Warriors: Beyond the Stars

"How are you doing that?" Foxleap asked dumbfoundedly.

"Y'know, you just jump like you're gonna tackle the enemy- ShadowClan, for instance- except at the last moment tuck in and you'll rolled under their belly, giving you the advantage!" Skypaw demonstrated.

"That's really, really complicated! I've never heard of that move before, and you're just an apprentice!" Foxleap sputtered.

"It's not so hard when you've figured it out." Skypaw demonstrated once again.

"O-okay then." Foxleap laughed nervously. "I guess we should try stalking now."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Skypaw said cheerily.

"Crouch down with your tail low and straight. Keep low to the ground, but down let your paws drag over the leaves. Then pounce on the prey quickly." Foxleap instructed.

Skypaw complied to his instructions, as she thought one scaring a day was enough.

"Perfect! Now, if you do that on hunting patrols, you'll be the best hunter in the Clan!" Foxleap said happily.

"Can I go on a dawn hunting patrol tomorrow?" Skypaw asked.

"That's up to Squirrelflight." Foxleap purred.

Lionblaze stepped to the side as Rainpaw barreled past.

"Gonna have to be faster!" Lionblaze told her.

"That's what you call fast?" Rainpaw laughed.

She lived up to her pony name and dashed up to her mentor and batted his head to the sides. Before her could react, she danced out of harm's way.

"I admit. That was pretty fast. But how long can you keep up your speed?" Lionblaze asked and charged at Rainpaw.

She bunched her muscles and surged upward, jumping higher than any cat Lionblaze knew.

She looked down at him in midair and laughed.

"Ha h- HURK!" she was cut off by a branch introducing itself to her neck.

Lionblaze pounced on his apprentice when she toppled to the ground. "Watch out for branches. They hurt."

"I never knew that. I definitely haven't flown into branches before. Never ever," Rainpaw said sarcastically as she got up and licked her paw with dignity.

"Flown."

"I had wings in Equestria, featherbrain."

"Who're you calling featherbrain?" Lionblaze lunged at his apprentice.

Rainpaw yowled with surprise and unsheathed her claws. They tumbled across the clearing they were practicing in.

"Ohsorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!" she gasped.

"It's okay," Lionlaze got up and dusted himself off.

"No, I had my claws out. Let me have a look," Rainpaw moved forward.

"No, I'm seriously fine." Lionblaze took a step back.

Without warning, Rainpaw dashed forward and pinned Lionblaze to the ground. She smelled for blood, but detected none.

"I definitely felt my pointy hooves graze you." she said, puzzled.

"Erm, could you get off? It's kind of uncomfortable with you perched on my chest," Lionblaze wheezed.

"Oh, heheh, sorry." Rainpaw got off.

Lionblaze gasped. Rainpaw was heavier than she looked; yet she was no kittypet.

"But please tell me you're not hurt." she looked concerned.

"Er, yeah. See? All good," Lionblaze flexed his legs.

"O-o-oka-a-a-a-y then," Rainpaw said as if to end the conversation. "I want to learn more battle moves."

Lionblaze smiled. "Not today. Today we're going to...." his face shifted to that of one deep in thought, then a devilish grin spread across his face. "Collect moss for the elders."

"Flutterpaw. Pay attention." Jayfeather scolded his apprentice. She has been very distracted lately...

"Huh, what? Oh, sorry." Flutterpaw attempted to hide behind a nonexistent mane.

"Tell me."

"What?" Flutterpaw barely hid the alarm that flashed across her cream face.

"Did StarClan give you a dream?" Jayfeather demanded.

"Why?"

"You've been shocked and scared all day. Tell me."

How can he know what I'm thinking? Flutterpaw wondered.

Jayfeather barked out a laugh. "I'm blind, if you haven't noticed. And I'm a medicine cat, we sense things. So tell me, now. Or you'll be getting the ticks off Purdy." he warned.

Flutterpaw's eyes widened in shock. "No, not that! Gempaw'll go insane!"

Jayfeather chuckled. "Then you better tell me."

Flutterpaw took a deep breath. "Ihadadreamwhereitwassunnyandniceandhappy,butthenitgotrainyandstuffandlightningzappedabranchinfrontofmeanditfell. Thenitstartedraininganditputthefierybranchoutandsomeponysaysthatdangercomesfromthesky,butsodoesthehelp. ThenRainpaw'sCutieMarkflashedandIwokeup." she gasped for air. "Happy?"

Jayfeather blinked. "Once more, just five times slower."

Flutterpaw slowly repeated her dream.

"Oh, great StarClan. Not again." Jayfeather muttered. "What time is it?"

Flutterpaw glanced up at the sun's position. "About sunhigh."

Jayfeather sighed. "We have to go soon. Eat the traveling herbs and we'll go."

Flutterpaw was taken aback. "Do you know the way to the Moonpool?"

Jayfeather chuckled. "I've been there many times. Now eat up or we'll be late."

"What then, Gempaw?" a small white kit with tabby splotches asked, transfixed with her story.

"Why, then I realized I had been so preoccupied with making dresses for the others who came with me, I hadn't made one for me at all!" Gempaw exclaimed as the kits gasped in horror.

"But then, out of the blue, they had made me a dress! It was gorgeous. Very chic." Gempaw added, almost to herself.

"Chic?" a silver tabby kit piped up.

"Chic is very cool, Silverkit." Gempaw explained.

"I think that's enough storytime for today, Gempaw." Whitewing purred. "Silverkit, Thornkit, it's time for a nap."

A chorus of high-pitched awws permeated the nursery.

Whitewing herded the kits over to their nest, then whispered into Gempaw's ear. "Thanks for occupying them, they can be a bit... restless at times."

Gempaw smiled. "It's fine, Whitewing. I'd be happy to do it more often, when I'm not training."

Whitewing sighed with relief. "You will? Thank you, so much. They just adore you and your little stories." she looked fondly at the now-asleep kits.

"Well, I do have to deal with my sister and her friends at home, and they can be quite destructive." she smiled wryly.

Whitewing had a questioning look on her face.

"They can be quite destructive at times." Gempaw added.

"Oh," Whitewing smiled once she got it.

Flutterpaw scented a... different cat. "What's that?"

"That's WindClan. Don't worry, we don't go through their territory." Jayfeather replied without missing a beat.

A creek gurgled in front of them. The WindClan scent was particularly strong here.

"They put scent markers here," Jayfeather explained.

They turned and padded upstream.

A mottled, brownish gray tom sauntered up to the pair. "Hey, Jayfeather!"

Flutterpaw tensed.

"Kestrelflight, medicine cat." Jayfeather murmured. "Hello, Kestrelflight."

"Who's this? Finally take one on, eh?" Kestrelflight grinned at the timid apprentice.

"Yes, I decided it was time." Jayfeather answered.

"I'm Kestrelflight from WindClan. Your name?" he asked Flutterpaw.

Her pupils grew to the size of saucers.

"Her name's Flutterpaw." Jayfeather told him.

Kestrelflight blinked. "Okay, hi Flutterpaw."

"Hi."

"Well, we better get going; don't want to keep ShadowClan waiting." Kestrelflight yawned.

"ShadowClan's already there?" Jayfeather asked with mild concern.

"Yeah, can't you smell him?"

"..."

"I take that as a no."

"Let's just go to Moonpool."

They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. A glint of the water shone in the setting sun's light.

"That," Jayfeather said. "Is the Moonpool."

"Wow," Flutterpaw said softly, not out of her personality. Moonpool was spectacular, with it's silvery waters and small waterfalls that shimmered and flowed from an unknown source.

"It is something, isn't it?" he murmured with her.

"Hey Jayfeather!" Mothwing called.

"Hello Mothwing. This is my apprentice, Flutterpaw." he told the RiverClan medicine cat. He turned to Flutterpaw. "Flutterpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"

She nodded. "Yes, it is."

He nodded briskly in return. "Then come forward to the Moonpool." he turned to face Moonpool. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in according to your will."

Flutterpaw still gazed at the Moonpool in wonder. Jayfeather nudged her.

"You're supposed to lap from it now," he whispered.

She blinked. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize that-"

"Just do it."

"Okay." Flutterpaw crouched down at the water's edge and daintily took a sip. Instantly she felt flooded with energy, yet drowsily calm.

The other medicine cats lapped from the Moonpool, laid down, and closed their eyes heavily.

Jayfeather did likewise and motioned for Flutterpaw to do the same.

"Just fall asleep." he mumbled.

And she did just that.

Jayfeather felt guilty as he slipped into Flutterpaw's dream. The usual black of his vision was replaced by the eternal greenleaf of StarClan.

"Hello Flutterpaw, we've been expecting you." a melodious voice wove itself through the warm air.

"Wh-who are you?" Flutterpaw stuttered.

"I'm Spottedleaf, an old, dead medicine cat from ThunderClan." Spottedleaf purred.

"H-hello, Spottedleaf. I'm-"

"Fluttershy, Element of Kindness. You are quite the ideal cat for medicine." Spottedleaf interrupted.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Dear, I'm in StarClan. We tend to be knowledgeable about our cats. And I love how you dealt with that manticore and Cerberus." she told Flutterpaw.

"O-okay."

"Fluttershy, you are here for a reason. It was not Twilight Sparkle's C.A.M.E.R.A. that malfunctioned. We have brought the Elements of Harmony here to defeat an enemy that no cat can. Claws and teeth will be useless against it, and StarClan is still recovering from the War of the Place of No Stars. It is up to you six to save the Clans." she warned.

"But the Elements-- they're in Canterlot!" Flutterpaw protested.

"But then how did you defeat Nightmare Moon?" Spottedleaf quipped.

"With the Spirits of the Elements, but-"

"Did you have the Elements?"

"No..."

"Then how are you going to defeat this enemy?"

"With our Spirits..."

"Louder."

"With our Spirits."

"Louder.."

Flutterpaw inhaled deeply. "With our Spiriiiiiiiits."

"You're going to need more enthusiasm than that,"

Flutterpaw paused. "Too loud?"

"Flutterpaw, you're going soon. Remember this and only share this information with Lionblaze, Dovewing, Jayfeather, Ivypool, and your friends."

"Where am I-" Flutterpaw's voice disappeared.

"Jayfeather, I know that you're there."

Jayfeather walked out of the shrubbery where he eavesdropped on their conversation.

"You have to protect her."

He was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"StarClan is not sure of what this new threat is, but it has come from the Old Forest. You must ask Cinderheart about the Old Forest to screen for clues as to who- or what- it is. Not Tigerstar, he's gone. But something else. Worse." she paused. "It may even be more intimidating than the War."

"What? Why?"

"I have a  feeling, but you're a smart cat." she laughed darkly. "Smarter than I."

"No, I'm not as smart..."

"Go back, Jayfeather. Fluttershy is waiting." Spottedleaf started fading from sight as his vision went dark.