#laurelbright

"Goldstar, may I speak with you?" Aphidrise asked, a nervous air around him.

"Of course." Goldstar said, sitting up.

Aphidrise sat down across from her, and Goldstar could not help the fond feeling that welled up in her at the sight of him. He had been barely more than a newborn when they had discovered him on their journey here, a moon when they had settled, and he was just a little older than the clan. He had come far from that little parentless kit who had more or less become the entire clan's.

"What do you need to talk about?" she asked, looking him over.

He was usually so calm and collected that his nervousness made her worry that something was wrong.

"I don't want to be a warrior any longer, if you allow it. I would like to become a mediator." Aphidrise said after taking a deep breah.

"A mediator?" Goldstar echoed, surprised.

"Yes. I've watched Wiggity Wacks and listened to what he does, and I think I would be good at it. I would also like to try a different approach than he does. He waits for cats to come to him, but that didn't work very well the apprentices." Aphidrise, and Goldstar knew what he was talking about.

She had hoped, back when they had all been 'paws, that Pumaspot, Almondfern, Laurelbright, Furledseed, Amberleaf, Tulipscratch, and Fogvalley would approach the mediator themselves and sort out their differences. She knew pushing things could make it worse- Several times when she had pushed with Ashtalon and Quietback during a few spats it had made it worse. They had never gone to Wiggity Wacks, however, and Goldstar knew a skilled mediator should be able to step in and help solve it. It just wasn't how Wiggy Wacks did things, however.

"Of course you may become a mediator, Aphidrise. I would never dream of stopping you. Do you want a ceremony?" Goldstar said with a purr.

Aphidrise would be good at this. He was so good at speaking, at being level-headed, and he always observed his clanmates carefully.

"I'm forty moons old, Goldstar, I don't need a ceremony. Just an announcement would be fine. I don't want to steal the day from Lester's kits, either." Aphidrise said, smiling, the nervousness gone.

"I don't think you would be stealing the day, but it is whatever you want." Goldstar said and got up, rubbing her head against Aphidrise.

"I'm proud of you, little kit." she murmured, as she had when he had been tiny and new.

He chuckled and rubbed her back, and then exited the den shortly after. Goldstar was left alone with her thoughts again, and she was honestly rethinking the mentors Skypelt, Jackdawnudge, and Yellowlily had helped her pick.

Stoneleaf was the main issue. Wasp's litter didn't need milk any longer, did not need a queen with them all day, but they were only three moons old. It was early for a queen to leave them, though Yellowlily had said she was more than happy to stay in the nursery with the litter. The elder's den was lonely, after all, and it wasn't every night that she and Jackdawnudge got to share a nest, depending on how the medicine cats divided up the duties.

Stoneleaf had expressed interest in having an apprentice, but circumstances hadn't given them many kits, and Stoneleaf had also said she had no desire to mentor her own kit. She shook her head; it would work out. Stoneleaf was a good cat, and she could pass invaluable wisdom and skills off to one of Lester's litter.

Laurelbright and Almondfern, on the other paw, were different stories. They were younger warriors compared to others, but Goldstar had been watching them, and they were calm, fine warriors who had a lot to offer, things unique to themselves and the things their mentors had passed to them. Skypelt had trained Laurelbright and Gillfeather had trained Almondfern, and both of them were fine warriors. Their apprentices would pass on the best things they had learned to their own apprentices.

It would all work out, even if Pumaspot and Furledseed might feel left out, and an apprentice was just what Almondfern needed, Goldstar thought. He wouldn't let down a cat who needed him, even if he was still grieving Mistkit. Gillfeather and Jackdawnudge had both suggested it, and Goldstar had been considering him as a mentor before either way.

She waited, watching the camp, and just before sunhigh, she called the meeting. Lester was fussing over her kits, the ginger toms' pelts sleek and gleaming, and Goldstar climbed onto the lowest branch of the petrified tree, looking down at her clan.

Seeing them all here, naming new apprentices, it all gave her a sense of hope she wanted to dig her claws into fiercely to keep it. She prayed no rainfall would come today; the apprentices deserved a good first day in their new roles.6/25/2026

"Before we begin, I would like to announce to the clan that Aphidrise has decided to take up the role of a mediator alongside Wiggity Wacks. If you have need of a mediator, please, speak to either of them. I know they will guide the clan well." Goldstar announced, which drew cheers and congratulations.

Aphidrise beamed, and she gave them a moment before moving on.

"And now, for the ceremony. As you all know, Lester's kits have reached six moons, and they are ready to be apprenticed. Whimsykit, Leafkit, Chickkit, please, step forward." she said, and the littermates all walked politely forward.

They were quivering with excitement, however, that much was clear, and Lester looked ready to burst with pride.

"Starclan, I ask you to look down on these kits. They have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to begin their training. Until they earn their full names, they shall be down as Leafpaw, Chickpaw, and Whimsypaw." Goldstar continued; not the traditional ceremony, but she did like to change it up.

And changing up the order of the names would stop the young toms from squabbling about it later.

"Almondfern, you are a younger warrior, but you are a fine cat. Your calm and patience are traits the clan admires about you, and I know you will guide Whimsypaw well." Goldstar said and the ginger tom looked surprised.

But he grinned and approached his new apprentice, touching noses with him, and they sat together, Whimsypaw leaning over and whispering something to his new mentor.

"Stoneleaf, your kindness and nurturing nature have been an asset to the clan, to many of our young cats, and I know they will serve Chickpaw well."

Chickpaw crashed into Stoneleaf when they went to complete the ceremony, headbutting her in the chest and knocking them both over, and mrrows of laughter rippled through the clan, Chickpaw looking horrified.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he exclaimed over and over as Stoneleaf picked herself up.

"I'm all right, Chickpaw, don't worry." she assured him, touching his nose.

But she did look winded, and they sat with Almondfern and Whimsypaw, Almondfern leaning over to check his Stoneleaf.

"Laurelbright. Your observant nature and dedication make you a fine warrior, and are qualities I know you will pass on to Leafpaw." Goldstar finished and the clan began to cheer.

They yowled the names of the new apprentices into the sky and Lester touched noses with each of her kits, Goldstar closing the ceremony and leaping down. She heard some of what Lester was saying.

"Listen to your mentors, and don't be reckless. And ya know, even if we're cut off from Starclan right now, your mama is watchin' over all of ya. She is so proud of ya, and so am I." she was saying and Leafpaw was frowning, as if he was not convinced that Palethicket was indeed watching them.

Skypelt called out to organize patrols and the new mentors and apprentices went out together, Goldstar watching it all. She let out a heavy breath and she had hope, this gave her so much hope and happiness, but she was also afraid of losing it.

"Goldstar, may we have a word?" Plumsong asked as she watched the patrols go to coat themselves in protection.

"Of course." Goldstar said, following him to the den.

Fogvalley and Confetti were currently sitting with their respective siblings, telling them about the ceremony, and Goldstar joined Plumsong and Jackdawnudge in the far part of the den, sitting down in front of the toms.

"Do you have any more clarity on Wasp's dream?" she asked, glancing between them.

"No, Goldstar." Jackdawnudge said with a shake of his head.

Goldstar wasn't too worried about it, even if she was honestly surprised about Quietback potentially taking leadership of the clan one day. He was a good cat, she had watched him grow from a kit into a fine warrior, but he would not have been a cat she picked for it. She was more worried about the tentacled cat coming from the sea, and she didn't know whether to be happy or not about the idea of not having to face that herself, by the sounds of it.

"You know how the first Unseen was a queen I found dead with her kits." Plumsong asked and Goldstar nodded.

"We were only able to tell that because she had extra toes on her paws. It is clear that cats, at least, are able to become Unseen, but we don't know how many or how, exactly. My thought was to make each cat's pawprint distinct enough to tell... Just in case. So we can try to understand it better." Plumsong said and Goldstar tilted her head at the thought.

"Distinct how?" she asked, though her mind was churning.

She did not like to think of any of her cats becoming an Unseen, and Flintfur... She didn't want to know if Flintfur was a monster now.

"By making a mark on a cat's pad or pads that would leave an impression in their print. A scar of some sort. Then we record the pawprints here, and if an Unseen with a matching mark is encountered, we know." Plumsong explained and flicked his tail at a barren wall in the den.

"What do you think? I think it could cause a lot of unnecessary pain and infections." Jackdawnudge asked and Goldstar had to ponder it for a minute or so.

"It does sound like a good idea." she admitted. "If there is a way to stop it from happening to cats and we learn how it happens through this, it would be a good thing. Even if knowing... Even if knowing that our cats became monsters would be hard."

Plumsong looked satisfied.

"How do you propose to make these marks?" Goldstar asked.

"Biting the pad, or cutting it with something sharp. In all honesty, something hot with a distinctand pressing it to the pad would be ideal, but we were lucky to have a lightning strike for the Burning Caves. I do not think we will get that lucky to have a personal fire near camp for it." Plumsong replied, grimacing.

"Try it on me first." Goldstar instructed; she didn't want anyone else to go through it needlessly.

"I'll find something sharp. It might be better than teeth." Plumsong said, rising.

He disappeared into the stores and Jackdawnudge and Goldstar looked at each other.

"I wish this wasn't an idea we had to think of." the old tom meowed.

In that moment, it struck Goldstar how old Jackdawnudge was. He was hunched and ragged with age, his muzzle whiter than the rest of his pelt, and he moved stiffly. He looked tired and defeated, and looked at the pad of his paw as if imagining a mark there.

Goldstar moved over and pressed her pelt to his, trying to offer comfort, though she knew it would be only temporary. With how the world was now, it would be little and not last long. But she pressed against him and let out another breath.

"Me, too."

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Maybe it had been the ceremony making her think of the ones her kits would soon have, maybe it had been inevitable, but Goldstar's grief for Flintfur had hit her and stuck to her like a burr. She couldn't shake the sadness, the longing, the wish that he was still with her.

He should have been here to see their kits become warriors. To see them have kits, if they chose to. And yet, now she didn't even know if he was in Starclan.

The thoughts and grief dragged at her, and the day after the ceremony, Goldstar went for a walk in the territory alone. She was coated in protection, limping from the attempt to scar her pad, which was wrapped tightly in dressing to prevent infection. She wandered far, leaving Skypelt in charge for the day, and she headed past the Beach of Stars, toward the beach where whale meat sometimes washed up.

The bones of the last one were still in the sand and she sat among the bones for a time, staring up at the enormous things, trying to distract herself.

"Oh, Flintfur... Can you see us, my love? Do you see the fine warriors our kits almost are? Are you watching over us even if our connection to Starclan is lost? Did you even make it there?" she whispered, staring up at the sky.

It was too early for stars and the clouds held no answers. Neither did the waves or the sands, and she moved on, wandering further. At this rate, she might not make it back to camp until morning, but she had told Skypelt she might not be back until dawn.

As she walked in the hills and the greenery that was mismatched, birds suddenly stopped calling, and took flight. A metallic odor came on the wind, and she peered at the sky, seeing a fast-approaching mass of clouds.

A rainfall. She was out in the open, on the part of the hills where there were few trees, and her heart leapt in her throat. She turned, racing toward the trees, glancing at the sky, and she didn't make it before the rainfall hit. But her protection was enough, thick enough that the rain didn't instantly wash it away, and as she raced for the trees, she saw a rainbow appear in the sky. Not a normal one; it was shaped like a circle, perfect in that manner, but the colors were inverted as well.

Remembering the last time an Unseen had been encountered- Flintfur's death- had carried a sighting of such a rainbow, she froze, because that meant... That meant...

There was an Unseen.

She could not sense them as Amberleaf could. She remained frozen, wanting to press herself to the ground and muffle her breathing, as Yellowlily had discovered to do, but she was in the open. Her protection would wash away and leave her exposed to the rainfall; it was a heavier one.

So Goldstar took the risk. She crept low on her belly through the vegetation, like she was hunting, like she was stalking enemy warriors, going as quickly and quietly as she could. But she wasn't quiet enough. As the rain fell, the vegetation flourished and died, and at a particularly bad moment, her paw landed on a dead bit of it, crackling sharply beneath her pad.

It was obscenely loud and she stiffened, heart pounding, and then the ground began to vibrate. She turned her head and saw pawprints appearing on the ground, filling with black puddles, and they were heading straight toward her. Muffling her breathing wasn't going to work. She took a deep breath, and bolted.

She ran as fast as she could, racing for the trees that grew leaves and lost them in a shower of red, orange, and brown as she headed for them, not daring to look back.

Goldstar had nearly reached the trees when something suddenly seized her by the loose fur of her back and she was ripped off the ground, moving high rapidly. She screeched and thrashed, clawing, fighting for all she was worth, one thought going through her head throughout it all.

Please don't be Flintfur. Not Flintfur. Not Flintfur. Please, Starclan, oh please don't let it be Flintfur.

She was tossed up into the air and was in sudden free fall, the ground rushing toward her as the rain poured down, and then- Pain exploded in her body, and her life winked out.

It was a familiar sensation; she had lost two lives already. What happened next was unexpected.

Instead of waking in Starclan, as she previously had, she woke on a beach. At first, she thought it was the Beach of Stars, but there were no rocks out in the water, the hills behind her were different, and no cliffs rose to cup it. The sand was black, though, and the ocean lapped at her paws, reflecting the overcast sky and looking gray.

Rising in confusion, Goldstar looked around, trying to make sense of what she was seeing, where she was. The water licked at the sand and that was when she saw it: A ghostly form of herself, walking into the sea.

It was her life, the remnant of it, like what lingered in Starclan until she lost them all. Goldstar could only watch in confusion as the echo of her life waded out into the water and kept going, going deeper and depper, and then it was gone.

Just as suddenly, everything turned white, and Goldstar bolted upright again, her body aching, the air smelling of smoke and tilled soil and something else. She was disoriented again, looking around, and it took a moment for her mind to register was she was seeing. There was a crater in the ground, perfectly circular, and at the bottom was a pawprint, filled with black. She was about three-quarters of the way to the top, laying in the flattened soil, and she staggered upright. The rain was gone and the air was silent, and her head was spinning. Her protection was in shambles, but her body and coat appeared no worse for wear.

Carefully, body screaming with pain, Goldstar hauled herself from the crater, looking at it, unable to understand what had happened. The Unseen had gotten her, had bitten her, had eaten her... And that would have caused a Silencing.

But here she was, alive, in one piece, one life shorter but whole, and there was a crater in the ground. And unlike last time, she hadn't gone to Starclan. There had been that... beach.

Her mind was spinning and she wanted to sit there, dumbfounded, but she knew better. Instead, she picked herself up and made her way back to camp.

She met a patrol going the way she had come as she headed home, lead by Quietback, Buzzardglide, Aphidrise, Civetbeak, Gillfeather, and Amberleaf on his tail, and they all stared at her.

"Goldstar, what happened?" Quietback asked, looking alarmed.

"I... We need to go back to camp." Goldstar said, her voice coming out rough and dazed.

They obeyed and eyed her, following her back to camp, Pumaspot pacing anxiously back and forth at the entrance when they arrived. She looked equally alarmed but kept her post as they made their way in, Goldstar dismissing the patrol.

She summoned Skypelt, Quietback, and Yellowlily to her den with all four medicine cats and they crowded in, everyone confused and alarmed.

"Goldstar, what happened?" Yellowlily asked her, sniffing her worriedly.

"I... I met an Unseen." she said and all the cats stared at her.

Haltingly, she explained what had happened the best she could, and they were all alarmed and confused, and Skypelt frowned at the mention of the strange beach.

"Was it not Starclan? You saw your life." she said, head tilted.

"It didn't feel like Starclan. It was... It was something else. And I could feel my life... Moving on. Like it always does. But it was different, like it was taking longer. Then it went into the ocean, and I woke up in the crater." Goldstar said, shaking her head.

Quietback looked like he wanted to get up and pace, but there wasn't room despite how spacious the den was.

"Why did the Silencing cause a crater like that? Was it because of your lives? Are they getting stronger? Was that Unseen different than the others?" he said, tail lashing in agitation.

Goldstar could not answer, but she had the same questions. She ended up summoning Amberleaf, not to ask him about the Unseen but to ask him about what it felt like when he died and came back. She felt bad for asking him about it again, knowing it must have been unpleasant, but Amberleaf answered without protest.

It was not the same, not exactly, but some of what he described did seem similar, Goldstar had to admit.

She dismissed him and Amberleaf left without another word, and, in the end, Goldstar summoned her mediators.

She sent Aphidrise to Foggyclan and Wiggity Wacks to Weedclan, Wiggity Wacks taking Quietback with him. Aphidrise hadn't been formally announced to the other clans as a mediator, but they were on good terms with Foggyclan, and it was Weedclan that concerned Goldstar.

She sent them with a message asking the other leaders and one of their medicine cats to meet her at the Pool of Five Oaks tomorrow night, close to moon-high, and she hoped they would agree. She hoped the meeting she had in mind wouldn't be disasterous. It was unusual for leaders and medicine cats of other clans to speak about the leaders' lives and such, but if any were willing, she had to know. She had to know if they had experienced this too, or if it was a new development, or if it was just her.

She believed that the only way to survive this was to work together, though she was aware not all the leaders would see it that way, and even then there would still be information they wanted to keep to themselves. So she sent the mediators and waited, hoping nothing befell them as they went, and it was well into the night when the three returned.

"Weedclan and Foggyclan will come, Goldstar. They sent cats to Kinkclan and Ferretclan." Wiggity Wacks reported and Goldstar nodded.

"Thank you. Get some rest." she said, letting out a heavy breath.

She could hardly sleep, her mind whirling, and, eventually, two shapes appeared in the mouth of her den.

"Mama, can we sleep here?" Yellowpaw asked, her eyes glowing in the darkness.

Quailpaw was with her, looking sheepish, and Goldstar nodded.

They were eleven moons old, too big for this, really, so much bigger than when she and Flintfur would sleep with them tucked between them. But she welcomed them and she breathed in their scents, cuddling them close, grateful they had come.

She needed this.

They were still there in the morning and Goldstar tried to go through the day as normal, but she was feeling anxious about the meeting, and she was relieved when, as night fell, she and Plumsong coated themselves in protection and headed out.

They were the first to arrive at the Pool of Five Oakes, but the journey was long, and the other clans would be here soon enough. Foggyclan, whose camp was closest, was the first to arrive, Snowstar having Shardstep with her, their light pelts hidden by protection. They greeted each other and Shardstep began to tell Plumsong how Cloudrunner had stayed behind because the senior medicine cat's joints were acting up.

Next were Curlstar and Pinestrike, the medicine cat looking at them all suspiciously, and Goldstar had never liked the medicine cat. She couldn't help but notice how... Old Curlstar was looking; he was the oldest of the leaders, yes, but she hadn't really thought about it until now.

Runningstar and Birdtail arrived with Dapplestar and Tansynose, and after polite greetings were exchanged, they all turned to Goldstar.

"What is this about, Goldstar?" Runningstar asked as Pinestrike flicked his tail.

"Yesterday, I encountered an Unseen. It caught me, and I lost a life." Goldstar said bluntly and surprise rippled through the assembled cats.

It was unusual for the information to be shared, but she went on, explaining the encounter and what happened, the new Silencing the strange beach.

"I know it is unusual, but have any of you had an experience like that? If not with the Silencing but the beach when you lose a life?" Goldstar asked, surveying the other leaders.

"Yes." Curlstar answered after a long moment, letting out a raspy cough.

"Curlstar!" Pinestrike hissed, his claws sliding out for a moment.

"We are all in this together, Pinestrike. There is no point in keeping it a secret, and leaders all lose their lives. Yes, Goldstar, it was as you described it." Curlstar said, glaring at his medicine cat.

"I saw that beach as well." Dapplestar said and Goldstar let out a breath.

"How long ago?" Plumsong asked, glancing between the two.

"Half a moon ago." Dapplestar answered immediately.

"Five days." Curlstar replied, shoulders hunched.

Goldstar nodded, a feeling of relief going through her, though this was not necessarily a good thing.

She did confess to losing a life after Flintfur had died, and how she had gone to Starclan, not this beach, and while the leaders were aware that she had lost at least two lives, she was not going to confess that it was three. She still needed to have some secrets about her lives, even if she needed to share this.

"So this is a recent development." Birdtail murmured, kneading the ground.

"Was it Starclan? Or was it somewhere else?" Shardstep asked, beginning to pace.

"It didn't feel like any part of Starclan I'd been to." Curlstar grunted and Goldstar and Dapplestar nodded their agreement.

It had been somewhere, but it hadn't been Starclan. Tansynose joined the pacing, and they all began to discuss and theorize about this.

"Your lives walked into the ocean, and we know the echoes of lost lives linger in Starclan until a leader loses their final one. You all stayed on this beach, and then the life went on into the ocean. Could it have been traveling to Starclan without you?" Plumsong eventually said and they all looked at him.

"We were dead. Where would that place be, if not Starclan? Even if it didn't feel like it... It wasn't the Place of No Stars either." Dapplestar asked with a frown.

"Presumably, your lives went on to Starclan without you. But you, as a living cat... Couldn't." Pinestrike said, speaking for the first time since Curlstar had spoken.

"So, what, it's... A place between the living and the dead?" Shardstep asked, nearly slipping into the pool.

"It makes sense." Snowstar said after a long moment.

"So this place... This beach... Is where these two places meet? But why now? Why have we never seen it before?" Runningstar asked, lashing his tail back and forth.

"Why were there never Unseen before? Silencings? Rainfalls? These odd dreams and cats who can sense Unseen and the like? Something happened, moons ago now. Maybe here, with us, or maybe with Starclan. Something beyond their control." Plumsong retorted.

"Whatever it is, it has changed the world, and cut us off from Starclan, and Starclan from us. I do not know if we can solve it. If we can fight it. We can survive it, at least, and right now, all we can do is learn from it and try to survive. Until we get some hint from Starclan, an omen, a prophecy, or something similar." he continued and Goldstar knew then the medicine cats would not be sharing Wasp's dream with the others.

It seemed a lot to accept, that there was now a divide of some kind between the living and the dead like there had never been before, but it made sense. It wasn't like they could kill a cat and see if it happened for anyone other than leaders, and even for Amberleaf, thigns were different. Of course, his life wasn't given ack to him by Starclan. Perhaps the ability that allowed him to die and revive had been, but they had no way of knowing.

"Could that be what makes Unseen?" Birdtail asked thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Snowstar asked, tilting her head.

"I mean, if this beach, this... Divide exists for every cat, not just leaders, and they have to go through the ocean to get to Starclan, what happens if they can't make it through for some reason? Maybe that's why they come back as Unseen. Because they can't find their way to the stars." Birdtail explained and they all got quiet.

Again, there was no way to know for sure, but... This was when Plumsong brought up the paw-marking idea to the others. It was a grim conversation, but like with the protection, the other clans agreed.

They stayed for quite a while, discussing the place they were now calling the Beach, because there was nothing else to call it. They discussed it and the Unseen, and the other things that had been happening. Goldstar knew they were all holding things back, but at the same time, she had never had such a frank conversation with all the other leaders at once. Not since Hyacinthclan had first arrived, and Snowstar hadn't been leader back then.

But they had clans to get back to, and they all had the shared feeling that they had been pushing it with the rainfalls. Not that they were so common they were guaranteed to be hit with one on the way home or even talking here, but they were unpredictable.

They parted peacefully and on the walk home, Goldstar looked at Plumsong.

"Plumsong, even with Wasp's dream... Do you think any of this will end any time soon?" she asked softly.

She didn't want to die. She didn't want Skypelt to die. But if the world could heal, could right, under Quietback's leadership, she would gladly give her lives for that.

"Frankly, no." Plumsong said, his exhale seeming to rattle his entire body.

He looked at her, his eyes seeming to glow in the dark, and he looked sad, and tired. Most of all, he looked tired.

"The world is broken, Goldstar. And it's only going to get worse. Even if it gets better, this isn't the worst of it. Maybe it's just my opinion, or maybe Starclan is managing to give me some of an idea, but... No." he said gravely and they stood there for a moment in a thick silence.

But only for a moment because, desptie everything, they had a clan to get back to.

6/20/2026-7/1/2026

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The clans have discovered the existence of the Beach

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Other clans:

Runningstar: Lean brown tom, leader of Weedclan

Dapplestar: Large tortie she-cat, leader of Kinkclan

Curlstar: Tall, skinny cream tom, leader of Ferretclan

Snowstar- Delicate white she-cat, leader of Foggyclan

Tansynose- Pale gray tabby she-cat, Kinkclan's medicine cat

Pinestrike- Huge dark dappled tom, Ferretclan's medicine cat

Birdtail- Small Brown-and-white she-cat, Weedclan's medicine cat

Shardstep- Muscular ginger tom, Foggyclan's junior medicine cat