Mothfall dropped the soaked moss at the edge of Briarstreak's nest. "Come on. You must be thirsty."

The dark brown molly leaned her head out of her nest to sniff at the moss ball. "Don't patronize me. I'm not an elder."

"I'm not." Mothfall shuffled her paws awkwardly before taking a step back. "I heard you coughing from outside the den while I was doing my exercises with Ambereye. I just finished up, so I thought I'd grab you something to drink."

After a heartbeat, Briarstreak lapped at it with her tongue. She smacked her lips together, and when she next spoke, her mew had lost the harsh edge to its rasp. "Aren't you back to work? Why are you stuck running apprentice tasks?"

"I'm doing border patrols, but I can't hunt and I'm under strict orders to stay out of any potential border skirmishes," Mothfall told her. "But that doesn't mean I can't help out a Clanmate when she needs help."

"Huh." Briarstreak rose to her paws. She shook out her fur before shouldering past Mothfall, who stepped out of the way. The old warrior paused at the entrance of the den. For a moment, Mothfall thought she was going to thank her, but instead she snipped, "If you're idle enough to help out old cats like me with one paw in the elders' den, you have too much time on your paws. You can join the border patrol. They should be leaving soon."

Mothfall padded after her, fur prickling. She blinked as she stepped into the sunlight. After her vision cleared, she could see cats not yet out on patrol relaxing around camp. Almost a moon had passed since the sickness had taken their Clanmates' lives, and the hope that the worst was over was solidifying into certainty more and more with each passing day. It seemed that the worst was truly over.

Mothfall saw Ratpelt call out to Briarstreak and bound over to her. "You must be hungry! Come over here, I saved a tasty crow for us to share."

The older warrior purred and padded after him. "You're so thoughtful, Ratpelt. How did you remember that crow was my favorite?"

Mothfall swallowed and looked away. She hadn't been completely honest with Briarstreak. In truth, the more time she spent helping out with menial tasks around camp, the less she had to notice Ratpelt watching her across the clearing, eyes burning with an unasked question: What will you do? Mothfall shuddered at the thought of his steely gaze. Still, it was hard to deny that his approaching deputyship might be all the proof she needed that he was right about StarClan. Why else would they sit silently as Berrystar and Briarstreak all but outright declared that he was next in line to become deputy, and leader soon after?

Ambereye carried a mouse into the leader's den, Grasseyes hot on his heels, as Berrystar's muffled mew invited them both inside. Nearby, Tawnywhisker rolled over back into a sunny spot in her sleep, still tired from staying up all night standing vigil for her warrior name. Oakpaw and Mudpaw lay on either side of her, sharing worried glances. The sandy-furred molly had been sullen ever since the loss of her mentor Seedshade, and despite Ratpelt's encouragement, never flourished under his guidance. Mothfall had heard Snailwhisper gripe that Berrystar had made Tawnywhisker a warrior just to end her endless complaining and dragging of her paws.

Oakpaw pressed his nose to Tawnywhisker's ear before creeping off to join Bravefeather. Once he reached his mentor's side, they padded out of camp. As he glanced over his shoulder, he caught Mothfall's eyes before turning away. He hadn't spoken to her since he'd gone back to his training.

Near the nursery, Meadowstripe lay on his side while Rapidfoot kneaded his paws into his mate's flank. The gray-and-white tom purred something that Mothfall couldn't catch, and Meadowstripe swatted him with his tail.

A few tail-lengths away, Smallheart lay on her side, her small size making her pregnant belly even more prominent than Meadowstripe's. She ran her tail over her own belly, which was rounding from her unborn litter of kits – she'd announced she was expecting Puddlespots' second litter just a few days after his passing. As Mothfall watched, she sighed and turned her head away, squeezing her eyes shut.

Beechtail padded over to Smallheart. The gray-speckled molly cracked open on eye when she heard her approach. "Oh." She curled up and covered her tail with her eyes. "I'm not talking right now."

Beechtail's tail twitched. "I thought I'd check in and see if you needed anything. Do you want some water? Or to go on a walk?"

Smallheart flicked her tail just low enough to glare at Beechtail. "I'm fine. I was just… lost in thought."

Beechtail nodded and sat down next to her but didn't speak. After a tense heartbeat of silence, Smallheart murmured, "I want to name one after him."

"After Puddlespots?" Beechtail asked gently, running her tail over Smallheart's side.

"Him and Willowgaze."

Mothfall remembered that he and Grasseyes were Smallheart and Shortleg's fathers. She'd rarely seen the four of them together, but she could see both her and her sibling's resemblance to Grasseyes in their speckled pelts. She couldn't imagine how it must hurt to lose both your mate and your father at once.

"It's the perfect way to keep his memory alive." Beechtail rain her tail down the molly's side soothingly.

Feeling like she was intruding on a private moment, Mothfall turned her attention away from them and towards the front of camp. Her heart sank when she saw who was gathering for the next patrol. Shortleg, Ferntooh, Beelight, and Troutpath. Four cats she hadn't so much as made eye contact with in moons. She padded up to them, tail curling around her legs as she mumbled, "Briarstreak ordered me on this patrol."

Troutpath grunted.

"Alright," Shortleg sighed. "Come along, then. StarClan knows why Briarstreak wants such a large patrol to check out our farthest territory line. It's not like we'd run the risk of getting into a fight with another Clan."

Mothfall trailed behind the patrol as they headed out of camp.

The day was warm with Green-leaf. Mothfall breathed in the cool, damp air, thankful that the pine trees kept the worst of the heat at bay. As they continued down the territory line, Troutpath intertwined his tail with Beelight, whispering something in her ear. Shortleg mewed something under his breath to Ferntooth. Mothfall tried to listen, but couldn't concentrate. She heard the cats' voices muffling together, and the pine boughs swaying overhead, and kits crying out, and a nearby bird calling, and—

Wait.

Mothfall stopped, straining. She wasn't certain, but. Yes. "Hey, do you hear that?" she mewed.

The rest of the patrol stopped. "Hear what?"

"I think I hear kits."

"Kits? This far from any of the Clans' camps?" Troutpath sounded disbelieving.

"Well, they'd be rogue kits, obviously." Mothfall stepped away from the territory, ears straining. "They're this way. Follow me." She charged forward, not waiting for the others to agree or disagree. Her paws smarted as she pushed forward, but after several heartbeats she pulled to a stop. She shook her head, trying to concentrate.

There.

She nosed her way under a bush. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust after the bright sunlight outside, but as her vision cleared she recognized several pairs of eyes blinking up at her.

"You're not mom," one voice mewed.

She turned around as she felt more than heard the pawsteps of her Clanmates approaching. "I can hear them now, too," Beelight mewed.

"They're under this bush." Mothfall angled her ears.

Beelight stuck her head underneath, cooing when she saw the kittens. "Hello, darlings! What are you doing out all alone?" When she pulled back, she carried a kitten in her jaws, a gray-and-white tom so skinny his ribs jutted out of his skin. "Poor thing," she clucked, laying him on the ground. "He's half starved to death."

Troutpath wriggled out of the brush and came out with three more at his paws, a light brown tabby, a brown tabby, and a brown and white. "They all are."

"Do you have a mother?" Beelight cooed, ushering them all close with her tail.

Despite their size, their eyes brightened with understanding as Beelight spoke, and a few of them pressed closer to her eagerly. Mothfall guessed they must be three moons old.

"Momma left a while ago and never came back," the brown and white molly mewed. She coughed.

"Momma had a cough, too," the brown tabby added.

"Oh, dear." Beelight shared an uneasy glance at the patrol. "Do you think she had greencough?"

"She must have." Shortleg shuffled their paws uncomfortably. "What do we do with them?"

"We should get them fed," Mothfall mewed. When the others stared at her, she shuffled her paws, awkward at imposing herself, but continued, "Look at how skinny they are. They need food. Shortleg, you go see what you can catch. Ferntooth and Troutpath, go see if you can find any trace of their mother. Beelight, keep them warm." As another kitten coughed, she added, "I'll go look for some tansy to help their cough."

"But Ambereye said you aren't allowed to go hunting," Shortleg mewed.

Mothfall rolled her eyes. "What is the tansy going to do, run away when I try and pick it? I'll be fine." Without waiting for the others to agree, she loped away, nose twitching as she searched the ground for any sign tansy. After helping Ambereye deal with greencough for so long, she knew its scent like the back of her paw.

It didn't take long to find some tansy and bring it back to the kits. She found Beelight curled around the kits, tail curled in delight as they told her about their life.

"And then Momma told us to stay in this bush, and she would be back soon!" the brown and white molly declared. "And we've been on our own since."

"Aren't you brave?" Beelight cooed.

Mothfall dropped the tansy at her paws. "Help me feed this to them."

With much coaxing, Beelight convinced each of the kits to swallow a leaf. The gray-and-white kit was l amost unresponsive. He didn't seem weaker than the rest, just uninterested. Mothfall had to chew the tansy and nudged it into his mouth before he swallowed.

Soon after, Shortleg showed up with a rabbit, and they repeated the process all over again. By the time the kits were fed, Ferntooth and Troutpath appeared. Ferntooth's dark ginger fur was ruffled and littered with leaves, and even Troutpath's normally smooth fur looked ragged.

"We couldn't find anything," he mewed. "She's gone."

"Can we keep them?" Beelight pleaeded. "Look at them. Haven't we been saying we wanted kits? This must be a gift from StarClan."

Ferntooth and Troutpath looked at Shortleg, who shrugged. "Don't look at me," they mewed. "Only Berrystar can be the judge of that."

"She'll have to let us keep them," Ferntooth decided. "Where else would they go?" She knelt down next to the kits, nuzzling them. "Hello, kits. Do you have names?"

The kits looked at each other. "I don't think so," the light brown molly mewed.

"Then we'll give you some."

"Look at how small they are," Beelight fretted. "Let's give them names that will inspire them to grow big and strong."

Troutpath nodded to the tan tabby. "You look sort of like Seedshade. Same yellow eyes."

Beelight shook her head. "I don't want to name one of my kits after her. It'd only make me sad."

Ferntooth nuzzled the tan tabby. "That white patch on your chest is so striking. What about Blazekit? Do you like that name, little kit?"

The tan kit stopped eating and raised their head long enough to think. "Is that a name for a tom or a molly?"

"Which one do you want it to be?" asked Ferntooth.

The kit shrugged. "Both. Neither. I don't know."

"Then that's what it is." Ferntooth cupped her paws around the kit, her purrs swelling.

Beelight tilted her head, considering the brown molly, "Her way her fur spikes up reminds me of your mom, Ferntooth. What if we named her Wildkit?"

The name made Mothfall quiver. She can't remember the last time she had thought about her mother Wildstep, unless Ratpelt was cursing her name.

Ferntooth nodded, tail curling with delight. "I love it. I'm sure my mom would be honored, if she knew."

Troutpath nudged the brown-and-white molly. "I'd like to call you Runningkit,"

"I like that," the molly announced. "I can run really fast."

"I'm sure you can," Troutpath purred.

"That leaves you, little one," Beelight nudged the gray-and-white tom again. "You need an extra strong name, to encourage you to grow up strong. I'd love to call you Leopardkit, or Tigerkit, but your colors are all wrong!"

Ferntooth tilted her head. "What about Adderkit?"

"Adderkit?" Troutpath's whiskers twitched. "That doesn't work anymore than Tigerkit."

"Adderkit?" the kit echoed. He chirped and wagged his tail.

"Sounds like you've decided for us," purred Beelight.

Adderkit chirped and wriggled closer to Beelight.

Blazekit puffed out their chest. "So, do we live with you now? For forever?"

"Yes," purred Ferntooth. "Forever and ever. Troutpath, Beelight, and I will be your new parents, now."

"That's nice. Having three parents is much better than none." They blinked, then yawned. As if on cue, Runningkit and Wildkit yawned too.

"Let's get you home, little ones," Beelight murmured. She picked up one of the kits in her mouth. Ferntooth, Troutpath, and Shortleg picked up the rest, and together the patrol started back towards camp.

Once again, Mothfall trailed behind the others, pelt prickling with apprehension. She knew bringing the kits home was the right choice, but she couldn't help but feel jealous that Ferntooth had taken to these kits so quickly. She hadn't looked at Mothfall once, even when she mentioned their mother.

They had barely made it to camp when cats started to turn their way, noticing that they hadn't come alone. They set the kittens on the ground as cats started to gather around, asking questions and sniffing the kittens with suspicious. Except for Adderkit, who grew even more silent and pressed against Beelight's paws, the kittens squealed and leapt around their new friends.

"What's going on?"

Everycat parted to make way for Berrystar as she limped forward, Ambereye fast at her side. His eyes widened when he saw the kittens on the ground, and he stopped in his tracks. At the sight of the huge, imposing leader, all of the kittens quieted, shrinking away from her and staring up at her with wide, frightened eyes.

Berrystar, however, did not seem as impressed. "What are these?"

"Kittens," Troutpath mewed, padding forward to press against Beelight's side.

"I can see that," Berrystar snapped. "But what are they doing here?"

"I found them outside of Clan territory. We looked all over, but couldn't find any trace of an adult cat nearby. Any caretakers they might have had must have died from greencough." Beelight mewed evenly.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Isn't that obvious?" Beelight raised her chin. "We're going to raise them."

"Raise them? But they're rogues!" Berrystar sniffed, tail lashing back and forth.

Beelight puffed out her chest. She glanced at Troutpath and Ferntooth, pressed on either side of her. "We've been talking about starting a family of our own for a while now. I'm not one to spit in the eye of an opportunity when it presents itself."

"ShadowClan is strong because its blood is pure," mewed Berrystar. "We're not taking in strays."

"What?" exclaimed Mothfall. Berrystar glared at her, and she pulled back, but didn't stop talking. "ShadowClan is strong because we take care of each other. Besides, they're young. If we raise them as ShadowClan cats, that's all they'll know, and they'll be loyal to ShadowClan."

"They're right, Berrystar," Ambereye mewed quietly. Berrystar whipped her head around to stare at him, eyes widened in surprise.

Ambereye had overcome his shock at the kittens and spoke quietly, now, his head low, but his voice even. "We should take them in. I think… no, I know that this is what StarClan would want."

Berrystar sniffed. "Fine. We'll keep them." Glaring at Beelight, Ferntooth, and Troutpath, she added, "You three are in charge of figuring out how to take care of them." She limped back to the den, tail lashing.

Troutpath leaned over. "Does she not understand point of parenting is?"

Ferntooth purred and headbutted the dark tortoiseshell in amusement.

That night, Mothfall wandered out of camp on her own. The dark shadows of the pines welcomed her, and she padded through the trees, imagining herself dissolving into little more than a shadow herself.

For a glorious short while, the kittens had distracted her from Ratpelt and his claims to immorality. Now that the excitement had worn off, all of her worries had come crashing back. On top of that, watching Ferntooth gush over her new kits as she introduced them to everycat in the Clan but herself only made the ache in her heart worse.

She wanted to be happy for her sister, she really did. But why did Ferntooth get to have a happy family when all Mothfall got was a moral dilemma? She stopped when she realized her aimless wandering had led her back to the lake shore. She wiggled her white toes as the soft pine needles turned to grass underpaw. She glanced up at the stars overhead.

"You don't care about my problems, and that's fine," she told them. "But at the same time… I wish you did."

The stars twinkled silently in response.

Mothfall grit her teeth. Maybe Ratpelt being right was a good thing. If he was right, then none of the horrible things that had happened to her meant anything. Her mom leaving, her brother leaving, Pricklepaw's death, even her own disorder, meant nothing. They were just random accidents that she experienced, and would continue to experience, and one day she would die.

"Mothfall?"

The ginger molly perked her ears, turning around and scanning the forest. Had StarClan answered her?

As she squinted, she caught a familiar scent on the breeze, and she could pick out the familiar dark ginger fur as she stepped out of the forest to stand beside her. "Ferntooth."

"May I?"

"Oh—Of course." Mothfall scooted over, and Ferntooth sat down next to her. She gazed out over the lake and the sky above, her dark yellow eyes glistening. The moon was almost full, and its shine made Ferntooth's dark ginger coat silvery.

Mothfall shuffled her paws, unsure what to say. This was the first time she'd come within three tail-lengths of her sister since Smokeheart had left. "How are you?" she asked.

"Good," Ferntooth's mew was brisk and light.

"And the kits?"

"Settling in the nursery with Beelight. It's too crowded in there for all of us, especially since Rapidfoot refuses to leave Meadowstripe alone. Berrystar would throw a fit if all three of us tried to stop our warrior duties. it's not like they still need milk." She twitched her whiskers. "So we're taking turns."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess." Mothfall wrapped her tail tight around her paws. "Um. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

As Ferntooth turned to meet Mothfall's gaze for the first time in moons, Mothfall's heart wrenched. Her sister was happy, yes, any cat could see that, but she could also see the way her whiskers drooped, and her eyelids sagged.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

Ferntooth blinked. "What for?"

"Seedshade's death is my fault."

"What are you talking about?"

Mothfall's fur prickled and each word stabbed her tongue like thorns as she spat them out. "I did something stupid. I thought I had been doing what was best for my Clan, but I messed up everything up. Because of that, I didn't get the catmint in time. I failed. Now six cats have died under my watch."

"Six?" Ferntooth echoed. "But there were only five."

Mothfall narrowed her eyes. "You forgot Pricklepaw."

"Pricklepaw?" Ferntooth mewed. She stiffened, and Mothfall looked away, ashamed. She felt warm breath against her as Ferntooth pressed her face against her side. "Moth, that wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was! If I had just been a bit faster… If I hadn't been so clumsy… If I hadn't frozen and forgotten how to talk… maybe she'd still be here."

"You know that's not true. Her spine had broken in three places."

Mothfall's fur bristled. "I can't know anything! All I know is this: I was slow, and clumsy, and now Pricklepaw and five other Clanmates are dead. Smokeheart is gone, and I did nothing to stop it." She swallowed thickly. "And somewhere along the way, I lost you, too."

"Oh, Moth." Ferntooth wrapped her front leg around Mothfall's shoulders, pressing her close. Mothfall buried her face in her sister's chest. "I didn't know that was how you felt."

"Of course you didn't. I never told you."

"I should have asked."

"I didn't want to tell you."

"Do you want to tell me now?"

Mothfall rose to her paws, pushing away from Ferntooth. "At first I thought maybe StarClan had planned it this way. Or if they hadn't, they at least cared. But now I think it's all just random, and everything just happened!" She growled and lashed her tail. "Which means it's all my fault."

Ferntooth flattened her ears. "Moth, listen to yourself."

"No, you listen," Mothfall growled. "The world is majorly messed up, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"Is that really how you feel?"

"Yeah. It is."

Ferntooth shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Mothfall shook her head. She tried to speak, but her tongue felt weighed down, and the only sound she could make was a wordless moan.

Ferntooth looked out over the lake, and the stars that twinkled in its reflection. "Would it make you feel any better if I told you I felt the same way about StarClan?"

"Really?"

Ferntooth shook her head and laughed. "It started with Pricklepaw. How could our ancestors allow something so terrible to happen? But then I thought that maybe it had to happen so that I could find Beelight and Troutpath to be happy. It wasn't until after Smokeheart left that I realized it was all a load of foxdung I told myself to justify the terrible things that had happened to me."

Mothfall blinked, surprised.

Ferntooth met her gaze, her dark yellow eyes somber. "I'm not sure I believe in StarClan at all. If they do exist, they certainly aren't orchestrating the universe's every move. But that doesn't matter, because we make our own goodness in the world. Cats deserve kindness because they're here, and being kind is the right thing to do. Not because being nice earns us good points for the afterlife." She sighed. "I was mad at you for so long, because Pricklepaw died, and Smokeheart disappeared… You were an easy target, because Dad liked you more, and in my pain I wasn't afraid to stoop low."

Mothfall grunted. She dug her paws into the ground. "I should go."

"No, don't." Ferntooth stood up, pleading. "What I'm trying to say is, you deserve kindness too. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. You've grown into an amazing cat, and I watched how selflessly you worked to save the lives of cats who didn't even want to accept your treatment. It's true, some cats died," her mew broke, and she took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing, "But just as many lived."

Mothfall watched her warily, tail ticking. "What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that I'd like to be involved in your life again. And if you'd have me, I'd like you to be involved in mine. And my kits'."

Mothfall blinked. "Your kits?"

"I want them to have good role models growing up. Role models like you, Moth." Ferntooth mewed. "Who know that doing the right thing means standing up for justice, even when it's hard. Even when it means talking back to your own leader. When it means helping your Clan, even if they won't talk to you." Ferntooth purred, amusement flickering in her eyes.

Warmth flooded Mothfall's heart. She pressed her cheek against her sister's. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes. I'd love to be a part of your kits' family."

"I'm so glad," Ferntooth purred so hard her entire body shook.

As Mothfall pulled away, her face fell. "But if we're going to do this, I have to be honest. There's something I haven't told you. Something I haven't told anycat."

Ferntooth met her gaze, her expression serious. "Tell me, then."

"Those rumors circling camp aren't true. Dad asked me to do something I wasn't willing. He's been trying to tear me down ever since."

"Oh, Moth," Fern mewed. "And you never did anything? That's so unlike you."

"I don't know." Mothfall hung her head, shame burning her fur. "I thought that maybe if I kept my head down and continued to be a good Clanmate, everycat would come to their senses. I guess I was scared what would happen if Dad found out I was speaking poorly of him."

Ferntooth made a sympathetic noise. "Oh, Moth." She pressed her face into the mane of ginger fur around Mothfall's neck. "I had heard the rumors, and I'm ashamed to say I believed them. I'm sorry that I thought so poorly of you. But I'll stand with you now. Anything you need, I'll be there."

"And I'll be there for you and your kits, too." Mothfall pressed her nose to her sister's, warmth kindling in her heart.

Pulling back, Mothfall gazed back at the lake, and the stars overhead. If StarClan really had been watching down on her, they wouldn't have done this. They wouldn't have separated her from her family, only to bring them back together again.

So maybe StarClan didn't matter. Maybe that didn't matter.

She had her family.

They would create their own good in the world.

"Did you mean what you said, about sticking by me, no matter what?"

"Of course."

"I have an idea, and I could use your help…"

Yay something good happened for once! This is one of the more fun chapters that I've been really excited to share with y'all. I hope you enjoy because Adderkit is the love of my life and you cannot change my mind!