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"Why?" Fireheart's mew came out as a whisper. "Why are you doing this, Blackfoot?"
Blackfoot shuffled his paws, not being able to look the cat he loved in the eyes. "I-I have no other choice."
"What do you mean you have no other choice?" Fireheart demanded. "You could leave! You could try to stop him. For Starclan's sake, you are supporting a murderer who's trying to kill me, my clan and my loved ones."
Blackfoot flinched and hung his head in shame. "I-Im so sorry..."
Blackfoot and Fireheart have been friends ever since Fireheart saw him by the shadowclan border. They began to become close soon after that.
He realized that Blackfoot wasn't as bad as everyone thought and when he was exiled from shadowclan he remained his friend and their friendship soon turned into them being mates.
When Fireheart found out Blackfoot was working with Tigerstar, he got pissed and they stopped hanging out with each other.
This upset Blackfoot and he spent more time with Tigerstar, thinking that he was the only cat that cared about him.
Fireheart soon found him and apologized and they started to talk again. But now that Blackfoot is Tigerstar's right-hand man, everything has changed...
Fireheart sighed. "This is partly my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't avoided you when I found out you were working with Tigerstar, I could have prevented most of this if not all of it. I shouldn't have just abandoned you. I should have tried to talk to you."
"Fireheart don't," Blackfoot urged. "This isn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. I chose to stay with Tigerstar and I still am. I should be the one apologizing to you."
"I guess it's both our fault. This is just what love does to cats." Fireheart said, faking a chuckle. "You don't have to stay in Tigerclan. You can join a thunderclan."
"I can't. There is no way that Bluestar would ever let me join because of her current mental health." Blackfoot pointed out. "Besides, Tigerstar would never let me leave."
"He can't control you." Fireheart growled. "And I would make Bluestar let you join the clan."
"You can't make her do anything. Especially right now. I don't want you to get in trouble anyway. Maybe if I stay in Tigerclan it will be good."
"How can it be good?" Fireheart asked. "Tigerstar will be using you to hurt or kill cats. You don't want that, right?"
"Of course not." Blackfoot said, shocked to think that Fireheart would think so badly of him. "Do you really think that I like harming cats?"
Fireheart was silent.
"I don't! When I was younger, Brokenstar and his manipulative, flea-bitten supporters took control of me and raised me into thinking that murder was okay. I have killed so many cats... I never liked it. There isn't a feeling that is worse than watching the light slowly fade out of a cat's eyes. It gets worse when you know that the cat did nothing wrong. Killing was all I knew. Well, at least until I met you..."
Blackfoot hesitantly added. "Nobody cared about me until I met you. I was only a warrior, a killer, Brokenstar's personal play-thing if you will. But you made me realize I am not the gross and horrible cat most think I am. You made me see the light, Fireheart. Without you, I would have ended up just like Brokenstar. When you left me because you found out I was working with Tigerstar, I was so heart-broken. Tigerstar must have noticed. I doubt he knew you were the cat I loved though. Still love. He tried to manipulate me like Brokenstar did. I don't know what to do... I can't join thunderclan or windclan. I don't want to become a rogue or kitty-pet. It seems my only choice is to stay with Tigerstar and hope his reign soon comes to an end."
Fireheart listened intently, his fluffed ears pricked. As soon as Blackfoot said that, the flame-colored tom wrapped his paws around his mate and pulled him close.
"Blackfoot, my love, I'm so sorry." Tears strolled down Fireheart's face. "You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve any of it. I'm never going to leave you again. I promise you that."
Blackfoot smiled and nuzzled Fireheart, letting himself fall into the tom's fluffy orange pelt. He doesn't remember the last time he got affection... But he's loving every second of it.
"Don't be sorry, my Heart. It isn't your fault. You truly saved me." Blackfoot forced himself to back away. "I think I should stay in Tigerclan for now. Maybe I can gather information and tell you it," He suggested.
Fireheart nodded. "That works. I don't think we can meet again for a while. Unless you find out something urgent."
"Why?" Blackfoot felt his heart slowly shatter. He doesn't want to be away from his mate.
"Because if Tigerstar finds us, everything will be ruined."
Blackfoot knows that what Fireheart said is right. He is going to have to be careful so he isn't revealed to be a traitor.
"Can we have one last night together?" Blackfoot said, basically begging.
"Of course my love." Fireheart purred, curling up next to Blackfoot on the forest floor. Even if Blackfoot is bigger than Fireheart, Fireheart still enjoys being the big spoon.
Blackfoot wasted no time curling up next to his mate, purring as Fireheart gave him kisses and licks throughout his whole pelt.
"Blackfoot, I want you to know something." Fireheart said suddenly. "I will always love you no matter what happens, okay?"
"Okay." Blackfoot said happily. "And I will always love you too, my Heart." He promised.
The two cats then kept cuddling and grooming each other. None of them knew the horrors that were about to come and the horrific murders Blackfoot would have to commit.