you don’t have to be related by blood to be called family [p]

**iliri** · #1 Today, 06:40 AM

In the stillness of the abandoned twoleg monster, Springlight finally allowed herself to succumb to the weight of her exhaustion. The distant hum of the twoleg monsters outside faded into the background, and she curled up within the warmth of the nest she now shared with her sister. The cold, sterile scent of the metal around her was a far cry from the comforting aroma of the ThunderClan camp she had once known, but tonight, her dreams would take her far from this alien world. As her eyes fluttered shut, she drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep, her mind surrendering to the pull of memories that lay buried beneath layers of grief and bitterness. She had never wanted to revisit the places her dreams so often took her, yet it seemed as though she had little choice in the matter, as if some unseen force was determined to make her confront what she had left behind. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the edge of a clearing bathed in the dim, early morning light. The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled her nose, and the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze whispered secrets of a life that felt increasingly distant. The scene before her was unmistakable: the familiar surroundings of ThunderClan’s camp. But something was different—off-kilter in a way she couldn’t quite place. The camp was empty, devoid of the bustling activity that usually marked the start of a new day. The dens were silent, and the clearing that would normally be filled with the sounds of her clan-mates waking up was eerily still. It was as though time had slowed to a crawl, leaving only the ghosts of what once was. Her heart ached at the sight, the bittersweet pang of nostalgia mingling with the sorrow of all she had lost.

As she stepped forward, the soft earth giving way beneath her paws, she noticed the outlines of the old dens, their shapes familiar and yet haunting in their emptiness. The medicine den, in particular, caught her eye, its entrance dark and foreboding. Memories of her time spent within its walls, tending to the wounded and sick, flashed before her eyes. She had once found purpose here, a sense of belonging that had been cruelly ripped away by the claws of fate. She could almost hear the echoes of the past—the whispers of her mentor, the comforting murmurs of the sick and injured who had placed their trust in her. But those voices were gone now, replaced by the hollow silence of abandonment. She swallowed hard, pushing back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. This was not the time to dwell on what had been taken from her. There was a reason she had been brought here, to this strange, dream-like version of her old home. And she would find out what it was. It was then that she saw him, standing at the edge of the clearing where the forest met the camp. His pelt was a light shade of brown, with large streaks of white that seemed to catch the pale light filtering through the trees. A sense of recognition washed over her, mingled with a flicker of surprise. Yarrowcrest. The brother—or something, she had never truly known, the one who had always been on the periphery of her life, tied to her not by blood but by the bond they both shared with Alderstep—or Foxstep, as he had come to be known. It had been moons since she had last seen Yarrowcrest, and even then, their interactions had been few and far between. There had always been a distance between them, a gulf that neither had ever seemed willing—or able—to bridge. And yet, here he was, in this dream, standing in the very place that had once been the heart of her world.

Springlight hesitated, her breath catching in her throat as she considered turning back, retreating into the safety of the shadows where the pain of the past could not reach her. But something held her in place, something deeper than the resentment she harbored toward their shared father. This was a chance—perhaps the only chance she would ever have—to face Yarrowcrest, to confront the strained bond they shared and the unresolved emotions that lay between them. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she finally stepped forward, her paws carrying her across the clearing toward him. The closer she got, the more she felt the tension rise within herself. Anxiety tugged at the deepest part of her core as she stopped at a fox-length distance away, her half-cloudy gaze fixated on him and solely him. "Yarrowcrest.” She called out softly, her voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and resolve. The sound of his name on her tongue felt strange, almost foreign, as though it was a relic of a time long past. She didn’t know how Yarrowcrest would act seeing her here, but of all things considered, she hoped it wouldn’t be anything beyond negative.

@silver. [ the sillies uwu ]