broken ties ) ▹ -- rise partner tryout

[starshine,]

partner: wileyfangs (wiley)

Guppy- Guppykit

Sage- Princess-
Sage- Sagekit

[starshine,]

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Username: starshine,
Partner's Username: Wileyfangs

Name Sage - Princess - Sage Sagekit
Gender Female
- Sexuality Lesbian
Age 5 moons
Rank Kit
Relationship Rivals to crushes
Different Clans? Yes

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Biggest accomplishment: Sagekit's biggest
accomplishment was surviving the dog
attack. She was strong enough to hold
on to the string that determined life or
death. Although it left her traumatized
and in pain, her mind always wanders
back to the day she survived.

Biggest regret: Sagekit's
biggest regret was joining a
different clan then Guppy.
Guppy was her one true friend,
but she had left her behind,
afraid of what could happen
if she traveled with her. Setting
off alone is a great regret
of the kit, she wishes she had
gone with Guppy to SwampClan.

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Personality: Sage, the overdramatic kitten who thinks nothing much of herself. Sage thinks the lowest of herself, always blaming herself for things, and when something goes wrong, telling herself that she was the one who made it that way. Spending nights crying herself to sleep because she wasn't as fast, strong, or smart as Guppy.
After the dog attack, Sage (or, Princess at the time) had a new sense of pride that surrounded her. An aura of self-reassurance, that she could make it in the world if she wanted to. Still a little doubtful or herself, she was still as shy and scared, but Sage felt the tiniest bit more like someone who fit in.
And of course, after Sage had departed from Guppy, she was miserable, the pride had fallen into regret and she had been lonely once again. Changing her mood every minute, from hopeful, to annoyed, to miserable, to depressed. She was a mess. Not being able to find her true self in what had become of her. The stubborn, shy female had crumbled.
Lastly, she had never felt truly in the right place until she stumbled across LaurelClan. Only consisting of 4 cats, they were a tight community, laughing and loving everyday. Although she does regret not following Guppy to the fabled SwampClan, she feels like she made a decision that was right. Of course, crying at night still does happen, for Guppy, praying that she was still alive and well and had found what she wanted, but not crying for being helpless. Sagekit had found something that made her happy. The art of medicine. She first discovered she was interested when Morningstar had mentioned that they had no medicine cat, so she began to look into herbs and their uses. With help from neighboring clans and tribes, she began on her way. The kitten who was horrible at everything, had found something she was useful at.

[Wileyfangs]

Name:Guppy Guppykit
Age: 5 moons
Gender: She-cat
Clan: Swampclan
Rank: Kit
Relationship: Rivals to crushes
Different Clans?: Yes
Sexuality: Questioning
Biggest Accomplishment: Fighting a twoleg that tried to take Sage and herself away.
Biggest Regret: Leaving Sagekit behind twice...

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Personality: A she-cat of the heart, not so much the mind.
Not to say she can't be clever because that is never the case for Guppykit.
It is merely she doesn't tend to use common sense when it comes to things that most cats would think of as obvious. But Guppykit grew up on streets of cold pavement and street lights like claw marks. She's not a typical she-kit either to have survived as long as she had.

Many cats are surprised by the fact that she's already hunting and at such a young age no less, but she hardly notices this.
She tends to disregard clan boundaries but knowing that Sage could get in trouble if she crossed the border she stays there at her clan's borders watching out for a sign of her best friend, hoping to see her again. She hasn't yet.

In the clan, however, the pecking order is better than she'd ever dreamed. Never one to be given anything, she was surprised by their generosity and their kindness and finds the idea of sharing prey to be the kindest gesture of all. She tries to understand it, revels in the idea of not being all alone, not having to be tough all the time. It's hard however when she feels like she's missing something. Something that left with Sage. Still, she hopes that she's happy and tries to do her best to be happy here.
Username: Wileyfangs
Partner's Username: Starshine,

[Wileyfangs]

The night was quiet and cold, the water frosted underpaw. Leaf-bare had ravaged the land leaving cats hungry and threadbare. Deersky could attest to this from experience. She was lucky that Ivorystep was so caring in his hunts. 'Not that the others don't give to the clan,' she thought as she looked down at her belly, feeling another kick.

Behind her Waspkit slept restlessly, her rest troubled. She looked to the vacant spot beside her. Rosekit was in the nursery with raggedcough. She supposed she could understand. If anything happened to...best not to think about that.

She shook her head and went to curl up around the ginger kit quietly. Ther nursery was so empty in Leaf-bare, she could only wonder what would happen to them. Owlstar, fortunately, was able to save some of their prey and thankfully with the exception of Rosekit no other cats had gotten raggedcough, but she could only hope Dog would be able to help Rosekit. If anything happened to her-

"No...mustn't think that way..." She breathed to the air, and her ears flickered as she heard Tornsight coaxing Blackeye outside.

"Careful now...aye careful old friend..." The raspy mew murmured.
"I'm not that old," Blackeye protested and Deersky muffled a chuckle with her tail.
"Could've fooled me, rickety bones."

Leave it to those two to argue even in the dead of leaf-bare.

"Remember when we used to want to be queens? When we were apprentices?" Tornsight breathed and Blackeye snickered.

"Yes and Goatflight told us exactly why that was impossible."
"That was the worst conversation."
"And we found Littlefrog."
"I wish...we kept him..."
"...."

Deersky wasn't sure what they were going on about. Who was Littlefrog?

"You still think about him then?"
"Always...do you?"
"All the time...though I'm scared to forget..."
"You won't forget Tornsight..."

Deersky gazed at Waspkit as she heard Tornsight take a deep breath.
His next words sounded to be wrapped in pain.

"I can't know that for sure..."

Deersky closed her eyes and sighed the mirth draining from her at his words. Her tail wrapped protectively around Waspkit and she gave the ginger kitten a few licks, both to soothe and reassure. Another kick in her belly and she smiled weakly.

'Would I forget them...when I am old?' She wondered as she licked her underbelly tenderly. The moon rose higher and she sighed watching the crystal flakes of white fall into the lake.


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The night sky looked darker than ever, the moon blotted by the dark rolling clouds. The plains were wide and sparse with any life, not that one could see it well with this blasted snow. Leaf-bare was thankfully not cruel, but Morningstar worried for the health of himself and Minnowsong.

They had no real medicine cat, and he feared they were bound to be sick like this.

Minnowsong however seemed not to notice or acknowledge the cold in any way shape or form.

"Do you remember the stars Morningstar?" Came the soft rasp of Minnowsong as she stepped out into the sliver of moonlight beside him. "Do you think about them? What might have been?"

"No," Came the soft growl of a mew, rumbling of warning and Minnowsong sighed softly.

"Starclan has them in your sights, leader. You must take faith onto your paws." She murmured breathing softly into the still air. Morningstar fixed his odd eyes on her carefully, finding taking comfort together. Their clan was small, between the two of them and them alone.

He turned his eyes back to the inky black sky that held so many of their ancestors. 'Are you up there? Can you see me?' He wondered with softness in his eyes.

The wind blew quietly, whistling gently past his ears and he sighed. "Come Minnowsong...it is late. We hunt at sun-rise."
Walking through the snow and back to their den, a half-hidden hole in the ground he left her there though his thoughts did not.

A shadow moved in his mind, a strange ache in his chest as though urging him somewhere. Somewhere out there.
But he had his duties, his new clan needed to rise from the ground and get its bearings. And that meant he, Morningstar, would need to do the same.

He shook himself of the cold thoughts that circled around his mind like vultures.

"Minnowsong!" The sharp mew go her, and Morningstar watched as she rose and ambled her way through the snow to their den. It was far too cold to tell her to sleep elsewhere and he refused to lose another warrior. Turning in his nest he settled in and tucked his nose into his paws. As the wind blew, the whistling wind turning into a hiss and then later a roar, Morningstar felt his eyes close slowly while Minnowsong shook snow from her paws.

'Wait for me,' he thought as the darkness slowly overtook him.

[starshine,]

The soft echoing of paws hitting the concrete sounded throughout the alley, the three cats skidded to a halt at the dead end.

Guppy burst into fits of laughter, her sides heaving and her eyes twinkling with mischief and amusement, "Stupid kittypets." She burst out, her golden fur sticking up in places. Sage smiled towards the female, being the smallest of the three she wasn't much help in their pranks, but still took joy in watching them.

Oliver gave a half-hearted chuckle, the older cat smiling on the excited kits. "Don't get too excited, we still have to find prey for tonight." His voice coated in honey, rolling off his tongue easily. Oliver looked down on the kits, they were like his own daughters, both found on the streets in an abandoned alley. He raised them by himself, as they were already weaned when he had found them, but they had been lost and confused, and unable to catch prey themselves.

Sage's stomach growled, she had not eaten since two sunrises ago, and the gnawing hunger began to eat away at her stomach. She nodded at Oliver, who was already on the hunt for food.

Catching prey was not easy, especially in the city. The cities only prey was mice and rats, and occasionally a crow or two, but rarely was there enough to go around. Guppy and Sage were good hunters, not as trained as Oliver, but good enough to be able to catch a scrawny mouse, but it wouldn't be enough for all of them to have their own prey.

Guppy's eyes narrowed as she caught wind of something, her nose twitched anxiously as she stalked out of the alley, following the trail of scent that had entered her nostrils. Sage and Oliver glanced at the she-cat, and trotted behind her slowly, their paws touching the ground lightly. The scent was strong, and wretched, Sage wrinkled her nose in disgust, what were they hunting? But Guppy followed the trail intently, her eyes never straying from the path.

Oliver halted abruptly, and Sage rammed into him, falling over onto her haunches and immediately getting back up to retort. Oliver hushed her, perking his ears. He knew this scent, the strange foul stink had haunted his dreams many times, and his eyes widened as he heard thundering pawsteps in front of him. "Guppy!" He shouted, his mew loud and afraid.

Guppy glanced up, and her vision filled with a massive creature bounding towards her, saliva dripping from it's large canines and it's black fur sleek and almost ghost-like. She looked into it's eyes, bulging yellow orbs stared back, and she mewled in terror.

"Guppy, c'mon!" Oliver shouted once more at the paralyzed kit. Guppy turned around quickly and did the only thing that she could, she ran.

[Wileyfangs]

Guppy yelped as she jumped away, the air snapping mere seconds of where she'd just been. "R-Run!" She screeched to her companions as she raced down the street. Sage watched in horror behind Oliver who's tail bristled as the dog whirled on them next.

"O-Oliver!" The ginger tom grabbed Sage's scruff and darted past the dog as best he could, the mutt knocking over trashcans in his attempt to grab them. Dropping Sage to the ground he sprinted after Guppy.

"Run!" He hissed and Sage felt him whisk by her as her own shakily started to run, soon thundering against the hard ground as she fought to keep up. They ran through the streets yowling in terror, trying to escape. At one point she'd been sure she lost him and she'd slowed down. A big mistake.

Terror wide in her golden eyes as the dog let out a deafening bark, his teeth sharp and white under the moonlight. She screeched and dashed forward. Her eyes strained to keep Oliver in her sights but he was too fast. Wait! Wait!

The dog was gaining on her. She could smell his scent, rank and horrid as his teeth snapped at her heels.

"O-Oliver! G-Guppy!" She screeched in pain as those teeth closed around her leg. "Help me! Please!" But her words were lost in the wind and they were already gone. She was going to die. She was going to die like this!

The world flipped upside down as the dog tossed her back and forth and tossed her around like a toy. She screeched in pain and fear as the dog let her go, sending her flying. She hit the ground and could scarcely move though her aching body screamed at her to before he could try it again.

Tears blurred her eyes as suddenly the dog gave a yelp of surprise and the sound of twolegs filled the air. 'They must've heard me...' she thought weakly, her small frame trembling in pain. Her leg felt like fire and her body hurt so badly. She whimpered with every movement.

One of the twolegs, however, found her there and she felt their warm paws pick her up. She mewled weakly trying to struggle away but the shushing and cooing they made sounded so comforting. One wrapped her in something warm and gentle that smelled of twolegs. Eyes struggling to stay open she succumbed to the darkness as she felt the warmth of the blanket surround her.

[starshine,]

Sage seized awake, her head bolting upright. Pain shot through her leg and stomach, the wounds from the dog now closed up and stitched. Her leg was in a cast and her belly had bandages running across it. Sage grimaced in pain. She remembered all of what had happened the previous night, Guppy and Oliver bolting from the dog and leaving her to be attacked by the vicious mutt. Anguish flooded over her as she came to the realization that she would probably never see Guppy or Oliver again. She looked at her bandaged leg again, she didn't need them.

The young she-kit took a moment to study her surroundings. Plain grey walls and the floor was a cold steel, icy to the touch. They had laid food and water out for her, and a blanket laid underneath her.

Sage began to stand up, but was stopped in her attempt, she had not noticed the large white cone buckled to her neck. She halted, her eyes glancing down. The white cone was stuck there. She shook her neck wildly, trying to buck it off, but to no avail. It remained on her neck for now. The wounded kitten began to stand up once more, careful not to put too much weight on her damaged leg. The pain was there, but it was not immense.

Sage hobbled over to the bowl of food, she did not know why she would of suspected something like fresh kill, twolegs only gave their cats small tasteless pellets, which were not very filling. She gobbled them down hungrily anyway, and lapped down some water.

Returning to the blanket and curling up the best she could without being uncomfortable, Sage closed her eyes and lifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

[Wileyfangs]

It had been a moon since the incident and things since had changed almost drastically. Upon realizing that Sage was not with Oliver, Guppy spent days searching for her, foregoing even hunting with Oliver. Her guilt and worry bit at her as she looked, foregoing even food. She had to find her. She just had to. She broke down into tears one day, as she and Oliver took shelter from the rain that poured down from the grey skies. A distant rumble filling the air.

"I can't believe you dropped her!" She hissed as the stress got to her, her fur prickling. The ginger tom growled but she huffed before glaring out into the rain.

"Get over it! It was either her or us!" Guppy's ears flattened and she whirled on Oliver.

"Sage was our friend! You promised to take care of her!" She snapped. "And you left her to a dog!"

"What about you?! You ran with your tail between your legs like a coward!" The words stung Guppy and she fell quiet as Oliver huffed on. "We left her behind because she was too slow."

Guppy hissed as anger clouded her eyes and she stalked out into the downpour, not caring about getting herself wet. Anything to get away from that awful tom.

In the cold rain, was hard to see through but Guppy managed to at least find a drier spot on a front porch. The cover that the nest provided from the rain. Her fur prickled however as she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. Glancing around warily, Guppy unsheathed her claws.

While skinny and underfed as she was, Guppy wasn't about to go down with without a fight. But that feeling didn't go away no matter how long she waited. Turning around she was about to go when something caught her eye. A gold flash. A very familiar gold.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart thundered as she saw her staring right back at her golden eyes feeling as if they were digging right into her heart. She saw so many emotions but the hurt that gleamed brightest was there. Regret surged through Guppy as she stares up at her.

Then Sage narrowed her eyes, got up and left the window. Guilt flooded through her as she pawed at the door. She couldn't believe it! Sage was alive! Her heart leapt for joy but the pain in those eyes, the betrayal....they tore at her heart.

'I have to show her! I have to talk to her!' She thought as the rain poured down and thunder rumbled ominously but as she stood up she couldn't think of what to even say. But she had to try, she couldn't just let it go. Not after finally finding her again. Not after endless nights of searching. She had to talk to her, tell her what happened. Tell her anything. Guppy just wanted her back.By the time she made her decision, the rain was clearing. She made up her mind. She'd hunt and then come back. She'd sort it out. Things would be okay. She felt golden eyes on her back as she hopped into the sunlight and then darted toward the nearest alley.

[starshine,]

Guppy returned to the porch, two mice in her jaws, saliva dripping from her mouth hungrily.

Setting the prey down gently on the creaking wood, she glanced upward, hoping to catch a glimpse of her former companion, but Sage did not appear. Giving a soft sigh as she crouched down to bite the warm mouse.

Guppy would eventually return to Oliver, her friend was getting too old to be left alone, and he was going to need food. Her eyes traveled to the window once again, longing and regret filling the pit of her stomach.

As she finished half of the mouse, the golden tabby she-kit heard a rustling inside the house, and her ears perked suddenly. Guppy heard the tinkling of a bell before standing up and unsheathing her claws, prepared to protect herself from twolegs.

To her surprise, it was none other than Sage herself who exited, through a small flap in the door. A light pink collar encircled her throat, a notion of dominance from twolegs. Guppy stopped staring, the awkwardness between them increasing with every second.

It was Guppy who spoke first, her voice only a soft mew, “Have some.” She only spoke two words, in fear of what Sage would do if she was to speak her mind.

Sage only looked at the mouse, as if studying it. Her paw reached toward the mouse, using her claws to pull it closer, unwilling to travel any closer to her old friend. She took a small bite, Sage had forgotten what mouse had tasted like. For an instant her body was filled with warmth, the taste of fresh kill flooding her body, it tasted so much better than the pellets that the twolegs gave her. She swallowed the meat, her eyes sparkling with delight. The pleased kit looked at Guppy, “Thank you. I forgot what fresh kill tasted like.” She said, giving a half-hearted smile before turning her gaze elsewhere.

Guppy nodded absently as Sage thanked her, it was going to take more too convince Sage to come with her, after leaving her behind, it was a slim chance. Sage looked back at Guppy, her expression neutral. “So… how are you and Oliver?” She asked, standing up and stretching, her fur shiny and sleek against the sun's rays. They fed her well, the tasteless food adding weight to her body, which used to be skin and bones.

Guppy gulped, her eyes trained on the she-cat, she needed to ask Sage a question, one which could mend or break their relationship even further. She opened her maw to speak, hesitating even further. Finally, the words tumbled out, “Sage, I want you to come with us.” She blurted, her ears pinned against her head, “With me, and Oliver, I mean.” She mewed, her eyes wide and hopeful.

Sage halted abruptly, standing up straight. She had grown over the past moon, and now to Guppy, she looked absolutely scary, and even worse, Guppy had now angered her.

Sage pinned her ears against her head, “After what you did to me, I would rather eat dirt.” She spat, her tail lashing, “Leaving someone behind with a dog, leaving them behind to die!” She hissed, her fur standing on end. Guppy shrank back, grief and regret overwhelming her. She remembered the night, Oliver returning without Sage in his jaws.

“The pain I went through, the suffering.” She mewed, her voice softening, a tear rolled down her cheek. “Was all because of you.” She murmured, her head turning down to her paws.

Sage shook her head and snapped it up, to face Guppy, “And now this.” She snapped, looking at the twoleg house, “The fact you didn't even try and see if I was alive!” She meowed in disgust, “Leaving me with these twolegs and their ridiculous ways.” She stopped, letting it sink in, “Tasteless food, ridiculous collars, stupid names.” She hissed out, looking at the chip connected to her band, “Princess.” She looked Guppy in the eye, “That's what they named me.” She meowed, “But at least they care- at least they show affection, they would never let harm come to me.” She looked away. “They give me what you couldn't.”

Guppy felt warm tears slide down her face, it was all true, they left her, she deserved it, all the hatred, she deserved it. She glanced up at Sage, who looked at her, she thought she saw the females gaze soften for a moment, but they returned to their former state, filled with anger. Sage stalked back into the house, the flap slapping against the door.

“Wait!” Guppy cried, her voice choked with raw, unimaginable grief. “Sage!”

Guppy stood up, grabbing the mouse, leaving the one Sage bit into for her later. She looked back, her eyes filling with tears. Guppy bit back tears, and padded off the porch, her sorrow trailing behind her.

[Wileyfangs]

Guppy padded on, her blue eyes staring at the ground, aimless. Her heart ached terribly, the hurt she felt at the rejection burning under her pelt worse than a fire. Sage had told her off terribly, her words still ringing in her ears. 'Why had I even asked?' She lamented mentally. Her paws came to a stop as tears slid past her muzzle. Why did it hurt so much? What had she expected? Guppy had wanted something, had hoped for something, anything.


But Sage...Sage hated her now. Hated Oliver.


Remembering the ginger tom, Guppy felt remorse. He had been right. It was time to forget Sage. Obviously, she wanted to forget them.She sniffed and wiped her paws over her face. It wasn't raining like earlier. The day seemed softer though, quieter. Maybe she could catch him something to make up for her nasty behavior earlier. Guppy cheered up slightly by the prospect went into the nearest alleyway to hunt.

She was lucky. Two mice! Plus the one she had that was three. She smiled, that was more than she'd ever caught before!
The golden spotted she-cat trotted merrily along, proud of her own hunting prowess.
Maybe....maybe this would be okay.

But all traces of okay flew out the window as she went back to the tunnel she and Oliver had stayed in.

There was an awful sickly scent in the air and it made her ears flatten and her fur bristle. Dropping the mice she rushed ahead.
"Oliver?!" There was silence, but in the gloom of the tunnel, she could see movement. Two dull green eyes stared back at her and Guppy jumped over, worry in her eyes. "Oliver what happened?! What's wrong?!"

Oliver smiled but it didn't meet the tom's eyes. He turned and coughed into his paw, and Guppy placed a paw on his back. "Oliver?" She whimpered when he finished. The tom didn't speak for a moment but his eyes softened.

"You didn't find her then?" He rasped as he sat up and Guppy nosed his fur. Oliver was sick.
Her brain wracked over how many times he'd come with her, how in all those times she hadn't sensed it.

"N-No..." She whispered. "S-She's fine. Well no...she's angry..she's....she's a kittypet now..."
He sighed tiredly. "Well...I suppose it's for the better. At least...out of the three of us...one of us manages something...."

Guppy gazed at the tom and shook her head. "No....Oliver...Oliver please..." The ginger tom gazed up into pleading blue eyes and felt tears in his own eyes as he stared at the kit he had taken under his wing. She had grown so much and yet...

"You'll make it kit. You have all you need to know...Hunting, running, and sense." He purred but it was barely a rumble in his chest. As though it hurt to do even more than that. Guppy sat down beside him, the mice forgotten, Sage forgotten as she lay with him, feeling his pelt pressed against her own. He tried to meow in protest, but she lay there stubbornly, licking his forehead.

"N-No," she breathed through the pain in her chest. "No I...I won't leave you like this..." 'Not when I didn't even notice...'

Guppy felt his exhale under her and she nudged his ear.
"T-Tell me a story....l-like you used to..." The request was spoken sorrowfully. But it was comforting enough. He used to tell them both stories, about wild cats in the swamps and grassy plains, who picked their teeth with bones. The most famous story was of the Owl. It had been Guppy's favorite when she could only squeak.


He supposed....it couldn't hurt to humor her.


"Once upon a time when Ragged and Fierce were still quarreling over scraps on the streets and all cats were cruel there was a she-cat with strange eyes...she fought like she was a tiger but only for the cats like us. The little guys..."


x x x x


The loss made her numb. They had fallen asleep together, she and Oliver with the words of stories and legends hanging over their heads. But only one of them had woken up. The night sky was dark but she hoped Oliver would be up there, as a star. The idea was comforting enough.

Guppy let out a shuddering breath and let her paws guide her, the three mice in her mouth. She had to go...Find somewhere else to go. She swallowed thickly wondering just where she'd go despite everything telling her to go find Sage. Guppy sniffled and shook her head.

"She doesn't want us anymore..." She breathed to herself but anything would be better than nothing. Without knowing it her paws began to take her there, familiar streets, always the bearer of bad news. But she wasn't going to take this alone. Whether Sage cared or not, she was going to tell her.