Stay Alive [Closed]

ooc. I guess overlord and lockerful aren't posting again?

If this was how she was going to go, she couldn't say that she was mad about it. She had a sister that adored her, and a mate that would go against the stars for her. What else could she have wanted in this life? Slowly closing her eyes, Sparkwillow purred warmly one final time, pressed against everyone she loved. "Four kits... Raise them well. Make sure that... That... That they are loved. Silentstorm, Splashpaw, the stars... They call me."

One, two, three, she breathed in and out. Four, five, six. The soft scent of her littermates, the warm purr of her sister, she could hear them approaching her. And slowly, with a long exhale, she breathed her last surrounded by family.

Sparkwillow walked amongst the Stars now.

"Sparkwillow," Splashpaw whimpered as she listened to her sisters raspy whispers, ears pressing flat against her skull so that she could drown out the cries of her sisters kits. "Sparkwillow." Splashpaw echoed once more, her throat growing even tighter at the way her twin's rattling purr grew softer and softer. A low moan built up in her throat as Sparkwillow softly exhaled one final time before falling limp, the sorrowful sound building up to a full-blown anguished wail that likely would of scared away any prey in the nearby area.

Splashpaw pressed closer to her sister, muffling her cries the best she could in her sister's now rapidly cooling fur. She inhaled deeply, desperately attempting to grasp a final tendril of her twins scent before the sweet scent of death fully obscured it. Her twin, her better half, the cat who had been right beside her since they first came into the world was dead.

Splashpaw lurched away from Sparkwillow's form, staggering away a step or two before gazing down at her new kin with something almost akin to resentment in her distressed eyes. Why did Sparkwillow have to die just to bring these...these measly half-Clan kits into the world? They wouldn't even have a place in the world! Her better half didn't need to die for them! However, the longer she stared down at the squirming heap of kits, the more her resentment melted away. It wasn't their fault that they had been born- especially under circumstances such as these.

A part of her was tempted to simply sweep up the final connections to her sister and bring them home to RiverClan, but she knew that they'd never be taken in. They'd just be tossed out like crowfood and left to rot. "Name them." Splashpaw rasped hoarsely, miserable gaze lifting to stare intently at Silentstorm.

Silentstorm leapt to his paws the moment Sparkwillow's eyes closed. "Hey, Sparkwillow, you gotta keep your eyes open for me, okay? Just stay awake. Every- everything's gonna be fine." He meowed, his husky voice breaking. He glanced at Splashpaw, a helpless look in his green gaze, before curling up next to her again. "O-of course, Sparkwillow. They'll know their mother. I-I will do everything in my power to protect them." He vowed, tears spilling out of his grief clouded gaze. Squeezing his eyes shut, he buried his muzzle into her soft fur. "I love you, Sparkwillow. Ple- please don't go. Your kits need you.. I need you." He whispered, voice shaky.

Then, she stopped breathing.

The normally quiet and well put together tom was a wreck. His eyes were streaming tears, his voice was raw from wailing, and he felt like his world was falling apart. How could this be happening? Was StarClan punishing him for taking a mate from another clan? But why punish my kits, too? They'll never know their mother. He silently questioned. His breathing was ragged and he felt faint, but he was snapped back to reality when Splashpaw's voice broke through his raging thoughts. Name them? He wasn't supposed to do that alone. He and Sparkwillow were supposed to do it together. Oh StarClan, this is all wrong! How could you let this happen?! He silently wailed, but gave a slight nod to Splashpaw. "Right." He meowed shortly, voice rough with emotion.

Making his way around Sparkwillow's body so he could see the four kits, he hardly contained a wail of grief and desperation. Trying to make himself believe that Sparkwillow was just sleeping, he looked to the little black and white she-kit and his gaze trickled to the violets not even a mouse-length away from them. "Violetkit." He meowed softly, nosing the small kit who's delicate body and soft fur reminded him of the flower not too far from them. Next, his gaze traveled to the calico tom. To him, it was almost like Sparkwillow was rising from the ashes of death and coming to him as this small kit. "Ashkit." He meowed, voice cracking as he desperately tried to hold back his tears. Now he was on the third kit. A big almost silver tabby tom. He almost looked like a tiny boulder curled up into Sparkwillow's white fur. "Boulderkit." He whispered quietly as his gaze rested on the last kit. She looked much like Violetkit, and himself, but she has a much more delicate frame. It reminded him of the Willow tree's leaves that blew softly in the wind around RiverClan's territory. "Willowkit." He finished, finally letting the tears spill over once more. "You're all so precious." He whispered to them, though he knew they couldn't understand. "I'll take good care of you." He vowed, green gaze glancing back up to Splashpaw, hoping she approved of the names he gave his kits.

The small she-kit shivered as she felt a breeze blow past her. She pushed herself deeper into the warm thing next to her, but... something wasn't right. She could smell something sharp and tangy around her. The smell wafted around her until it felt like it was seeping into her fur and settling on her skin. She let out a weak squeaking sound before going quiet, as if contemplating her violent and difficult birth.