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The bear and the badger

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"Firestar, what're you doing out here?"
"Huh? Oh. Hi, Sandstorm. I'm just... thinking."
"About the battle with BloodClan yesterday?"
"Yeah. I just.... I just wish I could have done things differently, you know? If I'd paid attention, I could have saved Whitestorm."
"Quit beating yourself up about that. Whitestorm wouldn't want you to. Besides, he's hunting with StarClan now, he's happy."
"..."

"Look, you need to take your mind off this. How about I tell you a story? Have you heard the one about the, er, bear and the... badger?"
"....I don't think so."
"Oh, good, because I'm making it up right now. Ok, so once there was a bunch of badgers living in a forest, and they met this bear. He wanted to come live with them, but he was different, and most of the badgers didn't trust him. Also, he was kind of a mousebrain, which didn't help matters."
"Sandstorm, are you trying to imply something?"
"Shut up and let me tell the story. All right, so the badgers let the bear join them, even though he was incredibly annoying. But somehow, along the way, he became kind of cool and ended up leader of the badgers! Don't ask me how that happened."
"Hey, are saying that I'm like the bear - ?"

"Honestly, Firestar, not everything is about you. It's just a story, for StarClan's sake. Anyway, skipping on ahead through the story, this evil, er, dog came with all his other evil dogs and tried to take over the forest. But the bear killed the dog, saved everyone, and even got the girl! The end!"
"...Are you sure that story isn't about me? It sounds awfully familiar."
"Well, I'm sorry you think that. Check back with me when I'm an elder. Maybe my stories will be more original by then."
"Haha, very funny."
"Seriously, though, the bear saved everyone. And do you think that bear would sit about moping about things that have already happened? No. He'd pick up his rear, move on, and go be the great leader that he is."

"So, you're saying the bear should just forget about the past?"
"Of course not. Just that the bear should not have regrets about what has already been done."
"...You know, you never told me how smart you were, Sandstorm."
"I assumed you already knew."
"So... what happens next? With the bear and the badgers, I mean. What do they do now?"
"Well... the story's finished. So... I dunno."
"Nah, I don't think so. I think their story's just beginning."
"You think?"
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, Sandstorm?"
"Hmm?"
"In case you forgot, I love you."
"I love you, too, you annoying furball."


<3

My second entry for :iconnekoyasha12:'s contest. I really couldn't resist making another one. I mean, the theme of the contest is just so interesting ashjshgfgah

I picked Firestar and Sandstorm for this one, with Firestar's soul animal as a bear and Sandstorm's soul animal as a badger. The symbolic meanings are just so perfect ;o;

So, for Firestar, bears symbolize:

Adaptability ~ Firestar started out as a kittypet named Rusty, who longed to know what was out there in the forest, and he eventually joined one of the Clans of the wild cats. Most seemed to think he was weak and puny, and that he wouldn't last long out in the forest. However, young Rusty (well, Firepaw now, actually) proved them all wrong. He adapted incredibly well to the forest environment, quickly learning how to hunt and defend himself and his Clan. I think his ability to catch on so fast was a sign of how great he would eventually become.

Love ~ Firestar is very familiar with the concept of love. He first loved Spottedleaf, and he eventually fell in love with Sandstorm. He loved his kits, Squirrelflight and Leafpool. In the non-romantic way, he loved Yellowfang, Bluestar, and Cinderpelt. They meant a lot to him, and when each of them died it was like a huge blow to him. Also, when he first became leader, Spottedleaf gave him the gift of love, advising him to use it well for all the cats he cared about.

Power ~ Firestar did have quite a lot of power, with him being a leader and all. Not to mention the whole having-nine-lives thing makes him pretty powerful, too. Not to mention he's related to three certain cats who have special powers.

Protection ~ This another gift Firestar receives at his leader ceremony, given to him by Brindleface. It gave him the drive to protect each and every one of his Clanmates with all the fierceness of a mother protecting her kits.

Courage and strength ~ Firestar definitely had both of these traits. He displayed his courage many times over, when he saved Bluestar from Tigerclaw, went into the fiery camp to retrieve Bramblekit, went off on that journey with Graystripe to go find WindClan, etc. There's just too many courageous things he did to even list. Firestar was also a very strong cat, both physically and mentally. He determinedly prevailed through all the hardships he faced, right up to the end.

Wisdom ~ Firestar showed great wisdom in his younger years, and as he aged he remained ever wise. Not all cats appreciated his manner of thinking at times, but his ideas were usually pretty good. And he had everyone's best interests at heart, so that's really what counts. For the most part.

Freedom ~ He and all the other wild cats are free from the leash of humanity, so... yeah. Pretty simple explanation, there.

Prefers peace and tranquility ~ This description fits Firestar exactly. xD Firestar was never one for plunging headlong into battles with the other Clans. He always tried to keep the peace and prevent these fights for as long as possible. Most of the time the other Clans, sometimes even his own Clanmates, didn't much appreciate that and fought anyway, but at least he tried.

Now, onto Sandstorm! I actually didn't expect her heart's soul animal to be a badger, and I was pretty surprised when I found that a lot of the badger's symbolic meanings match her personality exactly.

So, the badger symbolizes:

Determination and focus ~ Sandstorm was a very determined she-cat, a quality which definitely passed on to her daughter, Squirrelflight. As an apprentice, she was very focused on becoming a warrior, and didn't let anything stop her until she reached her goal. Her determination showed constantly through her actions in every one of her appearances in the series, which is one of the things I love about her.

Eagerness ~ When she was an apprentice, she was very eager to become a warrior, and she was pretty ticked when Firepaw and Graypaw became warriors before her. Honestly, I can't really blame her. Also, in that one part in the second book, I think, where she and Firestar (Fireheart then) were playing in the snow, she displayed a bit of eagerness and childishness, which was pretty unusual for her at the time. Well, unusual for Fireheart, anyway, since she'd never been very friendly before then.

Strong will ~ This quality pretty much goes along with determination. Sandstorm definitely had a heck of a strong will. For instance, when she accompanied Firestar on the journey to find SkyClan, her perseverance and will to go on was partly what helped them get to their destination. Not counting that one moment when she thought Firestar was still in love with Spottedleaf and flipped her lid.

Strategy and Defense ~ Sandstorm was always good at fighting, and her battle strategies were useful in battle. Like her other Clanmates, she faught hard to defend her fellow ThunderClanners and their honor, and, as far as I can tell, she rarely lost a fight, or at least rarely backed down from one. However, she wasn't stupid, and knew when to call it quits, unlike some other cats.

Protection ~ Defending the Clan goes hand in hand with protection, so that was something she was good at. And when she became a mother, she was probably really protective of her kits.

Independence and confidence ~ Sandstorm sure was one confident, independent cat. She always spoke her mind and seemed very sure of herself throughout the series.

And there you go! :'D

I would have added more to some of the symbols, but I've spent a while on both the drawing and the writing. I think it's probably time to take a break from the computer.

Also, I'm dedicating this picture to my grandpa, who just passed away on Thursday. He was buried today. I'll miss you, Paw-Paw. RIP.
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