Chapter Text
Rasha and Bronze sat pressed in the snow by the bush barrier line that shielded them from the heavy watch of the city. They had cleared away a patch to lay, and cleaned the bare stems in front of them to spy clearer. Together, the two Rebels studied the herd of collared cats welcoming each other and conferencing.
“This is it.” Rasha smiled, turning to Bronze with his eyes wide and full of excitement. “Broken Remains has accepted these cats among their ranks, and we will attack tomorrow.” he explained.
Bronze shuddered and tightened his bushy tail around his body. “Assuming Lash will agree.” he murmured.
Rasha hushed him and stood up as Trash guided her new followers inside the building. He pushed on his peer with his paw and urged him to stand. “There's no way he'll disagree. He's honest and true to a fault, now come, come, we have work to do.” the tabby requested.
Bronze reluctantly stood up and followed the small tom through the frozen woods and back to camp. On their walk, he matched Rasha’s speed to inquire about his specifics. “Do you think The Rebels are ready for an assault? Dust and I had just finished sparing when I came to report to you.. these cats aren't cut out for this.” the golden tom uttered.
“That's because, my dear friend, you don't see the bigger picture in the same way that I do.” Rasha slowed down to draw out the conversation before they entered Lash’s ear shot within camp. Bronzes scraggly whiskers flicked with unease as Rasha continued to speak. “every cat can instinctively fight to survive, and they will do it if their opponent has the same mentality. You see, all we need to do is convince them that Broken Remains wants us all dead, and I don't believe that will be challenging.” Rasha picked up a trot, forcing Bronze to rush behind him.
“We?” Bronze precariously said.
“I trust you'll be with me? I assumed that's what you implied when you told me this simply groundbreaking news instead of Lash.” Rasha lifted his eyebrow to his trailing companion.
Bronze slouched further as he walked, allowing his tail to drag behind him. “You do seem to know what you're doing..” he mumbled.
“That's because I do.” Rasha snorted and flared his pink nostrils. “ but great choice, now roundup that little scamp of yours and get him on our side before he gets hurt.” right as he concluded speaking, seemingly on planned time, the duo reached the bushes that surrounded the camp and worked through the messy, created opening. Rasha crawled under first, followed by Bronze.
“He’s not mine.” Bronze replied, raking his fuzzy mane and accidentally knotting it against the slim branches that swatted back at him.
“Really? He’s practically a full grown cat and yet he looks up to you like you're his world.” Rasha spoke confidently.
Bronze stiffened at that, his body colder than the ice that coated the trees. He reflected hollowly as Rasha strided across the stone slab in the center of camp to reach Lash and Mists tree.
At the Selkirk Rex's side, Dust paraded up to him, a frown forming on his face. Bronze looked down at his friend, then up to Rasha, and abandoned the tom where he stood. He walked to his own tree but the small tabby followed, and Bronze was forced to shoo the upset cat away. So Dust left and went back to Lime, and Bronze dropped his weight into his solo blanketed nest. With his chin on the plush fabric and his eyes peeking over the bumps of his toes, Bronze watched Rasha interrupt Mist and Lash napping.
Lash growled and instantly rose from where he laid, his ears popping up like a growing kits. “what do you want, Rasha?” he snapped and Mist defensively sat up as well.
“I want to do what we escaped here for in the first place- Rebel.” Rasha leaned his head closer, teetering on his haunches. Mist unsheathed her claws and shoved him back against his patterned chest.
“Back up.” she snarled.
Rasha offhandedly brushed his fur smooth and regained his composure. Ignoring the fuming blue mackerel, he unsettlingly bore straight into Lashs eyes. “Broken Remain’s member count has matched ours.” he flatly informed, waiting for the leaders reply.
Lash fell silent, dread filling his lungs and causing his heart to skip beats. His stomach sloshed with fear and his head flooded with the image of Trash and her darkened eyes. As Rasha expected, Lash was too washed up to even reply to him, so he followed his own statement.
“I propose we attack now. No reason to wait til sunrise, they'll have unified further by then.” Rasha enthusiastically suggested.
By now, The Rebels had all left their dens to gather behind Rasha and his encounter with Lash. Whispers of agreement rose among the group. From the back of the group next to Lime, Dust turned to see Bronze back at his side. Face drowned in anxiety, Bronze sympathetically nodded to him. Dust did the same in acknowledgement. They both knew what was coming, and both knew they had to go with it.
Lash cleared his throat, recognized the audience to hear his answer, and spoke with as much confidence he could muster. “as agreed, I will sleep on this decision and develop our best plan of action that will benefit everyone.” he stated, with Rasha quickly cutting in.
“The difference it'll make if you wait will be tremendous and absurd! Lash, we need to go now and put a stop to their development!” Rasha pleaded, standing up in irritation. Mist had enough, she matched his action and stepped on his small paw with her own larger one. He yelped and jumped back, and she forced him to keep moving.
“Be quiet, Rasha! This entire time since the quake, you've been a thorn in everyone's flank! Will you cut it out already? We need time.” Mist retorted, fluffing up her already large tail. “We chose him as leader for a reason, and if you can't agree with that, I will run you out of this forest- this city- these mountain ranges and fields, myself; if you don't sit down and shut up!” she screamed, chasing him away from the tree till he bumped into Spark at the front of the crowd. Lash stared emptily at the ground as the two argued about him.
Rasha snarled and shoulder bumped her away from him. “you're worse than Lash if you agree with him!” he spit, whipping his tail about. The gray leader in the tree held a blank expression, but was clearly thinking.
“I agree with you, but not your methods.” she confessed, steadying herself to stand tall. “you're a manipulative piece of shit who doesn't deserve the pity he gives you! Neither of you are fit for this role, but I would trust Lash with my life rather than you and your impulsive, controlling complex.” Mist finished with an aggressive grunt. The forest rattled at her words, and Lash felt the impact as he rose.
“Let that be that.” he meowed and turned to scale up his tree. He hooked his claws into the iced over bark and hauled himself higher. Lash wobbly climbed on his usual branch, but it felt colder than the frozen lake on his paws. The rest of the trees bark wasn't this frigid, but all eyes were on him so he sat down and dangled his tail off the branch.
Lash shook as he coldly surveyed his cats gathered below him. The heating ray's from the sun missed him in this position, but they landed perfectly on Rasha. His enemies defined face lit up in yellow from above, with cool blue reflecting into his fur due the laid snow. Pausing with assumed regret, Lash spoke quickly.
“We attack now.” The Rebel leader announced, his entire body twitching in fear.
Instantaneously, The Rebels looking up to him ignited in passion. The fire Lash didn't even know existed within these cats sparked from nowhere, and nearly everyone seemed on board with the attack. Commotion of violence spread in their respective friend groups, and the shared hatred united them all.
Bronze nearly got whisked away by Sunset and Spark, but he denied their energy to stay with Dust. Dust appreciated the action and forgave him for being aggressive only moments ago.
With everyone distracted, Rasha broke out in joyful howls. “See, Lash? Isn’t it amazing when you listen to me? Everyone's so pleased and excited. I bet they've been waiting for this, for you to finally admit I'm right.” he menacingly smiled in delight and turned to the gathering behind him. “round up with a partner or two! No one fights alone, we battle side by side or we don’t fight at all!” he yelled, commanding the cats to quickly choose their companion. The first choices were unanimous: Spark and Sunset, Lash and Mist, but the rest were dictated by Rasha. “Lime, join your parents. Bronze and Wire together in the back, and Dust will move with me. Is that clear!” he decided, picking up tone. Agreement was shouted in response.
Everyone conjugated with their partners on the stone circle and waited for further instruction. Rasha shoved himself in the middle, and Lash sped to join him.
“Our goal is to disperse them out of the alley! We don’t know what these new members are capable of, but we will give it our all! Give mercy, but save Trash for me!” Lash directed.
Rasha did not agree, standing back to back with his opposite, he mimicked what Lash had said but in his own taste. “Kill anyone that you make contact with! They wish the same upon you, we cannot have them striking us first! Display no mercy, it will get us nowhere! We sweep them out and we reclaim the land! Swing with all you've got!” he screeched, his speech gaining more support than Lash’s.
“Today, we avenge Cherry!” Lime cheered, stepping forward into the ring. Mist followed with support, raising her head and tone beside her daughter.
“In the honor of Cherry!” she shouted to the sunny sky, stomping her paw on the cold rock. Wire was next to join them, Cherry having been his daughter.
“In memory of what was lost!” Wire huffed. Rasha perked up at his words and spun to address the circle fully.
“My friends, Cherry was not lost. Cherry knew what she was going in for, and yet she was unjustly and brutally stolen from us. Everything was taken from her and I say we return her! Wire, your daughters death was not in vain! Lime, your friends death was not in vain!” Rasha nodded to his companions as he mentioned them, and they in return stepped closer to him with a feeling of empowerment.
Lash knew he couldn't beat that type of energy, especially when his own wife and child were on board with his foe. “If we're ready, we charge them now. Remember, mercy!” he instructed and pleaded.
“Broken Remains won't know what hit them!” Lime hissed with a hateful look in her eyes.
Lash knew it was time, and there was nothing that would calm these cats. If he tried, he knew they'd turn on him. He would have to finish what Rasha started.
“Move out.” Lash authorized. He rushed to lead the pack out of camp, while Rasha hung back to wait for Dust. Lime began to follow, but paused and went back to Dust. Without warning, she propelled her shoulder against the startled brown toms own. Dust tumbled in the snow covered clearing and she forced him to look up at her.
When he did, he was presented with a mature and heartbroken she cat instead of the youthful and fun loving joker he knew. Her bright eyes filled with heavy tears, one even dripped on Dusts wide nose. “Don't make me bury you too.” she whined, leaning down to wipe her eyes clean in his rough fur. “I can't lose another friend. If you won’t be able to handle this assault then, please, stay here and wait for us to get back.” she pleaded.
“Lime,” he croaked.
“Don't.” she sniffled. “come with us or not, but nothing you say will stop me from avenging Cherry.” Lime nudged her fallen friend with her pink nose and backed up to see what he would do. He started to move but Rasha dove to grab his scruff and yank him to his paws. Once he was standing, Rasha stepped in between them.
“How heartfelt.” he subtly rolled his eyes. “why don't you meet up with your parents, Lime? They're waiting for you at the border. Dust and I will catch up momentarily.” he motioned his paw in their direction and she scampered off. With the camp empty, save for Rasha and Dust, Dust shamefully looked up to the other.
“Let's go.” Dust breathed, walking past him to meet the group and not be alone with him. But Rasha chased after his prey and leaned down to the shorter cats ear.
“Never forget Trash’s moms death and how you reacted to it.. how you wanted to be just like me one day. This is your chance, and I expect you'll prove yourself to me.” Rasha exhaled and pulled back, causing Dusts long ears to fold down.
Dust forced his anxiety to calm and kept walking through the crunching snow. Having followed up the back, the ground was already covered in Rebel tracks and felt mushy under his paws. He trudged through the slosh and reached the border of bushes, where Lash had began instructing directions to everyone.
They were to attack with enough force, kill if needed, and the only thing for certain was that Lash wanted to capture Trash. The Rebels quieted down their cheers but all agreed and pushed through the prickly bushes. They trotted on the unfinished dirt road and approached the chilly concrete for the first time since they had been run out.
Standing on the city's grounds and at Broken Remains doorstep, Lash spun to oversee his eager followers. Angry and determined, they readied their claws. Unsheathing his own, he studied the downfall Trash had caused him from the day he met her. All the humiliation and troubles he faced had spawned from her ambition.. so justifying the bloodshed he planned to cause, Lash marched his ranks into the city.
“Rebels…” he raised his hackles, “ attack!” Lash demanded, feeling the breeze and touch of cats stampeding past him to beeline into the building. Their battle cries full of excitement swamped the hollow city.
From a distance, he could see Trash poke her head out of the building connected to the alley. She puffed her fur in fear and rushed back inside before The Rebels could reach them. This was what she had feared since the day she declared a split, and she didn't know what to do, but she started shouting frantic orders.
“Vixen, I want you guarding Owl in the alley! Everyone else, with me outside! We hold this ground and force them back!” she jumped on the door and waved her tail like Vixen did. “don't leave this road!” Trash snapped, scaring everyone to stand from their prior sitting position.
Coincidentally, in their communion time while The Rebels were plotting, Trash and Grim had been informing their new members on what Broken Remains relationship to The Rebels and The Outcasts was. As Grim had done to Huck, Adder and Ismet, the duo stretched the truth of the past further. They went far enough to send Vixen cursing and vowing loyalty, but not enough to cause Adder and his friends to think they were lying. After all, they were technically telling the truth.
Trash sprinted out of the doorway to drive Sunset and Spark her way. With the leads distracted, Vixen protectively snatched Owl away from her parents and bolted around the corner into the alley. Owl was big enough that her hind dragged due to Vixens permanent hunch, but it was faster and safer than having her run. The giant Somali tossed her into Trash and Grims box, shushed her, covered her up in the blankets, and forced the upper flap down to conceal her. She then turned and braced herself for any unfamiliar cats to rush into the alley. From deep within the territory, she protectively paced around the box while watching as Trash collided with Sunset in the road. She ached to leap in and help her new leader, but she was given this position for a reason. Vixen would obey the command and shelter the kit she knew since birth.
Thankfully, Grim rushed in to spring on the brown she cats dark back. He tugged on her nape while Trash scratched her face, the pair working together to fight her off. Spark joined in the fray next, locking his jaws around Trashs smaller neck to drag her on the ground.
Sunset managed to shake Grim off of her and he went skidding on the rocky ground. Hissing at the pebbles knotted in his fur and the scrapes they caused, he prepared to jump at her again til Dust fell into his blurry line of vision. The once cocky tom went limp and ill faced at the sight of the cat he had wounded and nearly blinded. He backed up to retreat, but brushed against his battle partner, Rasha. Rasha shoved him directly in Grims path and Dust dropped to a crouch so low, his belly touched the ground.
“I can't do this.” Dust sobbed, trembling harder than the city itself did as the earthquake struck it so long ago.
“Finish what you started before he does it for you! Are you a Rebel or not!?” Rasha growled, placing his paws on his head to dig his claws into his scalp.
“I don't want to die!” Dust bawled, gasping as he noticed Lime run into the building Broken Remains inhabited. She abandoned her parents and entered alone, since she knew not all of the members were out battling with hers.
Furious at Dusts defiance, Rasha yelled at him again. “Fight boy, fight! Do it for your family! We are all you have!” he screeched directly into Dusts ears till they rung in pain.
“Rasha, stop!” Bronze interrupted, pushing the gray cat away from the smaller. With Dust freed, Bronze decided to fight Grim in his place. “help Lime!” he called, his instruction immediately obeyed by Dust.
Injured face roused with the thrill of a match, Grim and Bronze charged at each other, jumped, and the maned Rebel used his weight advantage to roll with his opponent. His shiny, unnatural claws ripped into Grims shoulder and flank. Grim sunk his teeth into his arm, earning himself a smack across the face. He thrashed and kicked under him, furious at how he had been thwarted by another cat over twice his size.
“Spread out, provide backup!” Adder shouted, emerging from the building with Huckleberry and Pandora, leaving Ismet and Robin to handle Lime and Dust.
Adder and his companions split up to aid their friends. The clever Abyssinian took off in Wires vicinity where no one else dared to duel him, considering he was one of the few who hadn't seen what he had done to Grim.
Shortly from him, Pandora bravely sprung for Lashs neck right as he raised his paw to strike Trash, and the two went in a flurry that the calico joined in as well. Pandora, being the least equipped to fight with no experience, courageously learned off of Trashs blows and techniques. Trash would hit Lash on his neck to notch the fur and Pandora would land a messier version against his lower chest. Together, they pushed Lash deeper into the city and away from The Rebels.
Under the high sun and drizzling snow, Huck defended Grim against Bronze and the maned Tom's duked it out so Grim could escape. He planned to assist Trash, but the Tonkinese she fought with held her own and he felt confident in their shared abilities. Surveying the battlefield of shredded fur, blood splatters and gravel, Grim noticed everyone was preoccupied except for him and Rasha.
Rasha observed Lash being overrun by the mollies from a safe distance. He didn’t care about Lash, and he certainly wasn't going to save him from them. Grim and him were surrounded by Rebels and Broken Remains cats spinning and rolling, but the two of them caught their own intermission. Adder rushed up to his side and fell into a poorly done hunting stance.
“What're we doing, Grim?” he panted, nose dripping with blood after he ran away from an unsuccessful battle with Wire.
Grim hunched to his level and scowled. “look at the jackass… he’s so full of himself, he won't even fight in the raid I'm sure he planned!” he shook his head and lowly growled from the back of his throat. “go join Ismet and Robin in the building. I'm helping Trash.” he replied, seeing the thin cat dash off in his peripherals before rushing past the building himself.
Rasha unpleasantly grinned and slunk off to the sidewalk on the alleys side of the road.
Adder sprinted to avoid being hit with the mess that was Sunset, Spark and Bronze facing off against Huckleberry and Pandora. The fight was absurdly uneven that he paused to pitifully watch, but he had been given direct instruction to assess in the building. He continued past the alley, stopping once more to notice how irritated Vixen looked that Trash had assigned her to babysitting duty, rather than on the front lines to cause havoc among the cats she could defeat.
Sneaking and scaling up the fence behind the the alleys dumpster, Mist perched atop the wooden stakes. Then propelling herself off so quickly that Adder could not warn his friend, Vixen crashed into the concrete and yelled in pain. Robin staggered back in alarm as blood immediately splashed across the alley floor, and Vixens temple was gashed open against a uneven lay of concrete. She spasmed and whined while Mist pushed her open wound into the asphalt deeper. Conflicted on if he should help her or reach Ismet and Robin, two different screams collaterally brought him to stressed tears.
“ Get out!” screeched Vixen with blood gushing into her right eye. Sightful ravens that watched from the rooftops shot up into the air due to the ridiculous, desperate volume of her demand.
“ Hey, Trash!” he heard from his left, which whipped his attention away from the struggling Somali. Adder didn't recognize the high voice, but Trash and Grim certainly did. They halted from intimidating Lash, and both exchanged alarmed glances.
“I could recognize that nasally voice anywhere…” Trash grumbled, hearing her name be called once more by Lime.
“Leave her, she's just trying to distract you. Let's shut this down now.” Grim mumbled, bumping their freshly scarlet stained paws together. Trash went to agree, but realized Lash was as concerned as they were. His graceful ears perked as a guttural moan of agony slashed through the frosty air… followed by another… and one more.
Stitched alongside the heartbreaking noises, back and forth yells of both Trash and Limes names were cried out from different sources. Trash circled herself to locate who was making them, and found Adder sobbing in the doorway of the building with the main fight in the street gradually dying down. From behind him, Rasha weaseled his way into the alley.
Trash furrowed her brows and approached the weeping tom. She placed her paw under his hanging chin and tipped his head up. His expression clenched with so much pain and sorrow that Trash felt a pang in her chest.
She slowly removed her paw and faltered in front of him. Inside the building was quite the sight to behold. Robin, Dust, Ismet and Lime filled the murky room. All the cats had vicious, dripping scratches in various places, but Ismets barely healed stomach lacerations were all torn back open. He laid shoved against the wreckage of the broken stairs with his reopened wounds forced into the jagged edges by Lime. She stood on top of the small black cat with a wicked gloom plastered on her stout face.
Struggling to figure out what to do, Trash blanked and quietly shook her head back and forth. “Lime, you don't have to do this..” she whispered.
The lithe feline bit back instantly with well planned words she's held inside since the day Cherry died. “But I do! You killed my best friend, so I'm going to kill one of yours in return!” she growled, pressing her blood soaked paw against Ismets draining belly.
The passing tom barely made any noise, his screams had already died out as he felt his one sided vision go with it. He twitched under her as his throat clogged with rising blood.
“I will avenge her.” Lime inhaled, squeezing her eyes tight as she banked downwards to take Ismets neck in her mouth. She dug her canines deep with her incisors and ignored the screams of protest from the surrounding cats, even Dust. Ismet allowed his limp torso to be lifted up by Lime, with his ghostly eyes blankly staring at Trash.
There was nothing more to say or do between the leader and her dying follower. She had failed him.
He lurched once more in her grip, then she tossed him down the pile. He rolled to form a bloody streak in his wake on the rubbage. Ismet flopped on the dark carpet, his exposed stomach and glassy eyes dead set straight ahead at Trash. Like a fish out of water, he gurgled before succumbing to stillness. Her face and mouth streaked with deep red splatters, Lime climbed to the top of the pile and shouted proudly, “For Cherry!” she howled, the same phrase being repeated by The Rebels huddled on the other side of the wall.
Feeling sick and dizzy, Trash staggered backwards and fell into Grim. He caught her before she tripped over his feet, but she rocketed out of the building where Limes satisfied huffs dared to consume her. Immediately upon exiting the doorway, she was surrounded by Rebels who dared to shove her back inside. She looked around them and above their heads for an exit route, but jumped at the noises of a scuffle to her left. The leader turned her head in their direction, where on the alley wall, cast shadows of a three cat fight were being projected.
The blacked out silhouettes of two giant cats and a nimbler one jumped and sprung among each other. They ducked, dove and landed hits on one another, one of the larger cats clearly being overpowered by the others. The smaller cat was kicked away and flung out of view, then the others followed deeper into the pathway by tumbling. They fought and Trash pitifully pushed her way through the crowd, flinching at a jolted scream of demise that cracked from inside her alley.
Frazzled and annoyed, Trash deeply snapped, “move!” to the mixed group of onlookers. She got them to disperse, and Vixen came limping from the ruckus. Hunched and dragging herself along, she collapsed in on the sidewalk. Her thick pelt was littered with ugly slashes and blood from her forehead leaked into the cracks of the sidewalk. Trash raced to her side to nudge her head and see if she was breathing. Struggling, yet still alive, Vixen made eye contact and quickly shook her head before she passed out from blood loss.
Trash protectively stepped over her and prepared to defend the unconscious feline, but noticed none of The Rebels were watching her. Instead, they were focused on Rasha struggling to drag Mist out of the alley. He took large steps and jerked his head back to trudge the hefty cat along. He brought her dead weight body out of the alley and let her rest against the same sidewalk Vixen laid on. The only difference between the two beaten cats was that only one would stand back up again.
Lash ran around the edge of the crowd to see what everyone was looking at, and immediately once he saw the blue mackerel unmoving, he felt his own body stop. Unwillingly studying every blow she had taken and the one deep against her neck, he spoke without blinking. “bring Lime out here.” he ordered to anyone who would still listen to him. Spark volunteered and brought out the gore covered she cat who crumbled in dismay as soon as she looked around the corner.
Unphased and quiet, Rasha brushed his head against Lashs cheek. “your call.” he mewed.
Lash allowed the other Tom to graciously touch him, and used the comfort to speak again. “Rebels, retreat.” he announced.
“What was that?” Rasha brushed his tail to his.
“Rebels, retreat!” Lash loudly commanded.
“Good.” Rasha praised, leading The Rebels out of the city.
Lash remained in place and Wire harshly slammed his shoulder against his. He stumbled, and Sunset hit him on the other side. About to collapse, Bronze helped him up. Lash accepted the help and made his way to his broken family. Trash allowed them to have their peace, signaling her cats to back off with nothing more than just a look.
She had never seen Lime this distraught, not even when she murdered Cherry. If Limes vengeance for Cherry was the slaughter of Ismet, she fretted what would come next with the murder of her mother.
Since Mist was bigger than her loved ones, Lash and Lime stood on opposite sides of her and removed themselves from the city by pulling as hard as they could on her scruff. Lash kept his eyes down as they tugged her away but Lime held a tearfilled stare with Trash until they forced themselves through the bush barrier with the last of their ranks.
With The Rebels out of her city, Trash relaxed herself and prepared to deal with the aftermath of their attack. The Rebels thought the same, they all met back up at camp and let the silence speak volumes for their defeat. Lash allowed Lime to rest and regroup with Dust while he dropped Mist in front of his tree. Her body smacked the dirt as Lash haphazardly let her fall. Silent as ever, he scaled his tree and perched on his usual branch.
“We… failed, but must come back stronger next time. Mist will be nobly buried for her sacrifice to this feud and...and…. we will resist. We will keep resisting Broken Remains till the end..” Lash crookedly spoke to his shattered group. No cats held faith in him anymore. Not after that. They didn't care about the shell of their once bold leader. They needed new life and a guiding voice, two things Lash could no longer provide for them.
But Rasha could.
“Lash,” he started, voice soothing to the aching Tom's tufted ears. Lash raised his head at the use of his name and shifted where he sat. “don’t you think you should take it easy? Poor, poor sweet Lime needs some fatherly comfort in her time of need.” he suggested.
Lash shrugged, not even looking at his stone faced daughter who held back her tears. She had enough of crying. “I want change, not sympathy.” she snarled from her spot next to Dust.
“Well,” Rasha snickered. “I stand corrected. Perhaps that will be in best interest for all of us.” he lowered his brows and stood up on the stone slab. “Lash, step down.” he ordered, making Lash laugh in alarm.
His demand didn't even raise concern or commotion among the cats behind him. It was time. They all saw this coming and accepted it.
“What?” he squeaked, raising his paw to his chest.
“Old friend, The Rebel cause will fall harder than you have if you don't surrender your title to me.” Rasha hummed.
When Lash refused to get off the branch, Rasha took it upon himself to force him. He darted forward, latched onto the tree to climb it, and shoved Lash toward the thinner part of the wood. The odd branch didn't move under their shared weight and Lash didn't jump down.
“Rasha, I am The Rebel leader! I organized all of us even before the earthquake hit! This group wouldn't exist without me!” Lash pleaded, trying to hang onto the role he held dearly.
“And if you stay, we won't exist anymore! Get down!” Rasha growled and aggressively stood up and swiped at Lashs paws. Lash jumped, re-landed on the branch, and the contraption unnaturally bent downwards with pressure. Old, unoiled gears clicked into place due to the flipping of the switch, and Rasha jumped up right in time of the lever being pulled. He stabilized himself on a higher, real branch, and Lash tumbled through the air during his fall from grace. Snow swirled around him like collapsing stars and he reached for what was outside of his grasp.
Lash twisted to try and save himself from crudely landing on the snow, but he couldn't save himself. He popped his back on the tree roots and felt the wind be torn from him. He gasped and rolled on his side to balance himself, and saw gleaming yellow eyes watching him from above. Rasha had dethroned him and claimed an even higher branch than he had.
Reacting to the fake branch being pulled, the stone slab in the center of their camp split right at the middle. The half discs pulled themselves under the ground in opposite directions, and they were left with a gaping, stone staircase that led below the surface. The Rebels curiously sniffed the area, but no one was brave enough to place their paw on the first stair. They looked up to Rasha for answers.
Rasha couldn't explain what it was, but he was ready to swindle his way around their questions. Breathing in the cool, high air, he appreciated the sun hitting his face with the changing of day. He rejoiced in its warmth and the adoration of his followers below. It was now time for him to speak as the new Rebel leader. Speaking clearly, loudly and proudly, he prepared himself for a successful future.
“My friends, my companions and my Rebels.. it is time for a new level of our partnership.” he studied the crowd before speaking again, his sights falling on Dust. “Lash has retired and I am rightfully in change… now, I have an idea for where we can begin." he paused once more for effect, and finished strong. " This is the revival of The Rebels, a changing of the sky and most importantly.. the fall of the city.”