Mapleshade's Redemption

Chapter 10

Mapleshade could hear the battle cries and yowls of fury and pain along with the scent of Windclan, Shadowclan, and Thunderclan all mingling in a mess. Thunderclan and Shadowclan had planned an attack on Windclan. When Windclan had sent a scout to ask Riverclan to come help them in battle Mapleshade had forced the rest of her clan to let her come along. "Hello Mapleshade" Oakstar called from the other side of the battlefield "Have you and Riverclan finally arrived?" The other Riverclan warriors had left to help struggling Windclan cats, Mapleshade hissed and weaved through the battling cats to get to Oakstar. She almost did it too, but a black rogue knocked her over, "Hello Mapleshade" the she-cat hissed, pinning down Mapleshade. Mapleshade was frozen for a heartbeat, shaken from the sudden attack. Her ears were ringing but she could hear the black rogue, "Appledusk sends his regards." was the last thing she heard before it all went black and quiet. In a few moments Mapleshade started to wake up. "Wha-" she struggled to her paws, and looked around. She had to blink a few times until her eyes adjusted to the light. "River..clan...?" she mumbled. Her eyes widened as she realized Riverclan was under attack by rogues. "Reedshine!" Mapleshade raced as fast as her feet could carry her to the nursery, realizing a cat was entering it with claws unsheathed. "A-Appledusk?" Reedshine's frightened voice came from inside the den. Mapleshade tackled Appledusk as hard as she could but she went completely through him. "What the-" she fell on her claws and twisted to watch the scene. "I said I would return. I said you'd regret it. Regret helping that snake-tongued traitor." Appledusk hissed. "That 'snake-tongued traitor' has more heart than you ever will" Reedshine hissed back, hiding her fear well from her voice. Reedshine had her tail curled over something but it wasn't Mapleshade's kits, she realized, they were with Sparkpaw. Mapleshade looked closer and realized they were newborn kits. "Appledusk you are not welcome here." Blackwing stepped in, protectively standing between Appledusk and the others. "Out of my way Blackwing. We all know you just became the medicine cat because you were too incompetent as a warrior" Blackwing hissed and pounced on the warrior, knocking him to the ground. "OFF ME" he yowled at the cat and threw them against the wall. The medicine cat fell limp and Sparkpaw covered the kit's eyes with his tail, his gaze of pure terror. "Appledusk, please, be reasonable about this" Reedshine said frightened "We can talk about this right?" Appledusk thought for a moment, "Nah" he said "I'd rather kill Mapleshade." Reedshine paused, "W-wait then w-why are you here?" Appledusk grinned evilly, "Where you are Mapleshade will be. All I have to do," he held up his claw threatenly. Mapleshade yelled, "NO!" and she snapped from whatever had just happened. She opened her eyes and realized she was still in the battlefield at Windclan but Thunderclan and Shadowclan weren't there and Riverclan and Windclan were giving triumphant yowls. There were also many corpses scattered around camp, of both sides. "Mapleshade! We did it!" Eeltail told the warrior, helping her up. "We have to return to Riverclan immediately." Mapleshade said urgently. "Don't worry. Darkstar probably isn't back yet, she won't know we were gone." Eeltail assured the warrior. "No no, it's not that. The camp is under attack." "Right now?" "Right now." Mapleshade nodded. "Alright, I'll get the others" Eeltail went to the other Riverclan cats. 'Thank you Starclan' Mapleshade thought, despite her aching muscles she didn't wait for the other warriors and rushed back to camp. 'I have to keep Reedshine safe. She can't die. Her kits will need her' she paused. 'I need her.' She kept running, leapt over tree roots, past rocks, she just kept running. 'And the only way I can do that is if Appledusk is gone.' She could see Riverclan in the distance, a strong rogue scent coming from it. There also seemed to be some Shadowclan as well. Mapleshade went into camp, dodging battling cats and rammed into Appledusk who was about to slash at a terrified Reedshine. Mapleshade heard the rest of the Riverclan warriors arrived at the camp and started fighting the other rogues. "I won't let you hurt her, you evil fish-faced traitor" Mapleshade said determined. Appledusk threw off the larger she-cat and stood, he smiled wickedly "I knew you never would. I just had to pretend to hurt her, so I can kill you!" Appledusk started slashing at Mapleshade, while she barely dodged the attacks. "Is that what all this is about?" Mapleshade asked "Revenge? You've forgotten the warrior code and everything for REVENGE!?" Appledusk sighed "You know it's a lot nicer being a rouge than a clan-cat, no rules, no one else to feed, and I can always put myself first. Maybe after I kill you Starclan would let you try it." he paused, hissing. "Knowing you, you probably won't even get into Starclan. You'd probably go to a place with no stars" he smirked evilly. Appledusk swiped at Mapleshade's face, missing but still hitting her. The blood blinded Mapleshade and she hissed, trying to wipe off the blood. Appledusk slashed at Mapleshade's aching muscles and she fell to the ground, barely moving, and bleeding a lot. "But killing you won't be enough will it? You won't even care. So instead, I'm going to kill your kits first. Kill them, then you." he sneered. "NO!" Mapleshade lifted a claw towards him, too weak and tired to stand. Appledusk laughed and approached her kits. "No! They're just kits Appledusk." Sparkpaw stepped in between them. Appledusk rolled his eyes, "They're not just kits. They're that monster's kits" he flicked his tail towards Mapleshade, "Besides, they'll be apprentices in a moon." Appledusk knocked the energetic apprentice to the ground and sunk his claws into him. Sparkpaw yelped in pain as he was thrown towards Blackwing's body. "No! Don't.. Hurt them..." Mapleshade's vision started to become cloudy. 'No! Not now! I can't blackout now!' Suddenly there was a yowl from Appledusk as he was knocked to the ground. Mapleshade focused harder, clearing her vision, and realizing that it was Patchkit who had knocked him over. "Stay away from my siblings" he hissed, clawing at Appledusk's pre-existing wounds and widening them. Appledusk hissed from the pain and shook Patchkit off. He landed with a thud on the ground and Appledusk trashed around, temporarily blinded by Patchkit. Mapleshade gathered all her strength and used her weight to pin Appledusk. Appledusk braced himself, not trying to struggle under her weight. "Mapleshade.." She turned and saw that Reedshine and her kits were still watching. She looked down at Appledusk and got off him, nudging him towards the entrance. "I'm letting you go but you are not to return. I'll never be like you Appledusk." Mapleshade spat at him. Appledusk looked at the cats frightened and ran into the battle outside. Mapleshade collapsed beside Reedshine as Blackwing and Sparkpaw woke up, tending to each other's wounds. "You did well Mapleshade" Reedshine purred, touching her soft nose to Mapleshade's forehead. "All thanks to Patchkit" Mapleshade said, lifting her head to look at him. Patchkit looked proud and he smiled up at his mother. "Yea you were the coolest Patchkit!" Larchkit said heading towards his brother, Petalkit trotting after him. "Yes thank you Patchkit" Reedshine purred at the kit. "It was... nothing i guess." Patchkit's mood had changed but Mapleshade chose to ignore it. There was still a rogue problem outside. Blackwing and Sparkpaw had come over to tend to Mapleshade's wounds and she stood up. "Try not to tire yourself out there. We have plenty of warriors who can help" Blackwing told Mapleshade who nodded. "Have.. Have you named them yet?" Mapleshade asked, addressing Reedshine's newborn kits who were mewing softly, their eyes still closed, pleasantly unaware of anything that was happening. Reedshine smiled and nodded, "Shykit, Willowkit, and Maplekit" she pointed to each one as she said their names. 'Maplekit.. She does care' Mapleshade thought and gave a warm smile. "WE CAN STILL WIN THIS!" A voice hissed from outside. Mapleshade paused and Reedshine nodded, was that sadness that flashed through her eyes? Mapleshade peeked out of the Nursery to see the fighting. In the middle of the battlefield a small opening had cleared, Appledusk, Halfstar, and Darkstar who had arrived in the middle. "Win? Why would we even want to attack Riverclan in the first place?" Halftsar mewed, confused, she looked at Darkstar who was staring between the two cats and dipped her head. "I apologize for whatever damage my other half has caused, I will remove my warriors at once." Darkstar "I understand Halfstar," and dipped her head back and smiled smugly at Appledusk. "W-what! We can't retreat now!" Appledusk looked desperate, and thin, nothing like his former self. The Shadowclan cats were retreating, looking tired, as if they were used to this "do this now do the opposite'' thing from Halfstar. Appledusk began to go after them, "I will return" he hissed. "Umm actually you're not coming with us because umm you're not really nice." Halfstar said shyly. "Sorry." she shrugged and left with her warriors. Even the rogues left, knowing they were severely outnumbered. "Well well well Appledusk. What will you do now?"