hello

i'm not dead, this story isn't abandoned, i'm not leaving

i just put everything on hold for

THE EMOJI MOVIE

I am SO SORRY but I had to. Also, I wrote this yesterday *not to mention I'm sick with influenza, headaches, nausea, and drowsiness* and am losing my sanity, hence why I was awake at 11:50pm typing this note.

Please tell me if you like the new cover for this (I hate it), but I hated how I wrote Feathers Falling instead of Falling Feathers in the other one.

Also, happy 7-months-since-I-first-posted-this-story anniversary?

also The Emoji Movie release date for Australia is September 14th while USA/Canada gets July 28th I'm so upset

Key of Light and Darkness: That's a good idea! I'm pondering on that.. thank you!

Lightningfoot: Ahh, thank you! I may be able to insert your OCs later in the story ;w;

Flower: Haha, I do like being cruel, but though I'm not one for happy endings, I don't want to make everyone in the story depressed.. I seriously hate myself for not realising the cover was wrong.

TheRealOwleyes: Ooh, that could be something that could happen! I do have a few different plans for Morningsky.. but hopefully one is unpredictable yet decent enough for her. A lot of people ship AshenxFeather.. I might, too..

Starrysong Summer Hype: That was admittedly one of my plans.. welp, time to scrap it. As I implied before, Morningsky (it's a mouthful to say, so I'm not surprised you prefer Holly as her name) has a lot of potential for many different plot ideas. Need to wait and see!

Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: ;) Don't be scared!

Blackstorm of Thunderclan: Thank you so much for helping me, and you're welcome for the shout out. I'm still waiting until Featherfall/Shekye realises how to reverse it, too..

Luckyclaw of ThunderClan: I will wait as long as possible to reveal whether or not they'll be mates.. ;)

I'd just like to thank Blackstorm for putting so much effort into proofreading my writing, fixing grammatical errors, and overall thinking that aiding an insane thirteen-year-old was a "good idea". It means a lot.

Chapter 19

Lilyfrost guides us through plethoras of sturdy eucalyptus trees. The sun shines through the sweet-scented leaves, and only then do I realise my mum has no idea where we are, and if we don't arrive home by sunset, we'll be in massive trouble.

"This is ThunderClan territory" - I stiffen at Ashenfoot's words that are directed at Lilyfrost - "is the Clan staying there?"

The dread inside of my chest worsens as Lilyfrost nods her silky red-and-white marked head. "We left nearly the whole of the Clans' territories behind," she mewed, her tone edged with sadness, "and there were a few Clanmates who got sick from drinking tainted water on the way. We nearly lost Amberflash and Leaftail." She perks up. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you both!" She stifled a laugh. "Amberpaw and Vixenpaw got their warrior names, Amberflash and Vixenheart. Their efforts to help the Clan were incredible, and they deserved their names."

"Great," Ashenfoot says, satisfaction lighting his rich amber eyes. "They're both excellent names. How is Ivystar? Are the queens okay?"

Morningsky flattens her ears as Lilyfrost cheerily replies. I can already tell she dislikes Ashenfoot with the way she huffs whenever he's remotely neutral to every cat but her. "I bet you know what they're talking about," the tortoiseshell mews, and the look she gives me just asks "explain?".

The tortoiseshell she-cat almost seems jealous of how much attention Ashenfoot gives to Lilyfrost. Should I ignore her, or confront her about it? Remind her that Ashenfoot has a right to be excited? I don't precisely have a clue why Morningsky is willing to just hate Ashenfoot just like that.

"When we were separated from the Clan," I repeat the story, "I took Ashenfoot home and took care of him. When he got better, we started to search for the Clan." Morningsky frowns, and looks ahead at the stretch of leaves above her that became thicker and thicker as we traveled further. I continue. "Oh, our camp got flooded, which is the reason behind evacuating."

"Your camp?" She growls incredulously. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Clan thought of you as an outsider. Besides, you did say you strutted into the camp and were instantly allowed to join." An outsider? Oh, you little...

That sparks a flash of anger in my pale blue eyes, and she easily detects it, her mouth setting straight. "Yeah, an outsider. This Clan cat seems nice, but I doubt anyone would accept a human."

"Shut up!" I suddenly snap. "Get over your little mood, for StarClan's freaking sake! You and Ashenfoot are ruining it for yourselves! You were so nice at home!" Lilyfrost and Ashenfoot stop to look at me inquiringly, but I lash my tail defiantly in their direction when they start to speak.

Morningsky falters when the two Clan cats look at her, and she seems to shift in her fur "I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed," she admits. Overwhelmed? I don't think being overwhelmed is a decent excuse for such bitter words, missus. "Sorry. This guy's stupidly grumpy towards everyone," she glares at Ashenfoot, who gladly returns it, "and you seem way too excited about this."

The bushland around us is suddenly quiet, except for the annoying chirrups of miners and scuffles of tiny rodents. I gulp, and slowly place my tail on Morningsky's shoulder. "We all seem a little... all over the place." I say as she shoulders my feathery cream tabby tail away. "I get you would be getting unnerved at this. It happened to me, too. Just remember I went through the same things as you-" I cut my totally unerring reasoning off when I remember Lilyfrost is with us, and I frantically search for words to save myself. "Suddenly finding yourself on your own in the wild is tricky to get over, but we're here for you."

"You can say that again," Morningsky sighs, understanding what I'm getting at. "Grumpy Ashy over here isn't helping."

"Your irritability is one of your strong points," he growls, and Lilyfrost looks at him in shock, lost for words, "I know that. And, would you look at that!" He points towards an overgrown clump of leaves in the far distance. "We would have gotten to camp quicker if it weren't for your complaining!"

The other two she-cats and I look at Ashenfoot disapprovingly, and I drag a steadily-fuming Morningsky along beside me as I start to walk again. "Let's all just be quiet on the way there, yeah?" I ask, an awkward grin on my face. "Come on, Lilyfrost. I'll prevent them from arguing. Ashenfoot, you too."

Ashenfoot hisses, but begrudgingly begins to follow us from a distance.

MORNINGSKY'S POV

I swear! The nerve of that guy! Either he just won't shut up about his Clan or he bitches nonstop about anything (or everything) he can get his dark little paws on!

Shekye seems to hate me and Ashenfoot bickering... a lot. Awkwardness and will to keep the waters calm are just a fraction of her specialties, among being a know-it-all Pokémon fanatic ("ooh, Dragalge is a gen six dragon and poison dual type with a predominantly high special-defence stat and its hidden ability is Adaptability blahblahblah") and displaying a usually bright demeanour. Everyone at school thinks I'm the opposite of loud.

Why must everything be so confusing? First of all, I'm droning on and on, and second, I am a cat and I can't change back to a mentally prepared human.

"Just need to check, Morningsky is a friend of yours whom was abandoned as a kittypet, right?" I believe a kittypet is a Clan cat's classification of a cat raised by humans. Excuse me, miss Lily-whoever-you-are, but I am definitely not a kittypet. Oh, that's right, Clan cats hate kittypets... screw that.

Shekye is silent for a second. "Uh, yeah," she confirms. "Kittypet. A bit grouchy over how she was left behind by her twolegs, but she's nice when you get to know her, I guess." I absently flick an ear, surprising myself with the catlike action. Shekye definitely knows I can hear what she is saying, but still has the nerve to say I have issues warming up to people?! I instead focus on the rustling of the eucalyptus trees that stretch above me. They're pretty in the sunlight.

Ashenfoot, Shekye's comrade, stifles a laugh loud enough to echo through the bushland. I roll my eyes, knowing well enough he cannot see the reactions on my face, and flick my tail. Moving your tail is actually easier than you'd think, but it feels way too unfamiliar and strange. How can Shekye deal with this?

"We're free to hunt here," Lily-whatsit mews, her blue-green gaze flicking around the pale yellow-green trees and shrubbery. "ThunderClan was very generous to us."

Food... I acknowledge my growling stomach. I am rather hungry... Shekye's mum was about to give us lunch before all of this happened. The one thing I'm worried about is eating... urgh... prey. As I recall saying before, I'm unwilling to eat such disgusting creatures, especially when they're raw.

Ashenfoot nods, and scans the area around him with slitted amber eyes. Shekye does the same, but she... crouches? Tail flicking around slowly, lifted only just above the ground, she disappears into the scarce undergrowth. I suddenly feel myself pale when she is gone.

"We can eat when we get back!" The red-and-white cat calls to Shekye's slowly fading cream-striped figure. I stare on, silent for a few seconds, before looking hesitantly in the Clan cat's direction.

"Well- I... uh, I don't know how to h-hunt..."

The other she-cat frowns, her eyes narrowed. A wave of panic passes through me at the flash of anger passing through her eyes, but she continues with a smile. "That's fine. Featherfall and Ashenfoot know how to hunt, and the prey is rich. We can teach you later."

I suppress a gag. "T-thank you." How can these cats be okay with killing tiny rodents? I'd prefer living on wild berries, maybe even get by with chewing on certain herbs I could possibly find, such as wild mint... just like Katniss and Gale would eat as a treat in The Hunger Games. Now that I think about it, to be honest, I'm not surprised Shekye starves herself...

As I shift my speckled paws, the time going by sluggishly, a strange, woody scent drifts around me. I open my mouth, absent-minded and truly bored, and the scent of Ashenfoot's fresh mouse fills my mouth, choking me. I look away, struggling to restrain my coughs, from the furry brown creature's dead, beady eyes, and stare into the trees.

"Don't tell me you're squeamish, too." Ashenfoot mumbles, dropping the mouse on the leaf-littered ground with a thud and a groan. "I don't need another Featherfall incident."

I lift my chin high, my head turned away from the tom. "Hmph, sorry, but I am not one to eat such vulgar things," I say primly, "I'd take rotting berries any day."

His amber gaze scorches my back, before a rustling sound distracts me before I turn to return the deadpan. As I turn to look, Shekye emerges with a effort-driven grunt, from the light-coloured brush, as she flings a crow and noisy miner in front of the ShadowClan she-cat. Her unique watery-grey eyes sparkle with triumph, yet disgust. I shudder again as I survey the crow's mangy-looking feathers.

"Seems as if my hunting skills never left me," Shekye laughs, her tabby chest puffed out, surprising me again at how calm she acts. She cuts the cheerful laugh off as she realises I haven't left the area to hunt. "I should have brought you with me." She mumbles. "If we can't change you back, I might as well have taught you to hunt..." I don't reply.

Lily-whatsit nods her head. "Well done," she meows warmly. "The Clan will be overjoyed." I've noticed how kind she is to Shekye, despite her origin being different compared to the Clan cats', and I'm slowly feeling shameful of my cutting words I said to her before. She is my best friend, after all.

I suddenly think of Uriah. The final part of our trio. Will he see me again as a person?

The other three start to leave again, walking on an invisible path through the eucalyptus trees. I jolt up, dimly noticing the mouse that was slumped in front of me. Did they want me to pick it up? Dread rises in my throat.

Ashenfoot stops and turns to look at me. "Don't just stand there," he growls, the miner bird in his mouth. "Pick it up and come with us, otherwise you'll end up being lost."

If I were still a human, I'd have broken into a sweat. Picking dead animals up with your teeth? I can't help but shudder at the thought. The wide, frozen eyes stare into my soul, and my ears flatten on instinct. No, no, no, don't make me lift that thing up! Please! Anything but that! Anything to go home!

The only tom in the group nudges Shekye, and she freezes. Staring at me sympathetically, the crow held firmly in her jaws, she strides over to me. Dropping it at the base of a soft-barked tree, some charcoal-coloured splinters covering her muzzle, she whispers in my ear, "Just pick it up. I know it's hard. Cat teeth aren't as sensitive, and it's dead, anyways."

"Easy for you to say," I reply quietly, eyes locked with the mouse's, "I'm not picking it up."

Ashenfoot takes a deep breath and walks away from the white-and-red she-cat towards me. That she-cat has insane patience, I need to point out. Interruptions of an important trip caused by a human-turned-cat's complaining will annoy even the most patient person. Or cat.

The tom bends over and lifts the mouse from the ground, the miner also in his jaws. "Get on with it," he says, his voice barely understandable behind all of the feathers and fur, "we haven't got all day, remember?"

"Right," I let out a thankful sigh. No way would I pick up a dead mouse with my mouth, no-thank-you. As I get up on shaky paws, the group gets going again, and I bound over to join Shekye.

"All that over a stupid mouse?" She mews, disappointment edging her tone, and my fur seems to burn. "Come on, Morningsky. You can do better than that. And, please, you get into arguments way too easily." I nearly forget I chose a "new name" for myself as a cat. I refuse to call myself that, anyway. In my eyes, I am still Holly and will always be Holly.

I run my eyes over Shekye's fluffy cream tabby pelt, which is dirty and unkempt. "Sorry," I sigh, my tail absently flicking. "I'm far too squeamish for my own good... I won't be able to catch food like this."

"Who cares if you can't hunt now?" Shekye continues, looking out at the forest in front of us. "You can learn later. When we change you back, we can go back to being normal humans, okay? No more cat business between us." I envy the way she and the other cats walk, carefree and sure-pawed. I stumble and trip over everything. I nod my head at her hope-tinged mew.

"Okay."

Shekye halts, as the other two Clan cats do the same. I look at the wall of thorn-decorated thickets, wonder stirring up inside of me. As I prick my ears, mews and purrs of cats meet them, and I stiffen. This can't be it, surely? This cannot be a camp. The scents of many cats overwhelm my nose and mouth.

"Well, I think this is it. Are you ready to see a Clan?" Shekye mews, excitement and anticipation flashing in her eyes. I can see in in the way she moves she has been waiting for this moment for days, maybe even weeks, and I also envy her for having such feelings. Ashenfoot's tail flicks back and forth, hope plastered on his face, and I can tell he is also excited.

Taking in a deep breath, I walk through the small hole made in the thorny wall, and what I see takes me by surprise.

Hey, look at the progress they made in this chapter! Isn't it insane how far they came? Well, hopefully I can tone it down later! /s

Finally we can actually advance. Everything is so sluggish at this point and I'm desperate to speed this story up.

As Blackstorm had expressed in the notes he wrote for me, I'm definitely going too far with Morningsky's squeamishness and "brattiness". I really want to fix that later on in the story. (Plot twist: Morningsky is the kind of person who gets REAL salty when things don't go her way. Or maybe it isn't a twist because it's true.)

Has anyone else noticed the spike in the amount of words I use paragraph? Heck yeah! Writing that Pokémon prologue I uploaded a while ago managed to change me.

Abandoning my writing until the Emoji Movie came out was totally *not* worth it (I'm so sorry)

QOTC: I have nothing for this question, so what do you think of AshenXMorning?

QOTC2 (optional): Are you going to watch The Emoji Movie? Or have you watched it already?

Favourite and review? It means so much to me (3