Harepaw’s Moonstone Journey

This would be the first time he brought someone to the Moonstone. After the fall of the Dark Forest, Basilbloom gave him the directions to get there, and he hoped privately that he would remember the way.

It was before sunrise when Fuzzypaw got the traveling herb bundles as he saw fit. They would be gone all day, and they needed strength to get there.

Fuzzypaw approached the warrior apprentice den, whispering, “Come, Harepaw, we have a journey ahead of us. You’ll get to see StarClan today.”

With a small nudge, he directed her to follow him to the medicine den. “They don’t taste very good, but they will help us make the trip. We’re heading to the Moonstone.”

He waited for her to eat the herbs before standing at the mouth of camp. “Ready?”

"It's so late," Harepaw grumbled. She felt like she'd only just gone to sleep, she'd been told that they had to get up at strange hours to visit the moonstone, and she would much rather have just had a normal day of training to curl up in her nest for the day. Fuzzypw didn't seem to be going anywhere, though, so Harepaw reluctantly uncurled from her nest, padding out of the den and following the medicine cat apprentice to the den he shared with Basilbloom. She sniffed at the offered herbs, expression dubious. Did they really have to eat these? She trusted Fuzzypaw, of course, but they seemed... Unappealing.

Harepaw choked down the herbs, trying not to gag at the sour, lemony taste. "You're right, those are awful. I guess I'm awake now, though." She grumbled. "And you have to eat these every time you go? That must be miserable." She commented with a flick of her tail. She was ready to go... And trying not to think about the purpose of this trip.

“Miserable’s one word for it. It just reminds me I have taste buds.”

The offbeat brown tom led the way through marshes and overgrowth. He wondered privately if he had lost his way. He looked at Harepaw and gave a not-very-assuring-but-still-happy smile as he found his feet on drier ground. This felt more like what Basilbloom was talking about. He breathed a sigh of relief.

It was dusk by the time they approached Mothermouth and the Moonstone glittered dimly as the theater of stars above them eked out pale light.

“Alrighty, we’re going in. I’ll lead the way. When we get to the stone, touch your nose to it. StarClan will take it from there.”

The fluffy tom walked in and leaned towards the back of the cave. The Moonstone glowed under the sky, vibrating with an electric energy.

“StarClan light your path,” he said just as Harepaw walked in behind him.

"Be careful, I'm not sure you'll have any tastebuds left!" Harepaw grinned, following Fuzzypaw out of camp. She wasn't too worried about the journey to the moonstone, she would, of course, be able to handle anything that came at them, and Fuzzypaw would never get them lost!

---

The herbs had actually kept her from getting tired, although Harepaw hadn't been used to the brightness of their surroundings at all. She eyed the dark tunnel entrance hesitantly for a moment, but stuck close to Fuzzypaw as he led her down the tunnels. Touch her nose to the stone... Right, that didn't sound strange at all, but she would play along. Eventually, after what felt like a much longer walk, they reached the so-called moonstone. Harepaw stood for a moment, taking in the sight of the pretty stone as it glowed and seemed to illuminate the cave. Moonlight was visible from a hole in the cave's roof high above, and Harepaw wondered how the place didn't flood when it rained.

Padding forward, she touched her nose to the rock as instructed, curling up at the base of the stone. It was a surprise how quickly she fell asleep, and when she blinked open her eyes, she wasn't where she had just been.

It had been awhile since Dawnflower had been among any of the living. A long time indeed. When she was selected to talk to Harepaw she wasn't even sure she knew what to say. She would do her best though. That is what she had always done when approached with situations she didn't know.

So when the apprentice appeared, she had greeted the apprentice with a smile. "Hello Harepaw. I'm Dawnflower former Medicine Cat of Shadowclan. I'm glad to finally be able to speak to the living again."

Harepaw opened her eyes to a strange, star-speckled landscape. Part of her had, perhaps, been half-hoping that her mother still walked among the stars. That 'sacrificing' her place in Starclan had just been some game, a ploy to drive off the dark forest. But the cat who approached her was unfamiliar, and Harepaw's ears flattened, disappointment clouding her mismatched eyes. The she-cat's pelt was starry... Like Murkystar's had been before she'd faded.

Why did she get to be in Starclan and Murkystar didn't? It was unfair! She didn't even know this cat. Before she could ask just who the starry she-cat was, she introduced herself. Dawnflower, former medicine cat. She was old, that much was obvious, considering she was someone wholly unfamiliar to Harepaw. "Medicine cat huh, like Basilbloom?" For once, Harepaw was at a loss of what to say. They hadn't even sent her someone who would've known her family, like the pawful of cats who had grieved for Murkystar that she was almost regretting not paying attention to now.