Anticipation[CLOSED]

Sparkpaw was eating a frog. Wildstrike had told her to. She'd rather be working- there was so much to do! But he insisited that if she wanted to fight, she had to keep fueled up. And oh boy, did she want to fight.

"Hey, Sparkpaw, mind if we joined you?" Orchidpaw meowed with a rather nervous smile, padding over to his crush with Poppypaw padding just behind, who was carrying two mice by their tails. The bluish-gray tom nestled down next to the pretty molly, giving a chirp of thanks to his brother when he gave him one of the mice, and he bit down into it immediately.

Poppypaw, however, wasn't nearly as eager to dig into his meal, just laying it at his paws and staring down at it. He didn't feel very hungry tonight. He was far too nervous about the battle yet to come between the five Clans and the exiled cats who had killed Littlestar. "...I wish we didn't have to fight," he finally murmured. "Why couldn't those other cats just make peace with us instead? Maybe then they could have come back home, and... everything would be normal again."

Sparkpaw smiled. "I don't mind." She said. She took a few more bites and listened to Poppypaw. "Sometimes war is the only answer. There's not that many of them. With all of us, we'll defeat them surely."

"But we shouldn't have to battle them!" Poppypaw exclaimed, slamming a paw down on the ground. "We should all be living in harmony together! Well... as harmonious as Clans can be..."

"I know how torn up you must feel over this, bro," Orchidpaw mewed gently, draping his tail over his brother's back. "I don't wantcha fightin' any of our old Clanmates; you wouldn't be able to take the heartache. But Sparkpaw and I can. That's why I've asked Scorchfang if you don't fight."

"Wait... what?" Poppypaw leaped up to his paws, staring down at his littermate in utter disbelief. "You told him not to let me fight? But why?"

"Because I don't need ya gettin' traumatized by this battle. If you were to go out there... I... I just don't wanna think about what would happen if I lost you." Orchidpaw shifted his gaze over to Sparkpaw. "Matter of fact, I don't wanna lose either of you. So... I want you to reconsider fighting tomorrow. I'll be fine on my own, or if you'd rather I won't fight at all. Because believe me, I'd much rather be sleeping in on the day of the battle not havin' to worry about anythin', because I know that we'll win."

Sparkpaw gave Poppypaw a sympathetic smile. "Cats'll get killed out there. We all know you'd prefer to make friends... But you wouldn' kill. And you could end up gettin' hurt because of it. If Orchidpaw actually ends up doing anythin, he and I would. To protect the clans, if course. Not like Shade." She growled, voice shaking as she spoke the last word. Everyone knew the nature of the evil cat. She herself had realized that that was who had given her the crescent moon scar. Not even Orchidpaw knew about it. "We're good fighters. Orchidpaw an' I can take care of ourselves. 'Sides, we need someone to protect camp, y'know?"

"Well... Okay, I suppose. Just... be careful out there, okay? Please?" Poppypaw meekly begged of his brother and friend.

"Of course I will, bro," Orchidpaw purred, nuzzling Poppypaw's muzzle fondly. "Sparkpaw will be safe, too... because I'll ask Scorchfang for her not to fight, either. I care too much about the both of you to let either of you get hurt."

Sparkpaw let out a small gasp. "No! You can't do that! If I'm not out there with you, who'll be there to keep you from sleeping and getting killed? Yeah, no. I'm fighting. Those foxhearts will not be messing around. We need as many cats as possible and sure, you're a fine fighter but if you're going, I'm coming too. If you're alone without a best friend to watch your back, you... you might not return to camp ever again, which I wouldn't be able to deal with." The mere thought of sitting tight left her scared for Orchidpaw. He couldn't just go alone. She had to be there, if nothing else, to keep him alive. If he died out there, whether he was with her or not, then she would kill whoever did it to him. And Poppypaw.... he'd be devestated beyond her own.