my comeuppance ??

[SHADE. :D]

A clear scar through the reeds showed Tawnysky's path. The scattered golden stems lay broken or hanging miserably. The she-cat herself stormed up ahead, her green eyes burning like dying embers. Her creamy brown and white coat was bristling furiously, and at every step she stomped down her small paws as hard as she could. She still carried that sick feeling in her stomach, a mixture of jealousy, anger and guilt. She hated it, and she hated herself. Her body just wasn't big enough to carry such hatred, and so some of it haf spilt onto her sister and her mate.

A cloud of mist up ahead made her pull up short. Mist? It was sunny overhead. Tawnysky crept closer, paws now carefully brushing the ground, her anguish momentarily forgotten. The she-cat narrowed her green eyes as she realised it was not mist, but a cat. She must have been mistaken. The young warrior bared her sharp white teeth in a snarl. Great. An intruder to beat up. You picked the wrong day to intrude, sunshine! Tawnysky blinked in surprise as the cat spun around. It was transparent. What was up with this? Was she dreaming? Tawnysky gasped as the ghostly cat's scarlet eyes met her's. They look like ghosts, but their eyes are scarlet...

"The Tribe!" she mewed loudly, flattening her ears. The spectre gave a hiss, face twisted violently, and darted forward, sharp claws bared. Tawnysky raised her own to defend herself, a scream rattling from her body as the cat's claws scored her chest deep. Her own went straight through the Tribe cat's flank. Panic filled her, but she swallowed it proudly. If she was going to die, she'd do it bravely. She had no hope now, so she may as well go down fighting. Again the cat struck, her face, her shoulder, her flank. Blood streamed from her body. One green eye was swollen shut. She hissed weakly, setting her shoulders, preparing for the last blow.

"Go on then, bring it."

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

<sup>ooc://Nuuu! Tawny!

I'm going to randomly bring in Blood, who still doesn't know his own name. XD

bic://
He knew another member had been sent down to Earth. The kit still didn't understand this Tribe. Following the descending scourge, he hoped he would learn something. What he saw made his stomach churn. The Tribe cat was tearing at an innocent CloudClanner. "Stop!" he screeched, his faded form materializing. "Please stop!" Desperately, he tried to distract the misty figure. After all, he was already dead,but this living cat didn't deserve to go down.</sup>

[kee :]]

OutOfCorn // oh what the hell. lastie's coming in!

ItsaCar //

Finally, Newleaf had come and Lastfalling was taking advantage of the lovely day. But sadly, he was in no mood to relax at the shrine. He would stay at that border until Astralhaze showed up. He wanted to talk to her, more than anyone and the stress from camp was unbearable, as usual. Now he had no apprentice to worry about, yet Hollowstripe was a worry. Ghostlystar had been giving him odd looks lately, like he knew something. Lastfalling ignored it. But today, he would finally be able to face Astralhaze and tell her that he loved her. Hopefully, she wouldn't look at him funny and walk away. But Lastfalling knew that she wasn't like that.

Where the Tall Reeds started, CloudClan territory began, so he stopped and took advantage of seeing if the scent markers were up to date. Yep, they all were. Well, he had updated them with Hollowstripe only yesterday evening. He didn't sense any cats around him, so he sat down at the edge of the territory and began to groom his black and white fur, even though it was already perfectly set. Maybe it was just that he was nervous or because this was a very dangerous place to be sitting. But he sensed that Astralhaze wanted to see him. Or at least, he hoped.

It was then that the smell of cat hit him and then the sound of a mew. He stood up, his ear pricked and his stance tense. Was someone waiting here and watching him. Then he heard yowls and smelled the blood. The strong blood of a CloudClanner. He sprang up and ran as fast as his legs could carry him because he knew that a cat was dying and whatever was doing this had to pay. Cutting through the Tall Reeds was difficult but when he finally reached the CloudClan warrior, he realized that she was just bleeding and being scratched by nothing... But when he looked closer, he saw it. It was a phantom. It was the Tribe of Nightmares, taking the young warrior away.

Lastfalling panicked. He didn't know how he could defeat a phantom. He prayed to StarClan, to his father, to his mother, and to everyone that he knew that ever died, thats spirit lie in the shrine, would help him survive. Help the she-cat live. And without hesitation, he dove into scuffle. He could hear the StarClan cat but he didn't look up. He just hoped the distraction would be enough so he could drag the she-cat away. He grabbed her scruff, the phantom now attacking him as well. His shoulder was bleeding a fur was being torn but he couldn't see the cat very well. He just batted the air with his paw, as he kept dragging the CloudClan warrior away and realized that he couldn't do this. The Tribe was going to take him, too.

[SHADE. :D]

Tawnysky couldn't see; her eyes were blinded by the misty aura of the ghost. The young she-cat spat out a clot of blood, yowling as claws sliced her shoulders once, twice, thrice. The brown and white she-cat's legs trembled. She knew she was about to go down. She knew she deserved it. Tawnysky then flinched as a black and white cat darted into the fray. She felt teeth meet in her scruff, and struggled madly. Though she was flailing with all her might, the strong cat managed to pull her free. The mist seemed to falter as they moved further and further away. Tawnysky bared her teeth angrily, feeling like a mischevious kit being pulled away by her mother. But that couldn't be true - she was a stupid, wretched warrior and her mother was dead.

As soon as the Tribe cat was out of sight, Tawnysky pulled free of the other cat. She stood, swaying slightly on her slashes limbs. The warrior shook herself, blood flying everywhere from her torn coat. Tawnysky glared at the cat before her. She thought she had maybe seen him before - she knew he was a BrightClanner, though she could not smell his scent through the rank stench of her own blood. The she-cat's green eyes were still hot, but dampened slightly by pain. "I had everything under control!" she hissed. Tawnysky gave a little mew as one paw gave way. She had no idea how she was going to get back to camp. "Thanks," she muttered, her voice clearing saying mention this to no one.

[kee :]]

Blood started flowing from Lastfalling's chest and shoulder. It dripped on the ground and on the tabby pelt of the she-cat he was attempting to save. She was injured and blood covered her pelt but that mysterious shadowy figure kept scratching and biting each of them. Lastfalling started moving faster but he kept tripping over air and he collapsed, knowing that some how, this was the end. Astralhaze would realize that he died on her own land because he tried to save a CloudClanner. Hollowstripe wouldn't be too happy and neither would Ghostlystar. No one would be able to tell how they really died.

No. He wouldn't give up hope. His mother, Aurora, always said never to give up. He had followed Aurora's every rule for his whole life and look where it got him. Its to a point where he cares for everyone except for himself. So he crawled a little, pushing the limp tabby body and he finally gained enough strength to stand and try to run. He kept the scruff of her in his jaws and didn't dare to look back, when he felt the wind and pain of new scratches because he knew that they were getting away. And when finally, when they reached a dense part of the reeds, he sat down in a huff.

Lastfalling wasn't surprised when she pulled away but when he got a good look at her, his eyes grew wide. Her entire coat was covered in dark red blood and she looked off balance. He was about to tell her to sit down and rest for a second but her piecing green glare was upon him and he felt as though he did something wrong. As she hissed, Lastfalling looked down and glared at his paws. Yes, he had done something right. If he hadn't come over, this she-cat would be dead but he didn't tell her that. Instead when she said thanks, he responded with a nod and mewed, "I'll help you back to camp." He stood up and like the gentleman he was, he offered the CloudClanner his shoulder for support and smiled slightly.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Tawnysky, what the StarClan is going on?"

Her voice was the sound of silver chimes on the breath of the western winds. Astralhaze stood in by the reeds, a few mice at her paws. She had gone hunting after the ceremony and came across this. She hurriedly came forward and smelled BrightClanner. She snarled, wondering what was happening. Then she saw him.

Lastfalling...

Astralhaze nearly faltered but knew she had to keep playing the part or else Tawnysky would suspect something. The beautiful silver female hastily grabbed some cobwebs stringing from the reeds and placed them on Tawnysky's and Lastfalling's shoulder. "What are you doing on our territory, BrightClanner?" the fae said quietly. She looked at the two, eyes searching Tawnysky to ask if she was alright and Lastfalling to ask why he had revealed himself. She hadn't seen the Tribemember.</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

<sup>He was confused. After a sudden flurry of fur and claws, the other had faded, and he stood alone, unsure if he was even visible. Perhaps these cats could help? After, they seemed pretty nice.

The misty, blood-stained kitten took a hesitant step forward. "A-are you o-okay?" he stuttered quietly. He desperately hoped that they wouldn't sense him as a threat.</sup>

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{ooc:// I have a question. Who on earth are you roleplaying, Shard?}

[SHADE. :D]

// Bloodkit.

Tawnysky did not see the spectral kitten though her misted eyes. The brown and white she-cat tried weakly to shake off Lastfalling's help, but her head felt as though it were made of lead. She was finding it more and more difficult to keep it up. Tawnysky wanted to refuse the black and white cat's help, but she was so exhausted that when he allowed her to lean on him she collapsed against his strong shoulder. "Th-thankyou," she murmured, voice a mere wisp in her throat.

Tawnysky's eyes flickered wearily open as she heard another voice. Astralhaze. She recognized the soft tones - she could not smell any scent other than her own blood. The young warrior blinked at Astralhaze a moment, summoning the strength to speak. "He saved me..." she sighed. Her legs wobbled dangerously, as more blood slid down her coat. She could still feel death beside her, the rank breath on her cheek. Tawnysky shook her head as though an irritating fly was buzzing around her, before giving a strangely high-pitched growl of pain.

[kee :]]

Lastfalling was actually, quite surprised but extremely happy when the she-cat agreed to him supporting her. Her weight almost seemed like dead weight and her head was dropped like it was a piece of lead and he frowned trying to muster up his courage not to cry out in pain as he began to walk forward. Everything hurt but he knew if he didn't walk with her, she wouldn't be able to make it. Suddenly, a ghost appeared. A ghost kit and it looked worried. Lastfalling recognized the kit from several of his dreams. But then again, there were so many cats in his dreams. He knew this one as Blood. He just stared at it and nodded, trying to tell it that he knew that the kitten phantom was there. Then she appeared.

He, almost, fell over there but he did stumble a bit, muttering an apology in the young she-cat's ear. His eyes didn't move from Astralhaze. Would she fight in two days like him? He couldn't bear to see her covered in blood or even, he gulped, dead. But he just shook the thought away and stared at her with wide yellow eyes but when she spoke, he knew he had to keep composed, even though he wanted to run over to her and cry into her shoulder and tell her that he tried to be faster at protecting the other she-cat. When he opened his mouth, only a few rasping coughs came out and then the tabby she-cat at his side answered and he thanked StarClan. Lastfalling just nodded and tried to speak again. This time he croaked and began to talk in a raspy weak voice. "I heard the battle. It was the Tribe," he whispered, feeling like he could collapse. But it was tabby cat who growled in pain first and he looked at Astralhaze, desperately. "Please..." he whispered so quietly that he thought that she wouldn't hear him and he began to crawl from where she came from.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Oh, by the heavens," Astralhaze exclaimed, rushing forward to pull both Lastfalling and Tawnysky out of the mud. The beautiful she-cat wondered if StarClan simply sent the deputy in to save every CloudClanner around. She also wondered if he hadn't fallen in love with her...would he had done so with Tawnysky? The silver spotted fae licked both cats off, relishing Lastfalling's scent. She blinked and turned around, wondering if the deputy was being delusional in his state of pain.

Astralhaze squared her slim shoulders and looked down at Tawnysky. "I'm going to go get Dragonflydance. Stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can." Her shimmering eyes drifted from her Clansmate to her beloved for a few moments before sprinting off towards camp like a silver swan bursting into flight.</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

// I just made Tawny turn up at camp. It's easier. xD Do you guys mind?

[kee :]]

_{ooc // Not at all! <3 -scurries to post-}