Seeking Flashfire

Echostar padded along through the forest and towards the River that divided DarkClan from IvyClan. A pleased smile spread across his face as he reached the churning river and renewed the scent along the border. He looked back at Blacktooth Cherryscar and grinned his classic toothy grin.

Blacktooth smirked, imagining the possibilites ahead. 'Will we wait for a patrol?' he caped out to Echostar, bringing up the rear to keep an eye on the rogue.

Cherryscar didn't speak, but stayed fairly close to Echostar. She didn't trust the black cat following them, but she guessed that he was in some position of power since he was with the cat with the suffix -star, which, if she remembered correctly, meant leader.

Echostar stopped at the edge of a bend in the river where it wasn't as deep or wide. He peered across into the forest and heard the voices of a couple of IvyClan cats on patrol coming their way. "Hello?"

(Enter Flashfire and Willowstar???)

((I have no qualms with this))

(let's do it ^^)

Blacktooth followed behind. His fur rose and his claws extended. "Echostar."

Willowstar picked up a scent, her ears perked up, then flattened. "Flashfire! Intruders." She stood tall and followed the scent until she saw the patrol of Echostar, Blacktooth, and another cat she had never seen before. She smelled rogue- this cat was obviously not from DarkClan. She narrowed her eyes and spoke out. "What are you doing here on IvyClan borders?"

Cherryscar looked over at Flashfire, and her face turned to a smile, something she hadn't done in a long while.

"Looking for you, Flashfire! You... you probably don't remember me, do you?"

Echostar nodded apologetically "Well, we were seeking an audience with Flashfire to see what he knows about this rouges' past..."

Flashfire flattened his ears. He didn't recognize the female rouge, though he felt he should. He felt guilty. He looked back and forth to Echostar and the rouge, totally confused. "I- uh- what? An audience with me?"

Cherryscar walked up to him, and looked dead into his eyes. Her aura of dead seriousness had returned as her smile faded from her face. He really had forgotten about her, which was acceptable, since it had been many moons.

"... You knew me once by the name Blackcherry. I am now known as Cherryscar. You saved me from that blood-stained white cat moons ago, remember?"

Willowstar stepped in between Flashfire and Cherryscar. She was never quick to accept strangers, and thought the she-cat was much too close to her Clan-mate. "Echostar- I have heard from our Gatherings that a rogue had been terrorizing your Clan-mates. Surely this is not the same rogue?" She narrowed her eyes at Echostar, and did not look at Cherryscar.

Flashfire flinched and froze up as the rouge got so close to him that her scent flooded over him. 'Blackcherry? It couldn't possibly be...' Images of a blood splattered white pelt and claws and gnashing teeth flashed through his head. Somehow he'd managed to forget that awful day. His pelt itched as he searched for something to say to his old friend, but the only thing he managed to utter before Willowstar stepped in between them was "Blackcherry-"

Echostar grinned and laughed pitifully "Actually, It is the same rouge, but we have the situation under control. Cherryscar here insists that it was a misunderstanding." He smirked "We are also fully aware of the fact that this rouge could be lying," he dipped his head to Cherryscar apologetically for calling her a lier, "but if this were to be the case, we are fully ready and able to deal with that."

Willowstar kept her eyes on Echostar, then looked to Cherryscar. "What do you want with my deputy?" She looked back to Flashfire, wondering what he was going to say, and if he knew the rogue.

Blacktooth stood at Echostar's side, watching those not of DarkClan closely.

Cherryscar bowed her head apologetically.

"It has been far to long, Flashfire... I've missed you. I insist you explain to these two what happened that day, and what I told you, if you can remember that much."

She shook her head quickly, and walked up to him, a small smile, a genuine smile, crossed her lips.

"I could never forget that day either... and I haven't. I didn't leave, either. I was captured by foxes. They somehow knew I wasn't a member of either clan, so they took advantage of that... and me." Her voice grew a bit darker, more painful, "They beat me and tortured me, doing everything they could to find out information about the clans. They destroyed Blackcherry... and I became Cherryscar. Up until recently, I had reason to believe that Darkclan was responsible, but I was so blinded by hatred and pain, I didn't see that the facts didn't point to them being the cause..." She looked down, distraught and upset. She clearly had been through much.

She whispered something under her breath, something along the lines of "I've missed you so much..."

Flashfire stood, frozen, unsure what to say. He felt guilt ripping at his heart. All the scars on Blackcherry... Cherryscar. He should have known she wouldn't just leave. He should have protected his friend.

Echostar's grin lengthened "Blacktooth. I understand your concerns. For one, foxes are dangerous animals. I would know. If Cherryscar is telling the truth about them, then they need to be dealt with before they deal with us. Plus, This is just fun."

Blacktooth thought of what Echostar said. He didn't respond, yet.

Willowstar flattened her ears. "It's just like you, Echostar, not to take this situation seriously." She looked to Cherryscar. "IvyClan will not let you on our territory. Unless you can redeem yourself, we will still see you as a dangerous rogue. We should put that behind us until we find out all we can about these foxes- And like Echostar said; get rid of them before they get to us."

Cherryscar just glared at the group. They were going to use her to locate the creatures that tried to kill her. She may have just re-met with the cat she'd been missing for so long, but like hell she was going to become a pawn in some stupid war game.

"... I don't expect your forgiveness, nor do I want it. I've made my final amends, and you may kill me if you want now. But you've got the wrong idea if you think for even one millisecond I will willing walk back into the arms of the creatures that gave me these." She glared at her own scars that she could see, then back at the group.

"Just because I'm here to meet someone I care for does not mean you will use me as a tracking device. I'd sooner be crushed by a Kraken than willing walk back to them."

Willowstar narrowed her eyes. "Watch your tone rogue. We do not neccesarily need you now that we know these foxes are out there. By your story, it doesnt seem there is much that you can do to help us any further. If you want to settle the wrongs done to you by these creatures, you would do well to play along." Willowstar did not like Cherryscar, she felt as if the cats shouldn't be congregating with the rogue, and was ready to end this meeting and get back to her own camp.

Echostar chuckled and grinned madly "No ones forcing anyone to track down these foxes. But it seems to me that we have more to worry about then that. Like the cat that murdered your family. If he is still around, then he and his group could be just as dangerous as any horde of foxes."

Flashfire flattened his ears. He watched Cherryscar, Echostar, and Blacktooth warily. Things we different now. This Cherryscar obviously wasn't the cat he knew in the past.

Cherryscar cocked her head to the side, and then shrugged. If she wasn't wanted there, so be it. And she wasn't afraid of that white cat anymore.

"By now, he's old and probably battle worn.. If he or any of you are truly intent on killing me, then look to the stormy skies. Unlike a scaredy-cat, I'm not afraid of a little storm. Oh, and do me one little favor. If you do end up meeting up with those foxes, or that accursed cat... slit a few throats for me." With that, Cherryscar proceeded to make her leave, brushing across Flashfire. If he didn't speak up, she had no intention of staying.

Wilowstar took at step forward, eyes narrowed. "Cherryscar. If we see you on IvyClan, we wll not welcome you. To give you a fair warning; if you want to speak with Flashfire again, stay off of the borders." she meant it as a suggestion as to how Cherryscar could seek council, but she also meant it as a threat.

Flashfire closed his eyes tightly as Cherryscar brushed against him "Black- ... Cherryscar. I'm glad you aren't dead."

Echostar nodded "Farewell Cherryscar, though I'd like to know we can handle storms as well. Even large ones." His eyes flashed as he grinned widely.