Warriors: Leafpool's Choice

PROLOGUE: HOLLYLEAF

"HOW COULD I MESS UP?" Around the bend of ThunderClan's territory in the midst of a few low-growing tussocks and bushes would be the hole in the ground that would be the unexpected cause of a young she-cat, Hollyleaf's, death. Due to the shock and rage ravaging through her emotions, Hollyleaf could not think straight, and only strived to protect her aunt, former adoptive mother, Squirrelflight, and herself, from releasing the secret of her own parentage, that Leafpool was her mother, not Squirrelflight.

Hollyleaf hated Leafpool with a bitter and deathless hatred, each time she even crossed her mind, Hollyleaf would bat at the air just to rid of the aroma of the sweet she-cat. Generally a daughter would be angry if her mother was not to be. But Hollyleaf took it too far when she brutally murdered Ashfur, a ThunderClan warrior, particularly the one who threatened to unleash the secret. 

The murder case concluded it to be WindClan's doing, but none knew of Hollyleaf's betrayal. Till she revealed it to be Ashfur on one fateful night, she had gone from the Gathering to release the secret herself, Leafpool was demoted from being a medicine cat and Squirrelflight was punished for lying to her Clan by Brambleclaw, their adoptive father, divorcing her. 

After Leafpool was in the medicine den, staring at her reflection in a pool within the cave, Hollyleaf had arrived with a dangerous pawful of yew berries wrapped neatly in a leaf, as though a gift to her 'loving' mother.

She had came with a pleasant expression but this interaction was far from pleasant, in fact it would affect Leafpool for the rest of her life. Hollyleaf's expression swiftly changed and she stepped forth, opening the gift and letting the yew berries spill out in front of her mother's paws. "Traitor," she whispered, "do you see these Deathberries?" 

Leafpool looked horrified, a sudden shock rippling through her and concluded with Hollyleaf's satisfied dignity. "You're going to eat them, or I'll make you." Her last sentence was grim, and Leafpool was so stunned that she asked, "what?"

"Eat them!" Hollyleaf snapped, "you deserve to die... I've killed once, and I can do it again." It did not bother her to mention Ashfur's deserved death, and Leafpool shook her head softly, and her lips stretched on both sides in a sympathetic smile, "it's okay, Hollyleaf, I forgive you," but in this moment Hollyleaf knew that retaliating would make things better, and the outcome would make her ever regret bearing Hollyleaf.

"What! You forgive me? You're the one who needs forgiveness! You abandoned your kits! You let us grow up in a web of lies, and now the warrior code might be broken forever because of your stupid, selfish actions!" She hissed back, curling her lips backward in a ferocious snarl, if Leafpool was going to stubbornly forgive Hollyleaf, then she would have to kill her mother herself. 

 "Do you think you need to tell me that? I can only tell you how much I love you. I'm so sorry for what I did." Leafpool's tone was irking and annoyingly calm, Hollyleaf's hairs stood erect on her back, the fury she was feeling was nothing like she had ever felt. Everything crossed her mind, her birth, Squirrelflight straying out of the nursery, apprenticed to her own mother, and it all made sense now. Leafpool was attempting to stay close to Hollyleaf, but it seemed Leafpool was nothing but gratified by her choice of giving her kits away and breaking the warrior and medicine cat rules.

"How can I forgive you, Leafpool?" She replied shakily, her throat clenching and her eyes beginning to water. "All my life...it's just been--a lie." Even saying it now, it was difficult to believe, her mother was not Squirrelflight, and her father was not Brambleclaw, they would never have the same closeness again. Ever. And Leafpool was not dealing with the consequences of her self-centered actions, which frustrated her to her breaking point.

Then Leafpool spoke again, this time even more emotional, "Hollyleaf, I have lost my kits, the one cat I love, and my calling as a medicine cat. Which do you think would be easier for me, to die, or to go on living?" 

Hollyleaf did not appreciate Leafpool for what she did, but seeing the wise and calm medicine cat in such a broken and beaten state tugged harshly on her heartstrings. Emotions welled up inside her, expecting Leafpool to speak again, but she was silent, pushing her head into her paws and her eyes clouding. Leafpool. I didn't mean-- her own emotions were so mixed up that she spun around, fleeing the cave, fleeing the camp into the unknown forest.

Running forward, she was numb with grief.

It had been seconds seemingly, but next time she was conscious, Hollyleaf was near the tunnels, where WindClan and ThunderClan had fought. Sighing, the young she-cat squeezed into the hole, feeling the dirt press against her sides and she staggered in, unbeknownst of the landslide collapsing behind her, "Hollyleaf!" Jayfeather was calling, and for a moment she stopped in her tracks. I can't go back, she told herself, a storm of dark and raging thoughts clouded her mind and she sat down gravely on the cold stone floor. "Hollyleaf!" Suddenly, a massive pressure hit her in the head and she swamped into blackness.