[TheNyanCatMinecart]

(RC cats can reply whenever - I just wanted Twistedpaw to reply to Swiftfire and Batglare.)

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Batglare.

Her mentor's name repeated in her mind. Twistedpaw reached out for it, trying to clasp the comfort and happiness it provided. Where was he? Her only working eye flitted from side to side, trying to spot him in the confusing haze of the world. Green bushes. Dark brown mud. Bright red blood. Everywhere, blood. Pouring into the marshes like its scent poured into her nose and mouth, choking her with its stench. Her stomach was on fire, oozing the hot liquid and splashing it all over her. No, not just her stomach. Everywhere hurt. She had the distinct impression that she was being burned alive.

Batglare... Batglare...

Only her mentor could save her. Only her mentor could make it stop. He'd saved her so many times... he needed to save her again. StarClan... please... make it... stop...

The pain was so intense that it made dark spots swim in front of Twistedpaw's eyes. Dazzled, she tried to lift her paw to bat at it, but a horrible tug of pain from her stomach made her groan. More tears, hot and slippery, seeped from between her eyelids. Her trembling only increased. Weak... she felt so weak... it was like every drop of energy had seeped into the earth. Like her blood and tears.

The world tilted, and Twistedpaw wondered if StarClan was going to swallow her whole. Would they toss her into the sky and chew her up with cruel jaws? The same color as... the RiverClan tom's... Cedarfrost? Was Cedarfrost swallowing her whole? A fresh wave of terror washed over her like a cold leaf-bare wind. She was all too aware of RiverClan's reek mingling with her bodily fluids. But that didn't make sense. StarClan was kind. Cedarfrost couldn't open his mouth that wide. They wouldn't... chew her up.

Is this what Twilightstar felt? Twistedpaw wondered vaguely. In some corner of her memory, she remembered what Beanstar had done to her beloved leader. She could feel herself slipping - not into unconsciousness, but into a dark place of pain and confusion. Maybe she was already there. Exhaustion made her dizzy. Am I gonna die? No... I don't wanna... please... not now...

Suddenly, someone was standing over her. A she-cat. Her dark shadow fell upon the apprentice, creating an intimidating silhouette against the bright sun. Twistedpaw gazed up blankly. Should she be afraid? Was the cat even real?

Then she recognized those pale yellow eyes and that... that voice. The one filled with horror that reflected her contorted face. Out of place compared to her harsh words from earlier. Swiftfire. Twistedpaw's first instinct was to feel nervous. Swiftfire hadn't liked her. Then she remembered that she'd been desperate for Swiftfire's arrival. She'd attack those cruel RiverClan cats. Right?

Or... or was she gonna be mean? Like Cedarfrost? And think she deserved it because... because she looked different?

Swiftfire's horror contorted into anger. Twistedpaw let out a faint whimper of fear. Was she going to hurt her after all? Had her deformities turned Swiftfire against her like they had Willowsky and Flutteringkit? And Cedarfrost... His brutal words replayed in her mind. Twistedpaw felt an urge to run, but even the thought of moving made her emit another groan.

Then the long-legged tortoiseshell was moving away, yelling at something that wasn't there. What...? Twistedpaw had no clue what was going on anymore. It took her a while to realize what was happening as the sounds of scuffling broke out. Swiftfire... is attacking the RiverClan cats. She felt a wave of relief.

But she was still in immense pain. She still felt like she was dying. Here she was, alone, saved yet not, stuck in this limbo between life and a dark place she wasn't sure whether she wanted to visit. If she closed her eyes, would she wake up again? Or would she be gone forever?

Then a familiar scent flooded into her nose. One that took the edge off the pain and filled her with happiness and hope so profound that she thought everything might be okay after all.

Batglare!

Twistedpaw slowly shifted her gaze, still feeling like the world was swooping in circles, to the familiar massive, dark-and-white shape. She would've smiled if she had the energy, though the joy shining in her non-clouded, grayish-blue eye was enough.

He stooped, gazing at the place that hurt the most - her belly wounds. A fresh flare of pain rushed through her, though he hadn't touched it, then he turned to look at her.

Was he... was he mad? Those yellow-green eyes were narrowed ferociously and burned like her stomach. And ear. And... well, everything. Her heart began to sank, and guilt started to swirl in her veins, replacing the blood she had lost. Then she blinked, and his face was replaced by concern. Very uncharacteristic. But... he was worried about her. Something Willowsky never was, she remembered vaguely.

The comforting licks relaxed her. Twistedpaw closed her eyes and finally managed the hint of a very lopsided smile. None of this is your fault. She'd crossed the border, though. She'd gotten hurt. But... but Batglare said it wasn't, so maybe he was right. She felt herself beginning to relax. Suddenly, the intense pain, the dizziness, the horrible existence of this reality... it all seemed bearable.

"B... at..." she croaked, but stopped with another whimper. It hurt too much to speak. And her voice was absolutely awful. Strained and weak, more distorted than usual, but able to be deciphered.

Now Batglare was talking to Swiftfire. Something about going back. I'm safe, Twistedpaw thought. The pain blazed, but it was melting away. She was okay. She was gonna be okay.

But... but...

Something tugged at her mind. Her eyes opened.

"Ra..." Twistedpaw's eye fixated on the white heap hardly a fox-length away. "...bit..." They couldn't leave her rabbit behind, they just couldn't. She'd caught it, and she needed it really badly. Why? She couldn't remember. She just needed that rabbit. Her life depended on it.

@Moonraven @Tiabirb @Snowyfeathr @starry (Hope I did an okay writing delirious Twistedpaw lol)