everyone remember cypresspaw
well let's do this
--
"Cypresstail! Watch out!"
The young warrior whipped around, his blind eyes blinking. It was Larkwhisker, he recognized her voice. Before he could dodge whatever was coming at him, a force tackled him to the ground, and the smell of Honeyfur surrounded him. She never lets me rest!
      "Honeyfur! I was about to get that mouse!" Cypresstail hissed in annoyance. Honeyfur jumped off of it.
      "Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that." the she-cat chuckled. Cypresstail grunted, standing again and shaking off. Though he was blind, he always tried his best to be a warrior. The death of Havenstar was still fresh in his mind, even though it'd taken place nearly twenty moons ago.
      "Honeyfur, be nice. Remember, he can't see, and so it's unfair to be messing with him, especially when he's focused on something else." Cypresstail pricked his ears at the new voice. Aspenwatcher? What's he doing here? He was sent to hunt on the other side of the glade.
      "Well, I'd better be getting back to camp. Mistyfur will be wanting me." Larkwhisker dismissed herself with a polite tone. She had turned to the life of a medicine cat after realizing that prey kept escaping her because of her deaf ear. Aspenwatcher was still here, Cypresstail could scent him. Aspenwatcher was Brackenstar's deputy. After Havenstar's death, her Clanmates killed Dewclaw and appointed Brackenstar - Brackenstripe at the time - the leader.
"Honeyfur, go back to camp, too. I don't want you causing trouble." Aspenwatcher had a harsh edge in his tone. Cypresstail held back a wince - Dewclaw had the same voice. But he isn't like Dewclaw, the blind warrior tried to assure himself, that won't happen again. It can't.
"My mouse is gone. I can head back to camp, the apprentices' den walls still need to be strengthened." Cypresstail kept his voice steady. Aspenwatcher wouldn't suspect it as a lie, even though it was. There had been a flood in the recent moon, and the camp was still being rebuilt. I can't stay here alone, not with him.
Cypresstail twitched his ear and slid through the bracken, finding his way back to camp by scent. He soon pushed into the clearing, the heavy smells of his Clanmates and damp bulrushes tainting the air.
He quickly headed over to the apprentices' den, figuring that if Aspenwatcher came back and saw him not helping, that he'd appear suspicious. Cypresstail tried to push the idea of another cat like Dewclaw to the back of his head, instead focusing on finding reeds for the den.
"Cypresstail!" a meow caught him off guard, and he turned around. By the tone of the cat's voice and their smell, he recognized Shadeflower. She was one of the cats he trusted in the Clan. He paused and turned in the direction he guessed she was in, "What is it, Shadeflower? I was just fetching some reeds."
"Could you help me get these bulrushes in place? I can't weave them right, and the apprentices will be too groggy to train if their den is falling over them all night." Shadeflower was near the apprentices' den, Cypresstail figured. He nodded and padded over to her, "Of course I'll help."
Cypresstail sat beside her, "Where are they? Sorry, I can't exactly tell..." he sniffed the ground, but the smell of all the damp bedding drown out any possible scent of the reeds. "Right here," Shadeflower nudged him a bunch of plants. Cypresstail could tell they were the ones from further down the river, as they smelled slightly of ThunderClan upon sniffing the stems.
Cypresstail grabbed one in his teeth and began to weave it between the existing wall. Figuring they could chat, he mumbled, "How's Crowpaw's training going? She still angry with Woollypaw?" Shadeflower was Crowpaw's mentor. The apprentice was the daughter of Dewclaw, which made Cypresstail nervous around her. Her and Woollypaw were at a constant feud, as Woollypaw saw her as untrustworthy and dangerous. Cypresstail agreed, but wouldn't dare voice his opinions aloud.
      "Yeah, her and Woollypaw haven't talked to one another besides arguing for a moon. Me and Pikestripe are sick of it, but unfortunately, if we mention it to anyone they just say that we're their mentors or that the two won't ever stop." Shadeflower let out a rather audible sigh. Cypresstail felt worry grow in his belly. If the two kept up, Crowpaw might turn out like Dewclaw. No, that can't happen. It just can't. History doesn't repeat.
      "May I take a break for a moment?" the words slipped out before he could process them completely. But Cypresstail couldn't sit here, worrying about the future. It would make him sick - it had before, and no way would he embarrass himself in front of the whole Clan again. Shadeflower's voice took on a tone of worry as she responded, "Can I go with you?"
      "Yeah, alright." Cypresstail got to his paws and shuffled across the camp, exiting through the reeds and standing at the side of the river, feeling a bit of bile rise in his throat. This has happened five times already, a little voice in his head complained, you need to tell Mistfur.
      "Your getting sick again, aren't you?" Shadeflower asked suddenly. Cypresstail had hoped she wouldn't actually follow. Before he could answer, the bile rose, and he vomited onto the grass. His throat and nose burned after - it was a feeling he had begun to get used to. You should stop eating, the voice retorted, you keep puking it all up anyway.
"You need to see Mistyfur and Larkwhisker about this. Don't think the Clan hasn't noticed you constantly leaving camp, and we haven't forgotten that one time in the warriors' den either." Shadeflower's voice seemed to be a mix of worry and anger. Cypresstail coughed, guilt rushing over his senses like floodwater. She's right, the voice continued, your going to die if you keep doing this.
      Cypresstail could imagine the expression on Shadeflower's face, even though he couldn't see. "Fine, I will." his voice was hoarse, and probably reeked like rotting prey left in the hot Greenleaf sun. "Good." Shadeflower's tone was suddenly relieved, and her scent gradually faded after the brambles shook.
      Cypresstail hauled himself back to camp, taking deep breaths to avoid getting sick again. Upon reaching camp, he kept his head low, prepared to rush out again if his stomach got upset. Luckily, he reached the medicine cat's den without any... accidents.
Immediately the smell of herbs rushed over him, and he had to sit down. "Cypresstail? Come on, get in a nest. I'll fetch a dock leaf." Mistyfur's voice came from the back of the den. Cypresstail knew why she was so rushed - normally he came because he was about to get sick and there were too many patrols out.
"No, that isn't why..." he wheezed, settling into a nest. Mistyfur padded over to him, "Why is it, then?"
"I want to talk with you about it."
      "Really?" Mistyfur sounded taken aback. He'd never wanted to discuss it.
      "Yes. Shadeflower told me to come here." Cypresstail's voice suddenly grew shaky and he hid his face in his forepaws, "Please, Mistyfur, I need help. I've been struggling with this for so long, and I can't take it anymore... I don't want to die."
      "Oh, dear... I didn't know you were in so much pain from this..." Mistyfur's voice trailed off, and her warmth pressed on his forehead as she licked him gently.
      Cypresstail drew in deep, ragged breaths. His throat, eyes, nose... Everything burned. What's wrong with me? Why can't I take a simple fear? Why am I such a useless warrior? He wanted to ask her all these questions. But she doesn't know the answer.
"Dear, what are you so afraid of?" Mistyfur kept her tone soft and polite. Cypresstail slowly lifted his paws, "I'm afraid I can't say." he lied straight to her face. I can't tell her I'm scared of a cat who's been dead for moons, that I'm terrified our own deputy and apprentices will rip me to shreds. She won't believe me.
"Cypresstail... I don't think there's any solution to fear." Mistyfur's reply was calm, but held so much truth beneath it that Cypresstail felt as though it would burst his heart. She's right. I'm a fool to have thought my Clanmates cant tell that I'm afraid. I can't stay here - this fear is eating me alive.
"Mistyfur...?" Cypresstail slowly raised his head, clouded eyes appearing clear for a moment. "Can I leave?"
"Leave? You mean, abandon the Clan?" Mistyfur sounded as though she would break out into an outraged rant, but then her tone grew soft and quiet, "I suppose you can, if that gets rid of your fear. I guess not all cats belong in Clans. How about I escort you to the twoleg nests tonight? They might take you in." Mistyfur was surprisingly happy to have him leave. Is she glad that I won't be scared every night that I won't wake up? Or is it something else?
      Whatever her motives were, Cypresstail smiled at the thought. "Yes." But he couldn't say goodbye - that would appear weird and suspicious, even as though he were a traitor.
      "Alright. You can stay here until then - you can scrub the Clan smell off of you in that patch of wild garlic by the WindClan border. That way, if there's any kittypets, you won't be considered suspicious." Mistyfur's tone was hushed, probably to make sure no passing cats heard them.
      "Okay. Can we go now, actually? I want to get there before dark." Cypresstail had no doubt in his mind that this wouldn't work. I have to get out of here.
      "Alright, if that's what you wish. Let's go." Mistyfur waved her tail over Cypresstail's back and helped him to his paws. Both padded side-by-side out of the den, trotting through camp and through the camp entrance. This is it, the voice returned, this is the last you'll see the Clans. You'll be a kittypet, taken care of by twolegs, and none of Dewclaw's kin will ever reach you. For once, he didn't consider kittypet life soft or weak. He considered it his future, far brighter than any future he could have in the Clans.

      "We're here."
      Mistyfur's voice was a little shaky. They'd walked for a while, Cypresstail rolling in the garlic as planned. Though his eyes were blind, he could imagine the massive twoleg structures, which would be sheltering him soon. "Well, this is it, then. You can tell the Clan I left to become a loner, or got taken by twolegs - I don't mind." Cypresstail purred slightly.
      "May StarClan light your path, even if it isn't with us." Mistyfur nuzzled him. This was where Cypresstail's future changed forever. He would no longer get to grow old with his Clanmates, he wouldn't have to fight for food and would be able to rest easy, knowing there was no cat to harm him. He was sure this was his future.
      "Goodbye." he murmured, sliding through the bushes and onto sandy ground. Mistyfur's scent slowly faded, and Cypresstail could hear the cracking of a fire nearby. But it wasn't scary, rather inviting. The smells of twolegs tainted the air around him. I've finally found my home, he smiled, this is where I belong.

--

yay. lil cypress is a kittypet. now he can sleep easy knowing he can't be harmed

might make more shortstories with this bud