aging superhero ;;

[SHADE. :D]

skytomb

The sun was pleasent on his back. Skytomb lay outside the elders' den, his eyes shut and his chin rested on his wide forepaws. The tom's muscular shoulders were a gentle, relaxed slope. He looked sleepy and happy. The sun had obviously lulled him from the shade of the ferny den. Skytomb was not asleep, merely reminiscing. He was remembering his younger seasons, the happiest, saddest and scariest moments. He remembered the very moment he had fallen in love with Icelily. When they had gone training together as Skypaw and Icepaw, and he had got stuck up a tree. He remembered the way her blue eyes had shone, and her tinkling laugh. He recalled the birth of his first litter, his second, and finally his third. All of them were grown up now. He remembered the four deaths he had had to endure. Pixiemagic, Littleshine, Rushpaw and Flightpaw. All dead. His children.

But now he was old and tired. His life was like a storybook, everything recorded carefully, ready to be picked up and read. There were the thrilling parts, like when he had almost drowned in the Rocks and Rapids, and when he had discovered Shoalpaw was alive. The beautiful parts, like when he had admitted his feelings to Icelily, and when Dragonflypaw had graduated as the medicine cat of CloudClan. And the sad bits, like when four of his children's broken bodies had been dragged, broken and bleeding, back to camp, and when he had thought Icelily loved another. But he was here now, Skytomb, elder of CloudClan. And all the excitement was over. He could relax.

[/blockquote]

haloheart

The small, ginger tabby shape of Haloheart, once again dripping wet, padded into the CloudClan camp. A fish hung from her mouth. She dropped the fresh kill onto the pile as she walked by. The warrior then approached the still shape of her father, Skytomb, laying outside the elder's den. She gave him a nudge. He lifted his head, blinking drowsily. Haloheart smiled and shook herself, being careful not to dampen the old tom. "I have to tell you something." Her voice was tight and excited. She laughed shortly at the look of brief alarm in Skytomb's yellow eyes.

"It's okay, I'm not about to leave the clan for a EclipseClanner," she mewed warmly. "But I do have a mate." The ginger tabby turned, her sky blue eyes expectant, as she waited for her mate to pad into camp.

[Wolf]

A huge brown and white tom padded into the camp, carrying a mouse which he quickly placed on the fresh kill pile. Brokenskull then padded over to Haloheart and Skytomb, stopping to stand by the small she-cat. "Hello...Skytomb!" He meowed joyfully. He huffed happily and waited for the elder to speak, occaisionally casting a lopsided smile at Haloheart.

[SHADE. :D]

skytomb

Skytomb felt a wet nose nudged his flank. He cracked open his yellow eyes, the very colour of sun-baked sand. He smiled slightly when he recognized his daughter, Haloheart. The blue-grey tom stretched out his forelegs, screwing up his face. His joints were stiff and achy. He longingly remembered the days when he had been fully mobile. "What is it?" he asked, flicking up his tail tip. His yellow eyes widened very slightly at Haloheart's words. He had learnt, being the father of many kits, that this was not always a good statement to hear. For instance, Cloakedclaw had said that to him when he had fount Flightpaw and Rushpaw dead, and Indigohawk had told him that when he had accidentally scratched Stripedfeather.

He looked relieved at her words. The tom's sun-coloured eyes swayed onto Brokenskull as the large tom bumbled into camp. He tried to hide his surprise. He didn't have a problem with the tom... And his daughter had never really been one to care much about looks. Skytomb smiled. "Look after my daughter, won't you?"

[Wolf]

Brokenskull smiled widely at Skytomb, then nodded vigorously. "Yup...yup I will! I promise...promise promise. I...love her...so I'll...never let anything...happen to her." The large tom nodded once more, then gently touched his nose to his mate's cheek. "I'll take...care of...you Halo...Heart." He whispered.

[SHADE. :D]

haloheart

Haloheart smiled happily. It seemed that Brokenskull had been accepted into their dysfunctional family by her father. The ginger tabby she-cat leant against the large form of her mate at her side, her head on his shoulder. She felt relaxed and blissfully happy. Haloheart grinned as Skytomb got to his paws, nodding to them, and slid back into the elders' den as gracefully as a cat of his size and age could manage. She knew he'd be spreading the news to Icelily and Mooncloud in the space of a few seconds. Well, it was going to spread, and she didn't mind it starting here, with her mother and aunt figure. Haloheart sank into a daydream about the future, shutting her sky blue eyes.

The ginger tabby imagined her first litter with Brokenskull. Three kits, all of them perfect. One, a large female, the spitting image of Brokenskull, a small brown tabby tom, and a pure white she-cat, just like Icelily. She went on to imagine two more litters, then attached names to each kit and played a warrior ceremony for each. She then imagined growing old with Brokenskull. It really could happen, all of it...

[Wolf]

Brokenskull smiled as he watched Skytomb return to the elder's den. He looked down at Haloheart, still smiling. He giggled as he noticed the she-cat had her eyes close. He waited a moment, then prodded her gently. "Halo...Heart? What...are you...doing?" He asked, blinking and lowering his head down, as if that would help him understand. "Did you see...a butter...fly?" He asked excitedly, looking around.

[FIREH!!]

_{ooc;; Can I come in with Icey?}

[SHADE. :D]

// Go ahead. ^^ It's open.

[FIREH!!]

<sub>ooc;;Sweet! thanks!!


bic:: A white she-cat, much like a beautiful lily, padded out of the elders' den and lay down next to Skytomb. She licked his ear in greeting and smiled at her daughter and Brokenskull. So you've finally admitted it to yourselves, then? She smiled knowingly. Icelily was really happy Haloheart had found a mate. After all the business with Eaglefeather, she needed this. The old cat heaved herself to her paws and licked Haloheart's ear.</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

haloheart

Haloheart shook her head at Brokenskull, butting his shoulder with her forehead. "No, I'm afraid," she mewed, smiling. "I was just thinking about... About the future, y'know." The small ginger tabby's light blue eyes lit up as Icelily padded slowly from the elders' den. Haloheart purred loudly, and touched noses with her mother. She then smirked and rolled her sky blue eyes. "I suppose Skytomb has spread the news to the entire elders' den?" she mewed, her ears twitching with amusement. It was just like her father. She remembered when Indigohawk, Stripedfeather and Hailthunder were born, when she was just an apprentice. He had come tearing through the camp, telling anybody who would listen.

"Yes, Brokenskull and I are mates, now," she mewed, looking happily at the large, bumbling brown and white tom. The she-cat rested her head on Icelily's shoulder. She missed her parents, now that they had retired. She knew that they had needed it, but she had enjoyed the days when they had been warriors together.

[Wolf]

Brokenskull continued to smile lovingly at Haloheart for a few moments. He looked up as Icelily spoke. "Hello...Ice...Lily!" He mewoed happily, jiggling his head. "I...love Halo...Heart very...much and I...want to stay...with her for...ever!" The huge tom announced, looking proud and extremely happy. He swished his tail, then looked at Haloheart, panting happily.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily

_{Icelily shook her head. I've been watching you. Skytomb just confirmed it. She smiled and licked her daughter's head. Brokenskull, if you play your cards right, you'll be with her as long as Skytomb and I have been together. She purred, amused that the tom was being so... kittish. IT was what haloheart needed. Happiness.}

[Wolf]

Brokenskull blinked a few times, then nodded. "Ok...I'll play my...cards right...whatever that...actually...means...if it....means...I can stay...with Haloheart." He meowed grinning. He prodded Haloheart gently with a massive paw. "Is...that ok....with you, Halo...Heart?" He asked, smiling at the small she-cat.

(Bleh, small post >_<)

[SHADE. :D]

haloheart

Haloheart positively beamed as Icelily and Brokenskull conversed. The small ginger tabby was immensely glad that her parents approved of her choice of partner. Haloheart smiled and rolled her sky blue eyes as her mother spoke of Skytomb. So he had spread the news, as she had suspected. The warrior shook herself lightly. She smiled at her mate as he prodded her side with a large, soft forepaw. "Of course it's okay," she mewed. For the umpteenth time she thought how much she loved the tom. She didn't care about his past or the scar that had made him how he was. It was part of him. And she loved him for that.

tansypaw

The place felt warm and soft, but smelt unfamiliar. Tansypaw was lying in the apprentices' den, on her small mossy nest. She had got to sleep late last night, so she had not woken up until now. She was surprised that her mentor had not come to wake her. Then, it depended on whether he thought there was a point in training a blind apprentice. Tansypaw got to her paws and shook her small body. She then proceeded to groom her ruffled fur. She could smell dew and sunshine and worked out that it was late morning by the position of the heat on her back. The young she-cat gave her ears a final wash, then left the den, remembering that she was an apprentice now, and had tasks. Starting with cleaning out the elders' den.

She could smell the familiar scents of Icelily, her grandmother, Haloheart, her father's sister, and her mentor, Brokenskull. The blind kit nodded nervously to each of them, then hurried into the elders' den. She could smell the scents of Skytomb and Mooncloud. Skytomb's was fresher, and more widely spread, as though he had moved around the den today, but Mooncloud's was not as strong - Tansypaw guessed she was still asleep. The blind apprentice smelt her way over to Icelily's bedding and began to roll it sombrely into a ball.