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: And you get a kit name! And YOU get a kit name!

...

Fogfur dropped a bundle of moss into the corner of the leader's den, sitting down to unwind it and weave it into the large nest. "Nice to see this old hunk of junk being used. Even if it's for kittypets."

"It's just a transitory thing," Weaselstar corrected her gently, kneading her own corner to fluff it. "I doubt anybody is gonna wanna sleep with complete strangers on their first night."

Bumblestorm wriggled around on her back, legs kicking happily. "I'm gonna! This place is nice."

"Yeah," Fogfur grunted. "Nicer than our dens, anyway."

Weaselstar winced, claws half-in and half-out of the moss. That last thing she wanted was to make it seem like she was favoring the newcomers over her Clanmates. "I'll re-moss the dens tomorrow," she decided.

"What, like, all of them? That's a lot of moss, Weasel."

"I'll figure it out," Weaselstar meowed, jerking her head in a nod of satisfaction. It wasn't going to fix the problem, but it was a start. "Fogfur, would you mind guarding the camp tonight? I want some kind faces to meet the loners, and you and Dovefrost are my best bet."

Fogfur's nose wrinkled. "You want me to pretend like I'm their new friend?"

"No. I don't want to lie to them. I just don't want them to take two steps into the territory and meet Squirrelwhisker. Try and keep her from forming a one-cat-protest, would you? I'd owe you one."

"You'd owe me not getting thrown on dawn patrol for a couple of days. I'm a sleepy kitty."

"I can work with that."

Trading a quick nose touch with the warrior, Weaselstar pushed out of the leader's den and into the camp. Bumblestorm was hot on her heels. "Can I come with? Please? And Ratfoot, too! Ted's gonna be so jealous of our names."

"Sure," she replied, relieved. Bringing a whole patrol of strange cats would have only made this situation more awkward, but going alone might've made them feel like she was being sneaky or deceitful. This was the perfect middle ground. The molly found Dovefrost carefully taking ticks out of Pinethroat's back. "I'm heading out with Bumblestorm and Ratfoot. This shouldn't take long. Watch the camp for me, would you?"

Dovefrost wrinkled her nose. "How many kits did you say there were?"

"Four."

"As if the nursery wasn't full enough already," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Can't believe I'm gonna be waiting paw and foot on some overfed kittypets who'd probably prefer slop."

"Hey!" Bumblestorm stomped closer, going nose to nose with the warrior. "They're rogue-born, thank you very much. And even if they weren't, they're gonna be great warriors someday."

"Someday isn't before we're all going to starve in Leaf-bare. We've got less than four moons to teach a bunch of mouse-brains how to hunt to survive. Clan-born apprentices don't learn that quick."

"I'm leaving now," Weaselstar asserted, stepping between them. As much as she hated to admit it, Dovefrost's words shook her to her core. What if this is all a big mistake? What if I'm feeding mouths that will never return the favor? She shook herself. Ice Cube seemed to honestly want to live here. He, at least, is on my side. That's one more set of paws. "I understand your concern, Dovefrost. I won't force you to go along with my ideas. But, please, understand that I'm doing what I honestly think is going to help ShadowClan. I'm putting my heart into this."

"And if it doesn't work?" she asked.

Weaselstar winced. "Then I'll learn my lesson, won't I?"

Dovefrost tsked under her breath, fluffy tail dragging under her chin. "You were always a stubborn thing, Weasel. It's like arguing with a monster- just keeps going no matter how many warriors you put in front of it." She dipped her head. "Be safe. And may StarClan light your path, for all our sakes'."

The journey was just as winding, but a little less confusing. They cleared the fields with quick hops, walked across the empty Thunderpath, and followed along the wood teeth into the Twolegplace. Weaselstar was a bit worried she wouldn't be able to find the alleyway pivot, but found she didn't have to, greeted by Ice Cube's gray and white pelt at the head of it.

He spotted her and brightened. "You came!"

"I made a promise, didn't I?" she returned. "Did anyone actually decide to join us?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," he meowed, as if that was somehow common sense. "Teddy's on his way now- he's bringing his grandpa to meet you, and picking up a straggler on the way. The kits have been talking about it all moon."

All of them? Weaselstar thought, pleased. "And Pringles?"

Ice Cube's ears fell a bit, but not much. It was more of an even line. "He said he wants to talk to you first. In the trash can."

"Oh. Uh. Sure?"

Ratfoot and Bumblestorm struck up a conversation with the loner as she crept down the way. She hesitated at the cloth covering the can. "Pringles?" she meowed.

"Come in," he said.

Weaselstar wriggled her nose under the cloth and went inside. The stench of half-rotten food was intense, but the can had been completely emptied of everything but a ratty old blanket. There was only enough room for one full cat, prompting Weaselstar's tail and haunches to hang outside. Pringles was laying down, one paw tucked under himself. Squished against his side were the kittens.

Almost instantly Pickle was in front of her, eyes wide. "Bone-cat! You came back!" Ae puffed out aer chest. "I got bigger."

"You did!" she agreed, purring.

"She's a Clan cat, dear," Pringles meowed fondly, looking ancient. "I know this is probably weird for you too, but I'm not fond of talking about my... condition."

Condition? Weaselstar cocked her head to the side. The tom didn't smell like he'd ever made a trip to the cutter, so it wasn't about that, but she couldn't think of any other reason for his sheepishness. He looks and acts like a perfectly healthy tom. "I have no idea what we're talking about right now."

"I'm declawed."

Weaselstar blinked once, then twice. "I still have no idea what we're talking about right now."

"I don't have claws. It's not difficult," he snapped. Pringles signed and held a paw out, showing her the pads. He spread them and nothing came out. "Y'see? My human thought it'd be a bright idea, and I didn't know what was going on until I woke up. Took the whole bone."

Instantly, the molly recoiled, fur fluffing up with horror. "That's horrible! I thought Twolegs cared for their cats?"

"Some do. Some don't. Some are just dumb." He quickly tucked the foot underneath himself, as if trying to hide the truth from his own eyes. "I'm never going to be a good Clan cat if all I can do bite things. I just... wanted to make sure there was a place for me."

Dovefrost's words trickled down Weaselstar's spine. She couldn't deny that Pringles was at a massive disadvantage. His hunting would suffer without hooks to hold flighty prey. Battling would be one endless mashing of his jaws into things, which could make him lose teeth or worse. She didn't imagine missing parts of his feet would be good for his future, either- he'd likely need to retire with arthritis. He's not much different from Adderpelt and I, she thought.

Weaselstar stretched her neck out to touch noses with him. "There's always a place in ShadowClan for you, Pringle. I'll make one with my own two paws if I have to. Being with us is about more than just fighting and hunting, you know."

A wry smile curved the loner's muzzle. "Am I gonna have to have one of those weird names?"

"Not if you don't want one."

"Aw," meowed Pavement, having finally woken up enough to register what was going on. "I want a cool name."

"I WANT A NAME," Pickle meowed, very pointedly at the loudest decibel possible.

Kitkat eagerly nodded along as Clock said, "Give me a really weird one, okay?"

Weaselstar looked to Pringles. "They could keep their names for now, and get apprentice names at six moons. Just in case."

"In case what? We decide to upgrade to a dumpster instead of a community of cats? Let them. They can change them later if they want."

That's not how warrior names work! She thought, but bit her tongue. It wasn't like any of them knew the naming system enough to know better. And, really, if they want new names, why not give them to them? It wouldn't kill her to think up something else. "Alright, if you're sure. Before cats can be made apprentices, they have kit added to the end of their names." She gently tapped each kitten on the head, listing the new names off as she went. "Picklekit, Pavementkit, Kitkatkit, and Clockkit."

"Good luck saying that all the time!" Clockkit snorted, nudging Kitkatkit.

"I'm not the one who's gonna have to say it," Kitkatkit replied, shrugging. "Names are a social construct anyway."

Weaselstar stared at her. "I think you're going to get along just fine with my kids."

She squeezed out of the can backwards one pawstep at a time, almost stepping on an overexcited Picklekit on the way. She looked to find Ted and two strangers chatting with Bumblestorm and Ratfoot. A small cloth toy sat at Ted's feet, looking old and well-loved.

Ted jumped to his paws. "Weaselstar! Hi!" He nodded to the cat closest to him- a raggedy gray tabby tom. "This is my grandpa, Sardine. He wanted to meet you." He waved a paw at the brown and white tabby molly on his other side. "And this is Partridge- she wants to join!"

"Evenin'," Sardine meowed, dipping his head. "I know a little of everybody in these parts. It's always fun to meet new cats."

"Oh," she said, a bit taken aback. "Hello. I'm Weaselstar, but most cats just use Weasel." They crossed paws in a friendly manner. "It's nice to meet you."

He squinted at her. "You look kinda familiar. Have I ever seen you around before?"

"My parents, maybe. My mother's name is Dew- blue cat with a smushed face."

"Ooooh, right, right. She and I were never close; liked to be alone for the most part." Sardine cocked his head to the side. "I could swear you look like this other rogue I know, but it's been so long since I saw him last."

Weaselstar felt her heart twist. "Brown cat with a brown face and paws?"

"That was him. Mudpie, his name was. You his daughter?"

"Yeah. I, uh... I never really got to know him."

"Oh," he said, suddenly very awkward. "Well, if it's any consolation, he was a real bee-in-the-butt, if you know what I mean."

"Nice save," Partridge laughed. "Hi. You're the one in charge, yeah?"

"Yeah! I didn't think anyone who hadn't met us before would be coming."

"I was planning on coming last time, but my owner shut me in! It's part of why I'm going. I'd also really like to have kits someday, and I know they would just take them away from me like they did to my family as a kitten."

Weaselstar shuddered. The more she heard about Twolegs, the less she wanted to get to know them. She pointed her muzzle to the toy. "Is that a... fake piece of fresh-kill?"

"It's my Huggy Bear!" Ted proudly scruffed the item to see better. Weaselstar didn't know what a bear was, necessarily, but she didn't think they were neon pink, either. "I need him to sleep when I'm someplace new. I know it's not the most fierce look, but I'm sure the kids will want to play with it when I'm done."

"Brave warriors, we be," meowed Ratfoot, as Bumblestorm snorted into his side.

Author's Note: It felt best to seperate this into two parts! Next time will be everyone going home together lol. I've mentioned it before in passing but I don't think I ever fully explained it, but I have this hc that cats "cross paws" as a sign of friendship/trust. Just kind of tapping the bends of their footsies together. It's like a handshake only without grabbing. Add that to the random and incredibly overthought concepts in this chapter, alongside my painfully obvious Toy Story reference.

Also, yeah, don't declaw your cats. It'd be like slicing off our fingers to the closest knuckle. It also causes a lot of further medical issues down the line. If you can't handle that your pet has claws it may be time to consider an alternate solution.

-Mandaree1