Honeystorm

Summersolstice had been sitting on the heart shaped sunningrock in Lover's lane gazing at the river border, a thoughtful expression on her face. 
These past few days had been quite bloody. 
First the death of the Sun God at Littlestar's paws, and the revelations of the horrible things he'd done to Autumngossamer. It made Summersolstice's throat tighten at the thought of what the soothsayer had been through.
As it had gone down she'd been too concerned with keeping her children safe fearing what the death of a god could mean. 
But the moon kept shining, and she and her kits were unharmed, but there was an air of change in the clan and the clans around them. 

And on that wind of change brought a familiar face. 

Rasputin. 

Her claws scraped against the stone, causing a slight grating sound in the tranquil space.

With his sudden appearance at the border she found herself staring down at everything she'd been. The cat who Soaringstar had stolen kits to ensure she could join NightClan with, and though in hindsight they could've waited for Burningsky to become leader as she'd become leader a moon later when Shiverstar stepped down. And as Rasputin opened his mouth stating he wanted to join SunClan and take it over to rule it. Something stirred. 

It brought back the memories of how she'd failed NightClan. She should've never let herself be gone for so long. 
She should've never approved of letting Soaringstar pick a deputy of her own, especially not Flamingsoul. But at the time neither had suspected her of trouble. She was showing great promise and it was all meant to be temporary.

Tsk. And here they were roughly 6 moons later with Flamingstar quite content on her new throne in NightClan.

Seeing Rasputin, and listening to him talk. Acting as though SunClan's weakened state now opened the door for him to slide in and steal the throne brought that all back. 

But at first... he was still family. Still his sister's mate as far as she knew so she pushed him to leave. Knowing her children looked on, confused why their mother was pushing for him to leave peacefully rather than drive him out. 

And then.

Then that piece of fox dung dared to disrespect her sister. After everything Soaringstar had done for him he badmouthed her in such a way?!

In that instant everything came to a head and she'd attacked, aiming to kill. And that spot of the border was stained red with his blood that day while she took his body and buried it.

It was strange that Summersolstice felt not remorse, but satisfaction. In that moment she'd prevented Rasputin from entering and causing trouble, aiming to take over while the clan was weak. Much like Flamingstar had. 

But though she could look back on everything and see him as the point where she'd doomed herself. Truthfully she'd damned herself when she'd let herself be ushered away. When she'd let herself go to SunClan to join, and learn their ways in a hopes of solidifying her connection to the other pride members.

She had been a mouseheart. She should've realized the truth.

The truth was she hadn't had the strength to juggle everything. She'd failed as a leader and opened up NightClan as it had. NightClan's moment of weakness for Flamingstar to exploit had not come of a disaster, or her doing some great noble act as Littlestar had. But instead a moment of personal weakness, that opened the door for Soaringstar's mistakes to bring their regime crumbling down and make way for Flamingstar to lead. 

As a result when NightClan became lost to her, Summersolstice became melancholy. Heart aching for the clan she'd lost, and she spent her days wallowing. Struggling to grapple with a new identity and no way to reclaim her old identity, instead stuck as one of SunClan's number. 

But no more. 

She lifted her chin resolutely. She was Burningsky. The name might have changed but she still burned with passion, with a drive to make a mark, and curiosity to see what the future held. 

NightClan was lost to her for now. But Flamingstar would slip up, and then she'd see NightClan restored to it's former glory. She need only wait.

Meanwhile. She had a life to live. 

She had to see what life she could forge, and truly live as Summersolstice. SunClan senator. 

Which was why she'd asked Nightshadeintuition to meet her here.

The last time they'd spoken she'd been so filled with melancholy and self pity that she had not made for much interesting conversation. So she wanted to talk to him now that the fog had lifted and she could see things. Much was uncertain admittedly, and though Summersolstice might feel ready to take a leap, he might not. Especially since she had been in a poor state previously. 

So she held her breath in anticipation and waited to see if Nightshadeintuition would join her as the sun began to dip towards the horizon and letting the shadows stretch longer across the ground.