Silent Cry [Eco Family]

Echomist sat curled up in his nest, the aches in his body never seeming to cease. One moment everything hurt the pain would dull and then swell again. He couldn't even remember how many times he coughed up blood today alone.. nor how many times he vomited up the food he was brought. Dull green eyes stared weakly at the floor. It seemed no matter how many herbs he was given nothing would touch it like it did for the others. He had watched helplessly as others got a little better from the herbs they were given, able to move and eat at least for a moment before going back to what they were. Him? He just stayed the same. He hoped for a cure.. to feel better.. but he doubted that anything would work for him.. He even doubted he would make it through this.. He was certain his days were numbered..

Dull eyes flicked up to the cat near him, his breath coming out in wheezes as he tried to lift his head, to act somewhat normal for once. "Heatherberry.." The tom croaked out, recognizing his daughter's frame. There were so many things to say, so many things to ask forgiveness for.. If his days were truly numbered like he was thinking, then he needed to set a couple things right, at least soften the blow of his potential passing.

"Please fetch your sister.. and your mother.." Echomist rasped. "There are a few things.." The tom paused, taking in a very shaky breath. "We need to discuss.. As a family."

Stones seemed to have found their way into Heatherberry's heart as she watched her father lay there, no herbs she forced down him being of use. She felt hopeless. The figure who once protected her, unable to receive anything in return no matter how hard she tried. Her green eyes were set on his mottle ears as the two lay in silence as Echomist rasped with effort. She had no idea if he knew she was still here or not. He hadn't said a word for quite some time... He may have been too tired to try. "Heatherberry.."  It was quiet at first, but her ears finally picked up on her name being called. Green eyes switched to focus on her fathers: alarmingly, he seemed to be be translucent. A delicate mist forming where fur once was. She blinked over and over again to get her eyes to focus, but the more she stared, the more tiny specks of light grew inside his frail form. They resembled Silverpelt, glistening gently with no set rhythm or pattern. He was slowly fading away right before her eyes, panic building up in her chest as though she were about to lose sight of him forever.

Distently, she mewed a response as though she were a kit again. "Yes, father?" Did he smell the panic on her fur? And when had she stood up? He was coming into focus again, his form unmoved as though nothing had ever happened. A soft, urgent demand was made to grab Badgermask and Leopardstar which only added to the unsettling feeling this strange vision had cursed her with. Surely it wasn't what she thought it was...? There was no response to his request, but she had headed out anyway to find her mom and sister and bring them back.

Stumbling out of the dark den that housed Echomist, she blindly pushed past anyone in her way. It was not like her to not say sorry even as a whisper, but her eyes - and attention - was drawn to the line of dead ants and beetles, legs curled under them that followed her to Leopardstar and Badgermask who lay near each other, but never touching. "Leopardstar... Badgermask... Father wants to speak with all of us." It was messed up how her brain seemed to work on it's own, the false light returning to her eyes as she gazed at both of them, a kind smile on her face. Inside, however, was the uneasy feeling that she had just witnesses her first omen outside outside of StarClan. Her tail flicked behind her, bile rising in her throat.

Badgermask was curled up next to her mom, a simple sign of their relationship that was slowly being mended...Thought not enough to touch. She hadn't been asleep but was enjoying the peaceful air that had fallen over the camp it had seem - until her eyes flickered towards movement to see Heatherberry pushing herself from her den and marching towards them. She lifted her head as her sister call out...Before her blood ran cold at the request. Surely there would be multiple explanations...But there was no denying now tense things had gotten between her parents following her littermates' deaths. To ask for the two together...? Her ears slicked down, staring at her paws for a few heartbeats before she nodded and pushed herself to her paws, making her way towards the den and slipping inside to hear whatever her father had to say.

Echomist waited patiently for all of his remaining family to arrive in the den with him, his mind racing with different things he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure of where to start, if he could even say any of what he wanted to. Dull green eyes looked up from the floor in front of him meeting the gaze of each cat as they entered. He could feel something grip his heart as he longed to see the gaze of the two lost ones enter his vision, he knew it was impossible but oh how he longed for it.

He turned his gaze back to focus on the three living ones in front of him. They were more important, they needed his attention. They should be his focus, at least for whatever time he had left. "I uh.. I don't even know how to start this.." The spotted tom said, his voice soft and weak but it was clear enough for everyone to hear. "So much to say.. So much for me to make up for." He knew he wasn't ever the best with words but he had to try. Even if it didn't end well. "I guess I should start with I'm sorry. I haven't been there for any of you, like I should have after well.. You know." He didn't really want to speak it out loud. Anger at Windclan, at Nightstalker still burned in his heart, but it was weak. Grief overtook the feeling with ease, for the loss of his two children, for the fact that he cursed his mate, for the fact that he retreated into himself these past moons instead of helping those that still existed.