Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series!

Title: Deep Dive

Summary: In a world where ThunderClan absorbed ShadowClan seasons ago, young warrior Weaselface is tasked to rebuild the fourth Clan and take her place as leader. But how can she betray all she's ever known and loved, all on the word of one ghost with a grudge?

Chapter Title: The Kittypet Crew

...

"Do you have to go?" Featherkit whined. "I caught you a grasshopper."

"I can stay for a grasshopper," Weaselstar compromised, feeling pride tugging at her heart. It's almost as big as her! She reached down and plucked a single leg, making sure to let out a noise of content as she chewed. "I know I haven't been here as much lately, and I'm really sorry. How about tomorrow we all have a big playday? We can go hang out in the training field."

Willowkit squirmed out from under Sweetshine's paws. "Can we? Can we? I bet I can catch two grasshoppers!"

"Not if I catch them first!"

"Who cares?" Elmkit snapped. Her brown and white fur stuck out and around like a particularly grumpy pinecone. "Mama's gonna stink like kittypet when she gets back. All the grasshoppers'll run away!"

Weaselstar's ears flattened at her tone. "They smell weird sometimes, yeah, but that doesn't mean they aren't good cats. Your grandma was a loner, and so was your grandpa." She bent down to boop their noses together. "That makes you half-loner."

"Maybe, but we were born wild!" Elmkit rolled onto her back, legs lolling around. "They're gonna be all soft and squishy."

She sounds like Spiderstar, she thought, displeased. Weaselstar couldn't blame the kit; she was only parroting what she'd been taught. That just means I need to try harder, and show her why that's not right. "Well, we'll be giving them the chance to become wild, if they wanna be. And maybe we'll learn a little bit of being soft and squishy in return. I think it'll be a lot of fun."

Elmkit squinted at her shrewdly. "I bet I can catch five grasshoppers."

"And I bet I can eat them all," Weaselstar returned, flicking her tail over her face and barely dodging some little paws. She traded a quick nuzzle with Sweetshine, then Adderpelt. I need to spend more time with them, too. "I should be back pretty early on. I'll be surprised if anyone actually shows up."

"Safe travels?" Adderpelt offered hesitantly. "If things look dicey, start chanting about bones in your nest. I hear that works."

"Most cats find me intimidating. Can't imagine why."

The clearing was empty as Weaselstar entered it, buffeted by the slightest bit of chill. Grasshoppers and cicadas alike both shrieked into the gloom, daring kits and warriors alike to snatch them up for dinner. She was a bit surprised that none of her warriors had come to stop her. I guess they know how stubborn I can be. They'll probably gang up on me in the morning when I'm sleepy.

"Weaselstar!"

Or not.

She turned to watch as Bumblepaw and Ratpaw approached, tailtip twitching. "Listen, kids. I respect your concerns for ShadowClan, but can we please just wait until we know if it's even an is-"

"Can we come?" Bumblepaw blurted out. Weaselstar's jaw dropped. "It just doesn't make sense to have our leader go all alone to enemy territory, you know? I'm sure you'll be safe, but being in a Clan is being cared for."

"And this way, none of the warriors have to leave," Ratpaw tacked on. "So the camp is still plenty protected."

Weaselstar studied the two 'paws. They were well old enough for their names at this point- they'd been apprentices back when she was, albeit very new ones. Ratpaw's black coat was sleek and shiny, and he met her gaze evenly. This wasn't the same tom who'd been unable to grow back in ThunderClan. Bumblepaw was shorter but just as stocky, muscular, with a fire in her eyes.

She dipped her head. "I'd be honored to have you two along."

Ice Cube was waiting for her, bouncing on the pads of his feet like a kitten getting its favorite piece of prey. His eyes lit up as she approached. "Howdy, neighbor!" he meowed, nuzzling her with a purr. He took in the two glaring apprentices with no less enthusiasm. "Ah, excuse me. Neighbors."

"This is Ratpaw and Bumblepaw. They're here mostly to be nosy and suspicious of everything."

He shook his head, baffled. "Weird names. Let's go going- if we keep a steady pace, we'll be there by midnight. And you can tell me how those names work on the way!"

It's a decently long walk, though Weaselstar wouldn't call it particularly interesting. Just beyond ShadowClan came a long stretch of fields, which twisted into the shortest line of trees she'd ever laid eyes on. Following that was a Thunderpath- it was used more often, judging by the smell, and its pelt held bright streaks the other one didn't.

From there it was endless lines of Twoleg dens, each as sharp and imposing as the last. Weaselstar shook off feelings of unease as they wound through wooden slats she recognized, distantly, to be how Twolegs make their territories known. A sudden dog bark made Ratpaw jump, pelt sticking out wildly, but he quickly shook himself and stumbled on. She was proud of how well they adapted to the strange environment, and especially of their bravery. Birchfoot has done good for these two.

Eventually, they found themselves in a dark path between two dens, ending with a strong den wall behind it. Strange rectangles littered the side, reeking of things far worse than any crowfood. Ice Cube wrinkled his nose but pushed on, ending at a smaller hole kept still by bricks. Over it was a cloth, draped haphazardly, by some wandering Twoleg. It just barely covered the entrance.

"It's a trash can," Ice Cube meowed, catching her look. The gray and white tom raised his voice. "Pringles, I'm back! And I brought friends!"

The can shifted slightly as something inside it sat up. The cloth rose as a scrawny yellow and brown tom appeared, eyes wide with surprise. "They actually came?" He blinked at them. "Wow. So you did. You've got balls."

"Everyone, this is my husband, Pringles." Ice Cube padded over to stand beside them, whiskers twitching with humor. "Pringles, this is Weaselstar, Bumblepaw, and Ratpaw. They tried to explain it to me, but I still don't get their weird naming thing, so please don't ask me."

Pringles dipped his head, still looking very, very confused. Weaselstar got a natural nervous aura from him- not paranoid, necessarily, but not too interesting in making new friends in the middle of the night, either. Fair enough. "Well, hello there. I'd offer you a snack or something, but trash day was yesterday. Um, if I may be crude- why do you look like a weedwhacker ate you?"

Ratpaw squeaked in outrage, but Weaselstar waved him off with her tail. "Fair enough. We came here to answer questions, and I'm sure I look pretty concerning at first glance." She tilted her head so he could see better. "I had a bit of an accident as a kitten, and this happened to my neck."

"It's not some sort of screwed-up initiation?"

She snorted. "Hardly."

"Well," he mumbled, looking embarrassed. "Now I just feel like a douche."

"Hey, it's alright. The whole point of this is to wash away those stereotypes."

Ice Cube leaned closer to his husband conspiratorially. "She's a mom too, buddy. Smell her kit-fluff?"

"It's my breath, isn't it?" Weaselstar calmly sat down, winding her tail around her haunches. "Sorry about that. I ate grasshopper before I came."

"Ah. Good. The kits are actually really interested in you guys. Though, I should warn you, they have my sense of tact." Pringles smiled apologetically before twisting his head around. "Babies! The bone-cats are here!"

As if summoned, a blur of yellow and white appeared over the lip of the can, tiny twig tail sticking up curiously. "Bone-cats! Do you really eat bones? Do you really sleep on bones? Do you-" the kitten paused. "Aw, you guys look normal. Well, except for her. Did a doggy chew up your face, miss?"

Weaselstar's ears flattened a little with poorly concealed amusement. As awkward as the question was, she preferred it over cats tip-toeing around her face scars. "Nope. Just an accident."

"I told you they weren't gonna be covered in bones," chipped in a gray kitten, which met their gaze with cautious curiosity. Their tiny ears were folded against their skull. "Hi. I'm Pavement. This is my sibling, Pickle. He/they, please."

"Oh, right," said Pickle. "Ae/aer, please."

"At least ae's learning to say please," Ice Cube chimed in affectionately.

"I'm here too," chipped in a brown and white tabby, yawning. Little claws poked out of her paws, clicking against the ground. "I'm Clock. My paws make click-clicks."

The last kitten was all brown, and built like twigs. She squinted up at all of them, muzzle glowing with a bright white stripe. All of the kittens seemed to have one. "I'm Kitkat. I wanna go back to bed?"

"It is pretty late," fretted Pringles, bending down to pick her up. "Let me put the kids down for bed before the others get here."

Bumblepaw stared at him. "Others?"

"I told you I'd tell other cats."

"Yeah, but we didn't think anybody would show up."

They came within the hour; a marbled light brown tabby. Their fur was fluffy and long, with special focus given to their thick scruff and feathery tail. Weaselstar couldn't imagine the kind of hairballs a warrior would get trying to sink their teeth in. The tinkly pink collar almost seemed like a joke, daring anyone to try anything.

"Nice to see you, Taco!" Ice Cube greeted. "Is Teddy with you?"

"And they think our names are weird?" Bumblepaw muttered to Ratpaw.

A ginger tom hopped down behind Taco; the definition of a kittypet. His fur was long and smooth, but his size was almost entirely pudge. He had gentle eyes and an easily embarrassed smile. "Hiya, guys."

Ice Cube flicked his tail in the ginger's direction. "Weaselstar, this is Teddy Bear. He was the most interested out of anyone I asked."

"Folks call me Ted," he meowed. "I hope you don't mind I came. I'm... probably not what you were expecting."

"You want to join a Clan?" Ratpaw's nose twitched. He approached Ted, head twisting like a ferret. "You look pretty happy as a kittypet."

Taco took a small step forward, smiling. "We like to help where we can. I was just gonna spread whatever info I got tonight, but Ted's always been more paws-on."

"I don't mind goin' hungry," Ted added quickly. "I know wild cats can't get food every day like we can."

Weaselstar decided against agreeing to him request so quickly. He's eager to please. Maybe a little bit older than Ratpaw and Bumblepaw, but not as old as me. He doesn't know what a Clan is yet. "Is this it?"

"Yup." Taco popped the P. "There's a coupla loners near our house that are curious, but they were too skittish to come so soon after what happened to Melon." Pringles flinched, shoulders bunching.

Ice Cube was by his side in a flash, grooming an ear. "His sister," he murmured to the Clan cats.

Pringles met their gaze with somber resolve. "The kids' mother."

"And not just Melon. Little Lily vanished three days ago. She was talking to some suspicious cats. Cats that smelled like the woods."

Weaselstar felt a chill run down her spine. Is Spiderstar... taking loners? Again? She slowly dipped her head. "I know what this must look like, but I can promise you it wasn't us."

"Oh, we know," meowed Ice Cube, smug. "I spied on your weird little den-place. Not a sniff of either of them."

"I can't promise their comfort, but I can say they're likely unharmed. This... sort of thing happened to my parents. You might've met them? Dew and..." She racked her brain, but couldn't find her father's loner name. "A guy who looked a lot like me, I guess."

Pringles ear twitched dismissively. "Flat-faced and blue? I used to see her around. I just figured she got sick of this place and skipped town."

She did. She still wants to. Weaselstar bit down a lifetime of bitterness. "I'll be able to find out more soon. For now, let's sit and chat, shall we?"

Author's Note: Yay! I've been hype to introduce the Ice Cube/Pringles fam for a while now. Please note that I am very new to using lesser-utilized pronouns like ae/aer, so if I ever slip up, don't hesitate to call me out on it. I want these characters to be kept as they are, and Pickle is ae/aer.

I know it's a bit odd to have all the non-cis cats be kittypet/loners rn, but that's part of the story as well! The Clans are very structured and rigorous, and it's part of creating a new era to move on a bit and learn to accept each other as they are.

-Mandaree1