꧁ ✧ Chapter 12 ✧ ꧂

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Willow woke up slowly, yawning as she stared out of the tunnel's entrance. They had stayed in the tunnel for nearly a moon, and had been using spare time to teach Sunny how to hunt. he was a natural, and only the other week he caught his first rabbit. they had formed an unbreakable bond in the one and a half moons they had known eachother, and were now true family.

She shivered as the stretched out, her paws brushing the cold and empty space beside her. She sat up, and began grooming her pelt. Her mouth was dry, but she knew there was a stream nearby, and didn't mind her fur sticking to her tongue while she vainly tried to brush out the mud. She hadn't washed her pelt in moons, as she hadn't known when the next time she would come into contact with moisture would be. Willow sat up, waiting for Sunny to come back from his early hunt. After teaching him how to, he had started to go off and practice in the early dawn, usually bringing back a mouse or bird. She waited for a while, watching the rising sun cast warm rays across the floor of the tunnel.

She opened her eyes. She must have dozed off, and she sat up, looking around, expecting prey of some sort. But there was nothing. She peeked over the brim of the tunnel, and worry started to worm around in her stomach. Her heart lurched as she stepped outiside, and saw the sun. Past sun high. Where is he? She started urgently trotting, muzzle lowered.

She brushed past her rock, which had a thin, growing layer of moss. I need to scratch that off later. She thought distractedly, as she scented the air for his scent. Yes! She caught his scent. Faint, but guiding. She followed his trail, and approached the stream, ignoring the strange creature on the rock leap and plop into the cold water, it's naked body wriggling. She stopped dead and pricked her ears. Voices? She stretched her head forward, straining her ears. She turned a few degrees, and stalked forward, catching brief, mumbling parts of a slightly heated conversation.

"...I never meant.."

"...But, that doesn't explain..."

"...I didn't have..."

"...Liar."

"...I always loved..."

"...So why'd you leave..."

"...I didn't! You left..."

"...Don't you dare put..."

"...But, you know before... with Birch..."

"...So? That makes... now... okay?"

"..Well, kind of.. but..."

"...I can't believe you....''

She made out the softer, yet whiny voice of a middle-aged she-cat, and Sunny's confused, hurt voice. And yet underneath that voice, there was a tone of anger and resentment. She heard his voice growing louder, and almost panic-y, she rushed forward through the bushes, expecting to see the mystery she-cat advancing on him, but instead, to her surprise she found him, advancing on her. She was a fluffy bright almost white cream cat, with cream fades and freckles on her legs, face and tail with yellow eyes. Sunny was almost a spitting image of her, but a pale ginger cream instead. She was appalled by the similarities between them both, and slid forward, fur slightly fluffed up and ears flattened.

''Sunny? What's going on? Are you okay?'' She stalked towards him, eyes not leaving the she-cat. she had a guarded look in her eyes as she stared defiantly back at her. Willow pressed her nose under his chin.

''Sunny? What?... what in the name of the stars? Kit, who is this she-cat?'' said the she-cat, and bared her teeth at Willow, but Willow advanced faster than she thought she could, suddenly appearing over the she-cat, who was crouched, eyes on the ground.

''And who are you?'' She peered at the cat under her. When she didn't respond, Willow straightened up and said.

''I see. Let me introduce myself. I am Willow That Shines At Dawn. This is my territory, and this is my kit.'' she raised her lips at the she-cat, daring her to argue.

''Your kit?'' she she-cat stuttered, lost for words. ''THIS IS MY KIT!'' Willow stepped back, enjoying watching her get so riled up.

''I BORNED HIM, I RAISED HIM, AND YOUR PROBABLY THE ONE WHO STOLE HIM AWAY FROM ME!'' She was panting now, seeming to be in anguish, but she saw in her eyes, she had no true love for him. If Willow hadn't rescued him, he would have been raised a slave. Yet as she turned to look at him, his growing figure, handsome build and heart, she knew he would have left her on his own. He was brave. and yet as he watched them argue, there was a sadness in his gaze. There was a cat who had not borne him, and yet was more of a mother to him than the cat that did.

This angered her, and she slowly turned to the she-cat, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

''You, you are disgusting. You left your kit alone, to die, or just to see if he would survive on his own. Now on whatever sad journey you're on, you come across him again, you want him back now another cat has done the mothering for you. You are disgusting.'' She spat at the cat, her claws itching. She should give her something to remember her by.

The she-cat stood up, flattening her fur. She glared at Willow.

''My name is Cherry, and Kit is not yours. He is mine.'' She widened her eyes and narrowed them at the same time, challenging Willow.

Willow unsheathed her claws. ''His name is Sunny!'' She screeched, and without hesitation, she leapt onto Cherry, snarling as she pinned her easily, ripping her spine apart with her back legs. She bit onto her ear, staining the white fur red, and Cherry let out a pained yowl but surged up with enormous power. Unready, and now unsteady, Willow toppled over as she was thrown off, landing with a thump on her side. Winded, she gasped a breath before she was smothered with fur, suffocating. Suddenly the weight disappeared, and she squinted up to see Sunny dragging Cherry off her, snarling and cursing at her. Willow got to her paws and bounded forward, headbutting Cherry clear away from Sunny. while she regained her footing, she spoke to Sunny urgently.

''This is between Cherry and me.'' before she could say more, or Sunny could answer, she heard a yowl and turned around in time to see Cherry flying through the air, and dodged, Cherry landing roughly, winded, she could tell, by her gasping for air. She ran forward with a caterwaul, pinning her down.

She bit into her scruff, and blood poured into her mouth. She started tearing apart her already bleeding spine again, and pressed on a back leg with her back paw, bending it the wrong way. Cherry wailed under her, and Willow began choking on her blood. She released her scruff, spitting out her blood, before parting her fur and setting her jaws on her spine behind her neck. Gripping hard, she shook her head, shaking her roughly. Cherry screeched and pleaded to Sunny to help her. Willow lifted her olive gaze to him and was relieved to find him staring at Cherry with cold, unforgiving eyes. This gave Willow confidence, and she relaxed her jaw for a moment, before biting down hard. Cherry went silent, and Willow paused in shock. She heard Cherry's terrified breathing. She thinks I'm about to kill her. She released her and leapt off in an instant in shock. I could have killed her... would I have killed her? Cherry scrambled to her paws, and unsheathed her claws, panting hard but still defiant.

''Leave it. We're done.'' She flicked her head at Sunny, telling him they were leaving. He nodded and started to walk away, looking back at Willow and waiting for her to catch up, before sniffing her wounds, though she hadn't many. As they left Cherry alone in the clearing, they entwined tails.

Before they had been walking for more than a few seconds, she heard a scuffling of paws, and spun around in time to see Cherry take a flying leap towards Sunny, screeching.

''TRAITOR!''

Controlled by pure instinct, Willow flew across Cherry's path, paw outstretched with claws unsheathed. She felt the satisfying feeling of flesh slide through her claws, but had her eyes closed for fear of impact, and couldn't see where she had struck. As Cherry toppled over, while Willow landed on all fours, she bounded over, standing over Cherry, who was on her back, crimson staining her white chest. Willow realised in horror where she had struck.

I sliced her throat open.

She watched in horror as Cherry gurgled out some words.

''help... too...much..... the pain.... make...make it stop...'' she was coughing and spluttering, and Willow stood a little away, staring at Sunny with desperation and sincerity.

''What should i do?...'' She whispered hoarsely. her head was spinning, and her stomach felt like it was turning inside out and then trying to come up by her airway. She swayed on her paws as she looked back at Cherry, then back at Sunny.

''Do what she says.'' His gaze was unreadable, and she nodded slowly and turned to Cherry.

''uh.... what would you like me to do?...'' She stood and stared uneasily at Cherry.

''...make it stop...''

''I can't... I'm so sorry...'' For a moment, Cherry's amber eyes met hers, and she vainly tried to lift her head closer to Willow. She could see in her eyes was pain, fear, but courage.

''Then kill me.''

Willow stared in shock at the she-cat, moaning and tossing in front of her. She couldn't kill a cat.

''I can't!'' she whispered and stared desperately at her.

''you... did this... to me. now... make... it... right.'' Cherry sighed loudly and painfully, and a stream of blood trickled out the side of her mouth. Willow tried not to be sick, and she stared dazily at Dandelion, questioningly.

''You have to.'' He said. He didn't seem to mind that his adopted mother was about to end the life of his blood mother. But then, hadn't Willow already killed her when she first adopted him? or when she was chased to him by a fox? or when she found the lake? or when she was banished? or when she was born? or when her parents were born? It all led up to this, and more. It's fate, and she can't change it.

Willow turned to Cherry, who was looking up at her with brave eyes. Willow leant down to her neck, which was now slowly oozing blood, vibrating with each gurgling breath.

''I'm sorry...'' Willow's eyes burned, and she raised her gaze to Sunny, who nodded at her. He wanted her gone. She nodded, and stood straight as if she was going to leave. Then, she surged forward, gripping her throat in her jaws and twisting it as hard and fast as she could. Cherry died easily, and unknowingly. It was for the best. She would hate to feel the exact moment her pupils expanded and her heart stopped. She killed her in the kindest way possible. But as Willow swayed, and backed away unsteadily, tasting her blood, she felt nothing but shame, and guilt. Sunny bounded forward, a sympathetic look in his eyes, but Willow waved him away with her tail. She walked along the streambed, needing some time to think. She heard Sunny's pawsteps fade away into the cicadas, and clouds gathered above the trees on the horizon.