Voletooth's POV

When Splotchstar interrupted me on the night of the warrior ceremony, I was actually grateful. Get this, I was going to tell my best friend that I love her. And when I was sitting in the darkness in complete silence, I realized that it must have been the heat of the moment that almost made me say those things.

About two moons had passed since that night, and everything had undoubtedly spiraled out of the Clan's control: stupid Jioveheart got preggers, Weaselberry killed herself after the fact, Redblossom was given the responsibility of fulfilling the dumb prophecy, and greencough was beginning to plague our Clan. And guess who was affected? Yup, Songpool.

It got even worse when I heard Clovertalon shouting. I ran out of the warrior's den to see Morningpool leading my mother and two of her kits to the elder's den with the rest of the sick cats. My mother, who I never forgave or apologized to. I...couldn't. I didn't know how to feel, not when I was losing the most important cats in my life.

Somehow, I was still able to briefly put my tail on Clovertalon's shoulders as he wept, avoiding the upset gaze of my brother. Then, I quickly took a fish from the fresh-kill pile and tried to get into the elder's den, only for stupid Rowanpelt to block me from entering.

"Hey!" I growled. "I'm trying to visit Songpool! She needs to eat too!"

"You can't get greencough Voletooth." Rowanpelt told me firmly. "You're one of our best hunters."

"I won't hunt crap for you if you don't let me in there!" I snarled truthfully, unsheathing her claws.

Rowanpelt flinched and bolted the other way. Heh, what a pussy.

I slowly walked inside the den of confined sickness and looked at Songpool. She looked thin and frail, and the sight made me feel...

"H-Here Songpool." I stammered, dropping the fish at her paws. "I'll come back soon okay?"

Songpool gently placed her paw on mine, and it felt as light as a feather. My heart soared, and I left the den and glared at Rowanpelt.

"If she dies, I'll make sure that you'll never see the sun again." I hissed at him. "I'm going to take a nap, and I better not see her get worse when I get back."

I had no idea how I was supposed to sleep knowing that Songpool was fatally sick, but I needed energy to hunt for RiverClan. I sprawled on the floor and thought over my feelings.

I remembered how I felt when she gently placed her paw on mine and frowned. Did I really love Songpool? I thought that maybe we had a really deep friendship at best, and I simply didn't want to lose my best friend.

But my emotions were too intense to deny it anymore. Was it possible that I was never straight? I was so tom-crazy as an apprentice, not realizing that my love was right next to me all along.

What terrible timing to realize my feelings; when all of this messed up stuff was unfolding in RiverClan. But did enough time pass for me to see Songpool and tell her how I feel? No, I should wait until the greencough blows over.

I left to the elder's den and Rowanpelt was sleeping near the entrance. Morningpool was searching for catmint in the territory. I was able to sneak in with no problem.

Songpool looked beautiful when she was curled up in the corner, and I pressed her paw lightly, expecting the same feathery touch that she gave me before.

She didn't.

"Songpool?" I whispered, trying not to wake anyone else, then I stopped caring. "Songpool!"

"What's going on in here?" Rowanpelt demanded.

"She's not moving!" I cried. "You incompetent, mouse-brained, careless excuse for a medicine cat-"

"She's probably not dead; let me just put my paw over her chest." Rowanpelt nudged me aside and put his paw on Songpool. "Her heartbeat is slow, the truth is-"

"Huh? Did someone need me?" Songpool whispered.

"Oh nevermind. She's fine." Rowanpelt concluded, what was he going to say?!

"I'll be back in a moment Song." I was choking up; my tears were threatening to show.

I hated showing my feelings, but when I left the den, I couldn't fight it anymore. The tears escaped my eyes like waterfalls. I didn't cry in front of Pikestep, Stormclaw, or even my own mother. But somehow, my pain for Songpool was stronger than any of those times.

I stood in front of Redblossom and Flyfur, too choked up to say anything.

"What's wrong?" Redblossom quickly ran to me and petted my shoulder with her tail.

"I thought...Songpool wasn't waking up, and then she did. I thought she was dead!" I whimpered. "I...I'm going to stay there. I don't care if I get greencough-"

"You love her." Redblossom realized.

Was it that obvious?

"Rowanpelt won't be able to stop you. Go to her." Flyfur meowed. It was the only nice thing that my brother said to me in moons, and I wouldn't take it for granted.

I ran back into the elder's den with my strength renewed.

"Voletooth? Is everything alright? I'd go to a private place to talk to you, but I don't really feel like moving." Songpool sighed. I sprawled beside her and rested my head on her shoulder, surprising her. "Voletooth! You're going to get sick."

"I don't care, moments ago I thought you were dead." I confessed. "And I don't want to be with anyone else. I didn't even care about Pikestep nearly as much as I care about you."

"What're you trying to say?" Songpool meowed, lifting her head.

"I love you." I purred, realizing how true it was when I said it. "I want you to be my mate. That is, if you feel the same way."

"Very much so, I just can't believe that you like me back." Songpool whispered. "It hurt, thinking that you'd never like me because I'm a she-cat. But you've made me the happiest sick cat in the world."

"Splotchstar is dead!" I heard a cat shout. I was really glad, now no one could keep us from being together.

Songpool's POV

The next sunrise came, and I felt less sick. I watched with relief as Rowanpelt stocked a lot of catmint. He turned towards me and gave me a few leaves. I was swallowing them when I heard a scream that scared both me and my new mate.

"AMBERFERN!"

Voletooth leaped out of the elder's den and I followed her. We saw that it was Clovertalon, who was crouched over Amberfern's dead body.

"What happened?" Voletooth asked before she saw her mother's dead body. Her eyes widened and her tail dropped.

"I didn't forgive her!"

"And now she's dead." Flyfur snarled at my mate. "Now you get to live with being mad with her till the day she died. Happy now?"

"Stop it!" I snapped, truly sick of them judging Voletooth. "Amberfern is in StarClan, she obviously can see us and has already forgiven her daughter! So leave my mate alone!"

Clanmates gasped. Voletooth smirked, but I was still pretty pissed.

"You just wanted to say we were mates didn't you?" Voletooth purred.

"Maybe, but they're still making me mad." I hissed.

"We're back from the Moonpool!"

Stonestar and Morningpool returned, with the former looking at his Clan with determination and love. I didn't doubt that Redblossom's father would be a great leader.

"The next deputy of RiverClan will be Mothleap." Stonestar announced.

"I won't let you down Stonestar." Mothleap purred.

"Stonestar, my mate and our kits are dead." Clovertalon announced. "With the exception of Spottedkit."

"She's weaned, thank StarClan." Clovertalon continued. "But I want a she-cat to take her as their-"

"I'll do it!"

Voletooth blinked in shock at my quick answer, but I only smiled back. Don't get me wrong, I was really worried about my impulse decision. But I always wanted kits, and I was convinced that this was my only chance.

"Me and Voletooth will raise her." Songpool repeated. "Or I will, whichever Voletooth wants."

"I'll help you." Voletooth meowed, nuzzling me. "I'll go hunt for Spottedkit right now."

Voletooth eagerly left the camp and Clovertalon mouthed a "thanks" before crawling into the warrior's den. I followed after her, worried that she was putting on a front. Wouldn't she be kinda pissed that I made such a big decision without talking to her about it?

"Hey Voletooth...you seriously don't have to raise this kit with me if you don't want to. I mean, we just became mates." I told my best friend. "I still can't believe that this is all real, like..."

How could you possibly love me back? I'm not the one you wanted, wasn't it Pikestep?

I kept that to myself, but I couldn't help but be in disbelief over what happened earlier. In my eyes, mutual love didn't exist, at least not for long. I could already picture her walking away for some tom that could truly give her everything that she wanted.

"Songpool, I'm kinda relieved that you invited me to raise my half-sister with you. It feels like a way to make amends with my mother after she died." Voletooth looked into my eyes. "A way to make up for the broken relationship we had. And I'm sorry that you had to watch me chase after Pikestep, but you can certainly believe that I truly love all of you. It isn't just you that feels this way."

I walked towards her and pressed my nose against her's, entwining my tail with her's. I was her's, and she was finally mine. When I got abused by my mother, rejected by Echoleap, and bullied by most of ThunderClan, I thought there would be no end to it. I thought that I'd either die alone a rogue, or I'd die at the paws of some vengeful Clanmate.

But here I was, part of a Clan that loves me for me, and a mate that loves me for me. My best friend.

I was ready to protect my new family from the threat coming, and I never felt happier.