wow it's the 10-year anniversary can u believe it? haha i'm just kidding. also whaaaaaaaaaat even is this chapter. it just. happened. and then just. ran away from me. yeah. uh, quick WARNING there is some pretty disturbing imagery at the end, so if that's not your stuff, feel free to skip it.
-break-
It had been almost a full moon since Runningwind's death. The worst of Greenleaf's heat had faded, and the apprentices were as exuberant as ever. Tigerstar and Fireheart had a mutual understanding of not speaking of the night of Runningwind's death, and the more days passed, the more exhausting and heart-wrenching that became. Fireheart had been in a rough mood that day, when Sandstorm approached him.
"Okay, that's enough moping, it's time to get off your rear and do some work." Fireheart started at her voice but smiled at her words. He lifted himself onto his paws and stretched himself out.
"Well then, great and mighty Sandstar, what would you have this poor, meek apprentice do?" Fireheart spoke in a mocking air and Sandstorm laughed at him.
"We're going to go hunting. Maybe that will lighten you up." Fireheart smiled at his friend, and Sandstorm grinned back.
The sun was warm and pleasant on Fireheart's back, and the prey in the forest was plentiful. The two cats hunted for some time before either of them spoke again.
"Sandstorm… Can I ask you something?" Fireheart asked hesitantly. Sandstorm purred at him.
"You just did!" Fireheart glared at her. "Okay! Okay! I was just kidding! What is it?" Fireheart looked down at his paws.
"So I like a cat. A lot. A lot a lot. And he-er she and I kind of had a moment a while back, but h-she hasn't said anything about it since, and I don't know if it's because she didn't actually like me or if it's because she's too embarrassed about it." Sandstorm gave Fireheart a knowing smile at his first slip up, and he felt his pelt heat up.
"It seems to me," Sandstorm began, "That you both have the same problem. That you're both too proud to admit your feelings. And trust me when I say you both have them for each other." Fireheart felt his heart leap at Sandstorm's words, but he shook himself slightly.
"And what about you?" Sandstorm went rigid. "Wh-what about me?" Fireheart gave Sandstorm a toothy smile.
"You've been prancing around camp for over two moons now, like you cured greencough forever or something." Sandstorm looked at Fireheart with wide eyes and a dumbfounded face. "So have you met your certain someone? A certain someone who may or may not end up curing greencough herself?" Sandstorm stood suddenly.
"Y-you!" Sandstorm sputtered out, and Fireheart laughed at her affronted face.
"You better not tell anyone or…" Sandstorm trailed off and Fireheart smirked at her.
"Or you'll do what? Tell on me to Cinderpelt?" Sandstorm suddenly gained a wicked look and Fireheart's smirk slipped off his face.
"I'll tell Tigerstar. Not about me, but about you!" Fireheart jumped up, fur bristling slightly.
"You wouldn't!" Fireheart meowed, anxiety and embarrassment making his fur feel itchy and hot. Sandstorm grinned at him.
"I'll only keep quiet if you do the same." For a moment the two simply stared at each other, stuck in stalemate. Then they both burst out laughing. The two both knew the other would never reveal the other's secrets. Then the moment was interrupted by a certain gray tom.
"Hey! Both of you shut it! You're scaring off all the prey!" Graystripe meowed in annoyance. Fireheart cast a questioning look towards his friend.
"You mean your lumbering pawsteps didn't scare off all the prey this time?" Graystripe jerked back at that, but recovered quickly, throwing himself at a protesting Fireheart.
"I'll show you lumbering pawsteps!" Sandstorm joined into the tussle after a moment, and the three enjoyed a nice moment that made them feel like kittens again. After a bit, they all collapsed in a heap with Sandstorm on top. The three were all laughing breathlessly, and Fireheart couldn't help but be thankful for his two closest friends still being with him.
"So Graystripe," Fireheart started, causing both cats to blink down at him, "Have you heard that Sandstorm has a mate?" Sandstorm let out a nervous laugh as Graystripe let out a loud gasp. The two knew that Graystripe could never be left in the dark about things like this.
"Is it Cinderpelt!?" The smaller two blinked. Graystripe had figured it out that quickly? Had Sandstorm been that obvious?
"Y-yeah. Cinderpelt and I are mates." Sandstorm muttered. "You can't tell anyone though, because she's a medicine cat." Graystripe gave Sandstorm a grin.
"Your secret's safe with me." Graystripe meowed. Sandstorm sighed in relief, before casting a glance at Fireheart.
"Since we're talking about secrets, Fireheart has a crush on Tigerstar." Graystripe blinked.
"Really? Tigerstar? Like, the cat who killed— uh, y'know?" Graystripe said quietly, stumbling over his words. Fireheart winced at the mention of what could be either Redtail or Bluestar.
"Yeah. That Tigerstar." Fireheart muttered dejectedly. Sandstorm swatted at Graystripe's ears.
"Look what you've done now! After all my work to brighten his mood and you send it crashing back down!" Sandstorm rolled with Graystripe to the side and the two started tussling again. Graystripe's little cries of 'Ow!' got a laugh out of Fireheart, which caused Sandstorm to look up a wink at him.
-break-
That night, as Fireheart went to sleep in the warriors' den, he found himself in a starry forest and confronted by a familiar she-cat. It was Spottedleaf! Fireheart was about to rush over to her when he paused. Sure, he had loved her before, but now? Now it felt like a silly crush that had been taken too far.
"Fireheart?" Spottedleaf asked, stepping forward, "What's wrong?" Fireheart took a deep breath before speaking.
"Spottedleaf," The she-cat made hesitant eye-contact with him, "I loved you. What I felt was real, if not to you, then to me. But I'm older now. Life has swept me up in its winds and I've moved on. I've… fallen for someone new." Spottedleaf was silent for a moment before smiling at Fireheart.
"Yes, I noticed. It would be the best for both of us if I stopped haunting you, wouldn't it?" Spottedleaf gave Fireheart the brightest smile he had seen on the she-cat in a long time.
"You love Tigerstar don't you?" Fireheart took a moment to process those words, before jumping up and fluffing up.
"Wh-what!? How could you even- how dare you assume- I don't- I don't know what you're talking about!" Fireheart stuttered out, surprising a laugh out of Spottedleaf. She gave him a long look.
"I was wrong about him. I thought he could never change from the path he was destined to take. But I was wrong. Let's see how much of his destiny you can change." Spottedleaf touched her nose to Fireheart's forehead and he started as the world around him exploded into flames.
After the flames cleared, Fireheart saw a burnt forest. Fourtrees had fallen, and in the center stood a pile of bones, on top on which was a cat that Fireheart couldn't quite see, but as the world came into focus Fireheart felt a sick feeling twist in his stomach.
On top of the pile of bones—from which poured a sea of blood—was a small black cat wearing Tigerstar's skin, sliced open down the stomach. Fireheart attempted to back away, but when he did, his foot made contact with something squishy.
Fireheart turned in horror to find all his clan lying dead behind him. Their blood formed a new cat with pitch black fur and a single white paw—the cat from the bone pile—who spoke only once saying-
"Wake up." Fireheart jerked upwards, shaking slightly. It felt as though he had just run to mothermouth and back, and Fireheart let his head collapse back into his nest. He looked around to find his clan safe and sleeping around him, and decided to simply go back to sleep. He would need his strength for the gathering tomorrow.
-break-
i really don't know what came over me at the end there. i just really wanted to write a nightmare sequence i guess. WELP. Bye for now! And for a while! I'm not kidding! The next chapter is going to take forever to write!
reviews feed my hollow heart please have mercy on my soul