This is legal, and not because I'm an admin. (Flashback Episode)

Cody licked his muzzle clean of blood when he finished his latest meal. It was hard to find it, but he found it. A nice, thin, rabbit. Mm. Yep, that's the good stuff. But, really, it was pretty suckish and he was still hungry on top of that he had to get some food for his mate too. Ah, so much work for the family man.

He left the carcass there, not caring to bury or whatever clan cats did. He didn't see the need to. Off he was again, anyhow, looking for more food. Man, he could barely scent a thing since it was all gone. It was weird, having everything smell so stale.

Vixenstep padded through the moorland, her fur several shades darker than it was meant to be because of the continuous rain. She was going to visit Goldenstorm's parents, as she had a few questions to ask them. Flicking her fluffy orange tail, she bounded towards their den. It wasn't long before she caught sight of Cody, Goldenstorm's father. "Hey!" she yowled, racing over.

Cody pricked his ears and looked behind him when he suddenly heard someone call out. At first, he thought it was some clancat trying to drive him off. Of course, he was already ready for a fight. He spun around, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, but then he saw it was just Goldenstorm's little girlfriend Vixenwhatever.

He growled at her, not relaxing his step. "What do you want?" He asked her as she neared. He liked her less than he liked his "son". He was glad they didn't come back and see them again. He wasn't going to have it if they'd had, but here came Vixensomething.

He ought to rip an ear off.

"I need to ask you something!" she snapped back, irritated at his tone. Vixenstep slowed to a halt a tail-length or so away, her tail waving. She didn't particularly enjoy coming out here like this but she had to know. For Goldenstorm's sake.

"Well spit it out already," he growled, "I don't exactly like hanging around you." She-cats, they always acted like you had all of the time in the world. He couldn't just stand around and try to figure out what so important.

"The feeling is mutual," Vixenstep growled. With a lash of her tail, she asked, "I want to know why you dislike Goldenstorm so much."

Cody growled. Oh, not this. "How hard is it to figure out?" He growled, flexing his claws, almost itching to fight. "I don't like your slimy toad of a mate because barged into my home spouting his mess about being my son even if I hadn't seen him in my entire life." He hissed at her as he explained himself, even if he didn't want to. "You and that sorry excuse for a cat tried to drag us into your clan crap." That's why he hated him, among other reasons.

"We didn't try to drag you into anything!" Vixenstep argued. "We only came to see if Heatherpelt- I mean Myth was still alive!" Her claws flashed out upon sight of his.

"And then you figured it out," he hissed. "You should have left and kept your hides intact, but instead you wanted to hang around for whatever reason." Cody scrapped into the ground with his claws, his muscles tensing. He almost looked like he'd jump right then. "If I told you to leave this time, would you go? Or just hang around?"

An angry scowl lit her face. "Information is important to Clan cats!" she hissed. Then she tensed. "I don't have anyone to hold me back this time!"

Cody growled, but didn't attack her yet. He really couldn't, out in the open like this. Any of the cats in the clan could just waltz in, see them, and then his hide would be on the line, so he stood his ground, his eye fierce. "Well what must you know. You aren't going to ask me worthless questions all day, are you?"

"Not all day. I have better things to do than interrogate a flea-brain for that amount of time." Vixensteps smirked slightly. "Tell me the truth. ever seen Goldenstorm, before that day?"

"Of course not," he growled. "If I'd seen him before you think I would have attacked him without asking questions first?" He wasn't completely set on fighting. Any fighting he did was primarily defense. He was almost insulted at the thought that he would just attack him just to attack him. Yes, he'd probably still lie for Myth, but he would do it for her sake.

Amber eyes questioning, she asked, "Has Myth ever mentioned having a son? Or even kits, for that matter?" Vixenstep wanted to know. Just as Cody would lie and fight for Myth, she would question and fight for Goldenstorm.

Cody sighed, obviously there was no getting away from this. "No, she didn't." He mewed as he started to sit down, the same empathy from their last encounter coming back over him. He didn't put his guard down, he just sat. "Why do you want to know so much? What do you even care for? He knows what he wants to know or wants to believe, isn't that good enough for you?"

Vixenstep looked down. "I want to know, because I care for him. Maybe even more than my own brother." A stiff wind blew through her pelt, exposing the skin in some places. She shuddered slightly but went on, "I don't want to see him in pain, and I want to know as much about him as I can."

Cody grunted. "I knew you two had a thing for each other," he mewed without much care. he flicked a tail absentmindedly. She wanted to know everything she could so she wouldn't hurt him. Hurt him with what? He didn't think there was much of anything. "Look, I can't help you with any information about Goldenstorm, or whatever his name was supposed to be. If I knew more, don't you think things would have been a little different?"

She looked up, eyes flashing. "You would have done the same thing, even if you'd known," she grumbled. "Why would it be any different?"

Cody's fur bristled from the accusation. He ground his claws into the dirt and hissed at Vixenstep, baring his teeth. How dare she say such a thing! "What makes you think that I would have done the same thing?" He growled. "Just because I'm a loner it means that I would just throw away my own kits for selfish reasons? You think I would have just agreed with Myth without a second thought, like it was so easy?" He'd gotten up as he'd spoken, stepping closer to Vixenstep with every word, anger bringing him on. "I had no say in any of this."

Vixenstep's eyes never changed from their cold expression. "I never said that," she growled. "I said it wouldn't have changed the things you did to Goldenstorm at our last meeting. If he was already gone and she told you long after."

"Actually you bratty cat, it would have changed more than you think." A lot more, it would have. Had he known things probably would have gone in a whole new direction. There'd be more talking than fighting, more acceptance really. But that was gone and unobtainable now.

He looked at Vixenstep closely now, and realized she was a lot thinner from their last encounter, but weren't they all? The time of good food seemed long gone.

"Then tell me." Her eyes narrowed, but she visibly leaned back, ever so slightly. She didn't want to fight.

Cody sighed irritably. He shouldn't have to explain everything. "Had I known that he'd ever existed then I would have looked for him and there wouldn't have been a fight in the first place. Had I known the thought of what had happened that day would have been unthinkable." Cody's eyes darkened as he looked back at Vixenstep's cold ones. "If I'd know I probably wouldn't still be a loner," he trailed off at the thought of being a clan cat and a shudder passed through him.

He didn't want to do it. He didn't think he could ever do it. But if he could have been told then he would have done it in that situation. "He doesn't have any siblings, does he?" Cody suddenly asked, more worried now that he could have a pack of vengeful, nameless kin to deal with.

Her eyes lit with some kind of emotion not even she could identify. "No. Just Goldenstorm." she confirmed. Vixenstep suddenly shook her head. "Sorry, I've been a nuisance," she exclaimed, standing. "But I do believe Goldenstorm would be happier if at least one of his kin would live past this terrible time." She took a deep breath.

Cody grunted. "Well I'm sure he'd love his mother to live with him until she died since he came for her in the first place." Cody didn't like Goldenstorm and he was sure the cat had mutual feelings. He still held some grudge against him, a grudge that he only identified as anger towards him barging into his home, because to him, that was all it needed to be.