Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only Sunshine.
You make me happy, when skies are grey
You'll never know dear
how much I love you
Please don't take, my sunshine away

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Gingerpaw rested his head on the cold ground, staring out over the stream, watching frogs as they hopped around.

He was supposed to be hunting for his assessment, and he felt a cold chill on his spine, as though he was being watched. He rolled over onto his back, and sighed dramatically, "Oh whatever will I do, I stubbed my paw and can not hunt!"

No one answered, but he heard a snap in the trees. He humphed and yelled, "I'll hunt in a few minutes! I'm still tired from waking up!"

To be truthful, he still couldn't get over his father being banished, even though it had been so long ago. It had stunted his training a lot, and he actually had injured his paw the day before failing to protect himself from his mentor during training. With a sigh, he continued to look out over the stream. Something caught his vision, someone walking around. When he saw them, he thought it was his father, but it was just Shortpaw. He snorted and looked blankly at the ground I wonder what it's like having siblings.

Once Shortpaw left sight, he got up and shook out his pelt and pricked his ears to listen for prey. Something caught him off guard though, voices in the trees, voices he recognized. He shot off in the direction of the noise, skidding to a stop in some bushes and looking out of them. He saw his mentor and his father.

"Bunnyclaw, it's good to see you." His father said.

"What are you doing here," Bunnyclaw growled.

"I caught a hare in your territory, and I wanted to give it to someone, I'll leave as soon as you take it. All I ask is you give it to my son."

"He has more important things to do besides accepting rabbits from you. How am I supposed to take this when it could easily be poisoned?"

"Poisoned? I don't think you understand what I'm offering! Rabbits are probably the best prey you could have, especially since leafbare is near?" Frostears meowed, slightly outraged.

"And you want me to give it to a mere apprentice?" He hissed.

"Isn't his assessment today?" He meowed chill-fully, not liking the tone Bunnyclaw had.

Bunnyclaw sneered, "That apprentice can't even bother to catch a mouse! He's lazier than the oldest elder. You think I'll give him such 'important' prey?" His mentor began approaching Frostears, until their muzzles were touching, "I won't give any thing you catch to him. Besides, I think you have a meeting with Starclan today."

"What do you mean?"

Gingerpaw stared as Bunnyclaw rose his paw up and swiped it down on his father's face. Gingerpaw gasped, and leapt out, but Bunnyclaw looked like he was ready. He slammed Gingerpaw to the ground, winding him, "Stay out of this."

Frostears took his oppurtunity to leap at Bunnyclaw, snarling and hissing, they tussled on the ground. When Gingerpaw could finally get up and breathe smoothly, it was too late. Frostears lay between Bunnyclaw's paws, unmoving.

Bunnyclaw was out of breath and heaved before falling to the ground. He looked helplessly at Gingerpaw, "Please, get Yellowfang."

"Get Yellowfang?" He hissed, tears coming to his eyes, "You think I'm gonna get her after you killed my father?"

"You heard Raggedstar's orders-"

"I don't care about Raggedstar's orders!" He snarled, his voice choked by tears. He unsheathed his claws, "You, you killed him, my only happiness, my only light in life."

"Gingerpaw! Don't you dare!" Bunnyclaw snarled, trying to get up, but falling to the ground.

Without a word, Gingerpaw snapped his jaws around Bunnyclaw's neck, biting harder and harder until his shrieks faded, and blood stained the grass. He blankly stared, before realizing what he had done.

Thinking quickly, he ran to camp, and arrived to a patrol. They stared at him, "What happened?"

"Frostears... he came back, he killed Bunnyclaw!"

"Where is he?" One cat meowed.

"D-dead," he stared at the ground, "I ended his life after he killed Bunnyclaw."

"Go to Yellowfang and get some thyme, you look like you're about to pass out." A cat reccomended, "We'll recover Bunnyclaw's body."

"W-wait." He looked up at the patrol, "Can you, bring Frostears body as well? I know he was a traitor, and killed Bunnyclaw, but... he was still my father."

One of the cat's rested his tail on his shoulder, "We won't bring his body back, but I-, we, will allow you to mourn in the forest. With that the patrol left, and Gingerpaw was left alone at the entrance.