Mapleshade rushed through the woods, her ears leaning forward with her eagerness as she leaped through the undergrowth. Now was not a time for her to hesitate or question her motivation, she had left the camp and that told her all she needed to know about her own heart. Snowtuft had taken Voleeye to the island.
It was where they had agreed to trick him into coming for the kill. She felt disgusted with herself as her mind still fought in support of her decision and against it. She couldn't let this happen, she couldn't be responsible for something like this.
Something in her, far deeper than her craving for revenge, screamed and yelled to the top of its lungs for her to run and undo her pact with Thistleclaw and the Dark Forest, to reverse her evil desires to save Voleeye. It wasn't Runningwish's voice calling for her to stop, it was a shard of her soul pleading with her to keep it from falling into the darkness that had consumed her long ago. She had no chance of ever being pure again, she knew that, but the opportunity for some kind of selfish redemption would be enough to satisfy her beyond any consequence.
Runningwish's legs were throwing themselves to the floor as she sprinted, ignoring the bushes and fallen branches that tried to challenge her on her path to salvation. Snowtuft would be stopped, and Mapleshade only knew one way to do such a thing. If her spirit was put at risk of destruction, keeping Voleeye intact would be worthy enough of a reason for her to put her soul on the line.
She could see the lake between the trunks of the trees as she looked off into the distance to see how close she had come to her destination. What was she doing? If she survived this she wouldn't live for very long after.
When Thistleclaw finds out she disobeyed him she would be hunted by both the clans and the Dark Forest, it would not be an easy journey to undertake. Mapleshade growled to herself as she focused on charging through the forest. She was not worth these risks, that was all the more reason she believed it was right for her to do this.
Soon she arrived at the island, her paws aching from the unpaused sprint. She ignored her minor agony, looking around the clearing with desperation as she sniffed the air for Goldensky or Voleeye's scent. Once she found it she trotted with worry in her steps, the only hope she had was there was no blood lingering in the air.
She spotted them just beyond a few bushes, Snowtuft perched upon Voleeye as he violently forced the other cat off of him. Mapleshade took no extra time in calling out to them, she had seen enough to know that Snowtuft was going through with his plan. It was her moment to strike.
"Snowtuft!" She practically roared, leaping from the shadows as Snowtuft looked at her with a gaze stricken with fear. Voleeye watched with uneasiness as the two she-cat bodies collided. His eyes grew wide as the spirit of Mapleshade flew out of Runningwish, flying through Goldensky and exiting with a white tom in her clawed grasp.
He ran to his sisters as he watched the spirits clash in a battle he did not understand. He could recognize their twisted appearances as nothing but corrupted, but he was still left unsettled at the sight of them turning on each other. He nudged both of his sister's forms as she laid in the mixed dirt, stirred by their collision.
Both soon rose with curious looks, but glad to have their bodies back.
"What happened?" Goldensky asked in a somewhat dizzy voice, almost overwhelmed by the violent seperation from Snowtuft. Runningwish shook herself as she looked over to Mapleshade and Snowtuft scuffling not far off.
"We need to help her!" Runningwish said as she charged over to the other two cats without a second thought or listening to Voleeye call out in warning to her. The two remaining siblings shared a look of concern before nodding to one another, agreeing that they needed to stop the Dark Forest spirits. Both charged along behind their sister, leaping into the fight against Snowtuft.
Mapleshade regretted her decision as she saw the other three join in, but was shocked to note they were helping her against Snowtuft. With scratches adorning every limb and his face scarred for the rest of his ethereal life, the Dark Forest tom ran off into the darkness.
"Thistleclaw will know of your betrayal, Mapleshade!" He yowled to her in warning as he departed in panic. Mapleshade watched him go, the only suffering she received from the battle being a racing heart and a chest filled with anxiety. Now her run from the clans and the Dark Forest would begin.
She turned to look at Runningwish and her siblings, her eyes watching with anxiousness for their next move. Runningwish looked over to Goldensky and Voleeye who were giving the spirit and untrusting gaze. The brown she-cat looked to the ghost with gratitude, an emotion Mapleshade had not anticipated receiving from the warrior she had possessed.
"Thank you for saving them." Runningwish said, standing to better address the cat.
"It took a lot for you to do as you have done. Please, join us. We could use anyone we can against the Dark Forest. I know you can't go back after this, and I don't want you to be running from them." Runningwish offered, Voleeye and Goldensky hesitating in agreeing. Soon they nodded to Mapleshade as they agreed.
"I can only assume you were going to help that tom kill me. I am indebted to you for turning against your.. evil nature to rescue me. Whatever your motives were, you still chose to help. I am very grateful for you doing so." Voleeye spoke up from behind his sister, Goldensky smiling in silence.
"Please, Mapleshade. I know how it can be to.. make a mistake. Forgiveness is not something you should turn away." Goldensky said at last as Mapleshade seemed to doubt their attempts to console her. Mapleshade felt a blooming in her chest, her eyes casting away from them.
"I.. I suppose I have no other choice," She looked back to them, "I will help you defeat the Dark Forest." As the words left her mouth she felt as if the shard of good left in her soul seemed to grow to a greater size. Maybe a darkness she thought owned her could be overturned through the right actions.