The Moments

by Littlesmack

Power or no power, some things are destined to remain the same. Out of all her siblings, Hollykit is the first to discover her powers. This discovery changes a lot, yet nothing at all. (Po3 AU)

5. The Code

The Code

On the trip down from the mountains, Hollypaw sees a lion. She doesn't know it yet, but it's a sign of the beginning of the end.

---

The awkward shuffling across the log eventually ends, and Hollypaw's paws touch down on the island. RiverClan and WindClan are already in attendance. ThunderClan shuffles into the mob of cats awkwardly, with the awkward tension that can only come from enemies pretending to be friends. Hollypaw hates it.

Lionpaw whispers to her something about wandering off to make friends, and Hollypaw just waves him off with her tail. Her brother bounces away like some rabbit, heading off towards WindClan's clump of apprentices.

Hollypaw just breathes air out of her nose and sticks close to Brackenfur. Her eyes twitch upwards to watch the proceedings – spotting Firestar taking his spot amongst Leopardstar and Onestar on the great tree. Hollypaw's father takes his position at the roots, sitting beside the other deputies, but Hollypaw watches the stewing Leopardstar instead. She presses her pelt against Brackenfur, pretending not to notice him glancing at her.

"Under the eyes of Starclan, let us call this gathering together," speaks Onestar, and in response, a wave of meows passes through WindClan. Tail-lickers. WindClan has no missing love for the missing ShadowClan.

"We cannot," meows Firestar. "ShadowClan has not yet arrived. We must wait for them."

WindClan's clique is already in ShadowClan's space. RiverClan – not giving a mousetail – follows WindClan's example by slowly invading the space ShadowClan would usually take up on the island. Hollypaw sees now, after her first gathering, that the gathering is nothing more than a thin veneer for hospitality and kinship. Every Clan has a grudge against every other Clan, and while ThunderClan has never shared a border with RiverClan in her lifetime, there's no love between them.

WindClan's and RiverClan's hissing and writhing make a dark cloud pass over the moon. Starclan makes their presence known with the wave of darkness.

"We will wait," meows Leopardstar, glancing up at the sky and surprisingly helping Firestar act as the voice of reason.

A wave of silence passes over the crowd before a cat on her left meows, and discussions slowly start again. The Clans return to normal while they wait for their last brother.

"Do you think something is wrong with ShadowClan?" Hollypaw meows to Brackenfur.

"They'll come," Brackenfur meows, but there's uncertainty in his voice. Hollypaw doesn't miss the grimace that passes over her mentor's face. History could be repeating itself.

She's tempted to wander off and find Lionpaw, keep him from doing something bee-brained, but she decides to doze off instead. Sleep is a precious commodity, and Hollypaw coasts off into a half-sleep, half-awake state. She feels Brackenfur wrap his tail around her, and Hollypaw flicks an ear in thanks. It makes her feel vulnerable to get some shut-eye with so many potentially hostile cats around her.

…

"I call this gathering to order! You can not expect us to wait all moonhigh for ShadowClan to arrive," Onestar yowls. "Clearly, they have no interest in honoring our traditions, and we should not wait for them to speak our own matters."

Hollypaw jolts herself awake. Tired eyes blinking themselves back awake.

Firestar replies, "Starting without ShadowClan will be breaking the honored traditions. Let Starclan decide." The legendary ThunderClan leader's voice contrasts sharply with Onestar's yowling screech – warmer and mellow – but the moon remains uncovered.

"I call this gathering to order," Leopardstar speaks with cheering meows from RiverClan, looking sideways at Firestar and then at Onestar. Something unspoken goes between them.

Firestar sighs, "It appears I am outnumbered. ThunderClan's prey has been running well, and we have had no deaths. We thank Starclan for these gifts." Firestar quickly nods to Starclan, and Hollypaw copies her leader's gesture. No news is good news.

"WindClan has hunted plenty of prey this season! Our warriors run well!" Onestar meows. WindClan follows his announcement with a rallying cry, and Hollypaw tries not to shuffle awkwardly.

"If no one has anything important to say, RiverClan has an announcement," Leopardstar speaks sternly. She chokes out the next part as if she is reluctant to speak, "Our apprentice Minnowpaw has unfortunately joined Starclan in a… unfortunate accident. Otherwise, RiverClan is prospering."

Mournful yowls ring out from the clearing, but Hollypaw just swallows her spit. Hollypaw had talked to Minnowpaw twice, barely a friend but a friend nevertheless, and Mapleshade had casually killed her. What did it look like to RiverClan? Waking up at sunrise, an apprentice with her skull smashed in within her own nest. It would look like murder with no suspect or culprit.

"ThunderClan gives our condolences. Minnowpaw will shine brightly in Starclan," Firestar meows at the RiverClan leader. "If there is anything we can do to assist you, please let us know."

"And what about ShadowClan?" Onestar meows, interrupting the conversation. "They disrespect the will of Starclan by refusing to come to the gathering."

"ThunderClan will send a patrol next sunup to check on them," Firestar meows back.

Onestar snout pulls back into a hiss, "Just like ThunderClan to stick their heads in places where they don't belong." Hollypaw hears hisses coming from WindClan.

"Would you like to offer then to investigate?" Firestar replies incredulously. "Surely, your suggestion is not to abandon ShadowClan? To just leave ShadowClan in their time of need?"

Onestar is quiet after that.

Hollypaw wonders why Leopardstar didn't mention that Minnowpaw was murdered. Did they not know? An appeal to strength? Did the Place of No Stars have something to do with ShadowClan's lack of appearance?

Hollypaw leaves the gathering with more questions than answers.

---

Brambleclaw, Brightheart, and Whitewing make up the front of the border patrol, while Hollypaw, Honeypaw, and Graystripe make up the back. The ShadowClan border, where ThunderClan's forest transitions to tall pine trees, has that distinct ShadowClan smell – like carrion – and she wrinkles her nose while they wait. ShadowClan hasn't been a dormouse on reinforcing their border.

"We should be marking the border while we wait," Hollypaw meows. Whitewing meows in agreement, and Hollypaw flicks her ears in thanks.

"Marking our territory could be seen as an act of aggression. We're trying to not start a fight," meows Brambleclaw. "A ShadowClan patrol should be coming by soon. Be patient."

Hollypaw scuffs the ground impatiently, glancing over to Whitewing, who rolls her shoulders, giving her a helpless shrug. "Must we?" she meows to her father. "I say we head into their territory. Force them to confront us."

"Absolutely not, Hollypaw," Brambleclaw speaks, giving her a tail flick to be silent.

Hollypaw grumbles but quiets down. Earth gives under her claws - a slight relief that bleeds tension out of her fur, and she focuses on the comforting stretch of her claws getting caught on dirt and twigs. A welcome distraction as she shakes thoughts out of her ears.

Kill him. He'll only ever slow you down.

Finally, the air changes current, and she gets a whiff of a ShadowClan patrol heading their direction. They don't bother to hide themselves, and neither does the ShadowClan patrol. Hollypaw's legs bunch up, preparing for a fight. They're awfully close to the border, and ShadowClan's always been the most temperamental of the Clans. She doesn't want a fight, but if there is one, it'll be her chance to prove herself.

"Brambleclaw," Russetfur meows curtly.

Brambleclaw returns the gesture with a respectful nod. "Russetfur," he meows.

Hollypaw doesn't recognize all the cats. Russetfur, ShadowClan's deputy, is obvious, but the name of the white she-cat and dark brown tom escapes her. The white she-cat looks menacing with her long fur and single eye, glaring at the ThunderClan patrol.

"Is there a reason for a ThunderClan patrol to sit on our border?" Russetfur meows. "We wouldn't want to get funny ideas about ThunderClan's business."

"ThunderClan merely volunteered to check up on ShadowClan during the last gathering. The gathering your Clan did not attend. We were curious if there was a problem. ThunderClan is always at your call," Brambleclaw continues, his soft diplomatic meow a sharp contrast to ShadowClan's visible contempt and ThunderClan's bristling. Despite her father's tone, Hollypaw is sure that ThunderClan is not at ShadowClan's beck and call.

Hollypaw softens them all up with her power.

Russetfur twitches when the strands attach, as if she notices something is wrong before continuing, her voice softer and more welcoming now, "Thank you, but ShadowClan isn't accepting any visitors currently. ShadowClan is simply focusing on private interests. Patrol with me. Let us leave the thundercats to their sunrise."

She moves to disengage, and Hollypaw is taken back. Even Brambleclaw seems surprised by how eager Russetfur is to leave already. Her father almost jumps forward, paws twitching, now anxious to cross the border, but then he thinks better of it and holds. The rest of the patrol follows his example. Hollypaw follows their lead, but she bites her tongue in frustration. She tastes her own blood, not a severe wound, and swallows – unpleasant.

Russetfur pulls her patrol away from the border, shushing them. All ThunderClan gets is some unwelcome hisses as ShadowClan departs. It is, by all measures, a civil border patrol meeting. It couldn't have gone better on another sunrise, but a feeling of dread hangs over the clearing. Hollypaw's strands glow within her vision.

Might as well leave them on, just in case.

"Something's wrong with ShadowClan again, isn't it?" meows Brightheart after a moment of silence, speaking what's on all their minds. The patrol looks concerned and bleeds over to Hollypaw's restless coat. Even Whitewing seems perturbed.

"Probably, yes," Brambleclaw meows. Her father doesn't look happy. "We'll need to report this back to Firestar. We're obviously not invited, so whatever problem ShadowClan has will need to be sorted out on their own time or whenever it rears its ugly head and starts causing problems for us."

"Their border is unusually vicious today," meows Whitewing, sniffing the air again. "Even for ShadowClan. They're maintaining their scents heavily."

Brambleclaw replies, but Hollypaw confirms what Whitewing said by taking a deep whiff. ShadowClan's border smell is powerful and vicious, but Hollypaw doesn't yet have a frame of reference. If Whitewing says this is unusual, then Hollypaw will take her word. It only amplifies her concern.

"Let us return to camp," Brambleclaw meows. "Firestar will want to hear about this."

Hollypaw knows this is the Dark Forests doing. She just does.

---

"Hollypaw! Come taste this squirrel. It's amazing!" meows Lionpaw. "It's so juicy today."

Hollypaw rolls her eyes and turns towards her brother, vole in her mouth. The orange tom is out in the opening, hugging the right side of the camp shortly before the stone wall. He already looks dirty from a half-sunrise of being on the territory.

"You should be inside," mumbles Hollypaw through the vole in her mouth. "It's a mess out here still. The ground is still wet from the rain."

Hollypaw's paws lightly stick as she crosses the clearing. The rain shower from earlier has mostly dried up, but the remaining moisture in the ground is still enough to leave specks of mud beneath her paws, gumming up her claws.

"A true warrior is never bothered by some mer—"

Lionpaw's comment is cut off as he takes another big bite of his squirrel. Blood spurts out around his teeth, and her brother sighs in pleasure. He rips into his squirrel, all discussion forgotten, and renders himself incapable of speech.

"Your brain is full of bees," she mutters lovingly.

Hollypaw is long desensitized to mud and flops down alongside her brother. The semi-muddy ground almost feels cool on her pelt. Still, a muddy vole is unpleasant, so her front legs shift outwards as a temporary resting spot for her food.

Hollypaw closes her eyes and bows her head. "Thank you, Starclan, for blessing us with this prey. Thank you for this gift. May your light guide me." Finally, she takes a bite.

"Mrpgghh!" Lionpaw meows. "Do you have to do that every time?" Her brother has the self-awareness to stop eating prey and pay attention to his surroundings.

"I am giving thanks to the spirits of the past who guide us in these seasons. They are responsible for everything we have, including the Warrior Code," Hollypaw meows as if already reciting an old speech. "Have some respect."

"Hey! I was just asking! You've been so irritable lately," Lionpaw replies, lightly tapping her side. "A chipper spirit is the most valuable thing as a warrior."

Hollypaw growls, shifting angrily as she smears mud along her belly. "Obeying the Warrior Code is the most valuable thing as a warrior," she pauses, rolling Lionpaw's comment in her head. "How you maintain a chipper attitude while visiting the Dark Forest every night is beyond me. The place is driving me up a tree like a squirrel."

"That's still happening to you, to?" Lionpaw meows. The golden tabby looks genuinely surprised for some reason. Count on her brother to think that her visits to The Place of No Stars had stopped.

"When did it ever stop?" Hollypaw meows, "They know – well, it doesn't matter now."

"You should talk to Jaypaw. Medicine cats know more about this stuff, right?" Lionpaw meows after a moment's pause.

"Talking to Jaypaw is like trying to have a discussion with a thorn bush," Hollypaw replies. "He's still reluctant to tell us his power or anything about the prophecy."

Lionpaw is right, though. Jaypaw has to know more.

"Can I join?"

What is it now?

Hollypaw turns her head, so focused on her brother she fails to see Cinderpaw approaching. The grey she-cat almost bounces towards them, speaking towards Hollypaw, the clear leader of the duo, but Hollypaw catches her eyeing her brother from the corner of her eye.

"Sure, feel free," Hollypaw meows, hoping she doesn't regret her choice.

"Oh! Over here! Take a spot on my side!" Lionpaw meows excitedly. The tomcat's tail fluffs up in excitement. Choking down her rumble of laughter, Hollypaw rolls her eyes.

Cinderpaw rolls up to Lionpaw's side and almost bounces her way down to the ground. Cinderpaw daintily carries her own squirrel in her jaws. Certainly more elegant than her oaf of a brother, which is ruined when her belly is covered in dirt and mud like the rest of them.

Hollypaw tries to bask in the shared companionship as they eat, something rare for these sunrises, but her coat feels like it's being raked over with needles. She's vulnerable, sitting out in the open.

"Didn't WindClan feel pretty upset last gathering? I hope they're okay," meows Cinderpaw.

"They seemed fine to me," meows Lionpaw. "Their prickliness gives them charm."

Hollypaw opens her mouth to disagree, but Cinderpaw cuts her off.

"I hope so," she meows, a deep purr in her throat. "You never know how honest cats are at a gathering. A whole Clan could be starving, and none of them might say a thing! Do you think they're having fox problems? Maybe that's why they're so agitated."

"Nah," her brother meows. "They're way too fast to be caught by a fox. Including their kits!"

"I suppose. Still, it's hard to tell sometimes. I'd like to imagine everyone is always honest," Cinderpaw replies. Her flank pushes against her brother in a gesture too close to be "just friends."

"I'm always honest, all the time."

Cinderpaw's purr is no longer subtle as her teeth lightly bite on Lionpaw's ear. "That's why I like you, Lionpaw."

Hollypaw doesn't belong here. How did she think this wouldn't be unbearably awkward?

Bee-brains in love, and they don't even realize it.

Her brother also begins to purr, a warm song-like melody he's practiced on Hollypaw's ears a dozen times, but now it's for Cinderpaw. All she needs now is for Mom to tell her to find a tom, and Hollypaw would willingly crawl into a badger den. The kits discussion would be even worse.

I am never having kits in my life.

"Hey, Lionpaw, do you think I would make a good mother?" Cinderpaw meows as if reading Hollypaw's mind. "I've been focusing on my apprenticeship, but you know, I thought about it recently, and I —"

Hollypaw pushes her half-eaten vole to the side and tries covering her face and ears. She hears Lionpaw meow his agreement, and their jabbering discussion continues onwards. Hollypaw distractes herself by cleaning her vole down to the bones and then sucking down the bone marrow when that's done. It's not her favorite part of any meal, but anything is a welcome distraction to Lionpaw's and Cinderpaw's oblivious love crush. It gets to the point where she starts dreaming about visiting Jaypaw for company.

Fortunately, Hollypaw's thoughts to visit her other, more grumpy brother are stalled by an interruption by Mom.

"Hollypaw! Brambleclaw needs you!" Squirrelflight yowls from across the clearing, trouting briskly towards Hollypaw. Hollypaw waits for her before trying to form a response. "Hopefully, you've been getting more sleep," Mom meows, now closer. "You should ask Leafpool about taking some sleeping herbs."

"Mom! I'm fine!" Hollypaw meows harshly. The last thing she wants is her aunt worrying over her. Familiar anger bubbles up to the surface – her fur is always ruffled, these sunrises it feels. Squirrellflight visibly flinches, and Hollypaw knows she made a mistake. "Sorry," she adds, "I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh. What does Dad want?"

Squirrelflight relaxes. "He just wanted to take his daughter out on a bonding session—" Squirreflight flinches again when saying this, "—since he doesn't see you as often as I do! It'll double as another patrol along the ShadowClan border."

Hollypaw groans.

"Come on, Hollypaw!" Squirrellflight meows.

Hollypaw pulls herself up to her paws. Limbs stretch out, and Hollypaw imagines them popping lightly. Resting while sharing tongues has made her realize how tired she is, and phantom pains rush across her body from her busy moonrises. She's gotten a lot better in a fight.

Mapleshade won't get away with this.

Squirrelflight's bushy tail smacks her in the face. "I'm up! I'm up!" Hollypaw meows indignantly. Squirrelflight is about to continue when Hollypaw continues for her, muttering on instinct, "Yes, yes, I know. We're a family of great warriors, and great warriors don't get to rest until their work is done."

Squirrelflight replies with a smile, "I was just gonna say that Brambleclaw needed you up! No need to flatter." The ginger she-cat looks back to her son and Cinderpaw, who aren't paying attention. Hollypaw follows Mom's eyes.

"She says to me, 'I think my starshine is fading, and I don't know how to stop it.' And I'm sitting there, butt on the ground, and I reply, 'It's okay. Everyone's does. I'll help you brighten it up again.'"

Cinderpaw giggles.

"What?" Lionpaw replies, "It's true!"

Hollypaw blinks. Her ears tilt back.

"They make a cute couple, don't they?" Squirrelflight whispers to Hollypaw.

Hollypaw allows the corner of her mouth to twist upwards, sighing in an admission of defeat, "Yeah, I guess they do."

Suddenly, Lionpaw and Cinderpaw burst into a guffaw of laughter. Her older brother buries his face in his paws, smearing squirrel blood all over his nose while trying to hide his laughter. Cinderpaw just giggles loudly into the sky.

"Though it makes you wonder what they're talking about," Hollypaw finishes.

Squirrelflight smiles. "Go and find your father. I'll talk to your brother."

Hollypaw gives her coat a good shake, mud splatters all over the ground, and she gets a "Hey!" from Lionpaw before she kicks off with an all too-aware smile on her snout.

Hollypaw peels around the camp. Brackenfur is off the other side, and she tosses an "I'm heading out with Brambleclaw!" across the clearing.

The grey-furred tom replies, "Just make sure you're back by sundown to do your apprentice chores! If he brings you back late, I'll beat Brambleclaw with a mouse." Hollypaw flicks her tail in response and finally spots Father near Firestar's den. Brambleclaw's smile turns his whiskers upward, melting into a patrol as they head for the camp's entrance.

"Hey, Dad. You wanted to patrol the ShadowClan border?" she meows. Another border patrol would give her another chance to figure out what was happening with ShadowClan.

"Not exactly," her father meows cheekily. "I thought a trip out would be good for the both of us; hopefully, I didn't catch you at a bad time."

Hollypaw smiles, meowing, "Brackenfur wants me back by sundown to finish my chores with the elders."

"That I can do," her father snorts. "Brackenfur's earned his place as a senior warrior. I wouldn't want to disrespect him by stealing his apprentice – even if that apprentice is my daughter."

A thought passes over her. "Oh! Do you know if he's brought up my warrior assessment? It's been a while, and I was thinking that even Jaypaw doesn't have his Medicine Cat name yet!"

Brambleclaw whisks her along with his tail, and the two squeeze out of the bramble-covered camp entrance. "No, Brackenfur hasn't brought up your assessment yet. It should be soon, though. Starclan knows you've been an apprentice for a long time now. As for Jaypaw, your brother is working with Leafpool to prepare for the next wave of greencough. Leafpool thinks it is going to be a tough Leaf-Bare."

Hollypaw just hums – allowing Brambleclaw to guide her across the territory. The two follow the well-worn patrol paths towards ShadowClan's border. Compacted dirt leaves it easier on the paws than taking a different, less traveled trail. Moist air from the air perks her nose, but the ache in her limb remains. A headache forms inside of her head, this time not because she overused power.

"You're still not getting enough sleep. I worry for you," Brambleclaw meows, noticing her discomfort, and he leans down to lick Hollypaw's fur.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Your poor sleep has been going on for a while now. Mom and I are worried for you," Brambleclaw meows. The tabby's endearing licks mess up her fur, but Hollypaw understands now why she's been brought out on the territory.

"I'm still the best apprentice in ThunderClan. Lionpaw's talented at battle, but he's lazy about it. I'm the best in ThunderClan for a fight," Hollypaw continues. "I'm ready to be a warrior. I feel like I've been an apprentice forever."

Brambleclaw sighs, "You shouldn't speak ill of Lionpaw. And Firestar and I are aware of you and your brother's battle prowess. Still, being low on sleep can impair one's judgment."

"As his sister, I have Starclan's permission to insult him," Hollypaw meows snootily. Brambleclaw's last lick across her head pushes the scruff of her head forward, and Hollypaw groans when she realizes that her dad has made her look ridiculous. "Dad! I'm fine!" she meows petulantly.

He chuckles, whiskers curling, but keeps moving along the trail. Hollypaw is tempted to try fixing her disgusting scruff but shuffles along when Dad gives a commanding flick with his tail. She grumbles her way to the border – marked by the terrible smell.

ShadowClan's border reeks even worse than usual. The aggressive smell wafts over the border, and Hollypaw's appreciation for the Clan drops by another few mice. "They're preparing for war," she meows almost casually. Brambleclaw's ears tilt back to her response, and Hollypaw almost feels the disapproval.

"It's a little early to make calls on such nature."

Hollypaw ignores him. "They're preparing for war. We should prepare. More guards around the camp during the sunrise and doubled cats on vigil. ShadowClan didn't show up at the last gathering, and their scent border has been getting stronger and stronger. It's not subtle."

"Trespassing on our land would be against the Warrior Code. I trust ShadowClan is wise enough to follow it after the suffering they have experienced from breaking it in the past." Brambleclaw meows confidently. It's almost enough to convince her.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Hollypaw meows, keeping her true thoughts to herself. "It is against the Warrior Code." Hollypaw's ears prick to see if any ShadowClan patrols are coming, but it's silent on enemy territory.

Not like that means much to the other Clans.

Hollypaw shakes the negative thought out of her head.

"Help me mark this stretch of the border," Brambleclaw meows, gesturing to the nearby trees that mark ThunderClan's side of the border.

Hollypaw wrinkles her nose but follows the command. The stretch isn't particularly long, and they make good time. There's enough time in the sunrise to get some hunting down. She'll make a big catch and impress Brackenfur if she's lucky.

Hollypaw is shaking an itch out of her back leg when Brambleclaw whistles at her to follow. The sharp sound beats into Hollypaw's head, and she pulls her ears back to try and dilute the sound. She twitches towards her father to see what's so urgent, as she knows there are no ShadowClan patrols nearby. Brambleclaw looks fine.

"This way," Brambleclaw meows, taking a path deeper into ThunderClan territory.

"Where are we going?"

"I'll show you in a moment," Brambleclaw replies, refusing to answer.

At first, Hollypaw thinks Brambleclaw is bringing them to the twoleg clearing, but then they cut upwards through the forest along hilly undergrowth. It's an area that Hollypaw has only been to once during her original apprenticeship tour across the territory. They scramble up a hill with faint ThunderClan markings –a relatively secluded area.

"The abandoned twoleg nest? I heard there's a lot of prey there," Hollypaw meows. "Brackenfur has only brought me here once before."

"Some of the warriors get bothered by the old twoleg nest and think that the twolegs will be back to reclaim it one sunrise," Brambleclaw meows beside her. "There's an area nearby that we're heading to. Relatively unknown."

Hollypaw's eyes peel ahead of her as Brambleclaw takes her around the twoleg nest, the old nest in the corner of her eye. There's a slope downwards that then curls inwards, and Hollypaw hears the sound of soft water running. Brambleclaw pulls them in, and then Hollypaw sees their destination.

Water splashes onto some logs and then softly crashes downwards, merging into a small stream. A localized stream heading down towards the lake. Good for drinking. The logs themselves tilt upwards, half of them dry and half of them wet. Hollypaw can see a small clearing that leads deeper beneath the small waterfall.

"As deputy, one needs to know the territory. This area is a good resting spot if you're ever out here as a warrior and need somewhere to take a break. The small waterfall gives it some ambiance," Brambleclaw meows.

"I see," Hollypaw meows, feeling disappointed. She expected a hunting patrol, not some secluded hole in ThunderClan's territory. Did Dad bring her here just to waste time with her?

Brambleclaw slips between logs and water, sliding into the alcove, and Hollypaw follows his example. The air smells surprisingly fresh and not stale. "Does it go deeper?" Hollypaw meows. The cavity pitches back into a small hole until it's filled with darkness.

"I doubt it. I've never looked, but there would be no point in exploring a dusty cave even if it went deeper," Brambleclaw meows.

The caves go deeper.

Fallen Leaves words rush back to her, and she knows immediately that her father is wrong. Brambleclaw has no idea what he's talking about. The cave system beneath ThunderClan's territory is massive, and she wonders why no one has ever bothered to explore it. Is the risk of being flooded that high? Fallen Leaves would know, but she has no idea how she would even try to find a lost spirit.

Hollypaw frowns and turns to face the cascading water – facing the exit. It admittingly makes for a pretty sight.

"I… wanted to talk to you about your sleep," Brambleclaw speaks, voice serious, and Hollypaw pushes down the rising dread. The trip was a trap.

"Dad, I'm fine."

Brambleclaw pauses again and pulls himself up, "No, Hollypaw, I know you're visiting the Dark Forest—" Hollypaw's breath catches in her throat, "—I recognize the moves you're using in your practice spars. You haven't been getting good sleep because Hawkfrost is visiting you."

Hollypaw turns to face her father, and lying through her teeth, she meows, "Am I in trouble? Is Lionpaw in trouble, too? He's been visiting as well." Sorry, Lionpaw. We can share the blame.

Brambleclaw makes a face, a combination of shock and unease, "No, I… didn't even know about Lionpaw, though it makes sense. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. You shouldn't believe what Hawkfrost's telling you."

"It's—" not Hawkfrost, but Mapleshade, but you don't know that, do you? "I don't believe anything he says, but I'm there every night regardless," she meows. You have no idea what's happening. No idea of the stakes.

"I'm concerned, Hollypaw. My brother and father are not cats you want to associate yourself with," Brambleclaw continues. "Let me help you. If you don't get good sleep, I'll need to push back your warrior ceremony."

He's threatening you.

Hollypaw almost feels like Mapleshade is beside her. The tortoiseshell, the fox on her back, but Hollypaw needs to become a warrior. The prophecy, whatever it might mean, will require her to have that freedom, that prestige. She's already better than Brackenfur in a fight and a great hunter – the idea of her warrior's ceremony being held back by a lack of sleep gnaws at her. When Firestar was her age, he was already deputy. Her father and mother were saving the Clans as apprentices.

I've wasted too much time already.

"Hollypaw, please, say something. I—" Brambleclaw notices her silence, but she takes his words from him when Hollypaw seizes him within his power. The tom stumbles in his speech.

Forgive me, Starclan. Let what is done to my father be done to me.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Hollypaw commands. "I'm fine. Go get Brackenfur and tell him to give me my warrior's assessment. I'm ready."

Brambleclaw's eyes tilt, and Hollypaw can see him working through his memory. He knows that something is wrong because her power is still so weak. Then he speaks, "Yes, you are ready. I remember when Squirrelflight came back that first sunrise, she had to give birth out on the territory instead of in the camp, though luckily, Leafpool was with her at the time. You were so small, but you've grown into your fur."

He's still trying to make small talk across that gap between them. Hollypaw just feels physically and mentally tired from the walk and questions. She flicks her head towards the cascading water, and Brambleclaw gets the message.

"I'll follow you later. I want to enjoy the spot for a bit longer," Hollypaw meows.

"Look, Hollypaw," Brambleclaw meows, moving towards the exit. "I love you. I'll always be here when you need me." He won't.

"Yeah, I know, Dad," Hollypaw meows. "Go back to camp and kiss Mom or something."

Hollypaw flicks her tail, and Brambleclaw awkwardly leaves. Hollypaw watches him go, waiting until he's completely gone, and then, with a sharp whip in her tail, she turns to follow the natural decline of the cave.

The small alcove dips quickly, shrinking rapidly before ending in a rabbit hole. Hollypaw can see something beyond, and it's with a tight squeeze that she pushes through the small rabbit-sized hole.

The cave opens up dramatically, and Hollypaw smells stale cave air. The sheer darkness is oppressive at first, but Hollypaw lets her emerald eyes adjust for a couple heartbeats. There's nothing to do now but see where the cave goes.

At first, the cave continues unobstructed, stone surrounding her in all directions, and Hollypaw makes good time and distance. With no decline or incline, Hollypaw feels like she's just barely walking under the earth. The air is thin, but controlling her breathing is a familiar feeling. Compared to drowning alive in water, it's a light trek.

Then she finds what she's looking for when the cave splits in multiple directions. One tunnel leads upwards, probably to the surface or an obstructed exit if she's unfortunate. Another tunnel branches forward, probably carrying her further towards WindClan's border. At this point, she's not entirely sure. The last and most exciting path pitches downwards into deeper darkness.

So, the tunnels really do extend throughout the entire territory. How has no one explored this before? The entire clan could hide down here if we needed to.

Hollypaw takes the last tunnel. Deeper into the earth.

The cave's floor smooths out to the point where it's almost slippery. She could break her bones and starve, and no Clanmate would find her corpse for seasons. Her paws stick on ancient slime, and she imagines herself dying, her blood and bones becoming part of the stone.

Hollypaw shrugs the thought off. She needs to find…

Find what exactly? More about the prophecy? Where these caves lead? What's the point of all of this? Brambleclaw is probably right. There's going to be nothing down here.

Hollypaw catches a fresh scent. A cat's scent. It's so faint that she almost misses it, but the question of who's been down here or who was down here floods her mind. Hollypaw breathes deep, and it's no scent that she recognizes. She crouches down on the stone, whiskers and nose brushing cold stone, muzzle-length from the ground, to better understand her quarry. The cat smells warm, a hint of age, but there's something off. It feels fresh and old simultaneously as if the scent is obscured. They could've used mud like the Tribe of Rushing Water or catmint to conceal their scent, but there's no trace of mud or catmint.

Hollypaw picks up her pace, heading deeper until she feels her pelt prickle. She can't lose the scent trail by wasting time.

The cave flattens out and then opens up dramatically again in winding snakes. Multiple tunnels lead deeper; others simply branch out vertically. The scent trail she follows leads her to an elevated ledge that sneaks forward with crags and sharp edges.

Hollypaw takes about three rabbit-lengths and catches a flash of color in the corner of her left eye. There's a scrabble as she twists her head sideways, and the tortoiseshell tom scrambles left, following her blindside. Hollypaw feels herself being grabbed from behind, and the two tumble sideways, thankfully to their left and not right, where the drop is. While her power requires line of sight, Hollypaw doesn't need to see her enemy to slam him into the back wall, and she smiles when she feels the tom's breath get knocked out of them. He's sloppy in a fight; she can already tell.

Hollypaw tries to turn her head to seize him with her power, but the tom prioritizes keeping her head locked forward in a tight grip. In return, Hollypaw slams him into the wall again – the tom not having learned his earlier lesson – and hears an audible groan from her assaulter. She kicks out with her hindlegs, intending to dislodge him—

"You need eye contact, correct? No, that's not right, you just need to see your opponent to use your power," the tom meows while Hollyleaf grinds him into the wall. He groans, still nursing his bruised back. "How about we have a civil conversation? You wild cats are always so easily stirred to anger."

"How?" Hollypaw meows in shock. "You can't possibly know about me. I've never seen you before in my life."

The tom breathes into her neck, resting bruised on her back. "It's in the eyes. You were too darty, too eager to see me. You reminded me of an owl." His speech is slow, each word punctuated. Warm like Firestar's but more gliding, a bit too smooth and a bit too sharp at the same time.

"You're not from around here," Hollypaw meows, putting the clues together. He's a rogue or loner on ThunderClan territory. She found a dirty rogue.

"I'm from here and there. You wouldn't know the place," her mysterious assailant purrs.

"Try me. I've been up in the mountains before," Hollypaw meows.

The tom chuckles softly but answers, "If one were to travel southwest to where the sun is swallowed and then a further seven sunups and seven sundowns, you'd stand upon the edge of the world. Turn east and walk for a season till you see the Twolegs blot out the sky. Further still, for another moonrise and a half, you'd not be halfway to the point where I became who I am today."

"That's a load of fox-dung. Do you give half-answers to everyone?" Hollypaw snarks back. "You're on ThunderClan territory. Scram before I make you."

The pressure on her neck abates, and the tom jumps off her back. Hollypaw finally twists to see her opponent and considers using her power. The tortoiseshell tom has splotches of white, richly marbled in red and black, and a puff on the tip of his tail. It's too dark otherwise to make out other details.

"I wouldn't do what you're thinking of doing. You're still not paying attention to what's important," the tom meows, seemingly unabashed by the angry she-cat staring him down.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes," the tom meows, "check my scent again."

Hollypaw takes in his scent again, and she catches something else this time. ShadowClan.

"You've met with ShadowClan. Are you working with them? Do you know what's wrong with them?" Hollypaw meows rashly. She could've been wrong earlier – he could be a ShadowClan warrior on ThunderClan territory. ShadowClan was known to take in rogues. She didn't recognize him from any of the gatherings, but she wasn't sure if that made it worse or better.

"They're doing just fine," the tom replies. "But we've gotten off track. Sol, at your service. I was exploring these tunnels before I was rudely interrupted. However, it seems I found something more interesting than any cave. What's your name?"

"Hollypaw of ThunderClan. How do you know about my powers?" she replies on instinct.

"I have a few tricks that I've picked up over the seasons."

"That's… not how that works," Hollypaw finishes. "You know, somehow, about my powers. No one knows but my brothers."

"I'm not normal," Sol replies, warm and frustratingly vague. He's cocky, a smile on his whiskers, and when Hollypaw seethes in front of him, he smiles even more.

"I could kill you right now," Hollypaw meows, putting as much force as she can into her voice. When he doesn't answer, she unsheathes her claws. "Answer me."

"You won't."

Hollypaw clicks her tongue in anger. She needs to switch tracks and try something new. Her eyes glance at the big drop beside them. In the darkness, it could be deep enough to kill a cat. She could toss him off the ledge.

"Do you know where these tunnels lead then? If you're such a great explorer like you claim to be," she meows. It's bait for information – she wants to see if he'll take it.

Sol takes a couple steps, gliding beside her to look over the edge. The oppressive darkness below seems suffocating, and Hollypaw wonders how far the drop is from their ledge. Now would be her chance to push him. Sol's ears twitch, and Hollypaw holds back on the instinct.

"The veil between worlds is thin here. It could be important, could not be. I would caution against going further down. We wouldn't want to lose such a pretty molly," he replies finally. His eyes glint in the darkness, and Hollypaw can't tell if he's joking or actually flirting with her in this cave.

The veil between worlds?

Sol rolls his tongue smoothly across his mouth, his speech distorting because of it. It's unimaginable how he developed such a strange accent. It fits him, though. Nonsensical voice and nonsensical answers. He's no threat to her or to ThunderClan. This isn't what she expected from her first intruder, but clearly, he's no threat. If anything, he's useful. She could find him later at the next gathering – or on ShadowClan territory if the Clan refused to honor Starclan's traditions.

"I'm leaving," she meows, deciding to find the strange ShadowClan tom later. "I'll let you off this time, but you won't step on ThunderClan territory again if you're wise. We don't take kindly to ShadowClan trainees." Hollypaw moves to leave, eager to escape the strange darkness of the cave and stranger Tom – he seems like a flirt, which is never good.

"Have you ever seen a small fish in a puddle? I suppose that's more RiverClan's thing, but surely you can imagine," Sol speaks as she leaves, his voice like spiderweb and honey. "The fish grows up there. It explores every crevice and lip of that puddle and calls it home. Labels it as reality and truth. But it's still in that puddle in a very big world. Then, one sunrise, a cat steps into the puddle, scattering water everywhere, and the fish's entire world is shattered. Everything it knows disappears as it realizes it's at the whims of monsters far greater than itself."

Hollypaw scoffs.

I need to leave.

There's the temptation to ask the tomcat more questions. Sol's vague, nonsensical answers aside, he knows something. He could identify that she had Starclan's power from a mere glance. But Hollypaw pushes the temptation aside for her responsibilities and a concerned Brambleclaw back at the stone hollow.

"Don't make me regret my choice by seeing you on our territory again," Hollypaw meows, reassessing her desire to find Sol again. Sol doesn't reply as she leaves, heading upwards this time, but nevertheless, she feels Sol's eyes glued to her back until absolute darkness swallows her.

---

"Do you know where Brackenfur is right now? We were supposed to finish some battle training," Hollypaw meows.

Millie purrs, her weird kittypet accent being blasted into the dirt, "You just missed him, dear. He's on the sundown patrol. Come join me instead as this sunrise closes down."

The aching tiredness that is Hollypaw wars with the fear of actually falling asleep. There isn't a moment in her life where laying down to rest hasn't come with the temptation to dose off into the realm of dreams - her dreams long being unpleasant. Mapleshade's next visit due any moonrise.

Millie pats the ground beside her, brushing away some leaves falling from the local trees. Hollypaw's aching limbs win the internal argument, and she collapses against the strange ThunderClan queen.

The pregnant queen looks like she's due any sunrise now: her belly unpleasantly massive with kits. She should be staying in the nursery in preparation, but instead, she's loitering around the leaf-covered camp.

And it is indeed leaf-covered. The middle of Leaf-Fall brings bare trees, and the entire stone quarry is littered with their remnants. Some leaves fall from above the stone hollow, the protective treeline that hides the camp from dangerous birds now bare, but most are tracked in by warriors leaving and entering the camp. Despite Jaypaw's complaints, no Clanmate seems to care if leaves get stuck to their pelt.

Millie pushes a half-eaten squirrel towards her. "Do you want it?" she meows. "I've always found the internal bits a little bit gross."

Hollypaw spews out a "Sure" without really thinking about it, immediately regretting her choice after looking at the meal. The best parts of the squirrel are already gone. The tender meat surrounding its thighs, breasts, and flanks are stripped clean with the savory stomach and liver gobbled up. All that is left is the less pleasant organs and stringy tail that look almost wilted. The bones are practically left untouched, an untapped source of bone marrow.

Of course, a former kittypet wouldn't want to eat their food properly.

Hollypaw grimaces from the thought, whispering a thank you to Starclan under her breath, and then begins cleaning up Millie's mess. Organs are eaten, no matter how unpleasant; stringy tissue is sawed up into more pleasant bites, and each bone is meticulously broken open, upon which Hollypaw sucks down the bone marrow inside.

Millie purrs by her side. Content to bask in the fading sun, each content to ignore the other.

"Millie? Are you going to head inside?" meows Graystripe from the warriors' den. The grayed tom looks even older than usual, but he smiles, and Hollypaw tries to remember that he's both her senior and a legend. Former deputy, Firestar's best friend, RiverClan liberator, and Lionclan warrior. He looks like he's two paw-steps away from the elder's den.

Unlike Firestar, Millie wasn't even willing to take on a warrior's name. Disrespectful.

Millie's ears perk and she meows, "I'm coming, dear. Just getting some fresh air." She turns back to Hollypaw and pulls her massive belly off the ground. "Thank you, Hollypaw. I'll see you later. Maybe after I've kitted!"

"Sure," Hollypaw mews, distracted by the fading light, and lets Millie leave. She peels her eyes open when they try to close as she shouldn't fall asleep out in the open.

"Hey," a voice whispers, and Hollypaw realizes it is Greystripe, who's snuck up beside her, Millie already having headed into the nursery. "What's it like being Squirrelflight's daughter?"

"What's it to you?" Hollypaw groans, knocking sleep out of her eyes. Of course, Greystripe wants to bother her now. "Sorry," she adds, realizing she sounded rude.

Greystripe doesn't seem to notice, thankfully. "Well, I saved your aunt when she was an apprentice," he cheekily meows. Hollypaw blinks suddenly at that unknown fact and prompts him to continue. "Back when the twolegs were destroying the old forest. Got captured in the attempt, but you win some, you lose some!"

Firestar never told us how Greystripe was killed.

Hollypaw humors him, trying to blink sleep out of her eyes somewhat successfully, and answers his question. "I've gotten to know Mom more as an apprentice. Her milk didn't come through, and we had to have Ferncloud nurse us. She focused on her warrior duties and let the other queens take care of us," Hollypaw replies. She asks, "What happened to you after you were… captured?"

Graystripe curls into a sitting position, humming while looking down at her. He meows, "A kittypet reminded me that I had to return." The kittypet in question mews out a cry for him from the nursery. Graystripe flicks his ears, glancing rapidly in Millie's direction and then back to Hollypaw. "She's pretty great, isn't she?" Graystripe whispers, leaning down as if he's conspiring with her.

"Does that happen often? With the kittypets," Hollypaw meows while she raises her brows questionably. She's not sure what Graystripe sees in Millie that she's missing or any kittypet.

"Well, if I had a mouse for every time a kittypet saved my life, I'd have at least three mice. Which is a strange thought," Graystripe chimes and his stomach audibly rumbles for ironic effect. "Maybe that says more about the Clans than kittypets, though," he finishes, bumping her shoulder, and Hollypaw pushes back to shove him away.

"Graystripe! Come rest in with nursery with me!" Millie meows from across the clearing. The call sucks Graystripe from her even before he starts moving, the energy in his pelt visibly shifting towards his kittypet mate. "Sorry, Hollypaw," he meows, matching her tired gaze. "I wanted to talk more, but duty calls."

He asks for her forgiveness, and Hollypaw gives it to him, eager to rest, flicking her ears in a gesture that it is okay. Graystripe leaps from his spot when Millie calls again.

I can share tongues with him on another sunrise.

Hollypaw closes her eyes, shutting out the amber light; finally, the sunrise's exhaustion, fatigue, and soreness overcome her. She feels heavy. A small catnap wouldn't hurt – she wasn't on camp vigil this moonrise.

Just a little shuteye.

There's a disruption at the camp entrance, and Hollypaw internally sighs. Tempered, yowling with the shuffling of brambles as one too many cats try to squeeze through. Brambleclaw pops through the barrier entrance first, heading straight toward Firestar's den. Squirrelflight and Cloudtail are next, tails raised in alertness. Brackenfur is in the rear.

In between them, caught by the border patrol, is Sol.

Hollypaw finally gets a better look at the mysterious, glowing-in-the-evening-light ShadowClan rogue now that they're not in the depths beneath ThunderClan. Sol is built like an ancient lion, with lean muscle stretching across a tight coat. His scruff is thick and voluminous, with a thin whip-like tail that ends in a puff. His sharp yellow eyes pierce and rake across her. Hollypaw returns the stare.

To other mollies, Sol is handsome. An irresistible attraction in soft light, and all the she-cats have their eyes on him. Hollypaw's eyes watch him for very different reasons as the thought of listening to all her fellow mollies talk about Sol for the next quarter-moon makes her want to retch.

Firestar is already standing on highrock. His hot red coat making him glow in the amber light. Hollypaw sees Brambleclaw standing next to him a pace back. It's a formal affair, as it seems something has got Brambleclaw and the rest of the sundown patrol spooked.

"Firestar, we caught this rogue crossing the ShadowClan border. He claims to know the status of ShadowClan but was dodgy on everything else," Brambleclaw speaks. "He claimed he wanted to meet you and Hollypaw."

The legendary ThunderClan leader locks eyes with the rogue, having some unknown discussion between them, until Sol peels away, seeming to have lost. "ThunderClan is more welcoming than the other Clans, but neither were we expecting a stranger at dusk," Firestar speaks. "Tell me why you wished to speak to me and one of our apprentices."

Hollypaw stiffens in her spot, feeling the eyes of ThunderClan start to peel towards her. Lionpaw is in the apprentice den with her, and he gives her the usual goofy smile. Jaypaw and Leafpool poke their heads out of the medicine den, watching intently. Jaypaw seems unusually focused, and it's times like these where she wishes again that she could also read minds.

"I mean no harm," Sol meows, forceful but precise. "I came to deliver a warning in good faith and to finish the lovely conversation I had earlier this sunrise with Hollypaw." There's some muttering around the camp, directed at Hollypaw, but Sol shushes them with a bristle. "We had a cordial meeting along the border today. She was rather admitted about keeping me off ThunderClan land."

Hollypaw breathes deep and low, thankful for the save. The last thing she needs is clanmates thinking she's sneaking off to see a rogue. Her reputation has to be flawless.

Firestar twitches, and there's a visible puff of air as he releases some of the tension in his frame. "I'm afraid I cannot let you speak with Hollypaw. As an apprentice, her protection is still paramount," Firestar meows. "Brackenfur?"

"He may not speak with my apprentice. We don't know who he is, let alone if his claims are true," Brackenfur meows from across the clearing. Hollypaw shrugs off the irritation of being spoken for – mentor's rights.

Sol seems unfazed.

"One request denied," Firestar speaks. "Your warning? Depending on the contents and whether it can be verified will determine if you stay the moonrise with us or if I will have my warriors escort you out of our territory."

Sol smiles, and the tom shakes out his pelt. The fur alongside his neck puffs out dramatically. "A prophecy. Your Clans are familiar with such, correct?" Hollypaw hears Leafpool take a deep breath, audible even from across the clearing for good reason. Prophecies are no joking matter. Hollypaw would know – she's part of one. "The Sun shall go out, and the stars will be lost forever—" There's a snort across the clearing, and even Hollypaw can see Firestar raise a brow as Sol's credibility drops like a sinking stone, "—ShadowClan can verify my accuracy. They're doing just fine. Standoffish as usual. I assume ThunderClan is more of the pleasant sort."

"Smells like ShadowClan," mutters Cloudtail.

The reaction to Sol's prophecy is predictable. Hollypaw could've told Sol her Clans reaction earlier if he'd asked, but the tortoiseshell tom doesn't seem upset or fazed. Firestar's decision on what to do with the tomcat is visible as he passes through the emotions of distrust, disbelief, and caution.

"We're not actually going to let this ShadowClan spy sleep with us, are we?" meows Berrynose from the Warriors' den. The tom bats sleep-mucus out of his eyes, but he's wide awake.

"Quiet Berrynose," meows Firestar. "I've made my decision. Sol, you are welcome to stay the moonrise. Cloudtail and Brambleclaw escort him to the guest nest. This meeting is dismissed. Everyone should get some rest while those responsible for this moonrise's vigil should prepare themselves." There are some groans; no one wants the crazy tom in ThunderClan, but the Leader's word is law and Firestar's orders carry respect.

Sol nods respectfully. "It's going to be a long moonrise," he meows ominously. Hollypaw catches him glancing at her before Cloudtail and Brambleclaw escort him to the prisoner's den. ThunderClan doesn't host guests, especially those wanting to talk to apprentices.

Hollypaw peels herself off the ground as everyone separates, rest disturbed. She doesn't waste any time. Aching limbs haul themselves toward Jaypaw. Her brother doesn't even turn his head to look at her when he greets her.

"Well?" she meows, cutting to the chase. "Did you catch anything?"

There's a moment of silence as Jaypaw listens to Leafpool deeper in the medicine den, then quickly meows, "He made up the prophecy. Probably. He's planning something, though. He definitely wanted to see you, though. You said you met him earlier?"

Hollypaw whispers, "In the tunnels, not on the border. He lied about that, too. Nothing but nonsensical answers and replies to my questions."

Jaypaw's eyes narrow, but before he can open his mouth to reply, Leafpool beats him to it. "Hello, Hollypaw. It sounds like you had an exciting day," Leafpool mews from the medicine den entrance. "I do need Jaypaw right now, though, if you could cut your conversation short."

"Sure," Hollypaw meows as Leafpool purrs softly in reply. They can't have this conversation with Leafpool nearby. Leafpool purrs softly in reply.

Jaypaw bristles. "Next Sunrise," he meows forcefully.

Hollypaw nods, "Next Sunrise." Hollypaw turns back towards the apprentice den. Lionpaw is waiting for her, ready to disturb her sleep, and she rolls her eyes; even when she wants to sleep, she can't.

"Hollypaw!"

Squirrellight zips towards her from the right. Another distraction. Her mom's bushy tail is still raised in alertness. "Are you alright?" she mews. "You never told me you met a rogue today."

Hollypaw presses into her mother's flank, trying to comfort her. "I'm fine, Mom," she mews.

"Are you sure? Cause—"

"Great, Starclan! Yes, I'm fine! I'm not sneaking out to see some Tom!" Hollypaw spits, hackles raised. All of her unexplained trips are coming back to haunt her. "Stop buying onto the bee-brained rumor mill and—"

"Hollypaw! I believe you," Mom meows. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Hollypaw rolls the tension down her spine, "I'm fineee—" Hollypaw's comment is interrupted when an uncontrollable yawn rips through her frame.

"You're tired, that's what," Squrrielflight meows. Hollypaw's mother holds her right flank and helps the young apprentice walk back towards the apprentice's den. "Let me tell you a story to help you fall asleep," Squirrelflight mews, "like when you were a young kit."

She doesn't have time for this. She needs to find a way to beat Mapleshade.

"I…"

"Hey! Come on Hollypaw! I've saved a spot for you. Also, what's Mom doing here?" Lionpaw meows. She forgets about her other brother, who slides to the side to share his nest.

Hollypaw collapses beside Lionpaw, sliding from one warm coat to another. She almost falls asleep right there, but Lionpaw's restless, energy-filled shuffling keeps her awake, if simply due to annoyance.

"I'm gonna tell both of you a story while this rogue thing blows over," Squirrelflight mews, taking a spot just outside the den. It's an obvious distraction to keep them out of the senior warriors' way while Sol is dealt with. Lionpaw meows in excitement, taking the bait. Mom adds, "Now, Hollypaw gets to choose, of course, since she's the one who's tired."

Hollypaw notices other apprentices in the den, like Cinderpaw and Foxpaw, looking upwards from their nests and waiting for the impromptu story. Hollypaw bats her face in frustration. She's going to be up all moonrise.

She needs…

Thick multi-colored leaves blot the entire area. The stone hollow turned into an array of amber colors, blending into a tortoiseshell. Why are all her enemies tortoiseshells?

Tortoiseshells.

Hollypaw looks up at her mom and meows, "Tell me the ThunderClan story of Mapleshade."

---

Aching eyes open to a dark sky.

Hollypaw's limbs already feel like tar in the mud, but on this moonrise, she feels purpose. The familiar river is behind her, and she remembers the taste of its water in her lungs. Hollypaw unsheathes her claws, feeling slick mud between her toes. She feels no fear.

A beat of air gives Mapleshade away, and Hollypaw's head twitches sideways so that she can counter the incoming attack. Even here, the air is thick, hanging low to the ground, and Mapleshade almost seems to sloth through it. Her power lashes out on instinct once she makes eye contact, but Hollypaw reels it back in as she tumbles backward into a controlled fall.

Her cursed mentor takes a long sweep at her, but Hollypaw is already shuffling backward out of the way. "I heard you were killed by an apprentice," Hollypaw puffs, "sounds sloppy to me."

Mapleshade stands a rabbit-length ahead of her, teeth and claws bared, meowing, "Perchpaw got lucky, but luck hasn't been on your side, has it?" Mapleshade launches herself at Hollypaw.

Hollypaw lands in that sweet spot between total exhaustion and surging adrenaline that focuses her. Her ears flick forward to hear the tiny cracks of twigs, tracking Mapleshade's movement, and she keeps her mouth just barely open to draw in Mapleshade's scent. Saliva pools at her lips, and Hollypaw feels like a rabid dog. She braces herself for the defense.

Mapleshade slams into her, but Hollypaw has gotten very good at rolling as she uses Mapleshade's momentum to fling Mapleshade over her belly. On the roll's exit, Hollypaw lashes out at Mapleshade's forepaws, pricking small points of blood.

Mapleshade tries to dart under her belly for an underbelly slash, but Hollypaw drops to the ground, forcing Mapleshade to back up as she slams her forepaws into the ground with a double blow.

"You're a mouse-heart Hollypaw," Mapleshade speaks. "Always fighting so defensively. Nothing like your ancestors. You'll die like all the rest of my enemies."

The insult stings enough to make Hollypaw flinch, but she doesn't rise to the bait. She needs to end this fast. "Is that what you thought when Perchpaw killed you?" she taunts.

Mapleshade prowls around her until Hollypaw responds in kind. The two of them circling a stretch of mud. "Perchpaw's dead," Mapleshade meows, pride in her voice. "My revenge was absolute."

Hollypaw remembers the story now. Mom has given her what she needs to win.

Crookedstar had… Silverstream, who had Stormfur.

"No, it wasn't. I didn't know you Dark Forest cats were so out of the loop," Hollypaw meows, putting as much bravado and disdain as she can into her voice. "You never did kill Silverstream's son, did you? But I suppose keeping up on RiverClan's lineage was too much for an old she-cat like you."

Mapleshade hisses, rage pooling in the back of her throat. Like a Greenleaf tree going up in flames, all sense of reason leaves the tortoiseshell. The she-cat leaps into a killing blow that Hollypaw catches, tumbling backward, letting Mapleshade bite down on thin air. Mud goes flying, and Hollypaw smashes into the ground, Mapleshade standing over her.

Even still, Hollypaw smiles under her breath. She purrs, "You don't like it now that it's personal?"

Claws dig into Hollypaw's ribs, and Mapleshade leans down until their belly fur is touching. "Where is he?" she hisses, eyes like burning slits of fire.

Hollypaw hooks her left hindleg underneath the she-cat. "Gone," she whispers. "I helped Stormfur escape far beyond your sight. You'll never get revenge now."

Mapleshade begins to squeeze, and Hollypaw feels her lungs almost pop. But Mapleshade isn't paying attention, not entirely, and Hollypaw presses her left hindleg into Mapleshade's groin. Claws dig deep into the tortoiseshell's waist before Hollypaw's hindleg jerks, ripping outwards as ethereal guts go flying.

Mapleshade's grip loosens from the pain, and that's all Hollypaw needs to reverse the submission hold. The sticky mud alongside her back is pulled upwards as Hollypaw torques herself over the soon-to-be-prone tortoiseshell and then is flung downwards as Hollypaw's momentum flips. Mapleshade is splattered and pinned.

Hollypaw begins to squeeze.

There's a moment of shock, genuine disbelief from Mapleshade, and then, "Do it," she chuckles, light on breath. "Kill me. Prove yourself."

Hollypaw's grip relents. The tight squeeze becomes a soft grab.

"Do it!" Mapleshade hisses, fire back in her voice. "Kill me now, or you'll die next time you go to sleep. You'll never get to fulfill your precious prophecy. I'll bring Hawkfrost, I'll bring Snowpelt, I'll bring Brokenstar. I'll even bring your precious grandfather. We'll rip you apart unless you show us your precious 'power of the stars.'"

Hollypaw's heart tightens, and she begins to feel sick. She needs—

"Kill me! Blood, Hollypaw! Kill me or die."

A war— "rrior doesn't need to kill to win his battles," Hollypaw meows, voice shaking. Her resolve wavers – or perhaps hardens. "The Warrior Code—"

"Mouseheart! Spill my blood! The Warrior Code won't help you under these skies!" Mapleshade hisses, her body rolling and shaking beneath Hollypaw's paws. "Kill me or die! You're going to die! Never fall asleep again!"

Hollypaw digs down with her claws, ripping into bloody flesh. She's very close to ripping out Mapleshade's heart.

I could end this. I'll die if I don't kill her. This is my only chance. I need to kill her.

"I'm the bad guy, dear," Mapleshade meows, seductively low, a sense of disarming ease across her bleeding body."Isn't that what heroes do? Kill the bad guys."

Hollypaw makes eye contact. Emerald eyes meet burning amber. Then Hollypaw digs down.

Mapleshade smiles, blood pooling at her lips. "Good—"

Hollypaw goes down for the death blow. Teeth about to rip into—

Hollypaw is shoved out of her nest. Lionpaw slams into her with a meaty thud, and Hollypaw is ripped out of her sleep into yowling and screeching.

"WindClan and RiverClan are attacking!" screams Thornclaw and Whitewing from the camp's entrance. There's ensuring chaos as warriors bolt out of their den for the defense while the apprentices scramble to attention in confusion. The elders and nursery are left undefended.

"Hollypaw! We need to help the nursery!" Lionpaw meows. Her brother bounces on four paws, energy brimming through his frame. To him, the world is alright.

I'm going to die.

Mapleshade is still alive, and Hollypaw can taste blood in her mouth. Hollypaw's body aches, and in a moment of clarity, Hollypaw realizes her limbs are violently shaking. She digs her claws into the den's floor to stabilize herself – just to feel the ground beneath her paws. Her head begins to ache.

The sun is just above the treeline, barely sunup as the moon is still visible, looming in the heavens. There's a burst of yowling at the camp entrance, and Hollypaw twitches downwards with her head to see ThunderClan warriors falling back as a flood of WindClan and RiverClan warriors burst through the entrance into the camp.

"I…" Hollypaw whispers.

"This way!" Lionpaw meows as he darts for the nursery. Hollypaw is dragged along. Ferncloud is inside, along with Millie and Daisy. Two cats who won't even respect the Clans' traditions enough to change their name. Rosekit and Toadkit mew inside, Millie so pregnant that she's basically helpless.

"The Warrior Code won't help you," whispers Mapleshade into her left ear.

Hollypaw twitches to her left. Nothing.

"We're here!" Lionpaw screeches to the nursery. "We'll protect you!"

We should protect the elders.

Four WindClan and RiverClan warriors come barreling towards them. "Hollypaw!" Lionpaw meows. "Take the two on the left!"

"I…" Hollypaw meows, limbs shaking, but then she's again in the thick of the fight.

The warriors spew some taunts from their mouths, but Hollypaw can't hear them over the chaos. She sees them – strands leap out, and then Hollypaw has control. The first warrior she bats down with a bouncy double blow, which she uses to draw blood on her second opponent.

Run.

The warriors' eyes open in fear, and then Hollypaw rips into their ears. Compared to Mapleshade, they almost feel sloppy, and Hollypaw makes short work of them. The two warriors split, turning with their tails behind their legs.

Lionpaw yells an insult and exclamation, but Hollypaw is too focused on the battle. ThunderClan is the largest of the Clans, but they are still outnumbered three to one. It feels like all of WindClan and RiverClan is here. She sees Cinderpaw and Honeypaw stuck in some bloody brawl across the way. Spiderleg and Birchfall are swarmed at the medicine den, buried in WindClan and RiverClan warriors. Graystripe is near the entrance, picking off stragglers. Firestar fights beside him in the thick of the fray as the bulk of the fighting congregates in the center of the clearing.

ThunderClan is being forced back.

Hazeltail goes down and, instead of her neck, gets her forelimbs ripped apart savagely by blocking a killing blow. But then another RiverClan warrior grabs her legs and starts pulling, exposing Hazeltail's belly to the sky. Then Hollypaw can't bear to watch.

They need help.

"Lionpaw! Cover me!" she commands, mind waking from the paralyzing fear.

"Huh?" the orange tabby replies, about to charge back into the fray.

"Do you trust me?" Hollypaw mews. She looks her brother in the eyes – he knows. "I need to use the back entrance we used as kits when sneaking out of camp to hunt the fox."

"Always. Go," Lionpaw replies with not a flicker of doubt.

Hollypaw gives a nod of thanks, and then the two of them peel off towards the dirt area. When Hollypaw is out of sight, she bolts, not bothering to see if Lionpaw follows her. The stone hollow is left behind her in the dust.

I hope Jaypaw is okay.

Hollypaw runs faster than she's ever run in her life. Faster than when she was running from foxes, faster than when she was escaping the flooding tunnels. ThunderClan needs the last of the great Clans – they needed their help heartbeats ago. It's ancient history, but ShadowClan owes them. ShadowClan's border comes up to her in record time, and she leaps over the stench as she enters the unfamiliar pine forest.

Her mouth opens, and she follows the potent scents.

Hollypaw's head throbs. Aching tingling that stretches upwards and then backward into the pool of energy that makes up her power. She feels thick and full and strange.

She slides as she bursts through the bramble tunnel, and ShadowClan's camp surrounds her. The Clan looks desolate, with cats milling about unhappily. Hollypaw yowls, "RiverClan and WindClan are attacking! We need help!" Russetfur is the first to show her head, and Hollypaw's power explodes with all the eyes on her. Thick strands entangle everyone, even the elders, and Hollypaw pulls hard.

"Every warrior with me!" Russetfur yowls. Blackstar is nowhere to be seen, but ShadowClan rallies in record time.

The pool in the back of Hollypaw's mind bubbles and begins to refill itself shockingly fast, and Hollypaw notes something is very wrong. Her eyes jitter, and she starts seeing sparks on the edge of her vision, but she has no time. She has to save ThunderClan.

"This way!" she meows, and then she's sprinting. The strands of her power pull, and she feels ShadowClan behind her. Pine gives away to Oak, and then they crash into WindClan and RiverClan from behind.

The invading army, cause it's an army, not some patrol, rallies, but Hollypaw's power has already replenished itself. Strands leap out and sew chaos. Loyalties are shifted, fear is implanted – warriors acting like kits.

"Kill them!" a ShadowClan warrior yowls, and then the ShadowClan she-cat bites down on a soft neck. The violence is lost in the scruffle when Hollypaw slams into a RiverClan warrior, her claws like a hundred fox-strikes. It's a brutal engagement.

Hollypaw crashes through the mob and comes out on the other side. ThunderClan is pushed back as elders and kits are forced out of their dens back towards dirt place while desperate ThunderClan warriors mount a faltering defense. There's mewing and screaming. Whitewing is just dead on the ground in a pool of mixed blood.

"A rather unfortunate mess, wouldn't you say?" whispers Sol from her left.

Hollypaw twists sideways to see the untouched tortoiseshell. The tom is practically glowing – wait…

"I'm not much of a fighter myself, unfortunately," Sol meows conversationally as if they're not in a colossal battle. "You should use your power more to help turn the tide. You'll find it has more to give now – if only for a moment."

The tom is actually glowing. A miasma of golden and black energy surrounds him. The power pops and blisters, rolling around him angrily. Seemingly, only she can see it, given the lack of reactions.

Sol continues, "You've had a hard life, haven't you, Hollypaw?" He taps her on the head with his paw. The glowing miasma surrounding him fluctuates and then dips for a moment. Hollypaw feels a rush, and her head clears. The fatigue in her limbs washes out, and she feels like she can take on the world for the first time.

Sol smiles. "So you can have some good sleep. Thank me later."

"Who are you?" Hollypaw meows. Not a question but a demand.

"Someone you'll need," Sol meows confidently. "Enemy coming on your right."

Hollypaw turns, not seeing anyone until a split heartbeat later, and then a black WindClan warrior peels the corner. Instinct and adrenaline take over – she barely thinks. Hollypaw brings him down with her mind, then rakes her claws down his back. There's a scuffle, but everything is kit's play compared to Mapleshade and Lionpaw. Hollypaw bites down on the warrior's neck, ripped tendons and blood in her mouth, and holds her grip until the warrior stops squirming.

Hollypaw kills her first cat.

"Didn't expect you to go that far," Sol purrs. "This way." Hollypaw realizes what she's done with horror but is pulled regardless towards the strange rogue. The corpse of the unknown WindClan warrior is left behind them. The miasma around Sol grows, looking like a star, absolutely blinding as he pulls everything into him.

Hollypaw's burning headache reaches a screeching crescendo, and Hollypaw realizes her pool is bubbling throughout her body, spilling out of her as threads of energy fall behind her. Her power is growing beyond what she can store. She's dragging her power across the leaves and dirt and now the weight feels immeasurable.

"Out the back entrance!" Brambleclaw yowls and the scramble to escape the death trap that is their camp begins as the elders, queens, and kits squeeze through the bramble tunnel. ThunderClan isn't sneaking anywhere this sunrise – it's an evacuation.

"Why Onestar?" Firestar speaks over the din of battle, covered in blood, thankfully not his own. "We were friends!" ThunderClan's leader faces WindClans, and Hollypaw's attention is pulled from Sol momentarily.

"Because ThunderClan is a Clan of codebreakers!" Onestar yowls. "Because you let soft kittypets into your ranks, let them breed until your line is polluted. Because you think yourselves heroes when you mess with other Clans affairs. You break our traditions and then call yourselves superior. You make the rest of the Clans look weak!"

…let soft kittypets… line is polluted… affairs… break our traditions…

"Do you see?" Sol whispers.

Whitewing died for this.

"Out! Everybody out!" Brambleclaw yowls. "Apprentices next! We mount a defense on the shoreline."

None of this is working. None of this is working! The Clans are a mess!

Hollypaw squeezes through the bramble tunnel. Jaypaw is behind her. They pop out the other side, and Hollypaw whispers, "Jaypaw, do you see Sol? Do you see what I see?"

"The miasma?" Jaypaw meows. "I can feel it, see it, kinda. It's weird. I'm getting a lot right now, though. Sol knows something. He expected this."

"Where do we go!" wails Ferncloud. Daisy and Millie are beside her while the kits cower beneath them.

"To the shore!" Hollypaw commands, and she pulls on them with her power. Jaypaw follows beside her. Her brother is unnaturally quick for his normal speed as he slinks across the ground.

"WindClan warriors! We're surrounded!" yowls Ashfur behind them.

Hollypaw turns and finds that WindClan and RiverClan have already found them. They've circled the quarry and now are barreling down on them. They look bloodlusted.

Her power lances out like a thousand vipers from her fur, and she stops all of them in their tracks. The warriors stumble, confused, and Hollypaw feels like she can turn the tide.

Then, the other wave of WindClan and RiverClan warriors smash into them from behind, and Hollypaw goes into a controlled tumble. Claws rake down her pelt, and Hollypaw pushes through the pain to throw the enemy warrior off her.

"This is for Crowfeather!" screams another black she-cat from WindClan. She charges straight towards the kits, heading towards Ashfur, but Daisy panics. The queen, the mother of Spiderleg's kits, body-checks the other she-cat as she leaps, and they both go down. Daisy screeches in pain and there's a lot of blood.

There's another desperate yowl behind them, "Berrynose!" Hollypaw hears a wail back at the escape tunnel.

I killed Crowfeather, and Daisy died because of it.

Hollypaw feels sick, and Jaypaw has to prod her to keep going. She twists sideways, ready to lance out with her power, but a RiverClan warrior claws her face, and Hollypaw's head is ripped sideways as she falls.

"Hollypaw!" yowls Jaypaw, but her brother is too slow as Hollypaw is brutalized. It looks and feels terrible. Foxpaw is the one to come to her rescue. The young tom barrels into the gray she-cat, yowling a battle cry, until he, too, coughs up blood and falls. An apprentice, clanmate, friend, and innocent dies in front of her despite being completely against the Warrior Code.

"How could you!" Hollypaw yowls. "He was an apprentice!"

The RiverClan warrior flinches before meowing, "ThunderClan has to learn a lesson."

"You piece of crowfood!" Hollypaw screeches, all sense of reason leaving her body, but then she's being pulled away by Thornclaw as Sandstorm moves in to engage. Hollypaw screeches and yowls the entire time she's held. ThunderClan's warriors have caught up finally, and Hollypaw sees out of the corner of her eye ShadowClan enforcements rounding the bend.

Their escape has turned into a bloodbath.

Everything is out of her control.

A Clanmate pulls Hollypaw to her paws and meets the retreat in pace as the treeline begins to dip and decline. Sol is there again in her vision, blinding, radiating power, the center of a storm. It's building, condensing into something that Hollypaw can see but not understand.

"That's bad," Jaypaw meows behind her. It's a massive understatement, in her opinion.

Hollypaw hits the last hill, a cacophony of wailing and battle cries behind her. She looks down and… The shoreline has moved.

The lake isn't where it's supposed to be. The water laps at trees and underbrush rather than sand. There's a rising panic behind her as cats realize what's happened. A part of their territory is just gone. Flooded. Backed into a corner as WindClan and RiverClan bare down on them.

"Hold the line! Protect the queens, kits, and elders!" Firestar yowls, glowing in the remaining moonlight, and ThunderClan turns, prepared to give their lives for the young and old. Hollypaw knows that this is what a leader looks like, and she, too, turns alongside her clanmates to give it her all. ThunderClan rallies with support from ShadowClan. Her power bubbles, overflooding like the lake until it blankets her. Strands lift themselves into the air at her command, ready to sow discord into her enemies. She's prepared to earn her warrior name.

Then the sun goes dark.

The battle almost immediately halts as the cats look up into the blinding light before being forced to look back down. The sun is pure black, surrounded by a halo of fire, and Hollypaw wonders if the world is ending or if Starclan will kill them all for their impudence.

"It's an omen from Starclan!" a cat yowls. "This battle is doomed!"

"Starclan doesn't have that kind of power! What is this?"

"We're going to die!"

"Everybody calm down—"

"The lake has moved! It must be related to the sun going out!"

"Jaypaw, what is happening?" Hollypaw whispers.

Jaypaw chokes on his spit. "I don't know."

Sol's rolling storm condenses, holding itself for a heartbeat. Hollypaw sees it stretch inside of him and it explodes. A wave of energy that only she and Jaypaw can see stretches out from horizon to horizon until it gets lost in the trees and water. Sol staggers before catching himself. Under his breath, Hollypaw hears him meow, "And there goes the puddle."

"I warned both ShadowClan and ThunderClan of this," Sol says, piercing the cacophony. Sol takes two steps from the defensive line, and even though he doesn't move far, he becomes the center of attention. "Starclan had no doing of this, I assure you. Some powers are beyond them."

"You knew of this?" meows Firestar.

"I did warn you. And now," and for this, Sol pauses, "the stars are gone. It would be best to leave and take some time to reconsider who you put your faith in."

"Starclan wants this battle to end!" meows a RiverClan warrior. "Too much blood has already been shed."

"We can't just leave! How are we supposed to travel along the lake now through neutral territory? That land is gone," meows another RiverClan cat, trying to see reason, but only causes more panic.

"We'll need to make new neutral territory," meows another.

"You pieces of frogfood!" hisses a ShadowClan cat. "That's what you wanted all along! We're not giving up territory just so you can travel home!"

Another cat speaks up, looking over the water, "Look! The gathering island is gone! And RiverClan could be flooding! We might not have a home to return to!"

"More water equals more hunting—"

"Fish-breath! The water will be too deep to catch fish!"

"Jaypaw," Hollypaw whispers in horror. "Where's Lionpaw? We're going to need him."

Jaypaw leans into her, "Seven cats over with the ShadowClan mob, covered in blood. Not his own. But Hollypaw—"

Sol coughs in their direction. Jaypaw and Hollypaw look up to him.

Sol's miasma is gone. Mere wisps remain. The tom puts up a good face, but Hollypaw sees him stagger before he catches himself. She wonders what Jaypaw's getting from him.

"You did this," Jaypaw hisses, and Hollypaw looks at Sol in shock.

Soft and warm, Sol smiles, separated entirely from the chaos around them. The tom looks far too pleased with himself. Somehow, attention has been diverted entirely away from him. "You'll know where to find me," Sol purrs – and then he turns, slinking away in the chaos. Hollypaw and Jaypaw don't have the heart to pursue him.

In the aftermath, when the sun returns to normal, her power wanes and the medicine cats try to explain everything is alright, Hollypaw tends to the bodies.