[Trickz]

Res

[Kazin]

Username;; Kazin
Cat Name;; Sunny
Gender;; tom
Age;; 18 moons
Clan;; Nox Invictus
Rank;; Scout

Prompt;; 1,167 words

"You have to stay here. With me. Please, Sunny."

The words echoed in his brain, over and over and over again. They wouldn't stop. How could he make them stop when the decision was already made? How could he tell a piece of his past that he was sorry? How could he make everything change? How, how how. The questions could go on forever.

He just wanted them to stop.

This was his fault. Now he had to live with the consequences of his actions.

__________________________________________________

I must live for more.

Life was rough, constantly on the move, constantly stealing or fighting for what little they could. He lived on the streets surrounded by other cats. Meaner, harsher cats who weren't afraid to hurt others to have more. Cats that controlled every aspect of life, if one could call what Sunny and his family had a life. His siblings and his father didn't seem to mind this harsh lifestyle, despite their mother being taken from them at a young age. She lost her battle, and Sunny knew it was only a matter of time before he lost his. He was no fighter, that was for sure.

As much as he wanted to leave, sneaking away was not easy. The street cats would find out, and imprison whatever cats were trying to leave. Sunny would be at their disposal, he would be forced to do whatever they wanted him to do, eating less than he already did, if it were possible. He would have no freedoms left if he were caught, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He had to do it. He had to make a better life.

It was either stay, and be afraid of what each day would bring, or leave and risk being caught. Sunny was a gambler.

He knew he would be leaving his family behind, as much as he tried to convince them to leave with him. They were too complacent with their situation, too brainwashed to see this was no life to live. Their father was the worst of them, believing this was how all cats were meant to live - under a tyrannical ruler they never saw, only heard of, eating barely enough to keep them strong and hunting for the leader. Over half of the meager prey the cats could catch were 'donated' involuntarily to the tyranny, and Sunny's father barely batted an eye.

"You must live for more," his mother had whispered to him once when he was a kit. He never realized how much those words meant until recently. He would live for more. For his mother, for his siblings, and for his father, trapped in the life of a prisoner without even realizing it.

_________________________________________________

I have to go.

Sunny slipped away under the cover of a new moon. Careful to avoid any street lamps, Sunny kept to the shadows, knowing his pelt was not doing him any favors tonight. He hardly realized he was being followed until he was nearly out of the city, his heart pumping faster than he believed possible.

"Where are you going?"

The question came out as a very subtle whisper, but still Sunny jumped like he had been burned. He whirled around, unsheathing his claws and ready to fight to leave, but instead of a hostile cat, he was met with the sad stare of his sister.

"I have to leave, Luna. You know I do." Sunny could barely hear himself over the roar of the blood in his veins. He was so close.

Luna's gaze turned to the ground as she sat back on her haunches. Her features said it all. She was exhausted. "You're the only one who can protect us from ourselves." Sunny wasn't sure if he heard her correctly, but he was sure he had. And it almost made sense, though the ginger tom shook his head.

"I've tried to," he said sadly, still shaking his head slowly. "I've tried too hard to get you to see that this lifestyle is killing you. Maybe you can survive physically, but emotionally there's no way you can handle much more of this. Mom knew that, and that's why she was willing to die trying to escape. That's why I have to try too."

Silence stretched between the siblings for a few heartbeats, and Sunny turned his gaze to the starless sky, the clouds blocking all the tiny lights.

"You can still come. You can live for more, too." A small flicker of hope ignited in Sunny's heart. Maybe he wouldn't be alone as he traveled into the vast unknown beyond the city.

But as quickly as the small flame of hope caught, it was put out when he looked back over at Luna.

"I can't leave the rest of our family. I'm going to help them survive in here. I know we can."

Sunny closed his eyes as thoughts of his mother swirled around his brain once more. You must live for more. He shook his head again, turning his back on his sister. Turning his back on the city. It would not break his spirit as it had his family.

"Wait! Please, Sunny! Don't leave." The pleading tone in his sister's voice nearly broke Sunny's heart. Why couldn't she see this was no life for a cat to live?

"Please don't make this harder than it has to be," Sunny said, his tail dropped against the dirty ground as he took one last glance back at Luna. "I can't protect you anymore. I can't even protect myself in there."

"You have to stay here. With me. Please, Sunny." Luna's voice broke, and she cast a meaningful look behind her before Sunny was able to see the dark shapes of cats waiting against the faint glow of the city.

The tyranny had known all along about this. They had sent his sister to try and stop him as a last resort. And he knew this was not going to end well for his sister if he were to leave.

But it would end even worse for him if he went back to the city.

"I'm sorry." He yowled, turning tail once more and sprinting into the night. The growls and yelps of cats giving chase behind him let Sunny know he had made his decision. At what cost for his family, he wasn't sure. Perhaps if he had stayed, they could have all lived together in the city and found a better way to play the game of tyranny, and he could have found some way to bring them all with him. His decision was probably going to cost his family their lives. But he could no longer live with a broken spirit. He had given his family the option of joining him, and they refused.

He could only hope that they would be spared. It was his decision, not theirs, but he knew they would be punished anyway.

Sunny kept running, and he never looked back.


Extra;;
Moodboard.

Playlist.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

[SurgeFire]

Extended 2 days.

[Namida_☾]

Mark<3

[ataraxic_gone]

Extra;; Playlist is annotated through out for ease of reading.
[1] Shelter 2 - Chase
[2] The Kooks - Naive
[3] Meadow OST - Den
[4] Avicii - Hey Brother
Username;; dewly_noted
Cat Name;; Russet
Gender;; female
Age;; 34 moons
Clan;; BeachClan
Rank;; Cove Mother

Prompt;; [1,403]
The day had started at the peak of normality, no sign of the great misfortune that dawned across the horizon. She had taken her younger brother, Copper, to their usual spot, a place outside a restaurant that knew them as regulars, always filled with happy faces when the two of them approached with purrs and trills to be fed.
They spent as much time as they needed until they had full bellies of finely cooked fish. They could choose to bathe in a sunny spot of their choosing, the cats of this city lax in their ways of war and fighting. So they did, Russet showing her brother a newer spot she had discovered during her nightly rounds. Something was off as she walked up a quiet side street that was filled with sunlight, a different scent, one she knew too well filled the air and she stumbled backwards, a hiss escaping her maw.
An ugly looking creature [1], twice her size was rustling through trash. Gently she tried to coax her brother backwards, only to find the young kit glued to where he stood. She gave him another nudge, only to find him stuck in place still, so instead she slowly moved in front of him, breaking his line of sight with the beast. The sound of rustling stopped from behind her and her heart sunk in her chest as a low growl erupted from the dog, followed by barking. Her brother was still stuck in place, the dogs was on it's way. It wasn't the first time she'd faced dogs and with life in the city it wouldn't be the last; now she was faced with a choice.



[2] She gave up trying to move her little brother, pushing past him, causing him to stumble to his side. A shrill scream echoing out of his maw as his inaction finally caught up with him. The scampering of paws behind her as he stumbled to get away from the mangy beast. Russet put the sounds out of her mind as she kept running, the scream of her oath and parents filling her mind. She had promised to keep her brother safe but under the lightest pressure she had abandoned the only blood she had left. Slipping down the streets the echoes of angry screams kept her moving, each place of the city a reminder that she had left her brother to die. She kept moving as if the guilt was something she could out run or out live.

She travelled through open fields, dense forests and past a waterfall that took her breathe away. None of these places enough to stop the guilt that buried her. Over the months she tried to rationalise her choice, thinking that in some ways it had been her brother's fault, that he could have done more to save himself. Those thoughts did little to reassure her.

The guilt seemed to run it's course when she stumbled upon a newly constructed clan, BeachClan and with it found a new family. They hadn't know about her lapse in loyalty to family and as time passed the ever present scream of guilt became nothing more than a whisper. She found herself relaxed, at peace. She fell in love with a tom called BlossomCreek, fiercely loyal and fiercely moral. He would often speak about how family came first, that family was the most important thing you were given, to wrapped up in his blind love to see the way Russet always flinched when the subject came up.

He wouldn't be so blind when a now older Copper stumbled into camp. He was badly injured, covered in scrapes and scars that while having long since healed screamed treason in Russet's mind. As quickly as she had recognised her little brother, he recognised her a bitter smile spreading across his face and he let out a low chuckle.

"Hello big Sis." He spat, bitter and angry as he walked closer, showing off more of the scars that littered his form.

Russet was silent as her brother scanned the camp of BeachClan, eyes narrowed as he let out another bitter chuckle.

"So this is where you went after abandoning me," he continued, "do you like my scars? They're because of the choices you made."
[3] With this choice her mate abandons her, furious upon realising everything Russet had told him was a lie and while she wasn't kicked from BeachClan, the constant presence of her brother and her guilt drove her to leave. She would later meet an untimely fate, travelling through the world when she is caught during a snow storm, without shelter she passed quietly into the night, all a result of her own cowardice.



[4] She leans in close to her brother, whispering in a stern voice, "Run and don't ever stop." Everything else comes naturally, shoving his side so hard that he stumbles into a run, watching as he soars out of the alley and out of her line of sight. Then she turned to face the beast, a bitter reassurance in her mind that even if she died now, she'd have died protecting the only thing left she had that mattered to her. Her brother would survive and she would be brave.

With a deep breathe, the first thing she did was bolt to the left, evading a snap of jaws that would have claimed her if she had remained still. The second thing she did was beeline towards a dumpster climbing up in one leap, wincing as the dumpster shook as the dog began clambering it's way onto the high ground she had just seized. Looking around it felt as if there was no way out, only for a window sill to catch her attention. One more leap and she was safe from the dog tail bristling as it tucked close to her body avoiding the dog that jumped to grab at her and it.

Then it was all about waiting.

Waiting for the dog to give up interest, waiting for the coast to be clear, waiting for the adrenaline to stop pumping though her veins with more fervour then her own blood. Then the wait was over and she climbed down, cautious as she snuck her head out of the alley, the dark night sky overhead acting as a blanket. It was quiet and in that quiet her soul turned over.

Any other night her brother would have started debating bed time stories, voice becoming shrill to her ears as he tried to find out information about their parents, about the world, about the stars overhead as if somehow by merit of age Russet new everything. Coppers absence was evident in the quiet and despite the aching tired she felt she chased the faint scent of her brother in the air, hoping to track him down and tell him everything was okay.

She couldn't find him and as the scent trails becoming harder and harder to track she prayed to her mother's ghost that she'd keep him safe.

She travelled restlessly for moons, watching as time passed her by, always hoping that she stumble across her brother sooner or later. On the word of a group of strays she heard about BeachClan and a young warrior- no wave runner, called CopperSpirit who's description matched her brother to the letter. She had chased down wild goose chases before, stumbling across all numbers of orange felines but as she was escorted into camp that first time, she practically ran into her brother, stumbling upon herself as the happiness hit her to see her brother in one piece.
With this choice she suffered alone for some time, putting her life on stand by, risking everything just to keep her little brother safe. She stumbles across BeachClan on her own time, is reunited with her brother and meets the cat who she fondly calls her soulmate. Ultimately the risks paid off and everything worked out.

Regardless of self preservation and unfortunate ends or bravery and fortunate ends it all came down to one moment. She knew that irregardless all that mattered was she keep her oath. With no way of telling what the future could hold, it all came down to the fact that she was a good sister, a good caretaker, that would die to keep the promise she made even if doing so could kill her.

She was brave and she stayed.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

Username;; TheSongOfTheStars
Cat Name;; Chirka
Gender;; male
Age;; 56 moons
Clan;; Songclan
Rank;; warrior

Prompt;;

Catalyst
Chirka flinched and crouched lower to the wet cobblestones of the bridge as lightning tore the sky apart and sent thunder rolling down from the broken pieces.
But it wasn't the wrath of the storm he feared, but the anger of the shadows that gathered and wove into the night around him, over bright eyes catching flashes of lightening and glaring at him.
They were all around him now.
No escape.
Not by foot.
"Chirka, come away from there," an authoritative voice rumbled in much the same way the thunder had rolled.
Up on the railing with the water rushing beneath him, Chirka ignored the voice.
"Chirka don't be a fool."
Was that what he was being? Or for once was he doing the smart thing.
"You aren't yourself Chirka," most of the shadows hung back, but one melted out of the rain and stepped closer, hard green eyes like cold poison locking onto Chirka, Raven, "Are you really going to abandon your family? Over such a small disagreement?"
Were they really his family? Or where they his jailers? He'd lived with them his entire life, but did they care about him?
"Chirka?" Leigh solidified out of the rain, her soft orange eyes dim in the darkness, but still stabbing straight to his heart "Don't leave me."
Chirka wavered, three paws on solid wet ground, one hovering in thin air.
He looked back and forth between the water and the shadows around him.
He could be free. He'd be alone.
He could stay. Safety in numbers. He'd never have control over his own life.
There would be consequences for this.


Path one
"They're beautiful Chirka," Raven purred hoarsely as he beamed down at the litter of kits nestled inbetween Chirka's paws "How is Leigh?"
"She's okay, tired, but okay," Chirka sighed and looked down at his three children. They were all on the small side, but the third was really a runt. Absolutely tiny and fragile. Chirka was already fighting with himself not to have a favorite.
"Imagine if you had left us," Raven said, a velvet paw sneaking out to touch the smallest kit gently.
Chirka shivered and closed his eyes. Raven had shown him uncommon grace after his shameful escapade.
"Imagine what an example you are."
Chirka's eyes shot open at the sudden change in Raven's voice. It went from warm to ice in a second.
There was a squeal and Chirka looked down to see Raven's claws curling around the runt.
"No," he whispered.
"Yes Chirka," Raven arched his neck and his eyes burned into Chirka's "Time to pay your due."
Chirka wanted to move, but he couldn't breathe and he was frozen as Raven's claws sunk deeper.
Too deep for any hope.
"It'd be a pity if you were to lose the other two," Raven said, stepping back and wiping his claws against the ground. He turned to leave, calling over his shoulder "I'd hope you'd never even think about betraying my trust again Chirka."
Path two

Chirka closed his eyes and listened. The sound of a forest was so different then the sound of the city. A city was discordant, a cacophonous of voices all competing to be heard over each other while the forest was a chorus, a hundred songs woven into each other. It was so strange to think he was one of those songs now instead of a shout lost in the screams.
He wasn't alone, the way he'd thought he'd be. There were cats living, thriving, out here. They had taught him how to survive and how to enjoy being alive.
He took in a long breath and let it out slowly before standing up. The branch shook beneath him and he dug his claws in reflexively as he tensed his muscles for the leap. He soared towards the earth and landed with the softest thump.
He paused for a moment, ears pricked. Better safe than sorry was something he'd learned a long time before coming to this place and the clan cats didn't need to teach him that. Then he broke out into a flat out run for the simple joy of feeling his heart hammer against his chest.
He was free.
And he was never going to be weighed down again.
Outcome
Stay, stay, stay, go, go, go.
"Please Chirka," Leigh shouted again to be heard over the storm.
"Leigh," Chirka swallowed in a breath against his pounding heart "Leigh please..."
"Don't you go, don't you dare leave."
"Leigh..." lightening flashed and thunder rolled, drowning out Chirka's voice "Leigh! Leigh..."
Might as well say it now.
"I love you."
Leigh flinched and stared at him, clearly not expecting that. But they'd been close, hadn't they? They'd spent so much time together, spent so much time talking and laughing.
The silence was cut short by Raven roughly shouldering again Leigh, causing her to start out of her shock.
"Chirka...I..."
"She loves you too, Chirka," Raven snapped "Don't leave her."
But for a long moment Chirka held Leigh's gaze, searching for something.
He found nothing.
"Chirka!" Raven's screeched split the air harsher than any thunder, but it did nothing as the errant tom made his choice. launing himself upwards, into the air.
For a moment, Chirka was as untethered as a bird, no obligations to the earth or Raven or Leigh.
Then he was falling.

[Archery_TPC]

Username;; ChicBoy1_
Cat Name;; Gingerpatch
Gender;; Male
Age;; 36 Moons
Clan;; GladeClan
Rank;; Warrior

Prompt;;
[ 563 ]
Gingerpatch glanced around the camp. Cats huddled in a group, watching the new exiled cat with snarls on their faces. It was Gingerpatch's friend - best friend, actually.
"Is there any cat who would make the smarter decision to join me?" The new exile growled, head held high. Gingerpatch's stomach twisted into a knot. Turning to look at his leader, there was a decision to be made.

_____

Gingerpatch stood forward, leaving the crowd of cats. "I'll follow you until the end." He mewed to his friend.
"Thank you, Gingerpatch."
"Well, Gingerpatch and Spiderheart." Cinderstar yowled. "Come near GladeClan territory again and you will regret it." With that, Gingerpatch followed Spiderheart out of the clan and into the wilderness.
"Find a hidden spot, we will ambush them at night and hopefully kill Cinderstar. You can go for the deputy - if she sees him die, who knows what will happen. After that, you and I can take over GladeClan." Gingerpatch shuddered as Spiderheart went on with his plan. Had he made a mistake joining Spiderheart?

The camp was dark, Spiderheart and Gingerpatch sneaking into the camp as quietly as possible. Nearing the leader's den, Gingerpatch felt a claw slice through his back and a cat yell, "Cinderstar! The exiles returned!" The cat snickered, pinning Gingerpatch. Cinderstar hopped into the clearing. Spiderleg attempted to claw the cat pinning him down, running away as quickly as possible. Gingerpatch gaped- his friend had left him? Cinderstar stalked menacingly towards Gingerpatch.
"You made the wrong choice. Looks like he wasn't your friend, after all." With a raised paw, Cinderstar drew her claws across Gingerpatch's neck, his vision blurring and fading as he twitched and writhed in the camp clearing..

_____

Gingerpatch watched silently, turning his head to the ground.
"Not even you, Gingerpatch?" Spiderheart mewed quietly. He seemed to snarl, voice growing rougher. "I see how it is." He whipped around, leaving camp. The deputy nudged Gingerpatch.
"You made the right choice." Gingerpatch smiled awkwardly at the deputy, slipping away into the warrior's den as soon as he could.

Gingerpatch woke up to claws dug into his back, dragging him outside into the clearing. Glancing up, he could see Spiderheart. Struggling, Gingerpatch tried to bite the exile, failing.
"Cinderstar!" Spiderheart yowled. The leader left her den, fur rising up in alarm almost immediately. "I would like to make a deal. I'll give you back this-" Spiderheart dug his claws deeper into Gingerpatch, watching as the pinned cat yowled in pain. "-nice cat, for a small price. Give me a different cat or one of your lives." Spiderheart grinned, watching Cinderheart carefully. Glancing back, Gingerpatch saw a small apprentice quietly padding towards Spiderheart.
"Cloudpaw, no-" Gingerpatch cried out.
"What is this, a puny little apprentice trying to attack me? How mouse-brained." Spiderheart seemed to giggle, flicking his tail. "Go away, apprentice, or I'll rip your throat out instead." Cloudpaw held her head high, fur puffed in fear.
"Stop!" Cinderstar growled, stepping forward. "You can take one of my lives." She growled. Gingerpatch gaped, wanting to speak out. Instead, he watched as Spiderheart released his claws. Immediately, Gingerpatch leaped up with newfound adrenaline, bashing into Spiderheart and biting into his neck. Spiderheart's struggles slowed overtime before he was completely still. Gingerpatch let go, spitting. His pelt began to hurt, reality sinking in. "Gingerpatch-" Cinderstar mewed, causing Gingerpatch to flinch, turning around. "-Thank you."

Extra;;
[ 209 ]
Gingerpatch sat in camp, wondering what would have happened if he had followed Spiderheart. Gingerpatch had followed his mind, not his heart. Now he knew if he had done it the other way round, his fate could've ended in place of Spiderheart's. The sun seemed to glow, making Gingerpatch dizzy with the heat. It had been three moons since Spiderheart, and Gingerpatch couldn't forget. It was like a parasite, invading his mind whenever it could. No matter what, Gingerpatch knew he wouldn't forget the memory of killing his best friend. All he had to do, though, was move on. Still, he was a cat who dwelled in the past. Hopping up, Gingerpatch left camp, finding his favourite spot in the clan territory and lying in it. Long stalks of grass felt softer than the moss in his bedding, the shade from a tree lifting off some of the heat but not too much. He had made the right choice. Even if he didn't agree with the thought, at some point he would accept it. Because he had other things to think about at times like this.
"Gingerpatch!" Silverfall mewed warmly. She huddled next to Gingerpatch, purring. "I was looking for you." She smiled.
"And I was waiting for you."

[dimi.]

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"Ｉ ＦＡＩＬＥＤ ＭＹ ＦＡＭＩＬＹ ＯＮＣＥ． ＷＩＴＨ ＵＳ ＢＡＣＫ
ＴＯＧＥＴＨＥＲ， Ｉ ＷＯＮ＇Ｔ ＤＯ ＩＴ ＡＧＡＩＮ．"

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╔═════════════════════╗
Username;; dimi.
Cat Name;; Nokomis
Gender;; Female
Age;; 90 moons
Clan;; Silvercrest Roamers
Rank;; Trooper
╚═════════════════════╝

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"I was once a loving mother
with a child to protect,
who was never a bother.
Perhaps I did overprotect.

Little did I know
that he would grow to wield
a heart of vicious snow,
one beyond the power of heal.

Maybe it was all my fault.
I could have saved my child.
Maybe we could have rebuilt.
We could have again smiled."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

It was a gloomy day. Gray clouds fought with the sunlight, stripping it from the sky viciously. The gray clouds traveled downwards, their dark surfaces reaching out as though they were to claw at the ground, challenging the mortals who tread among it.

In the series of caverns, a lone mother wandered, her pelt a stellar orange, her maw covered by a large amount of gray fur. She held a young cat in her mouth, though it was obviously not her child. Something urged her to stop within the cavern, her head dipping to drop the kit.

"There's someone near." She whispered to the kit. His ears pinned back as her head glanced over her shoulder at the cavern entrance. The silhouettes and shadows of her pursuers loomed over her, cornering her within the cavern.

The head of the formation stepped forward, his shadowed emerald green eyes falling upon the orange molly.

"Defying the Moon Regiment is a horrific crime, Nokomis." The tom said coldly, almost in a mocking tone. Nokomis's ears pinned back at the taunting, a soft hiss drawing out from her maw. The tom let out a soft laugh, her ears immediately perking up when she heard another voice, a more feminine and childish one.

"You know what you have done. That kit was to be our sacrifice; and in not listening to Her command, you have ignited the flames of the beginning of the end."

"Sacrifice?" The gray kit perked up from behind Nokomis. She gazed over her shoulder at him, hushing him with the flick of her curly tail over his muzzle.

"Oh, you have kept him clueless, have you not?" The molly went on, stepping towards Nokomis as she sneered. "You are truly a coward."

"At least I'm not the coward who can only kill kits." Nokomis spat in the face of the molly, a harsh strike against the molly's jaw sending her tumbling back in fear. Before she could retaliate, the tom stepped forward between the two.

"Enough." He said, gazing between the two before focusing solely on Nokomis. "You have a choice now, Nokomis. You can either hand over the kit and go about your life, or we can kill you both here right now."


[Decision One: Blackmail them.]
"May I have a moment with my kit?" Nokomis asked. The members gazed at one another before the tom nodded. "Without your prying ears." She added after the agreement, which the tom rolled his eyes at.

"Fine. But beware, Nokomis, we have eyes everywhere. You are not evading us again." The tom said before guiding his patrol to the entrance of the cavern. Nokomis waited for them to exit before mumbling beneath her breath.

'I might not be able to avoid you, but I'm certain my little one can." She said with a smile before looking at the gray kit. "Tundra."

"Yes, mom?" He said back, his curled ears perking.

"Mom has to fight off some monsters right now, but you got to run far, far away. You remember the warriors I told you about in the big two-leg area?" She inquired gently.

"Yes.. Bat and them, right? The big black molly with the awesome eyes." He added, grinning at his own remark.

Nokomis couldn't help but giggle. "You sure know them. There is a secret passage in this cavern that only little ones like you can reach. It leads you outside, and if you run a little while to the west, you will reach the city. Speak to Bat, and tell her Nokomis sent you. Tell them 'moonlight struck again', and if I am not there within three sunrises to assume the worst."

"Okay.. Speak to Bat, tell them moonlight, and three days.. Got it! Where's the passage?" He asked, looking around curiously.

"Just behind you beneath that rock. Knock it to the side, and you'll see the path is hollow. Good luck, my dear, and don't worry about me." She said, lapping his head affectionately before he moved through the entrance. She placed the rock back in the front of the entrance, drawing out a sigh before moving towards the entrance.

The tom noted her approach, and turned around. "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes. My kit has decided to move on." She said vaguely.

"You mean he has decided to accept his fate?" The tom urged on.

"No, he's decided to design his own. Be angry if you'd like, but he is long gone." She said with a grin before moving past them. "You kill me now, and your little Miss Luna will consider it a crime and scorn your pack, for our prey escaped; and not on my terms."

"You fetcher!" The tom spat, whirling around to face her. "Luna will have none of this, you hear me?! You will get your payback!"

"Right. Look, that kit has his whole life ahead of him. Either way, I have won." She smirked. "You can pursue him if you'd like, but he is clever; he is my child, after all. And he's FAR more clever than that cranky molly by your side or yourself."

The molly beside him scoffed, moving towards Nokomis. "You want to take that back?"

"No, because unlike you, I actually stick by my words. Farewell." Nokomis moved along, her tail lashing tauntingly as she dared them to pursue her.

"Don't follow her. She's trying to lure us away." The tom said, left in silent admiration of her brilliance. "Luna will get her revenge at a later time. Right now, we have that kit to find. Let's go."
[img]art2[/img]

[Decision Two: Fight them all for both lives.]
"I'm going to talk to my son for a moment, without your nosy acquaintances nearby. Wait outside the den." She demanded the tom and his pack. The tom rolled his eyes, exiting out of the den.

"Tundra, I don't want you to be scared." Nokomis began once the others had been ushered out of the cavern. "I'm going to get you out of here alive."

"What about you?" Tundra asked softly, his curled ears pinning downwards.

"I'm afraid I might not make it beyond this sunrirse. You remember Bat and her lot, right? They agreed to protect you if it came to this day." Nokomis said remorsefully.

"So.. is this goodbye?" Tundra went on, flinching.

"Never, my dear. I'd always watch over you. I will try to meet you there. When you get to Bat, tell her you are my child, and that moonlight struck. I love you." She said, lapping his head. "Now, you need to listen to me carefully. I'm going to go outside, and start fighting with them. When you see that all of them are occupied, run away, and go find Bat. She's just to the West, and will protect you from these cowards."

"Alright.." Tundra trailed off, slowly raising to his paws. "Let's do this."

Tundra and Nokomis moved towards the entrance, but Tundra stayed to the shadows, hiding behind a loose rock just beside the entrance.

"So, you have made your choice, then?" The tom asked once he saw her.

"Yes. I will not listen to your orders." She said. "My son and I decide our own fates!" She said before lunging towards her opponents. Before she knew it, three cats tore at her pelt, the fight beginning.

Tundra observed this, and once he saw they were occupied, he bolted off to the West, refusing to stop. He stayed crouched down, camouflaging into the series of rocks nearby.

After Tundra was a safe distance away, and Nokomis was obviously defeated, she yowled, looking in the opposite direction. "Run Tundra, run!"

The cats looked in the direction, their ears perking. "After him! Nokomis is finished!" The molly yowled, immediately bolting off. Nokomis was left laying on the ground, her orange pelt matted with crimson as she heaved out slowly, looking in the direction of the city.

"Take care of him, Bat.."
[img]art3[/img]

[Her Decision: Option 2 - How she came to it]
"Why did you try to only let me live?" Tundra asked, his gaze locking with his mother's. The two sat beneath the moonlight atop Silvercrest Roamers mountain. "If I had found Bat a moment later, you would have been dead. Why for me?" He asked, his voice gruff, but sensitive.

"Because you were young, and had an entire life ahead of you." Nokomis explained, taking in a soft breath. "I was beyond my time. I was going to die soon either way; at least I thought so. But you were... very brave for a kit. Facing being parentless twice without even blinking an eye must've been a troublesome task."

"I didn't do it like that, though. I have done unspeakable things to innocent cats, solely to benefit myself." Tundra said, his voice strained as he choked on the first sign of tears he had experienced in moons and moons. "Why would you care that much about me?"

"Because had I not found you, I would have lost all of my family. You were the light that kept me going, dear. And to see that you have grown into such a fine, strong cat with a loving family.. it's truly endearing. I know you believe yourself not to be worthy of such affairs, but trust me, you are. You did what you had to do to survive, and what you had to do to better yourself. I would never blame you for any of that." Nokomis said, resting her head against her son's shoulder.

"If you knew I would have turned out to be so cruel, would you have let me live?" Tundra asked.

"Yes. Because you are my son, and even if it is not by blood, you matter to me just as much. And you will always matter that much to me, even if you continue going down such a path, I will stand by your side and howl from the stars proudly that you are mine."
[img]artextra[/img]

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[SurgeFire]

This competition ends tomorrow at 11:59 PM EDT, fair warning.

[SurgeFire]

This competition is closed!