#lightclan!stormflower

[ts3lightclan]

(1.44) Growing Resolve

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As the sun set over the newly-defrosted forest, Mousetail headed toward the camp's heart. She had spent the day hunting, as did most of the clan's warriors. Since the weather was so nice now, it was ideal to spend that time gaining strength and keeping the clan healthy... or so Mousetail figured.

Of course, the nice weather didn't override everything that was on Mousetail's mind.

Stormflower's proposal still weighed heavily on her thoughts as she mulled it over and over and over... the thought of reuniting with her long-estranged father was nothing to scoff at. He had been exiled long ago for what Honeypurr always said was an unfortunate misunderstanding... but what if Antstride was right to worry? Her brother was too worried about getting in trouble to be completely on board, and though Birchshine had said she wanted to come along...

...Mousetail couldn't help resenting her sister, who continued to fawn over Magicburst whenever she thought nobody was looking. Mousetail had told her directly about the fight she and Magicburst got into just days ago, but Birchshine insisted there must have been... some sort of misunderstanding. But what was there to misunderstand? Magicburst made it abundantly clear that he had no interest in making amends.

She did her best to ignore the lovey-dovey scene that took place just fox-lengths away from her, a wave of distant anger growing in her chest. It's fine. It would be fine. Birchshine can like whoever she wants. Even if that cat happened to be a piece of-

"Fox-dung!" Mousetail hissed under her breath as she bumped into someone exiting the bushes, though she swiftly bit her tongue as she recognized Stormflower's spotted pelt.

"Oh! Pardon me," The healer apologized casually, seeming completely unbothered by the impact. "I didn't realize any cats would be out here."

"Yeah, plenty of cats are still out and about." Mousetail couldn't help the venom in her tone, though she did feel a little bad about the subtle jab at her sister's whereabouts. Stormflower seemed briefly puzzled by the response for a moment, but she soon appeared to understand.

"Here, walk with me," The spotted molly requested, leading Mousetail with a flick of her ear. Mousetail followed, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"I was hoping to give you more time to think about my offer," Stormflower began, "But it appears our bumping into one another has come at a convenient time. I was just on my way to meet with him."

Mousetail felt her pelt jolt in surprise. "Y-You were going to see..?"

"Your father, yes," She hummed softly. "You're welcome to tag along if you'd like. He may be a bit shocked to see you, though."

"I..."

The words dried up on her tongue. Mousetail had wanted to wait for Antstride to be convinced, and for Birchshine to have a moment to join them, but...

"...I'd like that, actually," She mumbled.

"Wonderful! Shall we go, then? We shouldn't be too long, but perhaps with the long trek... we might not be back until morning."

Mousetail nodded, almost afraid that she'd change her mind if she opened her mouth. Surely her siblings couldn't fault her for... taking the opportunity while it was there?

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Birchshine and Magicburst have been spending more and more time together now that Birchshine has become a warrior. The two are now good friends.

Mousetail decides to join Stormflower in visiting Skunktooth without consulting her siblings further. The pair sneaks off to meet him under the cover of the night.

Along the way, the pair discover a gemstone sparkling with the light of the moon. Sensing its importance, Stormflower collects it.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.43) First Spring

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Though the chill from leaf-bare still hung in the air, the cats of Lightclan were relieved to find that the billowing snow had ended for the time being, and the weather had warmed up enough to melt what frost remained. While trees remained barren, the green grass began to flourish, and the flowers were already beginning to sprout.

Newleaf had arrived, and Birchshine was just as excited as any cat. She hadn't seen the forest so full of life and color since her kithood! There were so many new sights and sounds... not to mention the prey pile would be so much easier to fill now that prey was beginning to peer out from their dens.

Birchshine had already caught several pieces of prey to contribute to the clan. Nothing quite filled her heart with more pride than providing for her clanmates, but even still, the warm air filled her heart with a sense of longing. What further changes would Newleaf bring to her life? She couldn't wait to find out.

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The snow has melted, and the flowers have begun to grow once more. The season is now newleaf.

Bearpaw teaches Sleetkit, Elmkit, and Flowerkit some hunting techniques now that the weather has warmed up.

The kits are getting close to their apprentice ceremonies. Lightrunner has been spotted mumbling about their potential future mentors...

Lightrunner and Stormflower have a playful spar in the middle of the camp.

The pond in camp has thawed. The cats of LightClan can fish once again.

The Forest Spirit's garden is full of mud. The plants inside are still dormant for the time being.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.40) The Proposal

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"I don't know about this..."

Mousepaw was surprised that Antpaw of all cats was apprehensive about Stormflower's proposal. He was usually the most eager to explore and try new things, being the most... careless of the litter.

"Why? I thought you'd be excited!" Birchpaw seemed equally shocked, tilting her head. Mousepaw just sat and allowed Antpaw to groom her fur, tipping her head to the side so he could reach behind her ear. He tended to fuss over her when he was anxious; was this related to the conversation?

"I'm just not sure it's a good idea, that's all. I mean..." He huffed, lowering his voice so that none of the others in camp could hear. "Skunktooth was... he was exiled, I don't know if we're allowed to talk to him."

"But Stormflower says it's fine!" Birchpaw replied, furrowing her brows. "And she's a healer. We should trust her!"

Still seeming unconvinced, Antpaw turned his attention back to Mousepaw, wordlessly asking for her opinion.

"...I just want to see him again," She mumbled quietly. "It might be controversial, but... he's our father! Why wouldn't we be allowed to see him?"

Antpaw kept silent. Mousepaw couldn't understand why he was so against the idea.

"Well, if you don't want to come along," Birchpaw huffed, rolling her eyes, "Then Mousepaw and I can just go by ourselves. That way you won't get in trouble, okay? Besides-" She grinned, motioning to a spot in the distance where Stormflower and Lightrunner were speaking. "-We're gonna be warriors soon! We should focus on that first!"

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Antpaw, Birchpaw, and Mousepaw return to camp with Stormflower. The healer reports to Lightrunner that the siblings have earned their warrior names.

Their warrior ceremony will be held soon.

The three apprentices discuss Stormflower's proposal with one another. Birchpaw and Mousepaw are on board, but Antpaw is still oddly reluctant.

Bearpaw has recovered well from her injury, though the incident has left a scar.

Magicburst seems to be giving his apprentice more positive attention since the incident.

Flowerkit finds a squirrel in the warriors' den and chases it around.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.38) A Dreamlit Visit

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Stormflower was unsurprised to awaken in the misty world of her dreams. With a conduit as strong as this one, she had fully expected for StarClan to visit her on this night.

"Stormflower," A wispy blue tomcat greeted, a friendly expression on his face.

"Mumblestar."

Knowing her place, Stormflower dipped her head. Not only was Mumblestar a member of StarClan, but he was also once a respected leader of her old clan. It was only right that she showed him the respect he deserved.

"You've come a long way, haven't you?" He mused, gazing over the dreamy haze that was near-identical to the Misty Grotto where Stormflower had fallen asleep. "It took you a while to find a way to speak with me."

"I've done my best, Mumblestar," She nodded. "My mission is almost complete, isn't it?"

The tom nodded in response. "And you've done very well, young one. I am proud of you."

An amused purr escaped Stormflower at the thought. "You needn't refer to me as 'young one'. I am no longer as young as I used to be, you know."

"So you aren't. It's strange to see that you're all grown up."

The tom rose into the air slightly, circling the molly and giving her a once-over.

"...You know what you must do now, don't you?"

"Yes, Mumblestar," She nodded. "Now that I've located a conduit, it's only a matter of time."

"Wonderful!" The tom purred, beginning to fade. "I look forward to seeing your progress by the next full moon."

Stormflower opened her mouth, perhaps to say goodbye to the StarClan cat, but before she knew it, she had awoken once more next to the newly-named Moontree. It had been her first dream of her warrior ancestors since traveling to this territory.

May it be the first of many.

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Stormflower meets with a distant StarClan cat in her dreams.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.37) The Misty Grotto

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As Birchpaw and her siblings followed Stormflower into the strange stone circle, a strange sensation filled her chest. This place was so strange, and it was so much creepier at night. Birchpaw found herself having to comfort Mousepaw, who was easily spooked by things like this. Antpaw, on the other hand, didn't seem very fazed... just awed.

She cast an expectant glance at their chaperone, surprised to see an odd glow in Stormflower's gaze, and maybe... the smallest of smiles?

"Finally... this is it..."

Birchpaw's ears twitched as the spotted molly mumbled to herself. Huh? She let out a soft trill to get the healer's attention, and in that instant, Stormflower's smile disappeared.

"This is what we healers call a 'conduit'," Stormflower explained to the trio, earning new confused glances from Antpaw and Mousepaw, who hadn't heard the initial whispers. "A place to commune with the spirits in StarClan at will, rather than waiting for dreams or omens. They can take many forms: a pool of water, a shining stone... and, in our case, a strange, spiraling tree, as bright as the stars themselves."

Birchpaw glanced back to her siblings just as the other two looked at her. It was easy to tell that Antpaw and Mousepaw were just as bewildered by the situation as she was.

Stormflower took a deep breath after staring at the tree for a long moment, then she turned her attention back to the apprentices.

"I have a proposition for you three, but it must be kept a secret. Will you hear me out?"

"Uh..." Birchpaw shared yet another look with her siblings, but Antpaw was the first to speak out among them. "Sure? What is it?"

The spotted molly simply smiled.

"How would you like to be reunited with your father?"

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The patrol discovers a new location on the way to their destination: The Poppy Patch

The cats stop to hunt along the way. Stormflower observes the apprentices as they do so.

The siblings are relatively successful in their hunts. Antpaw catches four pieces of prey, and Mousepaw and Birchpaw each catch two.

Upon arriving at the Misty Grotto under the full moon, Stormflower confirms this area to be a conduit to StarClan.

Stormflower reveals to the three that she has been in contact with their father, Skunktooth, and offers to reunite them with him.

The trio is confused by the sudden offer, and they decide to think it over during the rest of their expedition.

The group decides to stay the night at the Misty Grotto.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.35) That Funny Feeling

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"Buzzberry... Ginseng... Lavender..."

Lilacdream mumbled the list of herbs to herself over and over, hurrying to her den after beginning to feel ill. Sure, it could just be a normal fever, but the buzzing in her head, like static and fire and ice all in one... it was all too familiar to her at this point. She just wanted it to end.

"Buzzberry... Ginseng..."

As she sifted through the herbs, Lilacdream grabbed the first two she could grab, quickly beginning to prepare them for herself. She did her best to recall what Stormflower had done the last two times she was sick... and before long, she had eaten the buzzberries as well as the ginseng. Would that be enough for the time being? How long would it take to kick in?

"Feeling sick again?"

Lilacdream whirled around at the sound of a cat in the den, the early-onset panic of her Sickness making her entirely too startled for the minor surprise. Stormflower, now in front of her, seemed to have gotten her answer by this reaction alone.

"Lay down. The herbs will help, but you need to rest more than anything."

"I don't... I... I want to help the clan."

"The clan will be fine while you take care of yourself," Stormflower seemed cold despite her warm gestures as she nudged her closer to her nest. Lilacdream felt herself moving, then suddenly laying down.

"...How do you do it?" She blurted out suddenly, in a panic. "How do you do everything so... so perfectly? I'm so afraid. I'm so scared to screw things up."

"Easy..." Stormflower hushed. "The Sickness is playing tricks on your mind, Lilacdream. You'll be okay with some rest."

"But I didn't even know what I was doing until you came along! How do I know I'll be able to do my job correctly in the future?"

"Trust me, I hadn't the foggiest idea how to heal my patients when I was first starting out. It comes with time and training, and you've come a long way."

"I..." Lilacdream quieted as Stormflower rested her tail against her flank, taking a deep breath.

"Rest. I'll be right here until you fall asleep."

Lilacdream wanted to say something, wanted to act on the horrible gut-wrenching sensation in the pit of her stomach, but... the nest was so warm, and...

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Lilacdream has fallen sick once again. However, the clan has the treatment she needs on hand this time, and she will soon recover with some bed rest.

Lilacdream and Stormflower have become Best Friends after having some bonding time.

LightClan has been luckier in their hunting patrols lately. Lightrunner even manages to catch two Plasma Beetles in a row!

The recent hunting luck fills LightClan with hope.

Sleetkit finds a parakeet on the edge of camp and practices her stalking.

Mousepaw attempts to catch the parakeet after noticing it, but she doesn't succeed.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.34) Bonds Severed and Fostered

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"Mister Magic-Paws! Wait up!"

As Magicburst began to exit the camp for another hunting trip, he found himself stopped by a loud, squeaky voice from behind. Begrudgingly, he stopped until the kit could catch up.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Magicburst now."

"Oh! Right! Mister Magic-burst!" Bearkit purred, her stubby tail wiggling back and forth. "I wanna come with you! Let's go hunt together!"

"You're not old enough for that yet," He reminded her with an impatient huff. "You have to be an apprentice. You know that."

"Yeah, well, I'm like, basically already an apprentice, so doesn't that count for something?"

"No." He could hear a whine squeeze out of the kit's lungs at his blunt response, but he was too used to this behavior to be fazed. "Besides, it's too cold out."

"Cold don't bother me any! I've got big puffy fur, see?" The black-and-white kit fluffed out as best as she could, to look as big as possible. "I'm not like the other kits! I got some meat on my bones!"

"Right, and you won't keep it there unless you let me go catch more fresh-kill," He grunted. "Go back to the nursery. You can come hunting with me when you're an apprentice."

The moment Bearkit gasped, Magicburst knew he'd screwed up.

"You mean it? You promise?! No take-backs, okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

"Woohoo!" Before Magicburst could warn her to keep it down or she'd scare away all the prey, Bearkit had already run off toward the nursery, no doubt to brag about his "promise" to Pepperfrost's litter.

Sigh...

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Bearkit has been following Magicburst around nonstop for the past few days.

Despite his cold exterior, Magicburst has grown a bit attached to Bearkit. The two are friends.

Bearkit is nearing the age of six moons. Her apprentice ceremony will be held any day now.

The clan is having trouble keeping the fresh-kill pile full. Nobody is starving, but everyone is growing restless.

Of all the cats working hard to feed the clan, Antpaw seems to be the most successful hunter.

With everyone's patience running thin, Magicburst and Stormflower are fighting once more. Though there's no bloodshed this time, nobody is happy with this.

Magicburst and Birchpaw have become friends after spending more time together.

Mousepaw presents Sleetkit with an Empty Chip Bag for her and her siblings to play with.

Stormflower has been teaching Lilacdream more and more about healing remedies and herbs.

[ts3lightclan]

(1.33) Slipping Out of Sight

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Under the roaring winds of the snow, Stormflower found it the perfect opportunity to slip out of camp. LightClan wouldn't miss her presence, not really; with all the fuss over keeping the prey pile and the kits' bellies full, she doubted anyone would give it much thought. It wasn't the first time she'd wandered off, after all; surely, her clanmates would assume she was hunting, or collecting herbs, or... whatever it is they thought healers did.

Still, despite the blessing of a distraction, she wished it were warmer.

Arriving at her old makeshift camp for the first time in many weeks, Stormflower sniffed around. Her friend's scent was still strong, it seemed; he couldn't be far. In fact...

She let out a trill, alerting the attention of the black-framed tom just fox-lengths away. He seemed to jolt in surprise, then his face lit up as he realized she was there, and he cantered over to meet her.

"I was wondering when you'd come back," Skunktooth meowed lowly, excitedly looking to where Stormflower had come from... but the cat he was hoping to see was not there.

"I'm here alone," She explained simply, licking her paw and drawing it over her ear. "I haven't gotten to speak to your mate about our little... project yet. It's far too risky."

"Too risky..?" The black-and-white tom murmured, visibly distressed. Stormflower had no clue whether he understood the delicate nature of their task, or if he was just disappointed after not seeing his mate in moons. "What about..."

"Your kits are doing well. They're well-adjusted to clan life at this point... they've even been made apprentices." He let out a relieved sigh in response. Was that really all he was concerned about?

"Otherwise, the plan has been running smoothly. How have you been managing the preparations on your end?" She mused quizzically. "Surely you haven't just been flittering about on the frozen ponds?"

"Of course not," He sighed. "I've been asking around like you told me to, a-and... I think I've found something. Something big."

"Oh?" Stormflower twitched her whiskers in pleasant surprise. "Then, do lead the way. I've been looking forward to this for a long while."

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