{NEW STORYLINE SOON} Frostflower's Return

Chapter Twelve 🐾

     Frostpaw was confused. Wasn't she with Asteroid's group? Why was she inside the rogue camp?  Darkspirit appeared in front of her, like appeared appeared. Darkspirit's gray body was foggy, like smoke.

     "Aha!" Darkspirit mewed, "There you are. I've been trying to reach you in your sleep. It seems like Deaththorn did her job well done."

      "Where am I?!" Frostpaw cried, ignoring him. Darkspirit sighed, irritated.

     "Well, it seems like you need a lesson to be patient, Frostpaw," Darkspirit purred and lunged, as a paw caught her shoulder and started to bleed.

     "Frostpaw!"

     "Frostpaw! Wake up!"

     "Frostpaw, you're having a nightmare! And you're bleeding!"

     Frostpaw's eyes flew open and she lashed a paw out. A cat above her yelped. Frostpaw's eyes focused and she winced. Lake's muzzle was slashed open, blood dripping from it. Lake looked at her scornfully and Frostpaw covered her eyes with her paws.

     "W-What happened to Deaththorn?" Frostpaw asked shakily, suddenly aware of a stinging pain just above her shoulder. Lake looked at the blood dripping on her paws, looking so crestfallen that Frostpaw wanted to undo the scratch she dealt to her.

     "Cinna-uh-Deaththorn and Black is being guarded by a few loyal BloodClan cats." Lake mewed and sighed, "I thought Deaththorn was... she was not who I expected."

     "Deaththorn is trained to fight." Frostpaw warned and leaped to her feet just to fall over.

     "Whoa," Lake mewed, "Take it easy. You've been unconscious for two days." Frostpaw hissed grumpily and rose to her feet slowly. Her head throbbed and she felt sore all over.

     "Where's Snowdrop?" Frostpaw asked.

     "I don't actually know," Lake mewed, concern sparking in her eyes, "I hope she's okay."

     Lake beckoned with her tail for her to follow and Frostpaw walked after her. A cry came from outside the makeshift den Frostpaw was in was she hurried past Lake to find Snowdrop, slack jawed, looking at Deaththorn who was glaring at her inside her bramble and vine prison.

     "H-Honeyfrost! I-I thought you were dead!" Snowdrop cried.

     "Who are you?!" Deaththorn snapped. Snowdrop looked dejected.

     "Y-You don't remember me?" Snowdrop whimpered, "I'm Snowdrop, your sister."

     "Ah. My weakling sister. Just like Aqualeaf." Deaththorn/Honeyfrost hissed. Snowdrop frowned.

     "Mother was the best! Father  was the worst." Snowdrop said sharply, then lowered her voice into a whine, "Look, Honeyfrost, Darkspirit twisted your mind and snapped it. You are under his control. Break free of his bonds and help us fight him!"

     For a heartbeat, Honeyfrost looked uncertain, then a steely look overcame it and she hissed, "I am not under his control. He just gets in my head and annoys me." 

     "What about that time when his voice came out of your mouth?" Frostpaw challenged, butting into the tense moment. Honeyfrost opened her mouth then closed it like she didn't have a response.

     "Fine!" Honeyfrost snapped, then after, "Oooooh, look, Father has arrived."

     As Snowdrop turned to look, Honeyfrost's eyes flickered to red and she slashed at the brambles, instantly shredding them. Honeyfrost leaped onto the guards and ripped their throat out, killing them in a heartbeat. She then whirled around to face Snowdrop, whose back was turned to her and leaped, claws outstretched. Frostpaw shrieked and leaped to block Honeyfrost's kill.

     Honeyfrost crashed into Frostpaw, and accidentally slit Frostpaw's throat as they rolled to the floor. At that moment, Darkspirit appeared and Snowdrop turned to face them.

     Frostpaw choked and said hoarsely as Honeyfrost scrambled to her feet, horrified, her eyes back to amber and wide like the moon, "You choose who you want to be, Honeyfrost. A murderer or a hero."

     "You choose." Frostpaw whispered and she half closed her eyes to watch the scene. Honeyfrost took a while to process what Frostpaw had said, but when she understood, she yowled and flung herself at her father.

     Darkspirit, completely unprepared for an attack, scrambled backward and screeched as Honeyfrost slammed into him, pinning him down. Darkspirit's rogues rushed forward to stop Honeyfrost, but when they noticed it was her, they inched backward in a cowardly position.

     "Get off me!" Darkspirit yowled, "I am your master and you must obey me!"

     "Not anymore." Honeyfrost said coldly, and with a paw, snapped Darkspirit's neck.

     Frostpaw's vision was cornered with a black fuzziness, clamoring her to join them in their starry ranks as Honeyfrost quickly chased away the rogues and trudged slowly over to Frostpaw with Snowdrop.

     "I-" Honeyfrost's voice choked up as she continued, "I'm so sorry."

     "Y-You were right. When I killed Darkspirit, I felt a twinge of something like relief and 'that was the right thing to do' feeling. A-And with the other killings Darkspirit made me do was horrifying now that I think of it. Like, add it up, random cats he made me kill and some cats he generally disliked. He also wanted me to kill off your clanmates one by one and keep the ones he though were good for killing machines. It felt like he was loosing his soul and living on every scrap of hatred and revenge. Thank you for helping me break out of his bonds."

     Blackness... And then light. Frostpaw felt energetic, like she just had a good meal and a nice nap. She stood up and walked a few paces. Behind her, she could her sobs and she turned. Honeyfrost was crying, her head down with Snowdrop, sorrow in her eyes. In front of them was Frostpaw's body. 

I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I can't help you through this terrible time. I'm sorry.