TW: Sensitive Content SkyClan Journey 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕦𝕤𝕦𝕒𝕝, 𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕪 || Drowning

[Ponypaw]

~

indent Ponypaw watches on helplessly as her clanmates tussle with the fox. She can barely see them through the fog. She only catches small snippets of what's going on, when the battle grows near enough to break through the fog. There's the the tip of Wolfstorm's fluffy tail, and the sweet butterfly on Cherryheart's collar. She's strained to try and see anymore than that. When the group recedes from her, she panics, rushing forward to try and catch a glimpse of her clanmates, but it's too late. They're out of her view for now. She'll have to rely on her other senses, in order to find her way back.

indent'Close your eyes, focus on your sense of smell and hearing... it's just like you're hunting, alright?'

indentPonypaw allows her eyes to fall shut, and opens her mouth to draw in a shaky, gasping breath. The biting cold makes it difficult, but she can still pick out the smells - The familiar scent of her friends is mixed with the foreign sense of the fox, all of which is covered in the metallic sting of blood. Ponypaw shudders. She needs to make her way back, soon, before something really bad happens.

indentShe begins to make her way towards the sound of conflict, before another voice calls her attention.

indent"Ponypaw, come over here, please."

indent That voice! That warm, comforting timbre, that she had been longing to hear. It was Coffeestar! She must have come down from starclan, to guide Ponypaw back to the group.

indent "Coffeestar!" Ponypaw shouts, walking deeper into the fog. "I'm coming, wait up!"

indent"Hurry, Ponypaw."

indent As Ponypaw walks towards her former leader, she can feel the ground change beneath her feet. What started as sharp, pointy bits of gravel turn to smooth, snow dusted riverstones, which turn into the unmistakable texture of smooth, cold ice.

indent "Coffeestar? Where are we going?"

indentIs she going the right way? It seems strange that Coffeestar would call her all the way over here. Ponypaw was homesick, though. Coffeestar's voice was a balm for her aching heart, and she was desperate to find her. In her haste, she failed to notice the crackle of the ice between her feet.

indentIn an instant, Ponypaw is plunged into the blackness and biting cold of the river she had found herself unwittingly crossing. She managed to struggle for a few moments, keeping her head above water, but she eventually succumbs to the cold, and sinks below the water.

~

[Lets give it a few posts before Pony gets fished out, okay? This is supposed to be a high tension scene! I'll let you know when it's okay to get her out - and don't worry, i'm definitely not killing her here!]
[foxfight tags - @WOLFSTORM @flowercloud @Cherrii]

 

[Teaselpaw]

TEASELPAW

Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

Teaselpaw's breath quickened as they stood frozen, their mismatched eyes darting from one chaotic scene to the next. The battle seemed to engulf everything, the shouts and clashes of claws on stone ringing through the dense fog. Their fur bristled, their ears flicking back as they tried to block out the noise, but it pressed against them, suffocating and relentless. They glanced toward their mother, her form barely visible through the swirling haze as she fought alongside the others. A pang of worry shot through Teaselpaw, their heart aching with the urge to rush to her side. But then their eyes caught the faint, fading movement of Ponypaw, slipping away into the thick mist. A sharp spike of panic struck them. Ponypaw couldn't be alone, not out there.

They couldn't help with the battle. They knew that. The noise, the chaos, it was too much, overwhelming and terrifying. But this... this they could do.

Letting out a small, determined sound, Teaselpaw turned their attention fully to the direction where Ponypaw had disappeared. Without another second of hesitation, they pushed themselves forward, paws skimming across the damp ground as they followed the faintest hints of her scent. Their steps were hurried but careful, their ears straining for any sound of the other apprentice. The fog curled around them like a living thing, cold and heavy, muffling the world and making it harder to focus. Teaselpaw's tail lashed nervously, their mismatched eyes scanning the dim surroundings. The noise of the battle faded behind them, replaced by an eerie silence that only made their heart race faster.

Noise was needed. They knew that. But noise was scary, it would draw attention. It wasn't safe. Teaselpaw hesitated for a moment, their breath catching as they stopped to listen. A soft crack, faint and distant, reached their ears, and their fur bristled in alarm. What was that? They forced themselves to keep going, their paws moving faster now despite the uncertainty twisting in their stomach. They didn't know what they'd find ahead, but one thing was clear: Ponypaw couldn't be alone. Not out here. Not while Teaselpaw was still standing...

The cold against his paws caused a shudder of alarm. I c e ... And the crack he had heard... Had she fallen in?!

Teaselpaw's chest heaved with shallow breaths as they crept forward on trembling paws, the frost biting at their pads and sending shivers up their limbs. Their mismatched eyes darted frantically, searching for any sign of movement beneath the fragile surface. The crack had been sharp, terrifying, and their ears remained pinned flat against their head, the muffled sounds of battle a distant blur.

Flattening their body against the frozen water, Teaselpaw inched forward cautiously, their breath clouding the air in front of them. The ice groaned under their weight, a sharp reminder of the danger, but their focus remained locked on the faint ripple they thought they'd seen. Was Ponypaw under there? A small whimper escaped their throat, barely audible, as their wide eyes flickered between the crack in the ice and the surrounding area. Fear gnawed at the edges of their mind, but they shook it off, their claws scraping lightly as they shifted closer.

The ice creaked again, louder this time, and Teaselpaw froze, their mismatched eyes widening as they hesitated. They couldn't fall, not now. But the thought of Ponypaw, trapped below the surface, was enough to keep them going. They swallowed hard, their ears twitching at every tiny sound.

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[Sagesong's iconSagesong]

⋆˚✿˖° "I'll Be Fine On My Own" She Said

⋆˚✿˖°

Sagesong had been prepared to join the fray against the fox when the unmistakable cracking of ice reached their ears and the molly's head snapped in the direction it came from. Had someone strayed away from the group!? She hoped not- not when there was already a fox- a splash. Without thinking Sagesong darted in the direction of the sound, straining to see more than just the few whisker lengths in front of them.

They stopped the moment paws felt the divide of ice meeting the rocky shoreline of the river, mouth agape as they desperately tried to take in a scent, any scent, that would tell them who had possibly fallen in. Ponypaw and Teaselpaw's scents...muted by this cursed fog, but still fresh. 'Dear Starclan, this is Sagesong speaking. Please don't let me find two drowned apprentices, thanks.'

They hesitantly tested a paw on the ice, finding it was holding for now before stepping forward, claws gripping for dear life. Oh, this was so stupid. "Ponypaw! Teaselpaw! Can you hear me!? Follow my voice, but walk softly!" They called out, moving painfully slow. A step too fast or one wrong move and she too, would be plunged into icy water. It was not a way Sagesong would want to leave this world.

Another few steps and the sound of ice cracking again reached their ears. But no splash. A guilty relief flooded them as they quickened their pace slightly, Teaselpaw's tail just barely coming into view. 'Oh thank goodness, at least I know one apprentice is safe-'

CRACK-

Sage reacted on instinct and instinct alone, then. Sheathed paws scrambled on the ice, jaws clamping down on the apprentice's tail and throwing her head back in the direction she had come before letting go, aiming to use the momentum to slide the younger cat to the safety of the shoreline.

"GET BACK. STAY ON THE SHORE AND CALL FOR HELP!" It was a snarl of concern more than an actual anger, but to Teaselpaw it may as well have been the latter.

crack- Sagesong froze. As long as they didn't move suddenly, they could make it to shore to figure out what to do from there. Mismatched eyes scanned around them, finally spying a hole in the ice. Had Ponypaw..?

"Ponypaw! Can you hear me!?"

✿──

───I Don't Need You Inside My Head─✿

• 
  Sagesong
  ✿— Skyclan Warrior
  ✿— They/She
  ✿—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✿— Small, Curly-furred, Mottled Black And Brown She Cat With Heterochromia.
  #5fb49c

 

[SPIKEPAW]

Chaos unfurls around Spikepaw, heightening the already tense environment set into place by the dense fog. Snarls and yowls fill the cold air, along with the stench of fox, which makes the black tabby's pelt bristle warily. A lump forms in the apprentice's throat, ivory daggers curling into the earth as he stands back unsure of what to do. He was an older apprentice now, trained by Starlitpath himself and super-ultra-brave and strong, but... foxes were terrifying. They were big and had teeth that could gnash and rip limbs.

There is a different sound this time, a crack that splits the air a little ways away from the group. Green eyes whip around, catching the faint figure of Sagesong disappearing into the fog. Spikepaw is prepared to call after the warrior, desperately wanting his clanmates to stick together right now, but what if something was wrong? What if Sagesong got into trouble out there? Foxdung. Spikepaw curses internally before ripping his paws from their cemented position and jogging after the warrior's scent.

Spikepaw arrives on the scene not too long after Sagesong, chest heaving from exerted energy. Before them is what sounds like a river, the current mostly muted by the layer of ice on top. However, where they find Teaselpaw appears to be a hole where the dark water underneath rushes rapidly. The chimera had valiantly run forward onto the frozen surface, pulling the fellow apprentice back to safety. However, that left the warrior stranded out on the fragile ice instead. They call for Ponypaw, striking Spikepaw with the realization that she had been the one who created the hole.

"Oh stars, oh stars! Foxdung, what do we do?!" Spikepaw panics, dark ears flattening against his head as his jaws draw agape in disbelief. Does he run back to fetch backup? What if Sagesong needed help? "We need to- SOMEONE COME HELP! PONYPAW FELL THROUGH THE ICE!" The black tabby shouts at the top of his lungs, hoping that his clanmates in the distance will hear him.

A wide-eyed glance is sent in Teaselpaw's direction, one as serious and harrowed as ever, before he turns back toward the river. His peer was drowning underneath the surface. Was there still hope for her? "HEY! PONYPAW! CAN YOU HEAR US?!" Spikepaw decides to yell.

𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 ✹ . + ˚ · 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐖

• 

• 

  — spikepaw / 10 moons / he/him pronouns
  — apprentice of skyclan
  — sh black tabby w/ low white and green eyes, small scar across right brow
  — click for tags

​

​

 

[Ponypaw]

~

indent Ponypaw opens her eyes, squinting against the harsh sunlight. She could feel the warm, flat stones of the quarry underneath her. Ponypaw groans and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. Through the fog of sleep, she can see the camp spread out before her. 'Home... it's so good to be home!' The sights and sounds are a balm on her aching heart. 'I could go back right now... I just need to walk forward.']/i] Smiling, she rises to her paws, and prepares to run into camp.

indent"Ponypaw! Can you hear me?"

indent"Hey! Ponypaw! Can you hear us?"

indentHuh? Sagesong, Spikepaw? Ponypaw pauses mid-step, ears flicking about to try and pinpoint the source of the sound. It wasn't coming from camp in front of her, so maybe-? She looks over her shoulder, and gasps. The quarry behind her is filled with fog, which rushes forward with a cold chill. The reality of the situation falls back onto Ponypaw, like a torrent of frozen rain. 'That's right... I'm not home anymore, and it's not a warm sunny day.' Anguish twists in her heart. She had told Asphodel paw she was being brave, and put up a strong face for Wolfstorm. But she was miserable! At the end of the day, she was still the most delicate of her siblings, the one least likely to be bold and take risks. 'I guess it's not like i could change just like that.' Maybe she had been cursed to be a coward her whole life.

indent She turned back towards the camp. It looked warm, and dry, and inviting. 'But it's not real anymore. It doesn't exist.' Even if she did go back , what was there for her? Her siblings, her friends, her mentor - all of them had left. What good would a comfortable den be without anyone to share it with? Ponypaw gives one last longing look towards the camp she had known all of her life, before turning and heading into the fog.

indent In an instant, Ponypaw is consumed by darkness and cold. Fighting exhaustion, she struggles to the surface, barely managing to get her head above the water to take a breath. Her paws scramble for traction on the edge, but they smash through the ice as she flails.

~

 

[Sagesong's iconSagesong]

⋆˚✿˖° "I'll Be Fine On My Own" She Said

⋆˚✿˖°

Sagesong was still as stone, ears pricked to catch even the faintest warning that the ice underneath was going to give under their weight. Spikepaw's voice carries surprisingly well through the fog and they grimace, hoping someone else had heard the frantic apprentice's shouting. She had been about to open her mouth to tell him to retrace his steps and go back for help when a brown head burst suddenly from the hole in the ice she had been watching and a curse flew from their lips as Ponypaw tried and failed to pull herself out of the water and onto the ice.

"I've got you, I've got you, Ponypaw...!" Sagesong moved forward then, fur standing on end with every crack of the ice as it gave beneath the apprentice's paws, teeth clamping on her scruff and a muffled yelp left her as the ice gave way beneath her own forepaws. The sudden chill of the water nearly made them drop their precious cargo but they stubbornly held on, awkwardly paddling with their front legs as she tried to back up and drag Ponypaw onto at least somewhat solid ground.

'Come on, Ponypaw. Kick! Swim towards me before the ice breaks under us both.'

The mottled cat's tail lashed, desperately trying to keep balance in the precarious position of being half in, half out of the water with Ponypaw hanging by the scruff from their maw. She hoped help was on its way, they did not want to think about what would happen if the ice gave out underneath them both.

✿──

───I Don't Need You Inside My Head─✿

• 
  Sagesong
  ✿— Skyclan Warrior
  ✿— They/She
  ✿—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✿— Small, Curly-furred, Mottled Black And Brown She Cat With Heterochromia.
  #5fb49c

 

[Ponypaw]

~

indent Ponypaw paddles her legs with all the strength her cold, waterlogged body can muster. Darkness fogs the edges of her vision, beckoning her back into the icy deep of the water, to the warm and sunny gorge she had seen in her mind. 'No way- I can't let it end here!' She grits her teeth and scrunches up her face, swimming with renewed force. 'Even if i didn't make it... I can't drown Sagesong down with me!' Sagesong is kind, and thoughtful, and serves the clan well - Skyclan would need her in their new home. Magpiepaw, too, didn't deserve to lose their mentor over someone else's dumb mistake.

indent'A mentor... that's right...'

indentWolfstorm would be disappointed in her. He had worked so hard to make her into a strong, resilient warrior - stable and sturdy, like a pony. But she'd gone and wasted all he'd done for her. Her weakness is something that just couldn't be changed - it was etched into her very heart, a mark she'd bear until she died. 'Trying to be 'brave'. What a dumb idea. I never should have bothered.'

indentBefore she can wallow deeper into her own uselessness, Ponypaw feels the shock of cold air on her freezing fur. With Sagesong's help, she manages to scramble onto the thin ice of the river. The water on her coat begins to freeze almost instantly, preserving each curl of fur in a thin layer of ice. Crawling on her belly, she moves off of the thinnest part of the ice. She doesn't make it far though - only far enough lay at Spikepaw's paws - before she bursts into tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm s o r r y," she sobs. shivering from harsh cold and intense emotion. "I didn't mean to - I thought Coffeestar was- I'm sorry."

~

 

[Teaselpaw]

TEASELPAW

Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

Relief surged through Teaselpaw's veins as they rushed toward Ponypaw, careful not to overwhelm her in her fragile state. The sight of her alive, though trembling and soaked to the bone, quelled the fear that had gripped them moments before. The memory of Sagesong's throw lingered in their mind, at first, it had felt like anger, but now Teaselpaw understood it had been fear. Fear for their safety, for Ponypaw's life.

Teaselpaw crouched beside Ponypaw, their nose pressing gently into her drenched fur. They rasped their tongue over her ear, their actions full of unspoken worry and affection. Dual-colored eyes searched her face, filled with questions they couldn't voice aloud.

What were you thinking?

The fox attack flashed in their mind. Fear clawed at their chest again as they thought of their mother and siblings. Were they safe? Their gaze darted toward Spikepaw, who was nearby, his expression one of equal concern. A soft mrrp escaped Teaselpaw, a call of reassurance, before their attention returned fully to Ponypaw.

She was a sobbing mess, and it tore at Teaselpaw's heart. They nudged her gently, offering silent encouragement. For a brief moment, a sound trembled on their maw, a word that never fully formed before slipping away. Instead, they gestured with their tail toward the direction they had come.

Let's go back.

Their movements were patient, their gaze steady as they waited for Ponypaw to gather herself. They wouldn't leave her side, not until she was safe, not until they were all home again.

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[[SNOWVEIL]]

SNOWVEIL, 88 moons / SkyClan + Perm Queen
A lean silver black lynx point with milky blue eyes and many scars
Delights in listening to all that goes around, can be a bit gruff, will put you on your place
Tagging @Sagesong @Ponypaw @SPIKEPAW

---

Snowveil moved swiftly through the fog, her paws sure despite the dense, disorienting mist. She'd made sure the kits were safe, leaving them in the care of Milkheart and Lostmoon with a solemn vow to return. But now her focus was singular: finding Sagesong and the apprentices. Their scents were strong, even through the damp haze, guiding her sharper senses toward their trail.

" Everyone! " she called out, her voice ringing through the still air. She halted abruptly, her pawpads pressing against something icy beneath her, a sensation she recognized instantly. It sent a chill through her, one far colder than the frost beneath her paws.

" What were you thinking? " she snapped, her voice carrying both frustration and worry. " Leaving the group like that, even during an attack? Never leave the group when it has been advised to remain CLOSE to one another! " Her tone wavered slightly, betraying her concern despite the sternness of her words. By the stars, how could they have been so reckless?

Her unseeing eyes darted from one figure to another, her whiskers twitching as she searched for signs of harm. " Are you lot okay? " she asked, her voice softening just enough as her attention landed on the drenched form of Ponypaw. It didn't take much to piece together what had happened, the apprentice had plunged into the icy water.

Snowveil let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly as she shook her head. " Let's return to the group. " she said firmly, though a trace of dry humor crept into her tone. " Unless, of course, any of you are eager for a swim as well? " Her unseeing gaze rested pointedly toward Spikepaw and Teaselpaw, her whiskers twitching with faint exasperation.

DON'T LET MY CALM FOOL YOU

there's fire underneath this snow