immunity

~~~

"I'M UNTOUCHABLE!"

Violetkit frowned, coming to a screeching halt in her steps at Honeykit's words. "What?"

"I have immunity," her sister replied, flicking her tail. "I've decided."

The kits were playing a badger game, and one of the older kits, Frostkit, had volunteered to play the badger. His acting must've been really quite good, because when he cornered Honeykit and pretended like he was about to eat her, the pale ginger she-kit had curled into a ball and declared herself untouchable.

"Honeykit, he's not actually a badger," Whitekit, Frostkit's sister, mewed. "He's just pretending."

Frostkit shrugged easily. "My pretending's just that good." He then patted Honeykit on the head with his tail. "Sorry, Honeykit, didn't mean to scare you."

As Honeykit nodded, a little embarrassed, and climbed to her paws, Violetkit turned to Swankit, only to find that her best friend's eyes looked glazed over.

"Swankit? You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh." The pale gray she-kit tore her eyes away from Frostkit. "Yeah."

~~~

VIOLETPAW SNAPPED AWAKE.

She was alive. How was she alive? Didn't Snowbird kill her? 

She was in the medicine den, though it took much longer for her to realize that and regain her bearings than the last time she was in here. The smell of blood lathered her tongue, her head was dizzy and pounding, and there was some weird, sticky poultice all over her fur.

When everything finally came back into focus, Violetpaw noticed she wasn't the only one in here. Several of her Clanmates lay in nests beside hers, cobwebs pressed to their pelts. At the sight of this, anger began to rise in Violetpaw's stomach.

All this, over the Ghost Assassin. SkyClan wasn't going to stop until they got him. 

That reminds Violetpaw: Honeykit.

The white she-cat winced, laying her chin on her paws as her mind whirled. Honeykit was the one behind all this. Sunbounce and Violetdust's supposed angel of a sister. But how? Why?

No. That wasn't the important part. The important part was how Violetpaw was going to stop her, stop all this harm. Even if she managed to catch the Ghost Assassin, who's to say Honeykit won't simply breed another one? Keep whispering things in Crowstar's ear to fuel his hatred? She has to end it at the source.

But then, from the depths of Violetdust's memories, Violetpaw recalled a snippet of her dream.

"I'm untouchable!" 

Honeykit had chanted this, and it felt like she was speaking directly to Violetpaw with that statement. Honeykit was a spirit. Already dead. How was Violetpaw going to stop her?

It took the white she-cat a few heartbeats, and when she finally came up with an answer, her stomach felt heavy. But it was the only way, she knew it was the only way.

She had to die.

Violetpaw was scared. But, as she told herself, she'd already lived a life as Violetdust, then one as Violetpaw. That was plenty - more than Honeykit got, at the very least. She'd risked her life before to get Blossomsky catmint, and now she was going to do it again for her friends and family.

She wouldn't be gone forever, she tried convincing herself. She could still watch over her Clanmates. 

The thought was meant to be comforting, but it nauseated her. She would never become a warrior with Sweetpaw. She'd have to watch her sister do it alone, watch Brightpaw and Ravendust become mates, watch everyone have kits and grow old together.

The thought of a miniature Brightpaw and Ravendust running around made Violetpaw sick to her core. 

Great StarClan, no wonder Honeykit was so bitter.

Suddenly, a sharp, angry voice from outside the den caught Violetpaw's attention. Sunbounce. Slowly - even though she knew well that she wasn't supposed to - the white she-cat pushed herself to her paws. Ignoring her dizzying headache and sharp pains, Violetpaw inched for the medicine den's entrance, propping herself up against the wall to listen.

It was moonhigh, and there was a Clan meeting. Lilystar was sitting atop the Highledge, looking as old and tired as ever. Russetfrost's face was stoic beside her, and the Clan - though bruised and battered - had a fiery buzz about them.

"My apprentice is laying in the medicine den right now, barely alive," Sunbounce was spitting. "My kin could've been killed in that fight - SkyClan was looking to kill."

"Sunbounce-" Blossomsky mewed, a fruitless attempt to calm him down.

"So whoever's the Ghost Assassin, just give yourself up," the ginger tom hissed. "Just give yourself up so all this can end."

Worried murmurs started to seep throughout the Clan, and cats began to look at each other with suspicious eyes. It wasn't until Lilystar spoke that everyone fell silent.

"Sunbounce, stop with these ridiculous accusations at once," the ThunderClan leader snapped. "You don't even know for sure if there's a Ghost Assassin, there hasn't been any attacks since Violetdust. And how are you so quick to trust Crowstar's dreams?"

"All I'm doing is looking at the facts in front of me," Sunbounce replied, "and as far as I know, SkyClan won't stop until they have someone." 

Lilystar shook her head, flicking her tail as she turned the subject. "Well, we must respond to this attack. Russetfrost, please go around and create patrols out of any cats that don't need Featherpool's immediate attention. We will attack SkyClan while they're weak, and put an end to this once and for all."

No, that won't work, Violetpaw thought as she watched Russetfrost organize the patrols, feeling helpless. That will only cost more lives. The only way to end this is to end Honeykit. 

"Everyone, get some prey," Lilystar mewed, flicking her ears to dismiss the meeting. "We will set out at dawn."

As cats dispersed, Violetpaw caught sight of Ravendust's black pelt. Before she knew what she was doing, she moved towards him, only to stop when she spotted Brightpaw standing beside him, murmuring something as Ravendust twitched his ear in acknowledgement. They were having a private moment, she shouldn't disturb them.

Just then, Ravendust looked up, his yellow gaze meeting hers. Quickly, Violetpaw spun around, feeling as though she'd been caught spying. She wanted nothing more than to scurry back to the medicine den but, when she turned, she realized there was a cat standing right in front of her: Eaglefrost.

She had spoken to Eaglefrost here and there, but certainly not as much as she had when she was younger. And, oddly, she hadn't even noticed. Before, she would've been trying to talk to Eaglefrost every chance she got and now here he was, standing in front of her, and she felt... nothing.

"Eaglefrost," Violetpaw greeted, flicking her tail. "Hello."

Eaglefrost looked at her, his blue eyes kind as always. "Violetpaw, you're injured. Here, let me help you get back to the medicine den-"

"Are you out of your mind?"

This familiar voice came from behind the white she-cat, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she spotted Ravendust storming over, Brightpaw on his tail. 

"Why are you out of the medicine den?" Ravendust demanded, twitching his pelt. "You're lucky Frostsky pushed Snowbird over - Featherpool said she just missed your throat. Are you trying to almost die again?"

Eaglefrost stiffened a little at Ravendust's presence. "I was just about to escort her over, Ravendust."

The black tom's eyes flashed. "What, is she suddenly incapable of walking by herself?"

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine," Violetpaw broke in, because she suddenly felt quite afraid that Eaglefrost and Ravendust may take a go at each other. "I just- I woke up and I heard yelling and I wanted to listen in, that's all."

"Great, Sweetpaw will be delighted to hear that you're okay," Brightpaw mewed, giving her a tight smile before looking up at Ravendust. "Ravendust, would you like to share a rabbit with me?"

The black tom blinked, looking from Violetpaw to Eaglefrost. "Yeah, okay," he mumbled over to Brightpaw. "You want anything?"

It took Violetpaw a second to realize that he was addressing her. "No, I'm alright."

He nodded, and as soon as he and Brightpaw were gone, Violetpaw turned towards Eaglefrost.

"I'm okay, you don't need to walk me over."

The brown tom frowned. "Are you sure? It's no trouble-"

"No, it's okay, really," Violetpaw insisted. "You should go get something to eat before the big battle."

Hesitantly, Eaglefrost flicked his tail in acknowledgment and padded away too, and Violetpaw started to limp her way back over to the medicine den. Unbeknownst to her, as Ravendust watched her make this trip alone, a small smile flickered onto his face.