Kindness and Hope Will Forever Live On [P]

[SoulJoy]

Crowfeather

he/him || 14 moons || no Purrks
----------

Crowfeather was panicked, he tried his best to conceal that though. He listened to Nightfall’s plan and nodded. He looked around the rocks, not seeing how they were gonna get her out but he remained positive, he had to, that was his thing. He approached the rock and got into his position, shifting the rock slightly. “Twistedpaw, I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m here. We’re going to get you out.” He said with enough volume for her to hear. He put all his strength and effort into moving the rock.

{ @Tallstar / @Wingnettle / @TheNyanCatMinecart / @ChaosBringer. }

[Moonraven]

Batglare trailed after Nightfall as he led the way to Twilight Falls, the WindClan leader followed a few tail lengths behind him. Whisperinghive's ginger pelt stood out like a beacon among the dreary background. Rocks, several of them, large and small, had fallen in a mess pile near the back of the falls. He barely made out Twistedpaw's head from where he stood. The tom's ears were pinned so tightly against his head that they hurt.

Batglare's seen a lot of deaths, injuries, and catastrophes in his long lifetime, but seeing her like that, stuck... and in so much pain. Again, why was this happening again? Cats were talking but all he heard was her voice. The tom carefully walked the injured cat and leaned down to press his muzzle against her head gently, not wanting to cause her any more pain than she was already in.

Helplessness coiled around his heart like poison ivy as he found himself at a loss for words. Batglare hated lying as much as he did despite empty promises, this looked so bad he couldn't bother with false words of comfort even to her. A sharp nip at his flank had him wheeling around to face Twilightstar and her expression tensed with concern.

"Move, go help Crowfeather lift the right side," Twilightstar ordered, nudging his flank away from Twistedpaw while she took her place with Whisperinghive on the other side. The leader wasn't surprised he hadn't been listening to anything anyone was saying.

"I'll be right back, we're going to get you. Grit your teeth, it's going to hurt a lot." Batglare grumbled as soothingly as he could to Twistedpaw before rising to his paws to join Crowfeather. At the command, both senior and leader shoved, putting all their strength into aiding their clanmates in moving the rock.

Once Vinepaw had pulled Twistedpaw free and Batglare had made sure the large rock was set down without crushing any paws or toes, he maneuvered between the toms to reach his daughter. He dropped to the ground near the apprentice's head and offered her some comforting licks. Her body...

Batglare's face remained as still and stoic as ever, expression unmoving, though those yellow-green eyes of his bleed anguish and pain he couldn't express. It's been a long time since Batglare's felt such profound heartache. The faint memory of sending Eldersky off seasons ago was possible the last time he's felt this hurt.

"I'm sorry," He apologized to his kit. There was no fixing this, no herbs or time would patch up the amount of damage she'd sustained. He had failed yet another daughter, such a useless father.
@TheNyanCatMinecart [Twistedpaw.] @Wingnettle [Nightfall] @SoulJoy [Crowfeather] @Tallstar [Vinepaw] @ChaosBringer. [Whisperinghive]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

[I gave this warning at the top of the thread, but this particular post will contain some pretty graphic descriptions of injury/gore, so I figured I should mention it again.]

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

AFAB | SHE/HER | APPRENTICE | 21 MOONS | NO PURRKS

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

Nightfall's words buzzed in the back of Twistedpaw's mind like a lethargic bee, distant and quaint. Everything felt distant. Everything, that is, except for the cats right in front of her. Batglare. Whisperinghive. Her mentor, who had grown to be a father, and a cat who, in a few moons, might feel like a sibling. A familiar scent drifted into her nose then, managing to rise above the tang of rock and dust and blood. Blood. Was she bleeding? Her pain was so great, her shock at the lack of feeling in her tail and hind legs so intense, that she hadn't even realized there was blood. Now its sickly scent coated every tastebud, and its sticky touch seeped into her fur.

How bad was it...? Twistedpaw could hardly process anything. It was too bright, too dark, too painful, too dull.

That other scent... right... it was...

...huh? Nightfall said her name. Twistedpaw's working eye flitted to the black-and-pale-brown tom. His orange eyes swam like twin suns. Why were there suns in the night? How were there two suns? Right, right, those were just his eyes. In her confusion, the old apprentice had missed most of his words. Something about... gritting... ease... Vinepaw.

That was the scent! Twistedpaw slowly, painfully, moved her gray-blue eye to her friend. She might've thought he was a clone of Nightfall, confused as she was... but the scent was unmistakable, his blue eyes beacons in the darkness. Twisty. He'd used her nickname. She managed a small smile, though her mismatched eyes spilled hot tears onto the bloody grass. Huh. There was blood there, too.

Strong. Stay strong just a bit longer. Then Lightningstorm and Rabbitpaw would fix her up. Not Cowtuft. But Lightningstorm was a skilled medicine cat. Everything would be alright. It always was. Even though it hurt, even though Twistedpaw was scared and confused, it would be alright. Maybe her hind legs had gone numb because of the weight. Maybe they'd regain feeling as soon as the rocks were moved. Her tail? Maybe it had been broken in a way that stopped pain, which would be a relief. ...See? Even in the darkest times, there was a positive side to everything! This would make her better! Stronger! Even if it delayed her again, that was okay! She'd make it, and one day, she'd be a worthy WindClan warrior.

Another voice sounded, and Twistedpaw tried to turn her head a little - before squeaking in pain. She was still able to make out the cat, though. Another black cat. Another familiar scent. Did Vinepaw duplicate? No, that was Crowfeather. Another friend. All of her friends were here. This would be much better than last time, when she had to deal with Swiftfire. It was almost as if StarClan had decided to make it a bit easier. "H-hi," she managed to mew. It was difficult to speak with the crushing pressure. "It'll be okay..." She wasn't sure what else to say, but she didn't want her Clanmates to stress, to worry. Of course, a bit of fear was natural, but she hated seeing them worried. Upset. This desire wasn't borne from insecurity anymore. It came from love of the purest kind.

Warm fur brushed against her cheek before disappearing. Whisperinghive had gone to move the rock. That's what they were all doing. Thank StarClan! She wanted this thing off of her as soon as possible. Whisperinghive's absence was a hard bone to swallow, though. She wanted him there, murmuring gently, pressed against her. She wanted soft fur, warmth, reassurance.

And she got that a heartbeat later when Batglare pressed his broad, fluffy head against hers. Twistedpaw closed her eyes - then, realizing that that hastened the darkness dragging her down, opened them again. She had to be strong. Present. With Batglare here, that was more manageable, even though his fluffy fur and solid, warm body was soothing. A purr rumbled in her throat, weak and strained. Pain shot through something in her chest, and her purr turned into a whimper.

Lilac-gray fur flashed in her vision. There was Twilightstar, saying something to her mentor. Batglare promised her that they would get her out, and that helped her relax. Batglare didn't lie. He always told the truth. If they were going to get her out, it would be okay. She smiled weakly at him, if it could be called a smile with how splayed her crooked jaw was. Still, she was sure her father would recognize it.

Suddenly, the weight on Twistedpaw began to shift. She let out a thin shriek - then it lifted, the pressure gloriously abating. The young she-cat panted heavily, drool dripping from her jaws. The pressure was gone, so she was free! She would be fine.

But... wait. The pain had gotten a little better, and it wasn't stopping. Her hind legs and her tail... she still couldn't feel them. Twistedpaw tried to move, but she only managed to lift her head, and even that made her wail. She flopped to the ground, agony spreading throughout her body.

It was a good thing she couldn't see herself. Her body was twisted in an alarming way, her hind legs bent at an impossible angle. A shard of bone, glistening red, poked out of one shoulder. Blood and dust coated her pelt so thoroughly that its black coloring seemed to disappear completely. As for her tail... it was crushed beyond recognition, flattened, even more grotesque than it had been when it dangled above her.

Maybe it just hurt because... well, the rocks were heavy. Maybe she broke something. Twistedpaw's heart began to pound anew. What did she break? How much did she break? How many broken bones could a medicine cat heal? So much of it felt like it was inside of her... a medicine cat couldn't heal that, could they?

Was she...?

No, she couldn't be. Twistedpaw had been through so much. She always got through it. Her eye flitted to Batglare, who had moved beside her again, licking her face. She purred again. It hurt less this time. Or maybe she was getting used to it.

I'm sorry. The words sent a pang of foreboding through her. No, no, this couldn't be happening. She'd just wanted to catch a mouse. One mouse. That was all.

Wait. Batglare had apologized to her before, when the RiverClan cats had attacked her. Maybe he felt guilty again. No, this wasn't his fault. Twistedpaw was briefly distracted from her horror by a pang of determination.

"I-it's okay! It's n-not your fault." Talking hurt, but it was more manageable without the rocks on top of her. "I-I'll be okay, w-won't I?" She moved to press her muzzle into his dark brown fur, then yelped in pain. At least he was close enough to cuddle with.

Then she noticed his eyes. Those yellow-green eyes, swimming in her vision, yet they looked perfectly clear.

Twistedpaw knew Batglare well enough to know that he didn't show much emotion through his facial expressions. Everything he felt was in his eyes. Warmth, guilt, joy. She expected the guilt. But everything else chilled her to the bone.

That... was sorrow. A kind of pain she'd never seen written in the stoic warrior's glare.

Sorrow. Maybe it was guilt, maybe...

But never that profound...

Twistedpaw grew colder.

No.

No.

No.

Everything clicked.

Something - multiple vital "somethings" - had broken. Broken to the point a medicine cat couldn't repair it. And the darkness clamoring to sweep Twistedpaw away... that wasn't mere unconsciousness. That was death. Dark, dire, lulling death.

Her heart worked overtime as panic set in. She stared at up at Batglare, then her gaze danced around the other cats'.

"N-no! I... I don't..." Her voice was choked by tears and infused with pain. "D-d-don't wanna d-d-die! Not yet! P-please!" Could Batglare fix this? Twilightstar? "I w-wanna be a g-good WindClan w-warrior! I have t-to be!" More tears fell. "I... I-I..."

Twistedpaw wanted to sob, but whenever her body shifted, pain to extremes she hadn't thought possible catapulted through her. So she lay there, gasping, snot and tears flowing freely down her face. When she spoke again, her voice was broken, strained, faint.

"I've... survived so much... why? Why can't I... b-be a warrior? Why... does it... have t-to... be like this?" She'd endured so much, spent her life aiming for the ultimate goal. And now it was being ripped away from her in front of every living cat she loved.

(This will be my second-to-last post with her. Twilightstar can give her the warrior name of Featherblossom in her next post. Also, mention order is also the posting order.) @Wingnettle [Nightfall] @Tallstar [Vinepaw] @SoulJoy [Crowfeather] @ChaosBringer. [Whisperinghive] @Moonraven [Batglare/Twilightstar]

[Wingnettle]

Nightfall
he/him | Windclan warrior | 19 moons
Ultimate Predator

Nightfall got to his place and used all his strenght to lift the huge rock up. He hoped that Twistedpaw could at least move to try and get out of it, otherwise she would have to be dragged out by someone else - and the rock would be held up by one less cat.

His bright orange eyes widened when the rock actually moved - he hadn't been too hopeful until now - but his gaze instantly darkened as he realized this was the moment to assess the damage. And he knew it would be... irreparable.

The black-pelted cat made his way around the devil rock and approached all the other cats, who surrounded the poor apprentice. His eyes became instantly sad when she saw her: broken bones everywhere, extreme blood loss, and probably... loss of the feeling of her back and legs. Which was the minor inconvenience.

Nightfall stayed silent. His friends had the right to comfort her until her last moments, and... it felt so much already like a vigil. Had something so tragic ever happened in Windclan? That's a question he would likely made to Twilightstar one day.

She seemed so in pain, her look so pitiful... at a certain point, she had realized on her own that she wasn't gonna make it.
Nightfall bowed his head, vowing to get her a warrior name as soon as possible, but now he had to focus on her... until she was alive.

"Twistedpaw..." He whispered, walking next to her, avoiding to look at her incurable injuries. "Starclan is ready to welcome you. You'll be a warrior, and you'll hunt with Starclan in their grounds with our ancestors." He said softly, solemny, because she needed to accept the reality immediately. Otherwise, she would spend her last moments panicking like she was doing now.
@Tallstar [Vinepaw] @SoulJoy [Crowfeather] @ChaosBringer. [Whisperinghive] @Moonraven [Batglare/Twilightstar] @TheNyanCatMinecart

[Tallstar]

Vinepaw
9 Moons
He/Him
Vinepaw poistoned himself to be ready to pull once the weight had been lifted he pulled with all his might. Twisty had to be okay she had to..he didn’t know what he would do if she wasn’t ..she was the closest thing to a sister he had once he had successfully pulled her to safety he looked down at her. His heart sank to the bottom of his chest,his mouth ran dry and tears slowly started to well up no no no this couldn’t be happening he decided to try and but on a optimistic front though he knew..
He couldn't imagine losing her—not after all they had been through. "We’ll get you out of here," he vowed, glancing at Nightfall and the others. "We will."

With renewed determination, Vinepaw focused on Twistedpaw, willing her to hold on. "You’re so loved, Twistedpaw. Just stay with us a little longer."
When she cried out in pain, it felt like a knife to his heart. He wished he could take it all away, to lift the burden off her.He gritted his teeth damnit why did he always have to cry at the worst moments.His blue eyes held tears as they stained his fur he looked down at his paws but he noticed the blood wasn’t his own he nuzzled against Twistedpaw almost as if he could just be close to her all her wounds would heal..STARCLAN WHY.. why her he cried out in his mind this should have happened to me or anyone else why..? Though he received no answers nor an apology..

@SoulJoy @ChaosBringer. @Moonraven @TheNyanCatMinecart @Wingnettle

[SoulJoy]

Crowfeather

he/him || 14 moons || no Purrks
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Crowfeather’s eyes widened as he assessed the damage done to Twistedpaw’s body, he couldn’t help but feel his eyes watering up at the sight. He knew the damage the rocks caused was irreparable which meant only one thing…No, this wasn’t right, this wasn’t happening. He’s not going to lose someone else. “Twistedpaw... My dear friend, hang on in there…please…” Tears began to fall slowly. All he could do was beg quietly, he hoped that StarClan heard his prayers, he felt useless, he couldn’t do anything...he never could. For all his talk, he’s just useless.

{ @ChaosBringer. / @Moonraven / @TheNyanCatMinecart / @Wingnettle / @Tallstar }

[ChaosBringer.]

Whisperinghive
A 12-16 moon old tom with marigold-orange fur, dull green eyes, and a thin scar running from below his left eye down his muzzle to his nose. Purrks: Killer Aptitude T1 [ACTIVE] Survival Instincts[ACTIVE] Just a Scratch [ACTIVE]



Whisperinghive continued to use every ounce of strength to push the rock off of Twistedpaw, hissing with pain as the rock scraped his pawpads. But the pain had to be ignored. Twistedpaw was the priority, not his stupid pawpads! The ginger warrior almost jumped away as Twistedpaw let out terrified sobs and cries about how she didn't want to die, his fur bristling before quickly flattening down quickly. She won't die. Never! Whisperinghive won't allow it. Twistedpaw deserved to live, deserved to live a life barren of pain and agony! Not die after being crushed under rocks. She didn't deserve any of this! "Nonono-" Whisperinghive murmered in shock, his tail twitching violently. Someone else couldn't die in front of him. No one else could leave. Starsdammit, why the hell was he being so freaking selfish?! This was about Twistedpaw, not Whisperinghive's snowflake emotions.


The warrior heard Vinepaw and Nightfall speak as dull green eyes focused on the apprentice being crushed by rocks. No, no! Why would Starclan do this to Twistedpaw?


@Wingnettle [Nightfall] @Tallstar [Vinepaw] @SoulJoy [Crowfeather] @Moonraven [Batglare/Twilightstar] @TheNyanCatMinecart [Twistedpaw]

[Moonraven]

Twilightstar watched her clanmates huddle around the dying apprentice with a deep ache inside her chest. Grief sat like an immovable weight on her chest, growing heavier and heavier with each paw step she took toward the she-cat. Her maw was dry and words evaded her as she listened to Twistedpaw pleads. Batglare clenched his jaw so tightly that it was a shock that it hadn't snapped yet.

Twilightstar squeezed her way into Twistedpaw's line of sight and lowered her head to touch the molly's forehead with her nose. "I'm so sorry Twistedpaw, but there is no way to save you. You know we'd all do everything and anything if we had the slightest hope that we could keep you with us." Twilightstar sighed, fighting back the stinging pain in her watery eye.

"It's your time to go. But Nightfall is correct, you will join the stars as a warrior. I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has learned the warrior way and given up her life in the service of WindClan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. She will be known as Featherblossom. Let StarClan receive her by the name of Featherblossom." This was not the first time Twilightstar had to do the dying apprentice ceremony, yet it always felt like a first.

"Don't be afraid of StarClan. They will understand. You will be honored by our warrior ancestors for your loyalty and bravery. Go knowing that you are loved beyond words and that we will all miss you tremendously. May StarClan light your path. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep."

A silent tear trickled down the stoic old man's cheek as he nuzzled her as closely as he could without causing her more harm. Soaking in what little life she had left before he had to let her go. "Featherblossom, a beautiful warrior name how fitting for you." Batglare rasped behind raw emotion. "I am proud of you, my daughter, and all you've achieved. We have to be apart for a bit, but perhaps not today, or tomorrow, but know I will follow you as soon as my duty is done. So don't be afraid, and wait for me in Silverpelt."

He wasn't sure what to tell her to make her feel better about death. He couldn't lie to her, so he spoke the truth. He'd joined her in the stars as soon as he was done serving in WindClan, he'd count the days till they could be a family ago. Until then he could only pray that cats like Wolffang and Bravebird offered her some comfort in Silverpelt.
@TheNyanCatMinecart [Featherblossom] @Wingnettle [Nightfall] @SoulJoy [Crowfeather] @Tallstar [Vinepaw] @ChaosBringer. [Whisperinghive]