The Badger

[Froststar]

((Parenthesis when you're out of character, Wettail! And you aren't dead. You need to hurry up and wake up from your coma though, oh terribly-bad-off soap-opera victim!))

[Pinestripe]

Pinestripe saw the silent strength hidden deep in Nightpaw's auds. Where had that sudden power come from? She asked StarClan for an answer but recieved nothing save a whisper of a hint. The striped medicine cat stopped in her tracks and searched once more into the apprentice's amber eyes. She inwardly bowed. Pinestripe was in the prescence of StarClan. What should she do? The she-cat's mind raced wildly. How could she acknowledge this great cat within the scared apprentice, Nightkit? A loud male rumble, deep as thunder purred in her ears and flowed into her head. "Little one, do not be afraid," spoke this unknown being. A queen's voice, gentler than the softest queen's touch, rustled, "All will become clear, small kit. Do not seek answers before their time." The medicine cat felt a touch of anger at being called a kit, but realized that these cats of StarClan were greater than anything ever imagined. She gasped as the recognition hit her. These cats were her parents. She had just spoken to her mother, gone some twenty seasons, and her father, who had joined the hunt of StarClan when she was made apprentice. She shouted to these prescences, now slipping away, "No! Don't leave me!" But there was only a hint of a breeze to reassure her, and the faces of her companty did nothing to help. There was something wet on the cut on her nose; it stung. She licked it up- it was warm and salty. Pinestripe was crying for the first time since her father had left her.

[Nightheart]

Nightpaw woke dizzy when all the events that happened hit her!"Mom Dad where are you?!?"But they weren't there they vanished and all Nightpaw could do was weep bitterly."What is going to happen to me?"screamed Nightpaw.She ran outside where it started raining and roared to the sky "Why me?What do you want me to do?Is this a sign?Tell what is happening!"Nightpaw threw herself down into the damp earth and sobbed"Why me?Why me?"

[Froststar]

((OOOOOOOOOK.))

[Pinestripe]

Pinestripe saw Nightpaw crying out and throwing herself on the ground as if in some horrible, earth-wrenching pain. She rushed over to the flailing apprenticeand saw that her eyes were glazed. What was wrong? Pinestripe had never seen this before, except once when a kit had gotten a mouthful of deathberries. Had the pricker bush Nightpaw had fallen on been a deathberry bush? There was no time to ponder it. Nightpaw clearly needed help, and she was unsure as to if she had the right things she needed. "Mousepaw!" she called. "Mousepaw, come here!"

[volekit]

Mousepaw looked to her mentor. "What is it? And I have some thing to explain. I want to be a warrior now. Not a medicine cat apprentice. I'll do what you want but I am no longer an apprentice of medicine. An Apprentice of Warrior hood is what I will be.You can train me to be a warrior, but not a medicine cat unless you want me to be a medicine cat of ThunderClan I will no longer be a medicine cat apprentice." She did the whole speech in 3 breaths. Then she added, "I will go to ThunderClan."

[Pinestripe]

"Come here, I need more poppy seeds and some marigold. Plus some wild onion and a little horsetail root. Okay? We need to help Nightpaw, she seems to be having a trauma." Pinestripe whipped out the words, knowing that Nightpaw was not having a trauma, but how do you explain something you don't understand yourself? She watched Nightpaw writhe, and hoped that she would be able to help. The Medicine Cat knew full well that she could not do much in the way of healing; herbs can do next to nothing for wounds of the spirit, and they take long to heal. Still, she could try her best. "Nightpaw?" she murmured to the apprentice. "Nightpaw, can you hear me?" Pinestripe sent a fervent prayer to StarClan that the ThunderClan apprentice would respond to her words. Meanwhile she must keep a close watch on Amberstar. So many patients, so little time, she thought.

[volekit]

"I'll get the herbs for my soon to be Clanmate." She turned to Froststar, "May I join your Clan?I'll accept your answer whe I come back." the tortise shell cat pelted through the woods. Her unused muscles rippled beneath her pelt. They are only unused because Pinestripe never trained me, she thought. the she cat raced till she came to a part of the River that jutted out and made a pond. If I'm accepted into ThunderClan I'll come here, she thought. There were wild onions peaking to see if winter was over. Marigolds and poppies were just beyond, bathing in the sun. The medicine cat apprentice picked a few in her teeth and laid them on the leaf matted floor. Ther was a horsetail just beyond, the feline pulled it up and brought it to the pile. She fould a stain berry leaf and pulled it off. The apprentice gathered the herbs into the leaf and sprinted toward the destination. The soon to be medicine cat hopefully dropped the herbs in front of Pinestripe and went to the leader and hurried,"Have you made your decision?"

[Froststar]

Froststar watched the Apprentice run off in utter shock. Why suddenly did she want to change Clans. She looked at Pinestripe, but the MedicineCat seemed to have been to busy to hear the conversations.
When the Mousepaw came back and asked if she had made her decision, she looked at her. "Why the sudden change? You must answer that before I will allow you. You must also explain to your mentor..." She flicked her tail, and looked at Pinestripe.

[volekit]

"Because many reasons that I need to explain. One, I can't catch fish well. Two, you don't have a medicine cat or medicine cat apprentice. Three, Pinestripe is still young and I'd be an apprentice forever. Four, I'd getbetter warrior training... Amberstar would have taught me if she knew I didn't have a good mentor." She glared at her old mentor. She trailed on, "I should help for any battle neccesary to green cough. I'll be there." At the end of the speech Mousepaw gazed in pride. Maybe a chance?

[Froststar]

"You still haven't done all I've requested of you. What about asking your mentor? I think she at least needs some say in this matter...Pinestripe?" Froststar looked at the MedicineCat. "Do you have anything to say?"

[Pinestripe]

"What?" Pinestripe looked at the leader. "Mousepaw?" She felt a sudden sinking sensation at the bottom of her heart. "Mousepaw, no... no... Oh Mousepaw, why?" I should have trained her better. she berated herself furiously. This was all her fault... all her fault... The Medicine Cat felt as if she was falling, falling into infinity... If I had taken her out more and not been so worried about other Clans' business. If I'd taken her to the Flower Field and taught her to fight like a good warrior should. If we'd gone down to the river and fished like I told myself we would. If... if... But it was no good telling herself what would have happened. The only thing that mattered was what was happening- and that made her feel sick. She gulped, gathered herself together, and let out the words that would break her- and maybe, just maybe, set Mousepaw free.
"Yes. Go ahead."
She turned away, her head spinning, her mind dizzy and sick, turned away from her former apprntice and towards her leader. Pinestripe felt furious with herself. She wanted to yell at Mousepaw, to tell her to leave and see if she cared, but the problem wa that she did care. She cared so much it hurt, hurt like Mousepaw was ripping her, tearing her soul to pieces.

[volekit]

"I know this dessision is hard. I think you would do better on another apprentice." She Trotted towards Froststar. "Is that enough for you?" She asked, " That is all on your agenda isn't it?"

[Pinestripe]

How could her apprentice dismiss leaving her Clan as something on Froststar's agenda? Had she really been that bad a mentor? She gritted her teeth and looked at Amberstar. The leader was still out, and Pinestripe was getting woried. She had seen Froststar lose a life before, and it didn't take this long... although every cat was different, and perhaps StarClan wanted to tell Amberstar something. The Medicine Cat checked her leader's pulse: it was steadily beating, faintly, but still there. Could something have gone wrong? Was StarClan unable to heal Amberstar's wound? Don't let me lose her. Please, let her come back now. She has been with you long enough... hasn't she? she prayed to StarClan. She looked up; the stars had come out as the sun set, taking with it her apprentice. Please help Mousepaw be happy, she hoped. Even if her apprentice had left her, she loved her with a queen's love for her kit. Medicine Cats were not allowed to have kits, and Mousepaw was the kit Pinestripe would never be able to have. She still cared for Mousepaw, but she felt betrayed, slashed through the heart, a wound so deep it reached the soul.

[volekit]

"Froststar?" The apprentice asked,"wait." She went to Pinestripe. She touched noses. "I'll miss you." She said softly,"I'll see you at the half moon." She turned away waiting for her new leader's reply.

[Froststar]

"Wait a second," Froststar meowed seeing Pinestripe's gloomy face. "I think you both have some unattended conversations ahead. I also think we should wait for Amberstar to wake up and validate this all for us." She looked at the still Leader. "I think she would have some comments."

[Nightheart]

Nightheart sat up at the thought of a new roommate!"Yes!" thought Nightheart excitedly" Maybe she be better than the drolly-snory Icepaw!"Nightheart ran up Froststar and waited for her decision but she couldn't help to but-in."Please can she stay it'll be great to have another member!Please?And I don't want to talk about what happened at the stream!I just need to think about it for awhile!"said Nightheart already walking over to Mousepaw.Telling her where everybody lived and telling her about Icepaw too."I hope she can stay."thought Nightheart silently..........

[Pinestripe]

Pinestripe could not help but be glad to see Nightpaw so eager for a new Clan mate. She walked over to Mousepaw and touched noses. "I'll miss you, Mousepaw. StarClan go with you. I wish you well in ThunderClan." She could not keep all the bitterness out of her voice- a trace remained. I hope Mousepaw doesn't notice. I really do wish her well- I just wish it could have been different with us. Nightpaw did not realize the rent inside her heart, but that was good. It meant the young cat wouldn't ask or prod, for the wound hurt enouh without a curious apprentice reopening old wounds.

[♫Amberstar♥]

((about Icepaw, I agree!))

"Not yet" Firestar replied,"Wait and watch." Amberstar gazed through the pool of water. Mousepaw wanted to leave? Amberstar thought, Maybe she needed to go. "You can go," Firestar replied,"Now."

On the ground Amberstar slowly got up. "I need no explaining. I was watching from StarClan. Mousepaw... If you really want to go you can go." Amberstar touched noses with the apprentice. If she had wanted it could be her apprentice. It is all up to Mousepaw now.

[volekit]

" I will go Amberstar. I'm sorry but I would never be able to become a medicine cat. Never. I have a future in ThunderClan. I'm sorry. " Mousepaw returned touching noses wth her past leader and medicine cat. At least Amberstar isn't a sprawling lump, Mousepaw thought. She touched noses with her new Clanmate and Leader. She sat by and waited for someone or something to happen.

[Froststar]

"Mousepaw, I do not agree with your decision, or with your reasons for making that decision, but you may come with us if you deem necissary. And Pinestripe," she added, noticing the sorrow deep in the eyes of the MedicineCat, "if you would like to discuss this any longer, we are free, for she will never be a true member of our Clan. Mousepaw, if you ever feel the need to return to your Clan, you will be welcome, for the way I view this is you are not really of ThunderClan, but a visitor in our camp. We shall see how this ends."
She watched as Amberstar suddenly rose from the ground and wished Mousepaw well. "Well, that was fast." Then, she turned her back, giving one last sympathetic glance at Pinestripe, and walked to her den, parting the drooping lichen with her tail.

[Pinestripe]

((Look, Mousepaw. I've ,made a decision. When I reach high number of posts (2,000-3,000) I'll step down and you can have the Medicine Cat-ship. It's really not as far as it seems. And what do you mean a sprawling lump??!!?? Do you see that number of posts under my avatar? Do you think they just sprang up there??!!?? No, they did not, young she-cat! They took work! Hard work!))

Good. Both of the seriously injured were back on their feet. But something still troubled her... "Goodbye, Mousepaw." whispered the young she-cat. She knew Mousepaw was right about not becoming a Medicine Cat for a while. But it was hard to teach a young, demanding apprentice and still fill her duties as Medicine Cat. She had a lot to do, and not all her work was pleasant as a breeze. She shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts, and tried to push the sorrow out of her eyes. She knew Froststar, at least, had noticed it, and she did not want to be patronized. Not now. "Look, if everything is taken care of, I'll be going," she said, and turned on her paw to leave the clearing. But some small inner voice stopped her paws and stilled her muscles. She turned around again, and saw, not the clearing and the faces of Mousepaw, Nightpaw, and the two leaders, but instead, a stream among a grove of pine trees shrouded in dark night. A cool breeze ruffled the trees and gently stirred the slow-flowing stream, making her instinctively shiver. The stars of Silverpelt shone down on the waters. They seemed brighter than normal... Stars cascaded down in a shimmering curtain, falling down to Earth. Each star became a silvery warrior, slinking towards her until she was surrounded by surreal cats. Pinestripe was in the midst of StarClan. "Come." They spoke with voices both strong and delicate. She followed them as they surged higher until they stood on the point of a craggy mountain. "Look." One of the half-solid cats gestured towards a seemingly endless expanse of water, blacker than the night that cloaked the bright warriors. It made her feel bitter and dark, yet sad- sadder than she had ever dreamed possible. "This is sorrow. Drink." She bent her head to lap at the waters and was surprised at how sweet it was.Then she swallowed, and it became thick and sticky, catching in her throat. She gagged, and one of the cats touched her with surprising skill. She sighed, and watched as the cats faded away into nothingness... all but two. Then they, too, diappeared, and she was left with the feeling that she had just seen something wonderful, if only she could remember what it was...

[volekit]

((how do we reply to this?))

[Ivystar]

((I'd guess you say you looked at absent-minded Pinestripe.))

[♫Amberstar♥]

du du du du dud dud duuuuuuuu du du du du du du da da dum dum Jeopardy

[Umbrapaw]

What has Jeopardy got to do with this?

[Pookystar]

Kudos came up, tripped, and rolled down the hill into the river.

[Nightheart]

Graceful!Really Graceful!

[♫Amberstar♥]

"Pinestripe? Are you okay? I don't really care about you but I do about poor Pooky. Help poor Pooky." Amberstar said.

[Nightheart]

It is ok Kudos!You'll live!