Red Like Roses

The cats in the clearing were yowling in their weird screeching language, and the dark she-cat facing its assault was growing slower. As the fox prepared to slam a paw towards her head, however, it suddenly found itself being thrown aside by - yet again - the scruffy tom from the start of the battle. The pale fox felt a radiating jolt of pain stab through its injured side as the tom made contact, claws raking through the already festering flesh. The youngling's bloodcurdling shrieks and squawks of pain reverberated through the forest - as did the sound of it's brother's retreat.

With a sad and defeated snarl, the fox threw its head back, teeth grasping for anything. It let out a guttural snarl as it clamped on the tom's shoulders and then unceremoniously flung the cat from its pelt and immediately staggered into the underbrush after the russet fox.

Pale Fox used Iron Bite on Lynxpaw, using 20 stamina and dealing 30 damage. Lynxpaw can no longer fight. Pale Fox has fled the battle.

Lynxpaw
0/20 HP (-30)
60/80 SP

Pale Fox
41/90 HP
120/280 SP (-20)

Lynxpaw yelped in pain when those jaws closed around his body. He felt rolling over the mud and grass, his blood pouring out the wound. He tried to stand and look up, just to see the fox who toss him around flee the clearing. The tom clenched his jaws, angry for another of these cowards running away and though he wanted to keep fighting, the wound was way too deep for him to fight properly and don't die in the attempt. He couldn't make himself useful if he was dead, right? Was he supposed to keep fighting? His answer came soon after the leader screamed to Thornbriar to run away. The she-cat was injured just like him so it made sense to him that he could accompany her... and be a helpful pawn if she needed him. The broad-shouldered apprentice ran behind his deputy, leaving the battle for the leader and the blue-coloured rogue.

Through the haze, the mother's cub was nicked as he tore away from the fight. But her guard remained distracted. The gray tom clawed at her belly with painful streaks of red in her moment of weakness. Howling in pain, the mother fox leapt back, watching in horror as her other cubs ran to safety as well. She needed to defend them from these mangy beasts. How dare they hurt her young? Another smaller tom fell beneath the jaws of war, the mother fox growling in adrenaline. The dark tabby had left as well, running through the bushes as blood streamed from her frame. And now she stood before two large cats, fur thick and jaws dripping. There was no way her cubs would survive from such beasts.

Kicking up dust, the fox rushed the darker one, unwilling to back down. Her wounds burned and yet her instinct forced her to carry on. Blood. Prey. The desire to survive. Her fangs flashed like lightning itself. Her body was as strong as the very trees. And her eyes watched like a hawk. Mere cats would not be the end of her family. They would die beneath her maw.

Letting out an ear-splitting yowl, the mother fox rammed the dark tabby tom into a tree, grasping him by the underbelly, watching as his very lifeblood spilled out. She caught him by the fur and shook like she did prey. These cats were nothing more than that. Desire flamed in her eyes as crimson coated her muzzle. She was no longer a fox, but a red beast of death.

And death is what she would bring. The eyes of the darker tabby darkened, faded into oblivion until the fox turned toward the gray tom. One more, one more and then they'd feast.

Mother Fox has killed Scorchstar.

Mothpaw sighed in relief as Thornbriar finally retreated from the fight, and immediately set to work with what small amount of herbs she had at her disposal. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do in that moment. "You need to be more careful," she stressed, hoping that the words might actually stick. Not that she expected they would, but she had to at least try. Instead, she looked up to observe the chaos around them - to see where she was needed now - and she felt her heart stop as her father fell.

And as she shrunk into herself, she recognized that this was exactly what she'd been so afraid of in the first place. That was her last fully comprehensive thought before she shut her eyes (not that it helped, for the images that greeted her there were the same ones that haunted her more sleepless nights) and, in a desperate whisper, begged their ancestors to show mercy.

(She'd lost her mother. She'd lost her sister; so much so that she felt more at home speaking to strangers now. She couldn't lose her father, too.)

"Please... Just make it stop..."

Mothpaw used Minor Heal on Thornbriar, costing 10 stamina and healing Thornbriar for 3 HP.

Mothpaw
35/35 HP
80/90 SP (-10)

Thornbriar
8/95 HP (+3)
220/250 SP

Pain blasted through Scorchstar's entire body, blinding him, halting all coherent thoughts that weren't screaming, PAIN! PAIN! GET AWAY! GONNA DIE! He was no longer aware of his Clanmates, the territory, or the other villainous foxes surrounding him. All his life had shrunk down to was himself, the mother fox, and pain. Searing, excruciating, endless pain that wouldn't stop no matter how much he struggled and fought and screamed. He could just barely register the warm release of his own blood soaking his bushy coat, and his claws began to ache badly as he desperately clawed at the face and muzzle of the merciless beast trapping him in her unforgiving jaw, fearing his claws would be violently torn out before he could actually escape.

Before he knew it, the world began to face away into blackness, but during this time of relief from the pain that felt like it lasted only for a heartbeat, he didn't find himself within StarClan's realm again. No, he just remained in the black void of limbo, until finally he felt one of his remaining lives being stripped away from him. When he regained consciousness, he was instantly greeted with even worse pain, the fox having torn into him during his unconsciousness. StarClan help him, he was going to lose all his lives at this rate!

With a cry of agony, Scorchstar continued fighting to get away, but he felt too weak to put up as much a fight as he had before. Soon enough, yet another life was stripped away from him. His fifth and sixth lives were now lost. He had three lives remaining.

Then two.

Then one.

The fox wouldn't let up on her attack until he had lost his ninth and final life. Blinded by sheer agony, Scorchstar's bloodshot eyes looked around, searching for someone -- anyone! -- who could help him. His eyes locked onto Thornbriar's single green eye. His deputy.

There would be no way for him to recover from the wounds the fox had inflicted upon him, even if Thornbriar had been able to chase it away. He had already lost four of his remaining lives, so now losing has last was imminent. Thornbriar would have to lead the Clan in his absence. She had only been ShadowClan's deputy for a short while compared to Froststone and Wildstrike, but he still knew he had made the right choice in selecting her to become the next deputy after his younger brother's death, even if he hadn't been in his right mind at the time. Thornstar would take over in rebuilding ShadowClan to its rightful glory.

His time had come. He had lived a long and worthwhile life. He had accomplished so much, both for himself and for his Clan. He hoped he would be remembered by those who had known him, and his accomplishments would be passed down to those still yet to be born into ShadowClan.

Scorchstar offered his deputy a small smile, trying to reassure her, in spite of the agonizing pain all over his body. Everything will be okay. You will make a great leader. Do me proud, Thornstar.

The world faded to black for the last time, and his body went limp in the fox's grasp, his vivid orange eyes staring out at nothing.

Scorchstar was dead.

Head spinning and body feeling as though it was being stung by a thousand hornets, Daisyflame opened his eyes, still laying by Mothpaw's dark, striped paws. Thornbriar had been smart enough to leave the fight, but in the clearing, one of the fox's had a cat in its' jaws. No, it couldn't be... Scorchstar.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins once again, tom's head shot up and he yipped from the pain. Using every ounce of his strength to push himself up, he watched as the limp, mangled body of his beloved leader was tossed around in the fox's jaws. "Scorchstar!" he screeched as he sat up, his once luxurious, white and ginger pelt now coated and stained with blood, his eyes squinted in pain as he looked onto the battleground. He couldn't lose the love of his life, his best friend and leader... not like this.

"We have to help him!" Daisyflame yowled hysterically as he tried to drag himself towards the beast, though his efforts were in vain, as he was in too much pain to move if at all. 'Scorchstar, don't leave me, I need you,' he wanted to yowl, though all that could be heard from him was a fit of exhausted panting.