Erin Hunter owns the Warriors series. Every character, setting, etc in this story belongs to them - the story in question is mine. Enjoy.
By the way, this chapter is heavily set on character development. For a few different characters. Sorry if it sucks, because I had a sudden burst of inspiration and wrote this in a single night at 1-2 A.M. Which means it probably does, since I'm starting to get tired.
There's literally, like, little to no plot progression in this chapter. You can skip this, if you want.
"So you've been disloyal this whole time?" Oakstar growled.
"No, I haven't!" Mapleshade corrected. "Just for the past few moons."
Mapleshade had brought Myler to the Clan the next day, but wasn't surprised by the level of hostility towards the barn cat. She just hoped that she could change their minds somehow. She couldn't imagine having yet another love torn away from her.
"Who's that?" a high-pitched voice mewed.
It was Snakekit, the one moon old tom that belonged to Frecklewish and Nettlebreeze. He was the only one of his litter, and so was very lonely as there were no others in the nursery.
"Hush," Frecklewish told him quietly, using her tail to keep him back. Her pale yellow eyes shone with awkwardness as she met Mapleshade's gaze, and there seemed to be something apologetic in the depths.
Nettlebreeze, on the other paw, simply gazed at Myler with understanding. It was as if he could tell that Mapleshade would move on rather quickly, and he luckily didn't seem offended in the least. And this understanding wasn't cold or bitter, but rather accepting and inviting. She would have nothing to fear from him.
"Do you really expect me to accept this rogue when you've jumped from tom to tom?" Oakstar hissed, which pulled Mapleshade's eyes back to him. "First Birchface, then Nettlebreeze, and now Myler. How do I know you won't get tired of him too, and there'll be no reason for him being here after you split up? I'm all for my cats being happy, but seriously?"
Mapleshade shuffled her paws, wishing she knew how she could make her leader understand. "Oakstar, I can tell that this tom is perfect for me," she meowed. "I would never leave him."
"You've only been with him for what, a moon?" Oakstar retorted. "That's true love if I'd ever seen it." Many cats growled wordless agreement.
Mapleshade bristled at the older tom's sarcasm. "Please, I'm begging you!" she mewed, her voice shrill from desperation. "Just... just accept him! Please?!"
Oakstar raised a brow. "Your begging is pathetic, Mapleshade," he growled. "But I suppose I'll make him an apprentice, and see if he can work well. Myler, from this moment forward you shall be known as Swiftpaw. You can be mentored by..." He paused to think, his amber eyes distant looking for a brief moment. "Oh, why not Petalwhisker? She could use the experience."
Petalwhisker, grimacing as if she'd stepped in fox dung, padded up to Swiftpaw and quickly touched noses with him. Right afterward, she went back to sit by Larchfang. Her littermate glared at her; it was clear he didn't approve of her obvious distaste for her mother's new mate.
"If that's all, Mapleshade, this Clan meeting is over," Oakstar announced.
The Clan immediately broke up, but everyone seemed to be talking about the same thing: Swiftpaw. It made Mapleshade uncomfortable. She turned to speak with him for comfort, but she saw that he was following Petalwhisker out of camp. For a territory tour, I assume, she thought, sighing sadly. She looked for Nightpaw and Russetpaw, and saw them sitting by the apprentices' den. They were locked in a conversation, and Russetpaw's green gaze kept flashing back to look at his mother. Even my youngest don't approve of Swiftpaw, she realized.
Suddenly, Nightpaw padded over. His blue gaze was filled to the brim with awkwardness. "Hey, um... we're happy for you and all, but we just want you to know that Nettlebreeze is our father and not Swiftpaw," he told her. Instead of his tone being critical or rude, it was basically as nervous as his eyes.
"I don't expect you to treat him like a father, but at least be respectful," Mapleshade meowed. "That's all I ask."
Nightpaw nodded, a slight smile forming on his muzzle. "I will," he mewed. "And I'll make sure Russetpaw does too! We both want to see you happy." He turned and ran back to his brother.
Mapleshade's heart warmed; these cats were so different from the angry and bitter ones she knew a only a few moons ago. If they still had the same attitude and personality as before, they would've likely spat insults at her until she felt like weeping. But that's because of Nettlebreeze, she reminded herself. Oh, why have I chased after so many toms?! Then she told herself, But it's only three. And she retorted to herself with, So far. Why couldn't she make her mind up?
No. Swiftpaw makes me happy, and that's all I care about. The only thing that confused her was, like with Nettlebreeze, where the relationship even came from. StarClan willed it, probably, she thought, flicking an ear.
"Er, do you... need something?" Beetail asked.
Mapleshade shook herself out of her thoughts. "What?" she mewed distantly.
"You were staring at me," the brown tom told her, confused. "Is there something you need, Mapleshade?"
"No, Beetail, I'm fine," she replied. Mouse-dung! Try paying attention to what you're looking at when you stare off into space, fuzz-brain.
"Oh, okay," he meowed. "If you do, though, you know I won't deny your request."
"Yes, I know," she agreed. "I have to get going."
"Good day to you."
"Yes, you too."
Mapleshade shook herself out for a second time and speed-walked away, her cheeks and ear tips turning hot with embarrassment. She cursed herself underneath her breath, but ran into a soft mass of ginger tabby fur due to looking at the ground. She pulled away quickly.
"Sorry!" she yelped, bristling.
Nettlebreeze seemed as if he were holding back laughter. "You lost, Mapleshade?" he purred jokingly.
"Very funny," she told him. "It was only an accident, Nettlebreeze."
"Mhm. You seem very confused. Do you need to take a nap? Perhaps a visit with Ravenwing and Patchberry could do you good. I can escort you there, if you wish." His gentle teal eyes gleamed with amusement, and his tail curled up.
Mapleshade was glad to see her old closeness with the warrior had rebloomed with much effort and conversation after he began getting involved in his sons' lives, but that didn't clear away her embarrassment. "No, I'm fine," she assured him with a serious tone, trying to gather herself after spacing out previously. "Now if you'll excuse me..."
She shoved him aside and began walking away, but he seemed disappointed. He ran up and blocked her path, which made her come to a halt. "We haven't really talked, have we?" he meowed, suddenly even more serious than she was.
"We've talked plenty," Mapleshade replied.
"About our sons, our duties, all that," Nettlebreeze agreed. "But about our relationship? Not at all. We're acting like everything's fine, but it's not."
Mapleshade shuffled her white paws, looking down at them. "I guess so," she mewed.
"I miss what we had before, but we've both moved on and gotten new mates," Nettlebreeze meowed. "And even though we're no longer romantically involved, why can't we be close friends again? I know why: because we haven't addressed the main issue."
"What's that?" She knew the answer, but she didn't want to admit it. It made her feel too guilty.
Nettlebreeze sighed. "Your clinginess. Where did it come from? Why did it disappear like mist in sunshine when we split up? We act like that part of you was never there, but it was."
Mapleshade knew exactly what he meant: she'd never shown any interest in him like he'd done for her, and she knew it'd make sense if she seemed bitter or even still clingy after they broke things off. But none of that happened. "I guess after... after, uh... he and I were no longer mates, I just craved for someone to love," she meowed. Since he knew about Appledusk, she felt comfortable addressing the RiverClan warrior with him.
"I don't really understand," he admitted, looking lost.
"I don't, either, but it's the best explanation I can think of," she told him. This statement didn't seem to satisfy him at all, and so she added, "I guess I'm just that type of she-cat, you know. One who gets attached to toms easily."
He nodded slowly as if he understood, but it was clear that he still didn't.
"And what about what you did?" she meowed. "You were rude and cruel to me and your sons for a majority of their lives so far. Everything may be fine and dandy now, but what about back then?"
"I felt so hurt and so utterly angry that I just... felt an uncontrollable amount of resentment," Nettlebreeze mewed. "I honestly don't know where that came from inside of me, and I hate that I was that way for such a long period of time. I felt like Nightpaw and Russetpaw weren't mine but Appledusk's, even though I fully believe what you said as of now - that you were no longer with him. And if that were the case, I told myself, why should I have anything to do with them? But one day, something snapped in me and I knew that I'd missed out on something special."
Mapleshade nodded. "I understand," she told him. "I forgive you, by the way. And I'm sure our kits do too."
"They've told me they do, yes," Nettlebreeze confirmed. "But I've felt guilty ever since. I don't think I'll ever be able to make it up to them, or to you."
"You will one day," she promised him. "You already have to me; you've taken an evil personality from my children, and that's all I could ask for."
"You're a wonderful mother, Mapleshade, and you'll be a great one to Swiftpaw's kits as well," he purred. "I'm glad I got to talk to you. It's made me feel a bit better about all this."
"Likewise," she mewed. "I'll talk to you again soon, Nettlebreeze. And from now on, let's remain close."
"I'll do my best," Nettlebreeze meowed.
Mapleshade continued on to her original destination: the fresh-kill pile. As she chewed on the flesh of a dusky-furred mouse, she eagerly awaited her mate's return. While doing so, however, she saw a brown tom block her vision. She looked up to see a round, serious face.
"Yes, Larchfang?" Mapleshade asked, quickly swallowing the bite in her mouth. She hoped it was nothing too serious; she'd had enough of that for today.
Larchfang sat down in front of her. "I need some... she-cat advice," he meowed with embarrassment.
About time, Mapleshade thought as her tail curled up with amusement. "Who's the molly in question?" she purred teasingly.
Larchfang's short fur bristled defensively, and his stubby tail certainly would've been nervously kneaded by his forepaws if it were long enough. "N-no one!" he stuttered. "Just help me out, okay?"
"Alright," Mapleshade smirked, tucking her paws underneath her. "What do you need help with?"
"What do she-cats like?" Larchfang asked. "I want to know how to tell the one I like how I feel, but I wanna do it in a cool way. Like, should I take her hunting and tell her right after we make a good kill? Or would just being blunt work? I don't know!"
Mapleshade chuckled, "If you told me who it was, Larchfang, I could help you more. The she-cat's personality depends on these things, you know."
Larchfang sighed hesitantly, "Fine. It's... Doepaw."
"Doepaw?" Mapleshade gasped. "Why, she's only an apprentice!"
"So?!" Larchfang hissed. "There's not such a large moon gap between us!"
Mapleshade thought for a moment. "Doepaw's more of an energetic and competitive spirit," she mewed. "Therefore, I'd say maybe hunting would work best." Then just as he was about to speak, she interrupted with, "But where did this attraction even come from anyway?"
"I don't know," he replied, flexing his claws in and out of their sheathes. "I just think she's pretty, and cool, and fun to be around. She's braver than I am, so that's a bonus."
"But do you actually love her?" she asked. "Could you imagine having kits and raising them with her? Hunting and fighting by her side for your whole life?"
"I don't know... probably!" he responded. "What's up with these questions, Mapleshade?"
I just don't want you to make the same mistake I did, she thought, but aloud she replied with, "It's nothing. Just being cautious, is all."
He narrowed his amber eyes, not buying it. "Well, thanks for the advice," he told her, getting to his paws. "I'll tell you how it worked out later. I hope she feels the same way! Goodbye." He ran off to speak to her.
Mapleshade felt happy that Larchfang was growing interested in settling down with a she-cat, and even more so when she remembered how often she saw Petalwhisker hanging around with Yarrowclaw. Even if I end up alone, I would never wish the same fate upon my kits.