A Plumage of Fire //Firepaw ONLY//

[Meerful]

Featherpaw felt herself fall rhythmically in step as she walked along the river bank, knowing exactly where the sand would sink and she would get stuck, and where it was sturdy. It's not that she was fat or anything, the sand was just extra soppy and had more suction this time of year since there were more rains and the sand was soaked. Of course, the sand just greedily sucked up the water until it had the qualities of quick sand. Twitching her ears, Featherpaw listened to the sound of the eveing, the sun setting a hazy pink in the sky above her.

[[Shard].eh]

A dark flamed color cat watched from far away. His maber eyes sparkling with hope and joy. Something that he wasn't used to. Slowly he got to his feet, he wated to say something to the beautiful she-cat, but somethign was holding him back. It was his fear or rejection, his fear of being hated. His fear of himself.

The dark red tom just stood there and watched his long tail swishing back and forth. When would this she-cat return his? Would she ever, and if she did. Would he meet the beautiful Blue she-cat he had first meet- his first crush.

He stood watching the she-cat for some time, her slender figure picking out where to step, as the world around them became a whine color. The color of love- yet also the color of love. The tom finialy had enought guts to walk up to her, "Featherpaw-" he said at first lovingly. Then his voice became cold, "I was hoping to someone pretty here, but it looks like Starclan still hates me" he spat. Though inside his heart beat for her.

[Meerful]

Featherpaw jumped at the voice, he heart beating like a time bomb, and her entire cell seemed to be energized with the fact in knowing he was near her. Her fur blew in a breeze, and the sun warmed it, the patches of skin that were exposed as the wind toyed with her also felt the golden warmth. At first her face immediatly beamed with happiness, and a quiet purr began to rise.

That all changed when she heard the first words out of his mouth. Almost dramatically, her appearance changed as she turned to face him. Her eyes held cold hatred, her fur began to bristle along her spine, her tail fur stuck up until she looked like a raccoon, and her claws unsheathed. The purr became a growl, and her heart began to pump acid through her veins.

Featherpaw turned completely, standing not so far way from the tom. "Wow, and I was expecting to see someone with the brain of something other than a leaf. Oh wait, I'm sorry, a dead leaf. Normal leaves are green and gorgeous and have life worth living, but when they fall off, they die, and well, you're dead, so I might as well ignore you. You're dead to me, you jurk." Featherpaw hissed coldly, her entire body posture screaming at her to attack him.

[[Shard].eh]

Firepaw took a step back, his eyes hurt for a second. Then they turned emotionless. He was good at hiding his emotions, for his mother told him that showign emotions would get you no where. Even showing love, for when his mother was in love- after have four kits. He left her for a cat named Angelfur. Her whole life was baised around him,and he betrayed her for her best friend.

Firepaw shook the memory of his mother away and though Featherpaw was mad, FIrepaw purred. He didn't care, his purr was deep like thunder. Yet soft like a newly born kit's pelt.

[Meerful]

Featherpaw pursed her lips, and flipped her head, the longer strands of the fur on her face waving a bit and adding to the effect. Small bright tears were glimmering in the sunlight, though she blinked constantly to hide them. What Firepaw had said had hurt her. How could he just call her ugly?

Quickly, Featherpaw straightened up, and did a couple of blinks so he couldn't tell she was upset. He'd probably just make fun of her and call her sensitive and other mean things. Ducking her head, she stared at her paws as Firepaw remained silent. What was he doing? The stoic look on his face confused her. When she lifted her head, she found herself staring at him ambivilantly.

"Well, go away. I'm ruining the view with my ugly dull fur, my hideous flint coloured eyes, and my repulsive attitude. So leave before you find yourself gagging at the sight of me while I go and gag myself so I can be skinny again." Featherpaw hissed, it was sort of sad though, as if she really thought all that about herself. In fact, even though she'd never let anyone know it, she did.

[[Shard].eh]

Pitty filled Firepaw, he stoped purring and padded closer to Featherpaw. HIs dark red pelt glittering like the sunset and his emotionless amber eye glittering like the falling sun. Firepaw wanted to say something. TO tell her that at night he dreamed about her, forget the blue she-cat Featherpaw was more importent.

Firepaw preshed his pelt agents hers, "What are you talking about, I don't see any ugly cats here. All I see is a beautiful she-cat with a slender body that I adore, beautiful eyes that look more beautiful then any sunset I have ever seen, and a sleek grey[right? lol] pelt that makes me feel so warm inside that I have to go to the medicine cat's den to make sure I am not in heaven- or Starclan as you call it" Firepaw purred.

Suddenly Firepaw relised what he had said and bit hislower lip, "i-i-i meen.. I-i-i" he had totaly lost his emotionless voice.

[Meerful]

Featherpaw was about to pout, but then she realized what Firepaw had said to her. Her heart skipped a beat- no, a few beats. That wasn't it. Her breathing, at first stopped altogether, then it went into double time, hyperventilation making it hard for her to think. The only thing she could do was breath in and out frantically while her heart repeated the movement. She could barely feel anything besides the soft pressure of his pelt touching hers... She was more aware of him than any other moment, as if she could sink into him and they would become one... Or they were already and she hadn't adjusted to the change until just now.

A few moments seemed to pass, but they felt like moons to Featherpaw. The scent of Firepaw burned her nostrils, but it was compelling, almost sweet, but with a touch of danger and pride... She felt herself leaning forward, her mouthwatering. Before she could od anything, she took control of her emotions and the pull of her body. Snapping her eyes closed, she took three deep breaths... In... Out... In... Out... In... Out... She told herself repeatedly. She didn't dare open her eyes, because she knew she would catch Firepaw's eyes and she'd be once again mesmerized by them. Scoring her textured tongue across her top lip, she was finally able to come up with a thought.

What? Featherpaw leaned back into place, and sort of jumped a small length away. Her chest was heaving slightly, and when she opened her eyes, they held an erratic wild look. Firepaw tried to seduce her! [[lol, I had to put that. Blame Twilight by Stephenie Meyer =D]] Pulling her mind together, she came back to reality, confused as ever. "D-did you just...?" She stammered, her cheeks burning red. What? No... Impossible, I'm too ugly. He even said so himself! Why would he take that back? It's not like he'd lie to me, right? Then... Was he... Making fun of me? Featherpaw's face seemed to frown while she thought. "Firepaw... That's mean! Why would you say such a thing? Are you just trying to rub that fact that I'm unnattractive in my face?" Featherpaw mewed quietly.

[[Shard].eh]

Firepaw heart shatterd, in his onw mind he could hear the peises of his heart scattering into the nothingness he was. His eyes went completly cold, his heart shatterd. The once light that Featherpaw had given him- was gone. He was completly alone now- completly abandoned, now he knew what his mother must have felt to see her best friends nuzzling her mate right in front of her eyes.

Firepaw slowly closed his amber eyes and snarled at himself, he didn't want to let his tears out. If he did Featherpaw would only hurt him more, she was the one his heart once beated for... but now his heart was shatterd and a shatterd heart can't beat anymore. Can it?

Firepaw slowly got to his feet, he opened his eyes. The seemed a shade darker of amber then they once were. His once love filled eyes, were drained and were emty. For a moment he thought that he could fix it, he could make a sharp coment and fix what Featherpaw thought of him- yet then he relised. That she had never even liked him as a friend. She never wanted him, she never was a light in his word. Only a black hole taking in everything it could.

Soon the sun what at first seemed so romantic. Seemed to b mocking him and his life, his dull life. He was following in his mother's footseps now, and that ment he would do exactly what she did. He would walk up to where the Windclan's and Riverclan's border would be. Where the waterfall was. Then he would jump, and hope that there really is a place called Starclan.

Firepaw turned to give once last sharp glance at Featherpaw, his eyes showing hurt in them and even a kit would have knowen that he really ment what he said. He really did love the beautiful she-cat, and he really would die for her. "Goodbye, Featherpaw" he said in a cold emotionless voice as he started to walk away.

[Meerful]

Featherpaw was expectingto hear some sort of laugh, a joke, a snide remark, something spiteful. In her own world, she could think of exactly what he would say. Duh. Who would think that you, such an ugly scrap of fur, would be beautiful? I mean, you make te twolegs look gorgeous. Who could'nt stand next to you without feeling just a little better about themselves? Now go away, I was enjoying my walk until you made me go blind. Ugh, such uglyiness. Featherpaw had even prepared something rude to retort back at him. It was just what she did. She didn't expect the unexpected because if she expected it then it probably wasn't unexpectable was it? No, Featherpaw was almost certain he would pull that one out...

Her heart beat stopped. Her lips molded together, and her lungs snapped shut. She couldn't breath! She couldn't pump blood through her veins. Her whoel world was crashing down on her. The realization even stung. It was like pain, only physically. The light that had been shining on her brilliantly, seemed to disappear. Dark shadows had fallen on her, but all around her was flooded with light and glowing warmth. The cold gripped her motionless body as it began to shut down. Featherpaw almost like the feeling, her heart no longer beating, the world growing foggy, her eyes glazing over... The blackness was closing in, and her instincts were screaming at her to breath, to open her mouth an suck in the air. Her chest was lancing up and down with pain, and her blood even seemed to stop dead in it's tracks, waiting...

In a snap her mouth unlocked and sucked in huge mouthfuls of air. Her chest heaved outwards, and her mind semed to explode with colours as head rush set in. Inside she felt... Broken. Almost as if someone had picked her organs apart and were careless enough to leave them that way- No. As if someone had picked apart her soul. Almost instantly she wanted to apologize, tell him she was sorry. The pain in his eyes was almost unbearable for her... It touched her core and made her hurt as well. His pain... My pain... The thought didn't register, it just flitted across like a moth at night. After a few moments of recovery, she finally opened her mouth to speak. "Wait... Don't leave me here. I'm sorry. It's just... It's hard to believe someone who acts like they hate me so much to sincerely say something. Please don't go." She breathed, still breathless. Her heart was beating irregularly, as if saying, 'now I have more work to do, thanks.'

[[Shard].eh]

Firepaw's eyes narrowed,and his lips curled up ina snarl. "Really- you didn't once think that I loved you from the start, never once thought that I cared about you more then anoything in my intire world, never once think that I was only mean to you because I was afraid you would break my heart- just like you did now. No Featherpaw- i cared for you and I will always care for you." he hissed at her his eyes still cold and darken.

Firepaw's dark red pelt started to prickle, his claws dug into the ground as he glared at the she-cat. He quickly looked away and glared at the ground. "I don't give a care anymore- I don't... and this is how it will all end for me. My heart shatterd and broken, while you fall in love with Snowpelt. He is loyaland is a full breed. He would make a great father for your kits, I wish I could be there to see them" he hissed. Then he ran.

The ran as fast as he could, his paws hitting the ground so hard- yet not making a single sound. Each breath he took in was shaky and depressed. He knew where his paws were taking him, they were taking him to the waterfalls. Where both his father and mother died. Finialyhe would be set free from this God forsaken life he called his own. Free of my shatterd heart

[Meerful]

Featherpaw opened her mouth to speak, desperate to hear him out. He liked her? She was almost certain that he liked some pretty she cat from another clan. As he spoke, her body quivered with fear. Fear that he might lash out at her, or raise his voice. Things like that upset her so badly. Faintly, she rose to her paws, facing him squarly...

But as soon as he had gotten there, he was gone.

Featherpaw began to panic. Snowpelt? At this moment, Snowpel was memories away...

Jumping up, she raced after him, knowing instinctly where he would go. She knew the story, and she knew he planned to make it complete.

"Firepaw! Come back! Please! Firepaw? Firepaw!" She yowled across the banks as she chased after him. If he hadn't left, she knew what she would've said... Well, if he was going to leave.

"Don't do anything stupid if you're going to leave me forever."

Now she didn't have the chance, and it felt like she was racing the clock. If he plunged, she would surely jump in straight after him.

[[Shard].eh]

FIrepaw's sharp ears picked up the noise of Featherpaw following him, Firepaw didn't want to even look at her. For he know it would only break his heart more then it needed to be, her gorgouse eyes, and shinny pelt, he couldn't handle it.

In an intempt to lose Feather paw he wuickly changed derections, turning a shapre right.

[Bleck- brain is fried from no sleep]

[Meerful]

Featherpaw listened for a reply, her heart sinking every moment. The scent trail seemed to get lost the faster she ran, doubling back, she put her nose to the ground like a dog, and frantically searched for a trace of him, yowling for him the whole time.

"Firepaw! Please! Come back! It's getting darker and I'm scared, please! Don't leave me!" Featherpaw mewed, her meows getting quieter as her voice became hoarse. Moments later, she could barely speak. The sound of the falls rang in her ear drums, so she did what she thought was best- She would beat Firepaw to them. Determinedly, she climbed the slope. Firepaw hadn't come here yet, Featherpaw hoped, because if he had, he had jumped. She was going to do it. She was going to jump.

[[Shard].eh]

Firepaw knew he had lost Featherpaw, but he didn't slow he just sat down and started to snarl at his paws. "I should have lisen to Blckthorn- I am leaving this forsaken place..." he said to himself, his eyes filled with bittersweet feelings.

Firepaw's dark red pelt shimmerd like freshly dripped blood, his amber eyes a blaze. Slowly Firepaw ran to the direction of the rouge's territory.

[Firepaw is gone , along with my brain]

[Meerful]

//Mkay. Does this mean you don't want them to be mates?//

Featherpaw glanced around, her heart beating wildly in her ears. Where was he? She glanced down at the falls below her. If he didn't show up soon, she was going to assume he'd died already... She was going in after him.

"F-Firepaw?" Featherpaw mumbled sadly.

[[Shard].eh]

[No^^ they can still be mates. HE just dissapears for a few moons then comes back, ya know? lol]