Wisteriapaw's Moonstone Journey

Leopardclaw dropped the familiar bundle of traveling herbs in front of the apprentice's den, and called out into the narrow opening in the brambles; "Wisteriapaw, it's time to head out!"

Wisteriapaw knew what it was time for, and she had been telling herself for days before that this moment was coming. It was time for her Moonstone journey. She'd be traveling to Highstones with Leopardclaw so that she could speak with a StarClan cat. It was something that every apprentice went through sometime in their lifetime, so of course, Wisteriapaw had to do it, too. If the mere idea of speaking to a cat of higher authority frightened her, then the thought of conversing with a StarClan cat made the shy apprentice want to curl up tightly in a ball in the back of the apprentices' den and stay there forever. However, she had to practically push herself out of her nest. There was fear, anxiousness, and stress written all over the she-cat's face. What if she messed up and embarrassed herself in front of Leopardclaw? What if she messed up in front of the StarClan cat that came to see her? What if StarClan rebuked her? What if no cat even bothered to show up in the first place? Trying to hold back a heavy sigh, Wisteriapaw glanced around at the bodies of her denmates around her. They were peacefully curled up in their nests, and the apprentice couldn't help but envy them at that time.

It suddenly occurred to the she-cat that Leopardclaw was waiting for her. Widening her bright yellow eyes in slight shock, Wisteriapaw scampered around her fellow apprentices in order to reach the den's exit and pad out and towards the deputy. Without even knowing it, the she-cat gulped. Speaking to her authorities was just as painful as the thought of going to the Dark Forest. Or, at least, that's what Wisteriapaw thought. She couldn't find the strength or courage to look the deputy in the eyes, so she just awkwardly dipped her head and tried to remain respectful as she did so. Her yellow gaze was practically glued to the ground. She couldn't just say nothing to the deputy, right? That would be awfully rude... but what was she supposed to say, and how was she supposed to say it? The ginger-and-white cat attempted to put on a slight smile, but it ended up turning into an expression of pure fear.
"O-oh..." She tried to begin, but her voice faltered at the end, "U-um, are th-those..."
Wisteriapaw's voice dropped at the end as she looked at the bundle of herbs. All she had wanted to do was ask if those were the traveling herbs, but she had failed her own self again. Feeling self-disappointment begin to flood her, Wisteriapaw tried to hide her feelings of discomfort as she stared at the bundle on the ground.

Leopardclaw's welcoming smile drooped a bit as Wisteriapaw stepped out of the den, her face reading clearly a level of anxiousness and fear that deeply concerned the kind-hearted tom.  He was aware that the young she-cat was known to be quiet and shy, but if it was to the extent that she feared other cats...his heart couldn't help but ache for her.  In a flash, he remembered his early days in the clan, a distant and depressed time where he pushed everyone away and hated when other cats tried to speak to him or get to know him.  He summoned the memory of that feeling, of that loneliness, as he smiled gently at the stuttering she-cat and meowed; "There's no need to be nervous Wisteriapaw, it's alright.  Those are traveling herbs, yes.  Not the most tasty things in the world, but without them our journey probably wouldn't last very long."  He was not normally one to crack jokes, but in an effort to lighten the mood he tried his very best.  Chuckling slightly, he sat down and waited for the she-cat to finish eating the herbs, his tail flicking calmly over the snowy ground.

Wisteriapaw knew that the deputy was kindhearted, but that didn't ease her nerves... not even a bit. She felt the fur on the back of her neck begin to rise as she attempted to stifle a look of fear. She attempted to nod in a polite manner before she lowered her head and lapped up the traveling herbs. Great StarClan, they were absolutely disgusting. Wisteriapaw couldn't help but frown as the herbs went down her throat. That aftertaste was bound to haunt her mouth for ages! Once she had gotten over the taste enough to operate correctly, she glanced over at Leopardclaw.
Say something... the apprentice told herself, silently.
"A-alright, I'm re-ready." She managed to say, but she still couldn't meet the eyes of the tom.

(occ: I'm sorry for the timeskip, I just don't want to hold you up any longer C:)

Leopardclaw nodded approvingly, before leading the way out of camp and out into the snow-bound forest.

~timeskip~

After a long trek across the moors of WindClan, weaving through the perilous patch of Two-leg nests, and finally across the last stretch of grass that led up to Highstones, the two cats stood in front of Mothermouth, the gaping tunnel in the cliff-side dark and mysterious.  Gazing sideways at the young she-cat, Leopardclaw halted for a moment before entering the tunnel to meow; "Are you ready Wisteriapaw?"

ooc; that's okay! i know you're busy and have a lot of moonstone trips to handle, so if you want me to use one of my dead cats instead of pansyface to speed this up, i can totally do that.

Wisteriapaw had been anxious during the entire trip. Even though WindClan and ThunderClan were in an alliance, the she-cat still felt nervous around other Clans. Being in their territory was frightening enough. When the two of them reached Mothermouth, the apprentice glanced upwards in awe and wonder. The moonstone was in there, and she knew that it would be just as beautiful as every other cat said it was. Still, those nerves and butterflies began to clog her throat and belly again. Wisteriapaw kept telling herself that something was going to happen... either she'd mess up, or... something along those lines. How was she supposed to talk to a StarClan cat when she could barely even speak to the deputy of her own Clan? She didn't glance over at Leopardclaw, but she did silently nod to notify him that she was ready. Was she really ready, though?

(occ: it's up to you C:  I'm fine with using Pansy still, but if you want to get this done asap, using one of your cats would definitely be the quicker option)

Leopardclaw nodded back, still not quite sure what he could even say to quell the she-cat's nerves, and took a step forward into the rigid stone tunnel.  "Alright, follow me closely.  Use your whiskers and nose to navigate in the darkness, and we'll be there before you know it."  Setting off, the large tom-cat was enveloped by the darkness of the caves, and blinked his eyes rapidly to adjust to the lack of light.  Even when his eyes dilated though, he still could not even see his own paws, and continued on using his own advice.  Lifting his tail high as a beacon for Wisteriapaw, they weaved their way through the tunnels, steadily heading downward towards the Moonstone cavern.

ooc; alrighty.

Wisteriapaw slowly inhaled, and then let out the breath before she silently followed Leopardfang into the pitch black tunnel. She followed the deputy's advice, and she made sure that she was right behind the deputy the entire time. It would be terrible if the she-cat ended up accidentally getting lost in the midst of the overwhelming darkness. There was no heading back, now. The ginger-and-white apprentice felt the fur on the back of her neck begin to rise as she spotted the slightest bit of white light in the distance, and she couldn't help but automatically assume that it was the Moonstone. A small shiver went through Wisteriapaw from the tip of her ears to the tip of her tail, and she felt the tips of her paws go numb. It was practically time.

(occ: So, I'm still using Pansy, correct?)

After a long while of navigating the twisting tunnel system in the inky darkness, the two cats finally saw a light glimmering up ahead.  The Moonstone was already alight when they stepped into the large cavern that housed it, and Leopardclaw wasted no time in instructing the apprentice.  "Step forward and touch your nose to the Moonstone Wisteriapaw, and StarClan will send you sleep so that you may walk with them in dreams."  With a flick of his long tail, washed white in the stone's bright glow, the deputy smiled before padding over to sit beside a stalagmite, and wait.

ooc; yeah.

Wisteriapaw couldn't help but gasp in shock and wonder as the Moonstone came into full view. It was... gorgeous. The light that flooded the cave hurt the apprentice's eyes at first, considering that they were trying to get used to light again after being in that dark tunnel. She glanced around at each and every wall of the cave and silently smiled as she managed to take in all of the beauty. However, it was time to press her nose against the stone. She'd be meeting with StarClan, and she couldn't make a fool of herself. With a tiny sigh, Wisteriapaw nodded towards the deputy and padded up so that her nose was almost against the stone.

Here goes nothing...

Darkness...
It stayed that way for years, it seemed like, until she was finally able to open her eyes. Was this what StarClan's hunting grounds looked like? It was practically a forest... but better. It seemed quiet, tranquil, and peaceful. It was everything that Wisteriapaw had hoped StarClan would be and more. Somehow, the she-cat felt a longing to stay in this peaceful haven rather than continue to suffer down where the living cats were. The one thing that disturbed the apprentice was the fact that she didn't see a StarClan cat there.
"Um, hello?" She called out, but sucked in a breath as she realized that she wasn't stuttering.
Was this what happened in dreams like this?

"Hello, Wisteriapaw." Seemingly out of thin air, a beautiful gray-and-white patched she-cat appeared behind the apprentice, her murky eyes sparkling with friendliness. Her nearly transparent form shone with tiny glimmers of starlight as she moved, her paws falling weightlessly on the silver-tinged soil as she approached the ThunderClan cat, and blinked in welcome. "My name is Pansyface, I was once a warrior of SkyClan; it's nice to meet you." Taking a seat, she rested her slender tail comfortably around her front paws and gazed down at the slightly smaller she-cat, waiting to see how she would respond.

Wisteriapaw flinched slightly as she heard the voice of another she-cat coming from directly behind her. She whirled around so that she could meet the eyes of the beautiful StarClan she-cat in front of her. The apprentice couldn't help but gasp in amazement. She had always imagined StarClan cats to be beautiful, especially with the stars that dappled their pelts, but Pansyface seemed to have a certain air of grace that Wisteriapool both respected and admired.
"Wow," The young she-cat breathed out in awe, "Hi, Pansyface..."
Wisteriapaw didn't even realize how awestruck she sounded. She didn't even feel timid, like she had before she had touched her nose to the Moonstone. It was as if she was an entirely different cat.
"Um, is there a reason why you came to speak to me?"