Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series!

Title: Red Pearls

Summary: Brightfur just wanted to be a medicine cat. Her mentor, Ravenwind, has very different ideas on what that means- for her and for ShadowClan. With Ravenwind controlling her every move and more than willing to kill to keep it that way, Brightfur will need more than just luck to live to tell the tale.

Chapter Title: Finding Faith

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walkswithwheels- True enough! I'll be keeping it as it is for fanfic. =)

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Brightfur prayed that it might storm even as Willowpaw explained the concept of the Moonstone to Clover and Mabel. Neither molly looked very convinced about the validity of StarClan, but Brightfur suspected they'd be willing to try most anything if it would protect the kittens- and even if they didn't think there were cats in the stars, hanging out in a quiet cave around a shiny rock wasn't an activity most cats would find all that bad.

"Sounds rustic," Parsnip meowed. "Maybe I oughta give it a try sometime."

"It's not-" Brackenclaw said, then sighed. "Yeah, sure, why not."

Brightfur didn't mind. She imagined kittypets had their own beliefs and places to pray, or whatever it was that they did to thank their ancestors. It wasn't as if she had the best relationship with StarClan these days herself.

We have no proof they'll even let Huey and Dewey in, she fretted quietly to herself, watching Clover eat a mouse in quick, neat bites. The loner had refused to stay behind. Truth be told, the medicine cat feared StarClan might even punish them for bringing the kittypet-born litter into the cave. The idea made her stomach flip-flop nervously. Were they bringing this family to their doom?

"It's risky," Clover told the Siamese molly. "But if it'll get them in with the forest cats, I think it'd be worth a try."

"Mama?" Huey asked, foggy eyes shimmering.

Mabel considered him a moment, then slowly shook her head. "One of us has to stay. The neighbors'll worry if I don't."

Brightfur understood that 'the neighbors' were probably Smithy and his gang. She dipped her head. "I'll keep them safe."

"You better," she said, then repeated it for good measure. "You better."

The weather didn't heed Brightfur's prayers. Noon fell to dusk with little applause. The air felt flat and uncomfortably warm, a premonition of the upcoming Greenleaf. The barest flashes of fireflies tickled the bushes that decorated Mabel's garden, giving them ample lighting. Not a cloud marred the stars. Brightfur doubted that any cat could control the skies, dead or alive, but it felt a bit like fate was spitting in her face regardless.

Brackenclaw scooped up Huey while his apprentice chose Dewey. Clover, Mabel, and Parsnip shared one last furtive discussion before splitting into three; Mabel went back into the garden, Clover came up to Brightfur with a look that bode no questions, and Parsnip, most surprising of all, took off over the fence with a tinkle of her bell.

No one tried to stop them as they left the Twolegplace, giving ThunderClan a wide berth after smelling a recent patrol. The group skirted the WindClan border, the scent of heather oddly comforting. Brightfur had tried to avoid how much she missed the Clan territory, but seeing the gently swaying moors made it impossible to deny. It was just a plus that if some rogues came up they could dive inside and seek help.

"We call this Highstones," Brightfur meowed as she led them up the harsh path, though she wasn't sure who she was talking to, exactly. "Warriors come here once during their apprenticeship to speak to StarClan. As a medicine cat, I come here twice a moon to share info with other medicine cats."

"Lots of terms for a hill with a rock in it," Clover responded.

Brightfur shrugged. "It's a really shiny rock."

The moon was getting close to its peak when they reached Mothermouth. Clover scowled at it as if it had personally stolen her breakfast and, after sharing one last glance at Brightfur, dove inside.

"Darker than I thought it'd be." Willowpaw's voice was muffled around Dewey's fur as she examined the structure uneasily. "StarClan must have some great prophecies if they're dragging you here every half-moon."

"It's mostly trauma and vague sayings, actually."

The silver-and-white tabby she-cat shook herself and slunk inside. Brackenclaw had nothing to say, witty or otherwise, but even at this distance Brightfur could see the shake in his limbs, the prickle to his pelt, the reverence in his eyes. I used to be like that, she realized. Lucky him.

The Moonstone was lit brighter than the streetlamps in the Twolegplace as she entered the cavern. Clover was rubbing fitfully at her eyes, trying to make out its shape between flashes of induced blindness. Brackenclaw's eyes were shut, his head tipped back in prayer. Willowpaw glanced between the two of them, taking note of their very different reactions.

"Brightfur?" Dewey asked, pressing close to her leg. The kitten was shaking harder than when he had a coughing fit.

"It's okay, kiddo," Brightfur meowed, hoping she came across as convincing. "They're just excited to meet you, is all."

"What should I do?"

"Press your nose to the stone."

Huey approached first, his long fur bushed out with a mix of confusion and curiosity. She could only imagine what the scene looked like to the mostly blind tom- a blast of white in a mostly shadowed world. "It's kinda like fire," he meowed, mostly to himself, before pressing his nose to the stone. Huey's little body slowly slumped to the floor of the cavern.

Clover blanched. "What happened to him?"

"He's with StarClan," said Brackenclaw, voice in a harsh whisper. He glared at her as if she were breaking some rule. "It happens to anyone who touches the stone."

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Brightfur felt Dewey begin to tremble again. She gave him a gentle nudge forward. "Not at all. It's like sleeping in a warm patch of sunlight."

Dewey looked at her one last time. He seemed to come to a decision, straightening his shoulders before bumping the Moonstone. His paws sluggishly tucked under him as he settled in.

Clover slowly shook her head. "This is crazy!"

Willowpaw reluctantly took a step closer. "I mean, I might as well. I had to do it sometime," she said. The Moonstone seemed to welcome her just like it did Huey and Dewey as she laid down, tail catching under her paw.

Brightfur looked at Brackenclaw. She found her brother to be staring at her. "Go ahead."

"You're sure?"

"Worst comes worst, you get a good nap."

That seemed to soothe the tabby. He went to join them, then stopped and looked at Clover. "You should come with!"

Her ears flattened. "Are you nuts? What if-"

"I've done this before. So has Brightfur. It's completely safe." Brackenclaw gently intertwined their tails. "Don't you wanna see if there's anything looking out for you?"

Clover seemed tempted. "But what if there isn't?"

He shrugged. "Then you'll know."

The ginger and white molly contemplated it for a time. She leaned on Brackenclaw's side. "Alright, nerd boy. Lead on."

Brightfur paced the length of the Moonstone, impatiently waiting for someone to stir. She knew from experience it would be some time yet. I should've asked Brackenclaw to stay up with me. Only he could be so excited to poke a stone. How many times have I cut my nose on the sharp edges? How many times has it just been some lame 'stay on the path you're on' speech? StarClan just didn't seem worth it.

The hole in her chest, however, told Brightfur just how much she missed her faith in it.

She sat down, tail wrapping around her paws, and watched the gentle rise and fall of her friends' chests.

"It's hard, isn't it?" A voice meowed behind her ear. "Growing up."

Brightfur turned to face the spirit head-on. "Hi, grandpa. I thought you'd be talking to Brackenclaw."

Alderstar let out a fond rumble. "Birchpaw begged to do it. He's so proud, you know."

Good for him, Brightfur thought. She didn't have any feelings for her father. How could she, when he died before she could meet him? The only memory she had of the apprentice was when he took Darkkit away forever. "What're you doing here?"

"It's time to let the past and present collide," he replied. "Come with me?"

"That's very vague, grandpa."

The spirit wrapped around her. "I'm sorry, honey. You can't hide anymore."

Brightfur sighed and nosed him. Her stomach gurgled unpleasantly with anxiety. "Alright, fine. Lead on."

Alderstar unfurled himself and went back through the cavern. The air was sticky with heat when Brightfur emerged, her pelt accustomed to the chill of Mothermouth. Crickets shrieked warnings as the spirit led her to the Thunderpath, then up it.

"A lot of stuff seems to happen here," she commented.

"It's where everything started," Alderstar replied.

Brightfur didn't know, precisely, what he meant. It made sense he was referring to Ravenwind and her crimes, but she didn't know any past ShadowClan warriors killed by the Thunderpath off the top of her head. It must've been before I was born. "Are you... okay? I mean, you trusted Ravenwind."

That got the dead leader to pause, if only for a moment. "I'm... very angry. With myself. I've known Ravenwind her whole life. I kittensat her. How could I, of all cats, not seen what she was doing?" Alderstar's amber eyes burned into Brightfur's pelt. "How could I let her do this to my kin?"

"If it hadn't been me, it would've been someone else." A big part of Brightfur wished it had been. It made her feel guilty- wishing Ravenwind's wrath on anyone. "You were too busy mourning to notice, anyway."

Alderstar flinched. He stared ahead. "I wasn't always the best leader, and I definitely wasn't the best grandpa. Hindsight and all that."

Brightfur opened her mouth- though she wasn't sure, exactly, what to say. Agree, and hurt his feelings, or disagree and hurt his feelings more by lying?- but before she could come up with something a yowl cut through the air. Alderstar gestured for her to take the lead. Together, they meandered through the shrubbery and toward the very edge the rocky outcrop that StarClan called their own. Across the Thunderpath were two figures.

"Tell me where they went!" Snap screeched, and cold water ran down her spine.

Under his paws lay Parsnip, her face splattered with blood.

Author's Note: Woo boy, we're heading into them Drama Times. I was originally planning on making this longer, but I feel like this is a good place to end and the rest will make a good two-parter.

Sorry for yet another delay! I wasn't entirely certain how I wanted to work this. Originally Brightfur and the others were gonna come upon Tigerpaw and Lionpaw and their mentors, and worm their way into the Moonstone with them. Then I had the idea of Brightfur looking out over StarClan at a distance, and seeing into the hearts of those around her anime-style. But, somehow, it felt most fitting for her to refuse to join them all together, and StarClan being forced to come to her.

-Mandaree1