A/N: Hallo! Wisdom tooth recovery is going great and I got a week of Spring Break- which is always nice. What's not nice is that I apparently still need 20 or so credits in order to graduate, I thought I just needed one more class, and turns out I'm wrong. Just means I have to take more classes, which means I will be in college for just a bit longer than I thought I would. Don't know how I feel about that but whatever. It's starting to get hot where I live and I can't stand it. Anywho, story-related news, leading up to the next little arc that is not so little, hope you're ready.
Thanks to RavenblazeOC, Lightleap, and meanrayj for following and adding this story as a favorite!
Reviews
Hissing Mist- Yeah, I was originally not even going to have a raindrop perspective but that little snippet popped up in my head. It hasn't been confirmed within the story but I, myself, will say that it is true. Windpaw and Gale are half-siblings. Windy is the older sister and she doesn't even know it (yet). Lilykit was planned from the beginning (it was even mentioned that Thornblaze wanted to name his daughter Lilykit if Feathersong had given the honor to name the kit to him). Thistlekit took a little longer to think of, but I thought about it right around the time Thornblaze died because I'm evil. Flarekitty might be able to put the pieces together (or Wildfire might straight up tell her? Who knows). Thanks!
Warriors27- Glad you liked it! Definitely building up that confidence, I love to see it. Yeah… I put raindrop through so much (and I'm not quite done with her quite yet). That is a great message to spread to the world.
Songmistle (Guest)- Yeah, 30 seconds is not a long time, but that is a nice message. Humans are technically animals, yes. We're just more advanced (or so we like to tell ourselves haha). Love me some love and conflict. Aye, someone caught that. Yes, Leafstar did name him after his previous clan. Yeah, Flamepaw did attack Sootblaze once upon a time- at the time, he was just a Commoner and wasn't important to him or to Flarekitty. Alright, Team Flarepaw unite! Oh well in that case, yeah RedxWild would be the wackiest pairing indeed XD. His warrior name was Redheart, but now he is Mr. Redstar. I try to write a minimum of 15-20 pages as an average chapter length, I just don't really like writing short things especially since so many of you have come to enjoy it. I am going to keep with this story for as long as I can and hopefully until it's finished, but after this story is done, I do plan on not writing for the Warriors fandom anymore. At least not as scheduled as I do now. I guess my interests have just shifted and the only reason I'm still going with this story because my characters (and you guys) deserve an ending I can be proud of. Oh? You want more death? Okie, don't blame me when it hurts XD. I'm evil, but I'm not that evil to kill a newborn kit right after killing Thornblaze. Well, it will take a bit of detective work on her part if she were to figure everything out, but she is smart. Will she piece it together on her own? We'll have to wait and see. It's Feathersong XD I don't know if I accidentally wrote Fernsong one time and that's what made people confused, but yeah no: it's Feathersong. You get two weeks? Man, I only get one. Welcome to college. Hope you have fun on your vacation! Make sure to stay safe. Lol, that's a cute image, I can just imagine them being like "if I hide myself in here, they won't know" XD. It's been a while since I went anywhere on vacation, even before quarantine and all that and I think that's mostly because I don't have a passport or ID for… some reason lol. I remember that I actually used to not bring my laptop with me, but then again, I didn't write as extensively as I do now. I'm not leaving you guys, where'd you get that idea from? I will always let you guys know ahead of time if I skip a week or go on hiatus for whatever reason (I'll try to at least). At this point, I'm just looking up questions online to put cause I'm running dry on my own questions haha. Yeah, her mate is unknown and we'll see if that ever comes into play at one point or another. Goodbye Reginald, you may or may not be missed. Certainly not by me lol. I named him- I was originally gonna call him Richie/Richard but I'm all like, nah he's a Reginald. Their reviews are a gift lol. You guys always brighten my day. There is, you're thinking of Nightstone though. I haven't forgotten about that, we just haven't been around our Forestclan friends for me to actually do that. Nah, it's fine. I just write the author's note to give a quick update of my life and if it has any effect on the chapter or future chapters and whatnot. Or sometimes it's just for me to vent haha. Finals were surprisingly easy, passed the class with an A. Chapters turn out long because I aim to write a minimum of 15 pages long. Helps to have notes to see where I'm going, but half the time the characters take over and they do their own things. And I genuinely didn't expect this story to be this long. I only aim to write 30 chapters before and this just… got out of control XD. I think it's because as I was writing I was also expanding on so many different characters with their storylines and then I kept worldbuilding and… yeah. Out of control. I'm hoping I can wrap it up all nice and pretty, or at least in a satisfying way. Your math is impeccable XD.
reading at 3am is normal- Lol, Reginald deserved to go. Can't have that kinda toxicity in my life, thank you very much. They didn't even tell me to count at all, they were just like okay you're gonna feel a little pinch and then I felt a pinch and it was not little I'll tell you that. And then I just kinda… blinked and it was over and I was like oh okay, I guess we're done XD. Sweet. I was scared that I was gonna be in a lot of pain but it wasn't so bad? Like, when I heard people and read stories online of how painful it is to have it removed so I was already prepared for days of misery and then I was like… Oh? Is this it? I think I've grown a high tolerance to pain considering how much sh*t my body puts me through on a daily basis XD Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing but meh, whatever. It's gonna take a lot for them to abandon tradition but we'll see if Flarekitty can actually do it. I… You know, I'm not surprised that there's fanfic for Spongebob. I just stick to my own fandoms and even then only if I really like the fandom will I read fanfic for it. (Sometimes. I have a love-hate relationship with the RWBY fandom but I just stick to my own little circle of goodness and try my best to ignore everything else.) The dog… and the baby… I. I have no words. I hate you for sharing that information with me XD. I love me a wholesome rivalry every now and then. I don't know what's wrong with me, I cannot handle fluff by itself. I don't think I'm okay XD. Ah, who cares, this is what I like to read. Super terrifying raindrop scenes for the win. She's on the edge of either doing things horribly wrong or very good and we'll see which stray breeze will push her in either direction. Also, King's got a lot of work to wrangle up his City bros before he can think about partying with the clans for a bit. He's getting there though. Lose-lose situation indeed. I hope you have a nice day as well!
FrostedShadowx- No need for apologies, you don't have to review every chapter, but it is appreciated! I was very proud to write that part for Flarekitty. The Wind-Rain reunion was slow-moving but that's what happens when I don't have extensive notes for these things haha. I wasn't originally going to write it out. I think it's always nice to have chapters like this, a bit of filler to help bridge into the next arc more smoothly and it helped to establish some things. I didn't know how much I enjoyed writing Ginger and Flare interactions until last chapter haha. Hopefully, or maybe there'll be outside forces that make it even worse for her. (Looking at you, Cloudstar.) Nice prediction! Second Review: Wow, I can't believe you liked Renegades so much, I'm just sorry I dropped it and I wish I could pick it back up but I just don't have the time nor the motivation to. Just quick brainstorming- because it has been a while since I last thought of it- I do believe that there was a rogue group involved (all of my stories have some rogue group involved I guess) and the reason for the parents' betrayals to the clans was because they were being blackmailed. I think. Anyway, fast forward to the kits' and their lives as apprentices, the three of them do end up going to a Gathering and, of course, meet each other. They become loose acquaintances and then friends that meet up every now and then at night just to… you know, talk and rant about their clans and what they want to become. I think I had planned for Lynxpaw and Ravenpaw to get together? I don't remember. Turns out, the parents are still alive, forced to work for the rogues that are a traveling group that goes around kind of like raiders. Just destroying everything, kidnapping cats, and making them work for them, not good at all. Fighting, and then it comes to the choice of if the three of them will side with the clans against the rogues- or if they will go with their parents and help to set them free from this as well. I think Rainpaw did end up going with her dad while the other two stay with the clans and I think the story ends with the parents ultimately sacrificing themselves for their kits and a victory for the clans. I think. There were a lot more story arcs and whatnot that had been part of the plan, but that's loosely what happens. I'm not offended at all, I'm just sorry that I can't write it out. Forestclan arcs usually come after Stormclan arcs so once this one is done, we'll get back to them.
Echofire (Guest)- Nah, that's not a weird thing. People's rights are very important and there's a lot of horrible things going on in the world today that needs to be talked about. Fingers crossed for them making up. And fingers crossed even more for raindrop not going on a massacre, but hey, people never learn to stop messing with her it seems. When it's not one person it's another and she can't catch a break. Yeah, writing the allegiances made me realize just how many we've lost along the way. No harm no foul.
Lightleap- Hey, thanks for joining us on this adventure! I'm glad you're liking it. Whiteshadow is a universal fan favorite and I will say I am pleasantly surprised Cherrypaw is on your favorites list. Makes me happy :). I always enjoy reading people's theories. Spirit is a little favorite of mine for our City friends as well, I look forward to writing more for her. Feathersong is a very rational and calm cat. Thanks for reading! I hope you're prepared for more.
Rainbow Badge (Guest)- I… I was legit about to ask "what's a protractor?" Damn, I hate math so much. I'm in the same boat as you, never show me a number. I still count on my fingers to this day. Ah yes, Hawkpaw. Baby boi Hawkpaw. He'll have an appearance in the next Forestclan arc that comes up after this mess with Stormclan, don't ya worry. Aye, what an appearance that was though, huh? Imagine getting tackled by Berrypaw. I would thank her. Honestly, I would absolutely read an enemies to lovers slow-burn with Berry and Hawk XD. You just made a new ship, congratulations, you are the new captain. He's a little ball of rage and vengeance, don't get on his bad side. He has no fears lol. I'm not stopping you either, have all the fun you want haha. I love writing more Ginger and Flare interactions too, gotta love me a wholesome rivalry every now and then. Yeah, Cherrypaw and Bramblepaw are not the best, but hey, those are the only two options. I mean, I'm hoping you guys love the kits. Always fun having to make new characters and character personalities from scratch. (No, I'm not mad about having so many characters, what do you mean? I'm having fun XD. please help, I'm dying.) Thornblazedude and Sootblazedude, the fabulous duo here to save the clans. Lily sounds amazing haha. Love me some chaotic characters, in case you couldn't tell. Aye, I wondered if anybody was gonna point that out. Cinderfrost and Sootblaze, both alike but both completely different as well. Whiteshadow will happily accept the wallet. Fingers crossed for Soot and Flare. Lol, I loved how you interpreted him sleeping in a tree as him missing Leafstar. Honestly, valid. World peace with a dash of a**kicking to anyone who disagrees with her, you welcome XD. Nah, they're not related, unfortunately. Good times indeed. Frogsplash sounds like a wonderful character, I pray to anyone who has a run-in with them lol. Guys, I don't think Cloudstar is okay (that's fine, neither am I lol). Redbull Energy and spite, that pretty much sums up raindrop haha. Poor Ripplewave, let him rest for dealing with Stormclan. Your little stories and whatnot give me strength, holy lord XD. Side note: technically all of our High-Rank cast of apprentices are adult-age in cat years lol. Oh no, not the case of the Yearning. Honestly, everyone needs therapy. Let Ripplewave and Roseberry have a chat with everybody and all of their problems will be fixed. Windpaw totally would be the kind of person to have a scrapbook full of pictures of just Rainpaw. To be fair, she got yeeted before she went back to being deadly and murderous for what it's worth. (Meaning, she may or may not have intentionally allowed herself to be yeeted off the bridge because she didn't want to actually fight.) Flarekitty would totally be a little jerk like that though, to be fair. Make Leafstar proud 2021 XD Let's make that trending. Just go about your day thinking, man what would Leafstar do here? Your grandma sounds like someone I would like to meet haha. Can cats be cats without a little chaos dashed into them? Honestly, I would die for Gale too. Here, have some more discussion about him. Glad you liked it!
Someone (Guest)- It's fine lol. And don't worry, I know how to see guest reviews early without having to wait for them to appear. You guys are very good at guessing things XD. Ah yes, society just loves to gender everything- especially names. Guess that translates even to warriors. Sootblaze takes no offense haha. Honestly, same. I love writing his name and knowing that he's back where he rightfully belongs. (Not completely safe and sound, but much safer and sounder- is that a word?- than in the City.) Gotta love all of those personal dilemmas. Yeah, I really am so tempted to just say screw it and do four perspectives (the three clans and then the City) but that's a bit too much, even for me. Chapters will certainly be longer that way though. Yeah… Yeah, I really screwed myself over with having to come up with these questions of the day XD. Not gonna stop them, so I'll just keep scrambling each time to find one. If it hasn't been confirmed yet, then I'm confirming it now haha. Power of the writer: yes, Gale and Windpaw are half-siblings. Nyx is Umbra's sibling that Umbra- in exchange for hunting Whiteshadow for Phantom- made a deal that would secure Nyx a spot in the Twelve. Hmm, Nyx and Sabre. Honestly, we haven't been shown Nyx's battle prowess and Sabre is one of the leaders of the Guards. On that realm of thinking, Sabre would definitely win over Nyx. They are only in the Twelfth position because that's where every new member starts. If they want to rise up, they'll have to defeat the others to take their place. So technically speaking, if they wanted to, Nyx could rise up the ranks. Would they want to? We'll see.
Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, and/or added this story as a favorite!
Let's get started!
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Stormclan
…
"So, you're telling me you almost got captured on the very first night you were there?"
"...Not my best moment."
Windpaw hummed in agreement, smiling to herself as she heard Rainpaw grumble incoherently beneath her breath, ear pressed closely to her chest to listen to the sound of her steadily beating heart. She was most definitely late for training today but decided that this, being here with her love, was more important by a large margin.
Sagesplash would most definitely be mad about her skipping out, but honestly, Windpaw had long since forgotten to worry about what her father thought of her.
He had a new daughter to ignore anyway. Drippingpaw, newly named Royal apprentice.
Windpaw sure did her best to ignore that particular tidbit of information as well.
(Like father, like daughter.)
"You should know that if I ever happen to run into the brute that knocked you out," Windpaw tilted her head to nuzzle between the space of Rainpaw's ears, murmuring against her skin. "Nothing of them will remain when I'm done."
Perhaps she was just torturing them both by having Rainpaw recount all of her fabulous adventures to her. For the second time at that, considering the blue-furred she-cat had just been through her interrogations with Grand Royal Cloudstar the night before. Her love had moved into her den without fanfare, plopping down beside her and snuggling into her side without hardly a word and Windpaw had spent the better part of the entire night stroking her back tenderly, humming to herself just to give her something to focus on rather than her overwhelming concern.
Rainpaw's ear twitched and she let out a shuddering breath of a laugh, "I already called dibs on Terra."
"Is that their name?"
"They have strange names there," Rainpaw huffed, going quiet for a few seconds before speaking thoughtfully. "It does keep it simple though. Imagine if I was just Rain."
"That would mean you wouldn't be part of the clan anymore," Windpaw murmured, holding her just a little tighter, inhaling slowly to savor in her scent. "I'd rather not imagine that."
"...Right," she murmured absently, and the Grand Royal apprentice felt her stiffen up before Rainpaw began to pull away from her, settling more onto the nest rather than directly on top of her, allowing Windpaw the chance to shift onto her side rather than remain on her back.
Copper eyes landed on the side of Rainpaw's face as the other she-cat rested her head against her paws, laying on her belly, her eye closing as she let out a slow sigh. From Windpaw's angle, it was easy to imagine that there weren't cobwebs covering the other half of her face, hiding the damage of what was no doubt an eye that would never regain its vision. Ripplewave had told her to just remain cautious of it.
(And to never approach Rainpaw out of the blue from that side, just to be safe.)
She reached out with one of her paws before she registered what she was doing, nudging Rainpaw enough for her to turn her face and reveal it all once more. The cobwebs were certainly placed much better than before, courtesy of a proper Medicine Cat's expertise, but that in no way made it any easier to see.
Not that it was ugly. Just difficult to look at.
Because it meant Rainpaw had been in terrible, terrible pain when that wound had been inflicted and now suffered permanent damage from it.
"What's with all the rogues hurting that pretty little head of yours, hmm?"
Rainpaw blinked at her before letting out a quiet laugh.
"I think they were jealous."
"Of course they are. So much that they tried and failed to mar your beautiful face."
"Someone's affectionate this morning," Rainpaw smiled, leaning forward to brush her muzzle against Windpaw's, a peaceful aura between the two.
"I haven't seen you in a while. I have to make up for lost time," Windpaw responded easily, earning another chuckle from her love that made some of her worries ease. (Ease, but never erase. She didn't think they were ever going to go away.) "Was everyone just out to get you two?"
"Well, I wouldn't say everyone."
"You mean to tell me there are nice rogues?" she raised a brow, making a sound of disbelief, "Now I find that hard to believe."
"Well, I found it no different than the clans. A group with a bunch of cats all in one place. Some nice, some mean, and some absolutely terrible ones."
She wanted to ask which category Rainpaw thought she herself would fall in and then decided she didn't want to know the answer. Windpaw already guessed as to where Rainpaw would place herself in and she didn't like it.
"An Elder took us in. Patched me up and kept us hidden while I was knocked out," Rainpaw continued after a moment, her voice going quieter and a strange expression appearing on her face that Windpaw couldn't understand. It seemed… somber. Regretful, almost, and rather apologetic. (But to whom she was apologizing, she didn't know.) "Newt."
"Was he nice?"
"Oh no, he was mean. Very grumpy, but I rather liked him," Rainpaw hummed to herself, shifting into a better position as Windpaw began to languidly run her tongue along her neck and shoulders to smooth down her fur. She blew out a slow breath, smiling (and that, too, looked rather sad). "And then there was Gale, who was very, very nervous around us and seemed to be scared of everything- but I guess he was one of the nice ones."
Windpaw only partially heard the second half of that sentence and that's only because she was instinctively inclined to always listen to whatever Rainpaw was saying. But it was very hard to actually focus after hearing that name.
Gale.
"It is a tom, Fernclaw. It is a tom-kit that she gave me."
"You don't have a say in this… Gale is going to join the clan."
I have a brother…
And he's-
"Hey, you okay?" Rainpaw's voice was grounding and it was only then that Windpaw realized she had absolutely frozen in place, lungs burning with the need for air. She inhaled sharply, stuttering, and it took quite a bit of work to loosen the tightness in her jaw. A single, worried light blue eye stared at her with the beginnings of what could only be panic. "You kinda… You froze up. What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
He's alive.
She was still reeling from that particular information; it took a lot longer than it should have to register Rainpaw's worried questions and then Windpaw felt like asking her why she immediately thought this was her fault. Why it looked like she was prepared to run right out of the den as soon as Windpaw spoke up and why she looked so scared of whatever Windpaw was going to say.
Ok.
Focus.
Rainpaw first.
Freakout later.
"You didn't say anything wrong," Windpaw said in as reassuring a voice as she could make at the moment, all things considered, and she leaned forward to brush her muzzle pacifyingly along the curve of the she-cat's neck. It didn't seem like Rainpaw was entirely convinced, but she made no move to try and break out of the gentle hold so Windpaw took that as a good sign. Quietly, she repeated, "You didn't say anything wrong."
Rainpaw seemed to relax ever so slightly, nodding slowly before asking, "Then what was with that look? You looked… a little scared."
Did she now? She hadn't been aware of that.
And she didn't entirely know why she hesitated either, her teeth impulsively nipping at the tip of her tongue to keep from speaking out right away and she grimaced to herself.
"Turns out, I have a brother somewhere… half-brother? When you come back, maybe I can tell you more about him."
This was what she wanted, right?
To tell Rainpaw, to tell anyone really, about what she had inadvertently learned. What Sagesplash and Fernclaw thought they kept from her.
No.
I want to tell Rainkit. And Rainkit isn't here.
Well… Rainpaw was.
That was more than enough for her.
"Gale." It felt so strange to say that name out loud, it sounded like another language entirely, and her ears flattened uncomfortably as she turned her eyes away from Rainpaw. "He… What did he look like, by chance? Do you remember?"
Out of the corner of her copper gaze, she could see Rainpaw give her a strange, curious expression, remaining silent for a few seconds to gather her thoughts and delve carefully into her memories.
"Tall, like he still wasn't quite used to his height. Grey fur, black paws, white on his ears and his tail tip. I think he had a darker splash on his chest. Blue-green eyes."
Windpaw closed her eyes, gathering all of the information and forming an image in her head of the tom. Only then did she realize how easy it was to do.
She remembered as a kit, after finding out about her apparent half-brother, doing this time and time again. Putting random aspects of her father onto a new figure, but with no idea of how the rogue mother had looked like, every single one of them just ended up looking like Sagesplash and she hated it.
But this…
He looked closer to her than to their father.
"Windpaw?" Rainpaw murmured nervously, a wrinkle between her brows and her paws pressed against the nest beneath them absentmindedly. "Everything okay?"
Right.
Rainpaw didn't know.
She opened her mouth and hated that she still hesitated.
Because revealing this was too close to their time as kits and they had subconsciously avoided bringing up anything about those times. Mostly on Rainpaw's behest, not wanting to remember anything about being taken in the first place and the things that came before that had all but washed away to be locked in a cage deep into the depths of her mind, never to be found again.
But… but…
Windpaw gritted her teeth, exhaling sharply.
They couldn't keep running from it forever.
"There is… a chance that," Windpaw bit her lip before turning her eyes to Rainpaw and committing, "this Gale that you met… I think he's my brother."
Light blue stared at her for a handful of beats of her frantic heart before they widened, Rainpaw reeling back just a bit and reaching the end of Windpaw's embrace. Just a little more and she'd fall out of it. Her single gaze searched the grey-furred she-cat's face for any sign of falsity or lie and Windpaw did her best to keep herself as open as possible.
Which was surprisingly hard to do, considering all she wanted was to bury her face beneath the dirt and pretend that she didn't just bring that up.
What happened to forgetting about it?
She had thought she had been over this. She told herself time and time and time again that she didn't care about this mythical brother of hers because why did it matter? They were a rogue, they were long gone, and there was no possibility for them to ever run into each other again. He had his own life and she had hers and she would have been just fine thinking he was gone forever.
But after her discussion with her mother, after learning she had- apparently- been the second litter and that the first full of sisters were all gone, and after discovering Sagesplash's apparent relationship with Splashstorm and their kit (funnily enough, another she-cat. Sagesplash must have been so happy about that and Windpaw almost felt inclined to laugh in his face because all he wanted was a son and the only son he ever had was a rogue), and now hearing this? Hearing that her brother was somewhere out there, and close by at that?
She didn't know why it made her hope to see him.
The chance at siblings was not one she didn't know she even wanted.
Drippingpaw is right there. You can be a sister to her like you're supposed to be.
Perhaps. (Just not today.)
"You have a brother?" Rainpaw eventually spoke up, her ears falling flat as she looked to be struggling with wrapping her mind about that information. "When did… How… Why didn't you tell me?"
Ah. Right.
Windpaw bit her tongue again- because what was she supposed to say?
I didn't tell you because anything about our time as kits makes me miss you more even though you're right here and makes you get even farther away from me?
I didn't tell you because every time I so much as mention it, you look like you're lost in the memories and I don't want to lose you to them?
I didn't tell you because talking about it hurts because I know the one you used to be is gone forever?
Yeah.
No.
Windpaw couldn't say that.
She shrugged as nonchalantly as she could, shoulders stiff, "Honestly, I didn't find it important enough to share. Not that I'm supposed to know anyway."
"Wind- You have a brother."
"Technically, half-brother. He's a rogue, isn't he? In the end, it doesn't matter."
"Windpaw…" Rainpaw's ears drooped and she looked so incredibly sad and Windpaw almost felt like asking why this was important to her. Perhaps she was projecting, considering how her and Bluepaw's relationship was currently in comatose at the moment. "You should have told me. I could have shared a message with him or something."
"How was I supposed to know he was alive and coincidentally in that place?" Windpaw asked gently before resting her head down, shaking it as best as she could and closing her eyes. "As I said, it doesn't matter. Not that I'd get to meet him anyway."
"...You might…"
"What?"
"Well…" Rainpaw glanced away then, kneading at the nest even more and it nearly looked like she was going to start ripping off pieces of it in her worry. "Things are bad."
"Things are always bad," Windpaw huffed and it felt sad that it was simply the truth. Honestly, she couldn't remember a time where things were good for once. Their troubles, their guilt, their past- everything hovered over their shoulders at every waking moment and haunted their every dream and they could not escape it. When it wasn't one thing it was another, when it wasn't her it was Rainpaw, when it wasn't either- it was the clan.
The only good things they had was this, these small moments, wrapped up in each other's arms and ignoring the reality just past the threshold of Windpaw's den.
"What makes this so different?"
"This is… war bad," Rainpaw mumbled eventually, turning her eyes back to her, speaking with a blank look on her face. "There are so many bad things coming and I honestly don't know if the clans are ready for it. The City has so many things we don't- the numbers, the knowledge… the freedom to live without the guilt of actually killing someone."
"Rainpaw…"
"I don't see a way in which we win if we are held back by all of these codes and rules and this division of separate clans that the rogues don't follow. If we want to actually survive and beat them-"
"Then we'd have to become like them," Windpaw finished for her, eyes glinting with steel and the muscles in her body tensing. Copper met light blue and it felt like she was looking at a stranger and it hurt. Her next words came out quietly, "We'd have to become monsters."
"...What if that's what it takes?" Once more, her love looked so incredibly sad and Windpaw felt sorrow as well because she didn't know how to help. "What if that's the only way to win?"
"To kill everyone within sight?"
"What if that's what it takes?" Rainpaw repeated, slower, terrified, and Windpaw could vaguely register her claws digging into the nest now. It sounded like… like Rainpaw was trying to convince herself of something. Seeking validation. Searching for reason, for purpose, for reassurance.
Asking for help.
Windpaw swallowed thickly and everything felt like the wrong thing to say, but Rainpaw was waiting and the Grand Royal apprentice found herself saying; "There's more to winning than killing everybody. Sometimes there are no other options, sure… but sometimes there are."
She wanted to reach out and pull Rainpaw closer but something told her that wouldn't help at all.
She stared into a stranger's eyes in the desperate search for her love and hoped her next words reached her.
"How is it winning if you lose yourself in the process?"
With her eyes alone, she said the words she could not say out loud.
Please.
Talk to me.
I'm here, please talk to me. I want to help you.
Let me help you.
"I guess it's not winning," Rainpaw murmured on her next breath, gaze going distant before her eye fell shut. "But it is surviving."
Surviving is not living.
"Rainpaw..." Talk to me. Talk to me, please, please-
She hated how she couldn't form the words and she didn't know why. (Perhaps, a part of her was scared.)
(Because she wouldn't understand, and how could she truly help if she didn't understand?)
"There's a small chance you might meet him one day," Rainpaw spoke eventually, completely moving onto a different path of conversation, and Windpaw felt like a failure and a coward all in one. "I hope it's under good circumstances. He really was nice. Helped us stay alive, helped us escape too. He'd be a good brother."
Considering there was a war on the horizon, Windpaw had her doubts that there would be any good circumstance for them to meet.
And honestly, right now, she hardly cared about Gale. Only Rainpaw.
It was only ever Rainpaw.
"Wait, I thought you had training today?" Rainpaw continued, not catching Windpaw's perturbed expression or choosing to completely ignore it- she couldn't quite tell. Her head turned to where sunlight was steadily creeping into the den, where the noises of the rest of the clan had long since been droning on but had been disregarded in favor of each others' voices. "I'm pretty sure you missed it."
I don't care about that.
I only care about you.
"It was with father dearest today," Windpaw answered after a long moment of silence where Rainpaw didn't turn back to face her, ears twitching as though she couldn't decide whether to flatten them or not. The Grand Royal apprentice blew out a quiet breath, pushing herself to sit and staring at the back of her love's head. "I much rather spend my time with you."
"Careful now, he already doesn't like me for being a bad influence on you."
"I didn't know you cared about him liking you."
"I don't," Rainpaw chuckled, "I thought you would."
"You've been gone a while, but from now on, I don't give a damn about what he thinks of me."
Finally, Rainpaw glanced back at her with something like surprise before a small grin appeared on those lips. A little proud, a little relieved, but overall, reassuring- and Windpaw didn't know how to feel about these flips of conversation. The words talk to me and tell me what's wrong sat at the tip of her tongue, but no matter how much she tried to find the courage to let them fly free, they simply wouldn't. And that made her feel like the biggest coward of them all.
"I should… Bluepaw said he wanted to talk to me," Rainpaw muttered, glancing toward the entrance of the den and back again. "I should probably go find him."
You're running away again.
"Right," Windpaw sighed, getting to her paws and stepping closer to brush her muzzle against the back of Rainpaw's shoulder, making a mental note of the way she stiffened and glanced away before leaning back into her. "You probably should. He's missed you."
"I find that hard to believe," Rainpaw grumbled, a hollow laugh escaping her lips before she stood up as well, turning halfway to bump her head gingerly into the crook of Windpaw's neck, stepping away after a beat. "I'll just take your word for it. You're always right."
Not always.
"Now you're starting to get it," she jests because it was the easiest thing to do. She had to remind herself that Rainpaw wasn't ready to talk yet. This, discussing everything that she had gone through there, was already a step in the right direction. It was a start.
She didn't know if it was the start of something good, but she just had to wait and see.
"I love you," Windpaw said instinctually before Rainpaw could step out of the den, causing the she-cat to pause and look over her shoulder at her. (She hated how, for just a second, a flash in her gaze, it looked like Rainpaw didn't believe her.)
"I love you too," she responded, features going soft, and Windpaw hated how it seemed like it was the hardest thing for Rainpaw to say. As if she didn't think she deserved to say them.
Just like that, the moment was gone as Rainpaw stepped out of the den, leaving her behind.
Windpaw sat down heavily, a full-body sigh escaping her, and she felt like screaming her frustration but bit her lip instead and winced at the copper tang. There were so many things to unpack, but the most blaring was Rainpaw was not okay and she still wasn't talking.
She didn't know how long she could let this continue before she'd find a way to force the words out.
Maybe Bluepaw will have better luck?
Maybe Rainpaw just wasn't ready to talk to her. (And that hurt to think about, but she'd learn to live with it.)
Maybe reconciling with her brother will give her the chance to open up about other things she was keeping to herself. That's what brothers did, right? Be your guardian and your tormentor in equal regards.
Windpaw couldn't help but wonder what Gale would have been like had he been with her in the clans.
And she ultimately decided that it didn't matter because it wasn't real.
Maybe she'd get to meet him one day.
Or maybe she was just making a hopeless wish yet again.
…
Blazeclan
…
Kits had a certain smell to them, Sootblaze learned.
They were also unfairly cute.
And they made the most adorable little squeaks imaginable and-
"When you said you were going to watch over them, I didn't know you meant it as literal as this, Sootblaze. How long are you going to keep staring at them for?"
"Forever," he said without hesitation, fighting back a smile as the two clambered over each other to try and find the best position to feed. He didn't know anything could be so small. Golden-yellow eyes darted for half a second to Feathersong, raising a brow, "Unless that's a problem?"
"Nonsense. You can stay as long as you want," the Queen smiled warmly at him, dark blue eyes twinkling with mirth as she glanced down at her kits. "I was only teasing."
"Well, I can stay as long as I can," Sootblaze grumbled with a heavy sigh. "I didn't know being a warrior meant even more patrols and whatnot. I think the others are bullying me by giving me all their duties."
"Ravenflight, sure. The others? Not so much."
"I knew it," he chuckled, "She's out to get me. All because I teased her about Swiftleaf."
"Oh, you never want to do that, believe me," Feathersong hummed, both of their eyes remaining on the kits as they watched Lilykit mouth at her sister's head before realizing she wasn't getting any food. "It's a not-so-secret secret that everyone pretends they don't know about. I'd advise you to do the same unless you want to be on the tail-end of her mischief."
"Her? Mischievous? I think you're thinking about someone else."
"You're right, more like pettiness. She is pretty vindictive."
"Now that sounds more like her- oi, your sister isn't food, Lilykit," Sootblaze reached out with a paw, nudging as gently as he possibly could in his entire life to reposition the little white kit. "Stop it. Not the face, you can bite her tail instead."
"You know, that was almost good advice," Feathersong purred playfully and Sootblaze couldn't help but chuckle, sending her a smile that held just the right amount of sharpness of mischief.
"I gotta teach them how to be safe, sure, but I also wanna teach them how to have fun while doing it."
"Oh, dear."
"I am obligated as their brother, I thought you knew this?" Sootblaze glanced down at the two kits once more, his expression softening. "I will protect them and I will never let anything hurt them… And if they ever get in trouble, I will be right there along with them."
It was a vow he had made time and time again with all the others. First with Bluepaw, being his nestmate certainly made it even easier. Shrewpaw and Mousepaw and Adderfang came after, Adderfang the last and the most stubborn to agree with his "brotherly" instincts. It was his own little family that he had wanted to keep safe and-
And I failed with them.
Three of the four were dead and the fourth was who knows where at the moment. Hopefully finding peace outside of the clans. (Hopefully not dead as well.)
Sootblaze refused to fail again. Not again. Not ever.
Especially not with these two, Thornblaze's daughters.
"You make a wonderful brother," Feathersong smiled at him, nothing but sincerity in her voice before her words took on just the smallest spark of a tease mixed with honesty. "And I'm certain you'll make a wonderful father as well one day."
"I… I'm not too sure about that," Sootblaze reared back a little, wrinkling his nose and giving a shake of his head. "I want to be able to give my complete love and affection to my hypothetical kits and I can't do that if I'm focused on other things."
Like surviving, like dismantling the clan's system from the ground up.
"Besides, I don't even know if I'd want any," he added with a casual shrug, snorting, "and there's no one here in the clan who'd want to have a family with me anyway."
"No one? Hmm."
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"You said hmm with a look, I know that look," Sootblaze narrowed his eyes with a faux glare, fighting back a smile and he honestly didn't put up quite a struggle against it. It had been a while since he felt this happy and being with Feathersong and Lilykit and Thistlekit made it easy. "What did that hmm mean?"
"I think you're looking too much into it."
"Feathersong," he let out a quiet whine and the Queen chuckled, licking at her paws to buy herself some time. As dark blue eyes lifted back up to him, Sootblaze began to mildly regret asking.
With a nonchalance that belies the weight of her question, Feathersong asked; "Would you change your mind if it was Flarepaw who wanted a family with you?"
Sootblaze just about choked on his saliva. Spluttering, he felt his heart jump to his throat with something resembling panic as he shot up to a sitting position, his shoulders tensing as if in preparation to run and he didn't know why.
Perhaps because nobody was actually supposed to know of them. Nobody but Hollypaw and Sagepaw and Whiteshadow (and Wildfire, of course). It was supposed to be a secret.
"Wha- I- F-Flarepaw?" He let out a sharp laugh that was much too high-pitched and nervous than his usual laughs, "That's… Why would you bring her up? I-"
"Sootblaze," Feathersong cut him off with a chuckle, rolling her eyes and giving him a tender look that managed to ease some of his nerves all the while. "I have eyes. I've seen the way you look at her… and I've seen the way she looks at you. It helps that you're always both in here every day."
He almost felt like asking about how Flarepaw looked at him and decided it was probably better that he didn't know.
"So… you know…?"
"I've made my own conclusions, and don't worry," she spoke quickly when he opened his mouth with a look of increasing panic, "I promise I won't tell anybody. Your secrets are your own and it's quite clear why you would keep this one to yourselves."
"Yeah…" The tom settled back down, the air heaving from his lungs with quite the heavy sigh of relief. "Yeah. Okay, thanks."
"So, the answer to my question?"
"I…" Sootblaze lifted his eyes back up to her before he found himself grumbling, "Even if I did, it could never happen anyway."
He didn't have the highest of hopes as of late whether or not they could actually dismantle the system in their lifetime. Perhaps they'd get the revolution started, perhaps they'd break it down quite remarkably, but for it to disappear completely?
He didn't think it was possible- and a part of him was okay with it because then the fight for those that would come after him, like Lilykit and Thistlekit and everyone else, would be significantly easier for them.
Maybe they'd never get to reap the benefits of the seeds of change they have sown…
But he's convinced himself that he was okay with it.
(Some little part of his mind was bitter about it.)
"I wouldn't say never," Feathersong smiled, turning her eyes to the entrance of the den as if she could see the rest of the clan. "You'd be surprised by just how much has changed already. You don't see it because you're living in it, but for me? I can see it, and it's beautiful."
"And scary."
"Change is scary," the Queen shook her head, dark blue meeting golden-yellow with such a mollifying expression it did wonders to calm his nerves. "But it's undoubtedly worth it."
Her eyes turned down to her two kits pointedly and Sootblaze had to nod in agreement to that. He already had the inkling of an idea that Flarepaw would not treat Thistlekit like an everyday Servant. She would cherish and protect and care for the young one as fiercely as Sootblaze himself would, as fiercely as Feathersong would.
The Servant title was just that: a title.
(Just like Grand Royal. Just like Commoner.)
"For the record, I think you'd make great parents together."
Ah.
So he had to deal with the teasing now.
How wonderful.
"Can you… Can we not talk about this?"
"You mean to deprive me of entertainment? That's rather rude of you."
"I just don't want to think about this!" The idea of having a family himself already made him nervous, but thinking about having a family with Flarepaw.
Yeah, no.
Even if they weren't completely on good terms at the moment, it still made him squirm, still made his heart sing such a hopeful melody.
(He was wishing for it without even realizing it.)
"I never get to see you so shy, it's adorable."
"Feathersong."
The Queen began to laugh before her eyes wandered back to the side, her eyes lighting up and a much too eager grin appeared on her face, and the only warning he received was, "Speak of her and she shall appear~"
Wait-
"Hello, Feathersong."
And he blamed the Queen entirely for his nerves that took over his voice as he chirped, sitting stiffly, "We weren't talking about anything!"
Flustered golden-yellow met baffled silver-blue as Flarepaw's face twisted with confusion, sending a look in Feathersong's direction and then back to him, raising a brow before chuckling, "Okay… Hello to you too, Sootblaze."
"Uhh, hey."
He dutifully ignored the way Feathersong turned her head away from the two of them, shoulders shaking with silent laughter and a grin on her face. Flarepaw eyed him for a few seconds longer and he gave a nervous smile in response before she snorted to herself, turning her attention to the kits that were now comfortingly cuddled together.
"You finished your training today? How did that go?" Feathersong leaned her head over, just enough to bump her nose against Flarepaw and the Grand Royal apprentice brushed her muzzle over the top of the Queen's head in greeting. Sootblaze watched them with a smile, not entirely sure why something as small as that made him feel so happy to witness.
"About as well as I expected," Flarepaw sighed, rolling her shoulders with a hidden grimace.
Sootblaze frowned at her, his eyes searching her body for any sign of damage in an instinctual way before he realized what he was doing. "Wildfire give you a hard time?"
Flarepaw let out a quiet scoff, her silver eyes distant even as she watched the gentle movement of the kits' bellies as they slept peacefully. How blissful it would be, to just be asleep and unaware of all of the horribleness of the world.
"As he always does, but I had it handled," a hint of a smile pulled at her lips that grew as she turned her eyes to him. "Besides, Whiteshadow was with me as well. Between the two of us, there's nothing he can do."
He hoped she was right.
"I just wanted to see these little bundles," Flarepaw continued after a moment, turning her eyes to Feathersong and beginning to fret. "Did you eat already? I can go and bring you something if you'd like."
"Always so concerned over me the two of you are," Feathersong laughed softly, smiling at the two of them and Sootblaze could only shrug. "I'm quite alright. This one here already brought enough to feed the entire clan."
"I thought you needed your energy up!" Sootblaze grumbled in his defense, shuffling his paws awkwardly and glancing away from the two of them. "I don't know what mothers need to keep themselves healthy."
"So, you brought food?"
"Food always makes me happy."
"He does have a point," Flarepaw let out a small purr before settling down, getting a little more eye-level with the two sisters and resting her head lightly on her paws, tilting it. "Why are they always asleep when they come in?"
"You have terrible timing. Or maybe you're just that soothing," Feathersong smiled.
"Or boring," Flarepaw chuckled goodnaturedly, eyes so gentle and somewhat nervous as they passed over the newborns. Sootblaze felt like asking why she still seemed so worried (or rather, guilty) as she looked at Thistlekit and decided he would question her about it later. If he built up the courage.
Without his permission, he found himself saying, "There's a lot of words to describe you but boring isn't one of them."
Silver darted to him and he didn't realize how much he had missed looking at the moon so much. How much he missed her in general. His anger had diminished, tempering, still festering deep inside and he didn't know what would set it off again (perhaps the sight of Ignis once more would do the trick, or maybe another one of Wildfire's tricks), but without it blinding him, his mind was becoming clearer, his words and actions of the days before catching up to him.
He had been unfair to her, and perhaps to himself as well.
In his grief, he had hurt her and that was not something he could ever forgive himself for (even if she did).
And maybe he didn't deserve her forgiveness, but…
He would earn it. (He would become worthy of it.)
Flarepaw turned away from him after a second, smiling to herself, and it took him a lot longer to realize that Feathersong was giving him a pointed look of mischief that made him stiffen up as though he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. Dark blue eyes gleamed with amusement and Sootblaze did not like the little wink she gave him before facing Flarepaw, opening her mouth before the tom could stop it.
"Sweetie, just out of general curiosity here," uh oh, "Would you ever want to be a mother one day?"
Damn it, Feathersong.
It was official.
Sootblaze was now obligated to get back at her for this. (Let the pranks begin.)
For her part, Flarepaw didn't seem entirely nonplussed by her question, merely lifting her gaze to meet dark blue before tilting her head, "Would I want kits?"
"Yes. I'm just curious."
The Queen dutifully ignored the little glare Sootblaze was sending her way and it was a pity because it was quite the glare.
"Honestly, I… never really thought about it," Flarepaw answered with a sharp exhale, "Deciding my own future was not really a luxury I had until recently."
"Well, you have time now."
While Flarepaw took the time to think indeed, Feathersong finally met Sootblaze's eyes and the tom gaped at her incredulously. She merely broadened her smile, mouthing an innocent, "What," to his expression. His eyes narrowed and she chuckled silently with a shake of her head.
Oh, he was definitely going to get back at her for this.
"Personally, I don't think I'd make a good mother," Flarepaw spoke up after a few seconds longer, "and I'm in no rush to be one either. But if circumstances allowed it… I wouldn't be opposed."
If circumstances allowed it. Meaning, if the clans weren't what they were now. If she didn't become a Grand Royal. If she wasn't currently busy dismantling the system piece by little piece.
But still… It wasn't a no.
"What makes you say you wouldn't be a good mother?" His mind hyper-focused on that part.
And there was such a gleam of sadness on her face that came and went in a flash, so quickly he thought he had imagined it. Silver met gold and Flarepaw gave a one-shoulder shrug.
"Just instinct I suppose. My family is… well, you know."
Broken, and what was left of it, wrong.
He wanted to say, "You are not Wildfire," but instead, he found himself saying, "Willowflame was nice."
From what he had heard of her at least. From what Thornblaze shared with him.
"Roseberry, too."
The Medicine Cat was scary, sure, but she was nice and she was Flarepaw's kin.
He felt an innate sense of pride for Flarepaw when hearing her mother's name didn't make her immediately flinch as so often before. Instead, her eyes closed, a wistful smile pulling at her lips, and she inhaled slowly as if she could catch her mother's scent then and there.
"B-Besides, your parents aren't you. I mean, look at me; I never got to know either of mine and Feathersong said that I'd make a great dad!"
His eyes met the Queen's once more, silently asking for help, and Feathersong seemed to give him some mercy then, nudging Flarepaw's shoulder with a gentle brush of her muzzle. "He's right. Call it instinct too, but I believe you'd make a wonderful mother if you wanted."
When Flarepaw opened her eyes again, Sootblaze became a coward and didn't turn his gaze to meet hers. A trembling sunset fell to the kits once more, finding comfort in their even breaths, too frightened to meet such a loving gaze.
(He sees it out of the corner of his eye and it's almost too much to handle.)
"Maybe we'll find out one day."
One day.
It made it easier to breathe, finding himself closer and closer to the surface of the abyss (and a part of him, for whatever reason, felt bad because he was leaving behind Redstar down there and he was almost, almost tempted enough to swim back down just to help). It made him hope and it gave him light and he-
I don't deserve this yet.
One day.
"I should go," Sootblaze let out a sharp breath, getting to his paws steadily to not startle the others and giving them both a smile. "Ravenflight has it out for me and Swiftleaf will keep me safe from her for a little while."
"That'll just make it worse when she actually does catch you."
"Then I'll just have to stick myself to Swiftleaf for the rest of time, problem solved," Sootblaze smiled at the Queen, leaning down to brush his nose very carefully along Lilykit and Thistlekit's backs before stepping over to nuzzle the top of Feathersong's head. "I'll be back later. Tell me if Lilykit tries biting her sister again."
"I'll keep you updated," Feathersong purred, running her tongue along the kits and making them squirm all the closer to her.
He turned to Flarepaw and she regarded him evenly. A glimmer of hope brightened the moon's shine, but she didn't seem to be expecting anything out of him. He found it rather unfair- how she was always putting his needs before her own- even though a part of him very much appreciated it.
"I'll… I'll see you later, right?"
Sootblaze didn't know if he was quite ready yet to go visit their graves.
But it was now or never and this was not something he wanted to weigh him down even more.
Thornblaze and Mousepaw deserved more than to be chains.
"Of course."
And with her at his side, he thinks he'll be okay.
…
Sneaking out of camp must be a talent for him, considering how often he did it nowadays just to wander.
It's not hard leaving camp, and it's even easier finding Flarepaw in the forest, considering she made no move to hide from him.
They merely exchanged a look in greeting before Flarepaw began to lead the way. She knew exactly where it was, after all, and with how they were now, easily following into old habits of him following just a step behind her, eager to keep up with her, it made him almost forget about where they were going.
The night was unnervingly quiet, the sound of the snow shifting beneath his paws making his nerves rise higher and higher. It wasn't freezing either, the winds too tired to continue rushing through the lands and taking a break from trying to turn every one to ice.
He didn't know how long they actually walked for, he was too busy staring at the back of Flarepaw's head and trying not to run in the opposite direction.
Alas, she brought them to a stop at the edge of a clearing, and as she stepped aside to glance over at him, his eyes fell to look within and though it was an empty area with no identifiable landmarks, he knew. This was it.
They were here.
"We can stay right here," she said to him, standing across from him, and it looked like she wanted nothing more than to get closer and envelop him in a warm embrace and he almost felt like asking her to. He bit his tongue instead and she made no move to walk over. Her eyes never left him and his never left the clearing. "Right here, at the treeline. You take all the time you need."
It was certainly a tempting offer.
Because stepping inside this place made it real.
And he wasn't ready to face reality… But there was nowhere left for him to run anymore.
He was tired of running.
Sootblaze took in a slow breath of the quiet night, just catching her scent of wild roses that made buds of beauty blossom within his chest and it wasn't as suffocating as the thorns had been before. Fresh flowers were re-emerging now that he was allowing it, and though they undoubtedly had thorns as well, they were as gentle as they could be.
"I need to do this," he breathed out and he could see her nodding slowly out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you want me to stay right here?"
"I don't think I can do this alone."
She nodded again, glancing off into the clearing before back to him and she took in her own deep breath before taking one, two steps closer to him and he trembled at her proximity. Her next exhale came out with a quiver as well, and perhaps she was too scared to step any closer.
"Then, I'm right beside you."
It sounded like a promise and it gave him strength.
The strength he needed to take his first step into the clearing.
She followed close at his side and it made every subsequent step easier and easier until he saw them.
The two graves.
With no new snowfall these past few days, it was quite easy to spot. The thaw was coming, the frost beginning to melt, and the packed dirt stood out like the moon was shining spotlights on them for him to see. They looked better than the ones he had made for Bluepaw and Shrewpaw and he felt his stomach clench uncomfortably at the thought. (Perhaps he can ask the others for help on making more graves sometime soon. Just for the others.)
He sat down at the foot of them and Flarepaw hovered half a step behind him, sitting down as well and keeping her eyes carefully on him.
He should have been here to help.
And instead, he had let grief and anger get the better of him, had let it make him irrational, and because of it, Sootblaze had been thrown into the Prisoner's Den. And what did that give him? Time to stew in his emotions with no way of releasing it except to yell at everyone who came to help and he pushed them all away.
I failed.
He had undoubtedly failed at being a brother.
Because all of his siblings were gone.
Bluepaw. Shrewpaw. Mousepaw. All dead.
Adderfang, chased away and encouraged to leave who knows where.
His eyes fell shut and he swore he could see them all there, smiling at him, faint apparitions just wanting the best for him. They were getting harder and harder to see, only their eyes remaining clear as ever. Dark blue of his nestmate, light amber of his smallest sister. The amber shades of Mousepaw and Adderfang, always in sync the two were.
May the stars guide you home.
May the winds lead you to the sky.
May you find rest and peace.
Wait for me.
I will join you all when my journey has ended too.
"I'm sorry," Sootblaze found himself saying out loud, letting out a strangled gasp in response, and as he opened his eyes, lifting it to look across the graves, he could see them all. Adderfang. Thornblaze. Mousepaw. Shrewpaw. Bluepaw. When he met their eyes, that's when the tears fell and he clenched his teeth to try and trap the pain but it was relentless. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
He was here.
And they weren't.
But he was their brother, Thornblaze's apprentice, and he loved them all.
He knew they were in a better place, a safer place than this wicked world… It was always going to hurt.
But maybe he'd learn to live with it.
Through his tears, he could see them smile, bow their heads- and begin to vanish like ash on the wind. He felt the instinctual desire to reach for them, but he couldn't. He didn't, he had to let them go, and instead, he found himself all but collapsing.
But he didn't fall.
Because just like she promised-
Flarepaw was right here.
He clung onto her with the desperation of someone trying to climb their way out of the void and Flarepaw clung onto him just as much. She didn't pull him out, he'd have to do that himself, but she did give him steadiness. A sanctuary of his own where he could fall apart and not risk slipping farther and farther down.
I'm sorry.
But I have to keep moving forward- without you all. Because there are still others counting on me.
I hope you're not mad.
(He knows they'll never be.)
I'll tell you all my stories when we see each other again.
I love you.
There, in the clearing that was the final resting spot for his family, Sootblaze broke and Flarepaw held him, staying all the while.
It hurt.
It felt a lot like healing.
…
A/N: I made the mistake of listening to the no rap version of See You Again while writing the last few parts, which hurt XD. Don't do that guys. Anywho, we're taking our steps toward the next arc so be prepared when we trip headfirst into it. It's… It's gonna hurt a little. Just a little. (maybe a lot)
…
Question of the Day
(I'm running out of ideas for these guys, send help XD)
If you had a warning label, what would yours say? (Alternatively, if the characters had a warning label, what would you think they would say?)
…
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Thank you and peace out!
~Wolfcreations21