Eventually, death comes for us all.

Instructions

༒︎I'll trust the universe to always lead me to you༒︎ Twilight draped the forest in soft violet when Darkstar finally reached the waterfall. Her paws ached, old joints stiff from moons of leading her Clan, but she moved with purpose, slow, steady steps down the familiar slope. The roar of the falls grew clearer, warmer somehow, like an old friend calling her home. Mist clung to her black feathers, now laced with silvers of grey, and when she stepped onto the smooth rocks, she let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. This was where she became a warrior. Where she learned what freedom felt like. Where she found her kits, Cascadetempest, Camelliareverie and Starfall, and decided that love could make a leader stronger, not weaker. The memories didn’t hurt. They simply glowed. Darkstar eased herself down by the water’s edge, draping her wings over herself. The stream’s surface shimmered, catching her mismatched eyes, icy blue and forest green. They had seen battles, treaties, deaths, triumphs… but tonight, they were soft, almost young again. ༒︎How rare and beautiful it is to even exist༒︎ The stars had only begun to appear, faint reflections dancing beside her in the water. She lowered her head as the night breeze brushed through her whiskers. Her breaths came slower, deeper. One by one, the forest sounds folded into a gentle hush. The waterfall’s rhythm became her heartbeat. She was not afraid. Not lonely. Just… tired in a peaceful way. Darkstar’s gaze drifted upward as the moon broke free of the clouds. She blinked once, slowly. Her body relaxed, tension leaving her like a sigh. Her mismatched eyes softened at the sky she had prayed to so many times. “Take me home,” she whispered, or maybe she only thought it. The waterfall kept singing. Her breaths grew fainter, her chest rising only a fraction with each inhale. The world blurred around the edges, light smearing into silver. Her final thought was not of battle or duty or legacy. It was of the three tiny kits she found here, moons ago, and the quiet promise she made beside this very water: to love, to protect, to lead until she couldn’t anymore. Raspberyheart Snugglebugdream Snowwrath Starshine Cascadetempest Camelliareverie Chirpchamber Ladybugshine Truthveil She even remembered Jasmineorder in her final moments, such a shame, he could have been a good cat. A soft exhale escaped her muzzle. Her body stilled. The mist drifted over her like a veil. Darkstar’s spirit slipped away as easily as a leaf floating downstream, gentle, quiet, unbroken. And the waterfall kept her secrets. ༒︎I'm so sorry I left, but it was for the best, though it never felt right.༒︎