Falling With the Rain

~ What If?... Rainsong Never Gave Up Her Life? ~

Presenting to you...

Your 8.5K reads special...

A What If? spinoff chapter!

In our amazing boi, Cloudtail's POV.

Enjoy!

Third Person Cloudtail POV

Cloudtail stared hesitantly at the entrance to the Elder's den. Should he go in? Or would it be just as pointless as the other times he had visited? He looked over his shoulder at Brightheart who nodded at him encouragingly.

Sucking in a deep breath, Cloudtail squeezed into the small den bravely. Stepping over sleeping Speckletail's stray tail, he padded over towards the back of the den.

Frostfur looked up, a small smile on her face, turning to face a smaller hidden cat, she called out softly, "Rainsong, Cloudtail's here to visit you."

When the mostly hidden from sight she-cat gave no reply, the little bit of smile on Frostfur's face faltered. "Rainsong, won't you at least listen to what he has to say?"

Cloudtail's heart fell when still there was no reply. "I...I can come another time," he mewed sadly, his tail drooping.

Frostfur shot him a look of determination before turning back to her sister. "Rainsong. You will listen to what Cloudtail has to say. You can stop looking after yourself and stare at the wall all day if you please, but if Cloudtail comes to visit with good news, you will pay him some attention out of at least respect for your Clanmate."

Frostfur's small speech was first met with silence before there was a soft sigh and the sound of shuffling moss. The white-furred elder smiled triumphantly at him, "I'll leave you two to it." She got up and walked out of the den with a happier skip to her step.

Cloudtail turned to find Rainsong lying down glumly in the nest at the back of the den and her single eye trained on him with an expectant look.

"Hi..." He trailed off, unsure as to how to start.

Rainsong continued to stare blankly at him.

"Umm... Rainkit, Sootkit and Sorrelkit became apprentices today," he commented, but when the elder he loved so dearly had no reaction but to continue staring at him, anger began to burn in his belly. "You know, Whitestorm's kits?" He wanted to eat his words but it was too late, the damage was done.

Goldenflower shot him a dirty look from the other side of the den. Guilt pricked at Cloudtail's pelt when he noticed the look of sheer anguish in Rainsong's blue eye. He knew he shouldn't have said it, but the lack of reaction and ignorance from the pale tortoiseshell in the past few moons was finally getting to him.

"I... I'm sorry, you didn't need that," he apologized. "What I came to tell you was that Rainpaw was apprenticed to me. So...I'm a mentor now!"

The hurt had disappeared from Rainsong's eye but now she continued to stare at him blankly before she eventually turned onto her side with her back to him.

Cloudtail was crestfallen, nothing seemed to matter to Rainsong anymore. After ThunderClan's last deputy, Whitestorm, had died in the battle against BloodClan, she had become much less willing to participate in patrols and aiding in the training sessions for the apprentices. And once her sister, Frostfur, had decided to retire to the Elder's den the pale tortoiseshell warrior had been quick to join in on the decision. Ever since then, she was rarely ever spotted about the camp and spent most her days silently staring at the back wall of the den or sleeping.