[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Of course Martenthorn was confused by her words. Follow me anywhere? That had sounded just a bit odd, but perhaps she hadn't been serious... however, the look on her face had told him otherwise. He wasn't quite ready for a romance. Especially one that was taking off so quickly, so easily, without a single hitch. There was just something strange about that. And the Abyssinian didn't trust it at all. Perhaps Ryver would try and throw something into it, disrupting their friendship and ending up breaking their trust forever... which he would despise her even more for. But of course, he wouldn't put it past the feline. She was conniving, cruel, horrible... and a cat that the Abyssinian hated more then anything else.

She was different from everyone else Martenthorn had ever met. She was worse, she was a demon, she was the cat of nightmares. And he was confused at her sudden reappearance. She was telling him she wanted to mend the past, change it for good, change it to be their future. But Martenthorn didn't want to! He cared for Featherspeckle more. He trusted her more. He believed in her more. It had only been a morning, but the tom felt as though he had known the feline for his entire life. He felt as though he could really trust her with pretty much anything... and as though she would actually listen to him. The tip of his tail began to twitch back and forth, glancing back at her with a smile on his face, and he felt as though his heart had lifted just a little.

　
He didn't ask for a lot. Sparks of excitement flew down his sides, flew along his spine and altogether felt as though they were going to explode with the pleasure he was feeling at the moment. Romance had never been Martenthorn's forte. As was seen by his past. And yet, now, with the female, he felt as though he were an apprentice all over again. He felt like he was eight moons old with either the forbidden crush that he knew would never be possible, or the crush on his pretty older mentor even though he knew that she already had a mate, or a love interest. Strange, but it wasn't unheard of... the tom had definitely seen it happen before.
　
It disgusted him. Who would want to steal someone from another cat? Was the whole Clan turning to sickness... sickness in the head? Utterly revolting. And something that Martenthorn didn't agree with at all. While he might be able to cope with the occasional forbidden romance-- he had participated in one himself, and it had only ended in heartbreak-- the fact that cats might like someone who already had a mate was disgusting to him. Sure, maybe they couldn't control their feelings. Sure, maybe it was alright to let them know and do something about it. But it wasn't okay to steal the cat away. It wasn't okay for the cat to lie and cover up about what had actually happened to their mate.
　
Bile rose up in the tom's throat and he swallowed it bitterly as it gathered in a lump, a disgusting feeling that left him feeling as though he had suddenly been exposed to the outside world. Though he had nothing to hide! He was a good cat. Wasn't he? Martenthorn knew that he had done some things that might be less then desirable in a friend, but everyone had their secrets. Privacy was important even among other cats. He turned back to Featherspeckle again, and stopped. "I'm sorry about everything that happened. I mean... I guess I should have mentioned something about seeing Ryver before I sprang that on you, huh?" He asked with a slight laugh. Though it felt painful, he knew it was right-- he should have told her beforehand.

Featherspeckle flicked her ears, her head was turned away from the tom as she looked into the distance. The distance of oblivion. A lot had happened that day. Too much for her to understand, but she was grateful that one good thing came out of it. She made a good friend. As she turned her head to stare at him once more, a pleasant smile graced her muzzle. She wondered how ever did a tom such as Martenthorn end up with a she-cat as...Ryver. He was such a sweetheart, and Ryver seemed...not to be. She seemed like the type of cat that loved to manipulate others. She felt bad that Martenthorn had to end up with a feline such as that...that he loved her, and got his heart shattered by her. It was a shame that he wouldn't be able to find another she-cat that made him feel the way that Ryver did.

She wondered the same about herself. Would she ever be able to feel the pleasures she did when she was with Moose? Maybe not. She was more cautious when it came relationships...feelings, and tried to keep herself away from it. Though she did love to see couples and happy families. It warmed her heart, and surprisingly didn't make her much envious. Sure, she felt like a third wheel...but wasn't everyone at some point? If she had the power, she would had loved to turn back time and never met the one cat she decided to give her a chance. The one cat she loved. The one cat that made her envious. The one cat that drove her insane. The one cat that made her depress. Depression...even the thought of the word made a heart heavy. The pieces of her heart heavy. She was tired of this heart brokenness, and wanted some lightness for a conversation.

And, she would had, had it, if it weren't for Ryver. The sly feline could had came back any other day, but she chose now? After she was acquainting herself with a new friend? Granted, Ryver knew the tom first. Martenthorn loved Ryver first, and that was okay with Featherspeckle. In fact, she would be cheering him on from the sidelines at whatever decision he decided to make. As she turned back to look at him, she felt a new type of energy inside him. What was going on with him? At first, his mood dropped from a moment in his past, and now all of a sudden...he seemed excited? Featherspeckle tilted her head, a small giggle escaping her maw.

At the words of the tom, she rolled her eyes playfully, and gently nudged him with a paw. ''Oh, please. I enjoy surprises, you know that?'' Her voice held light playfulness, and in all matter, she didn't mind about what he did. Above all, he stayed, and didn't even try to reason with the she-cat of his past. That meant a lot to her, although she couldn't explain well as to why that meant a lot to her. She felt that he was someone she could lean on for support, or talk to whenever she felt herself discouraging. Everything about him was a good cat. She knew this as well. Sometimes she wished that she could be as good as him.

Lastly, she added, ''It doesn't matter much about her. She's your past. A bitter part, and we're in the presence. Which means we're forced to be moving on...harsh isn't it?'' She smiled at him. Moving on didn't seem harsh. In fact, it seemed acceptable at this rate. Something she wanted to embrace, but she still held the many pieces of her heart, and she was afraid to allow anyone to hold them. She was afraid that they wouldn't be able to take care of it.

Like the tom before her, the small she-cat felt a rush of happiness enter into her. She didn't know why, but the only thought that came in: He stayed.