[poppy]

Dovefluff

Numbly, the queen stumbled up beside Crowpaw, staring at her daughter as he laid her body gently on the ground. She forced her voice to stay soft as she responded shakily. "Thank you. I'm sorry about your family." Dovefluff's voice was soft and hoarse as she answered, afraid that her voice would grow into a mournful shriek if she said any more. And she truly was sad for Crowpaw, she had seen so much of his struggles, especially with his father, but she didn't want to absolutely lose it.

But then Crowpaw announced her daughter's death, and she crumbled, her legs failed her and she fell onto her belly, nuzzling Echokit. Sobs shook her like spasms as she listened to cats approach, and she knew she looked pathetic and broken, but any voice that she didn't immediately recognize became white noise. Burntpaws kind words were nice to hear but she couldn't muster up the ability to answer, loud sobs breaking the brief silence of shock throughout the clearing before they came over. Cats were sitting close to her, close to her baby, even though they never knew her. But she couldn't move, the tried locked her limbs and kept her crumpled next to Echokit's body.

Then, little Lightning came over and nuzzling her, and the queen sobbed loudly at the touch, reaching her tail over to wrap around the young molly, still clinging to the tiny body in front of her. Sootfurs wary question had the queen letting out a strangked, muffled wail, a paw reached out for her kit. "She's gone. They're all gone." the queen wailed softly, feeling Sootfurs touch, but it brought her little comfort. The kindness was deeply appreciated by the heartbroken mother, but it didn't quell the burning pain in her heart and the absence of her entire litter with Echokit's death.

"I don't even know what happened, she wasn't sick or hurt o-or cold or too hot are anything I don't know why-" her voice broke off into a gut wrenching cry, and she buried her face back down. How could StarClan be so cruel? She was a mother who couldn't be a mother, and that was the worst pain of all.

And it only got worse with Cracklepaw's cruel words. Chuck it in a hole? Fury pulsed through her as she looked up at the apprentice in shock, but before she could snarl at him, the grief washed over her like a tidal wave, and she pressed her face into her paws, sobbing as she laid on the ground.

( @sol. @SpiritedWarrior @Dabi @Wingnettle @Leafí @/anyone else + sorry for the deleted post )