Post by Kaeldra on Jul 1, 2022 23:00:28 GMT
Day 16 of the River Moon, 2021 (April 26, 2021). Midnight.
A soft breeze wound through the clearing, rustling the grass and making the leaves whisper. Stars shone overhead, surrounding the full, round moon as it hung in the sky.
A shadowed feline figure padded from the trees, coming to pause at the lip of a large pool. They watched as the water rippled in the wind, fracturing the light from above and sending it reflecting every direction. After a long moment of silence, several other figures joined them. As one, they circled the pool, each gazing down into its depths as if for answers.
“I’m sure you’ve been watching as I have,” said the first figure, his thick grey fur silvered by the moonlight. “Interesting developments are taking place in the forest.”
A lithe brown she-cat replied, her tail flicking in anticipation.
“Indeed. Perhaps the time has come for the Clans to return to their rightful home. It’s been long enough, if you ask me.”
“We mustn’t be hasty,” the sleek black she-cat beside her cautioned. “It’s still early yet. They’ve hardly succeeded in reforming one Clan, let alone all four.”
The last cat, a broad-shouldered golden tom stepped forward, his eyes thoughtful. “We could send a message, to help bring them together. There is strength in numbers.”
Silence again as they all weighed the idea.
“We would have to choose wisely,” the black she-cat spoke first. “Entrusting the wrong cats with such a message could result in the loss of the Clans forever.”
The brown she-cat turned to look at her, eyes alight with excitement.
“But the right cats could revive the old ways, carry on our legacy for moons to come!”
The four cats shared a look, then the grey tom nodded.
“So we’re decided.” He brushed a paw over the rippling pool and the water stilled, suddenly a perfect reflection of the sky above. “Would any of you like to make your choices?”
The brown she-cat stepped up first. She dipped her paw in the pool and the surface shifted once more, the round moon in its centre morphing into a feline form. They stared at the brown tabby as its flanks moved with slow, even breaths.
“Here is my choice. I know this cat will not give up, no matter what obstacles may land in their path. WindClan will live on the moors again. That is a promise.”
The others dipped their heads in acknowledgement, and she stepped back. The golden tom lifted his paw, copying her movement, and soon the brown tabby was joined by another curled form, a black and white shape sleeping in a soft twoleg bed.
“A kittypet!”
“Hush,” the golden tom chided. “This is my choice. He may be a kittypet, but he has a heart that will see his Clan through the darkest times. He has much knowledge that will make ThunderClan strong.”
Grudgingly, the three others nodded. Then the black she-cat stepped up to the pool, whiskers twitching nervously. As she ghosted her paw over the water, two more shapes faded into view. One grey and white, the other a soft cream, both with long and luxurious fur.
“Two?” The brown she-cat lifted an eyebrow.
“I want to give my Clan the best chance I can,” the black she-cat explained. “These two will balance each other out. She will pass on all her knowledge and teach him how to handle the real world. He will soften her sharp edges and be a voice of reason for his Clan. With these two, there’s no doubt ShadowClan will return to its former glory.”
The rest of the cats nodded, accepting her choice. Finally, the grey tom stepped back up to the edge of the pool and dipped his paw in once more. The surface rippled a final time to reveal the last cat, a smaller bundle of fur than the rest, sleeping among several others.
“But she’s so young,” the black she-cat breathed, and the golden tom looked worriedly down at the image in the pool.
“She is also strong,” the grey tom said, his voice clear and determined. “She has been guided by her ancestors for moons already, and has the trust of her Clanmates. I can’t imagine another cat better suited to aid the return of RiverClan.”
With a last dip of their heads, it was final. These would be the cats to receive the prophecy that would guide the reformation of the Clans.
The four cats turned their faces to the moon, and when they spoke, it was as if generations of cats were speaking with them, those remembered and those forgotten to time alike. Their voices rumbled together with an importance not felt in seasons upon seasons.
“Find the stone that gleams and shines, the one that sits beneath the mines. Stars that die and stars that fall, they gather here and sing their call. Find the cats who number four and from the ashes Clans arise once more.”
StarClan has spoken. They have chosen five cats to receive their message:
Roots, for WindClan; Cyril, for ThunderClan; Juniper and Cecil, for ShadowClan; and Canarypaw, for RiverClan.
These cats must use the information at their disposal to work out the meaning of the prophecy, and if all goes according to the stars’ design, bring back the age of the Clans once more.
Good luck!