September Medicine Cat Meeting

Pricklebush felt a load drop off his shoulders when Mistlepaw arrived. She hadn't been attacked on her way to the Moonstone after all! For once, something light shone temporarily in his eyes as he saw her. Let out a sigh of relief as he turned to face her... then she turned away. What? A cold weight settled on his chest. What had happened to the she-cat? Her face was as cloudy and downcast as sleet in leaf-bare. The tiny she-cat even had her claws unsheathed. What in StarClan's name-? It was obvious that she didn't want to be talked to. However, after whatever prophecy he received, the ThunderClan tom resolved that he was going to have a long conversation with his apprentice about why she looked like the Dark Forest was breathing depression down her pelt. She wasn't allowed to feel the weight of the world. That was his job.

He walked down into Mothermouth as usual, feeling just a sense of resignment as he left the light of the outside behind and began the trek through the dank, musty black tunnels. He stayed right behind Mossbloom, a simple sense of brotherly protectiveness still lingering despite her graduation from apprenticehood, but made sure to keep an eye on the still-small form of Mistlepaw as well. When they finally reached the sparkling spire of the Moonstone, he stared at it for a few moments... weighing the pros and cons of just walking back up and pretending to have spoken with StarClan.... then let out a heavy sigh and lay on the damp ground. With a simple touch of his nose to the cold surface, he was out like a light.

--

When his eyes opened again, Pricklebush was in a scene that he had tried not to think of since he was an apprentice... one of the many scenes that haunted his nightmares. Fourtrees, under a blood-red moon, filled with fighting cats. Former friends and family fighting to the death, tearing pelts, ripping throats. Scarlet splashed on the grass. Rogues wreaked havoc. He saw Leopardstar and Brindlestar battling side by side. Lichenmask raining down StarClan's hatred from a starless sky. His mother, his siblings, battling alongside warriors of all Clans. He saw himself- that was an odd experience. Pricklepaw, the anger-filled warrior apprentice, fighting for all his life was worth then being easily slammed aside by a far more experienced warrior. Then, the tide of the battle turned, and every scene sped up. Lichenmask's band began to lose- and die. One by one they were slaughtered. His former mentor, Snowdrop, met a gruesome end along with her unborn kits. A mottled queen screamed for help before having her throat torn out. Finally, Lichenmask himself was crushed beneath a fallen tree, and the remaining rogues fled the scene. The ghostly form of the ThunderClan medicine cat watched as, in the chaos of injured and dead cats, a band of kits ran alone through the clearing, searching through the hellish mess for their parents. He winced when they came across the mottled queen, her bloody corpse abandoned, not understanding what they saw. One of the kits looked awfully familiar... wait. Dawngaze? The kit had her same pelt, same eyes...

The she-kit's terrified and confused eyes locked onto his, which shouldn't have been possible, because he wasn't really there. He realized, startled, that the blood of the fallen queen was all over his paws. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he tried to back away, but found that he couldn't move. As the scene continued around them, it faded away from his consciousness... all he was aware of was that the she-kit was staring at him, horrified, her luminous eyes filled with a wondering, crazed fear that seemed to consume him as well. He tried to speak- I didn't do this!- but no words came out of his frantically moving mouth. She slowly backed away, trembling, her tiny claws unsheathed. Then suddenly before his eyes, she abruptly shifted into Lichenmask, teeth bared, who crouched into a threatening battle stance. A booming voice crashed through his consciousness, making him cry out at the loudness of it, feeling it shake every inch of his being- "WATCH OUT." As he was disoriented, Lichenmask leapt for his throat-


And he woke up, panting, shaking, on the cold stone floor. He backed away rapidly from it, up against the wall, still feeling his heart pounding as if it would beat out of his chest. What in StarClan's name was that?! Nightfire hadn't even spoken to him, which he supposed he was grateful for... but he didn't come to the Moonstone just to get a repeat of his nightmares. What on earth were they warning him about? Lichenmask had been dead for moons upon moons! Maybe they were just trying to scare him on purpose. Either way, he didn't like it. The large tom shook out his messy pelt and walked out of the cavern, somewhat shell-shocked. Well, he couldn't think about this now. He was just going to sit out and wait for Mistlepaw so that he could see what was bothering her.... Just as he got out of the dark tunnels, Mintwhisker sprinted past him, trailing fear-scent behind her. What was happening today?!

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Before Pricklebush even had the chance to approach her, she scurried into Mothermouth and through its dank, tight tunnel. Following a few moments of darkness, the entryway to the small cavern holding the Moonstone illuminated. Mistlepaw padded forward, like a moth to a flame, until the pale light from the crystal bathed her and the cave's surroundings. She settled down a bit farther from the other medicine cats, tail pulled close to her as she pressed her nose against to the cool stone. 

~~~

Mistlepaw ran through the forests, once again in a body that was not her own. She wondered if other medicine cats got prophecies like she did, or if it was only exclusive to her? If so, why? Why could she..she enter another cat's body and experience what they were experiencing? "No time to think about that now! Look, a barn!" In the time she spent in her own thoughts, she- er, the cat she currently...possessed or something, had made their way to a barn. It was definitely more rundown than the one in Riverclan territory, but she could still recognize it by its structure. Tentatively, she stepped towards it, eventually mustering up the courage to pad inside. The smell of hay and mice immediately drifted into her nostrils, but several other unfamiliar scents mingled as well. She looked around, visibly confused, until her eyes landed on two shapes resting comfortably in nests of hay. One was black with long fur, and the other was black with short fur and a white marking on their chin. That was all the Riverclan medicine cat could make out- the rest was blurry and disorientated.

The black cat with a white chin stood up and approached her. Much to her disdain, their face remained obscured and unrecognizable. They sniffed her, stepped back, and offered her a warm, welcoming smile. "Welcome, Str.." Before they had the opportunity to finish the words, darkness enveloped the young medicine cat. Instead of trying to run, she embraced it, allowing herself to free fall within the black depths once again..

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Mintwhisker shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her eyes narrowed as she waited for the other medicine cats to arrive. She sighed in relief as the last one clambered over the hill, pivoting and vanishing into the tunnel with a flick of her tail as the others greeted one another. It wasn't like there was anyone out there to talk to. Every cat worth talking to was dead.

The molly's pace quickened. She knew this tunnel like she knew her den; every nook and cranny was worn so deeply into her memory that no herbs she took would ever fill the canyons they made. She took a turn, then another, her heartbeat keeping time with her pawsteps. Soon, she'd be able to see her mother and father again, apologize to Fern, meet her siblings. She could see it now, a vivid picture tantalizingly close.
Before she knew it, she was running, her paws barely connecting with the earth, the cool air tugging at her fur, generations of pawprints on the dusty ground erased by one fluid movement.
Mintwhisker reached the main cavern and skidded to a halt, her murky eyes glowing with anticipation and the light of the moonstone. Her narrow chest heaved with exertion and she struggled to catch her breath, suppressing a cough as ancient dust and pollen, gathered over countless moons, filled her lungs. Still gasping for air, she hurriedly approached the moonstone and bumped it with her nose.
Today would be the day. Starclan would forgive her. She'd see her friends, her family, converse with Starclan the way she was meant to.
Today was the day.

---

Her ears were ringing. Mintwhisker sat up and looked around, her expectant grin fading. She was surrounded by darkness.
"Hello?"
There, just ahead... something was flickering, struggling to come to life. Mintwhisker squinted as it came closer.
Two figures, tiny cats made of light. They danced around each other, tentatively at first, and then with meaning. The Skyclanner tilted her head as they glowed dimly, intrigued.

A blue flash, and suddenly a river of light flowed between the two dancers, cutting their performance short. Mintwhisker watched with kitlike fascination as they struggled to reach one another, and she grinned as one leaped over the stream and the two were reunited.
Is this what Starclan is really like? No confusing words, no violence, no hidden meanings.
She could feel it- this was a true prophecy.
Their dance playfully continued, and Mintwhisker smiled as the lights pranced joyful circles around her before approaching a cloud of dark light with comedic hesitation. One of the two reached out to touch the cloud, then jumped back as if they had been shocked.

The other turned to look at her, and Mintwhisker shrank back as their lights grew brighter. What?
Their expressions changed from mirthful to accusatory as they stalked towards her. The closer they got, the brighter and louder they became.

The ringing in her ears had reached an uncomfortable pitch. She couldn't shut her eyes. Her head spun as the noise reached a deafening volume. Mintwhisker tried to stumble to her paws, to flee, but she couldn't move. She could only stare into the brightness as it enveloped her, exposing her secrets, her defenselessness, her lies, for all to see.
Why?

---

When she woke up the second time, the lights were nowhere to be seen. All that was left was the imprint of two cats, burned into her gaze by the light that had devoured them.
Mintwhisker blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision and her thoughts.
"Where am I?" She asked, knowing that Starclan wouldn't answer.
Her ears flattened, and she shivered. It was cold.

"Mintwhisker." The Skyclanner turned with a startled gasp, her fur rising.
"What?." Eyes wide with disbelief, she stared at Rippedstar, too terrified to move. "No, no, this doesn't make any sense... you can't be here." She could take the blows of a stranger, feel their claws and fangs and recover, but Rippedstar? She felt each step he took, ringing through the ground into her chest, her marrow.
"And yet, here I am."
Mintwhisker sank to the ground as he stood over her, feeling his breath on her neck. She had been a fool to believe that Starclan would forgive her. They had lulled her into a false sense of security with a silly light show, promising peace and tranquility. And like an idiot, she believed them.
And now, here, she would die.

She felt his te.eth sink into her scruff. "Stand up," He hissed, pulling her roughly to her feet. "And pretend you're not a coward, for once."
The taupe she-cat was too shocked to say anything. She could barely stand, let alone react to her father's words. The regal tom stared at her, his cold blue eyes narrowed. "I'm glad they didn't let me kill you." He mewed, his tail sweeping the ground behind him. "It would've been too fast, too easy."
She finally spoke. "You're... you're not here to kill me?"
"Mint, if I was here to kill you, you'd already be dead. But if you really think I'm going to repay you with a quick death, you're stupider than I thought."
"I-I... but the lights- I don't understand."
"That was your last prophecy. A Skyclanner and a Riverclanner... I'll let you figure the rest out."

Last prophecy... So I am going to die. "Where's Sparrowpaw?" She asked, forcing her vo ice to be steady. Surely the young she-cat would come to her defense.
Rippedstar laughed icily. "Why would she want to talk to you? You've got her blood on your paws, too."

Mintwhisker stared. "You're not Rippedstar." She said slowly. The way he spoke, how he held himself, all of it was wrong. He wouldn't- no, he couldn't do this. She refused to believe that he would be so cruel.
The cat, the stranger, nodded. "No, I'm not. You're still sharp, Mintbreath- Although I have to say, I'm surprised it took you so long to figure it out." The silver tom's eyes gleamed.
"You," Mintwhisker's paws were shakin g.
"Me." Sedgestrike smiled coldly, his tail-tip twitching like a hunter about to pounce. "Hello, Mintwhisker. It's been a while.

"Let's make this quick." His eyes narrowed. "Mintwhisker of Skyclan, you are officially stripped of your rank. From this day forward, you are a medicine cat no longer. You will have no connection to Starclan and you will not practice medicine."

"You..." Her heart sto pped for a moment, but she quickly regained her confidence. "You don't have the power to do that." Besides, hadn't he just tricked her? "I don't believe you."
Sedgestrike grinned. "Denial won't help you," He said. "You're going to wake up now."

---

When she woke for the last time, she was back in the cave. The moonstone was still glowing. She hadn't been asleep for long.
Stripped of her rank? Yeah, right. She wasn't that gullible. Sedgestrike was dead, gone to the Dark Forest. He couldn't hurt her.
The striped tabby stood up and confidently bumped her no.se against the Moonstone.
Nothing happened.
She tried aga in. Still nothing. Frustrated, she swat.ted at it with one paw before pushing it roughly with her nose.

The world was s.ilent.
"No." The word echoed through her mind, through the cave.
No, no, nonononono. This wasn't happening. It wasn't. It couldn't. It was impossible. She was the oldest medicine ca t, the highest ranking. She had the best con.nection to Starclan, she knew the most about medicine, she was th eir best agent.

...
........
.
her m ind whirled. her heart pounded in her chest. Her paws were numb. The moonstone spun around h er and she blinked, hearing her breath echo in h.er ears, impossibly loud. This. Wasn't. Happening.
She couldn't tell if she was s creaming. Blinded by tears and te rror, she stumbled out of the cavern, rushing back through the tu.nnels and into the night. Her conn ection with Star clan was gone. Mintwhis.ker the medicine cat w,as no more. Her life's work, the  o
nly thing keeping her bound to the earth, the only thing that kept her sane, her lo,ve of herbs, her clanmates, starclan, was gone and there was no,thing she could do about it. there was nothing sh e could do she was lost, lost, lost, and there was not,hing left everything w.as empty all meaning gone from the worl
d everything was wrong and t.here was nothing she could d.o and she couldn't reme,mber her name her cl an her family she cou.ldn't remember w.hy can't i remember why ca,n't i thi,nk
h elp me

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Mothpaw bid a silent farewell to the other medicine cats before following those who had already left into the Moonstone's cavern. She wasn't sure she'd ever be used to the ethereal glow of the stone, or how she was not only allowed but expected to touch her nose to it. The feeling of cold stone against her nose grounded her, as she lowered herself until she was lying down and closed her eyes. What message would she bring back when she returned home...?
~
It was a familiar starlit landscape that greeted her; though (just like before) the cat that met her gaze was unfamiliar.

The gold-and-white tabby took a few steps forward, green eyes sparkling with mischief. "If it isn't the medicine cat of ShadowClan herself! You don't know me, starlight," she said as she sat. "But I know you. You could say I know what it's like to be like you... But that's not quite right, is it? No, we're very different, you and I. Not the same at all!"

Mothpaw, realizing that this cat apparently had no desire to give her a direct message, decided to make herself comfortable on the starry field that surrounded them, tail swishing lightly to show that she was paying attention even as she pawed at the dancing lights - fireflies? - around them. "I don't suppose you plan to introduce yourself?" she asked in the momentary silence.

"Sharp as your own claws, aren't you?" the StarClanner purred. "No, I think you'll have fun trying to puzzle out who I am on your own. You see, I'm not here to give you the answers... Or the questions!"

"Then why...?"

"Precisely! Why? An excellent question, and see - you found it all by yourself! As for the answer... Do you really need one? Ask yourself, and perhaps you'll find it. But I've an answer of my own to give, to a question not yet asked. Are you ready, starlight? I'll only say it once... Maybe twice, if you ask politely."

Mothpaw nodded silently, not daring to interrupt now; having found herself just the slightest bit captivated by the golden-furred she-cat's voice.

"Wonderful! So, you see, somewhere in the middle - not the beginning and not quite the end... You'll find a pair of outcasts there; and should you give a second thought, you'll find one belongs and one does not!"

There was silence, but only for a moment. "I see..." Mothpaw hummed, nodding slowly.

"Oh, no. Of course you don't. Not yet! In time it will be clear as the river, or even the sky! You place your faith in us, starlight... And we'll place ours in you."

It was something Mothpaw had understood, vaguely, since taking the position - let her ancestors guide her, and they would; and they had. But she was expected to understand that guidance, and she was finding that it was rarely as simple as it had been when it all started. Still, she nodded to her current companion as the landscape started to fade, not entirely sure what she was agreeing to.

"As for me? It's Sunpaw."

And with a wink, she was gone; and Mothpaw was too.
~
Mothpaw rose from the Moonstone more confused than she had been before, but feeling surprisingly less tense. The message she'd received was certainly puzzling, and she was sure she'd spend a while trying to piece together what it meant, but her visit with her ancestors had given her a certain peace of mind she hadn't expected.

As it was, she left the tunnel; wondering if the others were still lingering. Maybe they could help.

The member 'Holly' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Sagelight followed dutifully behind Mintwhisker into the cave, using his whiskers to guide him to the glowing cavern within. Just as he had done two times before, he took a seat next to his new mentor and touched his nose to the stone. While he had hoped for a cool prophetic dream, no StarClan cats came bearing their wisdom. His dream was nothing more than shapes and colors, flashes of light, soft sounds that meant nothing of importance. It was a rather calming dream, actually. It helped quiet his mind from everything that had happened lately.

He was pulled roughly out of his sleep by Mintwhisker crying out. The tom blinked awake, raising his head as the molly stumbled out of the cavern. "Mintwhisker...?" he called, rising to his feet. "Where are you going?" Sagelight padded swiftly after her, looking concerned. She didn't seem okay, something must be wrong. He followed her out into the night, finally catching up with her outside. "Mintwhisker! Are you okay? Did something happen?" He panted, a little winded after his run through the dark tunnels. The tom approached his mentor, touching her flank with his tail. She had a wild, crazed look in her eyes, something he hadn't seen before. It settled a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach. Apprehension, fear. His hackles raised slightly. This didn't feel right.

Mintwhisker came bursting out of the tunnels with a dazed, wild look in her eyes. Her fur was tufted in different directions, and the air around her smelled of fear. Aspenheart had emerged in a similar manner, but he had some kind of direction to his steps, heading in his lumbering gait back to the moors and the cats who resided within it. Mintwhisker was... Well, there was something distinctly different, but she couldn't tell quite what it was.

Her pelt appeared dull, lackluster and clumped. Sagelight, her new apprentice, followed behind. His mews colored with concern and uncertainty, as Mossbloom rose from her position and made her way over. "Mintwhisker? Are you okay? Aspenheart got a bad prophecy as well, but I didn't get much more info before he left... Did you as well?" She stopped at Sagelight's side, as much as she didn't like the older medicine cat she had to admit that her wisdom and expertise was valued.... And she had Sagelight to train too.

Mintwhisker turned her empty gaze towards the sounds, nothing more than a mindless creature reacting to sounds. There was no life, no recognition behind her eyes.
Her fur was soaked with sweat. Her paws trembled. She blinked, her ears twitching erratically.

And then.
Her eyes were bright, flickering only for a moment.

...
.
Yo, u.
Silver fur. She knew silver fur. She knew... she knew his fur.
Ha s he co..me ba ck? Was he back t o take me with him, t o make good on his prom.ise, to dra .g me down t o the Da.rk Forest?

She shrank back as he approached, lifting her lip in a warning snarl, her fur rising. She could hear her breath echoing in her ears. "Sedge!" And her voice was high-pitched and wild.

She felt something touch her flank and like a feral beast, she reacted explosively, lashing out with sharp claws and gnashing teeth, flailing out at her assailant blindly before shrinking away.
Staggering backward, she stared up at the two cats, her eyes wide with fear. "S-sparrow, Sedge..." She stuttered, searching for some meaning behind the words, failing to connect the memories behind the names.

Looking for meaning and finding none, Mintwhisker stared at the two cats, her lip trembling, before turning and sprinting down the slope and into the mountains.

Before he knew what was happening, there was a wild yowl, a flash of movement, and a sharp, stinging pain in his shoulder. Bewildered, he looked down and saw a deep score cutting through his flesh. Sagelight looked back up at Mintwhisker, just in time to see her escape higher into the mountains. She left a small bloody trail in her wake. His blood. He suddenly felt sick, shakily sitting down onto the hard stone earth. Something in his head told him to clean the wound, so he began licking his shoulder with awkward, stunted movements.

Mintwhisker attacked him. Her own apprentice. Murderer, murderer... She had called him "Sedge". Sedgestrike? The cat she murdered? Great StarClan, she already killed him once and was trying to do it again. He realized he was shivering. It wasn't that cold out. Everything felt wrong. Sagelight looked towards Mossbloom, blinking. "I think...I need to go. I need to tell Tinystar," he meowed slowly, his voice quiet. More bad news for Tinystar. First Misty's death, now this. "I don't have a mentor now, I guess...That's not good..." He stood up and turned his back on Mothermouth, preparing to make his journey back to SkyClan alone.

The quick, flashing movements worried Mossbloom, and she felt her pelt prickling as she slowly took a step back. Just as she opened her mouth to advise Sagelight to the the same, it happened. A flash of claws, accompanied by a wild yowl, and blood splatted across the cold, dark stones. Shock kept her still as Mintwhisker back away, saying something about Sparrow and Sedge before fleeing towards the distant mountains. Her eyes traced the trail of fresh blood, her belly tightening in fear until Sagelight suddenly sunk to the earth and began licking his shoulder shakily. The tom shivered, and their eyes met as he looked towards her. Her paws took a step forward, and then another, until she was sitting at as his side, offering her shoulder as he stood.

Her voice finally finding itself, she nodded slightly. "Your injury is deep, but it's not jagged... It should heal fairly well. We can stop by ThunderClan's camp on your way, it's only a few pawsteps extra, and get you patched up. I'll travel with you to SkyClan, to make sure that you arrive alright, but I'll have to get back to ThunderClan after doing so..... I'll talk to Oakstar though, and tell him that I'll be traveling back and forth to help train you.... If.... If you want, and are okay with that, that is...." Her eyes searched his momentarily, but found no spark of realization or understanding in their depths. What had happened to make Mintwhisker snap like that? She had seemed fine... And during the meeting, no less!

"We'll make sure you're taken care of, don't worry about that. I'll be there as soon as I can to help, in the meantime... Don't hesitate to come if there's something you need. Oh stars, Sagelight, I'm so sorry.... I have no idea what happened...." Her eyes found the trail of bright blood again and she shuddered. "Come on, let's get going quickly. I'm sure we can find something on the way to patch you up a little bit until we get to ThunderClan, and then we'll get you home." She searched for Pricklebush, giving him a bewildered look at the sudden turn of events before making sure he had understood her words.

Sagelight nodded, stopping where he was as Mossbloom came up to him. He listened to her words carefully, having to strain a little to fully understand what she was saying. Something about she wanted to train him, and that she would walk him back home to make sure he got there and got his wound looked at. "Thank you, Mossbloom," he mumbled, barely able to hear himself. "I'd be honored to train under you. But...if it's okay, I'd prefer if we just go straight back to SkyClan. I need to tell Tinystar what's happened." The stocky tom looked up at her now, his pupils dilated. He liked Mossbloom and didn't have a problem with ThunderClan, he just needed some time at home alone in his den to process things.

The she-cat hesitated, looking at the claw marks seriously before relenting with a gentle flick of her ear. "Alright, straight to SkyClan it is. If we see cobwebs on the way though, I'll patch you up a bit. Once we're in SkyClan, I'll get your wound bandaged up, then I'll take my leave and return later. If you find you need me while I let Oakstar know and get things settled, please don't hesitate. I'm just a few trees away." With that, she began padding away from Highstones, and the Moonstone, stepping delicately over the trail of spattered blood with a hard swallow and looking for Sagelight to follow. Who knew what was going to happen with Mintwhisker, but for now... Sagelight would return home safely, his wounds healed, and she would take him on as her first apprentice. All would be well.

A sickening thought twisted her stomach as her mind recalled the talk with Amberdawn. Sedge.... Would that be the cat that Mintwhisker murdered? And didn't Amberdawn mention that part of the reason Sparrowpaw was executed was because she attacked Mintwhisker after finding out about the murder, in a very similar fashion to what Mintwhisker had just done to Sagelight? She frowned at the thought, her head shaking slightly in disappointment. If Mintwhisker knew what was good for her, she would stay far away, and never show her face in her presence again.