As she watched the half moon spill its silvery light onto the rolling hills below, Blossompaw breathed in a breath of the fresh, late Greenleaf air. More than two moons had passed since Coco and Taffy were found at the edge of AirClan territory and the hot Greenleaf season was almost at an end. Particularly at night, she could feel the stuffy breeze becoming lighter and cooler, but not unpleasant.

I can't wait. Blossompaw thought excitedly, from where she perched on the tip of the hill, gazing down at the short stretch of moorland and the woods of towering sequoias. This is going to be my first Leaf-fall and my first Leaf-bare! And my first time with snow and cold and strong winds and... She broke off and her ears drooped, as she realised how many things she still had to experience. Her life was so short but there was so much to do and so much to see. Was all she was going to do in it is running around camp with a mouthful of leaves? Blossompaw sighed and slumped her shoulders.

Suddenly, something landed on her tail, trapping it like a mouse under a fox's claws. She whipped around, slipping slightly as she didn't have her tail for balance. Crystalwing was looking at her curiously, pinning Blossompaw's fawn-and-white tail under her white paws.

"Is everything alright? If there's something wrong, you do know you can tell me?" Crystalwing asked politely, tilting her head and releasing Blossompaw's tail. She added, "You look really distracted."

Blossompaw unconsciously fiddled with the long grass at her paws, feeling its smooth, silky flesh slipping between her paw pads. "I- I'm- alright. It's just..." she mumbled quietly, not meeting her mentor's dull blue gaze.

"What...?" Crystalwing inquired.

"Well... I was just thinking... why are we doing this? I-I mean, why are we here and doing what we're doing and not... doing- something else?" she fumbled with her words, feeling awkward.

"Huh," Crystalwing paused for a moment before chuckling, "That's pretty deep stuff for a little apprentice to be worrying about. Well, don't worry." She leaned down and licked Blossompaw between the ears. "You can worry about that when you're older than Twotail."

Blossompaw's ears perked up and she half scoffed, half coughed. "I'll be in StarClan by then!" she laughed quietly, taking quick breaths.

Crystalwing shrugged and smiled, "Twotail made it this far, why can't you?"

Hope filled Blossompaw, as if the sun has somehow peered out of the night clouds and started to spill its soothing light beams down her fur. Crystalwing nudged Blossompaw's cheek and turned to point her muzzle to the hill opposite.

"Look," she meowed, "Nettlesplash and Poppyspark are waiting. And I think I can see Maplefrost going through the trees. Let's go."

Flicking her tail, Crystalwing led Blossompaw down the hill and onto the short bit of flat ground before the MoonRock hollow. Soon enough, a ginger-and-white pelt appeared between the shrivelled trees, soon followed by two golden-ish figures, one of which was half the size of both of them. From the more western side of the dead woods, a shining silvery-grey cat stepped into the moonlight and raced swiftly across the bare earth.

The six cats met at the edge of the MoonRock hollow and murmured greetings to each other. Rainfeather and Maplefrost shared a shoulder brush, and Crystalwing meowed good evening to the medicine cats. Blossompaw peered around Crystalwing, trying to catch a glimpse of the unfamiliar cream-coloured tom who was standing behind Hawkscreech. She caught his eye and smiled. He turned away, frowning.

They started to make their way down the steep slope, dodging patches of ferns and piles of ivy-and-moss-covered rocks. When they all finally reached the very bottom of the hollow, the now-eight medicine cats spread around the dim MoonRock in their usual places. Blossompaw saw, as she leaned around the corner of the rock, that only the cream tom was looking hesitant about coming forward. He stood apart from them all, at Hawkscreech's flank.

A whisper of wind flew across the hollow, dipping down into it to stir the grass and throw up scatters of flower petals. It whistled and twirled, ducking around the gathered cats and pulling at their fur. In a matter of heartbeats, Blossompaw knew what was going to happen and blinked her eyes rapidly. Between strokes, she saw the tom staring at her.

Blossompaw knew by now, that every time this exact gust of wind blew, the clouds were about to be blown off the moon and its light would shine down on the MoonRock, filling the hollow with a breath-taking silvery-blue light. And it happened. Her eyes blinked a few more times and stopped, as the light flooded through her fur and illuminated the entire congregation.

The MoonRock shined a bright blue, tinged with streaks of lavender, silver and pale pinkish-grey. Blossompaw saw the tom wincing back and shutting his eyes. Watching him closely, she saw him hesitantly squint his eyes open. His wide, in-awe, green eyes blazed and shimmered.

"May the half-moon meeting of the medicine cats of the Clans now begin." Maplefrost announced to the silent crowd.

Blossompaw didn't realise how quiet it was until she spoke. It was as if the light from the MoonRock filled the hollow with noise, and the wind blowing gently in the moors above was lined with whispers of ancient cats.

"I have something to announce." Hawkscreech stepped forward and waved his tail to the cream tom.
He stepped forward, head held high, but Blossompaw could easily smell the nervousness on him.

Hawkscreech turned to face him, and the medicine cat's ice blue eyes glittered.

"Lionpaw," Hawkscreech began, "Is it your wish to share the deepest knowledge of StarClan as a LakeClan medicine cat?"

Blossompaw's back fur tingled, and her ears pricked up. She hadn't seen a medicine cat apprentice ceremony yet! Apart from her own, of course.

"It is." 'Lionpaw' meowed, nodding soberly.

Hawkscreech lifted his head to the sky and whispered something under his breath. Then, he turned to the MoonRock and continued formally, in a loud voice, "Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. He has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant him your wisdom and your insight, so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will." He then turned back to Lionpaw and rested his chin on the young tom's forehead.

Stepping back, Hawkscreech gestured with his tail to the MoonRock and ordered, "Lionpaw, lie down and sleep in the light that the MoonRock casts, to share tongues with your ancestors. May StarClan bless your dreams and light your path, now and forever onwards."

Lionpaw straightened his back, nodding stiffly, and crouched down in front of the MoonRock, laying his head on his outstretched paws.

One by one, the other medicine cats followed suit, laying down and closing their eyes. Before Blossompaw did so, she glimpsed Lionpaw's amber eyes gleam red in the light of the MoonRock. In that split second, a bolt of icy lightning shot down Blossompaw's spine and her vision was swallowed by a black whirlpool, streaked with long flecks of pale gold.

Blossompaw fell to the ground, slamming into it with a force so hard, she felt the breath whoosh out of her body. She stood up shakily, only to be pushed aside by an invisible figure. It felt as if she had fallen through a barrier of water, though her fur was still dry. Blossompaw blinked open her eyes to see Marigoldpaw crouching beside her, breathing heavily.

The tortoiseshell stood up sharply and demanded, amber eyes wide, "What do you think you're doing? Going into the Dark Forest like that! You could've been trapped in there!"

The medicine cat apprentice stared at the StarClan cat with surprise. "'Dark Forest'?" she asked.

"Yeah. 'Dark Forest'. It's a place where dead cats go, when StarClan decides that they're not worthy of entering their skies. Like, when they're evil or something."

"Oh, l-like Tigerstar or Hawkfrost?" Blossompaw asked.

"Yep," Marigoldpaw answered, and added, a bit more calmly, "You can never go in there, or you could be trapped there forever."

"Woah... Really?!" Blossompaw flattened her ears and took a step back.

"Yes..." the StarClan she-cat sighed and moved to stand next to Blossompaw.

Her eyes widened as Blossompaw saw the tall, leafy trees of StarClan fade into shrivelled, dead, blackened husks. The rich green grass turned into tufty patches of yellowing weeds and bare, dry earth. In the distance, she saw eery, slimy green glows blinking, scattered throughout the bare tree branches and their withered trunks. Barely a tail-length in front of them, a line of mist rose from the ground, trailing seeming endlessly through the trees, splitting StarClan from the Dark Forest. Or so it seemed.

"Alrighty then, let's get out of here, before someone sees us." Marigoldpaw meowed abruptly, and shoved Blossompaw's paw away from the misty line, where it had involuntarily risen.

Blossompaw followed Marigoldpaw through the ferns behind them, turning back to gaze at the misty, silver line.

After a few minutes of walking, star-covered cats started to appear between the trees, hanging down from the branches or basking on rocks. A few lifted their heads to murmur a greeting to Marigoldpaw, but most of the cats ignored them. Blossompaw turned back to look at the path they had just came from, but trees and brambles obscured her vision.

Suddenly, Marigoldpaw tumbled to the ground and started laughing. Blossompaw whipped around to see two brown kits wrestling with her.

This is your chance, go! An unfamiliar voice hissed in her head and Blossompaw involuntarily started to trot backwards, following their scent trail away from Marigoldpaw. She turned around and ran through the undergrowth, barely feeling the brambles slamming against her muzzle or the ferns smacking her flank. Yes, yes! Run quicker! The voice exclaimed in her head and Blossompaw thought she saw a dim black outline running alongside her, its red eyes gleaming encouragingly. Her senses started to come back to her, and she pushed on.
Ahead of her, the misty white line appeared through the leaves, it's short, swirling fronds waving towards her. The black figure yowled happily, Almost there! Go on, keep going Blossomp-!

Blossompaw felt herself jerk backwards and a piercing pain spread up her tail. Her body was pulled backwards, then it shot forwards again and fell to the ground.

Sight and sound disappeared for a moment, before Blossompaw yawned and opened her eyes. The unlit MoonRock sat before her and Crystalwing's paw was nudging her flank.

"Wake up, Blossompaw. Time to leave" her mentor's voice meowed.

Blossompaw flicked her tail and stood up slowly, breathing fast.

What is all of Silverpelt just happened?! She thought in alarm, looking around the hollow.

The sky was now a dull greyish-purple, with hints of gold and pink along the LeafClan horizon. Pale, warm-coloured light bled down the hillside, lighting the grass up. The other medicine cats were calling their goodbyes and congratulating Lionpaw.

Blossompaw waved her tail to him quickly, before hurrying after Crystalwing, mind still whirring and buzzing.

Word Count: 1887
Streak still going!
Hope you like it!

To be completely honest, I really enjoyed writing that black cat bit. It may or may not be SUPER important later on and I mean LATER on.

Welp, anways, thanks for so many views and so much support!
Have a great day, eveyone!