I Dream You're Still Here [closed]

Night had descended upon the Leaf-Fall brittle forest, drenching the land in cool and dark shadows that eagerly swallowed any remaining traces of light. For the most part, a large majority of the forest-dwelling critters had taken the safe confines of the dens to sleep away the chilly evening, however a few devoted cats still went about their usual day despite the hour. Thankfully, much for the sake of convenience, the lucky tom of the hour had managed to settle down at a fairly reasonable time.

Waiting for Ryeheart deep within the evergreen realm of StarClan was the faint outline of a massive, star-speckled dark tabby tom, who's naturally dark fur easily matched the dark wood of the pines that rose up all around him. The enticing scents of various prey filled the air but it did little to catch the attention of the former Shadowclan warrior who had patiently settled down beneath the weak shade of a massive pine. Letting out a short, brisk little sigh, Shadewillow began to lightly scuff the ground beneath his paws as he waited for his son to appear, paying no mind to the way that small specks of white light were carelessly thrown from the earth due to his light kicking. Ryeheart was his only remaining kin and it had been so long since he had spoken to his pride and joy- although the lack of contact hadn't necessarily been his choice. Surprisingly, even as thick-skulled as he was, Shadewillow had known better than to interfere with the young tom's life until the excitement had died down.

However, a brief flash of movement shimmering just beyond the edges of his vision quickly caught the ghostly tom's attention and pulled him away from his wistful thoughts. Lifting his head at the sight of a muscular red pelt, Shadewillow allowed a brief grin to overtake his features as he stared at the new arrival before mewing, "Ryeheart."


ooc) short gomen

After a long, busy day of patrolling and hunting, Ryeheart was finally able to relish the comforting feeling of laying down and curling up in his warm nest, purring contentedly as his thick ginger fur began to gather heat.  Soon enough, the tabby warrior was asleep, his gentle snores barely echoing around the den; but to his surprise, in his mind he was awoken by the sound of his name.  Opening up his icy blueish-green eyes, the tom-cat was shocked to see that, instead of the bramble den and quiet camp he had fallen asleep in, he was now laying in a star-studded pine forest.  Warm scents of bountiful prey met his nose temptingly, and after a curious glance around his immediate surroundings he got to his paws.  Shaking out his long pelt, for a moment he was a bit confused; where am I...what is this place?  Quickly though, he caught sight of the dark tabby cat waiting in the shadows; and for a moment his heart seemed to stop.

"Dad?"

At the sound of Ryeheart's obviously shocked voice, Shadewillow let out a thunderous purr as his thick, starry fur rippled with joy. His son! His massive form was likely vibrating from the force of his purr combined with his delight, but it did little to affect his balance as he rose to his paws. Holding none of the grace that was likely associated with Starclan cats, the former Shadowclan warrior found himself practically bounding towards the other tom, sending up swarms of tiny specks of white light in the process. The ghostly grasses and undergrowth that spanned the landscape around the two toms rippled and swayed as the burly dark tom practically tore them down in his haste.

Ever since his untimely death all those moons ago, Shadewillow had been forced to be satisfied with only lingering in Ryeheart's life- resigned to only watch from afar as his single living kit grew up. While that had been privilege enough at first, it was nothing compared to being able to truly see his son like this. To finally be allowed to bask in one another's company for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Forcing himself to gradually slow down so that he could halt a few pawsteps in front of Ryeheart, the burly allowed his face to display the wide array of emotions that were currently plaguing him as Ryeheart still likely remained rooted to the earth in shock. "Well come say hello to your old man!" Shadewillow virtually bellowed, his starry form wavering slightly from the force of his yowl.

(occ: just for clarification, this is taking place before Willow died)

For a moment Ryeheart stood rooted to the spot, his mind racing with thoughts ranging from the logical; this must be a dream to the ludicrous; or am I dead?  Any concerning matters were quickly swept aside as what truly mattered right now became clear to him...that Shadewillow was standing right in front of him!  What hadn't he moved yet?!  "D..DAD!"  With a pure lighthearted laugh, the thick-furred ginger tomcat leaped forward into a run, and didn't slow down when he got dangerously close to his dearly departed father.  Instead, he borderline tacked the other tom in an excited embrace, shocked at how big he had grown.  Had there really been a time when he could barely wrap his paws around his father's leg?  Now he was nearly the same height as the bulky tom - just a tiny bit shorter - and though he didn't quite match Shadewillow in brawn, his agile body still held it's fair share of strength.

Seemingly content with almost knocking the brown tabby tom to the ground, Ryeheart backed off a bit and bent down in a playful sort of crouch, plumy tail waving exuberantly; it was almost a sort of reflex, an automatic reaction to the joyfully familiar sight of his lone guardian.  "Oh..Oh my StarClan it's so good to see you!  I've missed you so much...I have so many things I need to tell you!"  His voice was breathless and impatient, as if he couldn't quite get the words out fast enough for his liking, for want of savoring this moment for as long as possible.  Icy blueish-green met bright amber as their gazes connected, both filled with unspeakable delight.