Post by Lightningstar on Apr 4, 2008 17:34:16 GMT -5
Title: It's Too Late
Chapters: 1
Author: Me!
Pairing: AshxCloud, CloudxBright
Rating: PG
Spoilers: I'd suggest reading through The New Prophecy at least to understand the part at the end.
Summary: Ashpaw has an unusual interest in Cloudpaw, but there is only one cat that stands in his way- Brightpaw.
Warning: Slash and romance
Disclaimer: Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter and Harper Collins publishers, not me.
Beta: N/A
Cover: N/A
Author's Notes: This is the new and improved version of my other AshxCloud fanfic, Ashes to Ashes. Enjoy! Oh yes, one more thing. I have nothing against Brightheart, but she may sound very snobbish in this fanfic.
Ashpaw gazed out of the apprentice's den. It was such a lovely morning- the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a feeling of happiness in the air. The young apprentice reminded himself to go on a walk soon.
Suddenly, Ashpaw spotted Cloudpaw coming in through the camp entrance. He smiled and bounded out to meet the fluffy white tom, but stopped abruptly as he saw Brightpaw duck into camp behind Cloudpaw. Why does she always have to follow him around? Ashpaw wondered.
"Hi Ashpaw," purred Cloudpaw. His voice had a certain attitude to it that Ashpaw found captivating.
"Hi Cloudpaw," replied Ashpaw. His paws prickled and his pelt began to feel hot. He always got this way around Cloudpaw. "Do you want to go hunting or something?"
Brightpaw nudged in beside Cloudpaw. "That sounds good," she mewed in a soft, light voice that annoyed Ashpaw. "Cloudpaw and I were just out taking a walk, but we didn't catch any prey."
Cloudpaw glanced over at Brightpaw. "Alright, then," he meowed. "Let's go." He pushed through the tunnel, but before Ashpaw could squeeze in behind him, Brightpaw pushed through. Ashpaw flicked his tail in annoyance, and plunged through the tangle of thorns.
"What a beautiful day," purred Brightpaw. She walked on one side of Cloudpaw, and Ashpaw was on the other side. "Where are we going to head first?"
"Toward Fourtrees," instructed Cloudpaw. He turned and forged ahead along a path drawn through the forest. There was one point along that path that it got so narrow that all three apprentices had to plaster together to make it through. Ashpaw flushed with embarrassment as his pelt brushed Cloudpaw's; he wanted that sensation to last forever.
At last, the path widened out again. Cloudpaw held up his tail and dropped to the ground. He brought his tail down and crept forward, his gaze focused on a mouse. He slid forward through the undergrowth like a snake, and Ashpaw admired his movements. He smiled as Cloudpaw sat up with the limp body of a mouse dangling from his jaws.
"Good catch!" he congratulated the other apprentice. His heart seized with pain as Brightpaw pressed her muzzle into Cloudpaws and purred, "that was amazing!"
"Hey Brightpaw," asked Ashpaw, trying not to hiss at her, "do you want to go ahead and hunt with me? Cloudpaw can do some hunting on his own for a while."
Brightpaw nodded. "Ok," she mewed. She licked behind Cloudpaw's ear and told him, "good luck." Then she followed Ashpaw farther ahead.
Ashpaw sighed and took a deep breath. "Brightpaw, I have something to talk to you about..." he mewed. Every word was painful.
"This is about Cloudpaw, isn't it?" Brightpaw murmured softly.
Ashpaw said nothing; he simply turned his head away from Brightpaw and blinked back tears.
"Don't think I haven't seen the looks you give him," responded Brightpaw. "Don't think that I don't notice how you act around him." Her tail lashed. "I know you grew up with him, Ashpaw, but Cloudpaw is a tom. Toms don't love toms- that's unnatural."
"But not impossible," Ashpaw shot back. His eyes burned with a deep anger. "Yes, I love Cloudpaw. I can't help it! There aren't any other cats in the Clan I would rather be with but him- and you have so many other choices."
Brightpaw's ears twitched. "But the only one I love is Cloudpaw."
"You aren't going to take him away from me," hissed Ashpaw. "I love him!"
"Well, too bad!" Brightpaw's soft, kind tone turned into a snarl as she continued, "you're not the only cat who loves him, Ashpaw. I do. And he loves me back. There is no reason he should be prancing after another tom, and the same goes for you." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Ashpaw, but it's just too late." Ashpaw detected a hint of pride in her voice as she turned her back on him and padded back through the brush.
Many moons later, Ashfur stared at Cloudtail. Brightheart was sitting next to his former lover, her tail entwined with his. Ashfur's heart panged with lonelyness at the thought of his own gray speckled pelt meshing with Cloudtail's fluffy white fur- it should be him sitting there, instead of that vain snob Brightheart.
It's just too late. Brightheart's haunting words echoed in Ashfur's head. He turned away from the couple; he could hardly bare to look at them anymore.
Suddenly a flash of ginger fur caught his attention. Across the clearing he noticed Squirrelpaw, Firestar's daughter, emerge from the apprentice's den. He smiled at the sight of her. Could it be? he thought, recognizing the same feelings that he used to have around Cloudtail.
Then his blue eyes narrowed and became as sharp as ice as he saw Brambleclaw eyeing Squirrelpaw, his amber eyes sparkling with an untold emotion. I will not lose, Ashfur vowed, his gaze flicking between Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw. I was defeated once before, but never again. Squirrelpaw and I will be together for sure, and not even StarClan can tear us apart.
Chapters: 1
Author: Me!
Pairing: AshxCloud, CloudxBright
Rating: PG
Spoilers: I'd suggest reading through The New Prophecy at least to understand the part at the end.
Summary: Ashpaw has an unusual interest in Cloudpaw, but there is only one cat that stands in his way- Brightpaw.
Warning: Slash and romance
Disclaimer: Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter and Harper Collins publishers, not me.
Beta: N/A
Cover: N/A
Author's Notes: This is the new and improved version of my other AshxCloud fanfic, Ashes to Ashes. Enjoy! Oh yes, one more thing. I have nothing against Brightheart, but she may sound very snobbish in this fanfic.
Ashpaw gazed out of the apprentice's den. It was such a lovely morning- the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a feeling of happiness in the air. The young apprentice reminded himself to go on a walk soon.
Suddenly, Ashpaw spotted Cloudpaw coming in through the camp entrance. He smiled and bounded out to meet the fluffy white tom, but stopped abruptly as he saw Brightpaw duck into camp behind Cloudpaw. Why does she always have to follow him around? Ashpaw wondered.
"Hi Ashpaw," purred Cloudpaw. His voice had a certain attitude to it that Ashpaw found captivating.
"Hi Cloudpaw," replied Ashpaw. His paws prickled and his pelt began to feel hot. He always got this way around Cloudpaw. "Do you want to go hunting or something?"
Brightpaw nudged in beside Cloudpaw. "That sounds good," she mewed in a soft, light voice that annoyed Ashpaw. "Cloudpaw and I were just out taking a walk, but we didn't catch any prey."
Cloudpaw glanced over at Brightpaw. "Alright, then," he meowed. "Let's go." He pushed through the tunnel, but before Ashpaw could squeeze in behind him, Brightpaw pushed through. Ashpaw flicked his tail in annoyance, and plunged through the tangle of thorns.
"What a beautiful day," purred Brightpaw. She walked on one side of Cloudpaw, and Ashpaw was on the other side. "Where are we going to head first?"
"Toward Fourtrees," instructed Cloudpaw. He turned and forged ahead along a path drawn through the forest. There was one point along that path that it got so narrow that all three apprentices had to plaster together to make it through. Ashpaw flushed with embarrassment as his pelt brushed Cloudpaw's; he wanted that sensation to last forever.
At last, the path widened out again. Cloudpaw held up his tail and dropped to the ground. He brought his tail down and crept forward, his gaze focused on a mouse. He slid forward through the undergrowth like a snake, and Ashpaw admired his movements. He smiled as Cloudpaw sat up with the limp body of a mouse dangling from his jaws.
"Good catch!" he congratulated the other apprentice. His heart seized with pain as Brightpaw pressed her muzzle into Cloudpaws and purred, "that was amazing!"
"Hey Brightpaw," asked Ashpaw, trying not to hiss at her, "do you want to go ahead and hunt with me? Cloudpaw can do some hunting on his own for a while."
Brightpaw nodded. "Ok," she mewed. She licked behind Cloudpaw's ear and told him, "good luck." Then she followed Ashpaw farther ahead.
Ashpaw sighed and took a deep breath. "Brightpaw, I have something to talk to you about..." he mewed. Every word was painful.
"This is about Cloudpaw, isn't it?" Brightpaw murmured softly.
Ashpaw said nothing; he simply turned his head away from Brightpaw and blinked back tears.
"Don't think I haven't seen the looks you give him," responded Brightpaw. "Don't think that I don't notice how you act around him." Her tail lashed. "I know you grew up with him, Ashpaw, but Cloudpaw is a tom. Toms don't love toms- that's unnatural."
"But not impossible," Ashpaw shot back. His eyes burned with a deep anger. "Yes, I love Cloudpaw. I can't help it! There aren't any other cats in the Clan I would rather be with but him- and you have so many other choices."
Brightpaw's ears twitched. "But the only one I love is Cloudpaw."
"You aren't going to take him away from me," hissed Ashpaw. "I love him!"
"Well, too bad!" Brightpaw's soft, kind tone turned into a snarl as she continued, "you're not the only cat who loves him, Ashpaw. I do. And he loves me back. There is no reason he should be prancing after another tom, and the same goes for you." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Ashpaw, but it's just too late." Ashpaw detected a hint of pride in her voice as she turned her back on him and padded back through the brush.
***
Many moons later, Ashfur stared at Cloudtail. Brightheart was sitting next to his former lover, her tail entwined with his. Ashfur's heart panged with lonelyness at the thought of his own gray speckled pelt meshing with Cloudtail's fluffy white fur- it should be him sitting there, instead of that vain snob Brightheart.
It's just too late. Brightheart's haunting words echoed in Ashfur's head. He turned away from the couple; he could hardly bare to look at them anymore.
Suddenly a flash of ginger fur caught his attention. Across the clearing he noticed Squirrelpaw, Firestar's daughter, emerge from the apprentice's den. He smiled at the sight of her. Could it be? he thought, recognizing the same feelings that he used to have around Cloudtail.
Then his blue eyes narrowed and became as sharp as ice as he saw Brambleclaw eyeing Squirrelpaw, his amber eyes sparkling with an untold emotion. I will not lose, Ashfur vowed, his gaze flicking between Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw. I was defeated once before, but never again. Squirrelpaw and I will be together for sure, and not even StarClan can tear us apart.
