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Chapter 6

Scourge awoke, sunlight filtered into his nest.

"Scourge! You're awake." Cinderpelt's relieved mew rose from beside him, Scourge looked over to see Cinderpelt curled up in the nest beside him. She leaped to her paws as she saw his look, her ears back in embarrassment.

"I always lay with my fatal patients, in case they need me at anytime."

"Oh." Scourge meowed, reaching a paw to his neck, it was covered in blood soaked cobwebs, but the bleeding had definitely stopped.

"What happened?" Firestar meowed, as he padded in. "You've been unconscious for three days." "you didn't get that slash in your neck from sleeping."

"Tigerstar was unhappy with my actions." Scourge meowed, and Cinderpelt gasped, "Now I'm not sure I am either." he meowed menacingly.

"Tigerstar?" Cinderpelt asked.

"Yes." Firestar meowed. "I'll explain later."

"Scourge, You've finally recovered enough to start moving around, I was going to take the cobwebs off today." Cinderpelt meowed striping the thick patch of cobwebs off of scourges neck. The only thing remaining was a closed scar.

"Amazing." Cinderpelt breathed. "A life threatening wound healed in three days."

"Come with me Scourge, I must speak to you." Firestar meowed, padding out of the medicine den. Scourge gathered his paws and padded after him. They crossed the clearing, a clearing full of curious glances.

"Nobody knows what happened to you," Firestar meowed, "You just went into the Cinderpelt's den and didn't come out for three days. "They curious." They padded into Firestar's den where Graystripe, Whitestorm, and Sandstorm sat. Sandstorm was visibly hostile, Whitestorm was calm, and watching Scourge with interest, and Graystripe was giving Scourge a look of curiosity.

"Great, now we can begin." Whitestorm meowed.

"Yes, so Scourge, start from the beginning." Firestar meowed.

"Huh what." Scourge meowed, suddenly suspicious.

"Explain, about Tigerstar." Firestar continued.

"Oh." Scourge meowed, "So Tigerstar managed to gain a piece of my soul, I don't know how, but he's been using it to control me for short periods of time." all eyes were on him as he continued. "He has promised that By the full moon he'll gain full control of my body, and my soul will disappear."

"So at anytime you could go sycho and kill everyone?" Graystripe meowed

"Yeah pretty much." Scourge meowed menacingly.

"Stop quarreling you two." Whitestorm meowed.

"I learned at the moonstone that Starclan may be able to sever the connection on the night of the full moon, as well as we are half-brothers." Firestar meowed.

"I must know," Graystripe meowed teasingly, "What's it like having a genetic opposite?"

"You're just hilarious!" Scourge meowed, his words laced with venom.

"Do I need to have another talk with you?" Firestar meowed mockingly to Graystripe.

"No." Graystripe meowed.

"So, for now I think that Scourge should stay in Cinderpelt's den, just in case Tigerstar disagrees with him again."

"Sure." Scourge meowed, absentmindedly, guess I'm staying with Cinderpelt, Scourge was thinking.

"Dismissed." Firestar meowed, before padding out of his den, Scourge and the others followed him out, but Scourge made his way to the fern tunnel.

"Where ya going?" Graystripe meowed suspiciously.

"I'm hungry, so I'm going to hunt." Scourge meowed as he made his way into the forest.

"Make sure you bring something back." Graystripe called.

Scourge curled up in his nest, and soon he fell asleep.

"You lied!" Tigerstar growled. "I'm going to make an example out of you." He growled menacingly. Suddenly he felt claws grip his shoulders he turned to see Socks and Ruby, their eyes full of malice. They forced him to the ground and held him still.

"I felt like sending a message in your pelt." Tigerstar meowed, menacingly. Suddenly Scourge felt claws in his pelt, the claws danced across his pelt painfully, Scourge had no Idea what he was scratching into his pelt but it hurt like fire.

"I'm almost done." Tigerstar meowed, Mockingly. Suddenly Scourge leaped out of his nest, Cinderpelt was there in an instant

"Lay back down." She meowed, pushing him back into his nest. She then slipped into her nest and returned with a salve of herb, and began to apply it to Scourges back when she stopped. "Oh my!" She exclaimed. "It's a message, he carved a message into your pelt!" "He's vowing to Bring down Starclan and destroy Firestar and his precious clan." She meowed.

"I don't care what he's vowing, heal me damnit." Scourge growled.

"Calm down." Cinderpelt meowed, continuing to apply the salve, soon his whole back was slick with ointment.

"How much do you need to apply?" Scourge meowed in confusion.

"It covers your whole back." Cinderpelt meowed in disbelieve, "It's not deep enough to scar though." She meowed, relief in her voice. "What happened?" Cinderpelt asked.

"Don't wanna talk about it." Scourge replied closing his eyes, he was exhausted. Scourge slept fitfully Socks and Ruby tormented his dreams, but at least he didn't return to the dark forest during his nap.

Whitestorm padded into Firestar's den.

"Welcome." Firestar meowed.

"You wanted to see me." Whitestorm meowed.

"Yes, we must do something about Scourge." Firestar meowed.

"What needs to be done, I thought he was on our side." Whitestorm meowed

"He is, but he's also suffering for it." Firestar replied, "for three days and counting he's woken with some injury or another."

"Oh." Whitestorm meowed, "I had no idea."

"I know, no one does." Firestar continued, "last night he woke with dislocated back legs. He didn't get them in battle, he was held down as Tigerstar ripped them from their sockets."

"Oh dear." Whitestorm meowed. "Tigerstar is angry for sure."

"I don't think that's what it's about though." Firestar meowed.

"No?" Whitestorm meowed, "what is it about then."

"I spoke to starclan recently, and I learned that a weakened cat is easier to control than a strong one." Firestar meowed.

"He's planning something!" Whitestorm meowed.

"Yes," Firestar replied, "but what?" Firestar shook his head, "We can't figure it out we can only watch and see."

Scourge awoke, and instantly knew something was wrong, he wasn't in control, Tigerstar was back. Well, might as well kill Cinderpelt first, since we're already here. Tigerstar thoughts broke into Scourges mind. NO Scourge thought, but he wasn't strong enough to stop him. Soon he was standing over Cinderpelt's nest, she was still asleep. Scourge's claws glinted in the air as they plunged for the attack.

Chapter 7

Firestar awoke, a feeling of dread creeping along his spine, he leaped to his paws, Cinderpelt he thought, dashing across the clearing, and into the medicine den.

Scourge was writhing on the ground like he was fighting another cat, firestar noticed three things, Cinderpelt was missing, her nest was destroyed, there was blood on the ground. He leaped on Scourge and tried to rip him off the other cat only to realize, there wasn't another cat. Relief crashed over him as he held Scourge down, he now noticed Cinderpelt crouched in her den watching. Scourge's eyes were a mix of red and blue, there was a war going on in his mind, Firestar just hoped he won.

Scourge writhed under Firestar's grip, or rather Tigerstar did, Scourge was still fighting his way to the surface, trapped beneath Tigerstar's Icey layer of greed and power. Scourge was beginning to claw at Tigerstar's consciousness, he was losing control, Scourge was winning!! Scourge yelled into Tigerstar's mind "I won't let you win!" Suddenly Scourge met Tigerstar face to face in a dark void.

"I finally opened your soul!" Tigerstar yowled in triumph. "I can finally take full control, and before the full moon rises. You broke the deal, now I'm going to break you."

As Firestar watched Scourges eyes lost their color and he went limp, Firestar let him go and Cinderpelt raced over and touched her nose to his throat.

"Dead." she breathed in disbelief, "he's dead."

Scourge and Tigerstar leaped at one another, Claws scraped his pelt as he realized this was real! Scourge was gripping Tigerstar's back, he bucked and bucked, but couldn't shake him, suddenly Tigerstar rolled over and crushed the breath out of Scourge, and as he lay winded Tigerstar slashed claws across Scourges pelt, he was losing

Firestar couldn't believe his eyes as scratches and claw marks appeared at random on Scourges pelt, He was fighting still.

Scourge stumbled to his paws blood dripped from a scratch over his eye, turning the world red. He leaped at Tigerstar again, gripping the massive tabby's leg in his mouth. Tigerstar yowled in agony, but soon shook Scourge to the ground and was on top of him again. Scourge scrambled out from under Tigerstar, but didn't get far Tigerstar leaped jaws open for a killing bite, Scourge turned and threw his claws up, Ack, was the only sound Tigerstar made as Scourges claws plunged into his neck, Tigerstar bagan to fade, and Scourge awoke with a cough. Firestar was relieved to see the blue return to Scourges eyes.

"Scourge you ok?" Firestar meowed.

"Yeah, peachy." Scourge replied Sarcastically. You won't be feeling peachy for long, Tigerstar's voice broke into his thoughts, You may have kicked me from your soul, but I'm not dead, I'll try again, after I weaken you a little more.

"There are four days till the full moon." Firestar meowed.

"Great," Scourge meowed, "I'll be rid of him soon." He padded over to the nest and curled up to go to sleep, that fight had exhausted him, even though he just woke up.

"Going back to sleep?" Firestar meowed.

"Yes." Scourge replied. "I'm tired."

"Not yet, I need you to come with me." Firestar meowed, he then padded out of the medicine den, and Scourge got up and followed. Firestar was waiting at the fern tunnel when Scourge caught up, he then followed Firestar out into the forest. Firestar sat down in a clearing of beautiful flowers.

"Sit down." Firestar meowed and Scourge did. "So, I just wanted you to know that If you allow me, us we can become a family to you."

"Whitestorm has explained." Scourge meowed.

"Yes, I know." Firestar meowed I asked him to."

"Oh." Scourge meowed.

"I was just refreshing memory." Firestar meowed. "The other thing I wanted to say is, You're my only sibling in this Clan. As long as you do for the good of the clan I'll do anything in my power to help you as your leader and your brother."

"Ok." Scourge meowed, shocked.

"Before I learned of our shared heritage, Cloudtail was my only relative, him being my nephew." Firestar continued, "Now that I realize this, I don't want to lose you, in four days you'll choose between Tigerclaw and me, if you pick wrong I must choose between you and my clan I will destroy you without question. No hard feeling tho." He added teasingly, before brushing his muzzle against Scourge's, Scourge was so shocked he didn't even pull away, then Firestar padded back to camp. Shaking of the shock Scourge turned and followed.

Scourge's dream was a confusing jumble of blood, running, and hiding. The entire time, one word rose repeatedly from the background, Monster, yowled from the voices of thousands of cats, both forest and twolegplace cats. He was unable to distinguish anyone. Am I a monster he wondered, waking from his dream. Cinderpelt was sorting herbs in the corner den.

"Cinderpelt?" He meowed. "Do you think I'm a monster?"

"No, your a little bit of a jerk sometimes," She added teasingly, "But not a monster." Her eyes filled with worry as she watched him get to his paws. "You have a heart Scourge, I've seen it."

"I haven't always had a heart, you brought it out of me." he meowed before padding from the den. A white warrior he recognized as Cloudtail, was padding up to him.

"How long have you been here." He meowed, "Brightheart said you been here for almost a moon, is it true?"

"Yes," Scourge replied, "do you miss a lot of things?" Scourge moved to pass him, but Cloudtail was persistent.

"Where are you going?" Cloudtail asked.

"Firestar's den." Scourge replied, pushing past finally, but failing to notice cloudpaw following him. "Firestar." Scourge meowed

"Come in." Firestar replied, Scourge entered and sat down before his leader, his brother. "I just wanted to say that I appreciate what you're doing for me, I didn't realize how much I needed a sibling, till I learned of our heritage." Scourge meowed

"I feel the same, I thought that Cloudtail would fill that void, but no." Firestar replied, "He was more like a son."

"Firestar, if your wondering where my loyalties lie." Scourge meowed.,"It's not with Tigerstar, and trust me I'll suffer for saying that tonight, but it's the truth."

"I'm glad to hear that your on our side."

"On our side." Cloudtail burst out! Firestar's eyes widened in anger, and Scourge's head whipped around to behold the trembling White warrior.

"Siblings?" He asked in an accusing voice.

"Yes." Firestar got to his paws. "Cloudtail, you must learn not to eavesdrop."

"I just wanted to make sure nothing happened." Cloudtail mewed defensively.

"What's done is done." Scourge meowed, trying to disarm the situation, "It's good to meet my nephew formally." Scourge teased.

"I guess it's finally time to tell the clan I've put it off for long enough." Firestar meowed exiting the den. Followed by Scourge and Cloudtail, Scourge made his way to Cinderpelt's den. I'm not going to be a prize to be stared at, he thought, as he pushed into her den.

"Hello, welcome back Scourge." Cinderpelt meowed.

"Tonight's gonna be rough, I'd appreciate a guardian spirit watching over me tonight." he meowed to her.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you." she replied teasingly, "How do you think you angered of Tigerstar this time?"

"I told Firestar that my loyalties don't lie with Tigerstar." Scourge meowed, glancing up at the stars, "If your Starclan truly exists, then let them help me stay on this path"

"They and me will stay by your side through it all." Cinderpelt meowed.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me here beneath the high rock for a clan meeting." Firestar called from the clearing, and Cinderpelt began to padd out. "Coming?" She meowed.

"No," Scourge replied, "I don't feel like being stared at."

"Why would they stare?" Cinderpelt queried.

"Because he's telling them that I'm his half-brother." Scourge replied, and Cinderpelt turned to stare.

"Exactly." Scourge replied, as her eyes flashed with guilt

"It's fine," Scourge replied teasingly, "Just bring me some fresh kill to make up for it."

"Ok Cinderpelt replied before padding out of the den.