Sunnypaw's Moonstone Journey

Smallbean let out a large yawn, blinking the sleepiness from his eyes. He had rose with the rising sun so that he had time to prepare for Sunnypaw's moonstone trip, it seemed as though he had been doing many of them lately. Not that he didn't enjoy them or anything, but his days became much more busy. He was glad to have Softbreeze here to take care of the clan while he was gone.

After preparing the herb wraps he ran across camp to wake Sunnypaw, muttering a quick explanation to her before returning to the medicine den, pleased to see that it didn't take too long for the young she-cat to meet him. "Good morning! I know it's not the most ideal thing to eat as soon as you wake up, but you must eat these herbs," He paused to gesture at one of the herbs wraps that sat in front of him. "These will give you strength for your journey. They're a bit bitter, try your best to ignore the taste." He ate his own herbs, swallowing them quickly so that he didn't have to taste them for long. After Sunnypaw had eaten her herb wrap, he stood up and walked with her to the camp entrance, ducking through it to begin the journey.

---

They had made decent time, the sun was low in the sky by the time they arrived at mothermouth. He gazed into the blackness of the cave before turning around to Sunnypaw. "When we go in, you'll want to stick close by me, it's easy to get lost in these tunnels." With that, he walked through the cave entrance. He navigated the darkness, muttering words over his shoulder every now and then to make sure that Sunnypaw was still there. When the cave finally opened up to the moonstone he stepped aside, making room for the apprentice to walk through. "Touch your nose to the moonstone to speak to Starclan." He said, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws.

Sunnypaw's eyes blinked awake, and the lingering hold of sleep quickly loosened it's grip. She didn't often rise early, but she was prone to waking up in a quick manner, full of energy and ready for what the day had in store. This morning was no different, and despite having her sleep interrupted she quickly untangled herself from her mother and brother and get to her paws. The morning air was crisp and a little cool, and she nodded as she looked at the herb bundle. "Okay! Thank you!" Lowering her head to quickly eat the herbs Smallbean had placed in front of her, she made a funny face as she bit into the first of them. "Ohh, they are bitter!" She exclaimed before quickly finishing the rest and straightening to look at the medicine cat apprentice. The bitter taste lingered on her tongue as she followed Smallbean out of camp, casting one last look over her shoulder at her sleeping family and smiling as their slumbering figures were shrouded by the camp entrance. She would see them soon.

---

The trip didn't seem like it had taken that long, with so many new experiences and sights to see Sunnypaw had been surprised when she looked to the sky and saw the sun was starting to set. Her paws had started to ache a bit, and her stomach growled as they came to a stop outside of a gaping hole. It looked kinda like the ones that dotted the moors, but much larger and made of stone. The darkness within seemed even darker in the fading light, but that seemed to excite Sunnypaw even more. "Stay close, got it!" She followed behind the tom as he disappeared into the tunnels, feeling the cool rock brushing against her whiskers on either side. It was certainly a new sensation, and not a pleasant one at that. Still though, she followed, focused on what would come next. Suddenly Smallbean moved to the side, and the she-cat gasped as she saw the Moonstone for the first time. The medicine cat apprentice spoke again, and she turned her gaze to him and nodded, awed into silence. Stepping forward, she settled next to the Moonstone and stared into it's depths for a few heartbeats before closing her eyes and pressing her nose to it.

---

When she opened her eyes again, she was met with the sight of the moors. Her heart soared with glee as she looked around the sunny landscape, and without a moment's hesitation she started running. This was great! It was so pretty here. She looked around for Hayglow and Muddypaw for a moment before realizing suddenly that this wasn't quite her moor.... There were subtle differences, but differences none the less. She slowed to a jog, looking around. It was still very pretty, and she hoped that someday Hayglow and Muddypaw would get to race across this land with her, but for now she had to figure out exactly where she was, and how she got there. She came to a stop and sat down, trying to remember what she had been doing. Oh yeah, the Moonstone! So was this inside the Moonstone? No, it had been underground. Where was she? Looking around for any other creature, cat or otherwise, Sunnypaw kneaded her paws against the ground. She wasn't scared, necessarily, maybe a bit apprehensive, but mostly curious. She wanted to know more about this place, and why she was here. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Slowly, a tom with his pelt spangled with stars materialized on the moor, his large white paws leaving slight intentions in the tall grass as he stepped forward. He seemed to be approaching Sunnypaw, the bright she-cat who was here for her Moonstone journey. Her energy and curiosity were admirable, so he watched with a smile as she ran around the moor surrounding her, and only proceeded in his pursuit when she'd slowed down. Once he was close enough and within earshot, he called out, "Hello, Sunnypaw,"

Continuing his steady trot forward, Silentstrike offered the she-cat a smile and came to a stop a foxlength or so away from her. "My name is Silentstrike. I was a warrior of WindClan until I spent my days as an elder with my beloved mate, Quailfeather." A quick flash of the two of them running through the moors just as Sunnypaw had moments ago flickered in his mind and he smiled at the warm memory. "I'm here to answer any questions you might have and to give you advice. So, Sunnypaw... Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

The little she-cat spun around as a voice answered her call, surprised to see a tom with white paws approaching her. His fur was dazzling, sparkly bits flashing with each step he took. With a soft gasp, she realized they looked just like stars, and her eyes widened before she turned them up to look at his face. The strange-pelted tom stopped a bit away from her, and Sunnypaw's eyes sparkled with the glimmering of the stars in his pelt. After a few heartbeats of awed silence, Sunnypaw seemed to realize that she had been spoken to and closed her mouth before flashing him a grin. "Hi Silentstrike! I'm... Oh wait, you already knew my name! How did you know my name? Where are we? How did you get here? Why are there stars in your fur? Can I have stars in my fur? I bet momma would think they're really pretty." She asked, looking at him closely. In a moment of clarity, she raised her eyes to meet his again. "Actually... Um, how many questions can I ask? I have a lot."

Silentstrike elected to simply nod at the observation that he already knew Sunnypaw's name, which he was thankful for- turns out the she-cat had a flurry of questions to ask him and he wouldn't have had the chance to verbally respond, even if he did want to. After she finished speaking (hopefully), he took in a deep breath and tried to remember everything she'd asked. "I know your name because I watch over you, as well as the rest of the forest. This is StarClan, Sunnypaw." He mewed with a hint of concern in his voice. Had her older Clanmates not taught her about the ancestors; about StarClan? "StarClan is where the best cats go when they pass from your world- the living- to the afterlife. If you're honest, kind, and follow the code, one day you'll be here too. I earned these stars many moons ago, when I was alive, and served as a warrior in WindClan. You'll earn your stars one day, too, Sunnypaw." He mewed, trying his best to keep his tone even and level. Looking at the she-cat with a soft gaze, he mewed in response to her final question, "We haven't got an eternity to spend here, but I'm sure I can answer any questions you have for now."

"Ohhhh....." Sunnypaw softly exclaimed, looking at the moor around her with this new knowledge. Sure, she knew about StarClan, and had heard the tales of how they had descended several times in recent past to address the living, but... She hadn't really expected to see it with her own eyes before she died. She wasn't dead, was she? She didn't have the pretty stars in her pelt (that she could see at least), and they had made the journey to the Moonstone purposefully... Do StarClan cats get a star for their good deeds? Is that why Silentstrike had so many? As he welcomed her to ask her questions, she sat down and thought carefully. They didn't have forever, at least not yet. "Is my brother okay? Amberfluff and Hayglow were saying he can't feel pain. I don't fully understand why it's a bad thing, doesn't it mean he won't be hurt, ever? Isn't that a good thing? Why is everyone so concerned about it? Is there a way that I can help, if it really is bad?" Deciding that she would ask one more question for herself, she asked a final one. "Momma told us about StarClan, but I didn't really think about it too much. Do you earn your stars while you're alive? Is that why you have so many stars, because you did a lot of good things? Do I have any stars?"

Silentstrike watched quietly as Sunnypaw took in the scenery once again, now with the knowledge that she was visiting StarClan. Her wonder was perfectly justifiable- StarClan was a wondrous place, and even more so when you were seeing it for the first time. It never got old, though, and neither did the looks of surprise and wonder on apprentices' faces when they arrived for the very first time for their moonstone journeys. "Muddypaw is quite alright." He assured her quickly, letting her continue her questions. "It's a dangerous thing, but he will be alright. He can't feel pain, but his body still takes the damage. Since he cannot feel it, he has no way of knowing when something may have gone too far, or when he's severely injured. He cannot judge such a thing. If he continues to fight when he's hurt badly... Well, it may be difficult to heal him. He could become permanently hurt. That, Sunnypaw, is why it is so important that you and your Clanmates have his back, and look out for him." He mewed gently, trying to explain in the best way possible why it wasn't an entirely good thing. "The best thing you can do for Muddypaw is watching out for him. You know when something's gone too far, so if he doesn't realize it, you can be there to warn him. Be there for him." He reiterated one last time before quieting down to listen to Sunnypaw's final question.

"Yes, I suppose so." He chuckled lightly, tail tip twitching every few seconds. "I like to believe I did a lot of good things." He mewed, icy blue eyes gazing at Sunnypaw with a smile. "You're a good cat, Sunnypaw. Your stars shine bright, and I cannot wait to see all the stars you'll earn in the coming moons." With that, Silentstrike gave Sunnypaw an encouraging nod, and stepped back as her dream came to an end.

Sunnyskip blinked as Silentstrike explained. "Oh... I didn't think of it that way before...." She mewed, her face scrunching slightly. It did make sense... But what if she wasn't around? No matter, there would be others around. If she was close by, she would keep an eye on him, always. Not just because of this whole not feeling pain thing, but that was her brother! Of course she would make sure he was alright. "I will, I promise! Thank you!" She purred as the StarClan cat continued. Judging by the number of stars in his pelt, he was telling the truth. Her eyes widened as he told her that her stars were bright, and he nodded to her before stepping back and disappearing into darkness. As she opened her eyes, she found herself back in the cavern with the Moonstone. Gazing into it's now dim depths, she let out a long breath. She would earn as many stars as Silentstrike did, even more! And she would take care of Muddypaw, and Hayglow, and all the others. "I promise." She whispered before turning away, following after Smallbean to head back to camp.