Goodbye, Little Bird [closed]

Arno had taken a great deal of risk crossing through SkyClan's territory, but of all the clans, he figured his brother would be the least likely to tear him to shreds. He stopped at Highpine, that dreaded place, and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. This would be a very inopportune time to be caught, but he had to tell at least one of them where he was going... and Cardinalpaw was his best bet. He leaped up into the massive tree and felt the chilling haunt of a bad memory shoot through his mind. He perched himself in the tree for what felt like hours.

The reddish pelt below him was all alone. He would know that ragged-looking she-cat anywhere. It was a matter of whether or not she would be happy to see him that mattered. He scaled the tree's trunk in a matter of seconds, skidding to a half right in front of her. "Don't yell!" he hissed under his breath. "Nobody knows I'm here... Delta."

Cardinalcry didn’t think she would come back here. After all, so much had happened. It had been a long time since Redwing died. But, since Darkpaw and Scorchedbird died on the other side of the territory, she didn’t want to take any chances. Everywhere held bad memories; here was close to the good ones in Skyclan, for one, and it almost seemed the calmest. A rustle in the tree made her stop in her tracks, before Sandblaze(arno? Idk if she knows) showed up. Sandblaze. She didn’t think he would come to a place like this. A million thoughts rushed through her head. Sandblaze was a murderer. Her brother was here. The brother she’d known and loved, but a murderer all the same. What did she feel about it? Did she still believe he hadn’t tried to?

Cardinalcry stared into his face. Sandblaze didn’t look like a murderer, and that expression didn’t hold any malice. Even if he was a murderer elsewhere too, if it had been on purpose(which she doubted) he cared about family, that much she knew. And Cardinalcry was family. “Sandblaze.” She breathed, in wonder, then shook her head. “Cardinalcry. It’s Cardinalcry now.” She explained. “Are you proud of me? I’m finally a warrior, just like the rest of you were.” She was careful not to shout, as she usually excitedly would.

Arno pulled his sister in, nestling his head in the crook of her neck for the first time since kithood. It was suddenly very hard to breathe. His little sister, a warrior. The worst part was that he hadn't been there to see it. "I hope you can forgive me for all that I've done," he whispered. "I wanted to find you again... I'm leaving. Amberdawn and I are going away with twolegs. I'm less of a risk to SkyClan this way... Spottedstar knows. I've wondered so much about where you all ended up. I'm sorry that I let you all down. Listen..."

All that he could tell her. Where could he begin? The shame he had surpressed now came to a violent crescendo, worse than he had felt in the eyes of SkyClan's mighty leader. Cats died because of his act of passion. At the end of it all, maybe it didn't really matter. The carnage was over. The clans were tense, but no longer at war. His murder would wash over him just as every other murder the forest had ever witnessed would. Sandblaze would be forgotten. So would Arno. Cardinalcry may not understand that.

"I dishonored you," he admitted. "You and our brothers. I let you all scatter, just so they wouldn't kill me. But... wow. Cardinalcry. I love it. It suits you. And I'm glad you finally have a chance to be happy."

Cardinalcry nodded. "Of course I forgive you," She found herself saying without hesitation. "Wait... Forever? You're going away... forever." She shook her head. It was fine. She'd see him in Starclan, in many moons. Many, many moons. That was fine. She'd see him, and Scorchedbird, and Darkpaw, and Elmcloud and Snowkit and every other cat she hadn't known. After her brief existential crisis, Sandblaze continued on. She decided not to mention her recent losses. "Yeah, but... maybe it was just fate that we ended up all over. And I woulda been here anyway. Accidentally ending a life, that's one thing, but I abandoned you all willingly. But that doesn't matter. I'll still miss ya." Cardinalcry had no idea what to say next. Maybe nothing needed to be said.

Arno smiled in the way only a big brother could, pawing her cheek gently. "No more sorries from either of us. You've got ShadowClan to fight for now. The war is over, and Spottedstar isn't too keen on bringing it back from what I figured out. I think... maybe you were lead here on purpose, the way I was lead to Twolegplace. You're starting to look like one of them and everything."

The cream tom sighed, scuffing his claws in the dirt. The longer he stayed in this place, the harder it would be to go. And he wanted to go. He wanted to chase the birds that flew straight overhead, the ones he was never fast enough to catch. Somewhere past the largest thunderpath on the farthest end of his home was something he was dying to find. Marmalade's twolegs were kind enough to take him in, and they might not even leave without him.

"Should cats be sorry for who they are?" he asked wistfully, watching a cloud creep along in the sky. "If I was made to wander, and I do it, it it disgraceful? Do we scold fish for swimming, frogs for hopping? What makes me different than any other loner, that I should 'know better'? I don't know much of anything, but I know that this life brings me joy." Arno put a paw on his sister's. "SkyClan couldn't have possibly given either of us joy. But no matter how far I go, I've figured out, the stars look exactly the same. The moon is the same moon. So at least we share the same sky. Yeah?"

Arno got up from his place of sitting and shook out his fur. "Look for me in the sky, sometime. I'll keep watching, too."