After Archangel's violent takeover, EchoClan finds itself facing a new era. New positions are made, rules are set in place, and the possibility of change seems impossible to reach.
Despite the risks, the talk of a rebellion arises within the distru...
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As soon as Archangel's claws swept through ginger fur, as soon as Waspstar's body fell, Chirpbark swore the air was sucked out of his lungs. He stared, shocked, paws shaking, and for a moment it felt as if he couldn't move.
Time blurred around him, warping the world into dripping colors and sounds. Chirpbark leapt forward, pummeling his feet into the ground, stumbling next to Waspstar and pushing his muzzle into his best friend's cheek. Heavy sobs wrenched from his throat and he cursed the world for this, cursed Archangel for the damage he had done. Most of all... Chirpbark cursed himself.
I could've stopped this. I... I could've ended it... He couldn't breathe, couldn't even think about Slap or Sparrowblaze. Words streamed past his lips but he was hardly paying attention, yellow eyes trained on the small rise and fall of Waspstar's chest. "Please..." he managed, choking on his belated breath. "You can't leave me... you can't...!"
Horrified yowls rang through the clearing as more EchoClanners realized what had happened, running to their leader, spitting insults at Archangel. Chirpbark briefly registered Snakeleap and Swiftspeck by their voices, though unlike usual they were thick with emotion, raspy whispers as they spoke their last words to their leader. Waspstar's green gaze was pale and glassy, as if he didn't really know what was happening.
The pain Chirpbark felt for Waspstar was unimaginable. His heart hurt and something inside of him cracked, something Chirpbark wasn't sure was meant to crack. A guttural sob escaped his jaws and he dropped his shaking paws in Waspstar's pool of warm and sticky blood, tears streaming down his face. "Goodbye, old friend," he choked out miserably, unable to speak any further.
By the time Chirpbark's gaze fell back on Waspstar's chest, it was still.
A low wail ripped from Snakeleap's throat as he gazed at his deceased brother. The orange deputy began to lick Waspstar's fur fiercely, as if he'd bring their leader back to life with warmth. "Please, please, please," Snakeleap said desperately, "I can't lose you, I can't live without you!"
"Dad," Swiftspeck whispered, voice low and broken. "Dad, stop." Snakeleap began to break down completely, shoulders heaving with grief. "Snakeleap, stop it! You have to b-be strong right now!"
"Yes," a cold, sly voice cut in, slightly high-pitched with a mischievous lilt. "You must stay strong, being EchoClan's deputy and all..."
The clearing went completely silent, Chirpbark most of all. He turned his head toward Archangel, staring at the skinny white tom, looking into those flashing golden eyes and wondering where he went wrong. I should've killed him when I had the chance. What have I done...? Chirpbark couldn't believe he'd sensed some strange, underlying connection between them. He and Archangel were nothing alike. Right?
