"Blizzard!" Owl gasped. The she-cat Wildflower faced ditched the fight and ran over to the silver she-cat's side, standing next to her confidently. The black she-cat came up too, followed by the white tom.

     Is that really Blizzard? Or is this a trick? The two she-cats locked eyes and stared at each other, drowning in the other's deep-colored orbs. From the expression Blizzard showed, she recognized her and her jaw parted the slightest, blinking. 

     She hoped the Imperfect remembered her well. The once small and defenseless kit she overpowered moons ago coming back as a perfect cat. Standing before her taller, braver, and stronger. All Wildflower could hope for was this battle didn't end up like the last and she could turn the tables on the Imperfect, putting Blizzard in the place she needed to be. 

     Storm noticed her staring. "Do you know her?" she questioned. 

     "You look very familiar," Blizzard hissed out, pointing her tail at Wildflower. The rest of the Imperfects glanced at each other and then at the golden scouter, their puzzled looks becoming nothing more than background in her emerald eyes. "Do I know you...?"

     "I'm disappointed you don't know me. Here I wished I hadn't been knocked out back then. I guess I get to have my revenge today," she snarled through her clenched teeth. Blood coursed through her body, granting her strength to stand. 

     "Storm," Crow stated, not taking his lethal amber eyes off of the Imperfects. "Get the tribe."

     "What? No! I'm a warrior! It's my job to fight!" Storm protested. The she-cat took an inch forward, ready to fight again. The four Imperfects surrounded Blizzard, almost as if the silver Imperfect was a leader of some kind. Wildflower paid close attention to their movements, trying to pick out a flaw.

     "How naive. You worry about us making a move over here?" Blizzard's tail flicked and Wildflower's eyes widened as another cat stepped out.

     Lightning was just as surprised to see Wildflower as was Blizzard. He stopped walking for a second, staring at her with round eyes. That shock was overlapped with hardness and the tom marched beside his sister, taking his place beside the Imperfects. 

     "What's going on here?" he asked. Wildflower wanted to blurt out but Crow jumped in.

     "Storm, go get help now!" he barked, shoving the tabby away. Storm collected herself together, scowled, and darted off in the bushes.

     "Get her," said Lightning, pointing to the trail that Storm made. Owl nodded loyally and burst through, staying on the warrior's trail like a bullet. She didn't have enough time to trip him by the time he passed by her. 

     "Care to explain how you're back from the dead?" Wildflower challenged, keeping her attention planted on the two siblings. 

     "You know them?!" Crow hissed, refusing to let his guard down.

     "We were all near the edge of death," Blizzard replied. "But you since we're Imperfect---"

     "We weren't killed in your 'perfect' manor," Lightning finished, smirking as his eyes narrowed. "This was your mistake. Firestorm forced us all to get up and get back before we could die. All we did was disappear as we recovered."

     Why didn't they just kill them when they had the chance! We wouldn't have to deal with this now! Wildflower looked around the forest in fear. "Does that mean... Firestorm, Tsunami, and Wildfire are alive...?"

     "Alive?" Blizzard snorted. "Of course they are! I mean, you interacted with Wildfire and saved her from those toms. While I don't improve a cat like you saving her, she was at the paws of others like you. If you hadn't come in and saved her, I don't know what things would be like."

     Wildfire? Wildflower felt her world freeze as her mind played over. "The golden cat..." she gasped as if a boulder fell on her back; knocking all of the air out of her lungs. Endless Stars, I knew I helped an Imperfect cat, but maybe I should've just left her to those toms if I knew her name! 

     Lightning rolled his eyes in disgust. "How have you even survived this long? Have you been living under a rock?"

     "She knew it was you, the moment you came in," Blizzard said. "As soon as she got back home, she told us she found you. Your name...?"

     "Wildflower," she snarled.

     "Hmm... like Wildfire," Lightning mused.

     "Leave it," Blizzard groaned. "Why did I even bother bringing you?"

     "I wanted a taste of blood myself," Lightning growled.

     "Aww, you're growing up so fast," Blizzard purred, face no longer strict and angry. Wildflower burst out laughing as Lightning turned red as the silver she-cat became a dotting sister and forced herself into an embrace.

     "What's this?" Wildflower taunted.

     "B-Blizzard! Not now!" Lightning sputtered. "Stay focused!"

     "Oh, but it only seems like yesterday---"

     "Enough!" Lightning shouted. Wildflower sprang, crashing into him without warning. Crow, realizing her action, gave up any hope of reasoning with them, and joined the battle. The ginger she-cat, however, was on alert and tackled him to the ground before the scouter could reach Blizzard. 

     Wildflower smashed his head against the ground, using her weight to hold the younger tom down. Lightning, still dazed, peered an eye open and reached for her shoulders, digging his paws into her shoulder blades painfully. She released her grip and latched her claws into his front legs. 

     Instead, Blizzard yanked her off. The two she-cats wrestled as Lightning staggered to his feet like a newborn deer. He wobbled around on his paws, showing her that her attacks were working on him. Wildflower growled at Blizzard, slipping under her paws. Instead of rearing up, the Imperfect jumped away before she could attack, leaving her slashing at open air.

     Distracted for a brief second, Wildflower saw Blizzard take the chance. She sprang once again, going for her neck. Acting fast, she dove under the Imperfect, barely making it under without a scratch. With her front paws hooked onto her pelt, she clawed her way up the silver she-cat's back, mimicking the tactic she fell to moons ago. 

     Lightning recovered and sprang at Wildflower without giving himself rest. His front paws landed on his sister's pelt, his claws sheathed. He managed to grab her tail in his jaws and bit down, erupting a volcano of pain. As a result, her claws sunk into Blizzard even further and the she-cat tumbled over as the tom lost his balance on his back legs. 

     "Stop! Please! Don't hurt her!" A familiar she-cat begged. Spending a few moments, Wildflower spotted the same golden she-cat she saved on her burst out of the clearing, heading straight for the group.

     "Wildfire! Get back!" Another tom hissed from the hiding place.

     "No! I won't just stand by as my siblings fight! I'm not just a powerless Storm Sibling!" Wildfire snapped. Her amber eyes landed on Wildflower, the two sharing a glance before Wildflower returned to fight, wrapping her paws around the tan-colored tom. 

     Lightning sprang, blowing Wildflower off and pinning her down.

     He was close enough for her to smell his horrid scent. Withering, she smashed her head into his, dazing both of them. That's when Wildfire came in and slipped under her brother successfully, making a beeline for the scouter. 

     But Wildflower took the chance and dealt a kick to Lightning's stomach, keeping him on the ground. Then she whirled around and faced Wildfire, catching the tiny she-cat in her claws. The Imperfect gasped and struggled but was caught like a fly. She snickered at her pathetic attempts.

     "Are you really a Storm Sibling?" she gloated, placing a paw on her tiny throat. Wildfire gulped, fear lashing in her eyes. Wildflower absorbed that fear as power; power to win and kill. "Wasn't there were five of you?"

     "Let Wildfire go!" Another she-cat jumped in, this one with light brown fur. "You will not hurt her as long as I'm alive!" Wildflower lashed out with her right paw, catching the Imperfect in the ear. The she-cat reared back, rubbing it but still charged forward. Another tom ran up, a few paces back, eyes planted on her with the look of a savage beast fueling his every step.

     "Warriors, attack!" A new voice hissed venom. It leaked into the air, sending shivers up her spine. The brown she-cat stopped, looked up, and got tackled by Storm. Crow broke free from the other she-cat's grasp, running over to Wildflower's aid.

     Pelts swarmed in, ranging from black to white. Some even weren't warriors, as she caught a whiff of catmint fly across the scene with an enraged yowl. Crow managed to pin Lightning down and a few other cats rushed to help pin down the thrashing tom. Blizzard's eyes were alight with fury, challenging about three cats all at the same time, her attacks beginning to falter. The group sent one cat out at a time and then switched with another. 

     The entire Tribe of Shining Suns was swarming to fight, and Wildflower felt renewed strength return in heaps, giving her the strength to fight. She grinned, eyes searching for an Imperfect among perfect pelts. 

     Blizzard figured out the forces, too, her eyes flashing with worry just as another warrior threw itself at her. Owl burst into the battle and instantly got tackled down by Origanum, the tiny Alpha packing the strength of a pack. 

     Then the silver Imperfect shrieked and turned out that Maple had noticed the she-cat, remembering the Imperfect well. They clashed together, seeming to prove who was stronger once again in a sea of snaps and snarls. Wildflower's hopes soared and turned back to Wildfire.

     "Citrus!" she gasped, trying to plead with her. "That's your name, right?! Citrus!"

     "That isn't my name," she hissed, tightening her grip and leaning closer to her neck. Wildfire stopped thrashing around, resorting to pleading and begging; an imperfect tactic.

     What are you waiting for, Wildflower? Finish it already! End her life! Voices hissed in her mind, and Wildflower gave in, claws tightening as Wildfire's eyes bulged. "This time, you'll stay dead."

     "Let go of Wildfire!" A voice roared and a black and white calico clashed into Wildflower.

     "Let go of my sister!" Blaze snarled, coming from behind. Wildflower's head hit the ground with the force of the incoming cat, causing her to see stars. Over her, Tsunami had arrived, nostrils flaring as her claws dug into her sides.

     Just how many cats are coming!?!

     Tsunami, still enraged, sunk her claws into her shoulders and used her back claws to tear up her underbelly. Wildflower flinched in pain, but reached her head up, ignoring the searing pain in her stomach as she bit down. The calico yowled and Blaze lunged, throwing the she-cat to the side.

     Wildfire got back up on her paws but didn't look like she wanted to fight her. "Citrus..." She moaned and Wildflower shut off her mind, letting her instincts and blood take control. She prowled like a tiger, claws unleashing, and smashed the little she-cat to the side.

     From her view, it seemed like the main threats were Lightning, Blizzard, and Tsunami. With them, it seemed like there were two or three cats to aid each one of them. The white tom and black she-cat had returned to the fight, regrouping to take on a warrior, Spring. Despite the disorganized ways of the Imperfects, the tribe's numbers outnumbered them. 

     Wildfire refused to give up. "Citrus! Listen! You don't have to live this life!" she yowled and Wildflower pounced on her once again. "You can be one of us! Like before! When I offered---"

     "Why would I be an Imperfect? Give me a reason," Wildflower hissed, blocking off her ears. "You've got about thirty seconds before you're history!"

     "W-what..?" Wildfire sputtered and then pouted, the fur along her spine spiking out. "Fine, you don't have to be in that place! You can be free! Join us---"

     "No, I'm not doing that," Wildflower declared. Attack now! Go! 

     "Blizzard! We can't go any further...!" The black-she cat hissed through the chaos. "All we can do is hold them back! We can't take it now!"

     "Father told us to fight, but we can't handle all of this...!" Lightning growled, slashing a paw down Icicle's side, to which the beta reared up and yowled just as a spy replaced her, taking the Imperfect himself. "I hate defeat, I'd rather die in our home than this forsaken place!"

     "Run!" Tsunami roared, still under Blaze's claws, struggling to keep her paws in the air. "This isn't the way I wanted to die, especially to a cat that defeated me moons ago!"

     "You're not going to die like that, Tsunami! Don't give me that dramatic speech!" A tom growled at her, jumping onto Blaze. 

     While she found it interesting that the Imperfects were willing to throw themselves into harm's way just for one another, Wildflower forced herself to spit on them. Seeing all of them trying to survive against a wave of perfection was impressive, but she shook the thought away like a loose cobweb.

     They'll all die.

     "Retreat!" Blizzard growled, wrenching Maple off of her. The two she-cats jumped in front of her protectively before her older sister could do anything. Lightning looked at the cats and then turned his tail, seeming to keep his head low as he ran away. Wildflower saw Tsunami scramble under Blaze in a last resort, leaving her tom friend to deal with the beta. She staggered over to Wildfire, taking her and then dragging her off, casting a harsh glare at her. 

     Origanum still battled Owl. Against the Alpha, he stood no chance of surviving. The Tribe of Shining Sun cats chased down the Imperfects down the trail but all of them stopped together as soon as they stepped foot on the left side of the territory, the pathetic cats running with their tails tucked behind their legs. Wildflower scanned the field, her injuries from Tsunami catching up to her. The only other Imperfects around were Tsunami, Wildfire, and Owl.

     Right as the Alpha ripped Owl's neck in an awkward way and the snap of bone split the air, she realized didn't get a single kill in. 

     "At least you didn't lose," her mind told comforted. Wildflower glanced at the left side of the trail, keeping her eyes peeled for another cat to emerge. Her sides heaved and Origanum raced over, kneeling by her side as her body collapsed, blood pouring out of her stomach.

     "Wildflower? Don't die, okay? You've done everything you can, just stay alive! Get a healer now!" The Alpha snapped, looking over her shoulder. 

     And from the corner of her eye, Wildflower saw something flutter outside of her vision, spreading their wings into the sky.

     Hovering above the ground, she thought she could see a slim outline of a light brown she-cat, her hazel eyes shining with warmth, revealing no emotions. Her paws dangled above Origanum, but the Alpha hardly noticed the cat. 

     When Maple ran past, the guardian went through the cat, the figure wavering in the light before fading away. Wildflower blinked, hoping to see the mysterious cat, but the brown she-cat was gone and replaced by the concerned face of her sister.

     "Where's that healer?!" Origanum yowled angrily. "Heather!" She yowled and another brown she-cat stood there, mouth stuffed with herbs. 

     "It's okay..." Her voice was calm and sounded like flowing water, the scent of herbs entering her nose. Wildflower's eyes shifted before she fell into a deep, quiet sleep.