Chapter Eleven
Soon after the clan cats arrived, the circus cats started to notice the twoleggeds getting ready to leave. Sunlight felt nervous and sad, but Sebastion stuck close to her and Milkyeyes as they said their goodbyes. Sunlight cried passionately. She was leaving everything she knew behind, striking out with Sebastion and his father.
It was wonderful and overwhelmingly scary at the same time. It was also quite sad. Paws, Taylor, Tempest, and Maxzene all left to give the cats their space. Goodbyes were made, and Sunlight, Sebastion, and Rootpaw all watched them disappear. Then a shadow fell over them. Sunlight spun around and looked up- seeing a tall twolegged looking down at her.
Sebastion's presense stopped Sunlight from running away in fright. Milkyeyes smelled the twolegged, but surprised Sunlight by nosing one of its legs. It bent down (Sunlight took a step back regardless of Sebastion) and petted Milkyeyes, who purred back. He was so willing to get along here! Sunlight swallowed nervously and reached out her nose to get a better scent on the twolegged. It slowly drew out its hand and petted her head. She let it. She also allowed it to scratch her ears, but then nipped at it. It jerked back, surprised, but then pulled out a tasty smelling object out of its pocket. It was meat!
Sunlight and the other cats followed it, and when it led them to one of the monsters, Sebastion led them inside. Another twolegged was sitting inside, but it wasn't as big, and didn't seem to pay them any mind at first. The twoleggeds seemed to talk to one another, but the cats understood none of it.
It was spacious, and smelled of many different things. Sebastion tried to help Milkyeyes get comfortable, then turned to Sunlight. "I'll give you the grand tour." He said. "First of all, the twoleggeds called 'Joe' and this is a moving nest."
"A moving nest?" Sunlight asked, confused.
"It is a monster and a twolegged nest at the same time." Sebastion said. Sunlight was glad he was using the clan cat words for everything, it made it easier. "Thats where we sleep." Sebastion pointed to a door in the back. Sunlight could see Taylors eyes peering out at them from inside. "That is were the twoleggeds sleep." The tail now pointed at two objects stacked up on top of one another.
"Why do they sleep up so high?" Sunlight asked, bewildered.
"Because their mousebrained." Sebastion replied. Sunlight laughed.
"So, you like it?" Sebastion asked.
"I don't care, I'm with you." Sunlight replied.
"Well then Sunny, shall we?" Sebastion flurished his tail in the direction of the cats room. Milkyeyes was made a bed and so was Sunny, but she shared with Sebastion anyway.
"Well, goodnight Sunny." Sebastion said.
"Night Sebastion." Sunny lay peacefully by Sebastions stomach, curled up with his body circling around hers. This time, when Sunny dreamt, she was running through the forest with her clan and the circus cats at her side.
Later that day, the clan cats awoke, unused to the motion of the monster. Eventually, Milkyeyes nodded back off, but Sunny creeped out of the room. She saw the twolegged who'd ignored the cats earlier. It had a sad expression on its face.
Sunny creeped over and it watched her. It was sitting up on something leaning against the wall. Sunny easily jumped up on the narrow ledge, and sniffed at this twolegged too. It reached over and petted her. This time, Sunny didn't nip. This twolegged looked sad enough. Eventually, it readjusted itself, and Sunny ended up on the twoleggeds lap. It was so relaxing to have its hands running down her back, that Sunny fell asleep without realizing it.
"Sunny? Sunny are you alright?" Sebastions thoughts broke into Sunny's cheerful dreams. She opened one eye.
"What?" She groaned.
"Are you okay?" Sebastion was looking at her with concern. Sunny suddenly remembered the twolegged. She looked behind her and saw the twolegged was asleep too. It was dark, and only a couple lights were on. Sunny smiled at Sebastion in the dim light.
"Yes, I'm fine." She said.
"I just woke up and you weren't there... Why are you sleeping with a nofur?" Sebastion asked.
"It looked sad." Sunny said. "What's its name?"
"'Chrissy' I believe." Said Sebastion.
"Chrissy, how cute." Sunny said.
"Are you feeling okay?" Asked Sebastion.
"Yea, why?" Sunny asked.
"Your adjusting rather... swiftly to the twoleggeds." Sebastion said.
"Well, shouldn't I?" Sunny said. "It wouldn't be easy to go on avoiding them." Sunny pointed out.
"Well, no, I just didn't expect it. You were raised in Thunderclan." Sebastion reminded her.
She hit him lighting with her paw. "I know that!" She declared.
"Really?" Sebastion teased, a playful twinkle in his eye.
"Of course." Sunny said, narrowing her eyes.
Sebastion smiled. "Well then Sunpaw..."
"Sunlight!" Sunny corrected indigenously.
"I'm teasing you." Sebastion said.
"I know, now I get to have my turn- Rootpaw..." Sunny laughed at Sebastions surprised look as she leaped over him and stood a safe distance away. They chased each other around for several minutes, teasing one another as they went. Suddenly, they bumped into one another and fell into a heap. They laughed softly, and noticed Taylor watching them with amusement in her eyes.
"See what she puts me up to?" Sebastion said.
"Oh common Sebastion- you're older- you should set a good example, by not blaming others and behaving yourself." Taylor teased.
Sunny laughed at Sebastion's looked of surprise. "She's got you Sebastion."
Taylor smiled, but didn't seem as happy at the pair. Sebastion caught onto it right away. He turned to Sunny. "Could you go check on Milkyeyes, I want to talk to Taylor." He asked.
"Sure." Sunny smiled at them as she raised into the dark room. Sebastion led Taylor to a secluded spot. "Whats wrong?" He asked. "Don't you like Sunny anymore?"
"No, she's great, as a friend." Talyor put a lot of emphasis on 'friend.'
"Thats what she is." Sebastion said.
"Not to you!" Taylor retorted.
"What do you mean?" Sebastion said.
"You love her- but I love you!" Taylor declared. Sebastion drew in a sharp breath.
"Taylor, I didn't realize... I'm sorry..." Sebastion didn't know what to say, and an uncomfortable silence passed over them. "I can't just ignore my feelings to Sunny..."
"So you haven't any for me?" Taylor asked.
Sebastion didn't know how to say the truth without hurting the she-cats feelings. "Taylor, I love you, but as a sister. You helped me so much when I first came here, and I'll never forget that."
Taylor sighed. "I feel stupid." She said, looking away from Sebastion, but he saw the tear roll down her cheek.
"You're not Taylor! Even Sunny looks up to you!" He said.
"I knew I couldn't break your bond with her! You had too much in common, but I was stupid enough to hold onto the hope that one day you'd come back to me!" She said, whirling around to face him. "Thats why I was so nice to her, why I tried to encourage her to stay with the clan."
"Taylor, I'm sorry, I can't take back the hurt, but I would still love to be friends with you." Sebastion said. "Besides, Sunny still adores you. Your the one who showed her so much, explained things to her, and even you were more understanding of her fears and actions then I was."
Taylor looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I won't hold it against her, and we can still be friends." She said.
"Thank you Taylor." Sebastion said, giving her a lick. They returned to the room together just as they were being fed by the twolegged who'd slept with Sunny.
Sunny looked down at the food and the water with tentiveness. Sebastion came over. "Granted, its no mouse, but its not that bad." He said. Sunny scented a tang like a Riverclanner. Was it fish? Sunny tried a bite. It wasn't that bad after all. She could tell it was meat, and even Milkyeyes seemed pleased. She ate it all, and then drank the water she was offered. She lapped it up with eagerness.
"Well Sunny?" Sebastion asked, looking over at her.
"It'll do." She said critically.
"You gobbled it after your first bite!" Paws said. Sunny looked at him.
"Yes, well, you'd be surprised what a cat would eat when she's hungry!" She told him.
"Oh, common Sunny, was it really that bad?" Taylor asked.
"No, it was actually pretty good, though it reminded me of a Riverclanners scent."
"Thats what I said when I first tried it!" Sebastion said. Sunny and the others laughed.
A couple days later (though Sunpaw could hardly get used to the lights at night) the moving nest stopped, and they found themselves at a 'farm' as Taylor told them. Sebastion showed her the barn and the other small den, which was theirs. It was spacious and had plenty of room for the cats. They were comfortable, and free to come and go as they pleased. There was also a forest nearby that had some prey. Sunny found the life okay. She never let herself get lazy though, and hunted or play-fought with Sebastion often. She also met the two dogs the twoleggeds kept. She avoided them after their first encounter. She knew she could never get used to those loud, obnoxious creatures.
She was happy, and she was at one of her homes. The other lay in a forest far away.
The same night as Sunny's first at her new home, Whitepaw and Cherrypaw were staring up at the stars.
"Think she's happy?" Cherrypaw asked her friend.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Sunlight, she's smart enough to make do." Whitepaw replied with a soft laugh.
"True, but I do miss her." Cherrypaw said, leaning her head against Whitepaws strong shoulder.
"So do I, but we'll just have to keep one another entertained won't we?" Whitepaw said.
"How?" Cherrypaw asked.
"Well, we always try to have a good time, so when Sunpaw comes back we have lots of grand stories to tell her." Whitepaw said.
Cherrypaw smiled and they fell silent.
Starclan looked over the forest, smiling at the two apprentices, who had so much to look forward to!
Please Review
Spirit
Look out for a sneak peak of Sunlight's next adventure- Life is a Bumpy Road which will be out within the next week! To get quick updates whenever I post new stories or chapters, put me on Author Alert! I will also be publising another warriors fanfic about a stolen Shadowclan kit and a loyal Thunderclan senior warrior!