Prologue

BushClan/Tumbleheart

Moons had passed since her precious kits were once so tiny and full of possibilities in their future. Now, they were almost old enough to be apprentices. Tumbleheart knew this since her father's new mate, Jaggedcloud, had her kits being apprenticed that very morning. It was a celebration, one that the brown and tan tabby she-cat hadn't seen before. Poppyclaw's familiar dark ginger pelt among the masses, amber eyes shining with pride and a tinge of sadness. Morningstar standing tall on the hill, his pale cream head angled to the sky as the cats shifted in anticipation. His soft chest fur billowing in the wind as his golden eyes watched the last of the stars fade away.

"BushClan, we have waited countless moons for this day." Morningstar began, his gaze trained on the last star that seemed to refuse to leave the sky. "Jaggedcloud, daughter of Bushstar, has not only found her mate but had her first litter of kits. Peace has finally come for us as StarClan has blessed us with many kits in the past season."

"She's the daughter of the founder?" Rubyflower whispered in shock and awe.

Tumbleheart nodded stiffly. "Yes."

Morningstar went on when the hushed mews fell silent. "Auburnkit, Rustkit, and Cootkit; you three have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." The kits perked up, their fur fluffed with excitement as their leader rested his eyes on the oldest kit. "Auburnkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Auburnpaw. Your mentor will be Pigeonstream. I hope Pigeonstream will pass on all he knows to you."

"It is an honor," the older gray and white tom meowed, stepping up to the younger tom, touching noses with his new apprentice.

"Rustkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rustpaw. Your mentor will be Flametuft. I know his apprenticeship is beginning at the usual six moons, but I trust that you, Flametuft, will pass on everything you know to him."

Flametuft touched noses with his new apprentice. "I will do my best to. It's up to him to listen."

Morningstar nodded, "Well said." He looked to the next kit. "Cootkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cootpaw. Your mentor will be Cindermoon. I truly hope he will pass on everything he knows on to you."

Cindermoon stepped up, his head low, murmuring something before touching noses with the fluffy black she-cat. Tumbleheart felt her heart soar at the thought that in the next moon her kits would go through it. As terrified as she was of the dangers outside of the camp walls, she trusted them to be well taught by whomever their mentors would be. Closing her eyes, she felt at peace as the ceremony wrapped up. Yet, her mate didn't leave her side, giving her a foreboding feeling as she looked into his yellow-green eyes. The worry was back and she knew why that was.

"Fawnkit will be fine." She mewed softly, a flash of defiance filling her. "I know she will be, why can't you?"

"WillowClan may have changed and has new faces," Rubyflower started, his mew hardly above a whisper. "But words can hurt, you've seen how Auburnpaw and Rustpaw had been with her in the nursery."

"Have faith." Tumbleheart advised him, rising to her paws to gather her kits.

"Even if she believes StarClan has made a mistake with her?" He challenged.

The brown and tabby she-cat whipped her head around, anger blazing through her veins. "StarClan aren't perfect. If they were, we probably wouldn't have seasons or any other hardships."

"So you believe that StarClan has a reason for Fawnkit?" Rubyflower asked, not once moving from his spot.

"I do." Tumbleheart answered honestly. "I accept that they must have made a mistake, but I believe there was a reason for that mistake and it's up to Fawnkit to find out what that is by living her life as she sees fit. Now come and help me round up the kits before they bother Morningstar about being apprenticed early."

Rubyflower nodded in defeat, his head and tail kept low as he followed. She knew he didn't believe her, which was fine. StarClan never had to make sense or explain themselves with what they have chosen. All that mattered was that it was never something the cat could never handle. Or at least, that's what she hoped. Even as a mother, she was uncertain if Fawnkit was truly able to cope with this mistake. She glanced over her kits, excitedly congratulating the new apprentices, while her youngest daughter, Fawnkit, stood on the sidelines.

In every way she was like any other cat, but in others it was clear she was not as confident as the others. She was quite large for her age, something she was very sensitive about. So much so, that Auburnpaw and Rustpaw had once teased her relentlessly for it as she and her siblings grew up. The only one of Jaggedcloud's litter who was on friendly terms with her youngest daughter was the fluffy black she-cat, Cootpaw. They were close friends from what she could tell, even from this distance.

Cootpaw nudged Fawnkit, her green eyes sparkling in excitement as she approached close enough to hear what they were saying. "When you become an apprentice, I will want to do what I can to help you find all the good spots for us to relax at!"

"I don't think we would have enough time." Fawnkit mewed gently, her voice somewhat cracking and kept soft, ears twitching nervously.

"We she-cats need time to ourselves. Besides, I'm the literal black kit of my family, we have every right to meet and gossip about the toms and their antics." Cootpaw assured her.

"If you say so." Fawnkit relented, seeming to relax at the idea of it.

Tumbleheart felt hope blossom deep in her heart. Her daughter, awkward and all about herself, was giving the chance to be herself. To explore who she was as a cat in her future and find her own happiness. Yet, the darkness soon filled her mind, the same worries that she tried so hard to hide, even from her own mate. The worries Rubyflower had were already on her mind, taken root the moment her daughter came clean. How would WillowClan react? Would they be as welcoming as Auburnpaw and Rustpaw? Or would they be as accepting as Morningstar and the other cats in BushClan seemed to be? Glancing to one side, she saw her mate gathering their kits, calling them to let the new apprentices begin learning. Fawnkit hesitating, her amber eyes seeming to shine with uncertainty.

Tumbleheart lifted her head, speaking out loud. "Come on Fawnkit, it won't be until another moon until you can be with Cootpaw again."

Her daughter perked up, seeming to feel better, padding after her siblings more confidently, her tail kept low with the uncertainty that plagued her heart and mind. In time, she would become fully confident; until then, she knew to give her daughter time. Just like all of her other kits, her confidence will blossom and give way to a more confident cat as she learned how to be stronger and not afraid of judgment. Something that, even Tumbleheart herself, struggled with from time to time. Placing her faith into her young daughter, she turned to meet with Rubyflower again, prepared to spend her last moon with her kits before her warrior duties were returned to her upon their apprenticeship.

Soon, she will be able to be free to spend time with her mate again. The conflicts they suffered about Fawnkit had only made them stronger. From the naming of a nameless kit to helping her mate find faith that Clan-cats were not as heartless as FearClan made them out to be. It was all going to be worth it, that much Tumbleheart was sure of. After all, StarClan gave trials to the living in every way possible for them to learn, accept, and survive in their Clans. That much she was certain of from the bottom of her heart.

WillowClan/Lionriver

Things had changed, that much Lionriver was aware of. She had two beautiful kits, the first to be born into the newly formed Clan. However, doubt shadowed her mind as she had watched them grow. Robinkit was like an echo of herself, actually, more of an echo of her past self. He was so energetic and happy, she could barely remember feeling as happy as he seems to now. Then there was Brightkit, the little bright ginger and white she-cat seemed so kind-hearted and warm. She could only wonder where she got those traits from! Certainly not her or her father!

Darkness clouded her mind at the thought. Mothfang was the father, but they hadn't seen each other much since the kitting and naming of said kits. The tom was standoffish, more so then ever before. Her amber eyes looking to the entrance of her den, she hadn't left to hunt for some moons and spent her time trying to be a perfect kit-mother. Glancing to her kits as they played with wads of moss she knew they were more than big enough to learn. Clan rules were so difficult for her to wrap her head around. How in the river were her kits not big enough to hunt at four or five moons old? She did hunting at that age, mostly learning, and now it was as though it was forbidden!

A rustle caught her attention as the kits perked up excited, hoping it was their father. Only for their tails to droop and the excitement fade from their eyes. Looking over, she spotted Hawksight paying her usual visit to make sure everything was alright. Her own pale green eyes dark with sorrow as she shook her head at the saddened state of the kits. Slowly their eyes met and, for a heartbeat, Lionriver was positive that Mothfang would never step foot into her den again. She would make sure of it.

"I thought you might like to stretch your legs." Hawksight murmured softly.

"Unless the patrols are back, what use is it to walk around camp?" Lionriver replied.

"Can we at least play outside we're bored!" Robinkit whined, flopping against the reddish-brown she-cat before she could stop her son.

"How in the stars did you get this close!?" She scolded lightly, nudging him off. "You must have been practicing sneaking out of the den again."

"Please, mom?" Now Brightkit was getting restless as she padded into her line of sight. "We don't go far, we promise."

"Fine, if only to get you two out of my pelt." She joked dryly, sitting up. "And you, Hawksight, can help me keep an eye on them if you have the time."

"Well, then I have achieved something." She chuckled. "The others were wondering if you would ever step out of your den for anything."

"The worst cats who hurt me are gone." Lionriver conceded, "However, I'm a single mother now. Mothfang hasn't returned from 'hunting' like he said he would. Five long moons and nothing. You'd think I bit his tail off over something, but no. He just stopped coming by."

"I understand that Fragment-cats have different beliefs." Hawksight started, "Such as how kits could be raised, I've asked around out of curiosity. According to them, it's normal for the tom to not interact with the kits he sired."

"Really now? That's news to me." Lionriver grumbled as her kits started to play fight before them. "Would have been nice if he told me before I let him sire kits."

Hawksight trilled softly. "I'm sure he means no harm. It sounds wrong to just leave without a warning, but I'm sure you will be just fine and the kits will too."

"They know he's a cat that lives here, but he just never visits them so I never get a break. I'm just lucky they have each other to play with as it is." She pointed out, her amber eyes flicking as the tom in question walked into camp with prey in his jaws. "I don't even see him when I perform my duty as deputy. He hunts on his own accord and never patrolled since I kitted."

"Perhaps you two should talk then?" Hawksight suggested gently. "I can watch the kits while you do it."

"If it gets loud, get them in the den." she reminded her friend as she rose to her paws.

"Knowing how you two are, it's bound to get ugly." The medicine cat pointed out, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

Lionriver snorted, wanting to disagree or even laugh, but she couldn't. Grounding herself, she padded slowly to the bright ginger tom who looked surprised that they would cross paths. Narrowing her eyes, she knew that it wasn't going to go down pretty. Hawksight was right all along, it was going to get ugly whether or not she was civil about it. The tom put his catch on the dwindling pile and raised his tail happily in greeting. His green eyes bright and unaware of the storm that was coming his way.

"Lionriver, how have you been?" He greeted her.

Fury made her tense her muscles, the urge to swipe her claws across his face, to tear him a new one filled her. This isn't healthy. A small voice in the back of her head whispered in horror. A sudden chill ran through her heated veins as she realized it was true. She stared at him in silence for so long, he was speaking up again, this time concerned. I knew better, but I let this happen. I let my kits get their hopes up over and over again. Leaving them wondering when their father is coming back. Her hackles were raised as she dug her claws into the hard pact soil of the clearing.

"Not anymore." She whispered in a growl.

"What? Lion-"

"You won't hurt me or my kits anymore." She told his coldly.

"I never done anything to them!" He was raising his voice, a spark of anger flaring. "This isn't fair, what could I have done to them anyway?"

"You never visited them." She snarled.

"Well someone has to hunt!"

"I never put you on a hunting patrol." She reminded him darkly. "You've hunted all alone, like you are a lone-cat, a fragment-cat even!"

"Who do you think has been giving you and your kits prey?" He snarled back in question.

"Hawksight." She replied.

"She's never hunted-"

"But she brought me food and water." She told him, watching him carefully as her tail swayed as though she was hunting. "Hawksight has done more for me than you ever have."

Mothfang was silent, his green eyes searching her expression, her ears and tail. Nothing was giving away of her fury anymore than her gently swaying tail. "Is that what you think? She's just doing her job! Her job is to care for everyone, Lionriver!"

"She's doing the father's job, your job." She told him slowly. "Find yourself another she-cat, Moth. I'm not doing this anymore. I've waited for too long for you to come to me." She turned stiffly around and began to leave.

"At least let me see the kits!" Mothfang shouted, almost desperate.

Lionriver stopped and looked to him from over her shoulder. "Why? You've had five moons to see them and never did. What difference does it make for you to see them now? You've hurt them, Moth. You've made them wait moons to see you and now you want to pretend that you haven't neglected us? You can see them when they're six moons old and being apprenticed. After that, they choose if they want to see you."

"You can't do this!" He yowled. "You know you can't!"

Lionriver glared at him. "Come near my den and find out." It was a challenge, and seeing the startled look on his face was well worth it. Swiftly, she returned to her den, slipping inside to see her kits having waited cuddled up to Hawksight.

"They needed comfort." She murmured.

"It's fine." the deputy told her more gently. "It isn't their fault. It's my own. I should have picked a better tom for their father."

"We aren't going to see Mothfang again, are we?" Robinkit whimpered.

"When your six moons and apprenticed, that's up to you. I won't be taking another mate, not for a long time, that's for sure." Lionriver mewed, almost as though it was a promise.

It was over, but Lionriver knew that it would take time for the wounds to heal, not only for her, but for her poor kits who had been pulled along just as she had. Gently butting her head against Hawksight, her heart swelled for her friend. Perhaps, more than that. Her own emotions were a bundle that coiled deep in her belly. Perhaps, the real mate she deserved had always been with her, the same who quickly had to give up everything to be a medicine cat. However, she couldn't find it in herself to believe it one bit. It was forbidden for a medicine cat to have a mate, although perhaps some rules were meant to be broken in the long run.

After all, when was the last time she connected with a tom as deeply as she did with Hawksight? I may have made a mistake for following rules that were never my own. She thought numbly, feeling that she, herself, had drifted further and further away from the tom she once believed she could trust.

Marsh Fragment/Shadow

Pain, sharp and deep flashed through him these moons. Since the birth of his newest litter of kits, the newest mate he had found and all. He found himself burning with a pain of a thousand flames. His older kits have made themselves into what their mother would have never wanted. He tried to keep his sister, a fully converted cat away from them. Yet, somehow, it had led them to following her. He wanted to blame Hawk for her feather-brain ways, but he knew it wasn't just her fault. He couldn't stop Cedar from fighting nor could he have prevented her death. Hawk did her best, he knew she would never lie to him.

No matter how much distrust he put into her healing abilities since, it had clearly still affected his kits differently. Willow had gone into training early for being the firstborn and, as such, was the source of envy among his litter-mates. Shadow wasn't blind, no matter how hard he pushed the blame onto Hawk, it was his own fault. He wasn't a strong enough force to keep himself into their good graces. He was so destroyed and hurt that he turned on his own sister and saw his own kits turn on him in turn.

He left with what was left of the River Fragment, they now lived further from the wanna-be Clan-cats and renamed themselves under Shatter's rule. Not long after, they had their litter of two kits. They were only six moons old now, play-fighting and being happy kits while Shatter focused more on her group then the war that was lost. He had been wanting to fight for the rights to live by the river again, but Shatter always talked him back down, reminding him that there was no way they could win against so many cats.

"So that's it? We just give up?" He had spat in disgust. "After they stole everything and everyone we care about?!"

Shatter's sky-colored eyes flashed warningly. "Things in that so-called FearClan were different, Shadow. As I have come to learn speaking with those Fear-cats, I learned what kind of group it was. The leader, Cedar, your dead-mate, had won the battle long ago. She took everything that the first leader of BushClan had. She wanted more and she did it without a care of how many cats she lost."

"But it's-" He started, but she had silenced him with a single look before she continued.

"Cedar made the Fear-cats swear to never tell Timber the truth. Timber believes, with all of her heart, that Cedar had adopted her. Reed told me that Cedar was truly her mother, kitted her and Jagged who is now in BushClan. Cedar wanted to kill any cat who had ties with the tom she murdered." She explained, her kits tucked close to her belly back then. "Cedar was so broken, she didn't even love the kits she kitted for you. Why else would she have still fought in a war before her kits were ready to be without her? I'm sorry, Shadow. I truly am, however there is no way we can win against so many Clan-cats."

Sorrow was in her sky-colored eyes, her fur was flat while Shadow could only crumple onto the den floor. Even now, seeing how big and happy his kits were, even happy to see him, he knew that he hadn't moved on too quickly for once. No, he moved on at the right time. The eldest kit was an echo of her mother, Shatter, but with the pride he carried in his heart. While the other she-kit was nearly like him with more curiosity and friendliness that come from his kittypet roots.

"Primrose and Sloe have grown well under our care." Shatter murmured. "Since you have been such a good father in helping me keep an eye on them, I am positive they love you as much as I do."

Guilt filled his stomach, a guilt that he couldn't have been this great of a father with his first litter. "You think so?" He asked uncertainly.

Shatter glanced to him, a sparkle of adoration seeming to be in her gaze. "I know so. They always ask for you while you're out hunting for the Marsh Fragment."

Things have changed, perhaps for the better. He failed to be an understanding and calm father in the past. Now, he was struggling to be a proper father for these kits who had run up to him to ask him to tell them how he hunted down the toads or catfish that were in the murky ponds. Their little eyes shining with expectation. Had any of his first litter looked at him like that before? He couldn't remember.

"Perhaps," he whispered, almost to himself. "My first litter would have looked to me that way if I wasn't so fish-brained in love with a dead cat."

A gentle tail tip brushed against him as Shatter spoke, her mew more gentle than his burdening thoughts. "You know, BloodClan Fragments aren't that different from the Clans. Sure we don't have any cats who heal, or speak to the dead, but we like to believe they walk with us and make sure we won't walk alone."

He looked to her, surprised. "I've never heard that before."

She chuckled softly, looking back to the kits. "It's something Quail personally believed and said to make others understand that the dead would always walk with them wherever they go. He wanted us to believe whatever we wished and to follow our hearts. Yes, it was hard to leave Lion behind, but I understood her need. That river was with her from the moment her ears and eyes opened. Not only that, but I believed her mother would follow her to the ends of the world. I could never promise her anything more important than what brings her good feelings."

"So, you trusted her?"

"How could I not? She was bullied relentlessly for something she didn't even know about. Whether or not she is truly the former leader of BushClan's daughter isn't the issue. It was that nobody told her and she was trying to be everything they wanted her to be, but nobody was proud of her. Look at all the cats we have, Shadow. I'm proud of them, they are my pride and joy just as much as Primrose and Sloe. As a leader, all cats in the Marsh Fragment are on the same level of our kits in my eyes." Shatter explained softly. "I know you took me as a mate simply because you are second-in-command and had kits because of instinct, but now you know what true leadership is like. We need time to heal and grow. Perhaps we could just live in peace with the Clan-cats. As long as they don't harm us and we don't disturb them, then, one day, we can try to reach a truce from cat to cat."

Shadow blinked his green eyes, confused. "Why a truce?"

"They have cats who can heal." She reminded him. "They could teach us how to do so if we are on good terms and then we can look after our own better. We are far from the Twoleg-Place Fragments and who knows when Twolegs will think we are as pesky as rats and try to get rid of us? We have to prepare for the future. That's what BloodClan has been trying to do for a long time. The Giant Garden Fragment is no longer, but as long as we try, we can let our kits and their kits over many seasons survive if we can have the knowledge to. You have seen the dark side of leadership, Shadow. You know full well that cruelty breeds cruelty. Now, it's time to change that and create deep roots for the future branches of the Marsh Fragment."

She gestured with her tail and he followed it's tail tip to see the kits and the other cats who had come back from hunting. The way Sloe and Primrose moved out of their way while gawking at the prey they brought home. She's right. We are creating new and deep roots for us. Some cats may not be happy here, but they can learn to be. He thought, before catching the eye of Pounce, the oldest tom in the group. We can learn to heal by starting with ourselves and branch out from there when the time is right.

For the first time in moons, Shadow felt the tiniest seed of hope. He had lost track of everything since his grand escape into the world loner-hood and leading his sisters to this place. It had seemed like a mistake when they lost one another, even more so when Dusk was taken from them in a fight with foxes. The loss of kits and the bullying and abuse of others, he should have known his sister was always right. Spirit-cats did exist and they came in so many forms that only she could see them when they walked alongside them. Perhaps, he will try to be more open-minded. Perhaps, even for a moment, he will attempt to be a better tom, a better father, a better second-in-command for everyone around him.

Yet, how could I ever apologize for the things I have done? They don't have any reason to accept it and that hurts just as much to know as it is to even consider.

Author Note:

The goal of words this time around will be 4,000 per chapter. I have gone through the darkest time in my life and it's time for me to dive back into the AU I have created and see where it takes us. I have a general idea of the arcs this story will go through, so I will attempt to plan ahead of time and going through it each step of the way as much as I possibly can.

Welcome to ALS: Night Spirits. May you enjoy your read through the cast of cats and discover what StarClan has in store of them since their very birth as well as learn of the echoes from the previous story and how any cat can move forward.

And just so you all know, yes I said June-July in 2022 for this to come into light, but it took much longer to write because I went into writers block. After a good long break I believe it's time to get back into this!

Thank you for joining us and reading; have a fantastic day, evening, or night. - NightSky