Owlpaw, Sharppaw, and Sunpaw's Moonstone Journey

Three.  Three apprentices, all at once, to keep track of and watch on a long, tiring journey.  Leopardclaw barely managed to hold back an already exhausted-sounding sigh as he set the traveling herbs down outside the apprentice's den, and called out for his small horde of charges for the day, including his own apprentice.  "Owlpaw, Sharppaw, Sunpaw!  It's time to leave!"  Trying not to look too worried, Leopardclaw turned to give his golden spotted pelt a very quick grooming.

Sharppaw skipped out of the apprentice den, her fur as messy as ever.
She scrambled to a stop, her nose wrinkling. "We've gotta eat those?" She mewed in disgust.
"Those are for rabbits!"


Sunpaw emerged beside her, disgruntled as usual. She huffed and quickly ate the traveling herbs at her feet, her eyes on the Warriors den enviously. She should've been there moons ago. Her younger brother already had kits.
She shot Sharppaw a glare. "Watch it." She hissed. "And eat already- we're going to be late."


Sharppaw sighed in disgust, but began eating obediently.

Owlpaw was the last to squeeze herself out of the apprentices den. The green eyed apprentice flicked a dark brown ear hearing her sibling and Sunpaw. She didn't say anything as she swallowed up the herbs for the trip and scrunched up her face breifly  before standing up again.

Leopardclaw, eyes narrowing, opened his mouth to reprimand Sharppaw's attitude, but one of the other apprentices seemed to have already done it for him.  With a slightly amused smile, the tom watched as Owlpaw emerged from the den, flashing her a welcoming smile.  "Alright, let's head off!  We have a long walk, so remember to pace yourselves.  Mind you, I said walk."  Flashing a stern glare down at his own energetic apprentice, the spotted deputy could only hope she would behave herself.  With a flick of his tail, he led the way out of camp and into the forest.

Sharppaw let out a squeak of excitement, her whole body visibly shaking as they set off. However, excitement quickly turned to boredom when she realized how long the journey was going to take. The pace was unbearably slow...

"Hey Sunpaw, wanna play a game?" She mewed brightly, looking up at the warrior-aged apprentice.
"I know a few good ones that could pass the time!"


Sunpaw sighed, rolling her eyes as the two younger apprentices ate the bundles in front of them. Her face was carefully masked to hide the rage that was quickly rising inside of her. Owlpaw and Sharppaw- Specklefang's daughters. If that stupid Mist hadn't gotten in the way, it would be Sunpaw's own daughter taking this journey instead.

"No, I don't." She hissed. "Why don't you find some other cat to annoy?"

boop~

Owlpaw gave a small smile before she looked to Sunpaw then her sister Sharppaw before she shook her head and padded out after the deputy staying to a walk

After a long - and frankly tiresome - journey of crossing Thunderpaths and avoiding Twoleg dwellings, the small troupe of ThunderClan cats finally stood at the base of Highstones, the great rocky cliffs that watched over the entrance to their sacred Moonstone.  They had made it there in good time; the sun was only just beginning to dip in the sky, so Leopardclaw ordered the apprentices to either rest or explore within his eyesight.  He himself had taken the time to get in a good grooming, but soon enough the day began to turn to night, revealing the brilliant stars above.  It was finally time.

Getting to his paws with a long stretch, the golden spotted tom purred for the group to gather around him.  "It's time to enter Mothermouth.  Remember, it's going to be extremely dark down there; it's likely that you will have to rely on scent and the touch of your whiskers to navigate.  Just follow me and ignore any branching tunnels; you'll all be fine!"  With a reassuring smile, to hopefully quell any frayed nerves, the ThunderClan deputy slipped into the enveloping darkness of the caves.

Sharppaw bounced up the rocky hillside. She had been investigating whatever managed to catch her attention, but was quickly growing bored. Luckily, night had fallen quickly and soon Leopardclaw was calling her over.

She flicked her tail nervously as they approached the cave, but nodded grimly. "Sure," She mewed, her voice quivering slightly. "Sounds easy."

Sunpaw huffed. "About time." She hissed, trotting after Leopardclaw.
Her hackles raised. "I can't do this..." She gasped. The walls were so close, and it was so dark.
Memories flooded her mind as her claws gripped the cold stone. Starvation, gaunt faces. Cloverpaw's dead body.


Sharppaw paused and gave Sunpaw a push. "C'mon, let's go." She grunted, trying and failing to sound comforting. Still, it was enough to bring Sunpaw back.

"Don't touch me!" The golden apprentice snarled, stepping forward again, her head low.

Owlpaw blinked and nodded following after her sibling and Sunpaw. Her dark ears flattened as she heard them"can you too just stop and go"She hissed not liking the tightness of the hole the deeper they had gotten. Her green eyes were narrowed.

Leopardclaw quickly realized that there was some tension coming from behind the line of apprentices; at first he thought the Sharppaw had once again been causing some form of trouble, but upon listening she seemed to be fairly innocent, if not possibly trying to be helpful.  Sunpaw just wasn't taking it well.  With a stern glance back, the tom's hazel night-eyes gleamed as he meowed; "Sunpaw, Shaprpaw, stop.  Enough bickering."  He could tell that Sunpaw was nervous by the tension in her voice, and it didn't surprise him at all.  Being in that horrible cave truly seemed to have affected every cat who had been within it's walls; his son had experienced the same fear when they had journeyed here.  While not wanting to cause the apprentice unneeded worry, he also knew that this trek was a test of bravery.  To become warriors, all must face the darkness.  Blinking calmly at Owlpaw, Leopardclaw continued on down into the tunnel.

Soon enough, the narrow passage widened out into a cave, where the Moonstone already sat waiting for them, shining and dancing with the light of moonbeams.  Once all the she-cats entered the cavern behind him, Leopardclaw stepped forward and spoke, his voice low.  "Sunpaw, Sharppaw, Owlpaw; it is time for you all to visit with StarClan.  Step forward, and touch your nose to the Moonstone."

Sunpaw's eyes were wide with barely-contained fear, but she obediently dipped her head, eagerly anticipating the changes that would happen once she touched the stone.
She closed her eyes as her nose connected with the Moonstone and...
nothing.

She felt nothing.

She sighed and turned, but the cave was gone. "Wh.. Leopardclaw?"
Instead of a cave, a beautiful landscape of lush trees, grasses and rivers surrounded her. The warm, rich scent of prey met her nose as her green eyes glimmered. It was so open! In the past moons, she had grown uncomfortable being constantly closed in by trees.




Sharppaw shook with excitement as she knelt before the Moonstone, her vivid green eyes struggling to take it all in.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sunpaw and swallowed. It was just that easy?
Okay then.
She slowly touched her nose to the bright rock, her eyes closing.

A soft breeze ruffled her fur and Sharppaw's eyes snapped open. Where was she? This place was like nothing she'd ever seen before.
"Who are you?"

The stars circled despite the daylight, growing bright and shimmery as they stretched and curled towards the two she-cats. The stars turned to water, growing dark and thick. The water thrashed and moaned, curling until they capped with white foam. The waves had no sense of direction, crashing into each other and clogging the two she-cats fur before fizzling away and leaving behind a feeling of weakness and a need for something. Suddenly, a large fluffy shape seemed to form from the air; revealing a large rather familiar figure.

One moment. Another moment. No words came out of the scarred she-cats mouth, her eyes flitting across the two. "My name is Specklefur, I'm Sharppaws great-great-grandmother. Mother to Darkflight." It was simple, start with a statement, the shock factor. "I was the cat to fend Thunderclan from monsters." Specklefur stood tall, her neck bushing out. Padding smoothly around the two apprentices her tail curled, partially showing off her scarred shoulders and thighs. Her ruffled neck fur that suggested numerous wounds, her missing ears, and right eye. The unsteady paws that looked... off. Licking her maw she turned back on them, her position of power as plain as day.

"It's likely that you've heard of me, but just the same it is unlikely that you have. So if you have not, I've got a story to tell with a very clear lesson in which you both will listen very closely if you know what's good for you." Specklefur growled, though she sat down and calmly swept her tail over her paws.