Disaster Roleplay

[Wildstar]

Ooc: Alright, let's do this for real, now. All roleplay rules apply. Please refer to the leopard customs and maps if you have any questions.
Begin!

[Starlight]

Starlight blinked slowly, distantly aware that she was dreaming. She sat upon a bank of snow high in the mountains, yet felt no cold. Here, the young she-cat had an unimpeded view of the surrounding landscape. She looked up to see a clear, night sky at moon-high. The full moon was a bright, round disk in the heavens. All was lit by soft, twinkling starlight.

Taking in her calm surroundings, Starlight zeroed in on a figure emerging from a nearby forest. Her tail flicked and her ears pricked up as she recognized the cat whose dotted coat blended into the Starpelt behind him. She gazed upon the spirit of her deceased mentor, Galaxyfur. She knew then that this was no normal dream, but a dream sent by StarClan.

Starlight bowed her head in respect as the tom approached. “Galaxyfur,” she called enthusiastically, “It’s good to see you again.”

The medicine cat recalled the first time Galaxyfur had come to her in a dream. It was three days after his untimely death, and Starlight had still been grieving her first and closest friend’s passing. Galaxyfur’s spirit had padded into the den as if nothing were wrong. After assuring an ecstatic Starlight that she was dreaming and that, no, her mentor was not alive again, Galaxyfur told his apprentice that he had joined StarClan’s ranks. He would come again if ever Starlight needed guidance and advice. Or, of course, if StarClan had a message. When the she-cat awoke the next day, mourning for her mentor had turned to happy memories of the eccentric cat and a calm acceptance. Galaxyfur had visited several times since to guide her and discuss the going-ons of the clan.

“Indeed it is, Starlight,” Galaxyfur replied, bringing Starlight back to the present. “Good to see you, that is,” Galaxyfur clarified in response to Starlight’s blank look. The she-cat dipped her head; apparently her days of being caught daydreaming were not over.

“How fares MountainClan, my dear Starlight?”

“The same as ever. Bluesky’s kits are growing strong and healthy. Dawnkit’s turning out to be a feisty one. Scratched poor Rainkit playing a game the other day. A shallow cut, fortunately.”

“Well, I am glad that they are doing well. Bluesky will probably get them under control again.”

Starlight twitched her whiskers in amusement. “You’re probably right, as usual, but I think their wild side comes from their mother in the first place.”

The tom chuckled once, and then turned to face the night sky with a somber sigh. “Look,” he said gently.

Following his lead, Starlight peered up.

Two stars caught her eye.

They were falling stars, but instead of flashing across the night sky and disappearing, they were growing swiftly larger. Before the she-cat could comprehend what was happening, the stars were upon them.

One star hit Starlight.

She gasped as its energy coursed through her, then closed her eyes contentedly, the light settling down to a warm glow. When her eyes opened again, she saw the star on her chest emanating the brilliant light.

On a whim, Starlight looked up and scanned the mountains for the other star. It had landed on a mountain opposite the two medicine cats. Here stood the silhouetted from of a lone cat, larger than any Starlight had seen before. On its pelt, like Starlight’s, a star shone.

“Listen carefully, Starlight,” Galaxyfur commanded in little more than a whisper. “Before you ever stumbled upon your clan, StarClan told me this prophecy and that I should keep it secret until the time was right.”

From within the stone titans,
Two Stars shall appear;
The brighter brings victory.

The words echoed strangely in Starlight’s head and she knew that she would never forget these words and their meaning.

“Farewell, Starlight. And stay safe, for MountainClan’s sake. And mine.”

Starlight awoke abruptly, glancing around her den. Three things she knew. First, she was one of the Stars which the prophecy named. Second, MountainClan had unknown but dangerous enemies, specifically the second star. And third, Starlight’s clan was in grave peril.

As she recognized these truths, Starlight’s first thought was to warn Wildstar. She dashed from her den, ignoring the black dots that swam in her vision from getting up too quickly. She came to a halt before her leader’s den. “Wildstar!” she hissed urgently. “Wake up! I have news from StarClan.” She poked her head inside the den, anxiety making her impatient.

[Wildstar]

Glacier was a broken king. On the outside, he appeared strong and healthy, a leopard perfectly capable of commanding his tribe of cats. But, inside, his mind swam with fears. Every time he closed his eyes, his belated mate's eyes were there, looking up at him an emaciated face, fur sticking to her bones, exposing her cheeks and eye sockets. Before she had passed, she had whispered, "Your daughter is in danger. Take care of her, or the tribe will fall..."
Shaking his head to rid himself of Iris's dreadful features, Glacier looked up from his massive paws, surveying the rock wall before him like his life depended on it.
'If only I were not forced to bare this burden alone... but, she is not yet old enough to understand the dangers she puts herself in everyday. Every sun that sets leads me to worry that she could become ill, or become fatally injured... Why must the spirit family do this to me...'
And the king, who was not as powerful as he seemed, wept bitterly. He was a broken king.
-
Wildstar materialized from the shadows of her den, a habit she had developed many moons ago. Her blue eyes shone curiously, but her face remained impassive. "Yes, Starlight? What news do our ancestors bring?"

[Starlight]

Now that she had her leader's attention, Starlight calmed a little and managed a short bow. "I am sorry for my abrubtness and the late hour, my Illustrious Leader, but it is important. StarClan has sent us a prophecy." Starlight looked her leader straight in the eye. "Wildstar, MountainClan is in danger. We have enemies."

[Wildstar]

Ooc: xD Star, you don't need to call me "illustrious leader" during a roleplay. It's just a fun title, like "devoted deputy".

Bic: Wildstar's eyes grew cold as mid-winter. "Enemies? What has StarClan told you, Starlight?"

[Starlight]

((Originally I had Wildstar, but saying the name twice in two sentences almost killed me. So we'll just ignore that, shall we?))

Starlight repeated the prophecy to her leader. "StarClan has only revealed this much to me: I have been marked as one of the Stars in the prophecy. The other Star lives among our enemies, another group of cats. Whatever happens, each Star is crucial to his or her clan; the first Star to fall will be the clan that must flee or die." Starlight looked down at her paws and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, a habit she had when she was deep in thought. "I suppose it is obvious that if I die, MountainClan will be without a medicine cat. Maybe it is time for me to choose an apprentice. . . ." The she-cat's throat tightened as the full implications of the prophecy finally hit her.

[Willowfoot]

The leopard shuddered in her sleep. She covered her face with her paws until all that was shown was her ears and the bright white eight-pointed star on her forehead. Her tailtip twitched rapidly as she was hit with dreams of her mother.

"Stop it," she muttered aloud, "Leave me alone..."

Light saw her mother as a beautiful leopardess in the prime of her years, long before Light was born. She looked at her with compassionate eyes, and though Light herself didn't like her mother very much, it was evident that the younger leopard was liked.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled again, "I don't want anything to do with you anymore!"

Her mother giggled. "Oh, my child." Then her face became grave. "Oh, my child," she repeated.

Light found it hard not to be worried. "What's wrong?"

Her mother looked up and flicked her tail in a signal to follow her. At the top of a crag, they stopped, somehow not winded at all. Suddenly the top of the mountain gleamed with light-- light from the younger one. She gasped in a mixture of awe and horror. Then she saw the other light, shining ever brighter, seeming to call out to her. She was frightened of it.

"Mom... mom, what is it?" meowed Light, looking at her mother anxiously.

Her mother looked almost as terrified as she. "There will be war. The stars must be strong. Shine bright, my little Light... Be safe..."

She woke up, trying not to scream. As quickly as she could, she sprinted across the clearing, rushing to Glacier's den. She skidded to a stop in front of it. "K-King Glacier! Let me in! I need to speak to you... alone." Her thin-built body shook in anticipation and horror.

ooc; Should I change it to a five-pointed star to match Starlight's?

And after the conversations between Light and Glacier/Starry and Wildstar are done, do we cut to MountainClan? We did make lots of good leopard characters.

Just let me know when to enter Stonepelt.

[Sleetfoot]

**I think we should either have both camps in one thread or start a new thread for the Leopard Camp**

Galaxyfur watched his young apprentice -she would always be his apprentice- as she woke from the dream. He was glad that this was not one that faded once contiousness hit, that she remembered. HE watched as she raced to the leader's den and called out to the black she-cat. He sighed heavily. His job was finished, for now but he knew Starlight would need help int he future.

He turned and headed back for his new camp and found a few cats around including Starlight's parents. He rubbed heads with Burntfur. "She will be fine. I have a feeling, deep in my gut that Starlight will see her way through this."

[Wildstar]

Ooc: I don't know. I'd kind of prefer having them both in the same thread, myself.
--
"Are you sure you wish to take on an apprentice so suddenly? StarClan has to tell you who they have chosen. Unless they already have...?" Wildstar looked quizically at the young medicine cat. "What exactly were StarClan's words to you, Starlight?"
--
Glacier looked up in alarm at the sound of his daughter's voice. He couldn't let her see him like this, sobbing like a helpless cub. Pawing at the tear-tracks on his face, the king turned his back to the entrance, and beckoned her enter. His voice was gruff to cover up his sorrow. "Come in."

[Willowfoot]

Horrified, the leopard slid into the entrance. In the customary greeting, she slid her right paw forward and bowed her head. "King Glacier." She had always thought this was a very silly thing to do, but she had to follow tradition.

Then she lifted her head. "M-mother gave me a terrible prophecy. There will be war, my king."

ooc: LOL SUCKAGE

[Wildstar]

Ooc: Why is she so horrified? ;o;

Bic: Turning abruptly, Glacier's eyes flashed almost crazily, and for a moment it was not his daughter standing before him, but Iris, his lost mate. Then she dissolved before his eyes, leaving behind the frightened features of Light. Choking back a strangled sob, the king spoke almost resignedly. "Yes, Light? What does my Iris mean? What were her exact words?"

Ooc: That sucks. I win.

[Starlight]

Starlight shook her head. "You are right, of course. StarClan has not told me to take an apprentice. I am just . . . frightened. Galaxyfur told me that prophecy and to stay safe for the clan's sake. And when I woke up, StarClan left me with this feeling in my gut that there will be war. As usual, StarClan lets us puzzle out the meaning for ourselves."

The young medicine cat repeated the prophecy then, mostly to herself.
"From withing the stone titans (referring to the mountains of course), two Stars will appear (the two cats marked with a star); the brighter brings victory. The brighter brings victory. . . . The last line is not as obvious as the other two. Does it mean one fades away or . . . or dies?"

((I just had an idea! See the discussion forum, where I can post without spamming up the roleplay too much.))

[Willowfoot]

ooc: Wildy, she's horrified because this prophecy changed her life. Prior to it, she was a snooty "bad girl", but after, she attempts to live up to her responsibility. She's a new cat.

ic:

Light blinked hard and swallowed, trying to dislodge the words. "She showed me a star. I'm not sure how far away. It could have been the whole mountain range, it could have been across the river. But it was shining from a sort of... chosen one. And... I was shining too. She said, 'There will be war. The stars must be strong.' Then she told me to shine bright." She seemed to be shrinking under the weight of the responsibility.

Iris had told her that she was the fate of the snow leopards. Unless she was strong, the clan would fall. Light wasn't sure she could do it. Why her? She wasn't a good daughter, and she had enough pressure being heir to the throne without this prophecy. But still, she had to try. She would try until she could try no more. She would try until her light withered away. But...

"Father, what did she mean? Who are our enemies?" She looked up at him with pale yellow eyes, burning with determination and also uncertainty, the two emotions almost at war with one another.

[Wildstar]

Wildstar's voice was troubled, a rare occurance for the she-cat. "I wish I knew, Starlight. StarClan's messages are never clear enough. But, if that is the prophecy, then it is best to assume that not only our Clan, but your life, is in danger."
'If only Pinestar would send us a message. He was always a straightforward cat- none of this riddle nonsense,' the black she-cat allowed herself to think.
----
Glacier's eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched methodically, a sure sign that he was piecing together information. "From another tribe, you think? If there are other cats around here, then it would be a wise decision to scope them out before they discover us. If what you say about war is true, then we must find out as much as we can about this enemy.
"Send out one of the scouts, Light. Hopefully the trainers will know something about our 'neighbours'."

[Willowfoot]

Light nodded slowly and walked out of the den, shaking herself and putting on her "princess face". It seemed to give her a more sophisticated air and made it look better when she was giving orders.

Head held up, she hopped on the Deadstump quietly to look around the camp for Crystal.