Have you ever been in a situation where things have just happened too fast like a domino effect? One event triggers a series of unfortunate ones and you're barely fighting the current to stay above sea level as another tidal wave comes crashing down on you. Unless you can work well under stress, most of us by then just do what we can to survive and move on. We fight the currents or find a solution to the problem, even if it sounds bizarre. Just ride that dolphin you previously met and you'll find that it somehow takes you across and you can breathe again. When we talk about real things, it's probably just asking for help and leaning on others, even the ones you don't like. 

But when we're under that stress and waves continue to hit us back and forth, it's hard to think straight because all we can think about is a way to get out alive. We just want to get out and sometimes, we never asked for these kinds of problems to hit us. We never asked for burdens and troubles to strike us left and right like a whip. So why do these things happen to us and why it seems like everything's crumbling down? Just because we get one problem off our shoulders doesn't mean we asked for another fifty more. 

There are times when all we want is to close our eyes and plug our ears and wish everything would be silent, aren't there? 

X X X

The first thing Beechpaw saw was Mothpaw scan every cat they passed. Even if their pelt was as black as the night sky, her head would jerk this way and that, eyes seeking for the hope that he was still alive. He held onto the fact that Gorsekit had died long ago and Cedarsky lied just to throw them off. Going into battle with nerves would result in a quick defeat and death, according to Speckleflash, who drilled that into his mind during training days.

Honeypaw's face was unreadable as usual, which he thought was ridiculous she acted like she could take his place as the oldest sibling. Acting maturer than what she really was just to gain Mothpaw's attention and ears when she hadn't been around like he had when they were alone. Even if she kept her distance, Beechpaw could pick out her intentions and hidden desires to pull their younger sister close and protect her. He found himself fighting a silent battle against the golden apprentice, but the fact their silver sister stayed close to him and would attach herself to his side was the victory he needed.

Welcoming his father back into his life would only happen once he died and StarClan came back.

But something doesn't sit right, he thought, eyeing his surroundings as Cedarsky paved a way for the four of them to pass. Each rogue that fell in her path got a slash to the throat and kicked aside and the apprentices would only follow like a herd of lambs. He should've been distracting himself like Mothpaw did, looking for a pelt that only existed in their memories, but with each fallen rogue, his stomach twisted into unimaginable knots and churned with each step. Neither of his sisters questioned it - Honeypaw probably knew it too and just didn't want to say anything to arouse suspicion.

It's almost as if the rogues were expecting Cedarsky to turn on them... Their forces dropped considerably, but so did ours, he grimly thought, looking at the number of fallen bodies. Frostlight and Cherryfern fell during the beginning of the battle, one taken down by the calico rogue herself while the other fought her way between a tom's attack to save Icepaw's life. Finchpaw and Whitepaw were pressed against the ground, eyes wide. He should rush in to help them - that would make him look like some kind of hero to them, maybe - but with both of his sisters following the rogue so easily made his fur stand.

Something's going on, and it may have to do with Daystar. I'm sure Echoflight won't be mad at us if we end up killing her mother...? Would she? I don't care if Ripplestone gets mad at us for killing her. He'd be the one I'd love to deal with but then I'm sure I'd hear Honeypaw and Mothpaw yack and complain at my sides. With that thought, he lowered his ears and hissed through clenched teeth.

"You know, for being lazy and quiet, you stand out so much that it's unbearable," a cold voice seethed through the shouts. A pelt dropped from another den, the snow spiraling around his paws. Cedarsky slowed to a halt and frowned, the frown increasing. Beechpaw pulled his breath in and eyed the incomer, snow and blood clinging to his gray pelt.

"Hmm?" Cedarsky moaned, tilting her head to the side. Spotting the intruder, she said, "Oh, it's you. I was wondering when you'd show up..." Her green eyes darted to her sides, eyeing the two she-cats that accompanied her. "Soulfrost, or should I call you Soulstar?"

Blood roared in his ears at the sound of the rogue's name, bringing back memories with the black-furred rogue leader. Nettlestar and his warning of three other cats with equal strength of his own. Beechpaw raised a paw to skip over to Mothpaw, but Honeypaw placed a tail in his way, shoving him aside like she was the older one.

He blinked, lifting a paw to clean his claws. "Just Soulfrost will do for me. I'd rather stay on terms with an old friend."

"Aww, you called me a friend," she commented. "I think that's the nicest compliment I've ever received in my life. Most of the time happens to be snark, 'Do you do anything else but sleep' or 'How did you even make it this far when you're as mouse-brained as a kit' good times, I say."

"Cut it out." Soulfrost circled around the group, snapping and swiping his paws to knock Honeypaw back a few inches. Beechpaw hurtled over to Mothpaw and lowered himself into a crouch, facing the skinny tom with his teeth bared and back arched. Fire rippled through his body, granting him newfound strength. Cedarsky twirled in her paws, watching her clanmate's steps like a shark.

There's no way he can take Cedarsky and two apprentices, he confirmed, following Honeypaw's lead by aiming. Even if he's super strong, he's still a cat and he's bound to run out of energy. If we just wear down his energy, then we should be able to escape.

"What's with this?" Cedarsky observed. "Where's Jaggedstone? Or is it Jaggedstar now? I never did pay attention to your shenanigans." Beechpaw could pick up traces of worry and concern slip through the ice. Soulfrost crept closer and the she-cat let her fur rise, her breath becoming shallow.

"You should know," Soulfrost growled. "That leader took him down even on the brink of defeat. Had I not been chasing after that mangy apprentice, I could've come in and dealt that killing blow. Jaggedstone was still a dead cat either way. By me or that tom."

So, it's not just Cedarsky that will kill her own team or rogues. Shatteredstar never raised a paw to kill her own but Nettlestar couldn't bring himself to kill anycat except for Cedarsky... Beechpaw swallowed the fear lingering in his throat and glanced at the leader's den. He thought he saw a swift movement, but he blinked away the snowflake in his eyes and it was gone. Cedarsky let out a low growl and Mothpaw shrank into him, shivering from cold and fear.

"What a shame," growled Cedarsky, a plan concocting between words. "Here I thought it was going to be me who lands the final blow on him. I wonder why I didn't act sooner."

"Act sooner? When have you ever had the chance to kill me?" challenged Soulfrost, leaving himself exposed. "Tell me."

"The time when Shatteredstar and Nettlestar snuck out one day, you blindly followed out of suspicion. Obviously, I had to tag along because three of my closest friends were leaving without me. You didn't even know I was behind you the entire time because you were so focused on those two. That's your main flaw, Soulfrost, you can mask your entire presence from the cats you want, but you lack the skill to hide from everyone." Cedarsky bunched herself together and smiled lazily. "Killing you will be the closest thing I'll ever get to fighting Jaggedstone. I always did want to fight, but you were always around him so I never got the chance."

"And you know how we were ranked strength-wise. Jaggedstone, Nettlestar, me, Shatteredstar, and then you. You're at the bottom. Let's see how you fair." Soulfrost and Cedarsky jumped to action and sprang at each other, both locking their paws around each other while throwing themselves down. Honeypaw scampered back to her siblings and watched the fight, confusion swarming her gaze.

Why did you start fighting?! We need you if Daystar is up there—

"Beechpaw, look out!" Mothpaw screeched, pushing him out of the way just as another pelt came flying through, smashing into a startled Honeypaw. His world spun, but he spotted a silver cat that bore a striking resemblance to his sister. Underneath the incomer, the apprentice hissed, slipping out before she could get pinned, and unleashed her claws.

Cedarsky gave the apprentices a fleeting look, her eye widening at the sight of the rogue before curling her lip back and digging her paws into Soulfrost's chest as the gray tom pulled on her ear, tearing flesh and fur. Too wrapped up in her own battle, the siblings were left to face the silver she-cat themselves. Beechpaw cast Mothpaw a glance, seeing pure shock and horror on her face at the mirror image. For a moment, he thought the cat was Echoflight's physical spirit but the harsh glower from cat's striking, blue eyes told him otherwise. 

Honeypaw let out a snarl and leapt out of the way, but the rogue lashed out, snatching ahold of her tail before she could fully escape. She fell on the ground and the rogue forcefully dragged her closer and under her claws. Beechpaw cried out and lunged, ramming his head on the rogue's side, taking in the she-cat's scent. One sniff was plenty to tell him who this cat was. He stumbled back, managing to free his sister, who ran closer to Mothpaw, who huddled in a tiny ball, processing the information in her head as Soulfrost and Cedarsky snarled and gorged one another, going for the eyes. Time stopped, trapping him in a vortex of water, hearing and seeing nothing except faint shapes jump, lashing out, and drawing scarlet blood. 

He nearly fell over and barfed, had not Mothpaw break away from whatever trance she was in and stand in front of him, facing the identical she-cat. 

"Are you even real?!" she demanded, fear spilling out of her mouth. "We were told you went missing long ago! And you never had a brother named Nightfall, did you?! It's just a lie that Cedarsky made up, right?!"

"Stop doubting yourself!" Cedarsky yowled as she raked her claws down Soulfrost's hind. "Would you just... die already?!" She snarled, wrapping herself around the gray tom like a python, opening her jaws to swallow him whole. Her foe pushed back, knocking her to the ground, landing in an awkward position with a snap of a bone. 

"It depends on your definition of real," answered the rogue. "Am I Daystar? If that is your question, then you are right. What is your name, the one who looks just like Echoflight?"

"It's not important!" Mothpaw shook her head, clearing her mind. "How are you still alive when Ashstar has nine lives? Are you the one behind all of the missing cats? Is it true that you betrayed your own Clan for this? Why did you steal so many cats?!"

"Nobody said I was from MeadowClan," Daystar mentioned, flicking her tail. "All of you forgot about FogClan and DawnClan. Why? Taking down MeadowClan and CinderClan was never the main idea of this plan, but it did come as some kind of bonus."

"Then what was it?!" Beechpaw snarled, stepping in for Honeypaw. "Name your reasons!"

"A rebirth of FogClan and DawnClan would only work if there were enough cats that remembered. Stealing cats that might have connections and ties to those Clans would've been helpful if they ever felt like they didn't belong - like me." Daystar twirled her tail and Cedarsky let out a horrid yowl. Beechpaw whirled around to see Soulfrost standing over the beaten rogue, blood pouring out of her head as her white pelt was soaked in crimson. Honeypaw gulped squeezed her eyes shut, whispering something on the wind. Mothpaw craned her head and her eyes widened and before she could cry out, the golden apprentice lunged. 

Beechpaw's mouth tumbled open just as Honeypaw leapt, paws extended. She hooked them around his shoulders but was shaken off like a loose cobweb. She didn't give up and sprang back, diving under Soulfrost's underbelly, going for the wounds Cedarsky inflicted. He lifted himself on his backlegs before she could slip under and came crashing down, his front paws smashing into her spine. That slowed her and he struck, snatching her in his mouth, her paws dangling in the air. Despite this, the apprentice hissed and lashed out, her front paw slicing across his face, leaving a wound that snaked up his eye, forcing it shut. 

Soulfrost yowled and stomped, shaking his head back and forth to throw the she-cat off. Mothpaw turned tail and before she could leave, and Daystar pounced, coming down on the petite apprentice, holding her still. She bared her teeth and weakly pushed up with her backlegs, but her foe hardly budged and continued to watch the one-sided fight with keen interest. 

Honeypaw continued to lash out, managing to use her strength to twist up and break herself free - the fur along her neck ripped off, exposing pink skin. She didn't stop and landed on her paws, stumbling. Then she attacked, attempting to throw the gray tom on his back. His size kept him on his paws and through one eye, Soulfrost lashed out, slicing into her open shoulder.

The second thing he saw was Honeypaw lunge again, landing on his back with all four paws firmly clinging to the gray pelt. Unbalanced and limping, she let out yowls as she dug into the back of Soulfrost's neck, her legs shaking to support her while the shoulder wound drained both blood and strength. The rogue patiently waited, absorbing each blow as he stood there, waiting for the apprentice's fury to end. Beechpaw, torn between saving his older or younger sister, stood frozen and unable to move as if another cat was behind him, hissing ice into his ears and locking his paws together. Cedarsky, laying on her side with her chest heaving with breath every few moments, hardly moved at all.

Stop, stop, stop, stop! Beechpaw wanted to cry out, pleading with Daystar, hoping that the rogue shared some kind of sympathy for her distant family. Stop this, now! Honeypaw, get away now! Cedarsky, get up! Mothpaw, break free! Why can't I move a single part of my body?!

Honeypaw, looking satisfied, slipped off the rogue's back and curled around his neck, sinking both claws and teeth into him. That's when Soulfrost lashed out, taking the smaller cat by surprise. He jerked backward and used his front paws, ripping her away. Scars remained on his neck, drawing blood, but he pushed through and pounced on the apprentice as she flew, crashing down on her with the force of a mountain. Beechpaw finally broke the chains that ensnared him and ran forward, his paws the speed of a snail. 

Mothpaw's shout sounded distant. Daystar's cruel laugh was somewhere near his sister's plea. Cedarsky's jagged breath was getting louder and louder as he ran. Soulfrost's snarl boomed like thunder. Honeypaw's strangled choke was like a stab to the heart. The senses around him numbed, and Beechpaw ran through the water, desperately trying to get to his older sister. He fought every part of him to move faster, even if it was just a little bit. The distance between him and the golden she-cat seemed like miles, taking moons just to arrive. 

Move!

Soulfrost's jaws snapped around Honeypaw while she recovered, blood flying out of her mouth. Her green eyes fell to her neck, widening at the jaw clamped around it. Her paws weakly rose to push the rogue off, but he unleashed his claws and stabbed her underbelly with a swipe, creating large gashes the size of a small rabbit. 

The third thing he saw was another pelt fly out, kicking snow as he ran forward with the rage of StarClan powering each step. Soulfrost glanced behind his shoulder just as Ripplestone came barreling through, knocking him off his daughter. Using the few seconds he had, the ex-warrior threw the rogue's head on the ground. Daystar let out a snarl and Mothpaw acted, using the bewilderment to push herself up, taking ahold of the rogue's neck. It didn't take long for the leader to throw the necklace aside in a bloody heap.

Beechpaw finally skidded to his sister, whose eyes were shut, lips quivering to say something. Then her side began to die down, getting slower and slower. Mothpaw scrambled to her paws and ran forward despite the limp in her paw. His sister was yelling something at him, mouth moving as he stared at her, unable to hear her orders. She grew impatient and dropped to her paws, rubbing aginst Honeypaw as she yowled - or what he guessed she was doing. He set a paw against his sister's flank. 

Wounds... blood loss... 

Mothpaw was saying something that he couldn't hear. She was snapping, howling at him, something he'd hardly seen her do. She continued to slam and throw some kind of fit and he could only stand as Honeypaw's breathing came to an agonizing stop. 

Then it did. 

One moment, his paw rested on a barely audible pelt that rose just for a single breath. The next moment, his paw rested on a silent pelt, ice sweeping up to claim their latest victim, taking the spirit of a bright she-cat who lost her battle.