Hi! My name is Cinderfire and welcome to the fourth installment of Just a Dream! I know it's been a bit, guys, and I'm sorry you had to wait, but I'm a bit on an unnatural perfectionist, in that it takes time to get things done and on top of that, I want you all to be impressed. So I'm posting what I have while I have the energy, and here's hoping you like it! Right off the bat there are some changes to the world, as per usual with this butterfly effect of an AU. Whoever can spot the biggest potential consequence of these first few chapters gets a character added to the series later on down the line! And there will be multiple winners, because man, these allegiances are a hot mess and I don't know how other authors handle that! Anyway, here's the story. Good luck!

Prologue

Oakpaw was not having a good night. There had not been many good nights in ShadowClan since he first became an apprentice, but Dawncloud had always assured him that it was never his fault and there was nothing he could do about it. That didn't change the fact that this was not a good night.

"Oakie?" A hesitant voice called into the apprentice den. "You awake yet?"

ShadowClan cats had a strange habit of all their best work being done in the dark. It was what their ancestors were good at, and that made them proud. Considering this, Oakpaw had been asleep all day just as any other cat would sleep all night. Or he had tried. There wasn't much sleep to be had in the chaos that came with rebuilding a Clan.

"I'm up, Brownie, wha'd'you want?"

Littlepaw hated his name. He'd grin and bear it, even if he flinched whenever someone scoffed at his size. It's not his fault half of ShadowClan was undersized. All the better to rip you to shreds while you laughed.

"Sunset patrol. Runningnose wants us to go look for herbs again."

"Yeah, sure. Maybe we'll find some prey while we're at it." Oakpaw groaned as he lumbered to his paws.

As he stepped out of the apprentice den and into the moonlit camp, an agonized groan reached his ears.

"Nightpelt's been good to us." Oakpaw mumbled. "He stepped up when he didn't have to. He's teaching Blackfoot what we were like… before. He doesn't deserve this."

"Blackfoot sure isn't ready to let him go. He's not even that old. He and Clawface were brothers." Littlepaw scowled.

"Really?" Oakpaw mused. That's something he would have never known. "Clawface could have been a good cat, with Nightpelt for a brother."

"Yeah, had to. Nightpelt made it this far." Littlepaw offered.

"I just wish he wasn't in so much pain…"

Oakpaw thought back to the last time he'd seen the black tom stumbling his way up to share the meeting place with Blackfoot. "You said he needs herbs, right?"

"Yeah, coltsfoot for his breathing, Runningnose wants to try a mixture of catmint and marshleaf root."

"Marshleaf root? I thought that was for kits?"

"It could also help with his breathing problem."

"Wow, you sure do have this herb thing down. You're almost as good as Runningnose himself."

Mentally, Oakpaw was really hoping that Littlepaw hadn't caught his slip-up. He'd been thinking back to when he first became an apprentice and he'd been chosen to help find WindClan. Several of them had injuries or were sick or just needed some extra attention and Fireheart had worked with Barkface. The ginger tom had soaked up all he could about WindClan's ways, and he could often be seen bringing elders water or smearing plant juice in their cuts.

"StarClan to Oakpaw, Littlepaw has asked you to quit wandering-. Look out!" He yelped, bowling the red-brown tom over and crouching on top of him, pinning the other apprentice as much as he could as he raised his head to the sky. A wide, grey wing had smothered the moonlight and it had almost been close enough for some cats to see black specks on its wing.

"What's an owl doing here?!" Talonclaw spat. The mottled gray and white brother of Runningnose glanced around camp, amber eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"They never come so close to camp!" Darkflower insisted.

"Did it take any kits?" Stumpytail demanded, turning to Sleekheart.

"Not this time." The silver queen replied, thanking her ancestors with all she had. She'd lost her first ever litter to the sickness that ravaged the Clan, and spent most of her time wishing it would take her too. "It will come back though. It must smell our weakness."

"You'd think the stench of death would keep it away." A new voice panted.

Some gazes flashed to the tabby form of Wetfoot, who looked more brown than grey. The mud clotting his fur and the lack of companions keeping step into the camp told Oakpaw that Wetfoot, his poor mentor, had gone off to bury his parents alone, elders the both of them who had held out until just this morning. There were more graves to be dug; Wetfoot's parents weren't the only ones to have fallen in this plague, but he was allowed a day's rest to grieve and regain his strength.

"How's Nightpelt?" He murmured quickly, voice thick with fear.

"Runningnose has been by his side all night, right along with Blackfoot."

"Poor dear is determined to wear himself out keeping his deputy alive." Sleekheart murmured. "Has anyone brought them prey?"

"I'm doing that now." Brownpaw, Stumpytail's apprentice, informed them through the bundle of freshkill in his mouth. "Here's hoping some frog will cheer him up. I almost caught a turtle!"

"A turtle!" Several cats gasped.

"Surely not!" Stumpytail growled. "Foolish boy! We all know better than to go messing with turtles! Backs harder than the Moonstone and a bite that could snap a leg in two?! I oughtta keep you in camp just for that!"

"But I didn't get hurt!"

"That's not the point, you lizard-brain!" Stumpytail roared. "We already have a fourth of the Clan we used to. Do you really think I need to waste my time running after a cat with no good sense?! Take those to the medicine den and go to your nest."

"But-!"

"And stay there!"

Brownpaw did as told, head and tail low.

"Can't say I envy him." Littlepaw mumbled as he watched his brother go. "C'mon, I want to get these herbs before sunrise."

The medicine cat emerged from his den just as the pair of apprentices loped out of camp. Runningnose's hopeful announcement did not meet their ears.