The Wrath of Water and Wind [P]

[Snowyfeathr]

@TheNyanCatMinecart @starry

Minksplash
Brown she-cat with darker point markings and blue eyes

Minksplash watched as Cedarfrost left, before looking back at the apprentice. Her gaze giving away nothing on how she was feeling. "As Cedarfrost said, don't ever come back here. If you had actually been paying attention, you wouldn't be in this situation? Would you?" She growled. She stared at the apprentice again before turning away, following her clanmate.

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

(I'll reply with Twistedpaw now to get her reaction in, then Tia and Moon, it's your turn!)

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Had she just been out hunting with Batglare and Swiftfire? Even though this whole ordeal had started by her crossing the RiverClan border by accident in pursuit of a rabbit, it didn't seem right. She hadn't wanted any of this to happen. The entire world had become a blinding cacophony of pain and fear, muddling Twistedpaw's mind as she continued to flail hopelessly beneath the RiverClan tom. Her fur felt wet and sticky with her own blood, unusually warm against the chilly air. She tried twisting and heaving, but the claw wounds on her stomach, sides, and legs screeched in protest. Sometimes, her freshly broken tail brushed against his legs, and it burned like fire. She cried out every time something twinged, more tears bursting from her eyes as she flopped to the ground. But Twistedpaw kept flailing, coating herself in foul-smelling muck and blood. She had to keep trying. If she didn't, she'd be stuck here for good, and who knew what else they'd do to her?

The worst part of it was that she felt so helpless. There was little she could do against two fully-trained, able-bodied warriors. She was at their mercy - and all because of a featherbrained accident. Her stomach clenched as the white fur of her rabbit flashed in her vision. Sorry... I'm sorry... All she wanted was Swiftfire and Batglare to come bursting into the marshes to rescue her. Will they be mad at me? The thought was vague against the hot flashes of pain, her terror at being caught like a rabbit in a dead end, and the sense of impending doom as she realized she didn't have the strength nor the skills to fight back. One scuffle with Fallownose and a spar with Brightpaw weren't enough for her to deal with this.

What if they kill me? The idea sent a new thrill of terror through Twistedpaw.

Harsh words from the bushy-furred she-cat made Twistedpaw stiffen before she realized the words weren't aimed at her. She's calling the tom - Cedarfrost - off. Relief flowed through her, and she sagged to the ground, gasping. Her crooked jaw hung loosely to the side, the unusually big white tooth at its edge glinting in the sunlight. She looked first at the she-cat, then at Cedarfrost with huge, pleading, mismatched eyes.

"I-I have," she choked, her voice raw with pain and terror. "I-I'll n-never c-cross ag-gain." She knew that much. But did that mean she had to leave her rabbit behind? Regret closed over her like a wave, but Twistedpaw shook it off. Surviving is more important than the rabbit. That's what Batglare would've said. And the intense burn of her wounds told her that it would be for the best. Still, she felt immensely guilty. Someone like her couldn't afford to lose the rabbit.

An angry huff from Cedarfrost caught her attention. Twistedpaw looked up, her alarm beginning to spike - right as he plunged his claws even deeper into her belly and tore.

Twistedpaw knew what pain was like. She'd felt her mother's teeth digging into her scruff when she was barely old enough to open her eyes. She'd felt her mother's claws dig into her size and crack her tail. She'd felt the RiverClan cats just now as they assaulted her, biting off her ear and clawing at her flanks and legs, along with the multiple fresh breaks in her already mangled tail and the single scratch in her belly.

But this was a hundred times worse.

A horrific, high-pitched, distorted shriek tore itself from Twistedpaw's throat as soft flesh ripped beneath cruel claws. The world flashed red, and she spasmed, flailing her limbs like a wild animal. And the pain didn't stop. He kept ripping and tearing, filling the air with blood-scent as thick as a sheep's hide, sending fresh waves of agony through her, and oh, StarClan, make it stop-

Twistedpaw was hardly aware of the weight lifting from her as she jerked on the ground, jaws gaping in a macabre fashion as her long claws dug into the grass. Tears and snot ran freely down her face as a hot puddle gathered beneath her, staining her light gray belly fur a vibrant shade of scarlet. Cedarfrost's threat barely made it to her ear.

Something... wrong with me... never...

Another mix of a sob and a wail rose from her. There weren't any fresh blows being landed, she could tell, but there might as well have been. The pain was white-hot, muddling her mind and making the world swoop in alarming ways. The tears clogging her eyes didn't help. Her continual screams kept rising into the air, gradually fading in volume as the RiverClan cats vanished.

Despite her anguish, Twistedpaw somehow managed to decipher what Cedarfrost had said.

He hated her because of her deformities.

And he would kill her if she ever came back.

Her terror only increased. Twistedpaw tried to shut her eyes against the pain, but that didn't help. She wanted to hide from it, but alas, she was tied to the world.

I want Batglare...

@Moonraven @Tiabirb @starry @Snowyfeathr (Writing skills were just not here today lol, hope this is okay)

[Tiabirb]

Swiftfire
38 Moons
She/Her
Purrk(s): Ultimate Predator
------------------------------------


The scent was growing stronger, but the breeze carried more scents that made her fur spike and bristle anxiously. RiverClan.

And blood.

She abandoned her tracking and began to sprint, and she soon came upon the mangled apprentice. "No...NO!" Swiftfire choked out, slowing until she stopped at Twistedpaw's side. Her heart sunk into her chest as she took in the state of Twistedpaw. Broken and torn, practically to shreds. And left there to die. Like StarClan would be merciful enough to give her broken body the strength to drag herself even ten measly mouse-lengths...

Fury rose through Swiftfire, and she took in a single breath. "I know you're still here," She snarled, her gaze snapping to the bush where Cedarfrost's scent, RiverClan, was the strongest. Teeth bared, Swiftfire cleared the distance between Twistedpaw's body and the bush, her long legs striking beneath the branches to flush the coward out.
"Foxheart! Coward! You're sick! Demented! Come out so I can leave you like you left her!" Swiftfire snarled. Unable to push through the branches, she skirted around the sides, finding the RiverClan cat's exposed flanks on the backside of the bush. Swiftfire lunged, her eyes blazing with rage and every intent of sinking her claws into his spine before she attempted to drag Cedarfrost from the bush.

She was going to make him hurt. She was going to make him bleed. Him and whoever else responsible for this savage crime. Swiftfire rarely felt such a pure rage like this, but this? This was wrong. What they had done was wrong, and she wasn't going to let Twistedpaw's blood be the only one spilled this day. Every drop would be repaid. Every...single...drop.

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Moonraven @starry @Snowyfeathr

[Moonraven]

Batglare's paws carried him after Swiftfire. His expression remained uncaring and stoic as always, but concerns were piled up in the back of his mind. If he had known that Swiftfire was going to leave her on her own he'd never have allowed Twistedpaw to go hunting. Swiftfire had stated that she'd be partner-hunting. She complained about it! This was beyond frustrating, he was upset with Swiftfire, but more with himself. He shouldn't have allowed her to go. At the end of the day, Twistedpaw was Batglare's responsible and he screwed up. He heard a cry that had his blood run cold.

The fishy scent of RiverClan hit him hard, but the metallic tang of blood was worse. Batglare picked up more speed as they came closer and closer to RiverClan's border. He heard her cries before he saw her. He found his apprentice in a bloody heap, the older cat was at her side in a heartbeat, standing at her back. His eyes quickly wove over the apprentice's wounds, her tail was bleeding and looked further broken, and her ear, her flank, and that belly wound looked nasty. She reeked of RiverClan and blood.

Molten anger rolled through him like lightning and rage momentarily contoured his face into something vicious. Those damn fish, how the hell could they do this to an apprentice. There were too many wounds and where they were placed... Twistedpaw wasn't hostile, and she certainly wasn't a fighter, a simple warning would have gotten her out of RiverClan's territory faster than any rabbit. Someone took some serious enjoyment out of beating on a helpless apprentice.

As Swiftfire went about fighting whoever, Batglare full attention was on Twistedpaw. Swallowing his anger was like swallowing lava, painful and near impossible, but he forced it deep down refusing to let it erupt. Taking in Twistedpaw's sensitivity and general lack of self-esteem, he didn't need the paw thinking he was upset with her in any way. This was utterly Batglare's fault. The warrior leaned over the apprentice's back to sniff at her stomach wound. The gashes were deep, she'd have new scars.

It wasn't hard to guess what happened, there was a dead rabbit nearby. She hadn't been paying attention to the border. Batglare spat and cursed within his head as he approached Twistedpaw's head. The violent anger and frustration in his green-yellow eyes were erased and replaced with concern and worry as he sniffed at his apprentice's bleeding ear.

He gave Twistedpaw's face a few comforting licks, trying to soothe her sobs with his presence. "It's not your fault, none of this is your fault." He meowed in a gruff whisper. Someone was going to pay for this, but not now. They had to get her home to their medicine cat. She was losing blood and those injuries were terrible.

"Swiftfire, leave it. Help get Twistedpaw on my back. We need to get her home now." His concern for his apprentice outweighed his desire for revenge. He would not waste his time picking a fight with his apprentice bleeding out like this. That didn't mean RiverClan wouldn't be paying in blood for this. They'd get what was coming to them, one way or another. Right now, they had priorities to take care of.

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Tiabirb @starry @Snowyfeathr

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

(RC cats can reply whenever - I just wanted Twistedpaw to reply to Swiftfire and Batglare.)

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Batglare.

Her mentor's name repeated in her mind. Twistedpaw reached out for it, trying to clasp the comfort and happiness it provided. Where was he? Her only working eye flitted from side to side, trying to spot him in the confusing haze of the world. Green bushes. Dark brown mud. Bright red blood. Everywhere, blood. Pouring into the marshes like its scent poured into her nose and mouth, choking her with its stench. Her stomach was on fire, oozing the hot liquid and splashing it all over her. No, not just her stomach. Everywhere hurt. She had the distinct impression that she was being burned alive.

Batglare... Batglare...

Only her mentor could save her. Only her mentor could make it stop. He'd saved her so many times... he needed to save her again. StarClan... please... make it... stop...

The pain was so intense that it made dark spots swim in front of Twistedpaw's eyes. Dazzled, she tried to lift her paw to bat at it, but a horrible tug of pain from her stomach made her groan. More tears, hot and slippery, seeped from between her eyelids. Her trembling only increased. Weak... she felt so weak... it was like every drop of energy had seeped into the earth. Like her blood and tears.

The world tilted, and Twistedpaw wondered if StarClan was going to swallow her whole. Would they toss her into the sky and chew her up with cruel jaws? The same color as... the RiverClan tom's... Cedarfrost? Was Cedarfrost swallowing her whole? A fresh wave of terror washed over her like a cold leaf-bare wind. She was all too aware of RiverClan's reek mingling with her bodily fluids. But that didn't make sense. StarClan was kind. Cedarfrost couldn't open his mouth that wide. They wouldn't... chew her up.

Is this what Twilightstar felt? Twistedpaw wondered vaguely. In some corner of her memory, she remembered what Beanstar had done to her beloved leader. She could feel herself slipping - not into unconsciousness, but into a dark place of pain and confusion. Maybe she was already there. Exhaustion made her dizzy. Am I gonna die? No... I don't wanna... please... not now...

Suddenly, someone was standing over her. A she-cat. Her dark shadow fell upon the apprentice, creating an intimidating silhouette against the bright sun. Twistedpaw gazed up blankly. Should she be afraid? Was the cat even real?

Then she recognized those pale yellow eyes and that... that voice. The one filled with horror that reflected her contorted face. Out of place compared to her harsh words from earlier. Swiftfire. Twistedpaw's first instinct was to feel nervous. Swiftfire hadn't liked her. Then she remembered that she'd been desperate for Swiftfire's arrival. She'd attack those cruel RiverClan cats. Right?

Or... or was she gonna be mean? Like Cedarfrost? And think she deserved it because... because she looked different?

Swiftfire's horror contorted into anger. Twistedpaw let out a faint whimper of fear. Was she going to hurt her after all? Had her deformities turned Swiftfire against her like they had Willowsky and Flutteringkit? And Cedarfrost... His brutal words replayed in her mind. Twistedpaw felt an urge to run, but even the thought of moving made her emit another groan.

Then the long-legged tortoiseshell was moving away, yelling at something that wasn't there. What...? Twistedpaw had no clue what was going on anymore. It took her a while to realize what was happening as the sounds of scuffling broke out. Swiftfire... is attacking the RiverClan cats. She felt a wave of relief.

But she was still in immense pain. She still felt like she was dying. Here she was, alone, saved yet not, stuck in this limbo between life and a dark place she wasn't sure whether she wanted to visit. If she closed her eyes, would she wake up again? Or would she be gone forever?

Then a familiar scent flooded into her nose. One that took the edge off the pain and filled her with happiness and hope so profound that she thought everything might be okay after all.

Batglare!

Twistedpaw slowly shifted her gaze, still feeling like the world was swooping in circles, to the familiar massive, dark-and-white shape. She would've smiled if she had the energy, though the joy shining in her non-clouded, grayish-blue eye was enough.

He stooped, gazing at the place that hurt the most - her belly wounds. A fresh flare of pain rushed through her, though he hadn't touched it, then he turned to look at her.

Was he... was he mad? Those yellow-green eyes were narrowed ferociously and burned like her stomach. And ear. And... well, everything. Her heart began to sank, and guilt started to swirl in her veins, replacing the blood she had lost. Then she blinked, and his face was replaced by concern. Very uncharacteristic. But... he was worried about her. Something Willowsky never was, she remembered vaguely.

The comforting licks relaxed her. Twistedpaw closed her eyes and finally managed the hint of a very lopsided smile. None of this is your fault. She'd crossed the border, though. She'd gotten hurt. But... but Batglare said it wasn't, so maybe he was right. She felt herself beginning to relax. Suddenly, the intense pain, the dizziness, the horrible existence of this reality... it all seemed bearable.

"B... at..." she croaked, but stopped with another whimper. It hurt too much to speak. And her voice was absolutely awful. Strained and weak, more distorted than usual, but able to be deciphered.

Now Batglare was talking to Swiftfire. Something about going back. I'm safe, Twistedpaw thought. The pain blazed, but it was melting away. She was okay. She was gonna be okay.

But... but...

Something tugged at her mind. Her eyes opened.

"Ra..." Twistedpaw's eye fixated on the white heap hardly a fox-length away. "...bit..." They couldn't leave her rabbit behind, they just couldn't. She'd caught it, and she needed it really badly. Why? She couldn't remember. She just needed that rabbit. Her life depended on it.

@Moonraven @Tiabirb @Snowyfeathr @starry (Hope I did an okay writing delirious Twistedpaw lol)