A/N: This story is progressing quite well if I say so myself, and I had the craziest idea a few days ago. I though to myself: "Why not bring Midnight back?" (I had just been rereading the books and came across it. So I'll bring Midnight in the story in a few chapters. Hope you like!

Medicine Cat Apprentice

Jogging back through WindClan Territory to fetch the herbs she left at the border, Alse spotted a few cats coming her way. Lucky for her they hadn't spotted her, but she had taken on the strong ThunderClan scent so they scented her.

"I smell ThunderClan!" The cat in the lead said. One dropped the two rabbits he had and the other dropped some leaves that Alse could smell were Borage.

The cat with the herbs meowed, "It's just ThunderClan, no under scent... Could it be Jayfeather's apprentice?" He had mottled gray fur and Alse automatically knew him.

"I'll rip that rouge to shreds!" The third cat, a gray she-cat, snarled. She paced towards Alse. Alse just sat down and licked her chest fur.

The three cats bound down toward her. "Hello Ashfoot, Kestrelflight, and Gorsetail. How are you?" She nodded to each in turn.

Kestrelflight rubbed his nose on Alse's cheek, "Hello Alse, we're fine. I had to gather some Borage leaves for a visiting Tribe cat."

"Tribe cat?" Alse asked, "Which kit-mother decided to come visit WindClan?" She flicked her tail in exasperation. The three cats shared a look.

"It's Moss That Grows By River, Alse." Another cat said walking up.

"Pity!" Alse said jumping up. She pushed her nose into his side, "Oh how I've missed your sadistic comments."

"That wasn't a sadistic comment though." He said confused. Alse laughed. "Anyway, yeah Moss came down for a visit."

"Would you like to come visit her?" Kestrelflight asked, "She was asking about the rouges so Sandpaw and Pity where staying with her."

Alse jumped at the chance, "May I?" She asked Ashfoot. Ashfoot nodded at the five cats set off for the camp. Soon enough they emerged into the camp and Pity led the way over to the medicine cat den.

"Moss?" Pity called, "Sandpaw? You there?"

The white tom poked his head out of the nest he had beside the kit-mother. "We're in here." Sandpaw called back. Alse followed Pity into the hollow and Sandpaw jumped up. "Alse!" He said.

They rubbed their noses together and Alse sat next to him, "Hello Sandpaw." She glanced over at the cat who had just woken up, "Hi Moss, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Alse, thank you for asking." She said politely. Moss sat up slowly and Alse noticed her full belly.

"How close are you to kitting?" Alse asked taking up her medicine cat role. She put her ear close to the she-cats belly. She could her the kits squirming around.

"A few more moon-rises." Moss said proudly, "Sheer is mad that I left so close to kitting."

"Sheer is the father?" Alse asked exchanging a glance with her two friends. "I should have realized." She shook her head and said, "Kestrelflight has some borage leaves for you to eat."

With that the WindClan medicine cat walked in. "Okay you've visited her, now go away. I'll give you more news tomorrow night." Alse nodded and gave him a lick on his shoulder.

She rubbed her nose down both her friends' jaws and meowed good-bye to them all. She dashed out of camp without another cat stopping her. Soon enough Alse was back in her own Territory. She grabbed her herbs and ran back to camp.

Jayfeather was sitting in the opening of his den when Alse got back to camp. "Alse!" He called, "Come here." Alse bound over to him and they entered his the den.

Alse set the herbs on the floor to finish airing out. "Yes Jayfeather?" She asked curling her tail around her paws. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no." Jayfeather said looking at her, "You took forever, explain why."

"I had to go all over the Territory to find some coltsfoot and chervil." She nudged the two plants, "And then I met Arson on the WindClan border and he told me that Pity was back."

"So it took you a long while to find the herbs?" Jayfeather said half-believing her, "Okay fine. Now tomorrow night you will be coming with me to the Moon Pool to share tongues with StarClan." He paused, "And you will become my true apprentice."

"Really!" Alse said, "Thank you Jayfeather! Thank you! Thank you!" She licked his shoulder and squealed in happiness.

"Calm down!" Jayfeather hissed at her. She sat down and looked at him, "Now go sort out the herbs and get rid of the ones that are going bad." She nodded and slipped past him.

The next thing either of them knew a branch of thorns came crashing down in front of the den. "It's all tangled up!" Alse complained. "Lionblaze! Can you come help us?"

The golden tabby bound over with Foxleap and Cinderheart behind him. The three cats clawed all the tangles away. "It's a sign!" Jayfeather yowled. The three warriors and Alse jumped and looked at him. "It's a sign for your name Alse!"

"It was a bunch of tangles that your brother and two other warriors clawed out of the way." Alse said. "How does that symbolize what my name is to be?"

"Tangleclaw!" Jayfeather snapped at her, "When your a full medicine cat you will be Tangleclaw!" He nodded in acceptance.

Alse turned back to Lionblaze and the others, "That was random." Foxleap commented. Cinderheart nodded.

Lionblaze looked at Alse with laughter in his eyes, "You get your full name before your even apprenticed." He nodded, "That's something special. Welcome to the Clan Tanglepaw."

Alse nodded, "I won't be Tanglepaw until tomorrow night." Lionblaze shrugged and licked her head. "Thanks Lionblaze." He nodded and the warriors went back over to Dovepaw and Ivypaw.

That night Alse went to sleep a happy she-cat. Jayfeather, who was nearby was already snoring. So she decided to let her dreams wander. She woke up with Jayfeather prodding her, "Get up you lazy lump. We have work to do."

Alse sat up and groomed the ferns out of her pelt and looked outside. There were three cats in the medicine clearing. "What's going on?" She asked joining her mentor.

One cat turned to her and she saw that it was Sandstorm. The others were Leafpool and Squirrelflight. "Go get some cobwebs you lazy lump!" Jayfeather snapped.

Alse jumped up and fetched the cobwebs. Jayfeather told her to apply them to Squirrelflight's back. Squirrelflight had a long gash down her back, Leafpool had three tears down her left flank, and Sandstorm had blood-soaked belly fur.

Jayfeather set to helping Sandstorm. Leafpool took some of the cobwebs and set them on her flank. Sandstorm rolled over and Alse saw the long gash along her stomach. "What happened?"

Leafpool told them about the fox that had gotten them. "We were out hunting and a fox jumped out of the bracken and attacked us."

"Alse!" Jayfeather said, "Go tell Firestar about this." Alse shot out of the den towards the deputy.

"Where's Firestar!" She snapped at him. Brambleclaw pointed toward the leader's den. "Firestar!" Alse yowled at the den entrance. Firestar told her to come in, "There's a fox loose in the Territory and it got Sandstorm, Leafpool, and Squirrelflight."

Firestar jumped up and bound over to the medicine cat den. He saw the three she-cats and growled in frustration. "Where is the fox." He asked.

"Over by the ancient oak tree." Sandstorm meowed feebly. Leafpool curled up next to her mother.

Firestar looked at Alse, "You, go get Brambleclaw, Lionblaze, Dovepaw, and one other. Take them toward the ancient oak and try to find that fox."

Alse nodded and went to do as requested. Graystripe joined the patrol and they set out behind the apprentice. Dovepaw ran beside Alse with all the warriors behind them. "Wait." Alse hissed slowing down.

The five cats slowed and smelled the air. "Over there." Dovepaw whispered. The strong stench of fox and fresh-kill was coming from their right. The cats all crept forward and spotted the fox.

It was a young one, barely old enough to have left its mother and yet it was also at one of the most dangerous ages. Alse signaled for the cats to surround the young thing and attack.

The fox didn't expect to drive away three warriors and be attacked by three more and two apprentices. The cats quickly ended the fox's life. Dovepaw got in the last shot.

"Good job." Alse congratulated them, "We should report this."

"Yes." Dovepaw said, "This was fun!" She bounced over to her mentor and was praised.

The five cats went back to camp. Alse had Dovepaw collect some leaves from the oak tree before they left. Alse stopped when she heard a distraught wail. She dashed inside the camp and over to Sandstorm. "Dovepaw! The leaves!"

Dovepaw dropped the leaves beside her and Alse chewed them up. The next thing she did amazed even Leafpool. Alse pressed the chewed up oak leaves onto the death gash and it healed before any time could pass.

"What did you use!" Jayfeather asked. He was standing around with everyone else. Alse looked up and frowned.

"I need to see Icepaw before I tell anyone about this." She said, "If you can fetch Icepaw from ShadowClan then I can tell you."

Jayfeather nodded and Lionblaze said, "You two should get going, it's almost moon-set."

Jayfeather and Alse bound out of camp. The pair walked up toward the Moon Pool. "I smell ShadowClan." Alse said a few seconds before Littlecloud and Flametail joined them.

The medicine cats greeted each other warmly and the four cats continued on. Soon the were at the WindClan border and Kestrelflight and Willowshine joined them. The six cats continued on.

Kestrelflight walked next to Alse, "Moss had her kits. She has two little toms and a small she-cat."

Alse purred, "That's good to hear." She couldn't say anymore because they had arrived at the Moon Pool.

Jayfeather sat with his back to the pool and said, "Alse come here." She did and they held the naming ceremony. "You will know be known as Tanglepaw, ThunderClan's new medicine cat apprentice."

A/N: Sorry the end was rushed... At least I got it finished. And to those who adore Sandstorm, don't worry she isn't dead. R&R