Waiting for the Sun [Event]

The amount of shock that went through Poplartooth's body was enough to almost knock him off of his paws. However, he managed to stand up straight. It was an awkward, forced, rigid kind of straight that wasn't natural. It was fear-driven. Of course, the fluffy tom would never admit that he was afraid, but who wouldn't be terrified upon seeing the lifeless, limp body of their leader? Well, former leader, now. Of all the cats that had to join StarClan, why did it have to be Crowstar? All Poplartooth could do was desperately hope and pray that the large, black tom would wake up, and the entire Clan would be put at ease, but he knew deep down that it wouldn't happen. No tears gathered in his eyes, and no sobs escaped his maw. He wasn't the type of cat who showed his emotions through sobbing and crying, he showed them in a stiff, curt manner. The brown-and-white cat silently scanned the rest of the crowd to see who was alive and alright. Drizzlepaw was okay, thank StarClan. Almost as if it was some sort of instinct, Poplartooth's eyes darted towards Mumblefoot. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't relieved that the tailless warrior was alive, and he forced himself to tear his gaze away. This wasn't about any other cat, this was about Crowstar: the SkyClan leader who had fallen to his death.

All Tinypaw could feel was a numbness, despite her physical injuries. She had never been close to Crowstar personally but he was her leader, someone who had been a constant stone in the pathway of her life and now that it had been ripped away she felt unsteady.

As Shrikekit started crying Tinypaw pulled him further away from the den and then laid down, wrapping her own small, blood-soaked frame around him. "Shhh... Hush now, It wasn't your fault. Crowstar chose to save not only you but also all the other cats in the Medicine cat den."

Tigerpaw approached the cats that had already gathered around the fallen leader's body. The cries of grief that echoed up around her seemed to grate on her ears, and in an effort to block them out she folded her ears back. She didn't want this. Why, why did StarClan have to take Crowstar from them? "It's my fault." She heard Shrikekit stammer out. Tinypaw led the kit away, drawing his small form against hers. Tigerpaw followed them, not wanting to have to look at Crowstar any more. The longer she stared at him, the more it hurt. She was still struggling to believe what had just happened. Right when she drew near to the pair, she heard Tinypaw's words. "She's right." Tigerpaw mewed to Shrikekit, giving him a pained smile as she padded over. "Crowstar made the decision himself to jump in front of the dog. He could have chosen not to, but he did. It's not your fault. If you think such sad thoughts, Crowstar will feel that part of his sacrifice was in vain."

OOC:mobile post

With the dogs gone, Sunpaw made her way to her gathered clanmates, and found herself struggling to breathe. Crowstar was lying there, completely still. So that was why... She was silent, closing her eyes in an attempt to block out something that had already happened. This couldn't be happening, Crowstar was a leader. Wasn't he supposed to have nine lives...? This couldn't be his last one. It just couldn't.

Echo stared in shock at Crowstar. Tears came down before she came to accept the fact he was dying. "You did something StarClan will honor." she said. Cats who walk other skies would too.

Oceanlight walked out of the elders den and gasped as she saw the leader laying on the ground through the cats around him. She walked over to him. Was he really? Maybe he still has a life left. She pressed her nose to Crowstar's body. It was cold. She waited for a moment before she shut her eyes and tears formed. The hope in her chest was smothered. He was really gone. "May you find the freedom and strength to do anything.." she spoke.

There was something in the distance also in shock at Crowstar's death. It disappeared quickly, but it looked white. Nobody noticed it.

Ripplepaw couldn’t hold on to the fierce dog, no matter how deep she sunk her claws in. It was too big and too strong. With a little shout of alarm, she was sent flying through the air, as the large brown dog retreated. Her head collided painfully with the rocky ground, sending sharp bolts of agony briefly through her skull, her belly facing the sky. For a brief, terrible moment, she was scared she would pass out, for a dull ringing was sounding in her ears, blocking out all sound. But she didn’t fall unconscious. Not now. Blinking away the dark spots that invaded her sight, she slowly rotated so that she was the right way up as her vision came into focus. The pain in her head was replaced by a dull ache. Not pleasant, but bearable. She was disheartened by the blood that spattered across the clearing. Her home was in a mess. All in a rush, her hearing returned, and it was enough for her to hear her grieving Clanmates and be reminded of the terrible, terrible truth. Now there was no rage, no fight, no dog to take out her anger. Now that was gone, the young apprentice was left to be hit with a wave of sorrow, so painful and so intense that it almost made her cry out. Crowstar was dead. Crowstar was dead. Crowstar was dead. The fact bounced round and around her head. She refused to believe it. It couldn’t be real. But it was all too real. Carefully, slowly, she raised herself from the ground, and padded softly towards the commotion. She had to avoid slipping and crashing down again in a puddle of blood. The fur that littered camp drifted by her, stained crimson. After what seemed like an age of walking, she came to the body of her leader.

The fluffy black tom looked so harmless, so pitiful in death. In that moment, Ripplepaw was shaken by the biggest bout of grief she had experienced. He was dead. And he wasn’t coming back. Her ears pressed flat to her head. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t StarClan have kept the dogs far away from camp? Suddenly, the world tilted sharply around her, forcing her to the ground as though a large weight fell onto her back. She didn’t know if it was her head hitting the ground or her grief for the fallen leader, but at this point she didn’t care. Ripplepaw dug her claws into the ground, squeezing her eyes tight shut as she waited for the awful dizziness, the feeling of despair, to subside. When it had, she slowly opened her eyes again. But the sight in front of her was too awful. Too awful. It didn’t help to look away, because the entire camp was in such a state it almost made her wail aloud. The young apprentice pressed her muzzle into the fluffy black fur, whispering a few words to Crowstar for the last time. “I’m so sorry, Crowstar. May StarClan light your path.” It sounded weak and feeble, but that was exactly how she felt at the moment. She rose to her paws, and with shaky legs, wobbled to her den, where she collapsed in her mossy nest. She burrowed her muzzle into her own fur, hating how the dried blood from Crowstar felt against her pale pelt. She let out a yowl of pure sorrow, letting her feelings loose, thanking the stars the sound was muffled. She didn’t want anyone to come near. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Ripplepaw wished sleep would take her away to some kithood dream, where days were bright and sunny and death was no more. But why would her mind oblige? Oh, no, that was too much to ask, wasn’t it? She had only watched as her Clan got attacked! That wasn’t much at all! Her scornful, bitter thoughts were all that kept her from crying out again. It just wasn’t fair.


ooc: mobile

Not moments after the blind tom had moved to comfort Firpaw, the ground began to vibrate. No. His blue gaze widened in shock and he felt Firpaw move off towards the nursery at his great-grandfather's order, though he knew she couldn't have heard it. Good. Hopefully, she'll be out of harm's way. The dogs had found their way to SkyClan's camp, but though they were caught by surprise, they bombarded the dogs with flurries of attacks and soon they were obviously nearing their end. He didn't even have time to go after either of them before Crowstar's blood-curdling yowl broke through the mess of noise coming from the frenzy before him.

A dog had gotten to the nursery. Firpaw. That was all he could think at the moment. He didn't even have time to think why. He immediately, almost as if it was instinct, moved to protect her, but he was mistaken. It wasn't Firpaw who needed his help. It was Crowstar. Crowstar had landed a few good blows from what he could hear, but suddenly the black fluffy leader grew silent. It wasn't the normal, almost comforting silence that his great-grandfather usually exuded.. No, it was something entirely different. It was a type of eerie silence that he had never wanted to hear from him. It was Crowstar though. It couldn't be his last life! Could it? The longer the old tom didn't make a sound only heightened his panic.

The blind fluffy tom rushed to his leader's side, tears in his murky blue gaze. "Crowstar. Get up. Now." He ordered, making his voice hard to hide the real emotion that was swirling around inside him. When the leader didn't respond, a sob threatened to escape his mouth, but he stifled it making it sound like a garbled laugh. "First Cherrymist.. then most of my siblings.. a-and now y-you!? Get up!" He whispered insistently, his gruff voice breaking. He hadn't felt such a harrowing grief since his mother had passed. It was an immobilizing type of grief. It was agonizing.

The usually quiet, grumpy tom let out a grief-filled yowl fill the camp. The world felt like it was turning upside down. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Cloudroar crouched next to his leader and grandfather and buried his nose into his fur. "You were a great leader, Crowstar. We'll miss you." He whispered quietly.

(occ: hooo boy am I late to this party! xD)

Two cats walked side-by-side through the forest, prey hanging from their jaws, and eyes shining with proud glee.  Fernpaw and Night had been out on a hunting patrol since mid-morning, and had managed to bring back a decent catch.  The approaching new-leaf weather seemed to be lulling the small creatures of the woods into a false sense of security, and most of their catches had been felled without much effort.  Growing closer to the camp, Fernpaw began to bounce along ahead of the older tom, her murky green eyes glowing brightly.  I can't wait to see Silentpaw's face when he sees how much I caught today!  Night meanwhile, trotted at a steady pace, amused by the young she-cat's energy.  She reminded him of his brother Thunder when he was a to-be, always wanting to run off somewhere, and eager to prove themselves.  Before the sadness of his brother's passing could set in once again though, the pitch-black tom caught a scent.  A terrible scent that almost burned his nose, one mixed with the tell-tale metallic tang...of blood.  "Fernpaw, stick close to me."  Instantly alert, he dashed to the apprentice's side, the fur along his spine pricked worriedly.  Fernpaw could smell it too, and her heart began to race.  It's coming from the direction of camp...oh no!  "Dog!"  The brown tabby she-cat was able to put a name to the terrible scent he couldn't identify, but before Night could ask what a dog even was Fernpaw was gone, dashing off into the undergrowth towards the camp.  Dropping the prey he was carrying, Night followed, his paws pounding hard against the drying ground.  Whatever it is...it doesn't smell safe.  Please StarClan, let everyone be alright!

Fernpaw reached the camp entrance first, and skidded to a halt with a loud gasp.  The sight that lay before her was gruesome; scraps of torn fur and spots of split blood were scattered around the clearing, and to her shock, most of the clan was gathered...around the nursery.  Her eyes widening with fear, she dashed forward and began to push her way through the crowd.  Night meanwhile had made it to the camp, and his eyes flashed around the clearing, taking in the horrible sights and looking for only one cat among the wreckage; Frostpaw.  Once he had caught sight of her beautiful dappled pelt, the dark-pelted tom dashed forward and pressed his forehead against her's, panic rendering his usual manners obsolete.  For a moment he stayed there, before pulling away with a deeply relieved sight.  "Are you hurt Frost?  I'm so sorry I wasn't here, we-"  He didn't finish, for the crowd gathered around the nursery had parted slightly, and he could finally see what they were gaping at.

"C..CROWSTAR!"  Managing to push her way through the crowd of clanmates, she had finally caught sight of her leader's broken body, and couldn't stop the horrified screech that erupted from her jaws.  Her chest heaving with shallow breaths, she padded forward shakily to sniff the fluffy black tom's pelt, before letting out a kit-like whimper.  Her murky eyes scanning his body, for a moment she couldn't seem to see anything else, and was instantly transported back to that day when Crowstar had lay before her on the Thunderpath in the same still manner.  Her paws trembling, she whipped her head up to gaze desperately at Rippedsky.  "W..what happened?!"  Not giving her adoptive father the chance to answer, she turned to her sister Mintpaw, and hissed;  "Do something!  Fix him, help him!  You're a medicine cat aren't you?  Why aren't you treating him!?"  Giving the body a nudge with her nose, she yowled;  "He came back to life before, why is it taking so long now?"

Night's green eyes grew glossy as he caught sight of Crowstar's body, and he lowered his head in sorrowful respect.  Flicking his tail to Frost, as if to say 'I'll be right back', he approached the leader's body and bent his head to touch his nose to Crowstar's fur, murmuring his last words.  "I am so sorry that I wasn't here to defend you Crowstar, I will never be able to thank you enough for accepting me and my Tribemates into your clan..."  Raising his head, he spoke out loud for all of the gathered cats to hear.  "He was a good leader...may he find good hunting and swift running among the stars."

The battle was over. Firpaw glanced back to Moonlight as she crouched at the entrance of the nursery, watching the fight anxiously. At long last, the two dogs made their escape, bruised and bloodied. However, something told her that the clan shouldn't celebrate their enemy's defeat; her Clanmates were gathering around the medicine den. With a seed of dread sprouting in her heart, she cautiously approached, the scent of blood and death growing ever stronger. The apprentice stretched to peer over cats' heads, catching a glimpse of something terrible. Someone was dead. Fur bristling, she gently pressed past the grieving, paws trembling as the still form of Crowstar came into view. With how everyone else was reacting, her fears were confirmed. He had lost his last life. 'No, no, no, no , no!' It was like losing Pansyface all over again. She found herself pressed against Fernpaw, her late mentor's daughter, fixing her with a shaky, mournful look. He was gone. Her reddening eyes found Cloudroar, jumping as she felt his cry. She couldn't bear to see him like that, but... she couldn't move. The moment embedded itself into her mind's eye.


With the nursery safe, Scorchbranch was about to breath a sigh of relief until the collective cries of SkyClan reached his ears. 'Crowstar.' Limping slowly, his glazing eyes rested on the lifeless form of the tom. The tom that had given him a second chance, allowed him to return home despite his condition, and given him shelter through the harsh Leafbare. Crowstar appeared to be asleep. Asleep, but covered in stinking blood. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. He'd experienced the death of Silentstar. The black tom would not come back. When he opened them, all he could see was the mangled form of the cowardly dog that'd done him in. Filled with fury, he took it by the scruff, dragged it through the hole in the den, and threw it with all his might. The elder was so full of adrenaline that the blood-splattered corpse actually flew for a moment before landing in a crumpled heap beneath a tree. With the anger draining away, the emotional weight of what happened forced him to collapse. "Dung-eating, StarClan-forsaken..." He hissed before his frail voice broke. Rough coughs shook his chest. What now? Choked sobs escaped him. What would they do after this?

OoC: Heck guys

Echoflame who had fought long and hard with her clanmates, had caught the end of Crowstar's death. Time seemed to slow as Crowstar laid there. The battle with the fox had only been moons ago, so he would get up. Right? Right?? RIGHT?? But he wasn't. Screeching, Echoflame hurled her way through the crowd, shoving cats out of her way. Crowstar had just been talking to her. Crowstar was her best friend. Her mentor. He had faith in her and her abilities. This couldn't be happening! "Crowstar!" she cried into his bloody fur, her head whirling in ways she couldn't understand. She felt dizzy, thoughts of her kits completely forgotten. She was a horrible mother, but Crowstar was dead. "Wake up! Now, Crowstar, now!" she could hardly breathe, her spotted black and white pelt was moving rapidly up and down in hyperventilation.

Mintpaw stumbled towards Crowstar as the dogs fled, whiskers trembling as she struggled to hold back a wail of grief. Her world was crumbling. She should've saved him.
"M-may you find g-great peace in Starclan." She murmured quietly, nosing the leader's fluffy black fur. The taupe apprentice's vision blurred as more tears streamed down her face, taking a shaky breath. Crowstar was with Pansyface now, looking down on all of them. Why couldn't she feel happy? He was finally at rest, and he had lived the lives of nine warriors. He had lead Skyclan through the best and the worst.
And now he was gone. Until Mintpaw herself joined him in the stars, Crowstar was gone.
The small apprentice choked back a sob as a familiar voice caught her attention over all the cries of her Clanmates. Her large ears pricked and she turned towards her sister, murky eyes wide with shock. She had never seen Fernpaw like this. Even after Mintpaw's ceremony, she had never spoken to her in that tone. "F-f-fix him?" She mewed weakly, her voice trembling. "F-Fernpaw... I-I can't. It's... it's t-too late. I... I'm s-sorry."
"You're a medicine cat aren't you?"

Mintpaw could barely hold herself together now. She sniffed loudly and took another deep breath, turning once again towards Crowstar. "We'll hold a vigil tonight."

The tears wouldn't stop.

It didn't matter how much Ripplepaw willed them to. Little rivers appeared in her face, salty water running down her cheeks constantly, dripping into her fur and mingling with the dried blood. She let out a choked little sob, curling up into a tighter ball, until she couldn't bear to just sit here and do nothing. She uncurled her tight little circle, standing up and stretching. She quickly rubbed her face on the moss, trying to get the tracks from her face, before taking a deep breath and striding out of the apprentice den. The sight of Crowstar's limp body only brought on a fresh wave of tears. Well, she had to do something to preoccupy herself, or she would go mad. She cast a glance around, and her eyes fell upon the wrecked walls of the medicine den. Maybe helping to rebuild it would take her mind off of her fallen leader. She padded up to Mintpaw, gently pressing her pelt against the medicine cat apprentice. "Mintpaw?" She mewed softly, pleased at how steady she managed to keep her voice. "W-would you like some help rebuilding your den?" She asked gently. Ripplepaw almost felt like more tears were on the way, but blinking furiously kept them at bay. For now. She resolved to look anywhere but the fluffy black body on the ground.

Brokenpaw had been gone all day. He had woken up in quite a mood, thinking about how he wished he could have any other family that wasn't clan cats. Instead being stuck in a system of ego-minded warriors, and walls of territory that would forever be kept mostly to protect one set of cats from another, rather than to have any real peace and freedoms.

Lazing in the top of a tree, he had fallen asleep, but was awoken by the noises coming from what must have been Skyclan camp. It was wrong though, it was very very wrong, he knew instantly. This realization terrified him to the core, and he felt frozen. He thought about going back to the camp right away, he knew he should, but something was very wrong, and very wrong with him. Brokenpaw began moving through the branches of the forest coming closer to camp, but still keeping a distance. There was so much noise, and it was all so horrible, but he couldn't make out anything clearly, there was simply too much. And the smell, he had only known it once before. During his training, that smell had come close to them alongside a two-legger; and Rippedsky had led him away immediately, for he had been so newly apprenticed still. But he knew the name- dog. Could what he think was happening really be the case? Dogs near Skyclan camp? He had never heard of such an attack before. In terror, Broken truly froze in his position somewhat away from the camp still, unsure of himself, and more conflicted on what to do than he had ever been in his life.

Brokenpaw sat, that's what he did, he sat while it continued. Finally, when the noises died down, a new sound emerged that turned him even colder, but also sparked his desire to move. Crying...no wailing. This was not a fortunate end to whatever had happened. Of course the warriors would have suffered from this, it would not have been a simple fight; he was scared for Rippedsky, scared of how he would find him. Finally, he bounded toward Skyclan camp, angry at himself, but also realizing as an apprentice they couldn't have expected him to be helpful. Or so he hoped.

All of a sudden he realized the dogs had not simply been near the camp, they had been inside! Oh Stars no! Who could still be alive? Even worse, who was it that was dead or dying? Brokenpaw thought of Tinypaw, and began to sob as he jumped faster. He hadn't worried for her until he realized the dogs had been inside. There she definitely could have been killed. Please, he thought, please let her be outside the camp in one of her hiding places. He was just outside camp, he could smell the blood and death. Oh no, what had he done by staying away. What if he could have helped Ripped or Tinypaw, and instead he had been too scared to do anything. Just this morning he had been contemplating how he hated the clans, how he wanted freedom and a different family. Now Broken realized in his daydreams, he had let down the only family he did care about.

He took a deep breath, to subside his sobs, and clear his eyes so he could find Tiny and Ripped. Then he slowly padded into the camp. Blood. There was blood everywhere, the grass was slick with it, and it had mixed with dirt to make sloppy piles of torn mud. He smelled the dogs, dying, bleeding out. The next thing he recognized was the mass of shapes huddled and wailing near a body. Oh gods, whose body? Whose was it? He didn't find out right away because he recognized Tinypaw as he got closer to the mass. He bounded to her, and smelled the blood on her haunches. "Tinypaw!", he screeched, the tears resuming. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I...I..." What could he say? Tell her that he was gone all day, spewing hateful thoughts about the clans? That he knew what was happening and had stayed away? Tell her how horribly he had failed her..his clan..himself..Ripped? Rippedsky! He still didn't know if he was alive!