a change of faces [c]

Duskflight

Swiftheart's litter had pained him to observe, how much they resembled his friend.. And yet, it wasn't just them who had reminded him. Near the middle of the camp, a lone tabby kit gazed to the stars. Snowfoot's kit. He bore the same name as his daughter, now no longer present. Yet they looked so painfully alike.

Deerkit.

Though he'd have to embrace the truth. They weren't the same cat. Nor was any of Swiftheart's kits the same as his friends', no matter how alike. They're different. No matter the origins, his friends would live in his heart... Separately. Now, these were unique, different cats. With a smile, the black tom would quietly approach the young tom.

"Aren't the stars interesting, Deerkit? I hope I didn't scare you. I'm Duskflight."

Duskflight

Setting himself down, the warrior tilted his head. "Hm, well.. Personally, I don't think they really 'stand' in the nightsky at all. To me, above the stars, they float." His memory went back to his first Moonstone journey, before speaking again. "Well... When I visited StarClan on my Moonstone Journey, though, they walked with the starry plains. StarClan almost seemed unreal, then. But they are true." Duskflight smiled.

The kit continued to watch the stars, not glancing at him. Kits were... surely puzzling. "And for how trees stand in the sky, I don't think I understand your question." He chuckled. "Though if it's how they stand tall, facing the sky..? I suppose nature simply grows that way. Maybe Basilbloom, or Fuzzypaw will have a better answer than I do. They know more about both StarClan and nature."

Duskflight

Naturally, Duskflight assumed that was all that the kit had wanted to know about StarClan and.. the trees. He didn't understand Deerkit's questions, not exactly. "Hmm, being a warrior?" How could he ever express it...? "The beginning of becoming a warrior is maturing, first off. By then, you'd already understand more of what this world is like. Your apprenticeship plays a very important role in who you are later in life, so pay attention, Deerkit." He spoke, honestly.

"It's not always a smooth journey. Things will be harder each step, with new challenges every day for you to face. But sometimes, it feels unchanging, too." He took a moment to breathe in. "Not everyone sees warriorhood the same as I might, but that's also up to you to decide for yourself, Deerkit. However, that is what being a warrior is like, for me."

He felt his throat tightening, for a small moment before he relaxed again. It's realizing that everything comes at a cost, whether or not you'll realize it. That not everything you can rely on StarClan to help guide you through.