Moonfall Lake

[dino.]

Disinterested. That's what he looked like to her. Callous, uncaring. Bumblestar wanted to rake her claws down his face and force him to react.

She didn't even know how to put her answer into words. They came with feelings that didn't have descriptions: uncertainty and unfamiliarity, the desire to be closer, terror at the thought of losing her, all mingled into something without a name. Something she couldn't name, at least.

"She's the one thing keeping me grounded after everything that I've had to do." It didn't feel specific enough, but Bumblestar didn't know how else to say it. "I have never… I’ve never asked for ANYTHING from you! I’ve done what the others before me couldn't, 'n I've taken what you’ve given without demandin’ more, but I’m demandin’ now. I’m bringin’ her back.”


[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." An irked swish of his tail. "I'm sure having her around has enhanced your life, but there's more to you than just some fish. You have never needed a cat to be your lifeline, Bumblestar. Others will come and go, death comes for us all, and you will always persevere. That is a matter of your strength, and yours alone." Of this, he had no doubt. Cats crumbled over loss all the time, as seen with the fool who killed her. But of all the cats to fall, he fully believed Bumblestar would just come back stronger.

A sigh, heavy and deep. Brokenstar was not fond of this concept, but of all the leaders who stood before him, she was the most deserving. ".. The lives given to you are sacred, and should not be so freely discarded retroactively. If I grant you this wish, Bumblestar, do you understand this is your only chance? If death calls for another - her included, you will not be able to retrieve them."

Once her answer was given, he would give his.

[ @dino. ]

[dino.]

"If you want dramatic, I'll show you dramatic." A snarl rumbled in Bumblestar's throat and she took another step forward. "'N don't call her that. Far as I'm concerned, she's proven herself ThunderClan enough."

Maybe she didn't need a lifeline, but she sure liked having one for a change. And yes, death was a constant in this way of living, that was something she'd become accustomed to long ago, but this was Violetfreckle. "If I can prevent just one, it's hers. I only need once."

[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

Amusement gleamed in his eyes as Bumblestar took another step toward him. She could threaten him all she wanted - here, she had little power, and was seeking his assistance. "She might have proven herself to you, but she sure flops around like one." He didn't get the hype around the fish, but unfortunately his favored leader had taken a shine to her.

Hopefully neither of them would come to regret this. Brokenstar was tired of disappointment.

"Make the most of this. ThunderClan needs a leader who can withstand the weight of the world. This just delays the inevitable."

And then he lunged without warning.

Similarly to how Violetfreckle had been grappled, his fangs sank into Bumblestar's throat and he jerked his head back violently to rip out her flesh. He released his grip and allowed her to fall toward the water. She'd wake up soon enough, but it'd be far from a pleasant experience.

Then, he stepped back from the dissipating body, not bothering to cleanse the blood from his jaws, and began to head toward the Covenant gathered. He had a soul to kick out.

[ @dino. ]

[Rose]

Love, intertwined with fate, had led her here, to this fate, to this point in time, to this moment, like it had led Bumblestar here to demand the regeneration of her lost lover. The petite molly sat at the edge of the lake, water lapping at her dainty paws, a silent specter. A ghost, with a silent countenance and a heavy, weighed-down heart.

She wished she could return to her world, where she'd spent too much time mourning someone lost and not paying attention to the cats she should have been celebrating. She wished to see her family, one last time. She sat there, and she wished, and she wondered how they were. She wondered how one kept their heart beating when half of it was torn away. When half of it lived in the world below.

For Berryfrost was already dead, but it felt like if she spent one more moment without her other half, without her love, without her family, old and new, far and close, she would disappear into the breeze. Because here was the truth, laid down bare - one that Berryfrost had been on her way to telling Snowybreeze after her check-up with Cowtuft; she had been expecting kits. Little ones, hers and Snowybreeze's. It had been a... a knowing. That new life was soon to be in the world. That soon, Berryfrost would be able to expand her little family. And then she had died with them, with that secret, and it tore at her mind and heart like a vengeful storm.

She wondered if Cowtuft had known. She wondered if his horrified and utterly lost expression had partially been not because she was his cousin, but because she had soon to be a mother. She supposed she'd never know. Nor would Fallownose and Peachfrost know of their formerly impending grandparent-hood, nor would Snowybreeze know that he would have been a father. She could not tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing, for she did not wish to cause her living relatives more strife.

The storm raged around her, and Berryfrost was lost in it's eye. Everything seemed peaceful, but in truth? - it would never be. The possibilities, the chances, the moments she'd missed, ones that could never be.

Fate, was, as they say - as cruel and cold as the ocean waves that stole onto the beach at midnight, that swelled and rose high amidst the rain. But while everyone blindly blamed fate, it was love that equally tore it's occupants apart with a fervored glee. Love, that seemed so innocent, and yet turned out so disastrous when it didn't get it's way - a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum.

But Berryfrost had always been a coward, mindlessly following the path that'd been laid out for her without protest. And now as she sat, staring in silence at the lake in front of her, she wished she could rewind the moons and warn herself from trusting Cowtuft, her own cousin. But that wasn't fair, not to herself and not to her cousin. A distant part of her ached with the pain of a being wronged by family. She wished to put all the blame on Cowtuft, but she could not. Not when the mute tom had been exiled from WindClan. Not when he'd been torn away from his home, his family, his apprentice, in a worse way than Berryfrost had been. And not when Berryfrost was mostly the one to blame for her own downfall.

Truth was, Berryfrost had always meant to partially be the cause of her own undoing, in the end, whether she knew it at first or not.

Moonfall Lake, this place was called, known for it's rejuvenation. So then why, did Berryfrost's heart throb like it was being split in two? Why, did Berryfrost's hurt extend to every one of her limbs until she felt weary, as if she'd run nonstop across WindClan's moors. Head bowed, body bent forward, Berryfrost wept into the soil for everything that she'd lost.

Her cousin.

Her mother.

Her father.

Her mate.

Her kits.

Herself.

[Ian]

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Shiningskies
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Moonfall Lake. After all that ThunderClan had been through recently, Shiningskies figured this would be the best place to do what she needed. No, wanted. It would be easy enough for someone else to do it, but this was her last chance to try to do something good for ThunderClan. Her time in StarClan had helped with whatever had been wrong while she was alive. Despite being dead, Shiningskies still found that parts of her life were fuzzy. At least her emotions seemed more controllable.

With a huff the ginger she-cat pushed aside the thoughts, sliding slowly into the lake. Despite it's comfort, she still found it uncomfortable to be in the water. Especially considering how she had died. Pushing away those thoughts, Shiningskies focused on the task she had came to do. Concentrating on the water that swirled around her pelt and her goal, she closed her eyes and pulled.

...

"Bumblestar. It's time you received another life."

@dino.

[dino.]

What was this, her third time coming here? Second being dragged against her will from the depths of what little sleep she managed to get, at least. The sensation of waking up half-submerged in the lake was too familiar at this point.

Sniffing, Bumblestar lifted her head, scanning the lake's surface before she glanced up to get a better view of the reflection - and subsequently froze.

She vaguely recalled Twilightstar announcing this cat's death at a Gathering a while back. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it. Maybe a passing sense of "good riddance", but nothing more.

Seeing Shiningskies here, now, after siding with the one who had become the catalyst for ThunderClan's entire crisis before screwing off to WindClan as if the both of them had done nothing wrong, made something in her snap.

Water cascaded around her paws as Bumblestar lunged, hardly registering this traitor's words. Spirit or not, she wanted to plunge her claws into Shiningskies' shoulders and drown her in the very lake they stood in.

[ @Lillith ]

[Ian]

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Shiningskies
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She was not surprised when Bumblestar lunged for her. The brief flicker of hurt in her heart was immediately stamped out. Shiningskies had no right to be upset after everything she had done. Or rather, what she hadn't done.

At least the only thing about being a recluse in StarClan meant that her ability to bring cats into dreams and interact was minimal. Perhaps if she had trained harder her form would have been solid enough for Bumblestar to hit. Alas, it wavered, and the ginger she-cat took a step back before she lost control of the dream completely.

Knowing that Bumblestar most likely wouldn't calm down anytime soon she would say her piece after the life was given. Bending down, Shiningskies reached to touch her nose to Bumblestar's head before the leader could retaliate.

"With this life, I give you initiative. Use it well to push forward and continue breaking ThunderClan's cycle of complacency. This life is not about you and me. It is about ThunderClan. Use it well."

@dino.

[dino.]

Much to Bumblestar's disappointment, the attack failed to connect. Her forepaws hit the water again, merely soaking her chest and legs, and before she could turn to try again, Shiningskies already had her nose to the top of her head.

Bumblestar's snarl faltered, if only briefly. So this was the dead traitor's plan - to try to earn her favor back through the form of a life. No matter the advantage it gave her, nothing would ever be significant enough to dispel the shadow that shrouded Shiningskies' memory in Bumblestar's head.

She would take the life, but she wouldn't be courteous about it.

Her lips peeled back again as she pulled her body around to face Shiningskies fully. "As if you know a damn thing about initiative!" she spat. And if she were better-versed in manipulating her own dreams, she would have conjured a pit beneath the spirit to send her tumbling straight into the Dark Forest. But for now, she settled for striking out a second time, claws carving viciously toward Shiningskies' throat.

The contact felt like a cold blast of mist after a heavy rain. Shiningskies melted away before Bumblestar's eyes, and within the next second she shot bolt upright in her nest as if she'd been splashed with frigid water.

She stared through the lichen curtain before narrowing her eyes with a snort and curling back up with her tail draped over her nose. Blasted StarClan cats.

[ @Lillith ]

[Apollo.]

- Sootkit -
StC - He/him - 24 moons dead
7/50

Time to himself. Sootkit let out a little sigh, he never really had time to himself, there was always something that needed to be done. Flora to be replenished, rocks to be sorted, studies to be conducted, battles to fuss over, plans to make- actually, these were all things he had to do, and soon. He was just putting them off.

He honestly didn't know what to think of Riverclans camp being invaded, other than anger, of course. Clan-mates turning on one another, kits being left unattended, let alone STAR FORSAKEN LIGHTING hitting the Floodstone. LIGHTNING. It was not a stroke of bad luck, or simply a coincidence, he's no mouse brain. Some cat up here had done it, he wanted to know who and how. Not to mention that Riverclan was left without a medicine cat after Tansypaw disappeared. If not for Cobwebpaw and Minkpaw the more cats would've died. Sootkit winced, the whole situation was very grim, and there was no way he could just sit idly.

Padding slowly along the lakes edge the tomkit, although trying to distract himself, couldn't help thinking of the situation at paw. He couldn’t bring himself to slip into the mesmerizing waters of Moonfall lake. So much to do, in so little time, this almost felt like a waste. Oh, but that was until he saw two very specific cats in the lake, alongside the familiar sound of a deafening heartbeat.

Bumblestar and Shiningskies.

Quietly, the little black kit shifted so he was out of their view, and although he couldn’t hear what words were passed between the two he wasn’t blind to what they were doing. Sootkit only knew Shiningskies from brief moments when the molly was alive, the extent of his knowledge of her was little and limited, although he knew the Windclanner had ties to Thunderclan. Now Bumblestar was another question. He had been dead well and truly long enough to know everything he needed to know about her. Violent, rash and cold-hearted. The leader was more similar to Dawnstar than she was willing to admit.

Fur was bristled, a vicious blow aimed and met with nothing but air, and a nose touched to a forehead. A life passed. Her claws extended with a second attack aimed, Sootkit watched intrigued and mildly irritated as Bumblestar vanished back to the living world in an instant.

A life. Now that was something he did not expect. Afterall all, Shiningskies was not a Covenant member, was this something any cat could do? Could he grant a life?

This would require further research.