HOME | DD

Description
"You... will never... win..."

Everything was blue. A bright, dreamy blue. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it, even with his eyes closed. Flickering them open, he looked around, seeing the familiar line of cats that stood before him. ‘So I’m dead,’ he thought. It wasn’t a frightened or really even very concerned thought. It had happened many times before, after all. Instead he felt unusually calm. At peace, even. There was something about being in Starclan that always brought that feeling washing over him, like a gentle wave ebbing and flowing, pulsing in his paws.
“Emberstar.” He raised his head at the voice. A beautiful she-cat was walking towards him, her pelt a flame shimmering in the dusky light.
“Mother,” he said quietly, dipping his head in respect. She smiled, touching her nose to his forehead.
“You’re a reckless one, Emberstar. This is the 6th life you’ve lost.”
“I know.”
Stepping back, she smiled down at him. Her eyes were warm and gentle, and seeing them gazing down at him made him feel like he was a kit again, snuggled up beside his mother’s stomach in the Thunderclan nursery. Smiling back, he dipped his head again in respect and watched as she returned to the line.
After that he had expected to leave and return to his body in the Stormclan camp, but instead a second cat stepped forward, padding towards him. Surprised, he watched as the tom approached him, wondering what was happening. It didn’t take him long to realize, though.
‘It’s just like before, when I lost two lives to the mudslide. Sharkscar must have done more damage than I thought.’
“Flametail was right, Emberstar. You are reckless,” the tom said, stopping in front of him. “I thought that I had trained you better.”
Looking up at his old mentor, he smiled, relaxing. “I know, Graystone. You did.”
His mentor sighed, shaking his head. But he was smiling. “You’re a good leader. I taught that much to you. But you still have a long way to go.” Leaning down, the large tom pressed his nose briefly to Emberstar’s forehead before standing and turning away. “I better not see you back here again soon.”
“You won’t,” he replied, stepping back. Gazing back over the line of cats, he took in a deep breath. The cats he loved… He wanted to stay longer, but…
“Emberstar.”
His heart clenched at the sound of her voice. ‘Lilystar.’
“Emberstar,” she said again, padding towards him. “Before you go, I wanted to see you.”
She was as beautiful as ever, if not even more so. Her white pelt shimmered with the dust of stars and her eyes sparkled like moons. It was as if Starclan itself was incarnated in her being.
Smiling, she nuzzled his face, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the cool touch of her fur against his. Starclan cats weren’t warm. But they weren’t cold either.
Stepping back, she smiled brightly at him. “You’re doing wonderful.”
A sudden weight landed on his chest and he looked away. “I am not… My camp is buried under mud and my clan is under attack. And I’m here, dying, while Sharkscar is reigning terror below.”
Shaking her head before he’s even finished, she said, “No, you are doing great. I know these are hard times, but your clan believes in you. They love you. And I know that all will be well when you return.”
He glanced at her. “You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
Sighing, he nodded. “Right, well… I suppose… I should get going.”
He looked at her longingly. He didn’t want to go.
She smiled, nuzzling him one last time. “You’ll meet me here some day. But it is not yet your time.” She stepped back. “Go.”
Taking one last look at her face, he turned away, closing his eyes as he stepped blindly into the sky. In another moment the blue was gone, and was instead replaced with black as he rushed back into his body.
‘I’ll see you again someday.’

Emberstar: me
Sharkscar: AcesofStars
art: me
words: 672

(+10) fullbody
(+ 5) 500-word story
(+ 100) map {AFTERMATH} Territory Map

15/551

Description
"You... will never... win..."

Everything was blue. A bright, dreamy blue. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it, even with his eyes closed. Flickering them open, he looked around, seeing the familiar line of cats that stood before him. ‘So I’m dead,’ he thought. It wasn’t a frightened or really even very concerned thought. It had happened many times before, after all. Instead he felt unusually calm. At peace, even. There was something about being in Starclan that always brought that feeling washing over him, like a gentle wave ebbing and flowing, pulsing in his paws.
“Emberstar.” He raised his head at the voice. A beautiful she-cat was walking towards him, her pelt a flame shimmering in the dusky light.
“Mother,” he said quietly, dipping his head in respect. She smiled, touching her nose to his forehead.
“You’re a reckless one, Emberstar. This is the 6th life you’ve lost.”
“I know.”
Stepping back, she smiled down at him. Her eyes were warm and gentle, and seeing them gazing down at him made him feel like he was a kit again, snuggled up beside his mother’s stomach in the Thunderclan nursery. Smiling back, he dipped his head again in respect and watched as she returned to the line.
After that he had expected to leave and return to his body in the Stormclan camp, but instead a second cat stepped forward, padding towards him. Surprised, he watched as the tom approached him, wondering what was happening. It didn’t take him long to realize, though.
‘It’s just like before, when I lost two lives to the mudslide. Sharkscar must have done more damage than I thought.’
“Flametail was right, Emberstar. You are reckless,” the tom said, stopping in front of him. “I thought that I had trained you better.”
Looking up at his old mentor, he smiled, relaxing. “I know, Graystone. You did.”
His mentor sighed, shaking his head. But he was smiling. “You’re a good leader. I taught that much to you. But you still have a long way to go.” Leaning down, the large tom pressed his nose briefly to Emberstar’s forehead before standing and turning away. “I better not see you back here again soon.”
“You won’t,” he replied, stepping back. Gazing back over the line of cats, he took in a deep breath. The cats he loved… He wanted to stay longer, but…
“Emberstar.”
His heart clenched at the sound of her voice. ‘Lilystar.’
“Emberstar,” she said again, padding towards him. “Before you go, I wanted to see you.”
She was as beautiful as ever, if not even more so. Her white pelt shimmered with the dust of stars and her eyes sparkled like moons. It was as if Starclan itself was incarnated in her being.
Smiling, she nuzzled his face, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the cool touch of her fur against his. Starclan cats weren’t warm. But they weren’t cold either.
Stepping back, she smiled brightly at him. “You’re doing wonderful.”
A sudden weight landed on his chest and he looked away. “I am not… My camp is buried under mud and my clan is under attack. And I’m here, dying, while Sharkscar is reigning terror below.”
Shaking her head before he’s even finished, she said, “No, you are doing great. I know these are hard times, but your clan believes in you. They love you. And I know that all will be well when you return.”
He glanced at her. “You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
Sighing, he nodded. “Right, well… I suppose… I should get going.”
He looked at her longingly. He didn’t want to go.
She smiled, nuzzling him one last time. “You’ll meet me here some day. But it is not yet your time.” She stepped back. “Go.”
Taking one last look at her face, he turned away, closing his eyes as he stepped blindly into the sky. In another moment the blue was gone, and was instead replaced with black as he rushed back into his body.
‘I’ll see you again someday.’

Emberstar: me
Sharkscar: AcesofStars
art: me
words: 672

(+10) fullbody
(+ 5) 500-word story
(+ 100) map {AFTERMATH} Territory Map

15/551