Robinpaw felt sick.

The anger and fury she'd felt earlier had faded, to be replaced with a chilling realization that she'd seen two cats die.

In front of her.

And she hadn't done anything to help.

Foxtail had, kindly, given her the day off. She knew how much this would affect Robinpaw, and she couldn't have been more right.

The silver she-cat sighed from her place along the rock wall of the den, shivering violently.

I didn't help them...I didn't help them...just like Tankit...I'm a terrible cat...

"Robin? Robinpaw?"

Robinpaw met the eyes of her closest friend. "Hi, Thrushnose," she sighed.

Thrushnose sat down next to her. "You need to stop blaming yourself," she mewed.

Robinpaw just flicked her tail. "How can I do that, when I didn't even try to stop it?"

"They would've killed them anyway!"

Robinpaw winced at Thrushnose's blunt words, but knew she was right. No matter what she'd done, they would've died. The only difference was she might have been killed with them.

"I don't want you to die," mewed Thrushnose softly, burying her nose in Robinpaw's fur. Robinpaw felt her fur grow suddenly hot.

"I don't either," she whispered back, pressing her nose into hers.

They stayed like that for a bit, jumping suddenly when Rowantwig and his trainee walked by. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Robinpaw's blood ran cold. It must look like...he must think that...

Willowpaw turned to his mentor. "A forbidden relationship?"

"It seems so," replied Rowantwig.

Thrushnose glared at him. "Of course not, you idiot," she mewed. "We're just friends."

Robinpaw felt a pang run through her heart. Does she really not care about me?

"Robinpaw was sure she felt blood on her fur; I was just helping her." She lowered her voice. "Suppressed memories from Testing."

Rowantwig nodded in understanding. "I see. There seem to be a lot of those..." He started walking away, before stopped and turning back. "Go to Moonblaze if it gets too bad."

Thrushnose dipped her head. "Understood."

Suppressed memories?

"Come on, Willowpaw!"

Robinpaw then noticed, suddenly, that Willowpaw hadn't moved. He was facing her, mouth open like he wanted to speak, but shut it abruptly and followed this mentor.

Huh. That was strange...

Thrushnose's words seemed to claw across her face.

Was that how little she cared about her?

She stalked away angrily toward her den.

"Robinpaw! Wait!"

It was too late. Robinpaw collapsed onto her moss bed and wrapped her tail around her eye.

Save it, Thrushnose. It's not like you even care about me.

Somehow, she managed to fall asleep.

~----------------------------------------------~

"Robinpaw? Robinpaw, wake up!"

Robinpaw's eyes blinked open at the voice of her over-excited denmate, annoyance coursing through her as she noted the darkness outside.

"What?" she snapped angrily, lowering her voice so she didn't wake the others. Tired as she was, she wouldn't wake others for her denmate's stupidity.

"Come outside," he mewed. His voice wasn't bright and bubbly, which struck Robinpaw as strange. In fact, even the purr that followed it seemed forced, and his eyes were downcast.

"Fine," she mumbled, curiosity piqued. She rose from her nest and followed the golden tom out of the den. She blinked a couple times to wake up a bit, then quickly followed her companion out of the camp exit.

There, waiting, was Willowpaw.

Robinpaw blinked a couple times to make sure the dark wasn't getting her-- but it was Willowpaw. Unmistakeably.

What in the name of the Sun and Moon?

Leopardpaw had slipped away without her noticing, and she was suddenly wistful for someone, anyone to be with her. Willowpaw was...staring at her funny.

"Follow me."

Robinpaw hesitated for a moment, before remembering that he was a Lesser Leader. That was an order-- and order she had to obey.

She followed him.

Robinpaw heard the river gurgling nearby, and a bout of worry stole through her before she realized they were two fox-lengths away. Still, if he hadn't know where he was going...

"Willowpaw?" she mewed. "Where are we going?"

Willowpaw just purred. "You'll see."

Robinpaw rolled her eyes, but continued following. With a sudden start, she realized he was leading her to the pond. Why...?

Sure enough, Robinpaw heard the river's roar fade into a gentle trickle as Willowpaw stopped and sat down on a rock on the pond's edge. Robinpaw reluctantly joined him.

"Isn't it so pretty?" he mewed.

Robinpaw closed her eyes, letting the music of the river wash over her. "Yes," she sighed. She may not know Willowpaw, but he wasn't wrong about that.

She suddenly had the most uncomfortable sensation that he was staring at her, and a quick glance showed that she was indeed right.

"But not as pretty as you," he mewed. His tail found hers and tried to twine with it, but Robinpaw pulled it away.

From any other cat, Robinpaw might have considered this cute. But something about his voice...how he looked at her when he'd said it...

It wasn't normal, that was for sure.

Robinpaw stayed silent, not returning any sort of compliment, The silence grew longer until Willowpaw seemed to no longer stand it, and a sudden flow of words left his mouth.

"Robinpaw, you're so pretty and beautiful and your fur is so shiny and soft...the way the sun catches your fur makes it shine...and you...you..."

He paused, his breathing growing quicker. Robinpaw inched slowly away from him-- he hadn't said a single thing about her personality--

"I love you!" he blurted. "I love you and I wish we weren't trainees so I could claim you and make you mine and--"

Now Robinpaw made her disturbance no secret. Claim her?! Thousands of thoughts crowded in her head, thoughts of disgust, fear and a flash of white fur. They spun and spun as she tried to grasp unto one, but they refused to cooperate and instead created a disjointed picture.

Now the words spilled out of Robinpaw's mouth, a jumbled mess she was sure had no meaning. "But no I don't love you...I mean I don't hate you but I don't love you...and Th-"

Willowpaw's eyes narrowed as he saw her backing away. "But I love you Robinpaw! And no one's here..."

No, no, no...

A look of madness and want filled Willowpaw's yellow eyes, and Robinpaw was running, running faster than she ever had in her life--

And then a sharp pain on her shoulders, a weight on her as her Clanmate landed upon her. The look of possession was there once more, and all Robinpaw knew was that she wouldn't let anyone do this to her-- not ever--

"Robinpaw..." It was a hiss, yet one of desire and want, that came out of his mouth. Adrenaline coursed through her blood, and this time Robinpaw embraced it.

As Willowpaw hissed again, Robinpaw suddenly turned so that her belly was facing him. Her claws unsheathed with a shink, and Robinpaw did something she swore long ago she'd never do.

Her claws sliced across his face, yet she felt nothing-- no terror, no guilt. She didn't even hear his shriek of pain as he released her, knew nothing but the pounding of her feet through the forest.

She was in the den-- how had she gotten there?-- and ran for her moss. She paused, almost about to sleep, then terror coursed through her once more-- what if he did something while she slept?

After all...he was a Leader. No one could stop him.

Robinpaw was tearing through the forest once more, now with the moss in her jaws, and stopped only when her legs no longer held her. She dropped her moss, then collapsed, shaking, onto it.

For a moment her eyes refused to close, consumed by the image of mad yellow eyes, but exhaustion soon overcome her terror, and her limp form lay inert on the moss.

Dramaaa

What can I say? I like crushing readers' hearts >:)

What did you think of Robinpaw's behavior? Willowpaw? Anything else?

Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and hope you are having a great spring break! (I'm writing from Vegas)

~[Evil] Ember