Cherrypaw's Moonstone Journey

As Mossbloom gathered together the all too familiar herbs, she realized with a jolt that it had been several moons since an apprentice had been ready to be accompanied to the Moonstone. Cherrypaw was the first of the recent litters to take the next step towards becoming a warrior, and Mossbloom's other duties had kept her held up long enough. Picking up the herbs, thanking the bright sky above for good weather, she padded to the apprentice den and located the pelt of the apprentice.

"Cherrypaw, good morning. Today is the day, are you ready?" Backing out of the den, she waited to the side as the apprentice emerged before nudging the herbs closer to her. "Here you are, make sure you eat all of it, okay? They usually don't taste very good, but these are these aren't really fresh, unfortunately. I'm sorry, they're the best I've got until newleaf comes. Once you're ready though, we can head on our way."

Cherrypaw rolled over in her nest as Mossbloom called out to her, and when she remembered why, she slowly sat up, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. She stood and picked her way out of the den, and when she had left her snoozing denmates inside, she stretched, letting out a large yawn. When she stood back up, she shook the moss from her pelt and turned to the medicine cat. Traveling herbs were laid out in front of her, and with a smile, she licked them up, wincing at the taste. However, they were gone soon enough, and she licked her lips to rid her mouth of the last of the bitterness.
"That's alright, not everything is gonna be a plump, juicy mouse, though I could go for one right now."

She shrugged and flicked her tail, relishing the sunlight that warmed her pelt, thankful for the clear sky and the air that was beginning to warm with the sun as it rose above the horizon. The warmth, along with the traveling herbs, was helping her shake off the clutches of sleep, and before long, she was wide awake and her normal, cheerful self.
"I'm ready to go when you are!"

Chuckling lightly, Mossbloom's white-tipped tail flicked lightly as the weight of the last few moons seemed to melt under the sun above. "I completely understand, but I do promise these will hold off your hunger longer than a mouse would! Soon they'll be all over the forest, I can hardly wait...." Her heart twinged momentarily at the memory of her younger self proudly presenting a mouse to Flintfang before she batted the memory away as Cherrypaw straightened and announced she was ready. With a small smile and a rough purr, she stood and led the way out of camp, motioning with her tail for the she-cat to follow. "Excellent, let's get going then! With this weather, we'll be there with plenty of day to spare."

~Time Skip Time~

As she had predicted, the pair had reached Highstones just as the sun was starting to set, and as she took up her usual spot on a nearby rock she relished in the warmth emanating from the stone. Settling herself so she was positioned towards Mothermouth, she invited Cherrypaw to join her on the stone. "We have a little time to spare, while the moon rises. Do you have any questions before we go into the tunnels? I have to remind you that the message that StarClan shares is for your ears alone, but... Well, I hope that they have something good for you." The worry that StarClan's silence would continue into the Moonstone journeys for the apprentices had been present in Mossbloom's mind, but as the two waited for the right moment to descend into the tunnels the apprehension continued. The sky was still as clear as it had been all day, no clouds to speak of.... She could only hope, and pray.

Finally, the moon had risen to a point where the medicine cat was comfortable that it would be hitting the Moonstone soon, and she rose. As she led the way into the tunnels, the cool sensation of the stone on her whiskers and under her paws brought little comfort. Finally emerging into the cavern, she let out a soft sigh of relief as the bright light of the Moonstone lit up the cavern, and she nodded to Cherrypaw. "It's time. Lay next to the Moonstone and press your nose to it's surface. I will be here when you wake."

Cherrypaw let out a purr at the prospect that the forest would soon fill with prey and followed the medicine cat out of camp into the forest. The journey went smoothly, the herbs doing their job and the warmth from the sun giving her energy to complete the trek to the Moonstone.

When the pair reached Mothermouth, she took the time to rest her paws until Mossbloom said it was time to go into the yawning cavern. The darkness swallowed them up and she followed the medicine cat until they reached the moonstone's cavern. She looked up at the little slice of sky that showed through the roof, and then the cavern lit up brilliant white as moonlight filtered through.

Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she approached the stone and laid down before it, pressing her nose against it, the cold burning almost like fire. She succumbed to sleep as soon as she closed her eyes, and woke in the lush, warm eternal greenleaf of StarClan's forest. She looked around, hoping to see any pelt of a cat that was there to talk to her.

The stars were shifting. Featherheart could feel the tension amid his fellow Starclan cats since the deaths of Torrentstar and Thornstar. The silver grass blew gently in a breeze that stirred his pelt. His green eyes and red pelt vibrant against the silver draped background around him. For now, the concerns didn’t matter so much.

An apprentice was here. He smiled down kindly at her. His lean red tabby frame relaxed and comfortable as he padded before her and gestured to the stars around them.
"[color:d3f5=#7531Oc]Welcome to Starclan.” He stood, then tilted his head meaningfully as he padded towards the silver linings around them. Soft ground beneath their paws as shadows shrunk at their passage and leaves fell delicately from the tops. "[color:d3f5=#7531Oc]You must have questions.” He stated, then glanced at Cherrypaw expectantly.

Cherrypaw gave a quick smile at the tom who had appeared before her, his gaze soft and kind. She almost didn't know what to say, and she didn't for a moment, before she found her words.
"Hi, I'm Cherrypaw... So this is StarClan, huh? What's your name?"

She licked her chest to hide her embarrassment, and kneaded the ground as she looked back up at the starry tom.
Of course this is StarClan! What a stupid question!

"Do you have any wisdom for me? Especially regarding what's been happening recently... Everyone's on edge, and super tense. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't, too."

Featherheart smiled comfortingly at the apprentice. He knew she wouldn’t know him, nor any of his extended family. They were all gone by the time she had been born. A brief glimmer of concern lingered in his eyes as he answered her first question light-heartedly.

"[color:57a7=#7531Oc]I am Featherheart. A former warrior of ThunderClan.” He offered, listening patiently to her second question as his face fell into a more concerned look. He turned his head over towards the starry forest. Where the canopy was bright and full of glittering moonlight. "[color:57a7=#7531Oc]I’m afraid not everything changes once you become part of StarClan.” The orange tom stood, and padded a couple steps away. His tail flicked in the universal message of follow, as he guided her to a single silver leaf on the ground.

Like all leaves, there were lines that moved away from the center. In life, these would have brought nutrients, but in StarClan’s perfection, there was little need.
"[color:57a7=#7531Oc]Warriors of different clans, will always view things differently. Just as in life, there will always be those who see things in a different way. Not every cat gets along, and they never will.” He looked up at Cherrypaw, then poked the leaf with his paw. "[color:57a7=#7531Oc]You could view life itself as the center stem, but notice how all the other lines fold away. Unity can be found in trying times, but when the dust has settled, so too does the divide between all of us.”

He smiled then, stepped over to her to give a comforting nudge to the shoulder.
"[color:57a7=#7531Oc]Be a good warrior. Discourage acts against the code, and you will not have anything to fear. I do not know how far this will go, but you will be safe following it.” The silver landscape around the tom began to fade. Silver weaving into darkness as he watched the apprentice begin to fade off. A kind, hopeful smile on his muzzle.

Cherrypaw followed the starry warrior to the silver leaf, and nodded as he spoke to her. His words made sense to her, and she felt a small sense of relief through the worry that had weighed on her since the Gathering. Soon after the tom had finished speaking, she saw the forest and the tom begin to fade, and felt the pull of the real world on her senses. Quickly, she mewed before she woke,
"Thank you, Featherheart."

The cold stone beneath her was the first thing she felt as she woke, and she sat up, shaking her head to loosen the clutches of sleep.