"Alright. Battle training."

"Finally!" Vegeta goaded. For the first time, his eyes showed interest as Tawnypelt and Crowfrost sat side-by-side near the training ground. Goku was looking around, flicking his ears back and forth to the sounds of mosquitoes and frogs so fast that it almost looked as if they'd fly right out of his head.

Tawnypelt ignored him. "Okay, for today's lesson, we're going to show you a few battle techniques," she mewed, flicking her tail to Crowfrost." After that, we're going to see how you two do it yourselves." She pointed at Goku and Vegeta.

"Great!" Goku chirped. "I can't wait to learn warrior style battle training!"

"Not if I succeed before you do, Kakarot!" Vegeta boasted.

"Sounds like something we can bet on with a mous—"

Tawnypelt raised her tail for silence. "Remember, this isn't a contest to see who can learn the technique before the other," she reminded the apprentices. "It's just to show you how to use these attacks, and practice them on your own." She lowered her tail. "Some learn them faster than others, while those that may be behind at first learn later master techniques of a different variety sooner than others."

Goku frowned. "But it wouldn't hurt to be a bit competitive with each other. Gives us a rival to compete against and enable us to work twice as hard."

"Do that in your own time" Crowfrost mewed. "But today, we're just doing battle practice. Understood?" Both apprentices nodded. "Alright." Crowfrost turned to Tawnypelt. "How about we show them the Shadow Sneak?"

It was, Tawnypelt had to admit, one of the most admirable teachings she ever had. Both apprentices were eager to learn the new battle moves and were in their best behavior. They would ask questions about certain movements, payed attention to every detail, and kept on practicing the techniques in front of their mentors until they got it right.

Tawnypelt had never seen Goku as focused in battle training then she had in any other category before. It astounded her how the black tom was even able to come up with a few different strategies himself just with the little training she and Crowfrost gave him and Vegeta. If they had not been a bit clumsy with their paws when they first tired the battle moves, Tawnypelt would have sworn they were expert fighters already.

In fact, they could probably be the most powerful fighters of all Shadowclan if they kept this up. Next to having all the power Tawnypelt doubt even Starclan had, this only made her even more uneasy to be teaching their secrets to two history-elusive cats of great power.

((_endpage_))

"Lunch time!"

Tawnypelt frowned. She asked, quizically, "What's 'lunch?''"

Goku looked surprised. "You know. Lunch! The meal of the noon!"

"Oh. For that we just call it Sun-high mealtime."

"Yeah... great" Though Tawnypelt didn't feel the least bit interested with Goku's foreign wording as she carefully groomed herself. An act out of arrogance to find an excuse not to speak with him as he babbled to Snowbird about the techniques Tawnypelt taught him. But she did have to admit she feel pride when Goku spoke about his mentor that way.

A little praise didn't always hurt.

"So, what do we do now Tawnypelt?"

The she-cat didn't answer her apprentice automatically. She took her time grooming her whiskers. They could really get undone when she ignored them. "Now, I relax. You're done all your duties for today, yes?" She stared at him with her sharp eyes as she mewed this.

Goku nodded excitedly. "I made sure everyone had something to eat, and cleaned the Old cats' nests and gave them each a piece of mouse beside their nest."

"And you remembered to throw away the moss nest?" A nod. "Good. Well, then do whatever you like. So long as it's within Shadowclan's territory."

Goku tilted his head, confused. "You mean we're done for today?"

"That's what I just said." He really needs to get his ears cleaned.

"No more battle training too?"

"Tomorrow, if we have time after our duties."

Goku sighed. "Okay." He looked around. Littlecloud padded in camp, carrying herbs far too much for his jaws. The black tom quickly skipped forward to help relieve him of the pile.

"And you, Goku," the medicine cat mewed. "It's been very busy here lately. And poor Flametail still has the fever that I had to do everything on my own."

"It's no problem," came the muffled mew out of the corner of the black tom's jaws.

"Tawnypelt!"

The tortoise-shell turned to the voice. "Yeah."

It was Tallpoppy. The she-cat had a scowl on her face. "Where is that pathetic Goku?"

"He's in Littlecloud's Den. Is something wrong?"

The elder sniffed. "He forgot to cover my nest with feathers!"

Of course. Typical Elder snappiness. "Oh... well, I'll be sure to remind Goku not to do it again."

She snorted, shambling back to the Elders Den. "See that you do." Shaking her head, Tawnypelt padded to the medicine cats den.

"You—you actually visited Starclan?" Littlecloud breathed. Tawnypelt froze.

"Yeah... I wasn't suppose to?" That was Goku. Against her better judgement, Tawnypelt quickly hid in the shadows by the entrance. A perfect hiding spot: she could see and hear what they said, but they couldn't see or hear her. Or, at least she hoped not. It had suddenly occured to her this was exactly the same place Goku had been hiding while trying to listen to Blackstar and the RiverClan Medicine cats.

She pricked her ears as Littlecloud stuttered, "No! Well, I'm not sure. No one except medicine cats and leaders were able to visit Starclan without the... um, Moon Pool before." He wasn't the only one feeling shocked, Tawnypelt thought numbly.

Goku tilted his head to one side. "What's the Moon Pool?"

Littlecloud looked away. "It's our clans' sacred connection with our ancestors."

"Oh." Goku flicked his ears in embarrassment. "Was I supposed to use it to speak to them?"

Littlecloud stiffened. He fully turned around to stare Goku in the eye. "What do you mean 'supposed to'? Didn't you visit the Moon Pool to speak with them?"

Goku shook his head.

Littlecloud suddenly sighed in exhaustion. He turned away, organizing the pile of herbs he had just picked. "Then I suppose they've visited you in your dreams for a reason," he mewed thoughtfully. "Though why they wouldn't recognize you I—"

"They didn't visit me either," Goku explained. "I just used Instant Transmition."

Littlecloud looked confused. "Instant... Transition?"

Goku nodded excitedly. "Yeah. It lets me teleport from one area to another by the blink of an eye anywhere in the world, or even the Galaxy! But I have to focus on a particular source of Kai, otherwise I might get lose" His eyes suddenly sparkled. "Wanna see? I can do it now."

"Not here you won't," Littlecloud mewed sharply. "I think I've already seen enough of your abilities to understand they are believable."

"But you have to see this one," Goku whined. "Don't worry. I won't blow anything up. It's as harmless as picking up a rock..."

Littlecloud gave him an exasperated look.

"... er, you know what I mean," Goku mewed sheepishly.

But the medicine cat was shaking his head firmly. "No. If you want to do it, then try it somewhere else." And with that he turned back to his herbs as an end to the discussion.

Goku stared at Littlecloud, bemused, then shrugged and padded outside the den.

Tawnypelt was not quick enough hide from him. "Tawnypelt?" Goku blinked in surprise. "What are you doing standing in the shadows there?"

"Uh..." She blinked. How do you explain to an apprentice that you were not doing the exact same thing he had gotten in trouble for doing in the first place?