What is this StarClan everycat talks about?

Is it a place full of white snow that coats the land, radiating warmth to those who wander its forest? Blue icicles hanging like vines off of the brown branches of the grand trees and the soft crunch of the snow under cat's paws? Is there a sense of tranquility and humility throughout the land like a resting fog? Are there cats that romp around the place like tiny kits no matter how old they were when they passed away?

Or is it a lush, green forest in newleaf with the leaves sheltering those underneath, sunlight pouring through the cracks between each vibrant leaf? The bird's morning and evening song ringing in the air, rising above the clouds and reaching up to the sky? Sounds of laughter and joy filling each tree, rock, or stream dwelling in the beauty of the magnificent home? Can we see all of those lost cats running through the place with a sense of hope and pride in their eyes that not even a raging storm could extinguish?

What if it's a quiet place where night rules the land with millions of stars woven into the black sky? Cats walk across the place in no hush or hurry, calmly stepping over stones in the dark river with nothing in mind? Are there soft whispers carried by the gentle wind and to other cats in the area to listen to before it takes off once again? Do cats travel like fireflies? Separated to pursue their own goals but connected by blood and the soft glow of virescent and cerulean, glowing orbs?

Perhaps it's a place of flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors? Are cats frolicking in the meadow with the energy that could last moons? Instead of rain or snow, do the petals of the flowers fall? Each color glimmering in the sun? Scents of roses, wildflowers, cherries, honey - do they fill the area like an invisible flood of aroma? Does the sun shine the brightest and continues to share its warmth? Will there be fluffy, white clouds dotting the sky but never block out the golden sun? The song in that place - is it of pure joy and love?

This mysterious biome, will it forever be a hidden secret tucked away behind fog and tangled legends? Will there ever be a day when a cat will set paw in the sacred land of their ancestors and come back to tell the grand tale? Or will it forever be out of reach? Can the stars become larger? StarClan's never been clear, but yet cats will spend days watching, wondering, waiting for those starry cats that dance in the endless sky to come.

Tucked away far in the sky beyond eye's limit; is that where StarClan resides?

No cat knows the answer and perhaps it's best if the hidden Clan stays unknown to the living.

If cats grow up hearing the tales of starry cats in the sky who watch over their loved ones left behind, will their curiosity grow and will they want to seek out those answers? Is it possible that they'll be inspired to see their ancestors and all the great heroes from the past? Stories passed down from the beginning of time to the present, can they continue to thrive and flourish like a sapling? Can they touch the hearts of those newborn kits who are fortunate enough to be born into this rare, beautiful world?

What if it's the belief of StarClan being this wonderful place that makes cats yearn to see its lands. Touch the crispy grass or the feel the dewy mist cling to their pelts or seeing those who left them by the claws of a foe? StarClan can be many things, but nobody knows exactly what it is. The stories told by their clanmates and their loyal medicine cat could be the nutrition to those little kits and their endless amounts of questions.

The curiosity and wonder packed inside a tiny body known as a kit, could that be the reason StarClan watches over the Clans? To see them grow and mature into fine warriors, caring medicine cats, strong leaders, or even traveling outsiders with a sense of adventure not even a thunderstorm could counter? Are they there, silently whispering words of love, encouragement, sympathy, and courage to their ears? Do they sit beside them when they arrive at the Gathering with the other Clans? Do they fight with every ounce of strength in their starry bodies when the kits are forced into a battle to defend the things they love?

The answer to StarClan is unknown; for all we know, it could be a massive desert, sand stretched out before our eyes with a starry sky that never burns out. What does the sky represent there? To Clan life, the sky is StarClan's home and territory, but what if there's another sky in StarClan? Is that freedom or adventure up there? Or is it simply the reward of living a true warrior life?

The only way to know what the hidden and intriguing Clan is like is to die, but yet, what if Clan life is the first trial? Does Clan life give you a sense of joy and wonder, something that StarClan can't give you? Perhaps staying on the ground is StarClan's gift. There are many questions and endless amounts of answers - even the wisest medicine cat or eldest elder may not have even have a single grain of comprehension.

Whatever the case may be, we are all like birds. We hatch out of our egg and explore the world we were born into. We hunt, defend, travel, explore, and have fun with those we call family and friends. When times are rough, we stay home with others around. We experience new adventures and things and try them out, causing us to learn how to fly. Once we get the hang of the wind on our back and the air brushing past our face, we fly faster, higher, and soon enough, we fly so high that those below can't reach us anymore.

Is that freedom?

Fly into the warm sun, the same sun that has always been with you since you were born? The same sun that has been with you when you fall, when you cry, when you fight, when you stand, when you speak, when you defend, when you love, when you fear, and when you learn. It's always there shining, smiling down at us through harsh rain and thunderstorms, never giving up. All we have to do is look up and see it smile at us; it doesn't matter what we've done or what we feel. It's always been there and with you since day one.

Is that hope?

Is it StarClan?

Maybe it's both.

Maybe it's neither.

What is StarClan?

And that choice up to you.

Stepping into a grassy meadow, a silver she-cat sprang into the field, rolling around in the grass, breathing in the fresh scent of newleaf. The sun had come out after the long slumber known as leafbare, and it was finally time for her to train outside again. Sticking around in camp was boring, especially when they could be rolling in the cold, yet soft snow. Frockling in the fresh grass, she let the tiny blades slide across her silver pelt, letting the inner kit out.

Another crash and this time, a golden she-cat came out, spotted her, and then jumped into the air. She always thought her sister's firey pelt was a miniature sun, like a ray of sun had fallen from the sky and took the form of the she-cat next to her. Her own sister. She squealed and moved out of the way when the rambunctious cat came to a crash-landing beside her, the grass around them flying up like a cloud. The two sisters laughed and began to wrestle with each other, tumbling throughout the open meadow, their laughter filling the sky and traveling across the forest.

The silver she-cat stopped, crashing into a bush, her tiny body enveloped in the leafy plant. Her sister popped up and looked at her, green eyes shining, and she burst into another series of laughter at the sight of her. Stuck in the bush, she began to wiggle, shaking the leaves around her that showered on her head. She sneezed and felt a warm presence inch closer to her. Looking through an open space, the golden pelt of her sister was near her, and this time, a brown, striped pelt was next to her, sticking his nose in to find her.

Playfully, she batted her brother's nose and he jumped back, crashing into another pelt. She stuck her tongue out as her two brothers scrambled back up. Eventually, her other brother wiggled his way in, amber eyes looking at her with a warm gaze. Taking her by the paw, he gently pulled her out, and only fell back ontop of the golden she-cat, who let out a squeal. The fourth apprentice snickered at them and bounced around as he waited for them to get up.

"I did it!" Her sister announced, lashing her tail triumphantly. "I did it! I didn't squeal like my tail was on fire like you!" She teased and was taken back when their oldest brother sprang across the field and pinned her down. Under her, the silver she-cat hopped off her brother and helped him up with a nudge. He dipped his head in thanks and headed toward their siblings as they fought.

"Come on guys! Let's not get sent to the medicine cat den on the first day out of camp," he argued, putting himself between the two. Jumping to his side, the silver cat aided her brother, but she couldn't help a series of giggles rise in her throat at the face her older made at her. She gently cuffed him in the ear and sprang away before he could retaliate.

"Hey, don't aid more fire to the fuel!" Her sister snapped, pouncing on her younger brother, going back on her words. Giving up, the tan apprentice under her growled and managed to throw her off. He sprang to his paws and went after her like a fox, grabbing her between his paws. The silver she-cat looked at her brother, and he tipped his head, looking at the two behind her.

"Wanna fight?"

"Sure!"

The two locked paws and began to nip at each other, which soon brought the two quarrels together, making it into an all-out brawl. The silver she-cat bit at anything that she could reach, tail, paw, ear, or pelt, she would sink her teeth into and then let go after a few seconds. Unless her brothers or sister grabbed her tail, which then made her fight to turn around and bat the cat who did so. Most of the time, her sister's golden pelt was in her face, and she had to avoid kicks from both of her brothers as they fought. As the sun shone down on them, their battle began to increase, but their laughter and fake threats began to spread.

"Hey, you guys!" A cat called, abruptly stopping their fight. "Stop fighting already, we have training to do!"

"Coming!" they called.

Giving each other one last glance, they began to race off. The silver apprentice trailed behind her sister but stopped when something in the bush she had fallen into earlier caught her attention. She slowed her pace and whirled around, poking her nose toward the leafy plant, observing the shiny thing stuck between the branches. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of a tiny, brown moth fighting its way through the maze.

It finally flew out of the bush and took to the air, and the she-cat smiled at the freedom. The tiny insect flew around the sky, seeming to dwell around the bush rather than take off toward the forest. The she-cat stared as it soared across the wind and fluttered around her, which she followed its path between her legs, around her pelt, over her head, and even spinning around her tail. Watching it made her stumble and fall on her legs, chin hitting the ground.

She growled in defeat, but to her surprise, the moth fluttered closer and perched itself on her nose, wings flared out, covering the sun's rays with its brown wings. The silver she-cat drew her eyes on the insect, close examining it. Small specks of gray dotting its fragile wings that she could easily crush with a single movement, eyes big and round, seeing multiple pictures of the cat it perched on, and the long antennas that sensed everything around it, the wind, the scents, emotions, and the mysteries of the world.

The moth spread its wings out again and took into the air, fluttering around the she-cat's head playfully, unafraid of the danger it was in. Jumping into the air as if wanting to fly, the silver apprentice let out a joyful cry, romping around the field with her new friend that zipped past her ears silently and twirled freely in the wind. She let out a purr when the moth came closer and sat on her wet nose, relaxing.

Closing her eyes, the she-cat sensed the tiny insect staring at her, curious about her but unable to communicate with her with proper words. It was silent and all that mattered to her was the moth resting on her nose. Her brothers and sister would be so jealous that she was the first one to get such a cautious insect to rest on her and play with her. Then she opened her eyes, blue eyes filled with love and compassion, and the moth inched closer, touching its two antennas to her. A soft purr rumbled and shook the brown moth but it never flew away.

Just standing in place with the tiny moth on her nose gave the silver apprentice a feeling she hadn't experienced before. It was like all the butterflies in her stomach were stuck in a whirlwind but not panicking. Every nerve and bone quivered, afraid to startle the insect and cause it to fly away but wanted to jump and shout. Her heart was beating with a soft, quickened beat like the sound of raindrops falling on the Moon Tree.

She didn't want to leave and say goodbye to this tiny, normally insignificant bug.

Never in a million years.

"Hey! Come on!" her brother's shout startled her and the moth jumped off her nose, taking into the bright sky again. The she-cat cried out and reached a paw, hoping to catch it, but it avoided her and hovered in place, seeming to give her one last look. Another shot from her brother caused the moth to fly high into the air, leaving her behind.

"Wait!" she called out, pleading. "Stay safe, alright? I wanna see you again someday! Can we promise that?"

The moth never replied, but she knew the answer. She felt it. The she-cat turned tail, waved the insect one last farewell, and bolted across the meadow, the long blades gently brushing her pelt, smoothing down the ruffles from the fight and wiping the dirt and mud clumps off. The apprentice bounded and jumped, feeling energy surge into her system as her brother's silhouette became clearer. Her eyes lit up and she collided with him in a field of green, the two falling to the ground.

She purred and rubbed against him affectionately, and he pushed her off with a laugh, getting up on his paws. The two siblings shared another embrace before they both dropped to their feet, preparing another race. The silver apprentice turned her head left and saw her home, a camp tucked away by mounds of grass and pebbles, but a camp full of cats that were brave and strong.

A leader that was as strong as the Moon Tree and never faltered before danger, making choices with the entire Clan instead of by himself and his close friends. A strong-willed deputy that carried out the daily patrols by herself and had the motivation to bring anycat out of the gloomy times, always helping out in anyway she could before she passed out due to exhaustion. A calm medicine cat that traveled across the territory, looking for herbs that would be stashed and stored away in cracks and piles, willing to help out and always thinking of her clanmates. Warriors, brave and powerful, supporting one another during battle and hardships. Apprentices and their eagerness to learn about everything and anything brought back energy that cats had lost and gave them something to watch as the younger cats grew. Queens, caring for their kits, teaching and preparing them for Clan life, solving any questions that an excited kit may come up with. Elders, wise as the deepest river, always having an answer to everything when it came to kits and leaders.

That was her home, MeadowClan.

"Are you ready?" asked her brother, leaning down. "You haven't been able to beat me in a single foot race, even when we were little kits!"

"Ha! You wish!" she joked, holding her head high. "I'm the only one who got a moth to land on my nose and actually play with it! And it never flew away!"

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

"It's true! Look!" she exclaimed, whipping her tail in the other direction. The moment her brother looked over his shoulder, she darted off with a laugh, drowning out the sound of an angered shout. Soon enough, she could hear a set of paws following her. Not wanting to lose, she put on an extra boost of speed, taking off to her home and Clan. The apprentice did look over, just once, and saw her brother, mad and furious, but had a bright smile on his face. She didn't look back again and ran as if her life depended on it, growling when he eventually passed her.

That didn't stop her and she let out a joyful yowl, jumping into camp. Cats looked up from their daily activities and saw the two siblings barge into camp. Her brother skidded to a halt and she leaped over him, managing the jump. When she landed, there were two cats that greeted her. One was her mother, always caring and looking after her troublesome kits even when they were a pain in the tail and constantly bickering over small things. The other was their father, who spent time with them, teaching them tricks and giving them advice when they were down.

Her other siblings came up, joining their parents. The she-cat smiled as her brother padded up behind her. The family stayed there before their father grabbed them and pulled them aside so they wouldn't take up the entire camp. Cats returned to their daily activities, lazing about or talking about recent events.

There was a leader upon the high rock, watching his Clan with proud eyes. The medicine cat sat by a nursing queen, offering her help and chatting about yesterday's gossip. The deputy was in the corner, near an old, forgotten circle with plenty of rocks that meant something - to the she-cat, she thought the deputy made it her soul purpose to figure out what the stones meant and how far back they were from. Warriors hung around one another, joking and laughing as they watched their friends with their apprentices. Apprentices that fell down only got back up to try the battle move out and always had another question, serious or not, every second. Queens hung around the shadows and kept a close eye on their rambunctious kits as they played with one another and rolled around. Elders stayed in their dens, taking another peaceful nap, but always getting up to share a story when a curious kit or apprentice poked their nose in the den.

The silver apprentice sighed in relief, wondering if MeadowClan had ever been in a situation when things were the exact opposite than what they were now. She couldn't imagine a leader without a purpose, a deputy that didn't have the strength to move on, a medicine cat that only healed and didn't grow and forge bonds with every cat in the Clan, warriors that weren't brave and couldn't hold their end up in battle, apprentices who lost all curiosity about learning and were too scared to ask anything, queens that sheltered their kits too much and their hearts breaking when they saw their kit grow into an apprentice that would only turn into an entirely new cat, and elders that couldn't provide answers without their knowledge.

Never once could she imagine MeadowClan like that.

"Welcome back," her mother whispered, dragging her daughter out of the horrid fantasy she thought about. Her father patted her on the head with his tail and gave her a gleeful smile, and the silver apprentice laughed.

"Yes," the apprentice answered, catching her father's tail between her paws. Her siblings came up and tried to grab their father's attention too, and their mother caught all of them and purred. They squealed out of embarrassment and love, squirming to get out and to suck up any affection they could get, whether it be by their father or mother. The silver she-cat smiled, spotting a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye, but she didn't chase after the moth.

"I'm glad to be back here, at home." She opened her eyes and faced the same moth that she had met in the field. Pouring all the love she could toward the little insect, she spoke up, voice like a song to the moth.

"I'm glad to be in MeadowClan."