The Goddesses Appearance (open)

As the sunset in the west happened, he opened his light moss-green eyes and looked around seeing if any of the other cat's were awake. He then slipped out of the den to just get some fresh air and gather that he was actually part of the clan again...he would not have to worry about himself and whether some other cat would attack him while sleeping. He was safe here and at the same time Moon almost didn't feel like he actually belonged in the clan. [i]Although that would come with time.[/i] He slipped out of the Riverclan camp with his long silver rippling in the slight wind that was running through the camp. "Hm, perhaps this would be the good night to connect with the moon." he muttered to himself as he slipped out of camp.
A few hours later as he slipped to the edge of Riverclan territory he glanced up to the moon in which he was named. His mother had always told him that he was named after the moon in the sky because he came out of the womb looking at the Moon. He kept looking at the moon at night facinated as a kit and still fasinted after all this time. As he was staring at the moon, he suddenly heard a noise behind him. "Who is there? Show yourself or I will kill you on the spot." he growled as he raised up to his full height and narrowed his eyes into the bush.

It wasn't long ago that a new visitor entered RiverClan. Poppypaw had only caught glimpses and whispers of the conversation, but she knew that the cat that had entered their clan was once a member, and now he was back. She wondered what he was like, but there never seemed to be a good opportunity to speak with him, from him doing something or her apprentice ceremony or training or--well, there was always something.

But she spotted him near the edge of camp now, and her eyes lit up. This was the perfect opportunity to get to know their newest--or, old?--member. He looked distracted staring up at the sky, so she tried to move quietly in the brush to not disturb him too badly.

Poppypaw squeaked and stood on end when Moon suddenly whipped around to face her. Her fur puffed and she instinctively crouched to the ground to appear smaller--though that wasn't hard with her young frame.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" she meowed frantically. She crawled out from the bush she had stuck close to. "I didn't mean to startle you! I was just coming to say hello." Her tail brushed anxiously along the ground. "I haven't officially met you...I'm sorry that I disturbed you."

Moon relaxed as he heard a young voice coming from the bush and a small she-cat crept out of the bush apoligizing that she had disturbed him and his moon watching. "It's alright small one." He cocked his head to the side and looked at the calico, "What is your name?"
He had assumed that she was an apprentice, but you could never tell with smaller cats. The tom's tail twitched as he looked at Poppypaw, still wary of what she would do to him and who she would tell that he was outside of camp. Although it wasn't a strict rule that you stay in camp during the night, when he was a small cat it was frowned upon that any cat would leave camp at night.

When Moon relaxed, Poppypaw slowly relaxed as well. Her fur was still puffed and her tail lashed with excess energy, but she sat down to deem herself as not a threat. She didn't get closer, not wanting to make Moon tense again.

"Poppypaw," she meowed softly. "I really didn't mean to startle you. I had seen you when you first came to camp, but you were busy so I couldn't say hello. I was trying not to disturb you because you were watching the sky, but I guess I just spooked you instead." She hung her head apologetically.

Lifting her head again after a moment, she asked, "What are you doing so far out, though? You can still see the sky from camp. You didn't have to go all the way out here, did you?"

Moon tilted his head to take a better look at the small she-cat. "Hello Poppypaw." he smiled his warm smile and then chuckled, "When sneaking up on a cat make sure not to step on a branch next time." he advised while twitching his fluffy silver tail and turning to look back at the moon.

As Poppypaw asked her next question, Moon often questioned this himself although he did have a ready made answer. "It is because the moon's energy is not as pure in camp and I love the pure energy of the moon." he said smoothly.

Poppypaw chuckled uneasily. She licked her paw and pressed down her fluffed fur to help her body relax completely. Now that Moon was no longer on edge, Poppypaw felt better. She smiled more confidently and raised her gaze to look at the moon too.

"The moon has energy?" she asked curiously. "I didn't know that! Or that it could get muddled in the camp." She moved closer so she could sit next to Moon, being able to look up at the sky in the same way that her companion was. "What does the energy do?"

Moon smiled softly as the calico apprentice seemed interested in what he felt. "Well, the moon's energy is in such a way that it is calm and raging at the same time. A force that will push and pull at you until you yield, and yet it will not push you so hard that you can no break under the pressure." he chuckled as he realized what had come out of his mouth. "Well, to put it simply it is somewhat of a mystery and can't really be explained to others. Each cat has his, her, or their energy that comes from the moon."

The silver furred tom tipped his head and looked at Poppypaw, "Would you like to look at the moon? It is a wonderful sensation if you gaze and connect with it." he said gently.

Poppypaw's body trembled with excitement at feeling the moon's energy, so she nodded eagerly. She turned her nose up towards the Silverpelt. Her eyes fixated on the moon and she tried to relax her vibrating body. Moon was relaxed while staring up at the sky, so Poppypaw surely had to be as well to feel the energy emanating  from the sky. She took a deep breath and tried to focus.

But, well, her young naivety did not really allow it.

She stared hard at the moon, trying to feel the energy. It was not that she didn't believe that there was energy. In fact, she believed wholeheartedly, and was quite excited to experience it herself. But the moon had always just been a moon to her, and even as she willed herself to feel something, she felt nothing more than the cold wind chilling through her fur.

Poppypaw stayed staring at the sky for a couple minutes before she sighed and hung her head. "I don't think I can feel the moon," she meowed dejectedly. "Maybe I just have to practice more?" She looked back to Moon and smiled despite her disappointment. "I'll keep trying! I'm sure I can learn to feel it."

Moon tipped his head towards the apprentice. "Perhaps you do just need more practice. It's something that either comes to you or does come at all. However," he said looking back at the moon "I believe that perhaps you do have the gift of the dark." he mused. He looked at the small she-cat. "Poppypaw, would you mind telling me about yourself? You know about me, now it is time for me to know about you and your history."

"Oh! Yes," she meowed brightly. "My mother was Robinear, though she passed when I was born. I really like helping in the nursery between my duties as an apprentice. I'm not very good at hunting yet, but I hope that I'm getting better. Perchfall is a great mentor to me!" She smiled to herself at the thought of her emotionally-guarded mentor. She wasn't bothered at all by the deputy's seemingly emotionless personality.

Poppypaw continued, "I hope I can continue to help young kits and apprentices when I get older. They're just so cute the way they tumble around. But I need to learn more and grow up first."

Moon smiled at the thought of Poppypaw running around the camp with the kits on her tail and some of them clinging all over them. The silver tom looked at the she-cat. "And yet you are just an apprentice yourself. Why not look after yourself and enjoy these years before everything falls apart when you are a warrior?" he asked solemnly

Poppypaw's glee faded from her face and her ears started to flatten. "Fall apart?" she repeated. "But being a warrior is so exciting. You get to hunt and patrol for your clan, protect your friends, go out and see more of the forest..." He tail anxiously curled around her paws as she studied the silver tom. She knew that Moon was gone from RiverClan for a long time, though she didn't know why or what had happened while he was gone.

"Did something happen that makes you think like that?" she meowed softly.

Moon looked at the child softly. "It is just my survival rogue side talking young one, you have nothing to worry about." he said smoothly and tried to calm her down. "I am sure that you will serve your clan to the best of your ability and that you will honor your clan. Seeing part of the forest, hunting and patroling for your clan is all honorable but sometimes you need to think for yourself little one. Think independantly of the clan." he said softly. He didn't want to corrupt this young one, but was saying his opinion because it seemed like she had asked for his opintion? He was slightly confused because there was a younger cat looking up to him and asking him for his opinion.

Poppypaw relaxed upon Moon's explanation. She was worried that there was a deeper meaning behind the tom's words. "Oh! That makes sense," she meowed. Her gaze trailed back up to the moon and she was quiet for a bit, trying wordlessly once again to feel the energy of the moon. It never came.

After several minutes, she looked to Moon again. "I should be getting back. I'll need to be up early for apprentice training." She stood and stretched out her little body. "I hope you have fun out here. But don't stay up too late! You need rest too."

She shifted, affectionately rubbing her face against his flank. It was possibly quite forward of her, but Poppypaw had always been affectionate with every cat she came across. She gave another soft mew of goodnight and then set forth back into camp.

Moon smiled as the calico she-cat rubbed her head against his flank, it didn't bother him as he knew from observing in camp that Poppypaw was a very affectionate cat and that she didn't mean anything romantically by it. "Of course, apprentice training is taxing and you need to get your rest."

After Poppypaw had left he stayed for a couple more minutes looking at the moon and then sighed. "Perhaps I was right to come back to the clan. The clan has certainly changed although it seems like not many like the leader...perhaps something needs to happen so that Perchfall will become leader. Given the situation that I put him through to test him and how he didn't handle it I shall decide.." he shook his head and then got up and left, following after Poppypaw back to camp.