Wingpaw: Aww...

Flarepaw: What?

Wingpaw: I really wanted French Fries, but they were out...

Flarepaw: Who was out of French Fries...?

Mistypaw: It doesn't matter! Are we not going to talk about my death?

Icy: Why talk when we could get on with the chapter?

Mistypaw: Fair enough...

Chapter Twenty-Three

Advice and Information

"Whatever is happening between us, forget it. We need to settle this. We have to do what's right for Mistypaw."

That was easier said than done when their views were completely different.

Mosspaw shook her gray paw to attempt to get the water out of her fur, but when she set it back down in the grass there was just another big splash. She looked down at the ground while she trudged through the grass to keep the rain from getting in her eyes, but she had to look up to keep the splashes from hitting her eyes. She was almost ready to give up, turn around, and go back.

Almost.

She wouldn't give up, though. I have to do this for Mistypaw. Stonepaw, you said so yourself. We need to settle this. You're right, we do. We have to settle what is between us. The only way we are ever going to do that is if I can reveal Thistleclaw's cruelty to the Clan and get him out of your sight while it's not too late...if it isn't too late already...

Mosspaw took a short break as she stood inside the hollow of a tree. The rain was pouring down faster than she could think about where she was going. Lightning cracked the black sky above her head. The thunder scared her so much it nearly made her jump out of her fur. The falling rain was loud enough; the thunder just made it all worse.

It's even louder in this hollow... I guess I should get out of here...

Mosspaw slowly put a front paw out of the hollow into the grass. She was about to take a step when the thunder boomed again. She jumped. Her extended paw landed awkwardly on the edge of the hollow. She forced herself to get up. She crouched her muscles down to jump out of the hollow. Just as she extended them, lightning crackled above her. It scared her and caused her jump to miss by a long shot. She ended up falling out of the hollow rather than jumping.

Mosspaw got to her paws. She was covered in grass. She shook her pelt but it didn't help any. Groaning, she made up her mind.

I've got to keep going. I've figured out Thistleclaw's weak spot. I have to take advantage while I can.

Thistleclaw had given her the next few days off to recover from her sister's death. He hadn't said so, but Mosspaw knew he was thinking of Snowfur.

Snowfur. She is Thistleclaw's weakness. He actually loved her... It's hard to believe it, but he was my aunt's mate. He is kind of kin to me...

Mosspaw shook her head. She refused to acknowledge Thistleclaw as her kin.

She padded forward a few more steps before jumping again at the repeated sound of thunder.

This sure is a lot of effort just for a bit of information...

Mosspaw was on her way to the Twolegplace where the ginger kittypet, Rusty, had been killed. She was going scouting for any more information. She was going to ask around and see if any other kittypets had been killed. It was unlikely, but Mosspaw had nowhere else to go for information. She didn't want anyone becoming suspicious of her in ThunderClan.

Mosspaw sighed in relief when she found herself at the fence of the Twolegplace. She waited for a couple of minutes before she realized the flaw in her plan.

I'm going to have to go inside to talk to anyone...

She flattened her ears in dismay. There's no way I'm going in there... But after all this, I don't want to leave without any information...

"Hey! What are you doing out there? Are you trying to get yourself sick?"

Mosspaw turned to where she heard the voice. Sitting at the door of one of the houses was a light brown tabby she-cat with a white chest, white paws, and light green eyes. Inwardly groaning, Mosspaw leaped over the fence and over to the she-cat. She stood at the door under the protection of some sort of awning of the Twoleg nest.

"Well?" the she-cat asked.

"I'm out here looking for information," Mosspaw meowed.

"Okay... Well, I'm Princess," the kittypet meowed.

"I'm Mosspaw. Did you ever know a cat named Rusty?" Mosspaw asked.

Princess shook her head. "I think he was my brother, but I never met him. Sorry."

Mosspaw flattened her ears in disappointment. "Alright. Thanks. Well, I've got to go."

"No. The storm is too dangerous out there. Come inside with me for a bit. My folk won't mind," Princess meowed.

"I'm not going in there." Mosspaw meowed immediately. Pausing for a moment, she added, "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. I just meant that I can't go inside."

"Why not?" Princess asked.

"The code I follow..."

"Oh, are you one of those wild cats?" Princess asked.

"I'm a warrior."

"You look too young to be a warrior," Princess meowed, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, I'm training to become a warrior," Mosspaw meowed.

"That sounds better. So why are you out here? Why did your teacher make you come out here?" Princess asked.

"Mentor," Mosspaw corrected, "and he didn't. I chose to come out here."

"What kind of stupid idea was that?" Princess asked dumbfoundedly.

"Stupid? You mean mouse-brained?" Mosspaw asked, tipping her head to the side.

"Sure," Princess replied.

"Well, something has happened and I'm looking for information..."

"What's happened?" Princess asked. "Can I help you any?"

"I just..." Mosspaw broke off. She suddenly felt really stupid. She didn't know what to say. She realized she had wasted her time coming out here. There was nothing to find at the Twolegplace. She was just finding something to occupy her time so she wouldn't think about Mistypaw's death. There was no information to be found in the Twolegplace. Everything she needed to know she could find in her own Clan if she searched hard enough.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you... I should go," Mosspaw meowed, dipping her head.

"Wait. You seem really unhappy. You mind if I tell you a story before you go?" Princess asked kindly.

Mosspaw looked up at the kittypet. She sighed and let her head fall. "Sure. Why not?"

"You may as well take a seat and rest," Princess meowed.

"Oh joy. Is this going to be a long story?" Mosspaw groaned.

"No. It's really short, actually, but I think it will help you," Princess meowed.

"How is a really short story going to help me?" Mosspaw asked once she settled down on the really uncomfortable whatever-it-was that the Twolegs called it.

"The story of the Phoenix is really short, but there's a good lesson to learn from it," Princess began.

"The Phoenix?" Mosspaw exclaimed. "What in the name of StarClan is that?"

"Right, um, I don't know what this StarClan thing you speak of is, so I'm just going to continue what I was saying," Princess meowed.

"Right. Sorry," Mosspaw muttered.

"I've heard this story from my housefolk, actually," Princess meowed.

"You mean Twolegs?" Mosspaw asked.

"Sure. Anyway, the Phoenix was a mythical creature. It was a bird made of fire. When it died it turned to ashes, but there was never any worry. Another Phoenix always rose from the ashes of the previous Phoenix," Princess meowed.

"There was always another one to rise from its ashes..." Mosspaw whispered.

"Yes," Princess replied.

"So... what next?" Mosspaw asked.

"That's it," Princess replied.

"That's not really a story..." Mosspaw muttered.

"I know. It's more of a myth than anything, but I think it was helpful to you. I can see it in your eyes, um, Mosspaw. Now tell me, did it help?" Princess asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Mosspaw confessed. "I feel like it's important for me to know, but I can't understand why..."

"I'm sure you'll find out some day. Just don't forget, alright? Maybe it'll help you sooner than you think," Princess meowed.

"Thanks," Mosspaw meowed kindly.

"Now, tell me," Princess meowed. "I want to be able to help you. What's wrong? What has made you so unhappy?"

"My... My sister died," Mosspaw replied slowly. "She died of greencough."

"Did she?" Princess asked, sensing the doubt in Mosspaw's voice. This kittypet is good, Mosspaw couldn't help but think.

"Well, our medicine cat said she was going mad and that she accidentally ate deathberries, but it was the greencough that caused her to go mad..." Mosspaw trailed off.

"Now hang on. Those are two completely different things. Greencough doesn't cause you to go mad. If greencough if what I think it is, then your medicine cat is very stupid," Princess observed.

"Mouse-brained," Mosspaw corrected.

"Of course," Princess meowed sarcastically.

"Sorry. It's instinct," Mosspaw apologized.

"Mmm-hmm. Sure it is," Princess meowed. "Anyway, cats don't go mad when they get greencough."

"She had another small injury. A cut. She fell in the river from a large rock and cut her paw on the rock," Mosspaw meowed.

"That doesn't make any difference," Princess meowed.

"But Featherwhisker said..."

"Featherwhisker is your medicine cat?" Princess asked.

"Well, Goosefeather is. Featherwhisker is his apprentice," Mosspaw meowed.

"Has Featherwhisker ever known this to happen before?" Princess asked.

"I don't think so... He probably just assumed so from a story he had heard from Goosefeather..." Mosspaw broke off.

"A story from his teacher—mentor?" Princess asked, correcting herself.

Mosspaw nodded slowly.

"If I were you, then I'd go back to the start and look at everything. Look for something out of place. Something that doesn't fit..." Princess meowed.

"The deathberries! Mistypaw wouldn't just eat deathberries for no apparent reason..." Mosspaw meowed. "Besides, why would there even be deathberries in the medicine cat den for her to accidentally eat...?"

"Did I help any?" Princess asked kindly.

"Absolutely!" Mosspaw replied. "I've got to go now. I know where to look! I can figure this out! Thank you so much!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go yet," Princess meowed. "This storm isn't getting any better. Did it get worse?"

"Does it matter?" Mosspaw asked. "I need to get home soon anyway."

"Well, be careful," Princess meowed. "Come back and let me know if you need any more help. I'll be glad to give you any more advice I can."

"Thanks, Princess," Mosspaw meowed. "I'll be sure to do so."

"It's StarClan, right? May StarClan light your path," Princess meowed.

"Thanks," Mosspaw meowed. She turned to walk away, but she turned back. "You got it right. It's StarClan."

"Awesome," Princess meowed.

"See you around," Mosspaw meowed kindly.

"See ya!" Princess meowed back.

Mosspaw gave her a final nod. She waited for Princess to go back into her house before turning and running through the storm as fast as she could. She jumped over the fence. She landed clumsily on the other side. Her paws slipped in the grass and she fell on her side. She tried to push herself up but her paws just slipped again. The rain fell down from the blackened sky and pelted against her fur.

StarClan, help me...

She tried to look around at her surroundings but the force of the rain shut them against her will. She felt as if she was sinking. She tried rolling over onto her stomach. She put her nose to the ground and opened her eyes so she would be facing away from the rain, but the mixture of green and brown beneath her paws was all a blur as her eyes closed themselves. Her head dropped and everything went black.

Icy: Alright, that's a wrap.

Wingpaw: Another cliffhanger...?

Flarepaw: Seriously, Icy...?

Icy: You're welcome. Don't worry, there're plenty cliffhangers ahead of us.

Mistypaw: Well that's just fantastic...

Mosspaw: Icy, why do you keep hurting us?

Stonepaw: Why are our lives so difficult?

Icy: Don't worry, they get even worse.

Mosspaw: Glare...

Icy: Alright, well, before these guys lose their temper with me, let's wrap this AN up! See you next time!

~Icy and the crew