Sparkpaw's Moonstone Journey

The familiar bundle of traveling herbs hanging from his jaws, Leopardclaw padded across the finally snow-less clearing towards the apprentice den, and placed the pile of leaves and stems down on the ground. Yet another apprentice had finally reached the point in their training when they traveled to meet with StarClan, and the spotted deputy was prepared to escort them. "Sparkpaw, it's time to go!"

Sparkpaw looked over. "Okay!" He walked up to the deputy.

Leopardclaw greeted Sparkpaw with a polite nod, and cast his eyes down towards the herbs at his paws.  "Before we leave, you need to eat these.  They're traveling herbs, they will give you strength for the journey."  Pushing the pile closer to the apprentice with a front paw, the golden spotted deputy got to his paws and stretched out his spine, preparing for the beginning of their long walk.

Sparkpaw ate the herbs. "Let's go!"

Leopardclaw nodded curtly, and with a flick of his long tail led the way out through the camp entrance, and out into the blooming forest ahead, heading in the direction of Fourtrees.

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Finally, after a long journey across rippling moorland and unclaimed territory, the two cats came to rest at the shaded entrance of Mothermouth.  After a moment of rest, Leopardclaw stood up and flicked his ears towards the tunnel.  "Let's keep going."  Stepping forward, his golden pelt was enveloped by the thick darkness of the underground, and he began to lead the way farther down into the earth.

Sparkpaw followed the deputy.

After a long while of walking down the narrow, shadowy passageways that sloped down deeper and deeper into the earth, the duo of bright-pelted cats finally emerged into the Moonstone cavern, the shimmering crystal already illuminated by the light of a thousand stars.  The deputy's pelt washed white by the intense brightness cast from the stone, he flicked his long ringed tail towards the holy artifact, and meowed; "Lay down beside the Moonstone Sparkpaw, and touch your nose to it's surface.  StarClan will bring you sleep, so that you may meet with them in a dream."  With a firm, but encouraging, nod, the tom stepped away into the shadows to find a place among the rocks to rest for the night.

Sparkpaw did as the Deputy said and fell into sleep.

The grassy fields reflected a silver starry light, illuminated the dream world. In the center stood a dark brown tom, standing up straight and tall. His fluffy pelt didn't quite hide his many battle scars, though all of the worst ones had disappeared when he died. Now he stared at Sparkpaw, almost as if sizing him up. In a way, that was kind of what he was doing. The reason he was speaking to the apprentice was because the two were rather similar. Though he wanted to make sure the mistake he made wasn't replicated, he also wanted to see this tom more than just from his outward appearance. Maybe he was like how he seemed, or maybe not. By now he knew that every apprentice had something going on with them. "Hey Sparkpaw. It's nice to meet you. My name's Shrewheart."

Sparkpaw nodded towards the warrior. "What Clan are you from?" He asked.

"I'm from ThunderClan, just like you. I actually died only a few moons before you were born. We're more similar than you think. I want to know, is anything bothering you? You're the kind of cat where it's impossible to tell," Shrewheart explained, his tone oddly casual. It would sound like he was any normal clanmate talking to him, the only difference that this conversation would never be heard by a living soul other than Sparkpaw himself. One could almost forget that they even were in StarClan if it weren't for the starlight that glittered off everything and the stars in the dead warrior's fur and eyes. He was curious to see how this apprentice would respond. It was a sure fact that something must be bothering him, and he had faith that it wasn't something stupid. This tom held promise and potential.

Sparkpaw looked at warrior. "I don't know something has been on my mind that's been bothering me, but I can't figure it out." Sparkpaw said, looking down.

"Well let's start off with this. What do you fear? Problems always start with someone being scared of something," Shrewheart prompted, the smile never leaving his maw. He was wise enough to know that most cats did have fear, and even if he didn't understand it, he could help to calm it. Spark had true potential, and he wanted to ensure that he was able to fulfill that. Some concern or worry shouldn't hold him back in life.

Sparkpaw thought for a bit. "I fear not being able to serve my clan. What if I get hurt on the thunderpath?" He said to the Starclan warrior. "I know it's stupid, but I just wanna serve my clan."

"You should want to serve you clan the best you can. A cat who didn't feel that way would never become a warrior. Just don't let fear of not being able to do it stop you from doing it, if you get my meaning. If you're cautious at every battle because you don't want to be too injured to hunt, than you are going to lose the fight. That wouldn't be serving your clan well, would it? Don't be scared of wounds, because you are going to have to get them. Instead let them motivate you to do better. That's what a warrior needs, and I can tell you are going to be a great warrior." Shrewheart looked at Sparkpaw with a reassuring nod. His own advice had actually been pretty good in his opinion, and would hopefully help the apprentice thrive as a warrior. Fear of failure could get in the way of success. Now hopefully that wouldn't happen anymore. "Neither of those things are quite stupid. Yes, its stupid to let fearing them hold you back, but if they don't its fine. For a matter of fact, I died on the Thunderpath from a monster. But if I hadn't, my best friend would have died much earlier. So if I had let fear hold me back, I would have lived, but he would have died. I know I made the right decision there, but it isn't always clear. You have to figure that out for yourself." There he paused unsure of what to say next. But as he remembered the time limit, he decided to rush one more thing in. "Also, you have to wake up soon. Anything you want to ask me before then?"