Rejected

How does it feel to be rejected by your own family? Pinestar, Leopardfoot, and Goldenflower tell Tigerstar just what they think of him. In case you don't know, Pinestar and Leopardfoot are Tigerstar's parents, and Goldenflower is his mate. Leopardfoot is a black she-cat with green eyes, Pinestar is a red-brown tom with green eyes, and Goldenflower is a pale ginger she-cat. Just in case you like to imagine the cats while you read. This takes place in StarClan. Okay, enjoy!

Leopardfoot stretched in the moss and yawned. The sun shone dimly, and birds twittered in the trees. She gazed affectionately at Pinestar's sleeping form beside her. She recognized the shape of Tigerstar's head in her mate. Wistful thoughts filled her mind as she remembered the once-innocent kit. Pinestar lifted his head and met his mate's gaze.

"You're up early," he commented, yawning.

"I was thinking about Tigerstar," she confessed. "Maybe we can go see him."

"What? That's mouse-brained! Put one paw in the Dark Forest and you'll be shredded!"

"Maybe not," Leopardfoot snapped.

"She's right," a voice mewed from nearby. "Tigerstar holds a lot of power there."

Alarmed, Pinestar and Leopardfoot whirled around. Goldenflower was sitting up in her nest, washing herself.

"We should talk somewhere else," she continued, lapping at her tail. "Some of these cats are light sleepers."

Just then Thrushpelt let out a loud yawn. He padded past Leopardfoot and Pinestar. "Morning." He disappeared into the dirtplace tunnel.

"Let's go into the forest," Pinestar suggested softly. The two she-cats nodded and quietly left the den.

Pinestar led them deep into the forest. When they were a good distance away from any early-morning hunters, he sat down in the bracken. Goldenflower and Leopardfoot settled down next to him.

"So, Leopardfoot, you want to go visit Tigerstar," he meowed.

"Wouldn't you?" Leopardfoot was surprised. "After all, he's your son too."

"He stopped being my son the moment he decided to kill to satisfy his ambition. Only a cat with the sense of a mouse would want to go see him!"

Leopardfoot flinched. She was glad when Goldenflower rose to her defense.

"Leave her alone! She gave birth to him! She watched him grow up! You only saw him when he was a kit, and when you watched over him from StarClan. You know that! Or did you forget your kittypet decision?" Goldenflower spat the word kittypet with contempt.

Pinestar rose to his feet, growling. Leopardfoot jumped between him and Goldenflower. "Please, don't fight! We won't solve anything that way!"

Goldenflower goaded Pinestar on with a challenging stare and bristling fur. Pinestar unsheathed his claws and hissed. Leopardfoot's mind whirled, desperately thinking of a way to stop a fight.

Just then the undergrowth rustled. Leopardfoot froze. She motioned to the hostile cats, and they crouched down, hardly daring to breathe.

Runningwind padded past. He was sniffing for prey. Leopardfoot's muscles screamed in protest to tensely sitting in an uncomfortable position. Just when she thought she had to stand, a rabbit dashed across Runningwind's path. He stopped short, and hared after it. The three cats waited until he was gone, then got up, still keeping low.

"Let's go somewhere else," Goldenflower whispered. Pinestar nodded and led the she-cats away to a sheltered pool. A rabbit was nibbling on clover there, and Pinestar made quick work of it. As they crouched over the fresh-kill, Leopardfoot brought up the subject again.

"Who thinks we should go see Tigerstar?" she mewed quietly.

"I think it's worth a try," Goldenflower murmured. "And we both know that Pinestar thinks we're mouse-brains."

"Are we going to go?" Leopardfoot asked.

"I'll go, but only if you go too."

Pinestar let out a resigned sigh. "I can't let you two mouse-brains go by yourselves. I'm coming with you. Let's hurry up and eat this. We should go before it gets too late."

Leopardfoot followed Goldenflower and Pinestar as they silently crept through the forest. Ahead was a pine forest. This was where the ShadowClan cats who came to StarClan slept and hunted. They passed Russetfur and Smokepaw

TIME OUT!

Oddly enough, Erin Hunter forgot to take Smokepaw off of the allegiances after he died on the mountains. He's got a warrior name—Smokefoot—and even an apprentice! I still think he should be dead. You might think that's a little mean, but it tells a whole part in Dawn about a piece of rock crumbling under him and Smokepaw plummeting down. It doesn't mention him much after that—just every once in a while. So, either Erin Hunter made a giant section of lies, or she forgot to kill him again. Okay, back to the story.

They passed Russetfur and Smokepaw, and Leopardfoot tried to act as casual as possible. Pinestar was better at covering this up; he nodded at Smokepaw and had a brief conversation with Russetfur. Leopardfoot shifted her wait from paw to paw impatiently; finally Russetfur led Smokepaw away. Pinestar kept padding through the pines. Finally they came to the very edge of the forest. A cloud of shadow was dead ahead. (Ha ha. Didn't mean to do that pun.) Pinestar hesitated; it was clear that even he was nervous. Goldenflower pushed past and whispered something into his ear.

"Remember—Tigerstar should stop any attacking cats."

Pinestar just nodded tensely and continued into the dark forest. (I didn't capitalize that on purpose. It's an adjective applied to a noun.)

The sunlight dimmed as they started in, and soon vanished altogether. There was an eerie glow coming from fungi on the trees, and eyes peered suspiciously out of the shadows. Every once in a while a pained yowl set Leopardfoot's fur on end.

"This is not a place for StarClan cats," she whispered. Suddenly a scrawny black tabby shape leapt out of the undergrowth and bowled over Pinestar.

"Darkstripe!" Goldenflower gasped. Leopardfoot didn't recognize the bony tom, but it was clear that Goldenflower did.

Darkstripe had Pinestar pinned and was pummeling his belly with unsheathed claws. Already Darkstripe's claws were red with Pinestar's blood.

"Stop!" Leopardfoot screeched. "Stop!" But Darkstripe continued clawing Pinestar, seeming to take delight at Leopardfoot's fear and dismay. She tried again. "Leave Pinestar alone!"

"Oh, poor wittle Weopardfoot," Darkstripe sneered. "Scared for her mate. Sorry, Leopardfoot, but you are going to see him die. Right here, right now."

"No!" Goldenflower shrieked.

"Stop, Darkstripe!" A commanding tom's meow sounded from the bushes. A huge, scarred, muscular tabby stepped out of the bush. Leopardfoot recognized her son.

"Darkstripe, you did well." Darkstripe puffed out his chest. "Leave me." Darkstripe dipped his head and sauntered into the forest. After he left Tigerstar turned to his parents and mate. "What brings you StarClan cats here?"

Leopardfoot twitched an ear uncomfortably. She hadn't planned what to say. "I wanted to see you, one last time," she blurted out. Tigerstar turned his piercing amber gaze on his mother, and Leopardfoot stared at her paws as her fur pricked.

"You wanted to see me?" he rumbled.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm your mother. I worry about you."

Tigerstar glanced down at himself, then back at the black cat. "You see me now. I'm fine." He looked over Leopardfoot's shoulder at Goldenflower. "What's she doing here?" Even though he used a suspicious tone, he still had some love in his eyes.

"I came with her." Goldenflower spoke bravely, but her mew quavered. She was still pretty shaken up over Darkstripe's attack on Pinestar.

"And I wouldn't let these two mouse-brained she-cats go alone," Pinestar growled.

"She-cats are mouse-brains sometimes," Tigerstar meowed.

"Quite true," Pinestar agreed. The two toms shared purrs of amusement. Leopardfoot and Goldenflower exchanged offended glances.

"Do you need anything else before I send you out?" Tigerstar asked.

"Just one other thing," Goldenflower spoke up. All three cats looked at her in surprise. "When you tried to kill Bluestar, I thought you were evil. I didn't believe myself. When Leopardfoot wanted to go visit you, I decided to come along, to see if you had changed. But when I saw you praising Darkstripe for almost killing Pinestar, I knew that you hadn't changed. You never changed. I hate you, Tigerstar. I don't know why I wanted you to be my mate. A little part of me still loves you, but it will never be any more than just a little part."

Tigerstar gaped at his mate. "Goldenflower…," he pleaded.

Her gaze was hard. "I'm not your mate anymore. Goodbye." She stalked off.

Tigerstar turned his gaze on Leopardfoot and Pinestar. "What…?"

Pinestar glared at his son. "Goldenflower's right. I came with them. I, too, had thought that you may have changed. But you stopped being my son the moment ambition drove you to murder."

Now Tigerstar's eyes were full of pain. "Pinestar…" But Pinestar had left. Tigerstar turned to Leopardfoot, looking for love and consolation. "Leopardfoot…"

"Pinestar was right," she mewed tremulously. "You are evil. I don't know why I even wanted to see you. Tigerstar…" Suddenly another pained screech came through the trees. Tigerstar paid no attention to it, but it scared Leopardfoot even more. "I don't know you anymore. Goodbye, Tigerstar." Leopardfoot fled into the trees, leaving Tigerstar staring after her.

And, in the dank, dark forest, mighty Tigerstar crouched down and wept.

So there you have it. I know that the end was based a bit on Star Wars Episode III. I didn't initially intend it that way. So, what do you think? Please review! The little button is right down there!