Re-united by Death

The night was cold. Cold and silent, apart from the crunching of frost-rimmed leaves under paw and the occasional raspy cough from Cloudpool. The grey and white warrior was trekking through RiverClan territory at a slow pace, due to the fact that she had to stop every so often to practically hack up her lungs, and finish with a series of loud sneezes before continuing. She was on her way to the river, to meet her deceased family who had descended from Silverpelt to guide her to StarClan.

She was the only cat left alive in her family; Mother died from giving birth to two still-born kits, Cloudpool and her brother, whom she had only found out died that night in a dream. Her father had committed suicide because of the loss of his mate and two kits, and the fact that ThunderClan had taken his two remaining kin. Images flashed in the green-cough infected she cat's head of her father's lifeless and colourless body on the bank of the river, as if the turbulent waves had drained him of his life and glorious silver pelt. Cloudpool shook her head and sighed in an attempt to think about something else. It worked, except she began thinking about the dream Lightningstrike had sent her, where she saw the handsome tom by the river, where he broke the news about his passing.

Eventually, the warrior reached the river bank and the stepping-stones, which at this moment in time was the only way of crossing the black swelling watercourse. Using all of her limited strength she leaped across, landing at the other side in a heap of puffing fur. Cloudpool didn't move, as the walk and effort of crossing the river had used up almost all of her energy, and she lay there coughing whilst waiting for her deceased relatives.

A coal-grey cat stepped out of the shadows and stared sadly at her daughter. "I'm sorry you have to leave your Clan..." she whispered, though she was glad that she didn't have to suffer anymore after this.

Lightningstrike appeared in the clearing by his sister, rushing to her side at the speed of light. "Cloudpool!" he whispered softly, giving her ear a big lick. "I've missed you!"

Upon hearing the voices of her family, Cloudpool opened her eyes to see Lightningstrike and Coalheart's starry figures standing before her. "Mother...Lightningstrike..." She croaked before engaging in a fit of coughing. "W-where's father?" She asked hoarsely, and tried to shift her shaky figure into a more comfortable position so she could see her family properly.

"I'm here, Cloudpool." A voice spoke from behind Coalheart. A small, shining tom appeared next to the grey she-cat, with his blue eyes fixed on his dying daughter.

"Father...why am I dying?" Cloudpool looked up at Minnowflash with wide pale eyes, which had lost their spark long ago.

"It's your time, StarClan decided it was about time for you to join them in the stars." The silver-starred cat waved his tail to the sky, which was laden with small bright dots.

"B-but...I don't want to-" Her speech was cut off by a loud series of coughs. "die..."

Lightningstrike looked up at his father and dipped his head, then resumed comforting his near-dead sister.

Coalheart rushed to Minnowflash and twined her tail with his, and purred slightly. After a little bit, she stepped away from her mate and padded toward her daughter. "Shhh, it'll be okay. You won't have to suffer anymore..." she whispered, feeling two emotions: hollow inside, because her only daughter was dying, and yet calm, because she wouldn't be coughing or weak in StarClan. Her ancestors would take care of her, along with her deceased family.

Cloudpool stared up at her mother with panic in her eyes. "I-I don't like dying..." Her thin body then began to convulse, and she let out a series of heavy chesty coughs. "It hurts..." She whimpered after the raspy coughs had sub-sided. Her throat tickled, and she was about to engage in another set of hacking up her lungs, but the previous series had drained her of her energy, and she collapsed on the floor. It took the green-cough infected she-cat a whole load of will power to say these next few words: "I-I love you, mother, f-father, Lightn-ningstrike..." Her breath faded away, and her eyes took one last glance at the starry shaped in front of her before glazing over, and her chest deflated.

Minnowflash sadly watched over his pain-filled daughter, but when she took her last breath, her body began to sparkle and her soul drifted out of it's fur coated shell to re-form a starry version of Cloudpool. Her fur was long and gleaming, her eyes bright and their spark was re-lit. Seeing this beautiful version of his once ill daughter brought a smile to the small tom's muzzle, and he stretched his tail to wrap it around Coalheart's. "We are a family once again."

Coalheart curled against Minnowflash and purred, closing her eyes.

Lightningstrike touched his nose to his now-dead sister's cheek. "Together....forever..." he whispered. "Not as many Clan boundaries seperating two siblings.."