Break
Part three, Break, is kind of a follow-up to Silent, though you'll still probably get it if you haven't read Silent. This is probably the lightest chapter so far, and it was really fun. It contains FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, references to one-sided DustSand, and one-sided DustCinder. Especially the end of this chapter is very light-hearted and fun, so if you want to you can skip the first few paragraphs. Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.
"Hey, Cinderpelt, are-"
"Dustpelt, I know why Bluestar is watching you!" the smoky gray she-cat blurted out.
The dark tabby cocked his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
Cinderpelt sighed. "You know how Bluestar always watches you, like she's afraid you're going to do something?"
The amber-eyed warrior nodded.
The medicine cat continued, "I know why." She bowed her head as she continued, more quietly, "I've known this whole time." Please forgive me. "Sandstorm told Fireheart that you were spending time with me because you were trying to turn me into a follower of Tigerclaw. He went and told Bluestar, that's why she doesn't trust you."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Dustpelt meowed quietly, sounding a little hurt.
Tears welled in the she-cat's crystal blue eyes. "B-because Sandstorm told me that if I did, she would make sure that Fireheart hated me..."
The broad-shouldered tom's eyes widened with understanding. "You still love Fireheart, don't you," he meowed; it wasn't a question. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Why did you tell me now, then?"
"I don't know!" the medicine cat wailed. "I felt so guilty for not telling you… I couldn't help it! Please don't tell Sandstorm..."
Dustpelt looked curiously at her. "Why do you think I would tell Sandstorm?" he asked.
The smoky gray she-cat blinked. "Because she said that you two have been friends since you were kits, before Fireheart even came to the Clan."
The amber-eyed tom flinched slightly every time she mentioned Fireheart, but the she-cat didn't take notice. "So?" he meowed challengingly. "Just because I used to…" he trailed off suddenly, as if he just realized he had said too much.
Cinderpelt cocked her head. "You used to what?" she meowed curiously.
"I used to love Sandstorm. When we were apprentices, we did everything together. Then, Firepaw came. At first, we both scoffed at him and Graypaw - Fireheart and Graystripe now - for being so ridiculous, and because he was a kittypet. But then, after they became warriors before us, Fireheart saved Sandpaw - Sandstorm now - from falling into the gorge. After that, she fell in love with him… and never gave me a second thought," Dustpelt sighed.
The medicine cat's eyes widened with sympathy. "I'm so sorry… I know how it feels to be abandoned like that… is that why you don't like Fireheart? Because he stole Sandstorm from you?"
The young warrior smiled a little, despite himself. "No… I'm not in love with Sandstorm anymore," he meowed softly. "I have different reasons for disliking Fireheart now," he whispered, so quietly that the gray she-cat couldn't hear him. "And I promise I won't tell her about this."
The blue-eyed she-cat cocked her head. "How do you just… stop loving some cat?" she asked curiously.
"I guess you just… move on…" Dustpelt meowed unsurely.
Cinderpelt grinned playfully at the older tom. "If you don't love Sandstorm, then there must be some other she-cat that you like!" she exclaimed.
The dark tabby tom's eyes flew wide with horror. "No!" he meowed, a little too quickly. "I mean, no, there's no other warrior that I like…"
"Oh, yes, there is," the medicine cat meowed. "Hm… is it Mousefur?"
Dustpelt stared at the younger she-cat in disgust. "You realize Mousefur was already a warrior when I was kitted, right?" he asked incredulously.
The smoky gray she-cat sighed. "Fine, fine, not Mousefur. Okay, how about… Fernpaw?"
The broad-shouldered tom gave her a look that said, are you serious?
Cinderpelt rolled her eyes. "It's a she-cat from another Clan, isn't it!" she mewed excitedly. "Is it Silverstream, from RiverClan?"
"No!" the amber-eyed warrior growled. "Stop guessing!"
The medicine cat's eyes widened. "It's a tom, isn't it!" she meowed. "Could it be… my brother? Brackenfur?" She cringed a little at the thought of Dustpelt liking her brother.
The tom groaned. "No," he sighed impatiently, "it's not a tom. Are you done guessing already?"
"I'm done torturing you for now," the blue-eyed she-cat purred, "but let me have one more question. Is it forbidden and that's why you don't want to tell me?"
The brown tabby's jaw dropped for a heartbeat, before he collected himself and shook his head ferociously. "No!" he snarled, a little too forcefully, "Just give it up, okay?"
Cinderpelt smirked. "So it is," she meowed. "Don't worry, I'm done for now. But trust me, I will find out."
A thousand promises that never seemed to help me before,
A hundred less and I would stumble 'till I found the back door;
With nothing left to think, I'll probably sit around and ignore
The apathy that always leads me, and always finds a way to break me.