❝ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ'ꜱ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇꜱᴛ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀ❞ ✦ ꜱᴀɴᴅꜰʟɪᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ꜱʀᴘ

Instructions

TW: Death and Blood (art) ❝ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ'ꜱ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇꜱᴛ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀɢᴇ❞ So this was how it ended. Bleeding out at the paws of Sol. Sandflicker recognized she couldn't be picky about their death, but felt specifically distasteful about this way to go. Sol was simply an anti-Glorypaw extremist. Sandflicker winced, trying to put weight on their paw. Nyx wasn't sure where she was heading anyway. ❝'ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄʀᴀꜰᴛ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ꜰᴀᴋᴇ❞ Sandflicker's paws were leading her somewhere. And they limped, she wondered about the life she could have had. The spiraling timelines. She may as well start at the start. Hivey. If Hiveblaze hadn't died, Eclipsemoon and Hivey would have adopted kits. Flick would have been like an aunt to them. They and Finchswoop would have stayed friends. Life would have been simple and peaceful. ❝ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴏʟꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ ᴄʟᴜᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀ ꜰʀᴀᴜᴅ❞ What about Finchswoop? If she had forgiven, would anything be different? Probably not. But... what about Glor? If she hadn't playfought with Glorypaw on that fateful day... Hum and Fernie would have been her best friends. Or what about Jollypaw? If she had only been understanding... ❝ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ❞ Sandflicker's feet stopped, as if possessed. She was here. The fireweed field. It all circled back to here. The place where she met Hum. Hum, her truest friend. Glor was manipulating. Fernie grew cold. But Hummingbirdheart was always there. And... shouldn't she honor Hum? ❝ʙᴜᴛ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ɢᴏ ʙʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ❞ Sandflicker knew what Hum would want. Hum would want her to change. To forgive. Forgive Jollystar, Finchswoop, Eclipsesmoon, Shellseeker, Sunnystorm, even Hawkpaw. Forgive Sol. Sandflicker collapsed, and a wave of pain reminded luna exactly what Sol did to them. "Please," tears were swelling in her eyes, and they were beginning to see black spots. ❝ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ꜱᴇʟꜰ-ᴍᴜᴛɪʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ ɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴀꜱᴋ❞ "I'm so, so sorry Hum," Sandflicker murmured, cupping a flower between their paws. "I want to forgive, like you said. But- I can't," Sandflicker sobbed, cutting the flower with a paw, and holding it close. Revenge was an instinct she had above all others. Jollystar taught her that smiles meant nothing. Finchswoop taught them that friends can betray. Eclipsesmoon taught nyx that love is meaningless. Shellseeker taught luna that harm isn't always warranted. Sunnystorm taught her to expect retaliation. Hawkpaw taught them to plot and think. Sol taught nyx that loyalty kills. ❝ʙᴜᴛ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ʙᴀᴄᴋ❞ With all these lessons learned, she couldn't forgive. These cats had collectively hurt nyx beyond repair. Slowly, the pain began fading. The black began consuming. Nyx lifted a shaky paw, placing the fireweed into their swoop. She heard footsteps. And knew it was the end. ❝ꜰᴏʀ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴜɴꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴄʀᴏᴡᴅ❞