The Colony beautiful cruel world | starclan's arrival

[COFFEESTAR]

The dissenters flood into the shadowy tendrils, left in absence of moonlight. Bodies beaten and lain into the ground around the sacred oak trees- Coffeestar had taken Hawthorne away with just seconds to spare his people, yet still so many were lost. The blood-stained frost made her wince, and in their disheveled recovery, the tabby leapt down to the treetops below.

"The stars have seen what you have suffered for." She announced from her perch, expertly descending from the high branches. Stars dappled across her dark pelt, shining despite the still darkness of night. "We will see to end this unnecessary misery." Her gaze cast over the broken and battered after she leapt down, landing atop the jutting stone that hundreds of paws before her ascended. Yet, while never living to see the monument of the Clans of old, it felt right to see her at it's peak.

"Like lions you all fought with courage and bravery behind your leader, and the sacrifice many of you made will not be forgotten any time soon." With a rise of the molly's tail, the spirits of the fallen lifted from their bodies, matching Coffeestar in starstruck appearance. "Your loved one's are not lost to forever, they will join me among the stars, watching over you- their kin- in StarClan. That is where your souls will gather when your time comes to meet them."

Now her eyes meet Hawthorne's, a smile turning up at her maw in his familiarity. "And it is Hawthorne whom StarClan recognizes as your true leader. No longer succeeding his fathers Colony, but succeeding the legacy of ThunderClan! Home of the proudest, bravest warriors in the forest." Her eyes flickered between the oak trees, as if her words reminded her of another thought. "Not this, forest, however." And now she jumped to the cold earth below, leveled with what she expected to be the next generation to Clan life. "This land is sacred, and too much blood has been spilled for it already. Hawthorne will lead you into the true home of ThunderClan, a lush forest abundant in greenery and tall oak trees. There, you will see the life of countless generations before you, and live as they once did."

"If you all truly stand behind your leader, you will be expected to accept and adapt to our way of life. Your names will fit that of a warrior, but that will come later. First..." She looked away from the crowd behind the tom to focus on him again, brushing her muzzle to his ear to speak softly.

One of these cats would be chosen to follow into the same trials he faced. "You must pick a cat who you trust as your second in command. They will be your Deputy, tasked with being where you cannot. In time, the stars will decide which of your loyal followers will be entrusted with the health of your Clan."

Ooc: Any cat who died in the battle may post in this thread as a spirit to say their farewells if they so wish! For this thread only the living cats will be able to speak to and see them before StarClan's brief burst of power dwindles back down.

 

[Leopard]

SO LET GO, YEAH LET GO, JUST GET IN

OH, IT'S SO AMAZING HERE

Leopard rose with a startled gasp; a feeling not unlike being ripped from a deep sleep suddenly and unceremoniously gripping her as she took in surroundings that seemed both familiar and foreign. This was their camp, their home- the only home her daughter had ever known- Her Daughter. Seal. The molly was vaguely aware of her own body lying at her star-speckled paws but that didn't matter now. Where was her daughter? Was she safe?

Yellow eyes scanned the crowd around her, anxiety swelling in Leopard's chest with every second she didn't spy a tell-tale puffball of a tail or wide blue eyes searching for herself. "...Seal! Seal, where are you!?"

Only silence answered. For a brief moment Leopard let the fact that she didn't see the kit present soothe her. At the very least, she did not have to face the heartbreaking possibility of finding her daughter among the throng of star covered cats. A young life cut down far too soon.

"Has anyone seen my daughter..? Where is she?" She finally called out once again, voice watery as she searched the faces of those still living for an answer. Someone had to know, surely?

IT'S ALRIGHT

❀─ ─────'CAUSE THERE'S BEAUTY IN THE BREAKDOWN─────

•  
• 
  
  
  Leopard
  — Colony Cat
  — She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  — A dark grey rosetted tabby with yellow eyes
  #3a7b8e
  

 

[Thornstar]

He is tired in a way that no sleep can mend, exhausted mentally and emotionally broken but it was over. In fleeting bursts of light and leaving trails of shimmering stars, the cats they had lost were gone to join Coffeestar in StarClan and somehow he feels peace. He mourns, yes, but there is an odd comfort in knowing this place they went now when their bodies no longer held them was real, was gentle and kind unlike the world they leave behind. His mismatched eyes close, he feels a heaviness behind his eyelids and forces them open. There are things to do, they have wounds to lick and a move to another area of the forest to prepare for; he knows of the place the StarClan molly had spoken of, shrouded in thick bramble walls for defense with hard earth that can be worn and dug out into proper nests - he can already imagine it now, lined in moss and tufts of fur, his kittens mewling in their safe new home at the belly of his mate who remained at his side. He had been spared the grief of losing her, but...his gaze trails to Juniper, staring into the distance where moments before Sable's tail vanished from view alongside those who still supported him, who fled into the night at his back; perhaps he had been wrong to assume no cat would care to remain at his side when it came to an end. But it was not the cats he expected. Part of him believed she would go, they would follow him after everything and trail off into the marshland beyond where they rarely often went due to its unstable ground and poor hunting. Yet here she was, his best friend and closest confidant at his side still; choosing him and the others over the tom she loved. A tightness wells in his chest, grief for Juniper and also a blossoming of affection for his friend for making such a hard decision, he didn't know if it was one he could have made himself if the roles were reversed.

ThunderClan. the stars whisper. His clan, his legacy - not his fathers but his own. It was strange, in a way, to be told what he fought for was no longer his but something new but he embraced it nonetheless. It was true this ground seeped red, he didn't know if he could sleep knowing his colony mates had been slain so close to where he curled against his mate and kits. Further into the forest prey would be richer, the trees would shield them, the hollowed earth would keep them warm in burrows like foxes. He can see it all so clearly in his mind's eye and it brings with it relief. When the chill of an ethereal nose nudges to his ear to whisper he only nods slowly, turning to find them with wide blue and copper eyes.
He is interrupted by a spotted spirit, dark pelt dappled in light but eyes wide as twin moons; Leopard. He had not seen Seal anywhere since the battle began, since she and several other youth were ushered out to safety, ""We'll find her, she is with the other kits..." Even Sable wouldn't stoop so low as to let a kitten be killed, he had see the way those amber eyes watched in horror as Smudge wailed over her mother.

It was hard to touches noses with a spirit, but he tried to offer what little comfort he could before seeking his friend out once more.
"Junebug-Juniper, you will be my deputy." There is no hesitance in his words, only a faint underlying hint of a question as he gazes at the other with eyes weary and his forearms prickling with dried blood. The blood of her mate is on his teeth and claws, but she still stood here by his side. Part of him wanted Serpent to take this position, but the more selfish voice in his mind wanted her safe from such responsibility, especially while she carried his kits.

 

[serpentberry]

Serpent looks on. Her claws are clean, her teeth stainless - a mark of a true queen, faced with battle yet protected by her knights and noblemen, to the point that harm never truly threatened her. She sees bodies of friend and foe litter the ground, scatter about their home, and grinds her teeth together. They were all one once, when prey was plentiful and comradery was their focus. Had leaffall and leafbare truly torn them in two? She looks among the fallen to see cats she trusted, cut in their primes - cats that she lost trust in, but still held love for. Friends. Oh, how her stomach roils. How her sides tense and cramp and - oh. How the realization sets in with a slow, aching creep.

She heaves in a heavy breath, hiding her discomfort beneath layers of disgust and horror. The stars stir around them, an ethereal voice cutting through the noise in her ears. She watches as forms part from their earthbound bodies, littered with glittering dust and transparent. Leopard calls for her daughter. Others search for their family, for their cause - no matter how lost it is. Serpent holds her tongue, for once, and makes her way to her mate's side.

Is it a comfort to know there is somewhere they will go after? Serpent isn't sure. Her mind whirls with the new information and she instead settles to where she is most comfortable. Any other situation, she would've envied Juniper, would've served Hawthorne a steely look for not picking her as a second. But as the wave of near immobility passes, she decides to dwell her focus elsewhere. They will have a new home, untainted and unyielding. She will birth their kits somewhere that Sable's lackeys will never know personally. Her lover's bloodline will continue selfishly.

 

[Currantpaw]

Currant awoke, her body feeling as light as if she'd just woken up from an excellent nap. It was a harsh awakening however, dissonant with the feeling. It is as if she was splashed with icy water to wake up. The pain was gone. She could breathe and her throat and lungs were no longer full of her life's ichor. Had someone saved her, performed a medical miracle to bring her back?

Her attention is drawn to a cat whose pelt was filled with stars like the night sky. The strange cat announced that Hawthorne was the true leader and the successor of something called Thunderclan. She let out a joyous cry of celebration. Currant began to step towards her leader when another cried out, looking for her daughter, Seal. She recognized Seal's mother as Leopard, but she was shocked to find the molly covered in stars like the strange visitor.

A knot formed in her stomach and she looked down at her own paws, star-speckled like the the others. Beneath them lay her very own body, still stained with the evidence of her death. "Am I really... dead?" She whispered, stumbling backwards in shock.

Currant then looked around frantically for her brother, recalling that he had been there, watching as she died and unable to help her. "Eagle!" She called out with a broken voice.

OOC Note(s) Appearance

• 
  @eaglepaw
  
• 

 

[Flintberry]

FLINT OF STARCLAN

A sharp gulp of air escaped him as he awoke, his breath hitching like someone plunged into icy waters. He staggered to his paws, a shiver wracking his frame as golden hues blinked in confusion, darting around the unfamiliar surroundings. Words drifted toward him, faint yet undeniable, and he frowned as they settled in his mind.

The dissenters had left.

They had left...

But where was Needle? Was she okay? And his brother, he could've sworn he'd seen him last in the chaos. And what about Cinder and Pandora? His ears flicked down as his gaze roamed, searching for familiar faces amidst the fog of his thoughts.

His attention snapped back to the starry cat before him, her form glimmering with an ethereal glow. She spoke of ThunderClan, her voice calm but weighted, and he nodded faintly, though his mind barely processed her words.

Then his eyes found Serpent.

Sadness pulled at his features, raw and unmistakable.

The memories began to flood back, piecing themselves together.

He had been fighting. They all had been. Not her, though, not Serpent... but… Water Snake. His claws clenched as his mind raced. Water Snake... And then he saw… Currant? Why was she there, too, her pelt laced with the same otherworldly starlight? Leopard, too, stood among them, Seal's mother, wasn't she? Her fur glittered, her steps soft, almost weightless.

Oh.

Oh...

The realization hit him like a blow, and his breath caught. His eyes widened as they drifted down, slowly, hesitantly. Stars glimmered along his own paws, the light flickering as if mocking him.

He froze.

Dead.

He was dead.

" No. " he whispered, the denial slipping from his lips. His chest tightened. " Wait… wait, no. That wasn't supposed to— "

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I can feel the light shine on my face

 

[hazelheart]

(🜲) crouched over her child, the brown tabby tenses as quiet fades back into the clearing. her muscles ache, scars reopened, scratches littering her frame, and her fur bushes up along her spine. tense, still snarling, golden eyes find the translucent form of coffeestar. jaw releasing its tension as the ghost speaks, hazel steps off of hyacinth, nosing their soft split fur, checking for wounds. "my little spark," she murmurs, and breathes in their scent. "you're safe." and then there is fear again, fear as her gaze sweeps camp, seeking her other two children, seeking the mottled pelt of her lover.

it is as ghosts rise from the fallen bodies of her former colonymates, ally and enemy alike, that she finds bracken. a scream leaves her lips before she has the time to snap them shut, and she is up and racing across the clearing, a sob tearing from her throat. past hawthorne, who bends to speak to juniper, past serpent, past the ghostly form of leopard, who howls for her kit. russet and blue slumps on the ground, crimson pooling beneath. earthen paws thunder closer, splashed with blood, and hazel can feel her vision darkening. tears well in her eyes as she reaches him, collapsing next to the body of her mate.

"bracken, oh my love," she murmurs, and buries her nose into his soft pelt. honeysuckle crouches near and the queen pulls her daughter to her, vaguely aware of scarlet seeping from the girl's eye. "no, no... no!" another sob, more wretched than the first, pouring from her in waves. "who did this? who?" frantic, tail lashing, ears pinned to the sides of her head, she finds her daughter again. "who, honey?"

above her, starlight bursts in thousands of colors, an etherial form rising from the body of her now cold lover. she does not see it, too buried in his corpse.

I NEED MY GOLDEN CROWN OF SORROW 🜲 MY BLOODY SWORD TO SWING

• // comforting @hyacinth, looking for @Magnolia, finding @honeysuckle and @BRACKEN " #b8a300"
• 
• HAZEL 🜲 SHE / HER, WARRIOR OF THUNDERCLAN. 54 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a stocky, medium-haired brown tabby with hazel eyes. this is a large cat with a rippling musculature. hazel's frame is wide and tall, shoulders broad, muzzle and eyes heavy in her skull. chestnut and chocolate fur swirl across her pelt, sliced through with tabby stripes of shadow. her eyes invoke images of a sweet summer's day, honey and brown mingling into a soft amber gold

 

[Cinder]

I was born in a flame

Mama said that everyone would know my name

​

With a rush of air being taken in and a gasp escaping his maw, the split colored tabby jolted upward after what seemed like minutes of blank darkness. Dual colored eyes were wide as a light coughing took him at finally feeling air in his lungs. A paw came upwards, reaching all along his throat and chest, claws searching for the wound that he knew was there. Yet it was nothing but fur...

'Was it all a dream?' His paw pulled away and he looked down at it, searching for the tell tale blood that would show that his memories were real. But what he saw was something which drove him into more confusion. On top of there not being blood, his paw was glittering, like a river that had the sun pouring its rays over the flowing waters. It made him blink, not once, not twice, but three times.

Suddenly the realization of where he was made him lift his gaze and jerk his head around. They were still on the battle field. Cats were crying out for their loved ones. There were others like him to, shrouded in glittering stars as they seemed to rise from the bodies that adorned the field. There was even one he didn't recognize, a stranger whispering into Hawthorne's ear. He wanted to growl. Wanted to attack and make sure the retreat wasn't in vain. But...he felt eyes on him... A familiar sensation that caused him to whip around and land his own gaze on the greyscale tom that felt so familiar.

His lips peeled back in a growl, remembering the pain that the other brought him only a few moment ago. A step was made, then another. Another would be placed down but this step made him freeze as it touched against a something that was growing cold. The growling stopped and dual eyes slipped downward...to stare into his own blank gaze.

Suddenly, everything melted around him. The anger that he felt flitted away like the wind and Cinder was left standing atop his body with a look of disbelief. Ear slowly swiveling backwards, pressing hard against his skull as he tried meekly to press a paw against the skull of his physical form. It lolled to the side with no resistance and Cinder couldn't help but instinctually pull back, like he had done something blasphemous. Once again, his gaze looked around at the others before it settled once again on himself.

"I....I'm... I'm really dead... It....It wasnt a dream." Of course it wasn't. They weren't the ones asleep when the ambush happened. They had been awake, waiting for the other side to be resting in their dens when they chose to move. "But why... Why are we still here then..." Having been to busy waking to catch the strange cats explanation, Cinders eyes once again found golden hues. He stared at the tom, his murderer, hoping for some kind of answer.
​

OOC ✧❦✧ Basic Info

• ooc
  —— Cinder did not hear Coffeestar's words! Interacting with @Ravensmoke (his killer) but open to anyone!
• 
  string of lyrics / lengty or short quote goes

  here

  ​
  ​
• Cinder He/Him
  ❂ An Average Sized Short Haired Red Tabby / Blue Tabby Chimera with One Green Eye and One Blue
  ❂ Warrior of the Colony / Doomed to Die
  ❂ 18 moons; Would age on the 12th of every month
  ❂ speech thought attack
  ❂ peaceful + healing powerplay permitted
  
  penned by Taru​

​

 

[juniperstar]

juniper

it is an unbelievable tale of fiction... or at least she keeps hoping that will be the case. any moment now she'll wake up, tucked up in her nest with locks of snow and shadow fur pressed against her back to keep her warm. the numbness of her paws asks for saving, pleads for that to be the reality they wander through and yet...

the brush does not move. it is as still as the moment he'd passed through it, not even sparing her a single glance. her jaw clenches, wondering what must've been going through his head as he'd raced off into the shade, the dark... did he even think of her at all? was he out there right now, apologizing and keening for what a nightmarish mistake he'd made?

maybe that was just wishful thinking... a heart murmuring what it so desperately wants to be the truth. and truth finds her in somber, familiar tones... ones that not but moments prior the spotted cat wondered if they'd ever hear again. had sable been successful would he have- "Junebug."

tufted ears turn towards him, the gears of their head taking longer to catch up as seafoam trails towards the shore with half-vacant attention. their lips feel dry and in an effort to pull themself together, their tongue hurries across them, a hoarse, "Always," promised on a breath. muscles crack the ice from their surface, a solid step to follow, a confirmation that there was no more dreaming.

somewhere distant but not distant enough she can make out Hazel's voice, a gut-wrenching cry so loud it's hard to ignore- her vision trails towards her, the syllables of a name she'd been calling since the day he was born clicking in slow reveal in her head. Hazel was not screaming in joyous relief, there is too much anguish in her tone... and with transfixed horror it isn't just Coffeestar's figure that stands before them, dotted in starlight and heavenly promise.

there is nothing but that ice again... consuming, terrifying frost as crimson becomes a cruel focal point- who had- why? they do not run to him, overwhelmed by guilt, as if it is her own claws stained in her brother's blood. it had been Sable's call to action to have caused it- she should've- could she have- Why spare me... Just to endure this instead? Why keep me here? did Gray know this would happen? was in cahoots to wrap chains around her wrists and bleed every last drop of her kin's blood before her eyes? He wouldn't....

but so desperately she wanted someone else to blame...

"Hawthorne... tell me you can't see him too...." deny it. promise her his soul still clings to his body with rapturous yearning to live. Juniper had been so hesitant to see Fray buried... to have to lay her baby brother to rest felt like being strangled.

-- @Hawthorne , mentions @hazel @BRACKEN [crying]

 

[COFFEESTAR]

She can feel the ethereal power waning as each soul rose from their mortal forms. It crackled against the bursting patter of starlight across her pelt, like each star within fizzled and popped for every moment she overstayed. They were saying their goodbyes now, Hawthorne picked his second in command, the rest was up to them to restore greatness in the forest once more. Her chest puffed in pride to see how quickly the tom took to her instruction, eager to prove himself. Eager to be the man he promised as StarClan's chosen.

"You will need to journey north, towards a land called Highstones. You will see a cave and within it is the moonstone. There, you will be able to receive your gifts from StarClan. You shouldn't wait once you have found your new home." Another pang as the last of the souls awoke rippled down to her tail. "We cannot stay any longer, this world is still meant for the living." Coffeestar turned away from Hawthorne now to address the frantic and confused spirits.

"Follow me if you wish to watch over your kind in the sanctuary of the stars. We have much to discuss." StarClan would finally find itself restored back to its original glory. Though they didn't know it yet, their lives were far from over, and they would be reborn as faithful, wise ancestors to lead their kin back home.

One last grand wave of her tail and they all began to fade from the bloodied clearing, leaving not even a wisp of evidence behind that they appeared at all.

//if your character has chosen to follow coffeestar to starclan, hello and congratulations! you are free to make threads of ur dead cats interacting with one another or watching over the events of their living friends and family :D

 

[Ravensmoke]

RAVEN OF THE COLONY

Raven's trembling form seemed to fold into itself, his golden eyes dim and haunted as they darted between the lifeless body and the shimmering figure of the StarClan cat. The words spoken by the celestial figure, praise of bravery, courage, and legacy, felt hollow, as though meant for someone else. Certainly not him.

He had taken a life. Cinder's life.

His chest heaved as he tried to force air into his lungs, but each breath felt like swallowing shards of glass. The battlefield seemed distant now, the cacophony muted against the pounding in his head. " We killed others... " His voice cracked, hoarse and raw, barely audible. Did the star-touched cat even hear him? Did she care?

His gaze flicked to Cinder... or what was left of him. The shimmering aura of stars clung to the other tom's fur, highlighting the sharp angles of his form as he moved. Raven's breath hitched as he watched the once-rival approach his own lifeless body.

Then it happened. Cinder stepped forward, his translucent form stumbling, falling into the hollow shell he had left behind. The sight struck Raven like a blow, and his stomach churned violently. He turned his head, unable to watch, yet the image was already seared into his mind.

" ... I'm sorry... " The words tumbled out, soft and broken, as he fixed his eyes on the ground. They felt inadequate, too small for the magnitude of his guilt. He wasn't even sure who he was apologizing to... Cinder, himself, or the universe that had allowed this to happen. " The cat... She... She spoke of... Of this being a sacred place... Too much buh... blood... " he stumbled over his words, like a kit just learning how to speak...

The StarClan cat spoke again, her ethereal voice cutting through the haze of his thoughts. She called to those who had fallen, urging them to join her in the stars. Raven's head snapped up, panic flashing in his golden eyes.

Would Cinder go?

Raven's throat tightened. He wanted to say something, to reach out, to stop him. But no words came. What could he possibly say? He felt the tremble in his limbs turn to a shudder as the reality of the moment solidified. He had done this. Cinder was dead because of him. Was this truly the end, or just another beginning? For Cinder, for him, for all the cats left behind to grapple with the weight of their choices?

"IN THE DARK, I HEARD MY NAME." ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— "Lift your broken crown, and let's be warriors."

 

[BRACKEN]

It had been like falling asleep. Bracken wakes with the blink-and-it's-morning feeling of disjointed time passing, aware of an unfamiliar voice stirring his very soul back to life. Not life, though ... something else. Grizzled features, visibly younger post-mortem in the way that they had been when his kits were first born, pinch with an emotion caught between confusion and consternation as he looks upon his grieving kin. Hazel gathers their kits to her side, wails his name, presses her nose into his pelt - his corpse, Bracken realises with a dulled sense of surprise.

"Hazel, my love, my heart." Bracken murmurs, and his breath does not stir the oaken strands at her ears where he presses his muzzle. The rasp of his tongue would not smooth her fur, but he hopes she would know the tenderness of his action. His eyes are soft as he feels the tug of ethereal wind at his fur, but he resists it for a heartbeat. Long enough to say his goodbyes.

"Did you hear what she said, my heart? There's a Clan beyond death ... I will love you with every warm breeze you feel in your fur, with every piece of prey you catch." A sense of overwhelm grips him then, but he musters one more stern - loving, but firm - look towards his patch-furred litter: "Kits, behave for your mother and Juniper. You're big and strong now, my flowers ... I love yo..."

He fades then, his gruff meow ringing in the ears of his kin, the soft light where his spirit had stood gone. All that remains is the stillness of his bloodied body, unmoving in the night.

​

☼ WATCH ME BURN

•  
• 
  
  BRACKEN ☼ penned by wren
  — — he/they, colony cat starclan warrior
  — — a broad, tufted blue-and-red tabby tom with white patches and amber eyes. often serious-looking, but kindly in demeanour.
  — — mate to hazel ; father to magnolia, honeysuckle, hyacinth
  
  

 

[Magnoliapeak]

𓆝 . ° ✦

As soon as the battle has ceased, Magnolia seeks her small family among the carnage. She knows better than to gaze into the eyes of her fallen colonymates, to hold onto hope that her family has come out on the other side of this alive and well. As she picks her way over bodies and through reunions both tearful and joyful, Magnolia spots the fur of her mother and sisters gathered nearby and darts forward to join them. But her relief is short-lived. Horror washes over her when she sees the slumped form of Bracken on the cold forest floor, and a lingering, glimmering figure of him standing nearby.

Magnolia can barely process his voice, blearily watching over her grieving family and his fading form. She sways in her stature, and finally moves to press her nose into the fur of his face. He is still warm. Magnolia shudders. Through the deafness brought on by her grief, Bracken's voice finally reaches her. His final 'I love you' to her mother, herself, and her sisters. And she pulls herself from his body just as he disappears into soft light. It had not been enough of a goodbye.

"No... No, no..." The words spill from between Magnolia's jaws. They are strangled and stuttered, and it's all that she can manage to not crumple into the fur of her father's body. She shudders, stiffening in some effort to stop herself from collapsing. She is considered the strongest among her sisters, and now that Bracken is gone she must be even stronger for her sisters and her mother. Magnolia sets her jaw and swallows her grief, though a shuddered breath of sadness climbs out of her throat. "They will pay for this, I swear to you," Magnolia finds she's buried her face into his fur once more "I love you, father. Goodbye."

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  MAGNOLIA — SHE/HER ･ 21 MOONS ･ WARRIOR & THUNDERCLAN ･ PENNED BY CARAT!

  dilute tortoiseshell with amber eyes. here too.

 

[Flintberry]

FLINT OF STARCLAN

Flint's golden eyes searched desperately, scanning every familiar face, every shadow, every corner of the gathering. His heart thudded in his chest, aching with the weight of an unspoken truth. He needed to see her, to find Needle alive and well, standing among the star-touched cats or hidden in the crowd. But no matter how long he searched, she wasn't there.

The realization struck him like a physical blow. She was gone.

He swallowed hard, his claws digging into the ground as the pain swelled in his chest. He had waited too long, held back too many times. For moons, he had admired her, cherished every moment they spent together. He had dreamed of confessing his feelings, of starting a life with her, of sharing a future filled with love and joy. And now that future was lost, snatched away before he could even take the first step.

A soft, broken noise escaped him, a sound of grief too raw to be hidden. His gaze landed on Serpent, his mind a whirl of memories and regrets. He had to say something, to speak for Needle, to ensure her memory wouldn't fade into silence.

" She didn't want to harm you. " he said, his voice trembling as he forced the words out. " She fretted over your wellbeing... the kits... you… " His golden eyes searched Serpent's for a glimmer of understanding, but the weight of his grief made it hard to hold the other's gaze.

Flint's eyes flicked to Water Snake, then back to Serpent. " She is a good cat. " he added quietly, his voice breaking on the last word. His thoughts drifted back to Needle, to the life they might have had. His heart clenched, and he closed his eyes, trying to find the courage to say what he'd never been able to say to her.

" I know I will never have the chance to tell you now... but I love you, Needle. " The words were a whisper, a prayer cast to the stars. His tail drooped, and he dipped his head, the light of the stars drawing him closer to their realm.

He turned toward Coffeestar, his steps heavy with sorrow, but he paused and looked back one last time. His golden eyes found Serpent's. " Be well. " he said softly, his voice steady despite the pain that laced his words. " Look after your babies. "

A voice called his name, one that had accompanied him through every trial and triumph. He turned to see Copper, his brother, staring at him with wide, horrified eyes. Pandora stood beside him, her gaze filled with understanding. Flint's heart ached anew, but he forced a faint smile.

" Farewell, brother. " he whispered, his voice carrying a mix of sorrow and love.

With those final words, Flint turned away. The light of the stars shimmered brighter around him as his paws touched the ground one last time. Then, as gently as a breeze, he faded into the starlit sky, leaving behind only memories and the unspoken love that would live forever in his heart.

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I can feel the light shine on my face

mention of @serpentberry @Water Snake and @Needle

 

[wind]

She couldn't believe it... That big, stupid brute had murdered her over food! She ignores the fact she was willing to do the same, too transfixed on the state of her paws... their translucence, that fact she gets a chance to witness her own corpse under her paws. Her frustration grows with every second that the pool of blood spreads wider and wider, reaching its tipping point when some strange apparition waves her tail like a flag to declare the foundation of a clan. And to name it that lumbering blood-thirster?! Her indignation is clear on her face as she scowls towards Coffeestar, chirping up with a retort, "Ah jeez way to pick the lamest possible name for them, huh? You're gonna name it after that guy?" A ghastly tail whips towards the fluttering rise and fall of chocolate dusted fur. If she were lucky enough, he'd just take his last breath now and she could pile drive him in the afterlife too...

But his spirit doesn't stand from its vessel and already the spirits around her dissipate towards their new home. Her new home... if she'll have it. With a dejected sigh her gaze snaps towards Thunder with a malicious grin, "I'll get my rematch when you finally croak, fleabag. Count on it..."

Her threat will mean nothing in the heavens that run rampant with prey... where there is no need to fight. Maybe that promised peace will be enough to sate her dying temper.

-- interacting with @COFFEESTAR and @THUNDERFLASH before disappearing

 

[serpentberry]

She holds in her silence. Hawthorne is drawn to peer at a fallen Bracken, Juniper begging him to call her blind whilst his mate and daughters wail into the night. Cinder and Raven discuss the matters of life and death, both so terribly bewildered by the circumstances that they cannot fathom one another so clearly. Wind, even, bites into the air a sour take of her own end, damning the tom that seems to share a name with their new moniker. Her silence is all she has while she waits, clean yet tired -

And yet, a broken sob of a dead man draws her attention.

She tried ignoring him at first, as if Flint's spirit could be warded away by simply not acknowledging him. But he began speaking, spilling his heart, tearing her own open in the interim. She swallows the lump in her throat and presses closer to Hawthorne, wanting some comfort of her own. What does she say? Sorry? That will do nothing but waste her own breath. Still, Serpent watches him, and before he drifts away, she says, "I will tell her." It's not hers to share, but responsibility is somehow given to her shoulders regardless. She grinds her teeth, "If she does not find you in the stars, first. She will know."

If he hears her, she does not know. He takes a step and disappears into the ether, and again, Serpent returns to despondence, her tail curling tighter around her body.

 

[hyacinthrain]

The world's cruelty showed first to Hyacinth, when the frost took the flowers when she was young- watching with soft eyes that beaded tears as they watched them wither away, and the trees losing their leaves as if they were crying for the flowers too. No one seemed to share the views, but they saw it, as fall overtook when they were little, they would watch the snow and frost eat everything alive, with barely a crumb that could survive.

But this was a harsher reality, as they stood nearly two years old. So long, of drawing claws to get a mere bite to eat. Of holding teeth near necks to get the point across- but why, why couldn't Hawthorne have a moment to morne? Why did they all have to endure loss? For now, their heart wept for the bodies, as their mother sniffed a cold nose to their multicoloured pelt, blood soaked from not of the enemy, but their own. Deep wounds down their cheek and neck, claw marks down their hip and stomach- it would be hidden as they fluffed their pelt against the cold. "Mama .. thank you for... Thanks for being there." Hyacinth purred, nuzzling into hazels cheek , trying their best to fight back the tears that threatened to spill. They had to be strong. They always fought to be strong.

It wasn't long, before Hazel left, and hyacinth took a moment to let their head drop, to clench their teeth as they felt their heart want to escape it's brutal cage of their ribs. But a cry, a wail made the sun glaring off the depths of water look up, bicoloured eyes somber as they heard Hazel let out a heart splitting wail.

Their body moved faster then even in the heat of battle, bodies a whirlwind around them as they frantically joined their mothers side- no, no no! ​

And she saw it as she ran, saw the star cloaked bodies begin to rise from the corpses, tears streaked their cheeks as they clenched their teeth in a loud sob. If ever, their heart broke, it must have shattered into a million pieces, for as they looked up to their dad, they moved to shove their head into their star glittered chest. "I love you too, please- dont-" but it was too late, the image dissipating into the sky, as if he was never even there.

Hyacinth let out a heartbroken wail, head turning to the skies. For if they had not distracted Hazel, their mom could've protected poppa. And in their heart, they felt it was true.

It's my fault, please, don't go. Take me instead.