Rising Sun- A Warrior Cats Fanfiction ✔️

Chapter 35

"RiverClan are doing well; the rivers are full of fish this newleaf. Foxface has moved to the elders' den, and we wish him many moons of rest."

A loud cheer went around the gathered cats as Eveningstar reported for her Clan. Flashstar had just spoken for ShadowClan, and Driftstar had began with his Clan, leaving ThunderClan left to report.

It was two moons after the attack, two moons since Sunflame had been given an apprentice.

"ThunderClan is doing well now. Since the attack on our clan, we have been healing well. Pebblesplash has given birth to four healthy kits; Lilykit, Ivykit, Owlkit and Thistlekit. Amberpaw has become Amberblaze, and is ThunderClan's newest warrior."

Another cheer erupted from the crowd of gathered cats. Beside Sunflame, the newest warrior ducked her head politely. Sunflame gently touched his tail to her shoulder. "Congratulations." He purred softly.

She scoffed. "You've congratulated me plenty, silly."

It was true; Sunflame had yowled louder than an elder sitting on a thorn at her ceremony, and hadn't stopped showering the rabbit-tailed she-cat with praise afterwards.

"I know." He murmured, glancing away to where a group of cats- namely Honeywhisker, Gingerheart and Ashcloud, along with a few ShadowClan and RiverClan warriors- sat talking, before his gaze returned to her. "I just can't believe we're warriors already."

She nodded happily. "Me neither."

~.~.~

By the time Bumblestar had called for his Clan to leave, only ShadowClan was left in the clearing with them.

"Goodbye." Sunflame called to the three warriors he'd been talking with, who nodded him a farewell, before he trotted outside of the clearing, heading through the sparse undergrowth towards the log path.

"Hey, Sunflame." Honeywhisker suddenly appeared beside him, her blue gaze fixed on him.

Without a sound, the tom nodded a greeting back.

"I was just wondering..." She broke off, glancing towards another cat, then back at him. "Well... Does Ashcloud have a mate?"

Sunflame stopped moving for a few moments, heart stopping with him. A muffled cry came from a cat that almost bumped into him.

"No..." He mewed hesitantly. Where is this going? "Why?"

The bicolored she-cat glanced away. "I... I'm just confused. Cats have told me that your sister was his mate. But I didn't know you had a sister. Are they lying?"

Sunflame sighed. He waited a long, long time, before mewing, "Heathermist. Heathermist was my sister's name. They truly loved each other. They became mates shortly before she was killed by a cat named Screech, just two days before you came. I killed Screech after that."

It was all Sunflame was willing to say, and the she-cat seemed to sense that. "Okay."

For some reason, Honeywhisker seemed a lot happier than when she was originally, and Sunflame couldn't help but wonder why.

Eventually, he realised that it all led down to one thing.

Did she like Ashcloud?

~.~.~

"Carry me, Sunflame!"

"Be a badger! Be a badger!"

"No! He's ShadowClan!"

"What? Spottedkit, ShadowClan are too scary. He should be a butterfly!"

"Can you imagine Sunflame being a butterfly?"

"Good point. He could be a spider!"

"What? A spider- really?"

"What? They're scary!"

Sunflame's head hurt, though not as much as his tail. Goldenkit and Spottedkit had been batting it about earlier, and it now bore the teeth and claw marks of kits.

Just a few hours ago, Sunflame had been asleep, tired out from the gathering.

It was midday, and the two eldest kits were bored. Pebblesplash's kits, just a half-moon old, weren't old enough to play with the bigger kits, so they just attacked each other- or rather, cuddled each other; they were so small, claws and teeth didn't really do much.

Sunflame sighed happily, crouching down and picking them up on his back. "I'm a badger!" He snarled, lumbering around with Honeywhisker's kits on his back.

Both were squealing in delight, claws digging into his back.

He circled the camp twice, "startling" many warriors, before dropping them off at the nursery, where their mother was waiting.

"Thanks for looking after them." The she-cat mewed gratefully. "I feel much better now that I've actually gotten some rest."

Sunflame nodded kindly. "That's what friends are for, isn't it?"

He turned around to pad away, but the queen called him back. "That's what we are, right? Just friends?"

Sunflame nodded, confusion lighting in his amber gaze. "Of course. Why wouldn't we be friends? Don't you want to be friends?"

The she-cat's gaze held humour, yet also... Was that sadness?

"Of course I want to be friends, Sunflame." She paused, glancing over his shoulder, then added, "your she-cat friend is waiting for you."

Her eyes gained a more teasing, affectionate look as he fidgeted. "What do you mean by friend? Because me and Amberblaze- that is who were talking about, right?- are just friends. Nothing more than that. I wouldn't want it to be any other way."

Honeywhisker's gaze turned sorrowful and worried. "Turn around." She murmured.

He did, and he was shocked to find Amberblaze standing right behind him, her gaze full of pain.

"I have a feeling that she doesn't feel the same way about you."