Welcome to Starclan, Mottledspark.

Sootcloud watched it all happen. The fury unfolded in front of his eyes. He wanted to rush up to them and explain. Its a disease! Mottledspark did nothing. He saved me.. But he couldn’t. He was a Starclan cat now. He let out s yowl that he could only hear. Did Flurryshine really think this? He stiffened as Mottledspark commented on his real mother. No.. Mottledspark no.. He was simply a shadow just watching. What killed him the most was that he can’t stop it. And it happened. Sootcloud rushed over to the edge of the gorge. His jaws snapping besides Flurryshines, that would do nothing but it’s an isntict to save someone you love. He watched Mottledspark fall, his eyes glued to his friends body. He heard the bushes rattle and peeled his gaze away from Mottledspark. Fourryshine? She’s.. Leaving. He thought with disgust. He let out at hiss and made his way down to the bottom of the gorge. He ran along the river, closest to the wall where it was the most shallow. ”Mottledspark!” He called out his friends name, not able to find his body.

Between the blackness of his vision, the water, and the swimming feeling in his head, Mottledspark wasn't certain where he was or how long he was there. He remembered falling - a misstep on his part, or had he been forced? - and hitting the gorge wall several times before he hit the water. He remembered the cold torrents of the river tossing his limp body through its depths like a leaf. He had been racked with pain, but somehow his body had barely felt attached to him. Over time that had faded, but the feeling of cold, wet blackness remained.

He wasn't certain where he was or how long he was there.

But then, a voice - so close but so distant - broke through the strange muffled silence.

The RiverClan warrior felt something like awareness again, and though the blackness around him felt like thick fog he found that when he tried instinctively to churn his paws, he propelled himself forwards towards a light. The light softly fadded in and out as if Mottledspark were looking up through the water, and as he began to realize that he could now move freely again he began to paddle his paws harder and harder until he was practically soaring through the river - or, well, whatever was surrounding him.

Mottledspark broke the surface. At least, that was what it felt like to him. In reality, his spirit had simply crossed, freed from his body and beckoned by the call of StarClan. The large tortoiseshell tom continued to swim forward until his paws touched the riverbed. He blinked several times against the light around him as he gathered his feet underneath him, standing in the strange river and slowly making his way out onto the shore. As his eyes finally focused, a familiar dark tortoiseshell pelt came into clarity. He realized what had called him up from the water - who had called him up.

"Sootcloud?" Mottledspark gasped, staring at Sootcloud in disbelief. "B-But Flurryshine said you died! A-After I left camp. How are you here...?"

Immediately the large tom's face darkened with realization. "S-Sootcloud... are we... Is this... StarClan?"

Sootcloud’s gazed licked on bubbles that floated from the depths of the river. Then he jumped up in joy as his friend emerged. He bent forward and licked his friends face. Then he drew back. ”Oh Mottledspark.. Yes. I am dead.” He paused. ”Also yes.” His voice cracked. ”Were in Starclan. But I forgive you for walking away. I knew that in your heart you didn’t want to. But you understood it was for the best.”

Mottledspark wasn't quite certain what to feel when he saw Sootcloud other than what he always felt when he saw the tom: Joy. There was so much else - confusion, concern, fear - to think about, but somehow Sootcloud seemed to matter more. The other warrior came bounding up to him and without hesitation Mottledspark accepted the affectionate, relieved licks on his scarred muzzle. In that instant all of Mottledspark's hesitation and reservations about his love for Sootcloud evaporated. The dark tortoiseshell tom nuzzled his companion in return, rubbing his face under the other tom's chin.

Their instant of happiness was short-lived, though, as Sootcloud took a step away. Mottledspark stood before his friend, desperate to understand but afraid that he knew what his friend would say. "Oh Mottledspark.. Yes. I am dead."

Mottledspark winced, his shoulders slumping slightly, eyes darkening with sorrow, as Sootcloud confirmed that he had died shortly after Mottledspark had left the camp. Immediately thoughts came rushing in, overwhelming the RiverClan tom with guilt. Flurryshine was right; I left him when he needed me most. How could I have abandoned him? He was hurting and afraid and I was just selfish... he thought miserably.

However, Sootcloud's voice spoke over Mottledspark's thoughts as if hearing them aloud, "I forgive you for walking away. I knew that in your heart you didn’t want to. But you understood it was for the best."

The dark tortoiseshell tom stared sorrowfully at his tabby love and said in a voice heavy with regret, "Oh, Sootcloud, how can you forgive me? I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that you were suffering, and I'm sorry that I left you to suffer alone." Mottledspark's hazel eyes were glassy with tears as he looked away from his friend's gaze, murmuring, "I'd never have left you had I known..."

Sootcloud purred and pushed his head under his friends head and nudgued his head to face him and backed up. ”I will always forgive you. I wasn’t alone. I had Sunpaw and Flurryshine. If Flurryshine knew I loved you she would take back what she meant.” He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He knew how he felt for Mottledspark. His emotions were clear now. He looked at Mottledspark, his eyes full of love.

Sootcloud's strong but gentle head forced its way under Mottledspark's chin, guiding his chin up. Struck by the tenderness and the determination of the movement, Mottledspark lifted his head and kept it raised as the dark tabby warrior stepped away from him again.

”I will always forgive you. I wasn’t alone. I had Sunpaw and Flurryshine," Sootcloud reassured him. "If Flurryshine knew I loved you she would take back what she meant.”

For a moment Mottledspark was wrapped up in his own racing thoughts. "I will always forgive you." How could he have ever deserved it? How could he deserve Sootcloud, always so forgiving and optimistic? "I wasn't alone." The warrior was relieved and grateful to know Sootcloud hadn't been by himself in his final moments. "I had Sunpaw and Flurryshine." Instantly the mention of Flurryshine's name brought a wave of emotions from within: anger, blame, and indignation, but also understanding, regret, and sympathy. "If Flurryshine knew I loved you she would take back what she meant.”

Mottledspark blinked several times as he stared at Sootcloud; the dark tabby tom stared back with an affectionate, meaningful gaze.

"If Flurryshine knew I loved you. . ."

The dark tortoiseshell tom leaped at Sootcloud, bowling the other warrior over with affectionate nuzzles and nudges. Mottledspark was choked with purrs as he lovingly rasped his tongue over Sootcloud's face and ears. He managed to purr, "I love you, too."

Sootcloud’s fur puffed up and his body became ridged with shock. But instantly calmed down as he felt Mottledsparks young rasping over his corse fur. ”I love you, too” He had said. He let out a sign and took a deep breath. He laid on his back and looked into Mottledsparks eyes purring and blinking softly. His purrs grew louder as he licked Mottledsparks nose and said. ”Flurryshine was just misunderstood. Do you think she’d try to keep us away from each other is she knew” He swallowed. ”We loved each other?”

Mottledspark could feel little else but relief and joy for a moment. Sootcloud returned his affection, relaxing, and the two lay on the ground for a moment embracing each other. In that instant, all Mottledspark could think of was the smell of Sootcloud's fur, the sound of his reverberating purrs, and the heart-melting look of love in his glimmering amber eyes. The other warrior's coat, which had always been sleek and smooth, shimmered with starlight, making him look even more brilliant than before. Sootcloud gave Mottledspark's nose a lick, and Mottledcloud pressed forehead against's Sootclouds, their purrs loud enough to echo on the walls of the Gorge. Well, at least in his head.

They enjoyed that few moments of soaking in each other's newly, proudly professed love, and then Sootcloud broke the silence, remarking, "Flurryshine was just misunderstood."

For a moment, some part of Mottledspark protested. His purring paused momentarily. The first thing Mottledspark remembered was the look of absolute hatred on Flurryshine's face as she decided to strike at him. They were Clanmates, yet she had blamed him for Sootcloud's illness and subsequent death.

"Do you think," Sootcloud continued, "she’d try to keep us away from each other if she knew... we loved each other?"

Mottledspark sighed and rested his head on the ground, staring into StarClan's unfamiliar but still comforting sky. It's my sky, now. Who knew the warrior ancestors had stars they look up at, too? He remembered, too, the one instant of terror on her face. She had reached after him as he'd fallen over, though he hadn't realize it at the time. He had heard his own yowling, but perhaps some of the echos in the Gorge were actually from Flurryshine crying out in despair after him. After a moment, Mottledspark replied, "I think she knew. When she found me by the Gorge, she asked how I could have left you - that she thought I cared about you." The dark tabby tom closed his eyes and continued, "I think she was grieving. I think she needed answers where there weren't any, and I was the closest cat to blame. I get it." Mottledspark rolled over onto his belly, his side pressed against Sootcloud's. "And besides... no one can keep us apart up here." He licked his mate's neck affectionately.