Sunwing's Regret

Chapter Seventeen

You know, it feels like this book is going nowhere. -_- I started it a long time ago and didn't plan it out. So try not to judge if this book is starting to seem exaggerated or totally out of the random because... Yeah. Sorry :/

"WHAT?"

    Runningpaw had listened to Sunpaw's story, right to the part where he had said Whitepaw and Brightfur and left to warn Nettlestar. At that point, Willowfoot had had an outburst.

    "They can't tell him!" Willowfoot shrieked. "I need to go now and stop them!" She started to leave, but turned around. "Everyone, I have a feeling something's not going to go well. And... If anything happens..." She turned to Runningpaw. "Runningpaw, you need to tell Sunpaw that... That he..." She blinked, and Runningpaw got it.

    "I will, mother," he murmured, and watched as his mother turned and sprinted away, just a blur of silver and was gone.

    "Tell me what?" Sunpaw asked suddenly.

    Runningpaw turned pointedly to Lionclaw and Foxpaw. They blinked. "Oh... Right," Lionclaw said quickly. "Come on, Foxpaw, let's go ahead and look for Snowy."

    "Why?" Foxpaw said, but Lionclaw was already nudging him away.

    Once they were gone, Runningoaw turned to Sunpaw.

    "What...?" Sunpaw asked nervously.

     "I don't know how to say this, but..." Runningpaw cringed. "You... Willowfoot said... You're adopted."

    "I what-"

     "Your parents were loners, but mother took you in after they left you, and Nettlestar... Nettlestar tried to get rid of you. He didn't want you in the clan, so he encouraged everyone to ignore you and obsess over me. I'm sorry."

    Sunpaw's eyes were round as moons. Runningpaw noticed the air around them heat up, then cool down.

    "Runningpaw," Sunpaw said softly. "I love you. I don't care if I'm adopted, but you're my brother, and that's what matters. Okay?"

    Runningpaw's breath caught in his throat, and before he even realized what was happening, he was hugging Sunpaw and saying, "I love you too, brother."

    <><><>

    Willowfoot crashed into the Dewclan camp, her ears thrust forward and her tail puffed up. "Where's Brightfur?" She yowled.

    Mousetail, who was passing by, stared at her with wide eyes. "Um... She's with Nettlestar..."

    Willowfoot bolted past the brown-furred warrior and towards the Highrock. Not even bothering to ask permission, she leapt inside.

    Brightfur was facing Nettlestar, talking urgently, but yelped in surprise when Willowfoot nearly ran into her. Nettlestar looked quite offended.

    "Now, Willowfoot, you mustn't enter the Highrock without permission..."

    "I don't care, you filthy excuse for a leader!" Willowfoot spat. Brightfur's eyes widened, but stayed silent.

    Nettlestar's eyes turned to slits. "...Excuse me?"

    "You heard me," Willowfoot snarled. Then she turned to Brightfur, who flinched. "How much did you tell him?"

    The pale she-cat mumbled, "Um, I, um, I just said... I said Sparkpaw- I mean Sunpaw- was with Foxpaw and Lionclaw and was looking for a loner named Snowy..."

    Willowfoot's heart sank.

    Nettlestar curled his lip. "That filthy little rogue," he hissed. "He's better off away from our clan."

    "Wha-what?" Brightfur whispered. "That... That isn't... He saved us from that fire..."

    "No," Nettlestar said hotly. "Runningpaw saved us from the fire."

    "Stop lying you disgusting-!" Willowfoot started.

    "Wait... Wait," Brightfur said, who looked highly confused and nervous. "It had to be Sunpaw... I mean... He used his powers... He..."

    "It's Runningpaw!" Nettlestar yowled, his eyes wide. "Runningpaw is the cat of the prophecy! No- it could be anybody, anybody except that stupid little rogue of hers!" He spat at Willowfoot, who didn't flinch.

    There was a moment of silence, until Brightfur whispered in a terrified voice, "...P-Prophecy...?"

    Willowfoot spun around. She had no use being here, and she was wasting time. Nettlestar could continue being a mouse-brain while she actually helped her son.

    "Now where do you think you're going?" Nettlestar growled.

    Willowfoot paused. She knew better than to tell him where she was leaving to.

    "Brightfur, you can go," Nettlestar hissed.

    "...But..."

    "GO!" Nettlestar shouted. Brightfur flinched, looking terrified, and fled the den.

    Nettlestar snarled. "Now you, Willowfoot, I need to have a nice talk with you. Get back in here, now."

    Willowfoot didn't move.

    "NOW."

    Willowfoot wondered how far his hatred for her would go... Exile? She couldn't risk losing her clan, so slowly, very slowly, she turned around to face Nettlestar.

    "You," Willowfoot said quietly. "You. You ruined both Sunpaw and Runningpaw's lives. They are completely innocent, but your disgust of Sunpaw destroyed them both. All because of Pinescar."

    Nettlestar recoiled quickly.

    "Your brother wasn't terrible like you. In fact, Pinescar was a wonderful cat- nice, trusting, loyal. The opposite of you."

The Dewclan leader opened his mouth, but closed it again, clearly unsure whether to argue or not.

"And then- that one terrible day- when Pinescar was killed by a group of rogues."

Nettlestar flattened his ears.

"You hated rogues and loners since," Willowfoot continued. "So when we found a tiny kit in the snow... Around Runningkit's age... You hated him, too. Sunpaw could have been happy, but because of you, he's not."

Nettlestar curled his lip. "He deserves it."

Willowfoot raised her head, staring him in the eyes. "You terrible, terrible fox-heart."

Then she turned and marched out of the Highrock.