Toad flicked his stub as he padded into camp. He was sure he'd just seen Cloud go into Flame's den. They'd come just in time.
He simply sat down beside Horizon and waited for the show to begin.
As Flame came out of his den, he stared directly and Toad and Horizon in shock, then said something to Cloud. Cloud nodded and Flame padded over to them.
"So.." The ginger leader meowed, his voice strained. "I've heard...quite the tale involving you two."
"Really?" Toad asked, raising his eyebrows. So that was how it was, then?
"Indeed." Flame cleared his throat. "Cloud told me that you two were the ones who caused this."
"Well, I won't lie to you and say that we didn't, but we didn't do it alone." Toad meowed.
"So you're not denying this at all?" Flame's eyes widened with shock and horror.
"It's not like you knowing will stop us." Horizon purred.
Clover, who must've overheard, snarled and stalked up to them. "Why would you do such a thing? Do you know how many cats have died because of you?"
"I've lost count." Toad hummed. "And our reasons for this aren't easy to explain. It's too long to say."
"Do you think this is funny?" Clover snarled, digging his claws into the ground. "You've caused so much death, you monsters! Leaf is dead because of you, Horizon, and you don't care! Toad, you sister almost met the same fate! Do you two care at all?"
"No." Toad and Horizon meowed at the same time. Their similar tones made it sound eerie and out of place. Clover took a step back, looking at them in shock.
"What's wrong with you?" Flame asked, his voice soft. "This...This isn't normal."
"I had heard that you two had been acting strange." Tiny meowed. "And..Thrush, too, actually. But..she died."
"Indeed." Toad hummed, indifferent.
Tiny narrowed her eyes. "She...she was strangled by vines, but there were no vines there before. And...a while ago, when I tried to treat you, I kept getting pricked by thorns.." Realization flickered across her gaze. "Keep them here." She mewed. "I'm going to speak with the Lost Spirits."
"You can't make us do anything!" Toad snarled.
"Really? It's you against not only the Shadow Cats, but the Dawn Cats." Flame snarled. "You're staying here, whether you like it or not."
Toad unsheathed his claws. Perhaps they shouldn't have come; they had better things to do than this!
It took a while, but when Tiny returned she looked fearful. "I spoke with Leaf." She meowed, her voice shaking. "Something is definitely wrong with them."
Nothing is wrong with me. Toad thought angrily. Just because he was infected didn't mean that something was wrong.
"What is it?" Clover asked. Toad growled. "We're fine."
Tiny shook her head. "Leaf wasn't sure, but she doesn't think they're themselves anymore."
"She's wrong." Horizon hissed. "We're completely fine how we are."
Toad felt a small tingling sweep over him and shock spread across the watching cats. Toad looked down and realized that the vines on him had gotten darker. Could the vines be seen by the others now?
"Your eyes.." Tiny's eyes widened. "They're...what happened to you?"
"We don't have to explain anything to you." Toad and Horizon spoke at the same time, and Tiny took a step back.
"You may not think it now," Flame hissed, "But you need our help."
"We don't need help." Toad snarled. "We're fine!"
"You. Need. Help." Clover insisted.
"If you don't tell us, we'll find some cat who can." Cloud meowed.
Toad narrowed his eyes. "Have fun with that."
Clover snarled and wacked Toad in the side of his head, hard. Toad blinked as the force of the blow made him black out.
