Swanpaw's Moonstone Journey

Swanpaw watched her mother step backwards, an ache rising up through her pelt despite knowing that this had to happen. I can't stay here, it's not my time yet. Moonlight's words whispered through her ears, bringing warmth to her heart even through the pain. And then, in answer to her question, several smaller eyes appeared, blinking warmly out of the shadows. Her heart leapt at the sight, a joyous purr rising in her throat as she blinked back. Her siblings... they were here. Safe.

The worry and loneliness that had seemed to follow her for most of her life seemed to fall away, peace filling her heart in its place. And in that moment, she knew Moonlight's words were true. They will always be there for me, even if I can't see them. And one day... we'll see each other again.

She began to feel something pulling at her, like the gentle current of a river, beckoning her back to her home.

"We will never turn our backs on you, Swanpaw... we promise."

A smile lit up Swanpaw's blue eyes, only a hint of moisture at the edges as she dipped her head. "I know... and I promise I won't, either." She looked into her mother's eyes one last time, a feeling of peaceful acceptance rising up like a gentle wind to carry her away. "Goodbye, Mother. I'll see you again when the time comes...."

The last image she saw before soft darkness came to claim her was their eyes - like beacons of hope - bidding her farewell. Especially a certain small pair belonging to a little kit she had known before tragic events tore them apart....

Up, up through the blackness she swam, blinking open her eyes to see a now-darkened stone in front of her. Taking in a deep breath, she raised her head, a slight chill lingering in her fur until she sat up with a slight shiver. She turned, attempting to pierce the darkness as she searched with her gaze for Amberdawn. It was time to leave, though strangely, she didn't feel as sad as she would have thought. They were there, she could feel them watching. A small smile spread over her muzzle, a golden glow of peace filling her. Yes, there would still be hardships, but for the moment everything felt so much better.

The time had passed slowly as Amberdawn waited for Swanpaw to awaken from her ethereal dream. As all other apprentices before her had done, the pale silver-gray she-cat had fallen to sleep swiftly with the aid of the Moonstone. The SkyClan medicine cat had remained awake, as was her duty, to watch over the small she-cat's unconscious body. Sadly, she wasn't allowed to walk the dreams of the apprentices she guided here; though they made the journey to Highstones together, they always had to face the ancestors alone. It was daunting for many apprentices - Amberdawn wondered what wisdom StarClan cited for making them dream by themselves, especially since Amberdawn herself merely sat in the radiant light until the dream concluded.

She was never quite sure how long the dream had lasted until she and the apprentice emerged at the surface again. Some were longer than others; some only felt longer than others. This visit was like the others, and after some uncountable time the Moonstone suddenly began to dim and Amberdawn was drawn from her silent ponderings. The golden tabby looked and Swanpaw was stirring, coming out of her sleep with fluttering lids and a deep breath. Amberdawn met Swanpaw's pale gaze with a gentle smile, and a curious expression that silent asked: Is everything okay? The warrior apprentice then smiled gently and Amberdawn went to her side, helping her to her paws in the darkness before leading the way towards the exit tunnel of the Moonstone.

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Amberdawn emerged into faint light; the moon had slipped behind clouds and was sinking towards the horizon. The night was ending, and soon enough the sun would begin to peer over the distant trees. The medicine cat apprentice looked aside to her companion. "How do you feel?" she asked gently, and she added, "It's normal to feel tired, or hungry; we can stop to hunt for prey before we get back into Clan territory if you'd like." Her mind burned with curiosity - oh, how she longed to know what they dreamed - but it was not her right to know or her place to ask what Swanpaw had seen, and so she thought of other things, such as how Swanpaw would likely get the day off to recover from her night-long pilgrimage.

The journey back outside seemed shorter than the journey in had. As she padded through back into the light, a gentle breeze greeted her, bringing the scents of fresh, growing things. It was certainly a change from the smell of earth and rock, and the slightly stale air that dwelled below. She took a deep breath, gazing up at the stars shining down from above. Mother.... My littermates. A smile spread over her maw as she imagined them gazing down from Silverpelt, their eyes twinkling like the lights above.

Amberdawn's question broke through her reverie, and she stayed silent for a moment, trying to sort through the feelings running through her. "I don't feel too hungry," She mewed, though now that the medicine cat had mentioned it, there was a slight pang in the pit of her stomach. "Actually, I... feel like I've just woken up. It all seems so much brighter...." A smile twinkled in her eyes as she faced the other, the whole world seeming to glow as the desire to share what she'd seen and heard blossomed. It was true, Moonlight's words had been for her, but now they were hers to share with those who needed them. "I saw Mother; she told me she's watching over us, and she'll always be there to watch over us. She'll always be there, no matter what happens...."

Swanpaw closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, feeling the sweet-smelling breeze run through her whiskers as she murmured, "She told me to follow my heart, and I know I can do what the Clan needs. I will do the right thing."

Amberdawn didn't mind that Swanpaw took a moment to respond, though it did catch at her curiosity further as the apprentice gathered her thoughts. The pale she-cat was gazing wistfully at the stars which she had just visited in her dreams. The silence spanned out for another several moments before at last Swanpaw spoke her mind, shaking her head very softly as she said she wasn't feeling hungry - more like she had just woken up. The she-cat turned to face Amberdawn, and the medicine cat tilted her head curiously at the look of contentment and wonder that shone on her charge's face.

Swanpaw spoke then of her mother - Moonlight. Amberdawn's heart suddenly soared with joy and relief; the SkyClan leader's mate, a dearly beloved and bitterly missed pillar of the Clan, had found her way home to StarClan even from the mountains. The words of reassurance Moonlight had given to her daughter warmed Amberdawn's heart, and she nodded sagely, her own relief and wonder showing as she murmured, "SkyClan is blessed by our ancestors." Swanpaw explained that she needed to follow her heart, for she would know what was best.

Amberdawn nodded in agreement and rested her tail on Swanpaw's shoulders, replying warmly, "You're a strong cat, Swanpaw. I know you'll make our Clan proud." Then her tail slipped from the she-cat's shoulders, and she began to lead away from the Mothermouth and back towards the moorlands which would eventually become woodland. Her fur was pale in the off-light of the nearing dawn. As the stones slowly became interspersed with grass, prey began to appear every so often. The medicine cat herself wouldn't have minded something to eat, but she didn't want to waste time.