For Better or for Worse, I'll Be There [closed]

With Mistwalker graduating to the rank of a warrior, Dustcloud wasn't seeing him around as much as she would like to. It was an issue that she intended to fix as quickly as she could, as she'd told Oakstar before. Though she'd never tell him, she missed the days when he was an apprentice and she got to take him out into the thickets of trees to train and hunt. Her love for the tom was astounding, and it was something that was absolute and never-ending; she would die for him. That being said, she was struggling with how little she saw him. If she was lucky, she'd get a placing glance or a, "Hi mom," but for the most part, they hardly interacted.

And it was crushing.

Now, though, she saw the perfect opportunity for the three of them- Mistwalker, Oakstar, and herself- to spend a little time together. The sky was turning a beautiful shade of crimson an everything was finally beginning to wind down. The evening patrol had just returned, and all three of them were within camp. Padding up to the grey tom, she resisted the urge to nuzzle his cheek when she approached. "M-Mistwalker, hello." She greeted with a nod of her head, sitting down beside him. With a flick of her ear, she motioned for Oakstar to join them near the entrance to the camp, and perhaps they could just chat for a while as the sun sank below the horizon.

Mistwalker had gotten quite used to being a warrior. Sure, he didn't see his Momtor as often, but they had all their lives in the same camp. Sunset was his second favorite time of day - Dawn being the first, of course. It was when the world cooled down in a paradoxical firey blaze of glory, just before Silverpelt became visible.

When Dustcloud approached and sat by him, his ears pricked up subconsiously. "Hello, Momtor." She had always had a stutter for his entire life. It was just one of the things he lived about his mother.

Nettlepaw paced around tightly in a corner of the camp, as she often did these days. It was both a symptom of her deep seated restlessness at not being able to leave camp and do her regular duties and a way for her to keep up her strength and energy up so when she was fully finished with her recovery, she would be ready to get back to it right away. That day was coming soon, too, she could feel it-- she was almost ready to go back out there. To finally become a warrior like she should of before the accident.

She paused a moment, looking with frustration and a fleck of sadness at the burn scars lacing her legs and back.

As she walked, circling, she saw in the corner of her eye her mother and brother, together. Over the past few moons, she hadn’t spoken much with any of her family, certainly not as much as she used to. It just felt...too painful, for different reasons. Seeing her brother was a reminder of the time she had lost due to her injury, of the fact that she should have already joined him in warriorhood. Of the fact that it often felt like the world had moved ahead and left her behind. And her parents...well, she was just scared that any time she looked in their eyes she would find pity staring back at her. And that was the last thing she wanted, anyone’s pity.

But she couldn’t avoid them forever. She loved them too much for that. And now was just as good a time as any to reconnect.

“Mom,” she said, approaching her mother and brother. “Mistwalker. Hi. It's been a while since we all talked together, hasn't it?"  

The sunset patrol was exhausting. Oakstar felt a distinct burn in his limbs as he padded back into ThunderClan’s camp. He had taken on an extra patrol in an attempt to contribute just a little bit more. Now his chest and legs ached as he stumbled in on weary limbs. His amber eyes looked for Dustcloud’s familiar comforting pelt. What he saw made him pause.

His family.

It had been a long time since his family had gathered together. A smile on his maw, he approached the group with a purr. Aches forgotten as he pushed them away to spend time with them. The family he would move the stars to defend as he settled down next to Nettlepaw. A proud smile on his muzzle as he nudged her affectionately.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise" He meowed calmly, gaze on Nettlepaw for a moment. "Have your wounds been healing well, Nettlepaw?" He asked, glancing over at her wound for a moment despite not being able to tell if it was truly healed. He hoped so, the sooner it was, meant she could go back to being the adventurous young apprentice she was meant to be. Even better, it meant he’d be allowed to take her out on patrol again.

"As soon as Mossbloom clears you, we can go and hunt near the fallen oak." He purred, then turned towards the rest of his family. "Perhaps tomorrow, we can all go hunting… but..." He looked at Dustcloud. Amber eyes meeting blue as they softened and gestured upwards. "Dustcloud… do you think they are ready?" He asked, a secretive smile in his features.

An affectionate purr erupted from Dustcloud’s throat as Nettlepaw approached Mistwalker and herself from across camp. Her daughter was yet another figure that she didn’t seem to see often, though whether it was a coincidence or not was up for debate. The burn scars that both if them held across their pelts were a symbol of strength, in Dustcloud’s opinion. She supposed as a young apprentice, she was inclined to hate them. They kept her from performing like a normal apprentice was and delayed her ceremony. As she got older, though, Dustcloud hoped that Nettlepaw would see them as proof of the hardships she’d endured, and turn her shame and disdain into pride.

When her mate approached, Dustcloud’s purring got even louder, and she nuzzled his cheek with the top of her head as he took up a spot next to her. Her expression faltered slightly when the word “but” left Oakstar’s maw, but his next words and a soft gesture upward revealed to her exactly what he was talking about. Joy shot through her veins at the mere suggestion, showing through on her face as she smiled and nodded her head. ”I’m th-thinking we m-may need to ask o-ourselves the same qu-question.” Her joke was accompanied by a gentle chuckle as she got to her paws, flicking her tail slightly as a way of encouraging the others to do the same.

Mistwalker stood in confusion. "Ready for what?" His parents weren't keeping secrets, were they? He let the worry leave. His kits would be here soon; a worried father was not ideal. Mistwalker let his fur flatten, though he feared a flicker of distrust had shown on his face. Ridiculous.

“Yes, what exactly do we need to be ready for?” Nettlepaw said, echoing her brother’s statement. She was not particularly a fan of secrets or surprises, even well-intentioned ones, but even so, these were her parents-- and this was the first time she had talked with them both in a while-- so she would humor them nonetheless. Whatever they were referring to, she trusted them enough to assume it was nothing bad.