Warriors: Leafpool's Choice

CHAPTER 2: SQUIRRELFLIGHT

"I-I DON'T UNDERSTAND, honestly," Squirrelflight sat in the middle of the warriors' den, the only one who was also there was her mother, Sandstorm. "W-Why would Leafpool...abandon me like that?" she stammered, "especially with Brambleclaw."

Sandstorm tipped her head to one side and nodded, "I know, Squirrelflight. You still feel bitter. But try to look through your sister's eyes, everyone has different ways to cope with the loss of someone. Perhaps you didn't take Hollyleaf's death as hard as Leafpool did--"

"Sandstorm, please don't...mention that." Squirrelflight cut in frankly rudely. "Coping mechanisms are complicated, Squirrelflight. When Redtail, my father, died, I couldn't move till I started teasing your father as a 'paw...and Graystripe." Her mother said gently, "Leafpool may find more comfort in Brambleclaw because they have similar experiences."

"Does...Leafpool hate me?" she finally asked her mother. Sandstorm shook her head, "that's a foolish question, Squirrelflight. She loves you; you helped her raise her kits when she couldn't. What's the reason not to love you?"

"Brambleclaw doesn't love me. And he might pinpoint every mistake I've ever made...what if they're talking about me?" Squirrelflight sighed, and Sandstorm sat back on her haunches to get her point straight. "If Leafpool and Brambleclaw are talking about you, I would get notified of it instantly. Your father and I won't let you suffer even more. You obviously were trying to protect Leafpool, and that's okay. You got unfairly tied up into this." She said sternly.

"I willingly took them," Squirrelflight looked her mother into her leaf-green eyes, "I wanted to raise them as my own because I knew no one else would treat them the same way. I-I just wanted a better life for them, but it turned out to be so...wrong, and now everyone hates my sister just because she was trying to follow the rules." 

"And that's caring, Squirrelflight. You shouldn't be hated because you were simply trying to bring better lives for Leafpool's kits. The truth is that we just live in a judgmental Clan sometimes." Sandstorm explained, rising to her feet and turning backwards yet inclining her head forth to say, "it isn't your fault, Squirrelflight. Don't blame yourself. These are tough times, and it will only get worse from here if you blame yourself for things like this."

Squirrelflight was left alone to stare lifelessly at the ground ahead of her, once again feeling the same sadness and agony of losing her mate, who was now salty with her. "Squirrelflight, what are you doing in my nest?" Leafpool asked, she had pushed through the thorny screen of the warriors' den and was now creeping closer to her sister. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Squirrelflight reassured her, "just...thinking a bit, you know?"

"I guess so. But I want to know if you're okay, too," she padded forth and licked her sister's cheek affectionately. "I'm fine." She replied again, this time more sternly, crawling over to her own nest and slightly huffing. "Leafpool?" Brambleclaw dashed after Leafpool, and Squirrelflight's heart ached, and she felt a massive burst of rage. Brambleclaw was the cat who had hard feelings afterward the confrontation when Squirrelflight was just trying to protect her niece and nephews.

"Leafpool, our day's yet to be over," the dark brown tabby tomcat greeted her with a friendly lick on the ear, "you've still more things to talk about, don't you?" Leafpool looked as though she had just seen a ghost, in the most positive way, and Squirrelflight's heart lurched. Does she...? No. They're just...friends.

Brambleclaw glanced at Squirrelflight, and there was nothing but cold hatred in his amber eyes, and as her gaze snaked down to his torso, she found that the tabby fur looked hauntingly like Hawkfrost's. I should have never trusted you. How could he ever move on from it? How could he have new friends while Squirrelflight stuck back in the corner of the warriors' den with nobody? To begin with she never had many friends, but now that Leafpool was friends with Brambleclaw, who did Squirrelflight have? 

She curled up in the midst of her nest, the feeling of deathless hatred and anger flooding her for the worst, but finally she had fallen asleep in the mere evening, it was early, but Squirrelflight was too tired to go on.

***

"Auntie!" 

Squirrelflight awoke to see three kits beside her in her nest, a black she-kit, a gray tomcat, and a cream-colored tomcat, "Hollykit, Jaykit, Lionkit," their voices were rising in a chorus, and Jaykit whispered, "you make me feel so comfortable, Auntie."

"No," Squirrelflight spoke gently, "I am your mother. Remember?"

The big cream tomcat rose to his feet and raised his tail, "no, Leafpool and Crowfeather are. We love them...but...they don't seem to be here at the moment. But it's good hanging out with you, Auntie!"

A lump formed in her throat, and Squirrelflight licked each of them at the top of their heads to jog their memories. "I'm your mother, darlings. Leafpool..." she stared at them; they were all equally confused. Squirrelflight felt a pang of sadness, "I can't lie to you," she whimpered. "Leafpool is your mother."

And suddenly there were shocked hisses and yowls, each time growing louder and louder and louder till Squirrelflight wound up getting to her paws, which allowed her to escape the dream.

***

She darted awake, and felt a rush of relief, it was just a dream, Squirrelflight told herself, "just a horrible, awful dream."

She looked around and saw that the gap at the entrance of the cave led to ThunderClan's camp, where above the ground rose to meet a night sky. Everyone must have been sleeping. Squirrelflight got to her feet and stretched till her tail hit her ears, then she carefully stepped over nests, peering at Brambleclaw and purposefully stomping on his tail. 

He jumped slightly but didn't wake. Leafpool was dozing right beside him, snuggling close to his chest and purring. A new disgust awakened in Squirrelflight, Leafpool was falling for Brambleclaw, clearly, but it wasn't for the best reasons. Leafpool bonded with Brambleclaw since they shared 'trauma', but it was only Leafpool who faced real trauma.  

Squirrelflight had to put a stop to this relationship, she cared about her sister and wanted the best for her, but that would not cross Leafpool's mind in the shafts of love. How could she figure out a way to end it without bitterly hurting her?