Daisy and Cloudtail

I sat in the warrior den, feeling somewhat guilty. I was nothing close to a warrior; even cats half my age had more survival skills than I did. Forget that; clan kits were closer to warriorhood than me. I tried my hardest, but life in the horseplace was so different to life here, it was impossible for me to adjust. My stomach began to rumble long before any other cat's, and they shot me looks of disdain at my high expectations. When I tried to hunt, practically all the prey in the territory scampered away. I hadn't even caught a mouse.

I was petrified of any danger, which was something that every other cat, especially the youngsters, seemed to thirst for. While the others fought off foxes and badgers and enemy clans, I was still scared to chase away the ducks.

So what kept me here?

The anwser was simple. Cloudtail.

He was a brilliant cat and I loved him with all my heart. Ever since my kits were killed by a fox, he'd cared for me and reassured me when I was scared- pretty much all of the time. He didn't care that I was no better than a kittypet.

As I sat in silence, I noticed Brightheart padding into the den. Icy claws clutched at my heart. I would never be able to get over her hideous scars and single eye, but that wasn't all.

She was in love with Cloudtail.

"Hi, Daisy!" the long-furred white tom purred. My heart leapt.

"Cloudtail!" I managed to stutter.

"How are you?"

"I'm great!" I lied nervously. If it was up to me we would have talked forever. But Cloudtail seemed to have lost interest.

"Cloudtail, I have great news!" Brightheart gasped suddenly. I studied her face for signs of spite. There were none. Brightheart really was just an innocent she-cat, and it was a shame I would never be able to see her that way.

"You're going to be a father!" my jaw dropped open. My heart ripped into pieces. My head spun and the force of the words knocked me off my paws.

"Brightheart, I'm really sorry. But I'm afraid I'm not." Cloudtail replied sadly. Brightheart looked amused.

"Yes, you are." she purred, licking her mate's shoulder. I snarled under my breath.

"I'm really sorry. I would have loved you more, I swear. You meant more to me than any cat. It's just... Daisy." Cloudtail pulled away. Brightheart looked unfazed.

"Sure, sure." she mewed sarcastically.

"I hope we can still be friends."

Brightheart's mouth dropped open. She stumbled backwards, and closed her eyes. Her head shook vigourously, as if she was trying to block out the sounds of rejection. I saw her mumble incoherently to the bulge of her belly, as if reassuring the kits she would have to raise alone.

"I'll help you raise the kits. I would never..."

"You've chosen that kittpet over me!" she screeched. My heart glowed.

"It's really true, isn't it?" I gazed at him, and I was too enthralled to realize the crushing pain this was causing Brightheart.

"No, I just broke my mate's heart for the fun of it. Of course it's true, you silly furball!" Cloudtail rolled his eyes. We looked into each others eyes and all my worries vanished. I could almost fly with happiness.

"Look, I'm sorry I called you a kittypet. I wasn't thinking." apologised Brightheart, and I was amazed to see genuine regret in her eyes. This cat had special spirit that I could never obtain.

"Oh Brightheart, I'm sorry. We've gone through everything together." Cloudtail sighed.

"You were there for me since the day you came to the forest." she replied sadly.

"I'll be there for you till the day I die. But not as a lover, not any more."

"You were the only one who really cared. Being Lostface, the scarred freak, was the hardest time of my life and you pulled me through it."

"But sometimes love has to end." Cloudtail sighed. Brightheart licked his face and scampered out of the den, leaving me in perfect happiness with my new mate.