A Necessary Farewell

It had been nearly one and a half moons since Poppyheart's initial imprisonment within the Twoleg's den with Carat. He had to admit, it was nice to sleep in a warm den, and the treats the Twoleg gave him were rather tasty. But he knew it would be time to return home very soon.

Finally, the day came. Poppyheart's wounds from his battle against Coldgaze had been completely healed, and he had proved himself a rather tolerable kittypet to the Twoleg -- as insufferable as it was most of the time. It seemed he had earned her trust, and now he could go outside just like Carat. He watched from the 'couch', as Carat called it, as the Twoleg knelt down to the small flappy barrier big enough for a cat to fit through and removed another clear barrier from it, this one much harder and impassable. She turned her attention to him and beckoned him close with a soft coo and a held out paw.

Stretching, Poppyheart did as he was asked, leaping down from the large soft nest and approaching the Twoleg who had cared for him throughout his recovery. He never imagined a Twoleg could hold the capacity to show kindness to a cat, yet here he was, silently thanking the creature for helping him recover. I appreciate all you have done for me, Twoleg. But I must leave you and Carat very soon, for I have a family to return to. I will not forget this in a hurry, though.

The Twoleg lifted up the flappy barrier and gestured for Poppyheart to go through. He did just that with much eagerness, slipping out of the stuffy Twoleg den and trotting out into the well-kept garden. He took in a deep breath, reveling in the cool, crisp air, and looked up at the beautiful stars of Silverpelt. Stars, it felt good to be outside again!

Poppyheart looked behind him, finding that the Twoleg had not opened the larger barrier that allowed her to walk out of the den to follow him. She had left him alone. Now he was free to leave. I should probably say goodbye to Carat first, though.... After all, she did help me get to this point. I owe her quite a great deal. An idea suddenly struck him while scanning the garden, trying to think of a way to repay the kittypet for her kindness. There stood a sparrow pecking at the ground next to a tall white thing that held water for some reason. Couching down, he stalked toward it slowly; even with the noisy 'collar' and its 'bell' around his neck, he was still able to creep up on it silently. He was a ShadowClan cat after all.

With a quick pounce, Poppyheart pinned the sparrow down and nipped the back of its neck before it could make any noise, killing it instantly. Picking up the fresh-kill, the tom then brought it over to the front of the den barrier and placed it down for Carat to find later. There, that should be thanks enough. She was kind enough to show me the pampered life of a kittypet. Now I can show her the free and liberating life of a Clan cat with her first taste of fresh-kill. Turning around, he walked over to the large white wooden structure that stood high and barricaded the Twoleg garden from the forest, where he knew SkyClan stood within it. Just a little further in and he'd reach the marshes of ShadowClan territory. Home.

Poppyheart leaped up on the structure with ease and stared out. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was finally going to return home! Excitement swelling in his chest, he swished his bushy tail and prepared to leap down on the other side.

Carat strolled leisurely out of the side room, stopping occasionally to stretch and yawn, showing her perfect tiny fangs. Life was as great as it had ever been, and with Poppy here, it was just getting better. The loneliness she hadn't realized was there had been filled- another cat to talk to, to play with, to sleep next to on the plentiful cushions around the den. And... though it was tough to admit, she thought she might be falling for the tom. Though at the beginning he'd hated living with her housefolk, his fun personality, strange but innocent ideas and bright orange gaze had captivated her. Hopefully, she'd been able to convince him to stay.

"Hey, Paps?" she called out lazily, padding into the room where she'd last seen him. No response... that was strange. She tried again. "Poppy, are you there?" Nothing. Glancing around suspiciously, her sapphire blue eyes didn't see him on the couch, or the floor, or anywhere. Quickly following his scent trail led her to the cat flap... and, with a jolt of horror, she realized that it was open. "Oh no," she whispered, eyes widening. Realization dawned. In a moment of sheer panic, she bolted out the flap into the yard, past the poor dead sparrow on the ground, to find her companion poised on the fence and about to leap. "Poppy Heart, no!" Her voice was shrill and desperate as she cried out, not even thinking as she used his full name. He couldn't leave!

Poppyheart looked behind him at Carat's shrill cry. "Oh! Carat, there you are. Sorry, I ... well, I was planning on saying goodbye to you personally, but I suppose I thought that sparrow over there would've been thanks enough." He gestured with his muzzle to the fresh-kill still sitting in front of the den barrier. He turned around and leaped back down into the garden to face his friend. "Though now that you're here, I suppose I can give you a thorough goodbye. Thank you for all you have done for me, Carat. I really, truly appreciate it. But now it is time for me to return to my Clan. I was never meant to live my life as a kittypet. I do hope you understand."

Carat stood as still as a stone, eyes still wide with panic, as Poppy dropped back down from the fence. She let out a sigh of relief, thinking he'd decided to stay... but he was just saying goodbye. "You left me a dead sparrow to say 'thank you'?" The petite chocolate kittypet let out a huff, somewhere between exasperation, laughter, and a choked sob. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. But Poppy... you can't leave. I'd miss you too much." What was she supposed to say? Why wouldn't he listen to her? "I'm just stuck alone all day in that den, and while I love my housefolk and the couches and scratching posts and cream, I... I've felt something, this past moon, with you." Carat lowered her voice, but looked straight into the red tom's eyes, more sincere than she'd ever been. "I was lonely before, though I didn't realize it. Having another cat with me, someone else to talk to... It was the best moon of my life. Please, you can't leave! I need you." A single tear dripped from one of her sapphire eyes, and she closed the distance between them, leaning in so their noses touched. Her voice was a bare whisper. "... I love you."

Poppyheart's eyes widened, his ears flushed with heat at the ginger contact upon his nose. This ... was not what he was expecting to hear or feel. Carat loved him? Oh, dear.... What was he supposed to say? Well ... he supposed he would have to start with the truth. Sighing softly, he gently pulled away from the nose kiss and slowly shook his head. "You will always be one of my treasured friends, Carat. But ... I'm afraid the feeling isn't mutual...." Stars, this was going to be harder than he thought. "I do like you a lot, but ... only platonically. I already have a mate back at home. She must be going crazy with worry over me. I've been gone for so long. I ... I need to return to her. I need to return to my brother, too. I need to ... I need to apologize to him about something I never should have said to him. I need to make things right."

Lifting his head back up, Poppyheart nuzzled Carat's cheek with his muzzle with much care. He was actually going to miss her unique, comforting scent. He hadn't been lying when he said he considered the kittypet such a close friend, or that he would truly miss her. She had done so much for him. "You will always be a part of me, Carat. You don't have to be alone. One day, we'll see each other again. But until then, this is where we must part ways. Take care of your Twoleg and the, uh, dog and fish, too. I believe in you, Carat. You will be just fine without me. I promise."

There was a suspended moment of hope, a warm flutter in Carat's throat, as her nose touched his... and before he backed away. Of course. Her blue eyes showed pain as he rejected her feelings, and she swiftly looked down at the ground to hide her grief. The one time she finally found a tom that she loved... and he didn't love her back. Some other wild she-cat had already stolen his heart. She couldn't say anything as he let her down, gently sending her plummeting to reality. Numbness took over. He nuzzled her cheek slightly, and then he was saying his goodbyes.

She sniffed. His voice was so expectant... she had to say something. "I suppose... you could always come back, just to visit." But deep in her heart, she knew the wish was unrealistic. He'd hated it here. Why would he ever return? And she couldn't leave with him. He'd never love her- and besides, who would take care of her housefolk? Not to mention, living in the wild didn't sound appealing. Once her tears subsided, a little breath- half sob, half hiccup- left her lungs. "I'll miss you, Poppy. Please, be careful... It's dangerous out there. Besides, you've been gone for so long..." She shook her head with a soft, sorrowful smile. "Well, if you ever need a place... you know where to go."

"Carat...." Poppyheart began softly, catching her beautiful blue eyes and locking on with them. "I will never forget what you have done for me. I wouldn't be returning to my Clan -- to my family -- if it weren't for you. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again in the living world, but ... if you hold onto your faith in StarClan just like I've taught you, we will see each other again one day. I can promise you that. I may not love you in the same way you love me, but I will forever be your friend." The tom rasped his tongue against the pretty kittypet's cheek once.

Then, all of a sudden, rapid steps of the Twoleg's clumsy hind paws were heard from inside the Twoleg den, and the tall creature widened the den barrier to call out to the two of them, sounding quite frantic. Apparently, something had spooked her, and she was trying to usher them back inside to keep them safe.

Of course, Poppyheart couldn't return with the Twoleg, otherwise he may never be able to find another chance to leave. He glanced rather desperately at Carat, then took a few paces back. "I'm sorry, Carat. I must leave you now. Take care of your Twoleg. I will see you again one day, I promise." Turning, he leaped up onto the white wooden structure and leaped down onto the other side, rushing off into the forest, ignoring the Twoleg's cries as they grew louder.

For a split second, before he disappeared behind the trees leading to SkyClan territory, he could just faintly understand the word the Twoleg cried out.

"Papyrus!"

The Twoleg was calling out to him.

But he had to ignore it.

He had to return home.

And he would.