[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK As he ran, Blazehawk's mind was awhirl with anxiety. As he'd padded through the entrance of the LightningClan cat, his brother Rapidwind had called after him, "you may not be the only cat heading to StarClan's Claws." The words sent chills down his spine, even now when he was many tree-lengths away from camp and moving fast. What had he meant by that? Did Rapidwind know something that he'd neglected to tell his brother? Was there a reason for him to be cautious? Or was it simply a warning of good faith, since he was venturing to the very edge of familiar territory? He didn't know, and mulling over it wasn't giving him any answer. The claw stones that gave StarClan's Claws its name were looming before him before long, and Blazehawk skidded to a halt at the edge of the circle of strangely shaped rocks. The clearing was empty, dead as night. Looking around with anxious eyes, he let out a mew, ears perked as he sought a reply; however, nothing but the rustle of leaves in the wind greeted his straining ears. Blazehawk leaped to the top of the boulder from which the leaders spoke, eyes roaming the vast clearing for any sign of the russet tom. Had he already left? Or...was it a set-up? For a moment blind fear welled inside of him and his hackles spiked, but he shook it off. Rapidwind would never put him in danger. If he were sent here by his sibling, it must have been for a reason. and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

I must be outta my mind, coming here.
Roselight's eyes glinted in the bright sunlight as she slipped out of the river, the oils in her pelt making it easy for the water to just slide right off - the water unable to penetrate her fur and come in contact with her skin. Her whole purpose for being here was to have another meeting with the LightningClan deputy, according to a silver tom who called himself Blazehawk's brother.
I don't see the resemblance, she thought with an irate mew, her tail batting lightly against the earth as she flicked the last of the water off her ear, accelerating her drying by laying in a patch of sunlight. She really didn't see the resemblance. The silver tom had been, well, silver, and much much smaller than she remembered Blazehawk being.
Not to mention Blazehawk's a lot more broad-shouldered, with nice green eyes and a handsome face...

Roselight flushed under her pelt, feeling her ears burn even if no one could hear her innermost thoughts. It was still a bit embarrassing; she'd laughed at the other she-cats whenever they'd swoon a little over the handsome tiger-striped deputy, she'd always walked past them proudly, thinking herself above such silly things as crushing on a cat that wasn't even in RainClan.
And yet here I am...

From her position beside the river, Roselight could see the sharp rocks of StarClan's Claws jutting towards the sky, the rough stone framed against blue and white, a gold or red leaf occasionally blowing into the gathering place. Just as she was starting to close her eyes a little, the sound of pawsteps and a familar scent reached her.
Blazehawk! For some silly reason, Roselight panicked.

Immediately the she-cat sprang into the bushes, wrapping her tail against her cream-furred chest in a desperate attempt to make herself look smaller, holding her breath as the brawny LightningClanner ran past and headed straight into the gathering place. Watching his hackles raise from her safe place within the brushes, Roselight felt a pang of horror in her heart. He thinks I've stood him up! Immediately, Roselight sprang like a fox from the bushes, her bluish-green eyes focused on the LightningClan deputy as she summoned her courage, ignored the butterfies in her stomach, and called out in her usual feminine mew;

"Afternoon, Blazehawk!" Furball, don't sound so happy to see him! Her conscious barked, but Roselight felt her body move on it's own, her paws carrying her closer to the LightningClan tom, creamy pelt illuminated by the unbroken sunlight coming down on them both.
It certainly wasn't against the Warrior Code to say hi.

[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK Worry was beginning to overwhelm the young deputy as he stood upon the massive, flat-topped stone, green eyes scanning the clearing beneath the imposing shadows of StarClan's Claws. Was Russetkit never there in the first place? Or had he left, and there was something really wrong? Was he snatched up by some predator? The more he thought about it the more disturbing situations appeared in Blazehawk's head until he was on the verge of leaping down from the rock and racing straight for the RainClan camp just to see if Russetkit was there, safe and sound. He was just tensing his haunches to hop down from the boulder when a familiar, pretty mew broke the silence. "Afternoon, Blazehawk!" The tom whipped about to see Roselight standing there, her pale, rosy coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight, her expression almost...shy. For a moment, the LightningClan deputy was confused. What was she doing here? She didn't seem surprised at his presence...then realization came over him in a sudden wave. Rapidwind...he must have planned this at some point. The story about Russetkit probably was a ruse to get him to come to the meeting place. Honestly, Blazehawk felt like a fool for having missed it until now. Oh, brother...you could have just told me she was here; I'd have come anyway. Flicking his tail, he leapt down to the grassy ground and padded over to her, ears perked and eyes bright with happiness to see her there. "Hello, Roselight," he murmured warmly in his deep, rumbling purr. "I'm...glad you came..." His words were full of a deeper sincerity than he could ever explain. As he spoke the russet tabby leaned forward to touch his nose to hers: if it came to it, it could be shrugged off as a simple greeting between two friendly warriors, but his eyes were warm as they rested on the beautiful young she-cat. Sitting across from her, Blazehawk curled his thick, tiger-striped tail over his paws, twitching his whiskers. "How have you been?" and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

Roselight felt her skin grow hot beneath her pelt, the she-cat very very grateful that no matter how red she got, it always just look like more rosy hues on her salmon-colored pelt. When she'd gotten home with Russetkit, a part of her that was trying to adhere to the Warrior Code was hoping the spark between them had been imagined, that she had simply mistaken his courtesy for something else entirely.
But as she sat down in front of him, feeling like she was walking on clouds, the bigger part of Roselight that had been hoping it really was a spark - the kind that set a pile of kindling into a blaze - between them, and that her fondness for him really wasn't as one-sided as she'd feared.
"I've been well," Roselight mewed, letting out a low, shy purr. "Russetkit talks about you every day." And so do the she-cats, but whatever. He doesn't need to know that one! The RainClan warrior rested her blue-green eyes on Blazehawk, finding the warmth of his gaze inviting, even if it seemed to keep sending a jolt of shyness right into her belly each time. "Everything has been well at LightningClan camp?" She felt a little awkward asking about his Clan, but they'd been so receptive and welcoming of her and Russetkit that Roselight had honestly developed no negative feelings towards them. His Clan was his business, of course, but she hoped the subject would keep the conversation going, not let it fall away into an awkward silence.

[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK For the time being, Blazehawk forgot that he was a deputy of LightningClan and that Roselight was, by the warrior code, an enemy warrior. He was drawn into her gentle gaze, the affection they shared cocooning them in a peaceful bubble that seemed to shut out all the negative influences around them; they were at peace together, it seemed, forgetting everything but each other. Blazehawk closed his eyes for a brief moment, breathing in her sweet, soft scent that'd become familiar to him despite how brief their previous meeting was. Was the tiger-striped deputy smitten? He'd never admit it, but it was the truth. He didn't believe in love at first sight, but to say he'd fallen for the she-cat that night spent in the LightningClan nursery wouldn't be an incorrect assumption. He let out a soft, pleased purr that grew in intensity when she mentioned her cousin, Russetkit: the little tom had captured Blazehawk's fondness almost as immediately as Roselight had, though from a different standpoint of course. He felt an almost fatherly bond with the proud, clever, mischievous little tom-kit that'd wandered into StarClan's Claws a few sunrises ago. They were in the same place now as Blazehawk had been when he first met Russetkit, this no-man's land that was usually only used for Gatherings. If only their Clans knew what they were using it for: there'd be quite an uproar, the deputy was sure, but he was intent on keeping their meetings a secret. Certainly he'd thought about what might come of their fondness, and the conflict of being in love with a cat in a different Clan, but for now there were more important concerns. Such as the lovely RainClan she-cat sitting before him, waiting for a reply. "Everything's been fine," he purred. "Dovesong rather enjoyed your company and her kits have been asking after Russetkit every day now." Blazehawk's whiskers twitched as he imagined the three fluffy, pale kittens earlier this morning, bowling Rapidwind over and claiming a victory 'in the name of RussetClan.' "Everyone else has been well, also." That wasn't exactly true, and the anxious flash in his green gaze betrayed that: the border skirmishes with StoneClan were getting more and more frequent as the days grew colder. Echostar had voiced concerns to him that they'd attempt to push the border further than the rocks that were rightfully LightningClan's, thank you very much and had, in turn, suggested that they attempt to retake the rocks to discourage them once and for all. He certainly believed that they deserved the warm basking stones that the elders and queens used to soak up warmth during the day, but he couldn't help but feel anxious about the antsy nature of not just StoneClan's patrols, but every other cats' too. He'd escorted Silentsong to TreeClan's camp several days before to speak with Featherpelt and a TreeClan patrol nearly shredded them, medicine cat and all. The fact that the Clans were quick to suspect even medicine cats was disturbing, and may have had something to do with the slow dwindling of available prey, but that was another issue entirely. Blazehawk didn't want to load all of this onto Roselight, though, despite the anxieties that thrummed under his fur. It was always good to talk to someone but she hadn't come here to hear him babble about his worries. He was a deputy, for StarClan's sake. He was supposed to shoulder the burden strongly and silently, not fuss and stew in his fur like a frightened apprentice. He cast around hopefully for a different subject, blinking at her with genuine curiosity as one came to mind. "Russetkit should be apprenticed fairly soon, should he not? I hope Deadstar didn't punish him for disappearing." He also worried that Roselight had gotten in trouble for being away as well. He respected Deadstar and thought him to be a sensible leader, but any cat would take issue to their warriors disappearing - especially during a storm as brutal as that night's had been. Blazehawk was still barely dodging puddles deep enough to plunge a cat up to his whiskers, and LightningClan's territory drained the best of any Clan's. He couldn't imagine how boggy and wet RainClan territory must be. and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

Salmonfur would've skinned her alive if he knew she was here conversing with the LightningClan deputy as though the whole world was made of buckets of sunshine and rainbows. Salmonfur didn't approve of relationships outside of RainClan, let alone the romantic kind, but her father was the farthest thing from her mind right now. The brief look of discomfort that flitted across the handsome deputy's face only drove the image of her father even farther from her, Roselight giving a slight tilt of her head in response. She was longing to ask him what was dogging him - his duties, probably - but Roselight held her tongue. She mustn't pry, no matter how badly she wanted to.

The subject of Russetkit was a welcome one. Purring, Roselight let out a soft mrrow of laughter. "Actually, you'd think he was punishing himself. He's so anxious and excited about his apprentice ceremony in a few days that he's actually stayed in camp ever since we got back!" Eyes twinkling at the image of Russetkit trying so hard to behave, and thus defying his wanderlust and his desire to get into trouble, was almost as amusing as watching the kits at the nursery try to reenact legendary RainClan battles.
"Either he's going to become an apprentice right on time, or he's going to explode from the wait."

Looks like Russetkit's not the only one who's a little anxious lately. Not wanting to sit here and be a pretty little distraction for Blazehawk, Roselight spoke up, this time calling attention to the flicker of worry that had passed through Blazehawk's eyes just moment before. She didn't want to part ways as being the only one without any sort of burden on her shoulders, perfectly carefree, while he trudged back home with his jaw set hard and his heart heavy with whatever was troubling him.
"Everything's not fine, is it? I haven't known you for very long," mewed Roselight gently, her eyes fixed on him with an encouraging kind of intent, "but you looked worried."

RainClan, because they had the river and the fish in all their abundance, never quite felt the same strains for prey that LightningClan and the three other Clans did, but Leafbare hit every hard, and Leaf-fall was only a precursor to the struggles they were likely to face in the coming moons. Roselight by no means had a similar burden like the one Blazehawk was carrying - in fact, her only burden was keeping her trip into LightningClan camp with Russetkit a secret from both Deadstar and her father.
(Roselight had decided that it was in their best interests not to mention those things. Deadstar's strict adherence to StarClan unsettled her, and she didn't know whether he'd view the scenario as an act of charity or as a debt to be paid. As for keeping it from her father, well, let's just say the less suspicious Salmonfur was of Blazehawk, the better.)

[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK Surprise flickered across Blazehawk's face as the young RainClan she-cat uttered those seemingly impossible words. Russetkit had...stayed in camp? For a moment he couldn't even respond, and when he finally found his voice all he could say was "Wow." He could understand the ruddy tom's theory: if he got in trouble his apprenticeship could be delayed, and thus his warrior name as well. However, the very concept of Russetkit staying in one place for an extended period of time was...a little difficult to process. He could only shake his head, long whiskers twitching as he withheld his laughter. "Well, I wish him the best in that endeavour. He certainly has a very bright future once he starts his apprenticeship." For a moment Blazehawk thought that his previous anxieties were forgotten by the young she-cat, but before he could speak again Roselight probed further in a gentle tone. He opened his mouth, considering pushing the whole 'everything's wondrous' gimmick, but as he gazed into her clear, green-blue eyes, he found it impossible to lie to her. "No," he admitted after a moment in a soft mew, curling his tiger-striped tail tightly around his paws to hide how the tip of it was twitching furiously with the extent of his anxiety. he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Should he tell her everything? He couldn't imagine why he wouldn't, and it wasn't as though he was afraid of her divulging the Clan's troubles; he just didn't want to bore her with all of the anxieties that came with a majority of the Clan's woes riding on his shoulders. To be honest, the realization that one day he might be leader and have every cat look to him for answers made him feel almost nauseous. In a split second he decided, almost unconsciously, to tell her everything. "StoneClan's been pushing our border constantly. Increasing patrols, intensifying scent marks...I've even caught apprentices catching prey over the border. Fallingstar's been turning a blind eye to it and it seems like every Clan is anxious...a TreeClan patrol nearly shredded our medicine cat when she went to speak with Featherpelt." He scoffed softly. "Can you imagine? The day that warriors will attack medicine cats is a sad day indeed, for our Clans." Blazehawk swallowed, turning his gaze away for a moment to observe the sky: the sun was climbing high in the sky, but at the edge of the horizon he could still see a faint, milky smudge that was the waxing crescent moon. He worried about the future of, not just his Clan, but all the Clans...was StarClan planning to bring something brutal upon them? The bated air was nearly palpable, and even a kit's fur would bristle with anxiety at the feeling of storm-on-the-horizon. He sighed quietly before turning his gaze back to the beautiful young she-cat before him. "Emberstar is planning to take the sun stones," he admitted finally. If he was cohorting with rival warriors, he might as well go all the way, right? "We're moving the border at dawn tomorrow. She swears it will teach them a lesson once and for all and keep them off our border for a while, but..." Blazehawk took a deep breath, lowering his head. He cast around in his mind, wondering if he should tell her what had been going on amongst his Clanmates as of yet. "I feel like this is the beginning of something much, much worse." "My Clanmates have started murmuring," he said suddenly, looking at her with almost desperate green eyes, as though pleading with her to understand his worry. "They don't believe StoneClan is a real Clan. that StarClan only brought them to us because we needed their help getting here, but they should have disbanded before then. They say...they say they need to be sent to the mountains where they belong." and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

Warriors attacking Medicine Cats? TreeClan warriors? Roselight's thoughts briefly flashed to her distant cousin, Lionstep, aware of his chivalrous nature. Though she did not know him as well as he wanted her to, the idea that the TreeClan deputy would allow such behavior amongst his warriors was a bit...unlike him.
It seemed as though everyone was already beginning to struggle.

"I feel like this is the beginning of something much, much worse." That's what Blazehawk had said, and just now Roselight was starting to feel as though they were an omen of what was yet to come. The idea that Blazehawk would be battling against StoneClan made her blood run cold just thinking about it. Stop it, Roselight. He's the LightningClan deputy, he's not going to go get himself killed. Fallingstar surely wouldn't allow the bloodshed to escalate to such a level that cats would actually be killed, right? Roselight wasn't so sure. She could speak for her own leaders, but the other four might as well have been twolegs for all she understood them. Roselight was longing to press her nose against Blazehawk's dark russet fur and tell him to be careful, but respect for his personal space and his feelings at this moment in which he'd confided in her prevented the she-cat from doing so.

Now it was her turn to do a little sharing and comforting.

"LightningClan isn't the only one who feels that way," Roselight confessed, her expression troubled and grim. "RainClan - my father in particular - doesn't feel as though StoneClan is a real Clan either. Our territory floods whenever there's heavy rains, in fact, hunting has been poor lately ever since that storm..." She flicked a tail back in the direction of RainClan's territory, to the swelled rivers, the murky, flooded hunting grounds, the streams that were churning brown, muddy waters that would be treacherous for all but the most experienced cat to wade through.
"Though catching fish is our specialty," Roselight mewed with a bit of dry humor, "RainClan thinks that we would be better off pushing StoneClan into the mountains, as your Clanmates stated, that way there'd be enough dry territory and food to help us survive leafbare."

Roselight felt bad for the StoneClanners. Though she would 100% back her Clan in whatever action they took - except for maybe attacking LightningClan -- the accusations and the mutinous rumors going around about them was undoubtedly going to result in a great deal of blood, tears and strife when it all came to pass. Roselight could feel the guilt already starting to churn up like the flooded river banks, but she momentarily ignored it.
It's not my job to decide who stays and who goes, she convinced herself. But by looking into Blazehawk's anxious, steady green gaze, she realized it was his.

This time she allowed her affection to rise to the surface, the she-cat leaning forward to press her muzzle against the junction of his right shoulder and neck, tail sweeping around her paws lightly, cream-colored fur brushing against his. "LightningClan is lucky to have you, Blazehawk. The decisions you make are so tough, it's hard for me to imagine," Roselight breathed in his warm, masculine scent, feeling empathetic towards the tom's continuously uphill battles, wanting to fix some of his anxiety in the only way she knew how. "I can't always give you the right answer or say I agree to everything that happens, but I can at least be there to listen."

[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK Blazehawk's eyes were glowing with deep anxiety. For many sunrises now he'd been stewing over the steadily-mounting tensions among every Clan, and he'd been having a hard time coping with it. Especially considering the cats involved. "I'd never have thought to see such things from TreeClan cats," he mewed, unconsciously mirroring her thoughts; "Lionstep is a noble deputy. He'd never encourage his warriors to attack a medicine cat...but everyone's so on edge as of late that everyone looks to be an enemy." Personally he hadn't fallen for the mass hysteria yet: though it made him anxious to see his Clanmates so jittery, he himself didn't share their quickness to fight. Sometimes, he felt like he was the only sensible cat left when he saw even the most wise of the senior warriors squirming in their fur whenever they even caught whiff of the border. But there was one thing that he shared with them...the russet tabby tom's head dipped in shame, glancing at her with anxiety. I hope you won't judge me. "I agree with them, though," he admitted weakly, "about StoneClan. How could a Clan just disappear? Our own Clan, back in the days of the forest when we were known as the swift-footed WindClan, we were driven from our territory by an evil leader...but we returned. We were never driven so far away that we lived past even the lake territories. Sometimes, Roselight, I think their history is a hoax." It was painful to keep on: he'd seen the sympathy flash in her eyes, and he was afraid she'd think him cruel, but he couldn't bear to keep it from her. "And...if a bunch of rogues could ban together and say they're a Clan, without even a breath of StarClan's will upon them...how are we anything but rogues masquerading as warriors?" Blazehawk's broad, black-striped shoulders slumped like the weight of the sky itself had fallen upon him. He felt so helpless every time he thought about it that it nearly made him ill. How could he lead his Clan through trouble as a deputy, let alone as a leader, when he felt as confused and lost as a kit that'd strayed too far away from its mother? LightningClan depended on him to be the voice of reason even in a sea of chaos...but he was far from that right now. The red deputy could barely wrap his head around the situation in the first place. Turning his gaze up briefly towards the clear blue sky, he yowled inwardly, please give me some guidance, StarClan! I can't do this without you! He blinked, surprised, when Roselight pressed her muzzle into the dip where his shoulder met his neck. They were suddenly so close that their fur touched, and he could feel her gentle warmth and the sweet waft of her scent around him; in a heartbeat all of his fears were banished from his mind. He turned his head to press his muzzle to her ear, eyes closed as they shared the brief moment of affection. "Thank you, Roselight," Blazehawk murmured. "That's all I could ever ask you for, and more than I ever need." He rasped his tongue over the soft, creamy fur of her ear before drawing back a bit, regarding her with a warm emerald gaze while still keeping them close enough to touch. A glance down showed him that their fur had blended where they were touching, cream and red laced together until it looked like they were melded side by side. "I've really fallen for you, Roselight," the deputy told her fervently, his eyes intent and warm with love as he watched her. "The warrior code says that it's wrong, and I'm a loyal warrior to the depths of my heart.. but how can something so wonderful be wrong?" He nuzzled the RainClan she-cat's scent, and at this point they'd been around each other for a long enough time that her distinctive Clan scent had almost mixed with his. They were nearly indistinguishable from each other, but separate from their Clans...an omen, perhaps? He hoped not. Blazehawk would never be so cruel as to tear her away from her family, and with Distantstar's illness his Clan's responsibilities rested too strongly on him to turn his back on them, but he could only hope that if their relationship thrived they would find a way to find a compromise for the both of them. Oh, Roselight, if only you knew... His thoughts were as warm as they were awed by the strength of his feelings. If my Clanmates didn't rely on me, I'd leave them in a heartbeat for you. and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

Her knowledge of the Clan that had once been SkyClan was very limited, no one in all of RainClan had ever fully explained their history and their disappearance to her. As she listened to Blazehawk's words, suspicions started to edge their way into her mind, like tiny little things with tiny little claws that left scratch-marks as they moved, her tail flicking from side to side with a sudden sense of doubt. What if they really were a hoax?

Fallingstar was by no means a healthy looking she-cat. If Roselight hadn't known better, she probably would've took the many-lived, long-legged cat for a rogue and chased her out. Realization that she could've been giving them the benefit of the doubt her entire life flashed before the she-cat's eyes. We could ask some of the elders in each of our Clans, ask them if they know anything about SkyClan! If together the two of them could uncover the truth, then...

The warmth against her pelt, the honest, affectionate words pouring into her ears placed Roselight into a dream-like state, unable to suppress a purr as the depth of Blazehawk's feelings washed over her heart. No longer could the RainClan cat smell LightningClan upon him, no longer could she view him as an 'enemy', not when every fiber of her being already regarded him as someone so close to her heart, not even StarClan could've drawn a line of separation at this point.

"I've really fallen for you, Roselight,"[...] "The warrior code says that it's wrong, and I'm a loyal warrior to the depths of my heart.. but how can something so wonderful be wrong?"

Did he truly mean that?

Roselight was somewhat taken by surprise thanks to his honest, heartfelt confession. Ever since the fiasco she'd watched unfold between her best friend Henfeather and her shady ex-mate Cloudfoot, her heart had been guarded, the she-cat personally terrified of the same thing happening to her, Roselight relying on the idea that she couldn't be so easily taken in by a handsome tom's sweet words.
For a split second, a trickle of fear that she was going against everything she held dear, from family, to friends, to honesty with her Clan... And yet...

The warm, musky scent coming off Blazehawk's fur was too strong, to inviting a scent to be able to ignore for long. Nuzzling close to him as though cold, Roselight brushed her nose against his shoulder, giving the handsome russet fur there a brief, but affectionate lick.
"It can't be wrong," she replied, her heart pounding her ears as she realized just how far she'd go, what she was willing to do in order to be by his side. "There's nothing wrong about how we feel, Blazehawk, even if our Clans won't see it that way..." The she-cat leaned back, sharing a look with him that reflected the intensity of her feelings for him as well as the calm resignation that came with knowing they had taken one of the hardest paths to walk through unscathed.
The romance between them was the kind that ignored borders, and that alone was enough to bring down the ire of both their Clans and the spirits of their ancestors upon both their heads.

"No matter what happens," Roselight mewed, taking in a deep breath. "we'll get through it together." Even if it meant getting rid of the fake Clan. Even if it meant forsaking their kin and their friends to be together. Even if it meant one of them would have to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave their Clan behind forever...

[eli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 30px solid #883a2f; border-bottom:30px solid #883a2f; border-top:30px solid #883a2f; border-right: 30px solid #883a2f;] BLAZEHAWK The LightningClan deputy had been called many things, both by his Clanmates and by others. Noble, friendly, openminded, trustworthy. Quick to forgive, shallow, arrogant, disrespectful. Many things he'd been called, some good and some bad, but never had the tabby warrior been accused of putting his own wants and needs before another's, and with good reason. It simply wasn't a part of his personality, even nonexistent on the tongues of his critics. So even though he was thrilled to hear her return his affections, Blazehawk felt the strong need to make one thing clear to her. "Roselight," he murmured, his dark gaze warm yet serious. "I want to make sure you know...I love you more than I can say but I don't wish for you to feel like you need to choose between your Clan...your family...and me." Turning to face her, his emerald eyes were anxious as he read her expressions, the emotions in her eyes. He would never know what it felt like to have parents on the other side of where he wanted to be. His father was unknown to any cat. His mother had died just a moon after he and his littermates were born, and his two siblings followed her to StarClan soon after: he was raised by all the queens, Rapidwind - a moon older at the time - raised by his side as a brother. He never knew any true family, not in the blood sense that other cats shared, but as a result Blazehawk saw his entire Clan as his flesh and blood. He didn't want Roselight to feel as though her care for Blazehawk would tear her from her family. His long tail wound with hers, her jaw brushing against his cheek. "I would never make you choose, Roselight. And if you chose your Clan...I'd understand." The hurt he'd feel was left unsaid, known to the both of them, but that was beside the point. His needs didn't matter. Only hers. The great russet tabby tom's heart warmed at her gentle words and he nodded in agreement. "Yes," he murmured, brushing his cheek to hers. "We'll get through it together, no matter what." His long, white whiskers twitched as he imagined the world they could live in: just the two of them, their Clans stronger for their love and reassured that not all cross-Clan romances would harm the loyalties of the cats involved. It would be a strenuous path on them both, but they could do it...and in Blazehawk's mind, perhaps StoneClan would be the first step towards this utopia of peace and prosperity for their Clans. If they were to remove them, like nudging aside a stone that blocks the flow of water, the life of the Clans would flow on unhindered with no cat but them to thank. Their Clans would have to understand them then! and you thought the world would end if you just looked the other way thanks brooklyn from atf

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Tangerine; font-size:54px;]Roselight

But it has to be me.
The quiet voice of reason murmured in her ears, and Roselight felt the fur along her spine prickle uncomfortably. Roselight hadn't wanted to discuss the idea of leaving RainClan for LightningClan, not yet. Not when she knew the same she would bring down upon her father and even on little Russetkit, of the hostility she would be subjected to by the Clanmates she once called friends. They wouldn't see her leaving as a happy reunion between two lovers, they'd see it as abandonment of her warrior duties, as turning traitor and choosing a rival Clan over her birth Clan. Roselight shivered as she felt herself falling into a mire of negative emotions - worry, fear, helplessness - and she refrained from saying anything right away, instead listening to the warm beating of his heart and his breath by her ear.

It really did have to be her. Blazehawk leaving LightningClan for RainClan would probably be his undoing. Just as he didn't want to ask her to choose, she didn't want him to suffer even worse than she would for her betrayal. He was their deputy, he would someday be their leader - she had met several LightningClanners, they looked up to him and admired him, he was strong and likable. Even if he didn't have all the answers, he had the intelligence to find the answers... LightningClan needed a strong deputy more than RainClan needed a reliable warrior. Oh but to abandon RainClan, abandon her friends - Henfeather and her kits - and family just at the start of Leaf-fall? That was a coward's move.
How dare she put her happiness before the needs of her own Clan? Of the cats she loved and had grown up with?
I can't leave when they need me the most. I can't. The fact that she was contemplating, deep in her heart of hearts, leaving RainClan for LightningClan, was a scary thing indeed, but it was true. She was willing to leave...

But not right now. Not when things were about to get a whole lot tougher.
"After Leafbare, I will come." At last the cream-furred she-cat responded, forcing her voice to sound lighter and warmer than she was truly feeling. Pushing her leaving to a later time would give her the chance to look after all that she felt responsible for. Henfeather's kits would become apprentices, Russetkit would have long-since become Russetpaw, and her parents... There was nothing she could say to them to possibly make the separation any less hurtful and shameful.
"I can't leave my Clan, not when Leafbare is right around the corner, but once everyone is fat and healthy in New-Leaf, and Russetkit can manage on his own..." She could already picture her young, determined cousin, the long-legged kitten intent upon becoming the light that RainClan needed, particularly in the dark times that were steadily approaching the forest. "When RainClan no longer needs me, I will join you in LightningClan," Roselight finished, the words making her throat feel tight with emotion.
...Could she really do it? Could she really leave?

She had to.