Falling With the Rain

~ What If?... Rainsong Never Gave Up Her Life? ~

"She's tired," Frostfur softly mewed from behind him, her white tail resting on his white shoulder. She must have returned when he wasn't paying attention. "You must understand, that was her trying. It hasn't been easy for her since the battle."

Cloudtail slid out from under the elder's tail, "It hasn't been easy for all of us since the battle, Frostfur."

Before the white-furred elder could reply, he left the den in a hurry. When Brightheart looked at him with a hopeful look, he didn't have the heart to shake his head and just looked away.

His mate padded over to him and gave him a comforting lick on the ear. "She'll come around eventually, you'll see."

Cloudtail leaned his head against Brightheart's, "I don't know anymore, Brightheart. So many of us have been trying so hard for the past few moons. How much longer is it going to take? Will she ever come back to us?"

Brightheart paused for a moment before answering, "We can only hope that StarClan will give her the strength she needs to come back to us."

"Don't answer with that nonsense," he snorted in response. "What can a dead cat do that we can't?"

"A lot more," she snipped back. "And you must remember, Rainsong has some of the strongest faith in StarClan amongst our clanmates. So even if you refuse to believe, you should at least let the rest of us believe for her sake. Who knows? Maybe Bluestar will appear in her dreams and give her the spark of life she lost."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm very sure that Bluestar will be visiting Rainsong's dreams and somehow restore her to the cat she used to be."

"That's not what I said," Brightheart argued back, shaking her head in disagreement. "Rainsong's been through too much loss and grief to be the cat she used to be again. Think about it, if you had never been taken by those two-legs, do you think you'd be the same cat you are today?"

Cloudtail paused, putting some real thought to her question. "No, being taken by the two-legs was what taught me that the Clan and the warrior code mattered most. If I hadn't been taken, I think I might be a kittypet today!"

"Exactly. Now look at all the thing's Rainsong's lost," she challenged. "You, Ferncloud and Ashfur weren't the only ones who were so deeply affected by Brindleface's murder. If you remember what the elders have said, she and Rainsong used to be like a fly on a spider's web, inseparable. Not to mention, Bluestar was her mentor and Whitestorm..." A cloudy look appeared in Brightheart's single blue eye. "I don't know what kind of relationship he and Rainsong shared. I was too young to know, only the older cats knew the history between those two. But I imagine it was special and precious." Her gaze hardened. "It had to be for Rainsong—the strongest cat we've ever known—to react in such a way. I can't imagine she'd ever be the same cat again after all that loss."

"I guess you're right," he conceded. "She has been through too much to ever be the same cat again. Hey, maybe we've been approaching her in the wrong way—"

He was cut off by a sudden commotion happening behind him at the entrance to the Elder's den.

"What do you mean I can't visit Rainsong?" Dustpelt hissed, glaring at Goldenflower who blocked the way into the den.

The golden-furred she-cat shook her head. "She's too worn out right now, she's sleeping and shouldn't be woken or bothered right now."

"Let me talk to Frostfur! She'll let me in to see my sister," the brown tabby demanded, his amber eyes lit with fury.

Goldenflower shook her head once more, "I'm only telling you what Frostfur told me to tell you. Rainsong's having a hard time right now and needs rest. I can't and won't let you through, if you want to get through, you'll have to go through me. And I will warn you Dustpelt, I may have retired but my claws are still sharp and I can always wake up Speckletail if I have to."