A/N: Har har, I've been dying to write a HollyxSol fanfic for a while now. This isn't the greatest thing ever, and I know it is long; I actually had to cut it. Believe it or not, this was originally a one-shot. Heh, because of the length and the content I really wanted to include, this will soon be multi-chaptered. Also, I'm new to fanfiction writing, and I'm kind of wary to post my works up here. I still have a lot of work to do, which brings me to my ever-so-amazing BETA-er, Pop2by4. She's absolutely awesome, and she was a very good editor. Sadly, she doesn't have an account on here, so I credited her YouTube name instead. All right, this is the end of my first Author's Note. You will see one at the end too, so yay for you. Gives you something to look forward to, right?
Disclaimer: Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter. The characters do not belong to me.
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Rehabilitation
Chapter One
It was terribly dark, but it didn't matter. All I knew was that my life had taken a deep plunge into black waters. There was no return, and I was drowning and going so deep. All I cared about was letting my paws guide me into something surreal and not of this earth. Everything banished to nothing.
Barely aware of my own brothers behind me, calling for me, I ran. My mind was just a murky haze of anger, disbelief, and pure hopelessness. Cats being 'conflicted' was nowhere near the internal and external struggle I felt right now. No one could ever hope to understand what I've gone through. The mental and physical trials had all come down to this: my sanity being slain and thrown to foxes. It was quite pitiful to think that my fellow Clanmates would only remember me as something to be loathed. Well, as long as Leafpool was gone from my life, it was alright. I didn't want to see anyone. My life was a lie.
My life was a lie. I was a terrible mistake.
Absently, I sped off into the tunnels, hoping to find solace in their depths. I had had them on my mind, and they were now all I could think about. They would take me away from this life, from the beliefs that failed me. From Leafpool, to Squirrelflight, from ThunderClan, to Jayfeather and Lionblaze, and even from Sol. Away from the stupid prophecy that had led us into so much turmoil, and I knew that it wasn't even about me.
It had only been seconds.
Before my mind could comprehend the situation, the sound of dirt and rocks folding in on themselves met my ears, and I was encased in rubble. I couldn't fathom what had just happened (I was too shocked and distraught), but my fatigued brain put together the pieces. The tunnel had caved in on itself. When the fact settled in, I had to admit that I wasn't all that surprised. Reluctantly, I helplessly stood by as my 'fight or flight' response system kicked in. My claws were unsheathed and gripping unconsciously at the ground. My eyes were wide and my mouth was ajar for air. Was this how it was going to end? I was hoping to lose myself in the labyrinth, not be entombed like a dog in a cage.
I suppose it didn't matter, though. Raking my claws and flailing vainly at my trapper, I let my mind get fuzzy and turn violent. Pushing with my shoulders, I made my way through the debris. In my state of being, I was barely aware of the actual things around me or what I was doing. I just let myself be a torrent of thoughts and actions; telling myself that it didn't matter, yet at the same time fighting for a way out. I guess I was more confused than I thought.
White light came into my vision; it was like thousands of white orbs blasting before me and sticking to my eyes. I didn't know what to call it, except that I must have taken a heavy blow to my head or some other vulnerable/important place that caused me to see stars. I really hadn't meant to cause so much pain for myself.
Yowling, my consciousness drifted in and out like the tide; white to black, white to black, and then, finally, just black. Who would have thought black on black was possible? But it was, if it even made sense. Seeing nothing yet being in something was something I didn't want to ponder. (idk my changes just kinda screwed things up here, so you can change it back (I forgot what it used to be x-x))
Again darkness was around me, and I could smell, taste, and feel the wet ground and soil on me. So, I was definitely left for dead in the dark abyss of the earth's interior. There was no way out. For one who places themselves in such miserable places, there's never a way out. Plus, there was a sharp pain in my lower spine. A rock probably crushed me in those split seconds of black and white. Yet, I was still moving. That wish of wanting to be back underneath the sky and in the folds of the ThunderClan camp was right on my tongue.
What if I did make it out alive? What if I was already dead?
The more that I thought about it, I came to the resolute (yet anguished) conclusion that I probably was deceased, and that this was my eternal punishment for being the spawn of a sinful tryst. This was the dark forest, or maybe just the true version of hell: being lost underground without anyone to be of comfort. I knew that the point of being in a place such as this was for one to have to suffer with only their thoughts and pain for all eternity, but really. Was this it?
Opening my jaws further I was met with the taste of dirt, and pushing and kicking with my legs and paws only resulted in clay stacking on my fur and crushing me further. I kept flailing, my mind still in a trance. That is, until my front leg seemed to break through a wall and end in open space. My heart nearly broke out of my ribs. On instinct I pushed forward with such ferocity that my entire form broke through and into the same space. I was free. Somehow, I was.
Taking a deep and ragged breath, I came to realize that I had been holding it. In this place that had room for me to stand and fill my lungs, everything just seemed to hit me; rationality, common sense, and clear comprehension. I was no longer in the clutches of the madness of trying to survive... My first thought was that my struggle had only lasted but a moment or so. It had seemed so much longer.
A pool of thought then drowned me.
Not all of the caves were filled in, obviously. How I had been lucky to be near an uncollasped route was pretty cruel, considering what I had previously been through. But my intuition was telling me otherwise. I deduced that I wasn't where I had thought I was in my hopelessness state. I was in the lower world only known by the ancients; the very thing that had captivated my siblings and I not to long ago. In total-utter blindness, I tried to stand, but my legs only shook violently and gave in on me. My back sending strong stabs of pain into my skull didn't help with my plight at all either.
What was I to do now? Well, I was crippled. That was something I could grasp. Also, I was lost in a dark labyrinth with no indication of where I could possibly be.
I believe I can safely say that I am pretty much dead, I thought. I felt sad that it had to be prolonged, and that what I had wanted to happen all along was not meant to be. Probably another punishment for what my parents had done. StarClan (or whatever godly power there was) was most certainly determined to not let me off so easily. They were that cruel; or was this justified? I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Resigned to just lie there, I, Hollyleaf, relaxed my stiff muscles and allowed for my viridian eyes to close. Black upon black once again, except that sleep would not save me, nor anything else. It was all the same.
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"You killed Ashfur?"
I tried to ignore the shock in my brother's voice. My mind was decided, but his tone shook me slightly. I knew they wouldn't understand. I'm alone in this. I always knew I was.
Remembering what I had done...
I felt a slight prickling at the back of my thoughts, but I brushed it off. My back was turned to Jayfeather and Lionblaze; I wasn't sure if it was because I was maddened, or I just couldn't face them.
"He should have been swept into the lake and never seen again," I meowed, my voice strong despite the fact that my gut was wrenching, "But they found him, and now everything is ruined. I can't stay here." A panging feeling erupted inside my heart, but my expression was stoic with the importance of my decision.
"I know I did the right thing, but no cat will ever understand," I added with utmost finality. I didn't need for my family to support my choice. It was something that had needed to be done. In order to keep the warrior code together and my Clan in order, I did it. I could still remember the yowl of Ashfur as I killed him with so much efficiency and ease. Murder was not in my nature, but protecting my values was. I was right... I was!
Almost on impulse I darted off into the tunnel, the underground river somehow in my ears. My life was a lie. I was a terrible mistake. I knew I was, and my attempts at justifying it were ridiculous. My mind was so divided.
"Hollyleaf, no!" I could hear Jayfeather call desperately, "We can figure this out together-"
And that's when it all officially came tumbling down.
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Eyes flying open, I awoke to a horrid throbbing in my chest. Not only that, but I awoke to light. The dream still repeating itself in choppy verses, I tried to get a view of my surroundings, but the brightness was rendering my senses obsolete. I had the mind to try and yowl with all my heart, but I felt like I had no voice. Was this finally death?
Closing my eyes and breathing in and then out, I dared to open them again. Like a heavy weight was being taken off my body, I could see blurry forms, hear, and I could feel. I tried to ignore that I could smell and taste; rust and iron seemed to cover my tongue and fill my nose. What I felt was grass... sweet grass. Either I was in some strange oblivion, or I was dreaming still. Those were the only explanations.
"You tried to escape your problems."
I froze as my entire world seemed to flip on its axis.
That voice... I knew it, and it snapped me back into bitter reality. I thought I had rid myself of that wretched voice! Of course, he was probably never going to leave me, was he? Just like a curse. I wasn't dead because he was here, but I sincerely wished I was.
Of all cats, Sol was the least I wanted to see. In my mind, I couldn't help but pin him down with a lot of the blame for my predicament. Deep inside myself I knew that it wasn't very fair to do so, but I didn't care. Him with his stupid promise of enlightenment, his amber eyes, and silky voice...
"And you are awake," he stated matter-of-factly, his deep mew echoing in my ears. Tilting my black head towards where his voice was coming from, I stared defiantly at him. Or at least, I hoped that that was what I was doing since I could barely make out his form and couldn't smell a thing. Not to mention I still felt terribly tired, despite how my mind was on a rampage.
Feeling a soft, feather-light touch on my muzzle, I shook it off (not as violently as I would have liked), and I recognized what seemed to be a tail. He seemed to be unaffected when my jaws snapped vainly at it. With a flick of his beautiful head, I could imagine, Sol was making light of me.
"Is that how all Clan cats give thanks to their saviors?" I heard him say in his captivating drawl. Blinking, and then being gratified with even better vision, I retorted weakly, "Savior...?" 'Go away', or a clear, 'what do you mean?' would have sufficed so much better, but what could I do when my conscience was so fragile?
Closing my eyes tightly and watching the dull orbs float about, I heard his reply. "I found you in the tunnels." There was silence after. Oh no, it's okay, don't continue, I thought bitterly. Opening my eyes, I was relieved to find my sight back to perfection. Taking this to my advantage, I lifted my head fully off of the grass and looked directly at Sol. Banishing my now fluttering heart to a fiery death, I glared at the tortoiseshell tom; his wide-spaced ears and defining amber eyes all too familiar.
"How did you find me? ... And where am I?" I pressed, my mind finally picking up on how hoarse my mew was. That was the least of my concerns though. Even though I held high distain for the cat before me, and even though in the back of my mind all I could hear were the voices telling me that I should have died, I had to know. An unspoken question was still on my tongue, but I didn't dare ask it. Why would you even bother to save me?
Watching him saunter smoothly to the left of me, he sat down gracefully and looked over his shining fur before countering idly, "All that matters is that I did find you. Where you are... I will tell you later."
The way he said it... so calmly, so flippantly, enraged me. In the heat of the moment, I tried to roll over onto my stomach but was denied with a terrible shoot of pain that came from my lower back. Seething and hissing, I flopped back over slowly, my jaw clenching pathetically.
"No sudden movement, Hollyleaf," I heard Sol say as I fought back the same white mask from much, much earlier. Regaining my sight, and recovering slowly from the pain, I managed to look at Sol through clouded eyes. The tom seemed to be genuinely sympathetic... and maybe something else. I couldn't place it, and my mind couldn't focus long enough to try.
Resting my head solemnly back down on the flattened undergrowth, I let my eyes stray from Sol and towards my surroundings. I was out in the open, I could tell, circled by tall trees and thick bushes. From the holes in the canopy above came the bright sunlight; it bathed the small clearing in gold and highlighted every single strand of hair on our pelts. Assuming it was close to sunset, I allowed for my gaze to warily travel back to the mysterious tom. He was still looking at me, although his expression was placid now.
"You injured your spine," the mottled cat stated evenly once I had settled down, although his eyes again took on that soft look, "You must rest. I will treat you."
I suppressed a snort; I remembered clearly that day when the patrol (including me) went to go search for the elusive feline at the Sundrown place and stumbled upon the gang of cats who had nothing but bad things to say about him. Recalling their remarks, I gave Sol a sardonic look and growled, "How many times have you said that you would do something for me or for another? You are a cat who cannot do anything without getting something in return."
Watching his reaction carefully, I listened as he replied, "Not always true, Hollyleaf. I do like favors, but with you I do not want one in return." Judging by his tone, the question didn't seem to affect him, but his eyes portrayed a different feeling. My tail twitched in sudden nervousness.
Sol was an intense yet peculiar character; I could never understand him. He entranced me and intimidated me at the same time. A cat with any level of intelligence would know that the tortoiseshell is not one to be trusted with a life, but he has this aura of charm and promise that makes one want to believe what he says. How he is aloof most of the time doesn't help either.
The two of us drifted into a reserved silence. I had rested my chin on my paws, more or less in tiredness than to distract myself from the awkwardness that I felt. The regal tom across from me always seemed to have the power to control the mood in a cat, although more often than not his calm and sickeningly detached demeanor left others to be uncomfortable towards him. That's what he gets for acting like a prophet from the skies, I thought, remembering how he led my brothers and I on a wild hunt for answers to the so-called prophecy that Jayfeather believed in so much.
That one thought unleashed a follow-up of bad memories; my heritage, the lies. How I never had a power, how I wasn't one of the three, and all of my misadventures in ThunderClan. I suppose that's all behind me now, though. I may not know where I am, but knowing Sol, I probably wasn't all that far from what I direly needed to escape from. After all, the tom doesn't like to get his pretty little paws dirty, or put to much work on his shoulders for that matter.
He was giving me a blank look; it wasn't exactly unnerving, but it annoyed me and made me want to get away from him. I blatantly wished to know how he could always seem to get the better of my emotions. Blinking and biting back a few harsh words, I turned my head away, no longer wanting to look at the long-haired tortoiseshell.
"Hmph," I released a short breath, exaggerating it, then continued crudely, "It's later, Sol. Either tell me where I am and how you found me, or just leave." I wasn't up to his games; I didn't need the company, nor the care. Or at least, I didn't want to deal with a tom that made my stomach and heart react so strangely. Turning my head to level him with a glare from my green eyes, I waited impatiently for a response.
Sol held his ground by looking at me with cool resignation. His voice was almost apathetic as he replied, "I suppose so, Hollyleaf. Very well-" he curled his tail over his paws "-you are a good distance away from what you were running from. How I found you... Again, the only fact of importance is that I did find you.
"Unless," he continued absently, his mew taking on a hollow reverberation, "you were trying to kill yourself." It was very much more of a statement than a question.
My eyes turned to slits as I replied darkly, "Not exactly." I loathed how he assumed things.
"You know that I am somewhat right, though?" Sol countered, his expression changing from poised to knowing.
I bared my fangs at him, my tolerance close to snapping. After everything I've been though, I didn't need a masochist acting like he knew my every motive and thought. And, as if he could read my mind (almost as proof), he added strongly, "Hollyleaf, I know you more than you'd like to believe."
Lashing my tail, I openly growled in retort towards those words. How dare he, really? How did Sol ever develop such an impending and horrible ego? Although in admittance, I had to recognize the pounding of my poor heart. My heart was betraying me so much lately. Why would the tom's one-of-many assertions give me so much confusion inside? Shaking it off, I regained my mental composure and replied intelligently, "That concerns me, Sol. You know nothing about me."
Neither of us really seemed to care as twilight descended upon the land, making the trees and foliage appear black against the purple and dark blue of the sky. Temperatures dropped slightly and my fur began to stand on end, although it had pretty much been doing that already.
One of those rare instances occurred; Sol lost his fortitude for what seemed like only a second. His eyes flashed something like displeasure and hurt before being covered up again by impassiveness. I didn't really have the chance to take it in before he spoke.
"I know you killed Ashfur."
My eyes widened considerably in the fading light. How could he have known? He wasn't there when I had done it; I had been so careful to make sure that there was no chance of a witness! Of course, anyone could have discreetly observed from the WindClan moors, but there had been no one, of that I was still completely certain. Did he learn from my later actions? I thought. Maybe he guessed from my behavior. Sol had never touched a single hair on Ashfur's pelt, I knew, but I stood by as the tom was accused with my crime. I was secretly hoping that the blame would indeed be finally secured upon his shoulders, but it never officially happened. My Clan thought me as dead, most likely, since I pretty much almost did die when the tunnel collapsed in on itself. Sol may have put the pieces together. After a moment of further contemplation, I realized that it wasn't all that hard of a conclusion to make, especially if you had any intimate knowledge of me at all. But...
"...All along...?" I asked hoarsely, my head still spinning from all the possibilities.
The entire time Sol had seemed to be judging my reaction, and now that I had finally spoken, he appeared further at ease; maybe feeling more in control.
"Truthfully, no."
I didn't know what to think about that, so I chose relief; I had no reason to feel like that, though. Discerning that I would have to press him for more answers, I opened my jaw to speak, but surprisingly he beat me to it.
"I found out quickly after I learned of the situation. You are easy to read, dear Hollyleaf," Sol meowed. The dark tom was settling down in the grass a fox-length away from me, looking slightly drowsy as he positioned himself in a way that looked agreeable. The night had pretty much captured us; cicadas and other nocturnal creatures were beginning to start their choruses and routines. I was not to be distracted by it. I wanted my answers tonight, even if I had to drag my crippled body over to Sol just to strike at him in order to keep him awake.
'Easy to read', my mind repeated, eyes never leaving the form of Sol, I was so careful to appear unaffected, but... No, no one would ever have guessed. To my dismay that familiar feeling of anguish and hopelessness overcame me. Remembering Lionblaze's shock and Leafpool's- No, not Leafpool. She's dead to me. Just like I'm dead to my Clan, I thought, my pain subsiding and replaced with hatred for the tabby she-cat. Letting my gaze fall to the ground, I let my head plop back down on the grass, my fatigue forcing its way back.
Fighting it away for at least a few more minutes, I meowed, "Why didn't you say anything?" My harsh tone had faded into an adamant, yet somewhat exhausted, mew. I was losing my vigor to interrogate the tom further, but I needed to know.
"So many questions," the cat meowed, letting his elegant chin rest on his paws, mirroring me. "Yes, now answer them," I replied with all the force I could muster. Sol flicked his ear and replied calmly despite my (obvious) underlying threat, "I had my reasons.
"It would be best if you saved the rest of your inquiries for tomorrow. We are both tired. Rest will do us good." Probably sensing my renewed anger and will to disagree, he added carefully, "And I will be here in the morning."
It wasn't exactly what I had wanted to interject/question with, but it was a notion that I was pondering on throwing out into the open. I recalled a time when he had said pretty much the same thing, and how he had kept his word. Basically in defeat I weakly replied with, "You better." That was all I could really do.
Sol seemed satisfied with how I was quelled so easily. "I will be here," he repeated.
My eyes began to feel heavy; the trials and excitement of the day had caught up with me, and I found it near impossible to stay awake any longer. Noticing the dull throbbing near my lower spine for the first time, I closed my eyes. After reviewing what I would ask Sol tomorrow (if he was still there), I allowed for my mind to ebb from my consciousness into slumber. To the chagrin of my heart and mind, my last thought was of Sol; his amber eyes watching me drift off to sleep.
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"Eat them! You deserve to die." I crouched, preparing to lunge at my mother when she seemingly refused to eat the death berries I had ordered her to consume. "I've killed once," I snarled viciously, my eyes showing inner turmoil and rage, "and I can do it again."
"Hollyleaf," Leafpool had said a strange and unreadable emotion in her eyes, "I have lost my kits, the one cat I loved, and my calling as a medicine cat. Which do you think would be easier for me, to die or to go on living?"
We both knew the solemn answer to that. I stood aside quietly as my mother padded past me and out of the den, out of camp, and out of my life forever.
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I awoke to a single thought in my mind. My past life is the reoccurring dream. Realization that the old, wretched memories of when it all fell around me were going to do the haunting, I felt very little solace. I supposed though that is the price I must pay.
The second thing that hit me was that my brain felt terribly fuzzy; for a while I didn't know where I was. While trying to remember, I felt an ache near my spine when I tried to reposition myself in the grass. Then it all came back.
An array of memories collected in my mind, starting with the tunnel falling in on me and then ending with Sol.
Sol. My heart skipped a beat as I jerked forward, my spine suffering because of it. After taking a moment to cringe from the pain and recover from the whiteness that had captured my sight, I lifted my head up warily and looked around. Sol wasn't there.
I wasn't very surprised, but I was frightened. Reluctantly, I had to admit that he was probably the only thing keeping me sane. He gave me something to focus on, but he was gone. Feeling a plethora of emotion, including disappointment, I wondered if I should call out for him. Odds were that it would be in vain, and the action could attract predators or other kinds of unwanted attention.
Craning my neck back to sniff the air, I caught his scent lingering on the breeze, and it was fresh. Ignoring the fluttering hope inside my chest, my eyes went back to searching the depths of the wood (of what I could see). Meanwhile my mind was in an uproar of worry and uncertainty. I hated to come to terms with it, but I was dependant on the tortoiseshell. Without him I was dead; since my back was injured I had no way of walking, hunting, hiding, or anything. Someone had to be there to help me, or else all was basically forfeited.
I had lost my dying suicidal drive with the night, but the core feelings of despair and hopelessness were still there. Ears flat against my skull and whiskers pulled back in a mixture of negative emotions, the loudest thought I had screamed at me. You were a fool to trust him!
Along with the disappointment, I was hurt. Of all things, I felt betrayed. This confused me a great deal; I knew Sol wasn't one to hold faith in and that in the end he only cared for himself, but I thought that maybe, in my current state, he would at least be altruistic and help me. He apparently saved me, after all. Why not help me further? But I guess that that was a very stupid thing to assume or think. Not only was I alone, but I was without the information I needed; Sol had never finished answering my questions either. Also, my emotions were even more shattered than I had previously thought possible.
My ears swiveled forward and flicked toward a distinctive rustle in the foliage a few fox-lengths in front of me. Green eyes staring intently at where the sound had come from, I thought bitterly that it was probably a rogue or a fox that had come to pick me off. Bracing myself, I prepared for whatever it was; whether it was Sol or a badger, I was ready to not go down without a fight (or let the tom off easily). My claws were unsheathed as whatever it was finally revealed itself.
A wonderful surge of relief washed over me as I recognized the mottled head of Sol. While I was terribly upset, understanding grudgingly replaced it when I saw the prey dangling from his jaws. How he probably 'cajoled' it from another cat or beast was pushed to the back of my mind as the tom gracefully padded over to me. His amber eyes were focused on me, and I made sure not to look into them directly; doing so could be dangerous. I knew that from experience.
"I'm sorry," he began in his smooth voice after he had placed the fresh kill near my paws, "I was hoping to return before you awoke."
I ignored the growling in my stomach as I continued to eye the long-haired cat. "Where did you get that?" I questioned him. He seemed unfazed by my bluntness as he replied, "That is of no importance at the moment." "That is always your first answer for things," I countered simply, my black fur beginning to lie flat from having bristled when I awoke to being by myself a while ago.
Sol seemed to have no reply, so I continued, "I thought you had left." I absolutely hated how I accidentally sounded so vulnerable. I had meant to say it sternly in hopes of making the other guilty, although that was unlikely.
The next thing I knew, Sol had fleetingly pressed his muzzle to mine before replying, "I would never."
My eyes had widened, and my heart was beating rapidly in an off-tempo flurry. At a loss for words, I sputtered under my breath and half-heartedly bared my fangs. To my increasing embarrassment and puzzlement, the tom seemed thoroughly amused.
Before I could even conjure up a sensible reply, Sol meowed, "I had given you my word, yes? And either way, I would not leave a cat in such a defenseless state." His words seemed honest, serious, and from the heart, but I was too perplexed and flustered to really notice.
The tom bent his angular head down to nudge the prey more towards me, of which I noticed was two mice. I looked blankly at it, my stomach and head still churning. My previous appetite was gone, but I knew I had to eat something, so when Sol lifted his head and sauntered a mouse-length or two away I took a bite out of the prey. Finishing the first mouse after a moment, I pushed the other away feebly, turning my attention back toward the other cat. Most likely he had already eaten, or else he wouldn't have given me more than I really needed.
He was apparently making himself comfortable in a make-shift bed of brambles and weeds that he must have assembled yesterday. I watched him uncomfortably, still willing my heart to calm down. Why did what he did excite me so much? I was very conflicted inside; it would be wrong of me to say that I held any sort of affection toward Sol. It would be one-sided and appalling. After all he's done... I shook it off. He just caught me off guard, is all. I repeated it again in my mind, but deep down inside I could not subdue the traitorous voice that told me otherwise.
The tortoiseshell had tucked his tail close to his body and was beginning to busy himself by leisurely rasping his tongue over his paws. I watched him guardedly, my mind rejecting the thought of him unleashing his amber gaze upon me. That would definitely be something I would not exactly be able to handle. Turning my head and resting it on the grass, I breathed in and out, trying to relax myself. It wasn't worth getting worked up over, and really, it wasn't my biggest worry at the moment.
I had to keep on going; I had to get even further away from where I was. Running was what I was doing. My life was no longer what it once was, nor will it ever be again. I had so much to think about, plot, and plan; I had an injury to deal with as well! Nothing seemed to be in my favor.
It was then that the fact that I was immobile and would be for a while yet hit home in my head; I was completely dependant on Sol, I knew, something no cat should have the misfortune of. But that also meant that I was at his mercy. If he was truly good-willed or not, only time would tell. While my mind had been wandering and flipping through all sorts of scenarios and ponderings, I had pretty much ignored the cat who was watching me contently from close by.
"Do not fret over me," Sol meowed, "Didn't you have questions that you saved from yesterday?" He seemed to be brushing over what he had done to me with terrible ease; probably losing interest with the situation. I stopped suddenly in my thinking and allowed for my eyes to travel to Sol. Yes, that was right.
"Er, yes," I meowed slowly. I knew that he could be complaint when he wanted to, but I had the mind to assume that the cat was toying with me while he could. Recalling the times back in the Clan when Sol was ThunderClan's prisoner, he was so vague with Firestar, my brothers, and me. Knowing him he probably still thinks that I'm apart of the prophecy, I thought scathingly. He may have known about the truth behind Ashfur's murder, but when it came to the prophecy Sol vainly stuck to it, even when it wasn't true. He didn't know everything. How he may have faith in me still is proof of that. But I digress.
Of course, one never knew what Sol was up to.
A/N: Ooh, it's the end. I hope I didn't kill you. Well, if you dislike HollyxSol, and if you dislike my 'alternate' ending to Sunrise, then I advise you never come back here ever again. But I hope that isn't the case and that you're tolerate of my shipping of this (in-need-of-more-love) pairing. The second chapter will be made and posted only if I get feedback in general; after all, what's the point in continuing a fanfiction when the author has no idea if the actual piece stunk or not? So, with that said, please review! You can tell me you hated it, give me critique, or just say 'OMG COOL!!!11!'. I don't care. Reviews make my day. But please no flames if you can help it... They make me feel like I'm worthless and like I'll never amount to anything.
Again, special thanks to Pop2by4 (also known as Robin)! You're amazing.