Marathon (For Robo)

 Marathon (Requested by Robo for The Mating Quest)

By IcewrathXFeatherswirlXCraneheart

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It's not how fast you can go

In order to succeed in the Mating Quest, you must come back first after achieving the objective, but you must be careful. The courses always are filled with dangerous cats, animals, and environment. A wrong turn can mean death or severe injury. These are things I, Roboflight of MountainClan, former leader of the pack. do not want to get me or my Clanmates into.

The force goes into the flow

Even danger has it's advantages though, during the Mating Quest. It helps us see who we are as warriors and it helps us see true friends and a potential mate, but most importantly it helps us haul tail and hurry out so we can finish. I suppose it's the motivation, the force into the flow.

If you pick up the beat

If we hurry and cooperate, which is very hard to do...

You can forget about the heat

We can forget about the dangers and rivalry of the world around us. It can help us win, achieve the objective.

More than just survival

This quest is more than just survival.

More than just a flash

It's more than just a flash of light. It's long and perilous.

More than just a dotted line

<p style="text-align: center;">It's more than a dotted line, like we have back in our Clan territories. There is no invisible line between us out here. We are vulnerable to anything and everything the course can throw at us.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than just a dash

<p style="text-align: center;">We must finish quickly, yet we must travel carefully, to preserve our energy. This is not a game.

<p style="text-align: center;">It's a test of ultimate will

<p style="text-align: center;">It's a test of ultimate will. Our cats must try hard to win and to never give up no matter how bleak our situation looks.

<p style="text-align: center;">The heartbreak climb uphill

<p style="text-align: center;">But there is terrible pain caused by this journey. We have lost Sandpelt to a snakebite (and sabotage by another medicine cat) and Driftingcloud ran away, though I could care less about her. And... I might have a small crush on Firehowl, but he's always so rude and mean. It's so hard, and getting harder everyday.

<p style="text-align: center;">Got to pick up the pace

<p style="text-align: center;">But, still, we can't give up. The rogues are more hostile and dangerous than ever and MoutainClan cats especially, were not made to swim. We have fallen behind on almost every part of this quest. We must pick up the pace...

<p style="text-align: center;">If you want to stay in the race

<p style="text-align: center;">Or else we will lose the quest.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than blind ambition

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than blind ambition. This is will. This is courage.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than simple greed

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than simple greed. This is a desire to bring honor to MountainClan.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than a finish line

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than a finish line.. this is more...

<p style="text-align: center;">Must feed this burning need

<p style="text-align: center;">We must prevail! We must bring honor and a strip of territory to MountainClan! It has been so long since MountainClan has won, and I want to make it through, winning, and without losing more cats.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the long run

<p style="text-align: center;">This quest matters to me. For the rest of our lives, winning or losing will affect us, our Clan. It will affect love and friendship.

<p style="text-align: center;">From first to last

<p style="text-align: center;">From the first of our cats to be made warrior, to the last...

<p style="text-align: center;">Peak is never past

<p style="text-align: center;">We can always do something to reach beyond our peak physical and mental condition to reach our potential. I am determined to do that.

<p style="text-align: center;">Something always fires the light

<p style="text-align: center;">And, we must get used to this routine. There will always be a threat, a fight, a loss... Like we lost Sandpelt... to a big snake, and he was only serving his Clanmates.

<p style="text-align: center;">That gets in your eyes

<p style="text-align: center;">We did everything possible to help him. We took a medicine cat, who helped kill him, but he died, and all of us felt grief. We will all miss Sandpelt

<p style="text-align: center;">One moment's high

<p style="text-align: center;">Whenever there is triumph...

<p style="text-align: center;">And glory rolls on by

<p style="text-align: center;">It will always vanish.

<p style="text-align: center;">Like a streak of lightning

<p style="text-align: center;">Like a streak of lighting I sometimes watch in the sky during storms.

<p style="text-align: center;">That flashes and fades

<p style="text-align: center;">Like that electricity in the clouds, our triumph will always fade, like when we kidnapped the CloudClan medicine cat to heal Sandpelt, and as soon as happiness came it faded when he died.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the summer sky

<p style="text-align: center;">My mating quest has not gotten of to a good start this greenleaf.

<p style="text-align: center;">Your meters may overload

<p style="text-align: center;">We are tired, hungry, sore.

<p style="text-align: center;">You can rest at the side of the road

<p style="text-align: center;">We rest often, but we don't like the idea that the other Clan packs could be pulling ahead of us.

<p style="text-align: center;">You can miss a stride

<p style="text-align: center;">But the way I see it, is that we can rest...

<p style="text-align: center;">But nobody gets a free ride

<p style="text-align: center;">But nobody has boundless energy to keep going and going without rest. The other Clans have to rest, as we do.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than high performance

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than high performance. This is about overcoming obstacles in our life, whether mentall or physically.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than just a spark

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than just a spark. This is the turning point of my whole lifeThis is more than just a spark. This is the turning point of my whole life, as well as the others around me.  This is where I choose my mate. This is where I bring honor to my Clan. This is where I fight to suceed.

<p style="text-align: center;">More than just the bottom line

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than the bottom line. This is only the beginning. I have such a long way to go. We are behind. Many have found their mate to be, but not me. My possible soulmate wants nothing to do with me and I doubt Bravescar or any of the other toms will choose me.

<p style="text-align: center;">Or a lucky shot in the dark

<p style="text-align: center;">This is more than a lucky shot in the dark. There is no luck here, there is only destiny.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the long run

<p style="text-align: center;">This quest will change my whole life.

<p style="text-align: center;">From first to last

<p style="text-align: center;">From the oldest cat in my pack to the youngest...

<p style="text-align: center;">Peak is never past

<p style="text-align: center;">We all have obstacles to overcome.

<p style="text-align: center;">Something always fires the light

<p style="text-align: center;">Like when Driftingcloud ran away, she caused so many, especially Inkpelt, grief. Petalfall and I don't care one way or another,

<p style="text-align: center;">That gets in your eyes

<p style="text-align: center;">But some wanted to stay and wait for her and look for her.

<p style="text-align: center;">One moment's high

<p style="text-align: center;">Any good moment will go bad.

<p style="text-align: center;">And glory rolls on by

<p style="text-align: center;">That has been proven so many times on this quest already.

<p style="text-align: center;">Like a streak of lightning

<p style="text-align: center;">Our good times are like lightning flashes, a single, weak, flickering flame.

<p style="text-align: center;">That flashes and fades

<p style="text-align: center;">The bad times outlast the good.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the summer sky

<p style="text-align: center;">But we perservere.

<p style="text-align: center;">You can do a lot in a lifetime

<p style="text-align: center;">You can do so much in a lifetime, that I don't want it to go to waste on this quest. I want to live, to win, to love. I will perservere and will finish this quest even if I have to do it myself.

<p style="text-align: center;">If you don't burn out too fast

<p style="text-align: center;">But I must make sure I am prepared, that I have energy to face all the threats.

<p style="text-align: center;">You can make the most of the distance

<p style="text-align: center;">We can make it, and we can have fun with this! I know we can! But it's just so hard.

<p style="text-align: center;">First you need endurance

<p style="text-align: center;">We need endurance to face the pain and exhaustion.

<p style="text-align: center;">First you've got to last

<p style="text-align: center;">We need to last this quest. Not only that, but I feel we must win.

<p style="text-align: center;">From first to last

<p style="text-align: center;">From the strongest cat in my pack to the weakest.

<p style="text-align: center;">Peak is never past

<p style="text-align: center;">We all have something to overcome: a loss, a fear...

<p style="text-align: center;">Something always fires that light

<p style="text-align: center;">There will always be something bad and there will always be someone to do it.

<p style="text-align: center;">That gets in your eyes

<p style="text-align: center;">And it will always make us grieve and make us want to give up... but I won't

<p style="text-align: center;">One moment's high

<p style="text-align: center;">There will be good moments.

<p style="text-align: center;">And glory rolls on by

<p style="text-align: center;">But there will always be the bad to cancel it out.

<p style="text-align: center;">Like a streak of lightning

<p style="text-align: center;">Like the flying bird to the slash of a claw, there will be happiness.

<p style="text-align: center;">That flashes and fades

<p style="text-align: center;">It might fade, but there will always be a happiness that lasts forever, that will outlast any pain we endure.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the summer sky

<p style="text-align: center;">The thrill of winning and the sensation of love.

<p style="text-align: center;">From first to last

<p style="text-align: center;">From the sweetest to the nicest of cats

<p style="text-align: center;">Peak is never past

<p style="text-align: center;">We all have a soulmate and we must find him or her as we trek across many lands to win.

<p style="text-align: center;">Something always fires the light

<p style="text-align: center;">There will always be pain.

<p style="text-align: center;">That gets in your eyes

<p style="text-align: center;">Someone would have caused it. There will always be an effect, a chain reaction

<p style="text-align: center;">One moment's high

<p style="text-align: center;">I have faith and when we arrive back to the Clans with the new StarClan link in our jaws with our mates by our sides

<p style="text-align: center;">And glory rolls on by

<p style="text-align: center;">The glory, the joy, it will not go away.

<p style="text-align: center;">Like a streak of lightning

<p style="text-align: center;">This will not be the lightning anymore. It will be the sky: always there as opposed to shortly there.

<p style="text-align: center;">That flashes and fades

<p style="text-align: center;">The sky never fades. Honor from the Mating Quest will never fade. Neither will love, because there is no other cat for you besides the one you find on the quest of courage, strength, loyalty, honor, and love.

<p style="text-align: center;">In the summer sky

<p style="text-align: center;">Perhaps when I come back, with that treasure and my mate with me, maybe then will I understand that this is all worth it.