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Two kits wrestled in the shadows of their den, easing moss and dust through their pelt. Their joyous snickers echoed through the den as they batted at one another's ears, playfully taunting and jeering. They tackled each other back and forth until the tabby finally pinned the dappled she-kit down, his lips curling back into a daring snarl.

"Looks like you have lost again, Lynxkit," the winning kit pointed out, his lips pulling into a satisfied grin.

Lynxkit scoffed at the tabby tom, lightly shoving him off and rolling back onto her forepaws. The smaller she-kit shook her pelt free from any dirt and tattered bits of moss, her fur matted and spiked in specific sections. A distasteful growl lingered in her throat and she turned to cast a vexed glare towards her brother.

"You nearly lost to a future medicine cat," Lynxkit growled in reply, her tail lashing. "Quit being so boastful, Hawkkit!"

Hawkkit merely rolled his eyes at his sister, stepping forward to give her shoulder a reassuring nudge. "Hey, I'm not being boastful! I'm just playing around," He mumbled to her.

"Yeah, whatever," Lynxkit grumbled, whirling around in the opposite direction to whisk her tail over his muzzle. "I'm not good enough and you make it so obvious that you believe so."

"I never-"

The two of them breached utter silence when a familiar shadow casted over them. A grown she-cat slipped slowly into the den, her ears perked and her eyes slitted as she examined the two kits. The molly was aware of their bickering, her eyes lit with a flicker of disappointment in the two. Sunlight flitted softly over her form and practically ignited her fawn colored pelt into flaming leaves of leaffall. She was alluring to the eyes, but the kits knew of her authority and recognized it automatically. She was Fawnleap, their own mother.

Their heads lowered and their ears pinned against their skulls as she stepped towards them. Fawnleap only sighed though, easing past them and settling into a nest hidden away in the corner of the den. After flicking her tail to motion them forward, Hawkkit and Lynxkit hesitantly followed after the molly.

"Were you two really arguing again?" Fawnleap questioned as she curled into her nest, Hawkkit and Lynxpaw approaching her slowly.

Lynxkit's tail fell to the surface below her and she nodded slowly. Hawkkit only blinked and parted his jaws to reply to his mother. "Yes, mama, but you said all cats argue!" Hawkkit protested with a crooked frown.

"Of course so, honey drop, but you two have no need to bicker!" Fawnleap retorted. "You're nearly apprentices and it seems as if you two would rather snap at each other than work together."

Hawkkit nodded slowly in agreement to her as Lynxkit pressed towards Fawnleap. The little molly met her mother's gaze and tilted her head, her ears twitching in sudden curiosity. "Mama, did you and father ever argue?"

Fawnleap's face was instantly burdened with a frown at Lynxkit's question. Her eyes were shadowed over as if she was trapped in a storm of gnawing memories and she glanced away from the two for a few moments. The queen then fixed a tight grin onto her face, turning back to them and motioning to them with her tail.

"Come closer. Let me explain to you a few things," She eased in a gentle, soothing murmur.

Hawkkit and Lynxkit shuffled forward, curling next to their mother and leaning into her pelt. She stared off into the shadows of the den for a tail flick or two until she glanced towards the two, adjusting closer to them. They groaned softly as she scored a few licks between their ears, the molly chuckling to herself. Fawnleap then paused her grooming and scanned her gaze between the two before she began to speak.

"Your father and I had our moments when we did not agree," Fawnleap started, glancing back off into the shadows of the den. "I have always been a strict follower of the code, but your father always believed there was certain exceptions to the rules."

Hawkkit and Lynxkit tilted their heads, curiosity beaming in their eyes. "What did father believe?" Hawkkit chirped in questioning.

They noticed Fawnleap's gaze grow distant, appearing like fawn sweeping the forest below RidgeClan camp at the break of day. The mollies jaw quivered as if her reply was lodged in her throat and unable to be freed. They remained staring at her until the she-cat drew in a quick breath and cleared her throat. Fawnleap lowered her head to her paws and spoke as if thorns poked at the tip of her tongue.

"A part of the code is to never kill in battle unless you absolutely need to, or kill at all," Fawnleap informed. The queen gritted her teeth for a moment before she spoke up again. "Around the time I first settled down with Finchspot, our Clan was having a heavy dispute with HeathClan. One of their warriors, Addertail, had allowed one of our apprentices to be attacked by a fox near the border. Finchspot's apprentice, to be exact, who you would know as Cloudstream now. Finchspot was angered by HeathClan's behavior that went unpunished, and decided to put the decision in his own paws."

Fawnleap took a small pause before she continued, her gaze narrowed and her whiskers twitching. "Addertail led a patrol and so did Finchspot. The two patrols met near the border while scouting and argued, Finchspot accusing Addertail of attempting to sabotage RidgeClan and have an apprentice killed. At first it was only a light argument but it slowly evolved and... your father severely injured Addertail and allowed his patrol to attack them as well. Addertail died to blood loss and... HeathClan was furious. Your father was no longer allowed on anymore patrols and luckily, our Clans were able to handle the dispute peacefully."

Hawkkit and Lynxkit's eyes widened at the news about their father. The two were clearly shocked by the fact that their father was a murderer, though Lynxkit seemed more hesitant on the situation compared to Hawkkit. The small tabby didn't bother spitting out a question, but Lynxkit instantly poured out her thoughts for Fawnleap to answer.

"Why would father do that, mama?" Lynxkit asked, her voice soft as if she pleaded for a reasonable excuse.

Fawnleap's gaze found its way back to Lynxkit and the shadows of the den seemed to loom over them. Fragments of the kit's worst fears pricked at her pelt from the depths of the darkness and her ears folded back as she awaited an honest answer from her mother. Fawnleap sighed and shook her head, regret fueling the queen's action and truth leaking like venom from her words. Poisonous; never to forget.

"Revenge is easily mistaken for the sweet, alluring actions of justice, and your father was just another victim to it all."

RidgeClan was left frozen in horror, an eerie silence reigning over them. They could only blink but did not dare to move a muscle as they observed the terrifying situation before them. Their jaws gaped and their eyes widened, the young shoved away to the edge of the crowd and the rest uneasily pressing closer to one another.

Lynxpaw felt her breath left her as if it was her final exhale, drawn out and exasperated. Guilt masked a shadow over her visage and she took a step closer to Nightfrost, her mentor also frozen and staring to the sight ahead. The trepidation wielded from the crowd huddled them closer to one another, yet urged them away from the monstrous presence, bloodied and intimidating before them.

Cottonstar hunched over the corpse of Heroncall, her eyes still wide yet drained of color. Her fur was matted with blood and wound littered her neck and her belly. Blood pooled beneath her lifeless body and soaked into the white fur of Cottonstar's paws, the leader still glaring down upon her with a malicious smirk painted over his face. No cat expected their worst nightmares to possess and take form of their leader, the most benevolent and patient soul they had ever known.

RidgeClan remained silence as the tom leaped back onto Tall Stone's perch, the blood from his paws oozing across the rocky surface. It drained down the side and a single droplet landed with an audible plop in front of Lynxpaw, a shiver traveling down her spine. The events perfectly mirrored her vision from before, yet she was too stubborn in pursuing Marshleap's true murderer to realize its importance.

She sucked in a breath and her gaze scanned back up to where Cottonstar now sat. The leader seemed almost unrecognizable, his eyes clouded and his fur matted and specked with his own deputies blood. His tongue drew across his lips and he examined the crowd with narrowed eyes before he spoke up loudly to address them.

"No one shall question my authority," Cottonstar spat, his gaze flickering as if he was threatening any cat to challenge his word. All remained still, like pebbles across an unexplored, even terrain. "She was a liability to RidgeClan, understand? Question your leader and question proper justice, and you'll end up just like her." He paused and a grin curled onto his face, built of pure satisfaction. "Since you all failed to listen to my first suggestion, perhaps it's best to pursue a better one. With that being said, Hawkpaw will be executed tomorrow morning."

No cat even dared to gasp at his words. Not a single paw moved forward and even when Fawnleap drew her lip back and attempted to challenge Cottonstar, Leafdance flicked his tail in front of her to halt the molly. Lynxpaw felt a barricade of anxiety form in her throat as she watched Fawnleap's eyes ignite with tears as Hawkpaw hung his head and lost every foxlength of hope he had left.

Devastation now ruled RidgeClan and it rattled Lynxpaw to her bones. Despite the fact there was so many of them compared to Cottonstar, she understand how some would be hesitant against his sudden change in leadership and behavior. He had kin amongst RidgeClan and cats who would do anything for him, as loyal as a bee to the queen of the hive. Sparking a revolution was the least of their concerns.

Now with Hawkpaw's life on the line, Lynxpaw's thoughts raced and her unsheathed claws scored against the hard surface below her. She was only an apprentice and she understood that it would be a mousebrained decision to attempt to start a riot against Cottonstar, as much as she was tempted to do so. She shuffled closer to Nightfrost and swallowed her words filled with agony and rage.

There was nothing she could do, and Lynxpaw could not help but feel utterly useless and guilty.

"Flareheart and Leafdance shall continue to watch him overnight. Cloudstream and Pebblestep, get this traitor's body out of my sights," Cottonstar snarled.

Lynxpaw glanced over to spot Leafdance attempting to comfort Fawnleap. She knew all too well that Heroncall and Fawnleap were close, despite Heroncall growing distant from her brother who was Fawnleap's mate. Now she was suffering from the loss of a close friend and clinging to the life of her son, but she had no power to alter the past or the future.

"You're all dismissed. Don't bother me for the rest of the night and remain within camp, unless your Pebblestep and Cloudstream," Cottonstar informed, leaping off Tall Stone and landing next to Heroncall's blood matted corpse. His gaze scanned over the body for a moment before he glanced towards the crowd again, sharing his final words. "Enjoy your night, RidgeClan."

The way he referred to them as if he was separate from the Clan sent an eerie shiver down Lynxpaw's spine. Cottonstar was their leader, the same tom who enjoyed spending his free time around the kits or sharing tongues with warriors. He was Echobird and Shiverbee's father yet the two cowered at the back of the crowd now, hiding their kits away from the malicious intentions of their own kin. Cottonstar was not at all the same, and Lynxpaw could not push herself to believe that it was the situation with Marshleap's murder that completely changed him.

She watched as the crowd began to disperse, all of them slowly sinking back into the shadows of their dens. Pebblestep and Cloudstream stepped towards Heroncall's body as if they were approaching the unstable, rocky edge of a cliff. Lynxpaw felt a pang of sympathy stab at her as the two stood around her body, glancing at one another and hesitantly awaiting one to make the first move. Once Cloudstream finally leaned in to carry Heroncall's body, Pebblestep tucked back her ears and followed him.

Lynxpaw blinked when Nightfrost's tail flicked over her muzzle. She looked to her mentor that now stood and padded after Flareheart, Leafdance, Hawkpaw, and Fawnleap. He glanced over his shoulder back at Lynxpaw, his gaze sparking with not only grief but a visible flicker of rage. He grew up alongside Heroncall, Lynxpaw thought as she followed after her mentor. I can't imagine how Fawnleap and him feel. I can't imagine how every cat feels.

Nightfrost slipped into the elder's den after Hawkpaw and the others, Lynxpaw glancing to and fro before she followed. Cottonstar was simply infuriated by Heroncall's urge to not exile Hawkpaw, who knew how brutally he would act upon Nightfrost and her being within Hawkpaw's range. Lynxpaw sucked in a quick breath and leaped into the darkness of the elder's den, all of her worries tucked into the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Fawnleap," Flareheart spoke up, the feline ducking his head and watching the molly who paced around her son. "Heroncall did not at all deserve that. I don't know what's gotten into Cottonstar."

Leafdance nodded in agreement to their words. "A quarter moon ago, he nearly shred Foxpaw's whiskers because she stepped over the border while on patrol," he added. "I'd never seen him yell at an apprentice so harshly, but even after that I still never expected him to kill his own deputy."

"What killed Heroncall is not our leader," Nightfrost spoke up, his voice low and spiked with anger.

Fawnleap paused at his words, the molly pressing closer to Hawkpaw. She shared a glance with Lynxpaw, the apprentice clenching her teeth at her mother's gaze that seemed distant and clouded with melancholy. "Now that monster is going to kill my son," she cried softly, shuddering as she glanced to her side at the agonized Hawkpaw.

"What do you mean by he's not our leader?" Leafdance questioned, his gaze lingering over Nightfrost. "As much as I hate to admit it, that is Cottonstar. He murdered Heroncall. Our own leader killed our deputy and now he wants to execute an innocent apprentice. He's gone mad, but it was obvious so even before Marshleap was killed."

Lynxpaw's fur bristled at the tension that filled the den, nearly suffocating her. No cat in the room stood against one another, but their anger and sorrows mixed to create a thick fog that blanketed over them. She held her breath and stepped away from her mentor's side, approaching her mother and Hawkpaw. She froze when Fawnleap glanced up at her, but the molly happily gestured her daughter over and pressed close to her.

"We can't let Hawkpaw be executed," Lynxpaw audibly addressed, her eyes fixed on each of the cats who stood before her. "There's no way we'll be safe trying to fight back. Even though he's suddenly gone delirious, there is still some cats who would die for him. It's apart of the code to follow your leader's word no matter what for Star Realm's sake, but we can't allow our Clan spill one another's blood anymore."

Flareheart dipped their head to Lynxpaw. "She's right," they sighed. "There's nothing we can do to stop him."

"But that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do at all," Nightfrost interrupted, all eyes turning to fix on the medicine cat. "We may not be able to fight our own clanmates ourselves, and we may never be able to, but we still have legs and paws granted to us to run. Old tales may have told you that running away will never fix a loss warrior's problems but running to HeathClan will."

Hawkpaw finally lifted his head, his eyes slitted to showcase his exhaustion. He locked his gaze onto Nightfrost with a spark of bewilderment visible in his eyes. "Are you saying we get HeathClan to fight for us?" Hawkpaw questioned in a hoarse voice.

"I'm saying that we seek refuge within HeathClan and discuss the problem with Mousestar," Nightfrost replied. "Who knows how many cats of RidgeClan will be with us or against us, but regardless who would do no good by spilling one another's blood. Whether it comes down to battling Cottonstar or not, HeathClan can help us."

"How do we know who wants to go with us or not?" Flareheart asked, their ears twitching.

Nightfrost inhaled a sharp intake of air and peered towards Lynxpaw for a moment. The two medicine cat's shared a glance before Nightfrost finally scrambled up a reply. "You and Leafdance should go around and tell every cat to meet us outside camp as soon as possible tonight. Tell them to get to their paws and don't bother looking back," Nightfrost ordered, Leafdance and Flareheart nodding to his words. "Cottonstar should be asleep and by the time any cat loyal to him wakes him and addresses him of the issue, we should be prepared to go."

"But what if one of them attack us? What if they run to Cottonstar and warn him before we can inform every cat," Leafdance stammered swiftly, predictions pouring off from his tongue. "What if no cats choose to join us and even if they do, what if HeathClan can't help us?"

Silence filled the den at Leafdance's thought provoking questions. Lynxpaw never truly understood how many circumstances could arise from their plan until they erupted from the concerned warrior. Every one of them wanted to escape without spilling their own clanmates' blood but the havoc that bit at their tails with their new plan was just as petrifying. She glanced over to Nightfrost who did not at all seem overwhelmed by the questions, which shocked the molly.

Instead his gaze locked onto them, a frown burdening his face. A flicker of moonlight flitted over his hind quarters and his tail lashing to and fro behind them. His voice was soaked in confidence and a spark of courage Lynxpaw had never witnessed erupt from Nightfrost before, but she could still pick out the gnawing infuriation and pain that dripped from his words.

"All that matters is by tonight, we'll know who would rather stand by their kin or in the blood of their kin."