Honeyfern Stamp

I did! I swear! I cried the whole time I read it! So, I'm going to say why I cried::

ACTUAL WRITING FROM SUNRISE::

Berrynose bent his head close to the tabby she-cat's ear. "We'll have kits like that one day," he purred.

Honeyfern looked up at him, blinking shyly. "I'd like that."

The cream-colored warrior rasped his tongue over Honeyfern's shoulder. "You'll make a wonderful mother."

Lionblaze opened one eye to see all three of Millie's kits leaping and tumbling around, a couple of fox-lengths away from the rocks where he and his clanmates lay. Briarkit fell over and rolled so that she was next to the crack in the rock wall; leaping up, she balanced on her hind legs with her forepaws streching up into the air.

In the same instant, Lionblaze spotted a long, dark shadow emerging from the rock behind the kit. It reared up against the gray stone, but Briarkit was too excited to notice. Lionblaze sat bolt upright.

Snake!

He bunched his muscles to spring, but Honeyfern was quicker. Leaping down from the rock, she bundled Briarkit out of the way. The snake arched its neck; before Honeyfern could move it struck down and buried its hooked fangs in her shoulder.

Honeyfern sprang backwards with a screech of pain. "Help!"

Berrynose crouched besides Honeyfern, who was lying on her side with her paws splayed out; her breath came fast and shallow, and her eyes were full of terror. A thin line of blood on her shoulder showeed where the snake had struck.

[skip]

"Help me!" Honeyfern had begun to twitch and writhe in pain. "My blood is on fire! Help me, please! It hurts so much!"

Berrynose stared at Leafpool. "Do something!" he begged. His gaze swept over th cluster of cats. "One of you, do something!"

Leafpool didn't seem to hear him; she just dragged her gaze away from Cinderheart and looked down at Honeyfern as she struggled for breath.

Sorreltail slid out her claws, her disbelieving gaze fixed on the medicine cat. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

Leafpool bowed her head. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "There's nothing I can do. The poison has taken hold of her."

Sorreltail raised her head and let out a yowl of anguish, while Brackenfur wrapped his tail around her shoulders and drew her close.

Honeyfern's legs folded into her belly, and her back arched in agony. When the spasm passed she lay limply, her chest hardly moving to show that she was still breathing. Her legs continued to twitch; her eyes had begun to glaze over.

In silence, Holleyleaf and the rest of the cats shuffled backward to give Berrynose space to help Honeyfern on her journey to Starclan. The cream-colored tom crouched over her, stroking her fur with one paw. "We would have had wonderful kits together," he murmured. "Just as strong and beautiful as you. And one day I'll see you in Starclan."

Honeyfern's jaw moved and a rasping sound came from her throat, as if she was trying to reply.

"You saved Briarkit's life," Berrynose went on, bending his head to lick the dying she-cat's head. "Every cat in Starclan will honor you."

A long sigh came from Honeyfern. Hollyleaf watched helplessly as her friend's limbs grew still and the rise and fall of her chest faded away. Finally, her blue eyes stared sightlessly into the sky.

~Goodbye, Honeyfern