Consequences will never be the same (open)

The wind and snow had been relentless upon their initial foray back towards home, but today was calm. The only snow was what was already on the ground, and Sunfire had grown used to plowing through it, occasionally taking the time even to carve a path for the kits and apprentices so they didn't have to struggle for footing. What he hadn't grown used to, yet, was his missing tail. Thanks to the cold numbing practically every limb he possessed, it didn't hurt too badly, but more than once, the tom had found himself off balance and stumbling, not in control of the way his own body reacted. He'd barely made it up the tree and to Birdstar's side, and... truth be told, the prospect of climbing a tree with the way the world sometimes shifted and lurched now, was less than appealing.

Sunfire had enjoyed the lake territory, outside of the fact that everyone was miserable and sick, but now that they were headed home, it was a thing of the past - the pull to be back where he'd first drawn breath, first stepped into the sunlight, first made a kill... it was strong, and even if traveling alongside the other clans was not something he was particularly fond of, it was a necessary discomfort.

Pawsteps in the snow behind him made Sunfire's ears slick backwards, and he looked over his shoulder to see a ThunderClan she-cat approaching, eyes full of mockery. His paws came to a stop, the rest of SkyClan trudging ahead as Sunfire turned broadside to stare at Softpaw, yellow gaze narrowed. And then she spoke, mocking him - mocking his tail - and Sunfire flexed his claws into the snow. What was it with ThunderClan, always looking for a reason to bleed? It wasn't like he didn't desire to see the filth all end up in the ground, but here? Now? So close to the carnage that they'd left behind at the lake?

Simmering with undisguised hatred, the yellow tom took several steps towards and leaned in close to Softpaw, almost touching his nose to her own. But he didn't attempt to whisper or lower his voice when he spoke, "Go back to your clan, she-cat, or I'll give you a limp to match your leader's." Scooping his paw through one of the deeper snowdrifts, Sunfire aimed the clumpy powder at the apprentice's face. "Consider yourself lucky I'm allowing you to walk away. Next time I won't be so generous." And with that, he started to turn back towards his own clan.

White hot pain followed the slash of the ThunderClan apprentice's claws, the already-tender, raw wound reopened to drip freely into the snow. Sunfire screeched and whirled around, eyes blazing with fury. He'd given this insolent rat an opportunity to walk away unscathed, something that he tried very hard not to make a habit of, and this was what he got in return for his generosity? Attacked while his back was turned?

The she-cat's face was split in a grin when their eyes met again, and that served only to enrage the tom further. She thought this was a game? Well, two could play at that game, and he had absolutely no reservations about putting this imbecile in her place. Some small voice in the back of his mind urged him to sheathe his claws and let it go, that right here, right now, was not the time for bloodshed... not after all they'd just escaped, everything they'd lost already. But the red that stained the ground at their paws was his, and it was only fair that he returned the favor.

He surged forward as Softpaw spoke again, but the words that he heard were nonsensical, drowned out by the thrum of his own heartbeat. It didn't matter, anyway. Battles weren't a time to exchange words, only teeth and claws and fire and blood. Sunfire snatched Softpaw by the scruff and shook her like the rodent she was.

Sunfire used Teeth Grip on Softpaw, dealing 10 damage at the cost of 10 stamina. Softpaw is gripped for 1 turn.

Softpaw:
10/20 HP (-10)
53/60 SP

Sunfire:
59/65 HP
130/130 SP (-10)

The member 'JJ' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Effect Dice' : 2

He felt the exact moment Softpaw's cocky exterior melted away, could taste the shift in the air, the sudden fear-scent. How quickly her overconfidence had fizzled, paving way for terror and regret... Sunfire thrashed her back and forth, the feel of claws slicing at his throat drawing a sharp intake of air through his nostrils. She'd actually managed to nick him! But the pain was a mere nettle sting and he paid it little mind. Softpaw flailed helplessly, dangling from his jaws and screeching in that bizarre language.

Satisfied that he had educated her sufficiently, Sunfire released his grip on the upswing, sending the apprentice careening away from him with a dull thud. Then he looked over her still form, to the rest of ThunderClan, a baleful, threatening stare sliding between those who would meet his gaze, before he turned away and moved to return to his clan.

Sunfire used BONK! on Softpaw. Dang she seems to be way too still. Whoops.

Softpaw:
??/20 HP
53/60 SP

Sunfire:
59/65 HP
120/130 SP

The scent of blood sent a prickle down Falconmoon's spine. He fur fluffed out, his eyes dilated and his ears pinned back flat against his skull. Was this it? Was it starting?? He rushed through the trees as fast as physics could ever possibly allow. As he bound from limb to limb, the scent of blood kept leading him away from Riverclan's border... and toward Thunderclan's. His heart sank. His mind raced with possibilities, strategies, horrific images involving his family be torn to pieces.

He caught a flash of white through the breaks in the trees as he neared the border. Blood scent mingled with fear scent. Falconmoon only caught the very last of the fight between his brother and some Thunderclan apprentice. The force at which Sunfire threw her... how hard she'd hit the ground... how still she was afterward.

Apprentices were very easy to kill... he'd even accidentally killed one once in Skyclan's camp... but this? How did Sunfire not know what he'd done? "Sunfire!" He bellowed, a strange whirling mix of negative emotions choking out anything else he could have said to his brother. A growl ripped from Falconmoon's throat as a deep rage had him seeing red in a complete tunnel vision.

Without thinking of anything other than what a liability his brother had just become, Falconmoon kicked off of his branch and leaped toward Sunfire with outstretched claws. His jaws parted, aimed directly for the side of his brother's neck. He wasn't aiming for anything lethal, not with this attack at least.

The toms collided and rolled in the snow. Falconmoon acted swiftly, grabbing a mouthful of ivory and gold fur not unlike his own. Claws of one paw buried into the back of Sunfire's head and began to leave long claw marks down to the back of his shoulder blades...

But Sunfire's lack of fighting back stopped Falconmoon short. A flash of confusion amidst the fury was enough to give the blue-eyed tom pause. After a few seconds of shaking with rage and debating with himself whether or not he wanted to continue to pummel his clanmate, Falconmoon released Sunfire's neck ruff and spat out the clump of fur that had loosened in the tussle. He made an attempt to sheathe his claws, but it snagged on flesh and fur and he had to give his paw a quick tug to get them out of there. Falconmoon stared for a moment after Sunfire's flesh snapped back quickly to it's place onto his body.

His sides heaving with rage, Falconmoon had to struggle to find his voice.

"We are already on the brink of war, Sunfire! Why couldn't you just leave the apprentice alone?! Was she really such a threat to you?!" He was frothing at the mouth, eyes wild and teeth clenched together. His tail whipped back and forth, making a whoosh as it did.

"I don't want to see my kits die! I don't want them to have to experience the horrors of war and then try to put them back together afterward! How could you be so selfish?!" Falconmoon was yelling now, his voice cracking from the intensity of his emotions. They were all so eager to be heard and to escape his lips, like starving dogs trying to break through a cage for a scrap of meat.

"You are a liability, brother! If you care about this clan or anyone but yourself, you will tell Birdstar exactly what happened here and you will accept whatever your punishment will be graciously, even if it costs you your life!" His eyes flicked over to the apprentice's body, hoping against hope that she would just... move or something. But of course she didn't.

Falconmoon growled as a flash of rage overtook him once more. This time at least, he spun on the nearest tree and slashed it with all of his might, sending a chunk of bark flying off into the snow.

"Stars curse you, you foxing idiot!" Falconmoon's voice broke and shook as his eyes began to glisten. "I should just skin you alive and gift Mottlestar with your pelt. Maybe I'll give your meat to Riverclan and tell them you're Beechfang and this foxdung can all be over!" It was just enraged desperation talking, but right now, Falconmoon didn't care who he hurt... or who heard what.

Harepaw had been lingering near his father trying his best to stay out of the way of other cats. He knew he wasn't exactly useful to anyone at the moment especially considering he didn't have as much strength as the others. Gray blue eyes looked up at his father wondering what Falconmoon thought of his weak son, when something changed in the older tom's face. In a moment the tom changed from normal to fear? Anger? The golden tom couldn't quite tell, and then in a split second Falconmoon was gone.

Harepaw scrambled to his feet in shock, his legs were shaky but he didn't care. He knew that his father was a strong tom, but he didn't like the fact that he went out on his own, especially in a strange place like this. What if he got hurt? or trapped? Harepaw quickly pushed himself to follow after his father, quickly losing site of the older tom with how fast he was going. It didn't matter, he could follow his scent at his slower pace, no matter how much he hated the fact that he couldn't keep up.

A loud yell startled the apprentice. He was close. Just a little further. The golden tom pushed himself, regardless of how much his legs shook or how his body screamed at him, and in a moment Harepaw was upon them. Widen eyes watching as his father grabbed and attacked Sunfire, only to stop short a moment later, following with words. Angry words, that had Harepaw cowering in his tree. Body pressed against the trunk, as he shrunk in on himself. War. Death. Threat. Selfish. Liability.

So much in so little time... It was a lot to take in.. gray blue eyes looked over to see the still apprentice not too far from the two, and Harepaw let out a gasp.. Did Sunfire kill her in cold blood? Was it an accident? Would his father actually go as far as to kill his own brother? Just how much of these two cats was hidden from the rest of them? Were they really the same cats they saw everyday?

Harepaw stayed rooted in his spot, not daring to move in fear of being noticed by the two cats near by. He knew if he moved he risked getting heard or noticed, and while he was... fairly sure his father wouldn't do anything to him, he couldn't say the same for Sunfire. For now he crouched low on his branch, ears pressed back against his head, heart heavy as stone, trying his best to not be seen.

The little pest had been dealt with well enough... perhaps ThunderClan would teach their own apprentices from now on, so he didn't have to. The she-cat made no move to get up, and with the headache she probably had, Sunfire couldn't blame her. Not that he particularly sympathized. Slicking his ears back, he quickened his pace in an attempt to return to his clan... but movement in the trees caught his eye a split second before Falconmoon's voice ripped through the air. The yellow tom glanced upwards to see his brother in the boughs of a tree... just as the other tom kicked off the branch and aimed directly for him.

Fangs buried into the side of his neck, and the large tom grunted with the force it took to stay upright, yellow eyes wide with shock and confusion as his brother raked claws down the back of his neck. Warm blood trickled down both shoulderblades, and Sunfire hunkered down, belly to the snow, eyes squeezed shut against the onslaught. Some instinctual part of him wanted to fight back, wanted to hurt the thing that was hurting him, but the thing that was hurting him was... Falconmoon. He couldn't hurt Falconmoon.

Eventually the lack of retaliation seemed to soothe something in his brother's rage-blind psyche... and Falconmoon backed off, ranting and raving and threatening and belittling. Sunfire stayed on the ground for several moments, opening his eyes in time to see the other tom slash his claws across the trunk of a tree. He didn't understand. Why was Falconmoon so upset? The apprentice had attacked him... all he'd done was defend himself, and barely, at that. He could have ripped the she-cat's head clean off her shoulders if he wanted.

Sunfire met Falconmoon's gaze finally, his own smoldering gaze leveling his brother with a stare that, tried as he may, simply didn't have the heat it normally did. Instead, there was some deep hurt there, a rare, fleeting moment of vulnerability that few ever had or would see from the large tom. Falconmoon's claws had stung, but his words cut deeper than the claws ever could. There weren't many cats whose opinion or approval he gave a rat's tail about, but his brother had always been one of them. This cat standing before him now, practically frothing at the mouth, was not the Falconmoon he knew. They'd been best friends, once... and then something had changed, something he thought, originally, might have to do with him. He wasn't as smart as his siblings, he didn't learn as quickly, didn't adjust as smoothly as they did, sometimes was... detrimentally stubborn. He knew that. And he thought that maybe that's why Falconmoon hardly bothered to say hello anymore, why he hadn't gone out of his way to include Sunfire in his life for moons now.

But staring at the cat before him, the one that had just threatened to skin him alive and gift his pelt to Mottlestar... it made Sunfire realize that maybe he had never been the problem at all. Falconmoon was the one who had changed. The yellow tom rose to his paws, never taking his eyes off the other tom. "I don't even know who you are anymore." The words were simple, and flat, and Sunfire walked past Falconmoon, towards the rest of SkyClan. His voice was low as he added, "The only reason I'm walking away is because we were brothers, once." A hesitation, a glance over his shoulder. "But it won't happen again."

Falconmoon saw the hurt in his brother's eyes. The intensity of his gaze was not what it should have been, and it was that exact moment when Falconmoon's rage fizzled and died as fast as it had erupted. The hardness in his own eyes, as hard and sharp as ice, melted away and softened into two azure puddles. Guilt came onto him in a gut wrenching wave. Falconmoon opened his mouth to apologize, his ears slipping back and his body shrinking back into itself. But Sunfire spoke first.

"I don't even know who you are anymore." Stars... how many times had he heard that? It stung worse than a beesting and made him feel about as big as an ant. His eyes dropped to the ground and his shoulders slumped. Ashfall said this. Sunnyskip said this. Bloodstrike said this. Now Sunfire. It was just another reminder of what he was hiding. Another reminder of what he had tried to hide before and failed. He'd almost forgotten it. He'd almost learned to cope with it, to coexist with this monster made of memories inside his head.

Almost.

"The only reason I'm walking away is because we were brothers, once."

"You're not our brother anymore!"

He'd heard this before too. Several times. Falconmoon's head snapped up in an instant to meet Sunfire's eyes. Some of the previous hardness had returned, but like Sunfire's it was nowhere near as intense as usual. A retort threatened to fly off of his tongue, but he bit back the words as quickly as they'd popped into his head. Throwing insults around would get nowhere. He tightened his jaw as if forcing himself to swallow something absolutely vile, then opened his mouth to speak, renewed determination in his voice.

"You killed her Sunfire." He said simply, but his tone was much closer to neutral than it had been before. "There will be consequences for this. And... for your information... no one in this forest knows who I am, except for one cat. The one cat Riverclan wants dead. I'm sorry you feel abandoned. I just... I have more on my mind than I can talk to you about. Birdstar forbade it."

It was an act of desperation. He had nothing against Sunfire, but the truth was constantly chipping away at his resolve to keep quiet. It always had, even before he was called Falconmoon. Even in his darkest days he'd always had a desire to be truthful. Obviously, it had never worked out well. He decided he'd give Sunfire space for now. He'd hurt his brother's feelings, nevermind stained his pelt in red when he should not have.

If Sunfire wanted to follow, he could. But Falconmoon would take a detour and rejoin the clan a bit later. He needed to think. More importantly, he needed to make sure he was completely calm before he returned to Skyclan. Trying to keep Dawnhawk contained was like holding wasps in his mouth. One day the pain might become too much.

One day, he might open his jaws and the wasps would come swarming out.