❦ story ❦

"dolphinpaw!" peonylinger ran towards the white and blue cat, her blue eyes widened with compounded awe and urgency. the pansy atop her head, which had apparently ingrained itself into peonylinger's medium-length fur, bobbed up and down as she ran.

"yes? what is it?" dolphinpaw's voice was carefully polite.

"i-it's..." peonylinger stopped, panting heavily. then she gasped for breath, throwing her head back so fast, the pansy she always wore behind her ear was almost thrown off. "it's a message from starclan. for you, dolphinpaw."

a flicker of astonishment crossed dolphinpaw's face. "what about? i... i'm not special. i-"

"no, not a prophecy," peonylinger huffed. "it's sparkpaw..."

dolphinpaw gasped. it seemed too good to hope for, the hope that sparkpaw still cared for them, and yet, why did the ginger tom want anything to do with dolphinpaw? they had... failed to save his sister...

"sparkpaw said that he apologizes for harming you," peonylinger mewed. "he is pained by how your spirit left after his death, and wishes to help you return to who dolphinpaw once was." peonylinger's gaze locked into dolphinpaw's. "but you must also make the effort to go back. do you understand?"

dolphinpaw's mouth felt dry. "does aspenrise know about this?" they breathed, spotting the pair of yellow eyes take a glimpse at the two cats through the medicine den.

"i don't think so." peonylinger's voice lowered. "but why does it matter? this message was meant for you."

dolphinpaw swallowed. "okay." they took a deep breath to slow their pacing heartbeat. "okay," they repeated. "i... i know haven't been myself lately," dolphinpaw admitted.

"haven't we all noticed." peonylinger's meow was dry, but her eyes glimmered with amusement.

"if this is what sparkpaw wants, then i'll try my best." a feeling of apprehension and determination tickled at dolphinpaw's chest; with a shock, they realized just how long they had felt nothing for.

having something good kindle in them felt so familiar, yet so strange at the same time...

***

the white and blue cat spent most of their warrior life trying to rediscover themselves.

soemtimes it felt relatively easy, doing the things they once loved to do, taking breaths of fresh air and catching up with the friends they had made other than peachpaw and sparkpaw.

sometimes it was hard, with the cat being unable to find the motivation to do anything, even just sitting up in their nest, drowning once more in the black depths of hopelessness.

but they were not alone. every so often, the cat caught a glimpse of sparkling ginger fur that shone with stars... if the white and blue cat had his friend's support, he would not give in.

the cat remembered their warrior ceremony, what hornetstar had said to them at their warrior ceremony.

"i was once in a position somewhat similar to yours," she'd murmured after bestowing their warrior name upon them. "your path is a hard one, but i promise you it is worth it."

so now all they had to do was trust in the future, trust that things would improve for him.

***

"let all cats who can climb and swim gather here for a clan meeting!"

the warriors clamored around their leader, who stood a few fox-lengths away from the tree that served as the usual gathering point. its skinny branches were bent, leaves rustling almost inaudibly in near silent requiem. the warriors, too, were wordless: fishriver, the clan's previous deputy, had died just this morning. aspenrise and peonylinger's herbs hadn't made a dent in his mysterious disease; over the past few moons, he'd gotten thinner and weaker, despite being perfectly healthy before.

everyone knew how close hornetstar had been to fishriver. each one was able to read the other's thoughts in just a mere glance, able to predict the other's actions and read their thoughts, and were unstoppable in battle. they had never reared kits and had never become mates, but perhaps they were as close as mates would be nonetheless.

now, he lay in the centre of the clearing in the middle of the ring of cats. his pelt was smothered in rosemary and mint; his position making it look like he was merely asleep. but no amount of hope would bring a cat back from the dead.

but where a lesser warrior would have broken down, hornetstar still pushed forward. perhaps it was because she was used to this kind of love and loss; perhaps it was because she needed to put her duty to her clan first as its leader. whatever the case, the cream and white tabby she-cat stood tall as her clan approached her.

the moon hung high in the sky, and no one needed to ask what hornetstar was going to say. this gathering was to appoint the new deputy.

"today, we have lost a great warrior in fishriver," hornetstar started. her voice caught a little, but she went on. "although we will mourn him and miss him, the clan must remain strong despite his passing." hornetstar's tawny gaze became blurred as she stared at fishriver.

"i say these words before starclan, so that the spirit of fishriver may hear and approve of my choice." hornetstar paused.

"dolphinriver... will serve as deputy from now on."

"why?" dolphinriver blurted out the question before they could stop it. they felt their fur grow hot with embarrassment. "i mean... i've been out of commission for a while, i don't d-"

"dolphinriver," hornetstar murmured, "that's exactly why i wanted you. combined with your natural calmness and intelligence, you have showed the mental strength and willpower to overcome the worst. truly, you are the most worthy." hornetstar purred in amusement. "of course, if you don't want the position, you can always refuse."

dolphinriver remembered how sparkpaw appeared to them every now and then. "i did not do it alone."

"no," hornetstar shook her head, "i don't think anyone could've improved all alone. the fact that you came back to us at all is a feat in itself. so, dolphinriver, what do you say?"

dolphinriver glanced around at their clan. the faces reflected clear pride, urging them to accept.

"then... i will accept the position. thank you, for thinking so highly of me and for entrusting me with this responsibility. i swear to serve my clan to the best of my ability." dolphinriver's voice cracked with emotion, and the clan cheered, their thunderous meows echoing through the woods.

the white and blue cat padded up to hornetstar, dipping their head in respect to her. in response, she laid her muzzle on their head.

"you remind me so much of him," the cream tabby murmured, and dolphinriver knew she must be talking about the deceased fishriver. "he was so fiery, and you are so level-headed, but your determination seems like one and the same."

"thank you, hornetstar." dolphinriver's mew was husky.

"sticking to the path that life carries you," hornetstar rumbled, "and usually calm, but merciless to unwanted outsiders." hornetstar lifted her muzzle from dolphinriver's head to study him. "i named you for those attributes, but i also named you after him. you're so strangely similar."

dolphinriver resisted the urge to look over his shoulder at the hunched up body of fishriver. he couldn't think of what to say.

now that the new deputy had been chosen, for the remainder of the night, the clan would grieve the previous one. that wouldn't be hard; fishriver was extremely popular, and charismatic... before the illness made him so weak. elders would be telling his story for countless moons.

dolphinriver could only hope he could live up to fishriver's legacy.

❦ winners ❦

first place: oqlivion- with dolphinriver

second place: welosttouch with dolphinecho

third place: ALittleDarkShadow with dolphinheart