This is my group of one-shots (more of a three shot) for all of Squirrelflight's lovers, labeled 'the winner takes it all'. This part is of Stormfur's POV, so enjoy!
The brambles rustled quietly, and two cats stepped out into the silver moonlight. It blended with their fur, shining on their silver and gray pelts. Three cats were already sitting near the giant boulder, meowing nonchalantly.
A dark tabby picked his head up, smiling at the two newcomers, but before he could say hello, the silver tabby bolted towards them when she saw the cats. "I was right!" Excitement rippled from Feathertail's fur, and she mewed onward with the cats. Next to her, Stormfur scanned his eyes across the cats, pausing on a she-cat.
He knew who she was, but he didn't know what she was doing here. Brambleclaw was already here to represent ThunderClan, so what was his father's best friend's daughter doing here? The dark ginger apprentice seemed undaunted, but her eyes held confusion. Clearly, she didn't know the reason of the meeting.
But her sharp green gaze didn't connect with his blue eyes. Instead, she looked towards Feathertail, listening to his sister. Stormfur still looked though, admiring Squirrelpaw. His heart leapt when they met her dark green eyes, they seemed to gaze right into his own soul. Even though they were from separate clans, Stormfur couldn't help but falling for those green eyes. But he knew it would just lead to heart break.
Stormfur looked at Squirrelpaw, who was bent over Brambleclaw. Squirrelpaw had dragged him from the salty water that he had fallen in; the sandy cliffs where they had come in search of the message from Midnight was treacherous. His tabby fur was plastered to his pelt, soaking wet. He rolled over after coughing, and vomited up several mouthfuls of salty water.
Squirrelpaw's dark green eyes were blazing with a passion, and anxiety, along with terror. He could never compare the deadly look to any other from her before, and he knew that this would be the most fiery green he would remember.
The way her voice was when she spoke to Brambleclaw, full of worry and paranoia, tore at Stormfur's heart. Something inside him told that this would be the beginning for Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw, and then end of what could have never been for him and her. Even though he knew it was forbidden, he had always had the flare of hope deep inside.
Stormfur huddled next to brook in the warriors' den. The night before, he had been sleeping with his RiverClan clanmates, but now, he was next to Brook in ThunderClan. Stormfur entirely blamed Hawkfrost for his exile from RiverClan.
The tabby warrior, kin of Tigerstar, certainly shares his father's ambition. Hawkfrost had been egging him to attack him, and Stormfur had given in. Leopardstar had interfered, and Stormfur and Brook had exiled.
Yet again, it seemed a place that had been his home had turned their backs on him. With a pang of homesickness, Stormfur curled next to Brook and inhaled her now fading Tribe scent. His heart ached for his home, but he knew until matters had gotten better he could not see them. Even to think he had caused the death of Crag…
Stormfur rolled over, eyeing Squirrelflight's ginger pelt. To think that he had once loved her, when Brook was somewhere waiting for him. And now she had Brambleclaw, whom she was destined to have, and even Stormfur knew that kits would come.
Huddled outside the nursery, Stormfur tried to squeeze in and see his father's best friend's grandkits, kin of the great Firestar. Leafpool, the clan's medicine cat, along with being Squirrelflight's sister, strolled out of the nursery. She looked as if they were her own-the look on her face spoke pride and happiness. Brambleclaw followed, wearing the same expression.
"You're free to go in, but don't disturb her." Leafpool warned, whispering. "She's exhausted. Her milk didn't come."
Stormfur nodded, and headed in along with Firestar and Sandstorm. As he entered, the scent of milk made memories come flooding back, unbidden, reminding him of the RiverClan and ThunderClan nurseries.
The ginger queen was not feeding her kits since she had no milk. Instead, they fed from Ferncloud, while Squirrelflight lovingly watched. There were here, two toms and a she-cat. As Firestar entered, he heard a gasp from the leader, but didn't make much of it.
She looked up, green gaze full of affection, "Brambleclaw gave me some name suggestions, but he has a patrol." Murmured Squirrelflight. "I still don't know what to name then though." She sounded exhausted from labor in the forest, her words were slurred, and she was heavily blinking.
Stormfur looked at the kits, nursing at Ferncloud. One was golden, the biggest of the litter. His fur was fluffed out, making him look even bigger.
The second was the only she-cat, with and long black fur. And yet, thinking back, Stormfur didn't recall any of Squirrelflight's relatives having black fur. He shrugged. Must eb from Brambleclaw.
The third was the smallest. The other tom. His movements weren't as often as his littermates, but he seemed to know where everything was. His fur was gray tabby, and he had a long tail.
Sandstorm broke the silence. "Why not name the grey tabby Sootkit, in honor of Sootfur?" She suggested. The thought clawed at Stormfur's heart. Sootfur had died just before Stormfur came to ThunderClan, after the aftermath of the badger attack. His back legs were broken, and he was unable to climb. He died before Squirrelflight's eyes.
But Squirrelflight shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sootfur," she murmured, raising her head to the sky. "but he just doesn't seem like a Sootkit."
Sandstorm momentarily pouted. Leaves rustled as Leafpool entered the nursery. "I wanted to help you name the kits." She explained.
Squirrelflight nodded in understanding, then said, "I think I'm going to name the golden one Lionkit." She mewed firmly.
Firestar nodded in approval. "He does look just like a lion." murmured the leader.
Squirrelflight seemed to think for a heartbeat, then mewed, "Brambleclaw said I should name the gray tabby Jaykit, and I was thinking that too. It's a nice name."
The cats muttered their approval, then the light brown tabby medicine cat ventured quietly, "why not name the black she-cat Hollykit?" She asked her sister. Squirrelflight nodded, grinning at her sister.
Then Leafpool started ushering the cats outside into the clearing, to let Squirrelflight rest. Before Stormfur left, he whispered, "good night, Lionkit. Hollykit. Jaykit. May StarClan always light your path, wherever it may lead."
The sun was just beginning to rise over the brown peaks, welcoming the world to the rising sun, bathing it in golden and black light, since it was between dawn and the night, turned to Twilight. Ten cats were silhouetted in the shadows of the pre-dawn light, saying their goodbyes. Two cats seemed to have their pelts brushing, and a large pile of prey was in front of them.
Exchanging farewell mews and purrs of graciousness for the fresh prey took a while. While they bid adieu, all Stormfur's mind was mainly focused on was the grown ginger she-cat before him, now with three promising apprentices for children.
In his mind, he recalled the day when Squirrelflight was a bouncy apprentice, seeing her in Fourtrees hollow with Brambleclaw, bathed in starlight, since there was no moon. Her excitement made her lively, but having kits seemed to have simmered down her hyper side and opened the motherly side Stormfur didn't know she had.
And yet, even though he once used to love this she-cat, he knew they both had better-suited options for mates. He had found Brook in the mountains where he lost his sister, a high price. His pure love was so strong for her that he even stayed in the mountains with her-being in unknown terrain, unknown ways, and even unknown cats, away from his family. But he quickly adjusted to Tribe life in the mountains.
And Squirrelflight was fit for Brambleclaw the moment she laid eye son him, whether she knew it or not. The two were inseparable and unstoppable, both like blazing fires, much like their parents. And they had passed down that legacy to their kits, combining both. Stormfur knew that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were destined for each other, and these kits were destined for such legendary ancestors, and greatness.
As the last of the stars faded, and the sun began to rise, the two began to depart. Each carrying much prey in their jaws, Stormfur's mind was reeling. What if that was the last look he got of Squirrelflight? What if she died before he saw her again? Anxiety clawed at him, and he pressed into Brook's fur.
Whatever may happen, he had Brook, and Squirrelflight had Brambleclaw, who would protect her life with his own. Brambleclaw had won Squirrelflight, her love, her loyalty, and her kits.
The winner takes it all.
Well, did you like it? This is only Stormfur's POV, up next is…duh dun dunnnn…YOU HAVE TO GUESS! Yeah, I know, I'm heartless.