Littlepaw's Moonstone Journey

"There!" mumbled the tortoiseshell cat to herself as she finished wrapping up a bundle of plants. She got up from where she sat in her den and hurried out, walking toward the camp's entrance. Once she had reached it, she placed down the small package and sat down beside it. "Littlepaw! It's time to head out!" called the medicine cat. She was once again taking a young cat to meet their starry ancestors. Morningpaw wanted to feel ecstatic about heading out on the journey but too much worry was plaguing her mind. When the she-cat spotted Littlepaw, she quickly put on a happy facade. She didn't want to spoil the she-cat's mood.

"Coooomiiiing Morningpaaaaawwww!" Littlepaw called, shaking moss out of her fur as she stumbled over towards Morningpaw. Screeching to a halt Littlepaw searched briefly for the bundle and hastily gobbled it, cringing and stamping her feet at the taste as she worked it down with a big sigh. "Yuck! How can anyone eat that?" Littlepaw cried, her eyes having watered just a little bit when forcing the herbs down her throat. "Y'know I've been wonderin' when are you getting your name? Because like, no offense you're super old and plenty smart and talented so why not? I think you'd get like, a really pretty name! Like... Morninglight! Or-Or Morningsong! I hope that Scorchstar picks a good name for me!" Littlepaw rambled excitedly pushing through the camp entrance, "I hope I get to see mom or dad! Especially mom though, Lichenmask never really liked us much I think. I still love him though, despite... everything. I feel like I'm the only one that still loves him, he was my dad after-all!" Littlepaw meowed, a bit nervous to be talking about her dad but this was Morningpaw... she was a medicine cat, she listened to this stuff.

"I know he did a lot of bad stuff, but I don't really know how bad. I saw the carnage at four-trees, I saw all those bodies, and almost all of them were the cats that I've grown up around, I played with a lot of them. They were all family and all of them are dead and I don't know why! You clan-cats are so hush-hush about it that I can never learn why my dad did what he did, why all you clan-cats had to go ahead and murder them all! Why my mom is dead and my dad is dead and my siblings were torn from me is all unanswered." Littlepaw meowed morosely, feeling the marsh bubble up between her toes and easily avoiding the parts in which she could get trapped in. "I'm sorry I had to spill that on you, i-it's just that you're a medicine cat and it's part of your job right?" Littlepaw inquired, the stink of the thunderpath meeting her nose quickly and swiftly.

OOC: I'm very sorry for the horrid lateness! This month was a very bad one for me. Basically, my roommate and I aren't in the best of terms because of a couple of problems. ;-;

IC: Morningpaw giggled lightly at Littleaw's early rambles and hasty herb-consuming. She followed behind the hyper apprentice as she pushed past the camp's entrance. The medicine cat apprentice listened on but as Littlepaw continued, her topics of conversation took a dark and uncomfortable turn. Even just hearing the name Lichenmask gave her chills. His days walking on this ground had been gnarly and gruesome. They were dark times filled with hate and treachery. She had been without communication with Starclan and she had never felt such helplessness before as she did then. She preferred to lock away those memories in a dark corner of her mind but now that Littlepaw was showing distressed confusion about the topic of her father, Morningpaw decided it was necessary to educate the apprentice about her father's wrongdoings.

"Littlepaw... Lichenmask and his followers were extreme purists. They believed that only the pure-blooded clan cats were strong enough to survive. Having a strong opinion like this isn't unacceptable. It's encouraged for young cats to have strong stances. It shows intelligence and bravery. However, there was an unnatural evil surrounding this particular view during Lichenmask's time. They wanted to purge the clans. They wanted to purify and restore them back to their former glory according to Lichenmask and his faithful followers. Violence and treachery ensued. The clans wouldn't have had such a big problem stopping them but unfortunately, they had the aid of a few Starclan cats. They were those who had the same belief many moons ago. During the period of time, Starclan could not be contacted. I and the other medicine cats were left deaf, blind, and mute to the guidance of the starry cats above. It was a dark time Littlepaw. The battle against Lichenmask and The Regime had resulted in many deaths and horrid injuries. I have told you this not to hold any grudges against your parents but to no longer be held in the dark. So you may have the truth in your heart. Make good choices Littlepaw, you hear? Just know that i'll always be around to talk to. Do not be nervous to come to me for aid and guidance. I may not be as old as many others but having such a bond with Starclan as a medicine cat has given me clarity on many subjects that others may not know how to address."

Morningpaw smiled gently as she finished speaking. She hadn't realized that she was pressed against Littlepaw until she felt the other's fur brushing up against hers. Her blue-green gaze remained on the apprentice as she waited for some sort of response.

"I think I understand, thank you Morningpaw." She meowed, her eyes on the stars above, having long since left the Thunder-path behind and into rolling fields, ones she had ventured once when the blades were much taller than she and the skies were still red. "Before the battle, right before Lichenmask left, he told us something. 'With this dawn, you will be faced with a choice. Your blood demands something of you, something that far beyond the comprehension of normal cats. The legacy you hold is a heavy one, heavier than most could bear to burden themselves to carry. In time, you will come to understand just what it means to be who you are. But you must come to a decision, first- will you look to the past, or to the future?'" And I think I'm only just starting to realize what he meant. If I am a daughter of Starclan's prophet, does that mean I hold the power of the stars in my paws as well? Will I or my siblings hold the amount of power that my father had? Enough to tear the sun, the moon, the stars away from us all? Or does Starclan have something else in store for me? I hope our ancestors have answers for me... I want to know if I have that legacy dad spoke about." She meowed, steel coming to her green gaze that hadn't been there before.

Soon, the cavernous maw of Mother-mouth came into view, and Littlepaw looked at its large teeth with fear. "Y-You first, Morningpaw..." She meowed, what confidence she had wilting in the presence of Mother-mouths maw. The stale air wafting into her face, just driving her fear home. Suddenly, she wasn't so ready to meet her ancestors, after all, they didn't seem to really want to talk to her.

As Morningpaw listened on, she began to feel herslef getting bothered by the apprentice's words. Before she could respond, Littlepaw told her to go first. The medicine cat looked ahead and found that they were both standing in front of Mothermouth.

"Alright. Follow me closely. I don't want you losing your way or getting hurt." instructed the tortie as she pressed onward.

The two soon stepped into the main cavern, Moonstone already glowing its mystical bright hues. The she-cat sat down at the exit and nodded to the other. "Press your nose to the Moonstone, Littlepaw, and a Starclan cat will talk to you. Once you're finished, we'll begin to head back home."

Littlepaw nodding softly, uncertain as she followed Morningpaw into the dark abyss. She could almost feel her ancestors looking down at her, judging her for her blood. Her paws fidgeted, shaking with nervousness and fear. The presence of her ancestors almost too much for her, but she forced herself on, to meet the cats that had created her father who in turn made her. Stopping before the glowing stone she nodded to the medicine cat apprentice in acknowledgment. Inhaling deeply she let it out softly before tucking her paws under her comfortably and pressed her nose to the stone and letting her eyes shut, praying that she'd get to see her mother or Canren, or perhaps even her father.

She got to see another one of her kits. That was all that mattered. Brushgaze anxiously awaited her second daughter's arrival, her tail flicking back and forth, glancing around the starry plains and waiting for Littlepaw to appear. Then, she did. The second she saw her kit the mottled she at, dashed forwards, letting out a cry of joy as she embraced the younger cat. "Little paw, my darling, it is you!" she laughed, tears streaming down her face. "I can't believe it... Oh, you've grown so much!"