The Starcave

[beau]

It had been an easy journey, thankfully. It seemed they encountered no other clans on their way. Sundust was worried he wouldn't even be able to recall where the Starcave was, so he was grateful to not have any other stressors.

He paused briefly at the peak of the hill which dipped downwards into the earth. It was still as breathtaking as the first time he had visited here, and now he would finally get to enter that oh-so-mysterious cave. How wonderful. His peach-hued eyes flicked to the ground, observing the little dips and grooves that had been worn into the rocks by countless cats seeking out the cave over thousands of moons, all of them searching for their ancestors' guidance, or grace, or blessing. He felt a chill run down his spine.

The ginger tom's ear twitched as Cindersky began speaking, his gaze shifting to meet hers. "Of course, I am honored to be here to witness such a ceremony. Thank you for taking the helm of Thunderclan; I'm sure you will steer us to great places." The medicine cat exhaled slowly and began walking towards the the mouth of the cave, just a pawstep behind his former mentor.

It was only a few steps in that he became enclosed by the thick darkness of the cave. The smell was damp and sweet, but seemed to carry an almost nostalgic aura with it. For a moment it was just the two of them in nothing, and the sound of their breathing, the most peaceful moment Sundust had enjoyed in moon by far. The tunnel narrowed, and the large tom took a step back to allow Cindersky to stay in the lead. The stone ceiling grazed the top of his ears as they continued further and further.

He began to wonder how deep this could go. Who was the cat who thought to venture this deep in the first place? It was a wise decision for sure, seeing as it led to the discovery of the Starcave, but what compelled them to make the initial journey? He did not have much time to continue pondering these thoughts, as the tunnel suddenly widened, and a soft gleam could be seen around the corner.

Sundust held his breath as they rounded the corner. Suddenly, there was a brilliant light, so bright that he would have closed his eyes had he not been too amazed to shut them. What was quite possibly the most beautiful stone in existence lay before them, twinkling. It felt alive to the medicine cat, seeming almost patiently amused by their wonder in the way it glittered. Seeming like it had been waiting for them. Sundust finally tore his gaze away from the Majesty as Cindersky began speaking once more. "It is... it's beautiful." He couldn't find any other words to describe the rock. "Yes, I believe you touch your nose to it and close your eyes."

Now his heart was beating, excitement akin to a kit's filling him from ears to tail-tip. A sort of giddy thrill. "You'll tell me what happens, won't you?" By stars, he almost sounded like an apprentice again in his shy curiosity, but it was a genuine plea for knowledge. He hadn't a clue what happened, and had only seen Starclan once. He wondered if Cindersky would see that same clearing that he had met Cricketpaw in, or if somewhere else in those infinite fields lay her nine lives.

@marni

[taillow]

Cindersky
It was easy to see the excitement radiate from her former apprentice. Her whiskers twitched in amusement at the sight and she reached forward, stretching her neck to briefly touch her nose to his cheek in a sign of gratitude. "Of course. You and Rosepaw will both hear everything."

Cindersky stepped back from Sundust and gave one last nod before turning to look at the stone. Her blue eyes reflected the glimmer that shone off of it as she moved closer towards it. It felt like it was calling her, as if the stone somehow knew that she would be traveling here tonight. Once more, she recalled a thought that had started as a fleeting recollecting, but had since turned into a more solid form upon arriving. There was no turning back now.

Gingerly the senior warrior crouching down near the stone and pressed her nose against it, her eyes fluttering closed shortly after.

Emerging into the dream, the first thing Cindersky saw was darkness. All around her, as far as her eyes could see. An eerie and empty void that both ignited and stilled her heart. Blue eyes searched around for any signs of light, or stars, or something to indicate the beginning of a dream. What once was quiet though, began to dissolve into inaudible whispers that tickled her ears and drew her attention. Her paws began to move forward with her telling them to, and Cindersky turned to focus her gaze onto the scene ahead of her.

There, just beyond a small rise, was an opening. Glittering light poured through providing a star contrast to the void she was currently in. A large, grassy field dotted with large willow trees, ones that reminded her of ThunderClan. Their branches swayed in the breeze and even from here Cindersky knew what the place. She knew what lay there, the destination her paws were taking her.

She would not be going there tonight.

Just before she reached the scene Cindersky turned, forcing herself to disengage from the comforting lull in favor of facing the darkness once more. A sort of confidence settled into her gaze as she stood, unmoving, and soon enough the opening in the void began to close, leaving her once more in complete and total darkness.

"I am not here for my lives! I am just here to talk." The sound of her heart thumping heavily in her chest felt like the loudest noise Cindersky had ever heard. Despite its race, she felt an odd calm settle over her. She had not disclosed her plans coming here to anyone, not even Sundust himself. If her former apprentice had known, he would have talked her out of it, told her that ThunderClan needed a strong leader. And that.. she would be. But there was a lot to prove first, Cindersky was not naïve enough to deny that.

For now she simply waited, her eyes scanning the depths of the darkness as she awaited the face she knew would arrive. However angry StarClan was, Cindersky would wait here all night for one of them to arrive if she had to.

[ @Naiad @JAE. ]

[BEAR.]

"It's the same damn thing with all of you, isn't it."

Brokenstar was tired of this song and dance. Over and over, bright-eyed cats proclaiming themselves to be the future ThunderClan needed, only to become the reality they deserved. A Clan constantly hindered by the disinterest of those within, a lack of motivation and ambition.

As he stepped out in front of Cindersky, his expression held a worn neutrality. In another universe, this would not be an ideal confrontation. In this one, it was necessary. "Here you come, with a false promise on your tongue like the rest. I will not hear it, Cindersky. Your predecessors have abused the lives they were gifted, burned through them faster than the fire that directly destroyed our Clan. Some might act as if I'm being harsh, but when that is a major defining moment of your reign - you have nothing redeemable to show for it."

Duskstar, Buckstar, Eveningstar, Aspenstar. They were all the same. Flintstar held promise once, but his spark diminished through poor choices near the end of his leadership. Passionstar was hardly memorable. To Brokenstar, only Snowstar held a place of respect within his mind - and she had her own faults.

"Talk if you will, but understand no ceremony was in place for you tonight. Nor is it planned for any future leader: ThunderClan lost StarClan's grace when your Clan continually chose to ignore our warnings, and blamed us for the misfortunes that have fallen upon you." Did they think StarClan wouldn't notice?

No, they did. And Brokenstar was irked by their willful ignorance.

[ @marni ]

[taillow]

Cindersky
Just as she figured it would be, the figure who approached held quite a bit of animosity. As he should, for seeing yet another ThunderClan leader appear from the midst and having the audacity to touch their nose to the stone most definitely rubbed the fur of StarClan the wrong way. For too long ThunderClan leadership had forsaken their ancestors, and for it their entire Clan had suffered.

Cindersky was not naïve enough to believe that just because she and a few others had spent the last pawful of moons trying to turn that around, that suddenly all would be forgiven. That would only be done in time, and not enough of it had passed.

She watched the tom for a moment, unfamiliar with who he was but knowing somewhere that he was of ThunderClan. His stance, the respect his mere presence commanded. It reminded her of the golden days her mother and father had spoken of when she was just a kit in the nursery. Stories of an age where ThunderClan was revered, viewed as a powerhouse of the forest.

"I come with nothing but an apology." Her voice remained steady as she spoke, blue eyes unwilling to dart away for even a second. The line of leaders scared of their own shadow would end with her, and with Sparrowflight. "ThunderClan has fallen far from what we used to be; all that is left of the stories of how great we once were is the breath on the elders who still recall them." Ridgeclaw. Perhaps he might know who stood before her? It felt shameful to not recall such an integral part of the history of the Clan she loved so much.

He was giving her a chance to talk, and perhaps he was attempting to bait her into providing false statements and a narrative that Cindersky would be different. That she would succeed where others had failed. But the senior warrior had no intention of providing words that would just be dismissed, so instead she just lifted her chin a little and continued to watch the StarClan cat before her.

"I do not wish to take on the lives of a leader. I am here to acknowledge the faults of those who came before me. To stand up and understand that ThunderClan is not worthy anymore of the grace StarClan can provide." A flash in her gaze as a question came to mind, but shortly it was pushed down; now was not the time for her own personal queries. Soon enough it was gone and replace by a fiery confidence that had aided her fluttering nerve. "I take blame in the way ThunderClan has fallen, as should every warrior among our ranks. The inaction of those who have lead us in the past did nothing except lay ruin to our Clan, and the cats who vowed to protect their home stood by and did nothing."

It was a harsh reality to understand, taking accountability for the actions - or inactions - of others. But Cindersky understood leadership to be just that. ThunderClan was wrong on many counts, and their inaction had caused ripple effects that spread beyond just their own Clan. As much as RiverClan had done wrong, so too had ThunderClan. Just as ShadowClan had done wrong, so too had ThunderClan.

Cindersky knew in her heart, that she would strive to restore glory to ThunderClan, she knew it to be what she was called to do.

With a soft sigh, her gaze diverted to the ever expanding darkness around them. Whatever this place was, it was not StarClan she knew that much. "I hope one day, we can be worthy of it again. But I have no intention of speaking words to you that hold no weight, no meaning behind them yet." As her eyes drifted back down Brokenstar, the only emotion that remained clear across her expression was determination.

[ @JAE. ]

[BEAR.]

ThunderClan had a poor track record when it came to speaking with Brokenstar. When Cindersky begun to talk, he anticipated much of what he'd heard in the past. Empty words behind optimistic eyes, no sense of true accountability. But she apologized.

She apologized. And not only that, but it seemed genuine.

There was no hiding the surprise that flashed across his face. This was definitely a first from would-be-leaders, and he set his jaw tightly. "Don't sell your history that short. You were in the presence of a leader and deputy duo who fought for ThunderClan's worth, despite the flaws that burdened them." Snowstar and Passionblaze, before they crumbled into dust. "But ThunderClan would rather forget the efforts carved in blood, and pretend life is all sunshine and rainbows as they fall into a passivity befitting of only kittypets."

This was not to say ThunderClan needed to be warmongering, but a willingness to stand up for what they believed in was invaluable. Snowstar fought for justice when a warrior was murdered. Passionblaze was hot-headed when it was needed, pushing the Clan into conflict that only served to make warriors feel alive. If too much time passed between battles, cats grew soft and lazy. Staying out of problems was a huge downfall for ThunderClan.

He would be lying if he said the Cove wasn't a step in the right direction. He personally perceived it to be - though, Brokenstar wasn't sure if this was worth voicing to a cat who might be dead within a few moons. Leader retainment and ThunderClan were not known to be on the same page. And yet..

A sigh, a release of built up tension in his muscles. He didn't know what to do with these cats anymore. He had tried to be kind, to be pleading-- to desperately get through to them they needed to change. To be harsh, to get them to wake the hell up. Nothing ever seemed to work. Revoking life privileges was his last ditch effort to force them to be self-reliant. Beyond the apology, at least this seemed to be something Cindersky understood without him beating it into her.

"Your apology is a first in many lifetimes, and it has been noted." Not accepted, nor forgiven. But recognized as a step forward. Brokenstar wasn't going to act like he had much faith in the Clan - he'd seen so many cats fail at this point, it was honestly sickening. What happened to his Clan? Where did the fire in the kids he raised go?

How far did ThunderClan have to fall for his curse to be lifted? For the damage sewn by his son to be healed? Did these talks hold any weight, or was it just perpetuating the core problem within ThunderClan?

Questions with answers he did not know, and would never. "You need to stop with the hoping. ThunderClan cannot flourish on dreams, it needs action and the will to do whatever is necessary to survive. For so long, the Clan has scraped by while being kicked around by others. It lacks a backbone, but with the right guidance it can grow one." And it was, but not enough of one. "I'm not going to disregard the efforts already put into the Clan, by you, Sparrowflight, others. But maintaining a Clan takes time and energy, it requires making tough choices - even if you don't want to, even if it goes against every fiber of your being. The Clan must always go first."

This was his warning to her, cautionary advisement for her to play with in the coming seasons. "Heed my words or not: grace can only be obtained through growth. Prove ThunderClan can maintain stability over time." He didn't care how it was done, just that it was. A Clan that burned through ranks and lives was not something StarClan would be endorsing. (Not anymore.)

[ @marni ]

[taillow]

Cindersky
She was not sure what her statement of rejecting the lives would do, nor the apology, but the surprise that flickered into the expression of the StarClan cat before her stilled her doubts more. Cindersky was willing to wager that none of the leaders who had come before had done such a thing - to acknowledge the faults of their Clan and their predecessors. But she was no longer blinded by loyalty and love, and instead able to look at the former ThunderClan leaders through objective lenses.

Snowstar. She faintly recalled the strong she-cat, though it had been when she was young. Passionstar she remembered more clearly, having fought in her first battle as a warrior underneath him. Back then, ThunderClan had stepped up to not only defend themselves but other Clans in need as well. That was a glorious ThunderClan, and the one of modern days was unable to hold even the smallest flame to it.

Cindersky had not been expecting her apology to be accepted, nor had she figured the actions of late would even start to make up for the inaction of the past. She only dipped her head in recognition of this, not bothering to argue points of fact. "The Clan will always come first." she repeated, keeping her gaze steady on him. "We will grow, and I will take your advice in every stride of my leadership." A certain conviction swept her heart now, a blaze set in her eyes. "I want thank you for speaking with me. Your words - they will not go unheard. Not this time."

So many had failed before her, and so many perhaps had been nervous to take the reigns of a Clan that was, to them, far past saving. But Cindersky held no hesitation in her heart. There was no doubt, there was no worry that she would not do right by StarClan; because she could not. Now, there was only the firm belief that with her, and with Sparrowflight, the fate of ThunderClan would finally change.

[ @JAE. ]

[BEAR.]

She was determined, he'd give her that.

Unfortunately, so were all the other ones Brokenstar spoke to. "We'll see." It was not to be discouraging, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up after all this time. All he had wanted, for many moons, was to see ThunderClan succeed.

Maybe Cindersky would be the change the Clan needed. Or perhaps she would crack under the weight of the world, as Duskfeather, Buckbranch, Eveningmist, and Aspenstrike all once did. It would be unfair to compare them all directly, though to Brokenstar he felt a similarity between her and the former. Duskfeather was once strong-willed and dedicated, now reduced to rubble.. a shadow of her former self.

Only time would tell if Cindersky would follow in these pawsteps laid before her, or if she would disembark onto an unbeaten path.

"Now, unless there's more you want to discuss, I think it would be best for you to return to your Clan. Tell them what you will." He didn't care how she approached it: if she damned StarClan or not, what mattered is she would need to be smart about her plans for the future. If she wanted to survive as a leader, that was.

[ @marni ]

[taillow]

Cindersky - star(?)
There were thoughts behind his eyes that, while Cindersky wished to know, she knew she never would understand. At least not until she had more experience of being a leader. She knew him not by name, but it was clear by now that he was some sort of former ThunderClan leader. Something about the way he carried himself, the passion he held.

She had a distinct, strong urge to not let him down.

"Thank you." With that, she nodded her head and allowed her eyes to close, the last bit of the dream still lingering in her mind.

-

Soon enough, Cindersky - or, perhaps it was star now, if only to keep up appearances - opened her eyes once more, the brilliance of the stone meeting her gaze. She wondered how long she had been asleep - and if it would be long enough to constitute a life ceremony. She had not yet decided if she would tell Sundust - at least not right away. Tonight had been... a lot, and she needed time to digest the words spoken to her and figure out her plan of action.

After a moment of silent, she rose to her paws and turned to look for Sundust. "I believe it is about high time we return to the Clan," she murmured as her gaze found him. Then, after a moment (and if only to hold off any questions for now), she added, "I spoke with StarClan. All is well."

Perhaps at a later time, she would confide in Sundust about what had truly transpired. But for now, she simply wished to return to her nest and address the Clan for the first time since visiting the Starcave.

[ @Naiad ]

[MockingRabbit]

Rabbiteye padded into the cave and walked on for a bit. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He continued on, crouching low. He finally squeezed into an opening. He gazed around. There was a stone in the middle. He remembered the medicine cats saying it was supposed to glow in the moonlight.


"I hope it will still work in the day," he murmured then padded forward to touch his nose to it


//@spirit free sorry it took so long, got distracted

[SpiritWolf_yt]

Scalepaw watched his mentor seeing the chrystal his eyes glimmard" woah" he says then hiding knowing he said it a bit loud, his ear went back but he keeps watching
@Rabbiteye