In Its Own Time

In its own time is a oneshot by streampaw for the july 2017 wiki gathering.

The story
Guilt is not something you become desentiised to, Flowerstream finds, despite feeling it too many times to count. The swirl of stars around her fades once again as a crash echoes through the clearing. She knows it is not real, but she is too tired to chase the memories away. The images of her once clanmates flash before her once again; Shiveringrose, her back turned against her; Mintfeather, who looked only disappointed; Jayfrost, who swore in front of everyone they would never cross paths again.

"Flo?"

Flowerstream doesn't turn. She knows what it is,and does not want to see it again. Despite that, she still turned round.A mistake, she found, more often than not. Goldenkit's innocent green gaze glances up at her. "Flo!" Flowerstream smiles bitterly. This is how it aways goes, she thinks. And suddenly Goldenkit freezes. Her eyes glaze and she's choking, choking on bile blacker than death, spilling out and sinking into the ground and Flowerstream flinches because a kit is dying and she is doing  nothing.

It was worse that she knew the solution to it all. Find the moonpage. Listen to what the stars tell you, and the world will reset itself in its own time. How she wished she had that freedom; after all, the moonpage was destroyed. Destroyed by her own selfish actions.

A mist fills the clearing and her green eyes widen; surely it wasn't dawn already? But then there was only one other possibility. Her mind darts back to the times she was a kit, when she listened to the legend of the moonpage in the nursery, innocent and wide-eyed; and then to when she was an apprentice, searching desperately for such a place; and then to- Flowerstream stops and draws in a breath. She tastes the air; her suspicions are confirmed.

She didn't think what to do when she walked in. It was such a natural action, to let herself be lured in without a thought for the first time in so long. the air in the moonpage was cold and sharp and wintery, like tasting ice. The inside was silver with moonlight, the reflection glazing the surface of the water. Flowerstream stepped forward, and let the starlight engulf her.

"Flowerstream." a voice all too familiar. Flowerstream turns to look at the graceful she-cat, looking young as ever.

"Dawnmist." Flowerstream nods. Spirits were not to be meddled with, and Flowerstream did not wish to.

"I know why you have come here." Her voice is laced with hurt and pity, and for a second Flowerstream wonders whether it was all just an elaborate trap, an effort into tricking her into getting what she deserves. "and I know that you know what will happen."

"I do indeed."

"It will happen in its own time, Flowerstream." Dawnmist tells her. "You cannot rush it, and it will not be rushed." And those are the last words she heard as pain overtook her vision. After all, she thinks for the very last time. Everything will happen in its own time.