Another glorious chapter! I hope you are enjoying all my stories as I am writing them!

Also family reunions!

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O0O0O0

Waking up slowly, lucidity gains its energy in the bushy-tailed warrior as she groans and shifts. Her body feels heavy and hot, the air smells stale and filled with smoke. Blood and dirt. Her body aches and a pained whine escapes her.

What's happening?

What happened?

Where is she?

The dark ginger she-cat with one white paw blinks her sore eyes open to see blurry images of yellow and red. Slight movement catches the attention of her brain and she groans again.

She was at Sunningrocks. The entire Clan was at Sunningrocks. They had all lost their camp and home due to Twolegs and their frightening monsters. Now they were forced to make camp near the river as they all prayed to StarClan for a miracle.

The sound she creates makes the cat beside her stop and turn to her. She still can't fully make out what she's seeing but they seem to lean down and give her ears a good wash. The dark ginger she-cat tips her head back in order to see who it is. Lighter gray fur accompanied by soft amber eyes makes her realize that she is looking up at Sootfur.

"Good morning, Squirrelflight," Sootfur says softly, keeping his voice down so as not to wake the others. Especially Sandstorm's three newborn kits, along with Birchkit who was snuggled up beside them. "Would you like to come with me to hunt?"

Squirrelflight blinked once, twice, then nodded. She groans as she stands, sleeping amongst the rocks in one position too long was painful, but then she feels a soft and gentle touch to her head. She leans into it and hears a satisfied rumble echo through her thoroughly washed ears.

Squirrelflight glanced around, many of her Clanmates were still asleep. Many didn't have nests and slept on the rocks, like Squirrelflight did, and the material that they did manage to scrape together had all been given to the queens and elders. She looked over to the side and could see Sandstorm tucked under a sturdy overhang of rocks that provided shade for the queen and kits. Squirrelflight's former mentor was sound asleep, and so were her kits, though they did keep the warriors up half the night by their whimpers and sounds of distress.

They all needed more prey, or else they would all starve.

Feeling a lot more awake than when she first awoke, Squirrelflight decided to take the lead in their hunting party of two. Once they were deep within the ruins of their territory, Sootfur found it appropriate to start talking, "Are we heading to Twolegplace again?"

Squirrelflight's ear twitched, before calling back to him over her shoulder, "You have a better idea as to where we can catch prey?"

Sootfur shrugged, and remained quiet for a while. They enjoyed the silence between each other. A strange contrast from before, when they couldn't stand the sight of each other. 'My, how things have changed' Squirrelflight thought to herself.

"You'd make a good leader." Sootfur said out of the blue. Startling Squirrelflight and almost making her fall into a prickly patch of thistles.

"No I won't." Squirrelflight huffed, although her chest puffed out a bit at the high praise.

"But you would." Sootfur insisted, speeding up to walk alongside the bushy-tailed warrior. "You always seem to take charge nowadays. You help out a lot more in the Clan than anyone else. When Firestar or Graystripe aren't around you take it upon yourself to keep things in order. You even manage to get Brambleclaw and Thornclaw to sleep!"

"They both just drop from exhaustion." Squirrelflight denied, her whiskers drooping at the reason why they were always so exhausted.

Leafpool, Cinderpelt, Sorreltail, and Rainwhisker are all currently missing, on top of Spottedfeather's disappearance. Thornclaw had told the Clan that Twolegs had been the ones to kidnap her light brown tabby sister, but had lost track of her as he tried to evade getting captured himself.

Squirrelflight felt beyond guilty. Not only was she the last one to see Cinderpelt and Sorreltail, but she had also abandoned the patrol she had been on with Thornclaw and Leafpool, the very day Leafpool had been captured. Perhaps if she had been there, then maybe she could have prevented them getting caught. Sootfur however has endlessly pointed out the possibility that Squirrelflight herself would have just been captured alongside them.

Sensing Squirrelflight's declining mood, Sootfur bumped her shoulder, "why don't we check back at camp? Maybe we missed something. You know Spottedleaf has been wanting to bring more of her stocks of herbs to Sunningrocks."

Squirrelflight perked up a bit at the suggestion. Helping others was a great distraction. It kept Squirrelflight's mind off her failures and grief. She readily agreed. They redirected course and headed back towards their former camp.

Dread and sadness coursed through Squirrelflight as she saw the deserted ravine. The rocky slope that she'd usually race down was now carefully navigated as she and Sootfur stepped lightly and slowly towards the lonesome gorse tunnel. They trailed one after the other inside the gorse tunnel until they reached camp.

"We should start with Spottedleaf's den." Squirrelflight said over her shoulder to Sootfur, who nodded in agreement.

At first glance the entire camp looks empty and barren, no prey on the fresh-kill pile, no cats sharing tongues by the nettle patch, no warrior's going about their duties, no apprentices carrying things to the elders den, no queens hanging around the nursery entrance while their kits slept inside, no one was here.

Or so Squirrelflight originally thought.

A flash of something crosses Squirrelflight's line of vision. It was slinking through the shadows of the fern tunnel. Pilfering around for something to take from Spottedleaf's storage of herbs no doubt.

Squirrelflight singled for Sootfur to remain where he was at, and decided to confront the stranger on her own. If need be, Sootfur was just within hearing distance.

Squirrelflight creeped silently along the fern tunnel, making sure not to distribute a single leaf as she spied the stranger peeking their head inside Spottedleaf's den. It made ThunderClan she-cat's fur bristle in rage. 'those are ours! We need those!' without another thought, Squirrelflight was hissing up a storm as she collided with the massive ginger she-cat, who let out a startled yowl.

Squirrelflight tried to bite her shoulder, but the intruder was bucking too harshly for her to keep a good trip.

"Squirrelflight!" The stranger yowled in shock, which in turn made Squirrelflight startle and let go, because what loner or rogue would know her name?.

Both cats rolled to a stop in a jumble of limbs near the entrance of the medicine cat's den. Squirrelflight nearly being squished under the big bulk and weight of the cat currently on top of her. However they quickly scrambled off the smaller dark ginger she-cat. Which Squirrelflight was very grateful for. And as the warrior turned around to snap and demand answers, words died within her throat as she took a good look at just who she was seeing.

"S-Spottedfeather?"

Squirrelflight is frozen in shock this time as she stares at her very much alive, and unhurt, missing sister. But Spottedfeather wasn't missing, she was right here, in front of Squirrelflight's very own eyes. Squirrelflight didn't know what to say or what to do. The large, dark ginger she-cat had just appeared out of thin air and Squirrelflight was having trouble with whether to believe it or not .

Spottedfeather tilts her massive head at her sister, amber eyes going from her own green ones, going down the length of her body and all across her unkempt and dusty pelt.

Squirrelflight only then noticed how well groomed and properly fed Spottedfeather looked. A stark contrast to everyone back at camp. Squirrelflight was almost embarrassed for her raggedy appearance. The last thing she wanted Spottedfeather to see when finally returning home was how badly off everyone was now.

"Squirrelflight." Her last born sibling said, sounding relieved. "It's so good to see you again."

When things finally settled in Squirrelflight's mind she realized that Spottedfeather had finally returned home. Though it was a delayed reaction, Spottedfeather didn't seem to mind Squirrelflight lavishing loving licks along her shoulders and neck.

Spottedfeather just looked happy to be home.

Whatever home looks like now.

O0O0O0

Tawnypelt didn't know what she had been expecting as soon as she stepped a paw back on the familiar marsh that made up most of ShadowClan's territory. She was beyond relieved to be home again. However, home didn't exactly appear to be the same.

"Most of the trees are gone." Tawnypelt murmured, horrified at the vacant area where tall pine trees once stood and now were nothing more than cut down stumps. Also the air smelled foul, it smelled the same as the Thunderpath, and also earth was simply just missing in some places as well.

"We need to get to ShadowClan's encampment right away." Hawkfrost meowed, looking equally disturbed.

If Tawnypelt wasn't so focused on her fears of what happened while they were gone, she would have questioned Hawkfrost's weird frazing.

Tawnypelt took the lead at a fast pace. Practically sprinting back home as Hawkfrost followed about a fox-length behind. Perhaps it was in her desperation to get back home that caused her to be caught unaware.

All air was knocked out of the tortoiseshell-and-white warrior as she was rammed in the side. Tawnypelt screeched as her newly healed yet still very tender injury was bitten into, the tortoiseshell-and-white warrior hisses and screeches and claws and bites, but her attacker would not stop.

She twisted around, hoping to slash at their face until Tawnypelt realized the cat attacking her was Oakfur. Her Clanmate. Her old mentor. He was attacking Tawnypelt. Though it didn't seem as if he recognized her.

Tawnypelt wiggles in the hopes that her fellow warrior will let her go, but only receives a warning growl. Tawnypelt goes limp. Hoping to placate and show that she was of no danger. However those peaceful attempts were dashed by her brother.

Hawkfrost snapped his jaws around the senior warrior's nap and ripped the small brown tom off Tawnypelt's back and flung him a couple of tail-lengths away. He then stood protectively at Tawnypelt's side.

Tawnypelt meanwhile was left shaken. Of all things, being attacked by one of her Clanmates was the last thing she would expect to happen. Though she could understand why.

"What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?" Oakfur spat as he stood back up from where he had fallen. "Who are you?"

"Why don't you open your eyes," Hawkfrost growled, his deep voice rumbling out of his throat. "It's me, Hawkfrost and Tawnypelt, we've returned."

Oakfur hesitated, "...Sorry, I didn't recognize you."

"That's alright," Tawnypelt meowed, wincing at the newly returned pain in her shoulder. "We probably had surprised you. Being gone for so long."

Oakfur solemnly nodded, "Tigerstar and the rest of the Clan was beginning to fear that you've both been lost to us forever."

"Clearly that isn't the case and we've come back." Hawkfrost said shortly. "We also need to see Tigerstar at once."

Oakfur hesitated once again, as though conflicted about something, but he flicked his tail and began leading them back to camp.

The trip was a short but eye-opening one. ShadowClan's territory was being uprooted. Soon there wouldn't be any territory left to make dirt on. It was all being destroyed. Just like Midnight had told them.

Tawnypelt's heart hasn't stopped racing since she arrived back here, but right now she feels like she's really about to jump out of her fur when she gets an eye full of the camp. It had never looked so shaken before as they stepped past the torn up bramble walls surrounding the camp, her father had always kept an orderly and efficient camp, now it's just cat's lingering around with vacant or scared looks in their eyes.

Tawnypelt shivered. The camp felt down right freezing. Her very bones ache with it, along with the pain in her shoulder.

The sibling pair drew lots of attention. Tawnypelt could almost smell their shock and disbelief. Obviously the Clan had assumed the worst during their disappearance.

Oakfur ordered them to wait as he went to inform Tigerstar in his den of Tawnypelt and Hawkfrost's sudden return. They had only to wait a few heartbeat's before Tigerstar was hastily pushing his way out of the roots of a big oak tree that served as his den.

Overjoyed is too small of a term to describe the way her father lights up at the sight of them, he practically sprints towards them, pushing into their personal space and rubbing his massive head against each of their own in turn. The pure relief he emits could be scented in the air around them. Tigerstar had missed them.

Tigerstar had started purring loudly by the time he finished and pulled away, Tawnypelt saw his pupils blown wide, almost covering his amber eyes. Her father had greatly missed them.

"Where have you both been this whole time?" Tigerstar demanded, visibly shaking himself. "You've both had me worried, I didn't know where you had gone, whether or not you were even still alive --"

Tawnypelt did feel guilty putting her father through that uncertainty. She had experienced that feeling once before. When her own father had been called away on a quest given to him by StarClan.

"It's best we explain it to you alongside Runningnose and Littlecloud." Tawnypelt interrupted.

Tigerstar became more somber and nodded, gesturing to the pair of siblings to follow him as they padded towards the medicine cat's den.

Runningnose and Littlecloud appeared shocked to see them. Though Littlecloud's face quickly softened, very pleased to see them, while Runningnose kept a blank face. "It's good to see that

you both have returned safely." Runningnose meowed, sharing a look between both he and Tigerstar.

"You've both been gone for quite a while now. Something important must have happened to call you away so suddenly and without any pre-warning about your departure." Tigerstar's voice was smooth, there was no anger that Tawnypelt could hear, or scent. Just a leader giving the facts. Cool and calm and collected.

"You're right, there was a reason." Hawkfrost started just as calm and collected. "A very important one."

"Tell us everything."

"Everything happened when I received a message from StarClan--" Tawnypelt told her father and the rest of the assembled cats about her contact with StarClan, how she had to join a select group from all four Clans to go on this journey they were going out into blind, dreams that led her to travel to sun-drown-place and hear what Midnight had to tell them. She told them in great detail but choked on the part where they met the Tribe. Startlingly, it was Hawkfrost that filled in for her, with a stoic and detached disposition, Hawkfrost recounted the horror's they faced in the mountains, sparing no detail.

"-then Feathertail bravely sacrificed herself and we came back here." Hawkfrost finished at the end of their tale.

Their leader and medicine cats seemed to be thinking over all that they had heard. Various degrees of concern and puzzlement and even some skepticism crossed all their faces. Then all three turned their backs on the other two warriors and huddled closer together.

"We need to think this over carefully," Tigerstar side-eyed his children, "without many distractions."

Tawnypelt bites her tongue on the desire to argue. She wanted to stay and speak to her father on the matter, but she knew when she was dismissed and could only bow her head and leave the medicine cat's den alongside her brother.

"I can't believe he kicked us out!" Tawnypelt began to rant, once they were outside the den. "We are the ones who went on this journey in the first place. You'd think he'd want to hear more about it. Or at the very least show that he believes in what we said!"

Hawkfrost's ears twitched. "I don't know whether he believes us or not, it will be all up to him. Hopefully, Tigerstar gets over himself and sees reason."

"Tigerstar will do what he believes is best." Tawnypelt snapped in defense of their father. "You should have more faith in him."

Hawkfrost's icy-blue eyes flashed with a hidden knowledge that Tawnypelt wasn't grasping. Or perhaps she didn't want to grasp it.

"Tigerstar doesn't know everything. He certainly has no idea what's currently happening to the forest. But we do. This is out of Tigerstar's control and now it's up to him to have faith in us." Hawkfrost soon stood and padded away. Tawnypelt was left to wonder if perhaps her brother was right.

O0O0O0

Fun Facts:

Cats missing left and right!

Squirrelflight has a lot of things to work through. Guilt on top of guilt! Also was some of that foreshadowing?

Spottedfeather has reunited with one of her ThunderClan siblings while Hawkfrost and Tawnypelt have reunited with their father!

Tigerstar is a great father! Even though at times it's questioned.

Tawnypelt is such a daddy's girl

Next chapter we'll be having more reunions along with what our missing cats are getting up too!!!

This was so long…but not the longest chapter I've ever done! But close!