Again, WARNING: this story involves some maleXmale, so if you don't like that, I advise you go no further.
IMPORTANT CHARACTERS: ACORNFALL-brown tabby tom with white paws and blue eyes
GRAYSTORM-gray tom with white patches and green eyes
STONEFOOT-mottled dark gray she-cat with pale gray legs
Acornfall woke up cold.
For a moment, he was confused. Where's Graystorm? He usually doesn't get up until sunhigh, unless forced to.
Then he remembered, and the pain hit him all over again. Graystorm was dead. Never again would his green eyes sparkle with humor, or his soft gray fur press against Acornfall's pelt at night.
Acornfall swallowed back a wail of grief. It wouldn't do his Clan any good to sit around and mourn the loss of Graystorm. He'd be deadweight, and SkyClan could not afford that, not in leaf-bare. His Clan needed all the warriors they could use, especially since many were recovering from the Greencough outbreak.
The outbreak that killed Graystorm. Acornfall drew in a shuddering breath, his legs wobbly. Glancing up, he saw the interior of the medicine den, and slowly stood up. Hunting will take my mind off... Acornfall cut himself off before the piercing pain could hit him again.
Padding out slowly, he saw Minnowpelt sorting herbs, his bushy black tail sweeping the old, crackly ones away.
"Hey, Acornfall," he mewed cheerfully. "Nice to see you up and about."
"Hi, Minnowpelt," Acornfall meowed back, his mew hoarse from the Greencough. "Is it fine if I go hunting?"
A slight frown crossed the tabby's face. "Come here," he ordered, beckoning with his tail. Acornfall obeyed. "Sit down and breathe in and out."
Acornfall took a deep breath and let it out. Minnowpelt put his ear by his chest, listening. "That's it," the medicine cat encouraged. "In and out."
After a few moments, Minnowpelt sat up and nodded. "You're good to go. If you feel out-of-breath, or start coughing all of the sudden, come back straight away."
"Okay." Acornfall dipped his head to Minnowpelt and padded out. His shoulders slumped.
Graystorm's broad body lay limply in the shade of a tree. His eyes were closed, and his fur cold when Acornfall pushed his nose into it. Acornfall squeezed shut his eyes. That didn't stop a tear from sliding down his nose.
"Graystorm," he whispered. "What will I do without you?"
"I'm sorry," Stonefoot murmured, coming to crouch beside him. "SkyClan will miss such a strong and brave warrior."
Acornfall sighed. "I'll miss him too."
As Acornfall padded back into camp, a sparrow dangling from his jaws, he saw Stonefoot standing there, her eyes fixed on him.
"They're going to bury Graystorm," she meowed simply.
Acornfall stumbled past her, dropping his prey onto the pile before turning to his dear, dear friend. Stonefoot sat beside him, gazing down at her brother.
"I know you had a special bond with Graystorm," she murmured, sympathy flashing in her eyes as she glanced at Acornfall's hunched shape. "Even in death, it will never disappear."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Acornfall grunted, resting his nose in the gray-and-white tom's cold fur.
Stonefoot shrugged. "I'm not good with comforting."
"Clearly." Acornfall said nothing more, and Stonefoot didn't either.
Minnowpelt padded past, his gaze solemn. The warriors stood back from the hole they had dug, and the medicine cat placed one paw on Graystorm's broad tree of a chest, bowing his head.
"May StarClan light your path, Graystorm. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep." Minnowpelt stepped back, and looked expectantly at Acornfall.
"Good-bye," Acornfall choked out, his throat tight with grief. He was unable to muster any more words.
The two elders moved forward to push Graystorm's body into the hole. Acornfall rose and blocked them, shaking his head.
"I want to do this," he rasped.
Deerclaw dipped his head, and backed away. Snowtail followed, casting a mournful look at the brown tabby warrior.
Leaning down, Acornfall fastened his teeth in Graystorm's scruff. As he did this, thunder boomed, and the previously clear sky turned dark and rainy. Lightning flashed as Acornfall heaved his best, closest friend into his grave. Swallowing, he looked upon the gray tom's face for the last time. His eyes strayed away, and he turned around, kicking dirt over the limp, lifeless body.
Stonefoot padded to his side, whispering condolences in his ear. Acornfall turned his head away, shoulders slumped, and sat down on the freshly churned earth. Stonefoot caught the hint and said nothing more, only sat by his side, her fur warming his pelt.
Sitting there, Acornfall did nothing except stare vacantly at the grave, not sleeping or resting. Only thinking of Graystorm, and how much he already missed him.
Finally, as the sky showed the dusky streaks of morning, Acornfall rose, stiff and cold. Stonefoot dozed by his side, her eyes closed and chest rising and falling steadily.
Sighing deeply, he padded to his leader. Lionstar turned, and, catching sight of Acornfall, mewed, "Get some rest, Acornfall. You can have today off. You need time to recover from this, I'm sure."
"Go," Batwhisker added, appearing at his leader's side. "If you want to do something, do it tomorrow."
Acornfall wanted to protest. He wanted something to occupy his thoughts, so he couldn't dwell on Graystorm, but exhaustion led to him only nodding and turning away.
Plopping down in his nest, he closed his eyes. Sleep swept him away instantly.
"Do not mourn, Acornfall." The sound and scent of Graystorm made Acornfall shoot to his paws.
"Graystorm!"
"It was my time," Graystorm continued. His eyes glimmered with sadness. "There was nothing you could do. You are no medicine cat, Acornfall."
Acornfall said nothing, only gazed at his mate. Graystorm stepped forward, resting his chin on Acornfall's head. The brown tabby pressed his muzzle against Graystorm's thick chest fur, just like they used to.
They stayed like that for the longest of times, Acornfall breathing in Graystorm's scent contentedly. Finally, when Graystorm drew away, his pelt was flickering.
"The sun is almost up," he mewed. "I have only a short time left. Listen, Acornfall. I am dead. You are not."
"I could join you," Acornfall started.
"No!" Graystorm's eyes flashed with outrage. "Do not kill yourself, and do not interrupt me! The sun is up; I have but a few seconds. Listen closely, Acornfall. I may be dead now, but you are not. You still have a life you can live. I want you to be happy. I want you to find another mate. That is the only way to mend your broken heart."
"But…"
Light suddenly cut through Graystorm's pelt. "Good-bye, Acornfall. I will visit you again sometime. I promise."
"Wait! Don't go!"
"Acornfall!" Acornfall's eyes shot open. Stonefoot stood over him, one paw raised. "Batwhisker wants you. Border patrol."
"Sure," Acornfall muttered. Shaking scraps of moss out of his pelt, he padded out of the den, thinking about Graystorm's words. He wants me to find another mate? But Graystorm is my mate. I'd be betraying him if I took another. Besides, who would I love enough?
NINE MOONS LATER
Stonefoot laid her tail on his shoulder. Acornfall purred softly with pleasure at her touch. Then he squelched it. He was starting to love her! That couldn't happen! His only love was Graystorm.
Stonefoot took her tail away as Batwhisker called to Acornfall. Pleased to have a chance to crush all fledgeling feelings beneath his work, he trotted over to him eagerly. It had worked back then, when his grief over Graystorm was strong. It would work now.
Forcing himself not to look at Stonefoot, he gathered the cats Batwhisker had told him to bring with him to hunt, and padded out of the camp determinedly.
I will not love her, he vowed to himself. Only Graystorm will reside in my heart.
FIFTEEN MOONS LATER
Acornfall licked Stonefoot's ears briefly, then charged away into battle. As he dodged a blow at his face, his mind flickered back to his conversation with Graystorm all those moons ago.
"I want you to find another mate. That is the only way to mend your broken heart."
How right he was. Acornfall had tried to bury his feelings, both of love and grief, in his warrior duties, pressing them far back in his heart. But his love for Stonefoot could not be restrained.
The ThunderClan warrior snarled at him. Acornfall backed up toward a tree, acting like he was cornered. Triumph flashed in the enemy's eyes. Acornfall almost laughed. Seriously? This warrior must be young—most enemies knew that SkyClan warriors fought in the trees just as well as on the ground.
Kicking up with his front paws planted firmly on the ground, his back paws dug into the bark and flipped himself up onto the tree. He brought his front paws up and smashed them down onto the gaping warrior's head.
Stumbling back, the ThunderClan cat shook his head, recovering swiftly. By then, though, Acornfall had jumped onto the ground, spun around, and jumped up to the lowest branch in one huge leap. Moving subtly so as not to rustle the leaves, Acornfall swiftly slid to a branch that hung over the ThunderClan warrior. As the tom looked around confusedly, searching for the SkyClan cat, Acornfall dropped.
He flattened the warrior, who let out a cry of surprise as the tabby landed nimbly on him.
"Are SkyClan cats birds now?" the warrior snarled.
Acornfall snorted as he raked his claws down the warrior's back. The ThunderClan cat arched his back, attempting to throw off Acornfall. As he felt his grip loosening, he quickly jumped off. The ThunderClan warrior leaped up and scowled at him.
Making as if to leap overhead, the ThunderClan warrior bunched his muscles in preparation. Instead, Acornfall dove for his belly, sinking his teeth into his leg and scratching him along his chest. The ThunderClan warrior yowled with pain, yanked himself away, and tore away through the forest.
Glancing around, he clawed his way up a tree, and ran to help Foxclaw, leaping from tree to tree. Glaring down, he moved directly over the ThunderClan she-cat that had Foxclaw pinned down, and fell.
Rolling the warrior over, Foxclaw leaped to his paws the moment he was free and stood side-by-side with Acornfall. Together, the two SkyClan cats forced the ThunderClan warrior back, aiming alternating swipes at his muzzle, darting in to nip at her legs.
Snarling with anger, she retreated, fleeing the battle. Acornfall triumphantly raised his muzzle. The battle was dying down now; only Batstar and Patchstar were still fighting. The SkyClan warriors gathered around the two leaders, watching but not intervening. Patchstar glanced at the enemy warriors, then tore out of Batstar's grip and fled.
"SkyClan!" Batstar raised his chin proudly. "We have won!"
"SkyClan! SkyClan! SkyClan!"
Stonefoot appeared by Acornfall's side. "Have you seen Frogshine?"
His belly lurching, Acornfall looked around. "No," he meowed.
"I can't find him," Stonefoot continued.
Acornfall broke away from his Clanmates to search for his son. As he padded over to check the roots of a tree, he stumbled over a limp gray tabby shape. Horror filled him.
"Frogshine?" Acornfall nudged his son. Frogshine was cold to the touch. A massive wound gaped in the back of his neck. "Frogshine?"
No response. Acornfall closed his eyes. "Stonefoot! I found him. He… he's dead."
Stonefoot raced over, slithering to a stop by her mate's side. His Clanmates turned, their celebration dying down as they realized something terrible had happened.
Acornfall buried his nose into Frogshine's fur. Stonefoot crouched beside him, her eyes suddenly shadowed with grief.
"I'm sorry." The deputy, Mallowtail, was standing behind them.
"I'll carry him back for you," Leafpelt offered.
"No," Acornfall mewed, shaking his head. "Stonefoot and I will do it. One last thing for our son."
Leafpelt didn't argue, only dipped his head. Acornfall's daughter, Streamstorm, slipped beside her parents. "I'm helping," she murmured softly.
The three cats loaded Frogshine's body onto their backs, and headed back to camp, SkyClan's victory suddenly empty.
It wasn't worth it, Acornfall thought numbly. Nothing would be worth Frogshine's death.
As Acornfall crouched at the edge of the hole, looking down at Frogshine's body, he remembered the night he did this with Graystorm. His former mate had looked so small in death, and Frogshine was no different.
But there was something different this time. What was different was that he now had others to love. Stonefoot and Streamstorm were still alive, and soon Stonefoot would bear him more kits to love and nurture.
Their deaths may have hurt just as much, but this time, Acornfall would push through it. He would not crumble. He would stand tall.
His heart was truly and fully mended now.