Her Heart Wasn't Big Enough

"Hold on, Honeypaw! Slow down!" Called a grey she-cat. The cat she was chasing, Honeypaw, giggled playfully.

"I cant help that you're so slow, Quailpaw!" She came to a stop in front of Quailpaw, bonking their noses together. The impact caused the two to topple over onto each other.

"You've got to slow your roll!" Quailpaw laughed as she sat up. Honeypaw sat up as well.

"Well, you know I run hot! Hey, you've got a little somethin' somethin' there." Honeypaw reached towards a smudge of dirt on Quailpaw's cheek.

"Oh, uhm, thanks." Quailpaw's looked at the ground as her face began to blush. Honeypaw smiled, lifting her face up with a paw.

"You dont have to be embarrassed, Quailpaw. She's not here; no one can see us."

"Are you sure about that, Honeypaw?" A harsh voice spoke up. The two she-cats whipped around to see Creameyes, Quailpaw's mother. She was accompanied by Dovepaw and Bearblood.

"W-what are you doing here?" Quailpaw moved away from Honeypaw instantly.

"You two missed Training. We are very disappointed in you." Creameyes seemed to be saying this more at Quailpaw than Honeypaw.

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am. It wont happen again." Quailpaw said this with defeat in her voice.

"I'd sure as hell hope not. Now go think about what you've done while picking ticks out of the Elders' pelts. Both of you." The two got up and began going to the Elder's Den. Quailpaw looked toward her Mentor, Bearblood, as they left. She looked annoyed.

"Phew, that was close! I thought she was gonna rip my fur out, especially with her being my Mentor and all!" Honeypaw chirped, going to rub her head against Quailpaw's cheek. But the grey she-cat avoided it.

"Quailpaw?"

"Not right now, Honeypaw. Just leave me alone.."

"Oh.. okay.." The walked in silence all the way to the Elders' Den. While Honeypaw began to clean the oldest Elder, Lavendertorrent, Quailpaw decided to start with Howlprance.

"Hello, Howlprance. Do you have any ticks?" Quailpaw began to prepare the mouse bile.

"Just a couple, dear. There's a one behind my ears and at the base of my tail." Quailpaw sighed heavily as she moved closer to Howlprance's tail.

"This shouldn't hurt." Quailpaw began to rub the mouse bile over the swollen tick.

"Is something bothering you, dear?" Howlprance asked.

"W-why do you ask?"

"You just seem upset. What's wrong? You know you can always talk to me, Quailpaw."

"It's.. my mother. She doesn't like me. She hates me." Quailpaw removed the first tick, now noticing a second on the other side of her tail.

"I dont think she hates you, Quailpaw. What makes you think that?"

"She doesn't like.. uhm.. me and her." Quailpaw was trying to be vague. Howlprance had already known she was talking about, however.

"Listen, Quailpaw. Back in my day, way before your mother, it was different than it is today. There only was toms and she-cats together, and nothing else." Quailpaw tried to focus on removing the ticks, very embarrassed by the conversation they were having.

"I dont understand your relationship with Honeypaw because I only ever grew up with these "normal" relationships. But just because I do not agree with what you and Honeypaw feel for each other does not mean I hate you. You're like my granddaughter." Howlprance smiled as Quailpaw picked the last tick off of her ears.

"Thank you, Quailpaw." Quailpaw was still thinking about Howlprance's words.

"No problem, Howlprance." As she began to walk away, Howlprance called her name.

"Oh, and Quailpaw?"

"Yes?"

"Talk to your mother. Sometimes all you need to do is talk."

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Quailpaw finished her journey to find her mother, who was close to the Adder Stones.

"Mom?" Quailpaw walked up to Creameyes, heart pounding. She was sharpening her claws on a rock.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Can we.. talk?" Creameyes looked at her.

"Talk? Why would you want to do that?"

"Can we just talk?" Creameyes narrowed her eyes.

"Fine. What do you want?"

"Mom, I uhm.. you know Honeypaw. I mean, uh, of course you do; she's your Apprentice. Well, uhm, y'know-"

"Just get to the damn point." Creameyes growled, continuing to sharpen her claws.

"I think I, uhm, have feelings.. for her.. romantically?" Creameyes' claws made a record scratch noise.

"What did you just say to me?" Her glare felt sharp enough to pierce Quailpaw's soul.

"I.. uhm-" Creameyes cut her off.

"You're just confused. I'll ask Crabface to talk to you. I'm sure he will be happy to how Greypaw how to deal with.. people like you." Quailpaw flattened her ears, thinking about what Howlprance told her.

"I dont need to see a Medicine Cat, Mom! I'm not sick!"

"Oh, you most certainly are sick. You're sick in the head!" She rose to her paws, looming over the much shorter Quailpaw.

"Out of the two of us, I only see one cat who is sick in the head; and that's you!"

"Who do you think you are, 'paw? I think you forget your place." Creameyes' lips and nose began to twitch with anger

"I'm in love with her, Mom! I dont care that we're both she-cats; it doesn't matter! If she can love me, why cant you? Why is your heart not big enough for your own daughter for StarClan's sake!" Creameyes snarled, swiping a claw across Quailpaw's nose.

"Because you make me sick! You're NOTHING, Quailpaw. You are a StarClan-dammned EMBARRASMENT. Your father did not fight and die for his Clan just so that the heir to his legacy could be a disgusting queer like you."

"Mom-"

"Dont you say another word. Y'know what?" She laughed. "Dont ever speak to me again. If SummitClan is a place where your kind is welcome, then I want nothing to do with it. I've been thinking of doing this for a while, Quailpaw. I'm glad your patheticness gave me an actual reason. Goodbye, Quailpaw. I hope I never have to come across you again. You are no daughter of mine."

She turned towards the SummitClan border and began to run. Quailpaw fell to her knees.

"Mom? MOM?! Come back, please! I'll change; I'll do anything! Mom?!" Quailpaw wailed, wiping blood from her nose. Creameyes was quickly out of her sight.

Quailpaw's wails turned to whimpers, and eventually to silence. All she could hear was birds chirping and wind blowing. Quailpaw looked towards the direction where Creameyes ran.

"Mommy..?" Quailpaw thought she would come back. But she never did. 

Her heart wasn't big enough. And it never would be.