AN: Chapter One already! I've decided to keep most of this in Willowshine's point of view. It will switch to another character every now and than, but it is mostly her story. I'm quite fond of Willowshine, which is why I've chosen her and her Clan. Although I'm not too fond with her name. . .I mean, couldn't Mothwing come up with something more unoriginal? Like Willowtail or Willowcloud? Jeez. Anyways, thanks Nightkill for reviewing!
-Chapter 1-
Morning rays of sunlight filtered through the medicine cat's den, waking Willowshine from her deep slumber. For the first time since that horrible dream, she had a decent night's sleep. She'd traveled to the Moonpool almost a moon ago, only to find that StarClan were not answering her. No matter how loudly she called to them, no cat would come.
Now she was beginning to wonder if StarClan themselves had abandoned her. Her tabby striped tail lashed across the sandy ground as she imagined what Jayfeather would have told her. He would have snapped, and likely said that she was mad.
Maybe I am losing it, she thought as she arched her back in a tired yawn.
Willowshine peered through the lichen that hung over the medicine cat's den. She could see cats milling about as the day went on. Patrols were getting ready to leave. Reedwhisker nodded to them approvingly as he sat beside his mother, Mistystar. Willowshine's ears pricked as she listened to what they had to say. She was always interested in leadership discussions, especially since Mistystar had taken over.
Her shoulders heaved a little as she remembered Leopardstar, the spotted tabby who had died over a season ago. Willowshine had been Mothwing's apprentice at the time. She knew that Leopardstar had led the Clan through times of hardship. She also knew that Leopardstar had made unwise decisions during her first moons as a leader. Yet the Clan had respected her until the end, and she was accepted by StarClan, despite the mistakes she made.
"Good morning, Willowshine." The medicine cat blinked when she heard her mother's voice. Dawnflower had given birth to many kits, but she still had a soft spot for the kit that had become a medicine cat. She often came to visit Willowshine when she had the chance. "You looked stressed over the past few days, so I. . .Thought I'd stop by and check on you," the pale gray she-cat explained.
Despite the anxiety that Willowshine felt, she couldn't help but purr at her mother's affection. Sneezewhisker and Mallownose had never received this sort of love. In a way she almost felt sorry for them.
"I'm fine, mother," she murmured. "I've just been having a hard time sleeping."
"Yes. . ." Dawnflower sounded distant as she gazed into the many streams that ran through their territory.
This particular stream was where kits practiced their swimming. Duskfur had taken her kits out to practice their own swimming for the first time. Featherkit and Owlkit squealed as they splashed water on each others flanks. Their mother watched carefully from a short distance. Willowshine knew that Duskfur would do anything to protect them.
"Willowshine!" The gray tabby she-cat stiffened when she heard Mothwing call her. Dawnflower dipped her head before disappearing into the reeds. "We need more coltsfoot, the supply is running low."
I remember what that looks like, she thought as Mothwing approached her. Her mentor's dappled pelt gleamed in the sunlight as Mothwing turned around to lead the way. Mothwing had been out searching for herbs, as far as Willowshine knew.
She lowered her muzzle to pick up traces of the sweet-smelling flower. It would be near the trees that grew around the streams. She was aware of every spot where they could find any herbs that were important at the moment. Mothwing was the one who had taught her how to detect traces of herbs from a distance as well. Even now Willowshine could pick up traces of the catmint they kept hidden under a frond of bracken.
Mothwing stopped when she heard the sounds of apprentices practicing their battle moves. They'd reached the training area, which was a small bed of sand surrounded by reeds. Willowshine peered into the reeds to see that Pouncetail and Pinefur were there. Their apprentices were practicing a difficult move that Mothwing had once tried to teach her apprentice.
I keep forgetting that she was a warrior once, Willowshine thought. Mothwing had been a warrior until she saw what Mudfur, her mentor, could do. After discovering the remedies that could heal a cat or make them sick, Mothwing had been eager to become a medicine cat like the old tom that had died.
Willowshine's tail twitched as she followed her mentor once more. She was surprised that Mothwing didn't say anything. Mothwing had remained unusually quiet since Willowshine's visit to the Moonpool the night before. Willowshine knew that something was bothering her mentor, but Mothwing was unwilling to share her secrets with her apprentice.
"The coltsfoot is over there," Mothwing meowed when they reached another stream. Tall oak trees grew around the bank, surrounding the area in a blanket of shade. Willowshine shuddered from the cold air as she crossed the stream to meet her mentor. "Now, how much do you think we will need?"
"Enough for a sick patient," Willowshine replied.
Mothwing was always trying to quiz her, even if she was a full medicine cat. Willowshine knew that this was a trick question. They could only take enough of the coltsfoot so that more would grow back when they needed it again. She watched as Mothwing grabbed hold of a stem to break it off. Almost immediately the scent filled Willowshine's lungs, overpowering everything else.
"And here's some feverfew that we can bring back too," Mothwing murmured after placing the coltsfoot beside Willowshine's paws. "And what is this good for?" she asked as she padded under the bush.
Willowshine rolled her eyes before she answered, "They're good for headaches and fevers."
"Very good." Mothwing sounded impressed as she tugged at the leaves. Willowshine was about to offer her help when she felt a sudden burst of pain. She yelped in surprise and took a step back, falling into the stream in the process. Alarm surged through Mothwing, and the medicine cat stopped what she was doing to see Willowshine plunge into the stream.
Panic seeped through Willowshine when she realized that her vision had become blotchy. Black dots surrounded her eyesight, quickly blocking out what she could normally see. Soon the trees around her began to change, until darkness had swallowed her like a monster.
It took Willowshine a few heartbeats to realize that she was standing in the middle of a forest. Ancient looking trees towered above her as her vision became clear once more. She glanced up at the sky to see that it was covered by their leaves and branches. Tall grass pricked at her pads as she began to feel her legs again.
I've been here before, she realized. This wasn't the forest where StarClan lived. It was much older than their forest. She could see the familiar boulders where the cats had sat when she first came to this place.
"I'm glad to know you have a good memory." Willowshine's fur stood on end when she heard a voice. It sounded like claws scraping against gravel. She turned around to see an old looking tom standing in front of her. His fur gleamed white, and patches of it were missing from old age and time. He tilted his head to one side when he noticed the horrified look in her eyes. "Do not worry, I am no threat to you," he rasped.
"Why did you bring me here?" Willowshine demanded after her shoulders had relaxed.
"I have brought you here for a reason." The tom flicked his tail. He suddenly turned around and began to walk away, leaving her behind. When he looked over his shoulder, he let out a sigh of annoyance. "And here I thought you Clan cats were supposed to be intelligent," he muttered.
Her ears flattened when she followed him along a trail that must have been used for moons. The ground underpaw had been flattened from the pawsteps of many cats that padded across it. Some prints were smaller than others, and she guessed that young cats had come to this place after death took its grip.
The cat stopped when he reached an area that had a brilliant looking maple towering above him. Other cats were either standing or sitting around the tree as they waited for his return. Curiosity gleamed within their eyes when they saw that he was being followed.
"Cats of the Ancients, we welcome Willowshine!" the white tom cried.
A chorus of greetings followed his words. Willowshine's tail lashed as she recalled what he'd called them. The Ancients. She knew that word from somewhere, but she couldn't quite place her paw on where she heard it from.
"Blue, I would like you to explain to her why she has come," the white tom meowed after the cheering had died down.
A silvery blue-gray tom stepped out of the crowd. His tail was lined with tabby stripes, while the rest of his fur was a solid gray.
"Greetings, Willowshine," he mewed with a respectful dip of his head. "Time was right to bring you here." He sent a glare towards a group of cats who were huddled against the tree. Their ears flattened against his cold stare. "I too have been receiving strange dreams. The same one that you had just recently." His tail flicked from side to side while he spoke. Willowshine found it strangely distracting as they padded along a hidden path.
"What does the dream mean?" Willowshine asked.
"Even we are not certain." The blue-gray tom looked sad to say this. His gaze darkened when he met Willowshine's own blue eyes. "But we do know that it only happens on a very rare occasion. Cats go mad during a time when the seasons are out of state. Or when prey becomes scarce. But most of the time it happens when the sun has disappeared."
But that has already happened, Willowshine thought. She had just been an apprentice when the great battle against all four Clans took place. The sun had vanished for just a short while, but it was enough to terrify every cat. It took her a few heartbeats to realize that a litter of kits had been born during that day. Their mother had been in a state of shock when the sun vanished for a few heartbeats. Pinefur's kits. . .Her heart felt heavy when she realized that they were the ones Blue was talking about.
"Is there any way to stop it?" she asked after contemplating over it.
"I am afraid not," he rasped. "Only Time would know how to erase what has been written, before we were even born."
