It was raining. How fitting. Over the claps of thunder and roar of the rain, Jayfeather could almost pretend like he couldn't hear the yowls of clan cats behind him.

"Where did they go?"

"I'm losing the scent trail!"

"Come on, I see pawprints this way!"

Lionblaze suddenly slammed into him, reminding the medicine cat that he had to keep moving. His paws slipped in the slick mud and he stumbled but he managed to catch himself and keep ambling forward. His muscles were sore and his breaths had long since become labored but he wasn't out of danger yet. Not even close. He had to keep running.

He couldn't imagine how hard this was for Dovewing. Unlike Jayfeather and Lionblaze, she was close with her kin, not to mention her powers were heavily reliant on the world around her. The storm paired with the clans' yowls had to be making this so much worse for her.

"How did this happen?" she whispered, nearly coming to a stop. Lionblaze broke from Jayfeather's side for a moment to push her forward roughly.

"Don't stop!" he snapped. He butted Jayfeather's shoulder, forcing his paws forward again. "Neither of you!"

"I can't help that I can't see anything!" Jayfeather retorted, voice just as sharp. "I can't hear or smell anything either! You want me to keep moving-"

"Sorry Jayfeather," Lionblaze said, cutting him off. Jayfeather's eyes narrowed but Lionblaze sounded genuinely sorry. He skidded to a stop, sending up a slosh of mud, and offered his tail. Jayfeather was surprised for a moment but wasted no time securing his teeth around it. Lionblaze usually prefered guiding by flanking but they had no time for comfort.

Still tugging Jayfeather along, Lionblaze shouldered Dovewing once again, roughly reminding her that they had to hurry. The rain was still coming down hard as ever but Jayfeather could still hear cats nearing. He wished the rain would ease up, his fur was plastered unpleasantly against his skin and he couldn't pick up any scents, but he knew the downpour was the only reason they hadn't been caught yet. The only reason they'd made it this far. The only reason they were still alive. It was probably the only reason none of them had broken down yet either. If they could smell exactly who was chasing them...

"They're getting closer," Dovewing murmured and Jayfeather squeezed his blind eyes shut. The thrum of pawsteps and the sound of voices were mere foxlengths behind them, just behind the treeline. Any moment now, their pursuers were going to break through the undergrowth and they'd be on top of them.

Lionblaze could fight them off. Dovewing could probably hold her own but with the sheer number of cats and the rain… No. No way was Jayfeather about to let his allies get caught. But what could he do? Out of the medicine den, he was virtually useless. His powers had no use out and about in the-

"Jay's Wing!"

Oh right. That.

"Thanks Rock," Jayfeather said aloud and released his brother's tail, ignoring his startled yowl when the silvery tom left his side. "Come on! Follow me!"

Lionblaze and Dovewing hissed in surprise and urgency as they began sprinting after the silvery tom. "Jayfeather! Get back here! You're going to trip."

"Where is it?" Jayfeather murmured, slowing to a trot. His head whipped around frantically in search of safety. "Where is it?"

"What are you looking for?"

Jayfeather flattened his ears, not wanting to listen to his friends' worries over the rain and the yowls in the distance. "It's here somewhere."

Pawsteps suddenly became louder and voices cut through the air like claws through ice.

"There they are!"

"Get them!"

"Don't let them escape!"

"Jayfeather!" Dovewing's voice hit a sharp pitch. Jayfeather felt panic washing off her in waves. "Do something!"

"I am!" he snapped in response. Suddenly, his paws hit something. Or rather, nothing. Rearing onto his hind paws, he tried his best to shove them both. "Now move!"

A heartbeat ago, she was fine. She was just lounging in the ThunderClan camp after a nice meal. The clan was out of the camp. It was a full moon and as much as she'd have loved to see Tigerheart, she couldn't ignore the order to stay home and watch over the camp. It wasn't a punishment, just unlucky. Every cat had their turn once in a while. At least she had some good company tonight.

Later, she regretted not listening. It was her job, to listen that is. She should've been listening. Maybe then she wouldn't have been so surprised when Lionblaze and Jayfeather burst into camp, heartbeats erratic and eyes wild with fear.

They ran. And then it started pouring.

She wasn't sure how long they ran through that storm. She couldn't see the moon. In the back of her mind, she knew that meant StarClan was angry but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she could focus on was the thrum of her pawsteps and the vicious yowls behind her.

Was that Mousewhisker hissing? She could swear she could hear Hazeltail trying to calm him down. And Spiderleg, he sounded so angry. Who was he shouting at? Was that Ivypool? Was her sister chasing her? No, her range was too far. She was listening to the camp. Who was chasing her?

Birchfall's pawsteps were too close. Too familiar. He was silent but Dovewing knew he was there and that made her heart ache more than if he'd been snarling. He was running beside a ShadowClan warrior… Crowfrost, was it? And there was a RiverClan warrior just a tail length away from him. In any other situation, Dovewing would've laughed. Birchfall never got along with other clan cats. For him to be-

Thunder clapped and lighting streaked across the sky, drawing Dovewing's attention back to her immediate surroundings. She could hear Lionblaze's breaths, heavy with exhaustion and damp from the rain. His muscles were tense despite his tiredness. His fight or flight instincts were running wild. The same went for Jayfeather. He was as on edge as a cat could be, paws shuffling through the mud with a fervor Dovewing had never seen in him and that was saying something.

She was hardly aware of the words leaving her own mouth. And then she was falling.

She couldn't help but let out a yowl of alarm as her paws were swept out from under her. She hit the ground and she expected to just lie still but she just kept falling through the opening in the ground.

Tumbling, her paws flailed out wildly in an effort to catch herself to no avail. It just made more mud get caught under her paws. It was bad enough it was caked into her fur but now she doubted she could claw a cat properly if she had the chance.

She wasn't thinking about that though. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she fell, an overwhelming need to survive flooding her body. But she couldn't do anything. She couldn't control herself falling like this. She hoped it would stop soon. There was a surface under her at least, it almost like rolling down a hill. She hoped it wouldn't disappear.

Dovewing hit the stone heavily and it jarred her so badly she could feel it echoing in her bones. Her shoulder and hip throbbed where the initial impact was made but she could barely feel it over the spiraling of her mind. It felt like her ears were ringing. They probably were.

Paws touched her flank and shook her, trying to rouse her. "Hey, get up."

Dovewing groaned and lifted her head. Her muscles protested as she pushed to get her paws under her but after everything she'd just gone through, she wasn't about to lie down and give up. "What in the name of StarClan was that, Jayfeather?"

"I was saving your tails," Jayfeather shot back, whisking his tail behind him. His gaze softened ever so slightly. "Are you two okay?"

"I think so," Lionblaze groaned as he sat up. "I just need a moment."

"Where are we?" Dovewing asked, looking around. She couldn't see anything. It was nearly pitch black but her sharp ears told her there were walls on all sides of her. It wasn't loud but the cats' voices were echoing ever so slightly, off stone and earth if she had to guess. Were they in some kind of cave? There were no caves on clan territory that she knew of.

"The tunnels," Jayfeather responded tonelessly.

"The tunnels?" Lionblaze exploded, bouncing to his paws. "Do you have bees in your brain? It's pouring out there Jayfeather!"

"Better drowning than getting torn apart by our clanmates!" Jayfeather hissed and whipped around. "I know these tunnels. I'll get us out of here."

"And right into our clanmates' claws?"

"Weren't you the one just complaining about it?"

"All I'm saying is that we need a better plan than running wherever danger isn't."

"Some of these tunnels lead out of clan territory. We've just got to hope we can get out in time before the flooding gets too bad."

"Excuse me, flooding?" Dovewing squeaked, tail going stiff. "The tunnels are going to flood?"

Lionblaze ignored her. "Hope? Because our faith is so pure?"

"You know what I mean," Jayfeather growled.

"Sure. Yeah, I totally do," Lionblaze said sarcastically, his temper flaring up. "It's totally not what got us into this mess."

"Drop it, Lionblaze," Jayfeather hissed, ears flattening. "Let's just get moving. We can fight all we want when we get out of here."

Lionblaze glowered wordlessly and stalked after his brother. Dovewing blinked with confusion before springing forward and following them into the shadows of the tunnels.

Lionblaze wasn't sure how it happened. He knew Jayfeather was on thin ice but he didn't realize how thin. How was he supposed to know how much Jayfeather's faith in StarClan was wavering? Or that it was making some cats suspicious? How could he ever have guessed it would lead to some cat discovering the prophecy?

Never in his life Lionblaze thought this would be the clans' reaction.

Cats feared what they didn't understand but this? Really? StarClan gave them these powers to save the clans. Why did they lash out? Couldn't they see they were like this because of them? Were they really that blind?

It really seemed like Jayfeather was the only cat who wasn't.

Lionblaze clamped his jaw shut and tried to keep his tongue under control as he ran after his littermate. He had no idea if Jayfeather knew what he was doing but it was clear StarClan wasn't going to help them so putting faith in Jayfeather was his only option. It wasn't anything new. He knew these tunnels but not the way Jayfeather did. He didn't know how exactly he knew them but he did and he'd never failed him in the past.

Jayfeather was muttered to himself, just like the last time they'd been trapped in the tunnels, but Lionblaze paid it no mind. He was no medicine cat, he couldn't hope to comprehend the ways of the stars. Maybe Jayfeather could hear a voice or a spirit was guiding his pawsteps. Maybe he was just losing his mind. Lionblaze didn't know and he didn't care.

Lionblaze's massive paws were damp as the rising water soaked them. There was only a thin layer over the ground and the trio was still fairly close to the underground river so he wasn't too concerned yet. There was danger but it was still distant. They still had some time.

Dovewing, however, wasn't as complacent as Lionblaze. It could've been her enhanced hearing or maybe she just wasn't as used to Jayfeather's odd behavior. Either way, she wasn't going to let this roll over.

"Who's Rock? And Fallen Leaves?" Dovewing demanded but she didn't slow. Jayfeather leaped up a small ridge and suddenly they were on dry ground. Still underground but safe from the river and far from the rain outside.

Jayfeather cast a glare over his shoulder and lashed his tail, annoyed. His body was stiff and angry but after a heartbeat, he sighed and gave in. "Rock… Rock is my friend. Fallen Leaves too."

"That explains so much," Dovewing responded dryly.

Jayfeather merely flicked an ear. "Rock speaks to me in dreams and visits me during the day when I need it. StarClan… StarClan isn't reliable. They don't know everything. Rock does. He helps me in ways StarClan can't. Or won't. I trust him."

"And Fallen Leaves?"

"Jay's Wing's friend from when he was a softpaw."

"What?"

"Not important," Jayfeather said, waving his tail dismissively. He slowed as the tunnel forked but he barely hesitated when choosing which path to take. Silently, Lionblaze admired his fluidity. Jayfeather was blind as a mole yet he knew exactly what lay ahead. "Fallen Leaves died seasons ago. His spirit still wanders these tunnels. The first time we got stuck down here, he told me how to get out."

"So he's guiding you now?" Lionblaze questioned, unable to keep the unease from his voice. He looked around nervously. Was some invisible cat watching them now? He didn't like the idea of that.

Jayfeather shrugged. "More or less. I know where I'm going. He's just telling me which tunnels to avoid."

"Weird," Lionblaze heard Dovewing mutter but decided not to comment on it. It was clear Jayfeather trusted these spirit cats to help them more than StarClan. There wasn't much Lionblaze or Dovewing could do if they wanted to survive.

Jayfeather pretended not to hear her. "Come on. This tunnel leads to the surface."

Now it was Lionblaze's turn to be the skeptic. "Won't there be warriors waiting for us?"

"They didn't follow us into the tunnels," Jayfeather pointed out, "and this tunnel leads off clan territory. We'll be safe."

"We're leaving clan territory?" Dovewing repeated, surprised.

"Duh," Jayfeather said, slowing to a steadier pace. Lionblaze could faintly hear the rain coming down up ahead. "We can't stay here."

"I know but-"

"We can't live in hiding," Lionblaze pointed out. He gave her the softest gaze he could muster. "Even if Ivypool and Cinderheart and our kin were willing to defend us, we can't… we can't-"

"We have no place in the clans," Jayfeather growled. "We were given the powers for them. If they don't accept us, if they chase us out, we have no reason to stand by them. They don't deserve us."

Dovewing sighed. "I know. I just thought StarClan-"

"We don't stand under StarClan's light. We have the power of the stars in our paws. That's something more than StarClan," Jayfeather interrupted. "StarClan isn't going to decide our fate. We are. Now come on. We need to find somewhere to stay."

Lionblaze and Dovewing followed Jayfeather wordlessly as he stepped out of the safety of the tunnels and back into the open air. The rain was still coming down hard, slamming down on them and soaking them to the bone. Their fur hadn't had enough time to dry but Lionblaze was starting to get used to what little warmth he'd found. Being thrown back out into the storm was rather unpleasant.

The trio began trekking toward the hills. Dimly, Lionblaze was aware the three were passing the Moonpool but he didn't spare it a glance. Jayfeather made it very clear the three no longer stood with their ancestors.

Lionblaze paused and cast one last look over his shoulder at ThunderClan territory. He couldn't tell if the pain in his chest was from an ache of his heart or the cold. He let out a sigh and turned to the hills and began padding toward the new horizon.

Edit 8/23/2020: This was originally a oneshot but it was requested to be extended. Author's Notes about that have been removed.

Edit 3/13/2021: Small edits to grammar made.