[ti]Open[/ti]Water Grey, Like An Ocean Everywhere

[LupTacco]

Dustfur stretched in his nest, earlier than he'd usually bother to be up. Something nagged at him, and the itch in his throat assured him it was just thirst. Breathing a soft sigh out through his nose, the black-furred tom shifted around until he was sitting upright, pausing for another stretch. The scars in his sides were long-healed by now, but as he groomed his fur down it still felt weird to pass over those bare patches of skin, recalling in the back of his mind the tribe cats. His clan had encountered many things in the past- not he'd seen, but there were certainly stories to go around- but no cats quite so fierce. If only peace had been possible, they might have gained a truly powerful ally. But then, he wasn't exactly the leader type, perfectly content to be a quiet warrior in a quiet clan. Finished with his grooming, Dustfur stepped around his clanmates carefully as he could, ducking under the entrance to the wider main cave.

The river burbled its usual peaceful song, crisp and cool against his tongue as he lapped some up. Enjoying his spare time for a little longer, his round yellow eyes traced the miniature shoreline, and began to notice something. The moss didn't usually rest so low on the rocks, did it? As he craned his nose forward to investigate, a soft yelp escaped him as something cold touched his paws. "The river..?" Dustfur breathed, confusion turning into alarm as he confirmed that he hadn't taken any steps forward. The river was definitely rising up, and it seemed to be gaining speed. The entryway, usually a fairly gentle waterfall, was pouring as if it was raining, but the earthy smell of weather wasn't present. "It's flooding..." the dark-furred warrior raced to the back of the cave, hopping onto the speech stone- something that would usually be forbidden, but it was necessary- "Everyone! There's a flood coming!" Even as he spoke, though, the bank was rapidly rising. Soon, the entire floor of the cave had a thin layer of water pooling over it; it wouldn't take long for it to breach the dens at this rate.

[Dragon]

Wildstep was sound asleep in his den. He and Littlepaw had been working hard that day and after meeting with Heronflight the night before he was exhausted and had practically collapsed into his nest at the end of the day. He was dreaming that he was curled in a nest with Heronflight and three little kits, two girls and a boy. He was so happy he was purring in his sleep. But then all of sudden a yowl woke him from his dream. Groggy and numb he stumbled from his nest only to step in something wet. "Huh?" He blinked a few times and gave his fur a shake trying to wake himself up. "What's going on?" He looked down as saw the floor was covered in about a quarter of an inch of water. He lapped at the water to quench his thirst. But mid-lick his mind seemed to realize what this meant. "FLOOD!" He yowled and ran around nudging everyone. Up, get up the cave is flooding." 

[Fireflake]

Buckleap jumped out of the warrior den to look at Dustfur on the stone as he began to yowl. Instinct served him well and had him on his paws before he would have thought to stand up usually. The warrior yowling wasn't Bearstar or Sabletail, but if he was waking everyone up to call something it was clearly something worth hearing. It didn't take long to confirm that. Cold water rushed between Buckleap's toes and he picked a paw up distastefully before it really hit him. A flood. In a cave. In camp.

"Everyone needs to get out!" he called into the apprentice den, echoing Dustfur's message in case anyone hadn't heard. He wished he didn't have to, but the tom paused then for just a heartbeat to collect his thoughts. He couldn't swim. The last time he'd even been underwater was as a kit, when his brother had grabbed his hind paw and dunked him in. As a kit. His eyes snapped open and he bounded toward the nursery.

[mewmehh]

At Dustfur's startled cry, a symphony of dismayed voice rose up within the Mistclan camp, echoing throughout the caves. Sabletail felt his pelt bristle to thorns as sure enough water began to seep into between his toes and up his tail. His heart hammered violently in his chest as a multitude of thoughts ran through his head; what needed to happen now, what needed happen afterwards, what Bearstar would do? Bearstar!! His thoughts immediately snapped to the Nursery where his leader was nursing her new kits and as if struck by lighting, the deputy shrieked. "Chivekit, Applekit!! Venomkit, Bearstar!" He vaulted towards the den as bodies streaked past him left and right.

Practically sliding into the Nursery with slick paws, the ruddy tom quickly started ushering the larger kits out of the den, allowing for the shorter ones to haul themselves up onto his back. The tiny grazes of their claws went completely unnoticed as he hurriedly explained the need to flee camp, hustling the young cats as he went. Tearing off into the middle of camp, his amber eyes roved the masses of cats flooding out of the cave which was filling higher and higher with rainwater and he felt his stomach drop as already pelts wadded awkwardly within the camp clearing as they made their escape through the ever-rising water.

[Dragon]

Maplekit lay curled up with her siblings Petalkit and Pumpkinkit. She was dreaming that she was being chased by something. She didn't know what all she could hear were its screams that seemed to grow closer and closer no matter how hard and fast she ran. Then something grabbed jolting her awake and causing her to scream and swipe out at what had grabbed her. Maplekit didn't realize she was awake until she realized she was back in the nursery with the yowls of panicked cats echoing through the caves. "Wh...What's going on?" Hearing the orders to leave the den she got up and quickly charged out into the larger clearing. Her paws splashing through water. She stood there trembling, confused and scared.

---

Silvermist slept soundly with her body wrapped around her five precious kits and her tail laying over them like a blanket. She was in a deep sleep and didn't hear the first call from Dustfur. What did wake her was the deputy and Buckleap bursting into the Nursery shouting about something. "Huh," she blinked dazedly then their words reached her fuzzy brain. A flood. "Oh know, Halfkit, Webkit, Spiderkit, Gourdkit, Owlkit wake up we need to leave the cave." She nudged each of her kits. She had to get them out of the cave. Would they have to swim? Could she swim? "How are we going to get out if it's flooded? I don't know if I can swim and I know my kits cant." She curled protectively around her kits fear glittering in her eyes.

---

Webkit was jolted awake but many yowlings. She snapped wide awake hearing words like flood, get out, leave the cave. "What's a flood? What's going on... mommy I'm scared." She pressed against her mother's side trembling. She was confused and didn't understand what everyone was talking about. Why would they have to leave their cave? She thought it was forbidden for kits to leave the cave until they turned six moons?

[LupTacco]

Sunny, warm, the fields of golden stalks. It was her childhood, when she was but a kitten herself, when she was simply Bear. Her brother was walking ahead of her, making remarks about her pace. Fed up with his snide attitude for today, she bustled past him but felt cold leaching at her pelt. As she turned to ask Wheat what kind of tricks he was pulling, a frantic voice echoed in the sky. "...Bearstar!" The leader's mind slowly let go of the dream, and she gasped awake to the pitiful cries of kits in the nursery and the icy chill of the water around her side. The grogginess that usually hung over her after a dream instantly evaporated. "Find Goldenmane! Find anyone, they're not old enough to hold on," she breathed to whoever would listen. Nudging her kits to the back of the nursery, where it was slightly raised to buy them more time, she grabbed two, Mothkit and Softkit, in her jaw, ignoring the twinge of pain as she overextended it a bit. She wished she could carry them all, but they weren't old enough to cling to her yet, their claws still soft and tiny.

Meanwhile, Owlkit among others scrambled onto the deputy's back, his little heart racing as he cried out in concern for his siblings, "Gourdkit! Webkit! Mama, what's going on!?" The water raced past his hind paws as he dangled off of Sabletail, holding on for dear life. He shrank down in confusion and fear as his clan's leader raced by him as fast as she could push past the water, her belly fur becoming damp. The kitten shivered, separated from his family for the first time in his small life, even if it was technically only a small distance.

Yellowfern dropped her mouse outside, her jaw agape as she pounced into the water and waded in to help whoever needed it, coming home from hunting just in time for this disaster. "Everyone, over here! Follow my voice, it'll be okay!" Meanwhile, for once in her life, Orchidpaw felt genuine concern for others, realizing there was no way that just one or two cats could evacuate a whole den. She dove into the apprentices den, shoving cats forward and shouting over the din for everyone to get outside.

[GnawingOnIce]

Meteorfall’s ear twitched at several alarmed calls from her Clanmate’s. She grumbled, covering her muzzle with her tail. Half-asleep Meteorfall would have trouble running from the water that was slowly filling the floor of the warrior’s den. She peeked open an eye to find her daughter, Cloverwing, ushering everyone awake. “Cloverwing? What’s happening?” The older she-cat now stood, glancing outside.

Cloverwing turned to her mother. “The river is flooding the cave and we need to go.” She nudged Meteorfall, straight to the point and rushing. There was no such thing as being too hurried in these situations.

Meteorfall’s fur pricked as she started out of the den just behind Cloverwing. The entire Clan had already gathered and most were trying to get the kits and elders out as soon as possible. Meteorfall now understood what Clover meant: The waterfall was rushing and pouring too fast into the river and the water was slowly pooling at the bottom of the cave. At the rate it was rising, the cave floor wouldn’t be visible soon enough.

“Hawthornkit! Where are you?” Murk-kit shouted and mewled in a panic, the water rising halfway up his legs. He had to bound to move efficiently in the water, the fur on the bottom of his tail beginning to become soaked. “Mama!” He pleaded, not sure where she was either. Starclan help him! Suddenly, he was scooped up by a warrior and they immediately headed for the cave entrance. “No!” He whined, “I have to get Hawthornkit! And mama!” The tom-kit tried his best to writhe out of the other cat’s grip but it wasn’t much of a use.

The cat that had scooped him up was Ashleaf, a black she-cat that wasn’t having any of Murk-kit’s protesting. “Don’t worry, kit, I’ll go back for her.” She attempted to persuade Murk-kit. And again, he wasn’t having it. Murk-kit hissed and unsheathed his abnormally long claws, hooking them onto Ashleaf’s muzzle. The warrior hissed, dropping the kit. Murk-kit plopped into the water that was continuously rising, his head submerged at first. He got to his paws and tried bounding back to the nursery, but his efforts were less efficient now than they were before.

Dogear, Toffee, Robinheart, and Honeywing were all out of camp, unaware of the flood and panic back at camp.

[Fireflake]

Buckleap slipped past Sabletail into the nursery and a sense of calm suddenly fell over him that the rapidly rising water and the panicked yowls couldn't get through. It was the same look of just not caring that he had when he got a thorn in his paw. His words told a different story as he told Silvermist, "It's still early. Get them on your back and your heads should all stay above the water. Take as many as you can fit."

He looked around at the others.
"If you're four moons or older then follow the cats going out the entrance," he told any kits that might be listening, though his voice stayed level now. Shouting might only make them freeze up and the water was creeping toward them faster than he'd expected. It was already lapping at the entrance of the nursery, drawing in and out like a claw raking moss. Any kits that could hold their heads above it should be getting out while they could. "Some cat over there will pick you up."

It wasn't long before it was getting too late for the kits to go by themselves, and Buckleap gritted his teeth. His jaw only relaxed again as Bearstar spoke and he nodded to the leader. He stepped outside of the nursery and lurched as the ground seemed further away now. "Hey, swimmer cats! Help carry the kits!"
They'd grown up under a waterfall, for StarClan's sake! Some of them had to know how to swim.

He stumbled backward into the den and looked down at the kits. They were tiny. He didn't know if their little grabby paws would be enough to hold them on anywhere, especially bustling about in a flood. "Get on my back if you can, kits," he meowed as he crouched down to grab two more. Luckily he'd always been blessed with a strong grip. "I'll be back if I can. I'll tell others to come."
Then he picked up the ones he could and padded carefully back out of the nursery.

[mewmehh]

The thundering of the waterfall sounded loudly throughout the frenzied camp, but not as loud as the rushing of blood Foxpaw heard in his ears. His orange eyes were wide as he perched nimbly to a high rock, watching as his clanmates dashed out of the cave as if their lives depended on it. Did they really? Mistclan cats knew how to swim, after all, but then why were they all so frantic? He guessed it was simply because it caught everyone off guard. The rufescent tom shrugged his slim shoulders, his fire-light eyes twinkled with an unreadable look as he glanced from cat to cat. He watched as their deputy, his great-uncle or whatever, was bogged down by a load of clinging kittens as he made his way towards the camo entrance before hesitating to glance over his shoulder as if debating on whether or not to wait till all others had left. Foxpaw flexed a clawed paw as he watched Sabletail swallow deeply and haul tail out of the cave with the kits. Guess his better judgement sided with his fatherly instincts. Clicking his tongue, Foxpaw glanced away.

His mentor, Pebbleshade, didn’t seem to be among the fray, so instead Foxpaw looked to another grayish pelt among the stone-hued water. Saltweed’s glossy spots clashed with the background as her lilac and white body broke through the water violently, the she-warrior rushing the elders out of the dens and half dragging those who struggled to keep up. Foxpaw’s pelt itched, hesitating in joining her. He was sure it would be expected of him, but he honestly didn’t wish to stink like wet elder. Just the thought made his throat dry up and taste sour. Anyhow, his sister Thistlepaw seemed to be helping their mother just find, so the shadowy tom turned his head.

A flash of crimson fur caught his eye and the tom’s frown deepened. A usual annoyance, Currantpaw was floundering in her attempt to escape. Once again, the unruly and frantic she-cat was thinking only of herself as she clawed to free herself from her tangled nest, having found herself caught when the cries of danger snapped her from her sleep. She was always a buggy one, too easily swept up and put into a tizzy.

Foxpaw was thoughtful for a moment as he hopped from rock to rock until he reached the Apprentice’s den, wading through the chilly, clear surface. He wrinkled his nose at the she-cat’s overwhelming fear-scent and narrowed his eyes. ”What are you doing?” His tone was both taunting and tired.

Currantpaw growled and snapped at him, her teeth gnashed tightly and copper eyes bright. ”I’m stuck!! I can’t get loose!!” It seemed the more she struggled, the more tangled up her paws got. All her struggling ended up with her slipping and hitting her head hard against the stone floor and Foxpaw only blinked as she coughed up a bit of blood from the force of the impact. ”D-don’t just stand th-there! D-do something!!” She continued to thrash wildly, ignorant of the dark gleam to her denmate’s eyes.

”You want me...to do something?” he asked in a soft voice, sounding almost distant. Almost dreamy. Without looking at the red she-cat thrashing at his feet, Foxpaw raised a glossy, soggy brown paw and pressed it to Currantpaw’s blood-soaked cheek and pressed down. It was gentle at first, then deepened in pressure as he felt his insides flutter at her garbled shrieks. Water quickly filled her lungs deep with the shadow-filled, tight Apprentice den and with all the screams of the members of Mistclan, one invisible apprentice’s life was snuffed out, unnoticed.

Foxpaw slipped out of the den like a snake, inconspicuous as he fell into the ranks of wading cats. Through the water, he clipped a forepaw on a sharp pebble and nicked his pad, a little bit of blood weeping up from his cut to the join the splotches of Currantpaw’s in his fur, masking any evidence that may have clung to him. As he moved, gaze dark and narrowed as usual, the lanky black tom snagged a wayward Applekit by her spotted scruff as she panicked in the water and the apprentice took off from his home, leaving in his wake a few bloody pawsteps and a skeleton in his closet.

[Ava]

Petalkit was warm and cozy, wrapped tightly around a ginger she-cat with a soft, motherly voice. Maplekit and Pumpkinkit were beside her, tussling in a blur in front of the mother figure. It was a blur of different shades of ginger, and as she inspected her mother closer, she found that she, too, was blurry, even if she wasn't moving. Her face was unrecognizable, although she could faintly see soft green eyes watching down at her. A voice rumbled something that seemed to come from far away, and everything disappeared as her eyelids opened. 

Now, she squirmed in a high level of water beside Pumpkinkit and Maplekit, although an all-too-familiar mewl seemed desperate. She shot to her paws, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as she paddled toward the noise. Being a kit, she couldn't swim very well, but she did her best to get to Murk-kit before he was hurt. "Murk-kit!" she yowled, and he came into view. She swam through the water that was now submerging her chin and below, and rising quickly. Her jaws latched onto his blubbery scruff, dragging him out of the cave to the best of her abilities, which was quite difficult. "Kick your hind legs in the water to stay afloat." she said, although it was somewhat muffled with his scruff in her mouth.