~Warnings: Greif, sadness, murder/death, mention of blood, depression~ The days passed slowly. The same thing, over and over again. Wake up just before dawn. Try to leave to go hunting, occasionally get caught by Brightspot and join the dawn patrol. Go hunting. Bring back the prey, then eat. Nap. Be woken up for a patrol. Patrol. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Dream of either Shadow, or her family. Wake up just before dawn. The same routine. The less talking required, the better. It was easier. Staying quiet helped her hide in her mind, helped her keep from collapsing with the never ending grief. She missed them. She missed them so much. But Shadow was there for her. Shadow understood. She never told Snowpelt she needed to keep going and try and live her life again. She validated Snowpelt's anger. She felt so angry. All the time. Whitestar did this. This was all Whitestar’s fault. That's what Shadow said, and Shadow was always right. This was Whitestar’s fault, and she just wanted to tear her apart, but Shadow said she needed to be careful, methodical. It would hurt more. So she waited for Shadow to tell her what to do. She waited, and waited. But Shadow's plan seemed to be working already. When Whitestar went out of camp, she watched the trees with nervous eyes. Shadow said that was good. They needed to destroy her confidence, one life at a time. But it was taking so long. It was early new-leaf now, the snow had melted away, leaving everything feeling wet and dreary. Rain came often, soaking everyone's pelts to the bone, but Snowpelt stayed with her new routine of life, the one that kept others from asking too many questions of her. Wake up. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Patrol. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Wake up. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Patrol. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Over and over and over again. She hardly talked anymore, only muttered noises so cats knew she heard them. Her kits would have been five moons old this moon. They would have been apprentices just next moon. Snowpelt might have been showing them some basic hunting and fighting moves. She would have been seriously talking with Flowersong about Nightkit becoming her apprentice, if that's what she wanted. She would have slept next to Stormcloud and her kits every night, talked and laughed with them often. She wouldn't be like this. She wouldn't be a ghost of who she used to be, with nothing but her grief and her anger. ‘Snowpelt’ Shadow spoke, making Snowpelt lift her head from the mouse she'd just caught while on her afternoon hunt. ‘I think it's about time for Whitestar to lose another life. Take your prey to a hiding spot and go to the area above the highest wall of camp.’ Snowpelt nodded, trying to work out Shadow's plan as she collected her prey and walked in the direction of camp. The high wall, what could be there? Whitestar was often in camp at this time, so it might have something to do with that. Snowpelt hid her prey so she could get it later and walked to where Shadow had directed and she realized the plan when she saw the rocks. The rain. The rain had washed away the earth securing the rocks in place. A single rock pushed in the right way, and the whole collection would fall into camp. ‘Exactly’ Shadow whispered, ‘You just need the right timing. I can help with that.’ Snowpelt paused, then quietly said “I don't want to accidentally hurt any other cat.” ‘Don't worry about that, there's not many in camp today, and if we have the right timing, only one cat can get hurt.’ Shadow assured softly.
Snowpelt took a breath, then walked carefully towards the rocks, looking at where they would fall in the small landslide she was about to cause. Right by high rock. When Whitestar, who was currently across camp, went back to her den, Snowpelt could trigger the landslide, and it'd fall right on top of her, crushing her as she deserved. She did deserve it. ‘Yes. She does. She killed your family. She ruined your life.’ Snowpelt nodded at Shadow's words. Shadow was right. Shadow was always right. So Snowpelt waited quietly, her eyes tracking the white pelt against the brown damp ground of camp. There had been a storm last night, and drizzle early this morning. From the way the clouds gathered, it would rain again soon. No wonder the smell hung in the air. Snowpelt closed her eyes and breathed it in, letting the smell fill her senses. ‘Snowpelt. She's coming.’ Snowpelt’s eyes snapped open as she looked down, seeing Whitestar walk towards her den with bated breath. Snowpelt slowly and carefully placed her black paw on the rock that Shadow guided her to, the one that would move and cause the landslide with the least resistance. Even just this slight pressure felt dangerous. Snowpelt waited, and then ‘Now!’ Snowpelt pushed and scrambled back. The rock began to fall and Snowpelt watched it as it hit another rock, and then another, a cacophony of sound breaking out as the rocks hit each other and began to fall down the cliff. She heard yelps, and then a sound of pain accompanied by the sound of the first rocks hitting the ground, but the sounds of cats were drowned out by the sounds of rocks as they crashed into the ground, until eventually an eerie silence fell. It all happened in the span of heartbeats. As Snowpelt let out a breath, sounds of cats erupted again. Snowpelt stepped away, making her way back to her prey. She picked it up and walked through the main entrance to see cats swarming over the pile of rocks that Whitestar must have been buried under. Brightspot was shouting something, directing cats to try and dig through. Flowersong hovered nearby, herbs already in her mouth in preparation. Snowpelt calmly walked past, putting down her prey in the fresh-kill pile. She turned to walk to the warriors den to go to sleep for the night, sure, maybe it was a little early, the sun just starting to touch the horizon, but Snowpelt felt tired. She always felt tired. Or maybe that exhaustion was her permanent grief. As she reached the entrance to the den, her paws faltered as a voice snapped “Snowpelt!” Snowpelt looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with the cat that called her name. Brightspot. ‘The cat that pretends she’s your mother, when she’s not. She’ll never understand your pain.’ Shadow whispered. Why Shadow got so defensive over Brightspot not being her mother, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. Shadow was right. Shadow was always right. Snowpelt stared at Brightspot, letting no emotion seep through. Brightspot stared right back at her and she felt cats’ eyes drift over to her. Brightspot said with a tone that invited no questions, “Help.” Snowpelt sighed and turned back towards the snappy, joining by the cats digging out Whitestar as Shadow said ‘This will help remove suspicions.’ Snowpelt focused her mind and paws on pulling away the rocks. It didn't take long for golden light from the sunset to fall upon a white, but bloodied, pelt, and then Snowpelt pulled a rock away and saw terrified amber eyes staring back at her, growing wide in surprise. Snowpelt looked back at Whitestar with a blank stare, silence fell over the two of them as Snowpelt tried to calm the anger that rose when she met those eyes, met the eyes of the cat that killed her family, took them away from her. Then, the moment broke and Whitestar exclaimed “Snowpelt!” And her legs stuck out of the new hole to pull herself out. On instinct, Snowpelt grabbed Whitestar’s scruff to help pull her out of the rocks. Once she could, Snowpelt gave Whitestar a small toss off of the pile. Whitestar scrambled to her paws and looked back at Snowpelt. Now she was the one framed by the setting sun, and Snowpelt stood in the falling shadows, the night and stars at her back as she looked down at this cat who thought she deserved everything. But Snowpelt would make sure she fell just as the sun did behind her, but she would not rise the next day. Let Whitestar fall into this despair that Snowpelt carried with every step. Let her feel the pain with every life Snowpelt took from her. Let Whitestar pay for killing the family Snowpelt had made for herself. Snowpelt turned away and stalked to the warriors den, ignoring as Whitestar called after her. ~First~ https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1066586971/ ~Previous~ https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1207814220/ ~Next~ https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1235994010 make fanart of that once scene near the end, and I'll love you (platonically) forever, lol. Hope you enjoyed!
