[LittleMaple]

Username: LittleMaple
Cat Name: Thunderclap
Gender: male he/him
Rank: Warrior(??? I need a whole new rank for him)
Clan: Aetherclan
Age: 4 years when killed, TECHNICALLY like 60-70 or more when revived but has the body of when he was 4 with all of his memories from his past life+starclan life
Prompt:

The howl of the wind, the streaks of blue, purple, and white splitting the sky, the growl and boom of the thunder. A young crow calls out, his wings weighed down by the rain as he rushes over the open field between the conifers to his dry nest. Below him, the sounds of battle rage on. In the middle of it all, stands a dark tabby, his fur appearing blue in the darkness. His icy eyes pierced the night, his strong body covered in wounds. He was furious, full of adrenaline, unaware of who or what was near him. What was supposed to be a peaceful gathering was ending in bloodshed, and he stood in the middle of it all.

Thunderclap threw himself from his nest, his starry pelt glittering. He looked at his paws, and when he saw they were not stained with blood nor stuffed with tufts of fur, he breathed out a sigh of relief. "Just another nightmare…" He thought to himself. He had been reliving that night again and again after his death, unable to shake the sorrow and guilt he felt due to his actions. Tonight, it would change. He would go to the Starclan elders, tell them his story, and hope that they would let him redeem himself. Thunderclap knew that in the past, the elders had been merciful to those who had made mistakes, and let them relive their lives to right their wrongs. Most of the time, these cats had to apologize and reconcile with living relatives. That's where Thunderclap's problem differed. The relative he needed to apologize to was already dead. What's worse, is that Thunderclap had been the one to kill him.

Thunderclap trudged through the snow to see the elders. Though many found it inconvenient and frustrating, the elders liked it cold. Once he reached the ancient tree, where the ancestors resided, Thunderclap took a deep breath and announced his presence, "Hello? My name is Thunderclap, I'm here to ask if I can go back to the living world and right some wrongs." A large tawny she-cat stepped out from behind the tree, her muzzle gray but her eyes still sharp. "My name is Tawnyfeather, what wrongs do you wish to right?" The tawny she-cat started, her voice like a command. Thunderclap shuddered but stood tall, "I want to show my brother that I still have good in me… that- that I didn't want or mean to kill him! I want to prove myself to him." Tawnyfeather thought this over before stepping closer, "And who is your brother, exactly?" She asked. Thunderclap brought himself to meet her emerald gaze. "My brother is Halcyonstar's mate, Thrushsquall. He… he was a good cat," Thunderclap whispered the last part, eyes downcast. "Ohhhh," Tawnyfeather said under her breath, nodding her head knowingly, "Well, tell me your story, and I'll make my decision. I feel, however, that you had a reason for what you did. You and I have been in these lands for a long time." Thunderclap tilted his head in confusion, and Tawnyfeather chuckled. "I'll explain later," she said sweetly. Thunderclap shook his head and sat down to regale his tale.

Years before the events that led to me being here now, before you, Thrushsquall had chosen to leave the clan to be with Halcyonstar. While I was heartbroken to lose my brother, my best friend, I wanted what would make him happiest. While I tried to prevent the resentment from building against Halcyonstar, it was futile. I grew to see her as an annoyance, but I hid it from my family. I knew that Thrushsquall loved her, and I didn't want to ruin that for him. Anyways, that's not the story that I came here to tell.

Thunderclap pauses, like he's trying to remember something long forgotten. He shakes his head, seemingly having remembered.

It started at the gathering that night. Rainclan, of which Halcyonstar was the leader of, and my clan, were the only ones living in the area. The gathering was being held that night because there had been an unusual amount of border skirmishes, and the leaders wanted to put and end to it, at least for the time being. Shortly after it started, the rain began to pour down, and the thunder clouds hid the moon from view. Somewhere in the crowd, a fight had broken out. Accusations being thrown back and forth, hate-filled words being tossed around, so it didn't take long before claws were unsheathed. Soon, all the cats at the gathering were scratching and biting, screaming and crying. The leaders had jumped down to try and break up the fights, but they were quickly dragged into some themselves. By the time the two of them had joined the fray, I had already been fighting my way through the sea of cats. I had been trying to find my deputy so that we could try to get some of the others under control. He and I were second in command, working as a pair. When I found him though… his blood was on the paws of another. I let out a cry of pain for this cat that I had been so close to, now dead at my paws. I looked around for who had dared to do this to my deputy, and saw a silhouette standing still as if in shock nearby. In that moment, I didn't care if they were the one who had done this, I just wanted revenge. I leaped at them and clawed into their pelt, anger fueling me. I could hear them begging for mercy, their voice eerily familiar, and tore away. I stared them down, my legs shaking from fear, anger, and adrenaline. We locked eyes, and betrayal I saw in theirs struck me deep in my soul. I realized that I did know this cat, this voice. Oh, Thrushsquall… Halcyonstar had seen it all go down, and leaped for my throat…

(1000/1000 words!!! Rip my fingers (did it ALL on mobile :'])

[Knickknacks]

Username: knickknacks
Cat Name: Ripple
Gender: male
Rank: guard
Clan: salted stone
Age: 4 years
Prompt: [-/1000 words]

wip!

[Vivika]

Username: vivika
Cat Name: issachar
Gender: male (he/him)
Rank: impérial guard (sword)
Clan: azeryn
Age: twenty-three moons
Prompt: 997 words <3

they say never break your oath.

he stumbled as a hooded form dragged him onwards. his chains clinked, a mocking windchime as he descended into a chamber of obsidian and indigo, shadows shivering with every step. before him, a throne crested. ebony spires rose like jagged fangs, spiralling along the backing and sides of the obsidian throne. a throne embellished with faint, shimmering pearls━the only light within this inky court.

well, that and… the light reflected from watchful eyes.

the king’s eyes. narrowed and a striking jade, polished with a cold, unyielding frost, a look not usually reserved for him. but today? it was unquestioningly directed at him. and there’d be hell to pay.

“issachar.” the king’s voice was a saccharine hush, echoing. around him, shadows surged, surrounding the king’s side. members of the imperial guard━his brothers in-arms━their formation crisp and precise. “do you understand the gravity of this situation?”

he cleared his throat, standing tall. “i do.”

the king’s teeth gnashed, finishing with a click. “then, explain this.”

above the court, a screen unfurled like a set of iron jaws. and right now, he was a fish about to be slayed on the open market, gutted for all to see. the images washed over him. clear, crisp, exposing.

a day he’d never forget.


↯↯↯

they say never break your oath.

technically, he wasn’t breaking it. he was just paying a visit to a friend. of sorts. his limbs danced under the moonless night, swimming in the expanse of the canals. bioluminescent lights flickered, casting ripples of light as he slipped deeper and deeper, paw tracing the side of a building, following its smooth planes.

first floor from ground level. second floor. third floor.

there. through the sealed window, a whirlwind of silver and gold swathed in the ivory cloak of a scientist. her lips settled into a fine line, the set of her eyes narrowed as she swirled a concoction of aquamarine vials with a white powder.

she was here.

a smile curved as he kicked for the surface.
now, all he had to do was to pull a few favors…


…

evalise.

one of the king’s top scientists pioneering the kingdom’s most revolutionary research. he straightened his cloak as he stood before silver doors. the entrance to her lab. he traced a pattern upon the keypad, a sequence of jagged lines and waited until the doors parted. winning smile, one step forward━

glass shattered.

with a soft gasp, a force collided into him. reeling, he staggered, hitting the wall as frigid liquid raced down his side, drenching his shoulder.

“what are you━” evalise. her gaze narrowed, curses spilling from her lips. stepping over shards of glass, she seized the edge of his cloak, yanking it. “let me rephrase. what business does an impérial guard have here? you don’t belong here.”

“i can explain━”

“don't. we need to get you to the healers.”

“what?” his eyes lowered, just enough, to trace her gaze to his shoulder. where raven locks once stood, chaotic and wild… something else took its place. still chaotic, still wild, but navy. and the old scars marring his shoulder… blue.

an awkward chuckle bloomed in his throat. “relax, i can wash this off. it’s not a problem━”

“not a problem?” breathless, she nabbed a hanging cloth, hurling it at him. “you have no idea what you just got all over your pretty self. for star’s sake, you’re blue. blue! i can’t let you leave. i need to run some tests, keep you under observation… stars, i could lose my job. this is an astronomical problem━so shut up and sit down.”

…

silence stretched, fragile and tentative, punctuated only by the rhythm of her observations and the toneless beeps of her tools. her gaze remained sharp on his. frigid.

“look…” he sighed. “for what it's worth, i’m sorry about this. it's on me.”

she said nothing, not for a long moment. then… something softened in the set of those copper eyes. barely. with a sigh, she turned to him. “fine. explain yourself, whatever-your-name-is. it’s going to be a long night… and well, i hope you take a liking to blue. i… think it’s permanent.”

“you did all you could.” his voice rumbled, soft. “besides, i think i’ve grown fond of blue. i grew up by the oceans afterall.”

as her gaze met his once more, he held it. steadily.

for a second, he could see everything, unfurling before him. the genesis of something electrifying and terrifying, borne from accidents and misfortunes. the precipice of something dark, something forbidden, something he swore against. the threats, the dangers, the lies. unlikely beginnings and heartpounding close-calls. the dice the devils would roll every instance he played this game of cards. he could call it off now. right now.

“issachar." his breath hitched. "the name's issachar.”

↯↯↯

they say never break your oath.
but he did━a thousand times over.

as he knelt before the king, bruised and bloodied, chains softly clinking, he bowed his head. “i broke my oath. it was against our laws.”

the king’s teeth slid together in a tight smile. “and what do our laws say about that?”

“death.” a mere whisper, but it was all he could manage. it wasn’t just his life at stake. it was hers. hers and… their kits. “your majesty, believe me. if i could change things, i would.”

the king’s gaze pierced deep, cutting to the space between his soul and heart. “i’m aware. but the real question is, do you regret it?”

he hesitated. if he could, he’d change so many things. he should have been more careful, less careless. more watchful. he shouldn’t have let something so precious explode like a wildfire. but it did. nuclear and cosmic, untamed and wild, an inferno with no end. destructive.

but their love was also brilliant, bold, brazen… and beautiful.

he lifted his chin. “i regret it’s brought us to this.”

but he wouldn’t change it.
no matter what came.

[canadianhowl]

Username: Arrikanez
Cat Name: Depth Strider
Gender: Male
Rank: Knight
Clan: The Dark Carnival
Age: 3
Prompt: -snip-

Woah these were all such amazing stories to read! You guys made this quite hard to choose but this entry had to of been my favorite take of this prompt! Congrats!

I’d also like to award Vivika a HM!

[Vivika]

congrats, arrikanez!! i adored your story, ahh - definitely well-deserved! <33

and thank you so much for the hm, canadianhowl! <3