Super Edition: Briarsong's Renascence

Chapter 4

Briarsong sat stunned as she watched the twolegs huff and puff as they dragged a tree into the home. After they had gotten it where they wanted it they all got together and strung different colored floating lights and balls onto it. Briarsong had never heard or seen such a ridiculous thing in her entire life. Why would the twolegs bring a tree that belongs outside, inside? It was beyond her and she knew nobody in Moonclan would believe her if she told them this story. The thought of Moonclan triggered a deep sadness inside and she longed to feel Ivypaw curled up by her in the Medicine Cat Den, or to see Voletail and Appleblaze running around camp with the energy of young kits. She had spent her entire life dedicated to her clan, her leaders, and Starclan that without them, she felt empty. Even though she enjoyed the treats, the food, the pets and the warmth from the twolegs, she also missed her family, the forest, and the herbs she had dedicated her life to learning. The tree brought with it the familiar smell of pine and Treeclan. Briarsong curled up at its base and could feel the aliveness of the tree and wished she was home.

The cold went on for many moons. From inside the twoleg cave with her pine tree, Briarsong watched as snow and ice covered the farm. Sully didn't come by as often but she could sometimes make out his pawprint in the snow, letting her know he had been by. Occasionally she even saw a mouse laid out on the perfectly white world, a love note from Sully. Those gestures of generosity made her smile. With each passing day that the world was dark and cold her heart grew sadder and sadder. Briarsong found comfort in her patrols and playing with the kit-twolegs feather, but her paws were itching to run, jump and climb. She wanted to feel the dirt between her paw pads and sun warming her fur. Yes she would sometimes be cold, or wet or maybe even hungry, but she would be those things and feel alive.

One day the pine tree was taken away, and the floating lights and shinny balls disappeared into a box and all that was left was the cold.

Briarsong sat by the portal to the outside world and for the first time since her say, clawed at the wood. When the portal didn't open she tried again and again until she was so frustrated she threw herself at it. The kit-twoleg came by and tried to move her away from the portal or distract her with the feather, but Briarsong would just go back and wait for the opportunity to run. Whenever the twolegs needed to come or go they would lock her up as they realized she was trying to escape. The more she tried to run the more she was kept far away from her way out. A hostage within the place she had called home, Briarsong screamed out to Starclan for help or just a message. When she heard nothing in return she cried and and called out into the emptiness, "Starclan why have you abandoned me? I did everything you asked of me!" but they never responded.

Then one day as she was patrolling she watched as the twoleg went around opening all the windows. The air that blew in was stilly chilly but there was a hint of warmth to it. Briarsong flung herself into the open space and breathed in deep breaths as if she had been holding it all leaf-bare. 

"Pearl," Brody's woof came from below and her heart soured with excitement.

"Hello Brody," she called down.

"Happy to see you again," he gave her a slobbery smile.

"You don't even know how happy I am to see you," she called back. 

"Briarsong," Sully's voice called as he came running from the barn and joined Brody. "Glad to see you are okay."

Briarsong was about to reply but she felt the heavy twoleg paw on her back and swung her head around to see the she-twoleg looking at her. For a moment Briarsong panicked and thought the twoleg was going to cut her off again but instead the twoleg made a cooing sound and a tsk tsk that usually mean something nice. Briarsong looked back at Brody and Sully nad called,

"Wait for me." before turning and following the she-twoleg as she guided her through the cave. The moment Briarsong realized the she-twoleg was going towards the portal she raced ahead and met her at the portal, meowing and crying. The twoleg bent down, stroked her back lovingly, and gave her a kiss on her head. Standing back up she opened the door and gestured for Briarsong. Not hesitating she leapt out of the twoleg cave and met the surprised faces of Brody and Sully. She wasn't a kittypet, but maybe she was a barn cat.