Is This Just A Dream? - Mind Link Established | priv.R&D

His fur bristled instantly, jumping to look clearly at the voice that had interrupted his thoughts. Even in sleep, could he not get a moment's peace to think through how to handle the threats that came from every direction? He had half a mind to say as such, but the face and voice before him finally caught up with his mind. “Darkcinder?,” he asked incredulously. He'd had dreams of the deceased before, but never in a way that seemed so... real. It was difficult to describe. It felt so much different than guilt ridden nightmares, or his mind grasping at a way to mourn.

... did he usually even know he was dreaming?

“I don't- I don't understand. Are you... are you really here?” Are you really from StarClan? He couldn't make himself ask, but it lingered on his tongue all the same. Rabbitstar wasn't a medicine cat, they weren't gifted the divine skill to commune with StarClan, but-? Might they be so lucky to just get to see their friend again...?

“Of course you don't,” Rabbitstar was quick to reassure. Still, there were a lot of emotions attached to just looking at Darkcinder. He followed the other tom's gaze out at the lurking meadows before them. It was easier than thinking about the way they'd found his body, and it made the stressful questions easier to confront. “It's just... I don't tend to get dreams from StarClan. It's a little surprising to see you here. I thought I might not see you until my lives run out.”

That wasn't what he'd been asked about, though.

Darkcinder was now a warrior of StarClan - surely he had to know something of what was going on. Perhaps then StarClan wasn't after them if Darkcinder came like this. It was a little reassuring. Still, they weren't going to waste their friend's visit by forcing him to listen to their anxieties and stresses. If Rabbitstar couldn't handle a little pressure, then Darkcinder may as well strip him of his lives and name right here and now. “... There is a lot to worry about. Rest assured, I will keep SunClan safe. Be it from MoonClan or hostile outsiders - or StarClan forbid, both - I will keep our Clan safe.”

Listening to Darkcinder list SunClan's issues on and individual and group scale, Rabbitstar felt the cold claws of anxiety take firm hold of his chest. “... Times are uncertain in the Clans,” Rabbitstar concurred, keeping an even tone as he carefully chose his words. “There is a lot we don't know. The only certainty, it seems, is the danger. Beestar, Fallenpetal, Honeyflare... you and Shadepool... we don't even know our enemy's true name. An invisible threat is looming over us.” He hesitated.

With some reluctance, he shifted his violet eyes to watch Darkcinder with careful calculation. “... if I may be so bold as to ask... what happened to you, Darkcinder? There's got to be something you can tell me to help guide us out of the dark. Who is hunting SunClan cats like mice?”

Alarmed to see his friend, let alone a StarClan cat, wince from something he couldn't fathom, Rabbitstar leaned towards Darkcinder. There wasn't much to be observed, naturally, but all the same it was worth the effort. “Are you alright, Darkcinder?” He hesitated, then re-settled his posture. Hopefully dropping the subject would ease some of Darkcinder's burden. “Don't worry about it, then, thank you for trying.”

There, the subject was officially dropped.

He gestured vaguely at the grassland before them. “I suppose, even though I know StarClan always watches us... it's nice to really know I haven't truly lost the presence of a friend. I'm glad you've come to visit me, Darkcinder. We all miss you terribly.”

... hm. The wording of that unsettled Rabbitstar. Hope things get better? StarClan... StarClan should know that, shouldn't they? His body tensed with discomfort at the thought. “... I'd love to see you more often. I wish it could be in camp, but... well, StarClan is lucky to have you. I'm sure it glistens all the brighter with your presence. Just like our camp was that much brighter with you around.” The doubts in his heart made him feel guilty, but he was increasingly under the impression they were hiding something from one another. The true state of Rabbitstar's concerns and... something about the circumstances Darkcinder found himself in now. Wasn't that supposed to be their one certainty? Their place in StarClan at the end of their life's journey?

Maybe he was just overthinking things. Maybe he was just on edge with all that had been going on.

His ears fell back with shock, angled tensely away before he could compose himself to force them into a more neutral position. “... thank you for visiting me, then. I'll figure out what happened to you, and I'll make sure it doesn't happen to any of our Clanmates again.” He followed Darkcinder's lead, rising to his paws. Before he'd be force to wake or move on to some non-celestial dream, he pressed his muzzle against Darkcinder gently, a gentle gesture of farewell. “Until then, old friend, I wish you peace.”