Me: I'm generally not a very emotional person
Also Me: *reading reviews and screaming*
Jayfeathers Friend: I won't say anything about the liking ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) but of course he has, he is Jayfeather after all! I will continue it eventually :D
Elmheart07: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and also great costume idea! Luna's one of my favorite characters :)
Flame that Burns In The Dark: Sounds good! You're never too old for halloween ;)
Snowcrystal of ThunderClan: Darted? And thanks!
Darkblaze of Shadeclan: Honestly, same
iDragonSpyro: mwahaha! and thanks :D
Duchess Luna: aaaaa thank you :)
Akitsune Lune: Hahaha! I'm glad you noticed the ferrari, I was hoping someone would! I used to not like Dovewing much, but I eventually warmed up to her. I've always wanted to find out more about Yandere Simulator. From what I've heard it's the song Dixie Boy, but times 10.
WARNING! THIS IS A BIT OF A DARK ONE TOWARDS THE END MY DUDES
"Wow," Said Foxleap, humming contentedly, "I can't beleive it's Cold-Night already!"
"Halloween was yesterday," Ivypool replied curtly.
"Precisely!" Foxleap smiled.
'I don't even celebrate Cold-Night. Neither does Bluestar," Said Ivypool.
"Ravenpaw's going to go over to his family's house. Barley's going with him." Bluestar said.
"Family," Jayfeather said, flicking his hand up.
Foxleap huffed. "I'm going over with my family too, but you guys are killjoys."
The housemates were sitting together in the living room, some overdramaticized reality TV show playing in the background to Barley's rapt attention.
"About Halloween," Bluestar piped up, "I have been doing much research on the traditions of All Hallow's Eve, and I have yet to understand what I have done wrong in regards to the costume ritual. Was the clothing I wore not sufficiently..." She trailed off, peering at her laptop screen over her reading glasses, "...'Spoopy'?"
Foxleap shoved his entire fist almost into his mouth to keep from laughing. Bluestar narrowed her eyes at him, then turned and went back to furiously typing away.
"I feel like Ivypool and Breezepelt were sufficiently spoopy," Foxleap said with a sly grin.
Ivypool threw a pillow at him.
"The fact that I have to deal with you on a daily basis is sufficiently spoopy!" Ivypool snapped.
Bluestar looked between the two of them, dismayed. "I don't understand. Was that not the correct usage?"
"It was correct," Jayfeather announced. "Just a bit... What's the word? Ah, of course." He grinned at Bluestar. "Spoopy."
Bluestar aquired a panicked and confused look, then began typing even more furiously.
"They ask you how you are and you just have to say that you're fine, when you're not really fine, but you just can't get into it becau-" The TV joined the sound before it was drowned out by the sound of Foxleap getting whacked in the head by another pillow from Ivypool.
"WHY?!" Foxleap shrieked.
Ivypool shrugged. Foxleap made offended noises at the back of his throat.
Bluestar looked up. "Don't wake up Ravenpaw," She said, gesturing to the form slumped down next to Barley on the couch.
Jayfeather, of course, took this as a challenge, snatching the remote off of the couch and searching for the volume buttons.
He then proceeded to turn the TV up to full volume.
Ravenpaw fell off of the couch, everyone else clapping their hands over their ears with various high-pitched sounds of protest.
A few minutes after this, someone rung the doorbell. Ravenpaw looked up from where he was now slumped over on top of Barley, narrowing his eyes. Barley stuck his hands over Ravenpaw's ears as if in preparation. Bluestar rolled her eyes.
Ivypool rose, halting Foxleap, who had also begun to walk up, and made her way to the front doors.
When she opened them, she came face-to-face with two men.
The first was tall, unnervingly so. He had black-and-white hair, peering down at Ivypool with yellow eyes. He was dressed in entirely formal clothing, which caused a worm of worry to curl in Ivypool's gut.
The second was, thankfully, of average height. He had dark brown hair and green eyes. His most striking feature, however, was his mangled jaw, complete with a scar arcing across the right side of his face. He was dressed in more casual clothing.
Ivypool recognized them instantly, bowing her head in respect. "Tallstar, Crookedstar," She greeted politely, still not looking up. "What brings you two here?"
Crookedstar let out a rumbling laugh. "We seem to both recall hearing a string of loud noises coming from this house, followed by a rather unusual amount of yelling. Is everything okay?"
Ivypool went red. "It's fine. Just a bit of..." She pulled her head up and looked over at the living room, seeing Jayfeather lunge for Foxleap. "Friendly bickering."
"Friendly bickering?" Tallstar repeated, peering straight over Ivypool's head and into the living room as Jayfeather and Foxleap went about their brawl, which had now shifted to the floor, where Jayfeather had pinned the ginger down and begun to bash him with pillows. Foxleap threw him off and flung another pillow, this one nailing Jayfeather in the forehead.
"Of course," Ivypool agreed. Tallstar eyed her for a second, then nodded.
"Is that Tallstar and Crookedstar?" Bluestar asked, appearing behind Ivypool so quickly that she jumped almost a foot in the air.
"Where in the Dark Forest did you appear from?!" Ivypool crowed.
Bluestar paid no attention and surged forward, first wrapping Crookedstar in a hug and then shaking Tallstar's hand, then beginning a conversation with the both of them.
Ivypool smiled a bit, and then walked away.
Ivypool sat on the pristine white sheets of her room. Her back was against the wall, her curved dagger in her hand.
She studied her blade absentmindedly.
The hilt, first off, was made of well-worn black leather. It was once hard and tough, but with years of grip it had softened into a more comfortable hold.
The silver blade was curved sublty, and years of use still hadn't dulled its bright glint. It was carved, as well, with the imprint of ivy tendrils climbing and swirling across the blade, pointed leaves fanning out on either of its sides.
She shrugged, dropping the dagger onto the bed. She changed quickly into her training clothes, slipped the dagger into its sheath, and pulled on her cloak.
"Stay behind, Ivypool."
Ivypool looked up to meet the eyes of Hawkfrost. She'd just completed a sparring session with Blossomfall and the other woman was turning to walk away.
"Yes, Hawkfrost," Ivypool said, rising and dusting herself off. 'Wait for me,' She mouthed to Blossomfall.
"Brokenstar and Tigerstar want to see you about that signature," Hawkfrost explained. He jabbed her in the small of her back with the dull end of his dagger. "Go."
Ivypool went deeper into the old subway system. Her shoes slipped awkwardly every few seconds on the wet floor. Something dripped down onto her back from the ceiling, and she shuddered. An animal squeaked a few feet to her left.
Her footsteps echoed in the empty cavern. The sounds of fighting rang out distantly from the opposite direction. These abandoned networks spread out across all four cities.
The already-dim lights flickered ominously. Ivypool wished she had a flashlight. Then again, she didn't particularly want to observe the mysterious stains on the walls.
Eventually, she came to a door. It was rather unremarkable, really, if you didn't take in the massive oak tree spray painted over and around it. In the center of the door, the symbol of the Stars had a massive 'X' mark over it.
Ivypool sucked in a breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in," A deep voice came from inside.
Ivypool cracked open the door and stepped in. She gulped as she did so. The office was rather average, bookshelves lining the walls and a normal desk on the back wall.
The off-putting thing was the map of the four cities with various weaponry stabbed into it (including weapons not intended for stabbing).
The man sitting behind the desk was particularly attractive. He was actually rather creepy, with matted brown hair and eerie yellow eyes too big for his skull. He started at Ivypool unblinkingly and blankly.
"So you're the girl that brought in that signature, eh?" He asked.
"Yes, Brokenstar," Ivypool replied. She'd certainly never talked to any of the leaders before.
"Hmm." Brokenstar grunted, then nodded at something behind Ivypool.
Something blunt slammed into her back so hard she dropped to her knees, arms flying upward on reflex. They were promptly grabbed and forcibly folded above her head. Ivypool cried out in pain.
"Tell me, girl, where did you get that signature? Are you in league with the city?" Brokenstar questioned.
"N-no-AUGH!" Ivypool was cut off as her arms were jerked down, causing her spine to bend painfully backwards. "No!"
"Where is the signature from?" Brokenstar demanded.
"I-I'm a part of the unity program! Read the note! It explains everything! My roommate-" Her spine bent once more, and she cried out again. "It's for him!"
Brokenstar scowled. "The note's cut out. All we have is the signature."'
Ivypool's mind whirled. She'd given them the full note, so where was it? Had someone cut it out? All rational thought then flew from her mind as her back curved even further. "AGH!"
"Where is it from?" Brokenstar demanded.
"My- my rooma-" Her arms were yanked down. She screamed.
"ANSWER ME, GIRL!" He roared again.
"N-n-I..."
Brokenstar rose from his chair so quickly it clattered to the ground, slamming his hands on the desk. "Speak, girl!"
The person holding her arms tightened their grip. "The note- it was there! I swear it!"
Ivypool panted, tears in her eyes threatening to fall. Then, something- no, multiple somethings pressed into her neck. She felt blood spring up in the wounds.
"I think you'll find my friend Tigerstar has a way of making you tell the truth." Brokenstar grinned.
She looked up to see a man standing above her. He had shoulder-length dark brown and black hair tied up in a ponytail, amber eyes, and an expression that made even Ivypool want to crawl away.
"WHERE'S THAT SIGNATURE FROM?" Tigerstar demanded.
"I-I-" Ivypool stammered.
His nails dug even deeper into her neck, crimson now trickling down the sides of her throat. "DON'T TOY WITH ME, GIRL!"
The man- Tigerstar- drew in a rattling, calming breath. "Let me tell you what we're going to do," He said, so quietly Ivypool had to strain to hear it.
He jerked her arms down- "AAH!"- and leaned down so his face was directly over hers. She was now almost entirely on her back, still kneeling.
"You're going to tell us exactly what we need to hear..." His nails moved, carving tiny crimson lines as they went, to a specific part of her throat. "Or you're never going to speak again."
He grinned now, but there was no humor in it. Ivypool had tears streaming down her face. "So I'll ask again. Where is the signature from?"
Ivypool sucked in a breath, trembling. "I-It's... really from my roo-"
"Wrong." His fingers gripped deeper into the flesh of her neck, too deep to be safe or natural.
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Ivypool screamed, shaking uncontrollably but unable to move. "NO PLEASE I SWEAR-" She sobbed violently. "I'M NOT WITH THE CITY I SWEAR, I SWEAR, NO STARS PLEASE-"
Tigerstar grabbed a handful of her hair and ripped her to her back upright, still on her knees. Ivypool curled forward, screaming and sobbing, tears and blood falling onto the concrete floor.
"You'll stay alive and talking for now," Brokenstar ordered over Ivypool's begging, "But we'll be seeing you spar every night. Now go!" He boomed.
Tigerstar pulled the woman up by the back of her shirt and physically threw her out of the office. She managed to gain balance before she landed and fell of her hands and knees.
The door slammed shut. Ivypool's screaming had reduced to sobbing. Bleeding and disgraced, she laid there on the concrete, hair in the filthy water and rasping out pleas for mercy although there was nobody there anymore to plead to.
She grasped at her still-bleeding neck with one hand, clutching desparately, knees hugged to her chest. With her other hand, she pressed her legs even closer to her torso.
The tears wracked her entire body, making her convulse with each sob. The blood mixed in with her tears and mixed on the ground.
She barely even heard footsteps pouding across the floor to her, barely even registered Blossomfall staring down at her in horror.
The tortoiseshell-haired woman kneeled down to her friend's level and gently removed her hand from her throat. She gasped. "Oh, Ivy, what did they do to you..."
She pulled a roll of bandages out of her pocket and set to work wrapping them around the wounds. Ivypool was still shaking, even after she was done.
Blossomfall carefully pulled Ivypool's arms from around her legs and wrapped them around her own shoulders. She rose, supporting Ivypool's weight and allowing her to lean on her.
It was slow work, but they reached the entrance to the subway. Ivypool's wracking sobs had been reduced to quiet weeping. She silently clung to her friend. Blossomfall pulled her own cloak on and wrapped Ivypool in hers.
Blossomfall had decided to bring Ivypool to her own house for the night.
She'd passed out about halfway to Blossomfall's house. Blossomfall had carried Ivypool to her home and washed her hair of the rancid water. She gently lowered Ivypool into her own bed and decided to sleep on the couch that night.
Blossomfall took one last look at Ivypool's form.
She hadn't physically changed aside from the scratches on her neck, and yet tonight she looked so much smaller.