Sablepaw's Moonstone Journey

Having just got an apprentice of his own, it was nice to be reminded of the newness in which they experienced their training.

Sablepaw was Nightstar's apprentice. Fuzzybelly remembered ages ago when Snakebite was fixated on being the leader's apprentice, on being the best warrior in the Clan. A faint smile formed on his lips as he made his piles for the journey. He chuckled a bit as his paws brushed familiar herbs, remembering when Snakebite (barely Snakepaw at the time) visited him in the den and picked random herbs to eat, got sick, and complained mightily for several sunrises but eventually went on the mend.

Sablepaw looked a lot like his brother, come to think of it. Dark sleek pelt, bright eyes. The quintessential ShadowClan cat. Which made Fuzzybelly, a dusty brown tabby tom with untamable fluffy locks, look even more out of place.

It was weird that StarClan seemed to always have their reasons and their plans.

"Hullo, Sablepaw. We're going to the Moonstone today. Here's some herbs to eat for the trip."

The path was familiar, and Fuzzybelly could make the trip with his eyes closed.

Eventually, they approached Mothermouth, with the Moonstone inside.

"Here we are," he meowed with a toothy grin. "It's so beautiful, Sablepaw. Warriors become leaders, apprentices become medicine cats, that little cave has so much power in all the Clans. If you think about it, it's wild. Silverpelt is filled with paws that walked the same path you and I did just now."

He led the way, approaching the Moonstone. Always glowing, warm and inviting.

"You'll be meeting someone in StarClan today, isn't that exciting? Touch your nose to the Moonstone, and I'll be here waiting for you."

The Moonstone was indeed beautiful, shining throughout the room they inhabited. As described by Fuzzybelly, this was where warriors became leaders. Maybe he should have memorized the path they took to get to this place, would he be able to memorize the way back? His body shook slightly in excitement as he took his place by the Moonstone. Touching his nose to it, Sablepaw let out a deep breath before closing his eyes.

Whatever Sablepaw had expected of StarClan, it probably wasn't what he received. A large black tabby, pelt shimmering with starlight and carrying the scent of catmint on her fur, bounded forward to greet him. She stopped just short of him, narrowly avoiding knocking him to the ground, but didn't seem at all bothered by this. "Hey, Sablepaw! Bet you weren't expecting me!"

She paused, though her expression was still all smiles as she continued. "Well, I guess it'd be hard to expect someone you've never met, right? But I won't bite, I promise!" Then, finally, she introduced herself: "I'm Mothglow! I used to be ShadowClan's medicine cat. There's a new one now, though- that's how it goes, right?"

The medicine cat laughed. "Well, it's actually been some time since then, hasn't it? You wouldn't know my name. At least, I don't think so..."

Sablepaw's eyes widened as he was greeted with the sight of Starclan. The stars were brighter here, so bright and close it almost seemed like he could pluck the stars themselves from the sky. The cat in front of him dazzled with starlight, projecting a certain aura of grace. Of course, that illusion was shattered as she nearly collided with him. She was a Starclan cat, the real deal. Was she one of the cats that guided him to his future, or could she be... Sablepaw opened his mouth to question her, but was cut off before he could even start. A medicine cat named Mothglow. She wasn't at all what he was expecting, some deep part of him wanted to meet his real mother. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know your name, but it's nice to meet you Mothglow." With a respectful dip of his head, Sablepaw waited patiently for the medicine cat to continue. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do here, he just hoped that she did.

Mothglow was still beaming at him, unbothered by the lack of recognition. "It's nice to see what ShadowClan is up to these days. I miss it, sometimes... Even if it's been long enough that they don't remember me now." Her weight bounced from one paw to the other, as if it was a struggle to keep still. "It's weird talking to apprentices, though. What do you do all day? I only barely remember what it was like. Except for Thornstar, and the bushes, and the flood-"

The medicine cat blinked. "Right- I shouldn't be asking you things, you should be asking me! So, is there something I can do for you? Any questions? Advice? I know a lot, I promise!"

Thornstar? The flood? He hadn't been alive for either of the two, but he had been alive for the aftermath of that last one. He had managed to put the flood out of his mind, along with the helplessness he had felt, but Mothglow had dragged those memories back. That was a long time ago, you're not the same cat as you were then. He had grown so much since then, not just in size but in ambition. Even if he didn't carry Froststar's blood, that didn't lessen his drive to become leader, it only heightened it. When Sablepaw received his nine lives, he knew that it wouldn't be because of any blood ties. It would be based on his own merits. Sablepaw had a few questions to ask her, but there was one that he couldn't stop himself from asking. "Is Darkpelt here?" There was a silent plea in his words, he had to know if his real mother resided in Starclan, or somewhere else.

For the first time, the ShadowClan cat's face fell. "That... I don't know," she admitted. "But I know lots of other stuff! It's just... It's been a long time. I don't know that much about the cats that you'd remember, just like you don't know much about me."

Mothglow's smile returned, though it had lost some of its intensity. "I know about ShadowClan- or, what it was like in my time. I know about medicine! And- I know how to make others happy. Or, I used to... I'm sorry I couldn't answer your first question, Sablepaw. I wish I could."

"That's fine." Disappointment filled his voice as he spoke. "I don't remember her at all, we were... I guess you could say split at birth." He didn't need to know if she was here with the other Starclan cat, he would get his answer one day, and by the time they finally met he would be someone that she could be proud of. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he pondered his next question. Making others happy was a good trait of a leader, a light that others could look to in times of need. That's what he wanted to be for his clan. "Tell me how to make others happy. Even if it's something that you used to do, it should still work now, right?"