`T`h`o`u`g`h`t`s`

[[ g.o.l.d.y ]]

<sup>He looked down at her gingery form. "Okay," he accepted, and moved his tiger-striped pelt to lay down next to her. His pelt brushed hers, and a tingle ran up his spine. Like a gentletom, he allowed her to take the first bite. "Would you like to have the first bite?" he asked her politely. If she was the leader, could he feel any affection for her? Was that against the rules of StarClan? Because he felt something for this she-cat that he had never felt before. A glimmer of light, somewhere inside his body. But she was the leader and she would know best. He would follow his heart and what he thought was right, and he would answer to StarClan later if something went wrong.

That was just how life worked.</sup>

[♥`R`i`p`p`e`d`♥]

The pretty she-cat looked over at Tigerstorm, her forbidden love. How can StarClan be so cruel sometimes, love is love. She faked a smile at him and took a small bite of the mouse. No matter what StarClan said, would she always love him? Her pleading, hopeful eyes looked over at Tigerstorm. Could he give her an answer? "Tigerstorm," Rippedstar mewed trying to stay as strong as she could, "I love you, but I don't know if this is right.. What does StarClan want? I know you can't tell me, but I need to at least know you love me back." Rippedstar looked at him lovingly, waiting for a returned gaze. Maybe, just maybe he liked her, too.

[[ g.o.l.d.y ]]

He gazed at her, eyes caressing her golden coat. He looked up, eyes meeting hers, both staring at each other. Tigerstorm bowed his head slightly and opened his mouth, bringing his orange head up once again. "Rippedstar," he murmured. "What do you think that they want? What do you think you want?" He was silent for a second, but then continued on. "Love is a thing that StarClan can't mess around in, leader or not. Follow your heart." He stopped again, withholding the information that she was seeking the most. "I love you, Rippedstar," he whispered, voice breaking. "Never forget that. Whatever StarClan tries to do, it won't be enough." His velvety head lay on the ground, not letting her see his sadness.

[♥`R`i`p`p`e`d`♥]

Her eyes glittered with tears. She licked his head gently. "I know.." Her voice paused for a moment, searching for words. "My heart tells me I should go for it. Don't care what StarClan says. But maybe your heart is wrong. Maybe.." Green eyes looking away, afraid to finish her sentence. Her paws longed to dip into the cool, refreshing water. Slowly, her mind drifted off to when she was an apprentice.

She, and her friend, Brightfeather, then a warrior, were playing in a shallow pond. They swam for many moments, long, carefree moments. Near the pond was a waterfall, and it was huge. Brightfeather walked up to it, an inexperianced warrior, and put her paw in. The enormous current took her and, although she was a great swimmer, she died, and Rippedstar never forgave herself. Or the time when her apprentice left the clan.

Albinopaw was a very naughty cat, but what led him to do this Rippedstar still doesn't know. During a battle with ShadowClan, when she was a warrior, he ran off, never to be seen again. Except by Rippedstar. At a gathering, he turned up, in ShadowClan! However no cat knows to this day...

Now she turned back to Tigerstorm. "I can't.. I just can't now..." Memory's flooded back. Brightfeather, Albinopaw.. Then her mother, father, friends, family... It was too much. She ran. Away from Tigerstorm, away from the river, and in a way, away from herself.

[[ g.o.l.d.y ]]

The tom stood helplessly and watched the she-cat run away. She wasn't the first cat that he had ever felt affection for; there was one other that had earned his heart, and then wrenched it away from him. Sparrowsong had been her name. She was a small brown she-cat with a love of life that was infectious. Cats around her didn't scold her for running around, they simply smiled weakly at the rambunctious young warrior. She brought a smile to his face every time that he saw her pelt dancing in the sunlight, sprinkled with glimmering silver water droplets from the river. He could still picture her eyes, sparkling with mischief, concocting plan after plan that always landed them in trouble. But he always went along with them, not because he agreed with their faulty logic, but because he didn't want to see her get hurt. Of course, one day one of her plots went wrong. A clumsy badger, a tired apprentice, an undecided heart...all recipes for disaster. The badger had stepped on her spine, and snapped it like a twig that an apprentice pounces on for fun. He looked back up at her disappearing back. "Rippedstar," Tigerstorm choked out. "Don't leave..." But still, in his heart, he was calling out for both she-cats, in a monotonous chant.