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Episode 9, Season 6 of War.
Wow, end of season 6 already. Enjoy your 2-part finale and I love you guys so much. <3 Thank you for making me so freaking happy. Cheers from the squad. <3
Life Ends[]
It's been so long since it's been all of us that I'm half worried we'll all forget how to just...be together. Luckily, that's not an issue.
We're lounging outside of the den. Stormflight is trying to teach Grayleaf some defensive moves, which is hilarious. Oakclaw and Gorsefur's easy laughter rings through the air. I'm lounging on my side- any other position has literally become impossible to maintain- and talking kit names with Shadowsong and Snowflight. Adderscar's pacing in front of us, exercising his leg. He seems happier, ever since he found the cure. StarClan knows what happened, but it worked wonders.
"I don't want to hurt you!" I hear Grayleaf wail.
"You're not going to hurt me," Stormflight replies, amused.
"So I definitely don't want any kind of prey...except for birds maybe," I tip my head, considering.
"That makes no sense," Adderscar meows. He narrows his eyes in concentration as he turns and walks forward again. "We eat birds too."
"Yeah, but birds are just so...sophisticated." I see his whiskers twitching and I try to explain further. "Like, what's so great about Rabbitkit or Squirrelkit? But if it's Robinkit or Sparrowkit..."
"What about herbs?" Snowflight suggests. "I mean, you and Gorsefur are both so...relaxed, chances are your kits will be insanely mellow."
"Forget herbs!" Shadowsong says. "Do something kick-tail." She coughs for a moment and I feel a twinge of worry. For some reason, Shadowsong's system isn't taking to the cure Adderscar found like the rest of us have been. She can walk around and talk fine, but she hardly eats anything and she's still weak.
"Please, Gorsefur will never go for that." I roll my eyes and look over to my mate. He's purring as Oakclaw attempts to help Grayleaf out by literally sitting on Stormflight so Grayleaf can pounce on him.
"Do you guys want toms or she-cats?" Snowflight asks.
"Statistically speaking-" Adderscar begins. Shadowsong glares at him and he mutters something, turning back to his exercise.
I shrug. I haven't really thought about it- maybe toms seem like they would be more trouble, but since I practically raised Riverkit on my own for a moon and a half, I think I would do fine. And if I did have she-cats, I'd like to think they would be every bit as tough as Shadowsong, every bit as elegant as Snowflight, and every bit as...um...something as me.
A tiny paw kicks me in the stomach and I curl in a little. Not necessarily because it hurts, but because I'm keeping my kits warm. It's been a while since Adderscar found the cure- we've been allowed to have a brief respite in Main while we recover from the plague. My kits will be coming soon- in the next quarter moon or sooner.
I'm equal parts terrified and ecstatic.
Maybe a little more terrified.
Snowflight looks up at the sky and stands, looking at Shadowsong pointedly. The black she-cat groans and slowly starts to pick herself off of her perch.
Every night for the past quarter moon Snowflight has insisted that Shadowsong and her go on a walk. Snowflight is certain it'll help speed the whole healing process along, but it's also a nice excuse for them to bond. How often does a long lost (half)sister come barreling out of enemy territory to reunite with you?
It makes me wish I'd had a sister when I was growing up. Or you know, maybe someone my age. Or really anyone at all.
Nothing will make me regret my kithood in Summer Storm. But that doesn't stop wishful thinking.
"So what's your favorite color?"
Snowflight considered that for a moment. "You know...well, you wouldn't," she smirked. "WaterClan."
"Then tell me," Shadowsong rolled her eyes. She was used to this sibling teasing by now, and it wasn't just her. She knew both from personal experience and just from watching Snowflight that Lionwing hadn't been the warm sibling type. More of a rival who occasionally showed an interest in her sister. It did explain some of Snowflight's closed-off nature though.
"Fine," Snowflight got this distant look that she often did when she talked about FireClan. "I had this favorite place...it was near Red Rocks and it was completely gorgeous. The sunsets there were these gorgeous red-orange oceans that just swallowed the sun up and left flames behind..."
"You're getting a little sentimental," Shadowsong observed drily.
"It's my old age," Snowflight said, equally sarcastically. "So what's your favorite color?"
"Blue," Shadowsong said. "But like, the blue of the river on the days where it's all clear and the blue of the sky mixes with the blue of the river."
"Well, I guess we're just color-patriots for out Clans, aren't we?" They purred, a little awkward, a little hesitant, but still together.
Somewhere up ahead, a stick cracked. Shadowsong crouched and Snowflight took a step forward, scenting the air. Shadowsong couldn't see her eyes, but after a moment, Snowflight went tense.
That probably scared her more than anything. Since she had come to WaterClan, Snowflight had become less the terrifyingly cold assassin she was in FireClan and more just...one of the gang. But when she looked back at Shadowsong, her face was devoid of all emotion.
"Wha-"
"Come on," Snowflight hissed. She darted into the forest, leaving Shadowsong staring at dust.
"Hold on!" the black she-cat yelped. She tried to race after her sister, but her lungs couldn't take it. She settled for a quick, huffing walk, cursing herself with each step.
"Snowflight?" she called. They had moved deep into the forest, off the paths winding around the forest near Main. She couldn't see her sister, could only follow her scent. And, infuriatingly enough, she couldn't smell what had spooked Snowflight so badly. Was Stormflight out here or something?
She could have sworn she heard something up ahead, but when she entered the clearing, there was nothing. Just bushes at the edge and trees surrounding them.
"Snowflight?"
"Shadowsong..." it was barely a whisper. Coming from the bushes. Cautiously, Shadowsong padded closer. When she arrived at the bushes, she poked her head through first and gasped.
Snowflight was fairly easy to see. Her white pelt was dusted with dark streaks of dirt and her eyes were wide. She was clutching to a tree, which was growing at an angle out of possibly the biggest cliff Shadowsong had ever seen. The river raged as it cut through it, falling from an impossible height towards an invisible bottom. Shadowsong could see grooves in the dirt, where Snowflight must have tried to skid to a halt before she finally climbed the tree.
"Her scent led here," Snowflight whispered. "I wasn't looking and I just went over and I panicked, she was trying to kill us Shadowsong. I'm safe for now, but I don't think I can jump back over."
"Who?" Shadowsong fought the urge to wail. Snowflight was stuck, they were far away from camp. What else could possibly go wrong?
"Shadowsong," a disappointed voice meowed. Snowflight was looking at something- someone- over Shadowsong's shoulder. With a sinking heart, Shadowsong turned to see Lionwing standing behind her. She was as pretty as ever- despite the three claw marks that marred her face and the insanity in her eyes.
"Don't you remember your sister?"
"They've been gone for a while," Stormflight frets.
"They're big girls," I soothe. "I would be more worried about me eating all of you. Kits are hungry tonight."
Stormflight huffs, but at least he stopped pacing. It was making me nauseous and StarClan knew I was tired of puking.
"That's a good sign though," Grayleaf says. "That they're hungry. It means that they're getting bigger. That they're getting read to be born."
I catch Gorsefur's eyes and purr warmly. Sure, it's scary, but it's a mystery too. What are the kits going to look like? Are they going to be toms or she-cats? Which one of us will they take after? I couldn't wait to find out.
Stormflight, without realizing it apparently, had started pacing again. "Stormflight," I bark. He jerks his head up and looks down at his paws, guilty.
"Stormflight, if you're so worried, go look for them," Oakclaw suggests. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Stormflight shakes his head and stands. "I'll be back soon." Without another word, he vanishes.
"You don't seem that worried," Grayleaf says to Oakclaw.
The golden tom shrugs. "Shadowsong's fought FireClan, been threatened, kidnapped, almost killed more times than I can count..." a flicker of amusement crosses his features. "I think she can handle a walk with her sister."
"Lionwing," Shadowsong whispered. She felt a tickle in the back of her throat that heralded a cough and she willed it to go away. The last thing she needed was to look weak in front of her older, scarier sister. Unfortunately, her body didn't listen and she dissolved into a choking fit for a moment.
You would have thought StarClan was walking around from the look on Lionwing's face. "So Snowflight's out on a limb and you're sick. Lovely." A shadow crossed her eyes. "Of course, it would've been lovely if you both could've just run straight off the cliff, but I'll settle for this."
"What do you want?" Snowflight called. She had padded as far as she could to the edge of the branch she was standing on, but she was still a couple fox-lengths away from the edge of the cliff.
Lionwing laughed mirthlessly. "We had it all! The three of us, reunited, totally in control..." she flicked her gaze back to Shadowsong. "And then you screwed it all up."
"How are you still alive?" Shadowsong asked. She was pretty sure she was done coughing, but now her legs were shaking oh so slightly. Ridiculous.
"Yeah, you did throw me off a cliff." Lionwing tipped her head. "Kind of like this one, huh? Poetic."
"You jumped," Shadowsong corrected.
"La-ven-der, la'van-der..." Lionwing rolled her eyes. "Look, Shadowkit, you may not know this, but we have our fair share of steep cliffs in FireClan. I spent most of my kithood with Thundercloud throwing me off them and expecting me to climb back up."
Shadowsong really didn't want to feel pity for Lionwing. Of course she'd known the she-cat was messed up from the moment she'd met her, but still, this was extreme.
Well, not really for Thundercloud...
"Shadowsong!"
The black she-cat turned to see Snowflight looking at her. Her sister's dark amber eyes flicked down to the cliff, then back to Shadowsong. The message was clear: I'm going to jump.
It was the obvious solution. Shadowsong couldn't beat Lionwing by herself, and Snowflight couldn't just live the rest of her life in a tree. Nice as that would be. But still, Shadowsong's heart caught in her throat.
The river thundered into the canyon below as Snowflight tensed her muscles and flung herself towards her sister. Even as she was flying through the air, Shadowsong knew she wouldn't make it.
Adrenaline pumping through her, she darted to the cliff's edge and stuck out her paw. Snowflight landed, with a yowl, a mouse-length away. She scrabbled to keep her footing, and had Shadowsong not been there, she would have fallen.
But Shadowsong stretched and Snowflight finally grabbed onto her paw. She sank her claws into Shadowsong's leg to keep her grip, with an apologetic expression, but she wasn't going to fall.
Now, the only problem was getting back up.
"Well, isn't this touching."
Dirt. "I forgot about her," Shadowsong groaned. Snowflight only grunted in response as her back legs strained against the cliff, trying to push herself up.
Lionwing's fur brushed against Shadowsong, and the black she-cat resisted the urge to pelt away. But Lionwing's eyes were on Snowflight's.
"Unfortunately," the golden she-cat spit. "The last time I visited WaterClan, you were away. So you didn't get a chance to listen to my rant." Her expression softened, slightly. "How could you do that to me? How could you leave me like that?"
"You were wrong," Snowflight said through gritted teeth. Shadowsong felt her strength ebbing. If Snowflight didn't get up soon, they were going to both fall. Snowflight moved a mouse-length upwards.
"And you were in love," Lionwing hissed. "Seriously, Stormflight is practically our brother. I mean, we were raised by his father."
"Jealous?" Shadowsong couldn't resist jibing. Without looking, Lionwing shouldered her so that she shifted slightly. Snowflight gasped and Shadowsong gritted her teeth as agony sliced through her limbs.
"Lionwing," Snowflight said, her voice softer now. Pleading. "We're sisters. Nothing will change that. So why can't you understand?"
"You betrayed me! You betrayed the Clan!"
Shadowsong winced. Snowflight's greatest fear would always be that she hurt FireClan. It was a low blow, especially coming from her sister.
"I still love you too," Snowflight whispered. "But I had to try. To see if I could."
"See if you could what?" Lionwing meowed, contempt plain on her features.
Snowflight closed her eyes. "Love."
Stormflight hurtled through the forest. He could smell Snowflight's fear on the air- something had spooked her a clearing or so back. Something was wrong and she was in danger.
If anything happened to her...his heart seized. He slowed down for a moment, breathing heavily. He'd been running for a while and he still wasn't entirely recovered from the plague. A puddle of water sparkled nearby and he padded over, gulping down the cool liquid.
His reflection rippled and distorted as he did so, the only constant the harshness of his blue eyes against the greens and browns of the forest. He hated his eyes, ever since he realized that they were really Thundercloud's. Ever since he realized that everything he thought was true wasn't.
It was something that plagued him every day. He was Firestar's nephew. He was a half-FireClan tom in love with a FireClan assassin, and they were fighting on the side of WaterClan. Sometimes it felt like the only time things weren't wrong were when Snowflight curled against him and told him that she loved him.
Stormflight felt his breathing even and he stood, ready to run again. But as he took his first steps, a shriek split the air.
Shadowsong.
Heedless of his breath or his heart pounding or anything other than the fact that something was hurting his mate and her sister, Stormflight hurtled through the forest.
Snowflight's claws gouged into her leg and Lionwing was biting her shoulder and Shadowsong swore she could feel herself being torn in two. By the sister who was close to dying and the sister who wanted her dead. And someone was screaming. Maybe it was her, she didn't really know at this point.
"Get. Off. Of. Me." Her growl didn't phase Lionwing who just bit down harder. Shadowsong cried out in pain. Snowflight was so close to the top, she had to make it, she had to-
"Snow-what in the name of StarClan is she doing here?"
Lionwing released Shadowsong who nearly feel down, and the three sisters turned to see Stormflight looking at them with wide, electric blue eyes. Blue eyes that were glaring into Lionwing.
"Stormflight, get your sorry tail out of here!" Shadowsong hollered.
Lionwing padded away from her sisters, towards the tom, who just stared at her in vacant shock.
"Stormflight!" Snowflight shrieked. She pushed harder and Shadowsong nearly sobbed from the pain. She would lose her leg and Snowflight would die, and she would have to start a club with Adderscar. A 'We Can't Walk Right Anymore' club and the meetings would just be them sitting there and glaring at each other-
Snowflight's front paw was on the ground beside her.
Snowflight's front paw was on the ground beside her.
Leaning down, Shadowsong grabbed her sister's scruff in her teeth and pulled. After a moment of grunting, the two of them tumbled backwards. Shadowsong simply listened to her heart beating, wondering why it put up with half of her nonsense. It was probably a very nice body part, it really didn't deserve to be treated like this. Maybe one day it would go on strike and just stop beating. That would be bad.
"Thank you," Snowflight whispered.
Shadowsong couldn't muster up the strength to reply.
Snowflight struggled to her feet, "Stormflight..."
Shadowsong twisted her head so that she could see. Stormflight had somehow pinned down Lionwing, who lay defeated on the ground. Apart of her wailed that she had to be rescued by a tom and she was a terrible model to she-cats everywhere. Mostly she was just glad to be away from the cursed cliff.
Stormflight looked over to Snowflight and his face cracked in relief. "I thought you were dead," he whispered. "I thought she killed you, I thought she was going to kill you. And then we would never get to have kits, never get to see Brookfall's kits..." his eyes were clear as the sky on a winter day, but warm as summer.
Purring, he said, "Snowflight, I love-"
"Look out!" the words tore from Shadowsong's throat before she knew it. The two lovers had been so busy mooning over each other that neither of them noticed Lionwing smirking, Lionwing tensing...
And now Lionwing was shoving free of Stormflight's grip. Stormflight let out a yelp of surprise and struggled to knock the golden she-cat back down. But Lionwing was too fast. She ducked under his flailing paws and shouldered the tom to the ground.
"Lionwing, stop!" Snowflight darted forward. Her sister glared up at her and Snowflight slowed a little, uncertain.
"You were all I had and you ran away from me," Lionwing meowed. Her amber eyes were focused on her sister, smoldering with hate. Shadowsong found it incredibly disturbing that they had the same eyes. She realized she was probably in shock- that would explain the rambling...
"You ripped out my heart," Lionwing growled. Then, she smirked. "Allow me to do the same to you."
Stormflight's eyes were wide, on Snowflight, who was screaming, as Lionwing lunged for the gray tom's throat.
"Ouch!"
Gorsefur jerks awake, kicking Oakclaw in the process. His eyes find me, wide and worried. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I wince in pain as another wave of pain comes at me. "I think I ate too much. StarClan, it feels like my stomach's about to explode...and I have the worst cramps..."
Gorsefur looks at me blankly for so long I swear I think he might have fallen asleep sitting up. Then he blinks and mutters, "I think I might be the mother, StarClan."
"What?"
"Brookfall," he sighs with exasperation, but then laughs. "Brookfall, Brookfall, Brookfall..."
"Stop saying my name!" I purr, just because he looks so adorable. "What is it?"
His golden eyes meet mine, melt me a little inside. "Brookfall, you're starting to kit!"