I'd Fight The Stars FOr You {CLOSED}

"Iceheart...? Sweetie, can we patrol the RiverClan border, together... I.. I need to talk to you.." She mewed, uncertainty, sorrow, guilt, and- and fear?- in her voice. She led her son out of camp, flashing a glance at his snowy white pelt every now and then. A thousand thoughts spiraled through her head.

When will he die?
Is he going to die?
Did Mistedsong tell him he way going to die?
Why did they do this to him?
It wasn't fair!
Can I really stop him from dying?
I can sure as heck try!
I will protect you until my dying breath, Iceheart. Mark my words, you will NOT die!

"Ice... I... Mistedsong-" She broke off, losing composure as she began to shake, tears already overflowing her green gaze. "I can't lose you! I'm so, so, so sorry! Mistedsong said he had to be the one to tell you, I swear if he had let me, I would have told you that very second. I only found out on the day before your Moonstone! Please, please, please! You can't die! I can't l-lose you, I just c-can't!" The last time she'd sobbed like this was.. Was when Spottedoak died. Her grief for Mudmask had been silent, hidden. But this was an open wound, and blood was spilling in the form of tears.

"Curse the stars! Curse that.. That stupid, starry flea-pelt! W-wh-why!? Ice d-d-don't di-die!!" The broad tortoiseshell-tabby yowled, collapsing to the ground in sorrow. This was worse than any injury. It was as if she'd been killed then eaten by a fox, and then that very fox had been lit ablaze. It was agony. She couldn't lose Ice, she couldn't. He's my son! You can't take him from me!

Iceheart looked over at his mother and silently followed. The young warrior had been avoiding Breezebranch ever since he'd returned from his moonstone journey. Here was Andy rosr she had lied and kept secrets from him when she knew he had been struggling with who he was.

Her sudden outburst of tears caught him off guard, but he remained still, refusing to go to her despite the pain in his chest. What did she mean by him dying?"Calm down. I'm not gonna die just because I'm not gonna do what some dead cat wants. Besides," he hissed, "do you really expect me to believe you didn't know anything? You were the one that found me!" Iceheart's long, white coat was fluffed up in anger and his pups were mere slits, like two doors that were barely contain the rage inside him.

The pain in her heart had worsened by the fact that Iceheart stayed right where he was. He... He was angry with her. "Iceheart... p-please... You know I'd never hurt you. I love you! I'm no medicine cat! What am I supposed to do when I find an abandoned kit who'd die without help! I couldn't very well leave you!" Her sadness momentarily vanished as a wave of anger rose up. Was Iceheart blaming her? Breezebranch had done the best she could for him, loving him unconditionally, raising him the exact same way she raised her own.

"I'm just a cat, Iceheart! I believed you were special, every she-cat believes their kits are special! I didn't know! I'm perfectly fine to worry about you! If some dead cat who apparently is able to reincarnate himself says you'll die, what am I supposed to believe!?" She hissed back at him, eyes blazing fury, but still holding the deep love that always was in her eyes when looking at or talking about her kits. Her voie, while angry, still felt gentle, as if she couldn't quite bring herself to be mean to her kin.

"I'd do anything for you, why won't you believe me? If I could, I die for you, Ice, without a second thought. Without even a second to decide. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that this happened to you. I'm sorry I had to keep this secret. But I'm not sorry I found you, and I never will be sorry about that." Her pleading tone returned, and she turned away sorrowfully, padding a couple steps before glancing over her shoulder in hope her son would accept her apology and then apologize.

"You could've told me!" Iceheart yowled furiously. His blue and green eyes seemed to burn as he's glared at Breezebranch. "I've thought I was going crazy or that something was wrong with me. Even my younger siblings seemed to know I was different." He quieted slightly as his mother continued, then look away. When his gaze returned to her, it was still.

The white tom stepped close to Breezebranch, brushing his cheek against hers. "Breezebranch... I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted things to go, but you should know that, despite his anger, he doesn't mean it. I've seen everything through these eyes from the first moment and his emotions are mine as well. Iceheart does love you, but you have to be prepared to let him go." Iceclaw stepped back and gazed at the queen. He had truly tried, but he couldn't force Iceheart to accept his spirit. He was literally at war with himself, and there were both losing.

OOC: Breeze giving a pouty face! Lol

At first, she'd thought he'd come to her senses, but then he referred to Iceheart as 'him', and immediately rage built up in Breezebranch. "You..." She whispered, venom dripping down her throat as she menacingly growled at the tom inside her son's body. "If you want to take him from me, you'll have to kill me first! I won't let him die! He's too young!" She hissed, having to resist the urge to rake her claws down his face. Anything she did to him would hurt Iceheart.

"Of course he loves me, I don't need some fox-hearted ghost to tell me that! He's my son! You are nothing like my kind-hearted, innocent, precious kit! Why would you do this to him?! HE WAS ONLY A KIT! IT ISN'T FAIR!" The tortoiseshell-tabby yowled, jumping back as the help resist the urge to attack the tom. "You had your chance to live. What right do you have to take Iceheart's away from him?" Her teeth were bared as she snarled, gleaming white against her orange fur.

OOC: Momma Breeze is not happy! Uh oh, Iceclaw!

Iceclaw stood silently as he let Breezebranch pour out her frustrations. "Please, you misunderstand. I don't wish for Iceheart to die either. He's my second chance," the ancient Tom explained. He could see the pain etched like a scar on her delicate face. He sighed in exasperation.

"Breezebranch, think of the love you have for your kits. I have no doubt you would die for any one of them, but imagine if they never existed. You love your clan too, but it's not the same. You wouldn't feel... complete. I never had that. I lived my life for my clan, and I never allowed myself to be selfish and happy. Iceheart and I, we are one and the same. I am him. I want him to live, to fall in love, to have kits... and grow old. Whether you believe me or not, Breezebranch, we want the same thing. "

"And?" She hissed, impatient, "That was your choice. Live with it. You didn't have to bring my son into this. He's more than just a 'second chance'! He has a wonderful heart, he's an amazing brother, the best son in the all of the Stars', a lovely warrior, and a tom any she--cat would be lucky to have. He's not your second chance. His name is Iceheart. Not Iceclaw. He. Is. His. Own. Cat!" She spat, fur bristling.

"Love is not selfish. You can have a mate and be loyal. Your words won't please me. Your just a selfish, selfish tom. You did this to him because you wanted something you never had because of a choice. You are the most selfish cat I've ever met! A true Warrior would have accepted his death. Or prey-hunter. Or whatever you call yourself! You had no right to this to him." Her claws scratched the ground as she dug them in, a snarl escaping her curled lips.

Ears pinned flat to her head, she hissed. "I demand answers. Why did you resurrect yourself in my son's body? Why did Mistedsong have to tell him? He would've taken it better from me. Can't you just leave him? It's not fair to him. He has his own life! Who is Whitefeather? Ice mentioned her the first day I found him. If you have no mate or kits, was Whitefeather your mentor, mother, apprentice, deputy?" Breezebranch demanded, eyes narrowed in distrust.

"He is *me!* Iceclaw insisted. Oh, how he wished he could make the queen understand. "Iceheart is everything you love because that is who I am. Think of me what you will, but I lived my life entirely for my clan. I loved them, fought for them, and at the end, I died for them. I haven't done anything to your son, because I am your son. I've known your face from the moment you found me. Mistedsong was the only way I could reach my other half. I'm only able to talk to you because right now, his half is vulnerable and in pain,"

Iceclaw suddenly stopped as Breezebranch mentioned Snowfeather. He staggered back a step as if he'd been struck. The proud shoulders sagged and his eyes moistened at her memory. "H-how do you know that name?" he muttered, before realizing what she'd said. "Whitefeather, she... I loved her. She was like my sun and stars, my joy. Being with her was life itself celebrated around her. But she was stolen from me before I could ever tell her," Iceclaw answered quietly, taking a breath to steady himself. Even now, her loss was still painful. "When she d-... I poured myself into my duties, doing anything to distract myself. My mentor saw my actions as loyalty to the clan and I quickly became deputy, then leader when he died. I never wanted to lead my clan, but it was the only thing that kept me sane. Kept me from my grief. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her newfound enemy. "I... I'm so sorry. I've experienced a terrible loss too... My mate, Mudmask, died shortly after my kits-- Iceheart's younger siblings-- were born." She mewed softly, and almost disgusted herself by giving the tom a nuzzle. Darn the fact he was in her son's pelt! It made her want to comfort him more!

Wait. Ice was vulnerable and in pain. "What do you mean 'in pain'? Vulnerable how? You don't know me, but my Iceheart does. What's wrong with him?" She demanded, reasonable side vanishing quickly as sympathy melted back into anger.

Iceclaw's eyes softened at Breezebranch's harsh words. Despite what she said, he did cafe for her
"None of this is easy, Breezebranch, for anyone." The warrior was quiet for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "I meant what I said. If Iceheartdoesn't accept his other half, his body will die." Iceclaw steadied his gaze, his face once again the iron mask that he used when leading is clan, knowing that he wasn't telling her the entire truth. It was for their own good. The only other option for Iceheart to live was worse, so much worse.

Immediately, Breezebranch knew something was off. He was hiding something from her. It was a look she knew well, as she had eight kits, she'd had her fair share of secrets and then some. She growled, fur bristling with unrestrained anger. "What. Are. You. Hiding?" The tortoiseshell-tabby demanded, hissing, tail lashing.

If there was some way to help Iceheart, she'd do anything.

"No!" Iceclaw hissed firmly. His pure white form rose to its full height and he glared down at Breezebranch with all the authority of any other respected clan leader. I know you're desperate, but some things are best if you don't know. Sometimes... a half life can be worse than death." The ancient tom's gaze softened slightly and he sighed. "I'm sorry, little one. I don't know what else I can do."

"No?" She echoed in disbelief. "No! I have every right to know what I can do to help my son. He doesn't like you and nor do I. He should be given every chance. You don't scare me."" Breezebranch hissed, unflinching. The queen's eyes blazed with a fiery determination, a mother's love fueling her. His authority figure did little to frighten her and she stared at him, anger narrowing her eyes.

Iceclaw growled in frustration as he paced in front of the queen. "You don't what you're asking," he hissed, refusing to look at Breezebranch. "Leaving with half a soul behind will destroy everything you love about Iceheart. He won't be the same anymore. There will blood on his paws, and ifyou tell him, it will be on yours."

"I love every part of Iceheart, good, bad, and indifferent." She growled back, eyes narrowed so narrow, they were merely more than slits. "He is no murderer. He'd never harm an innocent. And I'd never harm Iceheart. Ever."

Her tail lashed behind her. "If you cared as much as you claim to, you'd want to give Iceheart every chance to live his own life. Tell me."

Iceclaw could see Breezebranch wouldn't stop until she got her answer. He sighed, then gazed at her evenly. "There is a way to save the body, but it requires the sacrifice of the soul. In this case, it would mean destroying my spirit. This body would live on, but Iceheart would only have half of his soul. It would continue to deteriorate until nothing remained. He would lose all sense of morality or kindness... or love. It would drive him mad. Like I said, it's a cruel fate worse than death." The tom looked up at the sky in exasperation. He could feel his hold slipping on Iceheart's body. He turned the blue and green eyes back to her before continuing. There are some terrible things I did for the ones I loved, but this is one line I refuse to cross. I'm sorry, mother," the tom said softly. He hadn't meant to make her cry. That was the last thing Iceheart wanted.

A gasp shook Breezebranch, and she the first time in a while, she didn't know what to do. What could she do? She lived for her kits, and that included Iceheart. How could... How could she bare to lose him? She simply couldn't. And then, her son was back. Shaking, she extended one paw, and drew her son close, wrapping her tail around his, eyes widened and full of terror. Her paws were shaking, but she didn't notice. Breezebranch had never felt such fear. She was at a loss for words. "Oh, Ice..." was all she managed to murmured, tears dropping to the ground.