Owlpaw was surrounded by pure darkness, and she couldn't feel anything around her. Almost as if she had been suspended in water, but her pelt felt dry. Last she remembered she had been walking behind Blossompaw, surrounded by the harsh cold winds of leaf-bare. However now she felt warm, she felt...safe. What happened to me? Owlpaw wondered and attempted to move, but to no avail. She felt as if she had been separated from her physical body. She tried to twitch her paw or tail but was completely unable to.
She struggled to remember what happened, but her mind felt foggy and slow. She briefly recalled falling down into the snow and struggling to breath. Oh right. She thought. I'm sick. She had ignored Pebblestep's order to take herbs and her sickness had gotten worse. I should've listened. She told herself. What has happened to me now? She felt as if she had been here before, but she couldn't remember where.
"It's nice to see you again, Owlpaw." A familiar voice filled her mind ,and without realizing it, Owlpaw opened her eyes. She was no longer drifting through empty space, she felt herself sitting on soft grass and she was sitting in an open filed. It was nighttime, but the forest was illuminated by incredibly bright stars and a full moon shining bright above.
She looked directly in front of her and saw the star-covered pelt of Mosscloud forming in front of her. "You've experienced this before, huh, Owlpaw?"
She suddenly remembered what Mosscloud meant. "The river when we were traveling to the mountains. When Mountainstar saved me."
"And when you were born." Mosscloud added, slowly padding over to Owlpaw and sitting across from her.
"Am I dying? Or am I already dead?" Owlpaw ducked her head, she hadn't taken the herbs like Pebblestep had told her to, but she didn't think she was instantly that sick.
Mosscloud shook her head. "No, you're not dead." She assured her. "But you are quite sick, without herbs you surely would die." Owlpaw's heart twisted slightly and she dropped her head. "But I figured while Pebblestep and Honeyfrost care for you, I could take this time to talk to you." Owlpaw lifted her head slightly. "Why didn't you take the herbs like Pebblestep told you to?"
"Because we need the important herbs for others who might get sick." Owlpaw replied, trying to make Mosscloud understand her reasoning. "They shouldn't be wasted on me."
Mosscloud's expression was unshifting but her eyes gave Owlpaw a curious look. "Would they be wasted of Honeyfrost or Pebblestep took them?"
"Of course not." Owlpaw responded without thinking, but quickly realized the point that Mosscloud was trying to make.
"Then why would they be wasted on you?" Mosscloud tilted her head. "You are a SunClan cat who is currently sick, why save the herbs for cats who aren't even sick yet. You have just as much of a right to herbs as every other SunClan warrior does, and now you've gone and made your entire family worry."
Owlpaw lowered her head, feeling guilt creep into her heart. "I never wanted to make anyone worry, I just wanted to prove that I was no loner the same sickly kit that I used to be."
"They know that already." Mosscloud replied. "Pebbestep told you take herbs not because she thinks you're some weak helpless kit, but because she cares about you and wants you to stay strong. While you are not as weak as you used to be you have to understand that you are also not as strong and healthy as the average warrior. There is nothing wrong with that. You would never consider Pebblestep less than because she has no sense of smell, or that she's blind in one eye, nor would you ever look down on Squirreltail for being completely blind."
"Of course not." Owlpaw sighed. "I just..." She stared at her paws, watching the gentle breeze carefully rustle the grass. "I just don't want to be a burden on this Clan. Ever since I became a medicine cat I've been happier but I still feel like I'm in the way. Like I'm constantly in the way, tripping over my own paws. I thought I would do so much better as a medicine cat than as a warrior apprentice, but I still feel...out of place."
"You are doing exceptionally well as a medicine cat apprentice, Owlpaw." Mosscloud promised her. "You may struggle, but struggle is natural. I can understand how working with two medicine cats would make you feel like you were in the way, especially when there's no sickness or battles going on, but you still have a purpose as a medicine cat and I do not want to see you give up on this path that you were meant to follow."
"I won't give up." Owlpaw said urgently. "I love being a medicine cat even if I feel like I'm not doing well, I want to do better. When I was a warrior apprentice it all felt hopeless." She glanced up towards the starry sky. "Even if I still feel like I'm struggling, like I'm in the way, I know deep down that this is what I am meant to do."
"I'm very glad to hear that." Mosscloud's soft voice gradually raised into a purr. "You still have a destiny to fulfill."
"What?" Her words genuinely confused Owlpaw. "I thought I already did that by bringing MountainClan home. That was my destiny, right? That's how I was going to change the Clans."
"That was only the beginning." Mosscloud rose to her paws, her gaze turning serious. "I am sorry for what I am about to do, but there is something I must show you."
The look in Mosscloud's eyes made Owlpaw's fur stand on edge and she stood up alongside the old medicine cat. "What do you mean? Why can't you just tell me?"
"I wish I could." Mosscloud sighed. "This is the only way. Just trust me." Owlpaw's entire body tensed up, standing completely stiff as the tortoiseshell she-cat stepped forward and touched her muzzle to Owlpaw's forehead.
In an instant, Owlpaw felt a suddenly jolt and the scent of Mosscloud vanished in an instant. The formerly silent forest became filled with the blood curdling sound of warriors in battle. Yowls of anger, pain and despair filled the air and Owlpaw opened her eyes to see what awaited her as panic gripped her body. She could see the silhouettes of cats fighting ruthlessly.
The sharp tang of blood overpowered anything else, and she could see the forest floor stained with crimson blood. Owlpaw was completely frozen in fear as she realized the fighting was all around her, the cries of death as cats were killed. This is...war? She couldn't recognize any of the cats fighting, but she had to assume it was the Clans, who else would it be?
She felt hopeless to do anything as the fighting continued. "Please stop!" She cried out, but her voice fell on deaf ears. "Please!" She kept crying. "Mosscloud help me! Why are you showing me this?" She wanted the medicine cat to return, to save her, but she was no where in sight. "Please help!"
She looked up to the sky for guidance, to hopefully see StarClan cats waiting for her, but what she saw was much worse than what she could've imagined. The full moon was still in the sky, but it had turned a shade of blood red. "When the blood covers the moon, peace will drown in the ashes of war."
The voice of Mosscloud entered in her mind, but the medicine cat was still no where to be found. "Mosscloud please! Mosscloud please help me!" She cried, her voice straining from how loud she wailed, trying to drown out the sound of countless warriors dying as they torn themselves apart. "Please!"
Owlpaw suddenly shot up, panic surging through her entire body. "Help!" She cried out, but the sounds of battle were gone, tough they still raged in her mind alone. "Mosscloud, please!"
"Owlpaw!" The panicked voice came from Pebblestep and she realized she was back in the medicine cat den with both medicine cats rushing over to her. "Owlpaw, calm down."
"N-no--" She looked around, the scent of blood still thick in her nose. She heard more pawsteps and saw Yarrowtail along with Blossompaw and Rushpaw. "War is coming! It's going to tear us apart!" She wailed.
"Owlpaw, you need to calm down." Pebblestep moved closer, going to touch her muzzle to Owlpaw's forehead but her panic was still going strong and she ducked away, stumbling back. "Owlpaw, please. Focus on me."
Owlpaw looked at Pebblestep, attempting to focus on her blue eyes. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and her lungs burned, struggling to catch any breaths. She managed to ground herself. She realized she was back in the medicine cat den, and no longer watching the horrible horrible vision, but the raw fear of it was still burning like a fresh wound.
"Are you okay?" Pebblestep questioned, her voice gentle but concerned.
Owlpaw couldn't find her voice, so she just nodded slowly and sat back down, she looked past Pebblestep where Yarrowtail and two of her siblings were standing, they looked so horrified. I must have scared them... Owlpaw realized.
"Please give us some space." Pebblestep turned to her family. "I'll come let you know whats going on as soon as I can, okay?"
They hesitated for a moment, Owlpaw finally managed to find her voice. "I'm okay" She told them, her voice a lot raspier than she thought it would be. She also felt a sting behind her words. They seemed to listen to her and stepped out of the medicine cat den.
"Before you tell me what happened,," Pebblestep mewed, walking over to the herb store and gathered something. She turned back to Owlpaw and set down catmint in front of her. "Take it." She mewed sternly. Owlpaw nodded and ate the herb. "Why didn't you take it sooner?" Pebblestep demande as she looked over Owlpaw.
"I thought they would be wasted on me, I know now that I was just being stubborn."
"I'm glad you see that now." Pebblestep sighed. "I told you to take them because I care about you, we all do. So stop being so stubborn and listen to us. You scared your entire family have to death."
"I know." Owlpaw whimpered. "I'm sorry."
Pebblestep moved forward and pressed closer to Owlpaw, holding her close. "It's okay, we just need you to take care of your self." She also heard Honeyfrost moving closer as her mentor cuddled up as well.
"We love you, Owlpaw." Honeyfrost mewed. "And you matter just as much as any other cat in SunClan."
The three medicine cats shared the tender moment together for several moments and Owlpaw felt safe again, the fear from her dream was slowly fading away, but it still clung to her mind. She wasn't sure if she would be able to ever shake it.
"Now," Both Pebblestep and Honeyfrost stepped back. "When you woke up you started shouting about war, what did you mean by that?"
Suddenly all the memories of the vision came flowing back, she felt her body shake slightly. "Well...I was talking to Mosscloud...but when we finished she said she had something to show me and what she showed me was...horrifying." She stared at her paws.
"You can tell us." Honeyfrost assured her, touching her tail to Owlpaw's flank.
Owlpaw took a deep breath as she prepared to remember the dream. "I was surrounded by fighting cats, all I could hear was the sounds of battle and all I could smell was blood. It was so horrible, I could hear cats dying and screaming in pain." Her voice faltered for a moment, but she managed to push through her fear. "Then I looked up and saw the moon, but it was bright red. Then I heard Mosscloud speak to me. She said "When the blood covers the moon, peace will drown in the ashes of war." I started to really panic and then I woke up here."
"That sounds like a bad omen." Pebblestep sighed. "I've seen blood moons before, but this sounds like the next one we see will be a warning sign for some kind of war. Though things have been very peaceful lately, we haven't had so much of an argument with Riverstar lately."
It briefly felt as if Pebblestep wasn't listening to her or taking her seriously. "But it was clearly a warning, something bad--"
Pebblestep raised her tail, silencing Owlpaw. "We can discuss this with Dawnstar after you have recovered. You're still sick."
Owlpaw almost felt scared to go back to sleep, she knew that something terrible was going to happen and she wished Pebblestep would treat it more urgently but she knew that she had to rest. "Okay..." Owlpaw said quietly and laid back down.
"StarClan trusted you with this prophecy, which means that they know you will be able to handle this, and the rest of us will help." She touched her tail tip to Owlpaw's nose. "For now, focus on getting some rest."
"I'll try." Owlpaw let out a breath. She still felt the fear of her dream burning brightly in her mind and the heavy weight of the omen weighing on her shoulders. What am I supposed to do? How am I suppose to stop a war? Why did this message have to be for me?