sensitive topics KISS THE SKY / the journey home

[FERNDANCE]

Lets get her back... She'll be fine once she gets back...

She wanted to believe Mapletuft, that this was an injury that would go away with enough love, and that if she stayed with the grey tabby, she would eventually breathe anew. So many leaders had multiple lives, so why couldn't Needledrift? She'd gone on the journey, she'd saved ShadowClan, she'd saved Ferndance - such exceptional cats did not deserve to live just once, they didn't deserve to die to something so... so...

Starlingheart is waiting in the tunnels...

If Sharpshadow believed it too, then she had to trust her clanmates - Needledrift wasn't dead, her breathing was just shallow, her energy just conserved to making herself better. So why was it when she pressed a gentle nose to her pawpad, it was cold? Was that a part of the healing process too? Did her heart need all her warmth? Ferndance was ahead of Mirestar on the journey home, practically jogging despite the she-cat upon her back (Needledrift had never been a heavy burden, though, at this point, it was pure nerves that made her seem as weightless as a feather). Gigglepaw was at her side, and though she wished she could send her daughter ahead, she did not want to lose sight of someone again, not so soon, not after one misstep had caused this. 'It's just a bit of blood...' She tried to convince herself with a gulp of air. 'Just a bit of blood... it'll wash off...wash off...'

As she entered the Thunderpath tunnel, victory was not on her mind. No amount of new territory could repay what had been threatened. She moved towards the medicine cat and finally collapsed beneath the weight of her mate, wriggling out from beneath Needledrift's corpse. "I'm sorry Bug... I'm not very strong," her laugh shaked little a rattle, barely holding back sobs. Needledrift would revive at her joke, say something cute or funny in response, she could embrace her and feel as if she had hugged the coziest heat rock in all the forest.

So when the air grew as cold as the underground, she was reminded of the urgency. Ferndance looked towards Starlingheart, pupils quivering. "Fix her..." Her whisper felt as if had fallen upon deaf ears, it felt as if she was ignored even as wide eyes met hers. Why wasn't anyone fixing her, making her warm again? She stomped her foot, ears pinned back to her skull. Her next call echoed, though away from StarClan's eye, she hoped they would still answer her demand. "FIX HER!"

[ tagging @Starlingheart and @Gigglepaw !! note that this takes place in the tunnel - the camp return thread will be made by karmen <3 ]
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[Gigglepaw]

Gigglepaw isn't sure she's ever felt the way she does now. Chilledstar, Smogstar, Forestshade, they'd all gone one way or another, and she had been upset, yes, but her stomach wasn't tied up in knots like it was right now, wondering if Needledrift would be alright. Deep down, she knew. She knew that her mother was gone and never coming back, but she refused to accept that and pushed the feeling down deeper, hiding it from herself and everyone around her. Ferndance was insistent that Needledrift would be fine, and Gigglepaw wanted to trust her mom's word.

Sniffling, Gigglepaw entered the tunnel alongside Ferndance, nosing tentatively at Needledrift's limp form on her mom's back. She'd seen that ThunderClanner attack Ferndance and Needledrift - knew that it was Roeflame who was the reason behind this unnecessary sadness that pierced her heart like a thousand claws. Gigglepaw should have been there to help her mothers, but she'd been waylaid by some nondescript ThunderClanner. But she'd seen what happened. She'd watched as Roeflame made the decision to hurt Needledrift in irreparable ways. Hate wormed its way into Gigglepaw's stomach alongside misery, and she let out a small cry.

"Mom..." She sniffled as Ferndance shouted, demanding that Starlingheart or StarClan or someone, anyone, help Needledrift. She swallowed, and turned teary eyes onto Starlingheart, searching her aunt's face for any indication that what she was asking would be possible. "Can you? Please, help my 'ama. Please, fix her." She echoed Ferndance's pleas, and took a deep breath.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• !

• 

• GIGGLEPAW ✩ apprentice of shadowclan, eight moons
  → blinks incessantly & uncontrollably.
  → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.

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[Bonechill.]

*+:｡.｡ Bonechill had been one of the first to leave the fight, carrying an injured @Laurelgrin to receive treatment from Starlingheart as the young man had needed. An odd protectiveness had come over Bonechill then - that, and the futility of running back into the fray when, by this point, it was sure to end soon. Fights are never as long as legends make them seem. So the silver and cinnamon second-oldest would wait at the tunnel entrance, licking his shallow wounds and waiting for his clan - his family - to return.

Not like this.

Bonechill rose to his feet the second he smelled blood.
His fur rose and bristled when it was paired with not only Ferndance's, but heavily with Gigglepaw's and Needledrifts.

And his heart promptly fell somewhere deeper than the ground beneath his paws when he saw the look on his mom's face as she entered the tunnel.

There were no words to explain the feeling that came over him when he saw Needledrift's body.


His jaw works itself into tangles as he stands back, unable to breathe, as Ferndance chuckles over - an injured, just injured body - NOT CORPSE - of his mamma. She was fine. SHE WAS FINE! He looks from her, to Ferndance, and clings heavily to the nervous, but not grieving - there was nothing to grieve because Needledrift was fucking fine.

He stumbles back nonetheless when the calm breaks and Ferndance screams.
Bonechill wishes to join her, but he can't muster the strength. She's not dead, she's just hurt. But she's hurt, his mamma's hurt. He wasn't there. But he can keep her safe now. Starlingheart will save her. She's not dying. She's not dead. She's just hurt. She'll get better.

His breath comes out in sharp gasps, but he keeps his paws firmly in place. You'll get in the way in the armistice agreement with I don't want to look. So, he focuses elsewhere. Robotically, Bonechill grabs @Gigglepaw and spins her around, perhaps a little too roughly to investigate her for wounds. "You're not hurt?" his voice sounds far away, harsh and brittle, an icicle threatening to fall straight toward someone's chest - an avalanche begging to explode. When Gigglepaw doesn't answer fast enough, Bonechill aims to shake her, "You're alright!?" he practically snarls into his baby sister's face.

But he's no longer asking Giggle, no; his question - and the harsh desperation for an answer - is directed entirely towards her eyes. The eyes she shares with her birth mother. The eyes shinning just as brilliant green- a forest filled with the viridescent growth of unaltered life. Because if these green eyes still glow, so too will the ones they took after. That's how it works. That's how it has to work.
He needs her to say it. Out loud, now.

Please, please for fuck's sake, say you're okay!

Tell Bonechill that their mother is going to be okay!

*+:｡.｡ Updated 10/4/24

• // sorry Gigs </3 your brother is losing it
• 
  
  GENERAL:
  ☠ Shadowclan — warrior
  ☠ DMAB— He/Him — Unsure
  ☠ 12 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☠ Son to Ferndance x Needledrift
  ☠ Littermates with Bloodwing, Shadewhisker, Splashdance
  ☠ Half-brother to Gigglepaw, Morelpaw, Branchpaw
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☠Physically hard | mentally hard
  ☠ Attack in bold #738171
  injuries: None currently

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