OH MY STARCLAN I ACTUALLY GOT 100 REVIEWS. :O :O :O :O :O. Thank you so so so so much guys! This is to all of my reviewers, followers, and favoriters (is that what it is?). You guys are honestly the reason that I'm writing, and you guys really urge me on. I couldn't have even written more than ten chapters without you, and I am so grateful for you guys to be sticking by my side the whole time.

Flight of the Snowy Owl: Thanks so much for always sticking by my side and constantly reviewing and telling me what you think! Thank you! Couldn't have achieved 100 reviews without ya (: Also, I like Linnea too. You'll be seeing a softer side of her in this chapter.

Mirage1234: Thanks for the comments on the prologue, and the other chapters. O.o Anyways, I'm really glad you've been reviewing this and I'm always happy to see your reviews. c: Congratz on being the 100th reviewer, and I will definitely add Rook in. Not yet though, as Fallenpaw hasn't arrived in BloodClan yet.

Lionblazelover332: Tysm! I couldn't have done it without your optimism and encouragement. You have reviewed and stuck by my side for a long, long time, and I'm super grateful. c: And also, I think she-cats can be pregnant since an age as young as like six moons or something, so I guess it won't be that dangerous, but I'm not really sure.

IslaTheFairyOfIce, WarriorCatLover, May a Chance, Amberstorm233, all you others, and guests, thank you so much for reviewing & reading my fanfiction. I'm so grateful! (: Couldn't have achieved 100 reviews, or this long of story without you guys. I don't even know how I can thank you so... Thank you so so so so SO much!(: You don't know how much it means to me that you guys all stick by my side. :D

Anyway, so on to the story! This is one of my longer chapters. O: You also see a different side of Linnea today(:


I let out a soft yawn, trying to settle down. I was lying on the straw-bales, a few stalks of hay laying over my pelt. I was pressed against Emberstrike, our fur brushing gently and her heat flooding into me. It was warm to share a nest with someone, and subtly, quiet as I could, I twined our tails together. I struggled to prevent myself from moving, not wanting to wake her up. I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to empty my mind and fall asleep. However hard I tried, I just couldn't.

What happened if StarClan rejected me? The thought blazed through my head like a flame, leaving a trail of destruction in it's wake. It had literally demolished, burnt through, the thread towards the world of sleep. No matter what I tried, I seemed to be unable to fall asleep. This single thought haunted me, like the death of a dear one. Only this was more important. Ivypool had been ignoring me lately, perhaps that was a sign! A sign that I had failed already, and that all was going to happen was BloodClan would murder me. Perhaps StarClan was angry at me because Emberstrike was pregnant? Or perhaps I had failed already, the clans had fallen, and the link between worlds had been shattered? Was StarClan already destroyed, were all of it's inhabitants gone? Was the stars in the sky supposed to be just regular stars now, with no link to our ancestors anymore? I shivered at the thought of being all alone, without the guidance of Ivypool and StarClan.

I sighed again. It seemed I was doing that very often. I felt weariness and fear mix inside of me, and a spark of nostalgia lit up in my mind. It seemed that over the three quarters of a moon that we had been traveling, I had matured so much. I had grown from the maturity of a silly, naive apprentice, to a warrior, or even senior warrior. I was wise beyond my age, and I hated it. I absolutely despised it. It was no more than a symbol that I had become exactly what StarClan had hoped. They had forced me to mature, so that I could save the clans from destruction.

I pushed down a twinge of hatred for our starry ancestors. However, it was like an annoying bee. However much you tried to swat it away, it would just come back, again and again. It would never leave you alone. Often at night, I thought about StarClan. I wondered how my life would be without it. Sure, I would have Emberstrike, and even our beautiful kits in the future. However, we would have no religion, and after death, where would we go? Would we be lost in the blackness? Our souls gone forever? I was glad StarClan would be there, it's arms open and ready to embrace us, to welcome us in their ranks. She could also visit her sister and brother there, as there were no boundaries in StarClan. I could apologize to Prickleflower, and see perhaps if she had grown, or maybe even forgiven me. Maybe I would even find Petalpaw, and see how she feels about Stormpaw.

The nostalgia came back again. I thought about Willowpaw and Stormpaw, my two best friends in ThunderClan. Willowpaw, her calm and sweet personality, however very sensitive. The way she always perked up when I came near her, how she always stood at attention when I padded close to her. The way she pulled away shyly when others complimented her. I felt my heart squeeze. Stormpaw. He had probably gotten his warrior name by now. His soul seemed old, and always reminded me of something like a plant. He was bright and free spirited, like the wild plants that grew, but was also terribly fragile, and with a single stomp or slice, the poor plant could fall and be torn to shreds. I wondered what his warrior name would be. Surely something courageous. Maybe Stormpetal after his sister? No. He wouldn't like that. That is too feminine for him. I let out a soft purr of amusement, lost in happy memories. I pictured Stormpaw's horrified face as Whitestar announced his name to be Stormpetal, and struggled to push down an outburst of amused laughter threatening to bubble and spill out my lips.

Unwilling to wake Emberstrike, I gently untwined my tail from hers. I hoped she wouldn't be cold when I pulled away, and I uncurled my body from around hers. I usually slept sprawled out, but recently during the journey, I had formed a habit of curling around protectively around Emberstrike. Stiffening with exhaustion, I pulled myself out of the hay, padding lightly and stealthily as I could. I saw Linnea lying a little farther off, curled up in the hay with her eyes squeezed tight. Her tail was flicking in her sleep, and her legs twitching. I imagined she must be dreaming about running. I felt a dash of sympathy. It must be awful, being a kittypet. I wouldn't be able to imagine a life without having the freedom to run wild and free in the forest, hunting animals and even fighting other cats. How restless her claws must be!

Pulling the gaze from the kittypet, who had unknowingly grown more fond to my heart, after she had helped Emberstrike. Anyone that was willing to help my mate, would definitely be on my good side. I padded as quietly as I could, jumping gracefully onto the window ledge. I slid outside, and gazed out. It was way past midnight, but not quite pre-dawn yet. The sun had not risen yet, but it was still beautiful. It was a unique ombre of colors. It was a dark blue at the top of the sky, as the sun had not reached it yet. But I could see the sun, the flaming red sun, peeking shyly out from behind the mountains. It lit up the space around it, turning it into a beautiful mixture of oranges, pinks, and light reds. It blended perfectly with the blue, and blurred together to create an incredible mixture between midnight and dawn. It was startling beautiful.

I gazed around, outside the barn. The dogs had gone, so it was quiet and empty. The sheep and cows were gone as well, but I could see the fields, if I squinted hard enough. The light green sprouts were still struggling to burrow themselves out of the ground, and right ahead I could see a large stretch of grass land. In front of the grass-land, I knew that was where Mothermouth lay. In front of the sheep, cows, and dogs was our destination. I could barely make it out, but I knew it was there. A tugging in my heart pulled me towards it. Not the same type of tugging as a home-sick heart, but the other one, a strange curiosity, that blossomed inside of me and created a huge wonder on how the Moonstone would be like. I wondered if it would be large. I wondered if the Twolegs had discovered it yet.

"Hey." A soft voice came from behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Judging from the heavier steps, and the awkward distance we placed between each other, I instantly knew it was Linnea. She was crouched on the window ledge as well, her paws tucked beneath her chest.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, surprised at how weary my voice sounded. It really didn't sound like me. I sounded older, many moons older, like I had shed away my youth and replaced it with the strong wisdom of the elderly. Like I had as much experience as one triple my age.

"I'm checking on you." Linnea murmured, her tail sweeping across the window-ledge.

"What could you possibly know about me?" I bit back an angry retort.

Linnea fixed her large pale gaze on me, and I shifted uneasily. "Because I know how you feel." She was showing me a new side of herself. One that was young, scared, and terribly vulnerable. She suddenly didn't look like the sassy and teasing she-cat she was yesterday. She looked different. More gentle, more sweet. "I know what missing home is like."

"You don't know anything about me." I growled, my eyes narrowing in anger. Who did this kittypet think she was? She had her whole life planned out for her. Given to her. Her food was placed in front of her by a Twoleg, she was provided a warm nest and comfort, and of course she was given companionship by her Twolegs. Not the same as kin, but she wouldn't be lonely when she was around them.

Linnea stared at me, her gaze challenging. "Oh yeah?" She meowed, her voice turning slightly stiff with anger. "Unable to sleep. Too many thoughts. Thinking; what if? What if my life had been like, if I perhaps wasn't a kittypet? What if my life would be like, if I had joined the clans?" Her voice softened slightly, and her gaze became gentler, more warm. "What if I'm rejected?" She looked so vulnerable just then, her ears flattened against her head, her tail curled around her light brown and white fur.

I recoiled in surprise. She had described exactly as I was feeling. The fear of the unknown, the never-ending question of 'what if' that haunted your every movement, the feeling of insomnia as you toss and turn, but to no prevail as sleep never comes, the terror of rejection. "How do you know?" I asked cautiously, unwilling to give away how truly shocked I was feeling.

"Because it's a part of growing up." She meowed, her voice laced with sadness. "In order for you to fully mature, you need to go over your life. You need to grip your fears tightly, and get over them." Her voice became fiercer all of a sudden. "My life was always happy, always joyous. But being happy all the time has it's consequences. At night, when my twolegs are asleep… I'm alone. Alone and miserable." She confessed, her eyes round. "My insomnia forces me to stay awake, and I think of all of the what ifs. I worry if I would be rejected by my Twoleg's, if I'm thrown out. I can't sleep." Scooting a bit closer to me, she laid her tail gently on my shoulder. I stiffened, but didn't pull away. "But if you imagine your life without these things, you feel a terrible sense of regret. You only have a home if you miss it. If you didn't think what if, then you don't have a life you care about."

"But I can't sleep!" I wailed, then quieted myself, reminding myself that Emberstrike was in there, still asleep. "The thoughts, they torture me, they taunt me. The misery of being away from home. The nostalgia and worry of rejection. It's all there. I know it means that I have a life and a home, but I'm exhausted." My voice was trembling. "And I'm just…" I lay down, burying my muzzle in my paws. "I'm just so tired."

"As you should be." Linnea murmured. "If you were not to think about these things, it would be wrong. You are tired, but be patient. Sleep will come to you when it is ready." She nodded swiftly at me. "Now tell me, how long have you been suffering insomnia?"

"Recently. My mind is so full of thoughts, I can't just calm down." I confessed, throwing my paws out in front of me. "I don't know what to do."

"As I told you, be patient. Embrace the thoughts. Sleep will come to you eventually. Do not worry about these thoughts, as they are natural." Linnea repeated herself, her voice calm and soothing. Listening to her, I felt drowsy again.

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" I mumbled, my voice sounding bewildered and lost. "I was never the nicest cat to you…"

Linnea smiled softly, her eyes gleaming luminously in the pale light. "Because I know all about masks. I've hidden beneath one all my life." She nudged me forward. "Now return to Emberstrike, and go to sleep. Good night."

"Good night." I leapt lightly off of the window, and padded towards Emberstrike. I curled myself around her, vowing to protect her no matter what. I pressed her closer to me, and she let out a soft murmur in her sleep, but did not wake. Purring gently, I rasped my tongue over her head and let my body relax. I fell slack, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I awaited for sleep to come, but it didn't. Instead of allowing my thoughts in, I embraced them and simply relaxed.

I didn't even know I had drifted off.

~•~•~•~•~•~

"Get up, you lazy badger."

I groaned, but didn't fully wake. I kept my eyes squeezed shut. Instead, I pricked my ears and opened my jaw slightly, listening and tasting the air. I purred softly as I felt the delicious scent of mice flood my senses, and I immediately felt myself start to drool. I opened my ears and could hear the scuffling of paws, and knew that Emberstrike was probably hunting for her and Linnea.

Letting out a giant yawn, I scrambled to my paws, blinking my eyes open. I hissed as the bright light stung at my eyes, blinking multiple times per heartbeat so my vision could slowly adjust and it wouldn't be patched with a blinding white spots. I sighed, before arched my back and then reached out my paws, stretching carefully. Shaking my head with exhaustion, I blundered towards Emberstrike. As always, when I caught sight of the beautiful she-cat, I drew in a breath of surprise. Surprise at how me, some sort of ambitious, hating, dangerous cat could possibly have a pure, intelligent, perfect cat like Emberstrike at my side as my mate. I glanced at her beautiful slender figure, her striking fiery ginger pelt and red tipped ears and tail, at her dainty paws, and her dazzling amber eyes. I let out a quiet sigh of awe of her beauty. It still astounded me.

"You look exhausted." She observed, her red ears flicking in surprise. "Did you not sleep well?" I sighed, and didn't respond. I was honestly stressed. I had spent a long time thinking last night, wondering and worrying about our meeting with StarClan. What if they weren't there? What if they had left us alone? What if when I went to BloodClan, they just killed me? I shuddered with horror.

"I'm fine." I meowed, forcing my voice to sound concerning. I felt a flash of protectiveness rise in me. Now I had to protect Emberstrike, and to protect her meant to keep her from danger and stress. If that meant my having to lie to protect her, then I would. If she knew of all the thoughts that were haunting me and keeping me awake per night, she would fret about me, and that would cause harm to our kits. I sighed again. Last night was not a nice night. I had tossed and turned, and somehow managed to just simply avoid the comfort spot that would lull me to sleep. I stifled another yawn, and instead just curled my muzzle in a smile.

Emberstrike shot me a glance through narrowed eyes, but didn't further press the issue. Instead, she just nodded at the barn. "The prey is good here." She sighed wistfully. "If only every leaf-bare we could bring the clans here. Famine would never be a problem again." I agreed with her. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why often the more ancient leaders of ThunderClan, like Firestar and Blackstar, had often talked about the old forest. Maybe that's why they never wanted to leave. I frowned. I wondered what it would be like if we had still lived in the old forest. Perhaps then we wouldn't have had to make such a long journey, but then we would have never met the Tribe. I shivered suddenly, realizing just how important history was. If we hadn't met the Tribe, they would all be brutally slain by Sharptooth by now. Or at least that's what I was told, when cleaning the elder's den.

"Yeah." I smiled at her, jerking back to reality as she tapped me on the shoulder. She shot me a worried glance, and I felt my belly stir with unease. Stress wasn't good! Considering how young she was, it was fatal as it gets. I couldn't let her worry. "I'm fine." I meowed. "Just ate a bad mouse, that's all." I flicked my tail. I figured she would believe me. There are so many mice, that one was definitely bound to be ill.

"Alright… But don't get lost in your thoughts so much." Emberstrike meowed, her voice sounding concerned. I shot her a grin, before flouncing off as happily as I could. Once out of her eyesight, my shoulders slumped and ears drooped. Worry lanced through me. What would happen if StarClan had rejected me? Ivypool had recently been ignoring me, and as much as I tried, I could not feel the ghostly presence that so often padded by my side. When I called out to her, like I had last night, she had meowed nothing, thought nothing, and I felt so utterly alone and defeated.

"Are you okay?" A quieter, more calm voice cut through my thoughts.

"Yeah." I muttered. I flicked my ear, warning her to be quiet as I saw a mouse dart across my vision. Seeing it stop and nibble on some hay, I waggled my hindquarters and leaped. Completely distracted, I landed about a whole fox-lengths beside it, missing it completely. In fact, I don't think it even noticed me.

"Wow." Linnea laughed. "The prey here is so slow and fat, even I can catch it." And as if to prove her point, she dropped into an uneven, unstable, and completely incorrect crouch. However, as she leapt, she still managed to pin the mouse down, trapping it beneath her hind-paws. She swiftly delivered a killing bite, and dropped it at my paws with a smug expression. I knew she was trying to joke and cheer me up, but our conversation still lingered at the back of my mind. And now around her, I felt suddenly so… different. As if I owed her one. I didn't like that feeling as much, but I admitted she had did me a pretty big favor.

"Thanks." I grunted, picking up the mouse and holding it between my jaws. I padded towards Emberstrike, and lay down aside her. My tail twitching, I slowly tore at the flesh. I gently ripped off a chunk of the fresh-kill, and chewed at it slowly, saving the taste. It was tender and soft, the bones coated with many layers of meat and fat. Quickly, I crunched through the vole, and stood up to go hunt for another one. Emberstrike meowed nothing, just watched me silently.

"Are we fit to travel?" Linnea meowed, her cheery voice breaking our conversation.

Linnea smiled softly, her eyes gleaming luminously in the pale light. "Because I know all about masks. I've hidden beneath one all my life." She nudged me forward. "Now return to Emberstrike, and go to sleep. Good night."

I wondered if she was under a mask right now. If her cheerfulness was false, and she was just faking it. For Emberstrike's sake. Maybe even for my sake. I gave her an exhausted nod, and she shot me an empathetic glance. I picked myself up, my paws dragging across the ground.

"One more mouse." Emberstrike reminded me.

I remembered the joking promise I made to her the previous night.

"Tomorrow, at the very least I'll have two mice. If we lived here, I'll get so fat others will be thinking I'm the pregnant one here." I joked, my voice light-hearted and bright.

"I'm not fat yet!" Emberstrike protested. Her eyes glinted. "I like the idea of fattening you up though. You could use a little meat on your bones."

"Fine."

I nodded at her, sliding on a cheerful and bright façade. "Of course." I purred, before sliding forward. Linnea rushed forward, flanking me.

"Need me to catch you another one?" She muttered.

I blinked in embarrassment. "Maybe."

I opened my jaws to taste the air, and felt the sweet scent of mice flooding into my jaws. My eyes's attention swiveled towards a mouse crouched by the side, nibbling on a small piece of hay. Dropping into a hunter's crouch, I pressed myself low to the ground, my tail curled slightly over my back. I evened my weight out, and pounced forward. "Mouse-dung!" I hissed as I landed next to the small critter, and with a terrified squeal the prey raced away from my slashing claws. Luckily for me, it headed in the direction of Linnea, and she bit down hard on it's neck.

"Your welcome." The light brown tabby she-cat meowed, and with a white paw, she nudged the mouse towards me. "Better eat fast."

I swallowed the mouse in a few ravenous gulps. It really was delicious.

Emberstrike was watching our interaction through narrowed eyes. She was bound to be suspicious by how friendly I was acting to her. I bounded forward, brushing gently against her pelt and flicking her ear lightly with my tail. "How did you sleep?" I asked her brightly.

"I had a dream that I was chasing a fat vole," The story coming out of her mouth sounded bright, but her eyes were dull and her ears were drooping. She didn't look exhausted, but rather worried and confused. About me. "and I caught it." She swiped her tongue over her whiskers. "It wasn't as good as the mice in this barn though. Those mice are fat!"

"Yeah." I agreed, but even to me my voice sounded half-hearted and inattentive. I struggled to look more focused for Emberstrike, but it seemed that I just couldn't.

"Let's get moving." Linnea meowed quickly, saving me from an awkward conversation.

"Great." I meowed, relief bubbling n my chest. "I'll take the lead. You she-cat's can talk about your silly she-cat problems behind me." I was teasing, but only Linnea laughed. Emberstrike was just gazing at me, her eyes dark with concern. I shot a pleading glance at Linnea, begging her to distract the beautiful ginger she-cat for me, and to take her mind off of me for a while.

~•~•~•~•~•~

"Is Fallenpaw acting weird to you?" I frowned, shooting a glance to Linnea.

The light brown tabby simply shrugged. "I dunno. The only time he speaks to me is when he's complaining about something."

Worry stirred my heart. I knew there was something going on. Fallenpaw wasn't being honest with me, and I was going to find out why. But I knew that now wasn't the best time. He looked troubled, and I assumed that him taking the lead was so he could have some time alone with his thoughts. I hoped he would sort it out soon, and tell me. Frustration surged through me. He had been acting over defensive and protective ever since he found out I was pregnant. For a heartbeat, I hated the kits. Immediately, I curled my tail over my barely swollen stomach, apologizing. I didn't hate them. They were the creations of me and Fallenpaw. They would be the ones to follow in our paw steps! Well, if we didn't die first.

"That field is a bit dangerous. There are a couple of dogs." Linnea called, and Fallenpaw turned his thick and strongly built figure around.

"What do we do about it?" He demanded.

Linnea scuffled her paws, and even I knew her answer before she meowed it. "We just have to stick with the sheep!"

Fallenpaw gave her a sharp nod and veered towards the sheep. I stiffened in shock at having to be next to the large fluffy animals. I opened my jaws to taste the air, and immediately I felt my jaws flood with a savory scent. Sheep smelled good! I refrained myself from hunting one, knowing that the sheep were my safe passage. I glanced around the field, checking for dogs. The field was big, and at a part ahead there was a bed of tall, large stems. Growing from the side of them, there were a couple of large bulbs on certain tall stems.

"What're those large bulbs?" I asked Linnea.

The kittypet twitched an ear. "Corn. They're growing it so they can eat it."

I frowned with disgust, but then I wondered. That was actually pretty smart. They were actually intelligent enough to grow their own food, as we liked to grow our own herbs. I wonder if they ate the corn? Or maybe since they were so big, they would eat the sheep? I shrugged. Who knows what Twolegs do. I gazed forward at the field again, surprised at how big it was.

Lost in thought, I veered away from the sheep to get a better look. Sighing, I ignored Fallenpaw's worried cry. I would get back to them in just a heartbeat, he didn't have to fret so. I could see him dash frantically forward to me, but a spike of indignation just rose in me, and I leapt backwards.

"I'm sick of you being so overprotective!" I snapped at him, my neck fur fluffing up. "I'm not some injured kit you have to take care of! I can protect myself."

His jaw dropped open, and his eyes widened in horror. I stiffened as well. I felt large vibrations under my paws, the paw steps being too big for cats. I felt myself freeze in horror as I felt the hot breath billow against my back. I leapt forward just as the dog snapped his jaws. "Run!" Fallenpaw shouted. We leapt forward, our paws pounding against the ground. Horror shot through me as I could still feel the dog's hot breath billowing against my back.

"There are two of them!" Linnea cried out a warning. "You'll have to split up and lead them opposite directions. Confuse them!"

Fallenpaw shot me a worried glance, and I clenched my jaw in fury. "I can protect myself!" I howled angrily at him. "Stop worrying about me, and start worrying about your own tail!" With that, I swerved swiftly to the right and began racing forward. I could feel the dog's teeth lightly graze my tail, and I let out a yelp of horror, drawing it back. I was glad I had noticed the corn field earlier, because that was exactly where I was headed.

Taking another sharp turn, my paws skidded across the ground. I gasped, sinking my claws into the dirt to stop myself from tumbling over my own paws. I let out a whimper of pain as the dog snapped his muzzle and sank it in my tail. Twisting around, I scratched at his nose. He immediately let go, and at that time I bunched up my muscles, and poured all of the energy into the frantic sprint I was going to make to the corn field. I saw the world blur around me as my paws barely skimmed the ground, and I streaked forward into the corn field. I could no longer feel the hot, stinky breath of the dog and satisfaction shot through me. The wind buffeted heavily against my fur, slamming against my side, but I just ignored it, narrowed my eyes and pushed myself forward. I skidded to a stop before it, and ducked under the large, slightly wilting leaves and squeezed my way into it. When I was in safely enough, I shot the dog a smirk.

"Can't catch me now!" I taunted, my eyes wild with excitement. My body still pumped with adrenaline, and I bounced around in circles. That was the most excitement I had in a long time, as the twolegplace was too scary. I was so pleased to feel the wind against my pelt, the world blurring against me… A worried feeling still gnawed at my heart, and I wondered what it was.

Then I realized. I picked myself up to my paws, and brushed away leaves as I warily peeked my head outside of the corn field. Where was Fallenpaw? The silver and black tabby tom was now facing the dog, swiping at his muzzle. Linnea was… wait what? The light brown and white tabby was fighting alongside him, swiping weak but slightly effective blows at the dog's side.

"Fallenpaw! Linnea!" I called, praying my voice would be loud enough for them to hear. "Get over here! To the corn field!"

Fallenpaw's senses were stronger, as he was used to scenting for prey and danger. His ears pricked, and he glanced at me. In that second, the dog flung him against the ground. He let out a shriek of pain.

"Get up and get over here!" I shouted, my voice coated with desperation.

Fallenpaw seemed to understand, and his jaws were open. "Linnea, follow me!" He called over his shoulder, as he picked himself up to his paws and streaked forward. Dirt and grass was flying up under his unsheathed claws as he kicked and pushed himself forward. Linnea was only a bit behind him, and I was admittedly impressed by her speed. The two cats dashed forward, and almost slammed into me. Fallenpaw flicked me with his tail. "Deeper!"

I then knew what he was talking about. The dog that was chasing him was smaller, and could fit. The dog squeezed himself forward, yapping and barking. He snapped his jaws, and immediately I was on my paws. My heart pounded and blood roared in my ears as I dashed forward, swerving to avoid corn stalks. I took no notice of the cats around me, only concentrated on getting away from the dog. I trusted Linnea to be able to know her way around, as a kittypet, and Fallenpaw to be able to wrestle his way through, with his strength and intelligence. I swatted at the leaves with a ginger paw, and managed to wriggle my way deeper into the corn field. When I stopped, I was gulping for air.

I glanced around, and realized there were no cats near me.

Fear streaked through me. "I'm lost."

~•~•~•~•~•~

"Emberstrike?" I called, worry squirming like a worm in my belly. "Emberstrike?" I glanced at my side. Linnea was flanking me, but she was panting heavily and gulping for air. She was obviously not fit enough to move right now. Frustration and anger stabbed at me, if Emberstrike hadn't been so difficult and let me protect her, we wouldn't be in this mess! "I can't believe it! She wouldn't let me protect her, and now look what happened!" I teared my claws at the dirt in frustration.

"She doesn't want you to fight her battles." Linnea countered, her tail flicking. "She can protect herself. She's not even a quarter moon into the pregnancy yet."

"But…" My voice trailed off. "I just can't stand it!" My voice sounded weak and feeble as I meowed, and I slumped to the ground to defeat. "What if she's injured?" I wanted to wail like a lost kit at the prospect of her being lost. I pressed my muzzle into Linnea's shoulder, trying to push away all dark thoughts. Emberstrike wasn't dead. I knew she wasn't. She was simply just lost.

"Calm down, silly." Linnea flicked my head with her tail. "Can you pick up any scent of her?"

I opened my jaws to taste the air, and despair weighed like a heavy stone in my stomach. "No!" I cried out, starting to spin myself in circles with horror. Where could she possibly be? If she was hurt! I started to hyperventilate, just thinking about it.

"Oh, gosh." Linnea sighed, her whiskers twitching in exasperation. "Stop worrying. Emberstrike isn't a 'mouse-brain'. She's one of the smartest cats I've ever met, and probably that you've ever met. She wouldn't let some silly corn fall on her, and she definitely won't let some dog get at her."

My vision was starting to clear, and I took a couple of deep, relaxing breaths. "You're right." I gasped. "She wouldn't let a dog catch her!" I picked myself up, my muscles tensing with determination. "And I'm smart enough to find her!" Ignoring Linnea's cry for me to wait, I brushed through the cornstalks. Out of all the fields, she just so happened to be lost in one with tall plants that touched the sky. I brushed against the cornstalks, and padded through the corn. "Emberstrike!" I called. "Emberstrike!" I spun around, hoping to find Linnea by my side. She hadn't wandered off had she? Fear caused me to stiffen as I realized she wasn't near me. "Linnea!" I shouted.

"Here!" She called back at me. "Look up! And for 'StarClan's' sake, calm down." She meowed StarClan with an almost laughing tone, but she seemed to be controlling herself. She was perched neatly on the top of two cornstalks. They were wobbling under her weight, but she was standing neatly at the top of them, her forepaws and hind-legs wrapped around it. "Steady it, would you?"

Immediately, I wrapped my body around the cornstalks, steadying the two. I put one paw on each one, hoping that would prevent it from moving. They still trembled, but I seemed to be causing them to stop swaying at least. "Can you see her?" I demanded.

Linnea was squinting. "Wait, hold on." She spun her head around, her claws scrabbling at the corn stalk as she struggled to turn around. "I see her!" She shouted. "She's not far, just about fifteen fox-lengths ahead of us. She seems to be making her way to the exit."

I sighed in relief and pulled away from the corn, forgetting that Linnea was balanced on top of it. She let out a panicked yowl as she fell, and I winced at the thud. "Are you okay?" I meowed, forcing myself to keep my voice straight and unamused.

"Yeah." She grunted, shooting me a glance through narrowed eyes. I gave her a quick nod.

I padded forward, towards the direction on which Linnea had pointed. I brushed my pelt against the cornstalks, squeezing in between smaller spaces. I accidentally rattled one, and a corn fell on my head. I groaned with pain. "That hurt." I heard a mrrow of amusement behind me, and shot a narrowed glance at Linnea. She quickly snapped her jaws shut, and looked the other direction as if pretending she didn't laugh. Rolling my eyes, I kept going.

We padded through the corn field forever, and I had been bonked on the head by corn already three times. I glanced up, the corn blocked my vision and it just stretched all the way to the sky. Stifling a sigh of frustration, I started to run. I dashed forward, swerving to the side and avoiding the corn field. I let out a yelp of surprise as I crashed into someone, and the other cat let out a yelp of surprise as well. I picked myself up, and so did she.

"Emberstrike!" I cried out a welcome, burying my muzzle in her fur. "I was so worried."

"I got lost." She confessed, her ears twitching. "Hi Fallenpaw, hi Linnea."

"Hi." Linnea meowed from behind us. "You're mate here started to hyperventilate. So stupid." She shook her head in disgust, but Emberstrike just purred with amusement and butted me gently. I shuffled my paws in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for being so overprotective." I meowed. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know." Emberstrike meowed softly, brushing her cheek against mine. "But I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." A loud purr rumbled out of my chest.

"When you're done with the love-talk, would you come forward? We're practically out of this corn field." Linnea called from up ahead. Exchanging an amused glance with Emberstrike, I padded forward. We brushed our pelts, following Linnea's lead. I swerved to avoid corn stalks, unwilling for one to land on Emberstrike. After what seemed like moons, we finally made it out of the awful corn field. I sucked in a gasp, and awe caused me to freeze. It was incredible.

Up ahead, giant stones stretched upwards, jutting out of the ground. They were almost as tall as the mountains, and they loomed ahead of us. They were amazingly tall, and to the side of it lay Mothermouth. I could see the cavern just ahead. It was a full grassy field from here to Highstones, but sorrow pricked my heart as I looked beyond. The once-beautiful forest had now become a twolegplace, and it had multiple nests and thunderpaths on it. Pushing away my sorrow, excitement entered me once more.

"Highstones." Emberstrike breathed, her eyes round with awe.

"We've finally made it."

Whew. That took a while to write, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. I decided to add some of Fallenpaw's thoughts on how he really felt about being away from home, and how he reflected on his past life and how much he realized he had matured. T_T Also, I decided to put a gentler side to Linnea because I think that even a cat as happy as her must get lonely at some times. :O

As always, Read & Review! And don't be hesitant to Follow or/and Fave if you like it! I really appreciate it! Thanks! (: