[Deleted]

Smokefur trudged on towards the moon tree, she was hell bent on getting there and getting back to camp as quickly as possible. She was nothing if not upset with the other clans at the moment, and as Swanfeather and Rookfrost weren’t part of her fan club at any point in time she saw no need to give them the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t greet any cat or even acknowledge their existence as she set a rather quick pace towards the cavern entrance. They would be there in no time, this was good as Smokefur was on edge and about to explode on any medicine cat she saw, at that time they were nothing but mangy clumps of fur to her that knew nothing of their code. Letting Stoneclan be run out was crossing a line and she felt as medicine cat’s they should have stopped it, even though Treeclan hadn’t participated and Elderpaw was innocent she was so upset she could have found fault with him as well. Her silent walk wasn’t helping her mood, she was trapped inside the torrential river that was her thoughts, she was being drug wherever the current took her and had no control over her destination. She landed in many unhappy thoughts and was grinding her teeth and practically hissing by the time they were at the caverns deep fall into the ground; however it wasn’t time to have their cat-nap in the moon trees’ protecting branches so she laid down outside the entrance and went to work grooming herself. She refused to make eye contact with any of the other cats there and she wasn’t sure any would be able to discern why she was obviously upset.

[Fawn]

→ROOKFROST←

_{Medicine Cat of LightningClan}

---

This would mark the first time in which a prophecy for their precious StarClan had ever worked so overwhelmingly in his favor. If the blood of another Medicine Cat - StoneClan's Blackeagle, of all cats - caused the jet black healer any sort of trouble in terms of sleeping or falling prey to a guilty conscience, it certainly wasn't showing.

Could it be the approaching summer heat and the blessings of Greenleaf that had stirred something in the air around him, or was that just an illusion? No one looking at the shadow that crossed over the land like an agent of death and destruction - with 'like' no longer applying, after the gruesome battle in the heart of StoneClan's camp - could have pegged him as a 'happy' sort of creature. Rookfrost had, always would be the kind who kept their emotions hidden, a very private creature who preferred to function in a professional, all-business like manner with no time wasted on how he was feeling at that particular moment. The strict, errorless manner in which he conducted himself and his practice was something that was so deeply ingrained in his character, to remove it would be the equivalent of removing an organ vital to his survival.

As always, a small fluffy white snow drift kept following after him as though he were the bitter, stinging chill that lay over the land and his apprentice was the snow that quickly came after. Rookfrost was the warning, winter is coming, and Snowpaw was winter itself - though with none of the characteristic coldness his name might imply.

Rookfrost's purposeful, even stride towards the Moon Tree neither slowed nor faltered in any way that was perceptible once the anger and the frustration of the NightClan Medicine Cat could be felt throughout the air. He was like a cold gust of wind upon arrival, cutting through the haze of dissonance, no effort made to either soothe or even address Smokefur beyond his customary, ever-curt nod. Plunging into the dark entrance of the cavern, the Medicine Cat melded into the shadows, the darkened earth seeming to swallow him whole as he followed after her. Trusting Snowpaw to bring up the end of their procession, it was with a measured inhale of breath that he tasted the chilliness of the air, the cooler temperatures unable to penetrate the thick black fur that covered him from tufted ear to tail-tip. It was as if greenleaf had not quite arrived in this sacred place. In fact, none of the four seasons ever seemed to touch the crystal tree bathed in moonlight.

Spending no time delving into the symbolism and the science this tree represented, Rookfrost pivoted, eased into a seated position and stood in statuesque silence, the flick of icy eyes to their corners indicated that his attention had fallen to Snowpaw. As if he were just now noticing he even had an apprentice, Rookfrost broke down the white tom's appearance, as if he could mentally dissect through the layer of unhappiness he seemed to be wearing like a second set of fur to the root of the problem.
He is unhappy because of the attack that was successfully waged upon StoneClan.

Oh, was that all?

Rookfrost's gaze drew away, looking at nothing in particular, settling into an expression of stoic alertness.

And here he'd thought it was something important.

[Fate Admin]

Trudging along behind his mentor, Snowpaw exhibited none of the enthusiasm of his first trip to the Moon Tree. The moon had been covered the last time the medicine cats were supposed to mean, and Snowpaw felt like it was StarClan’s way of showing them they were angry at them… angry that the medicine cats did not try to prevent what had happened to StoneClan. He threw a mutinous glare at Rookfrost. He couldn’t believe his mentor had gone with to the battle. He had heard from Clanmates that he had even fought! He was a medicine cat! He wasn’t suppose to fight and harm others, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to help chase out whole Clans!

His ears flattened against his head and his tail lashed once behind him. He didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to face the other medicine cats knowing what his Clan had done. Swanfeather… her Clan had done it too… and she hadn’t tried to stop them. His tail lashed again. How could either of them be medicine cats? He couldn’t imagine what Smokefur and Elderpaw might think of them, of him. He had no idea about the plans to chase out StoneClan until only a few days before it had happened, but perhaps he could have done SOMETHING more… even if he was just an apprentice, he was still a medicine cat! And Ivypaw…. His tail drooped sadly. She wouldn’t be there tonight. He had heard that Blackeagle had died in the battle… though none of the cats he had heard speaking about it seemed to know who had killed him. Who would kill a medicine cat!?

He sighed heavily and looked up as the scent of NightClan came upon him on the breeze. He saw Smokefur already waiting outside the cavern and his head dropped with the shame he felt. He followed after the two adult medicine cats as they entered the cavern, a little surprised they would not be waiting outside for the others. He supposed… maybe they were eager to hear what StarClan would say about StoneClan? Well, maybe Smokefur was anyway. Rookfrost… Snowpaw knew there was something wrong with his connection to StarClan, but he didn’t know what exactly. He had tried to ask StarClan about it before but they were always vague about it, as if they didn’t want to talk about it.

He took a seat some distance from his mentor, not wanting to be associated with him at all, but unfortunately bound to him through his apprenticeship that had yet to come to an end. He would suffer learning under Rookfrost only because it was the only way he could finish his training. After he received his name, he would do his best to stay away from his mentor unless they had a patient to treat. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he hated his mentor… Snowpaw didn’t truly hate anyone. But he did strongly dislike him at the moment, and those feelings were not likely to change any time soon unless Rookfrost suddenly became a saint.

He bowed his head slightly, staring at his paws to avoid any of the other medicine cats’ eyes. He almost flinched at the thought of eyes. Frostpaw… his poor sister. He closed his own eyes at the thought. She hadn’t bled to death, he had seen to that, but her eye… no matter how he tried he couldn’t save it. He could barely look at her without thinking about how he had failed her. He was sure she could still be a warrior… she still had one good eye… she could hear and scent prey and enemies…. He just wanted to curl up in a fluffy ball and pretend nothing in the past few moons had even happened. It was all too much for one so young.

[Deleted]

Munching on the travel herbs, Elderpaw surveyed his den before departing to Moon Tree. This would be his first time traveling alone, and he was nervous. Elderpaw was the youngest medicine cat that would be on his own, and he hoped he could find the right things to say. Plus there was the added problem of Stoneclan being chased out, and the young medicine cat didn't know how he should act around the others because of this. Also the herbs in Treeclan were scarce, and Elderpaw didn't know how long the previous store of herbs would last. All of these problems made him extremely nervous.

On the way to the meeting Elderpaw tried to sort out what he would say to the others. Should he take a side? Or be in the middle? Unable to decide he grew frustrated. Unfortunately, Elderpaw couldn't make up his mind by the time he got there. Looking around he saw Smokefur, Rookfrost, and Snowpaw. They all looked angry at each other, and Elderpaw wanted to lash out with frustration at all of them. The medicine cats weren't supposed to fight, but now everything seemed to have changed.

[Hellion]

Swanfeather

Could you beam me up,
Give me a minute, I don't know what I'd say in it
I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face

Urging onward, she kept the pace brisk reminding herself silently not to think to much about her departed apprentice. Flickerpaw had been searching for herbs when by a cruel twist of fate he fell into the water. His leg being mangled and nearly useless as it was, proved to be his death. Swanfeather was too late to send warriors to seek him out and instead sought him out on her own, coming upon his lifeless body against the shallow bank of a stream.

She mourned him in her own way before calling out for the other warriors that had joined her in her search. Together they carried him home, she gave her final good bye to his body and adored his pelts with sweet smelling herbs. In the confines of her den she asked StarClan to welcome him as Flickerface, a medicine cat in full rank and a warrior at heart. She was now seeking out this medicine cat meeting to see if he was accepted as so.

While her pace slowed as she came to find out that LightingClan had just arrived, she kept herself from making eye contact with anyone. Keeping the absence of her apprentice for when the meeting began, she didn't want to explain more than once that Flickerface was now in StarClan's paws.

Her escorts perching themselves on rocks around the meetings place, she stepped forward to make her attendance full noted, her face a picture of stern beauty. "RainClan present." She spoke solidly eyes forward to avoid the prying gaze of those seeking out her little warrior.

So when I need you can I send you a sign
I'll burn a candle and turn off the lights
I'll pick a star and watch you shine

[Deleted]

Smokefur was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with any of the incoming medicine cats, she was more than a little anxious to get her dreaming with starclan over with so she could drag her angry hide back to her warm nest. She found herself completely disgusted with the rest of the clans this half moon and couldn’t wait be rid of their hypocrisy and foul stench. Rookfrost was making great time as he b-lined right for the Moontree and the grey she-cat shared the sentiment as she stood without so much as a shake and quickly made her way towards it as well. Wasting no time she climbed into the trees tangled depths, catching a tuft of fur on a branch and tearing it out in her haste she hissed. She quickly closed her eyes and turned away from the other cats, it would be impossible not to tell she was obviously more than a little cross with every other cat in attendance. This caused her to miss that cats that weren’t in attendance, Smokefur knew not of the Rainclan apprentice’s demise and it was impossible to tell if she would have cared even if she had known. In her mind Rain and Lightening clan had both transgressed upon the warrior code as well as the medicine cat code when driving the Stoneclan cats out, she would have seen the young cat’s death as karmic justice for the awful things they had done.


As the upset medicine cat let her thoughts stir around in her noggin they soon muddled as sleep gripped her and before long there were not thoughts at all, she was replaced with nothing but a boiling feeling of anger deep inside her. The blackness that engulfed her as she moved beyond into the land of their fallen ancestors did little to dim the fire fueled by rage deep inside her and she found it had followed her into Starclan’s domain. She was almost relieved that she hadn’t been calmed at all; she planned on having a bit of a discussion with any cat that dared show themselves. She was here for answers and she wouldn’t leave without them. Smokefur found herself in an open clearing surround by trees, bushes and other random bits of foliage; she didn’t have much time to enjoy the beautiful spectacle that was starclan, even if it was possible with the anger she was harboring, before Dapplecloud quickly made her way out of the dense woodland to meet her. The grey medicine cat was a bit surprised at the quickness which her former mentor had come to meet her and was even more surprised when she was bopped on the head by the very same cat rather roughly. “Ow!” She hissed out her anger being forgotten for a small moment as her mentor spoke, “Would you calm down!” Dapplecloud growled out after the strike to which Smokefur replied “I haven’t said anything!” in an exasperated tone. Dapplecloud growled simply, “I could feel the anger in you the moment you showed up here, I taught you better than that.” Smokefur feel dead silent, she was so focused on her distress and the talk with starclan she had been waiting many nights for she wasn’t at all sure what to do once she had been denied what she longed for.


“I’m sorry…” Smokefur eventually choked out as she felt the rage diminishing in its place calm rushed in like water from a broken dam. The feeling soothed her and soon she was feeling a different kind of stress completely, she couldn’t fight the crushing feeling of being lost in the world. “Dapplecloud…” She squeaked out in a small voice, her mentor found this attitude much more promising, “Why was Stoneclan run out? What am I supposed to do? Isn’t this wrong? Why did starclan le-“ The grey she-cat was forced into silence as her former mentor gingerly put the very same paw she had smacked her with on her lips signaling for her to fall silent. “So many questions young one, but only one really concerns you. The only thing that matters is what I need you to do.” Dapplecloud said as she dropped her paw and continued to speak, “I can answer the other questions very simply however, never forget that in the clans there are plenty of vile creatures who care greatly for personal gain that Starclan have no control over.” It was a very simple answer indeed, “And never forget that scheming cats from days past end up here as well, there are probably plenty of them that agree with the running out of Stoneclan. It doesn’t matter though; if you are needed to tackle that problem starclan will call on you. However now you are needed for something different.” Smokefur was silent for a while, the words of Dapplecloud had caused the hamster in her brain to run as fast as it could in its wheel, she understood the idea of vile cats but she could hardly believe it. After a nearly awkwardly long silence she asked, “What is needed of me?” The question brought a smile to her aunt’s lips, “That’s what I like to hear… dear you need to start to look into the legacy you are leaving behind.” Smokefur tipped her head as her hamster began running again; there was another long silence before she squeaked out, “That’s it? No rhyming riddle for me to solve? No big mission or hidden goal to keep me awake at night?”

Dapplecloud couldn’t help but smirk as she looked at her niece, “Nope no rhyming riddle, nothing more than thinking about your legacy.” Smokefur stared at her incredulously before piping up, “Seriously that’s it? I was expecting something that would shatter my perceptions of reality and leave me without a peaceful nights sleep.” The smirk remained on the older she-cat’s maw as she chimed in, “Give it time, it’ll eat at cha’...” After which she quickly turned and fled back into the woods from whence she came. Not a moment later Smokefur practically passed out on her feet falling towards the ground her body seized up and gave spastic jerk. Blue eyes shot open and Smokefur realized she was in the Moontree’s protective branches just as she had been when falling asleep. “Not the nicest sendoff from Starclan I’ve had…” She whimpered out softly.

[Fawn]

→ROOKFROST←

_{Medicine Cat of LightningClan}

---

As it had always been since the moment he had first stepped into service as LightningClan's Medicine Cat, the only thing his consciousness met was silence. No cat came forward out of the swirling mist to greet him – or to chide and punish him, the instigator in one of the bloodiest, filthiest battles in the forest's recent history. Even if Rookfrost chose not even to humor himself with imagining their reactions to his behavior, he wasn't at all without a counterargument for every crime ever committed, not that he considered them crimes to begin with. Morality was a matter of opinion, after all.

He was either a demon or a saint depending upon which cat he stood in front of.

Perhaps as a side effect of having witnessed such graphic violence on StoneClan, or it was simply 'one of those nights', Rookfrost's dreams were strangely poignant and vivid, recounting everything he had done or had seen done with red being the color that stood alone, everything else diluted to an easily forgotten monochromatic shade of gray. Able to recount the quick death of Blackeagle, the dramatized imagery flashing through his subconscious did not frighten or stir up any kind of negative emotion - in fact, he was watching as though a spectator, observing the scenario with the same kind of cool detachment he'd held onto when he'd done the deed.

If the fabled StarClan had an issue with him killing another Medicine Cat, then they were welcome to strike down the moor-dwelling tom with a lightning bolt from the blue, if it upset them so much. Despite the ease with which he'd taken the other tom's life, there had been a certain undeniable amount of mercy in his actions. Malicious he was not. Emotionless? Maybe, but somewhere in that gaping black hole he had for a soul was a shred of 'decency', and that shred did not allow him to enjoy the suffering of other cats when it was neither science-related or all that crucial to anything.
He was as much an angel of death as he was an executioner.

Blackeagle had suffered greatly, and sharp deductions made on Rookfrost's part that he would not fully recover had been enough of a push for the shadowy harbinger of blood to act swiftly, putting the tom out of his misery and into the paws of their beloved StarClan.

Nothing of consequence happened further in the phantom realm of dreams, and the black tom awoke very much the same cat since he'd first closed his eyes beneath the ethereal glow of the moon tree - a little better rested, of course, but from a moral or emotional standpoint, Rookfrost's cold heart was still at absolute zero.

[Fate Admin]

Settling amongst the great sparkling roots of the Moon Tree, about as far from Rookfrost as he could get, Snowpaw laid his head upon his paws and closed his eyes, curling his fluffy white tail over his nose in an effort to block out all the negativity reality was throwing at him recently and escape into the StarClan’s dream world. In only a few heartbeats he was opening his eyes to see his wish fulfilled. However, he was expecting to find Doveflight waiting for him, she always seemed to be waiting for him when he opened his eyes for that brief visit into StarClan’s hunting grounds. Instead, a slim black tom crouched at the edge of the clearing he woke in, gaze trained upon his waking form.

Slightly unnerved, Snowpaw stood hesitantly before he recognized the dark tom, “Blackeagle?” He paused with one paw raised, as if to move toward the former StoneClan medicine cat, but unsure. “Is that… you…?”

The black tom stood and strode forward, head bowed slightly, which seemed strange to Snowpaw. All the StarClan cats he had seen seemed to walk with pride and dignity in every step… even the kits. His white fur began to fluff out, anticipating something horrible. Blackeagle was going to punish him for not helping StoneClan, for not speaking out against driving them away. He was going to refuse to let him become a medicine cat. Maybe he would even-

“I would like your help, Snowpaw.”

Snowpaw blinked wide green eyes at the older tom, surprised. “What… what sort of help? How can I help a StarClan cat?”

He shook his head, “It is not exactly I who needs the help, but the apprentice I left behind.” His gaze was pleading as it met Snowpaw’s. “Please, Snowpaw. I know you have a kind heart and I’ve seen how you have agonized over my Clan’s tragedy. Ivypaw has no cat to teach her, to continue her unfinished training. You and Ivypaw were friends. I ask that you help her to learn what she needs to fulfill her role as a medicine cat in my place.”

Snowpaw blinked stupidly at the older tom, “M-me? But I’m… I’m still an apprentice. I don’t know everything… I don’t think I can-”

“You are the best choice, Snowpaw. You may not be a full medicine cat, but you care about Ivypaw and my Clan as you care about your own. Borders do not exist in your heart. You can teach Ivypaw as you learn. I was told by my own mentor that the best way to learn is to teach. It will help you remember your own lessons and strengthen your knowledge.” He paused to let his words sink in, “Please, Snowpaw. Will you do this for Ivypaw, and for StoneClan?”

He felt conflicted. Of course he wanted to help! But how…? “I… of course… I want to help StoneClan however I can but… I can’t leave my Clan… and I have no idea where StoneClan is, or Ivypaw. How am I supposed to help her when she’s so far away?”

Blackeagle seemed to relax slightly, “I will help you with that. You will meet her in your dreams. You may train there, in a place where you can travel to each other in heartbeats and walk together safely wherever your lessons might take you.”

Snowpaw stared, wide-eyed once more, “How is that possible?”

Blackeagle chuckled, “Leave it to me Snowpaw. All you need do is trust me. I will bring you and Ivypaw together, from there it will be up to you to ensure she learns all she needs.”

Snowpaw dipped his head, thinking, “I don’t know… I still have plenty of things to learn too and… there are other medicine cats….”

Blackeagle’s eyes flashed briefly, “You are the best option, Snowpaw, believe me when I say this. You will do fine. Have faith in yourself.” His nodded and stood, turning away.

“Wait! StoneClan… are they… I mean….”

The black tom glanced back, sadness shadowing his gaze, “They are as safe as they can be.” With that the world around him began to dissolve into blackness and Snowpaw opened his eyes to the darkness of the Moon Tree cavern, sitting up slowly and staring at his paws, wondering how in the world an apprentice was supposed to train another apprentice, forgetting the others in the cavern completely.