Flufflestar's Path

˗ˏˋ ✧ teaser ✧ 'ˎ˗

The curly-furred tom padded silently through SunClan's territory, dark and inky silhouettes of the forest flanking him left and right. Soft and curious murmurs cascaded through the SunClan group, leaving Curlyfur restless and full of anxiety. His medicine cat instincts were kicking in, like always. Beside him, he glanced at his powerful leader, Waterstar, one of the best and most skillful fighters throughout the four Clans that inhabited the outskirts.

"Curlyfur, is there something wrong?" the light gray leader asked, taking note of his troubled gaze. Curlyfur's pelt stood on end with alarm, realizing he had been staring at her for far too long. He dipped his head respectfully towards his leader, flicking his tail from side to side.

"I don't know, Waterstar. I think something is wrong. I can just . . . feel it," he murmured, glancing at the approaching terrain that stooped below normal ground.

We are getting closer to flat-rocks, he thought, taking a quick look at the group of cats walking behind him.

"What do you think it could be?" Waterstar meowed, her gaze as calm and collected as always. She was a naturally confident and serene warrior at heart, always taking notice of the littlest details in her Clan. And in Curlyfur's opinion, that's what made her the best leader among the four.

"I'm not sure, either. I believe it's just me acting up again," he sighed. "Leaf-bare has taken quite a toll on me."

By now, flat-rocks was already within their reach, and Waterstar flashed him an apologetic glance as she signaled her Clan to wait with her tail, held erect. After a pause, she flicked her tail, strolling down towards the already-packed clearing. Meows, murmurs and whispers were floating into his pricked ears, allowing him to pick up remnants and snips of on-going conversations. All he could smell was SunClan, HeatherClan and NightClan.

StormClan must be on their way.

He padded towards the normal group of medicine cats, dipping his head in greeting. "Greetings, Cloverpool, Mothbird."

"Greetings," Mothbird replied, her deep voice bouncing off the towering stone crevice. "Excited for tonight's Gathering?"

Curlyfur shrugged, running a paw over his whiskers. "Like always, I guess." Cloverpool snorted, her whiskers quivering.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, tilting her head to the right.

Curlyfur was about to reply when he picked up the growing scent of StormClan, indicating their entrance. "The Gathering shall begin now," Shadestar announced, leaping onto a high rock jutting out of the walls, followed by Waterstar, Rainstar, and finally, Thornstar. Slowly, the cats in the clearing began to disperse, each sitting among their own Clans.

"I shall go first, if the other leaders don't mind," she meowed, taking a quick glance at the other leaders, who nodded their approvals. "Prey has been quite plentiful for NightClan, considering leaf-bare is among us. Our warriors are strong and healthy, and thankfully, there has been no death this season." A brief pause was interrupted with joyful yowls among NightClan. "That is all I have to report. Thank you."

"Thank you, Shadestar," Thornstar meowed, dipping his head slowly. "I will go next, if you don't mind. Under circumstances leaf-bare has put StormClan through, I am proud to announce our two new warriors among us today. Sagetail, and Clumppelt." Yowls of congratulations and the following warriors' names echoed around the clearing, Curlyfur noticing the two shy and beaming warriors. "That is all I have to report."

Waterstar stepped forward, taking Thornstar's previous position. "Brilliant. I shall go next. Any objection, Rainstar?" Waterstar asked, Rainstar shaking his head decisively. "Good. SunClan has good news to report as well. Prey has also been plentiful enough for our warriors. I do not see any cause to worry or panic. Twoleg kits have been spotted around our borders, but nothing much to fret about. That's all I have to report, thank you."

As Waterstar stepped back and Rainstar stepped forward, Curlyfur couldn't help but glance up at the inky sky, noticing the bright shine of the dozens of stars among the clouds. He didn't even realize as Rainstar finished his report, unable to catch anything the sleek warrior said.

Just as the Gathering was about to end, dark, fluffy puffs of clouds shadowed the illuminated moon, sending the clearing into darkness. Gasps of alarm and shock rang across the clearing, cats beginning to cluster together. Curlyfur stared at the oncoming clouds with surprise, realizing his uneasy feeling was right. "This has never happened before! What do you think it means?" Cloverpool meowed, her voice tight with disbelief.

But no one answered her question as an even bigger sight appeared, on the highest ledge flat-rocks had to offer, impossible for living cats to stay on. Stars seemed to trickle down the night sky, sending a flurry of light down towards the ledge. Bright slivers of light began to materialize, indicating the form of a cat. Slowly but surely, the shape began to form clearer, revealing a she-cat with eyes that seemed to leak of light.

Curlyfur heard a sharp intake of breath from Mothbird, hearing her whisper the name, 'Crystalshade'.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the Gathering like this, but StarClan has sent me to bring you all some news," the she-cat murmured, her whispery-thin voice flowing through Curlyfur's ears.

"P-please, share what you'd like with us," Alderfrost, StormClan's medicine cat, meowed. The StarClan warrior nodded her head respectfully, taking a seat on the ledge.

She closed her eyes for a long moment, leaving the Clan cats anxious and pensive for her next words. Suddenly, her eyes opened with fierce swiftness, her amber orbs glowing fiery in the darkness. In a voice so powerful and commanding Curlyfur had never heard, she announced, "Blue eyes that rage like the wildest storms, parents commanding respect and loyalty, a pelt as gray as moonlight's touch, will hold the power to save what's about to come. A great time of menace is upon us, and it is only a matter of time before a plan is placed. Before the Clans can inherit peace and prosperity, blood will soak its greenlands, and cats will die, one by one. Choose the cat wisely. There is only one among all four Clans. This is the message StarClan has chosen to share with you."

Then, as quickly as she appeared, she leapt up, vanishing into the dark sky. The whisps of clouds backed away from the moon, shrouding the clearing in light once more. As soon as the sky went back to normal, the clearing broke out in a cacophony of questions, alarm and shouts.

"What did she mean?"

"Who do you think it is?"

"I bet that cat's from StormClan! After all, it was Crystalshade who delivered the message. It could even be me!"

"Pfft, sure. StormClan isn't fit to hold power that strong," a snarky she-cat meowed, brushing past the StormClan warrior. Curlyfur rolled his eyes as the arguments continued to bounce back and forth, increasing as more warriors joined in.

Among the yells and now, shouts of almost every single Clan cat, Curlyfur set his mind to work, the gears in his head cranking and turning. His blue eyes narrowed with thought.

Who could this warrior be?