[Newleaf Tears] Blood In Common

The dogs had been immersed in the fight against the cats, but when the giant cat stood up they immediately halted, growling, hackles raised against this new threat. The first dog shook off every cat fighting it and bounded off immediately to tangle with the enormous beast in their territory. The second had more trouble leaving the fight, disentangling from the enjoyable battle, and stopped when an old and obviously injured she-cat was in his way, trembling with the scent of fear that made his instincts go crazy. He grabbed hold of the smaller she-cat and shook her violently, teeth digging into her scruff, before yeeting tossing her across the field. Then, taking a moment to howl triumphantly, he went to join the other dogs tangling with the giant cat.

Dog #3 used Thrash on Spiderfur. Spiderfur can no longer fight ever again.


OOC: I will post later with Redwing and Pricklebush

The beast saw the chaos and so many cats around but what really caught up its attention was the dogs. The mighty Sharptooth stopped its race and let out a loud roar when it finally faced the pack of dogs, guided by their one-eyed alpha. The monster was tired of the race, chasing those cats who distracted it enough to not be able to hunt all the cats that were sleeping in its caves and tunnels for so long. However, despite its exhaustion, the Sharptooh was mad angry and fury forced its body to move forward and attack the group of canines. The big feline jumped forward toward the white and dark grey dog who was leading the pack and he counter-attacked as well, calling with barks at his packmates to join him in this fight. Blood and yowls of pain started to fill the area, of both Sharptooth and dogs. The big animals fought one over another, rolling over the rocks and any nearby cat who dared to step on their was most likely gravely injured but the huge claws and fangs.

However, though the time was giving the five clans time to run away from the chaos, carrying the injured, the mourning cats and kits were taking too much time. Time the cats didn't have. In the middle of all this, Firestone ran to Redwing's side as soon as she saw her leaping toward the dog who was attacking her mate. He nudged her sweetly, his breathing still erratic and fast due to the race of his life. "I told you I will come back for you, didn't I, my sweet kit?" He mewed lovingly before he heard the loud cry of one of the dogs.

The large dappled ginger tom turned his head to the battle of dogs and Sharptooth and he noticed how the battle wouldn't last for too long. The beast just snapped one of the dogs' neck (Dog #2) and the one who seemed as their leader was deeply injured while the huge feline only got a few bite marks and a torn ear. In his head, he saw for a brief moment what was going to happen next: the feline would kill all the dogs and then, the clans were next. Even if they managed to escape, the Sharptooth would follow them back to the forest and after that, it would kill everyone and everything. It was going to be the end of the clans... but most importantly, his daughter wouldn't have a chance to return to her home, to her family. Once again, Firestone looked into Redwing's green eyes and remembered the vow he made the day she was born: that he would give his life and the world to her and her happiness. He showed her a genuine smile was kind of odd in a situation like this and the large tom touched her forehead with his muzzle, licking her fur gently. "Dear Redwing... what to say to you? When you came into this world, you became everything to me. The life inside the clan camp was never quite my style yet you changed that and dedicating every day to you... was the best decision I could make." Slowly, the father started to step back from his daughter, still smiling. "But there's a time in life... in which a father must do what it takes to make his kit happy. Maybe you won't forgive me... but trust that this is for best. You'll come in age with the new clans, I'll make it right for you so you can live with your family, your kits and mate".

The Sharptooth killed one more dog and the time was running out. Firestone turned his gaze to Poppyheart, giving him a half-serious, half-joking smile. "You better take care of her or I'll make sure to come back just to kill you, understood, boy?" He mewed before facing his daughter one last time. "I love you, sweetheart. Live a good, happy life for me, okay?" And with no more words, the fire-furred tom left the place, leaving his remaining family to meet his final judgement.

The big feline was done killing the third dog when Firestone was thinking about a plan to finish this. He couldn't fight the Sharptooth with only his claws. That would be a suicidal mission and no good would be made. He had to stop it. Stop the beast from coming to the forest. And no living thing was able to face a mighty monster like it... but maybe something with no life could work. Firestone looked up to the rocky cliffs near and he noticed one in particular that could easily work for his plan. However, despite his stocky size, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it alone. The Shadowclan warrior looking around when he finally met the former leader's white fur and big body. He knew from the last time he was on the cave that she was like him: a mother who was willing to die so her kits could have a better future. "Blizzardshine!" He yowled when he finally met her face to face. "You can see the clans have no time, right? There's a way we can save everyone... but it's a journey with no way to come back. I'm willing to die for the clans and for my kit. I know you're a worried mother too, would you join me in this cause?" He asked, his voice deep and determined.

When the monstrous feline went after the dogs, Blizzardshine’s body reacted before her very own mind did, getting out of the way as quickly as possible as she saw the carnage develop. She had fully expected to see the dogs tearing the Sharptooth apart while it wounded them just enough for her and the other cats that stood behind to finish them off.

And instead the beast was winning this battle, and was clear once it was done with the dogs, it would have more than enough energy to chase down and kill every single cat nearby.

Her eyes drifted from them to the clan cats that were scattered around the place. Chaos reigned as they tried to escape from the bigger predators, confusion was clear as some of them ran without a real direction just in an attempt to stay alive. The few that had a clearer mind soon getting lost in the crowd. They were getting away, yes, but clearly nowhere fast enough to save themselves before the Sharptooth was done with the dogs.

Even if they were more organized, many were injured and the way back home was not an easy one…would the Sharptooth follow them into the territories? Kill them all, one by one, once the dogs were dead?

She was pulled out of her thoughts abruptly by a male voice, causing her to jump a bit and turn quickly to face the one calling her name “Firestone?” She was a bit unsure of what the ShadowClan warrior could want, but the glint of hope in the tom’s eyes…that was more than enough to make her decide that maybe listening instead of trying to rush him away to help the rest of the cats escape could be worth a shot.

His words sounded loud and clear for above the noise. Save everyone…at the cost of their own lives. The thought made a cold chill go down her spine, from where it met her skull to the very tip of her long fluffy tail. Flashes of her family, her memories with them, soon appeared before her eyes. Oh, how much she would love to run back home with them and spend the rest of their lives safe in the forest, see them grow old, see her grandkits!

But…

If she ran away in an attempt to live that dream, it would only be a matter of time. The Sharptooth wasn’t going to be satisfied forever with the dogs…and that’s if it even liked dog meat. While on the other paw it was known it had a taste for cat, and not even a pack of dogs could take down. How they were even supposed to defend themselves against it?

While she believed it was possible, it would come at a heavy price, many lives lost…between those her very own kits if fate was cruel. That was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.

Many lives, including those of her kits, her greatest and most beloved treasure, against her own. She didn’t need to think much to make a choice.

“Tell me what you have in mind, Firestone. For my kits…this is a journey I’ll be glad to walk at your side…” Her voice was no longer insecure or scared. Instead strong, determined and firm. For the first time in many moons, she felt no doubt come and try to cloud her mind.

Once he got his answer, the Shadowclan warrior started running, passing the remaining dogs and Sharptooth. "We will drop all those rocks over it before that beast can lay a fang over one of our clanmates!" He mewed and then climbed higher and higher the cliff he saw earlier, hoping Blizzardstar could follow his lead too. None of them was used to climb mountains yet in moments of needs, there was no skill that couldn't be learnt. For Redwing... for her kits... he was going to do everything. He forced his paws to keep moving, keeping his chin up. With clenched teeth, the large tom stepped on the top of the cliff that he was looking and thanks to Starclan, it was exactly what they needed: a pile of rocks that with a little push, they could cause a massive rock slide. Firestone helped Blizzardstar to climb to his side and once they were both up, he fixed his green eyes on what was happening below.

The blood was everywhere and now the alpha was the only dog on its feet. In a last attempt to kill the Sharptooth that murdered its pack, he leapt forward on the large feline neck and bit it. The blood came out like a waterfall yet it wasn't enough. Just a couple of seconds after, the Sharptooth tossed the dog to the ground and finished him by sinking its massive fang into its chest. The animal took a few bites of the corpse but its attention was soon returned to the still remaining group of cats that were fleeing.

ROAR!

When the animal roared, fixing his eyes on the group of cats where her daughter was, he knew it was time. Firestone wasn't afraid anymore. He looked at Blizzardshine and nodded, ready to face his fate. Together, they dug into the soft earth, pushing the larger rocks until the ground was no longer stable. Under their paws, the ground started to tremble and in just a few seconds, the whole cliff started collapsing, taking both warriors with them and the surprised Sharptooth under them.


In his last moments, the fire-furred cat closed his green eyes and smiled a bit, in peace. All the hate, the loss... it was gone for he had done something good in his last moments of life. Thanks to this, Redwing was going to have a new chance to rebuild her life, to make Shadowclan a better place than the times where Littlestar's reigned. Now... it was time to meet his brother once again... to join her mate. In his memory he saw Violetshine... he saw Icestone, his friend... Gingerstripe... Specklefang... Buttercup, would she be up there, in Starclan? He doubted it but there was no harm in dreaming. And at last, a second before everything went dark, he saw little Redkit... looking at him with those big green eyes and shiny smile.

Don't worry, my child... We will meet again... And with that final thought, he was sent to the silverpelt, leaving his body behind.

Blizzardshine nodded almost instantly, no more words had to be shared. They didn’t have the time for useless chit-chat and the two of them knew what they were supposed to do.

Her paws carried her towards the unstable cliff faster than she ever ran before. Was it the fact that she knew this was the end? The protective feelings she felt towards her kits? The adrenaline rushing through her veins? Something she had no idea about or even a mix of all of what she thought before?

She had no idea…and, honestly, she neither gave a rat’s tail.

She could feel how unstable the cliff was just by trying to climb it, more than once she felt like she was about to go down with it only by placing a single paw over a loose rock, or by jumping to try and get to a higher one. How in StarClan’s name had this cliff not collapsed yet? She honestly had no idea. It was almost like….like….

Like it was meant to be.

Like it had been left ready specifically for this very moment.

She gave it no further thought and quickly got at Firestone’s side and started to push on the already unstable rocks with a strength she didn’t know she had. Her SkyClan half as she climbed the rocks…her ThunderClan half as she pushed them…both sides that made her who she was and never felt so proud of…

She was so focused she didn’t notice the smaller rocks that already were starting to roll down the hill…and then…

The rock gave in…

She felt her front paws lose the surface they had been so firmly pressed against, and then everything started to almost feel like a dream…one where time flowed slower than it would be natural. Her ears could only hear the sound of the rocks falling, reminding her of the very thunder that represented her own clan. Her eyes locked on the Sharptooth that desired to take the lives of the clans…of the tribe…of her kits.

Her back legs pushed her forwards, straight towards the monster with claws stretched and fangs bared as she let out what would be her very last battle yowl. This creature had threatened those she loved, and for that she would make it pay the highest price, even if it meant also paying it herself. She glared at it dead in the eye, not even a glimpse of fear in her ice blue ones.

It was impossible for her to put the amount of satisfaction she felt into words when her claws dug into the Sharptooth’s flesh. She didn’t even feel the rocks falling, she could only focus on one thing at the time, in one thought that filled her with pride, with love and, at last, peace…

The deed was done.

The Sharptooth was no more.

Her kits…were safe…

Ferretpaw smiled wide as the tribe cat came to her rescue. Had things been different, she would have embraced Echo of Shattered Ice for her bravery and sacrifice. All she could do was nod affirmatively and step back, far away from the reach of the dog's teeth. "I will never forget what you did for me and my clan today, Echo. Thank you! For everything!" she called as she turned her back, leaving her savior  to defend the mountains she so loved. It was a feeling that connected Ferretpaw to the tribe cat, and she knew that she was fighting for her own freedom as well.

Running through the chaos that encroached around her, she leaped atop a vantage rock just in time to see Batpaw mercilessly bitten. Panic seared her heart, driving her deep into the battleground. As Jaystar called for the retreat, she pulled the smaller apprentice up across her back by the scruff and began her descent with the others. She tried to be gentle and not jostle the injured cat, but it was difficult to avoid the bumps with such a load to carry. "Sorry, friend," she gasped with a short laugh, in spite of herself, "We'll be safe soon. I'm getting you back to your brothers."

Then, the boulder fell, and the mountainside shook. Whipping around, her soul sank to her paws. A silver coat had fallen onto Sharptooth... and after, the rocks.

"BLIZZARDSHINE!"

-

Aspenpaw vaguely felt the pull of someone lifting him, up from the ground, and onto their back. As he faded in and out, he smelt something unfamiliar. The growling of the unknown thing led him to believe that it was the Sharptooth. He couldn't move as much as he'd like to, and his head felt like it was full of water. He lifted his eyes for just a moment and watched the sky fall down. They had escaped... but at what cost?

"Finchstar..." he whispered, "I hope we won."

He dropped his head and was out once more. The stars were above him and the ground was below, and everything was fighting itself before his eyes. He'd see the moorland again, and all those who chase the clouds across it.

Of all the sights Emberheart had never thought she'd see, things she never thought would happen, it was Blizzardshine - the cat she had once called her leader, the strong and capable warrior she deeply respected - to die here, in the mountains, at the paws of a strange and unfamiliar creature.

It stirred something in her, more than fear or anger. Something she hadn't felt, not so strongly, in some time. Sadness. It felt, in a way... Like the end of an era. The cat that had taken her into ThunderClan, the one who had given her a chance to prove she could someday become a warrior... That cat was gone.

Loss, it seemed, was a constant in life. But the Clans were safe to return home, at last.

There were things that needed doing, still. Even if they could return to the forest, there was no way everything was as they'd left it. They would need to regroup and rebuild.

In her state of emotional numbness - or perhaps depression; she couldn't be sure - a single thought pushed through. Is Mosspaw alright?

Clan cats had come to bring them home, so there was a chance at the very least.

~

"Home," Batpaw whispered, latching onto the word and all it meant to her in particular. "Lynx n' Copper... N' Dad n' Marshstorm. No more cave beetles..." She was silent for a few moments after that, only vaguely aware of her surroundings or the cat currently carrying her and feeling almost as if she were dreaming. Still, she whispered a soft, "Thanks, Ferret..." Whether it was a nickname or just an inability to form complete sentences at the moment, the gratitude in her tone was genuine.

~

When Mothpaw finally pulled herself to her paws, she hadn't quite processed the chaos and bloodshed around her. There would be time, later, when it would keep her up at night. For now, though... The ShadowClan apprentice saw one of her friends, Wasppaw, struggling. Was she trying to drag one of the dogs back with her? Why would she want a reminder of any of this?

Regardless, she went to her friend. "Let me help," she said gently, trying to take some of the weight off of Wasppaw. She was bigger, anyway. StarClan, this was heavy...

A tom, fleet of foot, rushed down the mountainside with only one thing on his mind: home. He couldn't think of the bones already resting near Mothermouth, probably scattered and broken by the dogs. Desecrated. This was righteous, to lead this giant beast the Tribe called a Sharptooth towards those creatures, to hopefully bring to them their angel of death. If this giant cat didn't kill and eat the warriors first. He stayed nearest the back, keeping the stragglers safe as they descended. Then, they reached the bloodbath. He didn't stop running, snatching up a bloodied and beaten apprentice from who knew which clan, carrying them swiftly away from the massive creatures. A great rumble, then a crash sounded behind him and he turned, dropping the young cat to stare in awe. There was nothing left of the predators. Rubble smothered their still forms. Was it over? His eyes moved slowly across the battlefield, his heart sinking at every corpse.


Firflower was about to lose her mind. Her kits - she loved them dearly, of course - they were stressing her so badly she swore she'd get silver hairs within the moon. The SkyClan queen rushed towards Highstones with the others, each of her five kits gathered around her, with Maplekit, Sandkit, Lightkit, and Swallowkit rushing to keep up, and Cypresskit in her jaws. All she wanted to do was to do the sane thing and hide until the danger passed. Which would be cowardly, if she didn't have to protect all of her kittens. 'Without a father.' Her eyes dimmed, briefly remembering Elmcloud's disappearance. Still, she kept running, gaze flickering around to ensure all her children were safe. And when she reached the red-splattered rocks they'd been running towards, she thought they were. But after another check, both Maplekit and Lightkit were missing!

Terrified, she jerked her head around with wide eyes, wanting only to see her children safe, not in the teeth of a dog. Then, she saw them. Together, next to a faintly familiar she-cat and a black tom. She ushered her more obedient kits with her to where they were hiding. Soundlessly she nudged the two siblings, giving them a glare that could only say, 'Don't ever do that again. You scared me.' The queen then pulled them towards her, sheltering them beneath her chest. Only then did she look up to see who was standing beside her. 'Night?' She pressed her muzzle against his shoulder. It had been too long. Too long since her father had been exiled.

The giant rumble shook the ground and in confusion she looked up to the clear sky, but the clouds of dust soon told her the true culprit. Tonnes of solid rock had peeled away from the mountain, and now that she looked, there wasn't a dog or the Sharptooth in sight. Had... had it been crushed? Had it escaped? The fur on the back of her neck bristled at the thought, and she opened her mouth to test for any scent out of the ordinary. Besides the rivers of blood running down the rocks.


Moth didn't know how he'd gotten into this. He wasn't an agile Prey-Hunter, he was a Cave-Guard. He wasn't all that accustomed to running. Though he supposed running with these Clan cats to protect them did fall in the realm of his duties. And that doing this now, was not only going to save his own life, but the lives of his family in the long run. His duty would have put him directly at the paws of the Sharptooth, once it decided it wanted a meal. No cat had a chance against the beast, it would be like fighting a thunderstorm. He would've died. So maybe these clan cats had been a blessing in disguise; both of them had a grave threat, and those threats could negate each other. If the cards were played right. His mind kept drifting to thoughts of Echo, his tail lashing anxiously even as he ran. He knew she was fast, but the Sharptooth was... unnatural. Would he see her again? 'Of course. Nothing within the mountains could ever slow her down'

After cresting the final hill, he saw the monsters. Ugly things with too-long snouts and stiff tails. He could practically pick up the stench wafting off of them. And not soon after, the terrible familiar and gut-turning screech of their demon bounced off the rocky walls of the field, giving the impression of far more in the area. If it was here, then- yes! It was her! With his confidence restored, Moth on Moonlit Stone moved through the writhing and yowling battles, slashing and biting at the ankles of the stinking creatures to reach their either unconscious or dead victims. The same wall of stone that had reflected the battle cry of the Sharptooth brought its life to an end, and with it a great wave of peace washed over him. It was over.

OOC: WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME

I can't lose him. Not again. Redwing stood anxiously over her mate's body, silently begging him to be okay searching him frantically for a sign of movement. Then, wonder of wonders, he moved. He spoke. He nuzzled her back... just like he used to do. "StarClan, I missed you," she moaned, tears of relief streaming down her face. Crying and laughing at once, she licked him on the cheek. "Don't ever do that again. You have a lot of explaining to do, young tom." She tried to sound stern, but for the life of her she couldn't. She was too happy to have him back....

But her happiness was short lived. In her distraction, she'd forgotten about the massive dog behind them. As it grabbed Poppyheart again, she screeched, in sheathing her claws again in panic, ready to tear the beast to shreds despite the fear coursing through her... Then, to her astonishment, the dog dropped him. Its attention was elsewhere. A mighty roar shook the area, and the beast- the Sharptooth- that Jaystar had spoken about had arrived. After a moment of hesitation, the warrior grabbed her mate by the scruff and began to half-drag him to safety, knowing he was likely in no state to flee on his own. However, she stopped when she caught a flash of red dappled pelt among the other cats. Firestone!

"Dad!" she cried happily as she caught sight of him. He came to her, and she met him joyfully, burying herself in his soft and welcoming fur. He'd decided not to go through with it after all! He was here... He was safe. Then he started talking to her. At first, she was barely listening, too deliriously happy with his scent all around her. But then, she became aware that something was off. His words sounded too final, like an ultimatum before... "Dad?" she asked, eyes worried, trying to hold onto him, trying to understand. What was he doing? He turned and said something to Poppyheart. Then, back to her... It hit her. He was going to die. He was saying goodbye.

"No! Dad, no!" An unbearable panic seized her, and she reached out for him, trying to hold onto every piece of him she could reach. "You can't do this! No! I can't live without you! I... You...! I need you! I love you so much, I..." She could barely speak through her blubbering tears as Firestone began to walk away. Her paws dragged desperately on the ground behind him. "No... Dad, no, Dad, wait! Dad! Stop!" But he just kept walking. Her breath came only in short, ragged gasps. "Please! Please StarClan, no..." She wanted to run after him, to make him stop, but she couldn't. Something had hold of her and wouldn't let go. He talked to Blizzardshine... they nodded... then, with the big strong paws she loved so much, he dug at the base of a giant rock. "Dad..." she begged numbly through her tears. "No..." Then, with a rumble beyond the loudness of anything she'd ever heard, he disappeared. Gone forever. She couldn't... even bury him... With a wordless wail of pain and grief, tears streaming down her face, Redwing fell to the earth, collapsing under the weight of her father's death. Firestone was gone. Her dad was gone.

-

Pricklebush stood in the middle of the battle, watching eagle eyed as a Hawk, pulling every injured apprentice he could find to safety. Though his first instinct was to fight the beasts threatening his family, he knew he had a greater responsibility to protect those, already injured. StarClan... he hated not being able to fight. Still, wherever he was, he always keit a sharp lookout for Hailpaw. Making sure she was safe. The moment a dog struck her down, he was by her side, taking her to a safe place and watching over her like a Hawk, refusing to let her get hurt again. He just found her. There was no way he would lose her again.

Lost in his work, taking care of apprentices and Hailpaw and avoiding dogs, he barely noticed when the Sharptooth arrived. But when the dogs went away to fight it, he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. They were safe now, hopefully... If they played it right, if the threats destroyed each other, they'd be safe. So he sat by Hailpaw, taking a rest from his frantic running and healing- that, was when he remembered. Blizzardshine. His tired eyes flew open, and he was suddenly alert again, scanning the battlefield for her white spotted pelt. If only he hadn't been so tired, if he'd noticed earlier... Pricklebush's last glimpse of his mother was her falling from the cliff, rocks trailing behind her, claws out in a fierce gesture of protection as she reached Sharptooth.

A loud crash.

Then, she was gone.

The tom sat there, dumbstruck, trying to understand what just happened. His mother couldn't be dead, she was invincible. The fearless former leader and mother of a giant litter. She could do anything... she... Was gone? Something tight clutched his heart, making it hard for him to breathe. The sudden pain of it shocked him, and he gasped, tears coming to his eyes. What an emotional mess he'd been lately... But his face remained numb, stark and numb, as his brain ran in circles trying to comprehend it. In that moment he was a kit again. "... Mom?" the medicine cat whimpered, all facade of calm gone. Where was his mother?

A sound reached his ears through the confusing din he'd shut his ears to around him, but Minkpaw didn't bother raising his head. To all outward appearances, he may as well not have heard the other cat scrambling towards him. He felt numb, like he was floating in a void. There was nothing left to his cold, battered pelt, whatever spirit he'd once held beaten out of him. To anyone further away, it would have looked like he was dead.

In a way, he was.

His closed eyes didn't flutter even as a familiar voice spoke to him, not a spark of interest ignited in him. Even though the tom sounded oddly... sincere. Leave me here. Curling tighter, he didn't move, he barely even breathed.

Until the body underneath him shifted as the other tom yanked on it.

With a cry, Minkpaw leapt after it, his empty eyes lighting up slightly with desperation as Jaystar started dragging the ginger-and-white patched tom down the side of the mountain. Through the fog clouding his mind, and the numbness in his paws, he faintly remembered the other tom's words. Run. He stumbled after the other, though more out of a desire not to lose sight of the body clutched in his jaws than a desire to preserve himself. Barely noticing the rocks scoring his hardened paw pads, or the pounding pain in his head, he wouldn't even have noticed if the mountain collapsed behind him.

So when it did, it may as well have been a gentle wave lapping the shore behind him in his dazed determination to stay with his father.

In the end, Hailpaw's determination never amounted to anything. Once the momentary shock had passed, the great beast whipped its head around. For a half-second, Hailpaw made eye contact with her enemy. The flashing yellow gaze locked with a dark, soulless one. Her blood instantly seemed to turn to ice. Warning bells rang in her head, but they were too late. There was no way she would be able to avoid the blow, not in the current situation. In the next moment, the terrible jaws were closing around her. She caught a glimpse of the yellowed teeth, the saliva dripping from them. Then her sides were crushed with a force far greater than she could ever have imagined. The wind was squeezed from her lungs, suffocating her. Something broke; something that had not been meant to break. She registered the cracking sound in the back of her mind. A terrible pain pierced her. Faintly, distantly, she was aware of being flung to the ground. Darkness flooded into her vision.

How pathetic. One last thought, tinged with self-mocking, flashed through her mind before her consciousness receded from the world. It was laughable, being taken out this easily. So much for her strength and obsession with battle.

---

Mom... Mom, don't go!

With a start, Hailpaw's yellow eyes snapped open. Her heart was pounding in her chest from a dream whose remnants were quickly fading from her memory. Warmth prickled at the back of her eyes. What was going on? She was lying on her side, the damp of the ground seeping into her pelt. As the mist cleared from her mind, the cacophony of battle rang again in her ears. Her last memories before passing out flooded back: dogs, Sharptooth, and the scent of blood. She was still alive. What had—

Hailpaw's hasty movements were cut off by a burning pain in her side. Instinctively, the stocky she-cat let out a sharp hiss.

Oh, right.

Along with the memories came the pain, returning with a vengeance. It hurt simply to breathe. Going limp, Hailpaw flopped back onto the ground. Had she broken a rib? Two? She clenched her jaws, features contorting with a grimace. She had been far too careless. Who on earth left themselves so open? She had been so caught up in the moment that she had thrown caution to the wind. Even her old self would not have been quite as reckless. It was a wonder she had not died, torn to pieces by those beastly fangs. Had her clanmates rescued her? Gingerly this time, the apprentice twisted around, craning her neck for a better view of the battlefield.

A familiar figure entered her vision, a pale ginger tom whose fur was so outrageously fluffy that they almost resembled spikes—Pricklebush. At the sight of her brother, a heavy weight seemed to roll off her heart. He was here. He was safe. The medicine cat had his back towards her, his attention on the battle unfolding just a short distance away. She silently followed his line of sight. There were the dogs; had their numbers decreased? Mixed in among them was one she had never seen before. Upon closer look, it was not a dog, but a... cat? A giant cat. The carnage was almost mesmerizing to witness. Such capacity for destruction existed in the paws of these beasts.

As Hailpaw watched, however, she could not help but get the niggling sensation that something was wrong. Something...? No. Someone was nowhere to be seen. Fear swept over the apprentice in an overwhelming wave. The images from her dream flashed before her mind's eye. "B—Blizzardshine!" She sputtered out. Panic lent her a burst of adrenaline, and the young she-cat pushed herself up with her front paws. The pain was all but shoved to one side.

A roar shook the world, reminiscent to the one that had come before the flood. Hailpaw felt the tremors through the ground. As she watched with wide eyes, great slabs of rock and snow descended down the mountain side. Dust clouds rose into the air, partly obscuring the view of the roaring Sharptooth. The things that followed next happened all too quickly—death, violent destruction, blood splattering unto the rocks. But one thing Hailpaw saw, before the Sharptooth disappeared for good. She saw Blizzardshine descending upon the foul creature that had haunted the Tribe for so long. Then the two of them disappeared together under the cascading earth.

Hailpaw could have turned to stone then. Huh? What just—?

Had she really just seen Blizzardshine?

What had happened to their mother?

Why?

She did not understand. Whiskers quivered as she opened and closed her mouth in wordless silence.

The Sharptooth was gone. The dogs were dying. All was right at last. The clan cats had won the battle, and now they could go home. But where was Blizzardshine? Her brother's whimper reached her ears.

Hailpaw broke.

"MOM!" The shriek cut through the air like claws through flesh. "Blizzardshine!!" She sunk to her belly, coughing from the violent pain. Tears were rolling down her face, falling to the ground. She could not breathe. She was crying from the struggle to even draw breath. Surely that was the answer. Their mother could not be dead. She had been ThunderClan's former leader, the strong warrior Hailpaw had always looked up to.

"I never told you I was sorry!" Those could not have been the last words Hailpaw had ever spoken to her mother.

Dapplepaw watched on as Wasppaw left the back of the dog after it crumpled, and her ears lowered as she listened to the apprentice's pleas for her mother. The pleas quickly turned to raging at.. something she wasn't sure of. Worry and confusion and concern all filled her, and she started to move to approach her adopted older sister when she spun suddenly, and stalked back to the dog that was writhing on the ground. Quickly ending it's life, Wasppaw stood still as a strange cat approached, encouraging them to leave, to get away from her. Shaking herself out of her shock-induced daze, Dapplepaw took up a position on the other side of Wasppaw, not questioning her motive in bringing it along. She was young, and quite small still, but she helped the best she could. The events of the last few days flooded her mind, and she brushed silently against Wasppaw. Maybe she should have stayed home... No, if she had stayed, she wouldn't have been able to be there for Wasppaw... She needed to be able to be there for her, just as Wasppaw had help guide her first steps. She plodded silently down the mountain alongside the two other apprentices, a far-off and withdrawn expression in her eyes.

---

Echo turned to stare at the rocks as they fell. Recognizing the two cats among the rocks as two of the ones from the distraction mission before they disappeared among the rubble, she dipped her head to them. They had done it, Sharptooth was no more... But at what cost? The wails of cats around her told her that far too much had been lost that day, and as she turned her attention back to the to-be's she understood all too well what was going on. Echo leaned down, grasping the scruff of the cat that had been killed, shuffling delicately so the body was balanced across her shoulders, and began to walk alongside them carrying the she-cat's body wordlessly.

The dog was barely able to register when the small cat released its grip and climbed off its back; its pain was too great, and yet so distant. The massive beast had been rendered more useless than a squirming puppy, pawing helplessly at the ground with moving that were quickly growing slower with limbs that were becoming less responsive. They flopped onto their side with a pained whistling whine sounding from their mouth. This can't be the end... It can't... the desperate thoughts echoed in a slowly darkening mind. Something moved into its line of vision and its dark, glassy eyes tried to focus on the shape in front of it.

In its moment of realization, no words could describe the horror that the dog felt. The small one which had clambered onto its back was now walking forward with claws unsheathed, her face wet with tears, eyes glinting with murder. There was nothing the canine could possibly say or do about it; it was helpless as the two of them locked gazes. The small cat slowly lifted a paw and the dog's whines grew a little more desperate, yet a little more disjointed. There was no mercy now. Its life ended with one final whistling gasp, but there was no rest for the dog. Never again.

---

The pale gray dog's leader cried back in desperation and terror. The small cats began to flee, one by one, but even if the gray dog's opponents hadn't fled, the dog took that liberty themself, springing over the cats to race to it's companion's side obediently. The massive cat with paws nearly the size of the dogs' heads honed in on them almost immediately, all its attention drawn from the little cats to the canines instead. Fury glistened in its beady eyes, and as the gray dog became more aware of its wounds inflicted by the cats their terror only increased. At the pack leader's command, the gray dog bravely - stupidly - rushed forward to put an end to the mountain cat's terror...

... only to be immediately pinned and mercilessly slaughtered.