Since Perchstar had passed, she could feel it in the air. The tendrils of transition, the way it all lamented into a chill. Somehow, the silver and white leader had always brought an undercurrent of warmth with her, despite being a glacier for eternity. To have that steady heartbeat gone was strange. She trusted Poppystar, as the molly had been a family figure to her for moons, but it still didn't ease the pain and heartbreak of losing family. A loss she hadn't anticipated to hurt so much. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her father - Felix - lived beyond her home, and so it meant that it had only been Perchstar and Riverclan there to raise her and her siblings. Or, perhaps it was the fact that her paws had failed her, leaving her to never be able to properly walk. Either way, it left a bitter taste on her tongue, and her heart heavy.
She'd been sleeping peacefully that morning, too. Having pulled herself out of the elder's den before sunrise, and found a place to nap by a patch of riverside flowers. It was one of those slumbers that dampened the senses, as when a buzzing came by... instinct told her to reach out with her teeth and snap!
Though, what should have simply been impossible to catch ended up with a sharp pain. Jolted awake by the stab that had embedded itself into her tongue, Mistwalker was quick to try and spit out whatever it was that had been in her maw... only for it to feel like she hadn't. Her tongue felt... puffy. Then came a sneeze or two... and it didn't seem to stop. It wasn't until after the third or fourth sneeze that she was finally able to catch a glimpse of the black-and-yellow stripes, and her nose scrunched heavily. Mistwalker had eaten a bee.
It shouldn't have made her feel as sick as it did, though. Sure, sharp pain and some puffiness--but why couldn't she breathe? She was definitely wheezing. It got to a point where she couldn't catch a breath, and even hauling herself to her paws left her dizzy. Her goal was to get to the side of the water--perhaps a cool drink would help. It had to. But she couldn't seem to get there. Every bit of her strength was focused on grabbing just one more breath, just enough oxygen to be able to pull herself--
She wasn't going to make it.
That was a thought that jolted through her mind with crystal clarity, despite the fog and confusion. What she could feel was how itchy she was, and how tight the space in her maw and throat felt. She couldn't breathe. If she couldn't breathe, she wasn't going to live. But she was supposed to be there for her siblings! Even if she was stuck in the elder's den, it was better than her being dead!
That didn't seem to matter, though. It was too early. Not nearly enough cats were awake. Just as she'd stumbled to the edge of the water, one paw dipped into its cold morning pool...
Mistwalker drew her last breath.
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