Warriors- Rise of the Guardians

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Wolf and Thunder fell again, back into the abyss, landing on solid ground a moment later. And when they did, they were no longer on the snow. They were back at the camp, and the moon was completely shrouded in the darkness.

"Lionstar!" Wolf cried softly so as to not wake his clanmates, and raced towards his leader.

"Wolfstrike, what happened?" He turned, and that was when Wolf noticed the she-cat by his side. "Eaglewing?" He stuttered. "I thought you..."

To his surprise, she pressed closer to the clan leader and purred. "I guess I couldn't leave my soul mate after all."

The words 'soul mate' struck something in his heart. Unconsciously, he turned to look at Thunder. Even though her fur was now gray, he still saw the same old Thunderpaw in her, the same she-cat he used to—and still did— love.

Thunder caught him staring and shot him a questioning look. His pelt warmed with embarrassment and he turned away. "Yeah," he finally replied lamely.

"Well, it turns out we're both Guardians... and our names have changed. Again. I'm Thunder, and he's Wolf."

Lionstar nodded, and lowered his head his to speak in a soft whisper. "Come into my den. We should discuss this matter in private."

The four cats managed to squeeze themselves into Lionstar's den. Wolf was rather surprised; it was more spacious than he had thought.

"This thing about being guardians— Eaglewing explained it to me. So that's what you two are? Are there any other cats out there like you?" Lionstar's eyes glimmered with unhidden interest. "Of course. There are five of us. Me, Thunder, Aqua, Frost, and-" Eaglewing cut Wolf off with a soft meow, "Boomer."

Lionstar's eyes turned wide, and he started to bristle.

"Boomer? My brother?" His voice was uneven.

The three cats stared at him, waiting, for him to explain himself, but he didn't. All he did was stare back, silent, at nothing, as if he was lost in a distant memory. Finally, with unseeing eyes, he spoke, quietly.

"Boomer was the typical younger brother, too mischievous and too arrogant for his own good. He was loud, cocky, but was also a fun sibling. My life was never boring. Until one day, he disappeared after going out to hunt. Some said he drowned- others said he eloped with a mate. But I didn't know what to think, didn't know what to believe, so I thought about everything, and believed everything." His eyes were flaring with horror.

"I believed that my brother was dead."

--

Tigerstar growled. There was something, a presence of evil, lurking somewhere. "Stay close to me, Kougar. And you too, kit," He added after a moment's hesitation. Firepaw snarled, but made no comment. He could sense it too. Tigerstar felt his heart jerk, and for a moment his vision flashed red. He let out a low growl.

"It's Tigerstar."

Firepaw stared at him in confusion. "Of course it's Tigerstar. Have you forgotten your own name?" But Kougar understood. They both knew the evil his dark self was capable of.

"What do you want?" Tigerstar asked the supposedly empty forest. A gentle breeze blew by, and with it came the wind's whisper.

You know what I want.

You are I, and I am you.

Tigerstar thought for only a moment. But he couldn't believe it. "You can't possibly be thinking-"

Why not? Remember, we are one. If you want something, I do, too.

His blood ran cold.

"No, I cannot give her to you. Not her."

Firepaw's eyes narrowed as pieces of the puzzle began to fix themselves together.

A chuckle, low and menacing, echoed eerily throughout the forest, rushing by their ears in a gust of wind.

Learn to share, Tigerstar. I'm the dark one, not you. I won't kill her. Let me just... play with her for a bit. Or forever.

Tigerstar was so agitated that he couldn't think clearly. His dark self was unpredictable. Who knew what he would do if he didn't comply? Yet, he knew he could never let Kougar go, not after he just saved her, not after he just promised himself never to let her go. He started to feel hot under his pelt, feeling as if the forest was closing in on him.

"No, Tigerstar. Go find your own plaything. Kougar is a beautiful cat, and she's mine."

Tigerstar, his dark self, materialized, grinning, showing his glinting white canines as he took slow steps towards them. His eyes were glowing white. "Didn't I tell you, what's yours is mine?"

Without warning, he leapt onto Kougar.

--

Eaglewing could feel the tension rolling off Lionstar in waves. His fur was rising on the ends, and he seemed to be growling lowly at something unseen. No one spoke a word, until Lionstar himself finally sighed, a soft forlorn, "Boomer."

Eaglewing shivered; she'd never heard, or felt, so much emotion in one word. The longing, regret was so clearly laced in his brother's name that her own heart ached for Lionstar.

"Lionstar," She mewed, brushing her tail gently across his raised hackles. Immediately, he stopped growling, and snapped out of his daze. And, to her amazement, he started sniffling, and slowly, he looked at her with dull eyes, and buried his head into her fur.

"Eaglewing..."

His voice was soft, husky. No one else mattered then.

"Stay with me."