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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:46:12 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; text-align: left; background: black;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/TGihiWT.png" alt="" /><br /> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> Nightlegend is one of the most respected cats in his clan. He is the oldest Medicine Cat and is one of the most revered for his wisdom, skills, and loyalty. He focuses his entire life on his work, on keeping the clan healthy and training the future healers to carry on after his departure. He has never once challenged his family, his honor, the Warrior Code, or his clan...</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> Citrinestar is the stern, proud, passionate, fierce leader of one of the most unique clans ever known. With pride in her family, pride in her heritage, and pride in herself, this she-cat is very level-headed and down-to-earth. She thinks only of her clan and their safety. She is proud of the alliance she has made with Cloudclan and is overjoyed at the friendships she now has in Goldenstar. She would never do anything to damage her clan, her friendship, or the alliance she has made...</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Until Now.</strong></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>"All it took was one look and I knew I had to talk to you, I had to know you. I have never lost my breath like that before. Starclan itself didn't dazzle me the way you did. I have to know you. Please let me."</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>"I can't... But I will."</em></span></p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:48:10 GMT -5
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<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">C L O U D C L A N</span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Leaders ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><strong><strong>Goldenstar</strong>-</strong></strong> a proud and proper pretty she-cat, Goldenstar is the legendary Leader of CloudClan. She has passed away many times but continued to come back; as it is her curse to protect CloudClan until she is "no longer needed". She is gentle, wise, sweet, and compassionate. Loyalty, passion, and motherly instinct rule her. She is the color of melted butter and her fur is soft, silky, and satin-like. Even though she has aged, she has done so gracefully and is a beautiful, regal old feline. Her nose, ears, and paws pads are a soft shade of pink. She cares deeply for everyone she meets and is often overly trusting and open. She often helps out in the nursery and aids Queens in feeding their kits as she never stops producing milk. She has had many kits, from birth and adopting, and is very well-suited to be a mother. Despite her kind attributes, Goldenstar has a nasty temper, though her true anger is rarely seen. Her last defining physical features are her sapphire-blue eyes that change shades of blue with her mood. || She is afraid of the dark as well as thunderstorms and lightning, but she does loves the rain. || Lives; 2. || Mate of the deceased Rockstar. Mother to; Skyleap, Icesong, Nightlegend, Blazeflight, Glorysky, Firebringer, Sunroar, Rattail, Stoppedfall, Elkgrove, Lionroar, Rosedream, Flamenose, Quietroar(Adopted), Brindlestar, Oakblaze, Victoryecho, Cloverbloom, Aldershade, Wrenflight, Mightyheart, Newsong(adopted), Rubyblossom, Garnetbloom, Opalsong, Diamondwing, Topazdash, Silverlark, Goldwing, and Sapphirebell. ||</span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Deputies ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Creekwind</strong>- once devilishly handsome, but now handsome in a rugged, aged, mysterious way, Creekwind is noble, quiet, and wise. He is lean but muscular. His once feathery-fur is now thick and heavy, but still beautiful. He is an unusual blue marbled tom with silver, gray, and white to complete the marbled coloration. He is still quite attractive to look at, what with his one bold yellow eye, the other scarred white long ago. But it is not his charming looks he is famous for. The loyal Deputy once, as a young tom, fell in love, mated, and had kits with the Deputy of StreamClan; who was the daughter of StreamClan's leader. He was banished from the clan, only to be allowed back in one night later. Time has helped others to respect him again, but there are those who still, to this day, frown upon him and won't obey him as Deputy. Not too long after his kits were made Warriors, Creekwind separated from his once beloved Littledrop, who is now mates with his brother, Ravenear. Despite the betrayal, he loves his kits and has managed to maintain a relationship with his brother and his ex. Even though, all that know and love him know that he has changed forever because of the pain he felt in his youth and it has made him hardhearted over time. || Is the 16th kit from Glorysky and Snowecho's 3rd litter. || Littledrop's former mate; Father of Coralwish, Splashpelt, Aquagleam, and Currentstomp. Currently single, not sure if ever looking. || 1st Deputy. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Peachbell-</strong> she is a petite, fine-boned and slender-bodied light orange she cat with light green eyes. The thickness of her pelt, along with her white underside, white tail tip, and white paws, give her an almost fox-like appearance. She is a kind-hearted she-cat, but is cautious around those she doesn't know. She doesn't really speak much but when she does she speaks for the benefit of her clan. She fights for honor, justice, peace, and life. || Ashtalon's former mate; Mother of Ashpaw and Berrypaw. Ravencrypt's mate- he is previously of BanditClan. || 2nd Deputy. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Embergem-</strong> she is a tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws, muzzle, tail-tip and dark blue eyes. She is incredibly loyal to her clan, especially the leaders, and is quick to defend them. || 3rd Deputy. || Quillfeather's twin sister and Quailflame's half-sister (related through mother). || Flamenose's mate; Mother of Rustyspear, Sparroflint, Everchance, and Wispwood. Is the adoptive mother to Flamenose's other kits: Pixiedancer, Paintsong, Magicheart, and Spellfaith. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Stormtalon</strong>- Stormtalon is a dark gray tom with surprisingly green eyes. He's very quiet, and doesn't say anything unless he thinks it needs to be said. He has a soft spot for kits, despite his rock-like demeanor. He puts a lot of emphasis on loyalty and remains loyal to his family to a fault, which includes putting ANYTHING at risk to protect his family and friends -even his principles and the warrior code. He is full of ambition and drive, and always seems to see things in black and white; right or wrong. Despite his ambitious nature, he is very, very slow to anger and is very forgiving, unless you do something that crosses the line; primarily disloyalty. He will go to the ends of the earth to ruin someone who crosses that line. He's dependable, however, and solid as a rock. || No mate, no kits. He does, however, have a crush on Brindlestar. || Can't handle heights and being up in trees. Open for an apprentice. ||</span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> <strong>Medicine Cats ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Nightlegend-</strong> shrouded in mystery and cloaked in secrets, this is one tom that is still a phenomena to much of his clanmates. Even in his old age, his fur is jet-black, well-kept, and amazingly glossy. Perhaps it is his sleek, shiny pelt that helps him slide in and out of shadows unseen and unnoticed. Many rumors linger around Nightlegend, including the suspicion that he is in fact a ghost and not a true cat at all. He is often rarely seen, and most definitely rarely heard... Unless he's working. However, with his deep midnight-blue eyes, loyal friends and family would surely differ with the doubts of his existence. || It's been rumored that Nightlegend is actually afraid of the dark, but no one has ever asked him. He has no mate and no kits... And even though he won't admit it, it's eating away at him. || 1st Medicine Cat. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Venomcall</strong>- a very odd, very charismatic tom who is a living contradiction. His very appearance is odd. Venomcall is a caramel-brown tom with even black swirls up all four of his legs that stop where his haunches and hips are, fading into the main color of his pelt. His tail is black and fades into the small point of his rear. Outlining the black is red tipped fur, this red tipped fur also blending up into the cheeks of his face to give him a very jolly appearance. Despite his strange color pallet, it is actually his inability to cease movement that makes him stand out among his clanmates. Back when he was a Medicine Cat Apprentice for CrystalClan, Venomcall rescued a kit from being attacked by a viper. The snake's fangs struck his spine and damaged some nerves, causing the tom to have uncontrollable spasms in his hind legs, hips and tail ever since. Despite his disability, Venomcall is a very positive tom and always encourages everyone he meets to just "keep their heads up". He has soft, sweet blue eyes that display his emotions like words from a book. || Even being an optimistic kitty, Venomcall is often nervous and jumpy. He is terrified of snakes. || His adoring mate is Honeydrop and they are trying for kits. || 2nd Medicine Cat. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Whitescar -</strong> Very tall, but only because she's long-legged, Whitescar takes great pride in her appearance and her job. This kind she-cat got her name from being a solid, gorgeous misty-silver color with one white patch on her shoulder that almost looks like a fur scar. Her fur is light and feathery and plums at her body points. Her regal appearance isn't what sets her apart from the rest though; it's her 'I'm-up-for-anything, never-say-die' attitude. She spends most of her free-time wrestling with toms who think they're tough and tending to kits. Even after a battle that cost her two toes on her right forepaw, Whitescar has never lost her positive attitude. Her willingness to strive through whatever challenges life may have show strongest through her gorgeous fog-blue eyes. || She never lets the fact that she is minorly disabled slow her down, though it seems she's highly allergic to pollen. || 1st Medicine Cat-- the Clan's Senior Healer. Her apprentice is Jetpaw. || No mate. Justicestorm is her only son. ||</span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Medicine Cat Apprentice(s) ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span class="smaller"><strong>Jetpaw-</strong></span><span class="smaller"> sleek-furred and lean-bodied, Jetpaw is one of only three cats in the clan that came from the fabled enemies of CloudClan; StreamClan. She is long-legged with satin-soft, silk-like midnight-black fur. Her tail is bobbed off and fluffy. Jetpaw has a white blaze in the shape of a diamond between her eyes. Like her lineage, she has webbing between her toes and thick ear hair that helps prevent water-log. She has big, bright, beautiful emerald-green eyes. She is ambitious and energetic, always up to teach and train. Her abilities are slightly limited due to an injury she sustained for helping a CloudClan Queen at the claws of her mother. She has a deep, ugly scar on her chest where the StreamClan leader tried to literally rip her heart out. Fortunately, it does not slow her down and it doesn't take away from her physical beauty. || She has been known to help train Apprentices and can function skillfully as a Warrior. She is currently the youngest Medicine Cat in the clan. || 3rd Medicine Cat. ||</span> </span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Warriors ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Sunroar</strong>- mischief and pranks have been a part of this tom's personality his entire life. No matter how old he gets, he continues to maintain a fun streak of energy and kit-like humor. Many underestimate his ability to lead and be serious due to this factor, when in reality Goldenstar has trusted him multiple times with major decisions and clan problems. Like his mother, he has a tendency to fall in love easily and did so at a young age with his first mate, Robinflight. When the she-cat left one night and never returned, Sunroar lost his ability to trust and now has issues with she-cats and his own emotions. He is a sun-golden tom with black patches of fur throughout his pelt, including a splash over his left eye. Like most of his siblings who have Blackscar as their sire, Sunroar hates his father and gets defensive at the thought of him. His eyes are a blazing-blue color that often change shades with his mood. || Son of Blackscar and Goldenstar. || Robinflight's former mate; Currently has No mate and no kits. Waiting for an Apprentice. || Senior Warrior. ||</span><br /><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Glorysky</strong>- handsome, well-built, muscular, and streamlined, this is a Warrior that was born and bred for lithe fighting, but this tom chose the peaceful, non-violent lifestyle. He's a golden tom with solid black paws and has black ears as well, though the right ear is fully colored and the left is only black at the tip. He has bright-blue eyes, the color around his pupils are a shade short of indigo. He has a very calm, relaxing voice and a kind disposition that makes him once desired by various she-cats. Of all his great qualities, Glorysky is best known in CloudClan for his offspring. He fell in love with his mate as a young Warrior and their love blossomed into numbers nobody could have ever expected. Glorysky and Snowecho currently hold the record for living biological kits in CloudClan at one time, Snowecho having birthed three litters to make a grand total of fifty-five kits. All have seen adulthood and nearly all of them are currently alive and living in CloudClan. It is by his great success as a father that has given Glorysky his respected status among his clanmates. || Son of Goldenstar of CloudClan. Snowecho's mate; proud father of fifty-five kits. Adoptive father to Troutclaw and the late Sorroweyes. Deeply devoted, happily in love with his long-running mate Snowecho. || Senior Warrior. || </span><br /><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Rattail</strong>- battle-scarred but kind at heart, Rattail has had a very interesting life. He was born from the love-lust relationship of Goldenstar and her former longtime best friend and Senior Warrior, Scarbelly. He greatly resembles his father, with his brown-gray fur color and amber eyes. His facial and body structure even mirrors his father's own, though his pelt is a lighter shade and feathered like his mother. When he was young, Rattail's litter was caught in a camp fire and his tail was burned. The fur never grew back and his bare-tail helped earn him his Warrior Name, which he wears like a badge of honor. After all, how many cats can say they got burned alive and lived? He can. And his positive, courageous attitude makes him looked up to by not only his kin, but his clan as well. || Son of Scarbelly and Goldenstar. Stoppedfall and Skyleap's brother. || Senior Warrior. || No mate and no kits. || </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Stoppedfall</strong>- A small, pretty, feathery tortoiseshell she-cat, Stoppedfall is kitty eye-candy with her mother's confident carriage and her father's amber eyes. She has white tufts of fur where her fur feathers(at the j-o-i-n-t-s) in the same places as her mother's does. Like her brother Rattail and Skyleap, Stoppedfall was born from the love of Goldenstar and her former best friend, Scarbelly. Stoppedfall is a rare case, actually having been given a Warrior Name twice. As a youngster, she had a heart condition that often made her breathing stop or slow to a dangerous level. This earned her the Warrior Name Stoppedbreath. But a few seasons later, during a battle, the she-cat began to train apprentices how to stop mid-leap(mid-fall) and twist into an attack. Her innovative battle skill earned her points with the Elders and with their guidance, she was renamed Stoppedfall of CloudClan; loyal and true. || Daughter of Scarbelly and Goldenstar. Rattail and Skyleap's sister. || Senior Warrior. || No mate and no kits. Waiting for an apprentice. || </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>SkyLeap</strong>- pretty, silky-furred like her mother, Skyleap is one of the eldest of Goldenstar's daughters. Her fur a gorgeous silver-blue and she has a white muzzle that compliments her moon-silver eyes. Also like her mother, Skyleap has a foolish heart. She preached of loyalty to the clan like it was the air she needed to breathe. But it was discovered she had betrayed her clan by courting the StreamClan Medicine Cat, Wavecrash. She became pregnant and gave birth to their only kit, Pebblepaw. A majority of the clan still have no clue that the kit is biologically hers, especially not born from cross-clan breeding. Since becoming a mother, her focus has been set more on her daughter instead of her duties to the clan. || Daughter of Scarbelly and Goldenstar. Sister to Rattail and Stoppedfall. || Doesn't like to be complimented, the act makes her nervous. || The late Wavecrash's former, secret mate; Mother to Pebblepaw. Widowed. || Senior Warrior. ||</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Lionroar</strong>- this tom is considered one of the most admired in the entire clan. Perhaps that's from being a near mirror image of his mother in both appearance and personality. Lionroar is a handsome, shimmering golden tom with silky fur and sapphire-blue eyes; the familiar traits of Goldenstar. He is noble, brave, and true. Despite his kind personality, Lionroar has been well-known to have a nasty temper. It's just rarely seen since he is very good at keeping his cool, more so than his mother. He is known for being an amazing mentor and is ferociously loyal to his clan and his family. || Son of Goldenstar. || Waiting for an Apprentice. || Gorsewing's mate; Father to their three litters of 14 kits. || Senior Warrior. || </span><br /><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Rosedream</strong>- With a shady past but a positive attitude, Rosedream can be a hothead when aggravated. She was adopted by Goldenstar when the Leader had given birth to Rattail, Stoppedfall, and Skyleap. She considers herself blessed, for she would have died had the she-cat not taking her in. She has odd, angular facial features that suggest she's from a foreign lineage. She has gorgeous, dark cream fur that is thick and of a medium length. Her pelt is faded with white points that melt into her rich fur color. Her eyes are bright and sky blue. She is loyal, funny, and kind. She has an odd habit for singing all the time, something found both adorable and annoying by others. || Adopted daughter of Goldenstar. || No mate and no kits. Waiting for an Apprentice. || Senior Warrior. || </span><br /><br /><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Flamenose</strong>- the only surviving kit of his litter, Flamenose is a very complex tom. He is strict but kind. He had a very dysfunctional and painful childhood, having no father figure and two healthy older brothers, while he was sickly and weak. After his Apprenticeship, the tom grew into quite a large and healthy tom. He lost both brothers in the span of one year. With trust issues, daddy issues, and death issues, this sleek, solid white tom tends to be reserved about his life. He has a ginger splash on his nose and lightning indigo-blue eyes. He is very loyal to his family and would die to defend them. || Waiting for an Apprentice. The late Littlepatch's former mate; Father to Pixidancer, Paintsong, Magicheart, and Spellfaith. Embergem's mate; Father to Rustyspear, Sparrowflint, Everchance, and Whispwood. || Senior Warrior. || </span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> B E R Y L C L A N</span></p>
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<p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Leaders ;;</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Citrinestar-</strong> this she-cat is very, very proud to be Leader. But not so much so that she is arrogant. She is the descendent of Berylstar himself and that she is even more proud of. Citrinestar, formally Citrineheart, is a beautiful, long-legged she-cat. She is an orange tabby with nearly sunset colored fur. Her ears are stained dark orange, as is her muzzle. Her toes are white, she has a white chest, white underbelly, white tail-tip, and white rimming on her eyes. She has intense, Citrine colored eyes(which is a bright, orange-yellow). She is known for her bravery and fairness as much as her kindness but also her temper. This she-cat is easily offended and doesn't take well to being insulted. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Citrine.]</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Ironstar-</strong> very solemn, wise, and often intimidating, this tom tends to be more of a gentle giant. All he wants is to talk and make friends and be social so he can truly know everyone. However, Ironstar's freakishly muscular bulk and deep voice makes him scary to most cats. He is a deep, handsome charcoal gray with solid black paws that all stop at different lengths. His tail is broad and long, his fur short and soft. He has a scar that runs the length of his face from his ear to his chin, crossing through his eye as it bows inward. He has beautiful, bright blue eyes. He is furiously loyal and is a, "Don't give me no attitude" type. Despite this, he is kind and compassionate and will do anything to keep his clan safe. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Onyx.]</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><span class="smaller">Medicine Cats ;;</span></strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Topazrose-</strong> known for her sharp attitude but her kind ways, Topazrose is one of the most fiery, flirty, tomboy-ish cats you'll ever meet. And she is the clan's most trusted cat with medicines. She is always joking and always making horribly cheesy romantic comments, especially about her best friend, Ironstar. Everyone says they're secretly in love, but Medicine Cat mates are frowned upon... Mostly(And they really are just friends). She is a slightly below average sized solid silver she-cat. She is quite beautiful with feathery, plumed fur and sweet, rounded ears. Her eyes are large and almond shaped and are a dark, dark topaz blue. She would love to retire so she could live her days out in the Elder's Den, joking around and bugging attractive apprentices. But she's not quite over the hill... Just yet. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Topaz.]</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> <strong><span class="smaller">Medicine Cat Apprentices ;;</span> </strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Amethystpaw</strong>- Amethystpaw is a pretty and slender young she-cat. She has dark gray fur and four white paws, as well as a splash of white on her forehead. Her eyes are a very deep shade of blue, and in the proper lighting, they look almost violet. She is a very kind and compassionate she-cat, ready to help her clanmates in any situation. She can have a fiery side, especially when someone is threatening her or her clan. [Spirit Stone; Amethyst.]</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Gempaw-</strong> always kind and often too soft-spoken, Gempaw is known in the clan for her light, pretty laugh and her pleasant voice. She became a Medicine Cat so she could help others and learn more about Starclan. Gempaw is easily spooked but will not be quickly fooled or deterred. Despite her friendly disposition, she is very confident and determined. Once she's set her mind to do something, nothing will stop her. Gempaw is very pretty she-cat, all white with gray tabby markings. She has a fluffy tail and bright, jewel green eyes. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Tektite.]</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> <span class="big"><br /></span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> </strong><strong><span class="smaller">Warriors ;;</span> </strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Slatefang-</strong> adventurous and brave, Slatefang has a tendency to be confident to the point of almost being arrogant. He is very confident in his abilities and believes in himself and his skills; which is justified because he is a very, very good hunter. Slatefang is a handsome tom, with a sleek, all black pelt and a silver muzzle. His eyes are a dark, daring shade of green. He is a no nonsense kind of tom when it comes to his clan and he is known to very protective of a certain she-cat he happens to be madly in love with... <strong>[Spirit Stone; Slate.]</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Glassclaw- </strong>very kind and very motherly, Glassclaw is a very skilled Warrior in her battle move tactics. She is very modest and subtle, never wanting to brag or boast. She is said to have a nasty temper but it is unknown if it's true or not because she's rarely ever mad. She has a very high tolerance to everything but disrespect. She is a very pretty she-cat, her pelt is tortoiseshell and her paws are white. She has large, soulful yellow eyes.<strong>[Spirit Stone; Opal.]</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Whitequartz- </strong>known for being almost cold-hearted, Whitequartz is an awkward she-cat to be around. She is a good trainer and good learner, an excellent Warrior who is profecient in both hunting and fighting. However, she has very poor people skills. She is almost antisocial because she never talks and when she does, what she says can come off as rude or mean because she just doesn't know how to deal with others. Despite that, she can be likable. She's kind of like an onion, has a lot of layers. Really stinky layers. Whitequartz attitude is deterred a bit by her beauty. She is a solid white she-cat with silky, soft fur. Her eyes are a cold shade of midnight blue.<strong>[Spirit Stone; Quartz.]</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Blackstag- </strong>known for speed and loyalty, Blackstag is one of very few cats in the clan that does not have a stone or mineral in his name; instead named after the color of his father's Spirit Stone(coal). Blackstag is a long-legged, massive-framed tom. He has broad shoulders and is possibly the largest cat in the clan. He is very noble and kind, honest and true. It is said he could be in line to be Deputy, which would be no surprise to many. This strong tom is descendent of the first Medicine Cat of Berylclan, Willowdream. He has short, thick black fur and a scar across his nose. His eyes are a dark, beautiful shade of Halloween orange. Blackstag earned his name for his agility and his incredible running speed. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Slate.]</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Talcshade-</strong> a very eerie tom that is long-legged, lanky, streamlined and powerful. This master of the shadows is very creepy looking, with sunken in eyes and a white face mask slapped on over an entirely black pelt that gives his head a skull like appearance. He has thin, bony paws that show the definitions of each toe. His tail is long and whip-like with a tuff of fluffy fur on the end. His fangs hang from his mouth slightly in an extremely disturbing way that always makes it seem as if he's smiling. He has torn, ragged ears and talc green eyes. He is the great grandson of Garnetscar and Copperfang. I wouldn't turn my back on him. It might be the last thing you do. <strong>[Spirit Stone; Black Onyx.]</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Coppergage-</strong> the polar opposite to his brother in appearance, Coppergage has the same body build as his siblings- Ironstar. He is large, well-muscled, tall, and thick-framed. His size is intimidating but his personalty definitely isn't. Unlike his big bro(and his best friend), Coppergage is actually very fun and electric, more of a laid back kind of joker than a serious, down to earth Warrior. He has a lighter voice than his brother and it is not nearly as powerful(though many she-cats like the sound of his voice). He is a deep, handsome copper brown color with solid black paws that all stop at different lengths on his legs. His tail is broad and long, his fur short and soft. He has a torn up left ear from a run in with a fox as an apprentice. He has beautiful, bright blue eyes. He is furiously loyal and is a, "Up for anything!" type. Despite all his flaws, he is kind and compassionate and will do anything to defend his clan and keep it safe. <strong>[Spirit Stone: Iron.]</strong></span></p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:50:41 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; #ff00ff 0px 0px 50px 10px; text-align: left; background: black;"><br /><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/tzJn7di.png" alt="" /><br /> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Shh! The meeting is starting!" Nightlegend hushed his apprentice, Jetpaw. The fluffy black she-cat was buzzing with excitement, never having seen so many different clan cats in one place. Beside her, her mentor sat tall and proud, his regal, midnight black pelt blazing silver under the moon's rays.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Welcome one and all! Tonight is a celebration. For tonight is the first night in many seasons that Cloudclan has been blessed with the gift of a meeting! May we welcome Citrinestar and Ironstar of Berylclan for joining us this evening and for becoming allies with Cloudclan!" The voice of the Leader rang loud and clear. Sitting atop the High Stone was a beautiful she-cat, lithe and golden, her midnight blue eyes shinning with the reflection of the stars.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Welcome Berylclan!"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"May we praise the alliance!" Came the cries from Cloudclan Warriors as they welcomed their new friends.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"As is tradition, since they are the guests here, Citrinestar and Ironstar have the first right to speak," the Cloudclan leader mewed as she stepped back on the ledge to allow the two other cats to take her place. "Go ahead, Ironstar."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Thank you, Goldenstar." This tom was massive. A slate gray tom with a big, booming, deep, romantic voice and mountain blue eyes. He curled his rudder like tail around his paws and cleared his throat to address the two joined clans.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"This is the first season in which Berylclan has been blessed with an allied force. We thank you for that," he began. "We also would like to thank Starclan for allowing prey to run plenty and for the safe delivery of Smallopal's kits."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes, kits are a blessing," Whitescar, the other Medicine Cat called. "Congratulations to the Queen!"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes, well done Smallopal!" </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Ironstar smiled, his eyes glowing with affection for the peace between the clans. "And sadly, we must report the passing of the previous leader, Onyxstar, who was killed in battle a moon and a quarter ago. May he tread in Starclan."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"May he hunt in peace," Nightlegend mused, watching Silverpelt with compassionate eyes.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I have nothing else to report, Goldenstar, it is your turn." The tom stepped back the the yellow she-cat took his place.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I must report only that the prey is running well in Cloudclan. And we rose victorious in our recent war with our enemies, Streamclan. Long live Cloudclan!"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes, down with Streamclan!"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"We shall always prevail!"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Beside Nightlegend, Jetpaw hunkered down low to the ground. She had once been the Medicine Cat apprentice for Streamclan but had turned her back on her family and joined Cloudclan when finding out that her mother, the leader Graystar, had planned to kill Cloudclan kits to weaken their defenses. Nightlegend licked his apprentice's ear and nuzzled her encouragingly. She belonged here now, with him, with Cloudclan. That would never change.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"And lastly, I have but one thing to report."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend's ears pricked at the sound of a new voice. His eyes lifted to see who was speaking and his heart nearly burst from his chest. This she-cat was easily the most beautiful cat he had ever seen. She was simple and complex, all at once. This feline was a long-legged, streamlined, slender-built but well-muscled orange tabby with dark peach colored fur and darker sunset markings. She held herself like royalty, her posture flawless, her head up and ears perked with the confidence of ages and the glory of invincibility. Her eyes were the color of liquid gold, darting from faces in the crowd as she gathered her composure. Nestled into her chest was a glowing stone that matched the color of her eyes, the gem held in place by a string of what appeared to be vines. She was simply majestic, glorious, beautiful. And she took his breath away.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Good evening, Cloudclan." Her voice was like honey breathed from Starclan, smooth and rich but sweet and strong. "I am Citrinestar, leader of Berylclan and descendant of Berylstar, the founder of our clan. All that I would like to say is that I am so very thankful to be allies with this incredible clan that Goldenstar leads. May we always be close and true..." Her gaze caught on Nightlegend's face and the Medicine Cat could have swore...</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">She caught her breath.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:51:41 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; #ff00ff 0px 0px 50px 10px; text-align: center; background: black;"> <br /><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><img title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/jbJ5vqP.png" alt="" /><br /><br /></span></span> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> <span class="smaller">"Can I talk to the Berylclan Medicine Cat apprentices?" Jetpaw asked Nightlegend, her green eyes big and wide. "Please?!" She'd never seen another Medicine Cat in training before; she'd been the only one to be an apprentice to the healers in either clan. Nightlegend nodded to her, his mind still jumbled, his mouth still numb. His eyes had never left Citrinestar's own gaze. The meeting was over now and she had jumped down to approach him as her clan mingled with Cloudclan cats. His mouth was dry as if cotton was stuffed in his cheeks and all he could do was gawk at her as she made her way over to him and dipped her head. He was dumbfounded when she extended her paw to him, her pad showing to his own. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"In Berylclan, it's a show of respect. I'm offering my honor to you," she told him with a smile. "The custom is strange, I know. Berylclan is a strange establishment."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What do I do with it?" The tom asked, sounding stupid and his words slurring.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Touch your pad to my own."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">He did as she said and he felt his stomach tie in knots at how warm the flesh from her foot was. She nodded to him then took back her paw and rested it upon the ground. "Are you a Warrior?" she asked him, her molten eyes never leaving his face. The tom shook his head.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"No, I'm a Medicine Cat. My name is..."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Nightlegend," she cut him off; the way she purred his name from her lips made the solitaty tom's bones ache. "I've heard about you. You're Goldenstar's son. I must say, her tales of you didn't do much justice. You truly are a phantom aren't you?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"That is what they say, yes."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">She curled her tail around his paws and studied him. As he was doing the same to her. His eyes wandered to the stone in the center of her chest and he tilted his head. He'd never seen a cat wear anything before. Especially not a stone... An odd, beautiful, almost illuminating stone. What was it anyway? And why was it hanging from a vine string? Why wear it?</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It's my Spirit Stone," she told him, noticing how he was staring at it, wondering about it, pondering its existence. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What? What's that? What's it for?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Well... The day a Berylclan kit becomes an apprentice, the appointed mentor of the new apprentice will accompany them to the entrance to the Gem Hallow, we also call it the Chamber. It's the equivalent of your Moon Cave, I believe. Once there, the apprentice must enter by their-self and choose a jewel that will be theirs forever; their Spirit Stone. The jewels are usually related to, or end up inspiring their names. The selection of a Spirit Stone began with Berylstar himself, his was chosen the morning he received his nine lives. Every cat in Berylclan has done so since, in his legacy and honor, from his guidance. It is said this is done to keep the spirit of Starclan with you always and the stone is wore around the neck on a vine string for consistency. We are taught from an early age how to create the strings that hold our Spirit Stones. Losing the jewel is extremely bad luck as it is said to hold a piece of your soul. When a cat dies, they are buried with their Spirit Stone. To be separated with ones Spirit Stone is to die without a soul, leaving the cat in purgatory, unable to pass into Starclan."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend listened to her talk like a kit would listen to an Elder tell a story. When she finished the tale, he exhaled and smiled, amazed by the complexity behind the stone and intrigued by the history of her clan. He nearly jumped out of his pelt when she inched closer to him and stood so that her Spirit Stone dangled in front of him. Nightlegend accepted her silent offer and he reached out with a paw to gently touch the sunset orange rock. He was surprised to find it was warm and resonated with energy, much like the feeling he got from looking into Citrinestar's eyes, but combined with the reassurance he'd get from visiting the Mooncrystal.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What kind of gem is this?" he asked, awe-struck by the gem's beauty... And by its holder. "I've never seen anything like it on Cloudclan soil."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Citrine," she confirmed with a small smile. "Very common in our territory. It's my favorite, it always has been... I was named Citrinekit because of my eyes. They..."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Match the stone," he breathed. Nightlegend looked up just in time to catch Citrinestar's gaze as she was looking down. The two locked eyes and time seemed to stop. Her eyes were like nothing he had ever seen before. They were so wild, so passionate, so powerful. Just like her... Nightlegend swore he could swim in their fiery depths. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar had to remind herself to breathe as she was drowning in his icy blue eyes. He was so haunted. She could tell. She could feel it in her soul as he touched her Spirit Stone. His energy was passing through it, filling her spirit to the rim with heartbreak, loneliness, abandonment, and anger. He was a tormented soul, a tom who had known nothing but solitude and sorrow his entire life. He had dealt with a lot of loss, a lot of death from a young age, and heartbreak. Shattering, destroying, life changing, soul-altering heartbreak. And yet he stood so strong, wearing a mask to project the image of him he wanted the world to see. He was damaged, truly, really damaged. What had happened to this poor tom? </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Starclan..." she whispered, feeling all of the crazy emotions hidden inside Nightlegend's lonely soul before he slid his paw off of her Spirit Stone and allowed the gem to nestle back into her golden chest fur. Tears glossed the leader's eyes but she blinked them away in a moment. "Y-You're... Why are you afraid of the dark?" She asked him in a small, kept voice.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What... What did you just say..."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Citrinestar! It's time for us to go!" Ironstar called to her from the entrance to Cloudclan's camp. "It's a long journey back or else we're staying overnight."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Go on ahead!" Goldenstar offered from where she was talking to the Berylclan Warrior, Glassclaw. "We have plenty of room in the Warrior's Den. We can share tongues in the morning and hunt together before you leave. It'll be a good bonding experience for us as allies and it gives the apprentices time to play and explore the territory. Come now. Creekwind shall show your Warriors where they will rest for the night and I'll escort the Leaders to the den where we stay..."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You go on ahead," Citrinestar called to Ironstar. "I want to see the Mooncrystal."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You do?" Nightlegend was still shaken, feeling like a tree had fallen on his heart. Like it was crushed, destroyed, shattered into oblivion... But still beating. <em>How did she know that I'm afraid of the dark? No one knows that... </em>In the brief moment that the two had shared, the split breath of time that they had stolen, lost in each-other's eyes, Citrinestar had seen into his very soul. She had taken a glance into the furthest corners of his heart. And she had seen his secrets. He had felt her there, in the depths of his lonely spirit. Like a ray of light through a dark forest canopy. <br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes. I've heard it's beautiful." Citrinestar's voice shocked Nightlegend out of his thoughts. He shook his head and nodded, heading toward the back of camp, closer to the Mooncave where the Crystal laid deep inside. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It is..." He became unintentionally distant, lost in his thoughts, throwing up his barriers and preparing his mask. He slid into stealth mode, lengthening his stride, loping in the shadows, melting with the night. Citrinestar found herself entirely transfixed by him. He was so mysterious. She could understand now why Goldenstar had told her that many of the clan called Nightlegend a phantom; a friendly spirit who drifted in and out of the clan when needed. He was definitely solemn enough to be a phantom. Lonely enough too. He was such a beautiful cat... With his sleek, trimmed, lithe-muscular build. The way he barely put any weight on his paws when he stepped; he might as well have been floating. The confident, not arrogant, way his stride showed his personality; his skill. His large, beautiful, sleek ears crowned his wedged, angular, almost exotic face. Absently, Citrinestar wondered who his father was because nothing of Goldenstar was present in this tom; except for the coloration of his eyes... And those eyes? <em>Starclan... </em>She'd never seen such haunted, dark, beautiful eyes. He was a tortured soul. And he was beautiful.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend entered the Mooncave without a word, silently slipping into the darkness as the tunnel began to narrow around them, nearly brushing against flanks. Nightlegend clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, not able to stand the fact that he couldn't see. The dark was suffocating. Heavy. Like tar. It stuck on his pelt, lingered in his mouth, threatened to drench his lungs until he couldn't breathe. The tom began to speed up, padding as fast as he could to get to the lit stone in the center when the cave would open up. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar could sense his distress. She couldn't just feel it from his pelt, she could sense it from her stone. In the moment they'd stolen, she had captured a piece of his heart. His anxiety hurt her. He was suffocating in fear, dying for release, needing to be free of the tight space and drowning darkness. Even though, if Nightlegend opened his eyes, he would see the soft orange glow being given off from Citrinestar's Spirit Stone. But the tom had closed his eyes the second he'd lost sight of the light from the moon outside, unable to bare the thought of being swallowed alive in the sludgy black.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">All at once, they burst into an opening in the underground cave. Citrinestar gasped in awe, unable to believe it. Before them was a massive, beautiful slab of clear crystal, light shining down on it from a hole in the cave above; a skylight just big enough to allow a filter of light in from Silverpelt beyond. Citrinestar approached the stone slowly but her attention stayed trained on Nightlegend as the dark tom tried to catch his breath. Even more beautiful than the gem was him. He was virtually invisible now, the only thing of him she could see clearly were his brilliant blue eyes; floating like stars in the darkness.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You never answered me," she said to him and Nightlegend looked at her with confused eyes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Why are you afraid of the dark?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I <em>am</em> the dark. I'm not afraid of it," he said simply, coldly. "My name is Nightlegend."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"And my name is Citrinestar, was Citrineheart. That doesn't mean my heart is made of citrine and it doesn't mean you're the legend of the night. I really appreciate the name though, Nightlegend is clever. It flows well. It suites you."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The tom chuckled lightly and Citrinestar found it was a beautiful sound. She looked at the stone again and gently ran a paw across its surface. She recoiled instantly, shocked to find it burning hot to the touch. "Why is it so warm?!"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It's cold to most cats," the Medicine Cat told her as he came to her side, now in the light of the Crystal and her Spirit Stone. "I find it hot also. It varies from cat to cat."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"How fascinating..." She admired it closer and smiled, the light reflecting from the Crystal to her eyes, bathing them in liquid moonlight. "It really is a slab of crystal... It's so beautiful..."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I'd like to see the crystals in your clan. What is it called again?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"The Chamber," she told him with a smile. "And you are welcome anytime you like, Medicine Cat," the proud leader told him, purposely avoiding his gaze. Nightlegend stole a glance at her and he sighed softly. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Your mate must have a hard time keeping up with you. You seem very hardheaded." His tone was void of any kind of sign of amusement or kindness but Citrinestar got the feeling that he was joking.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I don't have a mate," she told him, her gaze meeting his. "I don't have time for that. And it's never felt right... What about you? Are Medicine Cats allowed to have mates in Cloudclan?"</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It's allowed but not encouraged," he replied, noting the way his heart was thundering in his chest. "It's never been right for me either."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The two sat in silence for what felt like a heartbeat but dragged on like seasons. They searched each-other's eyes, barely daring to breathe. All of a sudden, Citrinestar's Spirit Stone lit brighter than before and she caught a gasp in her throat as energy, warm and soft, spread through her entire being. She leaned in closer to Nightlegend and the two silently pressed their noses together. Her Spirit Stone nearly melted from its strings and she closed her eyes, drinking in his scent. So warm, so soft, earthy, faint like wind and strong like sunshine. He smelled so wonderful. Like... Like... <em>Cloudclan...</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I should go." All at once, Citrinestar's world went spinning. Her head felt light and her chest felt heavy. What was she doing? Being alone in the Mooncave in Cloudclan's territory with the Cloudclan Medicine Cat? What was she doing leaning into his flanks, scenting his pelt, feeling his warmth? What was she doing?! She had a clan to run and Warriors to lead and she had no time for such foolishness and flirting and stupid...</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Wait."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar paused at the opening to the tunnel that would lead her from the Mooncave and away from Nightlegend. She anchored her paws to the hard, compacted soil and dug in her claws. Her ears flicked back and she closed her eyes, letting the sound of his voice wash over her as it echoed off the empty, silent walls of the vast, cold cavern. She could still see the light radiating from her Spirit Stone even through her eyelids were pressed together. The warmth crashing into her chest in waves was like boiling water from a river angry by storm. Her heart lurched nearly into her throat when she heard Nightlegend stand and pad closer to her. She could feel his breath on her flank and she trembled from the sensation of wind against her pelt.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"All it took was one look and I knew I had to talk to you, I had to know you. I have never lost my breath like that before. Starclan itself didn't dazzle me the way you did. I have to know you. Please let me."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Her heart ached. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I can't... But I will."</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;">~~~</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> <span class="smaller">"Citrinestar... Wake up..." Nightlegend's raspy, soft, hypnotic voice drifted into the leader's ears. She opened her eyes to look into his own and her heart ached at the site of his beautiful face. They'd spent all night together, talking about their clans, their friends, patients Nightlegend had treated, Apprentices Citrinestar had trained. Even though they'd talked for hours, Citrinestar found that she didn't know much about <em>Nightlegend</em>. He'd been very careful to avoid talking about himself, so she had done the same thing. They'd covered basics but were still entirely strangers... But so much more at the exact same time. She felt like she'd known him her entire life and yet... She wasn't even sure if he was real. Could he truly be a phantom?</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Oh, Nightlegend…” she purred in a dreamy voice as the leader closed her eyes again and leaned her head back against his shoulder. He was warm against her body, bringing comfort and security to her heart and her soul. She found that she felt so safe melted into his large, muscular frame. He was bigger than he looked, much stronger too. His muscles were lithe but powerful. His fur was so soft, so silky. Like woven strands of the night itself. She understood now why he was so appropriately named ‘Nightlegend’. He could have been the product of shadows kissing darkness as night blanketed the world and cast the shade of the daytime into hiding until morn. She smiled as she relished in the romantic thoughts of him and she stretched out, pressing her pink paw pads into the silky, pitch black fur of his long tail. She pulsed against it, feeling the soft fur and warm skin beneath her toes. “If only I could wake to you against me every day…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar…” his voice was steady now, smooth and rich like liquid chocolate. He purred lightly and the vibrations from his chest against her back made her shudder and smile. The intimacy of this moment was precious to her, calm but nearly as intense as the night before when they’d been only fox-lengths apart at the meeting, gazing into each-other’s eyes. This kind, tender tom was a side of Nightlegend that not many cats ever got to see… And even still, as guarded as he was being with her, she knew that this was a rare and insightful glance into the heart of one of Cloudclan’s most mysterious treasures.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar,” he repeated, his voice taking on a more serious and… Regretful tone. “It is morning… Your clan is bustling about in the camp above. You need to leave soon. We must say goodbye.”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The word hit the leader like a heavy blow to the chest. She stopped pulsing against his tail and turned her head to look at him. She drew in a hard breath, seeing the pain lacing his icy blue irises. He looked away from her, sighing as he got to his nimble paws. Citrinestar hurried to stand, her heart racing with fear and pain. She had spent a lifetime caged, lonely, lost in the dark because she hadn’t known him. She couldn’t imagine spending another day without him in her life. She couldn’t. She simply couldn't.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You asked me last night if I would let you know me. Let me know you. Let me in. Tell me about your hopes, your dreams. Tell me about your family, about your mother, your siblings- I hear you have many. Tell me about what made you want to be a Medicine Cat. Tell me about your favorite herb, about your job…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Tell me about your life! Who was your first mentor, are they still alive? Do you have an apprentice? Did you ever play with the other kits or were you too grounded for fun? Do you remember the first piece of prey you killed, the first time you healed someone…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar.”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Do you prefer mice over birds? Can you swim? Can you climb? Can you fight? Why are you afraid of the dark…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar! Enough!” Nightlegend turned to face her and the leader was shocked at what she saw. Nothing. She saw nothing. His eyes held no emotion, the mask he wore to hide from the world had slipped into place. He was showing her the cat he was known to be, a ghost with no emotion. “What makes you think this is going to work? Last night… I… We have a connection. I am not stupid enough to deny that. There is something special between us. Last night… Was a once in a lifetime chance. I am the senior Medicine Cat of this clan, not to mention the leader’s son. A leader who, may I remind you; you just struck up an alliance with. You are the leader of another clan, Citrinestar, a thriving clan. This…” He flicked his paw at her then at himself. “Is forbidden. It’s against the Warrior Code. I have upheld the Code my entire life and I can’t put my clan in jeopardy or my devotion in question over emotions that can never be acted upon. Do you understand?”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar just stared at him, jaw dropped, heart aching, tears glossing her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, to yell at him perhaps for leading her on. Last night, she had been the one trying to run and he had convinced her to stay. And now he wanted to end it? After they’d talked, laid together, slept together, dreamed together, shared tongues before sleep. Now that the bond was so much more than it had been… He wanted to end it? Now more than her feelings, her pride was injured. The leader prepared to give him a piece of her mind when an emotion not belonging to her washed through the very core of her being. <em>Fear</em>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You’re just a coward,” she breathed after some time of taking in the emotion she had felt, the icy stinging claws of horrible, gripping fright. Her pupils narrowed as her Spirit Stone blazed like fire against her chest. “You’re afraid to let anyone in. That’s why you keep your distance from everyone, isn’t it? Because you’ve been hurt. We all get hurt, Nightlegend. We’ve all been betrayed, lied to. But that isn’t what should define us and how we act toward others.” She stared at him coldly as she brushed past him and slipped into the ready darkness of the tunnels. “How <em>you</em> choose to live after the heartbreak is what should define you.”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">~~~</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar had placed Ironstar at the front of the meeting patrol as they marched home through the Blue Mountain range that separated the two clans. She had taken up the rear in case anything tried to attack. Eagles and hawks had been known to target small apprentices from time to time. Even though she was with her clan, journeying back to her home, the leader’s mind was elsewhere. Her head was still spinning with the echoes of Nightlegend, the argument they’d had just before she’d departed, the image of him staring at her with emotionless blue eyes to hide the pain and fear he felt inside. She couldn’t shake him. The tom was like a spider-web in her brain and she couldn’t get him out. The leader was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice she was being followed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">All of a sudden, a pebble came flying from up behind her and skimmed the she-cat’s front paw. She stopped walking and flicked an ear back, scenting the air for a predator or rogue. <em>Odd</em>… All she could smell was Berylclan and Cloudclan… And… Herbs. Citrinestar’s heart hammered in her chest and she turned around so swiftly she nearly tripped over her own paws. She came nose to nose with a living shadow, staring directly into Nightlegend’s piercing blue eyes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Lavender.”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“What?”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“My favorite herb. It’s Lavender. It’s a pretty color and I like the way it smells.”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar smiled and nuzzled into his cheek, her skin prickling under-pelt with goosebumps as she drank in another dose of his intoxicating smell. “Nightlegend, I’m sorry for what I said in the Mooncave, I…”</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You were right. I was scared. I am scared; you absolutely terrify me. And that’s why I’m not letting you go.” The mysterious tom looked around carefully, making sure no one was listening or watching. “In half a moon, meet me right here. This is the halfway point between our two territories.” Nightlegend used his claws to quickly, silently, score an ‘X’ shape into the rocky facing. His blue eyes seared into her syrupy ember depths. “Until then, my dearest Citrinestar… I will be dreaming of you.” He quickly pressed his muzzle to her own in the briefest, sweetest of kisses. Citrinestar closed her eyes to melt into him, her Spirit Stone glowing like moonlight. She felt the pressure lift from her mouth and his presence shifted. She opened her eyes and gasped, amazed to see that Nightlegend was gone, nowhere to be seen. The leader smiled and ran her paw across the ‘X’ the Medicine Cat had drawn to mark their meeting spot. She turned on her feet and began to trot after her patrol, already counting down the seconds until she could see her phantom again.</span></p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:53:15 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; #ff00ff 0px 0px 50px 10px; text-align: left; background: black;"><img title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/pQ0w7ma.png" alt="" /><br /><br /> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar woke in her den to the glowing light of her own Spirit Stone. She groaned and scrunched up her nose, her pupils adjusting quickly to the virtually unlit atmosphere. She noted quickly that Ironstar was not in the Leader’s Den with her, which meant either he was up early or she had overslept. Yawning, the pretty tabby uncoiled into a morning stretch then got to her paws, the light from her most prized possession lighting the way through the dark catacomb of tunnels as she headed for the sandy clearing to start the day.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Two weeks had passed since the first meeting with Cloudclan. That was fourteen long days without Nightlegend. But that ended tonight. She would see him at Moonhigh and it took all she had to remain professional and hide her excitement. The pretty she-cat shook away her rapture and plopped down in the warm sand next to the clan’s only Medicine Cat, Topazrose. She smiled at her old friend and nuzzled her affectionately, beginning to wash the gray-blue she-cat’s ears as part of their morning ritual of sharing tongues.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Sleep well?” the healer asked as she focused on a pesky patch of Citrinestar’s fur that refused to lay flat. “You seem well rested and your Spirit Stone has a nice gleam to it.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>My good night’s sleep isn’t the reason for that…</em> Citrinestar thought with a smile as she casually shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose. I need to be well rested to train with my apprentice today. Starclan knows that Granitepaw is a pawful when well-rested, I couldn’t imagine working with her while being sleep deprived.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Topazrose chuckled and nodded, triumphantly managing to wrestle down the unruly patch of Citrinestar’s sunset-colored fur. “Ah, the spirit of an apprentice. We are old, aren’t we?” Topazrose teased as the pretty she-cat got to her paws. “I better be off with mine too. Gempaw and Amethystpaw still have a lot to learn…” the she-cat chuckled as she padded off toward the tunnels to wake her sleeping apprentices.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar watched her best friend fondly though her heart felt troubled. Topazrose and her went back for ages, it seemed. They’d been born within two days of each-other and their mothers had been best friends. They had been closer than sisters as long as they’d known each-other. Part of the leader ached to confide in the she-cat she trusted with her life… <em>But could I trust her with this?...</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar!” the voice of a young she-cat snapped the pretty tabby out of her thoughts. Citrinestar turned her head just in time to be tackled by a furry blur. The cat who “attacked” her was a stunning Calico, an eight-moon-old she-cat with dark red, black, and white splashes. Her amber brown eyes were bright with playful ambition as she stood triumphant over the leader. “Gotcha!”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Very good, Granitepaw,” Citrinestar chuckled from beneath her apprentice. She batted at the she-cat’s stomach and the smaller feline let her up. She smiled at the younger Warrior with an affectionate fondness as she praised her. “But I also wasn’t ready so that wasn’t entirely fair. Nevertheless, let’s get going. We’ll start with some light battle training on the island.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Alright!” the little she-cat chirped, bouncing around her mentor as Citrinestar lead her from camp and began to pad to the Jewel Bay.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The forest was alive this morning, very busy and loud. The soft, lush green grass felt so good under paw. The leader checked constantly to make sure her apprentice wasn't getting distracted by all the noises or detouring to hunt. Granitepaw's enthusiasm was incredibly welcome... When kept under control.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Once crossing over the fallen tree that lead to the sandy shores of the Training Island, Citrinestar crouched down low and playfully stalked the calico youngster. She was about to pounce when a wave of nervousness and worry slammed into her senses. Citrinestar became instantly alarmed for Nightlegend when she realized the surge of negative emotion was coming from her apprentice. But Granitepaw seemed fine. The eager she-cat was hunkered low, watching Citrinestar creep up on her so the two could meet in a collision. Citrinestar studied her eyes, searching for any flicker of off-set emotion. The sliver of pyrite that was nestled into her chest flashed with worry and Citrinestar came out of her hunter’s crouch and raised an eyebrow at the younger feline.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“What’s on your mind?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The color drained from Granitepaw’s lips, ears, and nose. Her ears laid flat and she suddenly looked terrified. “Nothing.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Granitepaw…” Citrinestar approached her and sat by her side. As the waves of the bay lapped against the sandy shores of the island, the leader softly laid her tail across her apprentice’s flank. “I’m your mentor, your friend, and your leader. You can talk to me about anything… I can see it in your eyes now, I felt it from your stone. Talk to me, love. What’s wrong?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“If… You know something is wrong and you know about someone who does something wrong…” the she-cat began to shuffle her paws, nervously looking up at Citrinestar, her ember eyes now full of concern and regret. “If you promise not to tell but need to confide in someone because you’re worried… Does that make you bad?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">It took Citrinestar a few moments to decode what her apprentice had said. She blinked slowly and licked her lips, trying to think of an accurate answer. “Uhm… Granitepaw… Is someone doing something bad? Something you need to tell me?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“I just don’t want to get anyone in trouble…”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Who, dear?” the leader pressed, nuzzling her apprentice’s ears.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“I… There… Do you remember the tale you told me when I was a kit? About how Berylstar made it one of Berylclan’s laws that mentors and apprentices could not train together if they had feelings for each-other?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Yes…” Citrinestar closed her eyes, remembering the story that had been passed down through Berylclan generations from the founders of the clan itself.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">When the clan was new, Berylstar had been taught the ways of the Warrior Code. Of course, nowhere in the Code, is it said that mentors and apprentices can’t train together if a romance was blooming between them. However, not too many seasons after Berylstar had received his nine lives, he took on an apprentice. He had found out only a moon into their training that she was madly in love with him. Not only did it affect her ability to learn and train, but it also caused Berylstar to be a nervous and unwilling mentor. After she was made a Warrior, it was made a law of the clan that mentors and apprentices could not train together if they had romantic feelings for one another; nor could they become mates until after the apprentice became a Warrior.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">As Citrinestar recalled the tale in her mind, she gave her own apprentice a very peculiar look. “Is that what this is about? One of the apprentices has feelings for her mentor?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Not just that… But…” Granitepaw looked away. “He has feelings for her too. They are already mates in hiding. I… I overheard them talking about it when they were training here. I came to fetch a new jewel for the Elder’s Den… I told Topazrose and she told me not to tell anyone, she made me promise…”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">For a moment, a burst of anger blazed through Citrinestar’s heart. This was a very serious matter! Something that the leader had every right to know about! And when her own apprentice had sought advice from the clan’s most trusted cat, who just happened to be the leader’s best friend, she told her not to tell anyone?! <em>Not even me…</em> Every other thought that Citrinestar had been having was gone. She was now in full leader mode and her clan held a secret she heavily didn’t appreciate. She dismissed Granitepaw from training and headed back to camp with a purpose, racing into the tunnels to be swallowed up by shadow.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Topazrose!” she called as she entered the Medicine Cat Den. The faint light glowing in the darkness was all it took for her eyes to adjust before she could see again. Not two tail-lengths away, the clan’s main Medicine Cat was sorting through herbs. “Topazrose, I need to speak with you.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Citrinestar? What’s wrong?” Asked the silver she-cat as she came padding over to her friend. Her fur smelled heavily of Juniper Berries and rain water, so Citrinestar assumed she was experimenting with poultices and wasn’t busy treating a patient.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You told Granitepaw not to tell anyone about what she knew of the apprentice and mentor who are mates in <em>my</em> clan. Even me.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Topazrose sighed and looked down. “I told her that I would tell you. You just…”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“That isn’t your place to decide,” she cut off curtly, her Spirit Stone blazing with anger. “You told my apprentice to keep a very serious secret from me. You know Berylstar’s law.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Yes, but…”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“And this discovery means that I have both a Warrior and an apprentice who are deceiving me. I won’t tolerate dishonesty in <em>my</em> clan.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Yes, Citrinestar. I know. This is an issue, I understand. You just get so upset over this kind of thing. I know what clan loyalty means to you.” Topazrose was now looking Citrinestar in the eye, her topaz blue gaze deep with regret. “You are my best friend… And I should never have hidden anything from you. I know you’d never lie to me. We tell each-other everything. And it was wrong of me to tell your apprentice to keep the information from you.” She flicked her ears back in a show of submission and apology. “I truly am sorry, Citrinestar. Please forgive me.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">But the leader’s mind was elsewhere. She had been so caught up in the news of a mentor and an apprentice being mates that she had let go of her own current situation. Hearing another cat show so much faith in her loyalty, listening to Topazrose talk about not keeping secrets… It was making her realize how much of a hypocrite she was being. Here she was, standing nose to nose with the Medicine Cat of her clan, her best friend, a loyal follower, someone she had just been scolding for being dishonest. And yet in a few hours, she planned to sneak out of camp to go visit a tom from another clan.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar’s mind began to race and her heart pounded. Topazrose was still talking, but the leader couldn’t hear her. Her lips were moving but she was just numb. She silently, without a word, turned her back and left the den, padding deeper into the tunnels. She walked and walked for what seemed like hours, passing many fragments of jewels and stones. Finally, the black gave away to a wide, deep opening. And oh, the glory. This underground cave was a wonder and a half, literally dripping with gems, jewels, and precious stones of all kinds. The room was so bright, it was almost like being out in broad daylight. Citrinestar laid down amongst all the riches of their clan and closed her eyes, tears brimming her eyes. She was breaking something so much more than Berylclan law… She, Citrinestar, leader of Berylclan, was breaking the Warrior Code. </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">~~~</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> “Twenty three… Twenty four… Twenty five…” Nightlegend counted as he pushed Apple Leaves into a pile of their kind. “Now… For the Comfrey…”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Nightlegend?” Goldenstar’s soft voice made the tom smile. He looked up from his work, the mask he showed to the world slipping away as his mother approached him. She had a juicy mouse in her jaws and deposited it at his paws. She lifted her head and nuzzled his cheek, having to come up off her front paws to reach his face. “I brought you lunch. It isn’t healthy to stay cooped up in here all day, you know. I figured you of anyone should know that,” she teased, licking her son’s ear affectionately.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend chuckled and nodded, leaning down to take a bite of his mouse. “Thank you, Mother…” a small, light purr escaped his chest and Goldenstar countered it with her own, laying down before tucking her paws into her chest. With the two side by side like this, it was easy to see the differences between them. No one would think they were mother and son if it wasn’t already known. Of all Goldenstar’s kits, and there were many, Nightlegend was easily the least likely to be her child. Nevertheless, their bond was undeniable. The two sat in silence for a long time, Goldenstar just listening to Nightlegend purr as he ate. When he was through, the tom looked up to see his mother staring almost <em>through</em> him. He chuckled, sliding partially back into his mask to hide his nervousness.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“What?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You’ve been so off lately. Ever since the meeting. When you and Citrinestar shared dreams at the Mooncrystal, did you receive a prophecy?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend’s pelt ran hot with shame. He had lied to his mother, telling her that he and the Berylclan leader had visited Starclan together and Citrinestar had been welcomed by Cloudclan’s ancestors as part of the alliance. His mother, of course, didn’t question a word he said. She never did… <em>Maybe she should.</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“No, it was just an interesting experience. Starclan has sent me no signs,” he replied, hoping to put Goldenstar at ease. But Nightlegend was no fool. He knew that even he, as skilled and as sheltered as he made himself, couldn’t lie to his mother. She’d find out his secret. Mothers always did that. He opened his mouth to say more when someone came bolting through the twisted roots of the great Oak tree. A white she-cat with gray tabby markings came spilling into the Medicine Cat Den, panting.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Nightlegend, it’s time,” she told him. “Littledrop’s kits are coming.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The tom nodded and got to his paws, following the Warrior swiftly through the jumbled roots of the tree and across the sandy hallow of camp. Nightlegend squeezed into the nursery and smiled kindly down at the laboring Queen. Sprawled out in her nest, a small misty gray she-cat with white paws was gasping for breath, her claws twisted into the earth. Nightlegend looked around and grabbed a stick in his jaws, passing it to the Queen. She took the wood in her mouth and clamped her teeth around it. It had been prearranged before her kitting that Littledrop wanted to be alone with just a Medicine Cat and no herbs during her delivery.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Alright, Littledrop…” the veteran healer told her in a soft voice as he gently ran his tail across her side. “Breathe and push, you’re ready.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">It didn’t take long for the small Queen to snap the twig in her mouth. But despite her gnawing on the stick, she was actually very quiet for a kitting mother. Nightlegend was impressed considering she’d never had kits before. He greeted each of the damp, newborn bundles with a smile as he nudged them to their mother’s belly and licked their fur backwards to dry them. Half an hour ticked by when he placed the final kit at her stomach to feed. The Medicine Cat smiled proudly down at them and counted. “Five.” He flicked his ears back and called over his shoulder. “Newsong, find Creekwind. Tell him that he is now the father of five beautiful kits. Three she-cats and two toms.” He turned his attention back to the mother and smiled at her fondly. “Well done, Littledrop.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">She sniffled and smiled at him, nuzzling each of her babies in turn. Her eyes were watery with tears and Nightlegend found his heart ached. He tilted his head and sighed softly. “What will you name them?” he asked the Queen but he bit his lip when she started to cry. He nuzzled her ear softly, able to feel what was on her mind.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Littledrop wasn’t Cloudclan born. She had previously been a member of Cloudclan’s age-old rivals, Streamclan. She wasn’t just a Warrior. She had been Streamclan’s Deputy and the leader’s daughter. He knew she was still worried about her place in the clan. Especially considering that her mate was now a Deputy of Cloudclan… And Goldenstar’s grandson.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“What if they aren’t accepted, Nightlegend?” she whispered as Creekwind entered the nursery, his eyes softening when he saw his kits. “What if they are forever condemned because of my mistakes?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Don’t ever let them think that they’re a mistake,” he told her and Creekwind both. “It is now your job, both of you, to make sure they know they might be half-Clan but they are <em>still</em> Cloudclan. Don’t treat them as outsiders and no one else will either. Understood?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Yes…” Creekwind smiled thankfully at Nightlegend as he nuzzled his newborn babies. The brown tom turned his yellow gaze to the Medicine Cat and dipped his head in respect. “Thank you, Nightlegend. I wouldn’t trust any other cat to deliver my kits.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“It’s my job,” Nightlegend said rather curtly. His eyes slid over the tiny, mewling forms of Littledrop and Creekwind’s litter and his heart ached. He turned his back on the new family and quickly exited the den, sticking to the shadows as he exited the camp. Nightlegend stayed cloaked in the darkness as he made his way through Cloudclan’s vast territory. He mumbled something to himself as the distant sound of water lapping against a shore became more and more clear with each paw-step.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Finally, Nightlegend’s dark gray paw-pads sunk into the soft, warm sand of a lake-shore. Crystal blue water lapped at the beach and ate up his paw-prints as the Medicine Cat padded along the dampened sand of the surf. He stopped just outside what appeared to be an abandoned den that had been ravaged by time. The tom sat slowly, letting his fur gradually soak with the soft beads of misty air. He tilted his head and extended a paw, prodding the apparently ancient nest of dried brambles, vines, and stems. It had been so long ago since he’d last been here… His icy blue eyes gazed out across Everlove Lake as he stared off into the light abyss, lost in the nostalgia of a memory he spent every single day trying to escape.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><span class="smaller">“Whitepetal? Where are you?” Nightlegend raced across the shore, kicking up sand and water as he urgently ran toward the den at the crest of Everlove Lake. It was new, green, as if just woven from vines and twigs the moment before. It was cold, Leaf-Bare was on its way. White fog rolled from the Medicine Cat’s lips as he exhaled. He skidded to a halt by the den and shivered from the cold of icy mist rolling off the water’s surface.</span></em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><span class="smaller">“Whitepetal?...” He peered into the den but it was empty. Tears welled in the tom’s eyes and he recoiled as if seeing the vacant nest had shocked his very soul. He continued to tremble in the cold as snow fell from the sky, dusting his black pelt like stars in Silverpelt.</span></em></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><span class="smaller">The young tom began to stumble back to camp, his paws all but frozen from the water on his pads as the snow began to fall heavy to match the tears that flooded from his eyes. He was almost back to camp when he collapsed into the freshly fallen snow. Maybe from cold… Maybe from heartbreak… He couldn’t believe it. She’d left him… He thought things were getting better… Why had she gone…</span></em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><span class="smaller">“Whitepetal…” he sobbed into his paws, the heat from his tears melting the snow on his cheeks, leaving black streaks down his flake-covered face. “I’m so sorry…” And in that moment, when the last tear fell from his eyes; it happened. In his chest, his heart stopped aching as his soul shattered into oblivion. Nightlegend opened his eyes, the sky blue irises now a cold, cold shade of the same color. He pushed himself to his paws and shook his pelt, snowflakes glittering the air around him like white confetti. His facial features smoothed, hiding any trace of pain, loss, heartache, or emotion. The tom slid into camp and was approached by Goldenstar, the she-cat swearing that she’d continue to send out patrols to look for Nightlegend’s mate. He flicked an ear, his eyes and face indifferent as he headed for the tangled roots of the Medicine Cat Den. He was numb but broken, dead but still breathing. It was impossible, in his mind, for him to even be alive. Internally, he had killed himself. How, after all, can you survive without your heart?...</span></em></span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The sound of water breaking against the shore shocked Nightlegend out of the dark corners of his own mind. He opened his eyes and realized it was now night-time. He had been sitting at the lake for hours, staring off at the horizon, letting the cool waters soak the very core of his entire being. His pupils adjusted quickly to the lack of light and he stared up at the stars, wondering for half a second if the light-dappled sky of Silverpelt resembled the camp tunnels of Berylclan. He thought briefly of Creekwind and Littledrop’s kits. Of how lucky they were to be parents. How he’d never know that feeling. And deep… Deep down… Nightlegend felt a distant nostalgic pang of guilt knowing that the fact he could never have kits was the reason Whitepetal left him all those seasons ago. And that was the reason he chose to be a phantom. It was better to be dead and feel nothing then be alive and ache remembering a past he never quite recovered from.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">~~~</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“I’m so sorry that I’m late!” Citrinestar meowed as she padded over to the place where Nightlegend had marked. She looked down at the 'X' to make sure she wasn't lost then looked around, puzzled. She found that she couldn’t find him anywhere, no scent, no sound, no anything. Worry began to claw at her belly like pesky brambles. <em>Did he stand me up?...</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“You forget that I’m a solid black tom that has always used the darkness to hide.”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar whipped around but was just more confused. The place she had sworn she heard his voice from… Was vacant. Where was he? She turned on her paws and slowly padded in a wide circle around the ‘X’, watching for any signs of movement. Her Spirit Stone was glowing just bright enough to allow her to see a fox-length in front of her. Her ears flicked back in confusion and a bit of worry. He was too good at this whole hiding thing…</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Miss me?” Citrinestar nearly jumped out of her skin when he whispered in her ear. She yowled and leaped back, losing her footing on the stone so she sprawled on the surface, belly down, all four legs splaying in different directions. She looked up at Nightlegend, her face hot with embarrassment. But he didn’t smile, didn’t laugh, didn’t do anything. <em>So he’s got his mask up again. What are you hiding? What are you so afraid of?</em> Nightlegend leaned over her and she rolled over on her back, wrapping her arms around his neck and yanking him down to her. She chuckled and gave him a kiss.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“I’ve missed you every second we’ve been apart. Did you miss me?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Of course,” he told her though his tone didn’t change, nor did his expression. Citrinestar furrowed her eyebrows and huffed. If he was going to be this way, she was going to find a way to pry into his mind. She hadn’t risked her life by climbing the mountains in the dark to be given short, one-word answers from Cloudclan's famous phantom.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“We are going to talk tonight, right?”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Yes, dear.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“Why are you afraid of the dark?” She asked, rolling over off her back and getting to her paws. Nightlegend caught his breath and Citrinestar held his gaze, waiting for an answer as he slid deeper into his mask and threw up his protective walls.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">“That’s a conversation for another time.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar boiled with anger and her Spirit Stone blazed for a moment but she managed to compose herself. She licked down a bit of chest fur in an annoyed manner and sighed. "Okay..." <em>Change topics. Don't push him too hard.</em> "Do you... Have an apprentice?"</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes," Nightlegend replied, smiling ever so lightly. "Her name is Jetpaw. She'll be an amazing Medicine Cat someday. She's got the heart for it and she's a fast learner. Your turn. Do you have an apprentice?"</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Her name is Granitepaw," Citrinestar purred. "A fiery little she-cat. Honestly, I could see her being leader one day in the distant future."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"If she's being trained by you, I don't doubt it." Nightlegend chuckled a bit- but his expression stayed stony and it was a dry sound. "Do you have family?"</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"No. My parents are both in Starclan and I was their only kit. But Ironstar is a lot like my brother, he and his litter-mate Coppergage. Their parents are still living and have basically adopted me..." Citrinestar purred and sighed, thankful for her clan. <em>Whom you are lying to...</em> "So I'm never truly alone. What about you? I know that both of your parents are the leaders. It must be such an honor to be the son of both Rockstar and Goldenstar." Citrinestar knew she was playing a dangerous game. She could tell from the way Nightlegend was built and from the way some of his siblings looked that Nightlegend was not Rockstar's son.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span class="smaller">"Actually..." Nightlegend trailed. He sighed and slowly let down some of his defenses. "Rockstar is my step-father. My real father hasn't been in my life for a very long time. He's dead now, anyway. And I'm glad. I hope his soul rots in the Dark Forest until the Dark Forest is no more." </span><span class="smaller">Citrinestar was shocked by the violent ice in his voice. His eyes didn't change and he showed no emotion. <em>Starclan, it's like he's made of stone...</em> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I have many half siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings; as you know... I had two brothers who were my full blood relations. One was Brackenfall. He was loyal, fierce, passionate... We didn't look anything alike." In a second, Nightlegend's entire demeanor had changed. He was smiling and purring, he even chuckled as he closed his eyes. "Brackenfall was a big, burly tom. His fur was thick and the brightest, most unique shade of red you would ever see. He looked like a cardinal on fire he was so bright. He had tan paws, well... More like tan toes. And his eyes were violet. He was taller than me, a lot broader than me. He was my best friend..." </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"And the other?" Citrinestar was too afraid to let this moment go, she was so eager to drink up any information he would give her. She knew this was hard for him and that he was scared. But he was letting her in. Bit by bit and piece by piece, he was tearing down the walls that he used to keep everyone else out. <em>And he's doing it for me...</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">And just like that, he walled himself back up again and Citrinestar immediately felt crestfallen, losing all the progress they had just made in a heartbeat. Nightlegend's eyes frosted over their icy blue shade and his expression blanked. "His name was Bloodcrypt. And no, my mother didn't name him. Cloudclan has had two major adversaries in its time; Streamclan and Darkclan. Darkclan was lead by a tyrannical tom named Darkstar... He..." Nightlegend dug his claws into the stone, nearly causing them to break. "When my mother was just made a Warrior, he kidnapped her from Cloudclan and forced her to bare his kits. And from the time she spent trapped under Darkstar's power, she spent nearly all of her days in the nursery. I can't tell you how many kits she had, how many litters back to back. And all of them died one way or another. No matter how heartbroken Goldenstar- then Goldensong- was from losing her kits, Darkstar showed her no mercy. And then our litter happened, her last litter. We survived, the three of us. My mother named us Shadowkit, Brackenkit, and Burnedkit... But Darkstar always named all of his children. Brackenkit became Crimsonkit, Burnedkit became Bloodkit, and..."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Shadowkit became Nightkit..." Citrinestar said in a small voice, her ears flat to her head and she listened to Nightlegend spin one of the saddest stories she had ever been told. He nodded slowly.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Bloodcrypt had Darkstar's thirst for power. Crimson and I, we fled from it. When we were apprentices, we helped Goldensong escape and we fled Darkclan and returned home to Cloudclan. Most of the clan had given up on us by then, they thought my mother was dead. Our return caused a war, in which Darkstar was killed. Goldensong finally got her revenge after seasons of torment and pain and neglect. But that just drove Bloodcrypt's heart to be filled with hate. He swore to kill Goldensong to avenge Darkstar and vowed to slay anyone who got in his way. Well... When it was time for me and my brother to get our Warrior names, the leader of Cloudclan at the time, Eternalstar, offered to have us renamed as we would have been when we were born. Brackenfall accepted but I chose to keep my name, to remind me of what we had overcome together, as a family. I chose to became a Medicine Cat, to help and provide hope to the clan who accepted me and my brother even though we were not Cloudclan born. I wanted to give help, improve life... Do the opposite of my brother and father, who only created death and chaos."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I was a young tom when the second battle between Cloudclan and Darkclan began. It was merciless. Many died, many more were injured. Goldensong was now Goldenstar, battling back from death to lead us all. It was no longer so easy to kill her with nine lives. Bloodcrypt had done the same, had inherited the clan of his father. He was now the leader of Darkclan. And war was waged, mother against son. No mercy was shown from either side but Goldenstar simply could not kill her own kit. Brackenfall died in that battle defending her. And she blames herself still. Moons later, the third and final war took place. And it was I who killed Bloodstar once and for all. Mine was the last face he saw before he entered the Dark Forest. I stood there with my claws in his throat as I tore each one of his lives away. He had taken my brother away from me. And so I ended him. Nobody besides Goldenstar knows who truly killed him... Nobody now except you."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar stared at him, mouth opened slightly, ears plastered to her head, pupils wide. He was still sitting there calmly, tail wrapped around his paws, posture proud, eyes as docile as frozen water. He looked so unnaturally at ease, so blended into the dark. He seemed almost like a cat made from obsidian black glass, carved delicately out of the shadows with dead stars for eyes. She looked down at his paws and imagined Nightlegend as a young tom, a new Medicine Cat, his claws sunk deep into the throat of his own brother. Citrinestar's skin prickled under-pelt with goosebumps, the fur on her hackles rising as she could almost feel the hot, sticky blood running between her own toes. Her ember eyes flickered back up to his face as her Spirit Stone blazed and she felt a deep, terrible, powerful surge of rage bubble up from inside her core. She gasped for breath, feeling the emotions Nightlegend had felt in the heat of the third battle, heartbroken by the loss of his brother and enraged for his mother's pain. And yet, through all of that... He never once so much as blinked.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Nightlegend... I... I'm so sorry... For you, for Brackenfall, for Goldenstar. I had no clue... I... Starclan, I just... I'm so sorry..."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It isn't your fault," Nightlegend told her simply. His eyes downcast for a moment, looking at his own paws as if he was feeling Bloodstar's blood staining his claws again. "Congratulations, Citrinestar. You've just learned the first bit of my history. Are you terrified yet?"</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"For you, yes," she replied, her ears finally rising off her head as she dared to step closer to him. "I can't imagine having to endure that... So that's why you are the way you are..." <em>When you lost Brackenfall, someone you loved, you lost everything. So you keep your distance to never get hurt again. Oh, Nightlegend... Don't you get lonely?...</em><br /></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"That's just a piece of that puzzle," he told her, his tone still level and unreadable. "A lot of things have happened to me that have made me who I am."</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Will you tell me them? All of them?"</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes. But not tonight. Next time." Nightlegend pressed his lips to her own and Citrinestar couldn't resist the urge to melt. She closed her eyes and relished in the scrap of warmth she got from his touch. But just like that, in a heartbeat, it was gone. <em>He </em>was gone. She opened her eyes and looked around wildly, her heart aching from his absence. <em>Next time...</em> The leader turned and began to pad back to Berylclan, tears in her eyes. As the droplets fell from the rims of her eyes and stained her orange fur a dark red, she looked over her shoulder, talking to the dark as if the black itself embodied the mysterious tom that now had her heart.<br /></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"But you still never told me... Why you're afraid of the dark."</span></p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:54:24 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; #ff00ff 0px 0px 50px 10px; text-align: left; background: black;"><img title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/p8xrxuu.png" alt="" /><br /><br /> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar woke with a sharp pain in her side. She groaned and got to her paws just in time to vomit all over the floor of her den. She growled and rolled her eyes, collapsing back into her nest. It had been two weeks since she'd seen Nightlegend and they'd been romantically involved with each-other for a little over a moon now. The she-cat was eager to see him. She had been feeling sick ever since their second meeting when he'd opened up and told her about his family. Still unable to face Topazrose alone, she had yet to visit a Medicine Cat about her illness. She was slightly thankful that Nightlegend was trained in the ways of herbs and healing because she was desperate to know what was wrong.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">She was just about to close her eyes to try and rest some more when she heard paw-steps from behind her. The leader didn't move to face whoever had entered the den, only flicking an ear in acknowledgement. There was a murmur of worry when the cat noticed the bile by her nest and a soft nose pressed to the she-cat's ear.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Citrinestar?"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Oh..." the leader groaned, rolling over to look into the eyes of her fiery apprentice. But the second she saw her face, Citrinestar knew that something was horribly wrong. The pretty dark Calico looked terribly troubled, her eyes dark and watery with tears. "Granitepaw... What's wrong?"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Opalpaw..." she whispered, choking on her tears and biting back a sob. "Opalpaw is dead."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What?" the she-cat was on her paws instantly. "Ironstar's daughter, Opalpaw?"</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Sh-She drowned in the Bay... I guess she was swimming, trying to collect a new gem or practice... Her body floated onto the shores of the Training Island... Sh-She... She lost her Spirit Stone, Citrinestar... She won't make it into Starclan... It isn't fair... I... I..." the she-cat broke into wild sobbing and the leader comforted her, nuzzling the apprentice's ears and licking away her tears. </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I'll see to it... You... You go on ahead and lay here in my nest. Sleep... I'll be back..." the leader promised as she took off, her sickness temporarily forgotten as she headed as quickly as her paws would carry her down the gem-lit tunnels. She burst into the blinding whiteness of the clearing, her eyes quickly adjusting to the harsh change in lighting.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The entire clan was gathered in the center of camp, all of them looking grief-stricken and heartbroken. Ironstar was laying with his paws tangled in a small white she-cat's soaking wet fur. He looked up at Citrinestar as the leader padded over to the scene, the tabby's ears plastered to her head. "She... She drowned..." he whispered and the pain in his face made the she-cat's heart break. She dipped her head then looked up at the sky, seeking the clouds for some type of sign. Starclan was silent, it seemed... And the sky was blue and void of clouds. As if everything was okay...</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I shall seek Starclan for guidance... To see if Opalpaw has been allowed into the forest..." Topazrose mused as she headed quickly back into the darkness of the tunnels. </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What did we ever do to deserve this..." Whitequartz, Opalpaw's mother, whispered, her voice raw from crying. </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">All at once, Citrinestar's heart began to pound and her Spirit Stone blazed with guilt. She began to feel numb and her stomach tied in knots. Before she could stop it, her body wretched and she vomited again, emptying the contents of her stomach into the golden sand. Her clan instantly became worried and Ironstar even moved to approach her.</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It's just my nerves..." she assured them, nuzzling the fellow leader in a sympathetic way. "I... I'll be fine. A vigil must be... S-Set for Opalpaw..."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I'll arrange it. You should rest... Citrinestar, I can do it. She's my daughter, I want to. You can go rest... You need to be waiting in case Starclan sends you a sign for who to be Deputy. I'll tend to the clan. You don't look well."</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar nodded, feeling dizzy. She turned on her paws and began to slowly, numbly pad back into the darkness of the tunnels. Alone in the dark, she allowed herself to cry. Berylclan had no Deputy... They'd been without one ever since Ironstar had become leader in the wake of Onyxstar's death almost three moons ago. No one seemed right for the position and Starclan had yet still to send Topazrose, Ironstar, or Citrinestar any signs of who to choose. Their numbers were as low as they'd ever been, only fifteen cats existed in the clan... And now... To lose Opalpaw?... Citrinestar shook her head and began the longest walk of her life toward her den. Was Starclan punishing Berylclan? Even worse...<em> Is it because of me?...</em></span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>~~~</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar sat at her and Nightlegend's meeting place. She was shivering though she wasn't cold. She sniffled, her nose clogged up with mucus from crying and her eyes bloodshot and swollen. She had been crying non stop from the moment she woke up that morning to find that Opalpaw had died. It still didn't seem real to her. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the darkness surround her and envelope her thoughts. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What's wrong?" Nightlegend's strong, smooth, rich voice brought her comfort. She found herself leaning toward the sound of him talking, instantly relieved from some of her tension and pain as her head nestled softly into the center of his chest. She relished for only a moment in the sound of his heart beating as he put his arm around her, his paw nestled in the nook of her shoulder-blades. He pulled her closer and wrapped the pretty tabby up in his comfort, his head resting on her own. "You smell of bile... Citrinestar, are you sick?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">And in that moment, she heard something she'd never heard before from his lips. Concern. Nightlegend felt different against her body, he seemed warm and real for once. He usually felt so distant, so faint, like the phantom he was. But right now, in this moment, he was real. Alive. He felt fear, pain, anger, perhaps even love. He was with her, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Nightlegend had allowed himself to have a heartbeat, to be alive. He had woken from the dead for her.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I'm just sick, I guess... My nerves... I..." she sighed, drinking in his scent for comfort. "Nightlegend, Berylclan has no Deputy. We don't entirely go by the Warrior Code of naming one as soon as possible... We believe that Starclan will show us who to appoint, that we will feel it in our hearts. It has been nearly three moons since Ironstar became a leader and we still have not made a decision. No one feels right... That alone makes me nervous. If something happens to Ironstar or me... The clan has no one. We don't like going this long without a Deputy in order, it makes me nervous... And today..." She sniffled, tears beginning to form in her gooey, red eyes. "Opalpaw, Ironstar's daughter, was found dead. She drowned... I just..." She buried her face into his dark fur and clutched desperately to him, her left paw on his chest as she grasped weakly for his pelt. "I feel like everything is falling apart. I'm sick and I throw up all the time and I get dizzy and weak and my body always hurts. I keep waiting to lose a life. My co-Leader is convinced I'm dying, I can't stand to look at Topazrose for more than five minutes after our argument... Granitepaw thinks I'm half mad. My clan has no Deputy, our numbers are at their lowest... And now Opalpaw, who wanted more than anything to be a great Warrior like her father... Is dead just a moon shy of her Warrior ceremony. Starclan must be mad..."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"How long have you been having these vomiting episodes?" Nightlegend asked her, his voice thick as molasses with worry and emotion. Citrinestar found his odd change of tone comforting and it made her smile. She looked up at him and he used his nose to wipe away her tears. He leaned his forehead against her own and breathed in her scent.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"About... A moon... I suppose. A little less than that. Why?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Lay down," he instructed. And it happened that quick. Nightlegend had pushed the warmth away and was icy cold once more. His mask was firm in place and he seemed calm, professional, and entirely at ease. Citrinestar sighed, learning to hate this fake side of him as she laid obediently on her side and offered him her flanks. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Okay?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Breathe in deeply," he demanded, pressing his paws lightly on her chest, flanks, and belly. She did as she was told and found that any pressure applied to her stomach created intense, nearly unbearable pain. Nightlegend's eyebrows furrowed and she saw something flash in his eyes. The Medicine Cat slowly withdrew his paws from her form and he looked down at the leader with the most serious expression she had ever seen him take on. "Citrinestar... You're pregnant."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Her world stopped. Her heart stopped. It was as if the entire universe froze in that moment. Billions of light-years away, the stars ceased to burn. The sun would not rise next morn. Rain stilled forever in the clouds above and would never fall again. The tides of the sea would never roll again onto the shores of beaches. Snowflakes would never tumble to the Earth. It was all over. Life itself had ended. And hers, as she knew it, was finished.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar's senses failed her. She couldn't see, couldn't speak, couldn't hear. Her nose lost the trace of Nightlegend's intoxicating scent. Her body went numb. She got to her paws and went to walk away but she had no clue where she was going. She ended up frozen, mouth open, staring at Nightlegend with watery ember eyes as her Spirit Stone lit so bright it could have been the midnight moon.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Kits."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"It would appear so," the tom said coolly. He sighed softly, the mask he wore as firmly in place as ever. "What are you going to do?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">That's all it took. The void shattered into oblivion. Her sanity snapped and it took all the leader had not to claw his eyes out as her senses returned in a flood of vibrant color and deafening sounds of silence. Her lips drew back in a snarl and she unsheathed he claws. "What am <em>I</em> going to do?! Just me?! Who do you think the father is, Nightlegend!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">He opened his mouth to speak but she snapped at him.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Stop."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Stop?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Stop this! Stop pretending! You can wear that mask to fool the rest of the world. You can lie through your teeth to your clan, to your mother, to your family and your friends. But you cannot hide from me! From the moment I looked into your eyes that night at the meeting, I've seen right through your facade. I saw the pain in your eyes that existed when a young tom named Nightpaw was saving his mother from Darkclan!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Citrinestar..."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I know that you're not dead from the chest up like you like to think you are. I've <em>seen </em>it. I've <em>felt </em>it. And now I'm carrying the proof of it."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Citrinestar."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"That night, when we talked for hours in the Mooncave, when you asked me to let you know me... I was scared. But you know all about fear, don't you, Nightlegend? You're a tom who hides behind the shadows to hide that he is afraid of many things. You're scared of being alone. You're scared of being forgotten and left behind. You're scared of hurting. You're scared to be in love. You're even scared of the dar..."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Yes I am!" He snapped. Nightlegend had entirely transformed into a different cat, an entirely new tom right before her very eyes. He was standing now, his tail lashing angrily, nose to nose with her. His sleek pelt had prickled, the fur on his hackles raised defensively. His ears were flat, his claws were unsheathed, and his eyes were the most menacing, painful, angry shade of Artic blue that Citrinestar had ever seen. The depth in his eyes was so painful that the leader winced in agony just holding his stare. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I have lived every moment of my life in the shadows. I was born in the dark, in the middle of the night. I was ripped away from my mother and renamed after she had already, lovingly, branded me as Shadowkit. I was forced to train as a Warrior at only three moons old, battling toms twice my size in the darkest corners of the land. I would be beaten horribly and left to fend for myself. You don't have any idea what darkness is like, Citrinestar. Safe and snug in your tunnels with all your pretty gems and stone lights. Darkness is when you're suffocated by shadow. Darkness is when you can't so much as see your own whiskers in front of your face. Darkness is not a time of day or a figment of light. Darkness is a living, breathing thing. It is a monster. It will attack you, destroy you, rid you of your sanity. Imagine being trapped in darkness for weeks on end, unable to see, unable to think. You have nothing. <em>Nothing. </em>Nothing there but the sound of your own miserable heart beating and the creatures you create in your mind. I wanted to stop fearing the dark so I <em>became </em>the night. And even still, I am terrified of my own shadow. I can't bare to look at my own reflection. Why? Because I am afraid of the dark. And you tell me, if you knew what I knew that lives inside of it, would you not be terrified of it too?!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Citrinestar took a step back but he stepped forward. Nightlegend just kept changing, as if the shadows were ripping away at his pelt and forming a new tom each second he stood before her. He pressed his nose to her own and the fire in his eyes sent shock-waves through her entire being, making her skin prickle under-pelt and her paws throb as his emotions radiated through her Spirit Stone. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I am afraid to love, Citrinestar. I lost a she-cat I once loved. But I am going to tell you something... Knowing now that you are pregnant with my kits... Confirms something that I have known and feared. My mate, Whitepetal, told me after many seasons of trying, that I must not be able to have kits. Because she was not getting pregnant. And she left me one night. Knowing now... That you carry my kits within your own being... Proves that she lied to me. I've been shattered all this time over her, fearing I could never have a family. And she lied. She fled because I am so hard to love, because she couldn't stand the darkness inside of me. And she lied and broke me further to cover up her own cowardliness. If I lost her... Who is it to say that I will not lose you too?..."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">This tom was also new. He seemed to be seasons and decades older than Nightlegend was. He seemed tired, broken. He was a scared tom, wary, afraid. He had sad, weak, lost eyes that were as still as glass but as shattered as flawed crystal. He was a damaged cat, a Warrior who was waiting for nothing short of death.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Nightlegend. I love you."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You can't."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"And why not?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You don't even know me." Citrinestar had barely blinked and the mask was back. Cold, emotionless, as icy as black obsidian. He was so numb-looking. So dead. His eyes were as void as the night sky and yet... She could see past it. Citrinestar shook her head, tears flying as she pressed her face into his chest.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"I know your heart," she told him. "I have loved you from the moment I said goodbye that night in the Mooncave. And I love you more and more each day. I feel you in the wind as the breeze drifts through my fur. I see you in the dark, when I close my eyes at night. I walk beside you in my dreams, when the nighttime threatens to eat me up. I know you..." she told him, whispering softly. "You're my shadow."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">He exhaled and she felt his heart skip a beat.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Nightlegend, it's okay to be scared... It's okay to be worried. I'm terrified. But we can do this... I... I want to do this. I want to give you a happy ending. I want for you to see that love can happen, that you can have dreams instead of nightmares, that you can have a family... Please..." she whispered, choking on her tears as she buried her face blindly into his fur. "Please don't make me do this alone."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"You will never be alone again..." He promised her, kissing the top of her head. Citrinestar couldn't help but smile, knowing his mask was gone as his tone had changed. He had made a vow to her, she could hear the sincerity in his voice. She felt his warmth slip away and she opened her eyes... The phantom was gone. But he had left her with a message that drifted on the wind.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Not with me as your shadow."</span></em></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">~~~</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">His mouth burned with the taste of salt, his eyes watered from the stench of blood. The overwhelming smell of iron drowned his senses as Nightlegend thrashed wildly, suffocating in the waves of crimson tide. He lurched forward, his eyes wide, pelt soaked and twitching with sweat, tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted to rid himself of the taste from his dream. He looked around wildly to find that he was alone, somewhere in the forest. He had collapsed in a bed of ferns, too tired to make it back to camp after his visit with Citrinestar.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The Medicine Cat's ears laid flat when he realized it was nearly dawn. He'd have to sneak back into camp to avoid being seen by the clan. He didn't want to raise suspicion. He padded along in silence, trying to figure out what had caused him to have such a bizarre dream. He was nearly back home when he noticed unusual marks along the path that lead to camp. They were like tiny claw-marks... But they seemed... Strange. And there was a peculiar scent in the air, something stale and nasty...</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">He stopped mid-stride, his ears laying back against his head. He inhaled deeply and his eyes grew wide, pupils swallowing his irises. The hairs on his pelt began to rise as he regained his mobility and took off toward the camp. The closer he got to the willow tree that hid the entrance to his home, the more alarmed he became. He could hear yowls, cries, squeaks, screams, and the shredding of pelts. He pushed through the entrance and burst into a fight scene unlike anything he had ever seen.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">There was just so much... Blood! Everywhere! Cloudclan cats were being swallowed up alive in a sea of moving blurs of gray. All he could hear was the horrible noise of squeaking and the rapid pattering of little claws. <em>My Starclan... Are those...</em> </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Rats!" Screamed one of the Elders as they tried to fight off the vermin from the den. "Hurry, Poppydawn! I can't fight them off much longer!" the black and white tom called over his shoulder as the other Elders began to push their way from the back toward the entrance of camp.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Nightlegend didn't know where to look. He was overwhelmed with fear and worry and panic. He looked up to the High Stone to see the shady figure of a lanky, eerie feline figure outlined in the dawn light. Was... A Warrior controlling them?! <em>That's not possible...</em></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What do we do!?" Cried an apprentice as she and her mentor battled their way toward the entrance. "Without Goldenstar we have no leader!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Where are the other Deputies!" Hissed Creekwind, a kit dangling from his mouth. He was looking around blindly for the other cats who could help him decide what to do Nightlegend's ears were roaring with blood and his head was dizzy and foggy from confusion. Where was Goldenstar?! Oh, Starclan... Had she been killed?</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Creekwind, we're being slaughtered out there!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What do we do?"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"We can't fight them!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"What do we do without Goldenstar?!"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Creekwind!" A white and orange she-cat pushed her way through the fray, her pelt heavily torn and littered with scratch-marks. "We can't win this battle. There are too many of them... We have to fall back..."</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">The tom blinked at the she-cat and nodded slowly. "Peachbell is right!" He called over his shoulder to his Warriors. His eyes met with a gray and white brindled she-cat's gaze and he looked toward the crowd. All at once, Nightlegend saw what was happening and it took him off his paws. They'd lost a battle in camp for the territory. They'd been ambushed, somehow or another, Goldenstar was gone... And many of the Deputies seemed to be missing as well... Cloudclan... Was forfeiting...</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Cloudclan!" Peachbell called as the brindled she-cat began to push through rats to free her battered clanmates.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">"Fall back! Retreat to the forest and follow me!" Creekwind yowled as he raced from camp. Cloudclan Warriors, Apprentices, Elders, and Queens followed after him as quickly as possible on bloodied paws. Nightlegend stumbled after them blindly, all of the sight, sound, and color sucked from his world. They'd... Lost? <em>Cloudclan never loses...</em> Where was Goldenstar? Were the Deputies dead? Who was the strange tom atop the High Stone? Had he lead the attack? Was he controlling the rats? Where would they go? How many Warriors had been killed? How much death and pain could have been prevented if he had stayed in camp...</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">As Cloudclan hurried away from their Safe Haven, a patrol of the nasty rodents followed them. They pushed and pushed until the felines were being shoved right out of their territory, across border lines. The southernmost part of Cloudclan's land ended the valley with a mountain range. The Warriors were being forced up the rocky slope with rats nipping at their heels. Nightlegend's heart raced in fear as Elders and Queens tripped in the fray. He encouraged them lightly though he was grim. He had no supplies, so many were injured, his clan was leaderless, his mother was missing, they'd been driven from their home. The jet black tom looked up at the sky, calling out to his ancestors for some type of answer. But the morning sky was blue and clear and Silverpelt was as silent as stars. Tears glossed the phantom's eyes as one thought pulsed through his head.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>My clan is being punished... And it's all because of me.</em></span></p> <br /><br /></div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:56:30 GMT -5
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:58:26 GMT -5
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 3:59:25 GMT -5
<div style="background: black; border: 10px groove purple; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; padding: 50px; text-align: center;"><img title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/MZDxJro.png" alt="" /><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffffff;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 4:00:14 GMT -5
<div style="background: black; border: 10px groove purple; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; padding: 50px; text-align: center;"><img title="source: imgur.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/yYYpsll.png" alt="" width="541" height="172" /><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span><br /> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">~ <strong>Against the Code</strong> ~</span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">2 </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><em>A Heart Astray</em>.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><span class="smallest">{ Sneak Peek. }</span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> <span class="smaller">Peachbell of Cloudclan, Ashtalon of Cloudclan, Ravencrypt of Banditclan.</span></span></p> <span style="color: #ffffff;"><br /><br /></span></div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 4:01:00 GMT -5
<div style="background: black; border: 10px groove purple; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; padding: 50px; text-align: center;"> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>F A N B A S E</strong></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> If you totally fell in love with Nightlegend and Citrinestar in <em>The Night Kept Secrets, </em>go ahead and request to be a fan and like this topic and be sure to follow it! As a fan, I'll personally come find you (teehee) whenever the next chapter, story, installment, or commission comes out so you'll be the first to know! And I totally love having a fan base. It gives me motivation to keep going! <img class="noBorder" src="http://forums.warriorcats.com/static/images/graemlins/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" width="15" height="15" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> My fans can, or anyone can if they want to, create a banner, divider, picture, anything they want devoted to the story, characters, me, etc. That totally goes in the Art Post below. <img class="noBorder" src="http://forums.warriorcats.com/static/images/graemlins/icon_smile.gif" alt="" width="15" height="15" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> <strong><br /></strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">1. StarrTide</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">2. Hawksplash</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">3. Rainfeather~</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">4. Phantomstar5759</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">5. redhotsause</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">6. » ωιηтєя єcℓιρѕє</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">7. Crookedfang1324 </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">8. wildclaw2202</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">9.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller">10.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 4:02:19 GMT -5
<div style="border: 10px groove purple; border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px; padding: 50px; #ff00ff 0px 0px 50px 10px; text-align: center; background: black;"> <span style="color: #ffffff;">T A K I N G R E Q U E S T S</span><br /><br /><br /> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">Yup! I'll write you something upon request! If you have a character in a clan you'd like to have a story plot written about, ask me to do it for you and I'll get right on it! I also will write plots for certain TV shows, movies, ships, etc. I don't mind to write a fight scene between Simba and Nala from the Lion King if you'd want to read it done! I can even tip my hat further to Erin Hunter and write out an entire sequence where Firestar ends up with Spottedleaf if it's what you want! Just let me know what you'd like to have written about, if they're your own characters, a picture would be nice, give me a good description, clan links, etc, and type of information I might need to write a good story and I'll get right on that! I love to write so writing commissions is a good stress reliever for me and keeps me sharp in my skills during the summer so I won't slip before going back to school. Lay it on me! Leggo! <img class="noBorder" src="http://forums.warriorcats.com/static/images/graemlins/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" width="15" height="15" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Requests in Progress</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">1. Everlove's Destiny- Everkit/Everlove- For Sυммєя Ɛqυιησx</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">2. A Million Ways to Run- Amethystpaw and Gempaw- For Hawksplash.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">3.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">4.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;">5.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="smaller" style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p> </div> <p> </p>
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Post by Goldenstar on Aug 12, 2016 4:07:03 GMT -5
(Now, I'll fix all of it tomorrow. lol. Just wanted it here when the old forums go offline.)
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