[FIN] Reunited (Silverstreak x Stormsong)

[belloblossom]

Silverstreak's life had been very fulfilling in the last few seasons. She had the support of her mate, Rainbowfish, at her side and her babies were old enough to grow up and start finding their own respectable mates. It seemed like only Flickerfly remained unsettled, but his progress as a warrior was remarked upon and she was proud that her son had something to drive him forward. If only things were so easy for her child, Whisperpaw. Still without his warrior name, she fretted constantly to Rainbowfish about his future. The thought of losing another one of her family members, especially one of her own kits... Songcall had taken to calling her mother Silversigh, based on how much her mother seemed to sigh out her worries.

Stormsong's departure from MountainClan still hurt, but whereas it had been raw before, now it had faltered to a dull ache. She wasn't crippled by her brother's decision, not since she'd found her support in Rainbowfish and her Clanmates. Tigersun was an excellent leader, too, and she was proud of how her Clan was persevering. Some days, when she was feeling particularly petty, she would dismiss the thoughts of Stormsong. What a fool was he to leave - when it was clear that MountainClan would never fall. Mountains may crumble, but they never disappear and their Clan was surviving, if not outright thriving. The addition of loners and (ech) kittypets had grown their numbers in a way that the Clan truly needed it. If things kept on as they were growing their Clan, they may need to extend their growth on the mountain.

She was pondering these exact thoughts as she was nose deep into a vole. She had finished her patrols earlier. She'd earned this time of rest. Her kits were off with their mates or hobbies and her own mate had been called away to the dusk patrol shortly after Silverstreak had returned. She flicked her ears as a small commotion came to her ears. Were cats leaving Tigersun's den? She glanced up and spotted a she-cat that she didn't recognize, silver with dynamic dark and white markings leaving the den. Her gaze slid back to her vole; it was undoubtedly a new loner joining the Clan, just another part of the regular routine these days.

It was until she heard paws coming up to where she was perked on the ravine's edge, near the warrior's den, that she glanced up again. A silver and striped pelt - was Pidgeonflight coming to chat? But wait, Pidgeonflight didn't have stripes! Looking up again, her jaw dropped open. Bits of vole fell out of her mouth as she stared up into the eyes of... Stormsong, her brother.

Silverstreak's ears perked forward, but then at the thoughts of what may have occurred to make Stormsong turn back from his journey, her expression shifted from one of surprise to horror.
"Stormsong... what are you doing here? The others, Sunseer and our Clanmates... Did they... Have they..." She glanced up to the darkening sky. Had SunClan claimed more of their numbers? She looked back to her brother, still uncertain that he was actually standing before her. "Am I dreaming?" She asked him, mystified. @DragonGirl1031

 

[DragonGirl1031]

His journey had been twice as long as anyone else's. It had been filled with plenty of ups and downs, and a few surprises along the way. But he was finally back where and with who he belonged. If he'd known what he'd earn in this journey before he'd left, Stormsong would have made it a hundred times over.

Stormsong gave a soft nuzzle to the striking she-cat at his side; he murmured for her to wait a moment as he spotted someone important laying not far away. It would probably be best to bring Stormborn into this after his sister chewed him out.

He padded up and saw Silverstreak look up at the sound. A grin crossed his face as pieces of her meal fell from her mouth. "I'm back where I belong. They are fine. I saw them comfortably settled into their new home." Stormsong reached out a paw to boop her affectionately across the nose, "are you dreaming?"
@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Silverstreak's nose twitched and she flinched away from Stormsong - away from her brother, when he touched her. She couldn't believe it - he was here! The other MountainClan cats who had left had settled into a new territory. Relief washed over her, but... she felt a mixture of emotions roiling under her fur. She was so, so happy to see her brother, but... He'd left! She thought they'd be together as siblings forever, but he'd left and he'd been so cross with her when he left. Like he had the audacity to be mad at her for staying in MountainClan, only to come crawling back now? Stormsong didn't even look embarrassed or ashamed for his actions!

Hurt flashed in Silverstreak's eyes before she turned her head away from Stormsong.
"I'm happy you're here, Stormsong, but... this is a lot to wrap my tail around." She said, trying to buy herself some time to think. "You were gone for seasons and... I was certain, with our last interaction that you weren't coming back." She closed her eyes trying to process all that she was feeling; she wished more than ever that Rainbowfish was at her side, for he had become her mountain, when her brother had left her.

"What happened to 'the lives of the elders who won't live to see the next leafbare doesn't outweigh the lives of those who are leaving the mountain?'" She asked, remembering their conversation. She'd replayed it so many times in her mind since he'd left. "You say that you're back where you belong, but I recall that you were absolutely certain that the cats who were leaving the mountain needed you more... more than you believed I needed you." She opened her eyes and cast eyes, brimming with silver tears. "Only one of us died, you know. Thistlefur was the only casualty and with the rain of leaf fall and leaf bare, we've been fine. You didn't have to leave, but you were so determined to leave - to leave me! And now, what, you've come here after so much time, having changed your mind? If you were going to change your mind, you shouldn't have gone in the first place!"

She shoved herself away from the ground, standing and full of emotion. Her vole was forgotten as she trembled.
"You can't have come back for me, because you couldn't have known that I'd still be alive. You're lucky I'm still alive, no thanks to you. It was so hard for me when you left. I wouldn't eat - because the Clan had to be fed and what did I have left to lose? No one was going to miss me if I died, my family were either dead or they'd left! I was there to protect the elders, so I could hardly steal prey from their mouths. Not that it mattered, because I couldn't catch a retched thing anyway." She hissed, remembering the struggles of those first couple of moons.

"If it wasn't for Rainbowfish - you must remember Rainbowfish, we're mates now, by the way, or did you forget all about the cats who remained here until we were convenient again - after you saw StoneClan comfortably settled? - Yes, well, Rainbowfish was there for me, he filled the hole that you left and he showed me the beauty of life, and..." Her mew softened. "You have more kin now. I've had a litter. Four of them, they're so lovely Stormsong. They're all grown up now, all warriors - some of them even have mates of their own already."

She raised a paw to her mouth to lick it, before running it over one eye and then the other, wiping away any tears that started to ruin her fur.
"Okay so - you've come back to MountainClan. I'm happy to see you, but you must know that things aren't going to magically reset to how they were before you left." She looked directly at her brother. "Things have changed and we may still be kin, but you need to really need to step up and start acting like a responsible, reliable warrior. Show me that you won't leave again, because I can't trust anything that comes out of your mouth." She glanced down at the vole remains and gestured with a paw to the meat scraps. "You must be hungry from your journey. Please, take these. Who knows, if you decide to disappear again, you'll need your energy to run away from the mountain again." She said and raised her paw - was she going to strike her brother? No, she merely tapped his nose gently, much like his initial greeting to her at the start of this conversation.

"I love you, Stormsong. Don't make me regret that again." She said, before turning and walking off, hoping that she was able to walk without a tremor in her legs. She needed to find Rainbowfish, even if she had to track her mate down while he was still on patrol. She wanted to bury her muzzle against his colorful pelt and wail. But while she was still in Stormsong's line of sight, she was going to hold her head high. She wouldn't allow herself to be vulnerable in front of him again. @DragonGirl1031

 

[DragonGirl1031]

"You've got a long tail Silverstreak, I'm sure it'll reach." It hurt she flinched away, but he understood. They hadn't really parted on good terms and it had been a long time since they'd seen each other. Stormsong settled beside her, but gave his sister enough personal space. "Y'know Silverstreak, I didn't think I was coming back at first either. It really weighed me down the whole time we were traveling."

The tom looked up into the sky. He hadn't told her. In fact he hadn't told anyone. Stormsong had expected the medicine cat to take him aside, but they never did. Did they know? Did they not know? So he'd kept it to himself for so long.

"Right before we voted I had a dream. SunClan told me that I had to go. What they didn't tell me was that you'd be staying here. I thought you'd be coming with the rest of the clan, not staying with the elders. I was hoping to convince you to come with me." He admitted a bit shamefully.

"I thought it was a fool's hope that a few cat could provide enough for themselves and the elders. That you were maybe giving up and wanted to die with the elders. The whole time we traveled something didn't feel right. The further from here I got the worst I felt." He was surprised when she added that only Thistlefur had passed. Stormsong nodded, "I certainly didn't expect to come back to a thriving clan Silverstreak. It was a very pleasant and welcomed surprise."

He watched her, as loud and flashy, as the flash of light from the clouds right before the big boom. A Streak of Silver that lit up the night sky. Stormsong smiled to himself. Yes they were always meant to be together. Even if she was mad at him. "I am so sorry you had to go through all that. I cannot begin to comprehend what you all went through, so you will have to tell me all of your stories."

"Oh?" Rainbowfish. Rainbowfish. His memory was a bit fuzzy, but he was sure he'd remember the cat once he saw him again. "I'm glad you found someone you could also rely upon. Yes, I did my duty to Stoneclan, just as Sunclan instructed me." There was a slightly harder edge to his tone when he mentioned Sunclan.

His eyes widened in surprise when she mention she'd had a litter. Four! "That's great! I'm sure you were a beautiful parent. I'd like to meet them sometime." Stormsong smiled.

"Of course. Some things have changed for me too." He took a quick glance over his shoulder, then looked back at her. All in due time. Stormsong chuckled, "I won't disappear again if I have anything to say about it." He was touched that she offered the remains of her vole. That was the sister he loved. "Thank you. It's much appreciated. I'll bring you back an even plumper vole as a sign of my loyalty."

He watched her walk away with head held high. "I love you too Silverstreak," he whispered too soft for her to hear. No. It was foolish of him to think that things would return to the way they had been. Too much had happened. For her. For him. Stormsong looked back over his shoulder once more after his sister was fully out of sight. With a flick of his tail, he invited the waiting queen to join him for a couple of bites, letting her have most of it.

@belloblossom