{ unconditional - Micki. & dimi.

[Micki.]

x

[Micki.]

x
Honeydrop gave a quick smile to the young molly that lay beside her, before returning her attention to the night sky, lit up and decorated with scattered stars. "Kairis, look," she breathed, pointing up at one of the stars, "That's Willowheart up there."

And with that, the honey-colored she-cat was launching into the tale of Willowheart.


'A long, long time ago, when our ancestors still walked the earth, and much before Starclan had even been formed, there was a small kit named WIllowkit. And she wanted nothing more than to be a warrior. But, as she grew older, Willowkit became Willowheart, and she found that love was the greatest gift of all.

Willowheart was the bravest warrior - no, the bravest cat - that anyone had ever seen! She was fearless in the face of danger and willing to give up her life for her clan. There was no one like her. She was utterly unique.

After her parents passed, forming the Starclan that we now know, she was heartbroken, for they had given her unconditional love. They were the source of her strength and bravery, she said, and without them she would be nothing. And so Willowheart set out on a quest to find someone else to give her love and be her new strength. It took many, many moons of searching before she finally found another cat that she believed would love her all the same. His name was Quickfoot, and he was the quickest, bravest cat she had ever met.

Willowheart was smitten, and so, too, was he - or so she thought.

His "unconditional love" began to fade away after a few moons, however, leaving her once more without strength.'


When she finished, she looked over at her daughter with a sparkle in her eye, "You know, they say only those who love unconditionally can see her in the night sky."

[dimi.]

Kairis was mesmerized by the beauty of the view, her eyes twinkling as she looked at the stars in the night sky. Her small grin faded, however, when her mother began talking about the deceased. She saw the star, and did love unconditionally.. Yet, something, no, someone had urged her not to sit by with these beliefs.

"But mama, I do love.." She mumbled softly before looking up at hee mother briefly before she turned her gaze back to the sky. "The sky sure is beautiful, but.. I just think the stars are beautiful lights." She took in a sharp breath before continuing to speak.

"Willowheart was a great warrior, but.. Talking with the deceased, or even looking at them.. It doesn't seem possible.. And if it is, it's a bad idea.." Her claws curled in the soil, her ears flicking anxiously as she awaited her mother's reply, which was bound to be scornful.

These were words that her father and the leader of his pack, Tempest, had uttered to Kairis. She was merely abiding, and as much as she loved her mother, she had grown to believe the philosophies of Silvercrest Roamers on her visit.

[Micki.]

x
"Those are your father's words," she snapped, "His beliefs."

Her eyes flashed dangerously and she let out a low hiss, the thought of her former fling - and that wretched leader of his - corrupting her precious daughter, and it filled Honeydrop with fury. She had grown less and less patient with the two of them, always feeding Kairis disdainful lies and half-truths about the ancestors.

Honeydrop lowered her voice a fraction before she continued, "You know why those wretched leaders say that? It's because they're bitter about their mother's death, and full of anger that they couldn't stop it. It's just foolish, self-important nonsense they've been telling you. It's all about making themselves feel better." She paused for a fraction of a second, but her anger took over her again and she was soon adding to her words, "They're just children playing pretend. I'd even bet they move around so much so that the ancestors can't catch up to them and knock sense into their thick skulls."

The honey-colored she-cat let out a sharp sigh. She looked over at Kairis, eyes big with empathy, "I know sometimes it can be hard to tell that your father is lying... but, Kairis, believe me: our way is the right one. The ancestors watch over us and keep us safe, no matter what lies your father tells you."

[dimi.]

Kairis's ears pinned back as her mother retorted, her eyes widening. Her expression, speech, and body all seemed to be paralyzed by the outburst. Her claws were flexing as she tried to gather her thoughts before she took a sharp breath in, narrowing her eyes. "Dad doesn't shove his beliefs down my throat." She hissed out in annoyance. "With you, it's Starclan this, Starclan that! Oh my Starclan, the prey pile is empty!" Her speech was beginning to grow louder as she looked into her mother's eyes, her expression having shifted to one of sheer rage. She drew in a harsh breath before going on, her tone having grown more sad than anything.

"Your beliefs are fine, but being rude about it all because you made a bad decision with dad isn't right. I'm allowed to have my own believes, mama... You impose your own on me.. Why can't I have my own thoughts?" She squinted her eyes, looking down at the ground before shaking her head. "I've heard your argument and dad's argument. I personally don't believe in Starclan like my dad. But you care more about some starry cats and your anger against my dad than your own daughter's feelings!"

She made a sharp turn over her right shoulder, kicking dust onto her mother's pelt before running out of the camp without a second thought.

[Micki.]

x



x

Honeydrop let out a sigh of frustration, closing her eyes to regain her calm.

After a few moments, the she-cat got up and made her way to the medicine cat dens to ask for a bit of help. She plopped herself down in the center of the main medicine den, right in front of Tearoot, and let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't know what to do."

The other she-cat raised a brow, her bright green eyes shimmering like always as she spoke, "Oh? About what?"

"Kairis."

And with that, Honeydrop was launching into the saga that was her and Kairis's relationship - a relationship of opposing views and differing personalities, a relationship that was more than a bit challenging at times. At the end of the story, the dappled she-cat before her let out a long, sympathetic sigh, "You're going about it wrong."

Honeydrop bristled in response - she never liked to be told she was wrong - and raised a brow at Tearoot.

"You can't force someone to believe something - anything - that they don't."

"But-"

"You can't," she flicked her dappled tail at the other she-cat before continuing, "It just doesn't work that way. And what's that tale about Willowheart? That bit about loving unconditionally?"

Then, all at once, things clicked into place for Honeydrop, and the she-cat was racing from the medicine den to find her daughter.

x

And when she finally did, the young molly was laying under a tree, fiddling with a wildflower. "You know," Honeydrop began, voice low and warm, "I used to run away to this very spot when I was your age."

Kairis looked up at her mother, narrowing her eyes, but said nothing in response.

The honey-colored she-cat let out a gentle sigh and sat down, "You were right."

Her daughter's ears perked up at that, though she still said nothing, so Honeydrop continued, "I can't make you see things like I do. It isn't fair to you, and it isn't fair to me. All it does is drive us farther apart, and I love you too much to keep doing that."

"That's what I've been saying, Mama!" Kairis responded, rolling her eyes at her mother's thick skull.

Honeydrop gave a gentle smile, her eyes starting to tear up, "I know... and I think.. you should live with your father," the she-cat gave a small sniffle before continuing, "Because I love you, no matter what you believe and no matter where you are.. I love you unconditionally."

[Micki.]

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word count:

oh no, did I get too close oh? - 312 words
all your insecurities - 196 words
all the dirty laundry - 224 words
walk through this storm i would - 227 words
there is no fear now - 432 words

total word count: 1371 / 1400 words (extras used)

the text images in the end post are 20 words total, so if you count those it's still only 1391/1400 !! <3