Elsi: So, I've reached this really awkward moment in the series where everything in this book starts to make references to the prequel, War of Shadows. That being said, there will be more chapters there than here, although I'll write at the same pace. I'm halfway through Chapter 10 of this - that's good, right?

Elsi: Anyways, this is a nice Littlepaw chapter for you. It connects to the last Littlepaw chapter and explores more of Little's magic. Also it hints at Willow's real power...which is cool. Little's magic makes my day...

Elsi: Here you go! By the way, I don't own anything. Although the characters and plot are (for the most part) mine.

Chapter 9: The Puzzle

Littlepaw turned at the sound of Willowpaw's mew. His sister's eyes were large and intense, and utterly confused. This had something to do with Brackenheart's confession.

"I need to get away," said Willowpaw. "I thought you could help me." Smiling, Littlepaw nudged her shoulder.

"Of course I can help you," he promised. "We've needed to talk for a while now." Willowpaw nodded in agreement, and the two littermates proceeded out the camp entrance and into the trees. Soothed by that constant, at least, Willowpaw turned to her brother.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted. "Brackenheart…"

"Is your best friend, and is in love with you," Littlepaw said. "Didn't Skypaw help?"

"She tried," said Willowpaw. She rolled her eyes. "It seemed like most of Skypaw's argument was that I could never accept Brackenheart for myself because that would get in the way of the prophecy. That's just stupid."

"Is it?" asked Littlepaw. His mind went to Ivypaw, and the look in those green eyes when he had pushed himself through the water to leave her. He wished that he had never needed to leave in the first place. Wouldn't it be easier if Ivypaw could live with him, in ThunderClan?

"I think that's ridiculous," said Willowpaw, fluffing her tail up. "It's like not being able to have friends, either. That's where she's going next."

They walked in silence as Littlepaw waited for her next reaction. Then it came, and everything in Willowpaw drooped.

"Maybe Skypaw is right," said Willowpaw. "We can't afford to get close to people. We're destruction."

You're destruction, maybe, Littlepaw thought, but then he remembered Ivypaw's heart-broken face again, and he shivered. Plus, these earthquakes…they weren't just a coincidence. Maybe they were all destruction, but their job was to be salvation, too. That would work brilliantly.

"I wouldn't think that way," Littlepaw said quickly. He looked around. "Come on, Willowpaw. We're all alone for the first time in a long time. Don't you want to talk about…?" She did – he knew that she did. Willowpaw sat down, curling her tail around her paws as she stared at him. Her eyes were intense enough to seat him, too. Then, Littlepaw tried to explain.

"You became me," Willowpaw cut in. "Just like that. Have you ever done it before?"

"Not before, not since," promised Littlepaw. "I just…I would like to try it again. To see if it's you, or if it's me, or…"

He paused, peering at her, already knowing the answer but wanting to be absolutely sure. Well, absolutely absolutely sure. Well…oh, never mind. More sure than he already was. Furthermore, he was curious about this new ability. It seemed to have more possibilities that needed exploring. Come on, Willowpaw…

"Okay," whispered Willowpaw. She sounded afraid – and she was probably right to be so. Littlepaw closed his eyes and knew that she was doing the same. Matching her breathing, finding the bit of his mind that allowed him to mind-speak, he slowly reached out.

Willowpaw? Can you hear me? The sensation of mind-speech excited him, and he felt her, rather than saw her, stirring in response.

I hear you.

Good. Concentrating, Littlepaw reached out for her with his mind, enveloping her, bringing her into him, or, rather, bringing himself into her. Then he opened his eyes, and they were Willowpaw's eyes as well as his own. He saw himself staring at himself, felt Willowpaw's inner chill alongside his warmth blood. Her fear began picking up, then, suddenly.

It's alright, Littlepaw promised her. For a moment, she began to relax. Growing comfortable, Littlepaw thought hard, matching his thoughts up with hers. Willowpaw's mind was still adjusting to his presence, but she wasn't panicking. In the back of her mind was still the conflict between Brackenheart and…Mouseclaw? He should have guessed.

I'll help you sort it out, Littlepaw said when she stiffened against him. He probably shouldn't pry like that in the future, but she needed him. You need to let me in, Willowpaw. Explain.

So she did, through mind-speak and a display of memories, telling him the story. Brackenheart had always been her closest friend, but she had always considered him a friend only. Now that he was in love with her, at least publicly, she didn't know how to face him. How could she tell him that she didn't feel the same? Did she, in fact feel the same? Willowpaw didn't know what love felt like. She was trying to get the message across, but the closest thing she could identify with love was the way she felt with Mouseclaw. So, did that mean she actually loved Mouseclaw? They were friends again, but that was weird, too. She wasn't sure what to do.

Littlepaw found himself amused and concerned at the dilemma. Mouseclaw and Brackenheart both loved her, which was clear from their competitive, hostile behavior towards each other lately and how protective they had always been over Willowpaw. He was protective over her, and knew that Skypaw was doubly so. No doubt her anti-mate campaign was in part due to the need to keep Willowpaw away from heartbreak. She was too late for that. They all were too far deep in their problems to pull out now.

I suppose that means you, too? Littlepaw, startled, reminded himself that his consciousness was still linked with hers. But no…his thoughts shouldn't have been so easily read. There were too many things in his head, and he had a strange mastery over the process already. So how was he…?

Then, before him, he both saw and felt his own body jerk away from him. Praying to StarClan that he wasn't seeing what his eyes – Willowpaw's eyes – were telling him, Littlepaw abandoned his hold on his sister's mind. Willowpaw, come back! You can't!

Littlepaw! Her mental screech, and connection in his own head, was terrible. Littlepaw, help me! It hurts…so much…it hurts…help me…

Then the connection snapped, and Littlepaw went spinning away from her, his own, blue-ish paws skidding underneath him. Willowpaw fell over and then stood back up, her fur on end.

"Your head…I was in your head…"

"I came to you," Littlepaw said, staring at her. "How did you go to me?"

"I just saw your thoughts…they were there, and I followed…"

"That's impossible. It's my power," said Littlepaw. "You shouldn't be able to mimic it like that."

"Maybe it's my power after all," said Willowpaw. Littlepaw shook his head furiously, for he knew very well that it was his power. How did she mimic him, just then?

"I went in first, remember?" he said. Willowpaw gave him a doubtful glance, making him a little frustrated. He loathed when people doubted him like this.

"Okay, try to come to me," Littlepaw said, but Willowpaw shook her head and leaped back.

"Never again," said Willowpaw. "My head…my head…" Littlepaw saw her eyes roll into the back of her head at the thought, and his sister slumped to the ground in a heap of silver fur.

Littlepaw sprung for her, sinking his nose into her cold fur for some sign that she would be okay. Her breathing seemed normal, and hear heart beat on. Relieved, Littlepaw sat back and just stared at her. How had that happened? He had been absolutely sure that their consciousness-link had been something he had initiated, a process that he now understood and had control over. Somehow, though…somehow Willowpaw had gotten into his head. Of course the pressure of all of the thoughts in his head had overwhelmed her. The encounter was too new for her.

Sighing deeply, Littlepaw dragged his sister back to camp (it took quite a while), ignoring the weird glances as he deposited her in the medicine den.

"What did you two do?" Birdpaw demanded.

"Long story," said Littlepaw. "She exhausted herself. New power, I think." Birdpaw gave him a skeptical glance and called in Jayfeather.

"You had better explain," she said furiously. Littlepaw sighed.

"Turns out I can…this is going to sound crazy."

"Just tell me! Jayfeather!"

The older medicine cat was already on his way, scolding Birdpaw for the yelling in a series of choice insults and threats. Littlepaw's whiskers twitched – Birdpaw, however, was not amused.

"Tell me," she repeated. Littlepaw shot Jayfeather a glance. The medicine cat swept his grey tail, indicating with that one gesture the bored emotion of "come on, I've seen it all, now get on with it."

"I can…link up with your mind." Birdpaw just stared. Littlepaw indicated to Willowpaw. "I got into Willowpaw's mind and kind of…I don't know. Entered her body and mind and saw everything from both her angle and mine. If that makes sense."

"It doesn't," Birdpaw informed him. "Try it on me?"

At her request, Littlepaw repeated his process. Find her mind. Connect with mind-speak. Draw over. Look around. Draw back. When he released her, Birdpaw's eyes were wide.

"Okay," she said. "Never doing that again."

"I can see why," Littlepaw answered quickly. "Since when were you and Dustfur close?"

"Shut up, Littlepaw," said Birdpaw.

"So what happened to Willowpaw?" Jayfeather cut in before Birdpaw could charge on. Littlepaw could have gone on, too. He had seen more in Birdpaw's mind that worried him: most importantly, her growing ability to tell lies and her fondness of them. What was that all about? Lies were dangerous when overused.

"I'm not sure, actually," Littlepaw admitted. "It was like…well, while I was figuring out this power, she somehow…came back to me. She was inside my head, and…"

"Could I try?" asked Birdpaw.

"All you want," said Littlepaw dryly. He already knew it wouldn't work, and after a few seconds of Birdpaw staring at him as if she was trying to cough up a particularly tough hairball, he was proved correct.

"I can barely touch you," she said. "Huh. Maybe you and Willowpaw are the only ones who can do that?"

"Seems that way," Littlepaw confirmed. The answer was somewhere nearby…he just had to find it. He closed his eyes, rummaging through his head for any sort of solution.

"So what's so complicated about your head that made Willowpaw collapse?" asked Jayfeather, turning those all-seeing but never-seeing eyes on him. "You both have the same overwhelming amount of power. So what is it?"

Littlepaw began to feel heat in his pelt, but he forced himself to stay calm. Jayfeather would be able to detect his guilt or panic. After a few seconds, he came up with a reasonable explanation.

"It may be due to the fact that I think a lot more than normal," Littlepaw said. "My powers are mostly mental. I'm inside other cats' minds a lot. Like Skypaw."

"Hmmm." Jayfeather didn't seem convinced, but he bought the reasoning. It did make sense, Littlepaw figured. It was probably true, as well – Willowpaw had been in his head only long enough to see his surface thoughts. Things like the mental process, his inner debate over Willowpaw's situation, his reluctance to never see Ivypaw again.

StarClan save me, where did that come from? Shaking his head, Littlepaw looked back at Jayfeather.

"She'll be alright, won't she?" he asked.

"She's fine," Jayfeather snapped. "Just exhausted, like you said." He gave Littlepaw another curious glance. "If anything else happens with the rest of you, tell me. Don't just go trying out new powers idly."

Littlepaw wanted to protest, but thought it best that he didn't. He dipped is head.

"Yes, Jayfeather. I'm sorry."

That seemed to amuse the medicine cat, and Jayfeather waved him off.

"Littlepaw," called Birdpaw as he turned away. Her eyes were big and worried. "What did you see in my head? Everything?"

"Nothing drastically new," Littlepaw said softly. "I don't want to pry in your heads anymore. I'm not going to be Skypaw." He was unable to hide a bite in his voice at that, and Birdpaw gave him a sharp glance. "Sorry. She's done that to me before. I wouldn't use this for bad reasons, okay?"

"I don't think you should use it at all," Birdpaw pointed out, her voice so low that Jayfeather couldn't hear their conversation. Littlepaw edged closer, confused. "That doesn't exactly sound like a good power to me."

"What?"

"Littlepaw!" whisper-shouted Birdpaw. Her ears rotated sideways a bit. "I know you. You like this idea of using all your powers. Testing them out, or whatever. But this isn't like Mountainpaw fighting or me being able to heat things up with my mind. This is different. You're going inside someone else and looking around. That's not a good thing."

"I wouldn't use it to hurt anyone," Littlepaw said.

"You wouldn't try," corrected Birdpaw. "But that feels weird. Just…keep it to yourself, okay?"

He turned, a little offended, fairly angry, and walked away from her. What did she know, anyways? As far as they discovered, Birdpaw didn't have any new or crazy powers. She was probably just jealous! She could levitate things with her mind – so what? Littlepaw could command people with a thought. Mountainpaw could defeat any enemy. Skypaw knew what every cat was thinking at all times.

Although, Willowpaw was apparently able to go into other cats' minds, too, or perhaps just mimic their powers. Yes, that sounded right. He would have to test that hypothesis, but it seemed right. That was a new power, wasn't it? Maybe they hadn't discovered everything inside of Birdpaw. Or maybe she had, and she was keeping it a secret from them all. Either way, Littlepaw wouldn't underestimate her anymore. He wouldn't do that with anyone.

Littlepaw shook out his coat. He was getting pompous, and that was not something that he wanted to be known for. It was Mountainpaw's turn to take charge. Littlepaw would help him, not take control of the others.

Elsi: That last bit was kind of me reflecting on Little's character alongside Little. He is getting kind of pompous. Although, he definitely has the most mastery over his magic, so maybe that's appropriate. Oh, well. He's going to try to deflate his own head anyways.

Elsi: What are you thinking so far? I finally got a decent chapter outline of this story, instead of just a blob of info. It keeps changing. I'm really sorry if some of the elements of the earlier books faded away.

Elsi: OOH! Also, I'm having a tough time with Skypaw's warrior name (yes, that's coming up...not soon, I just wanted to get something down). I'm torn between Skyflower (her original name throughout the series) and Skyfeather (which I started to enjoy). I'm leaning towards the first one due to the fact that one of the others might have the suffix -feather (although then again, maybe not). So, tell me what you think! I might have more questions for you later, too...