Rainypaw's Moonstone Journey

I will carry this clan on my back, if I must. Bloodstrike thought to himself as he gathered the traveling herbs from the medicine den that morning. Muddythorn had instsed on looking after Beechface and has assisted him in picking out the right herbs for the moonstone journey. Once Bloodstrike was confident he had everything that he needed, he carried the bundle of herbs to the entrance of the apprentice den. Spotting Rainypaw, he crept inside and gently nudged her awake. "Rainypaw... It's time for you to travel to the moonstone. Come outside and eat these herbs." He stepped back outside and choked down his own bundle. It was not without struggle, and he shuddered as he felt them slither down his insides. "It's best you do it quick, and then we will be on our way." He told the apprentice once she was outside. Beechface was injured. Wolfstar, quite frankly, looked like crap and could hardly function. Bloodstrike had no choice but to do all of the leadership responsibilities himself... but instead of complaining, he embraced this as an opportunity to show the entire clan what he was made of. The deputy actually preferred to be busy and working anyway.

The lithe apprentice stirred awake at the nudge and the familiar voice of the deputy instructing her to meet him outside the den to prepare for her moonstone. Just the thought of getting to see even a sliver of Starclan and even better, Nighthaze again got her scrambling up and she briskly made her way over to where Bloodstrike was already choking down his herb bundle. She gave him a small respectful nod as a greeting and bent to chow down on the bitter plants that had been prepared for her. She managed them all down with no complaints but couldn't contain the tiny shudder that wracked her slim body at the icky taste. It was well worth it for where she'd be traveling to and who she may be blessed to see again.

"I'm ready." she meowed, eager energy flowing through her as evident by the way she gently swayed on her paws. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a bit nervous to start the journey alongside Bloodstrike. It wasn't that she was intimidated by the deputy but rather if she'd have to talk to him much. She just wasn't good at anything that had to do with striking up conversations, especially if feelings were involved. That never meant she would just ignore someone if they decided to address her. She'd just be really awkward was all. She hoped they'd get to the moonstone with just comfortable silence but she didn't get her hopes up.

Bloodstrike watched her swallow the herbs and chuckled as she had a similar reaction to him. Once she confirmed that she was ready, he nodded. Bloodstrike had a lot on his mind lately, and while he wouldn't berate the apprentice for wanting to talk, he was fine with silence. It turned out, so was she.



"It's dark in the Mothermouth. Stay close behind me, use your whiskers to feel in front of you. Once you see the glowing moonstone, just lie down and touch your nose to it. I'll be here when you wake. ... And uh... it's a sacred place. So be silent out of respect once we enter." And with that, Bloodstrike lead Rainypaw inside. He had his own reservations about Starclan, but he would be silent on the matter for now. He wouldn't ruin Rainypaw's journey with his own soured opinions.

As instructed, the she-cat stuck close behind the deputy, whiskers working in-full-force to keep her from stumbling. It didn't take long for them to reach the main cavern that housed the sacred stone. As it's name suggested, it was glowing as brightly as the moon. The apprentice sucked in a breath as she padded closer, blue gaze mesmerized by the mystical light. It was...beautiful.

Rainypaw settled down as comfortably as she could. She looked back over her shoulder one last time to reassure herself that Bloodstrike was still there and hadn't left her before turning back and pressing her nose to the Moonstone. It was as cold and smooth as she'd expected however, the odd, almost refreshing scent that encompassed it was a surprise. The lithe she-cat slowly closed her eyes and she fell into a trance-like sleep. Her last thought was that of her beloved brother, a silent prayer of hope that he would be waiting for her, to see her again.

A lanky, night-colored tom padded toward Rainypaw, the stars in his pelt reminiscent of the sky itself. His light green gaze was joyful, and he began the process of prodding his sister awake. "Rainypaw." he said gently, "Wake up." Once she had begun to rouse, he sat in front of her, sitting up tall. The starry forest in which he resided swayed gently, as if a breeze had come through. It was infinitely peaceful, a place where Nighthaze could wander without worry, without fear. A smile was placed firmly on Nighthaze's face. He was glad to see his sister again, even if... well, it didn't matter. He just got to speak with her again, that was all he really wanted.

The familiar voice of her late brother as well as a gentle prod jolted the lithe apprentice awake, blue eyes instantly locking onto Nighthaze's. A flurry of emotions coursed through her, heart thumping loudly in her ears. There he was! Starclan had mercy on her and allowed her to see and talk with her brother again. It almost felt surreal and faux...almost.

"Oh Starclan. Nighthaze, y-you're here! I was hoping I'd get to talk to you for my time at the Moonstone. It's why I'd been looking forward to this day since...well..." She could barely suppress her inner anguish and soft eagerness, blue gaze tracing her brother's features so she could drink in all the details that'd been unfairly taken from her. "So much has happened and I can barely keep up. I really don't want to get left behind. Everyone's a mess and I feel lonelier than ever. I-I just need your company again. I missed you more than anything. I couldn't sleep after you were gone. I'd be lucky if I could even get a wink of sleep. I know it's not a good thing but I didn't want to face the new nightmares. I'm just not strong enough for that. I've been trying so hard to keep my head up and focus on my future but it's hard. I...I don't know what to do...I need your help..." The she-cat sighed pitifully. She always hated throwing all her problems at Nighthaze but his advice and reassurances had usually been what finally allowed her to sleep decently, to be somewhat at peace. Even just being near him was slowly starting to soothe her. He was her rock and without him she'd started to crumble. Hopefully her limited time with him again could help her build up her own foundation. She was desperate for some stability.

Headbutting the form of his sister, Nighthaze was silent for a moment. He was just happy to see his sister again. To be able to help her through her problems. Retracting his head, he beckoned her with his skinny tail. "Here... uh, follow me for a moment." Setting off with long strides, doing his best to not trip over any of the starry foliage or rocks, the dark form lead his sister to a small clearing with quite a few birds.

The birds simply sat, doing nothing but exist, happy and fat. "So uh, nightmares are bad. So how do we fix those? We figure out what the problem is. So the problem is probably me, uh, being here. Well there's no way to solve that... but I can maybe show you something else? So look at those birds. That's us... the clans I mean. So when I run through them, they scatter and get mad, and sometimes they even get mad at each other, just because I was there. So when something big and bad happens, it really has an, uh, effect on everyone. But the birds... they, uh, come back after a while. Once I'm gone. Once they know they're safe, they come back and it is like nothing ever happened..."

Suddenly, he rushed through the birds, scattering them to the tall trees. Nighthaze could've climbed up after them, but did not, returning to Rainypaw instead. "What I'm trying to say is... even though bad things happen, uh, we can always move past them. It has nothing to do with strength, just your determination. If you want to get past it... you will. I know you will, Rainypaw. I, uh, can't turn back time, but I can tell you this... Everything will be okay, and no matter what... I'll always be with you, watching you. Making sure you're alright. When you're not, I'll still be there, even if you can't hear me. I hope that can give you some determination. I don't know if the nightmares will stop, but I hope they do. I love you Rainypaw." Nighthaze pressed his lean body against his sister's, trying to show his affection desperately.