— VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( settling down, flicking tail ) : "Once... long, long ago... the Clans lived far away from here. In a place of bitter snow and frozen rivers. It was known as the Mat-Su Valley." KITS ( gasping ) : "Is that where the snow falls in sheets??" "Did cats really live where water turned hard??" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( with a wise smile ) : "They did indeed. Four Clans roamed that land; DriftClan, TundraClan, GlacierClan… and HailClan, the fiercest of them all. But fate, young ones, is often cruel and kind in the same breath." She lowered her voice slightly, eyes distant. "One night, the sea rose. Higher than ever before. A wave tall as the sky came crashing over the world... a tsunami, summoned by the fury of the stars. The Clans were swept away. Trees snapped like twigs. Camps vanished. It was chaos. And when the water settled, only twenty cats remained." KITS ( huddling close ) : "Only twenty?!" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( softly ) : "Yes. Not a single HailClan cat had survived… their line ended beneath the waves. The rest, tired, frightened, grieving, clung to a broken piece of shining metal that floated in the dark sea. They did not know where the tides would carry them, but they held on… and they survived." A beat of silence. "As they drifted far from their home, they shared names. DriftClan cats comforted TundraClan’s queens. GlacierClan elders taught the kits to fish. They became one -- just cats, no longer divided. And after many suns and moons... they saw land." KITS ( brightening ) : "Was it here? Our home?" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( shaking head ) : "No… not yet. The land was beautiful, green, and rich... but it was not meant for them. The cats called it the edge of the Great Lands, where unknown dangers waited." "So began The Great Journey. They traveled far, over root and rock, hill and forest, led by three brave cats: Applestar, the leader of TundraClan, Celestialflurry, the thoughtful DriftClan deputy, and Astersong, a wise GlacierClan medicine cat." KITS : "Ooooooh Celestialflurry sounds pretty!" "I wanna be like Applestar!!" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( nodding with pride ) : "They were all brave in their own ways. But even the strongest fall. One night, while hunting, Applestar was attacked by a nest of rats… and she did not live to see the end of the journey." KITS ( eyes wide ) : "Noooo…" "Did they bury her??" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( with a slow nod ) : "They did. Beneath a weeping pine. Her grave is said to still stand with pride to this day. But, inevitably.. A new cat rose to lead… Quivertrill of DriftClan, a cat whose heart glowed with the embodiment of hope itself. With him, the three guided the others south, deeper into the Great Lands. And finally, they found a cave. It was nestled between cliffs and pulsing with starlight. Inside were three glowing gems - one of golden orange with yellow, shining swirls, one as blue and deep as the ocean, and one the color of dark scarlet dappled with white. KITS : "MAGIC STONES!!" "Did they touch 'em?? I’d totally lick one." VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( chuckling ) : "They did more than that, little fins. Each cat pressed their nose to a stone. And in a burst of blinding light… everything changed." "When the light faded, Celestialflurry had mushrooms and flowers growing along their spine, a soft cap atop his head like a wise old toadstool. Quivertrill’s fur glowed golden, with bee wings on his back and little antennae twitching in the wind. And Astersong…" KITS ( leaning in ) : "What about her??" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( softly, reverently ) : "...She had become one with the sea. Faer tail shimmered like silver water, scales lined it’s belly, and fins trailed down her spine. She was the first of what we are now." KITS ( bursting ) : "REEFCLAN!!" "She was the first ReefClan cat!!" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( beaming ) : "Yes. StarClan came to them that night. In dreams and light. They gave the three new names… and new Clans." "Astersong became Asterstar, the first leader of ReefClan, the deep-swimmers, coral-builders, and wave-catchers. Celestialflurry became Celestialstar, founder of SporeClan, who roam beneath roots and speak to mushrooms. Quivertrill became Quiverstar, proud leader of HoneyClan, the warm-hearted cats who tend the sacred willow." A small silence follows. Valleybrook’s voice lowers, almost to a whisper. "And so, the one and only Sundrowned began, with the remnants of past Clans barely clinging together." KITS ( squirming excitedly ) : "I’m gonna be just like Asterstar when I grow up!!" "Do you think the cave is still out there somewhere?" "What if there’s a FOURTH gem?? Like, a pink one that turns you into a CRAB!!" VALLEYBROOK - Elder | ( laughing ) : "Maybe so. Maybe one day, one of you will find it. But for now… remember them. The Ancient Three. The ones who turned everything for the better." —
