AN: Thank you to my friend Skyler! I had a bunch of loose ideas as to what to do with this story but something they said gave me an idea of how to mesh it all together.

Also shout out to WolfieeEila and the demiwitch warrior magican for predicting some of the ideas I was playing around with. They'll be discussed in this chapter.

It was a long time before Jayfeather had the luxury to sink into sleep. In all honesty, he didn't particularly want to but he couldn't ignore his tired body's needs just to avoid the inevitable. And so, he slept.

His dreams were hazy which he didn't expect. He was almost certain StarClan would visit him tonight but that was not the case. Rock, at the very least, he expected to show up but even he was silent. Instead, all he saw were the blurs of cats fighting. Angry yowls echoed through his mind and the earth under his paws was bloodied until it became too sticky to stand on.

It was not a very restful sleep.

When he woke, his entire body ached and his joints were stiff. The trio traveled quite a bit the night before to get far from clan territory and it'd taken its toll. The rain didn't help. Now, the storm had reduced to a light morning drizzle but the water still made Jayfeather uncomfortable in his own pelt.

Before he could sit up on his own, a heavy paw prodded his shoulder. "Come on, get up. We've overslept. We have to get moving."

"Where is there to go?" Dovewing questioned as Jayfeather pushed himself to his paws. He groaned softly and stretched his back, providing some relief to his cramped muscles.

"We have a few options," Jayfeather spoke, sitting up. He rolled a shoulder. They probably shouldn't have just passed out on the hills for the night but they hadn't had time to find proper shelter. Now everything in Jayfeather's body was creaking from the awkward sleeping position. "Right now, we're behind ThunderClan territory which means we ran in the opposite direction of pretty much every landmark I know of."

"Which are?"

Jayfeather extended a claw and began scratching at the dirt, drawing a loose visual of the world as he knew it. He couldn't see it but how accurate were the maps sighted cats drew in the first place? It didn't matter much. "Okay, so I'm going to use the lake as reference. If we head toward the moorland, we'll hit the mountains where the tribe lives. If we avoid the mountains and go through the twolegplace, we'll find Ravenpaw and Barley's farm but if we head away from the sun-drown place, we can find the gorge. I suppose we could stay at the sun-drown place but that's too close to the lake for my liking. If we go past the sundrown place and follow the river, we might be able to find the gorge. They know nothing about us so I think that's our best bet."

"I'm sorry, what?" Lionblaze asked, looking confused. Jayfeather blinked at him dubiously before a cloud of confusion flooded his mind. He squinted and slowly squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head before pawing at his face.

"Are you okay?" Dovewing asked, leaning forward. He could feel an aura of concern surrounding her.

"I think so," Jayfeather muttered. He shook his head one last time and then his pelt. "Sometimes I dreamwalk without realizing it. It's kind of hard to tell what's mine and what was another cat's memory sometimes. I need a moment."

"I remember Brambleclaw telling us about Ravenpaw and Barley when we were kits," Lionblaze spoke up. "I'm sure we could find their barn. If not, I'm sure Stormfur would welcome us into the tribe."

"Wouldn't the clans know to look for us there?" Dovewing asked. "I think we should keep moving inland."

"They're not chasing us. We don't know what's out there. We'll just get lost."

"If we get lost, they'll get lost too. It's safer this way."

"Is safety even a concern?" Lionblaze scoffed. "I can protect all of us, you can tell us when danger's approaching, and Jayfeather knows how to get wherever we need to be. With our powers-"

"To use powers for the preservation of the self is a foolish endeavor," a foreign voice interrupted.

Jayfeather's head snapped up, startled. He hadn't heard or sensed anyone approaching. He looked around blindly for a few heartbeats before pinpointing the speaker. "Midnight?"

"Badger!" Dovewing yelped in alarm, stumbling back.

"Wait, calm down," Lionblaze soothed, putting a paw on her shoulder. "Midnight's a friend of the clans."

"Is a friend of the clans a friend of ours?"

Lionblaze opened his mouth then paused, no words coming out of his mouth.

"She's troublesome but she's a friend of Rock before a friend of StarClan," Jayfeather grunted. He padded up to her. "What do you want? I assume StarClan sent you."

"Not today, cat," Midnight said. "You know StarClan quite foolish. Only blind can see the stars."

"What?" Dovewing and Lionblae murmured in unison but Jayfeather caught on. Ironically, it was Midnight and Rock who'd been the first sunrise, not StarClan. Midnight and Rock knew the ways of the stars. They knew all the omens and prophecies of the future, they understood fate. StarClan was just… a messenger. And barely that. They lived in Silverpelt but they were almost just as lost as living cats most of the time. Jayfeather had the power of the stars in his paws and he trusted Midnight and Rock to guide it.

"Midnight and Rock aren't from StarClan," Jayfeather spoke softly. "They work with them sometimes but they don't have the same goals."

"Indeed," Midnight rumbled. "StarClan not know what StarClan is doing. StarClan just guessing. But that does not change fact that StarClan know why three have power of stars in paws. Three have power to protect clans. Not hide."

Lionblaze lashed his tail. "But if the clans turn against us-"

"Clan cats scared. And mousebrained. Not a good combination," Midnight continued. "Three still have the chance to change their minds."

Jayfeather, Dovewing, and Lionblaze exchanged a glance before looking back to the badger. "How?"

"You have allies, do you not?"

"Cinderheart and Ivypool? And Firestar?" Lionblaze asked, sounding more uncertain tan Jayeather thought he ought to. "I don't think-"

"Not clan kin. In tunnels."

"Fallen Leaves?" Jayfeather questioned, ears pricking up. He missed his friend. If not for the fear of what lay on the surface, Jayfeather didn't think living in the tunnels with Fallen Leaves was that bad. The tunnels were familiar in a way that rang of home.

Midnight shrugged. "Is for you to decide. I must return home."

Jayfeather flattened his ears, annoyed. "You're not going to lend us a paw?"

"My paws do not decide your path," Midnight said ominously and turned away, disappearing into the forest.

Dovewing didn't like this.

She didn't know what she wanted. Her heart was telling her to come back to clan territory but now that she was stepping back over the ThunderClan border, her instincts were screaming for her to run in the other direction. She knew they didn't belong here. While they were running, she wanted nothing more than to peacefully return home but now that she was here, she just wanted to run.

Being surrounded by the sounds of the forest was a slight comfort but it wasn't enough. Distantly, she could hear cats' voices but the emotional turmoil in her belly made her too distracted to really listen to their words.

"There… There aren't any patrols nearby," Dovewing spoke up. "It sounds like everyone's at camp. We should hunt while we have the chance."

Jayfeather frowned. "We should get underground as fast as we can."

"We haven't eaten since before the Gathering," Lionblaze pointed out. "Do you have any idea how much we've run since then? We need food, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather sighed. "Fine. But we shouldn't split up."

"We won't," Lionblaze told him. "You two stay here. I'll go catch something."

"I can hunt," Dovewing protested. "It's not fair for you to-"

Lionblaze cut her off with a wave of his tail. "You're still upset, Dovewing, and your powers make it too hard for you to focus."

Jayfeather flattened his ears. "And me? Tell me I can't hunt because I'm blind. I dare you."

Lionblaze sighed, sounding tired. "Now isn't the time, Jayfeather. All I'm saying is that the smartest choice right now is to stay in a group and the three of us can't exactly hold onto each other and hunt at the same time. One of us has to step away and I'm the best cat to do that. You two stay here and plan our next move. StarClan knows th- Er, the stars know I don't have the brains to do any planning."

Lionblaze's self correction surprised Dovewing so much she hardly noticed him padding away. Hearing Lionblaze purposefully disregard StarClan suddenly made the situation all the more real. Jayfeather and Lionblaze really were ready to turn their backs on StarClan entirely.

"I know I'm no medicine cat but should we really be renouncing StarClan like this?"

Jayfeather sighed and sat down. "I've always… uh, been at odds with StarClan. Since I was an apprentice even. Now's not really the time to tell you everything but I met Rock and the Ancients a long time ago. StarClan is vague and so... controlling. Compared to the Ancients, they really don't seem like much. Stars, I respect the Tribe of Endless Hunting more than StarClan. StarClan is so young compared to catkind. They haven't mastered their connection to the stars. When it comes down to it, they're just normal cats with stars in their fur. Most of the old ones who know anything have faded or won't talk to living cats. Listening to someone like Yellowfang or even Bluestar just feels pointless. Whenever they visit, it's just like talking to normal cats. They don't know better than I do."

Dovewing fell silent as she realized she understood the situation even less than she initially thought she did. Blind faith, she supposed, probably wasn't something she should've believed in for so long but it was instilled so deeply into clan life that she'd never given it much thought. Was Jayfeather right about StarClan being undeserving of the loyalty clan cats gave? She didn't know. She didn't know anything but she knew enough to be aware she should be questioning her faith. She didn't know if she was quite ready to turn her tail on her ancestors though. Jayfeather certainly knew what he was talking about and Lionblaze trusted him but Dovewing just didn't know what to think.

"What are we going to do?" Dovewing asked instead. She looked up toward the sky, watching the leftover water roll off the leaves overhead. "I mean, we can't just stroll into camp but we have to talk to everyone eventually."

Jayfeather sighed. "I'm not sure. As much as I trust Midnight, I don't know what she expects us to do and it didn't sound like she knew either. We'll go to the tunnels and give it a shot but if it doesn't work, we're leaving."

"Where to?"

"I don't know. My heart's telling me to go to the tribe but I don't think tribe life is for us. Maybe we can stop by the barn and then go to SkyClan? Honestly I think that's the best thing we can do."

"What's SkyClan?" Dovewing asked, tipping her head. SkyClan, what a strange name. Was there another mountain she didn't know about one? One with cats who could touch the clouds? "You never told us."

"Firestar and Sandstorm dream about them sometimes," Jayfeather told her. He waved his tail. "I'll tell you about them later. Now's not really the time."

"I'll tell you about them later. Now's not really the time," Dovewing mimicked. Jayfeather shot her a deadpan glare. Dovewing ducked her head and licked her shoulder fur in embarrassment. "Sorry. That was immature. You just keep saying that."

"Normally I'd be more than happy to reveal all my secrets," Jayfeather said sarcastically, "but not while we're standing on enemy territory."

Once again, that particular phrasing made the situation all the more real for Dovewing. She shut her mouth and looked away, not wanting to continue the conversation.

Lionblaze padded into the clearing with a large squirrel and a mouse in his jaws a few heartbeats later. He set them down and dipped his head apologetically. "Sorry I took so long. I think all the prey got scared off by the storm last night."

"Or the yowling," Jayfeather added gruffly. He flicked an ear in Dovewing's direction. "Pick up the prey. We'll eat once we get into the tunnels."

Dovewing grabbed the mouse between her teeth by its tail, ignoring the rumbles in her belly to just eat the whole thing then and there. She hadn't realized how starving she was. Lionblaze was right. They hadn't eaten in a long time.

Jayfeather seemed to know exactly where he was going when he darted deeper into the forest. Once again, Dovewing was impressed with the skill and precision in each pawstep. Dovewing always expected him to stumble but he walked through the forest with ease like he knew exactly where he was going.

"Down here," Jayfeather instructed. He kicked aside some leaves, pausing with disgust when he realized how wet they were. Dovewing couldn't help but give a muffled mrowr of amusement as he flapped his paw, trying to shake a leaf off. He shot her an annoyed look and said nothing as he stepped into the hole in the ground.

Lionblaze and Dovewing followed close behind. Now that she wasn't falling, Dovewing took a moment to let her curiosity take over. She glanced around, awed by how smooth the tunnels were. How were they made? The deepest parts were obviously made by the underground river but there were so many entrances. Did cats make them? How long had they been here? She'd never known about them before the day before when the three fell into one. Jayfeather had his reasons, however vague, but what about Lionblaze? How had he known?

The ground leveled out as the trio padded out of the entrance and into the main section. This part looked a lot more stable with its walls made of both raw earth and smooth stone. It was dark and she didn't like it much but it wasn't too bad. She wondered if she'd be okay with living down here until the situation with the clans worked out.

Caught up in her thoughts, Dovewing didn't hear pawsteps approaching.

Dovewing let out a startled yowl and dropped the mouse she was carrying as a dark figure slammed into her. Dovewing was knocked into the stone floor harshly and suddenly there were paws on her shoulders pinning her down.

Dovewing hissed with fury and began struggling. She managed to shake her attacker's hold and roll over to attack. She shot upward and lashed out savagely, managing to score her half-sheathed claws against the attacker's face. The attacker cried out and stumbled back before launching back at her for another tussle.

The fight was brief and Dovewing eventually ended up on top. Peeling her lip back, she leaned down to snarl in the other cat's face. "Who are you?"

To her surprise, it was Lionblaze who responded.

"Hollyleaf?"

Lionblaze's amber eyes widened in shock once the fighting stopped. It all happened so fast that he hadn't had the chance to realize what was happening until Dovewing had the other cat pinned to the stone. Some warrior he was, right? But now wasn't the time to claw himself up over it.

"Hollyleaf!"

Lionblaze bounded forward as his eyes adjusted to the dim light enough to recognize the black pelt before him. She looked so familiar, the build was just right and her green eyes were brimming with Hollyleaf's spirit. It had to be her, right? By StarCl- the Stars, it had to be. If it wasn't and this was just false hope, Lionblaze didn't know what he would do.

Fox dung, he missed his sister.

"Lionblaze?" Hollyleaf whispered, eyes widening in recognition. Dovewing, realizing the she-cat wasn't an enemy, let Hollyleaf up. Hollyleaf barely seemed to notice and took a step forward. "Jayfeather? Is that really you?"

"I knew you were alive," Jayfeather murmured, blind blue eyes wide.

And the dam broke.

"Hollyleaf!" Lionblaze cried joyously and bounded forward, practically tackling his sister. He laughed, a joyous feeling washing away all the heaviness clouding his chest. All of his stresses and worries washed away for a heartbeat because his sister was back and that was all that mattered.

Jayfeather joined them a moment later, butting his head against Hollyleaf's shoulder and licking her ear affectionately. A purr rumbled up from Hollyleaf's chest and she lapped him back with twice the vigor. Lionblaze tucked in his haunches and wrapped his tail around the two of them, resting his head between their shoulders. For a moment, the world was gone and the three littermates were his everything. A content sigh escaped his lips and he gave himself up to the happy feelings in his heart.

But nothing could last forever.

"Um hi?" Dovewing said, waving her fluffy grey tail. "Who is that? Not Fallen Leaves I'm guessing?"

"You know Fallen Leaves?" Hollyleaf questioned, sitting up a bit straight and the moment was over.

"Jayfeather does," Lionblaze said, stepping away. He shook out his pelt but didn't lick it in embarrassment. He was just too happy for that.

"He's an old friend," Jayfeather said dismissively, waving his tail. "But that's not important right now. I never thought I'd see you again, Hollyleaf. We thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry," Hollyleaf responded. She looked away. "After everything, I didn't think I could come back. If I could come back."

"Welcome to the patrol," Dovewing spoke up sarcastically. She glanced between the two brothers. "Seriously, who is she?"

"What do you mean welcome to the patrol?" Hollyleaf asked, confused.

"Dovewing, this is Hollyleaf. Our sister," Lionblaze explained. He glanced back at Hollyleaf. "Hollyleaf, this is Dovewing and by the stars do we have a story for you."

Author's Note: Hollyleaf was originally going to show up in the first chapter but that didn't happen. You guys have no idea how badly I wanted to off her but I realized I've never written Hollyleaf so she's probably going to survive.

Writing Warriors expressions is hard but I like sticking to canon diction. The phrase "welcome to the patrol" is the equivalent "welcome to the party," they're not talking about an actual patrol.

Edit 8/23/2020: Removed part of the AN asking where you wanted to see come up in the future.

Edit 3/13/2021: Minor edits to fill out the dialogue a bit more and fixed some mistakes.