Chapter 4
Snow coated the forest floor as Suguha and Foxpaw were out to practice hunting. It was now leaf-bare, and it was more important than ever to look for prey. The two looked around, trying their best to catch any sort of scent that they could.
"Do you sense anything, Foxpaw?" The she-cat asked her apprentice.
"Not yet. I don't see any sort of paw prints in the snow, either." He replied. "Maybe we need to search someplace else?"
"Okay. From all the times we've went out hunting, where do you think we should go?"
"Near the abandoned Twoleg nest just north of camp. I'm sure that now more than ever some prey must be seeking shelter there." The she-can nodded.
"Great thinking, Foxpaw. Let's go check it out." The two trudged through the snow for a while until they finally reached their destination. Pride filled Foxpaw when he was quickly able to catch the scent of prey. Rabbit, and it's close by. He looked around for any sign of movement in the snow. It'll easily blend in with the snow, so I need to look carefully…there! Hopping slowly in the snow was the rabbit. It's a great size, too. Sparkpelt, Sorrelstripe, and their kits will definitely appreciate it. Foxpaw slowly began to creep up on the rabbit, but as he did, an unfamiliar scent caught his attention. He stopped, but shook it off. This prey matters more. He told himself as he continued to creep up on the prey. When he was close enough, he pounced, claws unsheathed. With a quick slash, he killed the rabbit, it's blood now coating the white snow.
"Great catch, Foxpaw! The way you were able to find that rabbit in the snow was amazing!" Suguha praised him.
"Yes, it was a great catch." Foxpaw looked over at the abandoned Twoleg nest and saw a dark tabby tom walk out. He had a torn right ear, and a menacing look in his eyes. "And it belongs to us now." Suguha and Foxpaw looked around and saw two other cats surround them, a gray tabby tom with blue eyes and a ginger tom with green eyes. I knew I sensed something! The two tried backing away, but the three cats closed in on them.
How could I be so careless and not realize that there were rogues around here? Suguha told herself. She looked over at Foxpaw, worry in the tom's violet eyes.
"Foxpaw, on three, we'll run." Suguha whispered. "One…two…three!" Suguha darted away, and Foxpaw tried to follow behind her, but the ginger tom was faster and grabbed him by the scruff.
"Suguha!" The apprentice cried out. The black she-cat turned around, fear in her eyes.
"Let him go!" She yelled. "You can have the rabbit, but just let him go, please!" She begged.
"Okay, we'll let him go…but you'll come with us instead." The dark tabby tom meowed, Foxpaw still struggling to break free of the rogue's grasp. "We could use a she-cat in these desperate times." The apprentice watched his mentor's paws begin to shake.
"F-Fine." The tabby tom walked over to Suguha and gave her a lick to the muzzle, causing her to flinch.
"Let him go!" The rogue leader commanded. The ginger rogue holding Foxpaw tossed him aside, the tom landing softly onto the snow.
"Suguha!" He called out as she watched her walk with the rogues. The leader pushed her down into the snow, the she-cat trying to get up. Rage filled Foxpaw, the apprentice blindly running towards the rogues. He was easily knocked aside by the gray tabby, blood now dripping down from his shoulder from a fresh wound.
"Foxpaw, get out of here!" Suguha called out. "D-Don't look…please." She begged softly as the three toms now surrounded her.
"I'm sure a beautiful cat such as yourself probably has done this plenty of times before." The dark tabby tom told her, giving her another lick to the cheek, this time, his tongue traveling down the she-cat's neck.
"N-No…stop…please." The she-cat begged. Foxpaw stood there, frozen. He couldn't just leave Suguha behind. "Foxpaw…go." Suguha mewed, tears falling from her eyes. This is all my fault! If I hadn't suggested that we go here, Suguha wouldn't be in trouble. Because of me…because I neglected the presence of another cat while I was hunting…I put my mentor in danger. She doesn't deserve any of this! I'm weak. I can't save her…one of the cats that mean so much to me! His paws shook as he looked on in horror. I want to save her…I have to!
Is that what you desire? To save your mentor from the rogues? Time seemed to suddenly stop once Foxpaw heard the mysterious female voice. His surroundings seemed to change, a dark moonlit meadow now around him.
"Yes, please! Help me save Suguha! That's all I can ask for. Just…please…"
Foxpaw…you've been born with the power to protect those you care for…much like your older sister.
"Like Nightheart?" Could she be talking about…Geass? He wondered.
Yes, now awaken your power, Foxpaw! Do it to protect those that you cherish! Foxpaw snapped back into reality, a new surge of confidence now filling the tom. He slowly walked towards the rogues, blood still dripping from his shoulder. The three of them seemed to stop and looked over at Foxpaw.
"You couldn't just listen to her, could you?" The tabby asked as he approached Foxpaw. He was now face-to-face with the apprentice. "What are you going to do against three full grown cats?"
"I'm going to make you three regret ever laying a paw on her!" He yelled. The three cats looked at him in surprise as the tom's right eye suddenly changed. Foxpaw now stood and watched as the three toms now screamed in horror as they fell to the ground, their bodies shaking. Foxpaw looked over at Suguha, relieved that they didn't get too far with her. Suguha's…okay. I'm…glad. The tom's body slowly rocked back and forth before he fainted, his unconscious body lying in the cold snow.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Foxpaw, Foxpaw, please wake up! The silver-and black tabby's violet eyes slowly opened and he saw that it was Ivypool calling out to him. "Oh thank StarClan you're okay!" She meowed with relief as she pressed close to the tom. He looked around and saw that he was now in the medicine cat's den. He saw Lelouch was next to him as well, concern filling his violet eyes. Did Suguha tell him what happened?
"W-Where's Suguha? She's okay, right?" He asked the others.
"She's alright. She brought you all the way back here." Alderheart told her. "Those toms…I'll kill them!" The medicine cat spat in anger.
"We all want that, believe me." Asuna stated. "Foxpaw, is your shoulder feeling better?"
"I…I think so." He meowed, trying to get up. Pain immediately flowed through him and he quickly rested back down. I don't remember it hurting this much.
"Just get some rest. You'll need to be here for a while." Lelouch told him. The brambles leading into the medicine cat's den parted, Suguha walking through.
"Thank god you're okay!" Tears filled the she-cat's eyes as she pressed close to Foxpaw. "I'm so sorry for putting you in danger, Foxpaw! I should've been paying more attention."
"N-No, it's my fault, Suguha. If I hadn't suggested we go there…this wouldn't have happened." He meowed. "Because of me, you were in danger, and…I'm sorry." He meowed, wiping his violet eyes with a paw.
"It was those dumb rogues on our territory. You both should've been more careful, but I'm sure you both were focused in hunting for the Clan." Jayfeather meowed.
"Foxpaw!" Swiftpaw broke through the den, Kirito and Nightheart following behind. "You're okay!" The silver-and-white she-cat pressed close to her brother. "When I saw Suguha carry you in camp…I was so worried!" He could feel his sister begin to cry into his coat.
"Suguha told us what happened and how you saved her. You're a hero, Foxpaw." Kirito meowed. The violet-eyed tom looked at his sister, her violet eyes cold, almost emotionless. He then remembered what the voice told him. Power like Nightheart's.
"Foxpaw." He turned to face his father. "Suguha told us how you saved her. She also said that…she saw the symbol of Geass in your right eye." Kirito and Swiftpaw looked at the tom in surprise. "Can you show it to me? Please." The tom nodded and Lelouch watched as his right violet eye changed, now manifesting the power of Geass. "Just like your sister." He looked over at Nightheart before looking back at his son. "How did it happen?" Foxpaw deactivated his Geass.
"I…I didn't want to leave Suguha alone. I wanted to save her, father. Everything seemed to stop, and I heard a voice speak to me. It sounded like it was from a she-cat. After she spoke to me, I felt like I was able to protect her. I looked over at them, and they seemed to fall to the ground in fear. After that…I lost consciousness."
"The three of them seemed to faint due to fear." Suguha stated.
"The voice that spoke to you…it had to have been C.C." Lelouch said. "Nightheart…did C.C. speak to you as well before you saved Kirito?" The she-cat nodded.
"Yes, father. I didn't know it was her before that, but once we met, I realized she was the one I heard." She meowed.
"But…you told me that it couldn't be passed down. If Nightheart has it…and Foxpaw does as well, does that mean you were able to pass it to your kin, Lelouch?" Ivypool asked.
"It has to be." He looked over at Swiftpaw. "Have you heard any voices talking to you?"
"I wish! How come Nightheart and Foxpaw get Geass and I don't?" The silver-and-white apprentice complained. Lelouch turned his attention back to Foxpaw.
"Foxpaw, we need to figure out what your Geass does. From what I can guess, you seem to have the power to strike fear into any cat that you look at, and it seems that you can choose who it affects if Suguha was able to see that you had it." He meowed. "Regardless, Geass isn't a power you can just flaunt around and use as you see fit. I know that I don't need to tell you this, but only use it when it's absolutely necessary."
"Yes, father." Lelouch gave his son a comforting lick to the ear, Ivypool doing the same.
"Lelouch and I will check on you later." His mother meowed as they both got up.
"Nightheart and I will come, too!" Swiftpaw added.
"Okay, let's let him rest for a bit." Alderheart meowed. The other cats left, except for Suguha. She walked over to Foxpaw and gave him a kiss on the cheek, the tom's face growing warm.
"Thank you for saving me, Foxpaw. You're the best apprentice I could have ever asked for." The black she-cat left the medicine cat's den, Asuna touching Alderheart's shoulder with her tail.
"Don't be jealous. She still likes you." A blush formed on the tom's face.
"O-Of course I'm not jealous! If anything I'm grateful that he saved her." He meowed. "But I don't think I'd mind if there was something between them. I'm a medicine cat, after all." The tom walked over to where Foxpaw was resting. "How's your shoulder feeling?"
"It still hurts. I don't think I'll be able to walk normally for a while." The apprentice told him.
"The wound was pretty deep. I'm sure it was a lot for you to go through." Asuna stated. "Just tell any of us if it's bothering you, or if you need anything, okay?" The silver and black tabby nodded. Geass…I never thought that such a power would ever be given to me. Could this mean that I'm destined to do more than just become a warrior?
Nightheart left the medicine cat's den, the she-cat making her way towards the camp exit. As she was walking, Molewhisker caught up to her.
"Hey, how's—." The tom stopped when he saw an empty look in his mate's eyes. "Nightheart, are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm just going out, Molewhisker."
"Do you want me to—."
"No!" She snapped. "I want to be alone." The brown and cream tom nodded, his ears flat.
"Okay. Be safe out there." He gave her a lick to the ear before she left. As he watched her leave camp, he was approached by his sister, Cherryfall.
"That's the first time I've ever seen Nightheart yell at anyone ever since she was an apprentice." The ginger she-cat meowed. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah. She probably just needs some alone time." He meowed.
"Well, you're her mate, so don't you think you should be out there comforting her?"
"Do you think she'll get mad if I do?"
"You won't know unless you try. She's always been a sweet cat, so I'm sure you'll be able to get to her." The tom nodded. Cherryfall's right. Nightheart's probably in a dark spot right now, so I need to try to help the cat I love in any way possible. Molewhisker thanked his sister before he followed Nightheart's tracks. He caught onto her scent trail traveling north and followed it. He saw the black she-cat in the distance minutes later and ran over to her. Nightheart's ears twitched and she quickly turned around when she caught the tom's scent.
"Molewhisker, what are you doing here?!" She asked, her voice filled with frustration.
"I'm here to help you." He meowed. "I know you told me that you wanted to be alone…but I couldn't just do nothing."
"Yes, you can. Please, I'm fine!" She assured him as she kept walking.
"No, just let me help you!" He meowed.
"Molewhisker, I already—."
"I don't care. You know how much I love you, Nightheart. You're not acting like yourself, and you know it!"
"If you love me then for now just forget about me and leave me alone!" She spat before she turned around and continued walking away. The tom did nothing but stay silent before turning around to make his way back to camp.
Nightheart trudged through the snow, ignoring any of the cold weather around her. I can't let him see me do this…I can't let the cat I love see me turn into a monster… She told herself as she made her way towards the abandoned Twoleg den. Immediately, unfamiliar scents filled the she-cat's nose. They're here. Nightheart walked towards the front of the den and sat down. "I know you're in there. Come out, now!" She commanded. A dark tabby, a gray tabby, and a ginger tom walked out of the den, a menacing look in their eyes.
"What do we have here?" The dark tabby walked over to her before circling around her. "It's not every day we get she-cats looking for us."
"This will be the last day that ever happens." Nightheart meowed coldly. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to my best friend and my brother!"
"Oh, that runt is your brother? We only recovered from whatever he did to us minutes ago." The tom meowed. "Nightmares like that…" The tom hit the snow with a paw. "Since you're his kin, I think killing his older sister will be enough revenge."
"You three can try, but I promise that none of you are leaving here alive."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Lelouch sat near the entrance to camp waiting for Nightheart and Molewhisker to come back. He had seen how his daughter yelled at his mate and wanted to see if the two were okay. He saw the brown and cream tom walk through the thorn tunnel leading to camp and headed over to speak with him.
"Molewhisker, where's Nightheart?"
"Nightheart? Who's that?" He asked.
"I'm serious. If you and her are fighting, you can at least tell me where she is."
"Lelouch, I'm being honest, I have no idea who you're talking about." He replied. Lelouch looked at him, concern filling his eyes when he noticed a red ring around the tom's amber eyes. It soon disappeared. "I'll talk to you later." Did…Nightheart really use Geass to make Molewhisker forget about her? The tom made his way over to the warriors' den where Ivypool was resting.
"Hey, I'm gonna go out to speak with Nightheart."
"Is she okay?" Ivypool asked, concern in her voice.
"She should be. She's done something by accident, I'm pretty sure. I'll talk to you about it later." He meowed.
"Be safe out there." She replied, giving the tom a kiss on the cheek before he left camp. Lelouch caught his daughter's faint scent trail and followed it. It slowly became stronger as he followed it north. What could she be… The tom suddenly broke out into a run once he realized why his daughter actually left camp. When he reached the abandoned Twoleg den, his violet eyes went wide in horror. Blood coated the white snow below the ground where his daughter was standing. Three dead cats were in front of her, the crimson substance seeping out of their necks.
"Nightheart…" The tom called out as he approached her. She turned around, blood coating the she-cat's muzzle and claws. Her violet eyes were immediately filled with fear at the sight of her father.
"Father, don't look at me!" She pleaded. "I was the only one who was supposed to know what happened here, but now…you know how much of a monster you daughter really is."
"I'd never think that. Come over here." She made her way over to Lelouch, blood coating every pawstep she made. Once she was close enough, she pressed her head into her father's shoulder and began to cry.
"I killed them, father! T-They hurt Foxpaw…and they tried to rape Suguha! I used my Geass to fulfill my own dark intentions...and…"
"I understand why you did it, Nightheart. It doesn't make you a monster. I've used my Geass to kill as well, many times, in fact."
"But...the warrior code states that no warrior should kill unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm worried about what StarClan might do to me."
"Don't be. What you did was to protect any ThunderClan cats that come over here. They should've left after what your brother did, but if you found them here, then obviously they weren't the brightest to begin with." Lelouch looked over at the three dead cats. "Regardless…using your Geass in such a way can be dangerous. I know you were overflowing with hatred and anger, but you can't let it control you, especially when you have the power to control anyone."
"Yes, father." The she-cat meowed, avoiding the tom's violet gaze. He gave her a comforting lick to the ear.
"Everything will be okay, Nightheart. We'll keep this between the both of us, okay? I don't want you getting in trouble for what you did." The she-cat nodded. "Good. I'll go bury the three and try to hide any evidence. You go clean yourself off."
Lelouch and Nightheart made their way back to camp, the two washing off any trace or scent of blood on their fur. As they were walking, Lelouch stopped his daughter.
"Nightheart…there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it? Is it about the cats?"
"No. It's about Molewhisker."
"What happened? Did I hurt him too much by yelling at him?" Worry filled the she-cat's voice. The tom shook his head.
"When you last spoke to him, did you tell him to forget about you?" She nodded.
"I just didn't want him to follow me and see what I was going to do. Did he tell you that I said that?"
"No, but…" Lelouch let out a sigh. "I should just tell you. Nightheart, when you told him that…you might have accidentally activated you Geass in frustration." The she-cat let out a gasp.
"W-What? No…I'd never command him to do something like that!"
"I know. Like I said, I think you activated it completely by accident." Her father meowed. "Something similar to this has happened to me before, Nightheart, but instead of on accident, I did it on purpose."
"W-Why?"
"Because I hurt someone that meant a lot to me. To take that pain away, I told her to forget about me. She…was really fond of me before I used it, but she fell in love with me again." He explained. "What you did to Molewhisker was an accident, but that doesn't mean you both can't be mates anymore. Just act like you've never met him before when you see him."
"I…I don't know if I can, father."
"You have to. You lost Molewhisker, and he's lost you but doesn't realize it. You can't just let him live like that." The tom meowed. "It's possible that spending time with you can break the Geass you put on him."
"Really?"
"Yes. Either way, spending time with him will allow you to make things the way they were." He told her. "Let's get going back to camp so you can talk to him."
When the two arrived back at camp, Lelouch led Nightheart over to the warriors' den. As he was walking, the she-cat suddenly stopped. Lelouch could see the fear in his daughter's eyes from seeing what her mistake had done.
"I'll go get him, it'll be okay, I promise." He assured her. When he entered the warriors' den, he saw that Molewhisker was talking with Kirito.
"Hey, is Molewhisker alright?" He asked the tom.
"I'm fine. You all are bringing up Nightheart as if I should know you. You all do, but apparently I don't." The brown-and-cream tom meowed. Ivypool looked over at her mate.
"Did you find her?"
"Yeah. She accidently used Geass to make him forget her." He meowed softly.
"What? That's horrible! Is she okay?"
"She's scared to see him like this." Honestly, she seems more scared about this than when I found her near the abandoned house. "But it's something she needs to do." Lelouch turned to face Molewhisker. "Come meet Nightheart, Molewhisker."
"Right now? She's here?" He asked, Lelouch nodding his head. "Okay." The tom followed him out of the warriors' den and the two walked over to where Nightheart was. The she-cat looked over at the tom and immediately averted her gaze away from him. "Molewhisker, this is Nightheart."
"Hi, I'm Molewhisker. It's nice to meet you, Nightheart."
"It's…nice to meet you as well." She said inaudibly. "I'm sorry father, I can't do this." Molewhisker looked at her in surprise.
"Wait, she's your daughter, Lelouch?!" He asked in surprise. "Since when did you have an older daughter?" The tom looked over at her. "Everyone says that we're mates…but I don't even know her."
"Because I used my Geass to make you forget about me, Molewhisker!" Nightheart told him. "I didn't mean for it to happen, I'd never want something like that to happen! We haven't been mates for long…but I know I don't want that to go away." She wiped her eyes with a paw. "I'm…I'm sorry, Molewhisker." The tom's amber gaze grew soft.
"If I'm the only one who's forgotten, then it must be true, right?" He meowed. "I just…don't think I can push myself into that all of a sudden…but we can be friends, Nightheart. Maybe we can be mates eventually." The she-cat nodded and pressed her head below the tom's chin, causing him to blush. "Um…a bit of space would be nice, Nightheart, at least for now."
"Sorry!" She quickly apologized as she stepped away. The tom saw the tiara on top of the she-cat's head.
"Isn't that Lucina's?" The she-cat nodded.
"She gave it to me to remember her by." Nightheart explained.
"Why don't you both get to know each other more over a piece of fresh-kill?" Lelouch suggested.
"That's not a bad idea. You don't mind, right?" Molewhisker asked, Nightheart shaking her head.
"Not at all." The two made their way over to the fresh-kill pile, Lelouch watching as they did. Nightheart, today you've gotten to understand the dangerous power of the Geass that I gave you. I wish that I didn't bestow such a strong power to you, but it was the only way for me to keep you alive that day. If Molewhisker doesn't regain his memory, please forgive me.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Nightheart made her way over to the medicine cat's den to check on Foxpaw. It had been a few sunrises ever since he was brought back to camp by Suguha, she and the others now learning about his Geass. I've kept it to myself…but I can't keep it to myself and father any longer. Lately, the she-cat had been waking up in the middle of the night, haunted by her own dark actions the day she murdered the three rogues with the simple command of her Geass. It sometimes was so bad that she found herself needing to rush out of camp to vomit, the grotesque scene she created still fresh in her mind. She peeked inside of the medicine cat's den and saw that Alderheart was tending to Foxpaw's wound.
"Does it feel better?" The dark ginger tabby asked.
"Yes. Thank you, Alderheart." The tom's violet eyes looked behind the tom and he saw Nightheart. "Oh, sister, good morning."
"Good morning to you as well, Foxpaw." She walked over and greeted her brother with a lick to the ear. "Are you able to walk yet?"
"Almost. I think I need to stay here for one more day." He meowed. "Jayfeather doesn't mind, right, Alderheart?"
"Of course not! I know cats here give me a bad reputation, but I'm not that cruel, Foxpaw." The blind medicine cat meowed. "I'd rather have you here until you're fully healed than have you hurt yourself agitating your wound." The young tabby tom let out a smile before looking back at his sister.
"How's Molewhisker doing?"
"He still doesn't remember that we're mates." Nightheart meowed, letting out a sigh. "I don't know if he ever will, but I have to keep trying." She tapped Alderheart's shoulder with her tail. "Are you done dressing his wound? I'd like to speak with Foxpaw privately."
"Oh, yeah, it's all done." Alderheart stepped away from him, allowing Nightheart to rest down next to her brother.
"Is something wrong?" The tom asked, Nightheart shaking her head.
"No. There's something I need to tell you…about your Geass." She meowed, the tom looking at her with curiosity in his violet eyes. "Your Geass has the power to inflict nightmares to whatever cat you look at. I assume what they see varies on what they believe is their worst nightmare."
"Really? It sounds…dangerous." He stated. "How do you know what my Geass does, Nightheart?" The she-cat looked around her. She had to tell him what happened.
"Promise that you won't say anything…please?" Foxpaw nodded. "I went to look for those tom who attacked you and Suguha after she brought you back here. They told me that they suffered from nightmares because of your Geass."
"Wait…you went to see them? Where are they now?" Nightheart paused. She broke her violet gaze away from her brother's own.
"I killed them." The she-cat whispered. Foxpaw's eyes went wide with shock.
"What? Why?"
"Because they hurt two cats I care about deeply. I couldn't let them continue and possibly hurt anyone else." She told him. "With the Geass father gave me…I took their lives away with a simple look. This burden is mine to bear. Father found me after I did it, so he's the only other cat that knows. Please Foxpaw, don't tell anyone else."
"I promise, Nightheart." He meowed. "I'm sorry that you had to do something like that."
"Don't be. I chose to do what I did." She told him. "I hope you feel better soon, Foxpaw." The she-cat gave the tom a lick to the ear before leaving the den. As she walked out, she bumped into her father, the tom about to check on Foxpaw.
"Good morning, Nightheart. Did you just go in to check on your brother?" She nodded. "Is he doing well?"
"He's getting better." She meowed. "Father?"
"Yes?"
"I…I told Foxpaw what I did."
"What? Why would you do that?"
"Because I couldn't keep it to myself. Day after day I've gotten up in the middle of the night haunted by what I did. The blood I spilled…the impulse to kill in my mind…" Lelouch pulled his daughter close to console her.
"It's the first time you've used your Geass that way. Hopefully it's not a sight you'll see again. I'd rather you not get used to seeing things like that, Nightheart." He meowed. "If it's really bothering you, you can always use your Geass on yourself to forget about it…but there could be a time where you might want to use it a different way."
"Right. This is just something that will end up going away eventually." The tom nodded.
"Were you going to tell anyone else about it?" He asked, but she didn't respond. "Suguha?"
"M-Most likely. I don't think I can tell mother, and I can't tell Swiftpaw either."
"But you told your brother…because he's the reason you did it, right?" She nodded.
"Also because I figured out what his Geass is. The rogue leader told me that day. I just have been preoccupied with trying to help Molewhisker."
"Understandable. It's the power to make cats see their nightmares, correct?" Nightheart looked at her father in surprise.
"How'd you know?"
"Do you forget who your father is?" The tom said with a chuckle. "I've been thinking about it ever since we found out about Foxpaw's Geass. That's also why I intended to check up on him right now, but I assume you've told him about it already?" Nightheart nodded. "Good." Lelouch gave the she-cat a lick to the ear. "If what you did is still in your head after a while, don't hesitate to come see me, Nightheart, okay?"
"Yes father. Thank you." The tom let out a gentle smile before entering the medicine cat's den.
"Hey, Nightheart." The she-cat turned around and saw that it was Fernsong. "I wanted to wait until you were done talking with Lelouch. Did you want to go out hunting with me?"
"I'd love to." The she-cat followed the yellow tom out into the forest after getting Squirrelflight's permission. Maybe this will help keep my mind off of everything.
"So, where did you want to hunt? I know there's a lot of prey by the abandoned—."
"No!" She quickly snapped, the tom looking at her in worry. "I'm sorry, Fernsong. It's just…that's where Suguha and my brother…"
"Oh StarClan, I'm sorry for suggesting that we go there!" He apologized. "We can just hunt around near our border with SkyClan." The she-cat nodded and the two began to trudge through the snow in search of prey. "I'm really sorry for not realizing that, Nightheart. I didn't mean to bring it back up or anything."
"It's okay, Fernsong. We've been friends for so long, after all."
"Right…" The tom's voice trailed off, Nightheart looking over at him.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-No, I'm fine." He assured her. "So, hunting, right? Let's go!"
The pair tried their best hunting in the cold weather together, but they weren't able to find as much prey as they would have during any other time of year. Nightheart caught a pair of mice, while Fernsong was lucky and was able to find a rabbit.
"I'm sure that catch is equivalent to ten of mine in this weather. Nice job, Fernsong." The she-cat meowed.
"Thanks, Nightheart. I just got lucky, that's all." He replied. "Let's get going back to camp. I'm sure the others would appreciate some prey right now." As the two were walking, Fernsong looked over at the she-cat. "How's Molewhisker doing? Does he remember anything yet?" He asked, his voice muffled by the rabbit he was carrying.
"Not yet."
"Well, have you made him fall in love with you again?" The she-cat shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's my fault this happened, anyway. It was an accident, and now StarClan's making me pay for it."
"You don't deserve that at all, Nightheart. You've worked so hard ever since we were apprentices."
"Yeah, because someone here couldn't stop teasing me and challenging me all the time." She retorted, giving the tom a small push. "But I might not have become the warrior I was today if it wasn't for you, Fernsong." The yellow tom's face began to grow hot from the she-cat's compliment. He dropped his prey so he could speak to the she-cat clearly.
"I think it's more of you wanting to be like Lelouch than it was me. I was just being a real fox-heart at the time, especially since I knew he was your father, too." He stated. "Sorry for all that back then. I know I apologized before, but just thinking about it now makes me feel bad."
"You don't have to. It's in the past." She assured him.
"Alright, I'll try to not apologize about it ever again." The she-cat giggled. "I hope Molewhisker gets his memory back again, Nightheart. He's really missing out on being with such a sweet and beautiful cat."
"F-Fernsong, please…" Nightheart turned her violet gaze away from the tom in embarrassment.
"But it's true." Nightheart could see that the tom was flustered, but he continued. "He's lucky to have you as a mate, Nightheart. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of him." Nightheart looked at the tom in surprise. W-What? Is Fernsong really…
"D-Do you mean that…" A blush formed on the she-cat's face. Fernsong nodded.
"Y-Yeah. I like you, Nightheart. I wish I told you how I felt sooner…but I thought you always only saw us as friends." He confessed. "M-Maybe it was because of all the teasing I did back then too that made me feel like you wouldn't feel the same way, not that it matters anymore, anyway."
"Fernsong, I…"
"Don't even worry about it. I just…wanted to say what I was too late to tell you before, Nightheart." He meowed. "I-I'm not just saying it now because of what happened to Molewhisker, by the way! I'm happy for him and hope you both become mates again. This just has been bothering me for a while and I wanted to get it off of my chest. I know I'm no Kirito or Molewhisker, but…" Nightheart silenced the tom with a kiss on the cheek, Fernsong looking at her in surprise.
"I would've said yes if you asked me, Fernsong."
"What? Y-You're serious?" The violet-eyed she-cat nodded.
"Unlike those two, we've been friends for such a long time. You weren't exactly my favorite cat when we were apprentices in the beginning, but you changed for the better. I was glad that we finally became friends after all the teasing." The tom let out a smile.
"Thanks, Nightheart. Just knowing that you would've said yes is enough for me." He said. "N-Nothing's weird between us now, right?" The she-cat shook her head, Fernsong letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan. That's what I was worried about the most." He picked up his rabbit. "We should get back to camp. I don't think confessing how I felt in this weather was the best idea I've had in a while." Nightheart let out a small laugh before she picked up her mice and made her way back to camp with the tom. If I can't get Molewhisker to fall in love with me again…would it be wrong to take Fernsong as my mate instead? No, it wouldn't be fair to Molewhisker, especially since it's my fault that he's forgotten about me. I have to keep trying, or find a way to remove the Geass that I've placed on him…but is such a thing possible?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Suguha walked over to the fresh-kill pile after waking up. She picked up a mouse from the diminishing pile and rested down on the snow-covered stone floor of the camp. For the past few days she had been distant from every cat in camp, even her cousin and Asuna. The only time she ever talked was when she checked up on Foxpaw to see how he was doing every day. As she was eating, she saw Nightheart and Fernsong enter camp, prey in their jaws. After dropping their catches off in the fresh-kill pile, Nightheart walked over to Suguha.
"Hi, Suguha. Did you just get up?" She asked her. Although her voice was kind and gentle, the she-cat only looked over at her before she continued eating. The violet-eyed she-cat's heart ached at the sight of one of her closest friends being so withdrawn. "I-I'll leave you alone." Once Nightheart left, Kirito approached his cousin.
"Hey Sugu. Are you feeling better? Did you want to go out and hunt?" The she-cat's dark gray eyes widened in horror.
"No! Please, no!" She yelled, fear coating her voice. Every cat in the middle of the camp looked over at her. They all knew what she had gone through a few sunrises ago, so they were all worried. "I…don't want to leave camp. J-just leave me alone, Kazuto…please." She begged. The tom unsheathed his claws, anger finally taking over him. Kirito stormed out of camp, ignoring any cat who called out for him. I'm going to kill them for what they did! I've been holding it back, but now I've had it! This is for Suguha and Foxpaw!
Kirito reached the abandoned Twoleg den and swiped his paw down in front of him, the menu interface now appearing. With a few taps of his paw, the menu screen suddenly disappeared, his right paw covered in a black aura and his left paw covered in an aqua aura.
"Show yourselves!" He called out.
"Kirito!" The tom turned around and saw that it was Nightheart.
"Get out of here, Nightheart." He told her coldly.
"You're looking for those rogues, aren't you?"
"Yes! What they did to Sugu is unforgivable! Do you know how much it hurts seeing her like that? I…I wasn't there to protect her or Foxpaw, but now I'll make sure that something like this never happens again." He meowed. "Just leave, Nightheart, please." The she-cat shook her head.
"They aren't here anymore, Kirito." She told him.
"How do you know?"
"Because…" The she-cat hesitated. "Because I killed them already." The tom's eyes widened in shock.
"You did?" He meowed, but avoided the she-cat's gaze afterwards. "You're just saying that because you don't want me to kill them."
"That's not true! For these past few days I've been living with what I've done. I used my Geass and gave them the command to die. It was so simple, but…" Nightheart watched as her surroundings suddenly changed. The snow below her paws became stained with blood. The crimson substance flowed through her paws. She slowly backed away from the tom, Kirito noticing the fear in her violet eyes.
"Nightheart, hey!" He called out, shaking her with a paw. It wasn't enough to break her out of her panicked state, Nightheart now running back to camp. Kirito quickly chased after her. He stopped when the she-cat collapsed onto the ground, her body shaking. She really did kill them. There's no way she's just acting like this for nothing. He rested down next to her and placed his tail on her shoulder. She looked over at the tom, his dark gray gaze now soft and filled with worry.
"I'm sorry for running off like that, Kirito." The tom shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for doubting you." He apologized. "Does anyone else know about what you did?"
"Only father and Foxpaw. Suguha was supposed to be the last one to know, but when I saw you leave camp…I knew what you were about to do."
"I just want Sugu to get back to being herself again…but after what she went through, I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to leave this world right now."
"I…" Nightheart hesitated. She wanted to protest the possibility, but she didn't want to sound selfish. She wanted Suguha to stay in ThunderClan as much as any other member of the Clan. "Maybe it would be for the best."
"You think so?" Kirito asked. "I don't think it'd be okay for her to go back to our world with this sort of fear. I'm sure it'd impact her just as bad as it is here. They may have been cats, but the same situation could happen to Twolegs."
"I hadn't thought of that." She meowed. "I just want her to feel better again, that's all. I want to help her, Kirito, but she won't even talk to me."
"I'm sure if you force the conversation she will. Telling her what you did will grab her attention, and you can go from there." Nightheart nodded, and the two made their way back to camp.
When they returned, Squirrelflight approached the two. She didn't seem angry, rather, she was concerned as to why Kirito ran off.
"Did you go pick a fight with those rogues?" She asked the tom.
"They weren't there when I went." Kirito meowed. "They're lucky, that's for sure." He looked over at Nightheart and pointed his tail over to where Suguha was sitting alone. The violet-eyed she-cat walked over to her and rested next to her.
"Hi, Suguha."
"Hi…" The black she-cat meowed inaudibly.
"There's…there's something important that I need to tell you. Will you listen to me?" Suguha took her head off of her paws and looked over at the she-cat. "The rogues who harmed you...I…I killed them." The she-cat's dark gray eyes widened.
"Nightheart…"
"You mean so much to me, Suguha. You're the closest friend I have in camp…so when I heard what they did to you and Foxpaw…I couldn't let them live because of that. After I left the medicine cat's den that day, I found them…and I used the Geass my father granted me to kill them." Nightheart's violet eyes began to glisten. "If it makes me a monster or permits me from going to StarClan, so be it. I care about you so much, Suguha. I just want you to feel better again…please." Nightheart pressed her head onto the she-cat's shoulder, coating it with her tears.
"I…I don't know how. Ever since that day I've had nightmares about what happened. No cat is there to save me from them...and my cries for help do nothing. I want to forget about it ever happening…but…" Suguha looked over at Nightheart. "Your Geass. Nightheart, please…use it to make me forget about it all."
"M-My Geass?" Yes, I could use it. It can be used in many ways…but here's the chance to help someone I care about so much. "Okay." Suguha watched as Nightheart's right eye became encompassed with Geass. "Suguha…forget what those rogues did to you a few sunrises ago." In a few seconds, Nightheart watched as the she-cat's iris now had a red ring around it momentarily until it disappeared. "Suguha, how are you feeling?"
"Great! Is Foxpaw awake yet? I should probably take him out to train."
"Wait!" She forgot what happened to Foxpaw as well. What do I do?
"What is it, Nightheart?"
"He's…he's in the medicine cat's den right now."
"What happened to him? Is he okay?" Suguha didn't wait for the she-cat and made her way over to the medicine cat's den, Nightheart following behind her. When she went inside, she saw Foxpaw resting next to his parents and Swiftpaw. "Foxpaw! Are you okay? What happened?" Lelouch looked over at Nightheart.
"Suguha, you don't…" Lelouch quickly stopped Alderheart by placing his tail over his mouth.
"He was practicing his battle moves with Swiftpaw and got hurt." He lied.
"What? Dad, I never…" The tom now placed his tail over his daughter's mouth. He pointed his tail tip towards Nightheart, and then over at Suguha. Swiftpaw was quickly able to catch on and gave her father a nod of his head before Lelouch moved his tail away from her. "Okay, fine, I did, but it was a complete accident!" Ivypool looked at her mate and younger daughter in confusion. Lelouch looked over at Foxpaw. Please catch on, Foxpaw. The young silver and black tabby nodded.
"Yeah. Kirito showed her a new battle move, and I got hurt." The tom told her.
"What? That's not what..." Jayfeather stopped when Asuna stepped on the tom's tail. "Ow! What in the name of StarClan was…"
"That's exactly what happened to Foxpaw!" Asuna meowed.
"That Kazuto..." Suguha let out a sigh. "We're going to train twice as hard once you get better, Foxpaw. Then you can show Swiftpaw some cool battle moves, too." She stated. "When are you going to get better, actually?"
"In a day or two, Suguha." Asuna assured her.
"Great! I'll come check on you again soon. I just need to talk to that cousin of mine!" When Suguha left the den, everyone looked over at Lelouch.
"So…why did we lie to Suguha? Also, why did she seem fine all of a sudden?" Alderheart asked. "I mean, I'm glad, but there's no way she feels better already."
"Lelouch, you know why, right?" Ivypool asked.
"Yeah. You know too, right, Swiftpaw?" The tom asked his daughter, who replied with a nod.
"It's because Nightheart used her Geass on Suguha to make her forget about what happened." She told them. Now, everyone looked over at Nightheart.
"I know I can only use it once…but I didn't do it on my account. Suguha asked for me to use it on her." The violet-eyed she- cat explained. "That's why she also forgot what happened to Foxpaw as well."
"But, what about everyone else?" Ivypool wondered. "If they bring it up, she'll be confused about it."
"Right. I'm sure no cat will just bring up such a traumatic event knowing how it caused her to react before, but maybe we can have Bramblestar make an announcement the next time she and Foxpaw go out." Lelouch suggested.
"Maybe I'll just explain it to everyone instead. I'm the one who did it, after all. Bramblestar doesn't need to make it a big deal." Nightheart said.
"I think having a cat's memories changed is kind of a big deal." Jayfeather stated. "However, explaining it to everyone now would have news travel faster than just waiting the next few days for someone to slip up."
"He does raise a good point." Lelouch looked over at Nightheart. "You should go tell everyone now, starting with Kirito. Knowing Suguha, she wasn't kidding about giving him a stern talking to." Asuna let out a small laugh.
"Definitely." Nightheart thanked the cats in the medicine cat's den before leaving to find Kirito. In the past days, I've used my Geass in an abundance of ways. This power has so many uses. I've used it to kill and change memories...but there will definitely be times where I'll need to think about when and how I use it. That also means being able to live with the choices I've made by using it.