ooc; Rosepaw gets the mini post <3

bic; 

Rosepaw was nearly speechless, "Featherpaw wasn't lying," she finally choked out, "I was too stubborn!" she hissed. "We could have stopped him, but...." her voice ended shakily, as her cream striped red fur stood up. Her whisker's twitched toward Larkpaw.  Looking down at her feet, her crystal eyes were troubled, and she pressed closer to her sister. "Some sister I am.."

 Mad driven insane Blue eyes met insane commanding ice blue ones. As leader and warrior stared at the other in hatred. Blackwolf had lost it...lips curling into a smile he slowly began to laugh in his insanity. He couldn't stop and the clan watched.

 Painfullpaw stared horrendously at the scene infront of him. Crimsonfang holding the same ex
pression. Both did not know what to do. Lost and confused the younger tom began to cry. Seeing a comrad go into murderous insanity he begged for Starclan to help the tom recover his sanity. N-no...I thought...why? Why are you doing this Starclan? Why did you make him go insane? Why are you watching as he loses everything he knew? First his brother...now this? Please have mercy on him. It's not his fault. He lost alot already. Why aren't you helping him?! Please help him! His mind screamed at his ancestors. Crying even more his eyes blurred from tears as they fell like waterfalls from his eyes. Not knowing what to do he shivered. As his comrad...his once thought to be step brother...went into insanity. Falling from his place in Starclan. Slowly oh so ever slowly did he suffer from his mistakes. His brother had no return. And there for. He was lost to everyone he loved.  Padding up to his brother Painfullpaw shakily walked towards him. "Painfullpaw! What are you doing?! You'll be killed!" he heard Crimsonfang yowl from behind him. But he didn't care. He just kept padding towards his now lost step brother.

 Beside Rainstars ear a whisper was heard. "Rainstar...this isn't you're job. It's Painfullpaws. Please...let this be finished between the two stepbrothers." She could hear from Timberfur as the apprentice shakily padded towards his step brother in tears and pain. "Painfullpaw must do this on his own." He whispered as his presence faded.

 Looking to his left hearing paws shakily pad towards him he saw his brother Painfullpaw padding towards him. Crying the younger tom was scared he could tell. Slowly his sanity came back and Blackwolf stoped his laughing. Staring as his brother padded towards him Blackwolf looked confused. "Brother...brother whats wrong?" he whispered as if he had not known the others were there. "Brother I'm here. It's me Blackwolf. Why are you crying?" he asked again. His brother kept walking towards him crying and shivering. "B-braother? P-painfullpaw?" he asked fear evident in his voice and eyes. Starring into the toms eyes both cats stared at eachother as they shook. One tearful knowing his brother would be insane again and the other coming into understanding. Nodding Blackwolf looked at Rainstar. "Let me up. This my brothers job...not your's." he stated looked back to his brother.

OoC: This is so sad. ::cries:: Eastie should have named this role play, "Happiness and Butterflies" or something, because Death is way too Familiar to these cats.

BiC

Firtail could smell Hawkmask's fear. He didn't know how to rea.ssure her since he was afraid as well. All around him, the cats he loved died and it hurt. His heart burst into a hundred pieces each time he lost some one, and it was getting too hard to gather all the pieces up again. Firtail had learned to love every cat in IceClan, but death was so familiar. It was a greedy shadow in the night that can to steal away loved elders, lurked in the forest at dusk and dawn to take warriors, and now it stalked the day to murder kits and apprentices. He couldn't live like this.

Scared beyond any of his thoughts Firtail rushed over to Hawkmask, thanking Mistsoul that she was safe. "Leave with me," he whispered into her sweet, small ear. "It can be just the two of us. We can hide from death. Where ever we go, it won't follow for many moons." His aquamarine eyes were wide with anxiety, too much had happened too soon and now he feared to even go back to camp. Throughout his walk to find Hawkmask he had calmed himself, but in those moments when he couldn't find her fear had shattered all of his logical thoughts. "Together, we can leave. The clan will be better off, fewer mouths to feed," he tempted. "I won't be going back. With or without you, I won't go back. I will be lonely without you, but I can't go back. Not now that Mistsoul is gone."

~~~

A sudden unease came over Patchpelt as she nimbly leapt over a fallen log. Glancing over her shoulder in the direction of IceClan's temporary camp she shivered. Something was off. No, something was wrong. More than halfway into TreeClan territory she knew that they couldn't turn back now, but she couldn't shake the feeling of despair. Scenting the air, which was filled the rich pine needles and crisp snow, she could smell Nightfall's fear. The ebony she-cat with glossy eyes was also feeling the same fear Patchpelt was. Should we turn back? StarClan are you telling us to go back or continue forward? she asked nervously. What if I'm all wrong about this! Suddenly her paws slid out from under her and she tumbled tail over head, face-planting into some sand. With a cough and a few blinks to get the gritty, wet grains from her eyes, nose, and mouth, Patchpelt decided that StarClan was definitely giving her a sign. To the sandy place we go, she thought and hoped that StarClan would make Twigstar see that leaving the forest was for the best. Shaking the rest of the grit from her pelt, the calico IceClan warrior was just starting to walk forward again when a hiss stopped her. Glancing around wildly she fluffed up her tail and yowled, "We come in peace! There is news I need to tell Twigstar!"

With a soft, muffled thump a great tabby tom landed before her. Though he was thin and meek like IceClan, Patchpelt saw the power in him. Worried, Patchpelt realized she didn't recognize this tom and when he didn't speak she fretted even more so. About to open her maw, another cat appear, this one from the ground. "Patchpelt," he mewed quizzically, "you have news for my leader?"

Nodding her head vigorously, she meowed, "Stumpfoot, it's really important. Two-leggers are having new monsters eat the forest! We have to leave. There is more for me to tell, but I think Twigstar should hear it first."

The TreeClan deputy pursed his lips and looked as if he was about to order the fierce looking warrior to chase them off the land when he nodded. Stumpfoot traveled fast for a cat with a lame paw, Patchpelt noted as she huffed a bit to keep up. She kept her tail-tip close to Nightfall incase the she-cat needed guidance, but it was more out of habit than necessity. The trees started to grow closer together the closer they came to the TreeClan camp. Again, Patchpelt had never been in this clan's camp, but it seemed familiar. The trees also had slashes from claws from bottom to as far up as her eyes could see. Branches started low on some trees than seemed to vanish on the next. It really was odd to her that a clan might actually live in trees.

A strong, regal cat called, "What have we here, Stumpfoot?"

The deputy dipped his head as the strong warrior disappeared into the trees. Patchpelt couldn't see any other cats and wondered if they had all taken to the trees when they saw the three strange cats coming. "Yes, Patchpelt. They are in the trees," Twigstar meowed with a tight grin on her maw. "Don't fret, I could see the question on your face. You're so open and innocent, even after all this time."

Blinking, the calico warrior didn't know how to respond to that. "Well, um, Twigstar. There is important news I have to tell you."

"Speak then," the TreeClan leader ordered as she sat before them. Tall and regal like another cat Patchpelt remembered.

"As I have told Stumpfoot, I will tell you. The two-leggers have released a new monster. This one eats the forest. It has already taken IceClan, and I know it will come for the rest of the clans. Not now, but soon!" When the leader didn't say anything she continued, "You were there when my group and I were on our journey. We p*censored*ed through your lands. We didn't come back without finding what we needed. There is so much land, Twigstar! Sand is everywhere, but trees are there too. Prey lines up to be eaten, and water is clean in the streams. We never saw a two-legger where we should stay, but the journey there is dangerous. Sharptalon is a warrior from CaveClan. He is proof that CaveClan is going to this new place. I believe StarClan sent my group our dreams so that we could save the forest, please leave with us."

The spotted leader sat still a moment. Her siege green eyes calculating. Then, to Patchpelt surprise, she meowed, "We will leave when you do."

"Really?" she asked.

"I have learned much as a leader these few moons," Twigstar whispered smolnly. "I know thruth when I smell it and see it. I want what is best for my clans future, so we will leave this place."

Delighted, Patchpelt turned to Sharptalon and Nightfall happily. They could go back to the clan now and tell them that both CaveClan and TreeClan were coming with. That all the clans in the forest would be saved, if FireClan accepted as well. Thank you StarClan for giving us this great gift! We might just live yet! With that, Patchpelt headed back to the temporary camp. Though, the closer she got the more she became nervous. The feeling of unease filled her again. Somehow, she knew the returning wouldn't be as joyful as she first thought.

~~~

Back at camp, Swiftdarkness wept. Battered and bruised, bloodied and wounded, the old tom cried. He didn't cry for himself, though, his wet, salty tears were for his kit. Young and beautiful, the sweet, innocent she-kit that was supposed to out live him and bare kits had died. Too young, too close to his heart. His eyes no longer shone like sapphires, but were dull and bitter slate. The light of life had left him because he had failed his life's mission. I was supposed to protect my clan. My clan, my kits. Falconwing! his heart cried as he shook. His weak body trembled and his brittle bones groaned at the joints. Never had he felt so old in his life, but looking down at his kit, my kit!, he knew that the world could be cruel.

He had fought back as Blackwolf attacked, but weakened from starvation he couldn't defend himself much and his fiery little she-kit had come to his rescue. My little wish, he thought sadly. Trembling, he didn't even pause to think he didn't hold enough power to do such a thing, but it felt so right that he followed his instincts.

"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has learned the warrior code and given up her life in the service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. She will be known as Littlefire."

Resting his nose on Littlefire's cheek, Swiftdarkness felt more tears fall. "I love you, my kit, always," he whispered.

OoC: Fullie, that's the name you wanted right? I looked all the way back in the old one to find it xD

Rosepaw rested her muzzel on her sister's, "We can get through this.." she meowed, "We can get through anything, if we are all set to do it." Looking back at Featherpaw, she knew that she would be off to something else once Rainstar Killed Blackwolf. Thoughtless and careless. Maybe even evil. she though.

Then she turned her crystal gaze to the fighting cats, and Rainstar had backed away, "What?" she hissed, anger spewing out threw her hiss. Rainstar had let go of the murderer, and now she didn't know what would happen.

 Rainstar was shocked to hear Timberfur's rough voice in her ears, "Oh... okay," she meowed and backed off of Blackwolf, her claws sheathed as far as they could. Her anger was suddenly released, and she just stood there in confusion when she hears gasps from her Clanmates.

Ice blue eyes set on Painfulpaw, she questioned at every level what the cat would do. As Painfulpaw looked back at her, she seen a deep sorrow in the small cat's eyes, and knew that he was going to accomplish something that would be amazing, for all of the Cats to see.

Nightfall felt grateful of the TreeClan  leader's kindness toward them. There is few cats like that. she thought to herself as the patrol headed back to their territory. "That actually went better than I expected." meowed Nightfall to Patchpelt, "Now, to wait for moon-high..." Her voice tone and happiness were betraying her gut feeling of terrible things in the Clan, but she could at least stay positive, till they got there.

Watching in shock from the side lines, Starpaw's eyes were glazed over in guilt and terror. Never had he seen so much blood, so much betrayal and pain at one time between cats who, only moments ago, were sitting around with their clan mates. Clear blue eyes looking from one cat to another hoping, praying, that they would calm down and come to their senses before some cat died. Re-thinking this thought, a tiny growl bubbled from his throat. Except Blackwolf, if he'd been powerful enough, or in-tittled to, he'd kill the tom himself. No, do not think like that! You might have already killed a cat! The truth settled over him like a fog, making his already weak muscles scream until his paws slipped out from under him. Laying on the frozen ground felt like claws piercing him. It meant that he could feel, that this was not some horrible nightmare he could wake up from. Tipping his tiny head down, the apprentice closed his eyes tightly, teeth gritted and lips drawn back from his muzzle. He wanted to watch no more, to see nothing else. He wanted to cease to exist in this death filled world. 

A thin tail suddenly wrapped around his shoulders which were so small it could have wrapped around twice. A deep sigh meet his ears, so sad and lost Starpaw could almost taste this cats own guilt. Looking up with bleary eyes, Starpaw tried not to gasp in surprise. He would have thought perhaps it was Scarlethaze or perhaps another apprentice who would have actually liked him enough to try and comfort him, but instead he gazed into the empty pools of blue that was Copperfire's eyes. There was something in those orbs thought that Starpaw could not place, like someone else trying to claw it's way free. Now i'm imagining things to take my mind off my mistakes, great. He thought in depression. But why Copperfire, of all cats? The tom had been a good friend of Mistsoul's, but had never spoken a word to Starpaw. What changed? "If you made a mistake, one that could kill, could you live with yourself?" Starpaw asked hoarsely, new tears welling in his eyes. "I have made one m*censored*ive mistake, one that in-a-roundabout-way, has killed so many." Copperfire meowed, head high and tail tightening comfortingly over Starpaw's shoulders. 

"This is hard on you, isn't it?" Copperfire asked, ginger fur fluffing up against a sudden chill in the wind. "Having heard from a young age that clan cats were fierce, blood-thirsty animals, only to become one and figure out that we rarely fight, that we help one another more then we kill. Yet, in the end it is blood that coats your paws, not water anymore." Starpaw stared at the older tom, trying to understand his words., Why did he suddenly sound cryptic and older? "I will not ask what this mistake was, but you can be forgiven if you tell, don't hold it in and let it eat you until your nothing but a hollow piece of your former self." The medicine cat apprentice shivered violently, but was not sure if it was from thew cold seeping into his paws and the wind battering at his back from the wind, or if it was the truth and the confidence Copperfire had in his words. Is that why he's so quiet, why he stays away from most of the other cats? Has Copperfire done something so terrible that it;'s pushed him so far away that few cats can actually reach him? A tiny wail bubbled in Starpaw's throat. It was not going to happen to him, but how could he tell a clan of vicious cats that he'd tried to kill their deputy and leader?  "What did you do that haunts you?" Starpaw asked, not looking up from the ground he found so interesting. "I came back." Were the last words he heard as Copperfire walked away from him, towards the m*censored*ive red she-cat Scarlethaze. 

---

Watching the commotion that had gone on in the center of the camp, Silentheart mentally  snarled at how stupid they were all being. Don';t let a apprentice kill Blackwolf just because they were family it made Rainstar look weak, like she could not kill the cat who had killed her former leader and so many others. Huffing, he glared at the surrounding tree's in disgust. This was what he back back to, a group of cats who were dying around him, fearing death and suffering. A group of cats who seemed to be plotting inwardly from almost the start to kill one another. They were not better then the foxes that had killed himself and his father. Lips drawing back in a fearsome hiss, Silentheart got to his paws swiftly and was about to head out of camp, unwilling to watch this madness any longer. 

But a small turf of fur, because thats about what Starpaw looked like anymore, caught his eyes. There was so much pain and guilt in the apprentice's eyes that he was helpless to do anything other then comfort the tom. Speaking to Starpaw was like talking to a cat twice as old, so soft and wise, like someone who'd done or seen so much that it haunted them. Kinda like himself really. "What did you do that haunts you?" He'd asked, and the        words pierced his heart like that of a Dark Forest cat, sending cold shivers from the base of his tail to his ears, making his whiskers quiver. Yes, what haunted him? The fact that he was given a second chance when so many others had lost their lives, the fact that so many cats better then himself were stolen almost every day. He lived, while others died. Was it fair? No. Did he like it? No way. But he was selfish, unwilling to give back what Starclan had granted him simply because he was in lov-. He stopped himself right there. He refused to admit he loved Patchpelt, because she only saw him as a brother while she loved Cheetahwind. The thought hurt. He came back to fulfill his dream of becoming a warrior, and he did not enjoy it, not at all. Yet other cats would have been delighted to receive such as gift and used it their their full potential, he only moped and mourned, nothing more. "I came back." Was all he could mutter before walking sway, the thoughts cramming his head making him almost tip over. 

---

Shadowpaw walked back into camp after staying out most of the night. The cold air had done his mind some good. But what he walked into was not at all what he was expecting. Rainstar was standing over Blackwolf, a murderous look in her eye, Painfulpaw was pleading something, and his father and sister were injured, badly. Littlepaw was not moving. A yowl of fear escaped his lips as he rushed over, numb paws making hollow sounds as they thumped into the dirt. "Littlepaw, Littlepaw!" He wailed, licking her ears fiercely. He'd promised to protect her, yet here she was looking so small and fragile with her blood leaking out onto the frozen ground. His paws were already smeared with it. "Wake up, you have to wake up!" He whispered, pressing his muzzle into her shoulder fur. He;d already lost his mother and Midnightpaw. He could not lose his littlest sister as well. "Please Falconwing, help her." He whispered, refusing to call upon Starclan anymore. 

Confused Spider followed her, wondering what she had meant. Unless you want to see how friendship and acceptance work, follow me. These words echoed in his mind as he traced her pawprints, wondering if there was some hidden meaning to them. Closing his eyes against the bitter wind he swallowed his pride and slipped through the bush towards her, wondering if she had known all along he would follow.

She seems...wise, in a strange ethereal way, he thought anxiously. There was something about this she-cat that compelled him to follow, to chase after her like some love-sick tom who had nothing better to do with his life. Shaking his head ruefully he slipped up next to her.

"Are you going to tell me what you meant by those words?" he meowed coldly, staying a few pawsteps away so he wouldn't brush her fur. Twitching his nose he gazed at her with frank blue eyes, the color lightening to an almost frigid ice blue that stared at her with a slightly hostile look to them.

"Because if not I'm going, and I'll feel better for having wasted your time. It seems to precious to you. After all, to me it feels as if you made that request unthinkingly. A spur-of-the-moment decision that you didn't pause to think about." Narrowing his eyes slightly he turned his head away and gazed at his surroundings. "And if you did mean it like that, what's to say I'll be welcomed by your family?"

[May Spider crush on Patchpelt? And can I still make that cat of mine? O__O]

ooc; Fullmoon: I believe Littlepaw would have to have a plausible reason to come back to the Clans like Jadewing, and Silentheart. If you didn't want her to die, why did you kill her then? 0>o'

bic;

Rainstar knew that her Clan was upset with her, and all the other cats would question her greatly about why she let Painfulpaw go up to the murderous cat. Looking around at the glares of the cats, she felt uncomfortable... Sliding her m*censored*ive black claws into the snow, it relieved some of her stress, as her ice blue eyes stared at Painfulpaw, watching his every move.  

"StarClan, make what he is about to do be right.." she mouthed under her breath, as the silence broke through the Clan.  Rainstar felt like holding her breath. I did it because he had a unmistakeable desperation in his eyes,  she though, like she had often seen in Mistsoul's eyes.

>>

Poisonheart stared at Rainstar, anger flaring in her dark lit eyes. Why didn't she kill him at the moment she had!? she felt like cuffing the leader upside the head. But there was nothing she, nor the other Clan mates could do about the strange behavior of the tall silver cat.  "Idiot." she spat quietly, then realized that she could be punished for saying that.  

Pushing her black paw into the sand, she flicked her white tail back and fourth, demanding something to happen out of the silence.  

Spider seemed to sag at her words. His tone was morose and hollow-sounding when he spoke again. "Whatever family I had abandoned me because I was too runty. Yes, I was left in the forest alone with my littermate Rose. We cared for each other, groomed each other. I hunted for her when she got too weak to carry on. I was the one who buried her when she died. But you know what? To the last minute Rose was fretting about me. Asking if I'd eaten my fair share today and pushing me to eat hers. Sometimes-"

His voice faltered as his mind subconciously dredged the old memory up, making him shiver. "Sometimes," he continued in the same soft monotone, though his meow was slowly getting stronger and more forceful. "I wonder whether or not it was her worry for me that drove her to her death. Have you ever had to live with that? Knowing, that simply being alive killed the only cat you ever felt close to? I've been alone for many moons now and still I have yet to get over Rose's death."

Now his voice had heightened to a deep snarl and his eyes slit. "Don't speak to me about family and friendship like that. I know what it is and all I need to know about it is that it only brings death and sorrow. My heart has been dead for moons, an ice cold stone that I made to keep out all those hurtful feelings. I've shut myself off and somehow you come here and open me up again. I'm telling you once, and only once. Love only hurts in the end. Someday you'll find that out, if you already haven't."