Brother's Forever [CLOSED]

Aspenstrike sat close to the nursery as he usually did. Whenever he was in camp he enjoyed sticking close to his kits. Even if one was in the Apprentice's den already. They were growing up so fast, everything was just a blur. He worried for his children now, the red sun was concerning. Jaystar was just getting - disconnected he felt. His uncle was missing, his father hated his uncle. Family trouble just... he hated it. Now he had a family of his own. He couldn't let that happen. He wanted to keep his family together but it was so difficult... Just thinking about it made him tired.

Lightpaw trudged in from just outside the camp where he had been fortiying some of the reed walls that helped protect the camp from bad weather and flooding. Despite his sleek oiled fur from his fish-eating diet, the work was cold and he felt thoroughly drenched. The old apprentice wanted little more than to groom himself and curl up for a nap in his warm nest. Upon seeing his brother, Aspenstrike, sitting outside the nursery looking pensive, however, Lightpaw furrowed his brow with concern and padded over to him.

The white tom greeted his tabby brother with an affectionate head-butt to the shoulder. Lightpaw then sat beside him, asking about the kits and queen in the nursery, "How are they doing?" Lightpaw's love for his kin matched his brother's, and though he hadn't yet asked outright how Aspenstrike was feeling about the discontent in their family, he had a feeling that they were sharing similar fears.

Aspenstrike smiled when he felt a familiar headbutt to his shoulder. His eyes looked down upon the pure white pelt of his brother, Lightpaw. "They're getting along all right. One of Flurryshine's kits, Icekit- well now Icepaw, went to the nursery a few sunris-" Suddenly remembering the sun hadn't quite risen or set for what felt like a long while, he frowned "A little while ago. He's the pure white one with amber and blue eyes."

He shook his long fur, feeling a cool breeze approach him in camp. "Flurryshine is getting on well with the rest of the kits." He looked to his brother, a serious expression on his normally quite happy face. "Lightpaw... haven't you noticed - well, changes in the family lately. I know that some of this might be caused by the sun going missing but just so much has happened. Grandfather seems so horribly stressed by this entire ordeal. Cinderfall is still missing, and father seems to not even care! I don't understand how Stormstrike could just disown his kin that way." A familiar smile then returned to his lips "Well, at least we're alright. I know that we haven't talked much as of late, but you mean the world to me Lightpaw. I'll never disown you like Stormstrike did to Cinderfall. We're family, family sticks together." He headbutted his brother on the shoulder back. He should've been a warrior like him by now. The stars weren't shining though, or perhaps Jaystar was apprehensive about doing it. He didn't know...

His eyes looked to the starless sky, the ominous red hue still coming down as if it were a large sort of mist covering them all. "Why do you think Lichenmask did it. Why would Starclan give him all of this power? He doesn't deserve it. He's not worthy. All he's done is hurt cats with it. Shadowclan must be in great mourning over Littlestar's early death. She didn't need to die this early, she was still a new leader from what I know. Yet with all of his power-" He flexed his claws in the dirt beneath his paws "He couldn't find a single good thing to do with it." His seriousness had returned, his eyes looking only to the sky. His voice had a tinge of sadness and disappointment. Couldn't Starclan do anything better than that? His mother was up there! He hoped she had tried to do something- anything!

Lightpaw listened to his brother with interest - he recalled Icepaw's ceremony - and also fought a grimace of understanding and sympathy when his brother hesitated over describing the passing of time. There was a strange, ominous pale ring in the sky that the apprentice supposed was where the sun had been, but it was hard to tell. He found himself looking up in the sky for it, but the reeds and nearby trees blocked the way. Lightpaw felt captivated by the unnerving sky, but peeled his eyes away to focus on his brother when the tom said his name.

The unease in Lightpaw's belly grew, and he could only nod in a similar grief and confusion when Aspenstrike mentioned their family. The young white tom's suspicions had been confirmed: the brothers had both been thinking about their kin's falling out, and Lightpaw had certainly noticed his mentor, Jaystar, had been awfully busy and distant as of late. Surely having witnessed Littlestar's murder and Lichenmask's power, on top of this unnatural darkness, was grating on the tom.

However, Aspenstrike quickly moved on to praise their own relationship, and Lightpaw nodded, licking his brother's head affectionately when the tom butted him lightly. "I've been training my tail off to become a warrior, and you've been working hard to be a good warrior, mate, and father. We've both been busy, but that will never change that you are my brother. Maybe someday our kin will get their heads on straight."

The subject took a darker turn and Lightpaw looked again to the eerie sky, his brother doing the same. He had no answer for Aspenstrike, but still he meowed, "Perhaps it's corruption from the Dark Forest, like Jaystar mentioned. I just..." Lightpaw broke off, knowing he wasn't supposed to speak of the Moonstone, but he lowered his voice and leaned into his brother, asking softly, "At the Moonstone... Did you.... Did you see...?" He couldn't find the words to finish it. Sunfish.

Did Aspenstrike think their mother would support this? Or had he not gotten to meet her as he had?

Aspenstrike almost could read his brother's mind. He nodded quietly, confirming he had. He truly had discovered how much he looked like his mother. He sighed quietly, "Lightpaw, I can't help but think theres a fight coming. Theres Shade, and Lichenmask, and at least Lichenmask has cats. They could come and try to hurt the clans." He looked to his brother quietly "At least we'll go through it together. We've both got things to fight for." He watched the clearing full of cats quietly for a moment, leaning against his brother slightly. There was so much evil in the world, at least he had Lightpaw.

Aspenstrike answered Lightpaw's question, and he felt a surge of warmth move through him as he considered this to be yet another bond that solidified their brotherhood and friendship. They had both met her. Lightpaw had never known before how much his brother looked like his mother. The resemblance was odd at first, but the young white tom had known Aspenstrike much longer and much more than Sunfish, so it didn't really alter his perception.

Lightpaw nodded at his brother's anxious words, his face grim with agreement. "I don't see a peaceful way this can play out," he agreed reluctantly, "not after what they did to Littlestar." Lightpaw locked his gaze with his brother's when his brother stated they both had things to fight for. A gentle purr surged from the apprentice, for only a short time ago his mentor had said a similar thing. Lightpaw believed it. He replied confidently, "I'll always be your brother, and I'll always stand by your side." Absently, the tom wondered if his father and uncle had told each other the same thing at one point.