(Ash) Let's Play, Shall We?

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash shot Owl a dirty look from behind. "Because I care for Shrill. I won't leave her to some freaky zombie cats." she answered him irritably, turning her attention back to Twig, out of the ghosts, Twig was definitely a close second to favorite.

"I don't show any emotion but neutrality or anger. Those are the strong emotions. Sadness, love, passion, they make you weak. I have learned that lesson the hard way." Ash dropped her head, the sadness was taking over again. It always did when she thought of Ruby. Ruby...the closest thing to a mother Ash ever had.

The black tortoiseshell she-cat shook her head, clearing those thoughts. She needed to stay strong.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Twig was baffled. "Weak?" Emotions made you weak? The tomcat blinked rapidly. "How..." his sentence trailed as he caught the sound of Owl clearing his throat, signaling for silence.
"Yes, brother," Twig mumbled. Raising his voice some, he added, "I'm going to go ahead. See you guys at the sleeping quarters." And he took off through the brush, finally allowing his eyes to water and the tears to spill over. Emotions don't make you weak, he protested silently. It just means that you have a soul. It means you're a living thing...

Owl sighed as his brother left, the scent of sorrow clinging to his pelt. Twig couldn't expect so much from Owl. It was a useless attempt to think he would get anything.
But, Twig was the only sibling that didn't really grow up. He still remained curious, trying whatever he saw. He still grinned madly when something struck him as amusing, tossing back his head in a fit of laughter.
He just needs to grow up...

Shrill remained silent, her mind elsewhere. She hardly noticed Twig's depart, but gave a flick of her ears in response. She was going over her Latin, trying to remember a certain word. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't seem to swallow it down...

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Ash shook her head and glared at Owl. He was so cruel to his brother. Couldn't he see Twig looked up to him. "I'm going to go make sure he's okay, since his own brother won't bother." she hissed irritably, lashing her tail and disapearing into the bushes. She caught up with Twig quickly, and noticed he was crying. "What's wrong, Twig?" she asked, keeping pace with the ghostly tom. She kept her gaze from him though, ears fixed upon the sounds of the forest, navy eyes darting to each shadow or waving frond of vegetation. She was very paranoid after the Disturbed.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Owl took a hesitant bound forward. "But-"

"Let her go, Owl," Shrill told him softly, placing her silver tail over his shoulders. "She'll have to find out about Twig eventually."

Owl frowned. "I guess..."

"Leave me alone!" Twig hissed at the black cat, lowering his body closer to the ground and gaining speed - a trait passed through all of Bleak's family. They could all easily lower their bodies, and press on faster. The wind whipped at his whiskers as he jumped in speed; Twig was a speed demon in comparison to a living cat. "I'm weak! I'm sure you don't want to be around someone who exposes emotions! Just like Owl!" The last sentence was a cross between fury, disgust, and deep, unrelenting sorrow.
"You're just like him! Emotions are a curse and you have to be neutral to prosper in this world!" Another sob broke through the tom's lips. His golden and spice-colored pelt dashed into a cave; the sleeping quarters of the ghosts. He hurled himself into a nest, which was surprisingly fluffy, burying his face into the bedding. Parting his jaws, he screamed until his head felt fuzzy inside.

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Ash stopped as she was about to follow him into the cave. The scream felt like it was purposely breaking her ear drums. She gathered her strength and yowled, "TWIG! SHUT UP A MOMMENT!" she took a breath, then screamed again, "I DON'T CARE IF YOU SHOW EMOTIONS! EMOTIONS MAKE ME WEAK! NOT EVERYONE ELSE! LOVE BROKE MY HEART AND SPIRIT!" She then sat, panting, waiting out the scream, trying to stay strong as her ears started ringing.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Twig had somehow managed to hear Ash through his screams. Once she had finished, he ran out of air and came to a panting halt. "No one is weak because of emotion," he whimpered, half to himself. "They're weak because they think emotions are the reason. You can't be strong without them..." Finding a more comfortable position in his fluffy nest, the spice-spotted cat kept his back to Ash.

"Tell me, Ash," he called numbly, "what emotion are you feeling now? It's concern and agitation from my screams." He answered his own question. "And also tell me," he added, "does Bleak smile for you? A true smile, not his demented one. A smile of happiness? Would you believe by looking at him that he was carrying a heavy burden? He is..." The ghost turned his head and looked at Ash over his bedding, his yellow eyes blank like his little brother's. He could easily copy the small tom's look, except for his pelt. Bleak's eyes were without emotion most of the time, but there was actually always one there: Traumatizing, agonizing, deep, deep, sorrow.

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Ash sighed deeply and murmered, "I know Bleak. No, I've never gotten a real smile from him, but with what's lying inside him, he isn't capable of a real smile." Then she walked over to Twig and grinned at him. It wasn't a smile she used too often, for it was the one she'd only shown Ruby. The smile that made her look her age, barely older than an adolescant, it made her look girlish and happy. "Twig, I have a burden inside me... I've only believed love for another ends in pain. My friend, my adopted mother, Ruby, taught me a world of things. She taught me the skill of healing, how to show compassion, how to share a momment with my prey to thank them for the food and send them peacefully on their journey. She taught me what my parents never would. She taught me to love. Then she died. Left me with a growing evil in me."

Ash's voice broke and she turned her head from Twig. "I killed my dad. Murdered him. He deserved it, but ever since that day I've felt tainted. I've killed since then, plenty, enough to scar a normal cat. If I get angry, I always have to battle with myself to calm down... I don't always win... Twig, emotions have broken me. I can't bare them..."

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

OOC:: OMG! Owl's an atheist!!

Twig's face lit up at that smile. It was real. After Ash finished her say, he sat up and looked into her eyes.

"Ash," he started slowly, "I can understand your pain. To learn so much and then lose the person who taught you, it's tragic. But, no one deserved death. They can all be forgiven somehow." He leaned forward, making his body solid, and pushed his nose to her's. "Shrill says that all sins can be forgiven, and everything we do is a sin. So, we can all be forgiven. Maybe not by the ones around us, but by the one that really matters: The ruler of heaven." He pulled away, licking at her nose to rid of the blood that sat there from his body. The curse of always bleeding somewhere had ebbed burden-wise. Now it was just annoying.

"Owl thinks that there is no heavens. He says that spirits will simply vanish after so long and begin their next life. There's no heavens to him." Twig shrugged, not really in the mood to talk about his big brother.

Just then, in strolled Owl, his sister at his side. Turning his violet orbs to the two cats already present, he stared at them both for a moment. But, with a soft sigh, he broke it and padded over to Shrill, who was lying down in her own bed. Owl somehow had a bundle of herbs and began to actually help his sister's body mend. With his back to Twig and Ash, the tomcat focused all of his work of Shrill. The she-cat was beginning to doze off drowsily.

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash's neck fur rose and bristled, as it always did when Owl came near her. She sighed, shot his back a quick glare, and lay down beside Twig. She was so tired after such a long day, and no matter how much she hated Owl she knew he'd save Shrill. Even if he used magick. She no longer cared. With a loud yawn, and a quick, sheepish apology, Ash tucked her nose under her tail and closed her navy eyes, waiting for sleep.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Twig frowned slightly at the lack of response from the she-cat, but curled up next to her and shut his eyes, listening to the soft sounds of Owl at work until he fell into a sleep state.

Shrill was fixed. Owl turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the two sleeping figures. Padding silently over, the tom stood next to his brother. He felt awkward. They're both asleep, he reminded himself.
"Sorry, Twig," he murmured quietly, as to not wake the sleeping cat. "I know what you want, but just can't. Forgive me." So close! Sentence structure is improving! "I know that you just want smiles. You're cute when you beg for emotion, but there's nothing to smile at." Leaning down, Owl ran his nose lightly against his little brother's fur before turning and retreating to his own nest. Seating himself, Owl scrunched up his face to get feeling back into it. He then settled down and relaxed, his breath slowing into almost nothing as he slept.

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Ash opened her eyes, immediately feeling better about what she'd heard. Owl did care. He wasn't horrible. But he was wrong. There's always something to smile at, you just have to find the good in the bad, the light in the dark, the calm part of a storm. If you look hard enough, you'll always find something beautiful to smile at. Another lesson from Ruby.

With a yawn Ash stood and left the cave, looking up at the full moon. It calmed her, to be out at night. She loved the feel of the wind tickling her nosem rustling her fur, greeting her. The grass under paw warmed her steps, guiding her path. The stars in the sky winked their greetings and watched over her. She sighed contently.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Twig stirred from the motion next to his body as Ash lifted her body to walk around. Lifting his head, he just saw the tip of her tail leave the cavern. Standing up, he walked slowly over the cold floor.

Sliding his spice-colored pelt up next to the dark she-cat, Twig was silent. He took in the surroundings with her, took in the warm scent of the night. Finally, he turned his young-looking gaze to Ash. "Did something wake you?" he asked, all traces of his recent sorrow gone to reveal a gentler, more Twig-like attitude.

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(OOC: I wish Twig was alive. )

Ash's mouth turned at the corners in a faint smile. Without looking at Twig she replied, "No. I never fell asleep. I'm use to staying up late." She stared out across the forest, navy eyes darting back and forth as she tried to catch a glimpse of all of the forest night. It was almost impossible with the bats screeching and darting around the sky, the occasional flying owl, some mice up late.

Turning her head to Twig, she asked, "What woke you up?" She decided it would be better not to tell him about Owl.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

OOC:: Aww, does Ash have a crush on Twig?

Twig smiled and shook his head. "Nothing woke me, and that's why I woke up. Your absence woke me up." He smiled at her, following her with silent paws. He allowed his yellow eyes to roam freely, tuning his ears into the faint sounds of night creatures.

Suddenly, the tomcat laughed ever so softly. Shaking his head, he meowed quietly, "And to think that my father's going to be here so soon when it's this nice out." He smiled at the she-cat next to him. "Do you think he's changed? My father?" he asked. Everyone could change, couldn't they?

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(OOC: I don't know. Read posts and see if you can figure it out.)

Ash looked at Twig, wishing she could tell him what he so obviously wanted to hear. She sighed and shook her head. "No Twig, I don't think your father's changed. Most cats can change, like Bleak. I know his past was dark, but he's pushed past it and he's...better. I just don't think Khal could change." Ash turned her gaze back to the night, closing her eyes and letting her paws lead her. She knew immediately where they were going. Ruby's grave. The grave Ash dug herself.