Thornpaw's Moonstone Journey

It was early in the afternoon and the deputy was yet again getting ready to take an apprentice to the Moonstone. This time Thornpaw would be speaking with their starry ancestors. Goosepaw had prepared two bundles of herbs for the two toms. Swiftstep had already consumed his but Thornpaw's lay by his paws as he sat waiting for the apprentice. He had called Thornpaw a few moments ago so the younger tom should be heading his way now.

Thornpaw scrambled out of the apprentice den, his pale blue-green eyes blazing with excitement. Today was the day! He was going to meet with his ancestors (Probably Ashstar, Raccoonstar, or some other awesome leader!) and they were going to give him amazing, life-changing advice that would help him become the cat he had always dreamed he would be. He could hardly wait to start!
His characteristic spiked pelt messier than ever, the young tom charged towards the nearest herb bundle, digging into his unpleasant pre-trip meal with gusto. If he was going to learn something incredible today, he couldn't let a few nasty-tasting herbs get in his way. A real warrior didn't make faces when they tasted something gross, so he couldn't either.

(bump!)

Swiftstep chuckled in amusement at the apprentice's hurried movements. The deputy beckoned the tom to follow as he stepped out of the camp.

~Time Skip~

After hours of traveling and a moment of adrenaline after sprinting across the Thunderpath, the two toms were finally in front of Mothermouth. During the trip, Swiftstep took the time to point out certain landmarks to Thornpaw so the journey would be more interesting.

The deputy stepped into the dark tunnel that led to the Moonstone after Thornpaw had caught his breath. The duo then entered the cavern lit up by the stone's enchanting glow. Swiftstep sat down by the entrance and then began to address the apprentice, "Okay, touch your nose to the Moonstone and a Starclan cat will talk with you there."

Thornpaw flicked his tail, stepping towards the Moonstone with wide eyes. This was it. The long-legged tom leaned slowly forward, pressing his pink nose against the surprisingly smooth, cold stone. After a stretch and a yawn, the older apprentice shook out his fur and curled up near the glowing rock. Starclan, here I come...


Starclan was not as impressive as he thought it would be. Sure, the field Thornpaw found himself standing in was pretty, and the stars seemed both larger and nearer, but it wasn't anything like the young tom had imagined. He shook his head, his pale blue-green eyes roving the landscape in search of the brave warrior who would speak to him. This could still be life-changing, right?
Wrong.
The tom who picked his way through the tall grass certainly looked... different. He had a long, brilliantly red tail, thick, white fluffy fur, and two different colored eyes. He looked young- nearly Thornpaw's age, actually. But the one thing that stood out to the young, long-furred apprentice the most was the apparent lack of cool battle scars.
"Uhm... wrong field?" He asked hopefully, gazing at the starry tom.

"No...?" Gingerheart sat down, taking a steadying breath. Starclan, this wasn't going to be fun. "I am Gingerheart, a former member of Windclan." He waited for a moment, letting his words sink in. At this point in the meeting, most of the apprentice were hanging on to his every word.
"I'm Thornpaw. Are you gonna teach me how to fight or lead or something?"
Gingerheart sighed. "No... I think this might be a bit hard for you to hear, Thornpaw..." There was no other way to put it. Hopefully Thornpaw would take this well.
"You're not going to lead Windclan if you continue on the path you're going." The words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush, and Gingerheart winced.
"I know, I know, I'll work hard- wait... what?"
Gingerheart frowned. "The cat you're currently following is not who you think they are. Don't put too much faith in words, Thornpaw. Don't trust someone who makes promises they can't follow through with."
Thornpaw shook his head. "What? Wait- hold on!" He tried to leap forward and grab Gingerheart as he began to fade, but his paws were empty. He shook himself, more confused than ever.