[FIN] Drama Ensues (Smoke/Split/Pigeonflight)

[belloblossom]

Smoke and Pigeon only recently set out, searching for Split, their... mate? How could he be both of their mates, when clearly neither of them agreed to another she-cat finding her way into the mix? She hadn't spoken much since they'd started looking, keeping three tail lengths away from the other she-cat, Pigeon. Pigeon, who had comforted Smoke when she was frustrated and sad, only to slash her claws across Smoke's cheek when finding out that Split had wronged them both.

This is all Split's fault. Smoke thought bitterly. Who had come first? Did it even matter? Clearly one had not been enough for Split for him to seek out another. Had Pigeon always lived on the mountain? Is that why Split went to see her - to see his side piece? Or am I the side cat? It would make sense, why he bailed the moment my belly started showing.

She sniffled, feeling pathetic. She'd come up this mountain to find Split and talk some sense into him - maybe even smack it into him if she had to! Now, with her face aching and her energy depleted. She didn't even know what she'd say to Split, even if they found him.

I'd ask for the truth, I think. He might not tell me, but I can still ask and fill in whatever he's too cowardly to admit. She considered silently. But... even if he just feeds me excuses, I want to hear him out. So I can decide if... if I'm going back to our kits alone or not. Of all the things she'd considered when she started up the mountain, nothing like this had ever crossed her mind. She felt so stupid, so hopeless and betrayed. If... no, WHEN they found him, Split sure had a lot of explaining to do. @kovak @NatiStorm

 

[kovak]

Pigeonflight could not believe it. This was really happening. Behind her, she could hear Smoke following her, at least she was still willing to follow. Her thoughts were calming down, and getting more clear with things. She would not stand in the way of Smoke's chance of raising kits with Split. It just made more sense. Both him and Smoke were loners, and they both had a more free-reign of things than Pidge had with him.

As Pigeonflight guided the two deeper closer to Mountainclan's borders, the she-cat turned around and flicked her ear. "Smoke... I'm sorry about earlier... I umm.. got angry and took it out on you..." Pidge blinked, trying to show her sincerity. "You must have had such a long day, with everything happening... are you hungry? We can try hunting for something before we ummm... find him.." She could not say his name. It was too fresh for her to say.

"Or we can just continue looking for him... He should be somewhere near here..."

@belloblossom @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

Nearly his whole body twitched in annoyance as Split walked away from his meeting with his daughter Streamheart. Daughter seemed a strong word, especially after the verbal lashing she'd given him. Smoke would have loved some of the creative names she had called him, he was sure of that. Perhaps the term offspring was more fitting as it had less of a family connotation and Streamheart had made it clear that he was not welcome in her family. Split rolled his eyes as he made his way along the boarder of the MountainClan cats. It didn't matter, he didn't want a family anyway. The only reason he had come back up this forsaken mountain was to make sure the two she-cats were alive, not to care for them. Well, maybe care for them a little, but not really.

Pidge had always been so small and meek that Split found it hard not to want to care for her. But he didn't need to, she had a clan to take care of her. As annoyed as he was, he felt a little bit of pride in seeing just how strong willed and protective Streamheart had grown up to be. Though he coat wasn't as perfect as her mothers, it seemed his offspring had inherited the best parts of both of them. Pidge and her clan had raised a fine young she-cat. One he would never see or speak to again.

Again his fur and body twitched in annoyance. It was definitely time to leave. In seeing Streamheart, Split had fulfilled his mission of making sure Pidge and his offspring hadn't starved. It hadn't taken very long to find Pidge as most of the clan seemed to be hunting all the way to the boarders often. It had been nice to see the pale she-cat. Her demeaner was so much softer than what he'd gotten used to in a companion. Though she had reassured him that Streamheart was alright and still alive, seeing Pidge in such a state of distress had made him wary to leave without setting eyes on his offspring as well so he'd stuck around to meet her for the second time. Only to be scolded by her. Yes, it was definitely time to get off of this mountain and back to the closest thing he had to a family.

Was it right to just leave without saying goodbye to Pidge again? Split stopped to contemplate his options. There was no telling when he'd be able to see her to say goodbye and after his meeting with Streamheart, maybe it was for the best if he just disappeared from the clan cats lives forever without a word...

Split's attention was pulled from his thoughts as he caught the very scent he had been thinking of. Pigeonflight was near. With a deep sigh, Split moved in her direction. This was not going to be a fun conversation; he hated goodbyes. So caught up in his thoughts of leaving, the tom didn't realize there was another familiar scent approaching.

"Ah, Pidge, I was look- .... Smoke? What are you...?" Split stood, midstep, at a loss for words looking back and forth between the two she-cats. For some reason, his instincts told him to run.

@belloblossom @kovak

 

[belloblossom]

Smoke had been padding along, trying to keep quiet and out of the way, lest Pigeon’s temper rear its ugly head again, so she was surprised when the older she-cat began to speak to her.

Her ears flicked up and a soft smile started to play around her expression. Though they were facing a terrible predicamant together, one that she was certain neither of them wanted to be apart of, Pigeon was still being kind to her, despite everything.

“I don’t think I could eat anything right now, my emotions have my belly in a knot.” She admitted. “I’m grateful for your kindness, even given these circumstances.” She mewed to the silver she-cat. “However, if you’re hungry then we could-“ Her mew was cut short when she heard a familiar voice and her heart sank when she realized that it wasn’t calling for her.

For a long moment, Smoke could only stand there, staring at Split. He seemed puzzled, baffled, shocked and it was in this moment that Smoke felt herself rising from despair to anger. Her gaze upon the scoundrel, scandalous tomcat was cool, but there was no joy nor relief in her eyes as she stare at him.

“I’m here, looking for you.” She told him. “I thought it was odd that you should leave your pregnant mate for a sporadic trip up the mountain, but meeting Pigeon in my time of need has certainly cleared some things up for me.” Her eyes narrowed and she stepped towards Split, before passing him and sweeping behind him, giving him a shove from behind towards where Pigeon stood. “It would seem that we three need to have an important discussion, about loyalty and parental responsibilities.”

She flexed her claws, resting the tips against the rocky ground of the mountain terrain.
“Here’s what I know: I thought we were committed to one another. You gave me Quiet, and then you gave me a litter of your own. I was showing how close along I was when you told me you needed to travel up the mountain to check the old territory, though for what I didn’t understand.” She glanced at Pigeon, the silver loner of the mountain top. She certainly understood why he went up now.

“So, you leave me to have my first litter alone, without any hope that you might return to help raise them. We have three children, they’re the most beautiful kits I’ve ever seen, one daughter and two sons.” It was here that her voice softened to a quiet purr, before turning as cold as ice. “They’ve only just been weaned from my milk and bless her heart, Quiet and her mate - did you know that your daughter has a mate of her own now? He’s very kind, would never do a thing to hurt her - would that all she-cats could have a mate as considerate as that!” She spat, coming to stand beside Pigeon again.

“With Quiet watching the kits, I grew tired of waiting. I came to fetch you from the mountain myself. So I’m here, to bring you home.” She, being the taller cat of the trio, had little issue in looking down at Split. “I’ve told my side of it. Pigeon, do you have anything you’d like to say to him before he tells us exactly what he has to say for himself?” She prompted. @NatiStorm @kovak

 

[kovak]

Pigeonflight nodded hearing Smoke mention that it was not a convenient time for them to eat and left it at that. She stopped in her tracks as Split appeared in front of the she-cats. Split! Pigeonflight's eyes slightly lit up and gave a quiet purr before being butted out of the way by Smoke. A part of her was grateful that the angry she-cat was here, it would make things a lot easier.

Smoke proposed a conversation about loyalty and parental responsibilities. And then when Smoke looked at Pidge, she cowered herself to the ground and layed down low. From something she learned since she was young, make yourself look small so others wouldn't hurt you. Part of her didn't know if Smoke would attack her in front of Split, but she would take it if that did happen. Here Pidge was, unconfident, practically useless.

With her paws covering her face, Pigeonflight gave a short cry before being asked to let her words out to the two other cats. "I should have understood things when you didn't want to join the clan, and to know how much Streamheart speaks so poorly of you that it wouldn't be the best option to continue seeing each other..." Pigeonflight lifted her paw, checking to see if Split was looking at her before readjusting herself to stand up. "Streamheart told me about you two recently crossing paths and kept telling me to move on... but umm... it's hard to move on... when you've helped me so much... I wanted to see you again, but not like this." She looked at Smoke. "Your kits need their father. My daughter hates him now, and I would hate to know that yours hate him if they knew about me and my family." She then looked back at Split, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

@belloblossom @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

Goodbyes were a hard conversation to have, but it was one he’d been ready for. This, however, was not a conversation the tomcat had prepared himself for.

Smoke was pregnant? For a moment, Split looked over Smoke’s body. The queen didn’t seem pregnant. As Smoke continued on, Split’s heart dropped, fearing the worst. It was Floodkit all over again. Wait, no. Three kits? Three living kits? His world tipped.

Quiet had a mate and was currently watching his newest litter of offspring. He should feel happy, proud, something other than the anger he felt running through him. Smoke kept talking and Split’s anger kept rising. As Pigeonflight began to say her piece, it was all he could do not to start growling.

“What is it that the two of you expect of me?” It was an effort to control his meow and not hiss. “I show a little bit of emotion, a little bit of caring and all of a sudden I’m your mate? When did I ever say that or agree to that?” His good ear flattened as he looked back and forth between both she-cats.

“I do not owe you my past.” Split spat at Smoke. “But since you seemed determined to insert yourself into every aspect of my life here it is. I met Pigeonflight here back when I traveled the mountain.” Turning his narrowed gaze to the cowering Pidge. “Yes, you should have known when I didn’t agree to join your clan, when I didn’t agree to be your mate, when I didn’t agree to stay.”

Staring at the small pale she-cat, his anger softened some. With a deep sigh and a few lashes of his tail, he turned back to Smoke. “When the MountainClan cat’s passed by, it was you and Quiet who wanted to talk to them, remember? Anyway, when one of them mentioned leaving cats behind in a barren waste to starve, I panicked because neither Pidgeonflight or Streamheart was among those traveling.” The twitching tom shifted on his paws.

“I didn’t realize you were pregnant.” He continued, sitting down and lashing his tail along the ground. It was embarrassing to admit now that he thought about it. Several of the annoyed lashes of his tail were aimed at himself. “I… I thought that with my added hunting you were finally starting to put on some healthy weight and lose the loner look.” The annoyance he felt at himself didn’t last long.

“I came here to make sure the only nice clan cat I’d ever known wasn’t dead and hadn’t lost another child. And I did." There was almost a soft edge of sorrow as he looked to Pidge. "I'm sorry you find it so hard to move on but I’m not staying." Looking back to Smoke, he continued on. "I was just looking for Pidge so I could say goodbye and head back to the last den I saw you in and track you from there.” He nodded in Pigeonflight's direction as he said the word ‘goodbye’ before giving Smoke a shrug. “But I guess I won’t have to track you since you did that part for me. What a loving mate, aren't I so lucky.”

@belloblossom @kovak

 

[belloblossom]

Smoke wasn't sure what she'd expected Split to say. More than that, she didn't know what she had wanted for him to say. Did she expect this tomcat who was clearly incapable of remorse, to take to her side and comfort her? No. Had she hoped for it, in a secret, soft part of her heart? Yes, it would seem so, for that part of her heart felt like it was being hollowed out. The fire of her anger was burning away and her dreams of being with Split in anything resembling a loving relationship with their kits... it was all going up in smoke.

"You're despicable." She spat at Split. "But at least you're being honest with us now, I should think." Smoke then turned her head to Pigeon, who had revealed herself to be a Clan cat. For a long moment, looking at the small, grey she-cat, the future of a life of returning to Pigeon's clan with the queen flashed through Smoke's mind. Having Quiet and Flameheart bring up Smoke's newest litter and they could all live in the clan together. Spending the moons together, the two queens grooming one another and working through their shared grief, with the solace of their families nearby and the protection of those around them to protect them. The scratches still stung on her cheek, but Smoke found herself in the mindset that she and Pigeon were two victims used by a cruel tomcat. Opening her mouth, she almost suggested it to the other queen - of a future of the two of them, supporting one another through their shared pain caused by the same, horrible tom.

But Pigeon had her own life and she'd only met Smoke recently. It wouldn't be right, for Smoke to force herself upon Pigeon or her Clan, especially after the harm Smoke had done, albeit unknowingly. She closed her mouth and walked over to stand beside Pigeon. She lightly lay her paw over Pigeon's, as the older she-cat had done upon the queens' first meeting; Smoke hoped she could provide what little comfort to Pigeon now, as Pigeon had graced her with.

Turning her head back to Split, her ears slid back against her head.
"It seems I was mistaken, Split. Indeed, you never claimed to love me or desire my company. We are certainly not mates, as I once believed. I won't pretend to think that I know anything about you - how could I, when you never seem to let anyone in? I don't know about your past, beyond the fact that you manipulated Pigeon into loving you: a tomcat who should never be loved." She removed her paw from Pigeon's and took a step towards Split, raising her head high, though her voice was low and menacing. "You are unfit to love, Split, I can see that now. You're no cat, you're a parasite. You lust after cats like Pigeon, or myself, so full of love that we're willing to give and you drink it out of us until there is nothing left. But even that does not sustain you. Your heart cannot be full of the love we give, no matter how much of it we offer and I see now that trying to love you is a lost cause. I have others who will accept and return the love I give them. I'm done wasting my time on you."

Turning her gaze back to Pigeon, she offered a sad, sympathetic smile to the she-cat.
"It's Pigeonflight, right?" She mewed. "You may not wish it from me, but here's a piece of advice from one mother to another. Go back to your daughter and hold her close. This dung-head isn't worth a moment more of your time either. I thank you, Pigeon, for your kindness earlier. I hope that wherever your life takes you, it's far away from him. May you find happiness in your clan and your kin." With that, she dipped her head and turned away from the silver queen. She cast one more look at Split. This was to be their last interaction, she was certain of it.

"Our kits will know of your cruelty, Split, so that they never repeat it to their mates when they grow. You may have fathered them, but you are no father to them. I will not let you suck the life from them, as you have from me." Her throat was getting clogged and for a moment, her steely mask fell away to show the deep despair she felt. "May you get all that you deserve, you pitiful creature." She hissed and then turned away from the two of them. She glanced a final look at Pigeon.

Maybe in a different life. She thought, offering a nod and a smile at the older she-cat, before she turned and strode away. She was going to leave this stupid mountain and never look back. @kovak @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

Split could hardly contain his rage as Smoke continued her tyraid. How could she say that? How could she believe that? It wasn't his fault they had misunderstood his intentions. He truly hadn't noticed Smoke was pregnant and if he had, it would have changed things. Why didn't Smoke understand he wasn't leaving her for good, just taking a trip? Why was it so important that he claim one of them as a mate?

The tom cat had been so certain that Smoke was of the same mind as him; loners who would seek comfort in one another but never really settle down. Turns out that wasn't the case. No, him leaving to make sure the only other kind cat in his life wasn't dead meant that he was unfit for love. How was it that he always made the wrong choice?

"What did you say to her?!" Split hissed at Pidge as Smoke walked away. "Why does she think I manipulated you into loving me? Because I helped hunt for you and keep you warm for one season?" He didn't give the pale timid she-cat time to reply before verbally lashing out again. "It was a mistake to come here. I should have stayed where I was and taken it as a great sign that your clan left you and that miserable offspring of yours to die up on this forsaken mountain. Well, I'm never going to make that mistake again. Goodbye Pidge, forever."

Anger fueling his steps, Split ran from Pigeonflight across the rocky mountain terrain, not exactly following Smoke's path but not veering far from it either.

@belloblossom @kovak