As the world caves in - Thunderclan's Disaster

A large yawn separated Robinloft's jaws as she lay in her nest, her dark fur fluffed up against the bitter cold air. It wasn't often that she woke up early, much less at a time that nobody else was awake. Every nest in the warriors den was occupied by a pile of fur, each one differing in color and pattern from the next. The only sound that filled the still air was the soft snores of her clanmates and the wind blowing outside. It was almost surreal, every minute of the day she was used to seeing someone rushing around, it almost made her want to stay in her nest and sleep until the sun was higher- but she knew that she had responsibilities to take care of.

Taking a moment to blink away the sleepiness from her groggy eyes, she pulled herself from her nest. She quickly shook out her pelt before walking across the den, making sure to avoid any stray tails or paws. The last thing she wanted was to wake some cat by accidentally stepping on them. If some cat did that to her, she'd be far from happy. Padding out into camp, she found a fresh layer of snow coating the camp floor, untainted by paw prints or any other markings. It was truly a beautiful sight, despite how cold it was. Even though she thought leaf-fall was the prettiest season, she would often admire the works of art that leaf-bare brought.

Fluffing out her thin fur the best she could, she made the first imprints in the snow, making her way to the fresh-kill pile... or where she thought it was under the snow. Pushing the snow off of it, she uncovered very few pieces of prey, and what was there was measly and skinny, not even enough to fill the belly of an apprentice. A small sigh escaped her maw, turning into a cloud of vapor before dissipating into the air. "I guess i'll be on the dawn patrol then." She thought out loud, her words just loud enough to be heard from about a fox-length away- not that any cat was awake and close enough to hear.

Gaze turning toward the horizon, she saw the very edge of the sun peeking above highstones in the distance. The sky around it was stained an orange-red color, but in the opposite direction the sky was still quite dark. She must have sat staring at the sun for quite a while, because she started to hear cats rising from their nests, murmuring greetings to one another and making plans for the day. The sky was now a pale blue and the sun had risen above the horizon. Turning her gaze back toward the opposite side of the sky, something dark caught her eye. Something that looked too much like smoke to pass off as a dark cloud. Panic sparking through her, she pushed out of camp entrance and immediately scrambled up the tallest nearby tree, desperately trying to get a better look.

The smoke seemed to be originating from Skyclan territory. Straining her eye to see further, she tried to see whether or not the smoke was actually from Skyclan or from the Twolegplace beyond. That's when she saw the bright red flames, just a blur in the distance. It had swallowed much of Skyclan's forest, and was moving toward Thunderclan's territory. Eyes widening with fear, she prepared to jump down from the branch, but she was greeted by something else entirely. The world seemed to shake, the snow and icicles on the trees began falling down onto the forest floor below. What was happening!? She didn't have much time to think, as instead of jumping off of the branch like she had planned, the violent shakes caused her to lose her footing and fall to the ground with a thud. She let out a groan before wearily picking herself back up, trying her best to push past the dizziness and darkness that clouded the edge of her vision. Letting the clan know that there was a fire was much more important right now.

Staggering back into the camp entrance, she found the clan already letting out cries of confusion and fear from the shakes in the ground, which had grown softer within the past few heartbeats. "We need to head to highstones as soon as possible! Skyclan's camp is in flames! The fire is quickly spreading to out forest, we need to grab the kits and get out of here!" Her yowl echoed about the camp, louder than the panic-ridden caterwauling of her clanmates. The noise caused a stinging sensation to crawl up the inside of her head, causing her to wince. She must have gotten a concussion or some kind of head injury. Brushing it off, she joined her clanmates in the scramble to carry kits to highstones. Rushing into the nursery, she picked up one of the kits by the scruff and swiftly left, following the crowd on their way to highstones. She could only hope that the other clans were safe.

Batbite had always slept restlessly, or at least for most of her life - if there was a time she slept peacefully through the night, it was one she couldn't recall. So she slept late and woke early, and made up of it by taking naps when nothing much was happening. That was to say, though she often refused to move until the sun had properly risen, she slept lightly and woke early at the best of times. Shaking earth and shouts of fire were, quite decidedly, far from the best of times.

It was enough to bring her to her paws. She'd never been fond of SkyClan, but there was a hint of sympathy for them now; she'd come to understand that they weren't just hypocritical cowards in the past, and there were kits and elders among them just like any other place. Still, there wasn't more than a passing thought to spare, they had to act if they wanted to avoid the same fate. She didn't bother with being gentle as she nudged the any cats who had yet to rise on her way out of the den.

She didn't head to the nursery - she knew she tended to act recklessly, and while she'd always come out of it alright it certainly wasn't fair to put a kit in danger. "To Highstones!" she called as she raced past, if only to acknowledge that she'd heard Robinloft's direction.

This wasn't the first time they'd gone that way to escape disaster. Now it was fire over flood, and it hadn't yet reached them, but the situation as a whole wasn't at all unfamiliar. She wondered, briefly, if the tribe cats still sheltered in the mountains; whatever had become of Chirp and the others she'd hunted with back then. It would have been all too easy to lose herself in memories of a simpler time, but she brushed those thoughts aside. The priority, at least for now, was on evacuating safely; ideally with those she cared most for close behind.

The low rumbling in the ground had been enough to stir Cherryblossom from the clutches of sleep, and the ground shaking had fully awakened her. For a few moments, she stared blankly around as her mind processed the events currently transpiring, and when the gravity of the situation crashed down upon her, the tiny tabby scrambled to her paws, and figuring that she'd be too small to carry any kits without difficulty, she opted instead to grab the small stone whose colors matched that of her late mother, and raced into the clearing, turning to check dens to make sure that everyone had heard Robinloft's yowl.

Luckily, everyone was already up and moving, and all of the kits had already been moved from the nursery, or were following their older Clanmates out of the ravine and into the forest, towards Highstones. With the rest of her Clanmates already fleeing into the forest, Cherryblossom followed suit, making sure to never lose track of her Clanmates.

The one time he seemed to be a heavy sleeper was the one time that it mattered. Ashrain's green eyes flicked up dully. He shook bits of moss off of his fur and scrambled up, though he still hadn't fully grasped their situation. He could tell the earth was trembling beneath his paws, and there was the scent of soot and burnt wood in the air, but nothing felt real until it all clicked. Ashrain skittered around camp, eyes searching for a place to be. Warriors were darting towards kits, picking them up by the scruffs, and racing out - but there were few warriors helping the elders. It would be harder for them. They were not fast, could not be carried. He realized this was a situation where the life or death part of the warrior code came into play. Protect the elders with your life. Though he would have tried to help them regardless of what the code said.

The young warrior darted towards the elders. "Grayfoot, come with me," he said, directing the old queen who had helped with his upbringing out of the den. "We can run together. Or walk. Your choice." He would be antsy and want to go faster no matter what, but her safety had to come before his.

"Thank you, youngster," she murmured. Ashrain left his tail on her shoulders to guide her. She was faster than most of the other elders, retiring early to care for kits, but age had caught up to her in recent moons and she had switched to the elder den. Her problem was her rapidly deteriorating eyesight. Ashrain hesitated as he saw the group of leaving ThunderClan cats. The others helping elders could do what they wanted, but was going to keep Grayfoot alive.

"I'm sorry, but we have to run now." His voice was gentle but determined as he said off at a loping pace. Grayfoot kept up, though not without stumbling and panting. Hopefully we will not have to run far.

Many moons ago, a young gray molly by the name of Stormpaw had left the very forest she was about to step into. A shudder ran down her spine. When was the last time she'd step foot into the oak forest? It felt like something directly out of a fairytale. The weary hero makes her way back home, except this wasn't a fairytale, and she was no hero. In her younger years, Stormpaw would've considered herself the protagonist, and Rainstrike the antagonist. Dacedream would've been the supporting protagonist while Oakstar and StarClan the antagonistic party.

Alas, life was far more complicated than that. While Rainstrike most definitely was the villain, Stormpaw knew she could not call herself a hero. She'd ran away instead of standing her ground, and she'd let fear rule her. So many regrets... Would ThunderClan still welcome her, she wondered? Would... Would they even remember her? They hadn't come after her-- they- they hadn't stopped her! Did they still care? Or had Oakstar manipulated them all against her?

Oakstar. The name of that tom still filled her with hatred and made her blood boil. He'd forsaken her, he'd forsaken Dacedream, he'd forsaken Minkstream, and Batbite, and Vixenpaw, Jaydream, and Cherryblossom. All for Rainstrike. He'd have done anything for her.

Because they're related through blood, a voice sneered in the back of her mind, and Stormpaw wanted to turn on it and claw it into a thousand shreds. She didn't need her insecurity reminding her what she already knew. When her younger self had finally snapped, she had promised herself that she'd never return back to this forest ever again.

She hated to break that promise.

Yet no matter how much she desperately longed to, Stormpaw could not bring herself to untie herself from the forest. From ThunderClan. Too many friends, too many memories... The forest had an invisible yet impossibly strong grip on her; one she couldn't fight against. Then she'd met Spiderquill. He'd been lost and she'd helped him home to RiverClan. Perhaps that had been the moment she realized she wouldn't be able to leave forever.

Rainstrike and Oakstar were the two cats she detested most. Both had given her nothing but agony and sorrow, and both would pay in blood for what they did to Dacedream; to her. Rainstrike was dead. Stormpaw had killed her. She'd thrown Rainstrike under the long monster and watched with satisfaction as Rainstrike was crushed and died. Perhaps this made her a bad cat, but Stormpaw could care less. Rainstrike had deserved it. She'd left Dacedream to bleed out at Sunningrocks, and had done nothing to help her. Always painting herself as the victim... Pathetic.

Sunningrocks. The place she feared most beside ThunderClan's forest and camp. And yet...

Seeing Sunningrocks had... Triggered something. It had brought back memories she tried to suppress. She remembered Dacedream's laughter and her smile, Daisybloom's kindness and Cedarheart's energy. She remembered Robinloft's compassion and wonder, Ferretnose's gentleness and Dustcloud's love. ThunderClan was filled with terrible things; and yet some of her happiest memories were of there.

Dacedream was ThunderClan.

Dacedream's kin were ThunderClan.

She'd failed Jaydream and his mother; she wouldn't fail Vixenpaw and Cherryblossom. That was harder done than it was said. Taking a deep, shaky, long breath, she turned to face her companion. Her mate. The one who'd brought her back from the shell of emptiness she'd found herself in. The snow furred molly had fought through endless walls, and yet she'd never given up hope on Stormpaw. The gray molly only hoped she could return said love and care to Elsa.

Elsa and Dacedream were eerily similar in personality, and perhaps that was why she'd grown to love both. Dace was her dearest friend, and Elsa was the cat who'd shown her how to love again. Her heart still festered with hatred, but now pure saplings of love had taken growth, sharing their light. It was as if Stormpaw had been reborn again; suddenly, the harsh reality of life seemed just a bit brighter. Somehow, someway, Elsa had done it. She'd brought hope back to the hopeless, joy back to the grieving, and love back to the spiteful.

Just like Dacedream.

Elsa had nurtured her weary spirit back to health, never leaving her side, even following her to ThunderClan. To think they'd met due to the twolegs herbal den. Elsa had stuck with her when they went to the barn, and had even spoken to Echolight briefly. The she-cat knew that Elsa was the only cat she could love in this way, this fully. It rivalled Dacedream's only. The sweet molly had been kinder than she ever would've thought a cat could be, and quite honestly Stormpaw still didn't know what Elsa saw in her. A cat as honest, kind, and beautiful as her mate could've had any cat she wanted, and yet she'd chosen Stormpaw, a broken, tired, and emotionally unstable she-cat.

Sometimes at night, if Stormpaw couldn't sleep, she'd watch Elsa's flank gently rise and fall, and it would soothe her. Her heart thumped twice as hard when they made eye contact, butterflies flittering around in her belly. Elsa's smile alone warmed her up, and the sight of the molly made even the gloomiest days brighter.

Elsa was a smooth furred white loner, with contrasting eyes. They were beautiful, Stormpaw thought. She blinked back tears. "Elsa, I-I don't... What if this is a bad idea and I can't do this.. What if they all hate me and never want to see me again!" She wailed, and with a desperation looked over her shoulder as if debating going back to their nice, cozy little barn.  They'd spent moons there together, learning to love, grow, and trust one another.

There would be no Oakstar there. No haunting memories of Rainstrike. No Sunningrocks. And, best of all, no daily reminders of her failures to protect Dacedream. Her breathing intensified. Elsa had been with her long enough to know what that meant. Squeezing her eyes shut, she didn't try to stop the tears.

I'm sorry, Dace! I'm so sorry!

A flash of gray and apricot. Wide hazel eyes. They were petrified. Blood stained fur. Stormpaw knew this scene all too well; the scene that orchestrated into her darkest nightmares each night, which often led to her waking up in tears. Despite the amount of times she'd seen this seen replay, it still wounded her.

Stormpaw hiccuped, crashing to the ground after her paws swayed and fell beneath her. Ah. Perhaps she wasn't ready after all. Yet, a MoonClan warrior, Echolight, had told her to return home. What if she was wrong..? No. She had to have faith in them. Dacedream would never guide her wrongly. Shaking her head, she slowly stood up and faced her partner. She needed to do this. For Dace. For Elsa. For herself. Elsa deserved as much, she'd seemed so excited, and Stormpaw couldn't bear to let her down. Stormpaw could see the concern in her eyes and she blinked lovingly at her mate, "I'm okay, it's okay. I can do this."

She wasn't quite sure if she was trying to convince herself of this or Elsa.

Taking a deep breath, Stormpaw lifted one foot...


...and placed it over the border into ThunderClan territory.

The first step she'd taken onto this land in many, many moons.

She nodded to Elsa, and took in a deep breath-- that was when she'd smelled it. Smoke. Her eyes grew wide as moons and she looked at Elsa frantically, "Elsa we have to go-- ThunderClan is in great danger!" The gray tabby yowled, and like a rocket, she took off. Despite how long it had been, Stormpaw still knew this forest. She'd never forget it, how could she? She'd grown up here, grown to love here. This was home.

This was her home.

And now she was finally coming home.

[oops i didnt mean for it to be this late,, am very sorry]

Elsa had to admit, meeting Stormpaw was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. It seemed as though so much had happened over the past few moons, never once did she think that she could grow as close to a cat as she did with Stormpaw. They had spent many moons together, and even though she's spent that much time with other cats before, there was something about Stormpaw that made her feel like there were butterflies in her stomach every time their eyes met. To think that it all started because she had chosen to take a walk to the flower shop instead of treading the rooftops was wild, it was truly a miracle that they had met.

A small sigh escaped her maw as she walked alongside Storm, pressing her flank to hers in an attempt to comfort her. She could always tell when Stormpaw was upset no matter if she tried to hide it, but this time it was crystal clear, especially given the situation. Over the time they had spent at the barn, she had learned much about Stormpaw, including her past. The most important bits she remembered was that she was a Thunderclan runaway and that she had left after a large battle. Although it had been explained to her countless times, she still found herself forgetting bits and pieces of the story, but she knew the basis of what happened. The one thing that she knew for sure was that it hit Stormpaw hard and that she needed to be there for her. Some time ago, Storm had given the offer to return to Thunderclan, to which she eagerly accepted.

And so here they were, walking through the thin patches of trees outside the borders of Thunderclan territory. For all of her life, she had been fascinated with the clans, and to think that she was finally joining one. Excitement buzzed through her from ears to tail-tip, but she suppressed it the best she could. Her main priority was being there for Stormpaw, she couldn't let her excitement get in the way of that. She knew very well how hard this would be for her, she could only imagine what was going through her head.

When Stormpaw's cry suddenly broke the silence, Elsa tore herself from her thoughts, immediately turning her attention to her mate. Listening to her worries, she spoke as soon as her voice fell quiet. "Stormpaw, I haven't the slightest clue about what may be waiting for us when we arrive, but i do know that this is the right thing to do. No matter what you may be telling yourself, i know that you can do this. They won't hate you, i'm sure of it. They're you friends and family, after all" She rested her tail on the other she-cat's shoulder as her breathing began to sharpen and tears began to fall. Deep down she wished that she could help Stormpaw more, but she knew she could only do so much.

Not long after that, Stormpaw dropped to the ground, seemingly without warning. "Are you alright!?" Her words were riddled with panic and worry as she looked down at her mate. She leaned down to help her up, only for her to begin standing up on her own. Taking a few steps back, most of her worries were put to rest when Stormpaw reassured her that she was alright- although for some reason she didn't fully believe it. "If you need anything, please let me know."

They began to walk once more, she took notice of when they crossed the Thunderclan border. "Y'know, i'm really proud of you. I know it must take a lot of courage to go back." She said, keeping her gaze on the forest ahead of her. "I just wanted to let you know that. Remember that i'll always be here for you." Hopefully her words would help, she truly meant them. If it were her, she would surly have a lot more trouble going back.

Taking in a deep breath, she scrunched up her nose when she discovered a foul smell in the air. It was a smell similar to what wafted from over fences in the town. Was it.. fire? Her suspicious grew when Stormpaw panicked and sped off, stating that Thunderclan was in danger. Picking up her pace, she took off after her mate, worry beginning to eat at her belly. It was worrying to her, especially because she knew some Thunderclan cats. She could only hope that they were all okay.