~Summary~

Skyheart used to be a normal ShadowClan warrior. That was before she woke up on the other side of the lake on WindClan's territory, with no memory of the past six moons. Now she struggles to live a normal life, haunted by that black void that looms in her mind whenever she tries to think back, along with a best friend who is acting strange and unusually protective of her. And then there is that RiverClan warrior, the one who stares openly and acts much too friendly with her. Life has never been so complicated.


Previously...

Skyheart felt her fur rise. Was he still cross from earlier, when she had 'defended' Stormfall? Shouldn't he just let that go? It's not she had insulted him or anything...why was he so angry?

Toms...I'll never understand what their big deal is... Skyheart thought, rolling her eyes to herself as she firmly ignored the two toms and turned away from them, padding away, even though now she could quite clearly feel both Stormfall's and Redstreak's eyes on her back.

As she tiredly made her way to the warriors' den, she reflected to herself how today had gone. She had met Stormfall, discovered a confusing mix of hatred and buried affectionate feelings for him, found out Redstreak was, for some reason, jealous of Stormfall, and lastly, re-confirmed that Vinetail was an arrogant furball.

Well, at least today wasn't boring... she thought, as she curled up in her nest, shutting her eyes and letting sleep claim her.


~Lost~

Chapter Seven

"Well? Do you want to go hunting?" Redstreak asked, looking at Skyheart expectantly. The reddish-brown tabby had been pestering her all day, never more than a few fox-lengths away. It was honestly starting to get on the she-cat's nerves. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? What was his problem, acting like this? She swore he was more persistent than a stubborn kit.

With a heavy sigh, Skyheart looked the tom in the eye and meowed, "Fine, Redstreak. Where do you want to go?" She really hoped she wouldn't end up regretting giving in like this...

Redstreak's eyes seemed to light up at her agreement, but he quickly composed himself again, and responded to the exasperated warrior, "I was thinking over near the Old Pine," he blinked at her, "there's always good hunting there."

Skyheart gave a small nod of approval, and then flicked her tail. "Come on then," she meowed, her paws already moving her toward the camp's exit. Redstreak was quick to fall into step beside her, and the she-cat had to resist moving away. She didn't want to offend her Clanmate, but she had to admit his clingy behaviour as of late was getting old fast. It was like she was a troublesome apprentice and he was her mentor.

It took everything she had not to make a sarcastic comment in his direction. It was at moments like these she really wished Sunblossom hadn't gotten injured so seriously. Her friend had been the only rock in a swirling ocean of confusion and doubt.

The two warriors left the ShadowClan camp behind, though as she slipped outside into the forest, she could feel his eyes searing into her back. Stormfall's. If having one annoyingly clingy cat following her around and bothering her was annoying, then add an arrogant RiverClan tom watching her every move, and you got a very peeved Skyheart.

Because that was exactly what he had been doing all day. From the moment she woke up and left the warriors' den, up until right now, Stormfall had been keeping an eye on her at all times. It made her feel twitchy and even more bothered than ever before.

Now, however, she was out of camp and out of view of that furball.

But that only dealt with one of her annoyances. Redstreak's pelt brushed up against hers, reminding her of the tom's presence. She stifled another sigh, and resisted flattening her ears against her head.

Resigned, Skyheart vowed to tolerate Redstreak for as long as she could, no matter what he did or said. Maybe he was just concerned for her, after seeing her 'attacked' by a RiverClan warrior. That must be it.

But he could stand to go about expressing that concern in a less irritating way...

No. Stop that right now. He is your Clanmate; he's supposed to watch out for you. Show a bit of gratitude. She scolded herself lightly, deciding that maybe she was being a bit too cold and harsh to her fellow warrior. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong, per-say...

"We're here," the tom's voice snapped her back to reality, and Skyheart tore herself away from her complicated thoughts so she could pay attention to her surroundings. They stood at the foot of a large pine. Its roots were large and thick, and quite easy to trip over if one wasn't watching their footing.

Skyheart had a lot of memories regarding this tree. This was where she had made her first ever catch as an apprentice, her favourite place to go when she needed time to herself...she and Sunblossom had spent a lot of time here when they were younger.

The thought of the ginger she-cat sent a jolt of longing through her. A longing for the past, the simpler days. She wanted those back so desperately...a light cough interrupted her memories, and she remembered she wasn't alone here.

Redstreak had turned to face her. Skyheart stared back, blinking and waiting for him to say something else. When no more words left his jaws, her whiskers twitched and she turned from his gaze, to scent the air for any prey. The scent of squirrel hit her nose, and she peered around her, before slinking quietly around and over some roots.

The squirrel sat on a root a few fox-lengths away, gnawing furiously on a nut. Skyheart crouched down, eyes narrowed. She waited for the precise moment, her legs tensed and ready. If she timed this just right, this would be an easy catch...

One...two...she counted silently to herself. Power surged through her muscles as she made a powerful leap, springing up from the ground and charging the unsuspecting squirrel. Three!

Her white forepaws knocked the creature from its perch, pinning it to the earth. It writhed under her for a few heartbeats before the ShadowClan cat finished its life with a quick bite. Her ears flicked in satisfaction, and she licked her lips clean of the squirrel's blood.

Picking the dead squirrel up in her jaws, Skyheart turned around and nearly dropped the piece of prey in the same instant. Redstreak was quite literally just behind her, his eyes unreadable, a weird gleam in them. It made her uncomfortable the moment she noticed it.

She set the squirrel on the ground in front of her and shot the tom a quizzical look, wondering what was up now. From the way he was looking at her, she would have thought she had just sprouted a pair of wings. What was with this cat today?

"Redstreak? Is there something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" She backed up a step. That look in his eyes...it was frighteningly familiar...it was the same look Vinetail always gave Sunblossom. The same look Stormfall had given her when she had first seen him. She didn't like that look. It made her fur crawl with an uncomfortable feeling.

"Redstreak...?" The tom in question took a pace toward her, his expression intense.

"Do you have feelings for that RiverClan furball?" The words came out so suddenly, the severity of them made the she-cat flinch. And then she registered what he had just asked her, and she flattened her ears to her head.

"What kind of question is that?" She snapped at him, fur rising. "Why would you even ask that?"

Redstreak's eyes narrowed. "So you do!" He accused, and strode toward her again, causing her to back away some more. "I knew it! You like him!"

The hunt forgotten, Skyheart glared at her Clanmate in rage. "You don't know anything! Don't put words in my mouth, I never said anything about liking anycat!" She bore her teeth, suddenly feeling aggressive. "Just mind your own business, Redstreak!"

The reddish tabby gave a hiss of disbelieving anger. "Mind my own business? This is my business, you stupid furball! Are you really that blind?!"

Skyheart's stomach dropped, but she held onto her fury. "I'm not stupid! What in the name of StarClan are you mewing about?" This day just kept getting worse - Redstreak had gone from being an annoying clingy furball to an annoying clingy accusing furball. She didn't understand it; where had all of this anger and suspicion come from?

Redstreak snarled at her, unsheathing his claws. "Do I need to really say it?" He lashed his tail, and leaned forward, hissing in her face, "Fine, I will then! I'm in love with you, Skyheart! That's why it's my business! I love you, and you're pining after a cat from another Clan!"

Skyheart froze in complete shock. Had she heard him right? Did he just say...he was in love with her? Amber eyes widening, she discovered she had nothing in response to say. What would be the appropriate response in a situation like this?

"You..." her voiced faltered.

Redstreak backed off, a bitter look on his face. "See? I also knew you didn't feel the same. I saw the way you looked at him, and I saw they way he looked at you." Skyheart opened her jaws indignantly, but the tabby cut her off viciously, "don't even try and deny it. We both know what's going on here."

So he wasn't even going to give her a chance to try and defend herself, to explain? Who...who did he think he was? He accused her of having feelings for a RiverClan warrior, and then confessed his own love, and then refused to let her say her piece?

"Who do you think you are?" She growled at him, eyes flaring with anger. "At least let me explain before you go off and decide to behave like a kit that didn't get his way!"

Redstreak narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't try and interrupt again. Skyheart went on, "First of all, I never said anything about having feelings for a RiverClan cat. You just jumped to that conclusion on your own. You don't know how I feel, because I don't even know how I feel!" She trembled slightly, digging her claws into the ground. The tom just watched her, silent as ever.

"Secondly, Redstreak," she spat, "I've been so confused over these past few moons, trying to piece my life back together. I don't need your drama, I don't need anycat's drama! I don't see how I was expected to know about your feelings for me, when I have my own troubles to deal with! I have better things to think about than finding that special cat and settling down with kits!"

Her words were harsh, and she didn't bother to soften them. Redstreak needed to know exactly what was happening. He needed to know she wasn't going to put up with his drama, or Stormfall's drama.

"Now," she said, her voice lowering some, "let's get this straight. I don't hate you, Redstreak, but I don't like being accused of betraying my Clan by being in a forbidden romance," her claws tore at the earth in her frustration. "I have no intention of betraying ShadowClan, not in a hundred moons."

There was silence between them after that. Skyheart refused to look up and meet his gaze, though she could feel it on her again. Moons seemed to pass by before the tom finally responded to her.

"I'm sorry," the words reached Skyheart's ears, and she looked up just in time to see the reddish tabby turning away from her. He glanced back at her once, eyes dark and filled with something she couldn't read, before finally setting his sights ahead and padding away.

She watched him go, staring at the spot where he disappeared long after he was out of sight. She suddenly felt hollow inside, and she let out a shaky breath. That could have gone better. Much better.

She wondered if he hated her now. She hadn't been very nice with her words or her tone. She shot him down so cruelly, without a second thought. She felt a pang of unwanted guilt. That wasn't any way a cat should treat her Clanmate.

Another strange sensation struck her like lightning as she thought about his words. I'm in love with you, Skyheart!

Her heart thumped irregularly in her chest, and she hissed in irritation. Just when she thought having one cat like her was difficult enough! Now she had two! And she still wasn't sure about how she felt for either of them!

Her claws scored deep grooves into the earth. What was this all coming to? She had two furballs pining after her and causing seemingly endless drama, her best friend's fate was still undecided, and her memories were still as dark and fuzzy as ever.

Everything just kept spinning further and further out of her control, it seemed...

StarClan, please help me! I don't know what to do anymore! I'm going to go mad if this carries on!


Well...here it is at long last! This took...forever to get out. I'm so sorry for the wait, you guys! -_-'

I really hope you all find this satisfactory. I had to rewrite the beginning like three times before I felt it was good enough.

Anyway. The next chapter will(hopefully) be up a lot sooner than this one.

Oh! Before I forget, readers, you may or may not have noticed that I posted a new story recently, called Heartless. I fully encourage you to go check it out; it's actually an indirect prequel of sorts to Lost. I'm not telling you anything more about it, you'll have to go read it to find out. :)

~TheAzuraStar