sister, sister

~~~

IT WAS BLOODY.

SkyClan's camp was in an uproar when Violetpaw arrived, exhausted and dizzy. Everywhere she looked, there were cats fighting, a mess of teeth and claws and fur. Lilystar was to her right, locked in a fight with Redsky and Treefrost. And there was Frostsky, forcing a SkyClan cat into a rear as Swanfrost attacked the stomach.

And the cat Violetpaw was searching for: Snowbird. She was taking two cats on by herself, dancing around Stormbird and Sweetpaw.

Without a second thought, Violetpaw charged towards them.

"Violetpaw!" Sweetpaw's mew of shock rang in the white she-cat's ears as she approached. "Great StarClan, what are you doing out here?"

Snowbird's head whipped to face Violetpaw, a murderous look in her blue eyes. "So you survived," she hissed lowly. 

Stormbird seemed to realize what was happening. His ears stood up, but it was too late. The SkyClan deputy had already sprang on Violetpaw, her claws sinking into the apprentice's pelt, and Violetpaw just let it happen.

She heard Sweetpaw screech her name. She heard her parents' yowls of horror. And then, through it all, she heard Stormbird's whisper, a low, broken, "Violetdust."

And then, just like that, Violetpaw of ThunderClan died.

~~~

"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU."

Honeykit's voice was sweet as Violetpaw slowly gained consciousness. She was laying in a meadow, a soft breeze blowing over her, carrying the beautiful melody of birds. It was warm, and the smell of prey was thick in the air, making Violetpaw's mouth water.

And there, in the distance, was Honeykit. A pale ginger she-kit with one amber and one blue eye. She smelled like flowers, and once she neared, she nuzzled Violetpaw with her nose. 

Attack her, Violetpaw's mind whispered. 

Yes, she should. That was what she was here to do. But now, seeing Honeykit in front of her, Violetpaw had no clue how she was meant to do that. She was a kit. An angelic kit who was her sister.

"So, Violetdust, we meet at last." Honeykit pulled away with a smile.

There was something about that that ticked Violetpaw off. Being called Violetdust. All her life, when someone would say Violetdust's name, she'd felt a connection; but now, when Honeykit said it, it felt like a threat. A threat that brought a certain sense of agitation to Violetpaw, and she twitched her tail-tip.

But still, she didn't move. "At last?" she croaked out instead, watching Honeykit intently. "What do you mean? If I'm Violetdust, then we've met before."

Honeykit giggled. "Yes, well, not like this. We only knew each other as kits. I never got to become an apprentice or warrior with you and Sunbounce, did I?"

"No-"

"You'll understand how frustrating it is when you see Sweetpaw become a warrior." Honeykit paused. "Only, except, she's not your real sister."

Violetpaw let those words sink in. She was struck very suddenly with the reality that she had one paw in each spirit. Sweetpaw, not her real sister? 

"Our parents became very depressed, Violetdust, don't you remember?" Honeykit continued, not seeming to notice the white she-cat's pause. "Don't you remember feeling rather neglected as you grew? All because it was written in the stars for me to die as a kit." She growled the last part out, before her voice turned syrupy again. "That was cruel of StarClan, wasn't it? Don't you remember how you hated them? I'm making StarClan go away."

The white she-cat shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around everything Honeykit was saying. "You're making them go away?"

"StarClan thinks they're all powerful, but they're not. They think they can do whatever they want, but they can't. They only exist because the living cats remember them," Honeykit mewed, her voice beginning to grow to a hiss. "And now that I've blocked their access with the Clans, soon, they'll all be forgotten."

"Honeykit, that's stupid," Violetpaw meowed immediately. "If they're forgotten, you'll be forgotten too."

The pale ginger she-kit shrugged. "Well, I'm working on a solution for that now."

"A solution-?"

"Don't you remember from long ago, when a dead spirit went into a ThunderClan leader's body?" Honeykit mewed. "I'm sure we could pull something like that off. I could get Sweetpaw, perhaps. Then we could be sisters again."

Violetpaw didn't have a clue what Honeykit was talking about, but as soon as she heard Sweetpaw's name, her fur bristled, and her lips pulled back into a snarl. "You leave Sweetpaw alone."

"Ooh! Protective," Honeykit cooed. "I wonder if you would've cared for me like that if I hadn't died."

"Honeykit, stop all this-"

"Why should I?" she challenged. "StarClan took everything from me. I'm only taking it back."

Violetpaw took a shaky breath. The cat standing in front of her right now wasn't a kit. She was a revengeful, hateful cat. But she was still Violetpaw's sister.

Then, suddenly, a thought struck the white she-cat. She looked around at the paradise she was in - how could such a revengeful, hateful cat be in StarClan?

Then, very slowly, she spoke. "Honeykit, where are we right now?"

Honeykit giggled. And, just like that, the paradise faded. The beautiful oak trees turned into slimy, shadowy pieces of wood; the grass faded into sticky mud; the sky was black. "Why, the Dark Forest, of course."

Violetpaw gulped, looking around nervously. "The- The Dark Forest?"

"I brought you here," Honeykit mewed with a grin. "I started out in StarClan, of course, but it was awfully boring. They could only see the good stuff. Then, the angrier and angrier I got, the more bad stuff I could see, until the good was simply... gone.

"Eventually, I got to see who killed Ashbird. Poor cat's been wandering between the Dark Forest and StarClan for ages. I suppose there were already some forces at work to make sure she couldn't leak her killer's name." Honeykit shrugged. "Of course, I used this to my advantage."

The white she-cat took a step back, gasping. "The Ghost Assassin. You-" 

"Oh, Violetdust, don't be too harsh on him," Honeykit mewed insincerely. "He was just scared of losing all that he had. I imagine he grew up to be a very respectable warrior."

"You imagine?"

"I can't see the good stuff anymore, remember? Try to keep up."

Violetpaw shook her head. "I don't understand. If the Ghost Assassin does your bidding, then why would you tell Crowstar he's a ThunderClan cat?"

Honeykit sighed deeply. "Oh, Violetdust, I can't say. Otherwise you might think I'm an evil cat. But I'm not, not really. I'm only doing what I need to get what I want." Then suddenly, she grinned. "Ooh, but how about I show you instead?"

Before Violetpaw knew what she was doing, she was standing up and following Honeykit. Her pelt tingled uncomfortably with each step, and all the way, her brain yelled at her to jump at Honeykit, but her paws refused to obey.

Finally, the pale ginger she-kit halted in front of a murky pool of water, and leaned forward to touch it with her nose. Suddenly, an image appeared. Violetpaw squinted, leaning forward to get a better look, before she gasped, jerking backwards.

"That's me."

It was her. Her dead body, with Sweetpaw and Swanfrost crouched over it. Snowbird was laying on the ground a little bit away, unmoving, and Frostsky's claws were bloody.

"Indeed it is. And here..." Honeykit touched her paws to the water's surface, and the scene rippled away to show Lilystar. "This should answer your question."

Lilystar was cornered by Redsky and Treefrost. She was snarling, bleeding, and it was clear that she couldn't defeat the two of them alone. It was quick; the two toms don't even seem to realize that they've killed her. They jumped on the ThunderClan leader, yowling for her surrender, but before long, the tortoiseshell she-cat had stopped moving.

 Violetpaw watched, aghast, as her leader's spirit left her body.

"There you have it," Honeykit whispered. "The Ghost Assassin wasn't performing his duties as I pleased. So, I needed a new way to get a body. War seemed like the best option."

The white she-cat listened to all of this numbly. Honeykit was... well, she was crazy. Still, she'd made no move to attack Honeykit, not until the pale ginger she-kit spoke again.

"I'm hoping the next cat to go will be Sweetpaw, while she's grieving over you. Then we could be sisters again, hmm?"

That did it. Violetpaw's muscles twitched, and before she realized it, she'd turned and sent a blow towards Honeykit's face.

~~~

and there we have honeykit!! let me know what you guys think of this chapter, and i have a quick question that i'd like your opinions on! for the next chapter, do you want a long fight scene, or just keep it short? i'm good with it either way, and i'm having trouble deciding, so let me know what you'd prefer to read!

alright, that's all, have an amazing day! bye!

~ lily