death do us part ;;

[SHADE. :D]

A loud rustle announced the return of Dragonflydance. The slender white medicine cat was leading the still-sobbing Tawnypaw and Dewpaw. Tawnypaw's creamy white and brown fur was soaked and she dripped with water. She was shivering, her tears mingling with the water on her cheeks. Dragonflydance murmured comfortingly to the sisters, her blue eyes soft. The she-cat turned to see Treepaw, Barrenpaw and Icelily carrying Lemonzest's limp body. The dead queen's dark brown tabby and white fur was sodden, and her zesty yellow eyes were shut. Her mouth gaped. Dragonflydance padded towards the entrance to Stormstar's den. She placed her paws on the lip of the den. "Stormstar," she called gently. "Stormstar. Can I come in?" Dragonflydance blinked, then spoke again. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but... There's been... There's been a death."

Tawnypaw sat blankly beside Dewpaw, her green eyes dull and unfeeling. She did not even care to shake the moisture which clung to her fur and made her shiver furiously. The apprentice was staring disbelievingly at her mother's body,. memories flickering through her eyes like fish in the river her mother had drowned in. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she thought of how this was all her fault. If only she'd been quicker in helping Lemonzest, or if she'd got to the river quicker... Tawnypaw let out a whimper, like a tiny kit. She did not care that Barrenpaw and Treepaw were watching. The fight earlier had faded tp insignificance in her numbed mind.

Indigokit rolled from the medicine den, giggling, his paws batting at the air. The blue-grey kitten rolled onto his paws as new scents filled his nostrils. The tom stared, wide eyed at Lemonzest's body. He huddled down against the ground, pressing his stomach into the grass. Indigokit's liquid blue eyes glistened with fear. "Why is she so still and wet?" he mewed, confused and frightened. "Why are Tawnypaw and Dewpaw crying?" Indigokit twitched his ears, looking at Lemonzest again. "Is she.. Is she sleeping?" Indigokit turned around to see if anybody was listening, and when he saw nobody, whimpered and flattened himself to the ground.

[FIREH!!]

_{Icelily padded solemnly into the clearing. She blinked sadly at Lemonzest and the apprentices, before nudging Indigokit back to the nursery. Lemonzest is sleeping. She isn't with us anymore. She feels like sleeping forever. She meowed,mustering up some kind of happiness so the kit wouldn't worry.}

[Spice..xx]

_{Dewpaw sat beside her sister, the tears still silently falling form her blank grey eyes. She felt as if she wasnt there, as if she was floating away. Everything was blurred, her vision, her hearing but most of all her thoughts. She couldnt think straight. Images of her mother kept flashing into her mind. She closed her eyes to try and block them out but it only made it worse. She opened her eyes and the tears kept cascading down her cheeks in a silent waterfall.
Skyflight was still in Stormstars den with him as Dragonflydance entered. She gasped in shock at the she-cats words. "Oh StarClan! Who?!"[ she cried, racing outside and looking around worridly. She suddenly saw Lemonzests body and gave a quiet moan of grief. She ran over to the she-cat and buried her face in the wet fur, her body shaking as she cried with grief.}[/color]

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

Berrenpaw watched everyone mourning for Lemonzest, and felt a strange stab of guilt for not giving a mouse's tail. He shifted, his tail flickering back and forth. Tawnypaw and Dewpaw were both shaking and crying, and the longer he watched them, the guiltier he felt. Padding softly up to the sisters, he meowed in the softest voice he could: "I really am sorry." How would he feel if he found Barleypaw or Treepaw in the water like that? He shivered and blinked away the vision. Underneath his rough extirior, he really loved Barleypaw and Treepaw, and would die to save them.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Deliriumstep ruffled Indigokit's hair. "Icelily's right," she said softly. "Lemonzest has gone to see the great StarClan." The blue-gray female tried to smile but failed. She had grown up with Lemonzest, who had been a great friend of her grandmother and mentor Illusionarymoon. Deliriumstep lowered her head.

Oleanderpaw fluffed up his mottled brown pelt, sinking into his fur to inhale deeply to avoid crying. "She was an excellent warrior!" he called out sagely. "There will be no doubt that StarClan will receive her with full honors." The apprentice came to his feet and walked away to let the family grieve in peace.</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

^{Stormstar leapt to his paws as a lithe white she-cat burst into the den, his eyes widening as the sorrowful sentence dropped from her lips. Already, the death scent was drifting into his den, mingled with a fragrance of a certain cat he could always recognize. Without a sound, he shot outside like a bullet, scudding the earth as he scrambled towards the limp body that rest in the clearing. His golden eyes softened with sadness, his powerful feet now lifeless, as if he were exhausted from a battle. They were placed in solemn positions in front of each other until they reached the queen. The dark gray leader blinked. "Lemonzest...." His eyes were slowly coming to an eclipse, half-closed. "She was an honorable warrior. CloudClan respects her loyalty to her Clanmates and the warrior code. She stood up for what she knew was right, whatever it meant. Forever shall she be remembered." His head slowly lowered until his nose touched the fur of the lost she-cat, which slowly grew frigid with the cold air of the coming leaf-bare. The CloudClanner then looked to the sky, which slowly grew darker. Though it was still quite pale, a bright star broke through, still clearly visible.}

[SHADE. :D]

Indigokit pressed himself into his mother's white fur, eyes wide as if he had just learnt to open them. The kitten looked up at Deliriumstep as she spoke to him, his blue-grey fur still brushing Icelily's. "StarClan?" he mewed, looking up at the sky. "I hope they're nice to her up there." Indigokit lay down, his head on his paws, watching more cats pouring from the den. He blinked as Stormstar appeared, and stood over Lemonzest's body. The kit shivered as a cold wind brushed his fur, and huddled against Icelily's warm body.

Dragonflydance nodded sadly. She turned and padded out of Stormstar's den again. She watched as Skyflight pressed her nose into Lemonzest's fur, shaking with greif. Dragonflydance sighed, padding silently towards the dark brown tabby she-cat. The snowy coated medicine cat touched Lemonzest's brow with her tail tip. She stepped back respectfully as Stormstar approached the warrior's body. Dragonflydance turned, walking over to stand beside Oleanderpaw. "StarClan will recieve her with honour," she mewed, nodding slowly.

Tawnypaw watched as cats padded from their dens to greive for her mother. The apprentice stayed still, her tail and ears drooping. She did not even pad to her mother's side, just sat huddled against Dewpaw, shivering. She was aware of many cats, including Dragonflydance, watching her and Dewpaw. Tawnypaw wished she could sink into the grass, or slip into the shadows unnoticed. Then she and Dewpaw could mourn without all of CloudClan staring. Tawnypaw jumped as Barrenpaw spoke to her, and gave a tiny nod when she registered what he had said. She opened her mouth to accept his apology, but the words stuck in her throat.

[Spice..xx]

_{Skyflight pulled away slowly from Lemonzest as more cats came frowards to pay their last respects. She dipped her head mournfully and walked away slightly. She sat down next to Stormstar, her pelt brushing his. This comforted her a little but not much. She looked up into her mates eyes but said nothing, her green eyes still full of tears.
Dewpaw stared at the ground, embarassed by all the cats staring at her and Tawnypaw. She felt she needed to say goodbye to her mother but she would wait until everyone had backed off from her a little and there was room. And she knew that Tawnypaw needed her. Her grey eyes flicked up the way at the sound of a voice and a slight hint of surprise flashed through them as she realised it was Barrenpaw. She dipped her head slightly to acknowledge his words. "Thank you" she whispered, blinkign as more tears threatened to spill.}[/color]

[FIREH!!]

<sub>ooc;; Indigokit is Icelily's, right? -is confused- xDD

bic;; Icelily licked the little kit on the head. I'll be right back. She meowed. Then she raced to Lemonzest's body and pressed her nose into her body. Lemonzest... We were aways so close.. It tears me to see you like this now.. Starclan recieve you with honour... She whispered. With a parting lick, she padded back to the kit, and wrapped herself around him, to keep him warm.</sub>

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

Barrenpaw sighed, nodded his head, and flicked his tail. They had heard him, at least. Padding away to sit beside Treepaw, he glanced around for their sister. He couldn't see her anywhere. Maybe she's in the apprentice's den, he decided, then turned to Treepaw. "Hey, Treepaw," he meowed, pointing with his paw to Tawnypaw and Dewpaw. "What's with them?" He still felt a need to act rough toward Tawnypaw, even if it wasn't direct. And, to be true, he didn't really understand it. He knew her and Dewpaw were upset, but how did it really feel? He sometimes felt sad that he never knew his father, but what about when you knew and loved them? He shook his head and sighed again.

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