Ooh...Chapter 13! If you're superstitious, you don't have to read this chapter. However, if you think that 13 is just a number that comes between 12 and 14, I congratulate you—that's how I feel. So, all you triskaidekaphobics (people who are afraid of Friday the 13th and the number 13 in general), skip ahead to Chapter 14. You won't miss anything, I promise. Except, of course, a little look into the head of our furry friend Wavepaw.

Wavepaw stretched and yawned, his pink tongue curling out of his mouth.He blinked around the tunnel-den. It was empty except for him. The silver tom gave a shiver. If there was one thing he hated, it was being alone. It terrified him beyond belief. He raced down the tunnel to see Promisepaw and Trickpaw sharing tongues while Shadowpaw and Sunpaw chatted. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Good. His public was still here.

"Mornin' toms and queens. Wavepaw the great is here!" he mewed, strolling into their midst. Promisepaw giggled.

"Your fur is a mess, Wavepaw," she squeaked. Wavepaw blinked, looking himself over. Well, it seems someone woke up on the wrong side of the den.

"I look handsome as ever," he protested.

"No you don't, really," Shadowpaw muttered.

"Says you, Little Miss Shadowpaw. I'll have you know every hair on my pelt is perfectly groomed."

"Every hair except those on your head, wethead," Sunpaw scoffed. Wavepaw bounded over to the brook and studied his reflection in the pool. Sure enough, his head-fur was standing up straight in some places and lying flat in others. He blinked.

"Great StarClan. I look like a mouse who got in a fight with a kittypet!" he breathed. Wavepaw hesitated at the water's edge for a heartbeat, then dove right in. The resulting wave caused his friends to snarl and spit. Wavepaw surfaced, blowing water from his muzzle. His long silver fur was slicked against his sleek body. "All better?"

"No. I'm wet!"

"Listen, Wave-for-Brains, we're not all from LakeClan!"

"Geez, Wavepaw!"

"Aw, great. I hate water!"

Wavepaw snickered. "Aw, come on, you guys. A little wet never hurt any cat. We spent all this time talking about Clan differences yesterday, I say it's time we started talking Clan unity!"

Shadowpaw shook her dark head slowly. Sunpaw gave himself numerous shakes. Promisepaw stepped away from Trickpaw. "Is everything okay, Wavepaw?" she asked. "Last night, your dreams seemed very troubled."

Wavepaw cursed himself in his thoughts. Trying to keep his normal positive face, he mewed, "No. Well, yeah, actually, everything's a-okay. Why?"

"Well, you kept mewing in your sleep...Talking about some cats called Snailpaw and Ripplepaw. Were they friends from LakeClan?"

"Friends from StarClan, more like," muttered Wavepaw darkly. "Yeah, they were part of the reason why I left my old Clan...It was leaf-bare...and the three of us were sick with whitecough...I...I got better, but they...both of them went to greencough...and died...There was nothing left for me in LakeClan...Nothing at all..." The silver tom dropped his head, not wanted to meet any cat's gaze. "There. Now you know why Wavepaw the Joker left his home. All right? But if you tell any cat...I'll never forgive you...Never...say their names again..."

He looked up and the gentle feeling of soft fur around him. Every apprentice, even Shadowpaw, was pressed up against their grieving friend in an embrace of mutual concern. Wavepaw surrendered himself to the warmth of their concern. He let go of everything. Words tumbled out in a rush. "Snailpaw...she was Ripplepaw's sister...beautiful tortoiseshell...the most gorgeous green eyes in the Clans...Ripplepaw was my best friend...silver tabby with darker stripes...brown eyes...We did everything together..." He sighed. "Everything..."

"Both died of greencough..." Promisepaw murmured.

"I felt so guilty...felt like I had made them worse with my sickness...Maybe if I hadn't been there...they would still be...alive...here...We would be hunting at Rushden...Playing by the Shining River...Silverpelt in the lake...Friends forever, Snailpaw...Friends forever Ripplepaw...Friends forever, Wavepaw..." He let out a heavy sigh. "The night before we got sick, it was so clear. You could see Silverpelt perfectly on the surface of Midnightsky Lake. We tossed rocks into the lake and watched the warriors of StarClan dance around. We promised to be friends...friends forever."

"Wavepaw." Promisepaw pressed her muzzle into his side. "Don't go any further. It's too much for you..."

"No. I have to. You should know." Wavepaw strove to keep his head out of his chest. "I guess it was because we were out in the cold that we got sick. I mean, we had just gotten through swimming. 'We're swimming with all of LakeClan's ancestors!' Snailpaw mewed. Oh, Snailpaw...so naive...Ripplepaw and I loved you so much..." The silver tomcat sighed again. "It did so much bad, but it felt so good...Swimming with our ancestors..." He purred softly.

Wavepaw looked around at all the others. He saw concern reflected in every pair of eyes, from icy blue to tawny gold. Sunpaw broke the silence first. He pushed his muzzle into Wavepaw's flank affectionately. "Well, we're here for you, Wavepaw," he murmured. "Whatever happens, we won't leave you. Friends forever."

Wavepaw tackled the tall tomcat. "Aw, Sunpaw, ya big furball!" he mewed. "Thanks for everything. I owe you guys for this."

Shadowpaw placed her paw on his back. "All right. Enough theatrics, wethead. We get the point."

"Yeah, we'd better get a move on," Promisepaw added, looking up at the sky. "I'm wondering if it would be better to travel by day or night."

"Well, by night, there are less monsters on the Thunderpath," Sunpaw mused. "And we wouldn't have to worry about Twolegs and their dogs. But during the day, we'd be able to plot our course better. Er...if we ever actually manage to plot a course to begin with, that is..."

"I vote for the night," Shadowpaw meowed. "We'll be hidden by the shadows."

"Correction: You'd be hidden by the shadows," Trickpaw pointed out mildly. "Promisepaw would stick out like a torn claw. Besides, the world is a very different place at night. Scents are different...Shapes are unrecognizable...You have trouble telling friend from foe."

"But the prophecy said to seek the child of stars and moon. If those come out during the day, you tell me, Trickpaw. I'd love to see it," joked Wavepaw, his tail curling up happily.

"You can see the moon during the day sometimes," Promisepaw mewed. "And the sun is the leader of LionClan...who is in StarClan now...so technically the sun is a star." She scratched behind her ear. "I think."

"This is getting us nowhere," Sunpaw interjected. "Those in favor of traveling by night, stand up." Wavepaw and Shadowpaw stood. Sunpaw nodded. "That's three. Those in favor of the day?" Sunpaw sat while Trickpaw and Promisepaw stood. "That's two. Looks like we'd better hit the moss. Nighttime comes late...or early." The gold-striped tom shrugged uncomfortably.

Wavepaw yawned and padded over to the brook. He lay beside it and stuck in an idle paw. The crisp water swirled around it, causing his long fur to stream out as if blown back by wind. The silver tom nodded silently. Something about the waters...so soothing and serene...it felt...natural. Laying his head on his paws, Wavepaw let out a soft purr. He was dimly aware of the others shifting lazily around him.

The water...so cool and pure...and speckled. No. No, the bottom was speckled, the water was pure. Funny. The water...no, the bottom...two dark rocks that looked like eyes...Ripplepaw's eyes...Wavepaw blinked in surprise. Had he really seen that? Leaning closer to the water, Wavepaw took a closer look. Yes...those were his eyes! But how? And the streambed...those speckles. Could it be? Tabby fur? "Ripplepaw?" Wavepaw whispered.

The current shifted to briefly cover Ripplepaw's left eye with silt. Wavepaw stared, mouth agape. Ripplepaw always used to wink. Then the silt was cleared and the brown eye-stone reappeared. Wavepaw pricked his ears up. Something told him to listen very carefully.

Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the promised Clan.

Yes? thought Wavepaw. I know that. What else is there? Come on, Ripplepaw!

Only the fox knows the way...

"Only the fox knows the way?" Wavepaw mewed aloud. "Seriously, Ripplepaw! Following a fox? Cats don't follow foxes! Cats kill foxes!" He reached up with a dripping paw to splash the image of his friend's face away, but stopped himself. The others had gathered around him, staring curiously into the stream.

"Wavepaw...why are you talking to the brook?" Sunpaw asked dryly.

"Don't you see those two brown stones?" Wavepaw queried. Every other cat shook their head. Wavepaw shifted his gaze back to the water. They were gone! "I swear, there were these two brown pebbles in there that look exactly like Ripplepaw's eyes!"

"Yeah. Sure, Wavepaw," Trickpaw muttered. "I think you had a little too much fresh-kill. You're starting to see things." He rolled his eyes. "Rocks that look like some cat's eyes. Puh-lease!"

"Tell me more about what you saw, Wavepaw," Promisepaw mewed gently. "What else did you see? What did you hear? Smell anything different?"

Wavepaw indicated to the streaks of black silt in the creek bottom. "See, I had my paw in the water, right? So, I'm just lying here, not thinking of too much, really—"

"Do you ever?" Shadowpaw grunted. Wavepaw ignored her.

"—when I notice those two brown stones. 'That's odd,' I though, 'they look like Ripplepaw's eyes.' I look a little closer, and see all this black sand in the bottom. I'm telling you, it looked so much like his fur, it was scary. I listened closely, and I heard the water bubbling along...and something else."

"What? Did you hear a prophecy from StarClan?"

"It sounded like Ripplepaw's voice, it really did. He said Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the promised Clan. I was thinking 'I already know that, Ripplepaw. What more are you gonna tell me?' Well, he kept going, like he'd read my thoughts or something. He said Only the fox knows the way."

"Only the fox knows the way," Promisepaw repeated. "Only the fox. The fox..."

"That it?" Sunpaw asked, turning to Wavepaw. Wavepaw nodded. Did I actually get a prophecy from StarClan? Firemane of LionClan, am I good or what?

"Only the fox knows the way," Trickpaw repeated softly. Wavepaw's ears twitched. He listened in to the young tom's mutterings. "I should know what that means...I know it's staring me right in the face! But what is it? What?"

"You're thinking to hard about this, Trickpaw," Wavepaw murmured. "It's just a prophecy. I'm sure we'll figure this one out soon enough. We're great with riddles."

"No, no. I should know what this is about," Trickpaw growled. He smacked the side of his head with his tail. "Think! Think!"

"Promisepaw, please stop Trickpaw from killing himself with his tail."

"Oh, he won't do any harm, Wavepaw. It's his tail, for StarClan's sake. It's not like it's the claws of an enemy warrior." Wavepaw snorted, rolling his eyes skyward.

Trickpaw stopped beating himself and leapt to his paws. "That's it! What do you say when you've tricked someone?"

"Uh...you pulled a fast one?" Shadowpaw offered.

"No."

"You pranked them! You joked them!" Sunpaw spluttered.

"Getting closer. Think about outsmarting someone. You out...Out..."

Wavepaw looked around. "You outfoxed them."

"Exactly. You outfox them. The fox! Don't you see? I'm Trickpaw! I'm the fox! I'm the fox!" The ginger cat started to dance around excitedly. Wavepaw stared at him, realization slowly filling his thoughts.

"So, wait...you know the way?" he ventured. Trickpaw stopped dancing.

"No...not exactly. But I do know something that will help us find the way."