Oh my StarClan! I'm so terribly sorry for such the long interim between updates! I feel so very bad :( I've been busy with regents and finals, but now I'm all done with school for the summer!

I also wanted to make a quick announcement; I have written another Warriors story called Mistakes: Birds of a Feather. A few of you guys voted for it, so I posted it! Check it out if you'd like! :)

Disclaimer: I am not any of the Hunter girls, so therefore I do not own Warriors.

Chapter Nine: Mysterious Passage

Ambersky was frantically pacing outside Bramblestar's den. Her dream in the Dark Forest had spooked her. She had also seen Jayfeather; maybe his appearance in her dream was a sign that he wasn't too far from the territories. Ambersky had hoped her intentions were right.

Bramblestar padded out of his den, nearly knocking the gray she-cat over. "Is something wrong, Ambersky?" Bramblestar meowed to her.

Ambersky nodded a bit too quickly. "I had a dream with Jayfeather in it. We were in the Dark Forest, and I believe this means that he isn't too far. He was fighting this black tom...I didn't catch his name though."

Bramblestar growled. "The Dark Forest are still up to their tricks, huh? And maybe Jayfeather isn't too far away." The tabby tom looked at Ambersky. "I will organize two patrols to search for him. I want you to lead one of them."

"But, what if some cat gets hurt or is sick while I'm away?" Ambersky was surprised. She was only a Medicine Cat, not a seasoned warrior.

"Relax, I'll let Leafpool take care of it, though I doubt any cat will fall ill while you're away with a patrol," Bramblestar mewed in response. "Go ahead and choose three others to come with you. You can set up another patrol of four cats. I'll send the second patrol in another tunnel network."

Ambersky nodded and padded out of the leader's den. She walked over to the fresh-kill pile, where Mousewhisker and Lionblaze were finishing off a plump hare. The two toms looked up at her as she sat in front of them. The gray she-cat explained her dream to the two warriors, and they nodded occasionally as she told them. They exchanged glances when she finished and stood up.

Lionblaze looked at Ambersky respectfully. "Of course I'd help you find Jayfeather."

"We need our Medicine Cat back anyways," Mousewhisker mewed lazily, but then he quickly added, "Not that you aren't a great apprentice!"

Ambersky nodded. "Do you think Cherrypit would like to come along with us? She has an excellent sense of smell."

Mousewhisker nodded and flicked his tail. "I'll go ask her if she'd like to come with us. I'll meet you two outside of the camp entrance." And then he was off.

Lionblaze started to walk over to the camp entrance, Ambersky at his side. Not long after, Cherrypit and Mousewhisker joined them, and they were off towards the tunnel that Jayfeather had disappeared in. Ambersky was the first one to carefully climb her way down, and then she was followed by Lionblaze, Mousewhisker and Cherrypit. The four of them kept along the cold stone wall as it grew darker and darker. They had walked for a while, and Ambersky had a strange feeling that this tunnel had a dead end somewhere, but alas, there was no dead end. The gray Medicine Cat stopped in her tracks, and the three of them nearly crashed into her.

"Lionblaze?" Ambersky asked. "Isn't there supposed to be a dead end around here?"

Lionblaze's amber gaze glinted in the faint light, and Ambersky caught him narrow his eyes. "Yes...but, there isn't. How strange..." Lionblaze padded past Ambersky, and stretched his paw outward, as if to test for an invisible barricade. The blazing tom turned his head to look at Ambersky. "The tunnel leads father than we thought."

The gray she-cat turned to look at Cherrypit. "Do you think you can find Jayfeather's scent?" The young ginger and white warrior nodded and padded forward, her nose on the floor of the tunnel. She brought her head up and glanced at Ambersky. "His scent is definitely here; a few days old, by the smell of it."

"Can you follow his scent?" Lionblaze meowed eagerly. Cherrypit nodded, and put her nose to the cave floor. She padded not even a tail-length, and she brought her head up, her blue eyes glinting. "His scent just stops there."

Ambersky's heart sank. "He couldn't have just disappeared, could he?"

"No, that's impossible," Lionblaze mewed back. "Something isn't right here..."

Mousewhisker padded over to Lionblaze. "Why don't we just see where the tunnel takes us? It may lead us to Jayfeather if his scent is here."

Ambersky nodded hopefully. "Yes, why don't we just keep walking?" Lionblaze and Cherrypit nodded in agreement, and continued to make their way along the wall of the tunnel. It seemed to lead to no where, until Ambersky saw the faintest trace of light peek through several fox-lengths ahead of them. Lionblaze raced towards it, and gasped. "Guys, come look at this!"

The trio ran ahead and stood beside Lionblaze, trying to get a good look at he was talking about. There were two Twolegs, both male. The one on the right had jet black fur on his head, and hazel-amber eyes. The one on the left had shaggy gray fur on its head, with darker gray markings. The thing that was extremely strange about him, was that he had a pair of gray cat ears and a bushy gray tail. His eyes were blue and clouded.

Ambersky bit back a gasp. "That can't possibly be..."

Mousewhisker leaned forward to get a better look. "I think it is..."

"Jayfeather's turned himself Twoleg?!" Cherrypit gasped.

Author's Note~

Hello~! I know, I know, this was kinda boring. It was like another filler chapter. At least I updated. I've hit a large writer's block, and I'm not really sure where to take this story...unless my lovely fans have any ideas? That would be great!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it. Reviews are greatly appreciated as well!

~Xelaric the Nobody