Asterpaw's Moonstone Journey

Once again Plumpaw found herself heading toward the apprentice den with the familiar bundle of traveling herbs clamped in her jaws. Yet another apprentice would be making the journey to meet with Starclan for the first time, and Plumpaw couldn't be happier for them. It was an essential milestone in their warrior training, one that she was excited to guide them through. Poking her head into the den, she called out softly.

"Asterpaw? Wake up, it's time to go to the moonstone." She waited patiently while the apprentice ate the traveling herbs, then led the way out of camp.

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The journey passed without much trouble, and they soon came upon the familiar mountain range that held the moonstone within it's depths.

"Watch your step here." She cautioned as they headed into the cave. "It's pretty dark, but I'll be right in front of you, and we don't have long to go before we reach the Moonstone." Of course for Plumpaw, the path was so familiar she could have walked it with her eyes closed. Sure enough, the narrow passage soon opened up, and the Moonstone stood in front of them in all it's glory.

"Press your nose to the stone, and close your eyes." Plumpaw instructed gently as she sat down nearby to wait. "Starclan will be waiting for you when you open them."

Eyes heavy with the weight sleep, Asterpaw poked his head out from his nest, responding to Plumpaw's call with a series of incoherent grumbles. He wasn't a morning cat, and although he knew that today's journey signified a large step in his apprenticeship, he couldn't bring himself to be excited this early in the morning.

Eventually he was able to drag himself from his nest, and after coaxing himself into the action, forced himself to swallow the traveling herbs presented by the medicine cat. The worst part about it wasn't even the taste, but the way the leaves slithered down his throat. It made him respect the medicine cats a lot more, they must have to eat these all the time. He shuddered.

With a newfound energy [undoubtedly an effect from the travelling herbs] Asterpaw hurriedly followed Plumpaw from the camp's entrance, beginning their journey.

---

After a journey that he'd underestimated the length of, Asterpaw finally stood before the widely-known mothermouth, something that was as good as myth to him until now. Something that was always talked about, but rarely seen. It was underwhelming, he'd expected something more grand. Apparently, though, what was inside was what really worth marveling at. He'd see about that.

As they ducked into the tunnel, Asterpaw listened to Plumpaw's words without feeling the need to yield a response. Whatever light was present before they entered the cave was completely faded by now, leaving the pair in a pitch black tunnel. He hoped they would get wherever they were supposed to go soon, and he hoped that it would be better than this narrow tunnel.

The passage opened up into a small cavern containing a large shining stone. It was at the center of the scene, Asterpaw felt his eyes attracted to it. Looking uncertainly at the medicine cat, he followed her directions and approached the stone. He positioned himself before it, gazing into it's depths. It was beautiful, he wished he'd never have to stop looking at it. Slowly, he began to lean into the stone. "...Are you sure?" He asked, eyes closed. Before he could hear an answer, though, his consciousness faded, leading him somewhere completely new.

.....

When he opened his eyes again, Asterpaw was in a vaguely familiar, yet unrecognizable place. It was unsettling. Was this Starclan? If it was, where were they all? Against his better judgement, he stepped forward from where he stood, calling out. "Hello?"

"Asterpaw," the small black warrior that padded forward greeted the apprentice like an old friend. "I don't know what you were expecting, but this is what you get. I hope you're not bothered by it?"

Though the shimmering pelt made it clear that she was indeed a StarClan cat, she didn't seem particularly regal. Rather, her green eyes glittered with mischief. "I guess you probably want answers, or maybe life advice. I have plenty of those, but I don't know that they'll mean anything to you. At least, I know I had a lot of questions when it was my turn."

She sat down, gesturing for the apprentice to sit with her. "If you ask me, the important thing is to enjoy life. Take the little things you love, and cherish them- your loved ones' laughter, your favorite fresh-kill, the perfect sunbathing spot. The look on the leader's face when they find your beetles in their nest again- that's a good one, just for the reaction."

Her laughter carried on the breeze, gentle here despite the time of year; a kind of joke that she didn't bother to explain.

"Go ahead. Ask your questions. I can't promise any answers, but I'll do what I can for you."

In all honesty, Asterpaw wasn't actually expecting a response to his call at all. The sound of his name being spoken, shattering the silence that had previously gripped the air, had caught him completely off-guard. The young tom took a few startled steps backwards, pale eyes wide. A cat he'd never seen before appeared and stepped forward, greeting him rather strangely. What did she mean by 'this is what you get,"? This cat hardly seemed mystical or professional, like the Starclan cats he'd heard about in hushed conversations between other apprentices, or the cats from stories he'd heard in the elders den. Maybe she wasn't real after all. He eased.

The she-cat mentioned life advice, or maybe answers to questions, but Asterpaw didn't find anything particularly troubling in his life right now. There were no questions hounding to be answered, no troubles lingering in his thoughts. If he had to ask for advice, he didn't even know what kind of advice he would ask for. So he stayed quiet, only nodding in response when the she-cat shared her own experience with the moonstone.

Asterpaw tentatively padded forward at the she-cat's signal, sitting down in front of her. He held back a smile at her contradiction. Mentioning how her advice might not be useful, then giving it out anyways. The apprentice didn't know why she doubted her advice, because the advice she gave was solid. He could agree - with all of the bad things that happen in life, one needs to appreciate the smaller things in order to not lose hope. Asterpaw knew at least that much. Although his life was only beginning, he'd already experienced loss, in death and abandonment. Still, he stayed happy. He had to do it for himself, and he was happy that he'd made the decision to stay happy, to find joy even in sad times. It was important to him.

The she-cat ended her words with a laugh. He didn't really get why it was funny, but he forced out a small laugh alongside her. Asterpaw had been waiting to speak. Not because he had something to say, but because of the opposite. Something inside him was still skeptical despite having heard about Starclan since he'd come to Skyclan. He'd still tentatively believed that Starclan wouldn't really show up when he came to the moonstone. So, this far, he'd only studied the cat who showed up. At this moment, only two questions came to Asterpaw's mind. "You're real.... right? You don't seem like a Starclan warrior... And if you are, why haven't you told me your name yet?" The apprentice fixed an expression on the Starclanner, one of confusion and suspicion.

The StarClan cat blinked, tilting her head slightly, then nodded. His doubts were understandable, she supposed. "...I haven't, have I?" she laughed again. "I suppose I didn't think to. My name is Batbite- and I'm real as newleaf rain, I assure you. In life, I served as a warrior of ThunderClan; and briefly as its deputy."

Having introduced herself, Batbite's vaguely mischievous expression remained. "Are all your questions going to be about me? I had no idea I was so interesting- well, that's not true. I shouldn't lie, should I?" This she said lightly, with just a hint of playful arrogance that faded almost instantly. "But honestly. Not every StarClan cat can be as regal as I'm sure you've imagined- are all your clanmates as graceful as you expect? We lived once, too. More than that, for any given leader."

Her tail swished lightly from side to side. "Another word of advice for you, Asterpaw: don't pretend to be something you're not. I certainly took that one to heart- with me, what you see is what you get."

As Batbite, who's name Asterpaw finally learned, replied to his questions, his suspicions melted away, softening his gaze. The apprentice still found it strange that Starclan would send a Thunderclan cat, but she had been the deputy. Maybe that's why she was here. Perhaps he could ask a Thunderclan cat if they'd known Batbite at the next gathering, just to make sure.

Although Asterpaw found Batbite's comment slightly irking, she was right. The Starclanner certainly was interesting. To him, it was partially to do with how different she was from Starclan's majestic reputation, which she also seemed to recognize. "Well... Everyone else talks about Starclan like they're really sophisticated and full of wisdom and mysterious. I guess... I didn't think of it like that." Up until that point, Asterpaw hadn't thought of Starclan as cats who'd once been alive. It made sense that they would be as imperfect as they were in life, he supposed. Batbite began to give more advice, ending it by repeating something she'd said earlier. Did she think that he was being disingenuous or something? He was being himself... or at least he though he was.

Asterpaw supposed that he should ask a real question. He was in the presence of a cat who's current objective was to give advice, to morally guide him. He should take advantage of that. When he was sure Batbite had finished speaking, he took his turn. "Um.. What's the most important thing about being a warrior? Like what did you learn?" Warriorhood was the first thing on his mind, considering that this moonstone journey was a mark that his apprentice training was nearly complete. Admittedly he was a little bit nervous. If Batbite had any advice on warriorhood, he would gladly take it.

Batbite hmmed at the apprentice's question. "That's a difficult question, isn't it? It feels like you could ask every cat here, and receive a different answer each time. But for myself... I suppose I should say something like 'remember where your loyalties lie', hm? But I was never very good at that. I'm more the type to say- follow your heart, as it were. And hope it leads you home. It took me a great many places in my life, but- it did bring me back in the end. Every time."

Her eyes shone brightly, soft smile still on her face. "But that's not what you want to hear, is it? You want something practical, I imagine. Don't get in over your head- be confident, but be reasonable. It might feel like you're more than capable, but- You're still young, aren't you? There's always something more to learn. And if you decide to do something reckless anyway, because you think it's worthwhile or because it needs to be done- because it does, sometimes- don't let yourself do it alone."

It was, perhaps, non-traditional advice; but it was something that had served her well in life. And when had she ever been one for tradition as it was?

'Follow your heart', Batbite had said. Asterpaw would agree, but surely there were times when thinking logically was the better option. The apprentice found himself using a balance between the two. He'd often found himself confused when he tried to follow his heart, it seemed like it never knew where it wanted him to go. Logic assisted his heart in making decisions that it was too indecisive to make on his own.

The toms eyes fell when the Starclanner changed her topic. It was as if she'd been watching when Asterpaw tried to fight the fox with Stoatpaw. The scars on his body burned as he recalled the event. Even though his warrior training was nearly over, Batbite's words implied that he still had much to learn. He supposed that's why there was such a large difference between the actions of a new warrior compared to a seasoned warrior. He sighed, a result of genuinely recognizing his errors. Even if Batbite wasn't real, he was almost thankful that she wasn't as sophisticated as the other Starclan cats. It made him feel at ease, she felt like just another warrior. Raising his gaze, he faced the Starclanner. "Thanks, Batbite. I appreciate it."

Slowly, his vision began to distort, growing darker around the edges and changing in perspective. It made him feel dizzy, like he was going to fall off of his paws. Was this it? Was his time with Batbite up? Strangely, he felt like he was going to miss the Starclanner. He'd only talked to her for what felt like a few moments, but it felt like he'd known her for a lot longer. Repeatedly blinking his eyes, he tried to shake the visual effect, when suddenly, after opening his eyes, he was aware of his surroundings again: the rough stone floor beneath his paws, the chilled air that penetrated his pelt, the sound of Plumpaw's breathing from the corner of the cavern. He was awake again. For a brief moment, he wallowed in his disappointment. When he was ready, he stood to his paws, noticing immediately how sore his muscles felt - unsure of whether it was a result of laying on the stone floor, or the long journey it took to arrive here. Either way, the journey home wouldn't be pleasant. Exchanging a silent nod with Plumpaw, he approached the faint outline of the exit tunnel, waiting for the medicine cat to lead the way.