Welcome back everyone! For those who are new, this story is the SEQUEL to my other story, Hidden Sparrow's Destiny, so there will definitely be some spoilers for that last story in this one. However, you can certainly read them in whatever order you wish!
Photo credit goes towards Apofiss on deviantart! They do a lot of artwork like this of cats and its really awesome! You should check them out!
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~SPOILERS AHEAD~
The setting of this story takes place based off of the presumption that the lake territories were on the western coast of the United States. When following Bubble away from the tainted lake water, many moons later the remainder of the Clans arrived in a climate that never sees snow, even during leaf-fall. This climate is based off of Utah/Arizona, specifically the Lake Powell area, and inspiration from Antelope Canyon in Arizona for the camp and moonrock! Please do look up pictures of the latter if you've never heard of it or seen it, they are canyons that are very beautiful and the walls appear as if they are painted. Rather than imagining a dark and cold "Cave" when I say the word cave, picture some of the amazing areas in Antelope Canyon.
Here are some things that happened during the journey:
Emberfall caught Greencough and did not survive. Wildpaw's training was designated towards Webstar himself. Webstar appointed Nettlefire as deputy, much to the disagreement of former ThunderClan and WindClan warriors.
Newtpool, a ThunderClan she-cat, had her kits almost immediately after arriving to the new location. Her mate, Pebblebreeze, also caught Greencough shortly after Emberfall and died. Other cats caught Greencough during the journey, but Butterflypaw was able to cure them.
At the end of the journey, Nettlefire advocated for Bubble to recieve her warrior name, due to the fact that she'd proven her loyalty many times over, and that he'd unofficially trained her. He suggested her suffix be Tide-, like the water that is moved by changes in the moon. Webstar obliged, and Bubble was given the name Tidewhisper.
Tidewhisper moved into the nursery as soon as the camp was thoroughly established.
Once they arrived in their new camp, Bravekit and Riverkit began their apprenticeship.
This sequel begins two days after they've arrived at the new location. The first couple days were spent designating the den locations and catching food just outside the camp.
The room they came into when finding the area is to be the room medicine cats go to speak to StarClan, and where leader's recieve their nine lives. This "Moonrock" is at the deepest part of the camp's canyons and caves, and the two shallow caves branching off of this room serve as the leader's den and the medicine den. Traveling outward from the Moonrock, a cat would reach the nursery and elder's den, then the warrior's and apprentice's dens, which are across from each other. A large cavern in between the warrior and apprentice dens is where cats will share tongues and keep the fresh-kill pile. This is also the entrance to the canyon.
Yes, the epilogue of the last story is the prologue of this one.
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As always the following section will remain relatively updated, but instead of changing it throughout the story, I will post a new "Cats Of The Clans" section every ten chapters or so depending on how much changes. Below, a letter will represent which Clan the cats originally belonged to, with rogues/loners/kittypets being left blank, as well as any new kits that are born after I first post this. I'm always willing to accept OC's especially those originally from ThunderClan or WindClan.
Cats Of The Clans
(An updated Cats Of The Clans is posted at the end of Chapter 9)
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SunClan
Leader-
Webstar- White tom with uneven black stripes (S)
Deputy-
Nettlefire- Light grey tom with long pointed, disheveled fur (S)
Medicine Cat-
Butterflypaw- Grey-blue she-cat with silver tipped ears and paws, and light brown eyes (mentored by Tidewhisper and Hidinglight) (S)
Warriors-
Sagefrost- White she-cat with one blue eye and one brown eye, deaf on the side of the blue eye (T)
Finchberry- She-cat with short cream-brown fur (W)
Turtlespot- Dark brown tom with lighter brown spots (T)
Dewthistle- White-grey she-cat with a silver muzzle and paws (W)
Applesplash- Ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes (W)
Quailfoot- Black and white tom (W)
Grassdaze- Black she-cat with stunning green eyes (S)
Adderspring- Ginger tabby tom with amber eyes (T)
Sparrowdawn- Mostly white tom with few brown tabby patches (S)
Hidinglight- Tortoiseshell she-cat with a crooked, shortened tail and a peach colored hind leg (S)
Maplerunner- Light brown tabby tom (W)
Rainpoppy- Dark grey tabby she-cat (S)
Blackbreeze- Black she-cat with golden eyes (W)
Apprentices-
Redpaw- Reddish brown tabby tom (Apprentice to Sagefrost) (T)
Wildpaw- Dark grey tom with green eyes and white tipped ears (Apprentice to Webstar) (S)
Riverpaw- Grey she-cat with a white tipped tail and paws, and stunning blue eyes (Apprentice to Finchberry) (R)
Bravepaw- Long furred cream and white tom with green eyes (Apprentice to Maplerunner) (S)
Houndpaw- Black tom with a white tuft on his chest (Apprentice to Applesplash) (T)
Queens-
Tidewhisper- Silver she-cat with copper eyes and blue-grey spots. Claims to have a connection to the moon. (Formerly known as Bubble, expecting Nettlefire's kits)
Newtpool- Reddish-brown she-cat with dark spots (mother of Thunderkit, a brown she-kit with a white muzzle, and Quietkit, a spotted silver tom) (T)
Elders-
Rubblestorm- Brown tabby tom with a white muzzle (W)
Cats Outside The Clans
Loners-
Creek- Grey tom with dark and lighter brown stripes, yellow eyes, and long whiskers
Rose- Reddish-brown she-cat (mother of Dusk, a reddish-brown she-kit with a fluffy tail and few teeth)
Prologue
Paws aching, one cat after the other placed their feet on the cool stone surface. The land had long given way to rocky outcrops, clear skies, and little underbrush. Though it was still leaf-fall, the days had somehow grown unbearably hot after the many moons of their journey. Because of this, and guidance by the moon, they traveled at night, when the temperatures dropped to a more leaf-fall reminiscent temperature, leaving every cat shivering.
Now, the tiny silver she-cat with blue-grey spots led the stream of cats forward, padding certainly despite the rise of smooth stone above and around them. Murmurs of uncertainty echoed quietly in the group of cats, but several perked up as the sound of rushing water echoed from some distant corner of the canyon.
They padded until the whispering of wind outside long went silent, coming to a stop as the arching walls opened up into a larger area, where the many cats spilled and collected uncertainly. The tiny she-cat stood at the base of a rock, staring intently for several long moments. "This is the place," She mewed certainly.
"This place?" One cat's voice rose above the rest, incredulous. Amber eyes narrowed to slits as a mostly white tom with tabby spots took in the cave that they were in. "How do you know?" A lithe tabby tom chimed in, eyes wide and uncertain. "This place is nothing like WindClan."
"Or ThunderClan!" Another cat piped up.
The tiny silver cat did not seem fazed by the protests surrounding her. Rather, in answer, she turned towards the large stone before her, gesturing with her tail. Silence fell into the cavern, and it seemed that hours passed, with all the cats holding their breath.
Then it happened. The tiniest hole in the roof of the cavern caught the perfect angle of the moonlight, and a stream of glimmering light fell onto the stone before the silver she-cat. Almost instantly, the cavern came alive with the moonlight, lighting up the dazzling warm colors of the sweeping walls, bursting with lively shades of reds, oranges, and yellows, as if mimicking the colors of a rising sun. Gasps echoed amongst the cats, murmurs of amazement and awe.
One cat stepped forward among the rest, a white tom cat with uneven black stripes. "Cats of the Clans!" He announced, voice hoarse from thirst and the long journey. "StarClan has shown us that we have arrived at our new home. Our journey showed us that we are not four, but one, and I believe the prophecy and this room has made it very clear. From this moment on, we shall be known together as SunClan, for rising again after the cool, unforgiving night."
At that, yowls of agreement filled the stunning cavern, and for the briefest of moments, the cats swore they could feel many pelts beside their own, adding to the sound with encouraging and joyous voices of those that had been loved and lost.
Chapter 1
Small cream and white paws scrambled up the sloped, shaded stone. The gentle sounds of many cats breathing filled the cavern, but being a prior ShadowClan cat, he stepped silently so as not to wake the travel weary cats. In the distant corners of the canyon, he could hear echoes of prey that hadn't caught the memo that this area was no longer a safe refuge from the unforgiving sun.
At long last, the tiniest stream of light filtered through, and the small tom picked up pace to a brisk run, racing out of the cool canyon air and out into the open sky.
His eyes adjusted to the pale beginnings of dawn, and his heartbeat quickened as streams of gold, red, and pink lit up the rocky, mountainous landscape and the vast river before him. Hurriedly, he scrambled to the top of the cavern entrance, getting a higher view of the land in his immediate vicinity and that from far away. Skirting the vast river (much too large to swim across), the red, stone earth came up in jagged peaks and valleys, like mountains, and jutted out of the water. Canyons, some of the other cats had called them. Beyond that, on the other side of the water, the rocky outcrops gave way to sandy, dry shrub land. Despite all the travels he'd had in his short life, he'd never seen anything more beautiful than the sunrise here.
This is all ours now, He thought, his breaths coming fast and shallow with excitement. SunClan. And today is the day we explore it. He worked his paws against the hard stone beneath his paws, stopping with a wince as he felt a piece of his claw break off. Still got to get used to that.
The gentle tap of claws against stone echoed from the cave beneath him, and the cream and white tom dipped his body low, fur brushing the stone. After a long moment, a dark blue-grey shape with a white tipped tail and paws appeared beneath him, looking out at the sunrise. A gentle purr rose up from the cat, and she sat back on her haunches. Gathering his hind legs beneath him, the tom prepared to spring for his target...
"I know you're there, Bravepaw."
Riverpaw's mew sounded just as he launched himself from the stone, unbalancing his leap. He fell on top of the blue-grey she-cat with an ungraceful "Oomph!", rolling off onto the cool orange stone. Bravepaw felt a purr begin to rumble in his throat as he met she-cat's river-blue eyes from his own upside-down position. Riverpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Don't think you're going to get away with it that easily!" She cried, tackling the tom and pummeling at his exposed belly with sheathed paws.
"Ah! I give in, I give in! Let me go!" He gasped with laughter, squirming away from her ferocious attacks. Riverpaw pressed her muzzle to his ear. "Not until you promise to be my slave!" She hissed playfully.
"Yes, anything for you, O River Queen!" Bravepaw squeaked, and the she-cat purred, releasing him. She brought one white tipped paw to her face and began to groom her ruffled fur as Bravepaw ungraciously scrambled to his paws. Expression solemn and serious, he bowed his head, keeping his upper body low. "What is my great leader's bidding?" He echoed, eyes wide with faux devotion.
Riverpaw appeared to contemplate this for a moment before her eyes narrowed mischievously. "You must swim and bring me the greatest, prettiest rock at the bottom of the river," She mewed. Bravepaw's eyes lit up with excitement and his chest puffed out. "At once, O River Queen!" He mewed, making way for the deep blue water before a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Enough of that. You two are apprentices now, quit acting like kits." Sparrowdawn, Bravepaw's adoptive father, padded out of the shadows, scowling. "Bravepaw, how would Hidinglight feel if you went in there and never came out?" The bristling tom demanded.
Riverpaw stepped forward, her tail bushed out. "We were only playing!" She protested, lashing her tail. "Besides, we need to learn to swim sometime; I'm RiverClan! What kind of RiverClan cat am I if I don't even learn to swim?"
Bravepaw padded back towards his blue-grey friend, purring in admiration. Riverpaw was so smart! However, his father didn't seem to feel the same. The white and tabby tom's eyes narrowed. "You're not RiverClan anymore, Riverpaw. You're SunClan. And you," He swiveled his gaze towards Bravepaw, "Even if her argument was valid, you were never RiverClan, you were ShadowClan." He placed emphasis on the word, as if willing the cream colored apprentice to understand.
Bravepaw's eyes widened, and he stood in front of his bristling friend protectively. "I can learn to swim just as well as any RiverClan cat if Riverpaw is going to!" He protested.
"Yeah! And why can't we carry on traditions from all of the Clans? Why do we have to follow the traditions from just ShadowClan? Maybe SunClan hunts in water!" Riverpaw hissed, and Sparrowdawn narrowed his eyes, spine bristling. Bravepaw had never seen the she-cat so worked up. She had been brought to ShadowClan as a young kit, he had never realized how much loyalty she felt towards the Clan of her birth, even though it was long gone. Yet, this was something that only made Bravepaw admire her more. He dipped his head in resignation to Sparrowdawn, but murmured under his breath so only Riverpaw could hear. "Don't worry, Riverpaw; I'll get you that rock!"
The she-cat must have heard him, for her fur began to lie flat and she shuffled her paws, casting her gaze down in mock surrender. "Sorry, Sparrowdawn," She mewed in a small voice. "I just really want to become closer to my old Clan in any way that I'm able to."
After a long moment, the sharp tom let out a sigh and gently touched the apprentice with his tail. "I know, Riverpaw. I think we all do. And maybe you can learn to swim soon, but we need to get to know this area first and make sure that its safe for you to," Sparrowdawn mewed. "We don't need any more death."
The grey-blue she-cat merely nodded solemnly, eyes wide and serious. If Bravepaw hadn't known any better, she'd even have him fooled. Sparrowdawn fixed his son with a serious gaze, as if he'd heard his thoughts. "Don't go off doing anything mouse-brained," He huffed, "You don't need to do dangerous things to prove yourself to the Clan." Bravepaw avoided Sparrowdawn's eyes, offering a slight nod.
"Now, both of you should go see your mentors. Nettlefire is sending out patrols and we want cats out before it gets too hot," Sparrowdawn informed them, glancing once towards the brightening sky before padding back into the canyon cave.
Almost as soon as he was gone, Riverpaw's fur bristled again and she rolled her eyes. "What a buzz-kill!" She scoffed, turning back towards the lake. Bravepaw followed her gaze, doubt cluttering his mind for a brief moment. "Maybe he has a point," He conceded. "The water could be really deep and not safe to swim in."
At that, Riverpaw fixed him with a striking blue gaze. "You're not scared, are you, Bravepaw?" She taunted, whiskers twitching. Bravepaw bristled, leaping to his paws. "Of course not!" He hissed, raising his chin. "I'm the bravest cat in the Clan! That's why momma named me Bravepaw!"
Riverpaw sat back, a smug look on her face. "Then getting that rock should be as easy as swallowing a minnow, for you," She purred. Bravepaw puffed out his chest, eyes flashing with excitement. "Just you wait!"
Butterflypaw eased into one of the smaller caves, away from the cave that housed the Moonrock and the medicine den. The scent of milk filled the air. Though this cave was dark, her light brown eyes quickly adjusted to the light, and she saw the small, huddled form of a reddish brown she-cat with two tiny kits nuzzled to her belly. One resembled her mother; also a reddish brown she-cat, with a white muzzle. The other favored his father. Butterflypaw eyed the reddish she-kit for a long moment, remembering the night of her birth.
Newtpool's labor had been difficult. It had been Butterflypaw's first delivery, and because they had only just arrived that night, she had no herbs to ease the process. Fortunately, Tidewhisper had urged her on with the little she had learned during Butterflypaw's own birth.
The reddish kit had been loud and wailing at her birth, and Newtpool had lovingly named her Thunderkit, after her lost Clan. Butterflypaw didn't say anything about it at the time, but she felt uneasy at the thought of her Clanmates being named after the lost Clans. Riverpaw was more understandable, being the last surviving RiverClan cat; but they were supposed to be one Clan now. It seemed that many of her Clanmates had yet to accept that.
A shifting from another corner of the cave caught Butterflypaw's attention, and she turned her head to meet copper eyes that almost seemed to glow. Swallowing past the uneasy knot that formed in her throat, Butterflypaw dipped her head respectfully. "Tidewhisper," She greeted quietly, so as not to wake Newtpool and her young kits.
Tidewhisper rose from her nest, stretching her limbs. The tiny she-cat's belly was almost comically round compared to her size. "Is everything alright, Butterflypaw?" Tidewhisper inquired, tilting her head. The silver she-cat had served as Butterflypaw's second mentor, in addition to Hidinglight, since her previous mentor, Halfmoon, had passed from Cold Paw. Tidewhisper had trained under the medicine cat for much longer than Butterflypaw had gotten the chance to. However, by now, the small she-cat had taught the apprentice almost everything she had learned in those few moons, and Butterflypaw didn't need to go to her as often for help with herbs. The rest she would have to learn on her own.
Butterflypaw nodded. "I just wanted to check on you and Newtpool before I start my day. I'm going to be joining one of the patrols so that I can see what herbs are nearby." She glanced towards the entrance of the cave anxiously, feeling her mind wander. On the journey, Butterflypaw had noticed fewer and fewer familiar herbs. Even in leaf-bare, the temperatures had risen to alarmingly hot temperatures. How could she ever hope to find herbs in such a climate?
Tidewhisper seemed to sense her distress. "Check alongside the river and lake. I cannot imagine that our type of herbs would grow anywhere else," She mewed, blinking at the apprentice apologetically. Butterflypaw dipped her head. "Well, at least if I do find some, they will all be growing nearby each other," She joked lightly, but it fell flat; she was unable to mask her worry. She doubted she would find much at all.
"So... How are you feeling?" The grey and white apprentice asked, changing the subject. Tidewhisper broke out into a purr, her copper eyes hazing over longingly. "They are getting more and more active each day," She mewed, glancing towards her large belly. "Nettlefire will be so thrilled," Tidewhisper added shyly.
Butterflypaw forced a purr. "Would you like me to send for him before I go out?" She asked, but the silver she-cat shook her head. "I need to get some exercise anyways. These kits don't seem to rest unless if I am moving." A pang of worry struck through Butterflypaw, though she knew the small she-cat wasn't due to have her kits for a little over half a moon. "If anything changes, send for me, alright?" She prompted, and Tidewhisper rolled her eyes before nodding. "I will be fine, Butterflypaw. Go explore our new territory." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Search for the best places for my kits to get into trouble."
Butterflypaw dipped her head and padded out of the den, heading towards the center of camp. Though it was barely past dawn, she could hear Nettlefire announcing patrols, and she picked up pace to a trot. "I'd like to join a patrol," Butterflypaw mewed as she approached where Nettlefire was talking to Bravepaw, Riverpaw, and their two mentors. The grey tom turned at her approach, narrowing his eyes. Her ears burned; did she sound like she wanted to be a warrior's apprentice instead of a medicine cat? "I need to find the best places to get herbs," She added quickly. The deputy nodded, turning back towards Finchberry and Maplerunner. "I'll send Butterflypaw with Applesplash's patrol. I think you will have your paws full with these two."
Riverpaw and Bravepaw put on their best innocent faces, and Butterflypaw stifled a snort. The pair had been nothing but trouble during the journey, and she could only imagine what they'd get into now that they were officially apprentices.
The apprentice swept her gaze across the cavern until she located the ginger and white she-cat. Applesplash was sitting with her apprentice, Houndpaw, and a Turtlespot. The ThunderClan tom appeared bored, but the ginger she-cat was watching Nettlefire intently, and Butterflypaw felt a prickle of unease run along her spine. She pushed it aside and bounded over to the group, trying to appear bright and cheerful. "Hello! Mind if I tag along with you? I'd like to find the best places for herbs around here."
Applesplash swiveled her intense blue gaze onto the small apprentice, sizing her up. "That's fine, but I'm leading the patrol," She announced after a moment, lashing her tail. Butterflypaw dipped her head respectfully. "Of course," She mewed. There's not a single former ShadowClan cat on this patrol. I get that Nettlefire is trying to get us all to work together, but this pair has hardly been cooperative from the beginning! She thought with despair, recalling how Applesplash had voiced her disagreement the loudest regarding Webstar's choice in a deputy.
Don't be mouse-brained, Butterflypaw chided herself. We're all one Clan now. If I can't trust my Clanmates, what kind of a medicine cat am I?
