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: WeaselNeedsANap2k21

...

"Show me the paw thing again!" Ted urged, eyes glowing.

Bumblepaw blew a raspberry. "It's easy! You just reach out and-" She brought a paw down hard on the bridge of his nose, claws sheathed. "See? It stuns you, doesn't it? It's a good way to run away from someone."

"That's so cool," he slurred around the intrusion. "Hey, Taco, y'think this'll work on the dog?"

The brown tabby laughed, tail flicking his nose affectionately. "You'd have to be tall enough to reach him, first."

Weaselstar huffed as she wiped her tired face with a paw. The night had gone by quick, but had left her drained. She hadn't been asked so many questions in her life. Simple things came easily enough- names, prey, where they might live. But then there was a lot of harder, more painful ones: will we really not be allowed to speak to anyone outside the Clan? You won't force us to listen to that star dookey, will you? How will you keep our kits safe? The last one was the hardest- because, deep down, she couldn't offer them half of what a Twoleg home could. Stable food, warmth, comfortable nests- all she could offer was companionship and loyalty.

"You alright?" Ratpaw meowed, settling down beside her. The black 'paw had fur twisted and fluffed from showing the alley cats some basic warrior moves.

"Just wondering if this was worth it," she admitted. "If anyone will even come."

"Ted seems pretty interested."

Weaselstar shrugged. She still wasn't entirely convinced it wasn't a fad on his end. "Maybe."

Ice Cube padded over with a huge yawn, whiskers fanning out. "Well, it's getting late. Early? It's sleepy time."

"Of course." She dipped her head. Weaselstar's body groaned in protest as she stood, sore. She couldn't wait to get away from all this hard stone. "Thank you for having us."

"Are you gonna join?" Ratpaw asked, surprising her. He's so much bolder when he's allowed to be himself.

Ice Cube's muzzle twisted into a conflicted frown. "I dunno. Maybe? That's somethin' me and Pringle will have to talk out."

"I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I know it's not the safest life."

"Not safe here, either." The loner shrugged. "At least with you I know they'll have playmates, and food that doesn't have rot in it. Truth be told, if it was just me, I'd have joined a while back."

"But it's not."

"Right. And I want to do right by my man and my kids, you know?"

"I know," Weaselstar meowed, remembering her promise to take the kittens to the clearing. No sleep for me today. "There's a Gathering coming up soon. I'll keep my eyes open for your missing cats."

Bumblepaw, perhaps sensing the shift in the air, turned and scrambled back to Ratpaw's side. Weaselstar couldn't help but admire how she'd handled the kittypets' pestering. She'll make a good mentor someday soon. Her eyes slid to Ratpaw, patient and waiting. They both will.

"Oh," said Ted, beginning to stand up. "We're leaving?"

Weaselstar held up her paw. "Slow down a bit there. You can't come back to camp with us this soon."

Ted's ears fell flat. He looked disappointed. "I can't? Is it because I couldn't out-box Bumblepaw?"

He's sweet. Overeager, but sweet. The warrior moved to bump noses with him, and felt the rusty tom's muscles relax. "I'm giving you all a moon to make your decision." Ted opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "And even if you feel like you've decided, I want you to think it over really hard. You'd be giving up a lot, and saying goodbye to even more."

Taco reached out to press their pelts together. "C'mon, Teddy. Did you even tell your grandpa you were out here?"

"Oh. Right. Grandpa." Ted sheepishly bowed his head. "I'll see you guys again soon, alright?"

"Soon," Weaselstar agreed, wishing she could believe it.

The sun was just beginning to rise as they crested the final field to ShadowClan. Dovefrost's white pelt gleamed in the dim light as she came to join them, waving her tail in a friendly manner.

"No training for you two today," she told Bumblepaw and Ratpaw. "Why don't you kids go on ahead and grab something from the fresh-kill pile? Weasel and I need some words."

Bumblepaw headbutted Ratpaw and took off. "Race ya!"

"Hey, no fair!" he called, and laughed, and followed.

Dovefrost turned to her with a flick of her ears. "Weasel-"

"I know, alright? You don't agree with this." She brushed past with a roll of her eyes. "Look, we can have this conversation when I've slept properly, okay?"

The white molly easily kept pace with her. "Don't put words in my mouth."

"But you do hate this."

"Oh, I hate it a lot. But my personal biases don't make the idea any less necessary. I'd rather have soft kittypet paws changing my moss every day than I would the entire Clan dying out in a few generations. Inbreeding is a big enough concern in a full-sized Clan. Warriors always used to mock my mother for mating with someone from another Clan, but it's better for us to have the odd scandal than have everyone mesh together."

Weaselstar shot Dovefrost a furtive glance. She'd never liked talking about her parentage, but everyone knew that ThunderClan and RiverClan's rivalry had begun with a ThunderClan queen being exiled- her mentor's mother. "I always forget you're part RiverClan."

Dovefrost rolled her shoulders. "Meh. I've got the thick pelt, but not much else." The senior warrior carefully cut Weaselstar off, forcing her to make eye contact. "I'm not the one you need to talk to."

The camp was full of warriors when she returned- or, well, as full as it got. Squirrelwhisker was sharing her namesake with Ashpaw and Hootpaw, telling what she could only guess was a long-winded tale. Fogfur and Birchfoot playfully wrestled nearby, rolling and laughing. Adderpelt listened intently to the older 'paws as they sleepily bungled through their story. Even Pinethroat and Mossytooth had left their warm nests, lounging all stretched out together in the chill.

The bustle only made Weaselstar's ears flatten with worry. "She hasn't left her den all night?"

"Nope." Dovefrost nudged her. "Go talk to your mom. I can handle patrols."

"Thank you."

"Hey, that's what deputies are for."

Weaselstar took the short trot through the camp, grateful when no one attempted to stop her for conversation. She pushed through the awkwardly-bent entrance to the lopsided den and paused, taking it in. The air reeked of plants, which were all over. Some in bundles, some in corners, some in tattered. She saw a small hole of what looked to be smashed berries and shuddered, wondering if they were rejects of juniper. In the furthest corner of the room was Dew, laying with her back to the wall in a ratty nest.

"Mom?" she meowed, stepping forward. "Mom, I heard-"

Dew turned a golden eye on her. It was wary. "How many hostages did you bring back?"

Weaselstar felt cold water rush down her spine. Does she really think I'd force cats into Clan life? "I didn't! I just-"

"Went out at night. Went with more than one cat. I know."

"Bumblepaw and Ratpaw asked to come with! And I didn't hurt to have them along, so I-"

"And I'm sure everyone was so comfortable saying no to a grizzly bear and her stooges."

"Why do you always assume the worst of me?" Weaselstar snapped, scruff rising.

That gave Dew pause. She finally turned around, looking at least ten seasons older than when Weaselstar had left the night before. "Spiderstar always said that things were voluntary. That you could always say no." She lashed her tail. "Your father is what happened when you say no."

Weaselstar could sense the beginnings of a speech coming on, but she was too hurt to listen. "Well, I'm not Mudcloud. And I'm not Spiderstar. And maybe one day you'll realize that." She whirled around, fighting back the sadness that threatened to swallow it whole. "If you'll excuse me, I made a promise to my kits."

"Wee-mama, watch! I'm gonna get Ashpaw!" Honeykit chirped.

Ashpaw's pelt frizzled. "You're gonna what?" he squeaked, before taking off. Honeykit quickly gave chase, followed by Elmkit. Larkkit and Featherkit had secluded themselves away from the mess, picking and trading flowers. Spottedkit had commandeered the watching stone, loafing on it with her eyes lidded comfortably.

"Oooh, I've missed the feel of fresh grass." Sweetshine sprawled out on her side with a sigh, belly up. She batted Weaselstar's ears with a back paw. "Hey. Hey. No napping."

"I'm awake," she meowed, chin on her paws. "Just thinking up some warrior names for Ratpaw and Bumblepaw."

"So soon?"

"Not right now; probably some time next moon. They handled themselves like warriors last night." Weaselstar paused, considering. "I think they'd make good mentors to some of the kids."

Sweetshine rolled so she was beside Weaselstar, paws in the air. "Any ideas for the kids?"

"Nothing certain. I know Featherkit wants a tough-sounding name. I want to give Larkkit a name for her bubbly personality."

"Larkkit and Honeykit want similar names."

"Really? They never told me."

She shrugged. "You never asked."

Weaselstar felt a pulse of guilt, thinking of Dew and how distant she'd always been. I'm missing them growing up. "I'm sorry, Sweetshine. I know I left a lot of the childcare to you and Adderpelt."

"Yeah, you did. But they're going to be apprentices in a couple of moons." The grass shifted, and then Sweetshine was above her, paws next to her head. Their noses barely brushed. "I won't be a queen forever, you know. I'll be a warrior. And I have opinions about what happens in my Clan."

"You have opinions now," she replied. "You don't have to wait to tell them to me. I know I've not been the best of one, but I'm a queen too."

Her amber eyes glittered with amusement. "Hmmm, nah. I won't say. Make you wait." Sweetshine pointedly looked in the direction of a bush. "I'll give you a little hint on what I'm thinking about now, though."

Weaselstar flattened her head against the ground, sending the field upside down. Elmkit and Honeykit were tumbling off to the side, batting noses and tugging on ears, but beyond that was Featherkit. Her little black paws carefully sprinkled flowers onto Ashpaw's head as he struggled not to sneeze. A shriveled lily tucked behind his ear as he laughed along with something she said.

"Oh," said Weaselstar, breath catching.

"Yeah," said Sweetshine, smiling. "Oh."

Author's Note: Wooooo I'm excited for next chapter! A Gathering scene! It's bonkers to think it's only been a month since ShadowClan restarted, huh? It's been a busy month, but not a lot has actually gotten done thanks to all the drama. I actually DO have warrior names picked out for the kiddos, but I doubt it'll be much fun to just lay them out literally forever before they're grown alsldcskdc,s. That said, I'm still fairly iffy on Ratpaw's name! I'm torn between two distinct possibilities. So, you know. Ideas are always welcome!

Also reminder that Ashpaw and Featherkit are like... two moons apart. Ashpaw just got his name early.

-Mandaree1