Better Days

"Ratchet!" wailed Sun after the retreating handsome tom. Her amber snapped open looking into the yellow eyes of the only cat she thought she would ever love. They blinked slowly as Sun scrambled to her paws.


"What do you want?" she mewed wretchedly. Ratchet heaved a sigh and padded over to Sun.


"Look.......Sun......I knew you loved me---" started Ratchet, but Sun hissed, flattened her ears, and raced out of the den. Ratchet started after her, then shaking his head, turned and padded over to Abyss, who was eating a mouse that was half eaten. Sun took one look at them and dashed out of the gorse tunnel. She had been in love with the him ever since he had saved her and Abyss from Smoothskinplace. She had thought he had too but now........life seemed pointless. She hadn't noticed where her paws were taking her until she noticed her paws had taken her to he Tree Bridge.

She stepped onto the Tree Bridge, looking at the rapids below, white foam splaying and bubbling on the surface. She edged closer to the edge wondering if she should jump when her paws slipped on the smooth slick bark. Her jaws parted in a silent yowl as she plunged into the fatal river below. She felt the icy water nip as her tail plunged in first, but sharp teeth met in her scruff. Her unknown savior pulled her to the safety of the trees and flopped down, breathing heavily.

"Think you got nine lives do you?" he mewed gruffly. She glanced up and her pelt turned hot. It was Shadowsong!!! Why him? She opened her mouth to protest, but a mrrow of laughter came out instead. Shadowsong looked at her, bewildered, then started mrrowing with laughter himself. Birds chirped above when suddenly a gurgled yowl split the air. Shadowsong and Sun exchanged a look full of equal terror and raced down the bank.
They almost ran into Graymuzzle, Swiftwing, and Violetpaw.
"We were hunting and she chased after a mouse!" wailed Violetpaw. Shadowsong fixed a hard blue stare on her.
"Who's she?" he hissed desperately. Violetpaw opened her mouth, but Shadowsong's sister, Swiftwing, beat her to it.
"Leopardshadow! Come on! We can still save her!" she yowled and dashed down the river bank, pebbles crunching under their paws. They tried to keep Leopardshadow,s yowling retreating form, but the current was too fast. Sun raced after the patrol, her fur brushing Shadowsong's. The mottled head of the head warrior was pushed underwater as a wave slapped her muzzle. Sun couldn't take it.
"Nooooooooooo!"she yowled and launched herself into the river. Yowls followed her decision, but no cat deserved to die. Sun paddled against the powerful current, waves slapping her stinging muzzle, one after another. She let the current bring her to the unconcious she-cat and grabbed her scruff in her teeth. The patrol was still bounding along the rocks on the opposite bank. She held her drenched head up as best as she could as she was swung against a rock that stuck above the raging surface of the river. She spotted a fallen tree ahead, blinking river water from her eyes. A wave went over and pushed them underwater.
Sun pushed with her paws in slow motion it seemed, gasping for air as her head broke the surface. She gulped in air as she looked desperatly for the cat she had risked her life to save and spotted the patrol at the fallen tree pulling out a limp sodden feline. Another wave engulfed her underwater, slamming her against a rock. The world seem to slow down as Sun drifted into unconciousness, a blanket of darkness overcoming the she-cat.............