Willowpaw's Moonstone Journey

The sounds of strained breathing had echoed through Mossbloom's ears that night. As the dawn began to light the camp, she stumbled sleepily to the herbs she had scraped together. Her own bundle was much smaller than usual, she wanted to save as many herbs for the clan as possible instead of wasting them on herself. This would be a long day. Nuzzling her apprentice's ears gently, she whispered that she was heading to the Moonstone with Willowpaw before she went to search for the she-cat. It didn't take long to spot the white pelt rising and falling in her nest in the apprentice den, and Mossbloom crept to her side being careful not to disrupt those around her. "Willowpaw, it's time to wake up. We have a long journey ahead of us, eat these herbs and meet me by the camp's entrance. Careful, they're a bit bitter, I used some honey to sweeten it but there's only so much that can do...." She mewed before turning and quickly consuming her own herbs, waiting patiently for the apprentice to join her. Her green eyes found the glowing horizon nervously.

Willowpaw leaped up immediately, wincing as her newly-healed wounds shot tiny, electrical shocks of pain through her paws. “I’m here!” She saw that Mossbloom had already eaten hers, and she quickly devoured hers, swallowing fast as to not taste the bitterness. She cringed slightly, then waited for Mossbloom to lead the way. “Are you sure that the Clan doesn’t need you because of the...well...sickness?”

Mossbloom hesitated, looking down at the younger white she-cat before turning to look back towards the medicine den with a sigh. "I can't say that they don't... But there's not much I can do to help them at this point. Besides, Daisybloom's training has come along magnificently, she's learning quickly... She'll be able to handle the camp while we're gone. Although, if you're feeling up to it, perhaps we could stop on the way back to gather some moss and soak it with water for the sick cats." She nodded once more, tearing her gaze away from the camp as another coughing fit reached her ears. Turning and leading the way from camp, Mossbloom set a faster pace than usual. She had no doubt in Daisybloom's abilities, but if something were to change, well... She wanted to be there.

~Time Skip~

The sun was just setting when the pair arrived at Highstones, the dark entrance to Mothermouth yawning in front of them. Looking to Willowpaw, she offered a small smile. "When we reach the cavern with the Moonstone, you'll settle next to it and press your nose to it. StarClan..... Will come to you with.... Wisdom...." Her usual words sounded so hollow, the conviction behind them having been destroyed by the ancestors themselves. Taking a deep breath, her green eyes focused on the she-cat. "Our ancestors, the ones that don't have bees in their brains, will speak to you. I'm sure of it. And if for whatever reason they're all foxhearted enough to ignore you, then I will bestow a wisdom of my own upon you, in the light of the Moonstone they have forsaken. We will prevail." Her gaze didn't waver as she turned and led the way to the Moonstone shining brilliantly in it's cavern. It was time.

Willowpaw nervously padded into the dark cave. She felt an ancient, sacred power here and almost turned tailed to flee. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. I need answers...this is for my Clan, and for me. Willowpaw thought to herself. Suddenly, she was standing near a bright stone, lit by the moonlight shining from above. Taking a deep breath, she touched her nose to the Moonstone, immediately crumpling to the ground, asleep.

Dacedream waited anxiously for the little ThunderClan apprentice to arrive, pacing in her starry home and sending up clouds of misty starlight in her wake. When the form of Willowpaw began to appear, the large, thick-furred tortoiseshell queen stopped pacing, her tufted ers flicking towards the arriving she-cat. Dacedream turned to face her, and as she awoke the queen purred - her purr quite notably louder than an average cat's purr, one of her most memorable traits in life - in welcome, "Hi, Willowpaw, welcome! You don't know how happy it makes me whenever I see anyone from back home." They hadn't known each other in life, but Dacedream knew a little about everyone now that she resided in Silverpelt!

Willowpaw woke up to see herself in StarClan’s hunting grounds. A cat was greeting her, but she was slightly confused. Suddenly, she remembered something. When she was just a kit, something tragic had happened. She was too young to understand what had happnened, but she did remember blood, yowls of anger and the name...Dacedream. Willowpaw’s eyes widened. “Are you...are you Dacedream? Dawngaze’s apprentice? I’m her apprentice too!” She babbled nervously.

Dacedream immediately bounced with excitement at being recognized, her big RiverClan-blooded paws working the ground eagerly. "Yes, that's me!" Dacedream answered with a chirp of cheer. Her plume tail waved. "Isn't Dawngaze amazing? She's gonna make sure you're able to be a great warrior - the best warrior you can be!" she stated as if it were an undeniable fact. She looked the little apprentice over and asked in a bit more of a serious voice, "How are things? The forest is a little dark and scary right now. Are you doing okay?"

Willowpaw sneaked a glance at her left flank, spotting the newly healed scars. Patches of fur still hadn’t grown back yet, but she knew that they would. “Things are...not well in any of the Clans.” She told Dacedream seriously. “Mossbloom and I...we were slightly frightened of coming here because of the...Righteous Few...” Willowpaw lowered her voice slightly. “Cats have been attacked with a strange illness, and there is nothing that the medicine cats can do. I wanted to help but...” Willowpaw looked at her scars again. “Well...as you can see I cant do much at the moment. I—I’ve always wondered...how did you die?” As soon as those words left her mouth, Willowpaw’s eyes widened. Her pelt grew hot with embarrassment at her rude question.

Dacedream felt a motherly sympathy for Willowpaw as she glanced at her recent injuries and began to explain the sorry state in which ThunderClan found itself. The StarClan cat's eyes glimmered with sorrow to hear the pain that had befallen her beloved Clanmates, but she'd seen it from her perch in the stars, and she grieved for their suffering - every pawstep of the way. Dacedream nodded, making a soft click of understanding when Willowpaw mentioned feeling unable to help. "I've felt helpless before," she murmured.

Willowpaw then asked a blunt question: "How did you die?" Dacedream's ears flicked back with a momentary flash of discomfort. She hated to think about it, but truly it was stil so fresh it was hard not to. The starry queen answered, "Two she-cats, part of the Righteous Few, came to me as I was trying to fish. I don't know how I didn't recognize them from the Gathering. They said I should be a RiverClan warrior because I was born there, and they told me I had to cross the river and join my birth Clan or else they'd kill me to try to use me as an example for any cat who defied them." Her green-hazel eyes cast sadly downward. "I wouldn't break my vow to ThunderClan, so they... they pinned me, and... that was it."

Willowpaw’s eyes flashed with horror. “I—I didn’t know...did they...would they do that to any other cat?” She whispered uncomfortably. “Can StarClan help us? The ones not part of the Righteous Few? Please...I have to know...they’ve gone too far. First, killing you, then appearing at the Gathering and killing Finchstar, now this plague.” Willowpaw shivered slightly. “I’m worried about the medicine cats, and my Clan mates...” She trailed off, a lump in her throat.

When the apprentice asked if the Righteous Few would make such an ultimatum towards ankther cat, Dacedream's head lowered more sadly and she answered honestly, "They killed Thornstar and Torrentstar and Finchstar. They stripped Oakstar of his name and sent him to ShadowClan. I... I think they would do whatever they want." Willowpaw began to plead for help, and Dacedream shook her head slightly and answered, "I truly don't know. Some of us have already raised our claws, even if it means disappearing forever. I'm worried too, Willowpaw." She laid her bushy mottled tail over the she-cat's shoulders and meowed, "All we can do is what's right - whatever happens to us because of it."

Willowpaw blinked sadly, staring at the ground. “I—I don’t want anyone to die, StarClan or non-StarClan. I’ve joined a WindClan apprentice name Morningpaw in a rebellion...but we can only do so much. Those Righteous Few cats can appear and disappear anywhere, whenever. They’re unstoppable. ThunderClan is a mess without Oakstar. Everyone is panicking. I know none of the cats can stop this sickness, but what if the Righteous Few forces our Clans to abandon them?”

As expected, Dacedream's sorrowful answers didn't inspire much hope, and she listened to Willowpaw's slew of fearful questions. The she-cat had seen the rebellion, for her daughter Cherryblossom had joined in vengeful fury. It hurt Dacedream's heart to see her beloved bloom in such a state, yet it also warmed her heart with a fiery pride to see the strength her littlest one possessed. The StarClan cat answered, "I don't think ThunderClan would be willing to do that. Do you? I'm starting to think no Clan would let that happen, or else this whole rebellion wouldn't be getting so big." Dacedream's eyes flashed with determination, and she stated, "There has to be a different way; the Righteous Few have to see they can't force the Clans to obey like this. It's not what any of us were trained to do."

Willowpaw nodded. “I can see why so many Clan cats respect you. Do you know Rainstrike? She’s my friend Blizzardpaw’s mentor. I heard that she was attacked by someone because she escaped unscathed during the fight...” She trailed off. Blizzardpaw has helped her get away from the raccoon when she was knocked out from loss of blood. Now she felt slightly worried that his mentor had been involved in Dacedream’s death.

At the mention of Rainstrike's name, Dacedream froze slightly, her eyes widening in recognition and becoming a flurry of emotions. She nodded and scuffed a paw, looking nervously at the ground. "Yeah, Rainstrike and I were... were friends. She was there when I was attacked, near the... end. I had called for help, but she... um..." Dacedream shook her starry head, trailing off. No, she still wouldn't believe it. She couldn't. Not even after all she saw. So she rationalized. "She knew she was outmatched. She was too late. The fox-hearted bullies were going to kill me, and there was nothing she could do," Dacedream answered adamantly, as if trying to convince herself it was the truth.