Starlight/Chapter 19

==Chapter description==
:Leafpaw crosses the stream and heads up the hill toward the WindClan camp, thinking about why she doesn't have an escort with her. Despite the strong wind and the lack of sleep that the apprentice has had, the news she carries is keeping her going. Suddenly, she encounters a WindClan patrol made up of Mudclaw, Webfoot, and Weaselpaw, and Leafpaw pauses, hoping that she'll be allowed to pass. Mudclaw asks what she is doing here, and when she explains that she must deliver a message to Barkface, he leads her to WindClan's camp. There, Leafpaw glances around, looking for Crowfeather, and Mudclaw announces her presence to Onewhisker. He is excited to learn that she has a message from StarClan, and sends Weaselpaw into the medicine den to fetch Barkface. The medicine cat walks out of the den, asking about what's going on, and Leafpaw explains the half-moon meeting at the Moonpool. Barkface is beyond delighted by the news, calling it the best he's ever heard, and he relays the information to Onewhisker and Ashfoot.
:When Onewhisker hears that he will be going to the Moonpool the night after the half-moon meeting to receive his lives, he seemingly panics, and Leafpaw wonders why he wants to delay going. Onewhisker says that it sounds like a long journey, and he can wait a little longer, making Leafpaw think about the possibility of him being rejected by StarClan. She remembers how Tallstar appointed him as his deputy in his final moments of life, going against the warrior code, which is at the heart of every Clan. Barkface does not attempt to change Onewhisker's mind, and he bids farewell to Leafpaw as some WindClan cats talk to each other. Leafpaw suddenly finds Crowfeather intensely staring at her, and he inquires if they really found a new place to communicate with StarClan, to which she informs him that there is something he must know.
:Crowfeather leads her to a stunted, leafless tree, and Leafpaw explains that she didn't just see the Moonpool, but also Feathertail as well. She reveals that the deceased she-cat has a message for him, hoping that Crowfeather won't get upset, but noting that isn't her problem. Leafpaw says that Feathertail doesn't want him to grieve, nor want him to be blind toward the living, and Crowfeather stares at her hungrily. He then looks down at his paws, stating that she couldn't ever forget about him, and snapping that there will be no cat like Feathertail again. He storms away from Leafpaw, who looks at him, helpless. Later, the five medicine cats truge up the path that leads to the Moonpool, and while Cinderpelt is exhausted, Mothwing happily keeps bounding forward. Leafpaw questions why she is so eager when she doesn't even believe in StarClan, but waves away the thought that she wants to prove they don't exist, knowing she'd want to keep that secret.
:The medicine cats push through the thorns to find the Moonpool glittering in the moonlight, and the stream leading into the pool is the only sound audible. Leafpaw places her paws in the pawprints of those from long ago, and when Littlecloud questions how they share with StarClan, she recalls how medicine cats did it back with the Moonstone. She looks for a way to communicate, and suggests that they try lapping up the Moonpool's water to see if it works. Barkface agrees, and Leafpaw drinks at the water, fading into a dream where she is in a black void. She hears various voices call out to her, and the apprentice affirms that she is present, opening her eyes to find the lake reflecting a sunset. However, she shockingly finds that the sunset is blood, and she suddenly receives a prophecy: Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red.
:Leafpaw tries to escape the blood and the smell of death, finding herself unable to, but she wakes up along with the other medicine cats by the edge of the Moonpool. She finds herself stiff, which confirms that time has passed, and she sees that every other medicine cat is troubled. While she wishes to talk with Cinderpelt in private, her mentor has instead sat back down by the Moonpool, and she reveals that she must perform one more task. Leafpaw wonders what's going on, and Mothwing shoots her a concerned glance, thinking that her secret will be exposed. Instead, Cinderpelt begins talking about ceremonies, and asks Leafpaw if she thought she would die before she received her full name. The apprentice is shocked into silence by the dark gray she-cat, thinking about how different she is compared to a warrior, and she excitedly guesses what is coming.
:Cinderpelt states that an apprentice earns their name when they deserve it, and that StarClan highly regards Leafpaw for bringing them to the Moonpool. The medicine cats purr and show their approval, and Cinderpelt beckons Leafpaw forward, reciting the words of a medicine cat ceremony, causing the tabby she-cat's paws to tingle. Leafpaw promises to uphold the Clans' way of life, and with that, she is named Leafpool for her courage, faith, and finding the Moonpool. Cinderpelt embraces her former apprentice warmly, and the medicine cats cheer her new name as she declares that StarClan will guide her the rest of her life. Leafpool notes how happy Mothwing is as she leaves the Moonpool, full of energy and thought. Suddenly, she finds herself stepping in sticky blood as the stench of death rises all around her, and Leafpool feels like she is wading through the scarlet water of the lake.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
*The medicine cats have their first half-moon meeting at the Moonpool.
*Leafpaw receives the blood will spill blood prophecy.
===Ceremonies===
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with part two of Winds of Change, and chapter fourteen of Onestar's Confession.
==Notes and references==
fr:Nuit étoilée/Chapitre 19
Category:Starlight
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:The New Prophecy arc