"Why won't you play with me, Mother?" A tiny she-cat asked, blinking sadly at the shadowy figure of the dark gray, almost black figure that sat neatly with her tail curled around her paws. "Other kits play with their mothers so why don't you?"

     "Can't you see I'm busy?" sighed the cat, giving her little kit a hard shove with her front paw. "Go bother someone else."

     "But you promised yesterday that you'd play with me!" protested the silver kit, clinging onto the paw. "Please?"

     "What part of 'bother someone else' do you not understand?" The kit froze as icy words seeped into their back. "Can't you just go already?! I don't have time to spare with you."

     "But yesterday---"

     "Yesterday doesn't matter," the she-cat snapped, a set of glowering eyes towering over the little bundle of fur. "What I say now is more important than what I said yesterday, and I want you to go play with someone else. Do that, and maybe I'll consider spending a few moments with you tomorrow."

     "Really?" The little kit mewed, letting go of her mother's paw. Sitting up and twirling around excitedly, she let out a giggle, hoping her mother would smile at her. Like usual, her mother didn't respond to her daughter, but at least she heard her mother promise, claiming that she'd spend a few moments of her day with her tomorrow. All she had to do was wait until today passed and then she'd be able to play mossball with her mother.

     "Settle down, would you? It's tiring and annoying to look at," flared her mother. "Go on now. Find something to occupy your time with."

     "Thanks, Mother!" she expressed, nuzzling against the white chest of her mother. "I promise I'll be really good! I can't wait!"

     Blizzard blinked away the dream and awoke to Lizard's soft breathing, sound asleep. Annoyed, she shook her head, wishing that dreams of her mother would stop coming back to haunt her. The cat was long gone and hardly crossed her mind anymore. Her mind was occupied with her father and siblings, wishing she could do something to save them. At least, what was left of her family.

     Even if her dreams continued to show her the memory of her fallen mother on the battlefield, lifting her head to lock eyes with her surviving daughter, it wouldn't make her hesitate. The image of her pathetic mother reaching an open paw to her when it was necessary made her stomach twist and was enough to make her want to hurl. Now, looking back to the memory, a part of her was glad that she had stood there with an emotionless glare on her face, watching as her own mother's life was taken away in an agonizing way, knowing that her only source of help was the daughter she neglected.

     That was probably one of her fonder memories when she considered it. Perhaps seeing that desperate look gave her some kind of fuel to protect and defend every cat she considered family. Blizzard certainly didn't want to find herself on the losing side and when she did look up, the one cat she denied refused to lend a paw.

     But she couldn't protect everyone.

     Tsunami was that very scar that constantly reminded her of her failure as a sister. The calico's outline standing just out of reach, blue eyes staring at her hopelessly, knowing they could never reunite until she passed away. Blizzard snarled and let out a noise that sounded like a painful grunt, causing Lizard to snap his eyes open, eyes fixated on his surroundings.

     "W-what happened?!" he said, pushing himself onto his sore paws. "Are we under attack?"

     "Only me," she replied bluntly, swinging a paw to snap the fabric of imagination. "You may be under my supervision, but I still have things I want to do. You could always go on a patrol with Poplar and I. We won't kill you."

     "You know I am a grown cat even when I'm serving a punishment," Lizard commented under his breath, wincing as he heaved himself up and out of the den. Blizzard followed after him, instantly regretting her decisions to see Viper circling Poplar like a shark, waiting for the rash she-cat to lash out.

     Clearly uncomfortable and wanting nothing more than to rip the smug look off the tom's face, Poplar kept her fur low and kept her claws sheathed. A low growl escaped her and the triumphant grin on Viper's face expanded. Blizzard wasted no time and bounded across the camp, skidding to a halt in front of her father's supporter, tail lashing as her fur rose. Her friend held her breath, eyes wide.

     Just wait until the day comes, you little snake, she thought coldly, narrowing her eyes on Viper. I'll enjoy the day when I can finally fight you myself.

     "I'm going to have to ask you to stop whatever you're doing," Blizzard growled, standing protectively in front of Poplar. "It isn't your job to go punishing cats. That's Father's job."

     "But you should know I am at his side at all times," Viper countered, glaring at Poplar. "Whatever Python worries about worries me. If a punishment needs to be delivered, I will not hesitate to do it myself. Especially when it comes to that mangy she-cat."

     "I'm no mangy she-cat other than yourself," Poplar declared. "Blizzard, what part of I can handle myself do you guys not understand?! Firestorm, too! Let me at him!"

     She refused to move and kept her paws rooted on the ground, glaring at the two. "Lay off, Poplar. Viper, what exactly happened that caused you to want to harm her? It surely can't be for petty revenge for the time when she ripped your ear."

     "I'm far past that," scowled Viper, cross. "She just refused to join Python's orders."

     "Those orders being?"

     His eyes glittered with malevolence and greed. "A simple take-over of the Tribe of Shining Suns."

     After you failed the last time? Going now would simply be a waste of energy and time, Blizzard thought. I'm not as smart as Lightning when it comes to strategizing, but with so little forces and without any kind of knowledge of the tribe now is going to be a death sentence.

     Then she stopped short, eyes landing on her beloved friend. She looked at the ground in shame, and she instantly picked out the small details. Blizzard got back to Viper and swung her tail around, setting it on the tip of the cream she-cat's chest, slightly pushing her back. The message didn't go well and Poplar pushed back, stepping over her orders to face the tom.

     Flaring her nostrils, Poplar held her tongue. "I don't know about you, but I'm not one to just throw my life away. You may think I'm a nobody in comparison to you, but I can assure you that I have things I want to do before I die. I'm no sheep, and I'm not helping you guys take over that perfect tribe without a plan beforehand."

     I need to get out of here before anything else happens, Blizzard confirmed, knowing that it wouldn't take long for Viper to lash out and possibly, she'd see her best friend slain before her eyes. Her eyes darted to Lizard and the gray tom gestured toward the exit, twirling his tail in the air to give out directions. She studied the movements and restrained herself from lashing out.

     He noticed and mouthed a few reassuring words to her. She glowered at him with one, icy eye before biting her tongue and forcing her fur to lie flat. Poplar scowled and cursed at Viper, who continued to push and gloat, waiting for her impish nature to spill and crack the ice underneath her paws. Instead, Blizzard jumped back and snarled at both of them, silencing only one of them.

     Viper never listened to her, even when she was younger and constantly begged for him to teach her battle moves. The only regret she had around the fowl tom was she wished she would have slipped deathberries into his prey one day when she and Lightning were playing with the prey instead of eating it. Now, Blizzard knew her words meant nothing to the tom and the only thing he'd listen to was a direct order from Python or when she said she wanted a cat to die. She found it revolting that her father only picked out the cats with an intense desire to kill as his closest allies.

     Blizzard curled her lips back. "If you're good at anything, then shut up and listen. Poplar, Lizard, and I are going out to do a swift patrol and search for the prisoners that escaped and I promise to bring them back if we find them."

     "Oh?" He said with keen interest. "And how should I know if you do find them? You were close to that traitorous Hurricane - who knows? Her words about love and peace for all kind would have affected you."

     "And how many cats have I killed for you?" Blizzard countered. "I've taken down rogues and tribe cats just fine. Why do you suddenly distrust me?"

     Viper didn't say anything and peered at her with his tiny eyes, thinking of something. She smirked, knowing she had won and turned around, whisking her tail across Poplar's muzzle as a soundless warning. The she-cat growled and followed her leader, using her back leg to kick a mound of dirt in the tom's face before laughing and scampering off.

     Lizard shuffled out of Viper's view quickly, joining Poplar as the two tried to exit quickly and quietly. The she-cat offered no help when he tripped over his paws and stumbled, causing Blizzard to flatten her ears and close her eyes. But when she reopened them, she spotted Firestorm sitting in the shadows, giving her a worried expression, telling her that he understood where she was headed.

     Meanwhile, Scarlet sat beside him and gave Lizard a worried look, gritting her teeth as her claws began to shred the leaf into tiny pieces. Her sides heaved and she foamed at the mouth like a rabid animal, eyes sending a lethal warning toward Viper and Skull, who joined a few moments later. Firestorm and her locked eyes and his tail thumped against the ground, signaling a conversation between the two.

     Blizzard cast a look behind her shoulder and positioned herself so Viper or Skull wouldn't see the movements of her tail or paw.

     The language the siblings grew up consisted of certain tail flicks and movements with the paw, something they had abandoned. When they were assigned a team, however, the language resurfaced and was taught to each kit, instructing them when words wouldn't work. While they didn't have a movement for every word, they could get the basic idea across - but they had to watch out for Python and wish that he didn't decode their secrets just yet.

     "Poplar was mouthing again." Firestorm signaled.

     "What happened?" Blizzard responded, watching her brother.

     "She gave Viper a piece of her mind, claiming that he and Skull were the only two cats in this tribe that had the biggest chance of landing themselves in the Tribe of Never-Ending Shadows. I did find it amusing."

     "I'm strangely proud and ashamed, but most proud of her."

     "You have some strange teammates."

     "So do you, brother of mine. You have one that loves violence but is an innocent kit in front of you while ruthless and bloodthirsty on the battlefield and one that dies at the paws of she-cats."

     "And Poplar has a mouth without brakes, but be careful." At this, Firestorm's gaze darkened and his amber gaze shifted to Python's den. Blizzard glanced at the den and nearly yelped at the silhouette of their father examining the camp with a hawk's eye. "He's not the same cat we knew."

     "Do you think I don't know that?" Blizzard took a step toward the exit, hoping to end the conversation. "You may be older but I know perfectly well that Python's more than ready..."

     "Where are you going? I'll try to catch up once I finish."

     "Finish what? Sulking?"

     "Planning." Firestorm scowled and flicked his tail at the exit impatiently where a snappy Poplar and laughing Lizard stood. By a single look, Blizzard guessed the tom already took a swing and received a blow to face. "I might be able to become one of Father's helpers and get closer."

     "To do what, exactly?"

     "I want to steer him away from revenge."

     "Good luck with that."

     "Go now." Firestorm rushed and Blizzard jumped away, joining the two cats. Their conversation broke and Poplar stood up straight, pretending that Lizard wasn't around while the tom smiled at her. The two set off and she looked around one last time, meeting Scarlet's gaze, who weakly smiled.

     "I trust you know what to do," Scarlet mouthed.

     "Tell Firestorm this," Blizzard motioned, eyeing Python. "Ask him if he's willing to kill to save a tribe."