Darkness Exists To Make Light Truly Count

Hi there! I’m Ruby, and I’m happy to meet you :) Welcome to my blog!

My main blog, @iridescentruby , is a home for the content I create; right now, that’s mostly art pieces inspired by my Warrior Cats roleplays, but may also include fanart for the shows and books I enjoy, as well as commentary or written fanworks for those same medias, or completely unrelated musings about life! My sideblog, @rubyrises , is a bit of a “spam blog,” where I reblog cool content from other folks

And my second sideblog, @inkpooled , hosts reblogged content from my WCRP friends

You can also find me in other places using my linktr.ee!

Saffron has fled, Bruce is dead, and their gang is finally gone. Together, the Clans have defeated their enemies! Finally, peace will return!

… Right?

The deputy held no illusions that things would always be peaceful. When she was long gone, cats would find reasons to unsheathe their claws. Her life, in large part, would likely be forgotten. But if she could change one thing in the history of the clans, she wanted it to be this. Even if her name was lost to time, she hoped that a neutral Little Pond could remain as an echo of everything she'd ever fought for. Of what Wildsong had died fighting for.

“Wizardkit," she said, more serious than she had ever been with any of her kits. "There's no wrong way to be a tom or a molly or anything else. The only thing you have to be is you. No matter what you identify as, the most important part is that you're still my Fuzzy-Wuzzy. Don't worry about trying to fit in with whatever you think you should be."

Inkpool, a daylight warrior and monarch of TimberClan, has vanished.

In the unusual absence of their overprotective mother, Eclipsekit, Tansykit, and Thunderkit are… coping. With varying degrees of success.

She saw her childhood sunsetting before her eyes, going out as softly and serene as the late fall evening it left her on. As it left, she wanted to ask it: will you miss me like I'll miss you? Will you wonder how I've changed since you left? Will I keep being me if you take my heart with you? Honeypaw wanted to be herself again. She wanted to be three moons old. She wanted to stop knowing everything she knew.

Was this what growing up was? Just being left behind, over and over?

Honeypaw felt herself reaching out to the setting sun, feeling the light slip from between her toes as she tried to grasp it, to force time to stop moving forward. The sunset, of course, didn't care what she wanted. Didn't care if she even noticed, if she watched. It would keep going, would keep being beautiful and terrible and tragic, even if she had never bothered to look.

This fuzzy little fella, Ducklog, is a needle-felted replica of my Warrior Cats character, Duckdown. And he’s about to see the world in a whole new way!

The day begins like any other; as the sun rises, Ducklog sits upon the shelf that he calls home. It’s a nice life, certainly… but it’s become a bit predictable. For Ducklog, something’s missing.

Maybe what he needs in his comfortable life is a pinch of excitement. It can’t hurt to try, can it? For the first time in forever, Ducklog goes outside. The muted chill of a Floridian winter makes him want to shiver… but the welcoming sight of endless sun-ripened greenery proves to be worth the cold!

For a better view, Ducklog climbs a tree! He lounges in the long, thick leaves of an aloe plant, too. At last, as he’s preparing to continue along, a glance into a bush burgeoning with red berries introduces him to a beautiful bird, who feasts eagerly upon the scarlet fruit. A new friend!

Woof, it really is nippy out there! Ducklog heads into his local library, and buys a nice, hot drink to warm up. Oh no— that cup seems a bit too big for him! He’s upset, for a moment, but he reminds himself that it’s alright. Next time, he’ll remember to ask for a cup that’s Ducklog-sized.

For now, there’s still plenty of fun to be had! This little guy wanders up and down the different isles, and only stops when he comes across books that speak on contentment, wellness, and joy. It isn’t always easy to be joyful. But Ducklog thinks it’s never, ever impossible. With a little bit of research and a lot of practice, maybe one day, it’ll be easier.

Wow— the day went by so fast! Ducklog thought he’d be upset, looking outside to see the sun melting into the night, but, to his great surprise, he’s excited! When he rushes outside to bid the daylight farewell, it casts a honeyed golden glow across his wooly brown fur. The wind is cold, but today, Ducklog’s heart was warm.

Tonight, Ducklog returns to his comfortable shelf. But he sleeps better than he has in forever! And when he wakes up, he’s more excited to greet the morning than he has been in a long, long time.

I'll swim and sail on savage seas

With never a fear of drowning

And gladly ride the waves of life

If you would marry me

Jovial and merry though he is, Feverface takes his responsibility as a monarch of CopseClan quite seriously! After all, even when the Clan lacks kittens to raise, there remains an inner child within every grown cat, which he intends to nurture for as long as he shall live. He predicts that his relationship with his deputy, Pronghornpath, shall last just as long— and now that the couple has officially been wed, their Clan’s numbers have doubled, and a dear friend has welcomed a new litter in the nursery, Feverface’s delight for the future cannot be quelled! Now, if only Porcupinepaw were still here to greet the future with him…

Friends, I’ve gotta say, 2022 wasn’t always easy. When it arrived, I was still reeling from a stressful first semester of university classes and the health emergency that cut it short. The first few months of the new year, thanks to that, were still a pretty big struggle.

But the tail-end of this year… wow! It’s been absolutely life-changing, in all the best ways possible! 😄

I’ve become a lot more experimental with my writing projects, and, as you can see above, my art has been getting the same treatment! Testing the waters of lineart, backgrounds, and non-feline subjects has been really wonderful. I’ve been trying to experiment in other ways, too; after finally getting an ADHD diagnosis and returning to counseling, I’m growing more motivated, determined, and confident than ever before!! I’m getting to know myself, figuring out where I want to go, and taking the first steps to get there. The future feels so, so bright.

To 2022, thank you for everything you’ve taught me.

MountainClan's leader, Minkstar, turns her gaze away from the starry sky and towards her Clan's communal den, where her dear former apprentice, Larchfur, rests with his two young kittens, Pebblekit and Pigeonkit.

Summary: The Emperor trusts his Golden Guard to enforce The Titan's will. Hunter won't let him down.

… He can't.

She tells him "ooh love"

“No one's ever gonna hurt you, love”

“I'm gonna give you all of my love”

“Nobody matters like you”

She tells him "your life ain't gonna be nothing like my life”

“You're gonna grow and have a good life”

“I'm gonna do what I've got to do"

In the midst of a sudden summer storm, Tansykit, Thunderkit, and Eclipsekit are born.

@forgotten-elegy

+ Bonus

Pitch black, pale blue

There was a stained-glass variation of the truth

And I felt empty-handed

You let me set sail with cheap wood

So I patched up every leak that I could

'Til the blame grew too heavy

Fanart for an animated project centered around Hunter— as a cat! What’s depicted here is the fight between Amity and Hunter at Eclipse Lake, with Cat!Hunter’s eye made to resemble the broken portal key 💙