Nightcloud hissed in pain as Kestrelflight placed cobwebs along the slash marks on her haunches. Instinctively she flinched away from him. He placed a paw on her shoulder to keep her from flinching to far.

"Hold still," he mumbled around a mouthful of cobwebs "I only need to apply a bit more," he said again, more gently.

Nightcloud settled with sinking her claws into the moss of the nest and clenching her teeth instead. She closed her eyes, taking deep breathes as she remembered the carnage from the battle. Watching cats die, clan and non clanmates get shredded beneath the claws of the dark forest cats. It made her shiver. The memory that most haunted her though, wasn't that of any bloodshed or death.

It was instead when she watched Crowfeather choose Lionblaze over Breezepelt.

Admittedly, she wanted to step him. To prevent her son from killing Lionblaze. But it was also satisfying to think of Lionblaze dead. A remnant of Crowfeather's past mistakes gone. So she watched, at war with herself. Until Crowfeather stepped in.

She watched, horrified, as Crowfeather defended his Thunderclan son over his Windclan one. Then he had to audacity to blame Breezepelt's bitterness on her. Then tell Leafpool that he never regretted anything. She wanted to scream, yowl, sink her claws into Crowfeather's muzzle.

She mostly wanted to cry.

Her whole life she's been deprived of love. The runt of the litter. Unloved by her mother and father. Outcasted by her littermates. She was a happy cat once. However, being given the cold shoulder her whole life chipped at her heart. It made her bitter.

Then she fell in love with Crowfeather. As Crowpaw, she admired his determination to complete any task. His bravery and strength at surviving a long journey. She loved him.

But he still loved Feathertail. So she tried her best to comfort him. To be by his side. He never even looked her way. But she told herself he would eventually love her.

Then he left again. This time with Leafpool. That only fueled the bitterness in her heart. Then he came back again. He asked her to be his mate and she was so happy. She smiled for the first since forever. She truly believed he loved her. That she was finally loved, finally.

Then she had her first and only litter. She cried when she lost her other kits. Her heart felt like it was being mauled by foxes and stomped on by badgers. Crowfeather was strangely distant from her and the loss of their kits. Like he didn't care. She deluded herself again, telling herself it's how he deals with grief. As opposed to her wailing.

Only when he ignored Breezpelt as a kit, and kept glancing longingly to the trees. Did she realize, that he didn't love her. She realized she had been used. That whole time, she had been used. As nothing but a tool. She put up with it though. If only so her son could have a father.

It was to late though. It was always to late.

Crowfeather would always choose Leafpool and his Thunderclan kits.

Nightcloud sunk her claws into the moss of her nest, she growled quietly and clenched her teeth. Raising her gaze, she scanned the crowd of her clanmates. She was relieved that most of them escaped the battle with few wounds. The most injured cats had been tended to. She was one of the last. The camp had been destroyed. The barrier of gorse around its edge was torn apart. The dens destroyed shredded. The grass below them was stained and caked with blood. Along with the pelts of her clanmates.

She looked over and saw Breezepelt. He was curled up in a tight ball. Cobwebs along his flank. Fur matted and torn and sticky from blood. The light brown tabby fur of Heathertail beside him, her own fur dirted and bloodied. She saw Heathertail gentle grooming the top of his head.

Despite her son's bitterness. He managed to get a cat to love him. A part of her envied that about him. The much larger side of her was happy her son had found a mate to love him. Not to use him.

Bile rose in her throat and she looked left a few tail lengths. The dark grey form of Crowfeather was a lot more stretched out. His gaze was aimed up to the dark and starry sky. Staring intently at silverpelt. Probably thinking about Feathertail, or Leafpool.

Certainly not her.

Nightcloud was brought back from her thoughts when Kestrelflight removed his paws from her haunches. Then turned to face her.

"Make sure to rest. No hunting," he ordered when she scowled. He then turned away to head to the next injured cat.

Nightcloud watched his mottled form walk away. Wondering what would have happened had she had a caring littermate who acted like him.

She turned her gaze back to Crowfeather. The resentment from earlier coming back again, full force. Almost as if he was feeling her burning holes into the back of his head with her gaze, he turned his head to look at her. They locked eyes for a long time. The tension seemed to grow between them. Cats walking by almost seemed to avoid walking in between them. Then, Crowfeather heaved himself to his paws. Being careful not to dislodge any of the cobwebs on his wounds. He then began to limp his way over to her.

Nightcloud wasn't expecting this. She slowly sat up as he walked over. He stopped a tail length away. They were muzzle to muzzle.

"Are you OK?" he asked. His tone sounded liked it was forced to sound caring. Which it probably was.

Nightcloud dug her claws even deeper into the moss. How dare he act like he care?!

"I'm fine," she replied cooly. Keeping her gaze steady.

He kept his gaze just as steady "Good. I'm glad you're OK," he said.

That was the last straw. The last string of her control snapped.

"Don't act like you care!" she growled angrily.

Crowfeather blinked confused "What do you mean?!" he spat.

Nightcloud's eyes dilated and she had to force herself not to claw his eyes out.

"I saw you, you chose Lionblaze over Breezepelt!" she stood up, the fur on her spine was flulffed out. Cats nearby glanced their way.

Crowfeather clenched his teeth and his lips pulled back slightly "Would you rather I let our son kill another clan cat," he growled. Tail lashing.

"You said you wouldn't let a hair on his pelt be Injured, in understand preventing murder but going out your way to say that!" she growled, stepping forward "you chased Breezepelt away," she stepped forward again "you said you never regretted anything," she was shaking now. From rage, sadness, or wieryness, she couldn't tell anymore.

Crowfeather snorted and looked at his paws. Finally realizing what she meant. He growled angrily though. Refusing to be wrong. His head snapped back up and his blue eyes were alit with anger.

"Well it was Breezepelt who brought that on himself," his tail was lashing by now "he attacked Lionblaze."

"Who do you think drove him to that point!?" she yowled at him, shoving her muzzle against his and shoving him back. The cats had formed a broken circle around them

"You drove him to that point!" she shouted.

"You claim to never hate him, but with how you treated him! What was he supposed to think! He just wanted a father, he worked so hard to please you! You piece of foxdung!" she snarled "I worked so hard. You used me to prove your so called loyalty to Windclan! If you were really loyal! You would have at least made an effort to be there for your son. To be there for me!"

By now she was wailing, shaking so hard it almost hurt. She was tired. Tired of being unloved, hated, used, and alone.

"I'm done being used by you Crowfeather!" she spat. Crowfeather staring at her dumbfounded, ears flat and whiskers drooping slightly.

"We are no longer mates! I will never share a nest or piece of prey with you again!" she turned away, smacking Crowfeather with her tail. Crowfeather growled. Driven by anger and frustration, he shouted out.

"And you wonder why you've never been loved!"

Nightcloud stumbled. Her eyes watered slightly. She wanted to cry. She couldn't though, not here. So she clenched her teeth, steeled herself up, and marched passed the cats who had crowded around her and Crowfeather. She stomped out of camp, through the barely intact entrance. Kestrelflight called out after her, but made no move to follow. Crowfeather breathed heavily as he stared at where Nightcloud previously stood. Only then did he realize what he had done, what he had said.

He yowled and leapt back when he felt something slash his muzzle. He wiggled his nose as blood seeped out of the scratches left behind.

"You piece of foxdung," he heard Breezepelt snarl. He looked up and saw his son's amber eyes burning with a fiery rage.

"Just like she's no longer your mate," he spat "I'm no longer your son!" Breezepelt turned away, running through the entrance after his mother.

The cats around them dispersed. Not really knowing or wanting to comfort the dark grey warrior. He just stood there, staring at where his son had also stood.

He didn't mean what he said, he really didn't. He may not have loved Nightcloud, but she didn't deserve the treatment he got from her. He didn't want to loose her like he lost Feathertail or Leafpool. However, because of his own stupidity, he had driven them away. He had lost another mate and a son and couldn't blame anyone else but himself.

He bowed his head and turned. Slowly walking to his nest, tail dragging behind him. He curled up, and fought back his tears.

XXX

I don't like Crowfeather. Like at all. I hope the Erins give him a cruel and painful death.

OK maybe not the last part but still.

I believe there is no excuse for how he treats Nightcloud and Breezepelt. Sure, Nightcloud did fuel Breezepelt's bitter feelings toward Crowfeather. But if Crowfeather wasn't such a douche and actually acted like a father and mate then maybe there wouldn't have been bitter feelings to fuel. So overall, I do blame Crowfeather, and hate him cause he's just a douche.

And ya lots of other cats are douches. Jayfeather is one too but I love him, cause he does have redeeming qualities and isn't a complete douche, only partially because he's blind. I mean, I know id be grumpy too if I was forced to become a medicine cat when I wanted to be a warrior.

So yea, Crowfeather should have been dumped by Nightcloud after Last hope. I don't know if they're actually still mates. Did they break up? Its never formally adressed. Can someone tell me please?

Also I used to kinda hate Nightcloud. But when you think about it, it kinda sucks what she went through. TheScruffyDuckling on YouTube, made a map about Nightcloud called hide. It was actually completed today and its amazing. Anyway, what she says perfectly fits Nightcloud. Neither a heartbroken victim or an evil villain. Simply a cat who was used by Crowfeather, and fed those bitter feelings to her son. I feel kinda bad for her now because I think Crowfeather made her bitter. Or was that final push at least. I believe she deserves a happy ending. So this is sort of an alternate timeline of what happens after the Last Hope.

Ok enough of my rambling.

Thanks for reading. There's a button that says review. Ya know you can push it and then write something nice. Or bad. Depends on what you think of my story :)

I'll give you virtual cookies if ya do :3 (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

Anyways bai bai for now.