The Girl I Used To Know

[Ember~Rain]

I tried to be perfect
I tried to be honest
I tried to be everything that you ever wanted

Emberpaw followed no scent. He could hardly walk, fumbling over his own paws, his eyes blinded by tears. His thoughts were scattered and cluttered. His ears rang with regret.

"You just love Goldenblaze, not me!" "Emberpaw, I-I never knew..." "Why don't you move on?" "I would be giving my heart away..."

The thoughts ran through his head. Why? Why couldn't he move on? Why did it have to be so hard? She had to be so beautiful. So kind, giving and loving. His ears tingled at the sight of her. He padded to the flat terrain by the gorge, lying down and closing his eyes, trying to wipe the strain from his mind.

[Gladetail]

Gladetail easily tracked Emberpaw's scent heading toward the gorge. I'm so mousebrained! She fell a few times on her stomach ruffling up her fur. She sighed and quickly sat down the lick it back into place. This wouldn't have happened if I wasn't so focused on Goldenblaze... Standing back on her paws, Gladetail raced through the forest and right to the gorge, doing her best to keep away from her clumsiness. She stopped dead at the gorge and scanned around, panting as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs and were nothing but crisp leaves in leaf-fall. Spotting Emberpaw she raced over to him. "Emberpaw!"

[Ember~Rain]

Emberpaw looked up from his paws to see Gladetail running toward him. "Emberpaw!" she cried. He shook his head and looked down at his paws. "What do you want?" he asked, pain rasping his voice. He wasn't sure how much longer his heart could take this game. This crazy game Gladetail was trying to play. She couldn't live with a paw in both worlds, and if that was so, then Emberpaw would be a goner.

[Gladetail]

Gladetail sighed and sat down beside him, guilt flowing through her pelt down to her paws. She turned to him eyes swelled in asking for forgiveness. "I-I'm sorry... I just blanked out back there..." Looks down at the gorge still dreaming of a time when she wanted to jump down in that same gorge. This would be one of those times... "The truth is... I kinda like you as well Emberpaw..." Gladetail flushed at the recognition of her somewhat secret feelings for the tom but were blocked out by Goldenblaze. "I know I can't be with both of you... that's why I chased you... I'd rather be with someone I love and know who only love me back.. not another... I'd rather be with someone whose feelings are the same as mine... I'd rather be with you Emberpaw..."

[Ember~Rain]

Emberpaw looked back up at gladetail. "I know I can't be with both of you... that's why I chased you... I'd rather be with someone I love and know who only love me back.. not another... I'd rather be with someone whose feelings are the same as mine... I'd rather be with you Emberpaw..." She meowed. He stared in astonishment. "You really mean it?" he meowed breathlessly.

[Gladetail]

Embarrassed, Gladetail looked down and shuffled her paws. "Every word of it... I'm so sorry! Goldenblaze isn't the tom I was really looking for. I was looking for you. I just never knew... how you felt about me..."

[Ember~Rain]

Emberpaw smiled. He could tell that every word was the truth. Deep emotions swam in his green eyes. "This means... we can be together. Wolfstar promised me my warrior name tomorrow." he whispered. Silently pressed his head against hers. "I love you..."

[Gladetail]

Gladetail released a purr as their tails interwined. "I love you too...."