How Did I Wind Up Here?

[Heron]

Skiv Dustpaw x Meadowpaw

Meadowpaw was cold. The air around her had seemed to freeze solid, which was nothing new. She was in a state of constant, clouded ice and mist. Starclan wasn't supposed to be cold, was it? Was it supposed to make you shiver and shake? She hadn't realized how she ended up here, just that one day the sun was bright and shining and the next the ground had frozen solid and she never saw her clanmates again. She was set to wander her place with, presumably Starclan, and have no other connections with the world she once knew. Even more so, her mind seemed mottled. She could hardly remember a thing- even the clan she belonged to, just that it was a clan and there were many of them once. It hadn't always been cold and lonely in her life. Most of the time she mewed like a helpless kit. Nobody, not even her mother, came to help her. 

There were no leaf-changes in Starclan. Leafbare was a constant, and she realized that it hadn't always been that way either. There was sun and prey and life; the trees blew in the wind and flowers bloomed. She'd been named Meadowpaw, after all. She was born with the thought of meadows in her mother's head. 

She curled up in the smack middle of the snow, knowing all too well that no predator was going to find her there. No other Starclanner, either. Her mind seemed to buzz and whirl, but she knew sleep would never come. She could not dream or sleep or rest her eyes; her pulse was always quick and heavy, and she had a fleeting feeling of being dropped.

The snow continued to fall heavily around her, piling her under a snowy white blanket. Only her black patches stuck out like a sore thumb, and Meadowpaw continued to mew.  "Someone..." she whispered. "Anyone..."

And the snow stopped.

[Skiv]

Dustpaw groom the last of her sandy colored pelt. It was quite light in color with splashes of white and gray on it. She lapped her tongue over the light touched tabby fur. She then just yawned. It had a been a long day with Tigerwhisker. He mentor was bit of a stern guy but she respected him and took the training to heart anyway. She didn't mind as long and she was training to become a great Sunsetclan warrior. She just then looked stood up quietly and padded into the apprentice den. She saw a few other apprentices there but she was one of the first ones to always go to sleep. Probably because if she didn't she wouldn't get up on time to train. On time. She just stepped into her nest and then laid down, shivering from the cold slightly. Then she closed her gold eyes and fell asleep wanting to be in a warmer place.

Why is it so cold?

Dustpaw just found herself in a dream not like any other she had before. but Dustpaw was the type of cat that never remembered her dreams so it was odd that this one was so real. She actually felt like she was awake, but when she looked around she knew she wasn't. Because it was nothing like the apprentice den or Sunsetclan territory. She just then narrowed her eyes. Then looking around. The air seemed to be frozen, he breath showed when she let it out of her body. She felt like soon it wouldn't even be warming up and she would just freeze from the inside out. She then just moved. Though it was cold there still seemed to be a mist like quality around her. It was odd because being this cold that shouldn't be happening. but it was a dream after all so she would just have to deal with it.

"Someone...

Dustpaw's large ears picked up the sound, it was only a whisper but it seemed to bounce to her like she was near the cat. She just then looked off into the mist. She couldn't make out anything that would have the voice to talk to her. She just then headed towards the sound of the voice. Moving as a slower pace because she knew that running straight into anything. I have to see whats going on and calculate my next move. Her mind simply said.

Anyone...

Thats when she heard the voice again. She just picked up the pace this time. She saw the form of a cat. Taking a few steps forward she just watched as the snow stopped. She could see the cat in full view now. She just took in the cat. She was about Dustpaw's age it seemed like. She had white and black fur it looked quite fluffy and it was something that Dustpaw wished had right now. Her short pelt was not good for this frozen land. She just said quietly "I'm anyone. Who are you?"

Heron

[Heron]

Meadowpaw allowed herself to pretend to sleep. She willed herself to forget the snow and cold, and imagine she was somewhere else.

When she heard a voice respond to her cries, she surely thought it was her imagination. She merely gave a light twitch of her ears and kept her eyes closed. Nobody was here. Nobody was ever here. Now she was dreaming voices? It wasn't a voice she recognized. Well, who was it?

She opened her eyes.

The cat that stood in front of her was similar in age and size-- and just like that, Meadowpaw remembered she was an apprentice. She was an apprentice, right? And this cat in front of her was an apprentice too. She had no idea how she knew that, just that she did, like some sort of all knowing gift was bestowed upon her.

Meadowpaw got to her feet. Remain calm. Don't scare her away. "You're a Starclanner?" the black and white cat need quietly, eyes round in amazement. Had someone come to her, after all this time? "Why... why didn't you come sooner? I've been so alone here. Nobody wants me or visits me.... why didn't you take me away sooner?" Meadowpaw demanded sadly, her small ears flat against her head. Tears pooled in her eyes and froze solid against her muzzle as they fell.

[Skiv]

Dustpaw was looking at a cat that seemed to be frozen in time almost. She seemed to be dead which really didn't surprise Dustpaw because of how cold it was here. She just wasn't prepared for the personal verbal attack that was to come. She just watched as the cat all of a sudden seemed to come to life. That made Dustpaw take a step back. She didn't know what to think when the she-cat seemed to be watching her. Dustpaw just looked at the other cat with curiosity in her golden eyes. She flicked her gray ear slightly then the she-cat stood up. Dustpaw just held her ground shivering in her paws. This place was too cold, she was still surprised that she wasn't frozen by now.

I think this cat is crazy. Dustpaw mind instantly said when the black and white she-cat asked the first question. Clearly the cat was confused in some way. Maybe that was why Dustpaw was there. but then again Dustpaw wasn't all that spiritual. She felt like Starclan was there but she didn't really feel herself ever connecting to them. She just didn't think they were all powerful as others said they were. She just knocked the thought that Starclan brought her here for a reason. She just then watched as the cat went into full on question mode. Dustpaw flattened her ears and took another step back from the crazy cat. Narrowing her eyes, her legs were shaking from the coldness. Thats when she noticed that the cat was also crying. Dustpaw wasn't really the comforting type so she just stood there and defended herself she wasn't going to be accused for leaving this cat here.

"I'm not a Starclanner. So before you ask demanding questions you should stop and think about who your talking to first." She was sighed, That was a bit harsh wasn't it Dustpaw. Come on she's crying and you just told her to get away from you. Clearly she's confused. And frightened. She just thought. Dustpaw just watched the other she-cat and said, "I.. well... I'm sorry for coming off a bit rude. but honestly I'm just as confused as you are. I have no idea why I would be here." She just then tilted her head slightly hoping that she she-cat would stop crying or let her go because she just wanted out of this non-explainable dream that she was having.

[Heron]

Meadowpaw did not flinch or flick an ear at Dustpaw's harsh tone. She merely kept her eyes down, as though she were still frozen from the cold. It was only when the there she cat stopped speaking that Meadowpaw found the courage to lift her head.

"Not Starclan? Then... that's impossible." She argued. This was a place of Starclan. She was...dead. I'm dead, Meadowpaw realized with a jolt. She had died. "I died!" She murmured out loud, looking at Dustpaw expectantly. "I remember that now, I know why I'm here. For so long I couldn't...," Her eyes glazed over and she remembered the fragments of her life; apprentice ceremony... other cats....a sunset.

As Meadowpaw began to remember, the ground around them melted away. The heavy snow seemed to evaporate, leaving them standing in a wide circle of newleaf grass. The coldness beneath Meadowpaw's paws disappeared suddenly, replaced by a warmth as though the sun had been shining. Outside their circle it continued to snow and freeze.

Meadowpaw looked around in amazement, but also confusion. "I'm so sorry," she apologized weakly. "All I could think was that Starclan was supposed to come for me. So I sat here and waited. I didn't realize that ..... well, who are you, then? What's your name?"

[Skiv]

Dustpaw just watched the other cat with curiosity she was expecting the other cat to flinch at her harsh words but the black and white cat didn't do anything. Dustpaw didn't know if that was worse. Because well that was unpredictable, and she didn't want to be near someone that could lash out at any moment. She just then watched as the she-cat's eyes landed on her. Dustpaw just shivered slightly. This cold was only getting worse, the young she-cat tried to not think about it at all but it was hard when she was feeling her ears freeze off.

Dustpaw just simply nodded to the first statement. And was going to reply with a simple Its not. I'm alive this is just a dream. but she was taken away from the fact that the other cat seemed to be shocked with some kind of realization. Dustpaw just blinked her eyes in surprise, this cat was dead. Really dead. Then where were they? Clearly this wasn't Starclan was it. Or were the stories all lies, not that Dustpaw really believed the stories. but she just shrugged at the black and white she-cat. She really didn't know what to say. She just waited. Clearly the cat had to think.

Thats when the world around them just faded. Dustpaw's gasped slightly with the change. She couldn't believe how the land scape was changing. The snow, the frozen air seemed to lift from the ground and evaporate around her. Dustpaw now felt grass on her paws she just looked down and saw the green grass. And she then felt the sun's heat hit her light fur. She just looked up at it and then sighed slightly. This was much better she felt her body taking in the heat. It was much needed. She just looked back at the other she-cat. Clearly something happened. It was her. Her mind had trapped her in that snowy waste land.

The she-cat just shook her head. "Oh don't be. I'm just glad that I don't have feel my ears freeze off." She just then blinked her golden eyes and said, "I'm Dustpaw from Sunsetclan." Then she just tilted her head slightly, "Can you remember your name?"