~ stuck in the tunnels ~ holly x cinder au

~ Chapter 4 ~

'Will you be okay to stick with me tonight? I miss doing that when we were apprentices...'

Hollyleaf turned back and her heart ached. Of course, they were always together like a monster on the Thunderpath. 'Of course Cinderheart, I'll stay with you. We'll keep each other company,' she promised. She claimed the rest of the soft, fresh moss in her teeth and placed some next to the nest to make it bigger for two cats. Her pawsteps seemed to echo on beat with the drips in the cave. She then settled down beside her. As she did, so much nostalgia ran through her head when times used to be perfect, there was no 'prophecy' no 'half-clan relationships' and especially no 'dead cats.'

The silence was broken when Cinderheart looked up at Hollyleaf and meowed, 'I did hear in the Clan that you jumped in the cave, and rumours went around saying that you.. I don't know.. passed.. away.' Her meow broke.

Hollyleaf's heart sank as Cinderheart revealed the Clan's false beliefs. 'No, no! I just needed a break from everything, you know?' Hollyleaf felt even more dread and guilt creep up on her when Cinderheart had told her that everyone in the Clan thinks she is dead. The thought of her clanmates' misunderstanding stung like a thorn in her heart. 'Cinderheart, I think everybody in our Clan is probably thinking that about you right now.'

Cinderheart scoffed, 'They don't even know yet. If they do they'll just think I've gone missing.'

Hollyleaf's eyes widened in shock. This was completely out of character for Cinderheart. Normally, she'd be out and about, smiling, having fun, or eagerly volunteering for patrols. Hollyleaf couldn't help but wonder how Cinderheart had ended up here, hidden away in this underground refuge. She had always known Cinderheart as the cat with boundless determination, the one who thrived in every situation she faced, the one who shone like a star in the Clan. It was bewildering. Why was she down here when she could be living her life to the fullest?

'Cinderheart, why? Why would you do something so perilous, leaping into the cave like that? You could've lost your life!' Hollyleaf's voice was filled with genuine concern as she gazed at Cinderheart. She met her friend's gaze, but there was regret in Cinderheart's eyes, and she struggled to maintain eye contact. 'You don't deserve to be down here, not for a single moment,' Hollyleaf declared with heartfelt sincerity.

As she finished her truthful statement, Cinderheart looked back up at Hollyleaf, finally maintaining the eye contact. 'You're saying that to me? Say that to yourself!' she prodded her with slight humour and a tinge of sadness that stayed in her eyes. 'The Clan has been so boring without you. I know about the Ashfur thing, and I do agree that it was so unacceptable.' Hollyleaf was now the one who was struggling look directly at Cinderheart. So much guilt had eaten up Hollyleaf like a dog. 'But can I be honest? Clan life has just been so.. I don't know, like a post-battle. Everybody's been so sad, everybody really misses you. I missed you so much. There's just so much... sadness and hidden wounds on every cat right now,' Cinderheart's voice grew sleepier and sleepier as she started to murmur her words. 

Hollyleaf noticed that she may need to rest and she needs someone close by with her right now. Getting closer to her, she closed her eyes as the silence apart from the rhythmic drops coming from the far end of the cave comforted her. 

She was took to the ThunderClan territory, where the orange and yellow leaves on the trees fell to the ground. The sky was a grey and blue colour and the slight breeze made her fur dance youthfully. The scent of squirrel informed her of nearby prey. Scanning around the forest and keeping her paws steady,  a flash of darker brown appeared in her vision. Crouching down and putting each paw in front of each other carefully, a strong rush of satisfaction made her excited. Too excited that she forgot where she was putting her paws, a loud crack of a twig made the little creature look up in fear.

'For StarClan's sake!' Hollypaw had groaned in her head. Instead of aborting her mission, she decided to rush through the trees to catch the squirrel. As trees blurred around her, everything else seemed not matter anymore again and before she knew it..

BAM!

A flash of grey and black collided on the floor. Both cats rolled over and purred with amusement. Cinderpaw had been tracking the squirrel all along too! A rush of energy filled Hollyleaf as she recalled the moment they went practice hunting together. The look on the golden toms' faces as a failed hunting attempt occurred was so comical to them! Brackenfur and Thornclaw did try to hide their amusement however; Hollyleaf remembered the disappointment in their faces but the humour glowed in their eyes.

As Hollyleaf reminisced about those carefree days, she couldn't help but smile, grateful for the cherished memories she shared with Cinderheart. The echoes of laughter filled her heart, but now, in the peaceful solitude of the cave, exhaustion tugged at her like a heavy weight. She knew she needed to rest, for both their sakes. Closing her eyes, she let the soothing rhythm of the cave's drips lull her into a deep slumber, where dreams of happier times danced on the edges of her consciousness.