Warrior Cats: The Thistle and the Feather

Chapter 14

Shadow's POV

Flash

Blood

 Claws

Flash

    Blood

     Death..

Flash

   Flurries of fur, claws, and blood filled his eyesight. He saw nothing else. Flashes of silver tabby pelts. Flashes of brown pelts. More blood. Shadow leaned over, choking on his memories. Eyes wide open, pupil contracted, his claws unsheathed and hooked themselves in the ground.
   Blood

   "Shadow? Shadow! Hello?" The voice was muffled, he had no idea who spoke.
   "Run!"
   Shadow was breathing heavily, as if he had been running for hours on end. His pelt was ruffled from the wind and screams of RainClan and the mysterious group of cats.
   "We need to get help," A voice cracked.
   "I'll go grab LightningClan!" Another voice squeaked and ran off.
   "Hurry! Go! Take Dawn and Hawk!"
   Shadow collapsed on the ground, his limbs twitching in the chaos of his mind. His cries are silent compared to the battle beyond him. He writhes in pain.
   Blood. Blood.
   He yowls. No more, he can't take it.
   "Take care of them..."
   Tears now drift down Shadow's face. No more!
    Kill! Kill! 
   "Kill! Kill!" A muffled voice yowled out.
   KILL! KILL!
   Shadow brought his paws to his head, tearing at his fur, murmuring to himself rapidly.
   "Shadow? Shadow are you okay?!"
   Kill. Kill. Blood. 
   Cease him!
   Blood.
   Take care of Hawk and Dawn for us. Now go!
   He failed them. He failed them! They're dead. He wasn't able to save either of them. And he lost them for the same reason he lost Echodusk and Crag. The same cat.
   Kill! Kill!
   The same cat.
   KILL!KILL!
   THE SAME CATS!
   He wasn't... No...
   His whimpering turned into fierce growls, he forced himself to a fighting stance. His eyes searched frantically for him. Shadow's teeth was clenched together in hatred. Where is he?
   A black cat with dark green eyes was fighting Flamestar, blood dribbling down his chin. Above his chin was a smirk of red-stained teeth.
   "Shadow! Shadow? Can't you hear me? LightningClan has come to help!"
   I don't need LightningClan. 
   Yowling in anger, Shadow ran through the flurry of fighting cats, dodging any attack possible. Long claws flew past his face. The marshy ground wasn't sparking with green but was drowning in red. Bright red. 
   Flash.
   Growling, Shadow shoved his way through over and over. Searching frantically for that same scent he smelled those four years ago. There! Haunting was leaning over a lifeless flame-colored tabby. 
   Blood.
   No! Shadow lunged at Haunting, smirking as he knocked the tom over in surprise.
   "You again!" Haunting scoffed, "I thought I scared you away."
   "I'll never stand by and watch you kill cat after cat! Family after family!" Tears built up in Shadow's eyes, he blinked them away out of pure anger.
   "Oh, so you still remember, brave mouse?" Haunting smirked. Only a few scratches marked his pelt.
   Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but instead of speaking, he brought his claws over Haunting's eye. Blood glazed the group's leader's eye.
   Haunting stared at Shadow with demise, "You'll regret that!" He swiftly brought his paw in front of him. But Shadow ducked and dived under Haunting, causing the leader to buckle down.
   Shadow turned on his back and slashed at the tom's belly.
   Kill, Kill.
   Haunting yowled as Shadow went deep enough to scratch his insides. He scrabbled frantically until he found a grip and jumped off the broad-muscled tom. He stared at Shadow in fear now, for he had never encountered a cat who could injure him that far.
   Shadow stared back. His gray eyes were full of hatred and the urge to further sink his teeth into Haunting's neck. He was breathing hard now, but his pelt has barely been scratched. Shadow was waiting for Haunting to make a move, so he could match it, and end this for good.
   Flash
 Mom!
 Yes?
 MOM! Help! Dawn and Hawk and I are being chased by these creepy black cats!
 Creepy black cats?
 Young Shadow shook his head yes.
 Haunting... the mother narrowed her eyes as a black cat with dark green eyes came into view.
 Shadow. Run. Take Dawn and Hawk.
 Kill! Kill!
 Blood.
   Haunting had to. He ran. He ran far away from Shadow, from the battle. But Shadow was right on his tail. Frantic, Haunting ran faster, but Shadow was still right behind him.
   "You put this on yourself!" Shadow spat.
   Haunting hissed and jumped onto a tree, climbing as fast as he could. He yowled as he felt incredible pain ripple up his tail. He looked down, half his tail was missing, the other half in Shadow's jaws. He climbed faster and faster. The pain was too much. He felt something moving around in his stomach, near his belly wound. His insides were falling out. Haunting yowled as he neared the top of the tree. Shadow was still right there.
   Black seared Haunting's vision until he could barely see anything. No.. No! He couldn't see anything now. The pain crippled him as he let go of the tree and plummeted to the ground. Drops of rain falling on his wounds. He watched the sky follow him as he fell. Finally, pain ripped through him as he hit the ground. Killing him.
   Shadow jumped down and put his paw on Haunting's face. He growled and started shredding him apart. When he was done, Haunting had no eyes, no ears, and one of his limbs was across the clearing. Shadow breathed heavily, he felt accomplished.
   He felt cats brush against him. He immediately recognized the scent of Dawn...
   Hawk..
   Echodusk..
   Crag..
   Grace..
   Hiss...
   Eagle..
   His family. 

   Shadow purred as tears glazed his vision, his pelt was matted down with blood, but he didn't care. Hawk and Dawn cuddled against him while the rest looked on lovingly.
   "You didn't really need to rip him apart," Eagle croaked humorously.
   Shadow smiled, his teeth glinted in the moonlight. The rain started falling harder.
   "Are you ready?" Echodusk tilted her head.
   Shadow's smile turned into a frown, "But I can't leave them!"
   "They'll be fine," Grace purred.
   Shadow sighed, "You promise?"
   He nodded.
   "I don't remember getting hurt," Shadow inferred.
   "Funny, you should look at yourself," Hawk laughed.
    "Haha," Shadow slurred. Black creeped at the edges of his vision as he fell forward, head on paws. He closed his eyes.
   


   Only to open them again in new grounds. Everything was bright, around him was his family.
   "Finally we're all together," Crag purred.
   Shadow nodded.
   "Welcome to StarClan, Shadow."