{and} it dawned on (me) [all shadowclan]

[Crowy]

Snowkit&

"and it dawned on me
daddy isn't coming home"

Snowkit's small white body was writhing in the nursery. Starclan haunted her dreams, and someone close to her was dying. The kit let out a few mewls in the nursery, tossing and turning in her sleep, unable to wake from the nightmare that haunted her innocent mind.

Snowkit ran through the camp, leaping over cats that stood in her way, and out of camp. Her father, the leader, Crowstar, had taken out the dawn patrol, and Snowkit was following them, as eager as ever to please her father. She hung back a little when they stood by the Thunderpath, giving Milkpoppy and ultimatum. Leave for Sparta and Mauler, or be killed then and there. Milkpoppy chose the former, of course, and was chased by Crowstar off Shadowclan territory.
The sound of a Monster's roar ripped through Snowkit's ears, and she ran back, hiding in a bush as it bore down upon her father, "No! Dad!" The kit tried to call out, but her mother stood beside her, and shushed the kit. Snowkit looked up at Serpentwind, her eyes wide, her mouth open, and then, looked back at the Thunderpath. Her father lay there, hardly even a cat any more, bleeding out onto the road. Limbs hung off by sinews, and he rasped something up at his deputy. Snowkit let out a scream, and then, everyhing went black, and she awoke.

"DAD!"[/color][/size] She yowled, her voice awaking all in the camp. She raced out of the nursery to the centre of camp, her breathing heavy, her heart racing, her sides heaving as if she had ran from the Fourtrees. In her mind, she had, but this realisation was not enough. Snowkit was so scared. "Where is my father?!"[/color] She yowled again, pacing back and forth, her mind going over everything Starclan had showed her. "I felt it... He's dead!"[/color] Snowkit yowled, scrunching her eyes shut, and yowling again, slamming her paw upon the ground.
Two figures walked into camp, something strung between them. Snowkit's heart stopped then and there as she caught scent of her father's blood. She wailed loudly, hitting the floor once again. Her father, the valiant leader, Crowstar... Was dead. Snowkit's two different coloured eyes welled up with tears, and she wailed again. Crowstar was dead, Serpentwind was dead.. Snowkit felt as if she had nothing left, she felt as if she should throw herself onto the Thunderpath to end the pain, but she ahd to be strong for her siblings. Her siblings needed her most.
Sniffling, she let out another pitiful wail, scratching at the cat who stood next to her. They did not move, they knew the grief the kit was feeling, and let the kit attack their legs. Snowkit let out another pitiful wail, Snowkit the orphan, Snowkit the lonely. She was no longer her daddy's little girl, as Daddy was gone, and he would never come back.

ooc- for when Silentstripe and Milkpoppy return with Crowstar's body. Grieving time :<[/right][/size][/color][/font]

[mistpool5]

Blackpaw bowed his head. Even though he had been scared out of his wits by Crowstar, he was Shadowclan's leader. He cast a glance at Snowkit, scratching and clawing at her clan-mates legs. He knew how it felt, to be all alone in the world, to feel as if your world was tumbling apart right before your very eyes. He knew the feeling of wanting to run away from it all, and in a sense he had done that. Pity welled up inside him for the small kit.

[Riverflame]

Cloudkit heard yowling from his sister, and caught scent of something... it couldn't be blood, could it? Who had died?
The blind kit got up and followed the scent to his sister, only bumping into a few cats along the way.
"Snowkit, what's wro-" he mewled, but stopped as a new, more familiar scent hit him. It was his father... mixed with the scent of blood... it couldn't be. No, his faher could be dead! He was a leader, the leader of ShadowClan, he couldn't die!
The blind tom sniffed once more to be sure, and finally gave up. He was blind. His mother was dead. His father was dead. He could hardly even walk without running into someone. His life was miserable. Beyond miserable.
"S-Snowkit?" he choked out. "What... what did he look like? And w-what does he look like n-now?"
The tom had to know. He hadn't had a chance to see his father, and he never would. But now, he couldn't let his father die without even getting an image of his true self in his head. For future references. "H-how did he... what happened?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moonfang yawned, finally settling down into her nest. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted. Time to get some sleep...
But it wasn't to last. The one-eyed she-cat lurched up at the sound of a heartbroken yowl, and she scented the air curiously as she pelted out of her den. The scent of blood alarmed her, making her race forward until the two warriors were only a fox-length away. She gasped.
"StarClan..." she murmured, looking at the maimed body of Crowstar. "What happened? Oh, his poor kits..." she added, glancing over to Snowkit, letting out her grief by clawing at the nearest cat.

[~Spring~]

Rainkit stretched out his limbs and let out a tiny mew. He stood up and scratched his ear with his paw. Rainkit had been sleeping for a while and he yawned, trying to wake himself up. He shut his eyes tight and stretched some more. Rainkit walked slowly out of the nursery, hoping to find something to do. ".....?! Something doesn't feel right...." He said quietly while flicking his tail. There was a sad atmosphere floating around camp today, but Rainkit couldn't pinpoint why. He then noticed a clump of bloody fur.

"Wha? What h-happened?!" Rainkit mewed. He walked a bit closer to the clump of fur and blood, which didn't look much like a cat anymore. He sniffed the corpse from afar and recognized it as......Crowstar....... "No.....NO! He can't die!" Rainkit felt tears coming to his eyes. Rainkit had been living in a fantasy world, but now, he realized what life was truly like. Crowstar can't die! He thought while squeezing his eyes tight and allowing the tears to flow. His kits...... What's going to happen to them? Rainkit thought as he sniffled a little bit. He lowered his head and stepped back. He liked Crowstar, but Rainkit felt especially bad for Crowstar's kits. Rainkit's heart was full of pity. Full of pity for Crowstar and Crowstar's kits.

[Chachafu]

Clawear eyes began to water, even though she wasn't related to Crowstar, she felt deep pain. Crowstar was a great leader, a young one too, so why did Starclan take him. Why did Starclan say it was time for Crowstar to leave his beloved clan and join them? Were they aware of his lonely kits who all loved him so much?

Clawear shook herself, getting rid of the hurtful thoughts about Starclan. She needed to be strong, if not for her but for the kits. Five little kits were now left without their mother and father, and the clan was deprived of their leader.

Summoning up all her strength, Clawear made herself get up and walk over to Snowkit. Her throat hurt, making her unable to comfort the kit with words. Clawear knew the kit may never be the same, but Clawear was going to be there for the kit, if it was the last thing she could do. In fact, she was going to try and comfort all of his kits, being there for them was going to be the important role she wanted to play for them in their lives.

Clawear rasped her tongue over Snowkit's little head, one of the only things Clawear could think to comfort the kit. Clawear's body was shaking slightly, although she was trying to suppress it, you could still see her body faintly moving. Shock had overwhelmed her body, it had taken over her.

But never once did Clawear doubt Silentstripe's ability to be leader, for she knew of his love for their clan.

[Falconheart]

Fogkit sobbed when she heard Snowkit wail it out.
"No! It can't be! Dad's alive! He has to be!"
The little gray kit's unusual eyes filled with tears.
"M-maybe Moonfang could h-heal himmmm...." she wailed.

[Riverflame]

Cloudkit heard the faint sound of pawsteps nearing him and his sister, and the comforting scent of Clawear washed over him. He glanced up, blind eyes searching for any glimpse of anything, just longing for a chance to see.
He ducked his head into the she-cat's side, closing his eyes in both anger, and grief. StarClan had taken away his father, and had left him without sight.
"Clawear," he mumbled, his voice thick with pain. "Does this mean... are you gonna be our real momma now?"

[Falconheart]

Starpool and Skysong walked out of the nursery together. Shocked, they saw their leader's mangled body. Shocked, tears slipped out of their blue eyes. Skysong walked up to Crowstar.
"Hunt with Serpentwind now."

The black queen and the silver warrior sat by Crowstar. Even though they were kidnapped from WindClan, he had treated the twins as sisters where other cats scorned and shunned them. And now he was dead.

Starpool walked up to Fogkit and rasped her tongue over her soft little head. Starpool still remembered the raid and saving the dead leader's daughter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fogkit turned to Starpool.
"Starpool, will you please be my mumma, and Skysong my daddy?"

[Charbarboo]

Moonpaw was frozen in his tracks. Crowstar was dead, and Snowkit had known before his body had been in camp. His blue eyes were filled with sadness and shock. How could this of happened? His reign was so short, and now he was dead? His mind was full of questions. But, one that had managed to get through seemed completely unimportant at this moment; How did Snowkit know?

Maybe it was just one of those things family felt for one another. Maybe... ...

But, that was not the point, their leader had fallen, and it was time to grieve for the Clan's loss.

The gray apprentice used all his remaining strength to drag his paw over to where Crowstar's bloody body lay. The apprentice dipped his head to his leader. I hope you find peace in StarClan, he wished his past leader.

---------

Vlek'Tu stayed at the edge of camp. Grieving was not for him, it was just not how he operated. Sobbing for one who is gone is pointless to the cat. It did no one any good, it's not like it makes you stronger, or puts food in your belly. These Clan cats seemed so soft, no wonder.

His sliced eyes were set one the cats that went to Crowstar's body and each did something to seem to show respect for the leader. Some dipped their head silently, while others murmured something, as if he could hear.

[Riverflame]

Foxheart came out of the warriors den, and let out a choked gasp, eyes widening as she saw the mutilated body of Crowstar.
You'll find peace in StarClan, she thought, too shocked to move closer. Her body felt frozen, as if StarClan themself had come and pinned her down. Watch your kits. They'll become strong warriors, I know they will.
The warrior ducked her head and fell into a weak sitting position, too tired and too afraid to do anything else.

[Crowy]

Snowkit&

"and it dawned on me
daddy ain't coming home"

Snowkit's tiny body was shuddering with grief. She could hardly believe what she saw, and what her dream had said. Her father was young, barely 3 years old according to Moonfang. Snowkit had no mother, no father, no cousins... She only had her siblings - and Clawear - to keep her from taking the deathberries. Snowkit had to be strong for her siblings, they were just as close to Crowstar as she had been, especially Fogkit and Cloudkit.
Snowkit looked up at Clawear as her tongue ran over her head. Her two odd eyes were full of pain and anger, and she knew what the cats were thinking. How did she know of her father's death before Silentstripe and Milkpoppy returned? Snowkit coughed a little, pulling away from Clawear and walking over to the Smooth Boulder.
"I know what you're all thinking." The kit said to her clan, eyes full of pain, voice barely audible. "I saw it in a dream... Starclan showed me my father's death... A massive monster took him with one swipe..."[/color] The kit mewled. She needed to lie. She knew about Milkpoppy from the dream. "He was chasing another cat of our territory, and did not see it coming..."[/color] The defiant kit shot a look at the deputy and the cat who had cuased her father's death, her eyes saying 'Don't utter a word'. She leapt off the Smooth Boulder, ignoring the looks she got from the other cats, and pushed her way to her father's side.
"Why... Wh-why did you leave us you mouse-brained fool!"[/color] She yowled, burying her face in her father's fur. She took away her face, now stained red with blood. She sniffled a little, then turned tail and ran into the Nursery.
[/right][/size][/color][/font]

[Riverflame]

Cloudkit looked up, no matter how useless the action was, to listen to his sister.
"A m-monster?" he choked, imagining the huge metal beast crushing his father. He scrunched his eyes shut, but it did no good. When you were blind, what you didn't see stayed away, but what you imagined took it's place. And now, instead of the bold, strong leader that he had imagined his father being, he could only see a bloody clump of fur that would never see his warrior ceremony, if it ever happened. "B-but... but he had nine l-lives, didn't he? H-he was the leader."
The kit knew that StarClan could only heal certain injuries, and the many that he imagined his father having were just too much.
You're supposed to look over us! he thought angrily, burying his face in Clawear's fur again. If you're so powerful, why couldn't you heal my father?

[Chachafu]

Clawear looked down on little Cloudkit. He was such a sweet kit, and she knew he had had a hard life even up to now.

"Cloudkit, I will be your mother if you want me to be your mother." Clawear mewed softly to the kit.

As she looked up at the cats waking up, and becoming aware what had happened to their leader, sorrow filled her heart. Crowstar was truly an honorable leader, who was with Serpentwind now.

Crowstar was so young, and yet he was gone now, without eve giving his Clan a warning. Clawear thought of all the memories she shared with him, but even though there weren't many memories, she still loved him. Crowstar had been a good father too, always coming to see his kits. So why did he die at the claws of a monster? Why did Starclan let this happen.

Clawear laid down, curling her body around Cloudkit. She closed her eyes, and tried not to cry, for she had to be strong for the kits.

[strawberry kiss]

Darkit, An orphaned kit padded up to Clawear, "Ummm, Clawear, are Fogkit and the others going to be ok?"He wondered. He was older than them but he cared for them like they were his own siblings and family

[Falconheart]

Fogkit stared at Darkkit.
"Uh, my parents are both DEAD. Do you think I'm okay?! HMM?! DO YOU?!"
The little kit was hysterical. Tears slipped once more from her eyes, but this time it was out of frustration. How stupid could Darkkit be?!
"You're fine! YOU have both of your parents!" she yowled angrily. She knew it wasn't Darkkit's fault that her mother-and now her father-was dead. But she took it out on him anyway.