[razr]

Username: razr
Clan: tears of renatus

Quest Number: 1
Response:

The glaring summer sun beats down on the land below, basking the gilded sand in crimson light. The heat's oppressive, weighing you down like it's trying to pull you into the dunes.

The wind batters your fur, sending grains of sand to your eyes and coat.

Why are you here, again?

There's nobody else around. You can't seem to remember where you came from or where you're going.

But you can feel their eyes on you.

Watching you like you're some housecat there for their amusement. Waiting for you to misstep or misspeak.

You lay down in the sand with your paws over your eyes. It's all you can do to shield yourself from the harsh winds.

You think distantly that you should be more uncomfortable in the face of the desert's fever, but you're pretty sure you're fine. You can't really feel the sand that you're blinking out of your eyes.

The discomfort comes from an entirely different source, but you couldn't place a finger on it if you tried. Maybe because you don't have fingers. I think that would explain it.

...


The longer you hide, the harder it gets to remember what exactly you're hiding from. So you lift your head again, peering into the desert haze.

Squawk.

A bird call.

Out of respect, you send an appreciative prayer- a greeting- as is customary, before you dare to look up.

Out of the clouds of sand, you can make out a shape circling the air above you.

Squawk.

You lay your head back down as the vulture lands in front of you, poking at your fur.

...

"Get up."

Poke.

"Now."

...

"Damnit, Rene, it's time to get up!"

Rene wakes up with a pained yelp as a sharp beak digs into the tip of his ear and pulls. "Ow- ow!" he cries, scrambling to pull away. "Okay! Okay, I'm up!"

He pulls himself to sit up, scrubbing a paw over his face as he groans. The small bird in front of him chitters wordlessly, clearly more proud of herself than she has any right to be.

As she preens her feathers, Rene stands and pads to the entrance of his makeshift little den, peering outside. It's still dark out. He sighs heavily and licks his paw, dragging it over his ear in an attempt to clear whatever bedhead he probably has.

"Why are we up so early?" he asks groggily. Sure, he's used to being woken up at dawn these past few moons, but right now there are decidedly no hints of the sun. What happened to the bird's ever-important (and ever-ineffective) beauty sleep?

"Uh, for your coronation?" she answers, hopping onto Rene's shoulder. "Obviously?"

"Right, right..."

Rene sits back down and lets his head hang, sleep pulling at his eyelids again.

At least until he sits back up with a flinch.

"W-wait, my what?"

"You talk too much."

His mouth clicks shut with a snap of his jaws, biting back whatever he wanted to say in response. He shoots a glare over his shoulder at his spirit guide, usually soft expression morphing to one of annoyance and suspicion. Junebird pays him no mind.

A coronation-- his coronation? For... what?

Well, okay. The word is pretty self-explanatory. He knows what a coronation is, and that's exactly his problem.

His gaze turns back to the stars as he thinks.

It hasn't been hard to tell that the spirits want something from him. There'd be no other reason for them to be so involved-- to give him a spirit guide, or teach him odd skills like negotiation and construction and manipulation-- not that he plans on using the last one, but I guess it's an option now.

His head is tilted back as Junebird starts pulling on his fur, preening him like a mother her kit. "You nervous?"

"I... guess," Rene answers quietly, wincing with each tug on his fur. He'll have to smooth it out himself when she's not looking. "If I can ask.. what am I being... uh, coronified for?"

"Crowned," Junebird corrects smugly. Rene can feel a headache coming on, and it's not from the preening. "They didn't tell you much, huh Whiskers?"

Rene ignores the nickname and shakes his head despite the peck on the skull he gets afterwards.

"Well..."


Of course, she doesn't continue that statement. The only noise is Rene hissing quietly as she accidentally pulls a few strands of gray hair out.

Stupid bird.

Rene's pretty sure that's blasphemy, but in the moment he's too tired and annoyed to care.

At least for now, he can sit and wait for the sunrise as his obnoxious spirit guide puts tangles into his fur. Maybe it's bird fashion. Maybe she's just being mean.

Maybe.. he can close his eyes for a little bit...


...


"Rene wake up you're going to be late!!!"


The sun still isn't up.


Damnit.

Word Count: 815

[0Zero0]

Username: 0Zero0
Clan: Tailless Comet
Quest Number: 1
Response:

"You need my body? I don't... want to go though, my sister will be sad."

....

"You'll help my sister? Well... If I don't get to come back either way..."

"You have my permission."

When she died, she had fallen in between the cracks of the universe. In the rift a voice called out to her, and echoed loudly to her soul. She was dyeing, and wasn't going to make it back to the living. She had lost everything in that fall, and only wanted her family to be at piece. The creature speaking with her promised her one thing. That it would take good care of her body, and anyone else she desired. With that, she relinquished her body, and the new leader of Crater's Abyss was born. Most who knew her don't know of the change, and many still believe she is alive and well.

Word Count: 124 words

[kyeza]

Username: galaxyy.
Clan: jadeclan & the chasm

Quest Number: 1
Response:


yowls of pain echo across the bloodied forest, once-green floor littered with bodies of the fallen and those soon-to-be on their way to meet them in the beyond. cats clash, divide in allegiances unclear in the heat of battle; if one's face goes unrecognized, they are registered as an enemy—no time for contemplation. claws flashing, teeth bared.

had the rogues not assassinated sundew, the previous deputy, earlier that day, they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. they'd been coexisting in avidya forest, granted not very peacefully. aside from the stray incident here or there, all was well. they were willing to forgive. they weren't fighters, after all. they could forgive a scratch or a torn ear. tensions were high, someone snapped, someone got hurt; it happens. but their attack on sundew was uncalled for. it was too damn far.

why did they do it? why would they do such a thing? we could've gotten along! we did nothing to hurt them, we welcomed them with open arms! what did they gain from killing sundew?! i just don't get it, aethersky's thoughts race, a whirlwind of emotion, as they fight, tooth and claw, for their home.

this isn't the time, i- i can't be worrying about this now-

a heavy thud rings in their blue-yellow ears. "MHFH-"

they spin around, ready to jump into action, save a life. instead, they are met with a sight that instantly sends a shiver down their spine, blood running cold.

snap.

amber eyes lock onto sage green ones rapidly losing their shine. aether can do nothing but watch, paralyzed, petrified. their mother lays on the crimson-coated floor, unmoving. above her stands an inky black she-cat, fangs dripping with their mother's blood. she twists around to meet aether's wide-eyed stare, smug.

a sharp pain burns across their body, as if struck in the chest, but they are unable to move. vision blurring as tears well in their eyes, aether lets out a cry of anguish, face contorting with rage.

though they don't take notice in the heat of the moment, this cry seizes everyone's attention. the action grinds to a halt around them, pausing mid-strike and mid-dodge. all eyes on them. they were certainly most competent to lead, after all. but for aether, none of this seems to matter.

in that moment, it's just aethersky and the cat who killed their mother. time stops moving as aether's vision clears slightly, red-tinted. they close the distance with a single bound and a leap, claws outstretched, eyes flashing with a vicious gleam.

vengeance.

the black she-cat's smug expression melts into one of fear. the voice of the rogues' leader sounds out in what seems like the distance, calling for a retreat as the clan charges back into action with renewed vigor and a lust for revenge.


• • • • • •


by dawn of the next day, aether still hadn't gotten a moment to themself, no time to process what had happened; leading the recovery of their clanmates after such a brutal battle was incredibly draining and time-consuming.

it felt like a fever dream. out of nowhere, aether was left without a mother—the last of their living kin, gone in a heartbeat—and expected to lead their clan in its time of need.

my mother... they took our deputy and our leader from us. i- i can't just let them get away with this, aether fixates. but.. my clan can't afford to keep fighting like this. as their leader, they're looking to me for safety. a witch hunt for a band of rogues is not what they need right now. they need an anchor; someone strong enough to look past all that's gone down these past few days and stand by them. they raise a paw to their forehead to fight the oncoming headache.

at that moment, in the heat of the battle, they'd known. something had clicked. it was their turn. they were next in line to lead the clan. it was only natural, after all; their mother had trained them well. everyone knew it'd eventually happen, they just hadn't expected this to be the way it'd end.

with all eyes on them, something just felt... right. as if a long-awaited missing piece of a puzzle finally made its way home, slotting in just where it should be.

they'd make it through anything if it meant keeping their clanmates safe and sound. i'll manage.

even without my mother.




Word Count: 740 words





Quest Number: 2
Response: a spiritseeker in the makings..






Quest Number: 3
Response:


"tidefoam, tell us another story!"

"yeah, yeah! one more!"

breaking out of their trance, the small crowd of apprentices that had gathered around their elder beg for just one more story, a chorus of pleas.

tidefoam sighs contentedly. "you lot are so very spoiled, aren't you? one last one," he chuckles.

"let's see... how about the tale of the cataclysm?" he glances around the group, each cat nodding animatedly, eyes sparkling with excitement. "then it's settled. where to start? hmm..." he trails off, lost in thought. "well.. many, many moons ago, under this very same sky, there were no cats to be found here...


a time during which no felines were to be found, the era of Those Who Came Before. though peaceful today, this very forest was rumored to be bathed in a permanent coat of blood, red-stained, crimson-dyed. it was far from tranquil; They roamed the earth, Their every step leaving a mark that would last centuries. giant, ever-territorial creatures, They clashed and quarreled and feuded until few remained, only to be wiped out for good by the coming of the cataclysm. beings of greed and self-worship, one can find Their impact, Their signature, everywhere—carved into evergreens, shaped into ancient ceramics, woven into tapestries, crafted into many, many things. this was what inspired the very first jadeclan cats, refugees of the farlands post-cataclysm. its desolate lands were once lush and verdant, but when the cataclysm came about, it left but a single trace of greenery in the form of its oases. all that remained, a dash of green amidst endless golden sands and azure skies, a single memory of civilizations prior. those who survived the shattering of their world, earth shaken to its very core, were forced to migrate. in hopes of survival, of mercy from the world, they crossed the now-snowcapped, treacherous mountains. somehow, the few who made it across, who survived the journey, miraculously found themselves in the forest we call home. they made a home for themselves; mere refugees at this point, little to nothing to their names, old lives abandoned. upon settling in and starting to explore their new, sylvan home, they began to stumble across relics of the past, those of non-feline origin. at first, they feared they'd overstepped the boundaries of someone else's territory, worried they'd be struck down for settling in where they weren't welcome. as time passed and no attackers came to be, they grew more and more curious of the origins of these relics. they studied them closely, gleaning what little they could from the objects and constructions, and eventually learned to make them themselves. over time, they would learn of where they came from, though not much more. much of the history of this world before the coming of the cataclysm remains a mystery to us today, lost to time."


"so They're gone forever? what if They come back for revenge?!" a ginger tabby gulps, anxious.

"don't be silly, you'd know if They were still around. remember i said They were gigantic? you'd see Them coming from miles away," tidefoam reassures her, patting her on the head and ruffling her fur.

"you know the dust den? that old, abandoned building off of the wanderer's way? that was once one of Their structures. that's why it's so big and its ceiling is so high; it had to accommodate Their grandeur. They seem to have left in a hurry, everything is preserved as is under a thick layer of dust. anyone who ventures in is bound to erupt in a fit of sneezes," he pauses, rubbing his nose as if he himself was about to sneeze, before continuing.

"do me a favor and stay away from there unless necessary, alright? we don't want you lot getting sick now, do we? who would protect the clan then?"

Word Count: 637 words

[ivyy.]

Username:
Clan: (Please link)

Quest Number: #1
Response: res [thrushlip + tansy chatting, few cats at the time]
Word Count: (If applicable)
Timer: 0:00

Quest Number: #2
Response: xx
Timer: 1:01

Quest Number: #3
Response: res
Word Count: (If applicable)

[justina]

Username: justice,t
Clan: the mountains

Quest Number: 2
Response:

[feather ']

username: feather '
clan: the still waters

quest Number: 1!
word Count: 585!
response:




she sails through the fields, tangled vines tightening around her ankles. head high as her gaze swings around, every single detail captive within those cautious eyes. every little whistle of the winds clear in her ear as she strides along those wavering paths, looking down… at her home.

smirking as those dancers prance around like fools.
listening to her students scheme to avoid her classes.
watching her brother scream in agony at another one of beansprout's tricks.

''um… excuse me, mam. i have some news for you.'' wide eyes meet her's, little paws twiddling.

her head snaps away, harsh as she weaves forwards. '' greetings to you as well, young fella. and of what news is so urgent that your impatient mouth can't wait to tell? ''

''um… i-i. well y-you see…'' the figure wobbles like those weird jelly blobs, his whispery voice dropping into a high pitched squeal.'' the news… i-s that-t you're invited!''

''alright. " she paces ahead, a scowl gracing her features, ''care to elaborate about this invitation?''

he pauses, squeaking again like those obnoxious gate doors… ''oh…. i thought you knew about it.''

she snorts, '' youngsters thinking i know everything, is that the new trend?'' her tongue clicks twice, '' i'll say it again, maybe you'd care to give me the details about this invitation.''

''you are h-hired by t-the controllers to become one of them.''

she offers a quick squint at him, studying him cautiously. '' and who are these controllers?''

the jelly blob tilts his head, eyes hazy. ''t-they're a g-group of the highest-t ranking in the w-world. so much power… so much power.'' he saunters closer, tongue stretching out lazily, '' j-join th-them.'' his tongue reaches towards her, '' j-join th-them.'

she backs away through the vines, nose curling, '' first, get your greasy tongue back in– stop your wild attempts to lick me you disgusting tongue-licking jelly blob.'' she swats her tail at his pale cheeks, ''snap out of your stupidity, young sir– and elaborate more about this offer, instead of trying to lick me you… disgusting creature.''

and something about that haziness in his gaze broke. eyes suddenly clear, reflecting the sky. he reels back, eyes widening. whimper soft, as he melts onto the vines. jerking wildly.

something was wrong… but what?
she recoils, weaving towards him. heart drumming in her chest. whispering, ''what is happening to you?''

his face is pale, eyes dull… almost exhausted. ''you have to help. so many are being controlled– by them… free us. please. ''

her throat was dry, terror seeping through like poison, '' i'll see what i can do-''

''oh, no you won't.'' a voice echoes through her thoughts, a laugh intertwined within. '' we've blessed you with a gift, a gift of instant loyalty to your new home. isn't that lovely?'' the laugh echoes loud in her ears, ''you've been crowned as one of the controllers, the highest rank to ever exist. now you'll do whatever is best for your new home– come along you've got work to do. say your goodbyes.''

stars… what was happening to her.

she didn't want this.
she didn't want this.
she didn't want this.

she wanted to see the dancers prance around the horizon one last time.
she wanted to listen to her students scheme to avoid her classes, again and again.
she wanted to see yolknose. and tell him that she was so sorry… for everything.

she wanted her real home.

but out of loyalty to her new home, she trots along the paths. paws leading her far away from home.

[Vivika]

Username: vivika
Clan: xxx

Quest Number: #3
Response:

her last breath was ripped from her lungs.

now, she was in a storm of pure energy. every part of her seemed electric, her limbs motionless as if an hourglass had been stoppered, her stomach as wild as the turmoil breaking free all around her. monochromes surged in her vision, swatches of grey, tendrils of ebony and brilliant ivory. in a blink, they were gone and bullseye of neons bloomed before her. artificial cyans, searing yellows, swarming pinks.

in another blink, the monochromes were back. then gone. back. gone. back━

a force barelled into her, knocking her off her paws. gravity seemed to flip until up was down, down was up, left was right, right was left. she was weightless. airborne. and her world was a whirlwind of everchanging colors, chanelling an unnatural energy. monochromes, neons, monochromes, neons, monochromes, neons, mono━

with a thunderous clap, darkness descended.
a cloak muting her vision as she plunged into the unknown.


✦✦✦

the quiet roused her first.

stealing like a thief into the crevices of her heart and probing her like a dulled blade. not enough to startle her, but enough to nudge her to explore. with a soft breath, she flexed her paws, gently rotating them. still intact.

questions brimmed, pressing on the rims of her mind.

where are you? are you dead- stop. stop it.

she brushed her tail against herself, lightly tracing, searching for scars and bruises. nothing leaped out at her… besides that her cheek seemed frozen against the chilled cobblestone. with another breath in, she tried to lift her head. a screech pealed as her claws scraped against the stone. her vision blurred and stars exploded, violent whites and pinpricks of neons at her periphery.

“... take it easy.” a voice. baritone, steady and resonant, his shoulder solid against hers, cushioned by soft curly wisps. “coming out of that wreaks havoc on your senses, huh? we’ve all been there. a couple times actually.”

she opened her eyes.

cool blue light danced, twirling like a gently burning flame, flowing from outside the arch of the cavern and spilling over the swoop of the stranger's back. he shifted, a smile touching his muzzle, wry and… devastating. "hey. looks like you came about- i'm gabriel."

young. so much younger than she envisioned ━ perhaps barely older than her. fifteen, maybe sixteen moons? but there was something about his eyes that seemed… timeless. something about the set of those eyes, the invisible hoodedness that transcended-

tally marks. the cobbled walls of the cavern seemed to glow, pulsing with energy and breathing to life the marks scouring the stone. some jagged, others clean and precise, and yet others tiny. a new one, perfectly straight, glowed gold near the entrance of the arch. it seemed fresh. new. almost like…

stars, was she a prisoner? his prisoner? and those marks… the lives he’d imprisoned?

“i-i’m myrrh.” a smile froze on her lips and she tensed, shifting closer. loosening her shoulders. “and it’s really nice to meet you-”

her jaws sank into his shoulder.


✦✦✦

he hadn't flinched. stars, he hadn't flinched.

her steps roared, a rhythmic beat like rain against paned windows. the caverns whirled around her, whorls of calloused grey stone, woven in a labyrinth. perhaps this really was a prison. some sick twisted prison.

in that case, maybe that creep deserved it. gavin, gator, whatever his name was. the tang of his blood invaded her jaws, a reminder that he could be close. looking for her.

"just follow the light." her breath fluttered in her throat, catching, but she forced herself to continue. "follow the light. it'll lead to the surface. always does."

water rushed, a gentle echo piquing as she continued on. another arch passed over her head, but this one was taller and wider like the alpines she once called home. here, the intensity of the blues burned sharper, more brilliant and illuminated a larger cavern. shadows shifted and light scintillated, revealing faces ━ shadowed forms resting near a pool ━ the blues brilliant and glowing, burning like a flame. waterlilies drifted along the surface, casting ripples in the pool, petals twirling in a little dance.

but those faces… some young, others older. prisoners like her? perhaps━

"well, charmed to meet you." a gold halo of curls cropped up next to her. the feline grinned, tossing her a little wink, eyes like crescent moons. "you wouldn't happen to have seen gabriel, would you?"

“i-” she shook her head. “i want to speak to whoever’s in charge. please.”

the feline chuckled, her laughter like a lark’s song. “looks like you’re looking to talk to that guy, then. he's the oldest here, six-hundred and sixty-five.”


✦✦✦

his dark curls whispered against the cobblestone.

and the way he held himself, she must have missed it before. at his arrival, even the rushing waters seemed to hush, stilling as he walked. but his form, his stature… he was young. stars, her age. how…? her gaze wandered, finding his shoulder. untouched. that couldn’t be right ━ it should be matted, mangled and marred with maroon.

“regen.” one side of his jaws quirked, offering the barest hint of a smile. “apology accepted, by the way.”

her cheeks burned. “w-what? i-”

“i totally called it.” a gold head of curls swung around, gently giving gabriel a shove. “they always try to bite when when they arrive. and you didn’t believe me.”

“you’ll have the next eternity to gloat, wynnie.” with a soft huff, he cleared his throat and shrugged. “don’t worry about it. i’m used to it by now. you needed to speak to me?”

“i don’t- stars, i don’t understand. how are you-” her tail flicked, voice barely above a whisper. “you’re my age.”

he nodded. “things don’t work the way they do in the real world. it’s… different. we don’t age and there’s not really a day. or a night for that matter. we count age by… attempts. experience from the trials.”

“... the tally marks?”

“yes.” his steps drifted to the pool and he dipped his tail into the silken waters, tail swirling the brilliant blues. “some things can’t be explained with… words. but when we go through here, it’s like a portal. we’ll be taken to a place with a series of tests. pass them, you’re free to go. fail them and you reset here.”

an awkward chuckle caught in her throat. “this is crazy. insane.”

his gaze finally settled on hers once more.

in that instant, something clicked. something about that steady resoluteness, the calm and the storms brewing beneath the surface all captured and entwined in the rich sea of green and gold. perhaps it was only a phantom, but if she stared hard enough, she could swear he hadn’t slept in… ages. something about his gaze weighed on her, eyes that had lived lifetimes. and had seen impossible things.

“trust me, myrrh. you’ll see far crazier things in there.” his paw gripped hers, delicate, yet firm. “this is only the beginning.”

something in her broke, shattering. the questions spilled, a torrential downpour of everything she’d held back. “of what? where are we? what is this place?”

with a deep sigh, he waded into the waters. the motion was familiar ━ elegant and confident, lilting with a certain grace. his smile burned, one half-hearted, weary and encouraging at the same time, a smile that told her this wasn’t his first time, nor would it be his last. “welcome to limbo, myrrh.”

Word Count: 1249 words

[faelyn]

[ Start of Last Round ]

"Thank you all for your replies!! I'll have your prizes figured out soon!"

The current round has ended.

Month Quests

Quest #1
strawberryjelly -- + #45exp
razr -- +#50exp
0zero0 -- +#30exp
galaxyy. -- +#105exp
feather ' -- +#95exp

Quest #2
strawberryjelly -- +#70 exp
galaxyy. -- +#40exp
ivyy. -- +#30exp
justice.t -- +#90exp

Quest #3
galaxyy. -- +#40 exp
vivika -- +#70 exp

Please remember to link to this post in your next explore post to use your exp!

"And here are some special prizes for those who put extra effort into their entries!
You can use this to buy some cool stuff from StarClan's shop!"
strawberryjelly -- +230 stardust
galaxyy. -- +370 stardust
feather ' -- +190 stardust
justice.t -- +180 stardust
vivika -- +140 stardust

"Thank you all for participating! I loved hearing about each of your Clans!"

"While I loved all of your entries, these ones were my favorites! Here's something extra for your hard work!"
Quest #1 - razr & feather '
+1 UR MYO each

Quest #2 - justice.t & strawberryjelly
+1 R MYO each

Quest #3 - galaxyy. & vivika
+1 UN MYO each

"Wait wait wait, I have more questions, don't leave yet!"

A new round has begun!
QUEST #1
Draw or write about how one of your cats feels about the leader
You may write and/or draw your response to this prompt.

QUEST #2
Draw about the fastest cat in your clan
You may only draw your response to this prompt.


QUEST #3
Write about one of your cats processing the grief of losing a loved one
You may only write your response to this prompt.

[crexmii]

quest one.

whenever she saw violetstar, her heart would start to pace intensely. she couldn’t deny it any longer. she was not mistaken. she loved her. she loved violetstar, softclan’s leader and her best friend forever. (hopefully?)

now, she had to figure out a way to confess her feelings without making it sound all weird. for an extremely social cat, even this was super hard. hmmm….maybe a moonlight stroll in the willow forest? naw, too classic. a proposal of flowers? also too standard. like please, every cat proposes with flowers now. just the good old confession with words, nothing else? no way, that’d be SUPERRR awkward. aha! maybe I could hunt together or do something with her then randomly confess — okay, that is the worst option. never mind… petalpatch’s tail drooped.

“hey, you okay? you can’t be sad today, it’s the dawn patrol.” a voice mewed. just my luck… petalpatch thought, her heart beating even faster now. “I’m alright, just tired.”

“good. now get your butt off the floor and come on!” petalpatch thought she saw violetstar blushing, but maybe it was just her imagination. her fantasy imagination going wild thinking the violetstar actually liked her back.

i might not be able to become…mates.. with her, but we can still be best friends. i hope it works out. at midnight, tomorrow..she would do it. she would confess.

quest three.

no. no. this couldn’t be happening. the dog…aspen!
its gaping maws slowly closed in on the duo, and it chomped its jaws shut tight.


ebony immediately sat up. huh? oh. she was in the medicine den of the new clan who had just saved her, softclan.

“aspen? you there? that dog really hit me hard. ouch.” she mumbled to the den’s stone walls.

wait. aspen? where was she.

oh…right. aspen wasn’t alive, how stupid of her.

aspen was dead, dead, dead. her brain seemed to sing the words extremely cheerfully.

ebony was alone. and aspen was not with her. memories of the attack came rushing back to her, like the rapid speed of her heartbeat earlier. aspen teaching ebony how to hunt. ebony play-fighting with aspen for what seemed like the hundredth time.

ebony convincing aspen to go explore the deep dark forest together…
the scent of dog drool and blood lingering in the air. the last bloodpiercing screech of aspen.

no, that was just a dream, she wanted to tell herself desperately.

but even her optimistic brain could tell her that wasn’t true at all.

she’s dead. aspen’s dead. okay. she’s never coming back.

this is not helping.


this was all ebony’s fault, wasn’t it? her mauled leg stung, as if it was hurting from the loneliness and grief too.
she glanced around the medicine den. surely..no cat was looking. besides, it didn’t hurt to…cry a little bit.

she couldn’t hold them in anymore. ebony’s sharp vision blurred, and the salty tears couldn’t stop coming. ebony didn’t want any cat to see her in this state, an emotional and physical wreck of scattered feelings. so she curled up into an even tighter ball, not caring about how much it hurt when she moved just a tiny bit.

she had recently found out the clan cats had their own realm for where they could meet up with their fallen ancestors once they died.

aspen would never end up there. they might have still be okay, and not dead, not injured, very much alive, if ebony hadn’t dared her best friend to go into the deadly forest together.

she couldn’t think straight anymore. her vision blurred and she was lulled by the soft sound of rustling ferns.
she fell into the gentle paws of sleep and escaped from the world for a while.

——————
ebony had never felt more triumphant than ever. her deepest darkest fears were conquered, the dog was dead, and the silver cat who killed aspen was (most likely, HOPEFULLY VERY, VERY)dead.

but the small torbie couldn’t help but feel a pang of longing and grief in her chest.
aspen would be so proud of me, if she was here and wasn’t already dead, ebony thought.

AAARGH. I thought we said no more thinking sad thoughts, brain. just move on and let’s not get sad again.
the time when I just moped around camp was horrific. she thought grumpily to her brain, as if she could change whatever thoughts it wanted to send her.

but she couldn’t resist the feeling of pride and bittersweet happiness.

she knew aspen was gone, but she could always remember her, couldn’t she? it’s not like when you die, you immediately get forgotten by your loved ones.

so ebony has kept her memories of aspen safe in her heart. she still weeps for her lost friend sometimes, but rarely. she knows that everyone has to move on through the tough times, whether they like it or not.

[strawberryjelly]

Username: strawberryjelly
Clan: Tribe of the Fallen Light

Quest Number: 1
Response: link
Sol really looks up to the lead warrior, Pumpkin, and could never see her as anything but perfect