I'll Never Forget You:
"WindClan, attack!"
"Charge, ThunderClan!"
The screeches rang out at the same time, and the two clans began to clash. Flashbreeze darted into a gray ThunderClan tom, recognizing him as Graywater, making his opponent stagger. Graywater spun around, but Flashbreeze had leapt away, charging back into the battle. Heatherstrike and Thistlecloud rolled past him, and he struck out a forepaw, raking it down Thistlecloud, who let go and sprang into Flashbreeze.
As he fell over, he caught a glimpse of his mate, Skyshimmer, as weaved through the crowd, flashing paws at cats as she raced by them. Immediately, Thistlecloud began to rake his belly, and Flashbreeze shrieked, sliding out of the ThunderClan cat's grip and neatly slashing Thistlecloud's nose. Heatherstrike tackled him from behind, and Flashbreeze pounded over to his mate, blinking blood out of his eyes.
All of the sudden he caught sight of Redleap creeping towards them a second too late. Immediately, Skyshimmer was on the ground, and he rocketed forwards, hurling Redleap off. A swipe from behind caught him off guard, and he fell to the ground, twisting so he could see who it was. Graywater. Paws pinned him down, and as he tried to wriggle away, they only gripped him harder, making him gasp with shock.
"Get off of him!" Skyshimmer rammed into Graywater, sending him reeling, and Flashbreeze scrabbled away, nodding his thanks. But that was when Redleap returned. Ginger fur flashing, the russet tom flashed towards, jaws open, aiming for Skyshimmer's neck. Flashbreeze pounded forwards, but jaws clamped around his tail, and another cat swept at his face with razor sharp claws. "No!" he cried desperately, jerking himself free just as Skyshimmer crumpled.
The cats backed away, and instead of chasing them like his heart longed to, he crouched over his mate's limp body, prodding her desperately. "Skyshimmer! Skyshimmer, don't leave me!" Her blue eyes slid open a crack, and she mewed faintly, "I'll wait for you forever, my love." Flashbreeze threw back his head. "No! StarClan! Take me instead!"
A familiar scent surrounded him, and he could feel Skyshimmer's soft silver tabby fur pressing against his black-and-white. Be careful, my love. I won't always be here to save you. She teased him, and then her presence vanished. Flashbreeze glanced around wildly. The battle was nearing an end. WindClan was losing. He grasped Skyshimmer's scruff gently, hauling her onto his back and carefully padding forwards. He would bring his fallen love safely back to camp.
Back at camp, Heatherstrike was the first to notice Skyshimmer's death. Gasping, she darted over to press against him, gently helping him set her down. Flashstrike collapsed at his mate's side, not moving even when Poppytail ordered him to so that she could treat his wounds. He had told her that he would merely suffer for a little bit and then join his beloved in the stars.
Even Breezestar and her deputy couldn't rouse him from his grief. After a few minutes, they gave up and left him to well-wanted peace and quiet, and he rested his chin on Skyshimmer's flank, sighing. All those wonderful memories... They had even hoped to one day have kits. Now he would never be a father.
As night fell, he stayed there, wide awake, remembering all those moments he had shared with Skyshimmer. Especially the day they had admitted they were in love and had become mates. The shadows at the edge of the clearing all seemed like ThunderClan cats waiting to spring and knock him over so they could kill Skyshimmer all over again. Flashbreeze dug his claws into the ground, shivering.
The sun's rays woke him in the morning. Jumping to his paws, Flashbreeze realized with a pang of anger that Skyshimmer had been taken away for burial. They hadn't even woken him up! A quiet voice mewed from behind him, "You needed the rest." He glanced over his shoulder at Gorsepaw, his apprentice. Suddenly exhausted, he sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. Tell Breezestar I'm going to sleep." Paws heavy, he trotted towards the warriors den, grateful for the comfort of his nest.
When he woke again, it was dawn. He yawned, stretching, and padded out of his nest, blinking sleep away from his eyes. Suddenly, as he remembered the events of yesterday, he drooped, but Flashbreeze kept on going. Breezestar and Fallencloud were organizing patrols near the camp entrance. He trotted over to join them, and his clan mates moved to give him room, clearly remembering how much he was grieving for Skyshimmer. He stared at the ground.
Flashbreeze glanced up. So what, he was grieving? Skyshimmer was dead and that was that. A wave of anger hit him, making him stagger. He would not think of Skyshimmer! Skyshimmer was the past, now. He had to focus on helping his clan! Even though Skyshimmer brought you more happiness then any other cat, you should forget her? A small voice seemed to ask.
Following his border patrol to the stream, Flashbreeze stayed near Lightningtail, one of his buddies from when he was a kit. "How's Mousekit and Honeykit?" he asked, referring to his friend's kits. Who needed kits, though, when you had friends? He didn't ask the question. Lightningtail purred. "Just perfect! They're so strong and adorable, and they're only two moons old!"
Grimacing at the thought of the two kits crashing through the warriors den when they were only three days old, messing everything up, Flashbreeze remembered how his mother, Petalbreeze, had once told him and his brother, Lightwing. "You will never grow strong on lies and war. It is food and truth that will keep you alive till the end of days."
She had been right. Swallowing, Flashbreeze glanced at his paws. Battle had killed Skyshimmer. And now he was weak, hiding from the truth. He looked up. "I'm happy for you," he mewed. "Skyshimmer would be happy, too." He scrunched his nose at the arid smell of ThunderClan. An enemy patrol faced them, fur bristling. "Losers!" The ThunderClan apprentice, Leafpaw, jeered, his ears flat. "Thought you could beat us, did you?"
"Hush!" Leafpaw's mentor, Quietsong, mewed, waving her tail. She dipped her head. "I heard about Skyshimmer, Flashbreeze. I'm sorry for your loss." Her green eyes were filled only with truth, earnest, and hope, and Flashbreeze remembered how ShadowClan had killed her mate, Oakflight, in a battle many moons ago. He nodded to her. "All of us have suffered," he rasped. "Some cats have suffered more then others. I cannot be lost in my grief. Good wishes to you and ThunderClan." The patrols moved on in silence.
A few moons had passed, and Flashbreeze led his hunting patrol out of camp, tasting the air, suddenly missing Skyshimmer's warm pelt next to his. His fur bristled, trying to keep him warm in the cold leaf-bare chill. The first snow had been yesterday, much earlier then usual, but hopes were high for WindClan. Mousepaw, his apprentice, bounced ahead of him, ears pricked in excitement, while Cinderstorm and Honeypaw trailed behind, with the gray warrior's mate, Rabbitcloud, next to her. He pointed with his tail towards the lake border. "We'll head that way."
He kept glancing behind him at how Cinderstorm and Rabbitcloud stayed right next to each other, tails entwined, murmuring softly to each other and watching Honeypaw adoringly as if she was their kit. Skyshimmer and him used to be that close. Flashbreeze looked forwards again. "Let's split," he decided. "Mousepaw and I will head right towards the shore. You three stay here and start hunting. We'll meet at the hollow next to the three gorse bushes at sun-high." They nodded, and he set out, his apprentice squealing with excitement.
"Can I catch a rabbit?" he asked. "Can I? Can I?!" Flashbreeze rolled his eyes, remembering how enthusiastic Skyshimmer had been as an apprentice. She had always been bouncing up and down, eyes wide, begging Flightwing to take her hunting, to the training clearing, to the border patrol... Nothing had been too much for her. "I don't know if you can," he responded. "But, I think you may!"
Mousepaw sniffed the air, ears twitching in excitement, before dashing off. Flashbreeze watched him for a moment, before turning away. He would catch something, then follow his excited apprentice. When he turned around, Flashbreeze froze. This was the clearing where he had confessed to Skyshimmer that he loved her, and then she had told him that she loved him back.
No. He couldn't ignore his love, his loss, any longer. He stared up at the sky, eyes wide, and let out a yowl of anguish and grief. Skyshimmer had left him alone here, in this harsh, forgiving world, leaving him to grieve for her forever. "I love you, Skyshimmer!" he breathed. "And I will never, ever forget you."