Ivypaw's Moonstone Journey

When it appeared that Shellwater was actually going to give her the information that she had been searching for her entire life, Ivypaw's heart started pounding. Somehow, she had managed to stay calm right up until that moment. Edging forward so that she wouldn't miss a single word of what Shellwater had to say, Ivypaw tried to ignore the sound of blood rushing through her ears, the pounding in her chest that was almost painful. 'You are descended from two very powerful cats,' Her eyes widened in shock, confusion building already. She hardly had time to think before the small she-cat continued. '... Pairings with that much power can only cause disaster.' What? This wasn't telling her anything, just that her parents were a dangerous pairing. 'Your father sits above the Clan like a bird,' Ivypaw's knees went weak. Though in the form of a prophecy, Ivypaw understood the former elder's words loud and clear. Her biological father was... Jaystar.

All along, the tom who had posed as her adopted father was, in reality, truly her father?

Ivypaw's head swam. What was she supposed to make of this? Although she didn't quite see what was so wrong about Jaystar being her father yet, she tried her best to focus as her shock visibly grew. So many things made sense now, her namesake, the color of her fur, even down to her mannerisms. Focus, Ivypaw. She had to focus. 'Your fiery mother has been gone since the flood, but left a trail in her wake.' Who had been gone since the flood? She'd ponder this question later, surely it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out... And then, the truth hit her like a monster on the Thunderpath. Why else would the pairing between Jaystar and her mother be so dangerous, so vile? Who else had power over the Clan, like no other? It all made sense. For a moment her mind quickly flashed to Berrycloud, whose pelt bore such a strong resemblance to the she-cat. How had she not already figured it out? Just the beginning of the prophecy should have been enough to reveal it to her... Goldeneye, the medicine cat who had brought her to RiverClan as a kit, was her biological mother.

She could have passed out, right then and there.

Anything that Shellwater said afterward flew right past Ivypaw's ears, her mind in a state of shock. She found herself unable to move, unable to even open her eyes as her entire life clicked, all at once. The last thing she heard was Shellwater saying something she couldn't quite make out, before she was plunged into darkness once more. As the feeling of the cold, damp cave finally came back to the apprentice, she found herself still unable to move. Her muscles were tensed, her eyes still clenched shut tightly. Maybe, if she wished hard enough, this could all go away, she wouldn't have to deal with it. Right?

As soon as Ivypaw touched her nose to the Moonstone, her consciousness sunk deep into the clutches of a supernaturally-induced sleep. The young she-cat seemed to relax completely―not even the tip of her tail twitched. If it were not for the rise or fall of her sides, one could jump to the conclusion that she was nothing more than a corpse. Scorchclaw had seen this occurrence take place time and time again. It was no longer a surprise to him, but it was still somewhat unsettling. Once he was certain that Ivypaw had departed for the realm of StarClan, he released a breath he had not even realized he had been holding. Until she woke up, he could only guess at what the ancestors would tell her. Either she would open her eyes knowing the truth, or she would open her eyes closer to it than she had been before. As always, it was his duty to wait. The large tabby padded towards the wall of the cavern and sat down with his back to it. The seconds ticked by, stretching into minutes...

At last, the slightest twitch of motion caught Scorchclaw's attention, and his gaze snapped up. Had he imagined it? Ivypaw was still lying within the glow of the Moonstone, its brilliant rays gently caressing her fur. She did not rise to her paws, as most of the other apprentices had done when they awoke. The thought passed briefly through his mind; perhaps he had been mistaken, and she was still asleep. There was only one way to find out. Standing, he cautiously padded over to the apprentice's side. He stood in silence for a second or two, examining her. Then his green eyes widened with realization. Ivypaw's eyes were tightly squeezed shut, her body tense throughout. She was awake, all right, but... it was as if she did not want to be... "Ivypaw!" Scorchclaw gently shook the apprentice with a large paw. "Ivypaw. Are you all right?" His usually stoic tone cracked, genuine concern seeping in. What had they told her?

Oh, for goodness' sake.

Ivypaw's eyes opened immediately when she felt Scorchclaw's paw upon her shoulder, her body remaining tense as thoughts raced through her mind faster than a WindClanner could run. She had forgotten where she was and who she was with, the shock from her realization sending her into a spiral of difficult emotions. It was the note of concern in Scorchclaws's voice that caused her to slowly get up, shaking the dirt and dust from her fur as she stared down at her paws. "Y-yeah, I'm sorry..." She looked up at him, the pain in her eyes quite evident, yet it was obvious that she didn't want to discuss what had happened. "I guess we'll be getting back, now..." She murmured quietly, gaze remaining locked on the ground in front of her as she waited for the Deputy to lead the way.