THIS IS OUR DREAM ☽ MEDICINE CATS

[Dawn]

And she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.

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ARCTICLIGHT[/color][/font]
Yeah she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.[/i]

Through the pine trees, the light of the half moon shone, painting everything in a surreal, ominous hue. Branches seemed to wave to her in passing, but appear still, solemn sentries upon looking back. The stars twinkled, each one the silvery point of a fallen warrior, gazing down upon the forest. Pure white paws traveled the needle-covered earth in a spirited dance, excitement for the night to come coursing through her body. Arcticlight paused, putting her nose to the ground to make sure she was still following the right path. She supposed she should have set out for the contact earlier, but she was low on several important herbs, so of course she'd set out looking for them that evening. It didn't matter too much, however. The night was just lovely, the air crisp and everything very fragile and perfect. She picked up the pace through Vertigoclan territory, breaking into a run as she left the cover of trees and raced over the moorland, feeling light and free. Arcticlight considered stopping to see if she could join Toxicwinter in his trek to the tunnel, but decided he was probably already there, waiting, as Zephyrclan territory was a stretch of empty territory right then. Heedless of patrols, the medicine cat careened down a grassy hill, against a cold headwind that scented of the glacier and other cats. It was just coming into sight, the area where the medicine cats waited for each other before making the journey through the glacier tunnel together. She couldn't wait to see all of the other medicine cats and hear what news they brought. This was the one time she enjoyed listening to cats talk about the other clans.

"As we moved together in the dark."[/color]
"And every bite I gave you left a mark."
word count 283 | tagged to post panaceaheart | notes medicine cat gathering! please keep your posts under 500 words, as there are going to be a lot of cats in this role play. be sure to tag the medicine cat to post after your post, until we've got the order down!

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[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/panaceaheart2.png] It was truly a lovely night, and with a yawn that warned her mind that she was ill-prepared for the evening, the female set off away from camp, though continued to throw wary glances over her shoulder where the rest of CelestialClan slept. Fawndance had been attending to something, though her apprentice wasn't actually sure what, but the pallid older female had urged her ahead in the meantime, as to not keep the others waiting, and promised to catch up later. Of course, the prospect was mortifying to Panaceaheart. Meeting up with the other medicine cats? Without her trusty mentor to protect her and carry the conversation safely away from her stuttering idiocy? The patched female shuddered at the thought, and sighed, knowing full well it was her duty, and that she mustn't let her mentor down. Swallowing a lump of bile that had slowly risen in her throat, she set off again and a quick, graceful gait, hardly even touching the ground, and from a distance one surely would have thought she was simply gliding down the forest floor. It didn't take long, and the forest gradually cleared away to nothing as she padding along, long plume tail lashing anxiously. What about the others? She hardly even knew who was taking care of which clan as medicine cat anymore! There seemed to be an awful lot of switching around going on, and not to mention dying! She gave a huff of something like fear and slowed her frantic pace when the glacier's unforgiving terrtain met her small paws, threatening to chill her to the bone as she made her way along, hardly remembering where she was going. She went twice a moon! But her nerves were frayed with fright and she could hardly see straight, so she took her sweet time finding the tunnel's forboding mouth and, while she pondered whether or not to wait for the others, she was shocked to find another cat already there! "Oh!" Panaceaheart yelped, taken aback by Arcticlight's seemingly sudden appearance, though in actuality her frosty coat had merely camoflauged her slender frame. "H-Hello." CelestialClan's medicine cat apprentice greeted the other rather softly, keeping her tender green eyes fixed firmly upon the ground. tagged; BOOP I PICK TOXIC!

[MiNTY♥]

You keep making me weak, yeah, frozen and can't breathe

Never having attended a medicine cat gathering before he had been asking around camp where to go and nobody had been especially helpful. Heading out into the night he knew he would have to rely on his own sense of direction and lucky for him it was rather well developed. He knew where the glacier was as he liked to spend time there so he headed in that direction and following that he would have to use his nose. Gallantly the large tom bounded through the snow, sending a white flurry behind him as he went. In the back of his mind he laughed at those skinny clan mates of his dashing through the snow to keep as much heat in as they could but he just did it because it was fun. There was nothing better than crashing through the white fluffy material and getting covered in it. Afterwards he would just shake it off and none of it would have sunk through to the bottom layer of fur keeping him dry and cosy. Slowing now to a trot he stuck his nose to the ground a little too quickly and snorted as ice shot up his nose. Clearly his throat calmly he tried again, and waddled along with his tail erect behind him. Scenting some fresh meat – er cats – he padded in that direction and approached two white females, one spotted and one plain.

”Um, hi?” His tone was gruff and a little unsure as he had never seen either of these cats before in his life. However, it was always good to make the best of a bad situation. Ordinarily he should have been taken to meet the other medicine cats by a mentor but he had no mentor and without him his clan would have no medicine cat; a rather complex situation really. The tom did not even know what would happen at this meeting because he was not clan born and therefore was unlikely to be contacted by Starclan. Maybe they would tell him to get lost or something similar using a more refined expression than that. Whatever happened he was here now and that was that.

tagged// fawndance?

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dusk]

Fawndance


The medicine cat stood for a moment at the entrance to the yellowstone cavern that comprised the den, emerald eyes staring into the fading light of evening as she watched her young assistant slip out of the camp. The she-cat worried for her calico apprentice, and it left her anything but happy to send the she-cat out to the glacier on her own, but Fawndance simply couldn't be heading out so soon. She sighed quietly before turning back to the task that had prevented her from heading out with Panaceaheart. In truth, the task - which was simply organizing "important" herbs - could have been pushed off until the next day, but the sorrel cat felt it was time she start encouraging her protege to rely less on her. To often the young and meek she-cat clung to Fawndance during these meetings, but the medicine cat found the trips harder to make with each passing moon. It was a small dose of touch love, totally necessary, but it nagged at the pale feline all the same. Panaceaheart would be fine. She wasn't a kit to be doted over, although the mothering urge was nigh on impossible to shake.

Binding herbs was a thoughtless process, and soon enough the chore was done, and the medicine cat found herself slipping past the camp guard at a jog. The night was pleasant, and she hardly noticed the snow thanks to her thick pelt and the rapid pace at which she made her way down the slopes of her beloved clan's territory. On any other night, Fawndance would have slowed down to enjoy the scenery, but she was spurred on by the fear of what might happen were she to leave Panaceaheart alone too long with other cats. Yes, they were all medicine cats, unlikely to harm one another, however nerves still knotted their way into the aging somali's stomach. Soon enough she was at the glacier, and, by the smell, there were two other cats besides Panaceaheart. One was Arcticlight, the other she failed to recognize, though she noted the harsher scent as male. Fawndance slowed her pace, perhaps less graceful than usual thanks to being winded from the journey and stepped up to the small group. "Got here safe and sound, I see, Panaceaheart," it was impossible to keep the purr out of her voice as she spoke to her apprentice. "Good evening, Arcticlight, err" her words trailed off as she spied the tabby stranger. "I suppose you're the new medicine cat of Zephyrclan."

ooc// ashenflight?

[Dawn]

And she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.

[/font][/color]
ARCTICLIGHT[/color][/font]
Yeah she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.[/i]

As it just so happened, the pristine pelted white female was the first medicine cat there, so she settled down to wait at the tunnel entrance. However, it wasn't long before a Celestialclan scent drifted her way, and from out of the clear night another she-cat with an attractive calico pelt appeared. Of all the medicine cats, Arcticlight was sure she liked Panaceaheart the best of all. Perhaps it was solely because they were the youngest of the she-cats, though. Arcticlight was about to call out in greeting, when the jumpy feline gave a yelp, which startled her a great deal. Soon after though she added a shaky greeting, and she smiled in response, her soft green eyes radiant in the gloom. "Hi, Panaceaheart![/color] she greeted brightly, pleased not to be alone. After a beat she added, "Is Fawndance alright?"[/color] She'd hardly uttered the query when yet another cat appeared, much larger than either of them, and unmistakably male. Though it would be a first time for the other healers, meeting Toxicwinter, she'd glimpsed him before, when she was looking for herbs at the edge of Vertigoclan territory. It wasn't hard to tell he was the rogue that had been taken in as a medicine cat, either; he was far bigger than any of the other Zephyrclan cats. He'd fit in better among my clan. ”Um, hi?” She gave Panaceaheart a quizzical look, then dipped her head to him, still smiling with ever present benevolence. "Welcome, Toxicwinter,"[/color] the young she-cat meowed, certain enough it was him from what she'd heard. "I'm Arcticlight, the medicine cat of Vertigoclan. And that's-"[/color] Her introduction was cut off by the arrival of the aforementioned missing Celestialclan medicine cat, Fawndance. She winced, as the aged she-cat's greeting to Toxicwinter was not exactly friendly. Still, they were here now, and there was only one cat missing; Ashenflight. Hopefully she gets here quickly, or we'll have to go without her; it's getting late. She hated to think that they might have to go to the contact minus one.



"As we moved together in the dark."[/color]
"And every bite I gave you left a mark."
word count 341

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[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

The young female had been relaxing on a branch, minding her own business, when who decides to call upon her? Her clan leader so she took no hesitation in leaping down from her spot to see what he wanted, she was just beginning to clean out the nests less often as she was older than the other three apprentices and she didn’t want stuck doing it again for disobeying the tom cat. Would you kindly excuse Ashenflight from meeting with the others this moon, she is too busy caring for Frozensilk. Those were the exact words he had said to her and they remained embedded in her mind as she padded out of camp in the direction of the glacier. Her thoughts went to Frozensilk, the elder had been having a lot of trouble dealing with this leaf bare and it would be sad to see her go. There had been many occasions when the silver female had told her stories about clan life and made her feel as though she was part of the clan despite the fact she had not been born there. Nevertheless she considered it her home as she had been brought there at a very young age and loved the idea of living in a clan since she had no family left.

Her thoughts occupied her for her journey to the glacier and distracted her from the ice nipping at her pads as she went, as quickly as she could without running out of breath. A burden hung over her as she knew she was already late but medicine cats were rarely hostile and she was sure that they would be understanding of their friend. As she stood at the top of the hill and looked down upon the snowy mass she spotted the dark outline of four cats just by the glacier. Lifting her head she trotted down the gentle slope and approached the small group of cats who were waiting patiently. Before begging to speak she dipped her head a little in greeting. ”Ashenflight is sorry to keep you, but she has been caught up caring for one of our clan and is unable to tear herself away from the job to join you tonight.” She told them before checking to see they had heard then taking a couple of steps backwards, turning, and disappearing into the shadows, eager to get back to her nest.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

You keep making me weak, yeah, frozen and can't breathe

Ears pricking at the mention of his name he eyed the white cat a little suspiciously before dipping his head to her. He was a little surprised that she knew his name, and honestly a little freaked out by the thought since he had never seen her before but gossip must travel fast among the clans. Besides, she was being nice and he was in no position to pass on such an offer. ”Well it’s nice to meet you.” He replied gently, trying not to sound like his usual gruff self which would just make him the perfect stereotypical rogue for them to judge. Yet his deep tones still made him shudder in contrast to the tone the female had used. He just felt big and clumsy around small cats despite the fact he was always cunning and precise in his actions. Scenting another cat he stood alert and looked around. His eyes moved to watch the honey coloured female and he regarded her presence coldly with a nod. ”Toxicwinter.” He retorted, finishing her sentence for her. For some reason he had the impression that medicine cats were a lot more accepting than your typical warrior but clearly this was not the case here and he turned his head away from the female not wishing to regard her for any longer than he had to. This is going to be a long night.

It was just then that they were joined by another, very tiny, cat and he gathered himself expecting to go but as soon as she had appeared she was gone again. He understood that there was a problem but he only assumed Ashenflight was the medicine cat of Tempestclan from the scent the female carried with her. Staring after the female he nearly choked on his own tongue as he realised the familiar pattern of spots and splotches arranged neatly along her pelt. He was sure she had been the kit he had examined, she had to be. As he realised this she moved further away from the group and he want to shout out the name he had known her by, Karma, just to see if it was her but he stopped himself not wanting to confuse the young female or complicate the situation. He was here to meet with Starclan, whatever that meant, and so he would. Something in him settled at the thought that his kin was safe. ”Does that mean we can go then?” He asked the others, very to the point.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dusk]

Fawndance


The medicine cat, eldest of the group of cats gathered, was still winded from the quick pace she'd taken to avoid holding up the other medicine cats for too long. She forced herself to look composed, although she'd rather have been flopping on the ground for a moment of respite. Being slightly worn out left the somali less social than usual, though without the stranger - Toxicwinter, better not to continue thinking of him as foreign - she might have been more apt to relax and perhaps joke with the others. Instead it seemed that she was destined to be curt for the moment. It hadn't been her intention to sound so short with Arcticlight and the Zephyrclan tom, in fact, the tone of her words should have sounded more confused than anything else. However, it seemed she'd been misinterpreted. At least she assumed her words had been taken as more hostile than cautious considering the flashes of irritation which had crossed the faces and the white she-cat and tabby ex-loner. She gave an inward shrug, if they wished to be cross with Fawndance then that was their problem, not hers.

"Fawndance," she replied in turn to Toxicwinter, ears flicking dismissively as she kept her pale gaze level with his bright green one. He might have been larger than her, but much of his bulk must have been fur, and the old cat was unafraid. "And my apprentice, Panaceaheart, as I'm sure Arcticlight was likely explaining before I came along." Her ears flicked again, this time twitching in the direction of small pawsteps padding along frost and chilled grass. Cherrypaw? It took her a moment to recognize the Tempestclan apprentice, but the dilute calico had a distinctive pelt and it was easy enough to recognize the growing apprentice after having seen her at gatherings. She frowned at the news that the she-cat brought; hopefully everything wasn't going too badly in the swamp protected clan. Few emergencies kept medicine cats away from their twice moonly meetings. Likely there would be grim news at the next gathering. She gave the smaller cat her thanks, before turning back to the other medicine cats. "Well then, let's be moving on since we're all here," Fawndance mewed, quickly turning with a swish of her tail to disappear into the darkness of the tunnel.

[Dawn]

And she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.

[/font][/color]
ARCTICLIGHT[/color][/font]
Yeah she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.[/i]

”Well it’s nice to meet you.” Throughout it all, she'd remained smiling pleasantly, and not only so, but genuinely. She supposed she did get a little lonely sometimes, like Reflectedrain had said, and so it was nice to be among cats she was familiar with and had good reason to talk to. "It's good to meet you as well. If you ever have any trouble, you can always turn to me. The clans remain peaceful, at least for now, thank Starclan."[/color] She ignored the tension between Toxicwinter and Fawndance, preferring to turn back to Panaceaheart and flash her a warm look, only to twist her head around when she heard quiet pawsteps close by.

Arcticlight spied a calico cat drawing nearer, and frowned, wondering why she had come. Was this, perhaps, Ashenflight's apprentice? She was sure she would've heard if the Tempestclan medicine cat had taken on an apprentice, particularly one as controversial as Cherrypaw. ”Ashenflight is sorry to keep you, but she has been caught up caring for one of our clan and is unable to tear herself away from the job to join you tonight.” The white female watched her carefully, trying to gauge just how serious the job must be, but caught nothing before Cherrypaw retreated with only a nod from herself. I guess we'll be without one after all.

"Well then, let's be moving on since we're all here," Her tail had twined about her hind leg nervously, and now she unwound it. "Lead the way,"[/color] she meowed in agreement, allowing Toxicwinter and Panaceaheart to go ahead of her into the gloom of the tunnel before she followed, bringing up the rear. The dimness caused her eyes to flash neon yellow-green, when caught by stray rays of light. It wasn't that unfamiliar for her, walking the tunnel without Pomegranatefur by her side, as she'd done it quite a number of times since his death. It was strange now, though, without Ashenflight and with a new Zephyrclan healer. Arcticlight sensed the weight of his absence, and it made her stomach tighten.



"As we moved together in the dark."[/color]
"And every bite I gave you left a mark."
word count 344 | tagged to post panaceaheart | notes how you got flash of irritation out of her wincing i'm not sure, but alright.

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[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/panaceaheart2.png] In the distance, as she peered away from Arcticlight, the young female could spy yet another feline in the distance, surely ZephyrClan's medicine cat from the direction they approached from. She shivered, wishing she could shrink the fellow down a few sizes instead of letting him tower over her and Arcticlight. What if he suddenly went crazy and attacked them? The two little lasses wouldn't stand a chance! The pallid female from VertigoClan greeted her in a typically friendly manner, and Panaceaheart dipped her head, keeping her eye on the great tabby tom who approached quickly, feeling bile rise up in her throat as he did. "Fawndance w-will be here in, in a m-moment," She choked out, shying away from the silver medicine cat that had arrived, looking more intimidating than she had at first anticipated, and felt like crying out in relief when her clanmate finally showed up, looking thoroughly at ease. Panaceaheart decided she was most definitely jealous of the older females deft handling of social interaction- wishing she could be taught to act the same instead of looking like a stuttering fool at every turn to speak. Blinking, Panaceaheart was slightly taken aback when an unfamiliar apprentice showed up, shrouded in the bitter scent of TempestClan, and quickly addressed the absense of the fifth medicine cat before disappearing altogether. Hm. The calico dipped her head timidly toward Toxicwinter as her mentor introduced her, though she avoided his vivid green gaze, glowing in the gloom of night. In we go. Panaceaheart thought, biting her lower lip while drawing slightly closer to Fawndance, as ZephyrClan's medicine cat was still a bit too close for comfort, and at this they descended into the inky tunnels. They were familiar of course, for all of Panaceaheart's twenty-eight moons she had been visiting these tunnels for gatherings of the regular sort, if not medicine cat meetings. Now, practically leading the group, she felt a bit more at ease in a place so familiar. Despite the opaque darkness surrounding them all, the only medicine cat apprentice of the group had no trouble at all navigating the labyrinth, and lead the small patrol directly to the heart of the valley, glowing softly with the magic of the mysterious stones jutting out of the cave walls. Puddles moistened her paws as she went, turning smoothly into a small underground stream, which bubbled and hummed quietly-- a lovely song that Panaceaheart just relished. Peering into the crystalline water, the calico blinked her wide eyes at the beauty of the mysterious stones, summoning her to drink. "Happy dreams.." She murmured, surprising herself, but thought nothing of it as she ducked her head to drink, and drifted instantly into momentary nothingness. //merp. I'll do her dream in my next post.

[Dusk]

Fawndance

The slowly aging medicine cat shuffled closer towards her apprentice as she felt the younger she-cat tense up besides her, muscles drawn taut as though she was preparing to flee from something at any moment. A strange new medicine cat, and a tom at that, the situation couldn't have been comfortable for poor Panaceaheart. Perhaps this had been the wrong meeting to send the medicine cat apprentice along by herself to for the first time. 'Well then, it's a good thing I sped up on the way here, I suppose.' There was little other comfort that could be offered to the tricolor. Until this meeting was over, the calico would simply have to do her best to tolerate Toxicwinter's presence without giving into any frayed nerves. As the group - now sadly short of Ashenflight - turned and headed down into the inky depths, Fawndance let her pelt long pelt brush against Panaceaheart's in a soothing gesture. As she sensed her young charge grow more comfortable with her surroundings, the old she-cat slowed slightly, allowing her apprentice to take the lead with some sense of pride. Doubts may have pestered the medicine cat, but she still realized that the feline had potential to be a great healer.

The air grew dank and stale, air that had not been stirred by life giving surface winds in ages, but the old female had traveled this well-worn path too many times to feel nervous as the tunnels closed about her. These caverns were as much her home as Celestialclan, and she found solace in the knowledge of how close this place brought her to Starclan. As they entered the cavern, coated in a ghostly pallor by the light cast by the crystals, Fawndance allowed herself a deep breath. It was a small matter to wander to the trickling stream and lean down, touching the water with her tongue before letting darkness overtake her.

ooc//wolfy wanted to talk with me about some stuff, so imma push of the actual dream until the next fawn post.

[Dawn]

And she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.

[/font][/color]
ARCTICLIGHT[/color][/font]
Yeah she was beautiful but she didn't mean a thing to me.[/i]

Arcticlight was pleased to have reached the contact so quickly and without incident. She had almost regarded the journey with one less medicine cat as a bad omen. It seemed silly now, but when one had such a close connection with Starclan, the dream givers, they couldn't help but consider things others wouldn't normally. Now that she was finally here, she felt a cool, ancient breeze kiss her fur and her eyes were only for the trickling stream. She had no mind for the other medicine cats, or anything but her duty and the things in store for her. She bent her legs and lay down beside the sacred water, gazing into the reflective surface for a short time, feeling detached from the image she saw there. At last Arcticlight's maw dipped into the icy substance and a shiver passed through her body, slowly encompassing her. Darkness pressed heavily on her eyelids, and there was no need to consider it, no need to think about the why or how. It was simply this way; that was what faith was. Unquestioning. Fearless. Accepting. Sinking into her dream, Arcticlight felt the waking world leaving her, and she no longer needed to breathe. It was pure weightlessness.

When the white she-cat stood again she was in a meadow. It seemed familiar, but she knew that in its unusual perfection it was part of Starclan's grounds only. She could never have seen this place in real life. Perhaps I've dreamed of it before. Looking around, Arcticlight was considering whether or not to walk for a while (surely she had turned up here for a reason?) when a cat appeared through the tall grass and she lost all sense. Joy rushed through her body, butterflies arising in her stomach. A deep russet colored tom, handsome in youth, strode toward her, causing only delicate movement among the foliage. His fur was patched with colors, mottled really, and the look of affection glowing in his yellow eyes was for no other. "Pomegranatefur!"[/color] She didn't wait for her mentor to come to her, but instead ran toward him, and met him pelt to pelt, her head nuzzling his shoulder, a purr in her throat. This was the first time she'd spoken to him since his death; she had seen him before, but always indirectly. "Arcticlight,"[/color] he returned quietly, stepping away but still gazing at her with warm, fiery saffron eyes. "I can't believe you're really here, I've missed you so much, Pomegranatefur, you-"[/color] The tom silenced her with a flick of his white tail tip across her maw. "There's no time,"[/color] he said, with a bit of his old harshness, though there was a strange mixture of regret and sorrow in his eyes. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a rumbling sound, growing steadily louder. Though she knew she was dreaming, her heart beat loudly in her ears. "Arcticlight, trouble is coming. Danger, in the form of water..."[/color] The young medicine cat gasped as a huge wave came crashing down on the meadow from behind him. The torrent crushed flower heads and wet everything, rushing toward her at a maddening pace, all the while the distant booming told her that more was coming. She yelped as it enveloped her, and it was no longer simply a wave from one direction but water everywhere, from the sky, from the ground, from behind and before her... She thrashed wildly, trying to glimpse her mentor again, desperate for a last look into his yellow eyes, for something more than this, some way of preventing whatever horror was coming. A simple flood? Complete destruction? He'd hardly given her anything, but she couldn't see him anywhere. All there was was liquid, drowning her, choking her.

Arcticlight didn't wake from her terror until she realized the real dampness in her fur, a pressure in her nostrils. Was she too late? Was she drowning already? She opened her jaws and they filled with water. Beating her paws wildly about, they smashed upon something slippery and hard, and she hauled herself to the surface, giving a cry to find herself clinging to a taller rock. In her dream she must have fallen into the spring. Soaking wet and gasping for breath, she jumped back to dry ground, heart throbbing, and looked around in embarrassment. Luckily, she didn't seem to have disturbed anyone with her yowling and splashing. Settling down away from the others, she began licking her fur rapidly, alternating between that and shaking herself, tossing droplets about. All the while, she could still see Pomegranatefur, and feel her overwhelming happiness as she pressed to his side. What was that all about, anyway? Starclan taunting her with a vision from her mentor, and a too short one at that. His unclear, ambiguous warning. Something about the look in his eyes had bothered her, but she couldn't figure out entirely what seemed so off.


"As we moved together in the dark."[/color]
"And every bite I gave you left a mark."
word count 816

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[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/panaceaheart2.png] the nothingness passed quickly, and faded into blackness. she was confused, of course, as she never ceased to be during dreams sent by starclan. they always managed to be as cryptic as possible, and it frightened her immensely. it felt like hours that passed, the time ticking away with the sound of her racing heartbeat and her ragged breathing- the air was thick and opaque, she felt like the blackness that surrounded her was not anything like night or deep sky, but a harsh and heavy something that was encasing her and making it hard to breathe properly. the time passed, and stretched on eternally, until a single sound, distant at first, rumbled toward her. it was a roaring, it sounded like a lion, and then like thunder. it approached quickly, and in a moment's notice her helpless lack of vision left her screaming for assistance, anyone, to come and save her as her eardrums felt as though they were about to explode until it, whatever it was, crashed down upon her. her fur clung to her flesh, as though wet, and water filled her mouth, pushing down her throat and into her nose. it's a dream, it's a dream! she almost managed to cry out, but was unable to push the liquid out of her lungs, and then suddenly light exploded all around her. or at least, it seemed as though that was what happened, but in truth the all-encompassing darkness had merely passed to reveal starclan's fields as she always knew them. her fur was miraculously dry, and the air that gushed into her lungs was cool and clean- the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. "st-starclan, what's going on?" she called out into the empty meadows. no answer. panaceaheart wasn't surprised, and when she thought on it, she was hardly fazed by the traumatic flood earlier. her heartbeats were now smooth and calmed, her mind at ease in the safety of her ancestor's home. oh how she wished fawndance could join her here! she supposed her mentor was having a similarly frightening dream. water. why? the young calico decided now was not the time to think on it, and instead began walking, enjoying the plush carpet of grass beneath her paws. all of a sudden, the air before her began to shimmer and, with eyes narrowed, panaceaheart watched until a cat materialized before her, its tabby pelt uncrusted with diamonds that glittered in the night sky. the cat's eyes were soft and gray, with a perpetual look of sorrow about them. this enormous cat stood there before panaceaheart, silent, until the young medicine cat apprentice's own eyes widened in recognition, "lynxstar?" she had seen vertigoclan's former leader many times, of course, but now remained hopelessly confused as to why she stood before her now, looking as though she had a million things to say and no time to say them. it wasn't as though panaceaheart had ever once spoken to the supposedly great tawny leader anyway! the calico dipped her head respectfully anyway, at least able to acknowledge the fact that the former leader had lead a great and successful life as the other clan's leader. lynxstar narrowed her eyes and stood tall, her bobbed tail moving slightly as though she were waving the tail she never had. "panaceaheart, we shall meet again. until then, remember to keep your faith, always." another long moment of silence passed before lynxstar turned and walked away, quickly disappearing as she went. "I-" the young female sputtered, a faint frown creasing her features as the paradise around her slowly began to fade away, relinquishing itself once more into the blank void of dreamless sleep. it wasn't long until panaceaheart woke with a start, her turquoise fgaze wide with alarm. her breathing was heavy, her heart was confused. water. ...lynxstar? she needed answers, but of course starclan would not supply her with them- they never did. when she sat up, she noticed arcticlight not far away and took a deep breath before taking several steps closer to the other medicine cat. "happy d-dreams?" she murmured softly, careful not to disturb the other dreaming cats. ooc// sorry y'all are probably sick of me bringing lynxstar into EVERYTHING but she's my baby and I just decided she's going to be panacea's mysterious starclan guide. (like spottedleaf for firestar or pom for arctic) because they're related so eventually she'll probably reveal that and then be like a mother-figure to panacea. and also lynxstar is wise as fuck. she doesn't need an excuse. xD

[MiNTY♥]

You keep making me weak, yeah, frozen and can't breathe

Forcing himself to go forward into the darkness after the other medicine cats. The light was dim and in the centre a turquoise pool of water rippled and glowed, the pattern dancing above their heads making the cave sparkle. He had always thought that Starclan might have sparkled from what he had heard about them, after taking a sip of the water it trickled down his throat and caused him discomfort as it felt like drinking ice. His intention was to stand and choke but instead he fell onto his belly and everything went dark.

Starclan didn’t sparkle because here there was nothing. His eyes were searching for something to see but it was black all around, nothing for his eyes to focus on. A pain shot through his head and he winced, closing his eyes and trying to go back to sleep until he was interrupted by a voice. ”You thought Starclan would accept a rogue? They know you are bad news.” The voice hissed softly, sounding more like a serpent than a feline. Opening his eyes he now saw a pair of soft blue eyes gazing at him from beside the trunk of a massive pine. Getting to his paws he padded closer with narrowed eyes, a cat in his dreams couldn’t hurt him. ”Who are you?” He demanded with a growl. With a closer look he saw that the female had long fur, she was light grey with streaks of dark and light mottled among her pelt. ”That is no way to address your Grandma young one, Phantomcry would be so disappointed.” Related or not he still did not trust this cat or this place and hissed in response at Drizzlesky. He had never met his ancestors but knew he had them and knew their names, yet he had never been told stories of them and there was probably a reason for that. ”Don’t listen to Starclan, listen to me and I will guide you to becoming someone great.” She whispered. As much as he was curious to learn about his family heritage everything felt wrong, his instincts were telling him to flee and with a snarl he did just that. ”Never.” He spat and turned and trotted away. It was then he heard her paws behind him and he began to gallop but gradually the ground began to fall away from him and he dropped into ice cold water. His limbs flailed as he tried to keep himself above water, they were strong but no match for this force. A wave crashed over his head and water filled his lungs and everything began to fade away.

Unexpectedly the blue tinted light from the pool of water filled his eyes as he began to open his eyes. It had all seemed so real, for a moment he thought he was dead. Exhaling in relief his throat felt raw and sore, as if it had been filled with salt. In that moment he concluded that he did not like having dreams, because his logic stated that dreams and reality should not mix with one another. It was all wrong. Carefully he began to look around him at the others, his pupils forming large black pools.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dusk]

Fawndance

Back when she'd only been a medicine cat apprentice, and a young apprentice with "paw" still a part of her name, visiting Starclan had been quite the frightening experience. Especially the beginning of the dream, when darkness consumed everything and pressed in all around her; dark and oppressive, like she was having every inch of air in her lungs pressed out by the cloying nothingness. Age and many visits to the crystal-filled cavern had taught her, though, that the silent void was nothing to fear, it was something one simply had to traverse whilst heading to speak with Starclan. With that knowledge in mind, Fawndance embraced the darkness instead of shunning it. It would carry her closer to the final goal, not keep her from it. Eventually the sense of darkness faded, replaced by a cool breeze and the Celestialclan healer allowed her eyes to blink open. A look of distaste fell on her features as she stepped forward and found her paws damp. 'Odd why, is the clearing's floor covered in water?' The forest clearing was soaked in a thin layer of the precious liquid, making the area look like a shallow pool reflecting the stars above. Another form stepped across the water, sending ripples towards the old she-cat.

"Snowdapple!" She cried, stepping eagerly towards the brown and white she-cat. Not a former medicine cat, but an old clanmate. The female stepped forward to meet Fawndance, a smile playing on the edges of her muzzle as she moved delicately across the watery surface, but there was an odd brooding light in her blue eyes that made Fawndance's initial joy at seeing her old friend fade away. "What's going on, Snowdapple," she said softly, unable to keep from asking the question although she knew all too well that Starclan gave no direct answers. "Why the water? And more importantly why all the silence lately?" She felt a moment of fear run down her spine, a chill was creeping through her damp paws and she looked about hopelessly for a rise on which she could move out of the pool. It was as though Snowdapple wasn't even aware of the moisture settling onto her starry fur. The Starclan warrior continued towards Fawndance doggedly, eyes fixed solely on her. It took a moment, but the pale feline began to realize that the ripples in the water weren't actually coming the other's pawsteps. No, the water was moving of its own volition, tugging hungrily at her paws. Panic rose in Fawndance, stronger this time, and she looked around again - futilely - for a rise or a log or something to escape the lapping water. "Everything is going to change." Her head snapped up in response to the voice of Snowdapple, the ominous note in her tone setting the she-cat on edge. "Be strong." The Starclan cat faded, and as her presence moved away the pool began moving to, the invisible current suddenly moving away from the medicine cat. Sinking her claws in the ground, the feline resisted the angry pull of the water as it drained from the clearing. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at the clearing, why did it seem so familiar? The liquid seemed loathe to leave, moving sluggishly but surely moving away and as it left the clearing behind. The she-cat sucked in a sharp gasp as she recognized the clearing, although it had gone through a stark change, there were still tell-tale signs of what this place was. The limestone walls were eroded, the floor muddy and barren of plant life, all signs of life were gone, washed away by the water. 'This is Celestialclan's camp!'

Fawndance jerked violently awake, standing to quickly. A rush of vertigo hit her as she shifted positions, and the old cat stumbled before looking about in a disoriented fashion. All the other medicine cats were awake, faces unreadable as they thought on their own dreams. A sense of dread filled the she-cat as she thought on her vision, unable to keep a disturbed look from entering her face. 'What does it mean?' She had to speak to Hallowstar, and soon. Shaking out her fur, the medicine cat looked over to where Panaceaheart stood next to Arcticlight. "I believe we're done here," she spoke hardly above a whisper, fighting to regain some semblance of composure and resisting the distress which threatened to overtake her.

[LYNX ♥]

I think this thread is finished. thanks for the successful meeting guys!

I'm going to leave this thread here for reference for a while, possibly until the floods actually start.