ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Venom

Chapter 40

A gasp emitted from Mintpool as she was knocked over. Her paws swiped out, scratching and grabbing at anything she could. 

Finally, her gaze cleared; standing above her was Robinflight, a snarl etched onto the brown she-cat's face.

Really, how does she always get herself into these situations? Think that she's in control, only to be surprised. 

"I knew you'd come." The brown she-cat's tone was cold.

Mintpool snickered. "Oh, what a good guess," she mewed, her voice sarcastic. "It's not like Stormfoot came to warn you."

"No, I knew you'd come." Robinflight lashed her tail. "In case you haven't noticed, you're the only rogue here. The rest are still down fighting. But I was certain you'd get away from the rest and come up here to complete your goal. I'm not foolish - each and every cat that's died with anything involving you is a cat you have a score to settle with. I know I'm next. I'm the one that got you - deservingly, by the way - kicked out of AirClan."

"Deservingly?" Mintpool snarled. "Those weren't even my kits!"

Robinflight lashed her tail. "Does it matter? A true cat, loyal to her Clan, wouldn't have run off to join the rogues and fight against us! Plus, we accepted you back, remember? You had a chance to redeem yourself, but you chose to ignore it." The brown she-cat leaned forward, her lips pulled into a snarl. "Everything that's happening to you right now is because of you."

It was as if something had clicked inside Mintpool's mind. She flashed out a paw, quick as lightning, catching Robinflight in the eye. The brown she-cat let out a yowl of pain as she stumbled backwards, allowing the gray tabby to climb to her paws, all anger.

"Because of me?" Mintpool was shaking with fury. "Oh, please entertain me! What have I ever done before my exile? Serve my Clan with everything I've got? Try to keep my Clanmates happy and healthy? Work as hard as I possibly could? Then you all exiled me without a second thought! Just tell me why I would've come back to join AirClan, when you all kicked me out so easily. Did you feel any guilt after that, hmm? Knowing that you very well ruined a cat's life?"

Robinflight was panting, blood dripping down her face, her one good eye still blaring a glare towards Mintpool. However, she didn't speak.

"Is that a no? You slept well that night, hmm? Thinking that you did the right thing and was upholding the warrior code?" Mintpool hissed, lashing her tail. "Did you know I had to work my tail off just so I wouldn't become crow-food in the rogue group? That the first cat I ever killed was Echoleaf, a cat that had practically raised me? Do you think that was easy, to have to become so cold-hearted to survive there? All the work and respect I'd earned here was gone, and I had to start over. I had to learn to kill to survive. But you were living a lovely life here, weren't you, all satisfied with what you'd done."

The gray tabby paused to take a heaving breath. "All I ever wanted was a peaceful life, but every single cat I trusted betrayed me." Mintpool took a step forward towards Robinflight. "So I will kill you today, and get my revenge. And be certain: I'll be very glad that your life was ruined because of me."

She raised a paw, ready to send down a killing blow, when a soft voice caught her attention.

"Mintpool?"

The gray tabby stiffened, spinning around, catching sight of a brown-and-white tabby standing by the entrance of the medicine den. For a second, she was stunned, lowering her paw as she turned to fully face the EarthClan medicine cat.

"Cloverleaf? What are you doing here?" Mintpool's tail-tip twitched as she studied her, no sign of injuries.

"Yes!" Robinflight hissed from behind the gray tabby, staggering to her paws. "Just what are you doing here? I sent all our cats to your camp for safety - I thought a clear warning had been delivered to remain in camp! What is a medicine cat doing out?"

Cloverleaf fluffed her pelt. "Mintpool's my friend. She wouldn't hurt me."

"If that's what you think," Robinflight meowed, her voice cold, "then it's clear you don't know her anymore. Now get out and let me handle this."

Cloverleaf ignored her, tilting her head to look at Mintpool. "I heard that you joined the rogues, and I've been praying to StarClan that that's false, but I guess that's indeed the truth. I wanted... I wanted to talk to you. I couldn't just stay in camp awaiting news. Spotfrost and I..." She took a deep breath, changing the topic. "I heard your entire conversation with Robinflight. Listen, you can come back to the Clans and have that peaceful life. Join EarthClan! I'd love to have you, and just know that I'd never betray you."

Mintpool felt her bristling pelt lower. "Join EarthClan?" She'd never thought of that before. She wasn't sure she'd like to, but the latter of the medicine cat's words, the ones promising her loyalty, had made the gray tabby consider such thing. "I don't know..."

"Please?" Cloverleaf implored. "It won't help any cat if you keep going on this path. It won't make you happier even though you think it would. And even if you don't want to join EarthClan, and prefer not to be associated with the Clans at all, that's fine, I'd still love to be your friend - just please don't kill any more cats."

Maybe...

Just as Mintpool was about to give a nod, a sharp pain flashed in her back. Robinflight! The brown she-cat had jumped on her back, her claws digging into her flesh.

Yowling in pain, the gray tabby twisted around as she landed a blow to Robinflight's ear, feeling her blood matt her fur.

"Cloverleaf! Grab Mintpool and push her down!" Robinflight ordered, thrashing to try and keep the gray tabby beneath her with only her one good eye.

Panic flashed through Mintpool as she felt Cloverleaf's paws land on her shoulders and heave her downwards, followed by hot anger. You'd never betray me, huh?

Bunching her hind paws, Mintpool kicked out, hard, right on Robinflight's belly, digging her claws in the soft flesh, feeling the warm feeling of blood. As Robinflight hissed in pain, the gray tabby shook Cloverleaf off - but not before getting a deep wound right by her neck, head dizzying, stumbling towards the brown she-cat striking her blow after blow.

Die, die, die.

Had she gone crazy?

Making sure the life faded out of Robinflight's eyes, she spun to face Cloverleaf, seeing double as she felt gushes of blood pour out of her wounds. Nevertheless, she jumped at EarthClan's medicine cat, tearing her claws into Cloverleaf's flesh.

It was a quick fight there, as Cloverleaf hardly knew how to retaliate.

Mintpool let out a crackle of satisfaction as she watched the two bodies motionless against the ground. Now, just to get out of here...

She limped to the entrance, barely making it any steps before a familiar black-and-white pelt came into her view. Snowfrost? Adderclaw?

As she met the gaze of the cat, a gleam of determined green eyes, she realized it was Spotfrost.

No words were spoken as her niece jumped forward, knocking Mintpool down with ease, and lifting a paw, trembling.

It was easy. Mintpool was losing blood rapidly and she'd already lost a bunch, too weak to fight back. So this was where she was going to die. AirClan's medicine den. The place she'd once loved and called her home.

Feeling Spotfrost curl up beside her and listening to her shaking sobs, Mintpool took one last shaky breath as the world went black.

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Word Count // 1277

Not Edited

Hello!! It's the final chapter of Mintpool's story! I do want to clarify really quickly that Cloverleaf did help Robinflight purely out of panic, because she had no idea what to do. Also, I've had the plan of Spotfrost killing Mintpool ever since the character of Spotfrost had been created, so honestly it was kind of funny reading the comments that thought Spotfrost was going to join the evil side, hehe. Anyway, I want to give a big, big thanks to each and every one of you that's read this story and given me any sort of feedback - I appreciate it so, so much. Following this will be the update of the Epilogue (I already have it written up!) and a thank-you note! A picture of Spotfrost is at the top! Bye!