What is happening? (Open)

[lakeripple]

There had once been a time when Mudkit had laughed and chased after her sisters with such rambunctiousness that all the warriors joked about how she would run her mentor off a cliff.

There had once been a time when Mudpaw had cared only about honing her hunting and fishing skills, had only wanted to be the best warrior WaterClan had ever seen.

There had once been a time when Mudslide was looked up to and respected, and scores of toms followed her every silver step.

But there had also been a time when Mudpaw met Treepaw at a gathering.

There had been a time when they met under the Giant Oak with not a care in the world, lost in each others' scents.

There had been an agonizing time when Mudslide had given birth to Thawkit in the woods and abandoned him in SkyClan so that no one would guess that the oddly colored tom was her and Treestep's son.

There had been a time when she had run off, expecting her second litter, just to escape the wrath of StarClan she was sure would follow.

There had been a time when the newly renamed Moontail had given birth to Forest and Sunset in a sandy cove where there was no prey to be found.

There had been a time when Moontail had seen so much of Treestar in her little tom kit that she had left him on the outskirts of EarthClan hoping that some queen would find him and take him in.

There had been a time when Moontail had taken her daughter away from the cove and to rolling hills, fighting all the time against a blue-gray and white tom who seemed desperate to get her to listen to him.

There had been a time when Moontail killed that tom for her daughter and died there from her wounds, leaving her five-moon-old kit to fend for herself.

There was a time when Moontail renamed herself once more in her dying breath, hoping for StarClan to take her in.

She gave herself the name Moonrise.

And there was a time when Moonrise fought for her right in the stars through many tests and many moons.

There was a time when she came to the edge of the Glassy Lake, finally part of StarClan and looked down on Sunset, and Forestfur, and Thawpelt, and Treestar.

And there was a time when she saw the red fox of evil fall into her loved ones' lives and threaten to destroy her family.

And she cried and her tears fell into the pool, her voice crying out, "What is happening?" But no answer ever came.

And now that once so carefree young she-cat feels real fear, fear that is not for herself.

Because Moonrise finally knows just what is important in her life, and it isn't her, it never was.

[Rosefeather]

In the bright skys of the StarPelt, not many furs could hide and move with ease. Whitemoon was a lucky cat. He could roam about StarClan's territories and never be bothered. This gave him time to think about the woes of the world beneath his paws.
It was such an occasion when Whitemoon found a voice floating among all the others, but this one was different. It was a voice he knew well, one that had joined StarClan before him. Moonrise.
"Moonrise, my friend, what have you seen?" He meowed in his calm, clear voice. Obviously, she was unsettled, maybe thinking about the past.

[lakeripple]

Moonrise dipped her front paw into the water and stirred it around while staring into space. She closed her blue eyes and shivered, droplets of water raining from her silver pelt. So many prayers... so little she could do. What was she good for anyway? Prophesying and the occasional walk in a dream. Staring into star-filled water and dreaming of a time now lost to her. Looking helplessly into the lives of those she loves. Running through the stars in a never ending hunt while cats were being tormented and hurt and there was nothing she could really do to intervene. What a destiny, but it was the only one cats would have in the end.

"Whitemoon, how could everything had gone so wrong? This was not meant to happen, it was never meant to occur. Was everything we did in life for nothing?" She stared into the lake again and watched as a fox streaked toward the trees, and the earth, and the sun with malice gleaming in her eyes and a ravenous fire tore after her destroying everything in its path. With a cry she splashed her paw into the image, forcing it away.

"It's getting worse Whitemoon! All the prayers, and the prophesies, and the pain... and what can I do! Nothing, Whitemoon, nothing!" She started to cry, the sobs shaking her thin frame.

[blueskysummer]

Midnight hung back, letting the darkness of her pelt hide her. she wasn't meant to be here, she had never been in a clan in her life. but her love of her kits and her longing to someday become a real clan cat had drawn her to Starclan after her death.

drawn toward the sobbing cat by a sense of queenly compassion, she draped her tail over Moonrise's shoulder.

"But by simply being, you have already done so much. many times when i was alive, I looked to the stars for guidance. and so do my children, and my childrens children will do so as well." She looked down into the water, watching the cats below. "and yes, some things we cannot change. but we can build what we already have. we have their trust, and their hope. if we can help them in keeping that, we can help them though these dark times."

[lakeripple]

Moonrise heard Midnight but couldn't bring herself to turn. The words warmed her, but only slightly, and she called up an image of the cat's past. They were similar in many ways, she realized. But still... no kind words could stop the prayers and the begging. She spent so much of her time here, at the Glassy Lake, just staring below. So she often got the brunt of the pain. Shaking her head to clear it, she looked back at the water and blinked, feeling pain clutch at her as a kit died from greencough.

"My children and their children already have been hurt so much. And they are so young. I can't help them the way I want to. This is a useless way to pass your afterlife, not being able to help anyone. Only those with a knack for prophesies get much work. I've done a couple, but how does that help. Those below think we have a peaceful rule up here. We are helpless and there is nothing peaceful about this constant worry for them."

[blueskysummer]

Midnight hung her head, sitting beside the starry cat. "that is true. i never expected all the weight of their worries on my shoulders." she looked at the pool, flinching as she saw the dead kit's mother start licking the lifeless scrap of fur furiously, crying their name through sobs. "but the world is a cruel place. we cannot change that."

she dipped one paw in the water, ripples spreading outward. the image changed to a colage of moving images. kits rompe around nurserys, running into elders who shook their head with a laugh. apprentices trained with their mentors, purring when they mastered a new skill. mates shared tounges. warriors laughed. apprentices joked. elders told stories to younger cats, who gathered around to listen in wonder.

"i guess we just have to keep showing them the good things, or they will go mad, drowning in the bad."

[lakeripple]

Moonrise stared down at all the good in the world. She remembered that. She remembered love, and happiness, and joy. But still, everything else was blowing up in her face. She hated this, hated this, hated this. Was there absolutely nothing she could do? That's what it seemed like, and she hated the worthless feeling. Digging her claws into the soft ground around the pool, she stared down at all the good. It was hopelessly outnumbered.

"DemonClan has come to the area." She closed her eyes and dipped her paw into the water, showing the image of a young warrior of WaterClan. "They have taken hold of innocent cats. They long for war and corruption. I can only hope that cats like her," she indicated the image of the she-cat, "are strong enough to resist and take back their lives. If not, there is no hope for these victims."

[blueskysummer]

Midnight gazed at the clan cat. she was young, so young. could she really resist the will of Demonclan?

yes. yes she could. she might need help, but Midnight was comfident that the cat would win the fight. but she needed support. Midnight made note of the cat's appearance, remembering so she could watch her again.

"Demonclan is weak, if they are relying on corrupting clan cats to take their revenge." she said, her kind voice just barely gaining an angry tone. "These cats are strong, and we are here to support them, if nothing else. turn them in the right direction, towards friends, and kin, and those who will show them that there are more effective ways of handling things than war and corruption."