Aflame

Credits to Midonight for art!

> "*How could you do that to me? How could YOU DO THAT?!*"
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OUT OF ROLEPLAY:

 It had been some time since the Runningblossom skirmishcats were healing and many good things had happened to Blossomclan ever since then. Cochinpaw and Lilypaw became warriors each earning their names respectively Lilypool and Cochinwing, aOwltumble became deputy new kittens by the names of Maplekit and Ferretkit were ready to be mentored, a new apprentice had joined the clan by the name of Clockpaw and Shardstrike and Ravenclaw were expecting kittens. It finally seemed that Blossomclan's luck was being turned around. And it was until suddenly Owltumble had dissapeared from camp. Traces of Runningclan through tracks and scent had been spotted. The clan felt betrayed, they thought that Runnningclan had finally let bygones be bygones but it seemed that they still held a grudge for Blossomclan. This meant war.

Most of the clan does not remember how the war occured so some details may be obscured and inspired.

IN ROLEPLAY:

The  rumble of low growls the pounding and grinding of paws and claws against the earth the defiling of felines all coming together and the vicious glares exchanged between each opposing clan. The silence was so loud that it felt like nails raking a chalkboard. This silence persisted spreading like a ripple in a lake as both sides sent cold stares at eachother. Finally, the belly of silence was ripped open as a nearly white tom took the initiative to speak. **"Foxstar, I will only ask three times."** Blizzardstar began, his lip twitching as he attempted to keep his rage on a leash. **"Where is our deputy."** Foxstar held her response, pacing around to examine Blizzardstar a sinister smirk infecting her expression just as was her heart **"Something tells me that we're finally breaking the tip of the cat's tail."** Foxstar declared snidely her voice trailed off from the tom's question mocking Blizzardstar by denying him of an answer. Blizzardstar's emerald eyes narrowed in fury his patience was sparse and unsparing to Foxstar's cockiness. Blizzardstar swiftly brought his heavy paws onto the ground, the crushing sound of dry ground pebbles and twigs being churned up and the plumes of dust demanding attention. **"This is your second chance, WHERE is our deputy."** Blizzardstar spoke stenerously his voice so loud that it seemed he carried the power of the wind in his tone something that was heard few by Blossomclan and most who met Blizzardstar.  The members of Blossomclan went forward each an expression just as angry as Blizzardstar was ready to attack when given the command their mercy like a lake was also becoming shallow and dried up. Runningclan although some hesitated most did not hesitate to stand forward a circus of snarls bellows and growls making a twisted orchestra in the air. But even the feircest warrior of Runningclan and even Blizzardstar had their wit to keep their distance, Foxstar knew no such thing. The she-cat in her pride reeled closed to Blizzardstar her face so close to his that the tom could feel her rabbit ridden breath wiggling into his fur and skin. Blizzardstar stumbled but the gazes of his clan helped him to keep his ground, he would stay strong for his clan. The tom held his stare in a battle of dominance between the she-cat that seemed to include both Blossomclan and Runningclan as a whole. Foxstar brought herself slowly to Blizzardstar's ear her hot and heavy breath cradling the tom's ear as she spoke in a scratchy worn tone **"Why do you care, for all you know the tom could be dead."**

"**TRAITOR!"**That was the last straw, Blizzardstar didn't hesitate to jab his claws right into the ridges of Foxstar's nose nearly rupturing her eyes. Foxstar stumbled but no screech was heard from the she-cat as she tumbled into a spectacle of scintallating clouds of dust. A wave of gasp filled the air as all of Runningclan jammed into eachother as they crowded around the dust that veiled Foxstar like a tomb. Blizzardstar's eyes broadened his body was quivering and he could hear the roaring of the blood hot in his ears. Blizzardstar gestured a call to Blossomclan as they together as a group inched forward to inspect the near mob of dust. no one could see anything through the smoke and the only smell that could be caught was the smell of blood blended together with dust fumes.

But when all of the smoke and dust settled out came Foxstar leaping gracefully out of the dust with ease latched herself onto Blizzardstar, her teeth and claws aiming for his chest tearing his fur like a child would tear out the wrapping of their christmas present. All the while Blizzardstar wiggled and clouted mustering every effort to escape from Foxstar's unescapable grip as she plugged her claws deeper into the tom's skin. To no avail, Blizzardstar's strength compared to Foxstar was like a fish competing in a race with a lion. All he could do was struggle as the only thing he could force out of his throat were the words **"BLOSSOMCLAN ATTACK!"**and so it begun.

A mass of bodies contested in a merciless battle claws grazing against sinew skin peeled like the layers of an onion and fur plucked as easily as it would be to pick the leaves of a small plant. The cacophonious and defeaning sound of screeching and wailing and gnashing of teeth polluted the air that would be heard for centuries for any who roamed across these lands. Dust and the blinding rays of the sun blurred the view of many and smeared the sight of the opposing clans many members reaching their impending doom as their lifeless bodies slowly faltered as their feet helplessly rowed against the floor their eyes dimming and being drained of life and their muscles stiffening and bunching up as the horrified expressions on cats reaching their end was permanetly displayed on their face. This wasn't a tussle like was the running blossom this wasn't even a war, this was a genocide that would be remembered by the clans in a streak of blood. Blizzardstar was all too aware of this as Lilypool and Hailstorm interveined between the onslaught of Foxstar both tackling her tangling their bodies together with the leader to buy Blizzardstar some time to escape. Using his common sense to not waste a moment opportunity to escape Blizzardstar scrambled to his feet trying to bring himself away from the fight so that he could be able to heal, but it was too late.

Lilypool and Hailstorm having lost their energy to fight collapsed onto the floor bearing a horrible mess of wounds that spilled blood onto the ground and colored the floor in a fire brick red. Blizzardstar shuddered, he could see nothing but Foxstar's desire to rip the tom of every life, the worst thing of all she barely sustained a scratch. Foxstar lowered her head down to view Blizzardstar slowly hobbling her way over to Blizzardstar as it swiftly shifted into a pounce onto Blizzardstar locked right between his legs. '"It makes me wonder." Foxstar spoke her shadow looming over Blizzardstar's limped body her voice grim but glistening with joy as she saw the horrified look that painted Blizzardstar's face**"Why do you say i'm the traitor when you were the one who attacked me in the first place."**Blizzardstar's belly rose and fall in a panic as he watched Foxstar dawdle playing with his feet like he already dead **"I did no such thing"**Blizzardstar tried to defend in a moment of desperation Foxstar was met with four paws clipping into her chest trying to force her off of him his voice quivering and faltering his paws dangling in the air guarding his belly prepared for if the she-cat was going to strike at his abdomen **"I triped on your tail and you assumed that I was going to attack you. I thought you understood that when I explained it to you"** Blizzardstar continued as he attempted to gain his ground and bring himself to his feet but it seemed his body refused slowly beginning to shut down from all the shock.Foxstar didn't react kindly to that response when suddenly she injected her claws into the skin of Blizzardstar's leg who yowled in agonizing pain. **"'You must think I was an idiot to believe that load of foxdung"**  an emphasis was put on the word was as if it was something Foxstar used to believe, something that switched her belief on Blizzardstar. "What do you mean... "Blizzardstar mewed desperately" I thought we were friends." The only response Foxstar gave was her teeth sliding into the skin of Blizzardstar's leg gnashing and grinding against bone and flesh as easily as a axe would snap the bark of a tree. Blizzardstar screeched his paws clobbering and bludgeoning against Foxstar's face a surge of adrenaline giving him the power to break free from Foxstar. But, that sudden veer was just enough for something to snap in Blizzardstar as the tom could feel the rupturing of something in his body that flung itself onto the floor. like a child throwing his doll onto the ground Blizzardstar's rugged body smacked onto the floor his eyes dulling with life as he began to loose one of his lives. When The tom's eyes opened they opened wide as slowly a great wave of pain flooded his thoughts, the tom stumbled in a dance of confusion as his body collapsed onto the ground desperately trying to compose some of his strength. **"What did you do..."**Blizzardstar mumbled as he slowly hoisted his worn and raggedy body onto the ground. As he put every foot onto the ground he realized there was one last foot that he didn't feel hit against the ground. Blizzardstar's eyes widened his heart racing as his eyes darted against every corner he could see to look for his missing body part. There it was, his leg lying there detached from its belonger with every eye hooked onto the attention of the leg muddied against the ground. His pupil shook as Blizzardstar's head slowly winded its way over to Foxstar who finally seemed to have an ounce of fear break her sober and twisted expression. "**How... How could you do that to me."**it was already hard to breathe, speaking was an even bigger challenge. His voice croaked and his breath was hoarse as he took raspy breaths his belly pressed against the ground in an attempt to gather his strength. **"How could you DO THAT?"**Even after having his body being tossed around like a toddler shaking a bird in a cage Blizzardstar now having been rejuvenated seemed to have the strength of a God as he lunged his body into the air, his claws outstretched ready to return the favor of what Foxstar did to his body. His claws did reach something, but it wasn't Foxstar.

Cochinwing had pulled himself between Blizzardstar's wrath in a protest to forbid anymore bloodshed that Blizzardstar wanted to prevent all along. Blizzardstar stared up at the tom, Cochinwing wasn't the kitten that once saved him from the frost flooding, now he was the cat that was keeping him from tearing Foxstar to shreds. **"I've have done enough of all this yowlin and scowlin!"** Cochinwing caterwauled bearing his teeth to Blizzardstar as he shoved the tom onto the ground. **"ALL we wanted in the darn place is to have our deputy and what did it lead to? All these bodies on the grounds all these cats suffering many dead. This didn needn't to have happened. If it wasn't for YOUR STUBBORNESS"** Cochinwing stabbed an electrifying glare into Foxstar's own pulsing green eyes who lurched back from the startlement she experienced from the tom **"And if it weren't for you making us get into this cockfight we wouldn't have been having to kill and have so many cats hurt in the DARN PLACE."** Cochinwing sent another glare to Blizzardstar who now seemed more afraid of Cochinwing than he was of Foxstar. But his anger was fleeting as the tom lowered himself to the ground his soberness finally making a crack in his armor as he shed a tear through his eyes **"These poor cats didn't deserve this, they were loyal to ya'll and you abandoned them for what? A little kids fight. I can't believe these are the leaders of today."** Blizzardstar looked to his clan in dissapointment, Cochinwing had a point. Blossomclan weren't some androids that he could command by his very will and not give a moment of cretence to their suffering if they got damage he couldn't repair them. But it seemed that just as Cochinwing Blossomclan too had enough of all the suffering they had endured and caused, within this pointless battle Blizzardstar may have won authority over Blossomclan but it cost him the truth and quite possibly the loyalty of his clan. **"I'm..... I'm.."** Blizzardstar choked on his own words coughing and wheezing as he couldn't even think of any words to even try to attempt to ease the mass pain he had caused, but Foxstar did it for him. **"I'm sorry"** Foxstar dipped her head as she came forward to Cochinwing daring not to show her face to Cochinwing **"You speak truth, I and you have lost many warriors and for what an achievement an award?"** Foxstar fought back tears clenching her teeth together and collapsing on the floor in rue and exhaustion as her voice spoke with misery and shame "**I have not changed even when I vowed so long ago that I would be the best leader when I abandoned the gift of motherhood.**" Cochinwing was a bit surprised when he saw the bewildered expression of the still surviving Runningclan, even they weren't sure what to think as to what Foxstar had confessed. **"What are ya saying I don't think none of your cats know this I think you just make dribble from all the wounds you endured...**" Cochinwing mewed like a kitten as he looked down with sympathy lending paw to help but Foxstar refused swiping her paw at Cochinwing who instantly reeled it back "**I know what I speak of.**" Foxstar snarled raising her head to Cochinwing her gaze hard and rocky as with one last roar she declared with brimming emotions "**Cochinwing, you're my son.**"

**"I-I-I"** every eye that was opened widened in raw shock at Foxstar's claim but Cochinwing was most befuddled as he stammered and teetered along the ground. '"It can't be." Cochinwing declared in a near hurried state trying to defend the reality he knew**"I never knew ya, Mint is my mom since the day I opened my ey-"** "**When it was time for me to become leader,"** Foxstar interjected knowing that if she didn't speak Cochinwing would never finish "I was about to bear my kittens. I was afraid, I didn't think I could carry the responsibility of being a leader and a mother, that was no such thing in Runningclan and it may have even been considered an abomination."Foxstar paused as if recalling such stinging memory that made her sip in a string of air **"I felt powerless, like I had my paws in two places, I felt like I had no choice but to decide between leading the life of a mother or leading the life of protecting my clan. And... As you know, I made my decision."** Foxstar lowered her ears against her skull Cochinwing wasn't sure how Foxstar was feeling, he was sure nobody else did as much as they didn't know of this truth. **"Nobody knew about you nor any of the kittens, so I went to see a close friend of mine. Your mother, Mint."**  **"No.."** Cochinwing's eyes boldened and bulged nearly out of his skull his mouth shaking as he looked at the ground his reality being threatened by Foxstar's so called truth but Foxstar continued **"I begged her to bear my kittens because I thought I couldn't take it. Mint tried to dissuade me no begging me to keep the kittens, she claimed she believed in me that I was stronger than I ever knew. But... I didn't listen."** Her trailing gaze finally leapt over to Cochinwing's amber pools maddened and clouded with confusion **"I regretted that decision my whole life. But I reassured myself that at least I wouldn't have to see his lovely face again. But here you are, Cochinwing. Better than I am and better than I could ever be. I'm sorry I couldn't raise you in the clan you should've belonged to."** All at once, Foxstar fell the floor her body overheated and covered in dust musk and blood from all the damage she sustained, all of Blossomclan and Runningclan came together shouting and panicking in a mass of fray. No one knew what to do. In the distress, it was a tom, Mango who gestured to Blossomclan to come with him **"Come"** he meowed **"Ill show you where your deputy is, i'm sorry for all the grief we caused."**