her not want to eat, even though the half-eaten robin was already at her paws. “Compared to everything else, how crazy would you say the war with RockClan was?” she asked then. With Cloudleap, she had been very interested in hearing of Tide’s past experiences, especially now that they knew all about Storm and his past curse. Tide had to think about this one for a moment, comparing and contrasting it to all of his other misadventures. Finally, he shrugged. “Still pretty crazy. I mean, I have done a lot of things and seen so much more, but I’ve only seen a full-scale clan war only one other time, and it wasn’t quite as intense as here.” He looked out around the camp, watching the cats mingle. “Hard to believe that was two moons ago now.” He watched as Duskstone, one of the former RockClan cats who had joined them, nuzzled her new mate. Lizardfang nuzzled her back happily. Ever since joining MossClan and becoming and official MossClan cat, Duskstone had become a lot more mellow and friendly. She seemed very happy, too. Oakbreeze was also happy to have a friend in the former RockClan Apprentice, Wildpaw. She still grieved Sparrowspot’s death every sun, but the young, gray tom was helping her through it all. Redpaw often hung around them, too. However, not every cat in MossClan yet accepted the former RockClan felines. Rainwing, Halftail’s former mate, despised the new clan members. She blamed them heavily for her mate’s death in the war, and she was even teaching her kits to do the same thing. Ivykit, thankfully, noticed the friendship of everyone more and went off that, but her brother, Brushkit, followed his mother’s words like law. It was sad. Nightpaw and Darkpaw had been old enough kits to remember that war at the time, so they now feared the ‘invaders’ of the clan, like they would turn on them at any moment. It made things even worse they were Apprentices, and they had both received old RockClan cats as mentors. The mentors were kind towards the young Apprentices, but they had ongoing trauma that just couldn’t be dealt with correctly due to lack of knowledge on how to. At least, also, Tide had kept his word with Storm and treated each former RockClan cat like any other MossClan member. “Hey, Tide? Are you in there?” Flamingleaf asked, tilting her head to the side. Tide snapped out of his thoughts and examination of camp to look at her. “Uh, yeah, sorry. What were you saying?” he asked, blinking a few times to really focus on her and release the remnants of his thoughts. The orange she-cat rolled her eyes at him. “I was saying how we should go out on a hunting patrol. Since it’s early new-leaf now, the prey should be running much better, and we need as much as we can get,” she told him. She did, however, take a big gulp of her food to finish it off before actually going. No sense in wasting any food. “Yeah, that’d be a really good idea,” Cloudleap agreed and stood up. “I can lead. I still need to practice Deputy duties, anyway.” He was still getting the hang of them, even two moons after being appointed now. But that was fine. Practice was something everyone needed, all the time. Tide stood up. “Fine,” he said as he stretched. “I still need to work on my hunting skills. All this time, and I’m still not the best hunter.” “You can blame yourself for that,” Storm teased him. “You know I have always given you good tips on prey location. I suppose you are just a better fisher, since that is how we grew up.” Living right on the ocean’s coast demanded they be great at fishing, after all. ‘Maybe.’ Tide followed Cloudleap and Flamingleaf out of camp, going past Thornfall, who noticed them and trotted over. “Are you all going on a patrol?” he asked, eager. He was a workaholic type of cat, always wanting to be doing something useful. It was hard to tell if he was always like this, or if he was kicking it into over-drive now to show he was profitable for MossClan. “Yeah, we are,” Flamingleaf responded with an added nod. “Do you want to come along? It’s a hunting patrol, so another set of eyes and paws would be good.” Thornfall nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice,” he answered. Cloudleap piped up. “What about Redpaw?” he asked. “Is she coming, too?” The molted gray tom looked over at his apprentice having a good time conversing with Wildpaw and Oakbreeze, over by the Warrior’s Den. He shook his head then. “Nah. She’s been working really hard lately, so I’ll give her a break,” he decided. “Too many cats could scare off the prey, anyway.” “Alright then. Let’s head out,” Cloudleap meowed and began leading the way. Flamingleaf was right behind him with Thornfall, while Tide took up the rear. By now, it was just his instinctual position, use to doing this to quietly converse and pay attention to Storm. Even if Cloudleap and Flamingleaf knew of her and his past life now, he still kept a low profile for the other cats of the clan. They crossed the small, flowing stream that surrounded camp easily in a bound at its narrowest point and continued on through the blooming forest. It was beautiful with the new buds and leaves. The undergrowth was growing very lush, too, with singing birds returning to the warmer weather. Tide took a deep breath and let it out with a satisfied sigh. Everything seemed so peaceful, and it was such a nice change. He noticed a squirrel right away and stopped in his tracks as the patrol continued on slowly. This would be his first bit of prey for the sun. He crouched and started to creep towards it gingerly, being careful to keep his belly from brushing the fallen leaves. He saw Storm in his peripheral watching the squirrel intently, ready to give any tips that may help. The oblivious prey dug through the leaf litter, its back to Tide as it searched for buried food. The fluffy tail twitched several times, and it did raise its head once to look around. But Tide went stock still when it did this, and soon it went back to digging. He crept closer and closer, pupils growing wider. He waggled his haunches and sprung for it, catching the squirrel’s tail just between his paws. It had almost gotten away, but it turned back once caught and bit down on Tide’s foreleg. He winced but didn’t let go and gave it a swift, killing bite. “Nice catch. A bit rusty, but you still managed to get it,” Storm purred, having to tease him. She had really gotten more into doing that now. Tide sat up with the squirrel at his paws, and he twitched his whiskers at her. “Yeah, yeah. I still got it, so that’s all that matters. Just wait until we get to the stream that used to divide MossClan and RockClan territory. I’m going to catch the biggest fish you’ve ever seen,” he boasted playfully. “Perhaps, but we will have to see,” Storm replied and stood. “Hurry and bury that squirrel for later so we can-“ She cut herself off and stared down at the prey like it had completely disappeared or suddenly had a second head. Her ears went back then. “This cannot be good…” “What?” Tide glanced down, following her gaze. What could evoke that kind of reaction from the hardened cat? But then he saw it. His freshly caught piece of prey was already half-decayed. Bones protruded from old, sodden fur and lack of a pelt. Even worse, many maggots swarmed the corpse, devouring it like they were starving. Tide quickly released its tail from his paws, scrambling back as he stared in horror and shock at the carcass. How could this be? He had literally just caught and killed it! Yet the prey looked as if it had been lying there for ages. “What the heck?” Tide could barely manage to muster out those words, his mind reeling as it desperately searched for an explanation of how this could happen. None of it made sense, though. Just, how? “We should find the rest of the patrol,” Storm decided more seriously. “We must ensure they are alright.” This really worried her, but there was nothing to be done about it. The prey was gone, wasted, a mystery. Tide nodded his agreement, although it was a hard act taking his eyes off of the decay. Finally, he did manage to rip his gaze away and padded off quickly into the undergrowth. He perked his ears, listening for the patrol’s chatter. Thankfully, it wasn’t hard to find them. Thornfall looked back as he approached from behind. “Hey, there you are. Find some prey you had to catch?” he asked, upbeat. Tide blinked a few times, doing what he did best of faking his calm composure. “Uh, yeah, but it got away, sadly. I almost had it but no luck,” he replied. Should he tell someone of what had just happened? But what would they do about it? Why had it happened? He decided against it for now, reasoning there was no need for senseless panic without knowing a cause or reason. Thornfall nodded, a bit disappointed but remaining outgoing enough. “Ah, sorry to hear that. You’ll get the next one,” he tried to encourage and continued walking on. They eventually all came to the stream that used to mark MossClan and RockClan borders. Now, MossClan had extended its territory beyond the stream and overtook some of RockClan’s old territory. They avoided what the coyotes had taken up, but a good portion of the territory was still theirs. WaterClan had done the same near their own territory, too. It really showed how RockClan was no more. “We will hunt beyond the stream,” Cloudleap decided. He went to where it was narrowest and leaped onto a stone which stuck out from the water. Several of them did this, and it provided a nice path to the other side when the water wasn’t exceptionally high. Flamingleaf and Thornfall followed him, leaping on stone after stone until all three reached the other side. Thornfall did look a bit uncomfortable, but that was normal for all the old RockClan cats. Being back on what had been their territory was a bitter-sweet thing. Tide hesitated. “Maybe I should stay here. I can fish very well, so I’ll be more likely to get some good prey here,” he informed them all. He did want to be useful, but he also some alone time to discuss what had happened with Storm. “Alright,” Cloudleap replied and shrugged. “I trust you’ll get some good prey then. We’ll see you in a bit. Love you.” With that, he and the rest of the patrol wandered off. Tide sighed and watched them go then looked down into the water. “What do you think that was?” he asked Storm then, seeing his reflection break in the flowing waters. It made no sense… Storm came to sit by his side, staring down into the water, as well. Yet she had no reflection, not of the same plain of existence as Tide. “I do not know. I have never seen such a thing before. Fresh prey, moments after having been caught, decaying so quickly as if it had been killed a moon ago? It makes no sense; there is no reasoning.” It really baffled her, and that frustrated her to not have an answer. “Maybe it was a fluke thing?” Tide suggested, hoping that it was some sort of hallucination or something. “I should just fish and hope it doesn’t happen again…” He had no idea how to even begin to gather answers for the incident, anyway. Storm didn’t respond, merely staring down into the water as she was lost in her own thoughts. She had figure out what had happened, or it would kill her. Tide took a breath, trying to concentrate now. Intently, his green eyes watched small, silver fish dart before him. One was a lot calmer than the rest, swimming down towards him in a slow, lazy manner. This was his chance. Once it was right underneath him, he lashed a paw out and caught its scales on his claws. The fish was flung out of the water with a splash, and it landed flopping onto the shore. Tide killed it off quickly and stared down at it. It was fresh, for sure. ‘I’m going crazy,’ he thought to himself and turned back to the stream to get another. After a few moments, he managed to fish up another silver fish. He turned to throw it onto the bank and kill it off when he stopped. The fish had landed where he wanted and flopped about, but the one he had previously caught just moments before was now like that squirrel earlier. It laid there in the leaves, its body decaying with bones showing and maggots crawling about. Tide stared in disbelief, along with Storm. Slowly, the tom stepped towards it and the other, flopping fish. He killed this one and then watched it closely, looking for any signs of the same thing happening to it. Before his eyes, nothing happened. It looked like a regular fish. Flamingleaf showed up behind him, causing him to jump. Even Storm hadn’t noticed until she was right on top of him, showing how concentrated she was on the fish. “What are you doing?” the orange she-cat inquired, confused. Tide spun around, his fur instinctively puffed out. But he calmed down once he realized it was just his friend. “Uh, looking at these fish,” he told her sheepishly, not really sure how to justify this in a way that didn’t make him seem crazy. Flamingleaf looked down at them and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “They’re rotting. Why would anyone leave perfectly good prey like this?” It clearly irritated her. It would any Warrior. Tide looked back down at the prey, now seeing the second fish to match the first. Both were covered in maggots and were by no means fresh anymore. Something seriously wrong was happening. “This is going to sound extremely weird, but you’ve listened to all of my stories before, so please hear me out here,” he told her. Flamingleaf gave him a confused expression but nodded. “Alright…” He took a deeper breath to prepare himself for saying this. “The prey I have caught this sun are all decaying like this within heartbeats. I don’t know why, but it’s starting to really scare me,” he informed her, his paws kneading the ground nervously with his tail twitching. The skeptical look on the she-cat’s face didn’t make him feel any better about it, so he continued on. “These fish were fresh. I just caught them not even that many moments ago but look at them. And I caught a squirrel right outside of camp, and it did the same thing. It’s like every time I catch something this sun, it rots moments after like it’s been dead for a moon. Every time I look away, this happens.” “That’s…really strange,” Flamingleaf meowed, not sure how to take his words. Of course, she had never heard of such a thing happening before. “I’ll prove it then,” Tide decided. He went back to the stream’s edge and crouched down, staring intently down for another fish. “Tide, I don’t think-“ “You’ll see,” he interrupted her, concentrating. She only sighed and watched him. Soon, he tossed up another silver-scaled fish. It landed on shore, and he killed. His eyes watched it. “Okay, look at it. Totally fresh, right?” Flamingleaf looked down at the bleeding fish lying still. “Um, yeah? You just caught it…” “Okay,” Tide meowed quickly. “Now, look down into the stream, just so you can’t see the fish at all.” He came to sit beside her, just so she knew he wasn’t tricking her somehow by switching out fish or something. She was perplexed but obeyed, turning to glance down into the blue waters. She was worried for her friend, though. He was acting really weird. After only a couple heartbeats, he sat up and turned to see the third fish had also decayed like the rest. “Look,” he stated coldly. He wasn’t being cold towards her but to whatever force was doing this. The she-cat turned and stared in shock at the rotting fish. “What? How?” She walked over to it and sniffed at it then around it. No scent of other cats or animals at all. It was only them and the decay. “I told you,” Tide meowed flatly, his attention fully on the three, disgusting fish. “Something is happening here, and it’s not good.” Flamingleaf thought then went to the stream. She crouched and soon caught her own fish. After killing it, she sat it near them and watched it. She wanted to test something. “Look away from it,” she told Tide and closed her eyes. He glanced to Storm, who nodded, and they both closed their eyes, as well. Heartbeats went by, and all three opened their eyes to see the fish was normal. Unlike the other three caught by Tide, it was still fresh and no at all rotten. Flamingleaf even went to it to sniff it, making sure. “Yeah, it’s still very fresh,” she reported. “No signs of age or maggots or anything.” “It is as if only the prey you catch rapidly decays,” Storm pointed out thoughtfully. “I think this may mean another curse entirely, but one that doesn’t have to do with me or the Council.” That put a rock in her stomach. Tide’s tail lashed. Not another curse to deal with! He had just gotten rid of the first one! And, clearly, this one was a lot worse. It had ill intentions, rather than more helpful, tough-love type ones. “Who would put another curse on me like this?” he asked out loud. Storm shook her head. “I am unsure. The cats of Paradise surely would not do something to this degree, especially not after how you have redeemed yourself,” she answered. “Another curse?” Flamingleaf asked. “You think you have another one because of these fish?” Tide stood up, getting angry now. “What else do you think it is? Prey doesn’t just rot like this instantly, especially not because I’m the one that caught it,” he half-growled. “But why?” The orange she-cat shook her head and padded over. “I don’t know. I only came back because you were acting a bit odd, and I was worried. But I didn’t expect something like this to be the source,” she meowed and draped her tail over his flank to try and be of some comfort. “Maybe we should just go back to camp. Brackenwish might know what’s happening. She’s more in-tune with this sort of thing, anyway.” “Maybe,” Tide muttered. “But we can’t go back with only one fish. I’m sorry, but I think you’ll have to do some more fishing for me. Clearly, I can’t be of any use in that department right now…” She nodded and moved away. “Of course. I’ll say you caught most of whatever I get. I know you did your share,” she told him and went back to the creek’s edge to fish some more, while he pondered these mysterious circumstances. Tide could only agree with her, as he knew he had tried to provide for the clan. He glanced at Storm, who only stared intently at the no-longer-fresh-kill. “I’m going to talk to Brackenwish as soon as you get some fish and we head back to camp,” he decided. Hopefully, she would have an answer as to what was happening and how to stop it.✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 19 “They just kept rotting almost instantly?” Brackenwish couldn’t believe her ears, but it all gave her a terrible feeling deep within her stomach. “And it only happened to things you caught? Nobody else?” she questioned. Tide nodded reluctantly. He felt so ashamed for having brought yet another curse into the clan, even if he had no idea where this one came from or why it was with him. “Yes, only to me. I caught a squirrel and several fish, and they all turned into carrion the moment eyes were off of them.” Brackenwish’s gaze fell to the ground, thoughtful. “This is something unlike anything else I have ever heard about before. I’ve heard tales of mild curses from the cats of the Dark Forest, but this supersedes anything they’ve ever done,” she unhappily told him. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what to do. StarClan may know, though.” “Maybe, but they aren’t my belief,” Tide told her. “I appreciate you listening, but I really don’t think your StarClan will be able to help me out.” Paradise may know something, but that was Storm’s department now. She had already disappeared to speak with them, while he and Flamingleaf informed Brackenwish. “Well, either way, we have to figure out what’s going on. This is beyond natural,” the medical she-cat told him more firmly. “And until we figure out what is causing this and how to stop it, you won’t be able to hunt for the clan. You may even be a danger to us, depending how else this plague decides to haunt you.” Tide nodded, understanding but not happy about it. “Yes, I know. I’ll be careful,” he promised her. “But, please, don’t tell anyone else about this. I don’t want to be looked at some a walking danger.” She gave a curt nod. “Very well. I can understand that, but if anything else happens then you must come and see me. I need to stay updated.” Flamingleaf sat beside Tide as they conversed, worried for him. She glanced towards the Medicine Den entrance, hearing someone come in. Her eyes met with Cloudleap’s as he padded into the dark space. “Hey, guys, what’s going on in here?” the white and gray tom asked. “Is everything okay?” he directed that question more towards Tide, worried that he may have gotten hurt and not told him. “Yeah, everything is fine. We’re just having a friendly conversation with Brackenwish is all,” Tide told him. His previous curse may have been lifted, but he was still an insanely charismatic liar. Flamingleaf confirmed this with a nod. “Yeah. We figured she might be a little lonely spending so much time in here, so we wanted to come and see how she was doing.” The cream she-cat wasn’t the best liar, but she wasn’t the worst either. Plus, it helps that Cloudleap was rather gullible. The tom tilted his head slightly but didn’t really question anything they said. “Oh, that’s really nice of you guys,” he meowed and padded further in, over to the small group. “I was just wondering where you were, Tide. I was hoping to spend some quality time with you for a little bit.” “Oh, yeah, sure. We can do that,” Tide agreed and stood. “I’ll see you later, Brackenwish. Thanks for talking with me.” She nodded acknowledgment. “You, too, Flamingleaf.” He turned and walked out with his mate then. He just hoped that things would turn out to be okay. Together, the two toms padded over to the Warriors’ Den and then settled into their shared nest. Cloudleap began to gently groom Tide’s shoulder. Like always, he put out an upbeat aura, which did help to slightly ease Tide’s tensions. The tabby sighed and started to lightly groom his mate back. It was nice, at least, being able to share tongues with someone he held so dear. He could only hope that this new curse didn’t affect Cloudleap. If his mate got hurt because of him, he didn’t know what he would do with himself. It would kill him inside. He jumped almost out of his skin when Storm suddenly appeared before him. This caused Cloudleap to also startle. “What? What is it?” he questioned, more on edge now. Tide shook his head and let out a sigh the instant he recognized Storm. “Nothing. Storm just surprised me,” he told the other tom and settled back down into the nest. “Sorry.” Cloudleap easily took the explanation and curled up again, going right back to grooming Tide. He liked Storm, from the things Tide had told him about her, so he was fine with her being around. He also knew that she stuck right by Tide anyway, so he accepted that she would simply be around practically all the time. And he wouldn’t be the one to split them up after they’d been by each other’s sides for so many seasons. Storm waited until the two settled back down before giving Tide her report. “Paradise is, frankly, unsure of what is happening to you. The Council says they have never seen anything like this new curse before,” she told him with her ears back, wishing she had viable answers for him. As much as Tide wanted to let his worry slip, he couldn’t. He had to remain strong for Cloudleap, to keep him in the dark so he simply didn’t worry, himself. The tom didn’t let his eyes nor body show the discomfort he felt. Instead, he went back to grooming his mate but conversed mentally with his companion. ‘Nothing? I guess that at least means they didn’t put another curse on me, for whatever reason,’ he thought to Storm. “Yes, but it does not provide us with any real answers, either,” she pointed out. “We are not any closer to figuring out anything about this new plague. I am sure that I do not need to inform you of how dangerous this can be?” He continued to lick Cloudleap’s shoulder, keeping his face out of sight for the other tom. ‘No, you don’t.’ But if the Council hadn’t bestowed this infection upon him then where was it coming from? Why did it even exist in the first place? None of it made any sense! Storm suddenly tensed, and she whipped her head around to the far end of the den, ears perked as if she’d heard something. ‘What is it?’ Tide asked, perking up a bit himself, but he had to stay subtle so as not to alert Cloudleap. For a few heartbeats, Storm stared intently at the den’s wall, shrouded in shadow. It seemed to be slightly darker than usual to her, and she could swear that a figure moved among the brambles. “I believe there may be something over there, something not good… It gives me a grave feeling.” But then, just like that, it was gone, and her tension slowly eased. “Perhaps we should keep a look out, just in case.” * “Any new news about it?” Flamingleaf asked as she crouched near the water’s edge. Her eyes focused into the water, waiting patiently for a silver fish to come too close. “No. Like I told you before, all I know is that my Council didn’t give it to me,” Tide told her, his posture hunched with defeat. “It’s been three suns now, and nobody has any answers. Even your StarClan couldn’t tell Brackenwish a thing about this curse.” Flamingleaf’s paw shot out into the water, causing a splash and then sending a fish flying through the air. She quickly killed it and added it to her growing pile. “I’m sorry, Tide. I wish I could help, I really do,” she mewed sympathetically then licked her lips of the fish juices. He sighed. “Well, you’re already helping out a lot by catching so many fish, since I can’t do my share for the clan right now. Thanks for covering for me like this.” The she-cat nodded and crouched back down on the bank again. “No problem. I know you want to, so that’s good enough for me. It’s not like you’re just being lazy. I saw the fish rot before my own eyes, too, after all.” There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that what was happening to him was real. How could there be when she was a witness to it all? In an instant, another fish was flopping on the shore, and it was swiftly dealt with by the she-cat. “What about that weird shadow you said Storm spotted?” “Haven’t heard anything about it since,” Tide replied. He had no idea what to think about of this or how to fix it. It seemed things only kept getting worse, or that they eluded to being worse later on. Plus, he felt guilty about not telling Cloudleap what was going on, but it was for the best. He had enough to worry about already as Deputy. “I don’t know what to tell you then,” Flamingleaf sighed. She had long run out of ideas, too. “Maybe this is just something you’ll have to life with now, like how you dealt with your immortality curse for so long. By the way, is it scary for now to know you could actually die at any moment?” Tide looked down at the water, contemplating everything at once. “A little bit, but it’s what I’ve wanted for so, so long. Of course, it just has to be this way now that I’ve found happiness again. I’m glad to have Cloudleap and you in my life, but it can now be ripped away from me at any moment. And with this new curse, it just might be. I don’t know.” The uncertainty of the future is what really scared him most, in this situation. “So far, I don’t think that will happen because of this new curse,” Flamingleaf reassured him. “It only seems to affect prey you catch. Sure, it all turning rotten is a huge waste and demoralizer, but it’s not fatal. The rest of the clan is gathering plenty of prey, thanks to the new-leaf weather. And I’m fine with catching extra fish to help you out. But none of it means you’ll die.” “I guess so,” Tide sighed. She had a point, but the tom couldn’t help but be fearful and paranoid about it all. What if more happened than just the prey turning rotten? What if something actually did happen to him? The uncertainty was the worst part of it all. Flamingleaf shook her paw, sending water droplets into the air. She then moved to sit by Tide, placing her tail over his flank comfortingly. “You’ll be alright. We’ll find the source of this all and extinguish it. You’ll see. Things will be fine.” After that, she stood once more and went over to the pile of fish she’d accumulated. “Now, help me carry these back to camp. From last time, you touching the fish won’t ruin them.” It only appeared to happen when he killed it himself. Tide didn’t say a word, but he did come over to help, as instructed. Together, the two gathered as many fish in their mouths at once as possible and transported them back to camp. Cloudleap greeted them the moment they came through the camp entrance. He had been waiting for the two. “Hey, looks like fishing went well,” he meowed happily, glad to see how many new pieces of fresh kill they had. Flamingleaf nodded and placed her share into the pile – even if all of it was technically all her share, currently. “Oh yeah, it was really nice. The fish are really flowing with the waters now that the stream isn’t frozen over,” she cheerfully replied. “You two have been going hunting together a lot lately – well, fishing,” Cloudleap noted, tilting his head to the side slightly. “How come?” Tide walked over and deposited his fish onto the pile, as well. “I’m just a better fisher than a hunter,” he answered. That wasn’t a lie. “And I think I’m really starting to enjoy it, too,” the she-cat chimed in with a shrug. That wasn’t a lie either. While she had never fished much before helping Tide, it was calming. There really was something serene about watching the water go by and then getting her quarry in a flash. The Deputy was easily satisfied by the answer. “Oh, cool.” He turned as Duskstone came over to him, having just entered camp with a patrol. “There have been fox scents around the northern border,” she reported. “One fox, male. It hasn’t come into the territory yet, but it could be troublesome in the future.” Cloudleap acknowledged this was a nod, suddenly a lot more serious. “Alright. We’ll have to thicken patrols around that border then for a while, until we either have to chase it off, or it moves off on its own,” he decided. “Thank you.” Duskstone gave him a curt nod of her own then grabbed a fresh fish off the fresh kill pile. She gave a nod to Flamingleaf and Tide with the fish in her mouth then padded off. No other words were exchanged with her. “She’s always so quiet and serious,” Tide commented as he watched the dark she-cat go. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat so stern all the time, and that’s saying something. I mean, she has her moments to be mellow, but she’s usually so serious.” Flamingleaf chuckled out, “Except when she’s with Lizardfang. Then, those two chat like they’re the only two cats in the entire territory.” She watched as Duskstone went right over to him with the fish she’d taken, and the two began to share it. “But she is a lot happier, too. It’s nice.” “Speaking of serious, has anyone seen Sevenstar lately?” Tide asked, looking mostly to Cloudleap. “Has she come out of her den?” The tom placed his ears back and shook his head slowly, it hanging. “No, not for suns now,” he answered. “She’s still really sick. I don’t think she’s going to last too much longer, honestly. Her missing eye is so infected, too. Brackenwish has tried everything, but nothing works.” He sighed sadly. “And she’s on her last life.” Tide and Flamingleaf bowed their heads. “She’s been a really good Leader,” the she-cat meowed, turning to look at the Leader’s Den dark entrance. “But she is getting older now. I think her time to rest peacefully in StarClan is coming up soon.” She looked back to the Deputy then. “I hate to think about her passing, but I have to ask now. Once you’re Leader, who are you going to pick as your Deputy? Have you been thinking about it lately?” she inquired of the white tom. Cloudleap sat up a bit straighter, though, didn’t have an answer for that. “No. I haven’t.” He thought for a moment then looked to his mate. “What about you, Tide? You could be my Deputy.” His eyes seemed to brighten as he said this. Tide stood and shook his head rapidly. “No, no, no, no. I don’t want to. I wouldn’t be any good for that, anyway,” he told him, even taking a step back as if backing away from the suggestion. Cloudleap’s ears went back, his expression disappointed. “Why not? You’re a good enough hunter. You can fight really, really well. And you have more experience in life than any cat ever. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be a great Leader.” It all made sense to him, in his own mind. “No, I wouldn’t. Those things might be true, but I have zero experience with leading. I haven’t even led one patrol in this clan yet. Plus, don’t cats have to have an Apprentice first to become Leader?” the orange tabby questioned, trying his best to reason as to why he would not be a good Leader. He just didn’t want to do it and have that kind of responsibility, especially not now. “Well, yeah, but I didn’t,” the white and gray tom pointed out. “I’ve never had an Apprentice, but Sevenstar still chose me to be Deputy, and I think I’m doing a really good job with it. You could, too.” “He doesn’t want to do it,” Flamingleaf interrupted, right as Cloudleap was about to say more. She wasn’t rude about it, but her tone and demeanor were serious. “You can’t force a cat who doesn’t want to lead to do it, and if someone doesn’t want to do something, you shouldn’t try to pressure them into doing it.” She stepped over to Cloudleap and placed her tail over his back. “You’re a great Deputy, and you’re doing a fantastic job of it. Yet you are still a kit sometimes. You have to understand how Tide feels.” Cloudleap’s gaze went to the ground, and he shuffled his paws in the dirt as if he was a scolded kit, even though Flamingleaf had been rather gentle with the way she delivered her words to him. “Alright, I’m sorry,” he meowed, ashamed. Flamingleaf rolled her eyes. “You’ll get the hang of it all at some point. Even if we aren’t in your position, we will be here to support you, always,” she promised him, instantly making him feel better. “Thanks,” he quietly mewed, looking up a bit. He got an idea then. “Do you, maybe, want to my Deputy once I’m Leader?” he asked the she-cat. Flamingleaf was surprised for a moment, but then she nodded. “Yeah, sure thing,” she replied. “I’d be honored. Let’s just hope I am able to get an Apprentice beforepaw, though. I want all the experience I can get for the job, even if I have led a lot of patrols.” “I hate to interrupt this, but I have been doing some scouting,” Storm suddenly said, appearing right before Tide. Her eyes held a grave glint. “We have a huge problem.” ‘What is it?’ Tide mentally asked, suddenly no longer paying attention to what his two friends were saying. This had to be really important, judging by Storm’s expression. A sinking feeling started to form in his belly, like a large stone in water. “I have figured out what this new curse is and how it is happening.” Tide audibly gasped, not having been expecting that sort of news. This caused the others to look at him, confused, but he didn’t pay attention at all. “How?” he audibly asked, not even realizing it. “It is Feather. He has found a way to step between the boundaries of the Void and this reality,” Storm told him, her voice rather hollow as she did so. “He has been walking across the plains for a while now, and he is learning how to affect this one more and more. Every time you do not watch the prey that you catch, he is there and causes it to rot. I am not exactly sure how, but it is him. That shadow I spotted before, too, a while ago, that was him coming over more.” She clenched her teeth for a moment before continuing. “Lately, I have been catching trace amounts of his scent, most often right near you. I fear he has not given up the obsession of revenge.” All at once, all the fur on her gray body fluffed up, and her eyes grew wide. She wiped around, claws out. On top of the bramble wall of camp sat a dark figure, barely touching the thorns, if at all. It appeared as a black mist, swarming together to give a solid shape. There, Feather appeared, his once normal eyes now glowing yellow. Around and from him came more swirling, dark mist, but his body was now completely solid. All cats in the camp turned to see him, every hair on every feline standing up. That sinking feeling in Tide’s belly began a torrent of angry knots gnawing at each other. It was a sense of fear and dread that the tom had never once felt in his entire life, not even when he’d first died by the paws of his old clanmates. This ghostly tom brought with him his own aura of evil that every cat could feel smacking them in the face like boulders. Feather narrowed his yellow, glowing eyes at Tide and Storm with calm malice while the black mist emanated from his body. “Oh, you have no idea,” he mused. “I am back and better than ever, and I have brought many friends.” Just then, many rogue cats started to swarm into the camp, flooding through the entrance and even breaking through the wall. These cats were normal, living ones, but each one held their own form of malice. All at once, the camp was under attack. Flamingleaf was tackled by a screeching, gray tom. Cloudleap jumped in to help, but he was instantly dragged off by a large molted, she-cat, who raked her claws down his flanks as she did so. Duskstone and Lizardfang were instantly surrounded by three other cats, and others began to flood the dens. Yet, not a single one touched Tide. It was as if he didn’t exist to them. All Tide could do was watch in horror then look back to Feather. Feather’s laugh rang out loudly in the air, above all else. He looked down at Tide as if he was a troublesome thorn in his side. And, to the dark tom, he was. He was the ultimate burden yet also the ultimate prey. “Now, Tide, this is the sun you die for good, at my claws. Let’s have some fun!”✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 20 Tide’s heart felt like a stone sinking within an ocean of despair. All around him, the sounds of his clanmates pain rang out, pounding his ears. Yet his limbs felt rooted to the ground like oak trees, anchored firmly in place by the sheer horror which coursed through his vessel. Feather leapt down from his thorny perch and approached the orange tom. Each pawstep he took was elegant, and he took his time while the carnage occurred. “Is this what you wanted, Tide?” the black tom inquired smoothly yet with his eyes full of malice. “When you abandoned the clan in need and killed my sister, is this what you wanted the outcome to be?” He circled Tide, his tail tip lightly brushing the other tom’s pelt as he went around, and it was felt. “All of this time, all of your mistakes, your entire existence has led to this. This poor clan’s downfall is all your fault, just like every other death and pang of pain along the way was all your fault.” Only Tide’s head and eyes could move. Even with Feather so close and vulnerable, it was as if a spell had been cast onto Tide to keep his muscles still. “No,” he whispered, his voice cracking as his gaze gradually followed feather around his body. “I didn’t abandon the clan. They didn’t listen, and they died. I tried to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen. And you pushed Storm off the cliff.” He growled back slightly, but his tone was still immensely desperate, “It was you.” Feather shook his head from side to side slowly. “Perhaps those can be true, maybe. However, those from the clans who you have visited along your timeless journey here, those deaths are on you.” He paused in his tracks at Tide’s face and swept his tail to the clearing. “THIS is on you. You are a monster.” “No!” Storm yowled. She stood by Tide now, claws digging into the soil without leaving any marks and fur fluffed out. “You are the one who brought these cats here! You are the one so obsessed with revenge for something that wasn’t even Tide’s fault but your own. You are the only monster here.” Feather looked taken aback for a moment, but the cool tom quickly regained his composure. “My, my, that hurts, dear sister,” he told her calmly. “I suppose you have simply been corrupted by this arrogant fool.” Storm’s eyes narrowed. “I am not your sister. You are not the brother I was kitted with,” she hissed, growing more and more agitated. “You are nothing but pure evil!” She lunged for him with a battle cry to pierce the air. However, Feather didn’t so much as flinch when she came near. He merely watched her fling herself towards him then turned to face her once more when her spirit fazed right through him, much to her own confusion. “Did you honestly think you could touch me?” Feather asked with an amused purr. “My dear, I have spent so much time in the Void that I have learned how to overcome such trivial things. A heartbeat in there is like a season out here. You have no idea the things I am capable of now.” His eyes suddenly turned from a normal yellow to a crimson red. “No one can stop me now!” Storm and Tide both looked on in horror as Feather’s appearance morphed right before their very eyes. Along with his ocular changes, his body grew more muscular, and his fur turned ragged and wild. The end result was equivalent to an abnormally large and mangy rogue. “No one can help you now, Carrion,” Feather growled to Tide, his voice even deeper than before. He was about to lunge for Tide, but he stopped when Storm still launched herself at him in an attempt to make contact. Yet she only ended up going right through his form again. He chuckled at her. “Fine, if you will not leave me to my work in peace then I suppose I will have to deal with you first. Goodbye, my dear sister.” He lunged for her, and Storm managed to barely move out of the way. However, Feather was surprisingly quick. He caught her off guard by a swift claw to her hide legs, knocking Storm off her feet. She hit the ground and flipped onto her back to be able to at least try and defend herself, but Feather’s new form was so much bigger and more powerful. Tide watched with wide, horror-filled eyes as Storm’s body was ripped by Feather’s jagged claws. Her screams deafened his ears, drowning out the cries of the other clanmates. It didn’t take long for Storm’s form to dissipate into a gray mist then fade from the air, leaving nothing behind. Feather laughed slowly and turned to look at Tide over his shoulder. “Now, it is your turn, Carrion.” The words dripped venom from his jaws as delight and rage swirled within his crimson eyes. ‘No. No. No! Storm, I’m sorry,’ the orange tom sobbed mentally. ‘I am so sorry for everything, for this. MossClan, I’m sorry I brought this plague upon you all. This really is all my fault, and I’m so sorry. Your screams…they shake me to my very core… I don’t deserve Paradise. I didn’t deserve a friend like Storm. Cloudleap, Flamingleaf, Brackenwish, Sevenstar… I didn’t deserve friends like all of you either. I never did, but thank you all. I’m so immensely sorry for the pain you’re all feeling now – for your deaths – because of me. I have caused so much grief and tragedy and suffering in my existence. I And now I will finally die for all of my sins. At this beast’s claws and fangs, I will suffer as all of you have in the past and present.’ His gaze left Feather to gaze around the bloodied camp, to see those whom he’d called friends, one last time while also fearing what he would see. Cloudleap grappled with the molted she-cat who surpassed him in size. He hissed and flung swipe after swipe as he laid pinned onto his back. His claws connected with the she-cat’s muzzle each time, but she only persisted with holding him down and trying to get hits in on his soft, exposed underbelly. Eventually, she did, and he howled. Flamingleaf and the gray tom who had attacked her went at it in a screeching ball of claws and fury. They tumbled in the dirt together in a vicious dance of death. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the she-cat to be pinned down on her belly, and the tom raked his claws down her back. From the Leader’s Den, in a grand surprise, Sevenstar emerged with the limp body of a yellow tom in her jaws. Her body was skinny and raked with sickness, fur a mess, and her missing eye was replaced with layers of caked on herbs in an effort to rid it of spreading infection. Yet, somehow, the she-cat had managed to not only defend herself but kill her attacker. She dropped the corpse and soon joined the fray, going to rush to the Nursery to aid in the fights there, body frail but miraculous spirit stronger than ever. Feather lifted his muzzle to the sky and yowled a battle cry which snapped Tide out of his trance. His attention flicked back to the monstrous tom, but a flip had also been switched inside his mind. Feather charged him, ready to finally take his revenge and sweet, bloody victory. Suddenly, courage coursed through Tide’s veins, spreading throughout his entire body. It felt as if a surge of power from lightning itself had been transferred into every fiber of his being. ‘I may die here to you, but I will not go down without a fight!’ “We are with you,” a feminine voice echoed inside his mind, one that he recognized to be his mother from the one time they had met. The image of her form materialized into his mind. Beside her came the form of a calico she-cat whom he’d made friends with seasons ago in another clan, a cat he had through to had brought death upon. On his mother’s other side came the spirit of another cat whom he had befriended long ago in another clan – tom with blue fur. The images of Flamingleaf, Cloudleap, Brackenwish, and Sevenstar also appeared, though, they were much more transparent. This, Tide somehow knew, was their bonds with him in a somewhat physical form. It was not their spirits but the friendship and love they all held for him and him for them. Finally, a battered Storm flickered into his mental reality. Her pelt was torn and stained, just like when he had met her to relive his memories. Only, this time, it was because of Feather and not rats. Despite her condition, whoever, Storm’s being radiated what energy she had left and her bond with him. “We are all with you,” Storm meowed to him. “Together, with the help of those you care about, we will defeat Feather once and for all and save this clan. He is alone in this sea of cats, but you have never been alone, especially not now.” Her eyes narrowed with determination, and she raised her muzzle up to roar, “Now, let us end this!” Tide physically roared out a battle cry with her in his mind, and his voice audibly mingled with those inside his mind and inside heart. He watched as Feather’s body flew at him, but he was ready. Power surged through him as the paws of all the cats he loved moved with his own. He jumped out of the way just in time then jumped away again, learning from Storm’s own mistake. Feather went to try and swipe his paws out from under him like he had done so easily with Storm, but Tide was already out of reach. “You are quick on your feet, I will give you that,” Feather snarled. “But it will not be enough to save you!” he went in for another charge, this time going lower and staying on the ground rather than leaping into the air. It felt effortless as Tide jumped straight up, Feather landing right where the orange tom had been. The tabby came back down a moment later, landing squarely onto Feather’s back, to his surprise. He could actually touch him? Perfect. With claws out, the tabby tom swiped repeatedly for only a heartbeat, landing powerful blows to Feather’s exposed back. Black liquid oozed from the wound, rather than normal red blood. Tide wretched at the rancid smell that emanated from it, the odor equivalent to long rotted carrion in the sun. Feather growled with the pain rather than crying out, and he soon started shaking his body to throw Tide off. Tide, however, held on with all his own and borrowed might. He managed to stay on, but Feather only rolled instead when the previous tactic failed. Tide had jump off then or be squished by the massive oaf. Lightly, he landed nearby on his paws but readied himself for another attack. However, one of the cats within his mind had another idea and drove him to turn the table on Feather. Tide instead charged the black tom while his underbelly was exposed, and he leapt onto it then slashed. More black ooze appeared from the gouges, and Feather hissed. However, the counterattack didn’t last long as Feather used his hind legs to pound Tide’s own belly and knock him off. Thankfully, Feather, too, had to get up, so both toms took the time to do so without threat of another attack. They faced each other, anger surging though Feather and the indescribable power flowing through Tide. Tide narrowed his eyes a bit, seeing the rage come about in the beastly tom’s crimson eyes. It was something he knew to be his weakness. When Feather lost a calm composure, he would be more reckless. He may be a monster now, but he was still a cat. And, like anyone, he wouldn’t think as clearly when angered enough. “What’s the matter? This taking too long for you?” Tide taunted him. “Can’t handle a little mistake like me? Carrion too complicated to catch?” Feather’s lips curled in a large snarl, baring his fangs as he hissed back, “I will end you!” He lunged once more, and Tide dodged to the side yet again. He knew that he couldn’t keep running forever and would need to get more attacks in, but he needed the right opening first, like when Feather had been on his back. “And here I thought you were going to be a real threat,” Tide continued to taunt from a safer distance, safe enough that he would continue to have time to react if Feather came at him again. “But you can’t even catch a piece of carrion. How useless can a cat be?” “You are the useless one!” the black tom snarled back, his claws digging far within the soil. “You have always been useless, worthless!” His anger only rose with each heartbeat Tide continued to be alive. The taunts multiplied that anger tenfold. Tide actually turned his back to Feather then but did keep an eye on him over his shoulder. He wagged his tail in the air at him. “Then why can’t you catch me, oaf? You must be even more worthless than me!” That was the last straw for Feather. He roared into the sky, his yowl actually sounding like that of a lion. With fury burning his black soul, the monstrous tom stormed towards him, kicking up dirt in his wake as he charged. ‘Shoot!’ Tide ran, heading for the camp’s bramble wall. He would have to turn, but if he did it at the right time then maybe he could trick Feather again. However, there wouldn’t be much time to even think, as Feather was right on his tail. In no time, Tide reached the wall, and he opted to do what he’d done before. He jumped straight up instead of risking a turn and getting caught. As planned, Feather slammed right into the thorny wall, but he had also been expecting the vertical jump this time. He reached up and snagged Tide’s hind leg with razor claws, bringing him back down with a ‘thud.’ The wind left Tide’s body as he landed hard on his side, momentarily stunned. Feather was, thankfully, now tangled up in the brambles a bit, but he still reached out and raked claws down Tide’s side, tearing up ginger fur. Tide yowled out in agony, but, with the help of the others aiding his spirit, he managed to roll onto his back and kicked Feather’s paws away. It gave him just enough time to get to his feet and be out of reach for a heartbeat. ‘If this keeps up then I’m definitely going to lose,’ he thought, his body already exhausted. The others may have been lending strength, but they were still only cats. Feather’s rage and desire was fueling him, and that fuel tended to burn for a lot longer. ‘We have to think of something to end this.’ While Feather struggled to free himself from the brambles and roses, Tide’s gaze swept the camp. He scanned every bit of terrain he could then settled on the rock wall that made up the back of the camp. The rocks were a bit loose at the very top due to erosion, rain, and snow. Maybe, if he could get the timing just right, he could lure Feather underneath and let loose one of the large boulders on him. It was his only shot that any of those within his mind could see. ‘Let’s do it.’ He looked back to Feather just in time to see the dark tom free himself. In an instant, Tide had to run again. But, this time, he headed straight for the dead-end wall. He would have to use his cliff jumping skills from so long ago in his original clan to scale the wall enough. However, Feather would have those same skills, since they both originated from the same clan. Honestly, this plan to get the boulder at the top was a gamble, but it was the only chance they had to take down Feather for good, hopefully. He just had to hope that with the new massiveness of Feather’s body that he wouldn’t be quite as agile on the rocks. Tide ran through screeching cats and fallen Warriors as he raced to the wall, but he kept his focus on the rocks. If he knew that if he so much as glanced at anything else that his chance would be gone. He would be too shocked or horrified to move again. No, not this time. The orange tom neared the rock wall then sprang up with all his might to get as high up as possible. He landed for a split heartbeat onto a jutting stone, but if he lingered then his footing and momentum would be lost. He couldn’t even look down to see if Feather was still following him, but he knew he was. He jumped onto another stone then bounced off of it and landed onto another, gradually making his way upwards to the top. ‘Just a bit more…’ He jumped again, aiming for the loose boulder at the very top, but pain surged through him, and he stopped short. His front paws managed to catch the boulder with claws out for as much hold as possible. He looked down as his lower body now mostly hung down, hind legs scrambling for any kind of hold they could find. His eyes caught Feather’s. The bulk had slowed him down a bit, but Feather still managed to clamp his jaws down onto Tide’s tail, surely breaking it with the way the end fell limp. Malicious joy glowed in Feather’s eyes as he caught the pure terror and thought of defeat from Tide’s. Storm saw through Tide’s vision, seeing how smug and joyous Feather seemed to be. She knew that this was it. There was no coming back if Tide was dragged down by him. He would die in agony and thinking that he had brought all this pain and suffering to the others of the clan, and Feather would be the victor with his horde of evil cats. Evil would win. But a thought came to her then, and she abruptly knew what had to be done to win, to kill Feather for good. Yet it would come at a cost. Still, by Tide’s actions, by what she could still feel in their shared emotions, she knew that he would gladly give his life, his hopes of being a normal cat, his desire to live out a now normal lifetime with Cloudleap and his friends, if it meant keeping them safe. If Feather was dead, then they would be safe again. They would be able to beat these other cats and rid their camp of them, so long as Feather’s spirit was erased from existence. With her last little bit of power and her will, Storm ejected herself from Tide’s mind and materialized into reality, standing atop the rock wall, by Tide’s desperately gripping claws. She didn’t dare look down at him to see the fear on his face that she already felt deep within her own self. This was it. This is where death finally claimed them all. Storm went to the edge of the boulder, where it sat loosely onto the small cliff, and she pressed her paws onto it, feeling its cold surface against her pads. She pushed, and the stone beneath it crumbled at the edge. With little physical effort but all of her spiritual to actually interact with it, the rock gave way and fell. She faded, ashamed and sad. A loud shockwave of stunning sound emanated, echoing throughout the camp and silencing all else. The cats who had invaded ceased their fighting and looked around, extremely confused. Each one that remained alive genuinely appeared as if they had no idea what they were doing in the camp and fighting with these other cats. So, they left. Quickly, every living invader filed through the entrance tunnel and the hole made by their invasion, leaving the remaining clan cats with their own visible confusion and newly obtained battle scars. Cloudleap jumped up as he was freed from the molted she-cat’s grasp. His body was riddled with scratches and fur clumped with life liquid, and one ear was completely gone. Yet he stood by himself and even went over to help Flamingleaf stand as she bared a large gash on her side and held a foreleg up off the ground. “They…left?” she meowed, very confused by that. “Just like that? The way they looked at us just now…like they didn’t know what they were doing…” It confused her so much and sent an array of thoughts flooding, swirling through her ind. However, every single one was replaced instantly with horror and concern as she spotted Tide. “Tide!” Cloudleap followed her gaze and almost collapsed when he saw his mate. He rushed over to Tide as Flamingleaf limped along quickly behind. “Tide! Oh my StarClan, no…” He stopped at the orange tabby’s paws. Tide laid there on the ground, only his chest and forward showing. The rest was left shrouded by the boulder which had come tumbling down on top of him. Feather’s body was nowhere to be found, but he had for sure been under the stone, as well. Tide’s eyes cracked open as Cloudleap collapsed by his face from trembling legs, Flamingleaf coming to join him. “Hey, guys,” he rasped out then coughed, his body raked in pain but yet somehow also becoming numb. “We did it… we won.” Cloudleap shook his head, sorrow welling up inside him like flood waters. “But you…” He pressed his nose to Tide’s and shut his eyes tight. “You’re going to-“ “You can’t die!” Flamingleaf blurted out, immense sadness lacing her voice. “Not yet. I know it’s what you’ve been wanting for so long to go to your Paradise, but you can’t go now. Not yet…” Tide coughed some more then rested his head down again, growing weaker feeling. “Oh yeah. I didn’t think about that,” he rasped out but still seemed happy anyway as he gazed up at his two best friends. “I’m okay with going, but not because-“ he coughed again for a moment then sighed. “Not because I want to be in that place, but because this place was my Paradise.” He gazed up at them both with a soft, fleeting love in his green eyes. “You guys, this clan – have been my perfect Paradise. I can’t imagine never having come here and not meeting you. Thank you for caring about me, for everything.” He closed his eyes then, taking in one last, broken breath to finish speaking. “I’m happy.” Then, he was gone as his chest fell still and body limp. Flamingleaf let out a loud wail, much like that of a mother losing a kit. It rivaled that kind by the pure anguish the sound held, as she knew she had just lost such a dear friend. Cloudleap instead sobbed and buried his face into Tide’s neck. “No! You can’t be dead! Come back, just one more time! Please, just once more!” he begged, but his pleading was fruitless. In the end, he, too, let out an anguished wail as the other survivors gathered to mourn.
* Cloudleap sat atop the branch in which clan meeting were always held. His gaze swept the small gathering beneath the sycamore tree. And, though his body hollow, he sat tall and kept his voice strong. “We gather here now to say goodbye to dear friends and family we have lost in the Dark Battle three suns ago but, also, to celebrate our victory,” he announced to the solemn, silent crowd. “As of this point on, I now officially take my role as Leader of MossClan, as Cloudstar.” The clan began to cheer then, shouting his name for even the sky to hear. “Cloudstar! Cloudstar! Cloudstar!” When the cats again fell silent, he continued. “And now I will also appoint the new Deputy. Flamingleaf, would you please step forward?” The cream orange she-cat limped out of the mass as the crowd parted for her. Her wounds had been treated, but time would still be needed to completely heal them. She stopped at the roots of the mighty tree and watched as Cloudstar jumped down to meet her. “I know you will continue to serve this clan well and lead it well once the time comes,” Cloudstar meowed to her. “You have always been a true friend to me and a great Warrior to the clan. I am proud to appoint you as my deputy.” “Thank you,” Flamingleaf replied in a soft, respectful tone. The two touched noses briefly, and the crowd cheered again, now for her. She then took her place by the base of the sycamore, by Brackenwish, as Cloudstar jumped back into the branches. He held his tail up for silence, and the noise ceased quickly. “Now, we must pay tribute to those whom we’ve lost,” he announced. He sat tall with his head up as he began to list off names of the fallen who didn’t make it through the battle. The rest of the clan bowed their heads and closed their eyes. “Lizardfang. Oakbreeze. Nightkit. Hawklight. Rainwing. Shadowowl. Sevenstar.” He paused for only a brief moment. “And Tide. Each and every one of these cats, even a kit, were taken before their time. Yet we know that they all fought bravely for this clan and for those of us that remain alive. If is thanks to them that we sit here on this sun and can continue our lives until their true ends. For them all, I am grateful.” Cloudstar then raised his muzzle to the sky and began to chant their names. The clan raised their heads, following. “Lizardfang! Oakbreeze! Nightkit! Hawklight! Rainwing! Shadowowl! Sevenstar! Tide!” They did this several times over, all emotions pouring out into their voices, before finally falling silent once more. “And, finally,” Cloudstar announced, “I would like to welcome to the clan Cricketsong’s kits, born only this morning. Welcome –MossClan’s future Warriors – Mudkit, Briarkit, and Lightkit!” For the final time, the clan cheered, relishing what little bit of glory and happiness they could from everything. But they all knew that life would go on, as it always did.
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Epilogue The grass stalks waved lightly as a mouse scampered through them. It paused momentarily to grab a wild wheat seed and nibble on it, unaware of its fate. From the side, a cat watched with its emerald eyes transfixed onto the tiny creature’s body. Pounce. The mouse fell limp, and the cat picked up the prey in their jaws. “Well done. You are getting much better, even if you are only now practicing land hunting more than fishing.” A gray figure emerged from the grass, parting it on either side as she purred. “I would say that if you were still alive then you could provide prey quite well again,” she lightly teased. The other cat rolled his eyes and set the prey down to speak. “Maybe, Storm, but you don’t have to say it like that. Sheesh,” he replied but chuckled. “When I thought of Paradise, I didn’t think you’d still be here to nag and tease me like this,” he joked back. Both of them turned when the tall grass shook from a distance. Something was rapidly approaching them. And, before Tide knew it, he was on the ground, flat on his back. “Hey! Miss me?” Tide’s eyes grew to moons as he gazed up at the familiar white and gray face. “Cloudleap?” overwhelming joy began to flow through him as Tide got up, the white tom having got off him to let him up. “Is that really you?” The white tom’s whiskered twitched with amusement. “Who else would it be?” he asked then nuzzled Tide and purred loudly. “I’ve missed you so much.” Tide couldn’t believe his ears or eyes. He knew he was finally in Paradise, but he had never expected to meet his mate here, too. Was it some sort of illusion? He looked to Storm for an answer, but she seemed just as shocked as him. Still, there was no way Tide wouldn’t be elated to have his best friend and mate back by his side. He purred back and nuzzled Cloudleap all the same. Yet he did have to know. “How are you here?” he asked after a bit and pulled away to face him. Cloudstar continued to purr. “Did you really think you would get rid of me that easily?” he asked. “I made an arrangement with StarClan. I said that I wanted to be with you, and they managed to speak with your Council to let me in here. I’m here to stay now, Tide. We can be together forever.” Tide was extremely happy about that, but it also sent a pang of sorrow through him like a thorn. “But that means you’ve died…” Cloudstar nodded. “Yes, I have. A lot, actually,” he replied, but he didn’t seem too bothered by it. “Tide, you’ve been here for many seasons. Once you died, I didn’t know what to do with myself, and Sevenstar died in the same battle, so I was made leader. But I knew that you would want me to carry on, so I did. I became Leader, got my nine lives, and I finally lost them all. This last one was to a falling branch of all things, but it was worth it. I saved an Apprentice, and now I’m here with you.” Tide stood in stunned silence, not sure what to say. Cloudleap had really become Cloudstar and lead the clan for so long? To him. Paradise didn’t really make it seem like all that much time passed. Clearly, though, a lot had gone by for the clan. “What else happened?” he asked, now curious as to how things turned out after he left. “Well, Flamingleaf became Deputy, and she did an amazing job, even training two Apprentices. She even found a mate in Thornfall and had kits. I told her that once she found out was going to have them that she had to give up being Deputy for a while, but she’s so stubborn. She kept up her duties, had the kits, and even then wouldn’t stop. Still, she made a great mother to them. Sevenkit, Stormkit, and Tidekit when they were born. Now Tidepaw, he actually looks a lot like you, since you and Flamingleaf both shared an orange-colored pelt.,” Cloudstar told him. “And now Flamingleaf’s going to be Leader with her Sevenwhisker and Stormheart as new Warriors, since my final life has been spent. I’m really proud of her, of all of them. Oh, and Duskstone had Lizardfang’s kits, too. And Brackenwish finally got a Medicine Cat Apprentice in Tidepaw. The clan has really been rebuilding. And with Algaestar still as WaterClan’s Leader, we haven’t had much conflict at all. It’s all been really, really nice.” He nuzzled Tide again. “But I’ve always looked forward to when I could see you again.” Tide took it all in. Flamingleaf would make a great Leader, he knew. And he was so happy to hear she had kits, and all of them were named after his friends and even himself! That was just amazing! Still, it would pain him a bit deep inside to know Cloudstar had to experience death several times just like he had, but the joy the white and gray tom now obviously felt to be reunited with him… It was something that just couldn’t be rivaled by any other feeling. “I’m so happy you’re here, too,” he told his mate and licked the back pf his head. “Come, we will show you around,” Storm meowed softly, happy. “You will enjoy it here very much, Cloudstar. I promise.” Cloudstar pulled away and nodded, glad to be given a grand tour. He intertwined his tail with Tide’s, and the two followed along behind Storm as they made their way through the tall grass, the warm sun bathing their shining pelts.
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:52:37 GMT -5
story save
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 17:52:48 GMT -5
one last save
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 18:01:54 GMT -5
This is gonna be my Potluck story, but I just couldn't wait any longer to put it up. I'll wait for my actual turn in a couple days to tag people and give the link, but here's the story. mintedstar/fur🦇
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Dec 22, 2018 18:07:56 GMT -5
Eeee! I'm looking forward to this! Fan me!
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 18:31:20 GMT -5
You have been added! But finish Lost Illusions first
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Post by phantomstar57 on Dec 22, 2018 21:31:13 GMT -5
Glad you posted early. Got a chance to start reading! DO Fan me! Hope you had a chance to read my story for the Potluck. Story is pretty short LOL and its link will always be there.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Dec 22, 2018 21:46:22 GMT -5
Ha ha. XD Will do, Sea!
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 22, 2018 21:47:04 GMT -5
Haven't had the right situation to read yet. The holidays are chaotic, and I need silence to read, which I'm not getting, lol. Hopefully after Christmas things will die down.
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Post by phantomstar57 on Dec 23, 2018 10:45:06 GMT -5
Haven't had the right situation to read yet. The holidays are chaotic, and I need silence to read, which I'm not getting, lol. Hopefully after Christmas things will die down. Understood. Crazy here too. I am fortunate that I can shut out stimili when I read or write-most of the time.
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Post by ~Sapphire~ on Dec 23, 2018 18:03:01 GMT -5
This is awesome! Tide's situation is very intriguing, and I love the dynamic between him and Storm. Can't wait to find out what happened in their previous 'life' - and what's going to happen with Sevenstar's cats... Fan?
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 23, 2018 20:21:08 GMT -5
Glad you like it! I honestly think this story could be one of my better ones, right up there with WITSOP. This one definitely holds many secrets just waiting to be revealed, and of course I'll fan you!
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Post by ~Sapphire~ on Dec 27, 2018 13:13:37 GMT -5
Nice chapter! Looks like Tide's not learnt his lesson even after what he's been through - I don't know how Storm stands being his guardian. I feel like the Clan are going to regret taking him in...
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Post by phantomstar57 on Dec 27, 2018 14:11:32 GMT -5
Nice chapter! Looks like Tide's not learnt his lesson even after what he's been through - I don't know how Storm stands being his guardian. I feel like the Clan are going to regret taking him in... I agree. Tide apparently is a stubborn thick-headed fool, but I hope he does eventually learn his lesson.
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Post by Wolfyy- on Dec 28, 2018 2:51:49 GMT -5
This is a great story so far! Definitely fan me! I'll be sticking around for sure I read Lost Illusions and thought it was a fantastic story as well. You're a wonderful writer!
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 28, 2018 3:23:49 GMT -5
~Sapphire~ phantomstar57 Yeah, Tide is a very thick-headed tom, among other things. Storm has the patients of a saint, lol. Wolfyy- Omg, thank you! I'm glad to know more people are enjoying my stories! I will gladly fan you. And, if you please, I would enjoy it even more if you could tell me a few things you like in particular about the stories. Always good to know what I'm doing right
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Post by ~Sapphire~ on Dec 28, 2018 16:19:40 GMT -5
Storm has the patience of a saint while missing out on her chance to be one in paradise
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Post by Wolfyy- on Dec 28, 2018 19:33:46 GMT -5
Wolfyy- Omg, thank you! I'm glad to know more people are enjoying my stories! I will gladly fan you. And, if you please, I would enjoy it even more if you could tell me a few things you like in particular about the stories. Always good to know what I'm doing right Absolutely! I love the character development and plot buildup. It makes for an intriguing, captivating story, and I can tell that Death Wish will have the same attraction for me as Lost Illusions did!
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 28, 2018 20:49:23 GMT -5
Storm has the patience of a saint while missing out on her chance to be one in paradise True, lol. But, there's more good reasons why she's doing this, besides the Council.
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 28, 2018 20:50:20 GMT -5
Wolfyy- Omg, thank you! I'm glad to know more people are enjoying my stories! I will gladly fan you. And, if you please, I would enjoy it even more if you could tell me a few things you like in particular about the stories. Always good to know what I'm doing right Absolutely! I love the character development and plot buildup. It makes for an intriguing, captivating story, and I can tell that Death Wish will have the same attraction for me as Lost Illusions did! Awesome! Thank you for reading, and especially for commenting! It always really helps when readers comment. Gives writers motivation and good vibes
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Post by Wolfyy- on Dec 28, 2018 21:16:21 GMT -5
Absolutely! I love the character development and plot buildup. It makes for an intriguing, captivating story, and I can tell that Death Wish will have the same attraction for me as Lost Illusions did! Awesome! Thank you for reading, and especially for commenting! It always really helps when readers comment. Gives writers motivation and good vibes It's no problem! I love reading fanfiction c: And I 100% agree. I enjoy getting feedback on my writings. I have part of one story on DA but I've gotten lazy and haven't written anything for it in a while. I've thought about posting it on this site but I don't know how to format and I doubt I'd upload anything in an orderly fashion. It would take ages to get that far haha
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Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Dec 28, 2018 23:51:43 GMT -5
Wolfyy- I guess for that just see what others do and try and copy the basic loadout of it all. Is is a Warriors story, or an Off Topic?
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Post by Wolfyy- on Dec 29, 2018 2:04:20 GMT -5
🍁Searipple101🍁 It's all Warriors! A lot of it is based off of a roleplay I was in last year on Feral Front. It centers on this cat named Rainsong. It's mostly her story and this girl has been through some crap. I have three main OC's, and they'll all be in it at some point, but she's the focus of this one. I'm stuck in kithood haha. I might consider putting it up on here if I can figure out graphics haha
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Post by ~Sapphire~ on Dec 29, 2018 10:07:41 GMT -5
Storm has the patience of a saint while missing out on her chance to be one in paradise True, lol. But, there's more good reasons why she's doing this, besides the Council. I should hope so x'D But I wonder what those reasons could be...
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Post by phantomstar57 on Dec 29, 2018 10:59:11 GMT -5
Awesome! Thank you for reading, and especially for commenting! It always really helps when readers comment. Gives writers motivation and good vibes It's no problem! I love reading fanfiction c: And I 100% agree. I enjoy getting feedback on my writings. I have part of one story on DA but I've gotten lazy and haven't written anything for it in a while. I've thought about posting it on this site but I don't know how to format and I doubt I'd upload anything in an orderly fashion. It would take ages to get that far haha Even if you post as you go, post! . Lots of us do that. Took me over three years to finish the main NEW BLOOD fic. But its up and done and people can read at their leisure. And once the main story is done, it seems a lot of spinoffs occur LOL
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