Flurrypaw's Moonstone Journey

Each trip to the Highstones saw her gait become less and less pronounced. This made her muscles used to long stretches of activity once again. As it was Flurrypaw's time to join her on a journey to the Highstones, her usual tiredness didn't hinder their progress, nor did her leg. Making sure to keep in pace with the apprentice, she led the way into the caverns, showing Flurrypaw the path through the darkness with only the tip of her tail.

A familiar sight greeted Sleepycloud, but she knew it was unfamiliar to Flurrypaw. She waited for a beat to allow the apprentice to take in the sight of the glittering stone."Touch your nose to the moonstone and rest. Once you are asleep, StarClan will come. When you awake, I will be here to take you home." Sleepycloud recited, stretching her back and settling comfortably.

Flurrypaw was excited - he was closing the gap between him and his sister and would be getting his warrior name soon. Of course, he wasn't sure what to expect when Sleepycloud had called upon him and led him from the camp - surprised at how long they were walking. It almost felt wrong to cross the border even if it was okay in this one moment due to having the medicine cat with him... He kept his tongue held, taking in the surroundings as they walked and walked, even as they entered the darkness of the tunnel.

He only broke the silence as they reached the chamber, his eyes widening at the sight of the large crystal. "Wow..." he breathed, twitching his ear as he took it all in. He had heard tales of the Moonstone, but none of it had done it justice - a stone glowing with the light of the moon had seemed a little farfetched but now that he stood there... He was almost ashamed to have doubted. He glanced over as Sleepycloud spoke, tilting his head as his gaze flickered between her and the rock. Talk to StarClan? His eyes glimmered as he closed the distance, tail swishing as he settled down. He wondered who he would get - no doubt a cat of importance! A previous leader, maybe or a legendary warrior!

He touched his nose to the cold stone, his mind bubbling with possibilities on what type of cat would welcome him as he slipped into the comfortable darkness.

"Hello, Flurrypaw."

A blue point cat appeared in front of the apprentice. While many cats showed stars in their pelts, and she, too, had a few in her own, she also appeared faded. A cat who had been forgotten through time.

"My name is Grayleaf. I was a warrior of ThunderClan, long before any cat you know today had been born."

She smiled, beckoning the tom forward, before continuing. "I have come to offer you some advice. You want to be a great warrior, and I can see you going far in life. But don't forget the cats who fall behind. After all, what is a warrior for if not to help their Clan as a whole thrive? Just as a mother were to take care of her kits?"

Flurrypaw barely hid his disappointment as the she-cat introduced himself - not a leader, not a deputy or even a medicine cat. Just a warrior. His ears however perked as she admitted seeing him going far in life, his eyes glimmering but he was taken aback a little by her advice. Well obviously he wasn't going to forget about them - how would he stand out as the best without the other cats to compare against? But... He thought about how sorry he had felt towards others, how unfair it was to them that they couldn't stand up against him and his siblings.

"I mean, yeah, ThunderClan isn't just me or my family," he said, giving a shrug of his shoulders as he looked up at her. Sure, his skills didn't exist for his own vanity but to help ThunderClan as a whole but how would he help those who would never reach his level? It really wasn't fair, he knew that much but was there anything he could do to make it easier for them? He wasn't about to hold back his own strengths just for the sake of others getting a chance to honestly compare. "But...How? My raw talent can't be passed down. I don't want to forget those below me, but is there anything I can do to help them?"

Grayleaf gave a soft sigh, shaking her head, although a smile was on her face. "It is not about talent, alone. Sometimes all that is needed is to learn to use it. And a cat there to lend a paw when they need it."

Looking back at Flurrypaw, she dipped her head to his level. "Every cat is talented. But just as your mother has shown you your way in life, they need to learn what makes them special in their own right. So they can be just as great."