#rattletail

rattletail was having that nightmare again.

she was running. westclan camp was burning and she couldn’t see anyone. she kept running.

they were at the bridge now. the flames rose high, and emanated a bright light. but the figure standing at the edge of the bridge was covered in shadow.

rattletail knew what happened next. they had been here so many times already. they leapt, and tackled the figure off the bridge.

as the two fell, time seemed to slow down. rattletail tried to look at the figure’s face.

it shifted. it was sillystring. the figure’s face shifted again. silverstar. and again. gallowshill.

the figure’s face kept shifting into cats rattletail knew all too well.

and then it landed on her own face.

the two hit the water with a splash.

this was usually where rattletail woke up. but not this time.

now, rattletail stood at the edge of the nursery.

confused, she peaked inside.

two kits were playing. they were laughing without a care in the world.

one of the kits tripped. he let out a wail, “wattlekit! hewp! I think I’m bweeding!”

the other kit ran over, helping the smaller one to his feet, “cowkit, you’re not bleeding. stop being so dramatic.” rattlekit teased.

cowkit was crying now. “I’m not being dwamatic! I huwt my pwecious widdle face!”

rattlekit’s teasing smile dropped. she sighed, “I’m sorry cowkit. where does it hurt?”

cowkit gestured to the spot above his left eye.

rattlekit tilted their head. “looks like you bumped it. I’ll go get tumblefoot-“

as rattlekit stood up, cowkit placed a paw on her shoulder. “w-wattlekit?”

“yes cowkit?”

“pwomise me you’ww awways be thewe fow me.”

rattlekit paused for a moment. they nodded.

rattletail and rattlekit spoke the words in tandem. “yes cowkit. I’ll always be there to protect you. I promise.”

a burst of flames blocked rattletail’s view of the nursery. they turned. they were back on the bridge again.

cowstar was crying.

“w-wattletaiw? wattletaiw oh thank stawcwan, I thought I was going to die.”

cowstar stepped towards rattletail, trying to get off the bridge.

rattletail stepped in front of him.

“wattletaiw?”

tears ran down rattletail’s face. she could only find the strength to mutter one thing. “cowstar..... I’m sorry.”

cowstar’s eyes filled with fear. “no. no! pwease don’t do this wattletaiw! not you too! evewyone in westcwan has betwayed me, pwease not you too!”

he looked around desperately as rattletail stepped forward.

“I-I know I’ve been bad, b-but what if I can change! wattletaiw pwease, pwease don’t huwt me!”

rattletail paused. *what if he could have changed...*

before they could complete the thought, cowstar took the opportunity to jump at her.

rattletail hissed as cowstar pushed her face into the fire. she remembered this pain all too well.

rattletail shoved cowstar off, anger fueling her despite the burns. they had him pinned now.

rattletail dragged him close to the bridge’s edge.

he screamed. “wattletaiw! pwease don’t! pwease, I-I’m scawed! y-you pwomised!”

“you promised.”

rattletail was back in the nursery. cowkit was nowhere to be seen. it was dark, but rattletail could hear the crackle of embers outside the den walls.

rattlekit stared her down. there was a mix of pain and fury in their eyes as they repeated themself.

“you promised.”

rattletail lowered her head. “I-I’m sorry. there was nothing else I could have done.”

rattlekit glared. “he was my best friend. and you killed him.”

“he was a tyrant.”

“he was like a brother to you.”

“he was a monster.”

“he needed you.”

“no,” rattletail growled, “westclan needed me. I did the right thing.”

“you lied to westclan. or had you forgotten about that?”

“I lied to protect them!”

“you lied to protect yourself!”

rattletail lowered their head. “I-I did the right thing.”

rattlekit said nothing more.

fire devoured the den walls, but rattlekit did not move. she simply sat still, glaring rattletail down as the world burned around them.