Searching for the Right.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

((Ok, byee))

Sakura had one last thought before everything went black.

"Niche" She whispered before darkness engulfed her.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw walked away, leaivng the loner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dust was flying everywhere, between nooks and crannies. It embedded itself in Niche's eye as he sauntered forward to see where it had all come from. His chest hurt, bad. Nothing in the world could have an equation that would equal to the pain he felt, there was no counterpart. Nothing could hurt worse, nothing. He felt sharp rocks dig into his pads, and then he felt soft pine needles as he moved onward, ocasionally stopping to feel pulses in the ground, and to taste the air with a flick of his tongue.

Niche stepped out of the canopy of two willow trees with large boughs before he saw her. A few flowers fell down from them, and he shook his head and then his body to get them off of him. Then he spotted her lying limply on the ground. First impulse told him to leave her. Hadn't she hurt him enough? Niche threw the idea out of his mind, and walked towards her. If he left her, that would make him worse.

"S-Sakura?" Her name burned his throat when it came out, and he hated it. He hated knowing she'd chosen clans over him, chosen Ashfur over him. Shaking ihs head, he stoppe thinking about it. Moisture dampened his eye, and he bent down to look over her. She was bleeding.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura opened her eyes. Where was she? She wasn't in the forest anymore. She was surrounded by darkness. Nothing could be seen. All she saw was a blinding light straight ahead. Sakura started to walk towards it, but stopped. I had to be a trick. She lay down in the dark tunnel. Sakura's breatheing was shallow. Her pelt matted in blood and eyes closed. Her usually snowy white paws and chest were red from the blood.

[Meerful]

Niche stared at Sakura for a moment, taking in the sight, drinking it in. There she lay, limp, and from the unnatural position of her leg, broken. An insane part of him felt it was his part, but Niche quickly dismissed the idea. What had he done? He had left her. Left her to make a choice, and here she was, probably got beaten by a Shadowclan warrior. How was this his fault? Why did he feel such unbelievable guilt?

Straightening up, he slowly walked over to her, nosing her all over for signs of anything serious, but he didn't have to look to know that she was in bad shape. Whoever got a hold of her must have had veliciropter claws. Studying her for just a moment more, he tried to figure out the extent.

Getting up, he walked to a nearby bracken, and got out cobwebs, tons of them, and then walked back over to apply them to her wounds. She looked like a mummy by time he was done, and then he looked to her leg. It wasn't to bad, just a fracture. She'd be able to walk on it, and run... If she lived that long. Niche felt tremors rolls through him. He was dteremined not to let her die.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

The darkness surrounded Sakura. Chills creaped up her spine.

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself. The blinding light still ahead. Suddenly her nostrils caught a scent. It was Niche.

"Niche?" Sakura whispered in her sleep "Where are you?"

[Meerful]

Niche froze. She had said his name. How had she known he was there? She was unconcious. Then he remembered. She's fully abled. Unlike you. No wonder she didn't want you. Niche was screaming in his mind at himself. Sighing, he licked her ear hoping she wasn't going to blame this on him when she awoke. Something told ihm it was his fault.

Still working, Niche bent down and whispered to her, "Don't worry, I'm going ot save you, just don't die." His voice was as smooth and gentle as he could make it, but it still sounded sharp. That was just who he was. What he needed was herbs, any of them. Something to make her stomach not hurt... Which one was it? He thought for a moment before racing off, looking back frequently, before returning and trying to make her swallow one that he'd found.

"It'll make the pain stop" He whispered soothingly, though he wasn't quite sure how much help he really was.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura gasped. She heard Niche! He was there. Her heart felt heavy though. Why did he come here? Didn't he hate her now? Sakura had to listen though. Sakura, still in a dream, swallowed the herb.

Sakura managed a faint growl as the herb was swallowed. It tasted so bitter! She thrashed in her sleep.

[Meerful]

Niche smiled. His mouth tasted fowl from carrying the vile tasting herb. He trotted to a tree, picked some moss, and went to dip it in a stream. He reached one, and it was filled with broken tree branches, adn the current was strong. He stuck it in the water, a breeze filtering upwards, water splashing on the rock and getting his face wet. It was an exhilarating feeling, but he couldn't feel it, not now with Sakura in such a predicament.

He rushed back to her, and sat it down by her, seeing if she'd drink it. When she didn't, he lifted it up, and let a few drops of moisture fall onto her face. Niche hoped it would wake her up.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura felt as if it were raining as water splashed her on the face. Suddenly she jerked, and the dream-world faded away...

Sakura jerked awake as water fell onto her face. She coughed a little and shook her head to shake the droplets off. She looked up and saw Niche looking down on her.

"N-Niche?" She mewed. Sakura tried to stand up, but her leg hurt and she quickly laid back down.

[Meerful]

Niche noddd, nosing her leg to se if it had gotten worse when she tried to stand on it.

"Try not to stand, you'll hurt yourself" He mewed, pushing the moss towards her.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura nodded, dazed. She drank a little water from the moss. Her head was buzzing with questions. How did Niche find her? She shook the thought away. She felt even worse now. She felt worse about not realizing Niche's feelings for her. This was all her fault wasn't it? Sakura groaned. It was. She wanted to apologize again, but she didn't.

"How did you find me?" She asked weakly.

[Meerful]

Niche look up from examining her wounds. He eyed her specualativly before answering. "Well, most of us find it hard not to find a large cloud of dirt, or taste the blood in the air, or feel the pulses in the ground" He said crossly.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura sighed. She laid her head on her paws. Her eyes held guilt and sadness. If she said sorry, what would happen? But one thing Sakura was more curious about was this. Why did Niche help her? Her head spun. He was mad at her, wasn't he?

"Why did you help me?" She asked. Her voice was choked "I thought... I thought you hated me"

[Meerful]

Niche snorted. "You'd think that, and maybe I should." He said, he sounded distant, as if pulled from some other thought. "Misery does stuff to us, so maybe that's why I'm doing this. Irrational. First impulse told me to leave you, but I crave your company too much, hunger for you attention, so I couldn't. Illogical really, but I'm not willing to care." Niche replied. His head ached thinking about what would happen when she had some other tom's kits, or when she left.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura just nodded. Her head lay on her paws as she stared across the border to ShadowClan. She'd gotten the proof, but nearly died doing it. She was a fool. She laid there, her thoughts wandering.

"Well if you don't really care then just go" She mewed "I wont waste your time anymore"

[Meerful]

Niche laughed dryly. "Obviously your blind to how others feel. You just don't understand. Why else am I here? I don't jsut do random acts of kindness." He said. "But if you'd like me to leave you here for osme other more powerful creature to take you down, have fun."

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura sighed.

"I guess you're right. I'm not half-blind, but fully blind to everyone." She mewed.

She tried to stand up again, she wasn't going to lay here anymore. Sakura walked a few steps, then collapsed again. She hissed in frustration. Why couldn't she just walk? Sakura stood up again, but just collapsed under her paws.

[Meerful]

Niche watched her, then offered his shoulder for support.

"Where to?"

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura shrugged. Now she was confused. Very confused.

"A-Anywhere I guess..." Sakura mewed, confused.

[Meerful]

Niche raised an eyebrow. "If you don't know where to go, why get up? Wait here" He mewed, running off, again, and came back, again, oments later with a chaffinch. "Eat" He demanded, using his muzzle to push it towards her. Why did she look befuddled?

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura nodded. She took a bite, still slightly confused. She ate about half before pushing it away.

"I just needed to get away" Sakura mewed "I didn't really know where I was headed" Her eyes still held confusion. She still didn't know why Niche was helping her.

[Meerful]

Niche noded. "'Kay, well, if you want me to leave..." He trailed off. The widn had stirred up the finally settled dust, and he had to squint ot keep it from burning his eye again.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

"I don't want you to leave" Sakura mewed. She looked at her paws. The dust spun around them.

"But... do you want to leave?" Sakura mewed.

[Meerful]

Niche sighed. "Hey, don't care about what I think. Your wish, my command" He mewed.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

"I care what you think. If you don't want to be here, don't stay. If you do, stay. As simple as that" Sakura mewed. She felt guilt creep in on her again. He thinks I love Ashfur... She thought to herself.

[Meerful]

Niche made a face. She makes it sound simple

"Okay then, how od you feel?"

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

"Wounds sort of sting, and I can't walk to well" Sakura mewed. She decided to try walking again. She managed to walk a few steps and then lay down again. But her wounds stung terribly.

"Listen" Sakura mewed "If you don't want to be here, all you have to do is say so." She wanted to tell him who she really loved, but she was... afraid.

[Meerful]

Niche frowned, adn bit odwn hard on his lip, blood trickling into his mouth.

"Well. I'm still here aren't I?" He said. He was trying to remain aloof aroudn her, but she wasn't making it easy. "So here" Niche said, recovering his stoic position and attitude.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Sakura nodded. She turned away. The breeze came by and ruffled her fur, chilling her to the bone. She shivered. Sakura stood up, and went to sit by Niche. She was still nervous though. What would Niche's reaction be?

[Meerful]

Niche drew his tongue across his lips, and sat down, his face emotionless.