[Fawn]

Cherrystar

It had been many moons since Cherrystar had walked TreeClan's forests. Time had severed her earthly presence, but it had not dulled her loyalty. That was still a claw she kept sharp, prepared to do what must be done. With stars in her ruddy pelt and the moon in her eyes, Cherrystar padded through the sacred grounds. "TreeClan," she spoke in a low, rustling whisper, her voice no different than the wind, "to me. We must discuss what's to be done."

There were plenty who could call forth a meeting in StarClan; leaders far older and wiser than she. But they had not been keeping such sharp eyes upon greenleaf's tensions. Loyalties were beginning to split, even in StarClan - a place where they were united under one banner and followed a single code. However, NightClan's ancestors accepted Darkstar as their leader, including her faults and her vendettas. It was time for TreeClan to act - and it was up to StarClan to decide what path needed to be followed.

As cats began to materialize out of the starry wood, Cherrystar let her voice fill their ears. "If you do not have TreeClan's best interests at heart, turn away. What we must discuss will decide the fates of many - and we must not do so idly."

"So you wish to send a sign," said Dustcloud, the cat who had been her medicine cat during Cherrystar's reign. "To Falconstorm or Lionstar?"

"Both, if Falconstorm is willing to recieve it." Cherrystar answered coolly. Falconstorm was not the subject of this council. "We must decide if TreeClan is to land the first strike, or wait for the danger to come scratching at their dens." Cherrystar raised her silver-flecked muzzle, tail swaying, her eyes sharp and serious. "StarClan, what say you?"

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@zen @poptart Taxx

OOC: this is a two-part poll for anyone and everyone! First, pick one of three options above, then, take up the role of a StarClan cat! Post your StarClan cat's opinion below in response to Cherrystar, help us create a sign to send to TreeClan!

The StarClan cat can be a TreeClan cat you played before, an ancestor of your own TreeClan cat, or even just one you've made up on the spot! Only rule is that they cannot be a canon character.

[Ginger]

Slender green eyes opened at a familiar sounding call resounding through the forest of stars. Had she been napping? Of course not. There was too much unfinished business left on the mortal plane that kept her alert, her unquenched anger festering inside her broken heart. Ever since her untimely death caused by that scum clan, she had been plotting their demise.

Plotting for who knows how long. So long that she refused to speak to her fellow fallen clanmates, refused to even speak to herself. Among all of the plotting, all of the anger, she had almost forgotten who she was.

Walking towards the gathering of cats, she felt herself getting many surprised glances. It had been an eternity since she had moved from her spot. Since she had made any signs of life other than the occasional blink. Their looks meant nothing to her.

A cream foot stepped into something wet. A pond perhaps. Looking down into it, she saw a cat. A once beautiful she-cat with long and silky cream fur, a slender build, and an angled face. All completely destroyed by war. A giant scar covered half of her face to the point where it didn't even look like she had a nose anymore. Her lips had been torn off to where her teeth would always appear bared. Along her side, there were numerous scars that left bald patches all along her coat. Her tail, which was once long and graceful, was broken and small. 

She wanted to keep these scars upon coming to Starclan. They would help her to never forget what they did to her. 

Padding into the clearing, she heard a plethora of surprised whispers. "Poisonsong," rang throughout the gathering of cats as her old clanmates spoke of her story to the cats in their vicinity. Poisonsong. Hadn't heard that name in a long time. 

It wasn't long after Cherrystar spoke that Poisonsong walked forward towards the fallen leader. "Nightclan," she began, her voice the only beautiful part of her that remained untouched by war, "does not deserve to take up any more space on this earth." She looked around, making sure everyone got a glimpse of her mauled face. "I'm not the only Treeclan cat that they have made suffer. My biggest regret in life is that I only took two out with me." 

Whipping her broken tail around as she addressed some of the more passive-looking cats, Poisonsong snarled. "The time to end the Nightclan nuisance is now! Make them fear us for generations to come!"

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424 words
Fawn and anyone else who replies

[Deleted]

Lean muscle rippled beneath a dark red-brown tabby pelt as the scarred tom padded forward, toward Cherrystar, to address the cats that had heeded her call. Some ancient she-cat spoke first, calling for NightClan’s destruction. Bloodtalon could get behind that.

“She’s right. What good is striking the first blow if the enemy is relentless? NightClan has proven time and again that they do what they please. War is the only thing they understand,” he snarled, oversized claws flexing, as if expecting the battle he spoke of to break out here and now. He cast a narrowed gaze over those gathered, “Nothing short of complete destruction would stop their rogue of leader. She has faced no consequences for her actions. She crippled TreeClan’s deputy and was rewarded by her ancestors with nine lives!” Bloodtalon spat, furious, “She thinks she is justified, and why wouldn't she? Let TreeClan show her she is not. If she is so fixated on revenge, let them show her that the cost of seeking it with TreeClan is too high. Take from her double what she gives!”

“No!” Pinkcloud’s shrill, horrified voice interrupted the dark warrior’s tirade, and the small albino she-cat shrank under so many gazes from her place near the edge of the gathering. Beside her, Bluejay pressed her shoulder to her sister’s, to lend her courage, the former medicine cat-warrior’s gaze firm as she held Bloodtalon’s gaze in her sister’s stead.

Swallowing hard, Pinkcloud shook her head, “We can’t… we can’t perpetuate this cycle of revenge and death and war. It… it would destroy TreeClan just as much as NightClan!” Bloodtalon’s lip curled in disgust and Pinkcloud leaned into Bluejay for more support, steeling herself, “We… we should defend what is ours. Nothing more.”

“NightClan heeds no border!” Bloodtalon snarled, “So how exactly do you propose we defend it?”

Pinkcloud flinched and shook her head, her courage faltering, “I… I don’t….”

Bloodtalon turned blatantly away from her, “It is only a matter of time before NightClan attacks in full force. TreeClan cannot simply sit by and wait for that to happen. We need to take the fight to them.”

[Taxx]

Yewfang

She hadn't been part of StarClan for long, but Yewfang had never been one to sit back and let others speak for her. She prowled forward, pausing a moment on the edge of the clearing and scanning the gathered cats, white-tipped tail twitching. They'd both made good points, but honestly- did they really think that NightClan would stop just because TreeClan acted first? "Or," she spoke up, padding closer to Cherrystar and Bloodtalon, gaze flickering over the scarred form of Poisonsong. For her youth, she didn't flinch or hesitate at the eyes that turned to her, head up as she continued.

"Or we not risk the lives of our Clanmates. What's the point of this squabble over a stretch of forest? Even if we take it back now, NightClan will attempt to reclaim it again later. We have enough territory. TreeClan's warriors are skilled and resourceful enough to keep the Clan fed through leafbare. If some of them die or are injured, where does that leave the rest?"

Another glance around, testing and searching to see who agreed with her and Pinkcloud, or who agreed with the two insisting on a battle. "Whatever you decide," she shrugged. "TreeClan's success- or failure- is on your shoulders if you decide to urge them into a fight. Let the Deer Path go. If we're that desperate for territory, why don't we push our borders on the side not bordered by another Clan?"
@zen Ginger Fawn

[Ghost the Undead Goddess]

"Kill the snake by tearing off it's head."

It was a snarl, voice harsh and deep as the star-studden warrior of ginger and red colors padded through the crowd of gathered Starclan warriors, all baring the fainted scent of Treeclan. His claws were already unsheathed from his paws, viberant blue eyes were cold and fierce as he let them slowly travel over each cat nearby. He had been a fighter, a dangerous warrior of claws and fangs who had many clashes with the clan among the pine trees. Including that of Nightclan's precious Blackwolf.

Now he stood there among Treeclanners of anchient times and of younger generations, some brought here by disease and age and some brought here by Nightclan claws. Muscles rippled under the tight ginger pelt of the tempermental tomcat as he paused near the others who had spoken out. His white coated sister, Gentlebreeze, had taken a spot next to Pinkcloud and Bluejay, obviously siding with peace rather than war. He was not in the same boat as her, and his voice had only backed up both Poisonsong and Bloodtalon.

"We should drive the whole of Nightclan from the valley." Adderstrike snarled again, tail wipping around him like a violent viper ready to strike at any moment. The problem would only consist, even if they did beat those filthy frogbrains within an inch of their miserable lives. "As long as they continue to let dishonerable cats lead them, then they will be nothing more than a vicious pack of rogues that serve no code but their own." Adderstrike had always been an aggressive cat, always on the look out for the next fight, the next Nightclanner pelt to shred.

But he also understood war and danger. He had been there when Lionstar had finally cast out Grayowl, letting that mangy pelt cat live when his life should have been ripped from his rotting corpse. His battle torn ears flickered before glancing at a young warrior who had spoken, green pools narrowing at the kin to the rogue gray warrior thought of moments earlier. Lips curled back to reveal fangs as he finally decided to address Yewfang with a disapproving gaze.

"You'd rather search for new territory rather than take back ours. You think Nightclan won't take that as an opportunity to push for more land? What would your solution be then? Move out of the valley?" Each sentence brought another snarl, another deep growl rumbling from within the tomcat's chest. Irritation and heated fury rose within his form, fur prickling ever so slightly upon those broad, scarred shoulders. His tail lashed once more before a different and familiar voice broke through the tension caused by the aggressive warrior.

"Remember, we are all Treeclan. Let's not bite the heads off our clanmates, shall we?" The form of a golden and white tom with handsome green pools padded forwards from the dark mist around Starclan's forests. His scent was dilute, a mixture of Treeclan and Rainclan, muscles rippling under his tight pelt with each movement. He was calm and collected as he spoke in a deep rasp, tail flickering behind him. He had not died a warrior of the clan in the forest, but had been born there and Cherrystar's call had come to him.

"And what do you suggest, Sunstride?" Adderstrike snarled at his younger brother, even his littermates not free from a tongue scathing, but the younger tom merely dismissed it with a flick of his ear. The golden and white warrior gave a soft gaze towards the group of cats who would never advocate for war, despite what might be happening around them. Generally, he too would be against war as he had to endure a civil war within his last home that had destroyed them, where he had lost his life protecting the love of it.

Sunstride gave a soft sigh, "I don't know how well moving the other border would fair. As Adderstrike pointed out, Nightclan may take that as a sign of weakness and continue to push. And we can't just wait for them to strike either, we are sitting ducks right now. War is not something to take lightly, but I believe that right now it is our only option." Adderstrike went to open his jaw but his younger brother quickly spoke again, "And I don't mean driving them from the valley."

[Deleted]

The animosity and arrogance in the clearing made Bluekit's skin crawl. The slender, small, storm grey she-cat was moons older than most of the cats she passed by, though some still treated her like she knew little of the world and its ways. Her pelt was significantly faded. Bluekit was a ghostly, translucent thought in some story, somewhere, in someone's mind. The memory of her was the only reason why she hadn't vanished completely, though she felt emptier by the hour. The she-cat aggressively slipped through the crowd of cats huddled before her. StarClan cursed me. She thought to herself. Making me a kit for eternity.

She hissed as a mindless warrior trundled into her.

"Excuse me." Bluekit growled ignoring the apologetic meow that followed. What hurt most was the confused look in his eyes: a cat who didn't have a clue as to who she was. There were more of those lately, and Bluekit felt her entity weaken every second. Though she still had some afterlife left, and this was actually quite an interesting topic.

Bluekit leaped and scrambled up a small rock. The kitten looked silver and faint, though her blue eyes burned like hot fire. She sat there for a few moments, listening, watching, waiting. Waiting until she felt like swatting every bully in the clearing. She had anticipated StarClan were role-models, until she got there and found out they were nothing but the same sorry souls on the ground, except sometimes everyone thought they were leader.

Bluekit closed her eyes, feeling the swaths of souls around her intently: anger, sadness, indecision, a myriad of emotions swirling in the void. This may be the last thing she can offer TreeClan. She felt her body weaken as her mind strained for a solution.

Though no solution came.

"You make me sick." Bluekit hissed, bouncing to her paws and glaring at everyone who spoke, even Cherrystar. "Who are we to tell TreeClan what to do? We made the same mistakes they have made, and even make the same mistakes now! This isn't a game, this is our future! These are lives on the line, for both clans."

There was a brief silence, though before anyone could make a nasty remark, she continued forcefully.

"There are borders between the cats even in StarClan. Perhaps we should make amends with NightClan here besides pretending we know the answer for peace. It is fair to love our descendants, but why not let them decide for themselves? Lionstar is fully capable of leading his clan through hardships, that is why we chose him, is it not? Do we question his capabilities? Have we sunk that low? Why don't we let TreeClan inherit their own fate from their own choices. We are dead, yet we influence the lives of the living, placing and moving pieces on the board like a cruel game. We can do nothing but to provide false answers to the living. If only they saw us now. Whether ill will or prosperity follows, we are to blame for our poor guidance. Their blind loyalty to us is sickening, and we egg them on with our stupid prophecies and signs!" Bluekit took a breath from her rant before lowering her voice. "StarClan is just a pretense to superiority. It's time we started letting them live their own lives before they're trapped here with us, watching the world's torturous history repeat itself again and again."

Bluekit stormed off, disappearing in the territory. She was tired of herding cats. No one was qualified enough. Not even StarClan.

There was once a time when she stood up for equality and peace, though an eternity of watching cats from all clans live, die, and repeat made her sick. StarClan's "guidance" had only shoved the living back into the same dilemmas as the last generations, and listening to the deceased attempt to shape the lives of those who should have the free will to decide for themselves... It had hardened her to the truth.

The prospect that maybe the living were better off without the past shaping their present and future.

Bluekit sighed as she moved through the forest, for how long it had been that she had left the gathered cats she did not know. Where am I? The ghost of Bluekit's soul whispered, though no words were released from the star-dusted shell's maw. The trees looked strange. She felt as if she was in a different world than the one she had been existing in for more moons than she could count. StarClan had been her home longer than her days in TreeClan's forest. TreeClan... TreeClan? Forest? Her spirit weakened, and in the breaths that followed, she had lost all knowledge, all memories, all feelings...

The faint guise of a silvery, dark grey kitten who had once harbored Bluekit's soul, had vanished.

JUSTICE | EQUALITY | BALANCE

Bluekit

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[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

o.o I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to post here with a StarClan cat but I wanted to have a post to go along with my vote. <3

 RAVENPAW

✪ StarClan

He was a newer addition here, but quite so new as Yewfang, who had certainly made her voice heard. For the first time in his existence, Ravenpaw was conflicted. His paws itched to spring forward and declare his wish for TreeClan's destruction, as many of the others had. He had watched with anguish as turmoil ensued in the territories he once called home. His green eyes were heavy with thought as they flicked from one cat to the other, the impulsiveness that had led him to his death extinguished somewhat since his spirit joined his warrior ancestors. "Aren't we supposed to let the living decide for themselves?" He pointed out quietly, but his voice was lost in the sea of meowing and shouting that erupted around him. He flicked an ear in annoyance. Often, he wondered if the afterlife would always be like this, his opinions gone unheard due to the young form he would be trapped in forever. Earning StarClan's respect was difficult, especially when you had already built a reputation as an unruly apprentice when you were living. 

He took a step backwards, his legs tumbling into a small soft shape. Turning his maw to snap a rude comment at the intruder to his personal space, his voice failed when his gaze landed upon the barely discernible form of a silver-blue she-kit. "Oh- Sorry little one-" He stammered out, his wide green eyes apologetic. There was an unspoken rule that the spirits of lost kits were treated with great care and affection, no matter how old their minds grew. It was a force of habit, and none of the StarClan souls seemed able to outgrow it.

But the little kit simply shoved past him and scrambled up atop the rock, addressing the gathered crowd as though she were the leader of StarClan herself. Ravenpaw stared in bewilderment as the kit began to belittle the gathered cats and their notion of wisdom. He felt his misgivings grow as the rant continued, tearing down the motivations of this gathering word by word. Ravenpaw stared at his dark paws, eyes narrowed. Was she right? Did StarClan only wish to participate in the lives of their descendants out of boredom of their own stagnant afterlives? Was this all just a game to the older spirits? But before he could even raise his voice to question Bluekit, she was charging away into the mists. He took advantage of the dead silence that followed to stand up and make his voice finally heard. "I agree with her, mostly. When I was alive, I thought StarClan knew everything about our future, but now I know that here we are as lost as we were when we...." He swallowed. "But I still have kin down there, cats I love, and being here so early has completely changed my perspective on what war and death really mean. At this point, I can't see NightClan wanting a peaceful resolution to this." His confidence grew the more he spoke, his voice returning to that same note of pride that he always had when he'd boasted to his mother about his daily achievements. How silly all of that seemed now that he was here.

"I think TreeClan should take action." He finally meowed. "Darkstorm has no respect for TreeClan or its cats, and she needs to be stopped before her scheming and theft results in more cats getting hurt." Duckpaw and Robinpaw flashed through his thoughts, their voices clear in his mind. He knew Duckpaw would have the courage to barrel into danger in Ravenpaw's name. He didn't want that to happen, but if NightClan were going to attempt to use their cunning trickery to harm his family, he would much rather that TreeClan stand up to that group of rogues, once and for all.

don't forget about me

[Fawn]

Cherrystar

This being a civil discussion was more wishful thinking than reality. The most aggressive of TreeClan's ancestors had answered her call, snapping their teeth and whisking their tails with murder in their eyes and unfinished business in their hearts. Cherrystar listened, intensely focused on each cat that spoke up.

"You make me sick." A tiny voice hissed from the starlit forest, the source forcing her way into the center of the meeting to make herself heard. Cherrystar's pelt prickled, recognizing the diminutive form. Bluekit. Old memories lazily stirred in the back of the former leader's mind; milkscent and herbs, sickness, confusion, stillness, and the wail of a grieving mother. Bluekit's presence on earth had been startlingly brief, but the countless moons she'd spent in StarClan had sharpened her tongue and steeled her mind. The kit's speech seemed to rush from her maw like a wildfire, searing all in her path.

Cherrystar watched as Bluekit turned and went back the way she had come, her form as insubstantial as a sigh on the wind. I will think carefully upon your last word, Bluekit. It was all she could give the she-cat who had been robbed of so much in so short a life.

"This is a cycle we have seen continue as long as StarClan has existed," Cherrystar raised her voice to be heard above the bickering starry bodies, standing now to better say her piece. "There is no miracle solution to end the animosity between TreeClan and NightClan. We can try to heal the rift here amongst the stars. However," Cherrystar's eyes flared. "We cannot leave TreeClan vulnerable while we negotiate. For the sake of TreeClan's future, retaliation must occur -- the sooner, the better."

Dustcloud shook his head. "You expect to reason with NightClan's ancestors even while we command our living kin to tear NightClan apart?" The medicine cat scowled. "That's absurd!"

"Reason? No. I propose we deliver a message to our kin and be done with it." Cherrystar's tail flicked, snake-like as she chose her words carefully. "TreeClan will retaliate, and they will have StarClan's blessing. That is the only answer to the craven disrespect and violence they have shown TreeClan." Cherrystar's expression grew solemn. "Bluekit's words were not to be taken lightly. Tonight, we will send TreeClan a message. How they choose to handle NightClan must be swift and certain. But it must be their choice."

"Who will deliver the message?" Dustcloud rasped, still unsettled but willing to cooperate.

"I will deliver the message to Lionstar." said Cherrystar. "Dustcloud, deliver it to Falconstorm, if he is open to what we have to say."

"What about Pumafang?" Someone spoke up that Cherrystar could not see.

"His time for dreams with StarClan will come." Cherrystar flicked her tail to her old medicine cat. "Come, Dustcloud. You and I need to decide what shape our message will take."

The decision had been made. TreeClan would retaliate against NightClan, and it wouldn't involve verbal negotiations or pushing into the mountains to avoid conflict. Now was a time of claws and conviction. Cherrystar knew she could not guide Lionstar's every step, nor would she want to.

The old lion had weathered many storms. Let him weather one more.

535 Words
@jet Justice Taxx @poptart @zen Ghost the Undead Goddess ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 Ginger

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A decision has been reached! With StarClan's blessing, TreeClan will take back the deer path!

Stay tuned for battle sign-ups and Clan announcements.