When did I become afraid of the dark? [p]

[lio]

MOTHFLOWER
fluffy cream feline with a stumpy tail and green eyes.
he/they + neos

He didn't know when he had fallen asleep. It had, once again, been days since his last rest- insomnia and nightmares still plaguing every night that fell upon him. Even now, being a warrior, moth couldn't shake the looming sense of failure. They had hardly done anything since their ceremony. Those eyes still stared down at them, those pale green irises glaring in disappointment. He shifted uncomfortably, yet instead of the warrior's den floor, he felt a coldness seeping into his fur. A damp feeling that clung to a cream-colored pelt. Cold. Uncomfortable. Strange. Foreign.

Mothflower's eyes blinked open, expecting to see the WindClan camp in front of him. Instead, a darkness lurked, shadows stretching as far as the eye could see. This wasn't like any of the other nightmares they had had. No, this was different. Much, much different. Moth could tell moth was still asleep, and yet moth felt awake. Something wasn't right. Where were they? This wasn't... this wasn't WindClan. That much was obvious.

His ear flattened and he slowly, shakily rose to his paws. Looking around, he could see he was in... a clearing of sorts. Trees towered above Mothflower, causing a shudder to spiral down his spine as he attempted to see the top. Darkness. Just pitch black darkness. From the shadows, moth swore moth could feel eyes boring into moth. Sinister smiles, lurking forms remaining just out of view. Watching. Stalking.

Swallowing, suddenly feeling parched, Mothflower opened his mouth to speak.

"H-Hello?"

[ @ameko ]

[ameko]

Brackenheart »

He wasn't sure how long he'd been here. Amidst the endless monotony of shadows and trees that loomed all around, time was meaningless. Ever since he'd opened his eyes and come face-to-face with this void, he hadn't seen anyone else. Even so, there always seemed to be a vague sense of being watched.

In the beginning, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to kill that stranger. Get revenge for his unjust death—because it was unjust, how dare they cut his life short before he'd even done anything worthwhile with it? But, after a while, he began to think about the bigger picture. Where he was now (this had to be the Dark Forest, or at least some variation of it), he couldn't focus on some loner. No, he had to shift his focus back to his Clan, find some way to gain power and influence over them. That was all he ever really wanted, anyway. And now he had the vastness of forever to come up with a plan.

In the now, a dark, cold anger simmered beneath the surface. He would be testing out something today. Throughout his lifetime, he'd heard talk of the dead visiting cats in their dreams, but since there wasn't a manual on existence in the Dark Forest, he'd have to figure out the specifics himself. His son would be the first target. Find some way to get him here, and the rest would be a simple task. That brat would follow any of his orders.

So he waited. After some time—he couldn't say if it'd been ages, or if any time had passed at all—he felt something. A presence.

Brackenheart stood, slunk through the dense, foggy trees, and watched from the shadows as a cream-colored cat tried to make sense of their surroundings. Not Goldenpaw. But he recognized them as a WindClanner. That much was enough.

The tall brown tabby emerged from the shadows and padded with slow, meaningful steps up to this living cat. Stopping about a foxlength away, Brackenheart raised his chin and stared down at him. Muscular. Looked like they could hold their own in a fight. Scarred, though. His lip curled as he took in the burns that marred this cat's body. But he supposed it was a feat that they survived something that damaged them so heavily.

"Welcome." Brackenheart did nothing to hide the irritation that tinged his voice. "Mothpaw, isn't it?"

[ @lio ]

[lio]

MOTHFLOWER
He/They + Moth/Moths/Mothself - WindClan Warrior
Beefed Up: Tier 1 - One with the Warren

As a form emerged from the shadows, he spun around, staring at the feline that had emerged. He... vaguely recognized the tom, pale green eyes flitting over his face as he attempted to put a name to it. It was neither a face they had seen in a while nor one they had ever really focused on- though to be fair, Mothflower had had their own things to deal with instead of remembering every single cat that came and went. His uninjured ear flicked at the tom's greeting. Ah...

"Mothflower," he corrected, voice low. It had been a while since they had spoken, though the rasp that came with their voice in the waking world had vanished. Right, dream. At least, he was fairly certain he was dreaming. Would this still be a nightmare? Though... being here wasn't much better than the nightmares he always had. It was apparently impossible for Mothflower to get a good night of sleep.

Straightening up, he took a deep breath and stared at the other tom. "What am I doing here?" they questioned.

//. @ameko .\\

[ameko]

⊹ Brackenheart ⊹
he/him | Dark Forest
Worldweaver - inactive | Nightmare Fuel - inactive

"Mothflower, then." Brackenheart's eyes glinted with what could've been intrigue. He took a moment to observe them, savoring the power he now held over the living. He'd have to do more convincing since it wasn't Goldenpaw, but that was an easy enough task.

"You're in a place beyond the boundaries of the waking world," he continued, "a realm where the potential for power greater than your imagination is just waiting for someone daring enough to seize it. Call it a dream, if you must, but it's more than that."

Fog trailed around his paws as he stepped forward to pace in a slow circle around them. "You see, Mothflower"—his eyes bored into the other—"I've been keeping an eye on you. You have the potential to be a great warrior, someone who could change the very fate of WindClan. But right now, it's just that—potential."

Brackenheart's tail flicked as he mulled over his next words. After a moment's silence, the muscular tom paused in front of Mothflower and continued. "Here, though, you can learn to harness it. You can be more than what you are now. I brought you here to offer you the chance to seize this power, to be stronger than you could've ever imagined." His words were carefully chosen, intended to draw in the listener, but never outright revealing the reality of the Dark Forest. He knew just how tantalizing the draw of ambition was.

Raising his chin, he meowed, "Tell me, will you embrace your destiny?"

[ @lio ]