Author's notes: Please leave a review if you feel like it. Am I moving too fast with Darkstripe's mental issues. How do you feel the story is going? I appreciate constructive criticism.

Chapter 38: Hunting Nostalgia

Darkstripe was woken by what he could only assume was an oversized kit. He'd been having a disturbing dream of looking into a puddle to see his own eyes were the dreaded yellow and green before they shattered like ice falling into small piles of green and yellow leaving his eye sockets hollow. He could hear Bluestar calling in the distance something about moss, a stone, and mist. He had started running towards her. Then he woke. He woke to golden eyes that held the same childishness as Bramblekit.

"Come on! Longtail wants us to go hunting!"

"What?" Darkstripe muttered, trying to fully awaken from his dream.

"Longtail wants us to go hunting." He repeated. "You may be a bit crazy…"

Great Darkstripe had crazy to add to the growing list of names he hated.

"But Longtail told me you did so many cool things. I had always thought Longtail was the smartest and bravest cat in the clan because of the team fighting thing he's been teaching me, but then he told me you came up with that."

Darkstripe was beginning to sense the oldest apprentice in the clan was more kit than Cloudpaw. He kept babbling in that excited manner that kits do when they want to share.

"I also heard you know the dealers. I heard you made them. I've always wanted to meet the dealers. Their stories are so cool. I really want to meet Thunder. Can you introduce me to him some time?"

Darkstripe was at a loss for words. The apprentice just kept going. He felt a sense of pride to be the object of the apprentice's obsession, but he needed to slow down.

"Slow down Swiftpaw."

Swiftpaw? How long had he seen the apprentice as just another Green Eyes? This kit couldn't scheme to save his life. He'd probably blurt out whatever was on his mind before even a day had passed. That same low impulse control also made him safe in Darkstripe's mind. He couldn't betray him because he couldn't keep a secret.

The apprentice was still jittering, but he'd become silent before speaking again.

"I'm sorry. You're just so cool. I want to do some amazing things and be remembered too. I want to fight for the clan and be the strongest warrior."

"Good. No cat gets anywhere without a bit of ambition. Just don't let it control every aspect of you. Knowing when to stop or reconsider is what separates us from Tigerclaw."

Darkstripe wished he hadn't said that sentence. Now he had Tigerclaw on his mind. Knowing Tigerclaw, he knew their conflict wasn't over. Tigerclaw, despite being a brute, had enough instinct and charisma to compensate. Whateever would come of it, Darkstripe knew it would be violent. Tigerclaw wasn't subtle enough for anything else. After all, he resorted to murder to get a position instead of proving he'd be better and pressuring Bluestar to rename the deputy. He didn't know if he wanted to plan against it. He didn't trust his own clan. Could he bring himself to defend those he feared? Then his vision cleared to see Swiftpaw not so patiently waiting. He realized he could. Maybe not for the clan, but for the kits and apprentices he could see were innocent of the deceit their deputies had unleashed on the clan.

Darkstripe followed the apprentice out. Longtail could instantly tell Darkstripe was in what was a relatively good mood. It wasn't actually a cheery mood, but it was one of the closest Longtail had seen since Fireheart had so rudely blurted out all his friend's secrets. Darkstripe stared at Longtail for a long time. It looked like he was trying to see through a heavy fog. In truth, Darkstripe was trying to see Longtail's real eyes. He missed how they looked at him. He wanted eyes to see him that weren't just shades of green and yellow.

Longtail led them out close to Windclan for some partner hunting. Swiftpaw was very familiar with that, but it seemed that Longtail wanted to demonstrate with Darkstripe.

Darkstripe didn't want to trust the Green Eyes of his former apprentice, but he did want to demonstrate for Swiftpaw. He couldn't bring himself to trust, so he instead sunk into his memories. He remembered how he and Longtail used to hunt. His body followed the instinctive motions while his mind was filled with nostalgia. Why couldn't things be simple again? Darkstripe might not have been there in thought, but the motions and instincts were slowly dissolving the illusion conjured from his fearful mistrust of his former apprentice. It felt good to move this way again, to trust that his partner would react a certain way, and flow together. The two were a team, and when they were together, they could do anything.

Longtail was also overcome with nostalgia. It felt amazing to see Darkstripe again. Not that depressed cat who was scared of every cat in the clan. The real Darkstripe. The one who knew him better than he knew himself. The one who pioneered their partner dynamic. The one he held in such high regard. He didn't want to see that Darkstripe vanish again.

Swiftpaw watched with awe. The two moved with such perfect synchronicity. It was like watching a stream push two leaves down a river. They weren't always shoulder to shoulder, but there was clearly a dynamic to their actions. They didn't need to speak or obviously signal at all. It was like the two shared vision, no that they were the same cat! When they spotted prey, both cats would move. They'd usually separate, but it still was synchronized. They'd circle it. Each in the perfect position to support the other. It was art. Swiftpaw felt himself longing to be like them. He'd been taught by Longtail how to work in a partnership and had thought he had it mastered, but he was beginning to realize that he'd barely scratched the surface.

Finally, they had a large pile of prey. Darkstripe looked at Longtail and his eyes were that oh so familiar pale blue that he remembered. He almost cried in joy at the sight. He wanted to press himself up against his old friend, but he restrained himself. He couldn't be emotional in from of the apprentice. He had to be the cool and collected Darkstripe that the paw saw him as. He was happy to act, but one thing suddenly came to mind. There would be violence in the near future and Swiftpaw wasn't ready for it. He may be strong enough and a good fighter, but he still had the kit sense of immortality. He hadn't been humbled by a near death experience and had a hero complex because if it. Darkstripe feared that he'd have to be ready. If he knew the apprentice like he thought he did, he might have to bail him out of the jaws of death someday.