No cat noticed the ginger cat with white paws slowly start to back away slowly.
"No…" Russetfur whispered, watching Tigerstar close his eyes for the very last time.
This was much too painful for Russetfur to stand… she was Tigerstar's life… or so he'd told her before.
Russetfur turned away from the huge cluster of cats, made up entirely of RiverClan, ShadowClan, ThunderClan, WindClan, and… BloodClan.
How could this happen? How? Tigerstar had his plan pieced together so nicely and wonderfully… it was Firestar's fault! Why couldn't that wimpy kittypet keep his nose where it belongs, and not intrude on territories where he is forbidden to trespass?
Russetfur closed her glowing green eyes in pain.
It was too much. She wanted to scream… but she knew that it wouldn't help this ache in her heart that she wanted the tom she loved to heal. Just like the way he had healed her in a way herbs could not do after her break-up with Blackfoot.
Russetfur let out a silent scream of hurt, then fled into the woods, she opened her eyes and felt the green of the pines hitting her square in her face, but she didn't care… Tigerstar had just suffered much worse.
He lost so many lives at once… he and Russetfur could've had kits… earlier they talked of it. He told her that he trusted her with his life… and she told him that she loved him. The look in his eyes was completely priceless… and it made Russetfur giggle, one thing that she never did, not even as a kit.
They had it all planned out, she would have one that matched him exactly, and her name would be Owlkit, and she would have another… one that matched her, except with blue eyes that matched the last ThunderClan's leader, Bluestar. He would be as handsome as Tigerstar, carrying the name of Birdkit.
They would be the family every cat talked about… but what just happened proved how fragile Russetfur's dream was… it was torn away from her… by a black cat no larger than a runt apprentice.
Russetfur's mother had once told her to always expect the unexpected… and this is what she meant.
How she longed to press against Tigerstar's warm, tabby fur and drift to sleep, how she longed to bear his kittens… and how she longed to be his mate
He had not told her that he wanted to be mates her quite yet… but he did.
Didn't he?
Russetfur pushed away the thought and remembered the tenderness of his gaze when he told her he loved her.
His glowing amber eyes embedded into Russetfur's heart when she first layed eyes on the tabby when he came into the alley way where she was digging for her supper… and where she fought death every minute of her life.
He took her by the paw and led her back to his den… where she ate well, was cared for, was nursed back to health, and most importantly was loved.
Where she was loved… Russetfur was so confused. Confused by the fact she would never see him walk into the ShadowClan camp again… his jaws overflowing with prey that he had caught earlier that day. She would never greet him warmly again when he walked by her to lay down and be groomed.
She loved him for him. He admitted his plan to take over the forest to her… yet… she still loved him. His plot included her family and friends being ripped to shreds before her very eyes. At the moment… that pain would be completely nothing to what she felt… at this moment.
Russetfur let out what she wanted from the beginning, a large wail full of hurt and depression, a scream to express her love for him… and a yowl asking for him to come back to her.
But she knew… how many times she cursed; begged, or threatened… she knew he was never coming back.
She would never see him ever again… he would be going to the Dark Forest… a place across the territory of StarClan...
She would never see his amber eyes glowing and tenderly looking at her… or see them burning with ambition of the fight.
The thought of this brought tears to her eyes, which fell to the forest floor with small plops.
StarClan… he was really gone.
Russetfur let out another long wail… and stopped running, realizing that she was in the ShadowClan camp.
She wanted to push all of this away and run into the leader's den… and see Tigerstar there patiently waiting for her to come join him for a snack of squirrel… or possibly rabbit if they were lucky enough.
The ginger queen ran inside of the leader's den, and the smell of Tigerstar immediately hit her like a wave.
She wanted him so badly, to be here with her. She ran to his nest and curled up inside, silently sobbing her heart out, oh dear StarClan, it hurt so badly!
Russetfur let out one more large wail, and then closed her eyes… crying herself to sleep.
When she opened her eyes… she was in a forest. Dark, leafless trees surrounded her, and she also noticed blue, glowing mushrooms… the only light of the path.
Where am I? She thought to herself… and then she saw him.
He was padding through the forest… he was young once more… full of muscle.
But on his back… there sat a pair of bat wings. And when she called his name, he looked over. The small surge of hope inside of her was quickly turned to disappointment as the eyes that looked at her weren't the amber one's she knew.
These were glowing blood-red. Full of hate and depression… this was not Tigerstar.
"Russetfur." He nodded to her and kept walking.
"Wait for me, Tigerstar!" Russetfur called, running for him… but she wasn't getting any closer… she was only getting farther away.
"TIGERSTAR!" She screamed at him, "HELP ME!"
He only glanced at her. And although his lips did not move… she heard his voice in her head.
"Go away, Russetfur. This is not your place to be in." The voice said.
No! She screamed at the voice… but everything was beginning to fade away.
"GO!" The voice commanded, and she awoke.
Russetfur let out another large wail, closing her eyes, she felt the tears beginning to flow. He did not love her. If he did he would help her! This was too much!
Russetfur started to sob louder than before… she closed her eyes once more, careful not to go back to her dream… and to avoid his piercing gaze forever.
Tigerstar padded away from where she was standing. How he longed to press against her warm, ginger fur and drink in her beautiful scent.
Why did that kittypet have to do this to him?
StarClan… pfft. StarClan.
She would be much safer there, with all he friends and… family.
He realized he would never feel or touch his Russetfur again… but he could watch her… from his dark prison.
And all he could do was scream her name… into the nothingness.