Chapters Warrior Ponies: Destiny Awaits
The Responsibilities of a Medcat*
The Responsibilities of a Medcat*
Scarletleaf nimbly worked her way through the trees and flowers and assorted plant life that smothered the Everfree Forest's floor. She was off collecting herbs, as she often was when she wasn't making poultices or doing other medcat business. She rarely interacted with anycat else at all, now that she considered it.
Ambereyes said that friendship, especially inter-Clan friendship, was a wonderful gift that medcats possessed, and she should make a few friends.
She scoffed at the notion. Friends! As if that was more important than her connection to StarClan, or her responsibilities as a medcat. Friends were merely distractions, wastes of thought and emotion. The idea of somecat distracting her from her important work, for no reason other than because they were friends , made her want to retch.
Scarletleaf did have a soft spot, however small, for kits, even though she would never have kits of her own. Especially Featherkit. The poor tom was blind in one eye. Even though she was only an apprentice, she was considering picking Featherkit as her own, once her time came and Featherkit was old enough.
She was wrenched from her thoughts when she tripped and fell on a root. "Dangit." She spotted a clump of pinkeye lilies, and crouched down to dig them up. Again, she ran through the various uses for pinkeye lilies; the roots and stem were chewable for a poultice, and the petals could be eaten, or used in berry poultices. The Everfree Forest was absolutely swimming in useful herbs and flowers, and it was very important to know; which ones were dangerous? Which ones were useful, or even tasty?
Once she had collected a satisfying amount of lilies, she headed back, flying neatly over a fallen log. The camp was full of activity, and she had a bit of trouble making it toward the back to the medcat's den. She placed her flowers down on the stone where they were kept, then decided to go to the nursery to see Featherkit. But before she could head back out, Ambereyes stopped her.
"Scarletleaf! What did you find?"
"Some pinkeye lilies." Scarletleaf replied, her voice devoid of all emotion. "Can I go and see Featherkit?"
"Sure. But before you go, I want to ask you something."
"What?" Scarletleaf's tail flicked, showing Ambereyes she was listening.
"There's a Gathering tonight. I was hoping you'd come with me. Maybe make a friend."
Scarletleaf sighed. "I'll go, but no promises on making friends."
Ambereyes also sighed. "You never change. Go on."
Scarletleaf dashed outside and headed for the nursery. Next to the medcat's den, the nursery was her favorite place in the camp, mainly because that was where Featherkit spent his days. The minute she stepped in, she was slammed with a little black-and-white bundle of sheer cuteness.
"Scarletleaf! Scarletleaf! Hi!"
"Hello there, Featherkit." She carefully pried the little Pegasus foal off her leg, then lay down in front of him, legs tucked under her, to hear his latest tale of nursery shenanigans. That wasn't what she was meant to hear, however.
"There's a Gathering tonight, Scarletleaf. Are you going? Can I go with you?"
"Yes and no, Featherkit. You're too young to go."
"Aw, but I wanna go with you." Featherkit whined, climbing onto Scarletleaf's back. "You're my bestest friend in the whole entire Clan!"
"That's very sweet of you, Featherkit. Maybe you can go when you become an apprentice. That's only in two moons."
Featherkit's head and tail drooped. "I'm scared to become an apprentice, though."
"How come?" Scarletleaf asked, the little foal climbing off of her.
"Because I'm scared the other apprentices will make fun of me because I'm half-blind." he mumbled. "I mean, here Cloverkit doesn't care, she plays with me anyway, and she's careful not to play too close to anywhere I might get hurt. But...the other apprentices aren't Cloverkit."
Scarletleaf paused. "That's true, but have you ever heard of Brightheart?"
"Who's Brightheart?" Featherkit titled his head inquisitively.
"Brightheart was a very noble and brave cat, from back when cats lived in the Territories." Featherkit nodded. Scarletleaf continued. "Her name used to be Lostface, because when she and two other apprentices went to take on the dogs to prove their worth and become warriors, her face was horribly wounded, and she became unrecognizable. Then Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan back then changed her name, because there was more to her than her face, and every cat knew it. She was half-blind too, but you know what? She became one of ThunderClan's best warriors. Her story has been passed on ever since."
By the end of Scarletleaf's tale, Featherkit's eyes were shining in awestruck wonder. "Wow." he whispered. "She must have been a really good cat."
"She was." Scarletleaf smiled at his expression. "I bet one day, you'll be just like her."
"You think so?" Featherkit leaned in close to Scarletleaf.
"I know so." Scarletleaf wrapped a hoof around Featherkit, and they sat there together.
Featherkit broke the silence. "You should go and get something to eat before you have to go."
Scarletleaf left the nursery, brushing Featherkit with her tail as she left. She picked up a flower, and sat outside her den to eat it, watching the sky turn darker. Then a shout sounded from the top of the watch rock, and she got up to join Ambereyes as they headed to the Gathering.
Warrior Ponies: Destiny Awaits
Scarletleaf looked around. She was in a clearing, but no clearing she had seen before. She could see the faint outlines of trees in the darkness, but they were mostly drowned out by the patch of moonlight she was sitting in. She looked up, and the full moon beamed down on her, making her feel as if she was drowning in moonlight.Then the shadow of another pony's hoof punctured the perfect circle.
Scarletleaf leapt to her hooves, ready to take on whatever hostile pony was advancing. But as the figure was completely revealed, her coat lay flat, as the pony who stood in front of her wasn't a pony.
She was an unicorn mare, with a long, silky mane, surprisingly well cared for despite the troubles of being able to do so in the Territories. Her cutie mark was a green laurel. Scarletleaf now recognized her as Laurelbranch, the previous deputy of ShadowClan before Darkspirit. Her coat and tail were now scattered with stars, as if the night sky had taken on the form of a pony.
"Where are we? What is this place?" Scarletleaf wasted no time in asking her.
Laurelbranch smiled. "I cannot tell you where we are, for we are nowhere, yet at the same time we are everywhere. I have come to tell you of a prophecy."
"What kind of prophecy?" Scarlet didn't dare to even twitch.
Laurelbranch stood stock still, the wind rustling through her mane and tail. Then she spoke, her voice a ringing baritone.
"Four ponies, of sky, thunder, river, and shadow will come together
when all seems to be lost to the forces beyond even StarClan.If they fail, all is lost."
Then there was an explosion of light, and Scarletleaf jolted awake.
Warrior Ponies: Destiny Awaits
Scarletleaf glanced outside, and it was just barely dawn. She had surprisingly gotten a decent amount of sleep. Twenty different questions raced through her mind as she headed out of camp. She was off to go herb-collecting, as she usually did when she wanted to be alone and think.
Laurelbranch said four ponies of sky, thunder, river, and shadow would come together; did that mean three other ponies had the same dream she did? If so, how would she contact them? Would StarClan send her another dream? Would StarClan bring them together? Was that insufferable Willowbend one of the chosen?
She decided she would try to go to the next Gathering, and see if they could meet then. Somehow. "StarClan, why are you so confusing?" she shouted to the open air, startling a few birds into flight. Maybe she could get some answers next time she went to the Tree of Harmony. Only a week or so until the next visit, her first since getting her proper name. Her inner schoolfilly squealed in delight at the prospect of getting access to more of the wisdom and knowledge that earned medcats such respect from even Clan leaders!
The crunch of leaves being stepped on startled Scarletleaf as three ponies emerged from the bracken. "There you are, Scarlet." Darkspirit scolded. "Ambereyes was worried about you. All of us were! What possessed you to run off like that!?"
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
"Clearly."
"Well, I'm off to camp, then. Hope you aren't too worried about me not making it back. I can take care of myself."
Scarletleaf strode off, not flicking Darkspirit for fear of taking it a little too far. She had gotten her point across anyway.
She was sorting herbs when she spotted Darkspirit and the other two ponies walk into camp. Darkspirit's coat was still bristling. She snickered. He was so sensitive when his ego had been wounded.
Ambereyes padded into their den, then proceeded to tackle hug Scarletleaf into oblivion. "Where were you?! You don't just run off like that, Scarletleaf. I was worried! We all were worried! You. Don't. Do that!"
"Sorry, Ambereyes. I had a strange dream, and I wanted to go out and think."
Ambereye's gaze softened. "A dream from StarClan?"
Scarletleaf nodded. "I think so. Laurelbranch spoke to me. She told me that four cats of sky, thunder, wind, and shadow would come together, and if they fail, that all would be lost."
Ambereyes sat back on her haunches. "Huh. It sounds like the Great Journey prophecy. You know the story of the Great Journey, right?"
Scarletleaf nodded again. The story of the Great Journey was one of the many Ancient Tales, from back when cats lived in the Territories. Everypony knew at least one or two from when they were foals. "You think the chosen will have to make a Great Journey too?"
"Mhm. I think you're one of the chosen, as you had the dream. I don't know how you'll be able to meet the other three ponies though."
"Maybe StarClan will provide some answers. Do you think we should keep this a secret?"
Ambereyes thought for a minute. "I think so, yes. If you end up leaving, and Geministar asks, I'll have to tell him, but for now, this is our secret."
**************************************
That night, as Scarletleaf lay in her nest, staring at the sky, she pondered the prophecy. Why did StarClan pick her? Why not Darkspirit or a warrior? What made her so special?
"StarClan, why can't you tell me more?"
Warrior Ponies: Destiny Awaits
At the Gathering*
Scarlet gave a small leap of joy when the Great Stones came into view. The Great Stones were the four tall, flat-topped rocks that the leaders of each Clan sat on top of during Gatherings. Geministar, ShadowClan's leader, leapt on top of his respective stone with his typical easy grace. As Scarlet glanced around, she could see Pumpkinstar sitting atop his stone as well, looking around for the other two leaders. Scarletleaf could see Crystalstar and RiverClan padding into the clearing, but Heatherstar had yet to arrive.
As she headed over to sit by Ambereyes, who was talking with Aurorapelt about something or another, she bumped into a slender female warrior.
"Hey, watch it!" the unicorn mare hissed, flicking Scarletleaf on the chin with her tail. "Well, excuuuuse me, princess." Scarlet muttered, turning away and continuing over to Ambereyes.
"What was that, apprentice?" the warrior hissed. Scarletleaf turned to face her. "Oh, nothing that the holy ears of a warrior would care to hear. Carry on." Scarletleaf started walking again, flicking her tail insolently as she passed.
She sat down next to Ambereyes, who paused in her talking. "Scarletleaf, this is Aurorapelt. She's RiverClan's medicine cat."
"Happy to meet you!" Aurorapelt beamed at Scarletleaf.
"Likewise." Her gaze shifted to the ground.
Ambereyes prodded Scarletleaf. "What's wrong?"
"I met a full-of-herself warrior." Scarletleaf explained. "I bumped into her, and she thinks it's the gravest offense."
Aurorapelt nodded. "What did she look like?"
"Slender, creamy-colored coat, blue eyes."
"Then you just met Willowbend." Aurorapelt remarked matter-of-factly. "She's a smart-flanked overgrown apprentice who thinks she owns the world." She chuckled. "I shouldn't be saying this, she's part of my Clan, so keep it between us, okay?"
"Okay." Scarletleaf cracked a smile for the first time since the Gathering started.
After a few minutes, Heatherstar and WindClan finally arrived, she leapt up onto her stone, and the Gathering began.
The news was dull, a few new warriors, some new litters of kits, not much else. As she got up and headed out, some cat bumped into her.
"I'm really sorry about that, I'm kind of clumsy." The gray apprentice hopped to his hooves. "What's your name?"
Well, isn't he outgoing? Scarletleaf thought. "Scarletleaf."
"I'm Stormyhoof." Stormyhoof dashed off. "Until we meet again!"
Scarletleaf looked in his general direction for a second, and then headed home with her Clan.