The moment Jaypaw's senses drifted back into his consciousness, he jumped to his paws. Hollypaw was already awake, poking Lionpaw. 

A smile stretched across her face. "Guess where we are?" 

Jaypaw shook his head. "At this point, I could care less."

Her smile didn't change. "We're back in WindClan territory! We're home!"

Jaypaw stared at her. "...no, we're not. I can see."

Hollypaw's mouth formed an "oh" shape. She swung her head around, taking in the landscape. "Are you sure this isn't WindClan? It looks exactly like WindClan when we were with the ancient cats. And you haven't...you haven't actually seen WindClan territory."

"I've lived in WindClan all my life. I spent ages learning the territory so that I could navigate it. Do you think you're so clever that you know my own territory better than me?" Jaypaw snapped.

Hollypaw flattened her ears. She opened her mouth to defend herself but was cut off.

"-he ran through WindClan territory into ThunderClan to save me and his brother when we fell in the badger set without being able to see. If Jaypaw says this isn't WindClan, then it isn't WindClan." Lionpaw sat up, finally waking up.

Jaypaw inhaled, ready to defend himself when Lionpaw's words set in. Lionpaw trusted him, without him having to prove anything! 

Hollypaw looked down at her paws. "Sorry, Jaypaw. You're right, I should trust you."  Her gaze shifted back to the moor. "So where are we?" 

Jaypaw snorted. "It's kind of obvious if you ask me."

"Oh? Do tell." Hollypaw twitched her whiskers. 

"Look behind you." He gestured. 

She whirled around, following his gaze. Her eyes widened at the sight. "Four giant trees...but it's-"

"We're in the old forest before it got destroyed!" Lionpaw gasped.

Jaypaw stared at the huge trees in the distance. This moorland was WindClan territory, where his father and mother grew up. Prickly grass stretched all around Jaypaw, topped with bursts of heather. The moon overlooked them, painting the territory shades of silver. Did his parents run through the grass, chase rabbits, fall in love under the bright blue sky? Somehow, he didn't think so.

"Does StarClan want us to save the forest from the twolegs and stop the Clans from leaving?" Lionpaw mused.

"How would we do that?" Hollypaw asked him.

Lionpaw waved his tail. "We're supposed to have more power than StarClan; we can do anything!"

"All we've done for the past few days is wake up in random times back in the past. We don't even know who the fourth cat is or what our powers are. We couldn't save the forest from a mouse," Jaypaw grumbled.

"Could we go and see Fourtrees?" Hollypaw begged, skipping with excitement. "Or the old ShadowClan territory? Tawnypelt has told me so many stories. I want to see everything!" 

Jaypaw grunted. "Let's just figure out what StarClan wants so that we can all go home."

Hollypaw's tail drooped. "Alright. But I wish I could tell Tawnypelt that I've seen the old territory. All the older cats talk about it, and they've always made it sound beautiful."

Lionpaw walked in a circle so that he was standing in front of the group. "Come on, guys, we've got a duty from StarClan. It's time we figure out what we're doing. And after that, I'm sure we'll have time to explore the territory." 

The other two found themselves nodding, and started walking, searching for any sign of life. It wasn't long before they found a cat scent. There was no denying that they were the cats living in the mountains, though their mountain scent had faded. It clung to them in remnants, leaving an aftertaste in his mouth. Earthy scents bloomed in their smell, the smell of grass-seed and heather. The smell of WindClan. 

"That's the tribe," Lionpaw said. "But they smell like Jaypaw. Like they rolled in soggy grass!" 

Jaypaw rolled his eyes. WindClan didn't smell like soggy grass! WindClan smelt like the open sky, like a gentle breeze rolling over hills. "I wouldn't expect a ThunderClan cat to be able to recognise great scent. You all smell like dirt!"

"We do not!" Lionpaw argued. 

"Shh!" Hollypaw hushed them. "If we're around the tribe, they might recognise us! We need to figure out what they're doing in Clan territory, but whatever happens, we must stay hidden. We can't ruin our mission by arguing over who smells worse." As Jaypaw and Lionpaw quieted down, forced to cut their debate short, Hollypaw grinned. "And anyway, what's the point in arguing when I already know the complete and StarClan-given truth: ThunderClan stinks." She flicked Lionpaw with her tail and bounded ahead, following the tribe cat's scent. 

Jaypaw darted after her, suppressing a laugh. They tracked the scent for a while longer, walking in silence. A shriek split the air, twisted with pain and rage. Jaypaw froze, turning on his heels. "Something's happening at Fourtrees." He stared at Hollypaw and Lionpaw.

Faint yowls sounded from the distant oaks. "That sounds like a fight," Hollypaw said.

Lionpaw broke into a run, not waiting to talk. "Come on, this could be important!"

The three pelted towards the sound of the fight, long grass streaking against their sides as they ran. Jaypaw darted around heather bushes, outpacing the other two. As he neared Fourtrees, he slowed. Lionpaw and Hollypaw did too, staying next to him. "Let's lie low until we figure out what's going on," Jaypaw instructed.

They crept towards the hollow. The howls and screams grated against Jaypaw's ears. Pressing them against his skull, he tiptoed forward. Jaypaw's eyes widened as he took in the scene. Three cats were trapped on a tall rock, surrounded by a bigger group of cats. As he watched, one tried to climb the rock, struck down to the ground with one powerful swipe.  

Lionpaw hissed. "This isn't fair! Those cats are outnumbered. The other cats must have no honour!" Jaypaw growled. Typical ThunderClan cat, wanting to play the hero. But he's right for once.

"We can't just let them be torn to shreds, they don't have a fair chance. Come on guys, let's back them up." Lionpaw straightened up, muscles tense. 

"Lionpaw, no!" Hollypaw warned. "We can't interfere in the past; imagine what kind of damage we could do!"

"It's just a fight, it can't be that important. I can't watch these cats be hurt!" He sprung forward, running down into the hollow towards the fighting cats. 

"What's he doing? There are so many cats out there, they'll destroy him! He can't possibly fight them all on his own." Hollypaw's head swivelled between Jaypaw and Lionpaw's retreating form. Her paws danced, skittering as she tried to come to a decision. "We can't let him try to fight all of those cats and get hurt, but we shouldn't interfere in any major events. And this is important, otherwise, StarClan would never have brought us here. " Her green eyes locked on Jaypaw. "Can you even fight?"

Jaypaw opened his mouth to deliver a stinging report, but his gaze slid past Hollypaw, watching Lionpaw bury himself into the crowd of cats. Jaypaw couldn't make him out anymore; he was indistinguishable from the twisting pelts and flashes of claws and teeth. The truth was, Jaypaw had only had a few fighting lessons, and all of the moves he'd learned were designed for a cat who couldn't see. Jaypaw wasn't supposed to be allowed to fight, he'd only learned a few basic defence moves in case he was ever cornered by a badger or something. But that didn't matter, Lionpaw would be killed if he and Hollypaw didn't step in to help. "Let's go, we have to help him." He streaked down into the hollow after Lionpaw, cursing him for getting them in this situation.

Entering the fight, all Jaypaw could see was a tangle of pelts. They jostled against him as they tried to get at the cats stranded on the rock. Jaypaw pushed against them, now able to see Lionpaw. Hooked claws slashed across his cheek. Hot pain erupted from the swipe; Jaypaw whirled around to defend himself against his attacker. A black and white cat leered at him. 

"Are you another rabbit-chasing rogue that Tall Shadow and Gray Wing picked up?" He snarled. Like lightning, his paw shot out, hooking Jaypaw's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. Jaypaw hissed, trying to get to his feet. His opponent landed a heavy blow to the side of his head, sending Jaypaw reeling. The black and white cat laughed at him. "My guess was wrong, you're no rogue. Rogues can fight better than this! I should know, I used to be one. You must be a kitttypet." Jaypaw tried to scramble to his paws, but he was pulled back to the ground by a weight on his tail. He looked back to see a white paw standing on his tail. Spitting, Jaypaw struck out with his back leg, remembering Cranberrystripe's advice for if he was ever being chased by a rabbit or a badger in the tunnels. His kick connected with his attacker's shoulder, knocking him backwards, off his tail. Freed, Jaypaw stumbled forward, shaking his head. He couldn't hear anything with cats screeching all around him. He couldn't see anything either, not with all these cats weaving here and there, trying to get at the rock. 

In his confusion, he bumped into a small grey and white molly. Jaypaw jumped into the attack, leaping at her with his paws outstretched. She sidestepped, and Jaypaw crashed into the ground for the second time that night. She stood over him, amber eyes glaring. "Do you even know how to fight?" She lashed out at Jaypaw's belly. He howled as she scored her claws down his stomach. The scratches burned into his skin. Jaypaw writhed, reaching for her with flailing paws. Her muzzle snapped at him as she leaned forward, jaws open, ready to lock her teeth into his cheek. Jaypaw tried to pull away, feeling her hot breath on his fur, drool splattering on his cheek-

The threatening fangs pulled away from him as the molly was knocked off of Jaypaw. He stood up, scratches on his stomach stinging. Jumping around, Jaypaw searched for where the grey and white molly had gone. He gasped, seeing her off to the sight of him, grappling with a larger ginger tabby. This tabby was a whirlwind, rearing on his head legs, aiming blow after blow at Jaypaw's previous attacker. Jaypaw watched in awe at this cat's raw fighting skill, muscles outlined in the silver moonlight. One strong blow sent the molly running. The cat turned around, a grin on his face. "Alright there, Jaypaw?" 

Jaypaw gasped. His defender was Lionpaw? But he was so strong. Scarlet blood streaked his pelt, but he didn't seem fazed at all as he plunged back towards the rock, jumping up at a cat trying to scale the rock, latching onto the cat's leg with his teeth, and pulling them down with him. While he was staring, a force knocked Jaypaw backwards, out of the mass. He blinked, stumbling backwards. He couldn't do this. He couldn't fight, not even with sight. Cats were everywhere, he didn't have time to think or plan any action. Why couldn't he fight? He could see! Nothing should be holding him back.

A thrumming of paws caught his attention. Jaypaw looked up, smelling the strong scent of fear overwhelming the clearing. 

"Welcome back, Thunder," yowled a tall, light grey tom. The ferns twitched. "I can smell your fear scent," continued the tom. 

"I'm not scared of you!" hissed a voice coming from the ferns. Jaypaw swayed on his paws. Thunder. That name couldn't be a coincidence. Not like this. A huge battle at Fourtrees, on a clear night. A cat called Thunder. Rock's explanation of learning about the past. This had to be The Great Battle!

The grey cat slunk away to the bottom of the slope, a growl rising in his throat. "Really? Then why did you bring so many cats?" 

"We're here to rescue Gray Wing and the others," Thunder answered. 

Jaypaw's tail shot straight out. Gray Wing! That confirmed it, they had to be talking about Gray Wing the Wise!

Jaypaw turned to see the grey cat's reaction. His mouth curled into a menacing smile. "Then come and get them." A long pause swept around the clearing, a hush falling over the fighting cats, who had stopped to watch the confrontation. "Attack!" Came the rallying cry. Cats streamed down the slope into the clearing.  To meet them, the cats already fighting sprung into action, swarming around Jaypaw as they raced to meet them. The cats stranded on the rock jumped down, joining in the fray. 

The battle raged with a new intensity. Jaypaw knew he shouldn't fight. This battle made history, he couldn't get involved. But he thought about being back in WindClan, living a life of darkness. Harestar telling him he would never be able to fight in battle. Breezepelt telling him he'd be useless in a fight. Crowfeather letting it happen. Not even Cranberrystripe could fight against Harestar's decision. But here he could see. What did it matter if he had no training, he had his instincts. He would fight. 

Jaypaw stared into the battle, seeing a grey and white tom who had just joined with Thunder's group. Thunder was fighting against Clear Sky, so he must be the enemy. But this was the beginning of the Clans, there was no enemy. And Lionpaw seemed to be fighting against Clear Sky's group, so Jaypaw needed to counter him, so they didn't unbalance the fight and change the future.

He gathered all of his strength in his hindquarters, leaping forward. His claws sunk into the tom's back. He did it! Digging his hind claws into his back, he scored his front paws down his opponent's back. He howled in pain, trying to shake Jaypaw off. Jaypaw dug his claws in tighter, gripping the tom's scruff in his jaws. The cat dropped into a roll, crushing Jaypaw beneath him. Jaypaw gasped for air, his lungs tight and constrained by the bigger tom. His opponent released him, jumping up so that he was standing over Jaypaw. He swiped at Jaypaw's chest, pain searing from the scratch. He swooped down, delivering a quick bite to Jaypaw's cheek. Screeching, Jaypaw aimed a wild kick up at his attacker. His foot connected with the soft belly fur behind his leg. The tom yowled, falling on top of Jaypaw. Jaypaw wiggled out from under the tom. His entire body ached from where the tom landed on him. His scratches burned, and his cheek stung. But he'd brought the tom down. He'd fought in a real battle!

Jaypaw slunk around the edges of the battling cats, searching for Hollypaw. He could spot Lionpaw easily - right in the centre of the battle, a force to be reckoned with even among all these older cats. He knew there was no way he could get to him, and he didn't know if Lionpaw would even listen to him. The look of his face...it was chilling. All his features were contorted into pure fury and concentration. Lionpaw's teeth bared into a snarl, blood staining them red.

Jaypaw weaved through the battle, slipping past two cats locked in battle. He stumbled over something warm and furry. Looking down, Jaypaw gagged. A tortoiseshell tom lay slumped on the ground, blood still draining from a wound on his belly. Jaypaw's paws skittered around his corpse, slipping on the blood soaking into the grass. He locked eyes with Hollypaw, her teeth locked into a cat's skinny leg. 

"Hollypaw, we have to go!" He yowled over the noises of the fight. "This is The Great Battle. We can't be involved." 

A strip of white lined the irises in her eyes as she took in what he said. She pulled her teeth from the tom's leg, taking a few shaky steps backwards. Hollypaw turned tail, fleeing from the battle. Jaypaw raced after her. They stopped at the edge of the clearing, hiding in the undergrowth. Panting, Jaypaw started explaining. 

"Tawnyfur and Whitetail...are really old," he puffed. "They know everything, and Whitetail used to tell me stories as a kit. She's friends with Millie in ThunderClan, and she told me that the first leaders weren't always called Windstar, Shadowstar, and whatever. Thunderstar used to just be Thunder. Windstar was called Windrunner." 

Hollypaw mouthed their names as what Jaypaw told her sunk in. "Of course..." she whispered. "I thought since it was at Fourtrees...but none of the leaders were there, and the names are kind of weird. But the leaders are here." Her ears perked up. "We fought in this! We interfered! Lionpaw jumped in to defend those cats on the rock, and he's attacked others. I didn't fight that many cats, I doubt you did either, but look at him!" 

Jaypaw nodded. "That's why I had to tell you and stop you from fighting." 

Hollypaw looked back towards Lionpaw, hunching her shoulders. "He can't kill anyone...he can't be that good..." 

"Yeah, but what if he badly wounds someone important and they get an infection?" Jaypaw growled. They sat for a moment, Hollypaw twisting her paw into the earth. 

"This is Lionpaw." She shot to her feet. "He's my kin. He's your friend. He's the nicest guy we know. He's not some kind of bloodthirsty monster, he's just a little caught up in the battle. I'll go get him." Hollypaw clambered out of the undergrowth, plunging back into the battle. 

"He's related to Tigerstar, maybe he is some bloodthirsty monster," Jaypaw muttered, not believing his own words. Lionpaw was part of a prophecy meant to save the Clans. But remembering the expression on Lionpaw's face, Jaypaw shuddered. The prophecy never specified they were going to save the Clans, only that they were more powerful than StarClan. 

Peeking out from the undergrowth, Jaypaw watched history unfold around him. He'd heard plenty of stories about The Great Battle, but he'd never imagined the savagery of this moment. In the centre of the brawl, Clear Sky shook a cat in his jaws, reminding Jaypaw of warnings about dogs on the moors and what they would do to cats. He dropped her body, saying words Jaypaw couldn't hear. A dark grey tom jumped in front of Clear Sky. "You killed her! You killed Rainswept Flower!" He attacked Clear Sky. The two fought, very well matched. They clashed with frightening violence and rage, slicing, biting, two hounds out for blood. Jaypaw gasped. The cat fighting Clear Sky - that was Gray Wing! Gray Wing the Wise. Jagged Peak had called them his brothers. Jaypaw stared. How could brothers attack each other like this, with such brutality? 

Clear Sky pushed Gray Wing to the ground, standing over him with his teeth bared.  "Just give in!" 

Gray Wing, flat on the ground, looked up at his brother, pelt matted with blood. "Never." He swiped up at Clear Sky, but it was feeble, missing him. 

"Give in!" Clear Sky commanded, raising a paw. Jaypaw could see moonlight reflected on his outstretched claws. Jaypaw sucked in a breath. He knew Gray Wing would survive; he was WindClan legend. Did he kill his brother? Jaypaw had never heard of Clear Sky before, but he seemed to have started all of this.

 As Jaypaw watched, Gray Wing pulled himself to his feet, his entire body shaking with the effort. "Kill me. Kill me and live with the memory. Then tell the stars you've won." The fighting cats had stopped, a hush falling over them to witness this. 

Clear Sky held Gray Wing's gaze, not moving. After a long moment, he dropped his paw, still staring his brother right in the face. "Stop!" He called, not having noticed that most of the cats had already stopped, too weak to carry on. "This battle is over." 

Hollypaw and Lionpaw hurried away from the cats as they staggered around, licking wounds and tending to those badly hurt. Jaypaw jumped up. Lionpaw's pelt was covered in blood. It soaked his fur, stained in brown, dried clumps. His belly fur was still wet and dripping as he and Hollypaw sprinted from the clearing. Squeezing into the undergrowth, Jaypaw wasted no time talking, he began to groom Lionpaw, searching for wounds under all the blood. 

"Where are you hurting?" Hollypaw asked, stricken, as she did the same. 

Lionpaw shook his head. "I don't feel anything."

"Must be shock," Hollypaw muttered. "That's bad, you must be badly hurt. I can't see anything though!" Her voice rose in pitch. "We need cobwebs!"

Jaypaw could feel nothing under his tongue. No pulsing blood, no heat, not even a scratch. "Hollypaw." Jaypaw met her gaze, both of them looking horrified. "I think he's uninjured."

"He can't be!" She pulled her stare down from Jaypaw, swiping her tongue across Lionpaw's spine. She attacked him with her licks, searching for some sign that he was hurt. "He's covered in blood!"

"Yeah," Lionpaw broke in. "Other cat's blood. You guys should've seen me. I was unstoppable! I fought so many cats but they never managed to hurt me!"

Jaypaw sat down. "Lionpaw, you know that isn't a good thing, right?"

Lionpaw blinked. "What?" 

"Even the most skilled fighter gets hurt, even if it's just a little scratch. I saw you, you were right in the heat of the battle. Yet no one managed to lay a claw on you? Lionpaw, that's not normal!" Jaypaw exclaimed.

Lionpaw snorted. "You're a blind cat who can see, you're telling me that's normal?"

"Have you ever gotten hurt before?" Jaypaw pressed on.

Lionpaw nodded. "Of course I have. You saved me from suffocating on dirt! I've gotten countless thorns in my paws, tripped into so many bramble bushes, banged into trees. Every cat gets hurt, Jaypaw, what are you going on about?" He laughed, shaking his head.

Jaypaw shook his head. "Has any other cat ever hurt you?"

Lionpaw's laughter died. He stood there, thinking. "Huh. I guess not."

"Not even in training?" Hollypaw asked, finally stopping her furious grooming. 

Lionpaw just flicked his ear. "No. What's the big deal about that?" 

Hollypaw looked at him, looking over his body as if she still couldn't believe he was unharmed. "When I train with the other ShadowClan apprentices, even with claws in, someone always manages to get hurt. As kits, we used to accidentally hurt each other all the time. No cat's ever hurt you? At all?"

He shook his head. "Not even playfighting as a kit. I've been knocked over and stuff, but no one's ever clawed me or bit me." His expression grew grim, mouth forming a straight line. "What does that mean?"

Without giving him a warning, Jaypaw swiped his shoulder. His extended claws slid through Lionpaw's fur, not meeting flesh. 

"Hey, stop! What are you doing?" Lionpaw yelped, twisting away from him. Jaypaw lunged at him, crashing into the big tom. Lionpaw fell on his side, unbalanced by Jaypaw's sudden attack. Jaypaw bit down hard on Lionpaw's belly, once again only getting a mouthful of fur. He rained blow after blow down at Lionpaw, but none of them broke the flesh. Lionpaw didn't attempt to fight back, only watching in confusion as Jaypaw flailed at him like a kit. "Wow. Jaypaw, have you had any fighting training? I don't mean to be rude but you can't fight," he remarked. 

"No, Lionpaw." Hollypaw stared down at them "It's not that Jaypaw's bad at fighting. You literally can't be hurt."

Jaypaw got off of Lionpaw, his breath rattling in his chest. "My teeth and claws can't physically hurt you, no matter how good my aim is. It just slides through your fur. Lionpaw, we've found your power!"

Lionpaw stared at him, eyes dilating. "My power is that I can't be hurt? No cat can...hurt me?" He paced around, muttering to himself. "No one can hurt me. All my life...I didn't know...what does this mean..." He sat down, staring at his body as if he'd never seen it before. He looked up at Jaypaw and Hollypaw, eyes shining. "Guys, I'm practically invincible!"

Hollypaw's expression darkened as she drew her tail around herself. "I don't think that's a good thing, Lionpaw. Remember who our parent's dad is."