[Hexict]

Originally Posted by Random Melody

(Don't worry about it! <3)

Honeyfur's thoughts were stuck to Fernpaw. The sister she'd lost, who'd died in the fire. Honeyfur had found her there. And she probably would've just stayed there beside the dead apprentice until the smoke overtook her, too, had Lionheart not found her in time. Honeyfur felt every part of her ache with longing to see her sister again, to hear her voice, to smell the sweet scent of cherries. The golden Queen realized with a pang in her heart how scared Fernpaw must have been when she died. Nobody was there with her. Her other siblings were going through camp, helping queens and kits and elders, nobody had noticed when the quiet, shy apprentice had disappeared out of view - Except Honeyfur. Honeyfur kept tabs on all her siblings all the time, so she knew when Fernpaw hadn't met them outside of the camp that something was horribly wrong.

And so she'd thrust her way through the fray of panicked cats only to see her sister lying there on her side, unmoving, unbreathing, her eyes shut with the most peaceful look on her face, as if she was only sleeping. Honeyfur had begged and pleaded for her to wake up; Fernpaw hadn't stirred, hadn't even given a twitch to show she was okay and alive. She wasn't. She was gone. And for Honeyfur that was her biggest fail, allowing her sister to die like that. I should have kept a better eye on her. I should have looked out for her. I knew how scared she was but I left her side. Great StarClan, Fernpaw, i'm so, so, sorry. She felt that lump in her throat grow bigger and blinked back the growing tears in her eyes.

Tempestkit's voice seemed to jerk the she-cat from her thoughts though. Honeyfur's ears pricked as she looked down at the little kitten, almost embarrassed that she'd almost started crying right there. Honeyfur didn't cry. She was supposed to be the tough one - Besides Blackstorm. She was supposed to be the Sibling Leader. She didn't cry. She couldn't cry. She had to be there for them. She'd only ever cried around Snowstar, right after Fernpaw's death, but only because her sister had cornered her and made her let everything out. "It's not good to keep it all inside. It'll destroy you." Her sister had said softly and that's when Honeyfur had let everything spill out. Snowstar hadn't spoken. She'd just listened. And when Honeyfur was done, Snow stepped forward to comfort her. Honeyfur wished Snowstar was there now. It was a kit-like feeling and, being the leader of her siblings, Honeyfur wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Honeyfur shook her head and forced herself to focus on the young kit in front of her, who looked amused about what she'd said about Mintkit and Snowstar. Honeyfur nodded as she looked over toward the nest, but had to do a double take to see Mintkit wasn't there. With a frown, Honeyfur did a quick scan of the nursery and seemed to decide Mintkit had probably snuggled down into her nest. The she-kit did that often. Mintkit wouldn't sneak out, right? Of course not. That kit knows better than that. If she's anything like Snowstar used to be, she's just curled up asleep - Or probably listening to everything we're saying, actually. Honeyfur thought, faintly amused. "Probably." She responded to Tempestkit, turning her eyes back to the young Tom. "That's my guess, at least. I could be wrong."

Honeyfur hated being wrong, though. With a passion, actually.

Honeyfur felt her ears flick when he asked where Fernpaw was. The she-cat's eyes flickered painfully for a moment but she forced herself to answer with a steady voice. "Tempy, Fernpaw's in StarClan. She died.. A very long time ago." She said gently, feeling a wave of guilt that the kits would never meet the sweetest aunt they ever had. Fernpaw would coddle these young ones, spoil them rotten. They'd probably all love her - Almost everybody Fernpaw had met adored her. Honeyfur stopped before her thoughts could go too far, and glued her attention onto Tempestkit, ears pricked slightly for what he had to say. Surely Snowstar had explained StarClan to them?

(i am sooooooo sorry for the long wait, i've been trying to get to this for awhile now and just haven't :c)'

The kit's pelt prickled slightly as he noted the watery expression in his aunt's orbs. He wasn't sure why she expressed such sadness. The young tom tilted his head as he watched her. Maybe remember the past was just emotional? It wasn't like the tom assumed something had gone terribly wrong for the golden queen. The innocent, naive kit assumed that everyone had a happy kit-hood like himself, and he was not aware that something terrible like that could happen. He never thought about it if any of his sibling were to die, but why would that thought ever come to mind? He was still a bit too young to full grasp the concept of death. To understand that when somebody dies, they never ever come back, that they are gone for good.... He knew of Starclan, knew f their ancestors, but he didn't fully understand it just yet. Being confined in the nursery and shielded from such despair, of course a kit like him would not grasp the entirety of death and all. So he never worried about that. Never thought about it. And didn't fear it either.

But then again, he was but a simple naive kit at the time.

After Honeyfur responded to his question, Temspestkit smiled back at her again. The tearful look in her gaze seemed to be gone as the queen attempted to move on with the conversation and stop thinking about her deceased sister. The grey and white tom-kit hoped to someday see Mintkit become like their mother. He wanted her to be more out-going and look less lonely. He honestly wasn't sure if she felt lonely when she sat in the nest watching them all play. He did not know if she was too awkward or just not interested. But Tempestkit was sure that she'd be happier if she grew up to be like Snowstar. Maybe then she would be more playful and have more friends? The tom did want Mintkit to not be alone forever. Of course, she would always have him and hopefully their other litter-mates. If she had more friends to play with, than I'm sure she would be more out-going and wouldn't always sleep in the nest, he thought. I don't want her to feel forced to make friends. I'm sure that she'll make some. She has to! Or else she may be lonely....

How hypocritical for the tom who felt fine with his only friends being family.

As she mentioned Fernpaw again, Tempestkit focused on her words. He wanted to meet his other aunt. He wanted to talk to her and see if she was anything like Honeyfur. And if she was an apprentice, then maybe she would even play with him! Though that thought was dismissed as she informed him that Fernpaw was now dead and resided with their ancestors now. The tom-kit gave a small look of confusion. "But what doesn't she visit?" He mewed. "I know that cats don't really come visit from Starclan, but why doesn't she? Why don't cats in Starclan ever visit? Doesn't she want to see you all sometimes?" Again, the young tom did not fully grasp what this meant. Did not understand death and Starclan, that she can't return nor visit them. He thought that if she really wanted to see them, then she could possibly visit from time to time. That she could get to know him and his litter-mates, get to play with them and talk with her own siblings. It just doesn't make sense.... "I would really like to meet her!" He quickly added, smiling up at Honeyfur.