The Awakening [p]

[Pride]

I am the way into eternal pain, 

I am the way to go among the lost.

Justice caused my high architect to move, 

Divine omnipotence created me, 

The highest wisdom, and the primal love. 

Before me there were no created things 

But those that last forever—as do I 

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." 

-Dante Alighieri, Inferno 

~ 

Shadows flickered and clung like spider webs against the pine trees that scraped against the starless sky with their skeletal branches. There was no wind here, no air or light or wildlife, yet something in the dead leaves and the pooling marshes seemed to shudder and twitch with every movement that she took—as if even the Dark Pool itself could sense a shift within its very core. Something was changing, and Pride could practically taste it. 

There should have been no sense of time passing here, but the thick tangles of brambles and broken roots that made the walls of her cell had thinned gradually enough for her to tell that it had been far too long since she'd been locked up. Now, however, the walls had grown so weak that all it took was a step forward and a crawl for her to break free.  

Her patience had paid off at last. The time had come, and Pride had no plans on wasting such a beautiful opportunity. After all, she hadn't forgotten what had gone wrong last time—the time that had gotten her in the cell in the first place—and she had no intention of forgetting her mistakes. This time, she knew, would be different.

Pride let out a long breath, reveling in the perpetual blood-like smell of the Dark Pool that greeted her as she walked across the marshes. It was almost as good as fresh air to her nose, if only because of its familiarity. Her thick, long white fur stuck out sharply against the blacks and greens of the place, and she imagined that it shone like a beacon of purity within filth. She recalled, when she had lived and breathed, how her pelt shimmered like that of a holy CloudClan spirit's once the sunlight struck it at just the right moment. It had caught the eyes of certain cats, the same ones who had praised her one moment and turned against her the next.

By now, they would have long become CloudClan spirits themselves. Pride couldn't help but idly wonder if any of them would recognize her now—that is, if any of them were still even around. It probably wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it'd been forever, she mused.

Soon she arrived at a clearing where the thin pine trees were much more sparse, the marshes now much shallower under her paws. She glanced around coolly, her gaze searching the area for any sign of another presence. If her prison had weakened enough over time to let her slip out, surely the same would have happened for the others. 

[Deleted]

Blood is getting hotter,
body's getting colder

Something had changed.

That much was evident.

Something had changed, that worked in her favor. She felt a twisted grin take over her expression. After years, and years, of darkness and imprisonment... Trapped with only the worst of company, helpless to do anything but scream with no aid in sight. Her only option to wait and wait and wait in hopes an opportunity would come. There was no one to pray to. There was nothing to hope for except... For simply luck. She had so few allies, really. Cats just go so... Offended... However, still... The smallest of cracks had appeared. However, it was a crack to be exploited. She was weak, terribly, terribly weak. It'd been so long, but perhaps... 

Heh. 

Times had changed and she'd slipped through the cracks. She'd rediscovered her freedom. After endless days of screaming into the darkness, of no one rushing to her aid... She'd gotten out without help. Hah. She didn't need help. Oh, and how they'd burn for doing this to her. The list of their sins against her only got longer and longer with time, and she'd make them burn for every crime. She wasn't in the wrong, she'd been wrongly punished. The white-hot fire of rage burning in her couldn't steer her wrong. 

She was going to kill until she felt the bill was paid.

Wrath chuckled lightly to herself, sounding not entirely like the picture of mental health. She breathed in the thick scent of blood, that seemed to permeate Dark Pool's atmosphere. Fitting, considering this place was where Cloudclan stashed the rejects. Hah! Not like she'd want to be wish to be amongst those backstabbing, weaklings!

Stretching her limbs like she hadn't for years, Wrath moved onwards. She arrived at a clearing, where the trees were seemingly pushed aside in a dramatic fashion. The marsh wasn't too deep, so that honestly helped her mood. She still desperately wanted to sink her teeth into something...

She growled lightly as she spotted someone familiarnotfamiliar.

"Pride." She snarled.

I don't wanna die 

so you're gonna have to

- "I Don't Wanna Die" - Hollywood Undead -

[Sloth]

Not much was going on in the Dark Pool, much to Sloth's enjoyment. Something in him seemed to change suddenly. It made him groan. I actually have to do something today? Disgusting. The tom rose to his paws and felt himself following a path. It led into an open clearing where Wrath and Pride appeared to be residing.

He blinked at them with his flat face. Did he know them? Have they ever spoken? He was not sure nor did he care.

The spirit laid down and sighed. "Why did we even meet here? This is so pointless." His eyes began to droop. "Dark Pool cats don't meet. That's what those Cloudclan cats do to trick the living into believing in them." His eyes closed and he began to snore.