"What do you think you're doing?" The roar of the small molly could be heard from the medicine cat den. Appleshard backed out from it, her paws scrabbled across the hard, stone floor as she tried to get away. "Don't you dare touch my herbs again unless you want to be killed!" The medicine cat charged out of her den, snapping and snarling at the tall molly. Compared to Appleshard, Petalpool looked like a kit. "Pah! And what is a medicine cat going to do? You can't kill me!" Appleshard said the words 'medicine cat' in a mocking tone. Petalpool reared up, unsheathed her claws and sliced then through the molly's face. Appleshard let out a yowl and raised her paw up to cover the wound. "I won't kill you, but I have clan mates that would happily do so." She glanced round at Sunsplash who gave a small smile before trotting away with Cactusstar.
Shadowfire sighed. It had been a few days since his punishment. He'd gotten in so much trouble, he was quarantined to camp, had to clean the Elder's nests like an apprentice, had to get rid of their fleas like an apprentice, he groaned. Worst of all he had been moved to a separate den with Durian. She was so annoying! She was beautiful looking and seemed perfect in every way, but she was so whiney. 'Get me a bird from the fresh-kill pile.' 'I'm thirsty.' 'When will Cactusstar be back?' 'How is Cactusstar?' 'Why does he like Sunsplash so much suddenly?' All of these questions she would repeatedly ask or demand, it ddrive him crazy! Not only that, but she would shorten his name to 'Shadow' all the time and he hated it! Was his name THAT hard to pronounce?
"Shadow?" The molly peered over his back, he was starring at the wall, not wanting to look her in the eyes. "It's Shadowfire." He snarled before staring back at the wall. A blank wall was more interesting than the ginger she-cat. "Who's that molly over there?" She flicked her tail to point at Petalpool. He grumbled and turned to look out of the den. "Petalpool. She's our medicine cat." He noticed Appleshard walking back, part of him wanted to snarl and attack her for getting him in so much trouble but the other part made him pull back. She technically hadn't made him destroy the prey, he had after hearing her conversation with her deputy about trying to kill off some of the EclipseClan cats.
He grumbled. Why did he think there would be death berries in the prey? None of them grew in MapleClan territory and someone would have seen her stuffing the prey. He must've misunderstood their conversation. He watched as she pulled a piece of prey from the pile and slowly began to eat it. Durian pushed herself over to him. "You seem to stare at Appleshard a lot." She meowed calmly, hinting at something. He scrambled up to his paws so he was sat up straight. The tom stared her directly in the eyes. "It's not what you think! I-" He mumbled quickly, trying to keep his focus on her. "I'm just saying." Durian shrugged before laying down in her nest.
He glanced back in Appleshard's direction and felt, was that, was that butterflies in his stomach? Of course not! Appleshard was just someone he wanted to become good friends with, nothing more. He looked at his paws, nervousness started to wash over him. Since when was Appleshard's fur so silky looking? He wanted to shake his head, but Durian was looking. Maybe, maybe she was right? Of course she wasn't! Appleshard was just, intresting.
"I'm gonna get something to eat." Obviously that's why he had butterflies, they were just telling him he was hungry! He rose from the moss bed and began to pad out from the den. "Get me something, will you?" Durian called out. Shadowfire rolled his eyes and began to crouch down by the pile. He picked out a sparrow and a grass snake.
"Hey." He heard the smooth voice that had followed Shadowfire around for multiple days now. "Oh, uh hi, um, Appleshard." He mumbled and dropped the prey on the floor. "What are you doing?" Appleshard mewled, staring into his eyes, mesmerising him. "Uh, getting p-prey, why?" He stammered, slowly backing away towards his temporary den. "Leaving so soon?" She sighed, "I was only wondering. I suppose you should leave." With that, she left.
"How could you love her?" Durian's voice was hot and scolding, like lava. Shadowfire lifted his head, thinking she was talking to him. "I- I don't know she's just-" He was cut off by the molly's snarl. "Not you, you snake-heart! I'm talking to him, your father." She snapped then looked Cactusstar in the eyes. "How do you love that- that creature!" She lashed out at Sunsplash who backed up. Durian smirked. "Even in a world of disappointments, she is a true let down." She stared Cactusstar in the eyes, his facial expression morphed into a smirk then quickly back to a frown. "Don't talk about my mate like that!" He lashed his tail from side to side. Sunsplash sighed then turned to face Shadowfire.
"We made a decision." Shadowfire stared her in the eyes.
[I]Cactusstar made a decision.
He thought then turned to face her. A cool breeze wound its way into the den to imbed itself in his his fur and to run across his skin. "You're free to do as you wish." The tom paused for a moment then flung himself at her. His front legs wrapped around her back and he burried his face into her neck. "Thank you, thank you so much." Tears builded up on his eyes, he didn't want to let go. No, he wouldn't let go. He lifted his head to whisper in her ear.
"Please leave Dad."
He felt her go rigid. "Why would I do that? He loves me, he cares about me." Shadowfire felt his skin crawl as if it was moving across his bones. "No he doesn't. He's horrible to you, then he pretends to be nice to you, please, please just leave." Sunsplash let out a pained growl. "You're lying, you're lying! STOP LYING!" Cactusstar raised his head up to listen to the drama going on.
"What's happening?" He let out a low snarl and Sunsplash began to stumble away. Shadowfire could smell the strong fear scent spewing from his mother. He crouched down, his fur bristled. His lip curled around, revealing his sharp, white teeth. The black tom's ears pushed back as his claws slid out. "Nothing that involves you." He snarled, he felt the tention in the air as the the two stared eachother in the eyes.
A body shoved him out of the way then shoved their way through the lichen. "Sunsplash, wait!" Shadowfire called as he slipped back into his normal self. Shadowfire chased after her, hsi paws bearly touched the smooth stone as he began to catch up to her.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Her voice pierced the air as she screamed at her son. Shadowfire froze. Sunsplash had changed so much.
[C]Clouds curled over the clear blue sky. They were dark gray in colour and Petalpool couldn't help but shudder at the thought of another storm. It seems that StarClan had cursed them with endless rain that was constantly washing away all the rain.
[C]Proudly, she strode into the leader's den. She opened her mouth to to speak but was shoved out the way by an orange and yellow figure. They slashed and clawed their way through the lichen. Petalpool let out a small growl before turning to stare Cactusstar in the eyes.
[C]"Why? Why are you acting like this? You are not the leader I once knew and loved!"
[C]"I don't quite know what you're talking about." Cactusstar growled, his already spiky fur bristling.
[C]"I know Sunsplash like the back of my paw. She's so trusting and kind to you. She'll do anything for you. Even die for you. And you treat her like foxdung!" She snarled, he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off "How could you treat someone as amazing as her so horribly! She's the best thing in your life. She's the best she-cat in anyone's lives." Cactusstar paused for a moment then smirked.
[C]"Oh. I know what this is about." He snorted. "You love the pathetic scrap of fur, don't you? I don't know what you see in her. She's useless."
[C]Petalpool's heart sank into her belly. She felt her throat tighten as she stared him in the eyes. Tears slowly started to form in her eyes. "What does it matter to you?" She paused "and how DARE you? She's not useless. She's the best thing you could ask for!" Her tail lashed and flickered like a snake and Cactusstar smirked.
[C]"You really can't figure out your place, can you? Pathetic. Go back to your little herb storage with you?" He started snorting while staring at her.
[C]"No."
[C]"Did you just defy me?" His voice roared as his claws slid out. His paw lashed out and sliced across her fluffy cheek. Petalpool grabbed her cheek and felt hot blood. "Aww, dwoes the wittle mwedicine cwat wanna pwut a cobweb on thawt wittle wound?" He teased.
[C]Her lip curled and she lashed her paw out. Her claws dragged over his face and she left. Now she only needed to dress this wound and find Sunsplash.
[IC]If Sunspalsh leaves Cactusstar, I'll tell her my true feelings. Only because she needs to know, she'll never love me, not in that way anyway.
