Warriors: Project Star

Prologue

Edited : 24/5/23

"There hasn't been a prophecy from StarClan in a while." He murmured to himself, the sand beneath him cold like the night. "I guess we're in a time of peace." His orange and black fur was soaked - he had been sitting here for ages, viewing the whole night sky on a small beach next to the vast salty sea.

For Mapleleaf, relaxing by the ocean when his Clan, WaveClan, wasn't in a time of need was what he enjoyed. He didn't have to worry if they were safe, as well. Emberpaw would be there, and someone could get him while he lay here. Sometimes work was just... too much effort.

Mapleleaf's head jerked up suddenly, and his mainly black fur spiked. Disappearing from the sky, the stars began falling into the ocean. Each made a plop and sunk into the blackness of the night's water, never to be seen again. They were flames that had died out, lost to the world. Mapleleaf leapt to his paws, taking a couple of horrified steps forward towards the stars that were disappearing. The last remaining lights began to sink deep into the ocean.

Something didn't seem right. Surely he would hear other cats? He looked at the sand beneath him and saw small sparkly dots. Ah, its a dream. A cat behind him suddenly spoke, alerting Mapleleaf to their presence.

"Mapleleaf," They rasped, their voice old and wise. "Follow me." The cat was a transparent light grey, with ghostly blue eyes.

"Of course, Lion's Cave." Mapleleaf dipped his head in respect. Lion's Cave was a cat that used to be from the Tribe of Rushing Water, a group of cats they passed while trying to get to their new homes when The Storm happened.

At least, that's what Mapleleaf thought and remembered. It was a topic cats... didn't really like to talk about. Not even Lion's Cave, or her daughter, Clouded Skies would go so far as to mention it. The older cats of WaveClan soon grew old and died alongside Lion's Cave, meaning few cats alive knew. As far as Mapleleaf knew, only Cloudy Skies and Clamstar were alive and knew in WaveClan. He had heard rumours of a war, but he wasn't sure.

Mapleleaf felt the cold hard stone under his paws as his attention was brought back. Lion's Cave had led him to a small cave, a small pool shining in the middle.

"Stand in the pool." She instructed, leaping into the pool herself as the starry water splashed everywhere. Mapleleaf carefully plopped his paws down into the pool, careful not to splash her. "Close your eyes. Only open them when I tell you." He nodded his head at her instructions.

The cold stone beneath his paws faded away quickly, and Mapleleaf surprised a gasp of surprise as he realised he felt nothing beneath his paws. He felt as if a cat stole the ground beneath him just like the herbs that used to be stolen.

They never caught the culprit, but he always suspected Mallownose, a fellow medicine cat.

His thoughts soon ended as Mapleleaf heard Lionroar ask him to open his eyes. He did, and he gasped out of shock. He was standing on nothing, floating above the sea. He glanced downwards and felt like he was a 6-moon kit getting his apprentice name all over again.

The stars that had once been purged from the skies had made a trail that led somewhere he could not see.

He caught Lion's Cave's gaze.

It was wise and regretful, fearful and wistful, all-knowing yet helpless.

"It will befall the Clans.

The stars have fallen to make a path for the cats that follow.

One follower is you, Mapleleaf. Find the others, or all shall be lost."

Lion's Cave boomed.

"Are you going to give me a hint on who and what it is?" Mapleleaf whined, the fear, stress, and not knowing what was happening getting to him.

"With time." Lion's Cave suddenly showed a stare of terror as her body began to shake. The ground beneath her let out a cracking noise as she was eradicated from the skies. She was a bird soaring through the skies, but then her wings were taken.

"Hello, Mapleleaf." A voice suddenly meowed, almost teasingly.

"W-who are you?" Mapleleaf panicked - there was something with him. It was what had removed the stars and Lion's Cave from Silverpelt.

"Don't worry about that yet."

He heard a cracking noise beneath his paws. Whatever was underneath him, it was going to shatter. He leapt out of the way before he charged at the shadowy figure.

The shattering reached him first.

He had been purged from the sky.

Mapleleaf woke up with a startled cry. His body was in the ocean, almost completely submerged in the deep water.

He watched as cats gathered around on the beach, horrified at the sight.

The crowd quickly turned relieved at the Medicine Cat's awakening.

Mapleleaf wasn't. He didn't want to die, but he was doubtful he wouldn't drown in the dominant ocean. The waves crashed onto him, blocking his cries for help. He closed his eyes as the waves waved goodbye to him, pushing themselves on top of him. He felt himself sink slowly, but he was peaceful, like a cat that was content in life.

Something sharp fixed itself to his scruff, and before he knew it, his body was hauled up out of the water. He couldn't see his rescuer, but he could tell they were around an apprentice. They could barely lift Mapleleaf, but they were also prioritising Mapleleaf. His saviour scaredly splashed in the seas that were trying to swallow them both.

He let out a sigh of relief as the cats finally began to wake up and began to wade through the water towards them:

Hope reignited in his heart, like a dying flame that had gotten a lot more fuel.

In a way, he was the dying flame. Purged from the sky and half drowned in the sea. Perhaps it was intentional?

More cats grabbed hold of Mapleleaf and he could finally recognise his saviour, Wolfpaw. Wolfpaw's grey fur was soaked and darkened. His blue eyes conveyed his tiredness as he was dragged back to land.

When they were on land, the cats began to shake their fur out. He noticed there were a couple of cats who were watching that hadn't gone into the water. One of them was Ferretpaw, a small brown tom cat with an almost perfect white diamond on his chest. He had white dots on his back, one white ear, and white splotches covering his face. He was standing, frozen, as another cat, Frosttalon, stepped forward. 

"What were you doing out there? Frosttalon's blue eye's "Mousebrain!" The white swirly tom stalked off.  Mapleleaf shook his head. Instead, he turned to Wolfpaw, who was now lying down on the sand.

"Thank you for saving me." Mapleleaf thanked, smiling. "When I went down, I thought I was done for!"

"It's what any Clanmate would have done." Wolfrun stood up tall, shooting a glare at Ferretpaw.

"Should have." Clamstar interrupted, seeming to glower at the cats who stayed on the beach.

"Alright Clamstar, let me tell you the whole story." Mapleleaf sighed. "Privately."