A/N: ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER CHAPTER. ok, now you guys on are FINALLY caught up to the ao3 chapters! i was going to space out the chapter releases, but then i was like "what's the fun in that?" so here we are! next update will MOST LIKELY be on saturday or sunday.
this is a pretty firepaw and dustpaw -centric chapter, so we have that to look forward to! i don't know, it just feels like they never have enough time to talk!
i think the into the wild arc will end in about 2 or 3 chapters, but instead of splitting this up into multiple fics, i'm just gonna make this easier on myself and put everything in one story.
Clear Water: hey man, thanks! i've never written a fic this long before and time travel is pretty messy business, but i love the trope so i had to contribute. and congrats, it is a panther! but that's the only thing i'll give you for now, anything else would be a (mild) spoiler!
Yellow Paws: "tigerclaw is a pompous pile of mousecrap" is the new apprentice game, every time someone says it, they have to repeat it even louder. first person to get caught loses lol. so unfortunately, the incident with the kits won't be until the next chapter or two! i wanted to take a bit of time to flesh out these characters and their relationships. thank you for always reviewing when new chapters come out!

Cats who remained at camp left their silence behind as Firepaw was greeted with an empty ThunderClan. Everyone must've been sleeping, he thought to himself before approaching Yellowfang's nest where she snored loudly. Hurriedly nudging her awake, Firepaw avoided a sheathed swat to the nose, "Yellowfang not now, at the gathering he-" He huffed, taking a second to breathe again, "Brokenstar-"

That got her awake and alert quickly enough. Almost instantly, the she cat pulled her tired and healing body to a sitting position while Firepaw heaved little breaths, "That name is one I'd rather not hear for many moons."

Her amber eyes flickered over Firepaw's exhausted frame, racking from his lungs attempting to gather as much oxygen as they possibly could without bursting. Perhaps sprinting all the way to camp was sort of overdoing it. Yellowfang sighed, "Considering you've run all the way from Fourtrees to meet me, it must be important. But seriously kit, you're going to kill yourself if you try to speak like this. Whatever you want to say can wait until you've caught your breath."

Taking the quipped notion to heart, Firepaw gave himself a moment to simply breathe before trying to speak again. At least this time, his parched throat wasn't causing him to choke on his own air, "Brokenstar warned ThunderClan of a rogue, and the entire camp is going wild about it. They think it's you."

"Of course they think it's me. Typical." Yellowfang growled, her ears flattened against her head and tail swishing angrily. After a moment she hesitated- though covered it up before Firepaw could take note of it, "They really believed him?"

Firepaw nodded, sitting down next to her. After a brief second, he replied, "When they get here, they'll want to hurt you. I have faith in Bluestar, but you should focus on protecting yourself. I'm going to be here too, so-"

Yellowfang struggled to her paws, tired bones and wounds aching, "Don't even think about it, kit. You believe I'm innocent, right? That's all that matters. Well, that and the fact that Bluestar will give a fair trial."

Cacophony of outraged yowls and angered cats approached the camp. Immediately Yellowfang butted Firepaw's side with her head, nudging him towards the camp entrance, "Go away, Firepaw. Don't make trouble for yourself by being seen with me now; there is nothing you can do at this point. Have faith in your leader, and let her decide what happens."

Instead of leaving, Firepaw sat his behind down and refused to budge. No matter how many increasingly frustrated nudges it took, he remained right there. Yellowfang growled, "Quit being a mousebrain and get out of here!"

"Nope."

"You're killing me. An actual apprentice is killing me. Come on Firepaw, seriously, if you give a group enough ambition they'll destroy what they don't understand. You're gonna get punished or hurt." Yellowfang seemed exasperated at this point, once even opting to pick him up by the scruff and drop him behind the warriors' den until he simply returned to the same spot.

"I'm a stubborn cat! A stubborn, not-budging cat. ThunderClan shouldn't hurt you if one of their own is in the way." Firepaw mewled in a matter of fact style. He was given a deadpan stare in response. It seemed like Yellowfang had a reply on the tip of her tongue but she held it back. To be fair, he knew perfectly well how awkward and distanced he was from the other members of the clan. "One of their own" was a bit of a stretch, but hopefully it wouldn't be as time passed.

The tunnel of gorse rustled and out streamed the cats of the Gathering, led by Bluestar and Lionheart. A circle of accusatory stares soon formed around the two cats, leaving Firepaw with the sensation of being small and shrunken while surrounded by persecuting towers. His leader weaved her path toward the center of the circle.

"Really, Firepaw?" Their stares met briefly, one of challenge and one of defense. Outside the shell of Gathering cats, ThunderClan slowly woke. Runningwind slipped from his den, curiously gazing at the commotion and asking the nearest cat what had exactly transpired at this last meeting.

Meanwhile, Darkstripe struggled to remove Yellowfang from her nest; a quick yowl from the roughhousing had Firepaw breaking the stare-off and worriedly bounding over to block the old cat from Darkstripe's reach. A sigh from his leader preceded her quiet message as she passed him to reach the Highrock, "Meet me inside my den after this fiasco is over."

Bluestar had efficiently shut down the cats that wished to harm their prisoner and reproached those that accused Yellowfang of the crimes Brokenstar listed. Summarizing it in the most blunt matter she could, Bluestar ended her scoldings with, "The bitter mollie stays."

"Hot mousedung, suck it Darkstripe."

Firepaw anxiously waited in the leader's den while Bluestar began assigning battle preparation tasks to the rest of the clan. Upon her return, she wasted no time cutting to the chase, "What in StarClan were you thinking, Firepaw? You're loyal to this clan, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. Of course! But I wasn't going to stand around when Brokenstar mentioned the rogue. The entire clan looked like they were itching for a target, I wasn't going to let a cat without a trial get hurt by our clan." Firepaw reasoned with her, attempting to diffuse the situation. Bluestar narrowed her eyes and looped her argument to her main point.

"A noble idea, but as my apprentice I expected better. Have you no faith in this clan?" She swished her tail, face stoic and cool yet her body language betraying agitation, "There's a difference between warning a cat and warning a criminal."

A frown, "Bluestar, kindly, you and I both know Yellowfang is far from a criminal. She may be prisoner at this camp, but who's to say she actually committed a crime?" He felt his chest fur puff up, intimidation from his leader ruffling his pelt, "She's not really a prisoner. The only thing keeping her here is her wounds and the lack of a real home."

She was nearly caught off guard. Nearly. "Firepaw I'm asking you again, though you make interesting and valid points. I'm not mad about the fact that you wanted to warn Yellowfang," Firepaw was surprised. Wait, seriously? Her silver muzzle twitched, momentarily revealing worry, "I'm just upset by the fact that you'd carry so little faith in these warriors. These are your companions, why turn them against you?"

He took pause in this question. In the past, Firestar led this clan. Firestar was the one who had managed to earn their respect and faith in his leadership. While he understands that his mind is the same and this is still his ThunderClan, Firepaw doesn't feel like Firestar. Something's changed, leaving a knot in his chest. Even saying "Firestar" in his own mind seems… foreign. As if he hadn't truly earned it.

"I… well." He shifted his paws, suddenly under the scrutiny of his leader. He remembered a thought he carried earlier, about how prepared he was. How secured he was in how he was going to prove to Bluestar after assessments that he was truly loyal in this clan. That he really belonged here, in ThunderClan.

And now in the face of the skeptic herself, he had no idea what to say.

"ThunderClan will always be my home, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect it." That was a decent start, okay, good. "The forest is a place where I feel as if I'm actually using my life. It's, um. Well it's just- I don't want to describe it but it still feels like I'm surrounded by unfamiliar cats."

"It's been a good few moons though, hasn't it? Enough time for you to feel somewhat more familiar with your surroundings and your peers?" Technically it's been many years, countless moons spent in this little corner of the Earth. Technically, Firepaw had gotten to befriend and understand his clanmates and even cats in other clans. He'd been able to feel them.

But that was in the past. Now in his newfound apprentice life an entire universe away, Firepaw felt the distance grow between him and ThunderClan and the forest. So much so that he couldn't even reach them. Every time he settled in his nest at night, old recollections of hunting next to Sandstorm or talking to his friend and deputy Whitestorm drifted a little further from his sight.

Jolted into another time, Firepaw is surrounded by strangers.

Returning back to the conversation, Firepaw sighed, "Yeah, it has."

Bluestar gives him a final, scrutinizing look before apparently finding what she needed and dropping the subject. There's no further discussion on it as she changes the topic to spare her weary apprentice, "I'm travelling to the Moonstone tomorrow, considering this is a tense time for ThunderClan. I'll need their strength and advice to make it through the coming tides, though I'll need a few escorts. Firepaw, you and a few other apprentices will accompany me to Highstones tomorrow. It's a long journey, so get some rest, kit."

Firepaw dipped his head in acknowledgement, stepping outside the den as he understood the dismissing tone in his leader's voice. Part of him wonders if Bluestar noticed herself using Yellowfang's weird nickname for him at the end of her talk.

He barely acknowledges Dustpaw's eager question of what happened at the gathering before Firepaw drops from his feet into his bedding. In the apprentices' den, he quickly drifts off to the excited whispers of Graypaw, Sandpaw, and Dustpaw.

"Ugh, ew."

"Well of course they're never pleasant, herbs are usually pretty bitter, Firepaw!" Spottedleaf snorted, watching the ginger stick his tongue out. Early in the morning, Firepaw woke before the rest of his denmates because he decided to get a head start on the day.

… That was a lie. He was actually shocked into the waking world due to nightmares and messages from StarClan. Now that he was running through the symbols a second time, Firepaw was able to pick out the little details of their ever confusing prophecies. A dream laced with violence and screaming warriors, the heavy scent of blood in the air and scuffling claws of battle. Graypaw's grief stricken yowl shook him into existence once more. For once, he decided to run directly to Bluestar and interpret the truth in his dreams, yet the warning fell upon deaf ears. Was he just meant to handle this on his own?

Silently chewing on the rest of the super gross herbs, Firepaw's eyes downcast onto his paws, shuffling dew damp soil and grass around. Spottedleaf seemed to notice this behavior as she nosed his cheek, causing him to glance up, "What's itching you, little one?"

He had missed her genuine sweet nature and comforting presence. The first medicine cat that Firepaw had ever been introduced to was akin to that of an apprenticeship affection. He was far past his previous fleeting intimacies, but Spottedleaf would always be a trusted friend, and that was enough for him. Firepaw shook his head, "No, it's just some, uh, moral dilemma I've been thinking about. A hypothetical one."

Spottedleaf gave him a questionable look, tentatively twitching a whisker in thought, "Well, lay it down for me. What's the dilemma?" She rested on her stomach, settling into place to listen.

Struggling to put his situation into words, he took a moment to think, "So, um. Okay I think I got it- so say you're a cat that can see the future, but everything's so clear- StarClan always makes things like prophecies so confusing and incomprehensible to the point where no one knows what it's about until it comes true anyways."

Spottedleaf waved her tail, "Firepaw, I think you're veering off topic."

"Oh, whoops. But yeah, say this does happen. The problem is that you can't tell anyone or else they may just think you're crazy or something," Firepaw knows he's rambling again, for some reason Spottedleaf doesn't stop him this time and instead adopts a serious expression on her face. Her eyes are focused but they seem as if they're seeing something else entirely. He continues.

"The thing is that you're not crazy, and it's serious because someone's life is on the line. But- well they're kind of supposed to die? You don't want them to though, but you're afraid that if you cause one leaf to shift in the forest, it'll lead to a storm on the other side of the territories. I hope that sort of makes sense. I don't want anyone to die, so how do I cause the least amount of damage while still keeping this cat from passing to StarClan too soon?" He spent all the air in his lungs trying to convey this situation of his, but in the end it probably still seems convoluted and confusing.

Spottedleaf's tail smacks onto the ground with an audible thump, "So… you mean something like changing fate to save a life, but being afraid of the risks it could cause?" She laughs, it's trying to hard to be genuine, "You're throwing me for a loop here, Firepaw. I'm almost convinced that you're speaking from experience!"

Firepaw expected her to dismiss the entire idea completely or at least laugh it off and give a simple enough answer. He didn't expect her to hide something behind that laugh. Was it awkwardness? StarClan knows how awkward Firepaw can be sometimes, but that didn't seem to be the case, "Spottedleaf, are you okay? It seems like you keep thinking about something."

Turns out he found the maggot in the meat. For a brief moment she seemed to be searching for an excuse before sighing, "Okay, I can't actually hide anything from you. It'd be too suspicious anyways. It's just that your situation is almost scarily similar to someone I used to know as a kit and in training. There was this old cat- Goosefeather. He used to be one of ThunderClan's medicine cats before my mentor Featherwhisker took over.

Everyone in the clan was convinced that he was going mad, seeing false prophecies and futures but still being helpless to change them when they ended up being true in the end. He's gone now, it was something foul that we couldn't treat. Happens to elders sometimes, their minds slowly scramble and it's just a matter of time."

She suddenly blinked, "Huh, look at who's getting off topic now. I'm not so sure why I rambled this much, maybe because for once someone's really listening! Either way, the situations are pretty close, right?"

The abrupt cheerfulness in her voice nearly gave Firepaw a sense of whiplash. It was still an appreciated break from the seriousness though. Spottedleaf sat up and stretched before preparing more herbs for the cats that were to go on the trip, "But if I'm hearing your pretend-"

"Hypothetical!"

"Your hypothetical situation correctly, it seems like the only thing holding you back is your own fear of change, isn't it? You're no Goosefeather, dummy. If you were given this chance to alter someone's fate, why wouldn't you try your hardest to make this happen? StarClan gives prophecies for a reason." That was… actually really sensible. Firepaw blinked, wondering if he was really his own biggest obstacle here. Apparently Spottedleaf found that amusing and went back to her snorting and bell-like laughter once again.

"Take these to the other cats that'll be accompanying you with Bluestar, okay? Stay safe for me and come back home soon! I need a little buddy that I can actually talk to!" Waving her tail in farewell, Firepaw carefully carried the bundles with his teeth and nodded back to ThunderClan's medicine cat.

Even through the time he woke from his fitful rest to that discussion, the sky still sat drowned in the moon's veil. The crows and birds in the forest just beginning to wake. Across the clearing, Sandpaw and Dustpaw yawned, emerging from their den. Firepaw paused to drop the bundle when Sandpaw gave him a questioning look, "You're up bright and early, kitty. Got places to be? Humans to befriend?"

Ignore it, "These herbs are for whoever's going to the trip to the Moonstone, do you guys know who else is going?"

Straightaway, Dustpaw narrowed his eyes, "Wait, what do you mean who else-?"

Whitestorm popped up behind them, managing to sneak by without notice from Firepaw or Dustpaw (but with a knowing glance from his apprentice), "Apprentice trip! Except me, I'm not an apprentice. But you, Firepaw, and Sandpaw are- and I'm coming with you guys as well. All five of us, including Bluestar, are going to Mothermouth."

If Firepaw could describe the mutual feeling that was shared by every apprentice awake at that moment, it was imminent dread and fear. An entire round trip beyond the territories with the single group of apprentices that couldn't get along at all.

Dustpaw shared a look of disgust with Sandpaw, "Seriously?"

The response was quick, "Yes, seriously. Bluestar wants to work on effective teamwork and intra-clan relationships, starting with you bunch. The more united the clan feels, the better we can work together to tackle whatever's coming our way." Whitestorm ended the discussion, asking the apprentices to eat their share of herbs. While watching them, Firepaw flinched at the stare Dustpaw was fixing him with. Why was he so hostile?

Said cat huffed after swallowing the tart herbs, "I don't think it's a matter of clan unity as it is a single weak link bringing down the group."

"Your fur looks as sleek as ever, Dustpaw, did you groom before joining us?" Sandpaw snorted at Firepaw's lame retaliation while Dustpaw himself narrowed his eyes, seemingly equal parts confused and angered.

Lionheart bounded towards the tense group, "Safe journey everyone, you're leaving now?"

It was Bluestar that replied, "While the sun is still hidden from the sky, yes. We'll need all the time we can spare."

"Then remember your training, everyone. You're all so close to being warriors." The soft-hearted warrior purred and allowed the group to say their goodbyes as they left camp, onto their journey to the Moonstone.

Their trail lined ThunderClan territory, leading up to Fourtrees where they took a brief break. Sandpaw and Firepaw began to bicker about hunting stances, while Dustpaw and Firepaw were… arguing? Well, sort of talking about something at least. Every insult was met with a compliment, knowing the addition of more anger would lead to a fallout that Firepaw would rather not have.

Plus, it was always hilarious to see Dustpaw's constipated and frustrated expressions. Even Sandpaw let out the occasional cackle at her friend's loss of words. Whitestorm seemed amused at the youths while Bluestar observed the growing tension between Firepaw and Dustpaw.

After the break was over began the long trek across WindClan, which left no room for petty arguments. During the brief stretch of travel, the mood settling over the five cats was nothing other than somber. There was a vacancy in left what should have been full, a camp left empty and a territory left abandoned for the crows to pick at.

"Oh, we're nearing the Thunderpath. This is your first time crossing it, right, Firepaw?" Whitestorm nudged Firepaw. He was surprised at the sudden attention, wishing he could just zone out for a bit more without the expectation of speaking.

"A-ah yeah, this is my first time." Not. But according to everyone else, it is. Every time he crossed this sea of stench he felt as if the hair was about to be shaved off of his spine. The small group continued to travel forward, Dustpaw and Sandpaw pulling ahead of him and occasionally glancing back.

"Keep up, kitty! Who knows where we might lose you." Sandpaw snickered.

Skirting a human home, the siren of dogs began to shake the fence and shock the small travelling party. Firepaw let out a little sigh of relief, "Oh, they're fenced in."

"Fence?" Dustpaw let the word drop as if it were a piece of crowfood. He laughed nervously in response.

"Yeah a, uh, human thing. It doesn't matter for now." Despite the dropped topic of discussion, Firepaw still felt the occasional turned glance from Dustpaw. Whitestorm and Bluestar observed their interaction and whispered amongst themselves.

A quick pace soon brought them to the track of monsters, the Thunderpath in constant rumble and turmoil. Heat and rubbery stench dripped off of the surface like morning dew and threatened to burn their noses. Whitestorm looked back and forth on the Thunderpath before nodding in confirmation.

"Okay, let's cross one at a time. I'll go first." Waiting for the right moment, Whitestorm sprinted across the path in a blur after the passing of a monster. Bluestar soon followed.

"Don't kill yourself, kitty." Sandpaw warned Firepaw unexpectedly after giving him a look down. Without time to think about the meaning of her words, her sandy fur danced across the black sea. At least she was safe on the other side.

Dustpaw frowned, watching the entire exchange. As if pressuring himself to butt forward, he scooted past Firepaw, "Let me show you how it's really done."

"Wait, Dustpaw!" The alarm from the other side caused the two apprentices who hadn't yet crossed to snap their gazes upwards. For once, a monster began to veer off of its path, bouncing and approaching at breakneck speed toward them. Without thought, Firepaw bowled both of them over and the large creature passed over them.

Blood roared in his ears, Firepaw and Dustpaw trembling from the near death encounter. After a moment to settle themselves and register the fact that yes, okay, we're still alive, Dustpaw flinched at the close contact and jumped away.

"U-ugh, don't touch me!" He was avoiding a sad gaze from greenleaf eyes.

"Whatever you say." Firepaw mumbled, tired of the entire typical exchange. They crossed safely and moved onward, the entire rest of the trip quiet other than the occasional attempts at lightheartedness by Sandpaw. Her mentor bumped her side gently in thanks.

Bluestar stopped in her tracks and looked back at the apprentices, "Look," She tilted her head in the direction of a craggy slope ahead of her, "Mothermouth."

Earth's sun began to take it's slumber, the last licks of light seeping into the ground. Whitestorm observed the scene peacefully while the rest of the party occupied themselves until it was time for the moon to crawl to the sky.

Deciding to make themselves useful, the group hunted for prey and settled into their own little groups. He expected Dustpaw to sit with Sandpaw, but apparently there were still surprises around the corner. She gave the two a curious glance before shrugging and eating her own food.

While gnawing at his mouse, Dustpaw grumbled, "What the heck is your problem?"

That gave Firepaw some pause, "What's my problem? You've been the one trying to insult me this entire trip! What do you mean by that?"

"Because you're not a- a real warrior blooded clan cat! Duh!" He seemed to be attempting to convince himself of this fact at the same time, "No, what I really mean is why have you just been trying to flatter me when I'm making jabs at you. What kind of cat are you, huh? Is this sort of a kittypet thing?"

Firepaw's eyes narrowed; his "companion" was really testing his patience. Firepaw knew he should've been better than to get riled up by matters such as this but, "No, it's a common sense thing."

"Well whatever it is, it's annoying me!"

"Jeez, stop acting like a kit!"

"What did you just-?"

Whoops, it was time for a voice of reason to step in, it seems. Sandpaw snapped at the two from her side of the group, "Good StarClan above! Hey, are you two just naturally mousebrained? Or did the monster on the Thunderpath do some kind of magic to make both of you that immature and stupid? Whatever it is, I'm sure you can continue this argument without annoying the rest of us!"

Were they really that loud? According to a quick glance around and meeting the eyes of their leader and Whitestorm, it was almost definitely confirmed that Dustpaw and Firepaw had probably scared the prey around them in a fifty tail length radius. Too ashamed to finish their squabble, the rest of the time spent was done in silence.

Thankfully, the moon had decided to show her face before it got too awkward. Bluestar stretched from her spot and flicked an ear, "It's time to go. Firepaw, you and Whitestorm accompany me inside. Sandpaw and Dustpaw, you two will guard the entrance for enemies."

He felt a quick flash of relief. Okay, so maybe he hadn't messed up too bad. With a brief nod to Whitestorm, the travel into the cave was spent slightly stumbling around and attempting to find Bluestar's voice. No matter how often he did this before, it was still a bumpy ride every time. Cold and damp air wrapped around their bones and the energy radiating from the walls of the cave reverberated around them. After a few minutes, fresh air had finally reached them.

"Oh, we're here. This is the cavern of the Moonstone," Bluestar began calmly, "Just wait, moonhigh will be approaching soon.

And it did. Blinding flashes of white light caused Firepaw to flinch and squeeze his eyes shut. Perfectly aligned with the center of the brightened cave, sat the glistening Moonstone in all her glory. Petals of pure dew making up it's cold body.

Whitestorm nudged Firepaw, "How do you feel?"

"Absolutely curious." That earned him a snort.

Bluestar rested her head on the stone, nose touching its star-like surface and drifting off into slumber.

"She's sharing dreams with StarClan." Whitestorm quietly mentioned, as to not wake their sleeping leader. They spent the passing few minutes watching, waiting in suspenseful silence. Firepaw felt a weight in his paws; she was about to receive the warning that her clan was in danger.

True to his memory, she snapped her eyes open as the brilliant light began to fade, "We.. we have to go. Now. Back to camp."

They hurriedly paced out of the cave and burst out at once, alarming Sandpaw and Dustpaw. It seems that Dustpaw momentarily forgot to hate him again, "Hey, hey, what'd you see?"

Well, at least the Thunderpath was quiet enough. Their awkward travelling party crossed easily and sprinted towards the edge of the human homes before being stopped by a particularly pudgy but muscled cat, smudged with black and white and pacing the edge of a cornfield. Uh. Firepaw feels immense guilt from having to ask this of himself, but what was his name again?

"Barley!" Oh, yeah, there it is. Sandpaw's hackles were raised before Bluestar calmly alerted her by setting her tail on the other's back, "Don't be alarmed, this loner is Barley, a friend of mine who lives nearby."

Barley mewed amicably, "Hey, Bluestar. It's been some time since I've seen anyone from your clan, how are you?"

"Well, thank you. I wish I could keep up the friendly exchange and ask you the same, but we're in a massive hurry." Understanding, Barley moved out of the clan cats' way.

"Don't let me hinder you, then. I'm just here to give you a quick warning. These human nearby brought a nasty set of dogs with them; they're released at night, so you're safer going through the cornfield than outside the houses." He flicked his tail as the group passed him, nodding in thanks. Bluestar stayed behind a moment longer to brush her pelt against his.

"We appreciate your warning, thank you. Until next time, Barley."

"Have a safe journey!"

Dustpaw frowned, "Really, we're just going to… accept the word of a loner like that?" Whitestorm gently cuffed him by the ear in reprimand.

"Oh, you're raised better than this. Would you rather risk facing corn or a dog? The words of an outsider shouldn't be taken with a grain of sand all the time, we were all loners once."

Ducking into the field, their surroundings were nothing but golden stalks and the occasional shift of soil. The moon had begin its slow slide into the earth's horizon. Firepaw remained on his guard, jumping at the slightest rustle. Barley surely meant no harm when he guided the party into the cornfield, but the tip was still at the expense of one of his leader's lives and Firepaw took Spottedleaf's advice to heart.

Whitestorm paused and sniffed the air curiously, "Wait-"

A bitter stench and approaching squeals preceded the flood of rats as they emerged from their covers and swarmed the five cats. Before anyone had time to yell, they were assaulted by the small menaces. On their own, rats were easy enough to handle; it was when they arrived in indistinguishable mobs that truly made them death traps.

Bluestar's drowned yowls brought Firepaw to attention, scrambling to yank the rats that covered her fur like heavy moss. They ripped away from her thrashing form, bringing bits of flesh and blood with them, clenched in their tiny teeth. Firepaw himself began to struggle under the encompassing attack, rats biting into his back and shoulder.

It felt as if no matter how hard he attempted to deplete their numbers, the swarm simply arrived en masse once more; sort of similar to a tale his mother used to tell in a distant memory- a monster that could grow two heads for every one that was cut off. Behind him, Sandpaw yelped as her tail was bombarded by a heavy group, pinning her to the spot. There were so many cats to keep track of- was everyone okay?

Before scaring off more rats that were threatening to further wound his leader, sharp flashes of pain began to emerge from Firepaw's ear. Desperately, he thrashed his head. Whipping it around he soon found that with every tug of weight on his injured ear, brought more torturous laceration. Scuttling menaces were flung off, but at the expense of his ear being torn.

Haha, Longtail and I match, now. He thought to himself, feeling exhaustion seep into his fur as his wounds and drained stamina began to catch up to him. Nearly dropping to his stomach, a vague white and black shape arrived. It was shaking the rats off of his little body and working with Whitestorm to protect Bluestar and the other apprentices. Barley you beautiful piece of fox dung.

Slowly but gradually, fear emitted from the horde and rats were trickling away, retreating or dead. A groggy glance toward Dustpaw and Sandpaw indicated that they were plenty roughed up, but overall safe. Whitestorm's snow white pelt was stained with streaks of red, thankfully not all of it belonged to him. With some difficulty, Barley brought a shaky and battered Bluestar to her feet as she heaved.

"Barley… thanks for stepping in." He seemed to recoil at Bluestar's kindness, guilt evident in his voice.

"It was the least I could do."

Nodding her head, Bluestar slumped onto the ground, much to the alarm of the other cats. Firepaw's mind was racing, how could he keep his leader from losing another life? While Whitestorm and Barley fretted and tried to find anything to help her, Dustpaw remained still, wide eyed and terrified.

Sandpaw yelped, "What do we do, how can we stop the bleeding?"

Immediately, Whitestorm dashed to search for cobwebs, soon returning with a decent bundle. Firepaw watched as he and Barley aimed to clot the bleeding, yet the cobwebs were loose and continued to slide with the blood.

"Firepaw what kind of bandage job is that? These cobwebs are fastened on so loosely that they may as well be ghosts. Specifically mine. My ghost. I'm haunting you for your terrible bandaging."

Yellowfang's nagging shot through his mind. Of course that bitter old she-cat's voice would be the one to ground him. Shouldering between Barley and Whitestorm, Firepaw took the cobwebs and applied them as Yellowfang had showed him. The other two quickly picked up on the method and followed suit.

"Uh, what was it, what was it? Horse… something? Horsegold? Was that it?" Firepaw mumbled to himself. StarClan, he was terrible at this medicine cat thing. Whitestorm seemed to pick up on what he was struggling to remember and perked up.

"Horsetail grows around here! Sandpaw, can you help find some?" Relieved by the fact that she was able to be useful, Sandpaw nodded and dove to search for any of the nettled stalks.

Bluestar groaned, twitching beneath them. Barley sighed in relief, "It seems like she's just unconscious."

Dustpaw managed to tear his frozen gaze from his leader to the loner, "But- but not the dying kind of unconscious, right?"

His tabby body curled in on itself, crouched to make him seem as small as possible in the face of something too familiar yet too surprising every time. Suddenly filled with the recollection of Dustpaw's passed mentor, Redtail, Firepaw felt an emotion he wasn't able to name on the spot. Fixing them with a gentle shake of the head, Barley mewled, "No, not the dying kind of unconscious."

"It took some time, but I got the horsetail." Sandpaw's tired mewl caused the resting ragtag group to look up. Green nettles were gently clamped between her jaws, whether to preserve their essence or prevent their bitter taste from seeping into her mouth, Firepaw didn't know nor care.

She dropped the bundle in front of Firepaw, surprisingly enough, "You, uh, seemed to know better than anyone how to handle wounds and stuff. I see you hanging around that old mange pelt trying to be a medicine cat."

Her insults lost their venom. Slightly squirming, Sandpaw seemed uncomfortable delivering him anything that wasn't a snide comment, "Well, say something!"

Firepaw snickered, "Thanks, Sandpaw."

Chewing horsetail was kind of gross, but he soon put himself to work, cleaning wounds that began to slow in their bleeding and adding poultices to them. There were still many to go through, though.

"Dustpaw, help me out with this." He called to the oddly quiet cat through the herbs in his mouth. Side by side, they worked in silence while Barley and Sandpaw left to hunt and Whitestorm rested a fair distance away. Occasionally, he pointed to an area that needed to be cleaned or a spot that needed a few more cobwebs.

After a few minutes, Dustpaw broke the somber atmosphere, "I can't believe I'm following the orders of a dumb kittypet. You're not even a real ThunderClan cat!"

Ah yes, he knew they were missing something. Choosing to ignore the sudden complaints, Firepaw just shook his head before applying more herbs to the leftover wounds, "I don't want to do this right now, okay? Just- can you just chill out for once? This whole thing is getting kind of old, I know you don't really believe the things you say."

Dustpaw hesitated, stumbling over his words, "Why would you assume that?"

A pause.

"Because it sounds like you're forcing yourself to say mean things. It's almost as if you're forcing yourself to hate me." That earned him a flinch. So maybe he was closer to the truth than he thought.

"O-of course I hate you! You're dumb and- and different, and-"

"Those aren't your words, though. Dustpaw look me in the eyes one more time and say something that Darkstripe didn't just feed you. If you really hated me, you wouldn't just use the same reason to taunt me every time." He swished his tail, orange fur brushing the soil beneath their paws.

It takes a few heartbeats of standing off, amber clashing with emerald. Whitestorm snoozed in the other side of the clearing and the world was silent other than soft snores, cornfield rustles, and the deep breaths of Bluestar. Eventually Dustpaw broke, mumbling, "You were just so easy to blame."

He seemed tired now, less so an annoying cat filled with spite and more of a tired apprentice that's been deprived of a friend for a while. The dam breaks and soon he's spilling everything at once, "When you came, Redtail died and there wasn't anyone else reasonable to talk to. Sandpaw is a great cat, but I feel like she puts these walls up around me- walls that she lets down around you for some reason. You were just bad luck too, bringing in strays and getting away with stunts that would get the rest of us punished for a moon."

Narrowing his eyes, Dustpaw continued, "Now I'm stuck with this dumb mentor that's overly defensive of his bloodline because it's all that he's got. I think he's power hungry too, but not 'cause he actually wants to lead. I think it's a validation kinda thing, or whatever. But I was dumb too and I needed an excuse to hate you, blame you for everything that was going wrong," He shifted his paws, "Because I would feel guilty if I didn't have a reason."

Well that was unexpected. Firepaw couldn't find the words to immediately reply. Misinterpreting his silence, Dustpaw laughed bitterly, "Yeah, of course you wouldn't get it. Whatever, it was dumb anyways. I don't even know why I'm saying all of this."

"Because for once, someone's actually listening?" Firepaw cut in. He thought he saw Dustpaw flinch, but didn't comment on it.

Instead, they continued to work; both feeling themselves growing just a little more from the heart to heart. From Dustpaw, to Firepaw, to the unconscious body of ThunderClan's leader. Wow, gosh, that made things about five times more awkward.

On the bright side, Firepaw remembered the word for the emotion he was trying to express earlier.

Empathy.

Sandpaw soon returns with food, waking her mentor with the smell of fresh mice. Barley follows soon after, effectively waking Bluestar. And Bluestar just as effectively causes three apprentices, a warrior, and a loner to yelp in panic when she immediately begins to sprint towards ThunderClan again.

They settle for carrying her back to camp as their leader was adamant on returning; Barley and Whitestorm travelling at a steady pace with Bluestar perched between them. The sun's warmth begins to hug the forest as dawn marches forward.

LONG A/N HERE, SKIP IF YOU LIKE: per usual, if anyone has any questions about the meaning behind specific scenes or lines, feel free to comment! or even just to leave a small note for me! i was pretty happy with how i ended this chapter phew, things are beginning to diverge.

i think dustpaw and sandpaw totally should have been on that moonstone trip, mainly because of apprentice seniority but also because we just don't get to know and love them as well as graypaw and ravenpaw. their character development is kind of hidden in the background during the series so i wanted to dedicate at least one chapter to them, this was mainly dustpaw-centric so i'm planning to write more about sandpaw later. firepaw's feeling more estranged from his clanmates than ever, so being able to hold a serious discussion like this was a step forward for him. proud of our boy! by the way, the reason why it was sandpaw and dustpaw instead of graypaw and ravenpaw escorting bluestar on the trip is because our best local bluemom decided that firepaw needed an extra push to get along with his clanmates, beginning with the cats he actually shares a den with lol.

till next time!