[ part two. tw: death, blood ] Whiptailpaw jolted awake, tears clouding his eyes and blurring his vision. Sadness overwhelmed him once more at the sight of his mother, cold and unmoving against the grass. Snowflakes splattered the landscape around him, painting the ground cool streaks of white. It was time for the burial. He grabbed his lifeless mother, trying to ignore the battle marks all over her. He took her to the grave he dug in one of the sleepless periods of time last night. The crow cawed while he worked, each time sounding more and more urgent. But he ignored it. He buried seeds in the top layer of dirt on the grave. He’d come back here, and this tree will guide him. When the job was done, he began the walk back to where he found her. The crow continued its desperate cries, occasionally landing on the stingray to screech right into his ear. The grief-stricken warrior was too saddened to care. He shooed it off with his tail, fighting back tears. Only when a certain ungodly sound was uttered did the fur raise on his spine. Fox. This must be the damned creature that slaughtered his mother. Anger boiled inside him, hot and cold at the same time. The crow was grim now, not daring to caw once more. The stingray tried to be sneaky, but it was too late. He was downwind of the fox. It knew where he was. The starved thing didn’t dare hesitate with its meal. It lunged at the stingray, letting out a paralyzing screech. He struck out at ginger fur, feeling satisfaction at the texture of flesh under his paw. The fox was quick, but he was quicker. As it turned to snatch him up, the stingray ducked under the fox, surging up underneath to throw it on its back, all the while giving it a good chomp on its gut. There was a thud, a yelp. Then there was nothing. Was it defeated? The stingray went to investigate, sniffing at it with a snarl. He saw it breathing. Alarm raced through him, just in time as well. He lept back as the fox went for him. He escaped, mostly fine. Aside from his leg. The fox caught his hind leg in its jaws, though luckily it didn’t hold on. “You sorry son of a cur!” He hissed, whipping around to face the creature with a small whimper of pain. He waited for the fox to charge him, and when it did, he jumped up and grabbed its head, digging in with his claws. Its own force betrayed it, as its body kept going while its head was thrown back. It slammed on its back, and the stingray took this opportunity to end it as he dug his fangs into its throat. At this, it rose to its paws with the last ounces of strength, skittering off with its ears flattened in defeat. He knew from his post as a healer, that thing wouldn’t survive. And now, he knew more than ever he needed to get home.
[ dream prior to the events of this srp ] The stingray stood in a forest of stars. He did not recognize the landscape, yet he knew it was a dream. The place was too perfect to be anything real. His ears flicked up at a sound. Once. There it was again. The call of the crow. He knew immediately who would come flying into view. The white crow. Not only did it look much different from normal crows, it’s call was different as well. It was sweeter, more like a songbird than anything. He heard pawsteps in the trees. He was on the defensive now. White fur flashed through a break in the leaves. No, not white. It was beige. Extremely light beige. With blue eyes. “Ma..?” The stingray croaked out, a sound so pitiful it was like it was being uttered by a small kit. And now he was standing face-to-face with the most beautiful she-cat he’d ever seen. He let an audible gasp, his multlicoloured eyes watery. She looked saddened, regretful, and proud. The emotions shimmered clearly in her eyes. He on the other hand.. He had no idea how to feel. He felt angry. Angry that she had left him, angry that she hadn’t come back, angry that she died. He felt happy. Happy to have found her, happy she was seeing him. He felt guilty. Guilty that he hadn’t been able to find her sooner, guilty he couldn’t save her, guilty that maybe she left because of him. And he felt sad. Sad she wasn’t with him anymore. He had so many emotions. So, /so/ many feelings. He didn’t know what to do with them all. He broke down in sobs, letting himself collapse to the ground. And instead of behaving like the cold, distant mother he remembered so well, she rushed over to him. Holding him in her comforting grip. “I- I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry..” He choked out words through the hiccuping sobs, barely able to breathe through his apologies and his tears. The crow called out once more, and his mother turned serious. “Whiptailpaw. Oh, my little stingray. You don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I’m so proud of you, my love. My only regret is leaving the clan. Leaving you. But you need to go now. You have a fate in the real world.” “No! I want to stay here, with you. It’s perfect, we could be together! Please!” He pleaded desperately with the world. But it wouldn’t work. The image of his mother began to fade, leaving behind the crow. “I’m sorry, Whiptailpaw. Goodbye.”
