Where his father's features were a patchwork of black and white, Honeysplash's were an uninterrupted shade of gold. Similarly, his kindness showed no falter, despite the cut sliced into his nose from Crowpaw's own claws. He felt a sharp stab of regret as he glimpsed it, and, with tears springing forth anew, he chose to look elsewhere, transfixing his grimace at nothing in particular. A leaf, caught in his eyeline, seemed to almost shiver with fright. "I... I'm sorry, Honeysplash. I'm not mad at you for anything," he finally exhaled. The words were carried by a long sigh which seemed to bear the weight of all his pent up emotions, and Crowpaw visibly deflated. "I'm upset with myself for lashing out at you, and I'm upset at Bloodystar for everything that's happening, and at the clan for supporting him-- but you, I can't be mad at. I appreciate what you're doing for my father, my siblings, and... and for me." It needed to be said; the dark cat was angry at the world-- and, yes, he certainly wanted to see Bloodystar fall-- but he would not let himself be angry at the few cats in his corner.

When Honeysplash continued his next words caused Crowpaw's breath to catch again, and he felt frozen in time, as if the illusion may shatter if he so much as breathed. He... he was going to have a chance to tell his father goodbye? He couldn't stop the tears from flowing now. "T-thank you, Honeysplash," he said earnestly between small hiccups, but he did his best to regain composure and nodded to show he was ready to follow the warrior.

Ghostcrown curled up in the corner of the prison, staring quietly at the bleak walls surrounding him. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight. His last hours alive would be spent cramped up here, alone and afraid, but he couldn't just let go and fall asleep, or the end would come sooner than he wanted it to.

His ear twitched at sounds outside of his prison, and he looked up and toward the entrance, squinting for light.

Raypaw stared into the dark prison as if she had no idea what creature resided in its depths. In some sense, it was true. She didn't know what her father was. She wanted to believe that he had nothing to do with it. There was just no way that he would poison Jetfire, but... he did spend a lot of time with her. Her fleeting thoughts disappeared as Crowpaw slid past her. She followed close behind her brother, then pausing to adjust to the light. The snow bengal's icy eyes soon landed on her father, and she ran to him. She reached up and touched her nose to his. "Hey... Dad."

"..." Spiritpaw was the last to arrive. She was the most indoctrinated of her siblings and, up until now, saw her future in SunClan. Sure, now where dark times, but it made sense giving that their God was dead. She wanted to be here when he reincarnated and be a part of the Clan's return to grace. She pictured her and her family rejoicing in the moment, living long and happy lives together in the strongest Clan of them all.

But now that picture of her future was shattered, impossible.

Spiritpaw placed herself firmly at the prison entranced and did not join the rest of her siblings as they snuggled with Ghostcrown. She didn't look angry, just very sad and confused. She loved her father very much, but, to protect herself, she was beginning to pull away. A question danced on her tongue but she didn't dare ask it.

They all filed in behind him, though Raypaw was the only other one to approach Ghostcrown, a thought that brought great bitterness to the dark cat nestled as closely as he could be to his father. Spiritpaw in particular had earned a blistering look; he couldn't quite understand how even Desertpaw had come closer than her, given his brother's seemingly unaffected state during their earlier powwow. Crowpaw decided to address it later and ream his sister out for her coldness-- instead, his eyes fell on Ghostcrown as he felt his father begin to speak, and every word intoned deep within him, threaded through by purrs and then a more distinct note of finality, which he thought he could even feel against Ghostcrown's side.

"Why aren't you fighting more, da?" whispered his son.

Crowpaw's gaze was baleful and brimmed with sorrow, confusion, but most of all a deep-seated, turbulent sea of wrath. It lapped at the edges of his irises, lit fires in the gold, and scorched through the gilted happiness that once blazed there in its stead.

They'd all watched him be dragged through the dirt and thrown at the paws of Bloodystar. They'd all watched him resign to his fate without much argument. They'd all heard him by sentenced to death right before their eyes, and they'd watched as Ghostcrown accepted it as if a gift from a lifelong friend. It still perplexed Crowpaw, wondering why he had been more outspoken than his own father, and he sought answers now, those baleful eyes meeting his father's somber ones.

Desertpaw's lip curled up "Father, you lost your right to stop us from investigating when you got yourself thrown in here with the threat of death looming over you" he rose to his paws, giving his siblings and father one last longing look "The truth will come out one or another. You are trying to protect someone else, but I won't allow you to put your life at risk for them. I'm not going to waste time here, when I should be finding proof" he began to pad out of the den, looking back over his shoulder one more time before leaving

"Of course it matters" Desertpaw snapped, his tail lashing back and forth. If the truth didn't matter, than what did? He had already figured out parts of the puzzle before him, and the words his father just spoke cut him deeply "Dad... If I do nothing you are going to die" his voice was flat and emotionless "I know you are dong this to protect someone. I don't know who or why" he muttered bitterly not looking back at him or his siblings "but whomever your protecting, shouldn't we matter more? We are your children, not them!" the last words came out more as a shriek, as he raced out of the den and past Honeysplash into the darkness a glint in his eyes. No he wasn't about to let this go.

(Desertpaw already left btw)