Warriors- Rise of the Guardians

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Kougar!"

His warning came a second too late. He met her eyes, the shock and fear flaming in her wide, innocent eyes, her mouth open in a silent yowl- a sound that was never heard. Because the next moment she was gone, gone once again, the air around them still as ever, as if nothing had changed.

Tigerstar's own mouth was open. A pleading whimper escaped him. It was too quiet. So quiet it deafened him. His eyes were wide, as wide as Kougar's a moment ago. His heart couldn't believe what had just happened, and his mind seemed to be locked into a standstill.

"Kougar...?"

He whispered her name, full of hope that she would reply. And when she didn't, his heart finally broke apart, the already shattered pieces breaking even more, the agony like claws digging into his chest. He barely noticed the existence of the other male, and he didn't care.

His mind spun. Tigerstar. It was his dark soul that did this. It was a part of his soul that did this. His fault. His fault. He never should have let the dark side take over.

Yes, this is your fault. Your entire fault. What you want, I will always want. Until you truly lose your love for her, I will always want her.

His dark side's words ghosted from the wind, sending chills down his spine.

Tigerstar wanted to yowl, he wanted to run away and just find her, to tear his dark side into shreds, but he couldn't. His soul was in pieces, his life was seeping away with every second without Kougar by his side, and he was staring at the empty forest, frozen. His eyes were empty, staring at the beautiful forest, but seeing nothing, feeling nothing but helplessness.

Because there was nothing a broken cat could do.

--

Lionstar didn't know how long he had leaned on Eaglewing. It felt right, like home, and he didn't want to move. He wanted to forget everything, his brother, the prophecy, and the guardians. Then he moved away and stared into Eaglewing's gentle eyes, and felt like he had the strength to take on the world, because his female was back where she belonged, by his side.

"I'm sorry, Eaglewing. I just—"

Eaglewing purred and licked his cheek.

"It's okay, Lionstar. Everything will be okay. Don't worry so much, alright? Starclan is helping us."

Lionstar's chest clenched with an emotion he had never felt before. Yet now, staring into Eaglewing's yellow-green eyes, he knew, without a doubt, what he felt was love. A love he had never felt for any other cat, a love he would never ever feel with any other cat.

They stared at each other in silence, a silence that spoke volumes. They had been with one another for so long, no words were needed to understand each other. Lionstar rubbed his cheek with Eaglewing's and his eyes shut, as he whispered in her ear, like a secret, the words he had always wanted to tell her.

"I love you."

Her purr delighted him as she shifted closer to him, her reply almost sending him yowling his elation to Starclan.

"I'm yours, Lionstar."