...we'll b u r n like STARSxx

[the day the world went away]

...CLOudystar____________________...

w a n t i n g s o m e t h i n g , s o m e o n e t o f o l l o w . . .
___________

Silence.

t o d a y ' s o n f i r e . . . .

The Riverclan clearing was silent, completely silent, as if a muting blanket had fallen upon the cats' camp, trying to hide something. Above, the blazing sun was spewing vengefully its scorching rays upon the earth, the angry heat only broken and diluted by the trees that slumped down and cast protecting shadows upon the suppressed camp below. One thin, exhausted feline dragged herself listlessly to the Highstone, dark paws and thin, striped limbs wearily pulling a small, dark silver body forward and up onto the tall rock. Pausing to pant, Cloudystar tried to take a deep breath of the heavy, hot air and let out a weak, strained yowl.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highstone for a Clan meeting...!

t h e s k y i s b l e e d i n g a b o v e m e . . .

Her soft, low voice rang out through the oppressing air and echoed in the silence. The sounds of the silence that fell immediately after made her eardrums ache; her silver eyes narrowed in slight relief as a cool wind blew through the clearing, ruffling her dark achromatic fur. A quick glance to the sky rewarded her with the knowledge that soon, there would be rain. Cooling, soothing, the rain would bring instant solace and alleviation from the stifling weather that had been weighing down on them heavily. The dark clouds hung over the horizon, edging stealthily closer by the minute, carried on gentle cool winds. A sigh escaped the Riverclan leader's parted jaws; although relief was on the way, the sun was still scorchingly hot on her dark back.

i f e e l d i s e a s e d . .
i s t h e r e n o s y m p a t h y f r o m t h e s u n ?

She lowered her silver gaze back down, waiting for the clan to arrive, and pondered about the future. She called this meeting today for both an apprenticing ceremony, and to assign her new deputy. It had been thought over for a long time and finally she had come to her choice, although it had been hovering in front of her face for so long...Yes, today was the day she made Nettlekit an apprentice at last, a long-awaited apprentice for the quiet tortoiseshell Dawnshadow, and the day she made her lover Spikeshard deputy, second in command only to her. Another cool wind brushing gently against the leader's dark fur brought her from her reverie; her silver eyes drifted upward to gaze pensively at the impending storm clouds. If only the rain would break soon and cast its gentle coldness over the Riverclan cats...if only.

t h e s k y ' s s t i l l f i r e . .
b u t i a m s a f e i n h e r e
f r o m t h e w o r l d o u t s i d e . . .

[,hateh?]

d u s k paw
a smile can only get you so far, b l u e e y e d s u c i d e___

The heat seemed so suffocating. The dark tabby raised her heavy head from her small paws, bright green eyes half open. Through the glare of the unforgiving sunlight that filtered down onto browning branches of the the dying bush the apprentices slept in, Duskpaw watched the frail leader wearily pull herself up onto the Highstone, raising her parted maw and letting out a shrill yowl. Even as Dusk watched, she didn't seem to expect it. The small apprentice flinched, pointed auds tilting back before she pulled herself up and staggered through the clinging branches. The blistering heat seemed even worse outside the shaded sanctuary, where there was cover from the sun. Duskpaw sighed, sleepily stumbling to the front of the Highstone. Her dark face tilted up and watched her leader silently. The first smile of the day broke onto her furred features, and the cunning eyes closed.

It seemed hours, though not even a full minute, before her head dropped and eyes opened. The darkened silver fur was only a blur above her eyes. The apprentice pretended to be throughly interested in the patterns of the sand, pulling her paw one way and then another. Finally, she sighed. The sweltering heat burned on her hidden skin as she sat back on her haunches, long tail swishing softly over the sand. The blur over silver fur shifted and became focused as Duskpaw craned her neck up again. Cloudystar seemed lost in thought, staring silently up at the darkening sky. Dusk followed her eyes, staring blankly up at the sky. Clouds. She blinked. What was so special about clouds. Her fur prickled, and she shifted her paws. Clouds, hopefully, meant rain. Hope burned in her chest as she stood quietly, turning her back on the highrock and Cloudystar to get a better view of the sky.

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

:Spikeshard

| Breathe | in | for | luck... |

The air felt much cooler this sunrise. Well, cooler than it had been for the past suns. The undergrowth rustled and the lean warrior padded through the brush. Sapphire eyes drooped with the drowsiness of waking up after a restless nap. Needless to say, the night had been hot and the plated tom had been unable to sleep well because of the heat. Ears that looked as if they had been dipped in a pool of dark silver were drooping forward. The slim feline's tail was dragging on the ground, showing his exhaustion. However, when the RiverClan tom came to the clearing and took a breath of fresh air, he smelled rain.

| ...breathe | in | so | deep... |

Spikeshard felt his entire body tingle as he looked around the assembly of cats. His flattened ears pricked and his marked, silver body rippled with sudden excitement. That's right! Today is the day where Nettlekit finally becomes an apprentice! And... The warrior trailed off, his cobalt orbs looking up and staring into the ashen eyes of his leader Cloudystar. Spikeshard felt his fur tingle once more and he sunk his claws into the ground to steady himself. Today was the day that his beloved mate had promised she'd make a change in the Clan. His tail rose from the ground and he hurried to find a spot close to the Highstone.

| ...this | air | is | blessed... |

When he neared the Highstone, Spikeshard finally saw the distant look in Cloudystar's eyes. The lithe femme had her cranium titled back, her electric eyes staring at the sky. Blinking, the silver bengal pulled his skull back and stared at the shifting colors. The smell of rain was back. Would the drought finally be gone from RiverClan? Perhaps then sleep would be easier for the cats. If so, it would also mean more water for the river, something the hunters desperately needed to bring the fish back. Flicking his ears, Spikeshard glanced back at Cloudystar and let his eyes turn amused.

| ...you | share | with | me. |

"Looking for a drop of life Cloudy?" The plated warrior asked as he closed the last fox-length between the Highstone and himself. Sapphires eyes twinkled with affection and fondness as Spikeshard came to a halt. It had been a long while since that stormy day, when he and the red rogue Axel had fought. Since that day his love for the sterling leader was as strong as ever and it pleased him to see she was in better shape.

[keestaa..]

xx w i n t e r s i g h t

[ b e a t but i m not b r o k e n ]

Silence.

[ g u i d e me t h r o u g h with y o u r h a n d s ]

Silence was eerie. Silence was calming. Silence was lonely. Silence good be good or bad; Nice or evil. To a she-cat named Wintersight, the world never silenced. Because she had been blind all of her life, her other senses were twice as good as cat that could see perfectly. Wintersight could hear everything around her. She couldn't block any of it out. The white she-cat could hear a cat's voice clearly, even if it was a muffled mumble. She could hear the pawsteps of a mouse, if it was many fox lengths away. This she-cat could even hear a cry of a cat in trouble on the other side of RiverClan territory. Not many cats knew this, but a blind cat could save lives. Wintersight only wished that some cats had the patience to care.

[ l e a d with w o r d s s p o k e n ]

Only one cat in the whole world that the young she-cat ever had the patience was a tom named Aspenbranch. He started out as a plain mentor, teaching his apprentice the basics but he began to understand that she wasn't like the other cats. She was very different. Wintersight had fallen in love with him because of his patience. He protected her and gave his life to StarClan protecting her because he had the patience to care. Many cats think that the blind cats can't do anything because they can't see. Cats who thought that didn't understand... They didn't have the patience. But truly, blind cats could hear and smell way better then then the seeing cats. But did any cat care? No. Not one but Aspenbranch, but he was dead.

[ s h o w me h o w to l i s t e n ]

So day after day the unseeing she-cat sat in the middle of the clearing. Today was just another day. Wintersight had a feeling that nothing would ever change. She, actually, had her own stop in which she sat most of the day. No one ever asked for her to hunt with a patrol. She felt unsafe going out hunting alone so she sat. She had never been given an apprentice and she didn't want one. The shy she-cat didn't want to train a cat the wrong way because she was blind. Aspenbranch had come up with new different ways to train her. He had been so creative. Maybe an apprentice would be a good thing for her but why would Cloudystar give her an apprentice if she was blind? She would just sit. Day after day. Sunrise after sunrise. Sunset after sunset. Three things she wished she could see...

[ l e t your l i g h t shine t h r o u g h m e ]

So finally, the snow white she-cat stood, stretching her short cramped limbs. She yawned, her pure white teeth bared for a moment. And then, slowly, she began to plod her way over to the Hightstone. She easily maneuvered her way through fallen branches and rocks that lined the ground. She could feel them as she stepped on the soft ground. It was hot and she could feel rain coming but heat didn't bother her. Neither did rain. She slowly walked toward the rock. Spikeshard and Duskpaw had already gathered below it. Her unseeing eyes gazed at nothing but yet something. She could hear Spikeshard's voice clearly, even though she was no where near him. She padded up beside Dusk and sat down beside her.

[ t a k e this h a t e i can't r e l e a s e ]

Wintersight's blank gaze stared at the large stone in front of her and she sighed softly, feeling the sticky heat. So deadly, but yet, so warming. She opened her maw and licked her lips. She tasted the salt from her slightly wet muzzle. Finally, after a long moment, she turned to face Duskpaw, her blank gaze looking past the young cat. "Storm`s a`comin`," she murmured, flicking her ears back and grinning slightly. The drought in RiverClan would be finally lifted and the cooling rain would put a blanket across the Clan. If only it would happen sooner then later. She sighed, coughing slightly. The heat was taking over her. She wanted to go back under her shady tree forever then sit out here under the blazing sky.

[ h e l p me m a k e the b l i n d s e e ]

But of course, Wintersight would stay and listen to Cloudystar's words, she would listen to whatever her Leader had to say, just so it would rain...

[ m i s e r y l o v e s i t ` s c o m p a n y ]

[untilthis.echo]

[n.e.t.t.l.e]

[t o m o r r o w . c o m e s ; w e . s t a r t . t o . f a d e]

Dark eyes, the color of moist soft soil, stared out at the camp from the shadows, watching and waiting. Long white whiskers twitched in the midst of the nursery as the figure watched everything begin to unfold. Dark eyes stared hypnotically as an achromatic feline gradually made her way to the top of the Highstone. Her sorrowful, slender maw tilted upward and a shriek split the day's silence. The time had finally come. She was asking for a meeting. Change was settling heavily on the still air which grew damp with each passing moment. Rain and storm was on its way.

The creature's dark eyes blinked from within the nursery and, nervously, she stepped out. The heat had been unbearable during the day, so she'd hid herself away from all inside the cool shade of her old home. Vaguely, she realized she would not be sleeping tonight in her familiar nest. She'd be in a completely different den with a completely different nest. The thought scared her, made her porcelain paws tremble slightly as she crept closer and closer to the Highstone.

Long fur swished outward from her body in a thick flourish, dark chocolate, almost black. The column of her throat swallowed heavily as her delicate snout raised upward and stared at the argent creature placed authoritatively on the Highstone. Dim eyes then lowered and glanced around the mass of bodies slowly coming forward for the meeting. She recognized a familiar silvery body and bright playful azure eyes. Spikeshard. Earthen eyes then took forward to gaze at a dark young tabby. Duskpaw; she'd be sleeping nearby with this cat tonight. Then finally, her demure gaze rested on a pallid alabaster femme. Wintersight. She knew little of this cat and often didn't go near any of the warriors.

She braced forward again, staring as Cloudystar initiated the ceremony. The ceremony that would give her an entirely new name and the winds of change would blow ever stronger and quicker. Once again, she felt a pool of hot anxiety settle in her stomach, bordering between excitement and worry. Her youthful soul began to slowly make the course of ascension.

[.xx|d a w n [.coldascoldcanbe]]

/xx.d a w n .s h a d o w.]_____________________


A light breeze swept down suddenly, ruffling the fur of the cats that slowly gathered in the shadow below the Highstone. Their eyes were fixed upon the lithe gray cat which perched upon the tall gray rock. Above their heads, storm clouds churned along the horizon, growing ever closer with each passing minute. As the sun beat down relentlessly upon their backs, Dawnshadow could almost taste their longing for the approaching rain.

Sheltered from the sun, she slowly got to her paws and crawled out from her position in the warriors’ den. Mouth open in a large yawn, she leaned onto her outstretched front legs, and stretched her back out. It felt as though she had been curled up in the den for a moon and a half, and now her joints had grown stiff. Please, I’m not that old yet… she thought to herself, I don’t need to feel like an elder until I am one. With a jolt she remembered what day it was, and she knew why Cloudystar had called this meeting. Today she would take her first apprentice. She searched the clearing for the dark chocolate cat. Nettlekit was also just emerging from the shadows. Her long fur swished as she made her way through the clearing, unaware of the emerald eyes of her soon-to-be mentor watching her. Dawnshadow noted the muscles rippling under her thick pelt, and knew that, even now, as she was still a kit, Nettlekit had the potential to be a powerful warrior. Shifting her viridian gaze upward, she watched her leader sit atop the Highstone, waiting for the cats to gather.

Stepping lightly, the dappled warrior padded into the crowd of waiting cats, and gently nudged her way through, settling down at the base of the large stone. The heat was stifling, suffocating. Where had the air gone? As the moment when she would become a mentor for the first time drew closer, her heart began to beat faster. Wonderful. That’s what I need. Anxiety. Thoughts of self-doubt began to flood her mind, making her uncertain of everything. What if I’m not a good mentor? I’ll mix up the simplest things, I know it. Soon I’ll be telling her that the way you stalk a bird is the way you try to catch a mouse. Mice can’t even fly… Worry grew like a lump in her throat, until she swore she would choke. Her heart pounded harder and her mind churned faster, and she struggled to catch her breath. This is ridiculous; I have no reason to be this nervous. Her heart and mind racing, she sat there, and tried to regain her sanity that she hadn’t realized she had lost.

[/x.i .am. barely b r e a t h i n g
[/x.and .i. can’t .find. the a i r
[/x.i .don’t. know .who. i’m k i d d i n g
[/x.imagining .you. c a r e