The moment Zero told them they could finally stop and rest, Rain collapsed onto the ground below her, unable to keep herself up any longer. She felt horrible. She hardly had the energy to lift her head, let alone walk far enough to lay down in the dried, lifeless grass a few steps away. She heard a quiet growl from Zero before the tom gently gripped her scruff in his jaws and dragged her the rest of the way. The grass was uncomfortable, but it was better than the cold stone of the mountain. They had been traveling without rest for five straight days, stopping only to get an occasional drink of water. They hadn't stopped to rest or eat, not wanting the cloud of smoke to catch up with them. And the result was that Rain, Marcy and the kits were barely clinging to consciousness.

The clouds and ash from the volcano were still visible, but Zero seemed confident they couldn't reach them now. Rain's ear twitched and she glanced over some as Marcy plopped down in the grass beside her, sides heaving with exhaustion. Her kits cried in hunger and tried to suckle, Angel bumbling over and joining them. All three began to cry when they couldn't get any milk from the Queen.

"You," Zero turned to Blu, who flinched, looking at the intimidating orange tom with wide eyes. "We need to hunt. A lot. Those two need food and fast."

"I...I-I don't know how...t-to hunt..." Blu squeaked out, crouching down nervously, ears flat against his head.

"I'll teach you. Come on."

Rain watched Zero lead the nervous young cat off. She sighed weakly and closed her eyes. She wanted to just fall asleep right there, but forced herself to stay awake. After a few minutes she forced her eyes back open, glancing over at Marcy. Her eyes were still dulled over with sadness, staring blankly at the dead grass in front of her nose. Breeze and Ami were curled up at her side, whimpering as Angel continued to cry loudly for food.

Rain struggled to sit up some, moving closer to Marcy and nuzzling all three kits. "Hush little ones..." she rasped, her mouth and throat so dry it pained her just to speak. She didn't want the kits making too much noise, though. They out in the open. No trees and no mountains sided them to keep them protected and out of the sight of predators. If the kits continued to cry, they would endanger all of them. Rain did her best to keep the kits calm and quiet, grooming them and forcing out hoarse purrs in an attempt to comfort them.

She paused in this and lifted her head when the sweet, welcoming smell of fresh food it her nose. She sighed in weak relief as Zero returned to them, holding two thin rabbits in his mouth. "I know they're small," he huffed as he sat them down beside the two queens, "But they'll have to do. That kit is still hunting."

"Any food at this moment looks like a feast," Rain said quickly before digging in.

Marcy glanced with disinterest at the rabbit, frowning. It was only when her kits continued to cry that she sat up and ate as well.

Zero settled down beside Rain, his ears up and swiveling in every direction. Rain saw his eyes scanning the land and skies, looking for any encroaching signs of danger. A few minutes later Blu returned as well, holding a few measly mice in his mouth, his head bowed and his tail tucked. Zero spotted him and made a frustrated sound. "You hardly caught anything."

The young cat flinched, looking down in shame.

"...Well, it's better than nothing. And not too bad for your first time," Zero added quietly a moment later. "Come set them down with the rabbits."

Blu seemed to perk up slightly at that and nodded, padding over to them and dropping the mice.

"You two should eat as well," Rain mewed between mouthfuls of rabbit.

"We can wait. Neither of us have kits to feed," Zero said, sitting down and casting another wary glance around. "You two are going to finish eating and then we need to get moving again. We can't stay here. We need to find a cave or some tree cover before we can really rest. We're too easy to spot out here."

"What would spot us...?" Blu asked quietly, hunching his shoulders some when Zero looked at him.

"Wolves are the main concern," the tom said with a frown, "eagles are less of a threat to us, but they would scoop up a kit in a heart beat. So eat quickly, both of you. I don't want to stay in the open for long."

Rain nodded, glancing at Marcy. The queen was unenthusiastically eating the rabbit she had been given, all three kits now trying frantically to get milk from her. She saw Zero watched them, his intimidating, permanent scowl looking ever so slightly softer, his eyes sad. "At least they're out of that place..." he murmured to Rain. "They wouldn't be alive now if they were still there." He sat there for a moment before giving Rain a small smile. "You were amazing back there. Taking on that devil like that."

She blinked and flattened her ears some, shaking her head. "I-I didn't take her on...I w-was...w-was just trying to protect Angel..."

"Still. It was very brave."

She just shrugged a little and quickly went back to eating. Her and Marcy continued to eat until all that remained of the rabbits and mice were bones and some fur. She felt a lot better with a full stomach and hoped that her kits were eating happily as well. Breeze, Ami and Angel were finally getting some milk from the melancholic Marcy, though they couldn't get much before Zero stood.

"Alright, we need to move. This fresh kill smell will start to attract more predators soon. Once we find a safe place to rest, the kits can feed more."

The kits all sat up, Angel bumbling over to Rain, who picked her up by the scruff.

"I don't wanna walk anymore!" Whined Ami, stomping her little white paws. "My paws hurt!"

"And I'm tired..." Sulked Breeze.

Both kits looked at their mother with their bright green eyes, clearly hoping she'd agree with them. Marcy just stood, going to her daughters and picking them both up by their scruffs before she began walking. Rain exchanged a look with Zero and then followed, Blu sticking closer to her side.

They walked for another whole day, taking turns carrying the exhausted kits. The landscape began to change severely the more they walked. They slowly went from pure mountainous stone, to dead grass growing in dry dirt along the mountain sides, to half-dead grass and a few withering trees and now, finally, slightly lusher grass with fuller, prickly pine trees coated in snow.

It was at twilight Zero finally veered off their straight path, going over to one of the pine trees and sniffing around its base. He kept sniffing, his tail flicking back and fourth. When he stopped, he lifted his head and looked back over at them. "Alright, come over here. There's an abandoned badger den."

"Badger?" Rain meowed cautiously.

"Big, ugly things. Slow and dumb but dangerous. The scent here smells to be very old, though, and I can't smell anymore nearby. This will be a safe, dry place for us all to rest and gather our bearings."

Rain nodded and led the way to the den. At first all she could see was a hole in the ground. She cast a look at Zero who simply smiled and slipped into the hole, vanishing completely. Rain blinked but followed him, squeezing herself carefully into the hole. She crawled through a narrow tunnel for a few seconds, wondering if this was what Zero wanted them to stay in. Her doubts were vanquished, however, when the tunnel gradually widened and then suddenly opened up wide into a large underground burrow. The ground was made plush and comfortable with grass and other plants, some large black and white tufts of fur also settling here and there.

Her eyes widened as she entered the burrow, looking around before looking at Zero, who was sitting near the back looking pleased with himself. "Zero...you're right," she said, smiling at him, "This will be perfect. Safe and warm...ideal for the kits..."

She glanced over as Blu and Marcy came in with the kits. Blu instantly relaxed at being somewhere safe, having been on edge ever since Zero had mentioned the wolves and eagles. "Wooooah!" Gasped Ami, scampering in enthusiastically, "This place is so pretty! The walls are warm and the ground is so soft!" She mewed eagerly and bowed her sister over, rolling around with her in the soft bedding. Angel tried to join in the fray only for Rain to pick her up and set her near Marcy, who had laid down in the corner.

"Eat, little one," Rain mewed, licking her neck. At that, the other two kits stopped playing and raced over to their mother and began suckling, Angel soon joining them.

"Alright," Zero said as he stood, "Let's do some more hunting, Blu."

"I'll help," Rain told him, coming forward.

"Rain-"

"I'm not too tired and I'm comfortably full..." she assured him, looking down and shuffling her paws. "...I-I...I don't want to just sit around and be useless...I-I dragged you into this mess, Zero, s-so I want to help..."

He hesitated before chuckling and licking her ear. "If you had 'dragged' me into it, I wouldn't still be here...I guess it couldn't hurt to have you help. I can give you more lessons along with Blu."

She looked up and smiled. "Yes, you only taught me the basics back in the mountains."

He nodded. "And hunting in the mountains and hunting in the forest are two very different things, believe you me. Okay, let's go."

Rain waited for Blu to get up and join her before they both followed Zero out of the burrow. A wind brushed over them as they emerged, making Rain fluff up her fur some and shiver. It was, without a doubt, a lot warmer in the burrow. Part of her now regretted leaving the coziness of it, but a stronger part of her was ready to learn all she could about hunting so she could hunt for her kits once she found their home. After all, she doubted she would have any of her companions with her by then. Eventually, they would move on with their lives. And while that fact saddened her some, she knew she couldn't drag any of them down more than she already had.

"Alright," Zero' said, drawing her from her thoughts, "Now...if my nose is working right, then there are plenty of squirrels, birds and mice around here." He glanced over and saw the confused looks on both cat's faces. "...Right, you two have never seen squirrels." He sat up, looking around slowly for a moment before suddenly crouching low to the ground. He stayed there, completely still, before he suddenly shot out like a rocket, zipping to the right and then returned to them, holding a strange, furry creature with a long tail. He dropped it at Rain's paws. "That's a squirrel."

"Looks...like it's more fur than food..." Blu mumbled, leaning down to sniff it.

"It's the tail that makes it look like that. Blu, take that squirrel to Marcy and then come back. I'm going to start showing Rain how to hunt here."

Blu dipped his head and carried the squirrel off as Rain joined Zero's side.

He began to instruct her on how to efficiently hunt in the forest, using the constantly changing wind to her advantage as well as the trees, tall grass and undergrowth. It wasn't too much different than hunting in the mountain. She just had to make sure to be a lot lighter on her paws and much quieter as she moved around, since there was so much she could step on on the forest floor. She had to constantly be aware of what was touching every part of her body. Even the tiniest out of place rustle from a bush could startled away a hearty meal.

Blu rejoined them as Rain was practicing her stalking. She listened with one ear to Zero's instructions to the young cat. Her other ear was focused on the forest around her. She heard some birds rustling about in the trees above and, when she tilted her head back, she saw it was in fact two bluebirds preparing a nest. She flicked her tail some and continued on, her ear strained towards the forest twitching as she heard some mice scurrying about nearby. She lowered herself to the ground even more, tail straight out behind her, and carefully, slowly slunk through the tall grass until she saw the mice.

They were both running about in one little area, nibbling on blades of grass and on small seeds. Rain bunched her body together, putting her weight onto her haunches as she watched the mice, both ears now focused completely on them. Slowly and slowly they came ever so slightly closer to her as they looked for better seeds and grass to eat. Right when they got just close enough, the young she-cat sprang, slamming her paws onto both. One managed to wriggle away and flee, squeaking up a storm. She huffed and quickly broke the less fortunate of the two's neck before it could make a sound.

"Rain?" Zero pushed through some nearby bushes, coming over to the she-cat as she sat up.

"I'm sorry...I-I was going for two mice at once at one got away..."

He smiled and brushed her ear with his tail. "It's nothing. You're still just learning how to hunt. Blu and I managed to catch enough fresh kill to last us for the night and tomorrow, so let's head on back to the burrow."

She nodded and picked up her mouse, following him to where Blu was waiting with the kills they had made. Together they carried the food back to the burrow, entering to see the kits, bellies round with fresh milk, play fighting in the center of the hollow.

Ami spotted them coming in and gasped. "Woah! That rabbit's HUGE!"

"Meaning it will feed your mother and Rain very well," Zero said as he set down the indicated rabbit. "Which means more milk for you."

"Yay~!"

"M-Marcy?" Rain meowed, drawing the tabby queen's attention. "T-thank you for feeding Angel as well." She watched the tortoiseshell kit stumbling around with excited mews, trying to keep up with Ami and Breeze's play.

Marcy looked at her as well for a moment before looking away with a simple grunt.

Rain shrugged her shoulders a bit awkwardly and laid down, sighing and resting her head on her paws. We'll be alright now, my kits... She silently told the tiny beings inside of her, stroking her stomach with her tail. We'll find our home soon...

"Rain!" Ami scampered over to her, tail quivering in excitement. "Where are we going next!?"

Rain blinked, lifting her head. "G-going?"

"Yeah! You took us from the Orphanage, then that open place, now here! Where's next!?"

She stared at her, mouth open, silent.

"She brings up a good point," said Zero as he laid down near Blu. "We need to decide what we're all going to do next so there are no misunderstandings. We can't just stay in this burrow forever."

Rain glanced at him, hesitating before nodding. "Well...I'm going to continue on trying to find a nice, safe home for my kits...as far away from the mountains as I can possibly get. I don't want to be found by Shard or any of his Elites..."

"You believe he's still looking for you?" Asked Zero.

She nodded slowly, "You don't know Shard...he...he hates being shown up or having his power denounced. He'll search beyond the ends of the earth to find me and kill me...so I need to find somewhere very safe, where I can easily hide or protect my kits."

Zero gave his own small nod. "Well...at least you'll have help."

"Help?"

He looked at her and gave a small smile. "I'm coming with you. If it's alright. I...think I've lived up my penitence of living in solitude for killing my father. I'm tired of the loneliness and you could definitely use the help and company, right?"

She hesitated before smiling softly. "Yes...thank you, Zero."

He nodded and looked at the tabby she-cat lying on her side. "What about you, Marcy? What will you do?"

She said nothing, staring at her daughters.

"I wanna go with Rain, mommy!" Ami told her, hopping up and down eagerly, "We get to see cool places with her! I wanna go with her and see more cool places!"

"I want to too, mommy," Breeze pipped up.

Marcy looked between them, frowning. "...It's...her fault your father's dead..."

The warm, cozy feeling in the burrow suddenly turned tense and uncomfortable. Rain flinched violently at her words, her green eyes wide, the fur on the back of her neck rising some. Zero stared at Marcy in shock before growling. "Her fault!? How in the world is it her fault!?"

Marcy snapped her eyes onto him and hissed, standing, her tail lashing from side to side. "Because she was going to fall into the lava with Basil! But Ervan saved her hide and then ended up dying himself! If Rain had died, Ervan would still be alive!"

"He chose to save her!" Zero snapped furiously, "It's not like she forced him to!"

"If she hadn't sprung onto her without thinking-"

"She was trying to save you and the kits, you MOUSEBRAIN!" Zero snarled, his eyes narrowed furiously, "She saved your life and your kits lives! Ervan made his choice to save her! It was what he wanted!"

"It doesn't change the fact it's HER FAULT HE'S DEAD!"

"Are you even listening to me!? It's not her fault!"

Rain watched the two argue, hunched up in the corner, trembling. She glanced at the kittens to see them recoiling in right at seeing their mother looking so furious. Blu's back was arched and he was completely frozen in fear, clearly ready to leap out of the way if the two got into a fight. Rain hesitated before closing her eyes tightly, taking deep, shaky breaths. A moment later she swallowed hard and stood, looking at the two. "S-stop it..."

"And another thing! If you hadn't planned that STUPID ATTACK on the orphanage, nothing would have happened! Ervan would still be alive!"

"He helped with the plan! It was partially his idea!"

"You didn't have to go along with him! You should have known it would spell his death!"

"S...s-stop it..."

"He was desperate to make sure you and his kits were safe! He would have done it anyway, all by himself! He would have died anyway!"

"No he wouldn't've! He would have stayed alive! I would have been miserable, but he would have LIVED!"

"Stop it..!"

"You don't KNOW that!"

"YES I do! Ervan-"

"STOP IT!" Rain suddenly roared, making all of the cats in the burrow flinch and fall silent, all looking at her with wide, shocked eyes. The she-cat stood there, frowning, her tail lashing angrily from side to side. "Enough! If there's one thing we know, it's that Ervan would NOT want this!" She turned to Marcy, "He would want you and your kits to be as happy as you possibly could! He'd want you to be safe and happy, not brooding over his death and blaming others for it! Maybe...maybe it is my fault, and I'm sorry...but I can't go back in time and change what happened..." she gazed at the queen, her eyes and voice softening. "I'm so sorry for what happened...and you can hate me as much as you want...just don't make Ervan sad by living the rest of your life so angry and restless, especially not when you have your kits to care for..."

Marcy stared at her, saying nothing.

Rain ducked her head a bit before pushing past Zero and slipping out of the burrow, shaking as she left. She stepped out into the fresh air and shook herself off, giving a few swift licks to her ruffled chest fur. She sighed and sat down in the soft grass, tilting her head back to look at the bits of sky that peeked through the canopy. It was night now, with the moon slowly rising overhead and the stars glistening like tiny diamonds.

She sighed as she watched those stars, remembering the stories of the Tribe of Endless Hunting back at the cave. She hesitated before letting out another soft breath. "...Ervan...I don't know if you can hear me...but if your death is my fault, then I am so, so, SO sorry...I never meant to hurt anyone...not you, not your kits, not Marcy..." she closed her eyes, lowering her head. "...Just...I know I shouldn't ask anything of you...b-but...help Marcy be happy...I'm not worth being so upset over. She should just be happy and live a long, healthy life with her kits...please..."

She opened her eyes and looked up just in time to see a shooting star pass through one of the gaps in the leaves. She blinked, staring at where it had been until a rustling came from behind her. She looked around to see Marcy coming out of the burrow, walking up to her and sitting down nearby.

Both she-cats sat in the utter silence of the night, Rain averting her eyes and staring instead at her paws. They stayed that way for a good while before Marcy finally lifted her head and looked at Rain.

"...I can't stop blaming you," she told her, her voice still a but shaky but calmer than it had been. "Even if I tried, I just...can't..."

Rain lowered her head. "...I-it's fine...that you do...i-it...thinking about it, it really is my fault..."

"...Then make it up to me," Marcy murmured.

"H-how?"

"Make it up to me by keeping my kits save."

Rain's ears perked and she lifted her head, eyes widening. "You're abandoning them!?"

"No!" Marcy glared at her in annoyance. "I never said that. But...you can make what happened up to me...by sharing the home you'll eventually find for your unborn kits. Share it with mine. Keep them safe and lead them to a place where they can be safe and happy. If anything...you seem like a cat whose whole life gravitates around her kits...so include my kits in that dedication..."

"...So, you're going to come with me?" Rain asked softly.

Marcy hesitated before huffing. "If you promise..."

Rain hesitated before gently touching the she-cat's shoulder with her tail tip, giving her a small smile when she looked up. "I promise."

Marcy looked at her and, only a moment later, tears were spilling from her eyes. She looked away quickly, trembling some and gritting her teeth together. Rain scooted over, pressing her side to Marcy's and hugging her with her tail. "He's not really gone," she told her softly, "He'll always keep watching over you and your daughters...he loved all of you...death won't keep him from making sure you're safe..."

Marcy let out a powerful sob and weakly pressed her face into Rain's fur. Rain just purred soothingly to her, willing to spend the entire night like this if she needed to.

If she was going to work to earn Marcy's forgiveness, it was the very least she could do.