Like a Dream [Open]

Clouds covered up what little rays had shone down from the sky. A shiver went down the black and white tom's spine. The day, once bright and hopeful, was reduced to a dreary gloom. It seemed like the grey had followed them where ever they went, for quite some time now. His parents had stopped speaking of days passed and their tales died out. When the clans had split, Rippedsky's parents had only just been named apprentices. Somehow the former Skyclan leader had clung onto tradition enough to give them proper ceremonies as cats died out and the forest disintegrated. He'd never seen it. All he knew of the clans, of their reign over the great forests that surrounding a stunning, crystal clear lack, was nothing but stories. And as the longing of his kin to return to that life was crushed by the continuous realization that there would be going back, they stopped telling the stories. Blackfeather's eyes were dull whenever her son asked these days.

The young tom allowed his light blue gaze to cast over the weary group. Ever since he had been alive, they had never settled. And their numbers had been reduced from around eight to merely five cats. Supposedly, this was what was left of the clan once called Skyclan. At least, that was what Ravenheart had told him when still alive. His father likely would have been a great warrior, given the chance. In his days, the mostly black tom had led them well. Even-tempered and patient, Rippedsky had always admired his father. Tears shined at the edge of his eyes for a brief second as he remembered the lost cat. But, there was no time to dwell on sadness. They had to focus on keeping themselves alive. All three of them. Although they had dropped the title of Skyclan cats long ago, each still clung onto warrior names. Dawnpaw, unlike his parents, had refused to change hers without the words of a leader. But, when still young and filled with life, Ravenheart and Blackfeather had given each other names. And thus, their son was gifted one as he grew as well.

He'd only been more than 'Rippedpaw' for just over a moon. It was Ravenheart's dying gift to him, the official name of Rippedsky, and he loved it for that reason. Also, because it reminded him of his roots. For so much of his life as a roaming loner, the young cat longed for the life of the clans. All of it sounded incredible. Although it was the thought of one day getting to see it for himself that drove him onwards, one glace upwards at the half-dead grass that currently surrounded him quickly abolished his glimpse of an excited mood. With a low sigh, his head fell and he found himself walking and staring at his paws as they dragged on the ground. Dust stirred around them ever so slightly. And per usual, they would just continue on like this until there was a place deemed decent enough to settle. Back in the day, Ravenheart would normally make the decision. Now, Blackfeather was in charge. Although, Dawnpaw had taken to assist her with it. Day by day his mother's cheekbones seemed gaunter than before. It worried him. But, it was to be expected constantly living with little prey.

"This might be a good place to stop." Rippedsky glanced upwards as Dawnpaw spoke. Her voice was soft as she looked over at his mother. The slightly older she-cat nodded. For quite some time, he had been lost in his head and his disappointment and not said a word. Before them was a rotting log, barely fit for the vermin that crawled around within it. Yet, as the rain began the drizzle down from above and Blackfeather's ragged coughing rose once more, there was no way he could protest.

Dawnpaw nodded towards him to come to lay alongside the older black and white cat as she began to shiver. His face fell as he saw his once fearsome mother looking so pitiful. He muttered some soft words of endearment as he lay alongside her and pressed his maw into her fur. Once his eyes opened, the realization Dawnpaw had left quickly dawned on him. She had probably left in the futile search for food and herbs, leaving him here to defend the remainder of their near non-existent group. He feared that not too far from now they would all be gone. That not even he would be left to dream of returning to a home he had never known. Discontent wormed its way into his mind and a low sigh left his chest as he rested his head on his paws. In no time at all the tom drifted into a restless sleep. No doubt fits of nightmares would wake him again and again. They had since his father's death. Still, soon, the soft rise and fall of his chest revealed him to have given in to another attempt at rest.
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"Rippedsky! Wake up! Wake up!" Dawnpaw's hiss rang in his ears as paws shook him furiously. His first thought was that something had happened to his mother and he shot up immediately. Looking around wildly, he finally settled on the frame of his now stirring mother. With a sigh of relief, he turned to the other cat who had helped to raise him.

"What is it, Dawnpaw? You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought... I thought..." He stumbled over the words and trailed off as Blackfeather glared at him once she caught onto the worry rooted deep within his gaze. The she-cat did not like her weakness to show. Although she was older, and rather sick, seemingly without a cure in sight, she would have rather dropped dead than to admit there was anything other than strength within her. That was certainly something he admired about the former clan cat. But, he found himself constantly wishing they would find somewhere to settle so that she might have the chance to finally rest and take care of herself. Moss and rot from the roof of the log fell on his head. It was not used to being disturbed apparently. With a hint of disdain for this place, he shook himself as he waited for the she-cat to tell them what was so urgent.

"I had a dream. A dream f-from them! It was Starclan. Oh, thank Starclan, Ravenheart. They haven't forgotten us. They're still here. We're not alone. We... well, we're saved. This is all finally going to be over! It's time to go h-"

Blackfeather's face went from a mixture of aggravation from the rude awakening to one of shock, anger, and then... relief. Rippedsky said nothing as he listened to Dawnpaw babble on. Her words didn't quite make sense to him like they apparently did to his mother. His head cocked in confusion as he looked back and forth between the two. The excitement of the other cat was almost palpable and he found his heart racing in response. Something prickled at the back of his mind. A hope that had long died with that of his mother, and really alongside his father. It was Blackfeather's low and rather sharp tone that finally cut off the nonsense, "How do you know? How do you know this was not just some dream, Dawnpaw? Have you finally lost your mind?" As she took a step closer, her eyes grew sharper and Dawnpaw's jubilance broke for a brief second before returning. Even in her harsh moments, Blackfeather was a good cat. Dawnpaw knew that and after all this time had grown to be an expert at dealing with it.

"Mistypool. She came to me." The words were even, certain. He had no idea who or what this Mistypool was, but she certainly seemed important because his mother's face lit up like it hadn't in a long time. Almost instantaneously, Blackfeather was transformed into a much younger version of herself, "She... she said the territory has healed. It's ready for us to come home. All of the clans are going to come home, Blackfeather! A-and... she showed me the way. I know how to get back. We have to go. We need to go now. It's finally time!" As she finished with all of the coherent words, a joyful yowl broke from her throat. He watched as he mother's shocked expression faded into the grandest smile he had ever seen cross her maw. And she too was soon yowling up to the stars. Confusion was still fresh in his mind, but, if he understood correctly, the nightmare that was their lives was about to come to an end. He too lifted his muzzle and allowed the hope to tear from his chest and rise into the crisp, night air. The clans. It was real. Rippedsky considered his father for a moment as he thought, Ravenheart, I'm going home. I'm going to be the warrior you always wanted me to be.
__

This time, although the rain fell harder than before, and his paws ached like never before, Rippedsky's hope only continued to blossom. The three of them had walked for days. Dawnpaw's step never seemed to slow. Although Blackfeather faltered several times, he nudged her forward. Still, the old she-cat showed the same fire she had when her mate was alive. As they padded along, between coughing fits, her voice rasped with the stories of old. Memories of kithood tales and the clan structure. All the life he had never known, everything he had dreamed of returning to in his short life. It seemed so much more wonderful than empty bellies, festering wounds, constant sickness, and endless exhaustion. His chest seemed to tug him after Dawnpaw whenever his own resolve began to fade due to exhaustion. The territory called him home.

Finally, a row of tall trees could be seen just over the horizon. Everything was far more lush and incredible than anything he had seen in his whole life. They had merely traveled through many forests. Something told him now that this was not another forest to pass through. Once again, Dawnpaw yowled with the strength of a much younger cat and charged towards the line of greenery. Blackfeather did the same but with a much slower pace. Rippedsky stayed dutifully at her side as he led her back to her kithood home. Time seemed to slow as they approached. He looked around in bewilderment. This... was it. This was Skyclan. Without any cat saying a thing, he knew it. The former apprentice bounded through the territory. Whatever borders had once been there were far past faded. Of course, Blackfeather and Dawnpaw had both lost their true clan scents many seasons ago. But, it was still here.

He glanced towards his mother with a silent permission to run off into the forest after Dawnpaw, who was now scrabbling up into one of the tall trees. In all of his lifetime, the black and white cat had never seen her climb. It seemed as effortless as it would for a squirrel. Excitement compelled him to follow her up the trunk of the tree. Rippedsky attempted to match his claw holds with hers. At first, his gait was awkward and hauling himself up took some effort. However, after a few moments, he felt like he had been climbing his whole life. Why had they never done this before? Turning back towards Blackfeather, longing to share in the joy of a homecoming with her, his eyes fell on her nearly still pelt in the lowest branches of another tree some ways back. Somehow she had managed to make it up in her severely weakened state.

"Dawnpaw! I think something's wrong!" He called ahead to his friend before making his way to the edge of a sturdy branch. Back in the day, Skyclan cat's paws had supposedly barely touched the ground. This was the first time he had ever been up here. With his muscular, albeit lean, frame and exceptionally strong hind legs, there was no doubt he was built for it though. While the uncertainty caused him to hesitate, Rippedsky was soon leaping a little less than gracefully between the treetops and towards his mother. The closer he got, the more his concern grew. She was barely moving now. When he finally stopped at her side, the tightening in his chest was greater than ever before, "Are you okay? What's going on?" Her ragged breathing from overexertion had turned into a soft and consistent wheezing. Not but a few minutes earlier, she had seemed so much better than ever before. Now... she reminded him of Ravenheart in his final moments.

"We made it home, Rippedsky. I can finally rest." Her head, barely lifted upon his arrival and slumped back onto her paws. A soft sigh of content was broken by rapid coughing as her lungs contracted. They seemed as if they would give out at any minute. Although Dawnpaw had reached his side, the tom gave no indication that he noticed. The branch here was sturdy enough to hold all three cats. Numbly he padded closer to the she-cat and rested his head on top of her. There was no surprise. Long ago she could have died just as easily. This illness had wrecked the poor, old cat for long enough. Blackfeather deserved the rest. Sadness welled up at the corners of his eyes. After so long, they had finally made it back. His mother had held on long enough. She deserved the peace. Dawnpaw said nothing. He did not need to look at her to see the resignation in the other cat's blank gaze. Finally, Blackfeather let out a low breath and managed, "Soon you will see your heritage. Soon you will be a part of Skyclan. I-I always prayed to Starclan you would see it. Don't worry, my son, I will watch you among them..." The last part was little more than a whisper and soon her breathing stilled to nothingness. Gone.

He sat, staring down at the empty shell of his mother with glazed over eyes. A mixture of emotions welled up in his chest. A deep well of pain was at the forefront for the time being. When Dawnpaw pressed her pelt against his, the tom's head fell. It seemed like an eternity before he finally found the strength to whisper, "I'm going to make you proud, Blackfeather. You and Ravenheart raised a warrior."

The pair sat together unmoving for a while. For Dawnpaw, this was just another death in a long many seasons of death. They had been close friends, though, after all this time, and so Rippedsky knew she needed him as much as he needed her at the moment. She eventually informed him they needed to sit vigil with her and then bury the body. There was no better place to bury the body than on the grounds in which she had been born. After all these moons, still a true Skyclanner. Together they struggled to collectively drag her down to the base of the tree. In her final moments, she had been able to do something she had always talked of doing once more, climbing. It was incredible that death had been kept at bay long enough to grant her one final wish. At the thought, he smiled softly. A sweet sadness. Dawnpaw noticed and flicked her tail across his pelt before disappearing to seek out herbs in which to prep her body for death.

It did not seem like long at all before a rustling came from the sparse undergrowth behind him. Rippedsky barely glanced up, assuming this was Dawnpaw once more. Until a strange scent hit his gland. In one swift motion, he seemed to shake away the sinking feeling that had him crouching before Blackfeather's body and whipped around to face a strange cat. Every ounce of him had been taught that every cat outside of them was an enemy. His fur almost bristled, but he did not quite have the strength. Claws did not even unsheath. Rather, he just stood before the unknown cat. Although, as he took in the sight of the other cat, a slow recognition came to him. The frame. It was like theirs. A breath that could have easily been lost by the wind just barely managed to make it to the new cat, "Skyclan."

"SkyClan...?" Ruby asked uncertainly, tilting her head to the side. She had traveled quite far in her life, and had heard her share of odd names and words. But never once had she heard a name like that. How was she supposed to respond to an unfamiliar phrase such as that?

Well, she certainly didn't want to antagonize the cat who had spoken to her. With how quietly he was speaking, she thought that the slightest breeze might knock him down. Maybe she should just introduce herself? A polite greeting might assure him that she didn't mean any harm, anyway. "My name is Ruby," she informed him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what SkyClan is... What happened here?"

He was not prepared for her less than knowledgeable answer. Immediately, the black and white tom's ears and tail fell. The moment had caused the adrenaline to pump through his formerly slowed heart. It was the mystical feeling of hope the blossomed in his chest, post jumping to the defense, that had briefly abolished the heaviness settling in the depths of his stomach. The feeling threatened to fall him to the ground. Stone paws and an icy gut. His deep blue eyes flickered away from the she-cat and quickly settled on a spot on the ground. It looked as if he had made it his mission to inspect that very patch of dust, the one where a jagged pebble poked just through to the surface. He briefly considered that he could relate to the little rock. Much like him, it seldom knew the light of hope. Rippedsky was known for being the optimistic type, but his thoughts were anything but at the moment.

When she introduced herself, the tom allowed his eyes to briefly glance up. Ruby. That certainly wasn't a clan name. Could it be that this was just some loner who happened to stumble upon the territory shortly after Starclan had called them all home? He ran his eyes over the length of her pelt, drinking in the tiny features of her frame. The aching familiarity was there as he traced over the muscle of her hindlegs and he had to squeeze his eyes shut to abolish the thoughts. If it were the case she was not a Skyclan cat, he would not get his hopes too high. Before he could form the words to say or even consider such a task, she was posing another question. What happened here? With a dry throat, Rippedsky considered the still carcass of his mother once again. Seeing her so lifeless only pushed at the unsettling feeling deep within him.

"My mother," Swallowing back the swathe of cotton, "she was very sick for a long time." The young tom stepped to the side of his frame, allowing Ruby a clearer view of Blackfeather. Despite his better judgment, he trusted her. This cat wouldn't do anything to harm her body. There was no reason to do so.

Although what he longed to do was grit his teeth and settle back on his haunches, Rippedsky could not keep away the urge to hold back on talk of Skyclan and managed out, "There was a clan of cats that lived here once, among the trees." Pausing to sweep his eyes over the place where he had perch only moments earlier, the tom shifted slightly. Could it be she would realize her destiny here if he kept talking about it? Was he foolish to think so? Regardless, he could hear himself meowing once more, "We scattered and the territory was desolate. Until our ancestors called us home after all this time. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Ruby took a moment to gaze upon the stranger's mother. How tragic it must have been, to travel what was likely a long way, and to lose a part of their family when they arrived at last. It brought to mind the memory of her own parents, vanished in the night long enough ago that the memory was faint.

A clan of cats that lived in the trees, called back to their once-home by their ancestors? That sounded like a story a mother might tell her kits, at least to her.  "It definitely is beautiful," she agreed, looking up into the trees. "Your ancestors called you here?" It might have sounded like a story for kits to her, but plenty of stories had their beginnings in truth - the best ones always did, anyway.