Dirty Little Friend

Preceedor: Dirty Little Killers

''I hoped in the end, you'd love me too, but I guess I was expecting too much of you. So this is what words will fail to say - and I'll wait for you sometime, someday.'' --Author Unknown

Lightningsparks cocked his head slightly to his left, his eyes narrowed, his claws dripping with blood. "That wasn't what I wanted." He sank his claws into the ground.
 * Sandleaf's stomach twisted in agony. "P-please!"
 * Blacknight laughed. "Nobody helped me when I was in pain."
 * Sandleaf's eyes widened even more. They were letting her see the forest. She saw herself, hanging over Blacknight, the sun coming up. She heard one of her thoughts echoed: "The sun always shines on the wicked." Past-her turned away, a glint in her eyes as Raggedpelt ran over. Past-Sandleaf chuckled, leaping away. Raggedpelt stared down at Blacknight. "I will never forgive you for this!" He dragged Blacknight away, his head hung low.
 * "I didn't think. I wasn't thinking straight. I was agonized!" Sandleaf cried, shaking her head from the memory that still gripped her mind.
 * "Of course you were. And we all act on impulse," Blacknight growled.
 * "But I didn't want you to kill him. He would've gotten his punishment. But he was wronged. He isn't getting it now." Lightningsparks' teeth glistened in the moonlight.
 * Sandleaf turned her face away so the two toms wouldn't see her tear that fell to the dusty ground. It made a puddle just big enough for her to see her reflection. Squinting her eyes, she slammed her paw into it. Then, it was all black.

"Blacknight is dead," Raggedpelt hissed.
 * Snakestar looked down at his warrior. "What?!"
 * "Yes. S-Sandleaf, she killed...."
 * "Him!" The leader finished his sentence. "I knew she wanted to. Even before that tom she loved. But I didn't think she had the strength to do it...."
 * Raggedpelt shook his head. "Neither did I. And they were both my friend. How could I have never seen...?"
 * Snakestar sighed. "I didn't know, either, Raggedpelt. Don't blame yourself. She was my niece, and I should have looked after her better."
 * Raggedpelt looked up, his eyes looking big and moist. "But you don't understand."
 * "What do I not understand?"
 * "I....I...."
 * "What?"
 * "I...kn...."
 * "WHAT?!?!"
 * "Snakestar!" Foxpaw, a fiesty, small she-cat apprentice, jumped into the den. "I-I saw Sandleaf!"
 * "Where!" Snakestar hissed.
 * "She was just...writhing on the ground. On the other side of the Thunderpath. I think she was dreaming."
 * Raggedpelt raised an eye (like a person would raise an eyebrow). "ThunderClan's problem."
 * Foxpaw looked confused. "But, Raggedpelt...she was screaming."
 * "I thought you said she was dreaming?"
 * "She was, I think, but she was screaming too."
 * "She couldn't have been. Impossible. Besides, if that's true, ThunderClan would've--"
 * Raggedpelt was cut off by a piercing screech.
 * Foxpaw grinned triumphantly. "Told you."
 * Snakestar sighed. "Raggedpelt, Foxpaw, Yellowpaw, me, and Lizardstripe should go check it out."
 * "Wha...why?" Foxpaw hissed. "Why Yellowpaw?"
 * "Because, we have to help her. That's not right for her to do that."
 * Foxpaw rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
 * Once the patrol was gathered, they made their way to the Thunderpath. Sure enough, Sandleaf was lying their, writhing, giving spasms, and just...screaming. By her was a ThunderClan patrol -- made up of Redpaw (the leader during Firestar's Quest in the prologue), and two other cats Snakestar didn't care to place. They were just staring at her with wide eyes. She was screaming in agony.
 * "Don't just stand there, fools! Help her!" Yellowpaw rushed across the Thunderpath without even looking. She was barely missed by a monster. Snakestar followed, but looked both ways. He wasn't almost hit at all (LOL that came out wrong).
 * Yellowpaw stared down at Sandleaf. "She's stuck in a dream. She won't wake up until it's over. Unless...we kill her."
 * Snakestar glared at the medicine cat apprentice. "That is not an option."
 * Yellowpaw shrugged. "I know. Look, she's in a...uh....coma, yeah, a coma. Or whatever. Anyways, she won't wake up until....well, sorry, but she may never wake up. If she dies in that dream....no waking up."
 * Snakestar widened his eyes. "No." My sister would have never let that happen to her.

Sandleaf stared into Blacknight's eyes. "I don't need to justify myself to...you." She screamed again when Blacknight's eyes turned blood-red, his fur raising but his body staying down, on the ground.
 * Lightningsparks stared at her. "You do."
 * Sandleaf sniffed. "No! I don't! I did nothing wrong."
 * Blacknight snapped his face in front of hers. "Yes. You did."
 * Sandleaf hissed, turning and trying to leap away. Instead, she hit...nothing, but still fell to the ground.
 * "You're not helping by trying to run."
 * "Fox dung to you," Sandleaf spat at Lightningsparks. "I did it for you! And yet you punish me? Fox dung to you!"
 * Lightningsparks laughed. "And it wasn't right, was it?"
 * Sandleaf turned away, staring at her paws. But instead of her sand-colored tabby feet, she saw another memory.
 * "You're really doing this?" Then-Raggedpelt asked, sadness in his voice.
 * "I'm doing what I need."
 * "It's not what you need! It's what you want."
 * "I know what I'm dong, Raggedpelt!" Past-her snapped at her friend. "I don't need you to protect me." She turned, walking away and lashing her long tail.
 * "I'm only trying to help!" Then-Raggedpelt called to her.
 * "I don't need you to protect me. You're not my father. He's dead, after all."
 * "I thought we were friends."
 * "Guess you thought wrong."


 * "I suppose I did, then."
 * "Yep."
 * The memory ended. Blacknight's eyes were scorching Sandleaf's soul. "What you needed was right in front of you. No one had to get hurt. But you had to do something exciting."
 * Sandleaf glared at the big tom. "I did."
 * "Got your excitment, eh?" Blacknight chuckled.
 * "Shut up and let me go!" Sandleaf cried. "I get it, okay? What I did was wrong. Stop torchering me with those memories!"
 * "You had them buried. Your brain is wired for when you know you did something wrong, it hides it. You forget about it. You have to get over that problem."
 * "N-no, I don't!" Sandleaf cried. She buried her hand in her paws. But it didn't help. She still saw Raggedpelt.
 * Now, she was a kit again. Raggedpelt was a apprentice, but only newly.
 * "We'll be friends forever, huh, Sandkit?"
 * She sighed. "Yes, Raggedpaw. Forever and ever and ever." She saw her mother smiling at her warmingly. She smiled back.
 * "Nothing can change that."
 * "Not at all!"
 * "I'd give my life for you, Sandkit."
 * She looked up at him, her eyes big. "Really?"
 * "Yeah. And I love you...but only as a friend."
 * "Buddy love? Yeah, me too."
 * Then, Sandleaf saw the other memory. The one where they were newly warriors, where she had hurt Raggedpelt with the 'you're not my friend' exchange. And she saw the second where Raggedpelt said, "I'll never forgive you!". It made new wounds in her heart.
 * "I understand it now! Okay! I know what I did was wrong! Blacknight! I'm sorry, okay?"
 * He sneered. "You're not sorry."
 * Lightningsparks shrugged. "She's got it, though. Let's let her go - for now."
 * Blacknight snorted. "Fine."
 * All of a sudden, Sandleaf saw Raggedpelt's face. But it wasn't a memory. This was real.


 * "She awake!"
 * Snakestar twisted his head. Thank StarClan! She may have made a mistake, but he was keeping his promise to her mother - take care of Sandleaf - then Sandpaw - and never lose her.
 * "Sandleaf, Sandleaf. Listen to me. I'm offering you a chance back to ShadowClan. But you have to testify at the Gathering about everything you did."
 * Sandleaf looked at him. "What?"
 * "Yes, you can come back, if you want. But you have to honestly tell all of the Clans about why Blacknight and Lightningsparks aren't here."
 * "What - you don't know, do you, uncle? You didn't know that Blacknight killed Lightningsparks!"
 * Snakestar's eyes widened. He knew his niece had a motive.
 * "Where's Raggedpelt?" She was obviously ignoring Snakestar's offer.
 * "Huh?" Raggedpelt raised his head, his eyes locked with Sandleaf's. They were speaking with their eyes.
 * "I need to talk to you in private."
 * Yellowpaw looked at Snakestar through the side of her eyes. She was apparently wondering the same thing - would Sandleaf kill Raggedpelt then run away? No, Snakestar wouldn't accept that.
 * "'K." They went behind a bush.
 * "Holy StarClan, I know why my niece did what she did now." Snakestar whispered, his head bowed in prayer. And he didn't know what Raggedpelt had been trying to tell him.


 * "I want you to know, I'm sorry!" Sandleaf yowled.
 * Raggedpelt's eyes scorched her's. "About what?"
 * "Everything!" She cried. "Remember when we first became warriors? During our vigil in the middle of the night? When I told you my secret?"
 * "No," Raggedpelt replied gruffly.
 * "Yes, you do." Sandleaf crinkled her nose. "It's there. Search your mind. It's there!"
 * Raggedpelt racked his memory. No - he was sure - nothing about that. He had kept silent that whole vigil.
 * "Raggedpelt! Please remember!" She screeched, falling to the ground, her head in between her paws.
 * "Sandleaf. That whole vigil, we never talked. I swear, that's how I remember it."
 * "No! Raggedpelt! Listen to me - you don't remember, but I do. It was moonhigh, and I couldn't stay silent any longer. I told you about Lightningsparks. He was a warrior before me, remember? And I told you how innocent it was, how we didn't plan to mate. And you asked me if I was sure, and we got into an arguement. I told you you weren't my father, because he was dead, after all. Don't you remember?!"
 * Raggedpelt squinted. It was barely there - but he could see it. Sandleaf, lashing her tail. Himself, baring his teeth. And he could hear her letting a comment out about how he wasn't her father and she didn't need him to protect her. But he couldn't remember anything else. "I remember. But only a little."
 * "And, I know something else I didn't know before - you aren't going to forgive me. For killing Blacknight. Are you?"
 * Raggedpelt swiveled his ears back. "I wasn't going to....but now...maybe..."
 * "Raggedpelt, I can't stay here any longer. I don't know what these three words mean to you - I love you. But maybe this will mean something....be happy, Raggedpelt."
 * He smiled slightly. "Buddy love?"
 * Sandleaf frowned. He didn't get it. "No. Real love." And with that, she turned and walked away.

Sequel: Dirty Little Teardrops