Post by gingersnapsdacat on Dec 2, 2019 13:50:40 GMT
Ruststripe ran into the nursury, desperate to be beside her mate. Greencough had hit Milkberry early on in the season, and now, only moments after delivering her kits, it was threatening to take her for good.
“Ruststripe..” The siamese she-cat wheezed, trying to lft her head.
The red she-cat leaned down, pressing her cheek to Milkberry’s. “I’m here.”
“The..the kits..”
“They are here too,” Ruststripe whispered. She glanced over at the three little bundles of fur, who had been placed with Mantisclaw so as not to get their mother’s illness. “Milkberry, they are so beautiful.”
Milkberry shifted, looking over to where the three little ones were snuggled. She offered a weak smile, but it was quickly broken by a long line of racking coughs. Between wheezes, the white she-cat tried to speak.
“I...I should tell you I never meant to...”
Ruststripe nodded, somehow understanding what her mate was trying to say. “I..I know. I should tell you, when I ran away, all those moons ago...it wasn’t because of you. I never wanted to leave you...”
“I know.”
Milkberry looked up at Ruststripe, her blue eyes sparkling.
“I should tell you…I..I love...y-“ Milkberry began to fade, her eyes drooping.
“No, you can’t leave me alone. Not yet. You need to hear this.”
Milkberry stirred slightly, opening her eyes.
“I called you a little pipsqueak,” Ruststripe recounted with a nostalgic grin. “You sure didn’t like that!”
“You know, if it were not for Fattail, we never would really have known each other,” Ruststripe said, thinking about the StarClan tomcat. Of course, she and Milkberry would have eventually seen one another around camp, but it never would have been the same. “He brought us together.”
Not moving, Ruststripe let out a weak chuckle. “I would say you have taken more care of me than anything else.”
“Milkberry!”
Everything was silent, save for the sound of Ruststripe’s own breathing. Even the kittens, who were usually shuffling around and making noise, had gone quiet. It was as if they knew the tradgedy of the situation.
Milkberry’s paw twitched. Somehow, she was still alive. Ruststripe lifted her head, staring at the she-cat who was most definetly dead a heartbeat before.
“I was...over the moon.”
Behind her, Ruststripe could hear Mantisclaw’s shocked gasp.
“I...was going towards StarClan...I saw Fattail..and Hornstrike!” The white she cat exclaimed, panting. Ruststripe just stared back in shock, unable to wrap her head around anything that had just occurred. “They told me to turn back, and listen to that girl’s voice.”
Ruststripe pressed her nose to Milkberry’s forehead. She was drenched in sweat, but her fever was breaking. By some miracle of StarClan, she was here.
“Ruststripe..” The siamese she-cat wheezed, trying to lft her head.
The red she-cat leaned down, pressing her cheek to Milkberry’s. “I’m here.”
“The..the kits..”
“They are here too,” Ruststripe whispered. She glanced over at the three little bundles of fur, who had been placed with Mantisclaw so as not to get their mother’s illness. “Milkberry, they are so beautiful.”
Milkberry shifted, looking over to where the three little ones were snuggled. She offered a weak smile, but it was quickly broken by a long line of racking coughs. Between wheezes, the white she-cat tried to speak.
“I...I should tell you I never meant to...”
Ruststripe nodded, somehow understanding what her mate was trying to say. “I..I know. I should tell you, when I ran away, all those moons ago...it wasn’t because of you. I never wanted to leave you...”
“I know.”
Milkberry looked up at Ruststripe, her blue eyes sparkling.
“I should tell you…I..I love...y-“ Milkberry began to fade, her eyes drooping.
“No, you can’t leave me alone. Not yet. You need to hear this.”
Milkberry stirred slightly, opening her eyes.
Your eyes,
Ruststripe snuggled herself against Milkberry, trying to keep her warm.As we said our goodbyes…
Milkberry did her best to keep her eyes focused on Ruststripe, not looking away for even a moment. She was finding it harder to keep her breaths steady, wheezing around the mucus.Can’t get them out of my mind,
Ruststripe spoke softly, recounting the moments that she and Milkberry had shared. It had nearly been fourty moons since their first encounter, when the persistant Milk-kit had dragged a bored Rustpaw into a ‘cleaning patrol.’“I called you a little pipsqueak,” Ruststripe recounted with a nostalgic grin. “You sure didn’t like that!”
And I find that I can’t hide.
They had been together through all of life’s hard moments. Ruststripe could not help but chuckle when she remembered serving her time in camp for disobeying orders. She had insisted that she would be the best camp helper that MothClan had ever seen. Of course, Milkberry was always at her side, trying to keep her in check. From your eyes
Milkberry was finding it harder to keep herself present. Her breathing felt labored and awkward, and her eyes kept wanting to fall closed. Ruststripe could tell that her time with the white she-cat could be quickly drawing to a close. The ones that took me by surprise,
Ruststripe tried to tell Milkberry everything that was in her heart, but the words were awkward and flimsy. Her and Milkberry had always been both the most expected, but also suprising pair. How could the loyal apprentice of MothStar have any friendship with a rule-breaker like Rustpaw? If she thought about it, neither cat was exactly sure if they knew how it had all happened. That night you came into my life,
Ruststripe pressed herself against Milkberry’s side, trying to keep her awake. “You know, if it were not for Fattail, we never would really have known each other,” Ruststripe said, thinking about the StarClan tomcat. Of course, she and Milkberry would have eventually seen one another around camp, but it never would have been the same. “He brought us together.”
Where there’s moonlight, I see your eyes.
Milkberry tried to lift her head, and Ruststripe met her halfway, touching noses. “He knew you would...take care of me,” she whispered, her weak breath mixing with Ruststripe’s. Not moving, Ruststripe let out a weak chuckle. “I would say you have taken more care of me than anything else.”
How’d I let you slip away,
Ruststripe could no longer keep tears from welling up in her eyes. Every regret of her life seemed to be flowing out in those tears. All the times that she had been distant, and did not give Milkberry the love and friendship she had deserved. Soon, it would be too late. So she had to do it all now. When I’m dying so to hold you
Ruststripe tried to wrap herself even tighter around her mate, holding her close. She could feel that their moments were growing shorter, and that soon, there would be nothing left. Now I’d die, for one for day, because there’s something I should have told you.
Ruststripe thought of all the times that she had not told Milkberry of her feelings. Milkberry had always been there, but it had taken Ruststripe moons to realize her true feelings for her.Yes there’s something I should have told you.
Maybe she had always loved Milkberry, even if she had not understood it. All of those moments in which Milkberry was the only one who could make her feel something, maybe that was love. She shoudl have understood it long ago. When I looked into your eyes.
Milkberry looked up at Ruststripe, a few tears welling up in her own eyes. But she was not crying because of her fate. She just wished that she could have protected Ruststripe from this heartbreak that was quickly growing. But how could she protect her now? This was going to be one heartbreak that Ruststripe would deal with on her own.Why does distnace make us wise?
Ruststripe cried into Milkberry’s pelt, wishing she had the right words to express her love. It all just seemed so unfair, that they would not really understand their love until they were losing it. What was it in heartbreak that made her wiser to what she was feeling? You were my song. All along
All of those times that Ruststripe and Milkberry had been together. All of those times that Ruststripe was out searching for something more, she already had it right beside her. And before the song dies
I should tell you...I must tell you
Words flew from Ruststripe’s mouth. Words of comfort, wisdom, heartbreak. But there were only a few words that really mattered.“I have always loved you…”
You can see it in my eyes.”
Ruststripe fell against the dying she-cat, sobbing. MIlkberry’s eyes, which had been hopelessly trying to focus on Ruststripe, fell closed, and her breathing ceased. She was gone. “Milkberry!”
Everything was silent, save for the sound of Ruststripe’s own breathing. Even the kittens, who were usually shuffling around and making noise, had gone quiet. It was as if they knew the tradgedy of the situation.
Milkberry’s paw twitched. Somehow, she was still alive. Ruststripe lifted her head, staring at the she-cat who was most definetly dead a heartbeat before.
“I was...over the moon.”
Behind her, Ruststripe could hear Mantisclaw’s shocked gasp.
“I...was going towards StarClan...I saw Fattail..and Hornstrike!” The white she cat exclaimed, panting. Ruststripe just stared back in shock, unable to wrap her head around anything that had just occurred. “They told me to turn back, and listen to that girl’s voice.”
Ruststripe pressed her nose to Milkberry’s forehead. She was drenched in sweat, but her fever was breaking. By some miracle of StarClan, she was here.