Prologue

StarClan

The reeds billowed around her, rattling in the breeze that swept through the wilting forest. The full moon blazed high above within the inky darkness of the star-specked sky. The everlasting greenleaf that once kept them warm and content had faded into leaf-fall. Each waking moment seemed to be fading from the minds of the cats who were left behind. Long, long ago the four Clans of the living forest had left to cross countless horizons to where they now laid: at the lake. StarClan warriors had followed their living relatives and crossed countless skies and belief's to reach the new territory in safety. However, the spirits of the cats who were left behind had stayed put, unsure where the star lit paw-steps of their fellow StarClan warriors had gone for certain. Brown eyes glistening as they stared into the leaf-fall of the sky she had stayed within. Some cat would return for her and the other elders, she was sure of it. Yet, no starry warrior ever came; the burn she felt from it had hurt for moons, hurt even worse than in life.

The other elders stuck with her, brushing their fur against hers. It was comforting, but it was not what they all needed. They could try to follow those faded scents and find their way to StarClan's new hunting grounds. However, the thought of being lost in unknown skies made them afraid of finding trouble along the way and never managing to return at all to their ancestors and other relatives. Not to mention, Braveclaw was adamant on staying and refusing to leave ShadowClan's former territory behind. Despite the destruction and the suffering that had to be endured, the proud ShadowClan cats refused to challenge the other sky territories since they would be outnumbered. The fear was still very much alive in them as when they were alive in their last moments. Shadepelt had known this for the countless moons in the empty starry skies. It was lonesome, the rogues and loners who walked in the waking world's lands had no interest, not that they would want them.

While the skies were lonesome, the land was full of living and dead cats, even the tiny black cat who was formerly a threat in the forest as Shadepelt had known it when she was a young warrior. The cat had been named Scourge and was blood-thirsty for battle and taking over the forest. He was fading and would soon be gone from terrorizing the land any further. Those cold blue eyes would no longer stare angrily at the living, his claws flexing as they itched to sink into fur. The first cat who passed away had waited to show one of them the way to StarClan and left them in charge, however since none of them wanted to leave the next, it became harder and harder for them to find where the StarClan warriors had gone. Time soon passed and none of them knew the way into StarClan's hunting grounds. The moment a chill entered their hunting grounds, fear filled the small group. Their eyes wide in horror as, before they knew it, leaf-fall had entered their hunting grounds. Time was running out. With them still in the former echoes of the forest they had known in life, the hunting grounds were going to change and force them to leave as the beliefs that held them there was less concentrated.

Without any cat in their chosen skies vicinity to believe in their existence, they would slowly fade away and no longer exist. Forgotten forever as the living cats who had known them were much too far away for their thoughts and belief to reach them. Braveclaw felt guilty about making them stay, apologized, but no one blamed her. The light orange she-cat blinking gloomily beside her former Clan-mate Marshstep, a thick set dark brown tom who was curled up to her. Nothing they said could change how the she-cat felt, that much Shadepelt was sure of. Hiding in the shadows, her gray pelt masked her presence from the others as she sullenly grieved for the lost lands that were once her beautiful home. The river was as beautiful as ever, but much of the opposite bank where Sunning Rocks and ThunderClan once patrolled had been changed and vanished. In their hunting grounds nothing had changed despite the marred forest far below their once prey-rich skies.

Slowly, Shadepelt rose her head from her paws, looking into the river for guidance. Perhaps, there would be a sign from the ancients even further back than StarClan itself to answer their silent pleas of help. Her dark copper eyes flashed in the moonlight with a determination that filled her from the tips of her claws to the tips of her ears and tail. She had to find a way to not fade from memory and the skies. If they faded, what would happen to the Clans without her input of guidance? Sorrow filled her from her heart, twisting it as though it had claws and teeth to tear it to shreds. Nearby, the ancient ThunderClan elder, Frostfur, was padding over for their daily check up on one another. Her snow-white pelt glowing as it glittered with stars, her sky-colored eyes warm and glinting as though full of stars. She was always at ease somehow, gentle and wise in comparison to the rest of them. With dainty steps, she reached Shadepelt and began to greet her as always.

"It is a pleasure to visit you once more Shadepelt." Frostfur dipped her head, her mew as warm and gentle as she appeared to be. "My, you look troubled. Is something the matter?"

A flash of irritation flowed through her; Frostfur knew full well what was plaguing her mind. However, she forced it down with a dry swallow. "Leaf-fall has come to our hunting grounds now that no cat who remembers us is anywhere near here." Her mew was curt, almost stinging with the rebuke she wanted to snarl.

Frostfur blinked slowly, seeming to take all the time in the world to listen and think of a reply. Before frustration could get the best of her, the ThunderClan-cat spoke. "Have you checked on how the old forest is doing now?"

"There are cats who lived in RiverClan's old territory." She reminded her. "But they were chased out by that huge gang of rogues who are now settled in there."

"And no ancient being has come here to say a word?" Frostfur asked, tipping her head to one side curiously.

Loudbelly, who had been nestled in an old log lifted his head with a groan. "Stop asking about that, no other cat or creature is here. We are all the oldest things in this dying sky."

"It is important to keep our ears open should an ancient recall we are here." She pointed out with a sniff, looking away haughtily.

"ThunderClan, always full of themselves!" grunted Loudbelly.

"Hush." Shadepelt sighed, rising to her paws. "If no ancient remembers us here, then we must take action! It can't be that hard to make a Clan so our skies recover and have someone remember us long enough to get to the new territory."

"And abandon a Clan we forced them to make?" Frostfur meowed in shock. "That's a terrible thing to even do!"

"Well, even if their Clan falls apart at least it will give us time to reach the new hunting grounds." A new voice chimed in, the undergrowth rustling as the other elders who were left behind began to appear. "We just have to stay until then." The creamy-brown tabby tom meowed.

"Oatwhisker of WindClan," Frostfur meowed. "Welcome to our impromptu meeting."

"Unless you have a better idea, you should keep your comments to yourself." Loudbelly lashed his tail.

"I was being serious." Oatwhisker pointed out. "We can guide one cat to be leader and another to be a medicine cat."

"Without the ancients to tell us?" Frostfur gasped, appalled.

Braveclaw rolled her eyes. "Just think about it for a heartbeat, mouse-brain. Remember the stories of how our Clans began? StarClan themselves appeared and told those cats prophecies and omens to help forge them into Clans."

"And the Great Gray Wing named them, while Skystar was the one who began marking boarders; we know all those nursery tales." Tangleweed meowed, seeming to be in thought. "Do you think it really happened that way?"

"Whether there is peace in the reality of what happened or not; Braveclaw is right." Shadepelt meowed softly.

"Then how will we connect with them or even pick a medicine cat?" Speckletail inquired, tilting her head a little in thought. "How did they pick a medicine cat so long ago?"

"Maybe they don't?" Oatwhisker offered, only to get swat by his den-mate's gray-brown paw. "Hey!"

"Well, stop being rabbit-brained!" Tangleweed snapped, looking to Loudbelly. "Do you have an idea?"

"We can go look at the Moonstone for a vision?" He replied, before looking to the river. "Or see if the river has one we can see?"

"The river!" Shadepelt perked up. "I haven't checked it in a while, perhaps it knows something about the cats who live on RiverClan territory!"

Every Territory had their own way to see into the living world, it had to be a spot where it could be visited in the living world at one time. ShadowClan has a pond that they can see through into the old ShadowClan territory, the top of the gorge was where they could see into WindClan territory, and ThunderClan once had a small creek for theirs, which was gone now. SkyClan had a pond towards the south of their territory that they used to use, but now it was just some Twoleg garden; and lastly, RiverClan had it's river to let them see into the territory as well as various ponds and creeks. With a quivering tail, Shadepelt led the elders to the edge of the river, hoping they would see something, anything really, on who they could entrust the power of StarClan within them.

The river's surface was smooth, reflecting the stars and moon as well as themselves as it murmured softly for them. As they lined up to see what the vision was going to be, they looked to one another, wondering just what they could say to begin the process. Their minds were blank, wondering where to even start. Would they begin with a leader? Or, perhaps they should begin with the medicine cat in question? They were torn between the hard decision, a whole new discussion began by the riverside. It was much quieter than before as they spoke in hushed mews before nodding to one another. A choice had to be made and they all looked to Shadepelt for that answer. Riverstar was a cat who was wise and far more calm than any cat they would know. She hoped he would lend his wisdom to her as she was chosen as the cats in question were on RiverClan territory.

"River of Stars, please show us the Medicine Cat that we will be able to reach." She meowed aloud.

Before her eyes, the river seemed to glisten with stars, far more than she could count. It resembled Silverpelt as it glowed brighter and brighter before shimmering to show a dark ginger cat, their features mostly hidden, but their eyes gleamed like sun-speckled creek-water. She was panting a bit from excitement, the ancients had not abandoned them. They had waited for them to ask a question and answered them. They had to find the cat shown in the River of Stars, one way or another, they had to for the hunting grounds needed them far more than she ever had known. Shadepelt looked to the other cats who were nodding, some were frowning, clearly troubled by the lack of features to go by. There were several russet-colored pelts like this one. So, they had to hope it was showing them one of the cat in RiverClans old home.

If not, they were in deep trouble for never leaving their former hunting grounds like the rest of StarClan. If we cannot find this cat, how far will our calls reach the deafened ones below us? She thought fearfully. If they can be reached at all.

Author's Note:

Welcome to the true beginning of A Lost Star's AU. The story of how it all began and how it changed the lives of many forever.

This is a story of StarClan's pleas and how they were heard well enough to form BushClan. A story of how a leader rose and fell, how friendship was forged and how the stars shared their wisdom one last time.

The goal number of words for each chapter is between 2k and 4k words. I am doing this because I wish to write longer and longer chapters in the long run.

Thank you for reading, I hope you will enjoy this very well and have a great day/night. - NightSky