Rite of Passage (Downfall of Fury) [Solo]

Pineblossom

Pineblossom told no one of what she as doing. Honeylight was mourned and buried, Silverpaw was looked after, and she ensured that Forestbreeze looked after Silverpaw while she was gone. She left the camp and went deep into the territory. She walked until she had lost her sense of immediate direction, and then she stopped. There was no clanmate in sight, and so Pineblossom allowed herself to shatter. A sob poured out of her and she sank down into the mud.

She had started to believe she was not cursed. She still wanted to cling to that belief; that there was nothing wrong with her, and that life was simply unfair. But she had lost her litter before they could even take a breath. She had watched Moondancer, her former apprentice, get killed by a cat she had let go in her battle. And now Honeylight, her first apprentice and her first real child, had been taken away from her. The reality of it all tore at her heart, ripping it to shreds. Pineblossom was tired of losing those she cared about. She missed Ratrunner. She missed Deerleap. She missed Webshadow. And now two more cats dear to her heart, snatched away in an instant. It wasn’t fair. And there was still nothing that Pineblossom could do about it. She could not fight the Dark Forest cat who killed Ratrunner, or the stars who claimed Deerleap, or old age that had taken Webshadow, or her own poor health that had lost her kits or the foxhearted WindClanner that sat as prisoner in camp-

Pineblossom opened her eyes and a sob, halfway departed from her maw, caught in her throat. No, she could not fight any of those things. But she could fight a fox.

She rose to her feet. Her body still quaked harshly with sobs that she swallowed down so she could grow quiet and silent like the shadow her clan was named after. This was for vengeance first and foremost, but she thought about the rites that had been introduced to the clan. Pineblossom was never terribly interested in the rites, and so she had continually put it off despite being on of the most senior warriors in the clan. In the back of her mind, she heard Nightstar’s voice talk about the importance of senior warriors being present when soloing a predator, for the safety of the cat performing the rite. She dismissed the concern without another thought.

Pineblossom crept through the territory for hours until she caught the scent of a fox. She crept along the way, following the acrid smell until she found the source of it. There was a fox, tall but thin, eating some old squirrel corpse that it had fished out of one of the deep marshes. Pineblossom crept slowly closer. She didn’t care what fox she found; any fox would have done just fine. But when she got slower, she suddenly stopped short.

It had been a little over two days since the incident, and so the scent was ever so faint. But Pineblossom would never mistake the lingering scent of her son.

This was the one.

Pineblossom gritted her teeth and her fur puffed, making her look twice her size. Her vision narrowed and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to claw the fox before her into ribbons. Her body tensed and then she launched at the fox before it could fully notice her, slamming into it. It squealed as it fell back, landing with a splash in one of the deep pools. It was too big to sink and drown like little Honeypaw had been when that Dark Forest wretch Fawnpatch had lured him out here. It struggled and splashed, wheezing for air. Pineblossom stalked closer.

Pineblossom used Dishonorable Charge, dealing 10 damage and costing 20 SP. The fox is stunned for two turns.

Pineblossom
70 / 70 HP
140 / 160 SP [-20]

Fox
50 / 60 HP [-10]
180 / 180 SP

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 |  image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Pineblossom

The fox thrashed and gasped for air. Pineblossom saw a fresh scar along its neck. It had missed the fox’s jugular, but she knew Honeylight must have given it that wound during the fight. If he had been a little luckier, maybe he would have lived. The fox’s wild eyes stared at Pineblossom as it tried to push itself back up to its paws, but Pineblossom did not let it recover so soon.

She leapt at its throat, biting down. She was a small cat compared to her clanmates, so while she bit down hard, her bite was not enough to kill it outright. The fox squealed in pain and Pineblossom tasted hot blood seep into her mouth. She bit down harder as anger ran through her veins. Honeylight had so much life left in him. He was still learning so much. He had just gotten Silverpaw as an apprentice, and they were so happy, and so close. Honeylight had smiled so big when she told him that she wanted him to officially be her son. He had been delighted when he learned that Silverpaw was now his brother. And now that was all gone.

Pineblossom leapt back to narrowly avoid a stray claw that the fox swiped in its struggling. It rolled onto its belly, heaving air and trying to get back up, but Pineblossom’s initial attack had really put it off its balance.

The fox is stunned! Pineblossom used Snap, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP.

Pineblossom
70 / 70 HP
133 / 160 SP [-7]

Fox [STUNNED 1/2]
40 / 60 HP [-10]
180 / 180 SP

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 | image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Pineblossom

Pineblossom stood before the fox and glared down at the beast. It snapped its jaws towards Pineblossom like it wanted to grab at her, but was still struggling up to its paws and slipping in the mud. She glared down at the beast and anger swelled even more in her chest. She could not remember the last time she had felt such glaring, utmost hatred. She was furious at Batsong and WindClan, but that was nothing compared to this fury. Every angry thought she had quelled for the sake of her clan was bubbling out now and being directed toward a beast that would not be able to take her down with it.

She leapt at the fox and drew her claws down its back, making it scream and shake to try and throw her off. The tears would not make for a pretty pelt for her rite, but she did not care. The rite was an excuse.

The fox finally managed to shake her off and it rose to its paws unsteadily. It glared at her and she knew that there was great hatred in the beast’s eyes. This thing hated her as much as she hated it. Pineblossom hissed back in its face.

Pineblossom used Front Paw Strike, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP. The fox is no longer stunned!

Pineblossom
70 / 70 HP
126 / 160 SP [-7]

Fox [STUNNED 2/2]
30 / 60 HP [-10]
180 / 180 SP

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 | image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Pineblossom

Pineblossom knew that the fox would retaliate once it got back to its feet, but she had not anticipated just how quickly it would move. It leapt forward quicker than a WindClan cat and latched its strong jaws onto the fluffy scruff around her neck. It ripped her up from the wet mud below her paws and suddenly shook her furiously. The wind was knocked out of Pineblossom and pain ripped through her from where a mother is supposed to gently carry a kit. It dropped her and she rolled a couple of feet away, panting for air and glaring at the beast. The roles were reversed immediately and it stalked forward with gleaming eyes, like this was but a game to it. This was not a game to Pineblossom.

When it got close enough, Pineblossom willed all of the adrenaline that thrummed through her veins and threw herself back to her feet and at the fox. It had not expected her quick recovery and stumbled back, but Pineblossom bit down onto the softness of its shoulder and earned another howl of pain as she latched on.

The fox used Thrash, dealing 10 damage and costing 15 SP. Pineblossom is stunned for 1 turn! Pineblossom used Random Recall for 5 SP in addition to Snap, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP.

Pineblossom
60 / 70 HP [-10]
114 / 160 SP [-12 (7 + 5)]

Fox
20 / 60 HP [-10]
165 / 180 SP [-15]

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 |  image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Pineblossom

Pineblossom latched onto the fox and refused to let go, but the fox would not give up so easily either. If Pineblossom was latched on, then it reached for her leg and chomped down hard enough to make Pineblossom yowl, which released her from the predator. It shook her briefly and let her go, where she dropped into one of the deep pools in the marsh. For a moment, she was completely submerged and everything was dark and murky and cold. She recalled when she was an apprentice, Rainstrike ordering her into the water to grab prey, and how certain she had been that she would be pushed in and drowned. The water was as murky and frightening as she had found it then, but she was a bit bigger than before, and more determined than ever. Her paws hit the bottom of the pool, and though the mud was thick and sticky, it was sturdy enough for her to push off and hit the surface of the water again.

She clawed her way out of the pool, drenched and seething. The fox growled at her and she responded by leaping up at the fox’s head and slamming her paws down against its head. It fell to the ground with a wheezing whine.

The fox used Iron Bite, dealing 17 damage and costing 30 SP. Pineblossom used Upright Lock, dealing 12 damage and costing 10 SP.

Pineblossom
43 / 70 HP [-17]
104 / 160 SP [-10]

Fox
8 / 60 HP [-12]
135 / 180 SP [-30]

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 | image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Pineblossom

The fox looked exhausted. It panted hot air into Pineblossom’s face, which smelled worse than the beast itself. Its pupils were shrunk into slits and it kept darting around with a panic. It was on its last leg and they both knew it.

The predator lashed out again, clamping Pineblossom’s middle with its iron jaw and crunching down. Pineblossom felt the air squeeze out of her and blood dripped through her dark pelt. It dropped her and she could barely hold herself up after that harsh bite. The fox turned, trying to retreat, but Pineblossom was not going to let it. She could be dying and she would not let it go. Once it turned tailed, she leapt onto it again. They both thrashed for a moment as the fox tried to throw her off so it could run. Pineblossom hadn’t yet inhaled again since it forced the air out of her lungs, but she latched onto its pelt and furiously scratched until her claw met its throat. She tore deeply through its throat, scratching up the precious insides. The fox ran with her still attached, but it did not get far before its paws gave out under it and collapsed. Pineblossom was caught half underneath it and she tore furiously at the ground to pull herself out. When she was free from it, she looked back at the beast. What had once been intimidating, and what had claimed the life of her son, was now panting furiously and gurgling on blood on the ground. It stared at her with its wide eye, like it was trying to figure out why she had gone for it so suddenly. A beast like that would not understand, but Pineblossom was glad she could do it. She watched as its life drained away until it lay still, never to rise again. There was a long, jagged cut along its throat, the thing that ultimately killed it, nestled just beneath the scar that Honeylight had given the fox days before.

The fox used Iron Bite, dealing 17 damage and costing 30 SP. Pineblossom used Front Paw Strike, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP.

Pineblossom
26 / 70 HP [-17]
94 / 160 SP [-10]

Fox [DEAD]
-2 / 60 HP [-10]
105 / 180 SP [-30]

Pineblossom remained standing there for a while. She panted and caught her breath. She assessed her injuries, which would need tending to when she returned. She still bled a bit, but it was not life threatening. She was soaked from the pools and her paws were caked in mud. Pineblossom knew that she looked like a mess. But she had taken down the fox that had killed her son. She had won. She got what she had searched for.

She stared at the dead predator for longer, waiting for something to click. She was supposed to feel better. She had earned her vengeance. Pineblossom did not regret this hunt, but…she did not feel better. As she stared down at it, she could only think about Honeylight, and how this still did not bring him back. Her head hung and those sobs that she had swallowed down earlier when fury struck her returned. It wrenched from her throat and she cried over the beast she had taken down. She stayed there for nearly an hour, until she had used up all her tears. She felt ill, her face was wet with marsh water and tears, and her entire body now ached from the battle. It was over, and she felt all the same.

Pineblossom leaned down and gripped the tail of the fox and began to drag her catch back to camp. It would be a while, and her aching body protested, but she would not leave it behind. This was her right. Her vengeance. Her pelt.

[End.]

ShadowClan • Tier 5 • She/Her • 70 | 160 • #6699ff

Credits: code inspiration - 1 2 | image 1 | image 2 | image 3