HAZELSTAR WARRIORS

My favorite cat, is Lightning, so here's the story of how she found her new life:

Lightning padded out of camp for the last time, the moon gleaming high in the sky. She was no longer Lightningcloud, she wanted a name to keep that wouldn't bring back her past with every step she took. She missed her sister more than ever. Sweetbreeze was one of the best things she ever had, and she was no longer there to guide Lightning. As she crossed the barrier, she heard some scuffling behind her, but she ignored it. It was her past, and her past was behind her. Every step she took through her old territory was a memory, whether it was where, as a kit, she and Sweetbreeze had wandered out of camp, and were caught trying to climb a tree, or even the dry riverbed where her mother had drowned, it made her sad. Then she reached the clearing. That's all she could call it, the clearing. It was the clearing where the fox had harrassed and killed her sister. She stopped a minute, and replayed the scene as she'd imagined it over and over again in her head. A crow cawed in the background, and she moved on forever. She reached the border, drank in the scent of her clan that had comforted her for so long, then crossed and simply walked away. She would journey for as long as she needed until she could find another place to settle down that didn't remind her in any way of Sweetbreeze.

Now the sun was high in the sky, Lightning had only stopped once during the course of the time she had journeyed for, she had carefully trapped a mouse, then continued on to find her new life. Now she was tired, she needed rest. Spotting the nearest bush, she sat down to rest her roughened pads, and took a nap. The nap turned into a slumber, where she dreamt. An open meadow presented itself in front of her, and the scent of squirrel was highly distinguishable, her sister's favorite prey. Lightning glanced around, seeing no one, she stalked the squirrel, finally catching it, she noticed a set of paws. A set of ginger paws, to be specific, her sister's paws. She looked up, and there were the unmistakibly leaf-green eyes of Sweetbreeze. "Are you going to eat that alone?" Sweetbreeze asked. "I suppose there's no reason to eat alone as long as you're here, Sweetbreeze." Lightning replied. Sweetbreeze smiled, and settled down, next to where Lightning had dropped her squirrel. "You know Lightning, you don't have to leave your clan." Sweetbreeze said, fully aware that Lightning was no longer Lightningcloud. "Now what makes you say that, Sweetbreeze?" Lightning asked her sister. "Well, I mean that your clan–our clan–needs you, and just because it reminds you of me and our family doesn't mean you have to give it up." "You know why I'm leaving, and you know that it makes sense, so why are you even trying to stop me?" Lighting now asked through a mouthful of squirrel. "I have my reasons." Sweetbreeze said mysteriously. Lightning just blinked and looked at her, still chewing. "Oh, alright. I might not be able to visit you in your dreams like this anymore for much longer. StarClan is only so big, Lightning." Sweetbreeze then responded. "I know, but I have to move on from our clan. It brings back too many sad memories.," Lightning explained, "and I won't be going much farther now. I promise, Sweetbreeze." Sweetbreeze nodded, then she and the rest of the dream faded, leaving Sweetbreeze's words echoing in her sister's head.

Lightning awoke once again, full from the squirrel she had shared in her dream, and fully energized again. She wandered a bit farther, searching for somewhere she could settle down, maybe with a few other cats living by her. Then she saw it. And heard voices. The voices of other cats. She stopped, sat down, and curled her white tail around her dark gray paws, in wait. Lightning's new life was just beginning...