[Deleted]

Goldenpaw was nothing if not massively disappointed that he was shut down by Cherrypool, it was more than obvious she didn’t want his help. Or maybe she really did believe that she was nothing more then a monster, it was an issue the golden tom had to address. “I don’t accept that answer.” He said simply shifting his gaze to meet her as a glare scrunched his visage, “I don’t know who has been telling you that you are nothing but a monster, maybe it’s a whole slew of cats, but I’d figure you would trust me better then they would. I probably know as well as anyone ever will, even that awful creature you call your brother.” Goldenpaw had a good idea exactly who was telling her these things, or at least making her feel like she was no good, worthless, and evil. Anytime he was with Cherrypool after she had been with her brother she was just… different. “Even if you don’t believe that I know more about you then Whiteshade, believe this.” He growled pausing for effect, “I care about you more then any other cat has ever, or most likely ever will. Think about that for a moment.”

[Fawn]

CHERRYPOOL Senior Warrior. LightningClan.

Look at him glaring at you, as though he knows you and what you're really capable of. A high needling voice stabbed it's way across her thoughts, making her visibly wince, her own face scrunching to match his own into a rather unattractive look of pain. Upon bringing up Whiteshade, Cherrypool was immediately able to make the connection that her apprentice blamed that devil in white fur for the way she was behaving, for her reluctance to let him in, to keep him at tail length for his own safety. Cherrypool could've laughed, even if it was only in bitterness it would've at least gotten a chuckle out of her if her chest didn't feel so tight and fur quite so uncomfortable. "What exactly do you think is going to happen once I've let you in, Goldenpaw? That I'll suddenly magically be okay because I have one cat who doesn't think I'm a monster? Do you have any idea what I am trying to protect you from? You don't, do you?" You really don't know. Taking back the control over this entire situation, the albino stood up, tail lashing from one side to the other like a pale-bellied snake, the spiderweb-like blood vessels that caused the redness in her eyes seeming unnaturally large in the sunlight; "You can growl at me all you want, Goldenpaw. You are safer outside of it, and as your mentor it's my job to make sure you're safe, even if the thing I have to protect you from is myself." She would hear no more of this, no matter his pleas. Even if he was right, even if he was the only cat who would ever care about her as much as he did, that was all the more reason to keep him away, to block out the young golden and white tom; it was because he was so special to her that she could never let him in. Not completely. Not when even a little bit would cause him to recoil and run away. If the Clan thought her a monster without proof, what would her apprentice think when he saw the reality behind those bloody eyes of hers? Her paws were far from clean, but the less he knew, the better.

[Deleted]

Goldenpaw was taken aback as his mentor retook the control; he wasn’t at all ready for it and fell back onto his flank looking up at her. In his whole speech he had held an air of dominance and he knew he was in control of the situation however in one fell swoop Cherrypool had collected herself near instantly, she then proceeded to work over Goldenpaw verbally until he was back in his place. It wasn’t mean, but it was clear, and each word felt like the smack of a paw on his body smacking him lower and lower into his crouched stance, his ears laid back and he looked up at her with the look of kit being scolded written all over his features. He waited for her to finish then fell silent, at least for Cherrypool’s sake there wasn’t fear in his eyes. After a drawn out silence he whispered softly, “Y-yes Cherrypool.” He looked down to his paws with his ears still splayed back and ventured softly in rebellion one last time, “If it was the real you… you wouldn’t try to protect me from it… you would just let it have me. What you show me everyday… that’s the real you.”

[Fawn]

CHERRYPOOL Senior Warrior. LightningClan.

Her shoulders lost their fierce rigidness, and the she-cat leaned over to lick each of his ears before straightening. "C'mon Goldenpaw, let's go back to camp." She would love to put this entire conversation behind them, to go back to the way things had been before the entire Nightpaw fiasco - back to the way their bond had originally been. Cherrypool was always wary of relationships evolving; having little to no experience with them, a single fight could be what unraveled everything right in front of her eyes, not a way for two cats to communicate and possibly solidify their bonds by setting aside their differences and clearing the air. Returning to camp feeling as though she'd just gotten through a very tiresome battle training session with her old mentor, Cherrypool didn't even notice the startled looks of the few cats she passed by, saying goodbye to Goldenpaw at the mouth of the apprentices' den - before veering off towards the edges of camp. She didn't want to sit in the warriors' den and just brood, especially when she was likely to bump into Whiteshade. Intending to get as much privacy as one could get short of making her own den, the senior warrior walked off for some much-needed time to think.