The Day the World Moved [November Gathering 2022]

Swiftheart awoke in her nest as it got soaked. She had somehow slept through the initial shaking since she was a pretty deep sleeper and she thought maybe it was just a clanmate shaking around next to her or soemthing.  But water getting all over the den was what did it.

She jumped up shocked looking down at the water pooling around her paws just still for a bit unable to move.

This was all to familar to the flood they had just gotten out of.  Terrified the warrior queen ran out of the warriors den.  It was complete chaos out here, cats running all over the place trying to help others get out in time as the water continued to slowly rise.  She immediately went to the elders den searching for her mate.  She had meant to join him in the elders den for sleeping anyways to stay with him so he wouldnt be lonely.  It had just been so recent to his ceromony that she hadnt moved her nest over yet.

Reaching the den she looking frantically inside "Duskflight!?" she called for him.  He wasnt in here and no one else was either.

Her ears flicked hearing her name called, that was him! She ran back out of the den and spotted him.  Running to his side through the icky swamp water she reached him. "Im here!" she mewed frantically totally stressed out.

"have you seen our kits? ... what about fuzzybelly, murkyhope and crowsprit, batpaw? she asked worriedly looking around trying to find them.  She heard her brother saying to find a partner and move towards 4trees and to follow the scent of moth and hare.

Ears dropping she was so hesitiate to leave camp before knowing where everyone was but the water was getting deeper and deeper and staying behind too long put Duskflight at risk.  Hissing frustrated she helped her mate towards the camp exit.  She knew that recently he had the fox fight that ended up being the reason for his retirment, his wounds were probably still sore.  She helped him the best she could supporting him and letting him lean on her as they tried to navigate the muck. It was difficult because you couldnt see where your paws were going the murky water clouding over the camp ground.

please be okay please let everyone make it out of this

(OOC: ahhh oh my gosh!! 1500 posts! What a way to reach that milestone. Thank you everyone for such an awesome time here. 2k here we come!)

Redpaw watched everyone below him scramble... and couldn't help but find the commotion in camp kind of hilarious. His fear and anger was gone in an instant, watching everyone scramble about beneath him in pure terror. He started to laugh, unapologetically and everyone zipping around and yelling. A kit suddenly joined him on his branch and the red apprentice granted him a quick glance. "Well done, you, for taking care of yourself!" His compliment was genuine, however inappropriate. His eyes went back to the panicked camp below him. Nightstar wanted them to go to Fourtrees? Redpaw would have just gone himself if he had known the way. He would be content to follow... snickering all the way.

Echomist was a little slow on the uptake with all of the commotion going on around him. The sudden movements of the earth, the water rising out of no where it seemed.. Their poor camp. They just finished getting settled once again and now? Now it was ruined once again. Green eyes looked around the camp noting what others were doing. The spotted tom wanted to make sure he helped the stragglers. The sound of laughing caught the toms attention, and ears folded downwards as he turned to look up at Redpaw and Fallowkit... What was he laughing about?

"Get down from there and follow the rest to the fourtrees." The tom said flatly leaving no room for argument, before he rose up on hind paws to pluck Fallowkit from the tree trunk. "The further from the marsh we get the better off we will be." He said through the kits scruff. Echomist took one last look around before exiting the camp himself, careful of the mud and water to make the way to fourtrees.

Harechaser had turned, mentally preparing herself to wade through the muck and debris, when Crowspirit's voice caught her attention. Relieved that her niece seemed to be relatively safe, she turned, pressing forward to press against her silvery pelt briefly. "You're okay," She breathed, "I'm fine- Can't say much for camp, again." Another shiver ran through her with Crowspirit's question, "It felt like the earth was moving... I don't know if it'll be as bad as last time, I really hope not. The sooner we get out of her and towards drier ground, the better." She mewed. Grimly, she turned forward again, "Find your mother. Mothcatcher and I will find a path forward."

With the clan marching out of camp, their paws sinking into the marshes, Nightstar dutifully carried Cicadakit and Amberkit in his jaws. His mind raced, and anger continued to thrum through his veins as they followed the scent trails Harechaser and Mothcatcher were leaving behind. In the distance, and sometimes eerily close, the sound of trees creaking, and the sucking sound of roots pulling themselves from muddied, sodden soil could be heard. The tom kept pace with Leopardsun, the young deputy sticking close, but not too close to get stuck in the marsh as he did. Nightstar grumbled, annoyed that he had stepped in mud that had claimed his black legs like a badger snapping its teeth around him. Leaning forwards, Nightstar gently rested the kits at Leopardsuns paws, "Grab them for me, just keep them warm for a moment." It was then, that a tree started the creak and the sound of tree roots freeing from the sopping soil released from the ground.

Nightstar struggled, looking up as he was only just getting his back legs free from the muck. His eyes widened with fear and horror, a yowl dying in his throat as the pine careened towards him.

CRASH

Blood spurted from where Nightstar had just been, the sound of cracking bone only evident to the cats close to him.

8 Lives Remaining

The shift was sudden as Nightstar got stuck for a moment, Leopardsun sweeping up Marshmallow's kits on instinct to keep them as safe and dry as she could. She was about to speak, but could only watch helplessly as a tree fell from the sky and crashed into ShadowClan's leader. Her heart skipped a beat, momentarily forgetting the truth every kit knew- that leaders have nine lives, not one, to risk for their Clan; for a moment, she was panicked-

(Of course she had a moment of doubt: Murkystar had died only once that she knew, and returned so briefly as a spirit; Froststar had wasted away in SkyClan. )

And wasn't it understandable, that she was panicked as Nightstar's blood splashed her face and the kits as well?

(There were kits carried in her jaws, no way for the wordless scream that echoed in her mind to leave it.)

A moment passed, and she was still. Another, and she allowed herself to blink.

Nightstar would stand any moment now... Right? She couldn't afford to drop the kits, but she wouldn't be able to free him from where she was trapped alone, and she couldn't call for help.

Should she just press on?

ShadowClan's deputy stayed where she was, frozen in indecision; silently signaling for help from any other cats nearby.

Sablestrike jolted awake at his sister's warning. "Danger? Wait, what do you mean?" Lighttail had left the den long before he could finish his sentence. Was that water coming into the den? Lighttails words finally clicked in his head, forcing Sablestrike out of the den and into the camp. His eyes blurred in the light, making it near impossible to see anything. Even without the use of his vision, Sablestrike knew exactly where the apprentice's den was. Peeking his head into the den, Sablestrike called out for Burnpaw, letting any other apprentices that might still be in there hear his warning. Then he heard laughing. Pulling himself out of the den, he looked around for the source. His eyes focused as they fell on the form of a cat in a tree, two? "Redpaw." The name came as a growl. While his clan was evacuating, the apprentice was climbing a tree and laughing at them? Echomist was too kind to Redpaw, if Sablestrike had been the one to respond his words would not have been as kind. Sablestrike followed the others out of camp, staying behind the main cluster of cats to make sure none strayed too far from their path. "Gah, how do the other clans live like this?" His eyesight was getting better, but it still blurred. The sounds of the territory only made things worse, his anxiety rising. Picking up the pace, Sablestrike sought to find his leader, or deputy, whichever came first. Nightstar's voice finally sounded, but what did he want grabbed? Blinking furiously, Sablestrike finally managed to unblur his vision, at the same moment the tree fell, and everything seemed to go still. The cracking of bones, the splattering of blood, this wasn't happening. Panic set him into motion as he made his way around the tree, struggling to keep himself out of the mud. "Leopardsun, don't just stand there, do something!" His call was ragged as the young warrior started to push against the tree.

"Alright little ones you're coming with me." Harrierpaw snatched up Applekit and Sunkit by their scruffs, both tiny enough to be carried at the same time. She let Nightstar take the lead, little more than a reed-length behind and stopping only when he did as his back legs got sucked into a particularly stubborn part of the mud. The apprentice took it as a sign to pause so she wouldn't get sucked in as well. The sound of tree roots snapping echoed the area, but of snap in particular was much louder.

She watched as a tree finally caved, breaking free of the rushing water. It was like everything else but the tree had slowed, forcing her to watch in horror as it came crashing down on Nightstar.

Crack. A sound much different than the sound of roots before it. That was the unmistakable sound of bones being crushed coupled only by the warm splashes of blood that pierced her already wet fur.

The apprentice looked on as Sablestrike frantically pushed against the tree, unable to set the kits down even though she so desperately wanted to run to her leaders aid. Harrierpaw truly thought this was the end for the tom. And she felt.

Sick.

Swiftheart was very relived that Crowspirit was here too. But where was Murkyhope? She looked around but so far still did not see her.

She was busy helping duskflight move forward through all the mud and muck and glad to have crowspirit here as well now. That was when a loud crack sounded. All heads seemed to turn and watch as a giant tree was tipping. Her brother was right underneath! What was he doing there MOVE!!

She panicked watching the whole thing in slow motion it felt like but she could do nothing to prevent it.

It hit her littermate dead on, she stood there shocked for a couple long seconds as her mate and daughter both rushed to the tree to help the leader escape it.

She felt numb, surely he would come back right?

She had more faith than Leopard since she was able to see her mother (Murkystar) come back to life from a badger attack but extra lives... could be finicky at times as well. Murkystar had died when having her last litter and she had more than one life at that time.

he wasnt gone. He couldnt be she told herself. She felt tears welling up as she chased after her mate and daughter.

Sable was with them as well now all trying to push and get him free.

She joined the effort but was so scared of what they would find.

"no .. nooo Night come back! she whimpered

Her Clanmates gathered around, and Leopardsun realized something: she still had her paws. She couldn't push with her full weight, not with the delicate newborn kits, but she could still help; she wasn't alone now. She didn't charge forward the way she wanted to, but she shoved the tree with all her strength, careful not to drop them in the process.

Nightstar would come back, or else- at least as far as she was concerned- he would have a lot to answer for. If she could find a way, she'd drag him back from the stars herself.

---

Thalia didn't realize what had happened at first, not until the cats around her had doubled back for something or other and she followed. Nightstar's body was trapped beneath a fallen tree, and she paused for a split second at the sight of all the blood. Then she pushed through it: he wasn't dead, or he was but hopefully not for too much longer. She charged forward to join in moving the tree, a task no one warrior could have managed on their own.

Snowpaw hobbled along, struggling to put one paw in front of the other. Navigating this muck was hard enough for the able-bodied warriors, but with an injured leg she was finding it near-impossible. She leaned on the silver cat who’d come to get her for support.

Lighttail wasn’t doing any better emotionally than her mother was physically and mentally. She’d completely shut down, moving on logical thought alone. She couldn’t feel. If she did, she’d break down crying as her mother (who didn’t even know her) leaned on her for support. All she could do was stand stock-still and stare as the world fell apart. Nightstar was trapped under a tree. Several other cats, including Sablestrike, were already trying to free him, but she knew they could use all the paws they could get. Trying to be mindful of her injuries, she heaved Snowpaw onto her back and moved forward to help push. Her mother was lighter than she’d expected. Was it just the adrenaline? Or had Snowpaw been seriously losing weight?

It was with the combined efforts of Shadowclan that the tree rolled off of Nightstar, revealing the black tom half-submerged in the muck, blood pooled at the leader's mouth. Though by the time they had gotten the tree off, most of the damage had knit itself back together, leaving an open wound across his back but much less grievous than one might expect. But he did not get up.

While Nightstars physical body lay motionless in the marshes, the tom spiritually was back in Starclans plains. A groan escaped the tom's mouth before it silenced itself, out of surprise. The ache and crushing weight of a tree on top of him were not present. Nightstar blinked, panic settling in quickly and swiftly like the waters that had swept his clan away just mere moons ago. He was dead! But he still had his nine lives right? He'd come back surely? "Hello?" Perhaps, he should be comforted by the fact that he was not being swarmed by Starclan, that they were not greeting him as if he would now be amongst them.

His growing panic ebbed and rose, over and over again, unsure of how to feel, until he saw a familiar form approach him. Was that... Batglow?

"Nightstar, it is too soon. But worry not, you'll be amongst your clanmates again soon." Batglow meowed, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Nightstar gave a sigh of relief, as he padded up and met his uncle halfway. "Not soon enough." He meowed sternly, his amber gaze steely. Thankfully, almost as soon as he had gotten there, Batglows nose was at his forehead, and the tom felt himself melt away like ice water until searing heat hit every bit of him.

The leader's eyes opened with a flash, a big crackly gasp following as Nightstar awoke. Coughing violently, the tom's blood hit the ground this time, instead of any cat's face. Everything hurt, he felt like every bit of him got shattered and mended again, and perhaps some of that had some truth. It took some passing moments, for Nightstar to re-realize what had happened, and all of the cats that were now gathered around them, their expressions fearful, scared, sad. "It- It'll take a lot more than a tree, to kill me. Nightstar never dies." Nightstar sneered, his voice crackly and hoarse as he looked up at his clan. Humour on his tongue despite obviously having been crushed in front of his entire clan. Coming back from death really tickled him, as well as the feeling of static in his limbs as he was slowly gaining use of everything.