"What makes you think we can find Magnolia and Leopard in a single day?" Serval demanded, kicking a branch into the forest. "If you ask me, the best place we'd have to go is to the Training Den but you claim they'll be around here. Mouse-brain," she muttered, hopping over a branch, claws scraping against the bark.

     "Because I'm one of the best spies in this tribe," Arrow claimed, jumping to another tree, balancing himself as the branch swayed. He clung on tightly, keeping his breath held and grip tight to prevent his fall. The leaves settled down and he scanned the clearing. "Even if Eagle doesn't realize it."

     "If you're the best, then why aren't you the top spy?" Serval growled, checking the ground for scents. Arrow tried to let the insult fly past him. "I'm surprised he let me postpone my mission for tomorrow. I guess while we're out I can try and examine Imperfect territory." She jumped over another branch and took to the sky, grabbing onto the trunk. Using her back legs, she sprung up and jumped for his branch.

     Arrow jumped off and just as the branch swung backwards, Serval caught it with her front paws and brought the rest of her body up while he landed on another tree. The two siblings spider-monkeyed their way through the dense forest, getting closer and closer to the Training Den and further from the tribe's scent. He slipped through a mess of trees and checked the area just as his sister came through, frowning.

     So far, the two had made their way through territory and were planning to enter unstable parts of it, hoping that would get them closer to their target. Bringing Dandelion would've been easier, as he hoped she could use her instincts to bring them closer to Magnolia and Leopard without the two crawling like blind bats. She refused and claimed she had to stay behind while Maple had another panic attack, treating the older she-cat like a newborn kit.

     The fact disgusted Arrow, questioning how Maple got into the tribe in the first place if she was quick to panic under stress. At least he was smart enough to avoid other desperate she-cats. Serval acted like every other cat that wasn't her family was an Imperfect and Blaze only pushed the problem down the road.

     Serval jumped on a branch nearby and locked eyes with him. He froze and sucked his breath in, eyeing the forest. Light as a feather, he sprung off and grabbed another branch, ears pricked.

     The forest was silent except for a shuffle in the bushes. Serval adjusted her position and flickered her tail to the ground and back to him. He understood and aimed for a lower branch, his weight causing it to sink a little lower, giving him a better view. Arrow made sure he was still sheltered by the trees so possible incomers couldn't sneak on them.

     Then there was a snap and out came a strikingly familiar cat. He kept himself under control and eyed the she-cat, trying to compare the cat in front of him to the one in his mind. Her shoulders were broader now and she looked starved - a perfect description of an Imperfect.

     Serval's branch moaned at the sight of a certain cat slithering out too. Arrow's heart stopped and his gaze wrapped around the dirty-golden pelt. The one cat they needed to catch walked straight into their paws, perfect for attacking. With one cat with her to fight against the two of them, he couldn't wait for the moment he could sink his claws into his sister.

     Arrow snapped himself forward when another cat came out of the forest, imperfection hovering the three cats like a thick cloud. He definitely remembered seeing this tom moons ago when he tried to attack Origanum, ultimately leading to his defeat but for some reason, not death. A part of him questioned if that tom was the same one that he met moons ago in the Training Den, but he wasn't wasting any time on a cat like him.

     If it's just three cats... We need to go for the weakest unit which would be the other she-cat but Hurricane probably knows that already, he growled. Things would be better off Blaze or someone else came with us--- He stopped and nearly gave away their location.

     What in the name of Endless Stars caused me to think of something like that?! I'm a cat from the Tribe of Shining Suns! Being outnumbered is nothing! I have to get Hurricane and her Imperfects out of here before anything bad happens to me! Serval noticed his stress and smirked, wanting to act herself. Before he could cry out, she jumped, purposely making a ruckus. Arrow's eyes widened at her tail movements, spelling out her plan.

     The tom jerked his head in the air and caught a flash of her muddy pelt fly across the green. Hurricane didn't stop and jumped onto the exact tree their sister landed in, impressing Arrow for the slightest moment. The fact his sister still kept some of her tracking skills even after moons of imprisonment by Imperfects struck him. Perhaps he'd consider it as a mistake, but he saw no reason claiming it was that when Imperfects were known to be unpredictable. Serval looked below, keeping herself disguised under the leaves as the she-cat climbed.

     Even from where he stood, he could sense Serval's incoming fear and panic that made the tree tremble. That didn't stop Hurricane from getting closer. By now, Arrow knew that she had some kind of guess to who it was and held his breath, waiting until her companions turned and circled the tree. He readied himself, narrowing his attention on the she-cat while his ears rose.

     "You know, I'm really surprised," Serval retorted out of the blue, causing Hurricane and her friends to freeze, the voice falling into the keyhole. "I know I said I couldn't harm you back then. Those four moons ago, I claimed that I couldn't raise a paw against the sister I once looked up to. I think things are different now, now that I have a mission."

     "Serval...!" Hurricane gritting her teeth and backed down the trunk.

     The branch moaned and out crawled Serval, keeping her paws steady on the swaying branch. Blue eyes glittering and filled with gluttony, Arrow bunched his muscles together and aimed for the smaller cat. Hurricane jumped off the tree and got in the way, making him curse. He stayed patient and waited for the Imperfect to make another move.

     "So what if it is me?" challenged Serval, creeping closer. Arrow narrowed his eyes at the branch, calculating the chances of it snapping. That would surely be a mistake, but the hunter had to know her gamble. "You've seen me before. I'm a little different now, and I see you haven't been in the best condition, either."

     "What are you doing so far from the territory?" Hurricane inquired. "I know that a patrol doesn't go this far - unless your latest Alpha changed the routes."

     "What are you doing so far in our territory?" Serval hissed back, the fur along her spine arching. "Answer me!"

     Make Hurricane get out of the way! Arrow snarled, hoping his sister would get his message. She didn't pay attention and continued to taunt.

     "Not until you answer me," Hurricane growled, catching both of them off guard. They glanced at each other for a fleeting moment, but the sharp-eyed tom caught sight of it and trailed his eyes behind him. A second later, the two toms locked eyes, Arrow's location revealed.

     "So that's where he is," murmured the she-cat. "Hey! Come out already!" Hurricane glanced behind her shoulder and spotted her brother, her green eyes hesitating. Arrow snarled and slunk to a lower branch, eyeing the Imperfects.

     "Why did it take you so long to notice me?" taunted Arrow, staying to his branch. "You should've been able to detect my presence the moment you stepped in this clearing. How quickly your skills have dwindled since you became an Imperfect."

     "So, our luck is a little bit better than I anticipated," the tom noted, eyeing the two siblings. "Looks like we're going to gain a few more allies."

     "Allies?" Arrow questioned. "Whatever you're thinking of, we're not going to pair up with you on anything. I'd rather die than work with an Imperfect."

     "Enough talking!" Serval barked, claws digging into her branch. "Hurricane, I don't care if you're my real sister." The tiny she-cat in the clearing looked hurt for a brief moment at those words, but the look was gone the next moment and the grief was replaced by annoyance. "You've crossed into the Tribe of Shining Suns' territory and as punishment, we must deliver the blow."

     Wait---

     "For Cardinal," muttered Serval before she jumped, colliding with Hurricane. She let out a furious yowl as the hunter attacked, claws locking around her shoulders. A split second before they hit the ground, she leaned forward just the slightest, causing her weight to shift to her front paws. The two sisters smashed into the ground with a thud, the lighter cat dealing a heavy blow to her foe's shoulders.

     The little she-cat jumped to her feet but Arrow sprang, hitting her directly on the spine and threw her against the tree, her head hitting the bark easily. It didn't take long for her eyes to roll to the top of her head and for her body to slump against the tree, knocked out but still alive. He cursed at himself, readying another head smash but the other tom came flying through, grabbing ahold of him.

     Pinned against the ground, Arrow finally got a firm look at his opponent and he tried not to let his shock show. The Imperfect grinned, taking advantage of his hesitation and placed a paw against his neck, claws sliding out of place. He held his breath, refusing to look at the disgraceful excuse of a cat. For some reason, the only thing the scrawnier tom did was pin him down, restricting his movements but forbidding all means of realization while Serval snarled and slashed at Hurricane.

     They both recovered and Serval danced around her opponent, striking left and right. While struggling to find a pattern in the hunter's tactics, Arrow noticed Hurricane absorbing each blow as if they were nothing but bats from a kit. That was when he noticed her plan and before he could cry out, the Imperfect slammed both paws on his throat, causing him to choke. The sound caught his sister's attention and she looked up worriedly, losing her concentration for a second.

     And Hurricane sprang, wrapping one paw around the cat's back and the other pressed against her chest, bringing her younger sister on the ground with only two paws, back legs firmly dug into the soil. Yowling, the she-cat thrashed and managed to break loose with enough effort, but the older she-cat positioned herself over her effectively, keeping one leg on the exposed underbelly and the other on the ground. Serval slithered out and twisted like a snake, bringing her claws down on her sister's head, tearing fur.

     Hurricane twisted and snatched her paw and held on just as Serval jumped away, her paw keeping her down. Baring her teeth to endure the strain, she jumped and mimicking Origanum's signature attack, bunched herself in a tight ball and held on, her larger size making holding on a challenge. Unbalanced and unable to hold herself up with a heavy weight hanging on her chest, the golden she-cat stumbled on her paws.

     Whether that was her goal, Serval took the opening and began to rake her back claws down Hurricane's chest. The Imperfect over him eyed the move but didn't lift a paw to save his companion, increasing Arrow's disgust for cats like him. Then their older sister threw herself on the ground voluntarily, breaking the grip on her chest. She staggered away, blood running down her pelt as she gasped for breath while her younger sister hit the ground. The defeat didn't last long and they picked up the fight a second later, one aimed for the killing blow and the other for a fatal blow.

     Arrow faced the Imperfect and while he was distracted, he brought his front paws up and thrust them up, piercing his neck. The Imperfect roared and through the pain, twisted his head, bringing more harm to himself. The grip on his neck released and the tom jumped away, covering the wounds with his paw. Back on his paws, the spy unleashed his claws when Serval let out a cry, her body flying across the field and narrowly avoiding him.

     He jumped and glared at Hurricane, who stood sprawled out, panting, but standing on shaking legs. A deep cut on her shoulder caused her to limp and the blood from her chest continued to flow, but she kept herself standing regardless of her state. Taking her down when Serval's attacks still had an effect on her would be a smart move, had not the other tom gotten back up and ready to fight. His other sister, meanwhile, her brown pelt hid most of the blood and wounds, but one of her eyes was shut, causing her to rely on one and navigate herself in battle.

     She still didn't give in and jumped again and Hurricane dove underneath Serval and Arrow froze, the scene quickly rewriting itself to look like a memory. Just like all those moons ago, the golden she-cat slipped underneath the open space and rammed her head into the underbelly, cutting the jump off. Then the brown she-cat fell on her head, bringing both to the ground. He didn't say anything, questioning what went through his sister's mind.

     Hurricane threw Serval off again and pounced, claws slicing down her sister's legs and underbelly. She stopped fighting and looked at Arrow, keeping a paw on the cat. "Arrow, we didn't---"

     "Shut up!" Arrow snapped, roaring over her. "I don't care what you came here to do! Any Imperfect that enters our territory has to die! Endless Stars you're still the same sister I've always hated."

     And that made her stop, eyes going wide. The words flew out of his mouth too fast but he didn't bother fixing it. If it meant getting under Hurricane's fur, then he'd do it over and over. Arrow kept his face steady and snarled, back arching. Then she narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat.

     "You don't mean that. You're just upset right now---"

     "No!" Arrow protested, trying to come up with a solution in a tight maze. "You've been the favorite and you've always been good at everything. Now that you've become an Imperfect means I actually have the right to hate you. I couldn't tell anyone I hated you because you were my sister. Now I can say it a thousand times and I mean it every time I say it. I've always hated you."

     Serval looked up and then her eyes flickered back to him. Hissing, she spat, "This isn't what we came for, Arrow! Snap out of it! At least go and find them! I can handle these dumb Imperfects!"

     "I wouldn't talk like that when you're in a perfect killing position," countered the tom. "If you would not snap, maybe you'd have the chance to listen to us."

     "Give me a reason to trust and even listen to Imperfects," Arrow countered, turning. "You're the reason cats go to the Tribe of Never-Ending Shadows! You can't stop making mistakes and screwing up everything you do. How can you live with yourself? Explain how you can even stand the thought of being on equal footing as us? We're perfect and you're imperfect."

     "So why would you even try when you know you can fail?" Hurricane muttered, sounding regretful as she spoke. Both Serval and Arrow snapped their heads toward her and listened, their eyes going wide as their sister continued. "Making mistakes makes things worse and eventually destroys everything you've worked for. Stop trying because you're going to fail. The world will continue to break you each and every day and the only cure is to be perfect because failure is its strongest tool."

     She looked at them and said, "I know what you're going through. You're afraid of going somewhere new and accepting mistakes. I was---"

     "Don't tell us what we are when you haven't been with us in so long!" Serval snapped, voice cracking. "You have no right telling us what we are and how to fix things because you don't know us! You knew an Apple, Lark, and Cherry. You don't know us! You don't know who Arrow or Serval is! And you could never begin to fathom who Cardinal was because you're the reason she's dead!"

     "And that's why I wanted to talk to you," Hurricane growled, growing impatient. "But you're starting to push the boundaries."

     "Well, good! That's what I wanted in the first place! Arrow, why are you standing around?! Get out of here! I can handle them! Just go!" Serval demanded, glowering at him. "Come on, are you blind or deaf? Get going!"

     "I---"

     "Get out of here!" Serval roared.

     For some reason, Arrow felt his paws take him away. He was headed toward the Training Den, abandoning Serval with three Imperfects. He ran through the forest, heading somewhere far away from his sister, the one cat he wanted to fight himself. The one cat he wanted to battle and triumph over in a duel. Then he could prove to her that she was wrong and all she did was waste time in her imagination.

     But here he was, running away like some kind of coward in search of a greater goal. Finding Magnolia and Leopard by himself and leaving Serval in the paws of Imperfects. She could easily fight them off, she was a cat from the Tribe of Shining Suns, after all. Arrow had no doubt his little sister could stand her ground in the face of them. Unlike his other younger sister who fell victim to the cat that caused the most pain to their family.

     No, she can fight, he thought, giving the forest one last look. She's not like Cardinal or Maple. She's a force to be reckoned with. There's no way my sister can fall down.

     As he ran, he thought he could pick up a familiar feeling of wildflowers. It brought back friendly memories but also ones full of blood and heartache. He ignored it and pushed forward, imagining Serval back on her paws as she swung around the Imperfects, mocking them as she gloated, enjoying their suffering. Just thinking about a mountain of Imperfect corpses drowned the undeniable dread in the back of his mind.

     Arrow ran past the feeling, leaving his sister and far away, another cat watched him flee, knowing she lost her brother.