CotS #1: The Dark Path (currently being rewritten)

Chapter Twenty-five

"You – you too?" Fluffypaw blinked rapidly, uncomprehending. "Really?"

"I didn't!" Hiveclaw stepped between us.

"Didn't you?" I cocked my eyebrows. "Sent a message, 'way you talked to Darkmoon, eh?"

"Silverdusk..." Hiveclaw meowed, almost sadly. "You know it's ... weird. Awkward."

"I know it," I said. "It isn't stopping me."

"It was your secret!" Hiveclaw protested. "For you, it's different."

"Is it," I said. "Okay."

I turned to walk away. I didn't expect him to call after me, but he did, and I didn't respond. I stopped in my tracks, frozen dead, but didn't turn back. Until I saw yellowish fangs bared at me.

A fox. Finally, after all my ranting to Fluffypaw, it was finally a fox. I wanst disappointed, exactly, but Hiveclaw had already turned away. I thought about the ancient Froststar. She had been a deadly cat. Could I be like her? Kill that fox without caring?

The truth was, I could. I didn't care much about that fox's life.

I attacked it head-on. The fox bared yellowish fangs and attacked at once. I didn't screech, not even as it raked its claws across my side. Could I die again? I could. I didn't know why StarClan had reincarnated me in Silverdusk because life wasn't worth it. Nothing had changed! I had been dumped again. Again. I said it didn't hurt, but it did, and I meant it.

My Clanmates jumped in to tackle the fox. I took a step back and watched as Hiveclaw and Fluffypaw dove in to the fight, side-by-side. Great StarClan, they were in sync.

Leap and slash, leap and slash, leap and slash. To think he said she was annoying. They were together in that one final moment. It wasn't me and him, it was her and him.

And then Fluffypaw jumped out of the fight to aid Darkmoon to help him to the medicine den. And my Clanmates seemed to fall back, and Hiveclaw was alone.

At that moment, I knew I couldn't die. He'd ditched me, but I loved him far too much to do that.

I jumped in, knocked Hiveclaw out of the way and took the fox's attack straight in the chest.

I didn't see anything after that.

~

"She can't die now, Daisyleaf! She gave up her life for mine. That wasn't right."

"That's the Clanmate's way, Hiveclaw. Silverdusk swore to do this."

"Daisyleaf, she's hardly more than a kit. She's six moons old!"

"Hiveclaw. Please get out. Blazepaw and I need to work."

"Daisyleaf..."

"Hiveclaw!"

"Okay, okay!"

"You should congratulate Fluffytail. She's been staring at you."

"I don't like her, Daisyleaf."

"Hiveclaw..."

"Seriously, Daisyleaf."

"Okay..."

"Thank you."

I heard Hiveclaw exiting, and almost sighed. I could feel someone pressing cobwebs onto my chest. Breathing was slightly painful but bearable. I blinked open my eyes, if only to allow Daisyleaf some relief. But the one putting cobwebs on me wasn't Daisyleaf, it was Blazepaw.