The Other Side Of The Sun (A Warrior cats AU)

Chapter Three: Looking Back

Jessy panted, pushing herself harder.

You'd think a dead cat would be slow.

Firestar was several tail-lengths ahead of her, his pelt sparkling faintly in the bright noonday sun.

What did the Clan cats call this time of day? Sunhigh? I want to start using their terms. . . I'm not a kittypet anymore.

Jessy winced as she stepped on a pebble driven into the ground.

"Keep up, Jessy! We're doing great!"

Firestar called over his shoulder without looking at her. . . Or stopping.

Jessy sighed, pausing to give her paw pad a quick lick before continuing.

Life sure was simpler when I was a kittypet. . . But I don't want to go back. And I wouldn't trade Bramblestar or ThunderClan for anything.

She smiled slightly as she once again pulled up her last memories of Bramblestar. His scent, which reminded her of her of an oak tree after a rainstorm. His tabby pelt, with battle-won scars cutting through its tiger stripes and hard muscles that rippled under it whenever he strided through the ThunderClan camp. His voice, which reminded her of her former male housefolk. . . Deep and gentle, giving her an instant assurance of safety and peace. His amber eyes, as bright of Firestar's ginger pelt in front of her, watching everything going on his beloved Clan. Watching her. Protective, loving, fierce. . . Pained.

She stumbled again, and called to Firestar in exasperation,

"Hey, Sun! Could you slow down a bit? I can't effortlessly float around like you!"

"I told you not to call me that." Firestar responded, still not looking at her or slowing down. "Just a little further. If we can just get to the river that's nearby, we can rest."

"How far is this river?"

"Not far."

Jessy frowned at his vague answer, then sat down stubbornly.

"I'm tired, and I need to rest."

Firestar finally paused and growled,

"We can rest when we get there."

Jessy dropped onto her belly and, putting on her playful voice, whined,

"Come on, Sun. I'm carrying four bodies here!"

Firestar suddenly spun around to face her. His green eyes were irritated and impatient. There was no hint of his humor or the teasing relationship that they had developed in their half-moon of travels. Jessy couldn't help flinching at his glare.

"Stop calling me that! Stop whining and stop groveling on the ground like a kit! Get up and let's go!"

Jessy stared at him as he turned away and started walking again.

"What's wrong with you?"

Firestar froze.

"Su-Firestar? What happened to you?"

Firestar's shoulders slumped and there was a heaviness in his voice as he mewed,

"Please, Jessy. Just trust me. We have to keep going."

Jessy stood up, frustrated.

"Why? What's the rush? What harm would a little break do?"

Firestar turned back around, his pelt bristling.

"A 'little break' as you call it could cost us hours of sunlight to travel by, and that could be the difference between life or death!"

Jessy scraped the ground with her claws, hissing,

"What do you mean? What aren't you telling me? Why do we constantly have to be moving? SkyClan isn't going anywhere!"

"You don't know that!" Firestar snarled. "You don't know anything about what is happening in the present because you won't stop looking back!"

Shock jolted through Jessy, and she flattened her ears as Firestar stalked toward her, growling,

"You spend all your time thinking about what you have given up, and have given no thought to where we are going and why! You haven't even started questioning until just now!"

"I. . . I. ."

"If you weren't ready to follow your destiny and understand it, you should've stayed in your flea-bitten Twoleg den! There are lives depending on us, and you want to sit here and rest and whine about the life you've lost!"

Hurt at his words made Jessy drop to her stomach again, and she whimpered,

"I. . I didn't know. If you had told me it was important. . ."

Firestar stood over her, still glaring.

"Any time a StarClan warrior-much less two- comes to a Clan cat, it is important. You'd know that if you were actually a Clan cat."

Jessy gasped, staring up at him in fear and pain.

"I'm. . . I'm sorry, Sun. I'll do better, I'll. ."

Firestar's gaze hardened more and he spat,

"My name is not Sun! It is Firestar, leader of ThunderClan! When you are ready to take this seriously, let me know! Until then, enjoy your rest."

"Wait. . Wait, what do you-?" Was all Jessy managed to get out before Firestar was gone. It was as if he was never there.

Fear flooded Jessy's veins, and she stood up shakily.

"Sun?"

She turned in a quick, frantic circle. She didn't sew his starry, ginger pelt anywhere.

"Sun!" She yowled. There was no response.

". . . Firestar?"

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Oof this chapter hurt to write. . . So for context, Firestar is upset because behind the scenes, StarClan is now aware of Darktail's presence and know that he is about to infiltrate SkyClan soon. Firestar is absolutely devastated and is hoping that Jessy might mean the difference between SkyClan being driven out.