[Captain]

@Sinister Scarwings

Ripplewhisker gave a small sigh as he gazed into the sparkling shallow pond of chilling water, his large fluffy tail swishing across the ground beside him as he sat alone in the Starclan territory, silently thinking to himself for a moment or two before his ears quietly flattened against his head. “Oh, my sweet Swallowstorm.. I’m sorry that I failed you..” The old warrior murmured under his breath as he thought back to his first and only love, Swallowstorm, who had been his mate for several sweet and blissful moons before he had left him due to the tomcat not being there enough for him and not showing that he cared enough. He blamed himself for the misfortune of his adopted son, Sproutwhisker, after he had broken down and declined in his own health rapidly after Swallowstorm had left him. He didn’t eat, hardly slept and would barely manage to smile, all while the black-furred warrior was still training as an apprentice and being bullied by the other youthful cats of Riverclan because he wasn’t clanborn. Ripplewhisker should’ve been there for him, but sickness had engulfed him and put him in a weakened state that landed him in the medicine cat’s den for the last few moons of his life. He solemnly shook his head for a short time before he extended a paw out to the paw and lightly touched the surface, causing a gentle ripple in the clear water. The warrior looked down into the Riverclan camp, but more specifically, the nursery.

He saw Sproutwhisker curled up beside the still body of Talonfang with five, small bundles curled up next to him. His son had still not left his mate’s body, mourning and relishing in the fading scent and heat that her form still possessed until it was truly gone forever. Ripplewhisker once again spat and cursed at Starclan for this fate that was put upon him and he felt tears brim in the corners of his eyes as he did so, feeling a terrible ache within his chest now. He quietly shifted into a laid down position by the water and touched his touch to the reflection of Sproutwhisker in the water and soon enough the black-furred warrior faded into the Starclan hunting grounds, curled up into a small ball beside him. He could see the tear-stained fur under his eyes and how his ears flat against his head in a permanently pained expression. Ripplewhisker proceeded to lay down beside his adopted son and rest his head on his back in silence. “Forgive me, my son, for all that I have put you through.” He whispered in a gentle hushed tone, “Please stay strong for me, stay strong for her and your children.” Ripplewhisker wished that this did not have to happen, but it was an inevitable fate that nothing could be changed about. The maine coon would do anything for his son to be truly happy again and see him smile, but now, Sprout would not smile.

After a few long moments, the old warrior sat up and gently nudged the black-furred male’s shoulder with a gentle touch of his nose. “Sprout, please wake up..” He murmured and soon enough, the tomcat’s icy blue-hued eyes flickered open to meet the light green-hued eyes of his adopted father, Ripplewhisker. “Ripple?” Sproutwhisker mewed quietly, lifting his head to look up at his father with an unknown emotion in his gaze. “Hello, my son,” Ripplewhisker said, saying nothing more as he stared at the smaller tomcat with a certain sadness within his own eyes. The black-furred male slowly heaved himself into a sitting up position as he pressed his muzzle into the main coon’s chest with a slight whimper coming from him now. “Oh, dad... I.. Talonfang..” His words were broken and stuttered as Ripplewhisker wrapped a paw around his adopted son, resting his chin on the black-furred male’s head. “I know, I know.. I’m sorry, I am so very sorry, Sproutwhisker. She is safe now, out of any pain and with me in the stars.” He knew that his words would not bring that much comfort to his son, but it was all that he could say now with the circumstances at paw. “I could’ve saved her.. I could have saved you!” Sproutwhisker snapped, his speech muffled by the maine coon’s fur, but Ripplewhisker shook his head, “No, hey, don’t you dare blame yourself for our ends. It was Starclan’s plan and you had nothing to do with it, this is not your fault and I want you to know that, Sprout.” The old warrior wondered if anyone would hear the Riverclan tomcat's whimpers, especially Talonfang, but he did his best to not focus on such things and just comfort him now.