Disclaimer: I don't own Warrior Cats!

Title: Red Pearls

Summary: Brightfur just wanted to be a medicine cat. Her mentor, Ravenwind, has very different ideas on what that means- for her and for ShadowClan. With Ravenwind controlling her every move and more than willing to kill to keep it that way, Brightfur will need more than just luck to live to tell the tale.

Chapter Title: All Around Me Are Familiar Faces

...

Brightpaw shivered, shaking some snow off her pelt. The trip to the Moonstone had been particularly grueling this moon, thanks to the heavy shower of the cold substance the night before. The fur along her hip had yet to grow back from her run-in with Ravenwind's teeth, stinging with each flake that brushed the bright pink scar.

To her surprise, it wasn't just Bristlepelt who appeared over the ridge, followed close behind by Sparrowpaw. The tom's eyes lit up when he saw her. "Brightpaw! It's been moons!"

"Too long," she agreed, bumping foreheads with him in a friendly manner. "I thought you'd gone off to be a warrior?"

"I did!" Muscles rippled under his ginger pelt as proof of this. "Turns out I wasn't really made for it. It's hard to hurt cats when you know all the effort that goes into keeping them healthy." His whiskers twitched. "I'm Sparrowfang now, actually. You?"

"Still Brightpaw," she replied. Despite the gap between their Clans, Brightpaw was proud to see Sparrowfang had found his name and place. She was also glad she got to see him again on a bi-monthly basis.

"Keep up, you two," Ravenwind called over her shoulder. The medicine cat had been in a surprisingly chipper mood since the snow began to fall, showing none of her usual passive-aggressiveness towards Bristlepelt; who never seemed to mind her attitude, keeping pace beside her without hesitation. Brightpaw got the feeling that the elderly WindClan tom saw themselves as old friends. She felt bad for him. Bristlepelt was too nice for the kind of company he kept.

Sparrowfang waited until the two older cats got caught up talking before speaking again. "Things in ShadowClan okay?"

"Could be better," she admitted. "We've already lost Duskspring and Honeyflower to Greencough, and Flowerstrike is coughing." Brightpaw glanced at Ravenwind, frowning. The black molly had had very little reaction to her half-sister's illness. She had even resisted sitting vigil over her body. It wasn't poisoning, something Brightpaw found herself checking for often in their patients- guilt didn't drive Ravenwind away from Honeyflower. Something more complicated did. "But, on the bright side, Maplenose got her name a few days ago. How's it in WindClan?"

Sparrowfang shrugged. "We've had some coughing, but nothing that bad. Sunbird and Sunnyfoot got together, but I think they're gonna wait to have kits until Greenleaf. If they're smart, anyway."

"My brother has kits now."

"I heard! Congratulations."

They came upon Houndface next, the RiverClan medicine cat all alone by some trees. The elderly she-cat apologized profusely for her apprentice not having coming, citing a new litter with some displeasure. It was clear that she wasn't very fond of the idea that Hollowtail may find an apprentice of his own, and ergo require her to retire. She trailed behind them in a huff, not up for company.

Lastly was Creamstep and Brownshade. Brightpaw regarded the lithe brown tom with no small amount of surprise. While it was true that Ravenwind only journeyed past the border once in a blue moon, sending Brightpaw in her place, Creamstep had always been the only ThunderClan cat to join them, even before receiving her full name. The molly took her place beside her with a polite greeting, congratulating Sparrowfang along the way.

It wasn't very often that Brightpaw had the pleasure of meeting other StarClan cats. She'd wondered, more than once, if they had begun to ignore her, disgusted for her sitting idly knowing all the while that Ravenwind was a killer. A dark hope had begun to emerge when Ravenwind grew skinnier and skinnier as the prey grew thin, but she soon realized that no illness plagued her; she was simply giving her fresh-kill to Berryshade, keeping her fed and healthy as she plotted her move against RiverClan. All Brightpaw could do is wait for her chance.

Tonight, however, proved to be different. Almost immediately after touching noses to the Moonstone, Brightpaw found herself in the warm fields of StarClan. And then there were claws in her back.

Brightpaw crumpled to the ground with a whimper. She waited for the grip on her to loosen before doing a tight roll, slamming her back paws into the gut of her attacker. Horror welled up inside her as she pressed her front paws to their chest, fighting to keep teeth away from her throat.

"Leafleg?" she meowed.

"You little traitor!" Leafleg spat, eyes blazing. "How could you let her do that to me? How could you let her get away with it?"

"I didn't know!" Brightpaw cried, dragging her claws down in hopes the pain would make him let go. It didn't.

"I was going to be somebody!" Teeth sank into her scruff, dangerously close to the jugular. "You ruined me! You ruined ShadowClan! How can you bear the name of your Clan, knowing what you've done?"

"Enough, Leafleg," a new voice said. Brightpaw couldn't make out who it was, smothered by the dead warrior's weight.

Leafleg reared up, hissing over his shoulder. "Oh, stuff it, old lady! You don't control me!"

Brightpaw took her chance. She kicked out, unbalancing Leafleg, then slipped out and slashed him across the muzzle. He stumbled back with a snarl. Brightpaw crouched to pounce, ready to return to the favor, when an eerily familiar pelt slipped in front of her.

"You've won, Brightpaw," Leopardpoppy meowed. "Back down."

Ravenwind's mother, she realized, immediately flattening herself to the ground. She didn't want to cross the molly who raised someone so vicious- it was impossible to know what she was or wasn't capable of. Leopardpoppy regarded her with the same blankness Ravenwind did, but there was no strange gleam in her eyes, and that was where their outward similarities ended.

"You have questions," the dead warrior observed. "Well, that's too bad. I don't have any answers."

Leafleg took a threatening step closer. "She's mine, Leopardpoppy. If you want to fight, you should call up that vile creature you call a daughter."

"I have one daughter, and her name is Honeyflower," she meowed. "Leave us be, Leafleg, or you'll suffer a far worse fate than what you already have."

He hesitated, contemplating arguing further, before finally whirling around with a scoff. "Fine. Whatever. There's plenty of time."

Leopardpoppy waited until he vanished to turn back to Brightpaw. "You'll have to forgive him. No one likes to be cut down in the prime of their life. Still, that doesn't make him any less of a frog-brain for taking it out on a kit." There was something brisk about her tone, as if she was impatiently heralding a change of weather. Leopardpoppy flicked her tail for her to follow. "Walk with me."

It wasn't a question.

They found their way into a scattering of trees. Dappled sunlight shone through the leaves, a stark contrast to the dingy gray of Leaf-bare. Here, the smells were all mixed together; there was no distinct markings of any Clan in particular. Brightpaw knew that StarClan cats lived without boundary, but it still was odd to encounter after a lifetime of borders and suspicion. Leopardpoppy scraped a makeshift seat out of some fallen leaves and sat down with a sigh.

"Look," she started. "I'm not going to sit here and justify or deny anything. Ravenwind's actions are her own, and she must face the consequences of them. All I did was raise her."

"Right," Brightpaw meowed, surprising herself with how testy it came out. "Raise her. That's all."

Leopardpoppy was unfazed. "Like I said; I'm not going to justify myself to you or anyone else."

"You killed her father. Right in front of her."

"Nightclaw was a coward and a scoundrel, and now he's dead and pampered in StarClan like the rest of us. You'll have to forgive me if I don't pity him." She shrugged. "But I digress. I called you here because ShadowClan needs a medicine cat. It hasn't had a proper one since even before Ravenwind. In the end, you're more warrior than medicine cat yourself."

"Thanks."

"It's a compliment. But the fact remains that we can't move on from all this until ShadowClan has proper medicine cat guidance." Leopardpoppy bowed her head. "And I'm asking you to stay on and train that cat when they come."

Brightpaw blinked at her. "How is that any different from what I was already going to do?"

"Because I wouldn't blame you for wanting to leave the position. I would've, had I been you." Leopardpoppy reached out to touch her forehead with her nose. "I'm begging you, don't let her ruin this Clan."

The medicine cat apprentice shuffled back, struck by the situation at hand. Leopardpoppy was clearly a very proud cat- perhaps even a little vain- and lowering herself to this level for a 'paw must be a harsh blow to her ego.

"Okay," she said. "I won't let her."

A quiet sigh of relief drifted through her ears as Leopardpoppy straightened. "Thank you." She stood up fully, tail billowing out behind her. "Ravenwind would never give you a name, since that would mean admitting she's getting too frail to fend for herself. But ShadowClan needs more than apprentices. Brightpaw, from this day forward you'll be known as Brightfur. StarClan honors your strength and kindness, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat. Remember that we're always with you."

My... name?

"Brightfur! Brightfur!" Thousands of voices chanted. Brightfur thought she could hear Darkkit and Flowerpaw among them somewhere.

The medicine cat slowly dipped her head. "Thank you, Leopardpoppy. I'll treasure this day."

"No, you won't," she murmured. "And if you hate me, I wouldn't blame you."

She stirred into the dark emptiness of Mothermouth. Brightfur yawned, stretched, and slowly lifted her head. The Moonstone was dimming with the moon, drenching the cave in a milky light that was almost unpleasant.

She wondered, rather belatedly, if other cats had her problems. Maybe they could gather and talk about them. That might be nice.

"Brightpaw!" Sparrowfang whispered. "You awake?"

"It's Brightfur now, actually," she said, quoting him.

"Did StarClan give you a name?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"That's so awesome!"

Brightfur shrugged, trying not to think too hard on the whole ordeal and what could come of it. Leopardpoppy hadn't exactly been comforting. "I guess."

Author's Note: Eyyy, she finally got her name! I mean, it was already in the summary, so no surprise or anything, but still. It's good. Fun Fact: Sparrowfang was one of the first OC names I ever came up with, in a story I never finished or published. I figured why not have a callback lol.

Stuff be going down soon, ya'll. We can't keep the peace forever.

-Mandaree1