Skyclan, sherlockian style

Catching up

Leafstar's den was just like the others, a small hole between some rocks and the floor covered in dirt. She sat curled up in a nest in a corner, feathers and moss poking out around her sleeping flank.

"Leafstar?" Billystorm meowed when they walked in and he gently prodded her awake. John could tell from his gentleness that they were mates.

Leafstar blinked open her eyes, stared at John for a moment and then got up slowly shaking out her fur and stretching before grooming quickly and looking at John. "Billystorm, what is this about?"

Billystorm flicked his tail at John, "We found him on patrol, he claims to be from Thunderclan and that he was looking for us."

Leafstar looked at John quickly and purred, "From Thunderclan! It's been...I don't know how long sense we heard from your clan. Who are you and what news do you bring?"

Once again John introduced himself and then looked at Leafstar sadly, "I don't have the best of news...Firestar, is dead."

"What?" Leafstar looked like John just ate her tail, "Dead? Has it truly been so long? He was so young...what about their kits?"

"They grew up seasons ago, Leafpool is a medicine cat and her son is her apprentice, and her other son has a mate and kits. Squirrelflight is deputy and her mate, Bramblestar, is leader. When I left she was expecting kits. Sandstorm retired to the elders den." John said, "We also live by a lake now...Twolegs destroyed the old forest when Leafpool was a paw and...it's a long story. Firestar died during a battle a few moons ago, all the clans worked together to defeat some...clan cats that were being trained by the souls of evil cats in there dreams and...ok I know I've lost you in all this, but he died a noble death defeating the evil leader."

     Leafstar stared for a few moments, "Well," she joked, "you've been busy." Then she stared at her paws, "Skyclan is truly on it's own..."

Well, sorry about chasing you away...like forever in the distant past. John thought in his head, but he just flicked his ears. "Sorry for throwing all this at you, but...is late better then never?"

"Yes...Starclan yes. Thank you for coming, John." Leafstar nodded and suddenly she looked old, so so old. Her muzzle was grey and her eyes were slightly foggy. Her fur was too thin, and her skin sagged were mussel used to be.

"Rest, Leafstar." Billystorm said.

John realized he was also old and even the apprentices could defiantly already be warriors. What was going on in the clan?

"You've traveled far," Billystorm said leading John out of the den, "have what you want from the fresh-kill pile, and I'll send an apprentice to find you a den for the night."

John nodded and walked towards the mound of prey, chose a starling from the pile and caring it over to some sun-warmed rocks to eat.

Who's the deputy? John wondered, is the reason those apprentices are paws is because they are half warriors? It made sense he supposed, and some clans had very old leaders...Greg hadn't looked very old, just a new warrior, and Sherlock and Molly too.

"So I was right."

John looked up from his meal to see Sherlock staring at him with his sharp eyes.

"Right about what?" John asked.

Sherlock sighed dramatically and glared at John, "I thought you real clan cats were supposed to be smart, let alone big, strong, and scary."

John stood up defensively and glared up at Sherlock. Why does he have to be so annoyingly tall? "I'm plenty smart, and even though I'm not so clever as to throw prey at a wall, I like to know exactly what some one's asking so I can answer them correctly."

Sherlock smirked at the small, stump legged, stump tailed cat, with the vicious scar. He was adorable. "Oh, so I'm clever?"

John felt embarrassed for being so short, having to stare up at the elegant black cat standing so tall next to him. The galaxy eyes so strange and bright...John snapped his gaze away. "You were right, about Firestar."

Sherlock nodded, he didn't look too sad...but then again who said he ever met him? It was so long ago that Firestar had remade Skyclan, that John, hadn't even been born, the same was probably for Sherlock.

"But that's not all you came for." The black tom pointed out, "there is something else."

"Can you...read minds?" John asked, that had to be the explanation!

Sherlock just looked amused, "Read minds? No, that's something no one can do."

"I knew a cat who could read minds." John said.

"So your planning on staying." Sherlock said narrowing his eyes at John, but with John's confused look he sighed and explained, "you said knew, but they aren't dead, so you mean to stay here and that would mean not going back so it would be passed tense 'knew' not 'know' as you assume you'll never see them again. But you weren't close to them you never even talked to them really."

"Amazing..." John mumbled gazing at Sherlock in wonder.

Sherlock looked shy for a moment, "Wasn't that hard to tell..."

"But," John said shaking himself, "He could read minds, Starclan gave him the power to."

Sherlock rolled his eyes, all shyness gone and scoffed, "Starclan! You really are a clan cat!"

John was confused, "You don't believe in Starclan?"

"Starclan is just some ridiculous rubbish. Dead cat's spirits floating about in the sky? Who even made that up?" Sherlock rolled his eyes and twitched his whiskers in amusement, "Don't tell me you believe all that."

"But...yes, of course I do!" John sputtered, "how do you explain Leafstar? All her lives?"

"That's just elementary, John! I don't even want to take the time to explain it to you." Sherlock said.

"You know my name! I hadn't even introduced myself!" John exclaimed.

"I overheard Frecklepaw yapping to the others, honestly, do you think I'm slow?" Sherlock asked and then looked over at a young cat hesitantly walking over, "there's Leafstar's kit, Ivypaw, well, enjoy your stay." And with that he stalked off heading to a black hole that was probably his den.

"Hi!" The young grey and white spotted cat meowed walking over to John, "I'm supposed to show you to your den."

John nodded and followed the cat but he glanced back one time to see Sherlock disappear into his own den. What a strange cat....