Memories{Foxflight}

[Tanglekit]

Laying in the middle of the clearing was a creamy femme with drenched fur plastered to her fur. She was barely breathing and her throat had been torn apart on the inside from choking on water. Her slow shallow breaths were so far apart someone might mistake her for dead, but she was alive. Her head was throbbing from were it had been struck with a branch flowing in the current. Her shoulders were torn apart and her legs were screaming in pain from the constant treading. She had finally been freed from the water only the night before. She had used the mass of her strength to drag herself to this spot, but had collapsed from exhaustion and was rendered unconscious. She had been caught in the flood when it had flowed from the river that fateful day. She had been out doing something important when the flood had happened but now she couldn't remember.

In fact she didn't even know what she was doing here. Something had told her that she would be safe here, but she had no idea where or even who she was. And she was lost in this pit of black despair that had held her prisoner for many hours. It wasn't like sleeping, she was aware of the things going on around her but she couldn't see or do anything about it. She couldn't control her body movement or even the simplest gestures and that scared her very much. But her body didn't react to her being scared, it remained the same. Minimal heartbeat and shallow breathing. She could feel the water in her lungs slowly poisoning her. She wanted to cough up the filthy water but she was trapped in this dark abyss that wouldn't let her free. She wished that someone could set her free from this awful place. But she didn't know anyone who could.

If she didn't know who or where she was then how was anyone supposed to help her. She felt her throat burn as she coughed up a spout of dirty water littering the ground with debris. She hadn't eaten anything in days and she could feel her strength. or what little she had left leave her. The little prey she had managed to find in the water had been wet rotten and mostly water. And the bad thing about almost drowning means that you will always be afraid of the water. She was afraid of so much but being afraid of water was going to make this poor cat struggle. She was already afraid of so much and now at this point she was going to be afraid of just one more thing. She struggled to remember something about who or even what she was, and nothing was becoming very clear. All she could see in this blackness was a familiar face. It was blurring, but somehow she recognized it. It was mostly white, or so from what she could see, but it also had some ginger on it's head and ears. She could tell the eyes were amber, but past the blur she couldn't tell anything that could distinguish him. And she wasn't sure who this cat was or even if she had known them before the flood.

She could remember the flood very clearly, even though the rest was a blur. The water was very clear in her mind, the whole experience would forever be engrained in her brain. She would never forget what had happened in the water. She felt control returning to her mind and the dark mist started to subside, and she saw a hollow full of squirrels. She couldn't move her body yet, so she could only see what was directly in front of her. So she tried to see more about her surroundings since she could smell other cats in the area she needed to be worried. But she couldn't make her body respond, it wouldn't listen to her commands. Her brain wouldn't understand what she wanted from it. She wanted to be rid of this pain, she wanted to be able to get up and run far away from the water, but her body wasn't listening. She couldn't even speak and scream for help...help from who she knew not all she knew was she needed help. Before a dog or fox came by and picked her off.

[Deleted]

It'd been a while since the flood, but Foxflight hadn't forgotten about it. His paws kept getting wet just walking around the territory. It was irritating! One paw, shake, second paw, shake again. Seriously, how could Riverclan stand it? The thought of those flea-bitten cats living exactly like everyone else wasn't a pleasant thought. Now that the water had basically left its mark on every territory around these parts, all cats had to live like Riverclan. All the prey had been swept away and they were just left with fish and tons of snakes.

The flood was leaving it's mark and Foxflight's life had taken a drastic change since. One minute he was the leader of a revolution, the next, his job was done, but with a lot more casualties than he liked. With all the leaders replaced, at least he hoped they were by now, hopefully the clans would make a turn for the best. His life hadn't at all so far. No matter what he was doing, he felt lost and a bit insecure, as if a part of him was torn away. It was making him mad, especially now as he tromped through Squirrel Hollow.

The red and white tom's paws squelched through the mud and every so often his amber eyes would shift towards the overflowing river. He had gone out to think a bit more. Foxflight just couldn't get a grip on what the feeling was until a face came into his mind. It was of a creamy she-cat with pale blue-eyes. That was it! He'd been missing her ever since the flood and that was what was irritating him more than the water. The clan hadn't been able to find her, even after he had been looking for hours. She had been one of his greatest friends that he could remember, but there was a bit more to it. With her missing, he felt just not himself. That was why he was out here, that was why no matter what he was doing he kept feeling dread in his heart.

The male lashed his tail in annoyance at Thunderclan. They had given up too easily and seemed to not even care! Ferncloud had been, even if it is mushy, the world to him. In anger. Foxflight stomped right towards a grove of bushes that were on the edge of the river, and yowled at the river with all his might. He felt so useless. He couldn't help his clan with the flood, and he hadn't been able to protect Ferncloud. The she-cat had been so shy and timid, even questioning her radiance. The thought of her being torn apart by a torrent of muddy water made his blood boil, as it had been ever since the flood.

Quickly, Foxflight flung his body around and began to run back into the woods and past a squirrel hollow, but something caused him to stop and have a second look at his surroundings. That something was a wet cream pelt. At first, Foxflight just stared at it like an idiot and then began to walk slowly towards the cat. His whiskers quivered as a faint scent reached his nose: Thunderclan. The plume of his tail shot straight up and began to twitch as he approached. It couldn't be, could it?

As he stopped right next to the soggy form in front of him, his amber eyes stared. Fear hit him and he didn't want to do anything at all. This Thunderclan cat, no, Ferncloud could be dead and the idea abhorred him. Reaching into his recess of courage, he bent down and nudged her form, trying to find a pulse or at least feel breathe. A slight wind tickled his ear and he drew back in relief. It was Ferncloud and she was alive! She had been swept off in the current and it looked like she had almost drowned.

"Ferncloud! Can you hear me? It's Foxflight, your clanmate," he meowed as he sniffed her body for any wounds. His heart fluttered frantically as he checked his friend.

[Tanglekit]

The flood had made so much damage when it had swept her away. Not only had it damaged the clans but it also damaged her in the process. She had been falling for a tom and then she had been swept away. She had been taken captive by these horrible torrents that had kept her away from home. Was this Starclan's warning to her to stay away from that tom. Was it them telling her that he was after all evil. That he had been the cause of plots to overthrow their leaders. But Ferncloud couldn't believe that even if she had wanted to. Foxflight had been so kind to her and made her feel so beautiful. She had remembered her almost painful shyness that had morphed her body into this wretched awkward cat. She had held herself with no pride or confidence and that annoyed her to the fullest. She had not been able to show this tom how she felt or even express herself truly. Always hiding behind that mask that made up her exterior. She had given up on keeping her eyes open since she knew it was useless to see if anything was going to eat her if she couldn't move. She wanted to just slip back under the black fog and die. She didn't want to suffer any more of this trouble at the hands of others. She wanted to walk with the stars and be at peace.

And in that moment she saw the stars stretch before her and she saw her mother and brothers and sisters stretch before her eyes. They were welcoming her to Starclan, and she was dying to join them. Her paws ran eagerly, and for that moment she remembered her life before the flood. And the reason she could not join Starclan was because he was not there with her. In a split second the stars ripped away from the path at her feet and she heard paw steps approaching. Her eyes tore open but she wasn't facing the right way. A familiar scent reached her nose and she realized that it was the same general scent that lined the hollow marking him as one of the owners of that land. She heard his mighty roar at the water and it sent shudders through her pelt. It wasn't that the roar was scary, it was the pain she heard ripping through the air. She wanted to be able to turn to see who this cat was, and why he was so familiar to her. She heard his paw steps become quick as she thought he ran from the clearing and she relaxed a bit slipping back into her slumber.

But right as she allowed herself to relax she felt this nose prodding her soaked fur sniffing her over. Adrenaline rushed through her system and her brain snapped back into working order. She leaped out of the spot she had been in and gave a strange sounding snarl. She had never really snarled, except when she was a kit, she had never felt the need for it and now here she was snarling at some stranger. Her claws shot out and her eyes were looking around her surrounding finally being able to see in every direction. Her tail lashed back and forth and her pelt became bristling ball of fur. She had been freed from her prison and even though her entire body was screaming at her to lie down and rest the adrenaline would not allow her to relax. "Who are you? And What is a Foxfire?", she snarled trying to keep her stance brave and confident. And for once in her life she didn't feel fear of the other cat. She wasn't afraid to face another cat. But then why wasn't she afraid she was in this place and she had no idea who or what this tom wanted with her. For all she knew he could be there to harm her.

Her nostrils were flaring and even though her mind was yelling at her to remain alert she couldn't keep this up for long. She couldn't stay standing for much longer, and with that thought her paws gave out and she was on the ground again. But at least she could still move. "Who am I? What is happening me?", she asked slumping back into her usual awkward posture. She didn't know who or even where she was and who was this stranger standing beside her. Trying to tend her. Maybe she had known him in her past life, but now she had no idea what to make of this tom. He could be taking advantage of her without her even knowing.

[Deleted]

Foxflight couldn't believe it, he'd found Ferncloud. Everyone had thought her dead, but here she was. She was soaked to the bone, but seemed alright enough. Little did he know the true damage done to her. A purr resounded in his chest as he realized nothing was wrong with her and he backed up just in time for her to come to life before his eyes.

Her dazzling cream fur erupted in a frenzy as she jumped a pace back. Water dripped everywhere from her soggy pelt. Foxflight stood up in excitement that she was truly. Standing up that fast had to mean something right? Her eyes flashed at him as a snarl came out of her that made his ears quirk upwards and then to the side in confusion. What was up with that response? He'd only been making sure she was alright. He'd actually never seen Ferncloud be so loud in her life. It seemed so out of her character that he was a bit confused.

She then snarled questions at him as if she didn't.... Foxflight gave out a light chuckle at her questions and shook his head. Surely she knew everything she was asking, right? Then he saw her fall and he ran to her side, scared for her.

His tail quivered as he looked down on her frantically. Was there something he'd missed? Her questions that came then made his heart sink. He hoped she was only trying to have fun with him, so Foxflight nudged her in a friendly way. "You're so funny, Ferncloud. I said Foxflight, not Foxfire. I'm pretty sure you know your name too," he said nervously. His tail twitched as his eyes stared into hers, hoping she was just joking. If she really didn't remember anything he felt like his life would be ripped. "Right, Ferncloud? You're just joking, right?," he said in the same tone. He hoped against all hopes that he was right, but something was telling him that she really didn't know him, where she was, or who she was and that scared him the most.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud tensed wafter she had collapsed and she noticed that he ran towards her. Her only response was to cower, or at least that was the way it had been before. She kept her ground and watched as the tom tried to assist her. She looked into the tom's eyes and saw them filled with concern, and then she realized that the tom cared for her. And a great deal by the way he reacted around her. She pulled herself up on her haunches and looked back into the tom's eyes. She wanted to see more of his concern for her, it made her happy to know that he cared for her even though she didn't know it. Her tail flicked back and forth, sitting down helping her clear her already empty head. He seemed to know her well enough so maybe he could help her remember some of herself. "If you know who I am? Ferncloud you say? Can you tell me a little about me? A little about you? Since I must have known you from before the flood, you do seem familiar.", she mewed hoping he would be able to help her discover her identity.

She scooted a little closer to teh tom no longer feeling the need for hostility. She wanted to know who she was, she needed to know. She had so many questions about who she was, and who this Foxflight was, and right now he was the only one who could answer them. He was the only person she had met since after the accident, and even though she might not want to she had no choice but to put her trust in him. She also had another flash of that image of before and realized that it must be this tom, they looked uncannily similar. So this proved his point that he knew he. She wasn't going to doubt him, since she couldn't doubt herself. She couldn't handle these things on her own, and right now all she had to depend on was this stranger cat. Her fur wet fur was laying flat and she shivered a little from the cold water soaking into her skin. Her pale eyes were hardened from the cold water and her whiskers quivered slightly.

She leaned against the tom needing his strength to keep herself upright. She needed food and rest, but she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep until she had a frim grasp on who she was and where she belonged... if she belonged with this cat or not.

[Deleted]

He was so happy that he didn't get a snarl from her after he commented on her questions. However, what he gained was soon brought up short when she got back onto her haunches and kept up the charades. Foxflight looked straight into her eyes as she did his and his heart fell finally. She wasn't kidding at all and was rather serious. He had a tantalizing piece of information that she didn't know, and it was about herself.

The tom's tail stopped twitching and remained still on the ground as a cool wind swept up their fur. That was when she confirmed what he had prayed Starclan wouldn't allow. "If you know who I am? Ferncloud you say? Can you tell me a little about me? A little about you? Since I must have known you from before the flood, you do seem familiar."

Ferncloud wouldn't carry on this long, it wasn't in her character. He watched as she scooted up to him and lay against his body with her soaked one. The water trickled into his own pelt, but for some reason it didn't feel like Ferncloud, but a cat he didn't know, but did. It was a weird feeling and hard to explain so he kept his mouth shut.

Foxflight scoffed at himself and the way he was thinking. He'd do whatever he had to do to get Ferncloud back, he wouldn't just sit there like a stupid mouse-brained idiot. The red and white tom looked up through the trees and then back at the she-cat who he had fallen for and didn't realize how close he had come to doing so, till now. "Ferncloud, clearly you aren't there, but if you are please snap out of it," he said ending with a small wail. Sensing she wasn't going to answer to that, he finally began to give out the information that he knew about her and him.

Blinking, he began to speak to her, aching for her to stop acting like this and be herself once more. "Your name is Ferncloud, and you and I are a members and warriors of a clan of cats called Thunderclan," he said. He couldn't believe he was having to do this. Nothing had prepared him for this and he took a small breathe to stop him from acting like a kit in Ferncloud's time of need.

"About you specifically? Well, you're shy and timid, but underneath that you are full of emotions and a caring heart. You're also the most beautiful and amazing cat I know of." he said as he felt his fur start to get hot underneath his fur.

However, she still wanted to know about him. What to say about himself was a bit hard. It was always a bit tougher to talk about yourself, but there were parts that she hadn't known before. Was this Starclan's way to tell him to tell her about what he had almost done? His ears fell a bit and his eyes lost focus as he thought inwardly on what to do, how to tell Ferncloud everything, and wondering if this was all a joke on her part.

[Tanglekit]

The small she-cat whisked her tail until it covered her paws neatly. Her fluffy fur was pressed down tight against her skin making her look very small in comparison to the tom. When he fur was it's full gloss and fluff, she looked at least medium sized, and when she fluffed it out, which was rare, she looked in the least formidable. She was glad that he had come along when he did, otherwise she might have drifted back into unconsciousness and been killed by something. She knew that her cold wet fur must have been making the tom uncomfortable, but she needed his warmth and strength. When he explained a little about her she was glad that he seemed to know her so well. You're also the most beautiful and amazing cat I know of. She smiled at his compliment and leaned over to lick him on the cheek. She must have cared for him at some point, since he seemed to care bout her in return. And she also felt safe around him, leaning against him.

Since he cared for her, then she must care about him to right? Or maybe she had not been able to reciprocate his feelings. But how could she not, when he was so caring for her. Her tail tip flicked a little over her paws. She was happy that this tom cared for her and it actually made a smug grin spread across her lips. "You must have known me well if you think that I am that pretty.", she purred head-butting his shoulder. But then when she was replaying the images from him finding her, and when she thought about it she remembered his painful yowl. Who or what had he been yelling about. She couldn't figure it out so she would have to ask him instead. "Why were you yowling before?", she asked leaning a little bit more into his figure. Her purring had been constant now, and it rumbled deep in her chest warming it from the inside out.

She wasn't really able to grasp his few of her since her pelt looked to be so plain. Her eyes were a pale ghostly blue and her stature was awkward and tiny. Her fur was fluffy in all the wrong places and her muzzle was broad and ugly. But she wasn't self conscious about it. She didn't remember how she had acted before and right now confidence was what came natural to her.

[Deleted]

This whole situation felt weird to him. Here he was, telling Ferncloud about who she was when she was soaking wet and had lost her memory. He should be getting her to the medicine cat for Pete's sake! Somehow though, he was in this awkward situation and it didn't feel right to just up and leave for help when Ferncloud was right there. Was that really her though?

At her touch and head-butting, he started our of his inward thinking and back to the problem at hand. It was when she asked the question about his yowling that made his fur prickle as if it was cold. Why had he been yowling towards the sky? He stiffened and then looked down and back at her. "I was angry at the clan for giving up, at being weak, and not caring. They gave up on looking for you," he said with emotion as he looked down at his paws in embarrassment. "I'm just glad you're not dead. You were a friend that that would always be there, no matter what," he said as he looked at her pale blue eyes.

Foxflight only saw a pretty she-cat there, but as he said those words, his heart sank a bit lower after alighting when he found out she was alive. She wasn't acting like herself, she had lost her memory!

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud smiled when he explained the reason behind his frustration. Her tail was almost wagging with happiness. And he pleased her when he called her friend. But it seemed that she was much more to him, when he told about the clan stopping the search for her she could almost here that emotions in his voice. Her pelt tingled when she thought about the possibility that he cared about her, and not just as a friend. It made her skin burn with the feeling that she belonged with someone, to someone. She licked his shoulder, passion gleaming in her eyes. He seemed so good for her, but since she didn't even know who she was maybe not. What if he was just tricking her, or maybe he did care about her but she had never gotten around to developing feelings for him.Or there was even the possibility that he had hurt her and taken advantage of her and now he saw his opportunity to take her for himself. His gleaming eyes told her differently. "Only a friend?", she asked gently looking up at him. Her pale blue eyes were now the color of the deep sea, they had a new found fire in them, the same fire that she saw reflected in his eyes.

She knew that there was something much more that friendship between them, or at least for her there was. Even though she had lost her memory her emotions were still intact and she knew that she liked him in the very least. She felt so safe leaning against the tom and wasn't at all shy around him. She licked his shoulder once more before reaching up to lick his cheek. She had no problem being his friend for right now, but if there had been something between them she would want to know the truth, because she didn't want to remember a cloudy memory.

[Deleted]

The way she was touching him seemed okay and friendly, but something also felt wrong. It was like she was there, but wasn't and it was a disturbing feeling. Foxflight felt as if his stomach was collapsing and his body bent with it as if to lower itself into depression and submission for Starclan to take. That was inside, but outside, nothing showed of the turmoil other than his eyes. They burned differently as his thoughts kept moving around. Ferncloud kept looking at him with those passionate eyes that he hadn't been expecting which hurt him more. He felt like he was with a complete stranger that he was just getting to know.

At her questioning with he felt like she was only a friend that was when he couldn't take the heartbreak anymore. He had felt for Ferncloud, but did he feel for her now when the cat he knew wasn't completely there? Foxflight looked at the she-cat as he mewed, "You were more," he breathed and then looked down. His body then stiffened as he realized he'd been using past tense the whole time as if she really were gone. It also did so in disgust at what he was thinking. This was still Ferncloud no matter what and he'd help her retrieve her memory.

"That's enough, let's get you to the medicine den. You need the medicine cat's help if you are to get any better," he said with a whole different go-to tone. He got onto his paws, careful to let Ferncloud still lean against him.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud eased up off the tom when he stood up. He wanted to go somewhere called the medicine cats den. She didn't know where that was but what she did know was that she was very hungry. She meant to ask him if they could find some food first, but then she heard him say the words. 'You were more'. Her heart start to beat a little faster with the realization that he must care for her, or had cared for her. She then understood why he seemed so frustrated with her, and himself. She had no idea how hard this was for him. She was frustrated to the point of grief that she had no idea who she was. But knowing that this tom had feelings for her and she didn't know if they were returned must be very painful.

She licked his cheek and looked deep into his eyes. She took note that she enjoyed holding his gaze. "I have no idea how hard this must be for you, and I am so sorry that you have to go through this with me. I wish that I could tell you that I remember you...", she muttered looking down at her paws. She had remembered his face after the water had taken her, and she had remembered his smell. But she felt so lost, and if he hadn't come along she might have been lost to someone else, stuck in this confusion alone. She knew that she must have been inflicting pain on him, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from finding out who she really was. "But if I told you that I did, I would be lying. But I must have cared for you since you seem to be very kind to me.", she sighed anguish showing in her eyes. If she had never gone down by the river nothing would have ever happened and he wouldn't be in pain.

"I know that you want me to go to the medicine cat den, but I am very hungry.", she hinted hoping that this clan that he spoke of had food of some sort.

[Deleted]

When he felt her lick his cheek, he turned his head to look back at her. A bit of breeze blew around the hollow, playing with his long red and white fur. "I have no idea how hard this must be for you, and I am so sorry that you have to go through this with me. I wish that I could tell you that I remember you...", Ferncloud muttered while she looked down at her paws. Those words made him feel guilty...but something else as well that he couldn't put a paw on. Instead of saying anything, he watched her, his whiskers gently swaying.

"But if I told you that I did, I would be lying. But I must have cared for you since you seem to be very kind to me." He blinked in agreement as his heart fluttered a bit at the idea of Ferncloud returning his feelings. If she knew what he had planned to do though, would she have ever returned them for sure? That was something he couldn't find out now, but it was worth questioning later on if and when she got her memory back.

She then told him she was hungry and his tail twitched. He had been keeping his mouth shut when she had talked before because he had no idea what he would say, what he would babble or yowl about. Now though, her comment made him smile a bit. "I understand. The clan will have food for you, but you have to follow me to the medicene den first. I'm worried that if I leave you to hunt, something will happen," he said with conviction and tenderness melding together.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud felt a brief moment she felt panic rise up in her thoughts. Her eyes began to dart back and forth looking for some kind of danger around her. When she finally pin pointed what had caused her so much grief she felt contentment. She had become so panicked when he had mentioned leaving her. She didn't even want to think of him not by her side, even when they had reached camp. The thought of being without him even in that kind of environment was frightening. She unconsciously took another step towards him and leaned into his fur needing the comfort. He was the only one that she could trust and she didn't want him to leave her. She shuddered against his large body. He was so much bigger than her small lithe body. "Please don't leave me.", she pleaded looking into his glorious eyes.

She wanted to remain by his side until she had her twisted memories figured out at least. She remembered all of the basic things like what she was, what she ate, how to move and speak, but the personal stuff was harder to pinpoint. The swelling on the side of her head throbbed, almost as a reminder of the reason for her insomnia. She felt the last bit of the adrenaline leave her system and after weeks of no food and too much water, she needed something to eat. She was now leaning heavily on him and hoped that the camp wasn't too far away. She needed help soon if she wanted to recover.

[Deleted]

All of a sudden, Ferncloud looked terrified and leaned into him as if she expected an ambush or badger to attack. He blinked in puzzlement, but didn't shy away from her touch. When her eyes met his and the words flowed from her mouth, he understood immediatly. She was scared of the idea of him leaving her.

Foxflight allowed himself to relax and touch her with his tail. "I'd never leave you," her purred with such kindess that one wouldn't even know how torn up he was about this she-cat. Right now, he treated her like he would any cat of his clan, perhaps a bit more. He looked at her straight back.

A sudden shift in her weight made him go into high alert. She was leaning against him more than before and he realized just how weak she was. He needed to get her to the clan and force food down her gullet before her status weakened. Slowly, he shifted himself so he could slide easily under her belly without rattling her form too much. From there, he propped her up onto his back, her front feet and back feet each having their own side. Foxflight was a big breed and with his warrior strength, he could hold her up until he got to the camp. Adrenaline helped fuel his muscles, thank Starclan, so it would be an easier haul.

"Alright let's get you back to where you belong," he said calmly, not showing just how scared he was. He didn't want Ferncloud to get worse, not when he'd finally found her! Quickly, he bounded as fast as he could towards Thunderclan in hopes that everything would turn out alright.

[Tanglekit]

OOC: I will make a thread for them returning to camp!