Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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Here on Classic we understand that sometimes life can get difficult and we struggle. We may need to receive advice, vent, know that we are not alone in our difficult times, or even just have someone listen to what's going on in our lives. In light of these times, we have created the support threads below that are open to all of our members at any time.
life is a lot, and I'm sorry for how much it impacts me here
1,453 posts
Post by neverstarstar on Jan 11, 2021 17:59:56 GMT -5
Hunting always cleared her mind, it allowed her a chance to release her tensions and the heavy burden of responsibility that came with being deputy. Not that she wanted her circumstances to change, she was actually for once entirely and wholly happy. Today she'd assigned herself a patrol with Grasspaw and Seasparkleflash, happy to spend time serving her clan beside two of it's most promising members.
A mouse and skinny vole later Dawnmemories was making her way back to camp with her patrol, skirting the side of a frozen pond and pondering tomorrow's patrols. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that it took a moment for the crack! splash! to register. It took Grasspaw's worried, "what was that?" For Dawnmemories to pause. She looked out on the ice and heard the distant splash again, she dropped her catch with a gasp, "someone fell through!"
"Help, help!" A garbled voice pleaded, accompanied by the frantic splashing and scrabbling of a cat trapped in ice. Dawnmemories ventured onto the the frozen sheet apprehensively, aware that this was all that separated her from her own icy peril. "Seasparklesplash, stay here with Grasspaw."
When the cat called again Dawnmemories surged forward, locating them a few fox lengths away. From here it became obvious that it was Moonfish, a warrior in SummerClan with a pension for getting themselves into trouble. She also knew that Moonfish had been assigned to a border patrol - but there were no other cats here.
"Coming, hold on, Moonfish!" She roared, slipping and sliding closer. Back on shore, Seasparklesplash and Grasspaw watched with wide, worried gazes. Dawnmemories was only a rabbit hop away when there was a second, bone-chilling crack! and she fell through, plunged into icy water so abruptly that the air was knocked from her lungs.
Close to her she felt the swirling water as Moonfish kicked and struggled, and she soon joined his desperate attempts to get out of the water. But her sheet of ice hadn't left an opening and the gloom and dark made it impossible to figure out where she should swim to find one. The chill of the water was rapidly spreading through her, dulling the heat of her own body and making her feel sluggish even as she tried to save Moonfish and herself. But her air was running out and there was still no opening.
That's the moment Dawnmemories realized she was about to die, to fall victim to ice and bad timing. This wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be a great deputy and one day, StarClan willing, a remembered leader. Dawnmemories didn't want her story to end like this, with so many lines left unwritten. But the gloom darkened as her vision faded and she began to black out and Dawnmemories took an involuntary breath, her very last memory one of disappointment and sorrow as she succumbed to the depths. Moonfish left unsaved.
Seasparkleflash stood on the very edge of the lakeshore, unable to believe what he was seeing as the clan's Deputy suddenly disappeared beneath the ice. For a brief moment he was paralyzed to the spot, a faint whisper of a long-forgotten voice echoing in his mind, a relic of knowledge preserved long after his birth home's destruction: swimming under the ice was a death sentence. There had been a number of careless Waterclan apprentices who had perished in this way.
He remembered the flickering, faded memory of solemn snow-covered vigils beside the waterfall. Gravelstar and his father's bowed heads. The stern, heartbroken warning of his mother that, once you go under, finding the opening you entered through was nearly impossible. How you would drown with the surface looking so close, but always out of reach. And he remembered how that very same mother was waiting for him back at Summerclan's camp, pregnant with his half-siblings.
"Run, Grasspaw. Go get Ratstar," Seasparkleflash ordered grimly. The apprentice's head snapped around to stare wildly at him, his dark-brown frame shaking with fear and panic. "W-what? Seasparkleflash-!" "NOW, Grasspaw." The ginger tom barked with an intensity he had never used in his life, before his eyes suddenly softened woefully.
"And tell Thunderstorm I'm sorry."
Leaving no time to hesitate, the Waterclan Warrior barreled onto the ice, leaping and diving into the freezing water. Immediately the cold stabbed at him like a thousand bee stings, and it took all of his willpower to keep from opening his mouth to yowl in pain. Grimacing, he regained his bearings just enough to observe the water around him. Where were Dawnmemories and Moonfish? Seasparkleflash looked downward to see both she-cats unconscious, slowly sinking down to the bottom of the lake together. The tom pushed downward, fighting the current with all his might, until he was finally able to reach the auburn Deputy and hoist her onto his shoulders. The weight was heavy. Almost too heavy. He stared dejected at Moonfish, who had now descended too far down to reach, and silently prayed. 'Please forgive me, when you reach Starclan. I can't save you both.'
A smile tugged at Ragingspire's lips as he watched the fluffy brown warrior pace in front of the nursery. Were all fathers-to-be this anxious? Condorstrike's mate wasn't giving birth yet, but it was nearing time for her to move into the nursery and make herself a new nest. He had enlisted Ragingspire's help to make a comfortable bed for her to rest in, but they had padded it with so much moss it was a decidedly uncomfortable nest. While the senior warrior anxiously awaited his mate's arrival to test the new nest, Ragingspire slipped into the den behind him and rearranged the moss once more.
Exiting the den, he nodded once to Sootstep, who lay across the camp looking moody. No different than usual.
Ratstar was absentmindedly grooming himself in a sunny patch a short distance away, though the grass was still covered in a thick blanket of snow despite the clear skies above. Every so often he'd open his single eye and watch Condorstrike's pacing with amusement, or share a fondly exasperated glance with Ragingspire before the warrior entered the nursery to adjust Thunderstorm's nest for the forth or fifth time. It was a rare moment of peace for the leader, with his kits all curled up together in a late-afternoon nap. Soon Dawnmemories and the other patrols would be back, and they'd begin making preparations for tomorrow.
That calm silence was broken by screaming. "SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE, HELP!"
The leader sat up straight and alert as Grasspaw sprinted into the clearing, yelling at the top of his lungs. He'd never seen the nearly warrior-aged apprentice so traumatized; shaking from head to tail, his eyes welling with tears, looking absolutely panicked. "What's wrong?" Ratstar meowed in concern, already rising to his paws and approaching Grasspaw. The apprentice stared back at him wide-eyed, his breathing frantic.
"D-DAWNEMEMORIES! DAWNMEMORIES AND MOONFISH FELL THROUGH THE ICE! SEASPARKLEFLASH JUMPED IN AFTER THEM!"
The entire camp fell eerily silent. No cat quite believing their ears.
Just for a moment, Ratstar felt his heart stop. They fell through the ice. Even in the twolegplace, he remembered hearing a number of horror stories about that very scenario. How very few cats fell into the icy waters and lived to tell the tale. The leader's face morphed between several different emotions as his mind raced, before finally settling on cold determination. "Summerclan!" He yowled, his voice booming across the camp. "All able-bodied warriors follow me! Quickly!" He turned back to Grasspaw, still visibly shaken. "Will you show me the way?"
The apprentice nodded, and just like that, Ratstar and Grasspaw took off; Mudthistle tearing out of the warriors' den to follow them.
Post by Whitemuzzle on Jan 12, 2021 17:50:28 GMT -5
Graythorn had just left the leader's den making sure the kits and their mother were well taken care of. "Great StarClan!" he growled as he heard Grasspaw's report. He knew he'd have his paws full in the coming moments and days. StarClan, save these cats! he prayed silently as he tore off after Ratstar.
Pantherclaw and Dustfeather heard Ratstar's rally call. They dropped what they were doing and ran fervently after the other cats streaming out of the camp.
life is a lot, and I'm sorry for how much it impacts me here
1,453 posts
Post by neverstarstar on Jan 12, 2021 23:23:00 GMT -5
The camp was at peace, a rare and welcome atmosphere nowadays. Roachpelt swore that every other day there was a bit of disquiet about Ratstar's order or an argument or news of the other clans, but today had been a quiet, orderly one. Right up until Grasspaw came tearing into camp. The news turned his blood cold, knowing the tragic implications of a fall through the ice. Ratstar tore out of camp, warriors and apprentices streaming after him, and Roachpelt followed as well. More out of worry and horror than true belief in his usefulness. But, if for some reason they needed him, he'd be right behind everyone.
Cherrysky had been padding towards the camp entrance just as Grasspaw burst by her and vanished, even from outside their camp she heard his words and leaped aside just as Ratstar burst out with Grasspaw, Mudthistle, and several others. For a moment she just watched the crowd fly by, her heart having stopped at the sound of Seasparkleflash's name. Not him, please, not him. After Roachpelt darted by Cherrysky shook her head and took off, pulling ahead of Roachpelt and Graythorn and trying hard not to completely panic.
Sootstep’s head jerked up as his apprentice sprinted into the camp, and he was already on his paws before any words left the young cat’s mouth. He had agreed to let Grasspaw go without him today, he had trusted the others to keep him safe, but if they sent him back alone...
Dawnmemories fell through the ice?
He had no experience with ice, but some ancient part of him recoiled in horror. Something inside of him recognized the danger of the situation.
Ragingspire felt a similar motivating terror. He took a few stumbling steps toward the camp entrance, then looked back at the brown tabby. “Don’t freeze now. We have to go,” he pleaded.
“I’m- I’m so sorry.” The words stuck in Condorstrike’s throat. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Seasparkleflash... how am I going to tell his mother?”
“Stop it,” Sootstep snarled. He was across the camp and snarling before he was conscious he had even moved. “She’s not dead, I know it. I would know,” he insisted, full of conviction. He spun around to face Grasspaw. “Stay here and stay safe. Red— Dawnmemories is going to be fine.”
The dark gray tom couldn’t stand to see the doubt in Condorstrike’s eyes anymore. He raced for the camp entrance with Ragingspire on his heels.
Back in the lake, the pressure of the water bore down like a stone on Seasparkleflash as he tried to swim upwards with Dawnmemories on his back. For a moment, it occurred to him how calm it was underwater; no wind, no snow, no birdsong. Just the quiet bubbling of the water around you. The sunlight filtered in through the ice, lighting up the strange world around him in a brilliant hue of blue. If he weren't currently on a rescue mission, and somewhat freezing, he might've considering his surroundings more, but for now, the sooner they both were out of the water, the better. The ginger tom had dove straight down, so finding the crack he had come through wouldn't be that hard...right?
His lungs starting to hurt slightly, the warrior reached up to where he was certain the surface was...only to be met with a solid brick of ice. Now panic began to set in. Dawnmemories wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer without air, and neither would he. Frantically, he began to swim along the length of the ice, pressing against it with his head, searching for an opening. Any opening! His lungs were burning now, and his vision beginning to blur. Where was it? Where was the surface?! He had to find it!! If he didn't, all of this would've been for nothing! He couldn't die here! He didn't want to die here! He wanted to stay with Thunderstorm and Condorstrike! He wanted to see his half-siblings be born! He wanted to hang out with Cherrysky, Sootstep, and Pantherclaw! He wanted to stay in Summerclan! In his home! He wanted to live! Please! PLease! PLEASE! PLEASE!
"You're panicking, Seasparkleflash. Did you forget that's the worst thing a cat can do while they're swimming?"
Seasparkleflash stopped. That...that wasn't his voice. He knew that voice. Was that...?
"You're a Waterclan warrior, Seasparkleflash. Focus. You can do this."
Seasparkleflash paused, letting himself and Dawnmemories sink down for a moment, and he gazed up at the ceiling of ice above him, scanning it, trying his best to ignore the desperate burning of his lungs and muscles. ...There! A small spot of the ice that was different than the rest, with contrasting light from the ice around it! That was their opening!
It was even harder to swim up than before, but Seasparkleflash refused to give up. Pushing upwards with all his might towards the spot, he swim higher and higher and higher.
A huge gasp escaped his mouth as Seasparkleflash breached the surface, a feeling of relief washing over him as he pulled himself half-way up onto the ice, and behind him, hearing Dawnmemories gasp for air too. Grinning, he slid her body completely out of the water and onto the ice, but didn't have enough energy to do the same. It was fine if he couldn't feel his back feet anymore, having his tail-end beneath the water a little bit longer wouldn't hurt. He barely noticed the cold now. It didn't matter.
They had air. They were alive. That was what mattered.
life is a lot, and I'm sorry for how much it impacts me here
1,453 posts
Post by neverstarstar on Jan 23, 2021 10:45:23 GMT -5
Dawnmemories had been lost to the darkness, floating there in a place that was peaceful and no longer cold. At the very edge of her thoughts she felt her body being carried, the pressure of the water and the feeling of another cat were there. But Dawnmemories didn't care. Instead she stood in that darkness and looked for some sign of StarClan. Or the Dark Forest, if she had earned a spot there when she failed to save Moonfish. What a pathetic deputy. Looking around, she decided that that must be exactly where she was.
Dawnmemories, you aren't in the Dark Forest
The voice was fond, familiar, and apparently exasperated with her. Before her a cat appeared, a red warrior with kind eyes and starry paws. "Then... then where am I? Who are you?"
Oh, the cat laughed, it was a soft sound that made Dawnmemories relax, well you're in a sort of limbo. You aren't dead yet. In fact Seasparkleflash is trying very hard to save you right this moment. And I'm... well you know me very well. I suspect you'll learn more one day.
That was a wildly unhelpful introduction but Dawnmemories didn't care. "Seasparkleflash? He did what? I gotta go back, if he dies too..." she couldn't finish, she just leapt to her paws and paced in front of the cat.
You may return, if you want. But, Dawnmemories. Things will be different now. You should know that.
"I don't care," Dawnmemories responded, "I've got to make sure he's okay. And Ratstar, Ragingspire... Sootstep. Please, let me go back."
Moonfish glimmered into being beside the red cat, looking calm and untroubled. But there were stars now around their paws and Dawnmemories' heart shattered at the confirmation that she'd failed. She made a strangled noise and shook her head, her voice breaking as she whispered, "please. I'm so sorry, please."
Go, the voice said, a sad little sigh escaping. They'll be happy to see you. And remember: you did what you could.
With that Dawnmemories faded again and awoke freezing and waterlogged, Seasparkleflash very much alive beside her. She coughed up water, her sides heaving, and tried in vain to stand. They needed help before they both died.
Ragingspire was made to run. He had teased Dawnmemories about her racing ability more than once, but in truth, she wasn't slow at all. He was built slim and agile, made for chasing prey over long distances and sprinting to finish the kill, for endurance to pursue his goals. He was the first cat to arrive at the tragic scene, leaving his clanmates behind. His gaze skimmed the river frantically, searching for a sign of his friends until he saw two sodden lumps on the ice. His heart stopped.
He raced across the ice and came to a trembling halt beside the deputy, nosing her face and side to lift her, terrified until he saw the thin wisps of icy breath escape her. She was alive, but he felt a twist of dread in his belly as he spotted the half-submerged warrior. No, no, no, he left Dawnmemories side reluctantly to grab hold of Seasparkleflash's scruff and heave backward. His paws slipped and skidded on the ice, he couldn't find a grip, until finally he found a melting spot and dug his claws in deep for purchase. The ice shuddered and nearly split beneath him as he hauled the younger warrior to safety, then released him with a gasp.
They were still on the ice when Sootstep and Condorstrike arrived. Condorstrike skidded confidently across the ice, checked Seasparkeflash's breath, and sighed in relief. "We need to get them onto the bank, and warm them up, quickly," he murmured. His voice was distant still, checked out, still unable to believe they might live. "Hypothermia is their worst danger now... ignore their paws, it's better to lose a limb than a life, we need to get them warm and Graythorn needs to treat them if he can."
Ragingspire reached down to help drag the warrior off of the ice, but Sootstep crouched by Dawnmemories' side and was startled when she suddenly started to cough and try to stand up. "Hey, hey," Sootstep whispered, "it's okay, let me help you. Here, lean on me."
life is a lot, and I'm sorry for how much it impacts me here
1,453 posts
Post by neverstarstar on Jan 24, 2021 14:11:08 GMT -5
She could sense them, though she didn't realize until later that that's what had woken her up on the ice. First Ragingspire, the quick-footed warrior nosed her and she thought how strange it was that she could not feel his warmth. But her very soul rejoiced at his presence. Before Dawnmemories could even finish the thought his scent had receded and she could hear him trying to get Seasparkleflash. Good, she thought, save him.
It could have been seconds or hours before she felt herself stir again, in that time she'd seen and felt only darkness once more. At this point she was too cold even to shiver, instead just frozen solid on the ice, but she was aware of a second scent. Sootstep. Her heart jerked and suddenly she was coughing, more water leaving her body as she tried in vain to stand. Help, they needed help. But he was here. Speaking to her in a voice so soft and wonderful that it made her want to sob. With him and Ragingspire here she was safe. Seasparkleflash was safe.
"Sootstep," she muttered, voice broken into pieces. "Ragingspire." Her teeth chattered suddenly, as though her body was finally deciding to fight against the cold as she leaned on Sootstep.
Cherrysky was close behind the others, arriving as Ragingspire dragged Seasparkleflash to safety. "No," she cried, racing down the bank and to the warrior's side, her eyes wide and pleading. "Oh StarClan." He was sodden and freezing and Cherrysky wasted no more time, rubbing the warrior's side with her paws in a desperate attempt to begin warming him up. She couldn't lick him, it would make him colder, but she doubted that this would be enough to keep him alive.
Another pair of paws joined her and she looked up to see a grim-faced Twisterdestruction, the garden keeper hadn't been in camp when the news broke but she was overjoyed to see him now. The two cats worked side by side, trying to help Seasparkleflash's body thaw, as other cats made it to the scene.
Unlike Dawnmemories, Seasparkleflash was still wide awake, though far too exhausted to move on his own. His eyelids felt like heavy stones, begging him to close his eyes but...n-no. He had to stay awake. He had heard the stories about what happened to freezing cats if they fell asleep. The tom had been so preoccupied in his argument between mind and body that he hadn't even notice Ragingspire approaching until he was being dragged out of the water. He blinked in confusion, glancing up at the tom in surprise. "H-hey dude," he meowed with a relieved smile. Suddenly, he heard another voice. Why was it so distant though? He turned his head, squinting as his vision swam. He saw Cherrysky. And Twisterdestruction. And... Seasparkleflash squinted even more, trying to make out the final face surrounded by harsh sunlight. "D-Dad...?" He words escaped his mouth in barely a whisper, before his mind lost the battle, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
Ratstar arrived right after Condorstrike, staring at the pair of frozen warriors in pure disbelief. How in Starclan's name had they survived? For safety's sake, he had ordered Grasspaw, Graythorn, and Roachpelt to remain on the safety of the bank, but he glanced down nervously as the ice creaked beneath his paws. "It ain't gonna hold much more weight. We all gotta get off'a the ice," he ordered. "Condorstrike, Cherrysky, Twisterdestruction: slide Seasaprkleflash across." Trying to pick one of them up would only risk the ice breaking again. "Sootstep, Ragingspire, Mudthistle: you take Dawnmemories."
"Yes sir!" Mudthistle was one of the Senior Redguard members for a reason, immediately padding around to Dawnmemories' backside, ready to slide her across. For a moment, she spared a glance across the ice at her nervous son. Mom's gonna be okay, I promise. She looked back at the two toms, determination in her yellow-green eyes. "Ready?"
life is a lot, and I'm sorry for how much it impacts me here
1,453 posts
Post by neverstarstar on Feb 2, 2021 23:07:44 GMT -5
"Moonfish," Dawnmemories managed, eyes finding Ratstar with so much heartbreak and desperation in them. "He's... he's still under the ice. Gotta get him." Maybe he was still alive? Please, maybe him in StarClan had been a dream? No cat seemed to snap into action, all to focused on the two of them. Why weren't they rescuing him? Her body was desperate for warmth, desperate to shut down, but anger surged in her momentarily and she flinched away from the group assigned to her, leaving the comfort of Sootstep's shoulder and stumbling, "Moonfish! Rescue him!" She said again, teeth chattering and taking the bite from her barked order. With more strength that she thought she had the red deputy turned towards Ragingspire and Sootstep, appealing to the cats who could most understand why she needed him to be okay. They knew her. They would save Moonfish.
But again, no one dove toward the ice where he'd fallen through. No one would look her in the eye either. She blinked, seeing his starry pelt in in the black-pink of her eyelids. "No," with that one word the fight went out of her and she collapsed back into Sootstep, sliding down him and onto the ice without speaking again. Cherrysky's heart broke for Dawnmemories, but she knew there was no saving the other warrior. They were lucky enough to have a chance of saving her and Seasparkleflash. Unable to look at her deputy she returned her attention to the warrior freezing beneath her frantically moving paws. Twisterdestruction was sniffling beside her, trying to stifle sobs as he took in the tragedy of today. At Ratstar's instruction the tom stood and took a position to the left, Cherrysky nudged him and slid his sodden body a bit over the ice. It gave a great groan and Cherrysky gritted her teeth. Were they all going to die today? Roachpelt paced, patchy fur fluffed up as he watched his clan out on the ice. His paws itched to assist but he wouldn't disobey Ratty. His cloudy yellow eyes kept finding the leader's form, checking over and over again that he was okay and free of the icy grip of the water. When Seasparkleflash was slid and the ice heaved Roachpelt watched small cracks spider across the surface closeby, not yet deep fissures but something to fear to be sure. "Rat!" He screamed, voice hoarse but carrying over the ice, "it's gonna break apart, get outta there!"
"I'm here. I'm here," Sootstep murmured, holding her close as the other cats joined them on the ice. When he looked up at them, his gaze met Mudthistle's. He stared at his enemy in silence; then, without a hint of hostility, he nodded and helped her inch Dawnmemories onto her paws. She was nearly ready to move when Dawnmemories broke away from him. Sootstep gazed at her resolutely, grief raw in his blue gaze, but he didn't move a muscle. He couldn't. Moonfish was long gone, she knew that. She had to accept that. And when she fell, he was there to catch her once again.
"Let's get her out of here," he murmured without looking at the other two.
--
Ragingspire swallowed hard at Dawnmemories' pleas, staring down at the ice. If he believed for a second there was a chance of saving the warrior, he would jump in right now, his own life be dammed... but they had been too late. There was nothing but a body down there. It broke his heart that Moonfish's family would never bury his body, but there was nothing to do about that now. He helped push Dawnmemories up onto Sootstep's shoulders, supporting part of her body with his own weight, but when the ice started to creak his head dropped to the bottom of the river.
No, no, no...
It was stable beneath them... for now... but it was a precarious position. He was breathing hard as the trio started to bring Dawnmemories back to shore.
--
Condorstrike helped slide the barely living warrior's body across the ice, shooting a cautious look at the spiderwebs forming in the ice. "It'll be fine," he assured them confidently, ignoring his growing anxiety. "Everyone spread out a few steps, and step slowly. Seasparkleflash is in a better position than most of us; spread out like that, he won't fall through."
He wished ice was that predictable. It could easily collapse despite their precautions, but at least they could minimize risk.
Post by Whitemuzzle on Mar 5, 2021 10:12:41 GMT -5
"Hurry!" Graythorn called from the bank to those helping Dawnmemories. "We need to get her warmed up right away." He knew the others were in a precarious position but his main concern was for the deputy. He stood by a pile of dried weeds he and Pantherclaw had gathered. He hoped to StarClan that they'd be enough to help absorb the water from Dawnmemories' pelt.
