[>> Leafstorm515]

Welcome to Rise!
Rise is an adoptable based on Warrior Cats and focused around world building and character development.
Please make sure that you read the main thread so that you understand limits and levels!

To claim you must be at least level 1 or not have a founder in progress or a founder at all. Please be sure you have room in your clan before applying for this cat.

This cat may not be traded until: 6/23/19
There is a 2 month cooldown after each ownership change.
For a transfer to be official, both parties must post on this cat's page. The original owner must post in the archive.

This cat is an impress me with a twist! you can add anything to your form, but it should include one of the themes below. Not every part has to be themed that way, just one part. C: I'm not going to have any limits to anything, but keep in mind that quality is much more valued than quanitity when making your form. Contest will be judged on creativity and development.
Possibe themes:
love, spring, new beginnings, flowers, meaningful words, memories, scents, loss, or hope

End Date: April 28th 11:59pm CST

Code: Select all

[b]Username;;[/b]
[b]Cat Name;;[/b]
[b]Gender;;[/b]
[b]Age;;[/b]
[b]Clan;;[/b]
[b]Rank;;[/b]

[b]Prompt;;[/b]

Username:
Cat Name:
Clan:
Rank:

Gender: female
Age: moons
Description: A longhair tortie with minimal white and sharp green eyes.

Other Features: None
Siblings: None Living

---------------------------------------- SSS: Foundation
----------------- SS: Foundation
---------------------------------------- SSD: Foundation
Father: Foundation
---------------------------------------- SDS: Foundation
----------------- SD: Foundation
---------------------------------------- SDD: Foundation

---------------------------------------- DSS: Foundation
----------------- DS: Foundation
---------------------------------------- DSD: Foundation
Dam: Foundation
---------------------------------------- DDS: Foundation
----------------- DD: Foundation
---------------------------------------- DDD: Foundation

[Trickz]

Username;; Thunder.Collects
Cat Name;; Turtleberry
Gender;; Female
Age;; 34 Moons
Clan;; CreekClan
Rank;; Warrior

Prompt;;

Her paws left small prints in the warm mud, the sky above her clearing of storm clouds to reveal a large, bright yellow sun. Turtleberry was heading for the lake to fish, her dappled paws caked in brown mud that was slowly beginning to dry. She was incredibly happy today because this was the day she'd ask Beechripple to be her mate. Most she-cats wait for the male to ask, but she was different. She was incredibly brave and bold, despite the animal she was named after, and she would take charge of her own future. Today was the start to a new future, hopefully, one where she was beside Beechripple until the day they join StarClan.

The summer air was humid but breezy, ruffling her thick pelt and making her feel cooler than she should. Bugs buzzed in the air around her and the prey was running well. CreekClan wouldn't go hungry this season, they were blessed by StarClan with comfort and full bellies.

As she approached the rippling bedside of the lake, a rustle sounded behind her, in the bushes. The wind was blowing her scent towards the strange follower, so she couldn't tell if it were friend or foe, so Turtleberry let out a warning growl and lowered her body defensively, fur bushing up and claws unsheathing. She wouldn't go down without a fight if she were in danger, not today. She needed to talk to Beechripple.

A cream cat stepped out of the brush, looking around curiously and then fixed its gaze on her. "Beechripple!" The calico meowed, leaping forward and nuzzling into the tom's warm and familiar fur. It was him, he had come to her when she wanted him. "Hello my dear," he replied, licking the she-cat's ear politely, his eyes gleaming in happiness. She loved this cat, and she wanted nothing more than to be with him. Now was her chance.

"Er, Beechripple," she meowed, pulling away and looking at the ground shyly. Turtleberry was so confused, she was so brave and excited about this earlier, what happened? "Yes?" The male questioned, confused and nervous as to what she was going to say. "I was, well, wanting to ask you something.." She admitted shyly, ducking her head and avoiding his gaze. "I wanted to ask you about something too," Beechripple admitted, looking at her kindly. "How about we say it at the same time?"

The she-cat nodded, seeing this as the best opportunity for her. They counted down from three before asking their questions.

"Will you be my mate?"

Shock crept across the two's faces, and then happiness and joy took its place. "Of course," Turtleberry purred, burying herself in her new mate's neck fur.

"I love you Turtleberry," the male meowed, tail curling happily.

"I love you too, Beechripple."

[alyxmin]

Username: sass
Cat Name: orchidpetal, previously turtleshell
Gender: female
Age: thirty-seven moons
Clan: emberclan
Rank: warrior

Prompt:
turtleshell could remember it just like yesterday. she remembered the dry season, the way everybody fought over a drop of water. she remembered lilyfrost trying to calm everyone down, she remembered orchidkit's soft white pelt pressed up against her coat, her unusual eye colors (one light blue and one emerald green). she remembered the storm shaking the trees, and she remembered orchidkit's soft terrified mewls.

"mama?"
orchidkit squeaked, snuggling closer into her mother's short pelt.

"what is it?"

"I'm scared. It-It's so loud. It hurts my ears."
orchidkit whimpered, her high-pitched voice cracking. turtleshell wrapped her long tail around the young kit before giving her a comforting lick on her forehead. "nothing can hurt you, my little orchid. I'll protect you. I promise." turtleshell whispered to orchidkit, giving a comforting smile. orchidkit laid her head back down, letting out soft purrs as turtleshell licked her pelt, calming the kit down.

It was just after that conversation that lightning struck a tree near camp. with it being so dry, the fire spread rapidly, sparing no mercy to any of the cats in camp.

"everyone! we need to get out of camp immediately!"

emberstar yowled over all the other cat's screaming. all turtleshell could feel was terror as the camp began to splinter apart. the fire already reached camp. all of the cats in the warriors den were trapped by a fallen tree, and she could hear their terrified yowls, and some paws stuck out of the warriors den, desperately reaching for something. olivenose, a new warrior was desperately clawing at the den, trying to reach his sister, cavetooth. flarenose was sobbing in the middle of camp, distraught and confused. the only cats that seemed to be quite calm were lilyfrost and emberstar, but they still were shaking heavily.

"NOW!"

lilyfrost screeched, causing all of the cats to barely sit upright. "if we stay here, we're DEAD!" lilyfrost yowled. "we need to get out of here now, or else all of us are dead."

turtleshell shivered, before looking down at orchidkit. the kits was terrified, shaking and crying. suddenly turtleshell felt the need to run as far as she could, to save her young kit before they all died. she quickly grabbed orchidkit by the scruff, which caused the kit to let out a soft mewl of terror.

everything after that was hazy. all she could remember was the fear, the adrenaline. she could remember the way she ran at a speed she never expected from herself. she remembered a bit of orchidkits soft white fur pressed against her, and the way she curled up in a tiny ball.

run run run run run rUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN

despite being safe, she still felt the need to run and run and run until orchidkit was safe. almost half of the clan was missing. some held onto the hope that their loved ones survived, but turtleshell didn't really care about the other cats. she only cared about orchidkit, who was sleeping peacefully beside her.

life was not easy after that, sadly. yes, a few cats did return, like owleyes who was in the dirtplace when the fire started, or flowerpelt, who took a midnight stroll before the fire (which confused turtleshell since there was a thunderstorm before the fire.) but slowly the cats started starving. everybody was weak and tired, and greatly wounded. with no medicine cat to help them, a few cats died of their wounds, like chiveclaw who died because of the smoke he breathed in, or juniperwing who died because of heavy burns on his pelt.

soon, every cat could count everyone's ribs. whisperberry died in their sleep because of starvation. wrenheart was the first cat to go, saying that he would become a kittypet. the second he left a bunch of other cats left for that life too, like typhoonclaw, sparrowheart, sparrowpaw, lochwish, whitepaw, mudkit, and barkkit. now there was only turtleshell, orchidkit, emberstar, lilyfrost, flowerpelt, owleyes, and flarenose.

but then emberstar died in his sleep.

everybody split up after that, including turtleshell and orchidkit. with no leader, everybody left. technically lilyfrost was leader now, but she refused to become a leader, saying emberstar was the last leader.

the cats that stayed all became loners, too wild to become kittypets but too hungry to stay in their clan. turtleshell traveled east, hoping to find prey for her kit who was barely alive.

turtleshell didn't find what she was looking for.

turtleshell woke up in the log she decided to take shelter in. she yawned lightly, sleepy eyes looking at her kit sleeping. her gaze softened as she looked at her kit, and she felt bad for having to wake the kit up. she licked orchidkit's back fur, before she instantly knew something was wrong.

her kit was freezing, and turtleshell could see maggots digging into her, making turtleshell screech. she instantly pulled the maggots out, before staring at her kit.

for the first time she could see orchidkit clearly.

her chest wasn't rising.

turtleshell screeched to the stars after that, wondering why it was her kit that died. the one light in her life was dead, and would never return.

turtleshell laid down and watched the crows circle around her, sensing that she was about to die. turtleshell didn't mind. she deserved to die. because she didn't become a kittypet, her kit died. all she could think of was orchidkit's little smile, and her odd eyes that were nothing but beautiful in her eyes. she still had kit fluff behind her ears.

she didn't deserve to die.

turtleshell opened her eyes for a second, before screeching as she realized the crows had found orchidkit's limp body, which was covered in leaves.

turtleshell ran as fast as she could to the crows, swatting one of them with her claws. the crow continued trying to grab orchidkit from turtleshell, clawing turtleshell and even dragging her lightly into the air a few times before having to let go.

after a while of fighting, the crows finally flew off.

turtleshell trembled as she looked at her kit. she looked almost angelic, despite the fact her fur was matted and dirty. in that second, she could see orchidkit's mouth curled into a smile. turtleshell cried into her kit's soft fur, wishing she could see her grow old and find a mate and have kits of her own.

my sweet orchid, you didn't deserve this.

turtleshell buried her in the ground by the fallen log, and found a few flowers that she laid in orchidkit's grave. she cleaned her kit profusely, before laying her in her grave. despite being dead, she looked beautiful and more peaceful than she ever was in life. turtleshell sat beside her, hoping for a miracle to happen, for her kit to open her eyes and smile and say starclan gave her another chance.

but that never happened. after a few hours, she finally scooped the dirt up and put it inside her grave. just as she was about to leave, she saw something that looked like a miracle to her.

an orchid seed.

she scooped the orchid up and put it in orchidkit's grave, tears flooding her eyes as she said her final goodbyes to her beloved orchid.

you may think that's the end of the story. but it isn't exactly the end for poor turtleshell.

she traveled far and wide, leaving tears wherever she stood. her once bright, hopeful eyes were dull. she wanted to die and see orchidkit again, but she wanted orchidkit's memory to live on. she wanted to have other kits just like orchidkit so she could tell them her story and she wanted to see orchidkit's starry pelt watching over her peacefully.

but it was so hard. some days she couldn't even find the motivation to get out of her nest in the morning. grief flooded off of her in waves, and she was quite hostile to any cat who dared to go near her. the life of a loner frustrated her greatly, and turtleshell just wished that she was back in clan camp, purring as orchidkit batted at a butterfly. she could just imagine flarenose's agitation as lochwish batted at his tail, and owleyes purring as poolwind have him a nuzzle. she could see emberstar's stoic face as he calmly tried to stop cavetooth and sparrowheart from fighting.

after a while of thought, turtleshell decided that she wanted to try to find lilyfrost, who she assumed would try to rebuild the clan. lilyfrost always was one for clan life and turtleshell knew if she came back perhaps a new clan would rise from the ashes.

and so she traveled back to the twolegplace. after a while of looking for cats she knew, she found sparrowheart, now marina. marina happily showed her the direction of lilyfrost, and said that if she didn't find lilyfrost then her twolegs always had some room for another cat.

and so turtleshell traveled where lilyfrost went.

she almost gave up hope, until a kittypet said they saw a lynx-point tabby with light blue eyes traveling towards a forest. turtleshell was ecstatic when she found lilyfrost, who caught a mouse.

"it's so great to see you, turtleshell."

lilyfrost purred, her eyes shining bright and an amused smile on her face.

"it's good to see you too!"

turtleshell mewed back, her once dull eyes finally showing happiness for the first time in forever.

after a while of talking and explaining what happened to orchidkit, lilyfrost gave her an idea.

"hey... how about you tend to some plants?"

"what?"

turtleshell was confused. flowers? turtleshell was a warrior through and through, she wasn't a medicine cat who would tend to flowers.

"you don't have to be a medicine cat to plant, turtleshell. maybe it'll.... help?"

lilyfrost said, careful to not word it wrong. turtleshell and lilyfrost talked for a while before turtleshell finally tried out her idea. turtleshell quickly fell into a routine of hunting, tending to her flowers, sleep, and repeat the cycle.

to her own surprise, it helped her a lot. the flowers reminded her of orchidkit, but instead of causing grief, it gave her good memories and it gave her time to think. she liked the way she could create life in her paws by planting a seed and giving it water, and she liked the way the petals felt in her paws. and after a while, she found meanings to the flowers she planted.

pink carnations meant the love of a mother. asters were for patience. hydrangeas meant heartfelt emotions. snapdragons meant graciousness and strength. stock meant lasting beauty and a happy life.

and of course, orchids meant innocence and purity.

---

"are you sure about this?"

turtleshelle said to lilyfro- lilystar.

"of course!"

lilyfrost purred, giving her a friendly shoulder-nudge.

"o-okay."

"spirits of starclan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what she is. by my authority as clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on she will be known as orchidpetal, in honor of orchidkit."

turtlesh- orchidpetal didn't know if she was just imagining it, but she could just see orchidkit's soft white pelt beside the orchids she planted, and finally orchidpetal felt at peace completely.

even though you're dead, you'll still always be here in my heart, and one day I will pass on and finally see you again.

goodbye, my little orchid.

[CloudedDiamond]

Username;;
DiamondDogg
Cat Name;;
Forestfire (prev. Dapple)
Gender;;
Female
Age;;
22 Moons
Clan;;
SilverClan
Rank;;
Med. Cat

Prompt;;

Dapple walked through the windy, open lands she had walked for many seasons. She knew every tree, every grain of sand, every pebble. Grrrr. Looking around wildly, she realized her stomach had growled. This leaf-bare was going to be her last, she was sure of it. There had been barely any prey, and whatever prey she found, it was small. I've never seen such a harsh leaf-bare. She trekked through the frost-covered grass

wip

[shoelaces]

Username;; shoelaces
Cat Name;; Flamestare
Gender;; tom
Age;; 28 moons
Clan;; redwoodclan
Rank;; hunter

Prompt;; loss - "is it better to have loved and lost or to never have loved at all?" - alfred lord tennyson (+ a lil bit of memorable words, hope, and love ehehehe c-:)

Losing you was so bittersweet, how can I hate you this much but love you so much more? I'll never wear my heart on my sleeve anymore after what you've done to me, how could I? Why do these memories do nothing but make me miss you so much more... The tom bit his tongue, these thoughts always came back to him. He blinked hard, as if he could push the thoughts away. But of course, his thoughts ran rampant in his head. Little, the one who got away, His mind whispered to him while he laid in his nest. Little, oh how he'd loved her! They were so free, running through the plains together, nothing holding them back. But, of course, something had to go wrong. Why'd you do that to me? I thought we could be something more... We felt destined to be until you- Agh! No no no... It's time to sleep. His heart ached, memories of his vulnerability brought back by nothing but the sound of snores and the wind rustling the shrub above him.
I feel so empty without you... Flamestare wanted to yowl out of frustration, what a true point his mind had brought up. You manipulated me! The other part of his mind seemed to scream in retaliation.
"I just don't think this will work anymore."
Little's voice rung fresh in his ears. His heart stopped for a moment when she had told him such a thing. She let you love her for so long just so she could feel good about herself!
"It was good in the beginning, but we've both changed. I loved the way you made me feel... but I don't think I ever loved you."
How could someone be so cruel? So harsh... why didn't she tell me before! Tears streamed sideways down his face as he relived his past, one thick teardrop sunk into his moss bed. My first love, how I spent so much time on you to not love me back- while you pretended you did.
And as quickly as the thoughts came, one settled in, I never needed you, but you fooled me into thinking I did. and the rest faded. Sometimes he felt that this was permanent, he'd forever be alone because just one she-cat turned him down so long ago.
Why do I still mourn this love? Flamestare thinks to himself, why did he struggle to move on? He's met so many great she-cats, but he's stuck on just one. I'll find something to fill the emptiness one day, I don't need her to make me complete. He sighed to himself, and fell asleep amongst the other cats.

[Ladyskittels]

Username;; Ladyskittels
Cat Name;; Sagestream
Gender;; trans tom
Age;; 50 moons (4 years 2 months)
Clan;; Glacial Blizzard Clan
Rank;; Medicine cat

Prompt;;

From the moment I saw him I knew I was in love.
Standing there opposite the stream,
grey pelt wet from the water; an angel from above.
His eyes a lovely yellow color scheme.

The tom just stood there, watching close.
Watching him my heart did flutter,
a feeling I could not diagnose.
"M-my name is Sagestream," I managed to stutter.

"Name's Boulder," he replied. "I'm a rogue, mean no harm.
I'm just passing through don't sound the alarm."

Why would I raise my voice? I thought.
"You're a clan cat," he added, looking down.
Oh that's right. I forgot.
"I won't tell," I promised him. "Maybe you could stick around?"

After a pause he nodded with a smile.
"I'd like to get to know you more."
With that we talked and laughed a while.
We had a connection that made my heart soar.

Spending days together, talking like this,
secretly longing for his kiss.

"How can I be pregnant?" Sagestream thought as he paced the floor of his den in a bit of a panic. "I'm young and haven't even had a proper heat cycle yet!!! And to a rogue???? What will the family think?"

He had spent hours like this; pacing back and forth in his den, feeling too sick to stop. The longhaired tortoiseshell cat was born a female, but identified as male. His whole life had been a battle to get the clan to recognize this is who he was meant to be and getting pregnant was his greatest fear. "If they know I've fallen pregnant they will never truly accept me for who I am. I will always be a girl playing pretend." With this thought the trans tom became sick on the floor of the den and made his way out into the sunlight for some fresh air.

A difficult choice lay in front of him now- should he stay in the clan and have the kittens undoing all the work he'd done to be recognized as a male? Or should he slip away for the duration of the pregnancy and have the kits in secret? Whatever the decision, he knew he needed to make it now and he also knew that he needed a second opinion. His next step became very clear- he would go to Boulder and speak with him.

Sagestream found the grey mackerel tabby by his usual spot at the river, perched atop a large rock as he basked in the sun. His yellow eyes shut, it appeared as if the rogue were taking a nap. Usually this would have brought a smile to the male's face, but the tortoiseshell was still too upset to smile at Boulder's napping form. Instead, he nudged the blue tabby's short fur with a shaking paw to wake him up.

"Oy!" Boulder grunted, nearly falling into the water. "How many times have I told you to let sleeping rogues lie? That's how cats like you can get hurt."

"I need to speak with you," Sagestream replied, looking down at the ground.

Seeing his partner's upset demeanor, Boulder changed his attitude at once. "What's wrong? What happened???"

The longhaired tortoiseshell shook his head. "I-I...." His voice broke and he let it trail off, not wanting to speak the words aloud. Tears ran down his face, and Boulder seemed to understand, at least a little.

"Are you pregnant?" Boulder asked in a soft voice to which Sagestream responded with a small nod. "What are we going to do?"

The tortoiseshell cat looked up at him. "We?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Of course. You think I'm going to let you have my babies without me in the picture? Think again!" He smiled the same smile that made Sagestream fall in love with the tom all over again.

"We will run away together then," the longhair decided, a smile on his face. "We'll have the kits, I'll claim to be going on a mission to scout the other ranges of the territory so no one suspects something is up. Then, when the time is right, I will return to the clan and you can come with!"

The time has come to leave my kits,
leaving a wound large and jagged.
While it will heal as time permits,
the burden is already running me ragged.

I must return to the clan-
the time for exploring and my mission done,
that had always been the plan.
A secret I can't tell anyone.

My family's loss makes it hard to cope.
But everything will work out, this I hope.

Pain consumes me, grief and loss.
Alone again, without my kin,
I pray the gods will let our paths cross.
And for forgiveness of our sin.

My actions were wrong, this I know.
Relations outside the clan is frowned upon,
but I'd give anything just to say, "Hello."
I don't know how I'll carry on.

Although I'm back to where I was born,
never in my life have I felt so torn.

Looking back on the painful memories of his family


Walking along the shore of the river, the memory of my family left behind consumes me once more. I see my loved Boulder sprawled out along the large rock by the side of the river, basking in the sun while our two kits- a female called Falcon and a male called Omen- romped around the ground play fighting with each other. The sound of their laughter and playful taunting still fills my ears.

A heavy sorrow fills my heart. The kittens would be four moons old today and I can't help but wonder what is different with their lives and what sorts of things they were up to nowadays. Did Falcon still have that slight lisp when she talked? Did Omen still stick out his tongue at his father every time he grew frustrated? Or were these childish quirks grown out of like the phase of crawling and nursing?

I can't think of that. Tears already streaming down my face, pain filling my soul. I feel broken and lost without them by my side. I don't want to think of them, but can't seem to get their memories out of my head.

[ellipses]

Username;; tinythumbwar
Cat Name;; Jackpaw
Gender;; Molly
Age;;
Clan;;
Rank;; Apprentice

Prompt;; meaningful words

[I Like Bees]

Username;; I Like Bees
Cat Name;; Cindersong
Gender;; Female
Age;; 62 Moons
Clan;; PetalClan
Rank;; Warrior

Prompt;;

Cinder charged through the forest, her tortoiseshell pelt ruffling in the wind. She was hungry, and she was going to catch this rabbit.

Her fleeing prey leapt over a fallen log, and was followed a moment later by Cinder. The she-cat was so intently focused on her prey that she failed to notice the appearance of another animal. Suddenly, a large black-and-white tomcat flew out of the bushes, landing squarely on top of Cinder's rabbit. The rabbit struggled desperately, but to no avail. The tom ended its life with a swift bite to the neck.

Cinder skidded to a halt, her long fur bushed up in anger. "How dare you steal my prey!" she exclaimed.

The black-and-white cat looked up, head tilted in confusion. "I... I didn't steal it. I just helped you catch it. If I were stealing it, wouldn't I be running off with it by now?"

Cinder narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and decided that not response was the best response. The tortoiseshell stalked forward, grabbed the rabbit, and retreated to her previous position without turning her back to the tom. She crouched down beside the fresh-kill, devouring bite after bite while the tom watched.

Cinder could tell that the tom was hungry as well, but he remained sitting in exactly the same spot, as if waiting for something. When Cinder had consumed about half of the rabbit, she decided that he had passed her test. The other cat was trustworthy.

The tortoiseshell stood up, then took a few steps back. "Go ahead; you killed it, after all," she meowed, her voice much less harsh than before. The other cat looked at her for a moment, as if trying to determine if she was serious or not. At a nod from Cinder, he trotted forward and began to eat.

When the tom had finished eating, and Cinder had finished grooming her face, Cinder stood up to leave.

"Wait!" the black-and-white cat called out. Cinder turned back around, and the tom seemed to hesitate slightly. "Would... Would it be alright if I go with you? I don't have anyone else, you see, and I don't like being alone." He paused again. "I'm scared of the dark."

Cinder couldn't help it. The she-cat burst into laughter, loud enough to scare all the prey for miles in their nests. When the tortoiseshell at last calmed down enough to speak, she looked up at the tom and, still chuckling slightly, meowed, "Don't worry; I'll protect you from the big, bag, scary darkness."

The tom, who had been nervously shuffling his front paws while Cinder laughed at him, looked relieved. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed, purring slightly.

Cinder smiled, then stood up and began heading towards home. The tom trotted up beside her. "I'm Skunk, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Skunk. My name's Cinder."

Cinder trudged towards the top of the hill, her swollen belly slowing her progress considerably. She and Skunk and been living together for well over a year now, and were expecting their first litter of kits.

The she-cat finally reached the top of the hill, where she immediately plopped down on her side, panting from the exertion. She could not wait for the kittens to be born. Skunk, who had been walking a few steps behind Cinder, settled down beside her. The two cats looked towards the horizon, where the sky shone with the beautiful colors of a sunset.

---

Cinder purred softly as she looked down at her two, beautiful new kittens. A little tortoiseshell she-kit with a single white paw, and an orange tabbied tom with a white belly, chest, and paws. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her life.

Skunk bent down to gentle lick the she-kit's tiny head. "Do you have any names in mind?" he asked.

Cinder nodded. "I'd like to name the she-kit Brook, after my mother." She paused to nuzzle her kittens' perfect little heads. "You can name the tom."

Skunk studied his kittens for a moment, before seeming to reach a decision. "Would Blaze be a good name?" he asked. "It suits his pelt, and I'm sure that he'll grow up to be as fierce and adventurous as his amazing mother."

"Two perfect names for two perfect kittens," Cinder replied happily, watching Brook and Blaze snuggle together in a tiny bundle of perfection.

"We're leaving."

It was the sentence Cinder had been dreading since the day she discovered she was having kits. Blaze and Brook were fully grown, fully independent, and fully ready to leave their parents behind for a life of adventure. Cinder knew she couldn't stop her kittens from discovering their own path in life, but she still didn't feel ready to let them go. She supposed she wouldn't ever feel ready.

"You... You don't mean that," Skunk meowed. It was a poor attempt at convincing their kits to stay, as proven by the fact that neither Brook nor Blaze seemed even mildly moved by the statement.

"Please," Cinder begged, "don't go. You're..." She paused to wipe the welling tears out of her left eye. "You're our everything. We both love you more than anything, and... you can't go. Please, don't go." She was crying now.

Brook and Blaze exchanged a look, then both ran up to their mother to comfort her.

"We're not leaving forever, Mom," Brook explained. "We just want a chance to explore the world on our own."

"Yeah," Blaze contributed. He had never been the best with words.

Cinder forced the tears back, then wiped her cheeks with her front paws. "Promise you'll visit," she mewed, her voice broken by the occasional sob.

Brook touched noses with Cinder, smiling bittersweetly. "Of course we'll visit," she meowed confidently. "We'll be back every moon or two. Right, Blaze?" Blaze nodded enthusiastically.

Skunk, who had been sitting off to the side, hiding in plain sight as he tried to process his feelings, stood up and padded over to his family. The four cats pressed their heads together in a square, their unique family version of a goodbye. After a few moments, Brook pulled away, and the other three followed suit.

"Good luck, my darlings," Cinder whispered, still fighting off sobs. Brook and Blaze both smiled encouragingly at their parents, then turned to head off and start their new lives.

Cinder leaned against Skunk, watching her kittens leave. It was the last she ever saw of them.

It had been four moons since Brook and Blaze had left, and neither of them had visited, despite their promise to visit once every moon or two. Cinder was concerned that something must have happened to them, but Skunk was more hopeful; he believed that the kittens had simply forgotten to visit.

Today, to try to distract themselves from their mysteriously missing kittens, Cinder and Skunk had decided to go out for a stroll in the forest. It was a quiet, peaceful green-leaf afternoon, with birds chirping cheerfully, and a soft breeze blowing through the trees. The two distraught parents didn't pay much attention to the weather, though; their focus was on thoughts of their kittens.

Which meant that they never saw the fox coming.

The russet-colored dog fox burst through the bushes on the side of the path, immediately crashing into Skunk and sending the tomcat flying. Cinder froze momentarily, shocked by the sudden attack, while Skunk lay on his side, gasping as he tried to recover his breath. The fox didn't hesitate. In one swift, decisive motion, Skunk's neck had been snapped, and he was dead.

Cinder was shocked and horrified and terrified all at once, but her instincts took over, and in a moment she was streaking up a nearby tree, safely out of reach of the vicious fox. Cinder had been raised hunting squirrels in the treetops, and she put her tree-climbing skills to good use as she bolted away from the fox.

When Cinder was a comfortable enough distance away from the fox, the reality of what had just occurred hit her. Skunk, her best friend and her mate, had just been murdered by a fox.

The she-cat's legs wobbled, and she collapsed in the space between the tree's trunk and a branch. Cinder spent the rest of the night there, sobbing as she tried to process her loss.

---

Cinder stared up at the stars, her eyes filled with tears as she wished desperately for a way to go back. For there to be a way to start over, to see her family again.

But there wasn't.

And she was alone.

Cinder lifted her head off of her paws, looking around. It was morning already. The bright, happy sunlight seemed as though it were mocking her sorrow. The tortoiseshell closed her eyes again, wishing the sun would just go away.

As she lay in the tree, grieving, the fresh, powerful smell of flowers began to slowly fill the air. Cinder ignored it at first, closing her eyes and trying to fall back asleep, but, over time, the smell became far too overpowering to ignore.

Why was the scent this strong? There were a few patches of flowers scattered throughout the forest, but not enough to produce this strong of an odor. Cinder opened an eye, and was surprised to see a faintly glowing trail on the forest floor.

Puzzled, the she-cat opened both eyes and raised her head again. A feeling other than grief slowly trickled into her mind. Curiosity? She didn't want to follow the trail, but something within her was urging her -- begging her -- to stand up and find the end of the trail.

So she did.

Cinder padded up the side of the hill, still following the trail of light and the scent of flowers. She reached the top of the hill, and was shocked by what she saw.

Flowers. Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful flowers. Flowers of every color imaginable, from vivid reds to pale blues to bright yellows. It was breathtaking, especially considering Cinder was already out of breath from climbing the hill.

Walking through the flowers were two cats: a caliby and a lynx point. The cats approached Cinder, asking who she was and why she was there. As they spoke to her, the trail of light that had guided her path faded away. This was were she was supposed to be.

"Sometimes, I just feel so hopeless. I keep waking up, expecting Brook and Blaze to be play-fighting, and Skunk to be bringing back fresh-kill, but they're just... they're gone. And I don't know what to do without my family." Cinder looked down at her paws, trying pointlessly to hide her tears. Talking to Sorrelstar had been a mistake; this wasn't helping.

Sorrelstar looked up at the sky, likely asking her "StarClan" for guidance, or maybe for them to help Cinder feel better. Cinder wasn't sure she wanted mysterious starry cats in the sky making her feel better.

"We're your family now," Sorrelstar finally said. She stared at Cinder for a long moment, then stood up, leaving the tortoiseshell alone with her thoughts.

It may have only been four short words, but they were the most hopeful and inspiring four words Cinder had ever heard.

Cinder sat just outside the Clan camp, looking up at the stars, thinking about what would come next.

There were really only two choices open to her. She could either join PetalClan, as Sorrelstar and Frostwish had been urging her to do, or she could leave and try living alone, without her family or her new-found friends.

The choice was obvious. She had lost too much already; she wasn't ready to give up her friends now too.

"I, Sorrelstar, leader of PetalClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. She has come a long way to get here, and she is more than qualified for the role of a warrior. Cinder, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." The words were some of the truest she had ever spoken.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cinder, from this moment on, you will be known as Cindersong. StarClan honors your journey, and we welcome you as a full warrior of PetalClan."

Cindersong closed her eyes, listening to the quiet yet encouraging sound of her two Clanmates cheering. PetalClan was her home now, and, for the first time in a long time, she felt whole.

[Wet Bread]

Brightclan Warrior | she-cat | 25 moons

Application and prompt by Wet Bread

I once was a bratty little kit,
Running through the flowers all day.
I trampled those blooms without a care.
Stupid little kit didn't know the important role they played.

Little by little, I began to understand
Insects, birds, even cats too
Lived and lived well because of the flowers.
Yank them from the ground and we'd be through.

Taking care of the flowers is my purpose now.
Until I someday die
Little blossoms will not be trampled down,
in the wind their petals will not fly,
Pretty flowers will always be planted in this ground.

clipart images credited to clker.com

[ataraxic_gone]

Username;; dewly_noted
Cat Name;; MapleGaze
Gender;; female
Age;; 36 moons
Clan;; BeachClan
Rank;; Coast Guard

Themes;; New beginnings, memories, love and [false] hope.

---

Maple held down hail, his body squirming underneath her claws, pleading for some form of mercy, some sign that she cared about the fragility of the life she held in his hands. His pleading was cut short as Maple's eyes turned a little feral and he turned to silence, instead moving his glance to meet JaggedClaw's eyes. If anyone could stop her it would be their leader, their mentor and their spiritual guide.
"Alright Maple that's enough, you've proved you point."
JaggedClaw didn't seem to married to the idea that it was enough, it was a tone of voice that made Hail question everything, his purpose in their group, his life choice and whether or not he would get through this all alive. Yet as the tortoiseshell stepped back and gave him room to breathe all that doubt faded as she chucked him a friendly grin.
"Sorry Hail, you know how it is."
Hail didn't 'know how it is' but he understood that Maple was more driven towards their cause than others. He understood that she was more driven towards JaggedClaw than the rest of them. He'd been in love before and he couldn't fault her for wanting to prove herself as something more than a solider. She was a pretty she-cat and if JaggedClaw wouldn't recognise that- wouldn't recognise her than that was his problem.

---

Berry let out a trill as Maple walked into the den the lot of them shared. The noise of greeting went largely unnoticed by the bulky tortoiseshell who instead chose to focus her attention on the kill pile. Berry paused for a moment, in her mind she recalled the vicious rebuttal that Cherry had given her early that week. That these cats didn't fall into her delicate world view and that if she said the wrong thing it would get them both killed. Cherry was adamant, however, that such crooked cats were also fighting for a reason. Cherry had gone on a quiet mumbling spree about something's she'd heard from dead cats, about a karmic debt that needed to be paid, about a mass murder and in a way Cherry seemed to be in agreement with the ideas JaggedClaw expressed.
Berry didn't like the idea that they would be killing people, but Cherry assured her that she wouldn't have to raise a claw, that the fighting techniques were for self defence. All they needed to do was find the murderer and Cherry would help them make 'amends' for all the souls they murdered.
Berry stood up, keeping those words in mind she sat beside Maple. "So how's your new history going?"
Maple looked up at her like Berry had said the first interesting thing she had ever spoken.
"I'm thinking, I'll be an ex warrior called MapleGaze," she paused, "I was in the running to be deputy but my opponent.. Mint- Tail? MintTail! He killed someone and framed me for the murder. I have never hurt someone before, in fact I'm the nicest person you'll ever meet."
Berry visibly cringed at the last part. Of course, Berry didn't doubt that there was good in Maple's soul, she just didn't believe that right now, as Maple was, she was 'nice'. Berry opened her mouth, closed it and than after a long think decided to risk speaking her mind to a cat that was impulsively violent.
"Then maybe you should practice some of that niceness!"
Maple looked at her offended and distraught, like Berry had personally ripped out her trust and stood on it. As quickly as that expression came it twisted back into smug pride.
"I can be nice."
"Prove it."
That began the long week of Maple's performance. Even Rio was impressed, a tom who had built his life around narcissism and manipulation. Once Maple had proved her point her demeanour twisted back into her cruel and crooked ways. Berry was none to happy.

---

Cherry stared at her from beside Berry, their faces mingled amongst the cats of BeachClan. Maple didn't look at them. They had arrived at the clan before her and as far as their stories went they had never met before. That didn't stop Cherry from staring, apparently she didn't care if people noticed, it wasn't surprising, Cherry hated her.
Beside her MackerelReef beamed, "We have a new face staying with us, MapleGaze, she has a come a long way to join our family, I'll trust you'll give her our best."
Various cats echoed out greetings and Maple pulled her face into a shocked, shy expression. She reminded herself that she was in awe, that this was 'MapleGaze's new beginning.

--

Memories of the past months fluttered through her mind, beside her DeerStride was drinking up every lie she told him. Apparently this nervous wreck of an idiot was half-clan and that had gotten him kicked out of his birth clan. The whole idea that Maple was a misunderstood cat just like him had DeerStride head over heels. It wasn't long before he was friendly and kind with her. He was such a fool, Maple couldn't wait to wrap her maw around his throat and- Well she let the thought play out in her mind and used it to fuel her happy demeanour. She leaned into his side and forced out a purr. If she played her cards right he'd fall in love with her.
Looking at him sidelong, the way his anxiety was melting away; he was already falling for her. Good.

Berry had walked in on them and for a brief moment the grey cat's expression darkened. All this potential for a new life, a new beginning and Maple was going to throw it away and burn it to the ground. She was going to take love and hope and drag them through the mud all for the sake of some dead cats vendetta because they died too soon.

Berry liked to think of herself as a nice, kind, forgiving person but Maple could see it in her eyes. She was mad, furious and vividly angry. Then just as quick as that fire started to burn it faded out and Berry left.