.Journey to the Heavens. (details inside)

[~.:Sunfur the Loyal:.~]

(Okay, the thing is that everyone acts as if Sunny's dead, but she isn't... yet. So I typed this up & thought I'd post it officially. NOTE. This thread is open to REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS OF SUNFUR'S ONLY. I don't mean to restrict it, but it's the final thread I'll ever be a part of, and I want to make it the best. I know everyone's in threads right now, so it might not be posted in for a while, but that's okay. I'm going to put a list of who can be a part of it below: if you're not on and really want to be, pm me. SECOND NOTE: This was meant to be an rp sample, so yes, I'm aware that it's a) in past tense, and b) maple's in it. If the people below /want/ to post in it they are more than welcome to, but they don't have to. It's more of a thing for me.

Shyfire, Spottedwing, Swiftheart, Fireclaw, Flamesong, Morningstar, Peachpaw, Foxdance, Cherry (if she's still rped).)

<sup>It was engraved in her very heart, seared into her mind. The dreams that had led her to where she stood now was still so vivid that every time her amber optics closed, she saw images flash by, directing her where to go. Colours across the spectrum and beyond, names and faces in both these Clans and the ethereal ones; Both brought pain to Sunfur's heavy heart, knowing that soon it would be time to leave this world behind.

She knew deep down that this wasn't a time for sorrow - instead a high honor, one of the best that could befall a cat. In ThunderClan, she had been no more than a warrior. Sure, a well-loved one, but a warrior all the same, lacking the experience needed to govern a Clan in any case. But, still, she had been chosen by the cats above for a position rarely filled in StarClan - second in command. But that was revealed to her in time - at first she had only been told to visit Highstones. And so she had, taking her dainty paws across the lands in the middle of the night, fully aware of how a patrol would see her wandering. So she kept a low profile, reaching the worshipped location just hours before the sun would begin to rise.

She had entered the caves, and pressed her nose against the ice-cold stone that was used to only Leaders and Medicine Cats. It was considered a gross dishonor to perform this, but Sunfur had been told, or so she desperately believed. She knew she had seen MapleStar in her dream, but whether it was a result of a piece of prey used as a late-night hunger-ending method was unknown.

So both relief and awe flew through her very bones when she saw the clandestine cat stand before her, wearing a mask that was a far cry from angry. It almost looked apologetic, if one had to label it in any way. The words were carved into her mind, her ears trapping them in so that they would be the only thing she would hear again. 'It is time for you to return - to fill your destiny as my Deputy.' The dream had only lasted a minute or so, and the words precious seconds, but Sunfur was shown just what steps to take - she saw what her death was to be like.

Looking one last time at the rapidly retreating stones, she made her way down the slopes, her long golden pelt standing out against the ebony night. Shadows threw darker light on the forest floor, reaching like tentacles across to trip her up as she moved. It wasn't that she was moving all that quickly, but her lithe limbs flew over the land faster than she would have liked.

Shyfire... Cherrystar... Spottedwing... Swiftheart... Only four of many names she ran through her head, thinking each time what she would have said to them if she could have said Good-Bye. Their faces were memorized in her mind, mourning for all she should've said and done. Her heart felt as if it was dropped out of her chest, lying back up on Highstones, beating fervently. Her amber eyes were glossy with tears that fell easily onto the hungry ground. And, yes, she was also scared.

Scared to leave all she loved behind, even though she knew where she was going. She was more fortunate than others, for she knew exactly what was to come. But if she only had time to prepare herself... she was a servant to StarClan, that she knew. Although she didn't have the powers the Medicine Cats had, or the wisdom the Leaders did, she offered up everything she could to them, and now they were taking her ultimate gift.

All too quickly the land melted away, and the young fae found herself back home. The home she loved, had known all of her lives. Already blessed with the fortune of living her life twofold, Sunfur knew the debt had to be repaid in some way, shape of from, but never could she had dreamed of this honor. The she-cat wasn't just fearful of her death; that would be painful in and of itself, but only something trivial, something to barely focus on. No, she was more afraid of leading the clandestine Clan, filled with cats she knew and loved back in her lively days.

Her kits, for starters. She would be able to see her full deceased litter once more, her trio of joy; Blazekit, Sparklekit, and Thunderkit. As well, for friends she had lost, such as Deerflower, those she would be able to see again. As well as old enemies, or those she had left on bad terms with. Such as her original father, who had only just resurfaced in her life as Peachpaw had come into it. Bringing a trace of a blood family to the original loner, Sunfur took in her half sister into the large, expansive family that made up parts up ThunderClan, the largest of the hearts. And for those she didn't know, the unknowns, like the first Sunfur's biological mother - she'd be able to be found and met. Surely the mother of the Deputy would want some recognition (much like the mother of the bride). All sorts of questions and answers lay just beyond the starry trail, and for a moment, simply a brief moment, Sunfur was sound in her beliefs, happy to be rising to the occasion and start on her new adventure, looking after both those above and below.

Bringing her paws to a complete stop, she watched her camp as it lay in slumber, peacefully and blissfully unaware of Sunfur's sacrifice. Just in that den lay all of her Warrior friends, resting their spirits to rise again tomorrow to hunt and fight for survival. And the delicious scent wafting through her pink nostrils was the Medicine Cat's Den - would their Medicine Cat see what was happening for what it was in itself? Or would they only see a well-known warrior suffer a swift and painful death, an unfortunate accident and no more?

Only a few steps forward lay her destiny; Her death. The scene would be exactly as MapleStar had shown her - her golden body lay delicately to the west, the sun rising over her still fur, illuminating it for the brilliant moment she rose to StarClan. Cautiously, reluctantly, one paw crept forward, her whole body tensed for the moment to come. Would it be swift? (Her weight shifted forward.) Painless? (Another pawstep forward.) Just like falling asleep? (The final pawstep was taken.)

For a heartbeat, there was nothing. An eerie silence fell over her in the time just before the birds began their song. The young warrior stood there, wondering if maybe, just maybe, StarClan had rejected her after all, decided they didn't want the she-cat as their deputy. Or maybe the answer lay in the steps she'd taken. Maybe she was supposed to be a few tailengths to the left? Forward? Amber optics scanning the surroundings, Sunfur's tail slowly waved, not daring to voice her questions to the heavens as she shut her eyes, calmly waiting for anything to happen.

And then her questions were answered. Now she understood the silence, the waiting. It was the starry calico gathering her strength to take Sunfur up. Her chest suddenly began to ache, no, ache wasn't the word for it. Her chest began to burn and write with the pain, feeling as if her life was being squeezed out of her memory by memory. Gasping, her eyes flew open, panting while trying to cope. If she had tried to yowl it would have been in vain - her voice had left her first. Who was it that had last heard her speak? Possibly Shyfire as she bade her goodnight to her adopted sister. And for all the things she wished she could have said, those regrets slipping off of her much like the morning dew off of fresh grass. To those she couldn't speak to for some time, like Spottedwing, she wished that she had made some kind of effort to connect, some special way to keep their bond, not knowing that the two of them were leaving their words to be unspoken at the very end.

The pain slid as if on the frozen lake, slipping down through to her left foreleg. It was an ache that set her bones aflame, unbearable in itself. The worst pain she had ever experienced was here, and if she had been in a mind frame as to curse anyone, she would have thought it overly cruel to give the worst pain as she rose to duty. Her head spun, vision exploding with many tiny, brilliant stars. To her, each star held a face, although they were unknown; They were who she was to help lead.

Her lungs began to fail her - gasping for air was getting her nowhere. She fell to the ground backwards, legs splayed westwardly just as the prophecy for told. Her eyes closed, and instead of ebony nothingness, light was there in every corner of the globe. Then the light faded, but not completely, merely into pinpricks that formed a path to a cluster of 'stars' further up.

Pawstep by pawstep, she climbed further up, approaching the stars which now rapidly became a platform. Up on top sat a cat, royal in appearance and becoming clearer every moment. Not a word was given to the golden cat, only a small nod. Feeling slightly irked at first, it took a few moments before the reason behind it became clear to her - the earth could still be felt beyond the fire of her pain. In her hallucination, MapleStar looked at her, eyes boring into amber optics. Finally, with a small nod from Sunfur, the leader leaned forward, and pressed her shining nose onto her own, and the ground fell away to the stars.</sup>

[[ swifthært ] ♥ [ 911 ]]

Swiftheart's eyes fluttered open, her emerald gaze almost blank with the weariness that still nagged at her. It seemed that good night's rests were becoming few and far between as time went on. Any other cat may have pegged this as a sign of misfortunes to come. Swiftheart had simply decided it was old age, making her senile. She rose to stand, and with limp and heavy paws, she exited the warrior's den, only to stop just outside. In an attempt to escape the sleepiness, she stretched each limb and her spine thoroughly. It helped, a little. She glanced back once at her sleeping mate in the den, then looked up at the blurry, morning sun. Maybe things would start looking up.

She sat at the entrance to the den for awhile, just waiting for her senses to waken. Eventually, her vision became clearer and the tiny sounds of the forest got louder and more defined. And soon enough, she could make out different scents. The prey that waited under the trees. Every individual herb in Spottedwing's den. And more familiar than everything else, she could smell Sunfur. When was the last time she'd had a nice chat with her best friend? Her daughter. Days? Moons? So she looked again into the warrior's den, in case she'd missed the yellow fur on her way out. When Sunfur was nowhere to be found in there, Swiftheart scanned the camp for a bit, and finally, her eyes came upon a bundle of golden fur.

With a smile, she trotted over to where her youngest daughter slept. She playfully poked Sunfur's still form and mewed, "Wake up." But Sunfur didn't wake up. Swiftheart chuckled and leaned in to speak into Sunfur's ear and, raising her voice slightly to say, "Wake up, kiddo." She nudged the limp body of her daughter, putting more force into it than earlier. And still, Sunfur's eyes stayed closed. Swiftheart closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. "Sunfur, wake up," she asserted. "Wake up, right now."

She pressed her paw to where she figured Sunfur's heart would be and felt. She didn't know exactly what she was feeling for. A beat, of some sort. But she felt nothing. No sign of a pulse. Her jaw parted, and the cooling air chilled her to the bone, despite the lingering warmth of greenleaf. "No," she whispered. "No!" She wouldn't believe it. She simply wouldn't have it. She'd lost her once. It was unfathomable, the idea of losing her again. And this time, she was so much more than a best friend. Sunfur was Swiftheart's daughter. They were related by blood, and the bond they'd shared before she'd left the first time made their family tie so much stronger.

"I can't lose you again," she murmured. Her eyes began to water, and soon enough, the thick fur beneath them was matted with tears. "Please, don't do this to me." She gritted her teeth against the excruciating heartache. She didn't want to think the word 'death', but what else did she have to think about when it rested right before her? She should have known this would happen soon. StarClan probably told her in a dream she'd just dismissed as a nightmare. She should have been able to save her daughter before she fell back into StarClan's clutches.

Or perhaps it wasn't her fault. It wasn't her job to prevent death. It was not her duty to save lives. Swiftheart's only job was to make sure ThunderClan's camp remained ThunderClan's. She was only assigned to fight tooth and claw to defend her land. Why hadn't a medicine cat intervened before things got to this point. "Spottedwing," she spat. "I'll kill you. StarClan can have you if they give my daughter back to me." It was a cruel thought, but Swiftheart would give anything to stop this from happening.

But Sunfur's still blood probably got colder by the second. This wasn't anyone's fault. She was dead - the realization almost made Swiftheart collapse - and that was that. The only thing she could do now was remember. As much as the memories hurt her, they were the only things she had left. She touched her nose to Sunfur's motionless flank and spoke the words she thought she'd never have to speak. "Goodbye, Sun," she whispered. "I hope you know that you were my best friend. And I said goodbye, but I should have said more. Thank you for the time of my life."

She thought for a moment that she should tell someone. No one was awake yet. She should wake the camp, because she knew that Sunfur was an important part of everyone's life. She had a significant affect on everyone's hearts. But she couldn't bring herself to yowl out any names. People would wake up eventually, and they would understand. Swiftheart just wanted to sitt here, in complete silence, with one of her only four reasons for living. Now she only had three.

[fireclaw]

(ok, so I'm just going to pop Dragon and Fireclaw into here like they've been here awhile, k?)

It didn't seem like that long ago he himself was just a wailing kit in his nest with his kitty-pet mother and siblings, but the old tom knew otherwise, seasons of fighting and surviving had taken a toll on his already, in a sense, broken body, he defied the odds again and again, living,hunting,fighting,surviving, when nature itself dictated that this cats leg should not have allowed him to do so, clans for seasons saw him as a cripple, simply for his limp, Thunderclan though, never did, but now, though his once dead leg, dragging limply behind him had regained some strength, he was still considered a cripple.

Emerald eyes flipped open, a few words from a dream buzzed in his head "Kin of yours, there will be, an ill fate befallen them,but fate it is not ill,for cats of your ancestors fated it" the voice was that of the elderly mink the tom had befriended on his journey back to the clans. Rising stiffly to his feet, carefully trying to not wake his son, and the young kit, Juniperkit who refused to sleep in the nursery. he gave them both a quick lick on the heads, but there was three others missing, he didn't see Sunfur,Foxdance or his mate, Swiftheart, padding out of the den, he blinked around the camp, he scented his mate,but her sweet scent was also misted by others,sadness,sorrow and anger...but also acceptance, he spied the longpelted queen hovering beside a golden lump of fur, the aging warriors heart skipped so many beats he thought he himself might drop dead "no...Sunfur??...no" as quickly as he could, tears filling his eyes, he stopped next to his mate and lowered himself to the ground to he equal with her, the tomcat nosed his daughters fur gently, the scent of death was quickly stealing her familiar scent, one just a sweet as her mothers, no words could describe the pain in his heart, no parent ever wanted to see their kit like this, not so young, no so soon, silently the tomcat swore to himself, resting his nose in his mates fur, he didn't understand, if Sunfur was sick, why wouldn't she have gone to the medicine cat? if there was a "starclan" it was a sick, cruel place to take a cats kitten from them, how would he and Swiftheart break the news to Dragonpaw and Foxdance, Dragon especially had grown close to his sister again since his return. news would come in time, he too, as Swiftheart probably did, wanted to sit quietly with his fallen kin, his daughter, his best friend, once again the words of the wise mink buzzed in his head "Kin of yours, there will be, an ill fate befallen them,but fate it is not ill,for cats of your ancestors fated it"

quietly, but outloud he repeated it to himself "Kin of yours, there will be, an ill fate befallen them,but fate it is not ill,for cats of your ancestors fated it...it was true, Goodbye, SUnfur,my friend,my daughter, my lifeblood,goodbye my love"

[.:spottedwing::.]

(OOC: Spottedwing wasn't in ThunderClan yet when Sunfur died xDDD)

A silver tabby she- cat in a dark, murky land, was curled up in her nest. Her turquoise- gray eyes were shut, and her calm breathing made her pelt rise gently. This she- cat, by the name of Spottedwing, dreamed of nothing, just blackness. Soon enough, colors appeared in the screen of her mind... or was this really just her mind?

She was somewhere else, and two familiar figures could be seen in the distance. "Sunfur...?" She quested under her breath. Yes, this was Sunfur, and the leader of StarClan, Maplestar.

Right away, the medicine cat understood what was going on, and her jaw dropped. She could barely manage a gasp of pain, and soon, she watched Sunfur carry herself back to ThunderClan. "SUNFUR! WAIT!" The other she- cat didn't seem to hear. "SUNFUR!"

A strong force tugged at Spottedwing, and she snapped awake at her den. She was gasping for air, tears streaming down her face, and she got up an ran. Of all the dreams she had questioned, she knew this was no dream. This was real life. "SUNFUR! PLEASE, WAIT!" She yowled pitifully, though the she- cat was so far ahead of her that she couldn't even be seen. The cat's of ShadowClan looked up curiously, confused, but couldn't asked because she had left.

The sun was rising after the cold night, and no matter how far, no matter how much pain it caused her, Spottedwing kept running. She knew how little time was left. Sunfur was in her view. I can make it... I can make it... She tried to yowl Sunfur's name once more, but no voice came out. She watched her friend fall to her side, dying, as the sun rose over her dead body.

Spottedwing stopped short. She knew it was too late. "No..." She whimpered, watching Swiftheart and Fireclaw go to Sunfur's side. "No..."

She felt as if she were going to pass out. Everything was so wrong. Everything was nothing, and so much pain was within her that she felt she would join Sunfur in StarClan at any given moment. She let out a weak yowl, and dragged herself to Sunfur's body, staring at it in horror. "You were... my best friend..." Her words were practically in audible as she felt herself dying inside. Her tears had more force then any river in RiverClan, any river in the world.

This was the end.

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