The Gears Go Awry [Closed]

Lionspark paced back and forth, her ears flat on her head and her eyes narrowed with worry. Her tail lashed, anger and grief tearing away at her heart as she tried to wrap her head around a single thing - Specklefang was missing. She came to a stop, her head bent as she hiss softly at herself. W-Was it her fault? She hadn't been all that close to her daughter since...Well, since Specklefang had become a warrior. Their duties had made it hard to interact with one another and she found herself wondering if it was her fault. She knew Specklefang didn't get along well with Bramblefrost...Did her daughter see her as a bad parent? Did...Did Specklefang run away? Or...No, Specklefang wouldn't have run away but if she didn't then where was she? Of course the apprentice Leafpaw had disappeared...And she couldn't forget when Owlpaw had returned to the camp in panic, claiming that Umberflame and Cloverpaw had been taken and there still were signs of what had happened to those two...She sighed, shaking her head only for her attention to be stolen by the sound of pawsteps, her gaze shifting over to see who was approaching.

Poppypaw hesitated as she fell to a stop in front of Lionspark, eyeing the older she-cat with a mixture of worry and concern. It unnerved her to see the normally so kind and excitable Lionspark beside herself like this- it almost worried her as much as the fact that Specklefang had apparently up and left without a single word. "Lionspark," she mewed softly, feeling slightly nervous at the sight of the Warrior pacing so anxiously, "Are you okay?" Poppypaw questioned, feeling slightly awkward as she gazed over at the golden warrior.

Lionspark ears perked as she recognized Poppypaw - having been on a patrol with the young she-cat once or twice due to her being one of Specklefang's best friends. She did her best to give a sweet purr to the she-cat. "I'm..." she drifted off before she could even finish, her shoulders suddenly sagged like an enormous weight had fallen on her. "...No. No I am not fine. I-I'm terrified for Specklefang,"she said, her voice almost a whisper as she slumped backwards to sit. "I-I don't know where she has gone o-or why?...I want my daughter back, Poppypaw."

Poppypaw watched Lionspark with growing concern, ears pricking warily at the other she-cats seemingly defeated movements, a frown quirking across her face as she listened intently. "Well, then lets go get her back!" Poppypaw mewed, trying to sound a bit more cheerful for Lionspark's sake. However painful it might seem to have a friend slip from your grasp, the sorrow would likely be tripled if it was a mother who lost their kit. "She couldn't of gone far, we would of seen her if she did." She earnestly encouraged, taking a tentative step closer to the Warrior as she spoke- with a cat as big and loud as Specklefang, it would of been practically impossible for them to notice if she had simply vanished into thin air. Right?

Lionspark perked up at the young apprentice's words, her eyes widening with shock as she saw the drive behind them. She shifted on her paws, uncertain before she let out a small sigh as a flicker of warmness flashed over her face. Poppypaw was right - perhaps they would be lucky enough to pick up a trace of where Specklefang had disappeared. She was on her paws in an instance, hope flashing in her eyes as she swiftly turned to lead them out of the camp. "Y-You're right! There must be a trace of her around!" Even if they couldn't find her...As long as there was any trace of what might had happened...Lionspark could live with that. But not if she just sat around and didn't give it a try. She had to find her daughter.

Poppypaw was slightly surprised at how Lionspark was seemingly on her paws instantaneously, but the look of renewed hope upon her face helped further strengthened her own. "Plus it is Specklefang we're talking about right now," Poppypaw chuffed as she hurried after Lionspark, "She probably is just off somewhere picking a fight with some ShadowClan cat." She continued, paws kicking up a slightly impatient scuff of sooty earth at her own words. It was true that Specklefang constantly had one paw in one skirmish or another, so hopefully the burly she-cat had simply gone off to pick a fight and nothing worse.

There was a small chuckle that escaped Lionspark as Poppypaw offered up her idea of where Specklefang could be, sparing a glance over her shoulder as they headed deeper into the burnt territory. "You think so? I hope not, those ShadowClan cats wouldn't be able to stand up to her," she offered lightly, not caring much for the thought of Specklefang picking skirmishes. Lionspark was guilty of it herself every once in a while, there was a rush to be found in battle that she liked as long as long as nobody got gravely hurt from it. After all, they were warriors - had to keep their claws sharp once way or another...But after a few moments, Lionspark came to realize how empty that hope was. If Specklefang was picking fights, she wouldn't have been gone for as long as she was...Her ears fell flat on her head but there was an unwavering look in her eye - she wouldn't give up hope. Specklefang...Specklefang was strong. She had to be alright...Wherever she was.

Poppypaw nodded eagerly at Lionspark's light agreement, but she was rather oblivious to Lionspark's sudden change in mood, too absorbed in the sight of the scorched territory that looked nothing like the home she had grown up in. The scents that had become familiar to her were washed away by the acrid scent of stale smoke and ash, which made her slightly on edge. It felt much too open now, as if all the protective layers of the forest had been stripped away entirely, leaving only a husk of the forest.

"Everything looks so...different now." Poppypaw finally murmured, voice slightly hushed as she stared around. The conflicting sense of awe and sorrow welling up within her offering a temporary distraction from her worried thoughts that had constantly revolved around Specklefang. It even felt warmer now that there was only a few leaves left in the forest to block direct sunlight- the warmth felt rather nice actually.

The warmth was short lived. Lionspark had opened her mouth to say something, her ears falling flat on her head when suddenly a chill went up her spine. He shivered as he fur stood on edge, thinking nothing of it but a simple side-effect of dreadful thoughts when she shivered again...And realized that the air was growing colder. She came to a halt as she raised an eyebrow, glancing around only to double-take at what she saw. What would have been almost impossible to see before when the forest had been fulling grown until it was on them could be seen rolling toward them - a wall of mist.

"W-What?" the warrior swallowed as she took an uneasy step back, her tail lashing as she glanced over at Poppypaw. "Poppypaw, I think we should..." she drifted off as a memory flashed in her mind, words echoing in her head. 'They were taken by some sort of mist.' Owlpaw's terrified words echoed as the air increased dropping in temperature, frost starting to form around their paws as Lionspark stumbled backwards with fear in her eyes. "Run!" Her reaction was swift, spinning and dart into the forest. She only made it so far until she realized that Poppypaw hadn't followed her out...Freezing in place as she turned around only to see where Poppypaw was covered in the icy white fog. "Poppypaw!" she called out, terror rising in her throat.

Poppypaw had halted to upturn her face towards the sky, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on her face, not paying much mind to her surroundings. The warmth leeched into her fur and caused her eyes to fall shut in a momentary state of drowsy conten and Lionspark's confused observation falling upon deaf ears. However, suddenly a chill was draining the momentary warmth from her body just as quickly as it came, causing a frown to spread across her face. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of a silent wall of Mist was rolling towards them, devouring everything in its path. Lionspark's warning had come to late as soon as Poppypaw was able to get her bearings together, the Mist was upon her.

The chill stung her lungs greatly, making her lungs burn profusely, causing her to suck in a panicked gulp of frosty air that only worsened the sharp ache. She could hear a faint cry of her name echo distantly, but it was difficult to pinpoint where it came from exactly."Lionspark!" Poppypaw wailed back in return, blindly stumbling around in the fog, feeling her the ends of her fur growing stiff and heavy as it became frosted over. Whipping around, she strained to see through the incredibly thick mist- the burnt forest that had seemed somber a few heartbeats ago now seeming incredibly formidable in the eerie light of the strange fog. Her fur was becoming heavier and heavier under the strange fog, only adding to the immense panic blossoming in her chest.

"Lionspark!" She yowled, turning around in panicked circles, hardly able to see in the growing thickness of the Mist.

Poppypaw's panic cries never made it to Lionspark as the she-cat was forced to watch the mist swirl around where the apprentice had been moments before. Lionspark wanted to dart forward or...Maybe she wanted to flee. She was in a conflicted sea of emotions but her paws were held firm to the ground as frost formed around her paws. "Poppypaw?" she cried out again toward the mist.

Within the mist, there was the sounds of a chuckle almost that flooded the air around the apprentice, coming from every direction as once. There were a flicker of color deeper within the swirling mess. Yellow... Narrowed, glowing and while very faint, undeniable there as it watched the struggling she-cat. The mist around Poppypaw surged, growing thicker around the she-cat as the temperature dropped even deeper - ice forming along the ground and her pelt. The chuckle grew louder, almost being a purring laugh as the freezing air threaten to take every ounce of strength from Poppypaw...And aimed to do just that. To freeze every organ. To suck the warmth of life from the apprentice.

And Lionspark could only watch, her ears falling flat as the hints of a laugh echoed in her eyes and she saw a glimmer of the glowing yellow deep within the mist. "W-What..." her voice was all but a whisper, her throat dry as she took in the freezing air as the mist seemed almost to mock her. Taunting her with her inability to do anything but watch.

Poppypaw couldn't see at all now. Whether it was because of how thick the Mist was or because her eyes were frozen, she couldn't tell, but perhaps it was for the best. After all, who would want to watch their own death? "Lionspark.." Poppypaw moaned softly, staggering blindly now. One of her stiff paws caught a root of some sort and sent her sprawling onto her belly, unable to move once more as her body grew stiffer and stiffer as the Mist became colder.

The cold was peaceful now, almost as nice as the sunlight had been. Poppypaw exhaled slowly, watching with a detached fascination at the way the puff of air lingered for only a few brief moment before vanishing within the depths of the fog. She sucked her final breath, her body struggling to comply with her brains desperate plea to keep fighting. Her thoughts were sluggish and confused, but she was able to vaguely process the chuckle that caused the Mist to shudder.

"If we run into this mist stuff we can prove that it really is harmless." She could hear Specklefang's words echo within her head, but she could barely comprehend the words as she curled in upon herself in defeat. Poppypaw let out a shuddering exhale before falling still, her body growing completely stiff as she became completely frozen.

As Poppypaw's body fell limp, another crackling laughter echoed from the mist as it started to seep away.  The two pin-points of yellow light flickered away as the mist rolled in different directions before it faded all together...Leaving Lionspark standing among a frosted clearing staring at the body it had left behind. The warrior mouth hung open as she struggled to understand what had just happened. Slowly the air started to grow warm again and Lionspark was thawed from her stupor. She stumbled forward, the frozen grass cracking free from its icy prison until finally she came to a stop to stand before the unmoving Poppypaw.

Lionspark stood there for...She wasn't sure how long, shivering on quaking needs even as her body readjusted to the warmth of the sun that filtered into the burnt clearing once more. Finally, a mournful cry left Lionspark's lips as she collapsed, burying her head into the freezing fur of Poppypaw. W-What had even happened? Her ears slicked back on her head as she hiccuped past the tears that streamed down her face. What had been th-that mist? How did it...Fear flickered in Lionspark, terrified that Specklefang had shared the same fate as Umbleflame and Cloverpaw but...Why had it killed Poppypaw when Owlpaw had claimed it had stolen the two other cats? She didn't..

She closed her eyes, forcing down her tears as she rose to her paws. She...She had to get Poppypaw back to camp. Her fears and uncertainty could wait...The she-cat leaned down, gripping Poppypaw's scruff as she started to tug the she-cat away, flinching at how...Ridge Poppypaw's body already was. But Lionspark didn't pause as she slowly started to backtrack her way through the ruined forest toward the ThunderClan camp...Closing her eyes as she swore she could still hear the echoing laugh that had escaped the mist...