The Sunlapse (A Light in the Mist AU/rewrite)

IX

Song of the Chapter:
Opeth - Under the Weeping Moon

Squirrelflight wandered through this moonless night, on no journey nor hunt. She simply wanted the feel the calm of the stars' lullaby and bathe in its darkness-wrapped tranquillity, hoping the abyss could heal her. Wrath burned within her ever since the moment she'd heard that Ashfur had destroyed Rootspring's chance to reach their abode by the lake that could be tranquil, and his kin were their only hope now that all he'd feel would be death. Not a soul had managed to pursue Bristlefrost after she'd fled into the abyss, her spirit vanished from their time and dwelling in what could be demise.

A quiet, faint rustle swiftly brought her out from her thought. Squirrelflight turned, not taken by the fear of what could walk here. She was parched with the thirst to see what it was, and so she peered into the darkness from where it came. For a brief moment, a silhouette rolled past among the shaded rocks above. 

"Who are ya'?" Squirrelflight asked, her heart suddenly trembling with the fear that this was that beast following her out of its perverted lust. But, this silhouette didn't share the same form as Ashfur. Though it walked on nimble feet, it was powerful and large with a luxurious, long tail, not thin like Ashfur. She cared not of her fear, she simply unsheathed her talons in preparation for a battle, but none came. The shadow simply rolled down the rocks, though the light of the moon never betrayed the blackness.

"Squirrelflight!" Bristlefrost called as her form stepped out into a timid ray of silver, sharp eyes of sea and land alight. Mirth bloomed like a soaring flame within Squirrelflight's breast, knowing that death had not yet come for Bristlefrost as well. 

"Where'd ya go? Are ya comin' back to ThunderClan?" Squirrelflight gasped. "Come on home, Brissy, ya little runaway shit. We'll get ya home, scamp."

 "Well, I can explain, I'm not coming back to ThunderClan." Bristlefrost's reply sent a violent hurricane hurrying within her mind.

"What?" Squirrelflight hissed.

 "Look, I need you. Just let me explain. I'm looking for a third connection to StarClan, and I can't take this quest alone...as much as I'd like to," she explained. "I need a strong group, I will if we're going to face hardships along the way. So come on, no big questions, no whining. We need to get going on building our group."

Squirrelflight simply nodded, and off they set in preparation of what could be a mirthful, or wretched, journey. Spotfur was the first to add to their group, and now three stood on a journey to become saviors, with more to come. However, just when they let out into the abyss again, an agile tom barred their way, the presence of whom set wrath within Squirrelflight.

"Where are you three going?" Bramblestar growled, his wretched pelt of what shared a look with matted vines dyed by the shadows. "Bristlefrost? Why'd you just appear after running away for a night and horrifying everyone? You idiot!"

"Oh, StarClan..." Bristlefrost's eyes darkened with frustration as she groaned. "Look, I guess you can come on our quest too if you really have to. Just don't act like a stupid kit who doesn't get we're meant to be saving the Clans or I'll give you a nice kick under the tail. You got that?"

"Quest?" Bramblestar seemed more confused than anything.

"Look, I can explain," Spotfur sighed. "Bristlefrost ran away, nearly for good, but she returned because she wanted to start a quest. So, basically, we all go together on this journey to find a third connection to StarClan, and see if we can reach the Dark Forest through that. Then, when we've found the Dark Forest, we can try kill Ashfur and see what we can do to save StarClan from there."

"Okay, I'll join. But Spotfur, haven't you got kits to look after?" Squirrelflight caught dread upon Spotfur's face, her eyes gloomy within the tide of fear. Bristlefrost whispered words that couldn't be heard to Squirrelflight in her ear, before Spotfur nodded, her dread seemingly vanishing.

"Well, Spotfur didn't tell you, but...she gave away the kits. Daisy is caring for them now," Bristlefrost explained. Flames signalled in Bramblestar's gaze, and Squirrelflight, as one to taste her love's wrath before, leaped forth to stop a battle if it were to come. "Now, can we just get on already? We have a quest here, not a stupid meeting!"

As they walked on, the three tried to ignore Bramblestar's spits of wrath toward Spotfur as he attacked her with his furious tongue. Such folly he'd always had, Squirrelflight thought. Flipclaw joined on Bristlefrost's word, Mothwing too when they journeyed by their patch of the black lake. Knowing Bristlefrost's pathway lead to no light, they trekked through the forest, through clouds of mist upon rivers cloaked in snow.

The six found themselves upon a gloomy road. A black line laid through frost blue, where monsters crept on dark foot, by the hefty pines throughout the silent night. The road of pine forests and leafbare snow, with each bend only showing more darkness seemed like a pointless pathway, but their journey had barely even begun. 

Eventually, they turned and ventured into the pines, where they found a deep dip in the earth. It laid like a feeble vale, lit only by the light of the young moon. They turned to see what the dip held, finding their paws laid upon soft earth when they stepped within.

"Okay. I can make camp here and then we can rest for tomorrow," Spotfur meowed. "Bristlefrost, could you guard?"

Bristlefrost nodded. "That's fine, I'll guard."

Five slept while Bristlefrost sat at the entrance, watching for danger. At dawn they awoke, when the rays of the bright planet spread its glory upon violet horizons, with milky light spreading across the snow-covered pines. The morning rays held no warmth, only light, but most of the awakenings were caused when Bramblestar spoke out in surprise.

"Guys! I think I've had a vision!"