Gazing out at the imposing outline of the dusky Highstones before them, Lichenpaw's mind remained distant as they gradually drew closer and closer. Even as they passed through WindClan's sparse territory and the seemingly lifeless territory that laid beyond that, little caught his attention. The dread of whatever terrible revelation would likely be awaiting him was simply too much for him to enjoy something as trivial as sight seeing. He had to stay strong though, for the cats who depended upon him in what came next. Carefully keeping close behind his guide's heels as they subsequently ventured deep into the overwhelmingly dark bowels of the Highstones, the sleek tabby's nose was filled with an unpleasant mixture of ancient stone, stale air, and countless scents of the various Clans. Oh how he longed for the sweet air of RiverClan's territory! Heart thudding wildly within his chest- so loud he was practically certain all of WindClan could hear it in the suffocating silence- each breath he inhaled was shaky. Every step taken towards the glittering and ominously smooth outline of the Moonstone was forced, but something deep within his soul seemed to beckon him forth relentlessly. Whatever they would show him on this eve, it was needed. He needed to do this, not just for RiverClan, but for all of the Clans.
Inhaling a mouthful of chilly starlight and damp stone, Lichenpaw's eyes gradually drifted shut.
Soft, sweet stalks of grass brushed against the sensitive skin of Lichenpaw's nose, the tickling sensation gently rousing the sleep-fuzzy edges of his unconscious mind. Letting out a short little huff of irritation, he swung his paw protectively across his muzzle in hopes of fending off the pestering vegetation. Twisting and shuffling impatiently, the young tom desperately tried to settle down once more, longing much more for the prospect of a restful sleep rather than a vision quest. How long had it been since he had slept through the night without some fearsome prophecy to disrupt what little sleep he was able to acquire? Letting out a rattling, gusty sigh that practically flattened the grass before him, the darkly colored tom's gaze blearily drifted open, eyes practically bleeding reluctance. The soft, ethereal light that composed the unearthly realm before him seemed muted and buttery at first, bathing the rich foliage and undergrowth in deeply colored shadows. The soft hum and chatter of various unseen insects buzzed lightly, softly droning on constantly.
Blinking away the stubborn traces of drowsiness, Lichenpaw lazily inhaled the sweet air, his whiskers and fur gently stirred by the warm breeze. Finding himself greatly soothed by his previous sleep, his interest was now drawn to the prospect of simply observing his surroundings. Resting his chin heavily upon his forepaw, the tabby contentedly gazed out at his unfortunately familiar surroundings. StarClan had lost some of its legendary beauty within his mind, simply because of how often he was pulled into their realm, but that didn't mean he still didn't appreciate its ethereal quality.
Luscious reeds and ferns seemed to unfold around him endlessly, filling the air with countless enticing scents. The soft earth before him gradually sloped down into a pool, the pebble-flecked shore gently giving way to waters as smooth and still as glass. Even despite the short distance that yawned between Lichenpaw and the surprisingly large pool, it was easy to see that the waters were crystal clear- even despite the occasional stray gusty breeze. The longer he gazed at the incredibly inviting pool before it, the more fervently his satisfied grogginess bled away. Despite his many visits with Sparrowleaf, he had never been sent to such a place before. I wish they'd allow me to come here more often. The thought, initially harmless at conception, now sent a bolt of apprehension clawing its way down his spine. Scrambling into a half-sitting position, Lichenpaw's heart threatened to burst from his chest as he frantically gazed about. Why was he here of all places?! The inviting atmosphere of...wherever he was, no longer seemed nearly as welcoming. And more importantly, where was Sparrowleaf?!
His frantic skimming of the endless sea of reeds and looming beech trees hardly answered the storm of questions that bubbled at the back of his throat. Was... StarClan denying him of their presence? Even after everything he had done for them?! A particularly strong gust kicked up flecks of starlight from various points around Lichenpaw, illuminating the air with countless points of brilliant light for just the briefest heartbeat. He had become so accustomed to Sparrowleaf simply appearing before him the very moment he awoke that it was dreadfully frightening to be without her. Would she really abandon him to his lonesome after everything he had done for her? Neck craning back in a manner that was borderline painful, the dark-furred tom's jaw was agape for several painfully long moments as he watched the specks of light twinkle and flicker above him. Lichenpaw almost felt like crying out for the long-dead Medicine Cat's presence, but yet he seemed unable to. Had he failed?! Is that why they were refusing to acknowledge his arrival?
Although his raging fears of failure and his desperate need for companionship still remained as a stinging sensation atop his skin, the glimmer of fascination pooling in his chest served as a fantastic distraction. Rising up to his full height, Lichenpaw tentatively swung his head about as he around as he gazed at the strange territory with starry eyes. He had come to StarClan's territory many different times, and yet he had never been able to simply observe their territory so freely. And boy, did the elder's tales hardly do this place justice! Absently straying forward several steps, until his paws came into contact with the smooth stones that framed the edge of the pool, the young tom found himself caught up with a kit-like sense of fascination that seemed entirely unfamiliar. Perhaps they weren't visiting him because he was supposed to explore this heavenly land, or because some ancient cat was currently en route to meeting him. Would he get to meet the late Ivystar or Fishstar? Or perhaps even Reedstar! Caught up in his mindless fantasies, Lichenpaw had absently wandered forth into the eerily still pool that laid before him, casting out a sea of ripples.
"Lichenpaw!" A sudden storm of countless voices cried out with the strength of thunder, yet with the softness of a slow-going stream. Lichenpaw nearly jumped out of his fur at the sound of the strange cry that, despite the fact that there appeared to be many speakers, sounded like a single ethereal voice. Warily peering about the lush undergrowth that unfolded all around him, the young tom was completely oblivious to the flash of strange light that bled across the pool.
"Look down, Lichenpaw." The strange voices chimed, stirring his fur softly with the intensity of their sweet exhales. Reluctantly dragging his gaze away from the sea of foliage that arose well above his head, the young tom slowly returned his attention down the once-more still pool he was currently standing within. The young tom only had a mere moment to peer down at his unblinking reflection until something utterly bizarre happened. There was a dull roaring, one that closely resembled the stirring of branches during a ferocious storm, tore through Lichenpaw for a painfully long moment before he was transported... back to the river? Oddly enough, standing just a short distance away was Jaystar and Goldeneye- yet, they didn't appear to notice him despite his close proximity. Head tilting curiously, the majority of the pair's conversation remained muted.
Until Jaystar leaned against Goldeneye, tenderly brushing his muzzle against the Medicine Cat's in a loving display. Disgustingly, Goldeneye didn't pull away or reprimand the Leader's crass actions, instead she merely remained passive as the long-furred tom spoke once more. ”I-I-I’m s-so sorry... I shouldn’t... I’m sorry... but... I-I-I... really... love you...” Several more images of Jaystar and Goldeneye, much too close for comfort and blatantly basking in one-another's company flashed behind Lichenpaw's wide gaze, twisting the young tom's gut with a sense of outrage and horror. What was this? This couldn't be true! There was no way Goldeneye would judge him so fiercely for a crime he had never even committed, when she was 'standing' before him engaging in far worse activities. However, before Lichenpaw was even given the chance to become further enraged about the stinging sense of betrayal that roared within him, Goldeneye and Jaystar merely faded away like ash being kicked up within the grasp of a fierce breeze, with only the faint sound of weak mewling lingering for a brief moment.
Where he was next, he did not know. It vaguely resembled WindClan's territory, but it looked nothing like the portion he had just trekked through on his way to the Highstones. Once more stricken as an invisible ghost, he could only stand by helplessly as two cats breezed by, clearly heading deeper into the bleakness of the moorland. Although he didn't recognize the grey and white tom who was pacing along, he was able to recognize the small brindled figure that struggled to keep up. Was that... Brindlestar? Why was that she-fox here? "Are you sure they'll truly allow me to stay?" The younger incantation of Brindlestar anxiously questioned, voice already fading as the pair of WindClanner gradually faded from his line of sight. "Of course they will, you're my kin, and even if you wern't, I'm positive Ashstar would let you stay." So Brindlestar was actually born outside of the Clans? It wasn't just some cruel rumor spread about?
The vision was already dwindling from Lichenpaw's line of sight, dissipating in a manner similar to the previous vision of Jaystar and Goldeneye, but the darkness was quickly interrupted by a fierce smugness. ”All of the precious kits you’ve borne have more RiverClan blood in them than anything else. Perhaps that’s why they’ve fared so well in this life- they have the blood of only the strongest Clan.” As quickly as it came, the voices faded. Instead, Lichenpaw was now faced with the unfortunately familiar interior of ThunderClan's camp- only with many cats he failed to recognize crowding over a small, golden tom. "Leopardkit. Leopardkit is his name." Leopardkit...? As in Leopardstar? Lichenpaw wanted to groan in disbelief- how many Leaders could possibly be rogues?! The eager chattering of the long lost ThunderClanners bled away into unbearably warm darkness that felt practically suffocating. For a painfully long time, the only thing that seemed to confront Lichenpaw was the overwhelming darkness that seemed to be eagerly devouring him, tearing into every piece of flesh they could reach. Throat tightening with panic, the young tom began to flounder wildly, lashing out in a futile attempt to break free of the terrifying darkness. What was happening?! Was he not supposed to see those visions?!
"Now you see, Lichenpaw." A familiar voice called out from the distance, soft yet reverberating with immense power. Although Lichenpaw was unable to see the speaker, or even move at that, he knew who it was. Sparrowleaf! Muscles practically screaming with relief, the young tom fell slack against the crushing darkness that weighed down upon him. Whatever would happen, Sparrowleaf would keep him safe- even if he tended to loathe her presence most days, he found that he desperately trusted her in this very moment. "This is the terrible illness I once told you of. Our great and noble Leaders are just as corrupted as others, in fact they helped worsen such an aliment! Jaystar is a blind fool who is more content cuddling up to that foul rat of a Medicine Cat while Brindlestar and Leopardstar have blood that doesn't even share similarities to their Clanmates, while they both have half-Clan kits tainted with poisonous blood!" The Medicine Cat's enraged speech only sparked a similar fire within Lichenpaw, even in spite of his current predicament. It was the Leaders, it was them all along! Only when they were gone would the Clans be safe! "Littlestar is a half-Clan monstrosity whose mate was a Dark Forest supporter who fled to SkyClan and Tinystar is nothing more than a kit-sized blithering idiot who has a poisoned mate and a Clan of rogues who can't even see the Dark Forest supporters hidden amongst them!" Even though Sparrowleaf was entirely unseen to Lichenpaw, he could practically feel the rage and scornful ambition that bled from her in passionate waves.
"Eradicate them, Lichenpaw. That is the first step is saving what you hold most dearly."
The moment he blinked once more, unable to see nothing more than the deepest of hellish darkness, nothing appeared to remain of his odd dream. Although he swore that he had caught sight of a faintly familiar outline of a cat, it had vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Perhaps it was just his overly exerted mind and body merely playing tricks on him as a result of the painfully long past few hours. Even though he knew now that nothing accompanied him within the fading dreamscape, the faint remnants of uncomfortable fear and wrathful rage seemed to stubbornly latch on to his ruffled fur, digging in so deeply to him that it seemed to follow him into the waking world.
The wide space of the Moonstone's cavern, once bathed in the eerie silver light of the moon, was heavy with the shadowy light of predawn. The once bubbling glimmer of the sacred stone had bled into something softer, something hardly discernible to the untrained eye- Lichenpaw himself was only able to catch the faintest flickering of the rapidly dying light just a whisker away from his face. Although his heart still seemed to be pounding with such a ferocious intent that it rattled his bones, the roaring flames of rage and determination drown it all out. Every frantic inhale and exhale only seemed to reinvigorate the tom with a sense of righteousness, one that would never leave him until he completed the tremendous task place before him.
Stiffly hauling himself up from the cold, unpleasantly damp floor of the cavern, Lichenpaw's posture was tense with a newfound resolve as he shouldered past his unsuspecting guide and bolted back up the labyrinth of tunnels that awaited him, rage and determination lending him a newfound speed.
______________________________________
"born of ichor & nectar; excellence already found at fingertips."
resident chewer of bones & mad woman enthusiast | former administrator
