Of The Decline

The decline seemed to come upon StreetClan suddenly; there they were, happy and content in their city streets, and then? They were not. 

The battle with the lake empire lasted barely two moons, and yet in turn, cats fell. The death of Shadowsong's kits seemed a harbinger; a sign of grief to come. And when cats had lost, one by one- clan members almost daily, the clear stress upon it on their leader broke everyone else in turn, including his niece, Sapphirepaw. 

The dead- Chipmunknose, Parrottail, Squirrelchatter, Daffodillark, Blossomdust, Mercury, Honoria, Heronshriek, and Willowfall. Honoria was Sapphirepaw's mother- her only parent she had known since Taigertail, her father, had died when she was very young. 

Then others left, afraid from the terrible battle the likes of which they'd never seen before, or fearing StreetClan offered no safety under a broken leader. Several of Sapphirepaw's best friends left with them. The total of deserts where Whiteblossom, Tiffany, Beetail, Luna, Vipertail, and Froststrike left. Sapphirepaw pleaded with Froststrike especially not to leave, as the two had trained together for their brief apprenticeship and played when they were young, but the tom was offered a more secure place in another clan, and left her behind. 

To fall from joy unto sorrow so swiftly happens easily and is always earth shattered. Previously Sapphirepaw had been so happy- so happy to be training as an apprentice, so happy with her coming cousins when Mothbee was expecting. She was happy to see her mother cheering up from her depression as time wore on and Tigertal's death faded. She loved her friends, who treated her as an equal even though most of them were older than her, her being the only kit for sometime. 

She seemed to loose everything; training in StreetClan was no more, with no StreetClan. True she now lived with NocturneClan- or 'The Lighthouse Colony' as the proposed new name was- but it wasn't the same. Strangers surrounded her and she felt they judged her, saw her weak, saw her an intruder.

Mothbee's litter only had one kit left, the others had died at their birth. And Honoria- her mother- she was gone. She need not feel pain, nor joy, anymore. Sapphirepaw would reflect later that she'd be glad to be back with Tigertail, but all she could think about for a time was how cruel it was to have her mother finally recovering from grief to suddenly be ripped away. 

In all this misery she fell, in hopes, in health, in everything. Yet with the help of her friend- one which, in her grief, she has a hard time being greatful for- perhaps someday, she shall rise again?