"Come on Whiskers, the longer you stay there the more crocks you'll wake up." Pale-Moon meowed. "Oh, they're sleeping, that's good, that's good..." I whispered to myself.
"Pull yourself together, Kitty!" Stargaze said, an amused grin spread across his face.

"Okay, okay, I can do this..." I told myself. I took a deep breath, but it was knocked straight out of me, as something furry knocked me into the green swampy water. Bubbles escaped my mouth as I true to meow for help, slowly sinking to the bottom of the river. "I-- ca--swim!!" I said meowed. Water gushing down my throat. I kicked my legs like Ava always done when she was swimming in the pool.

Kick. Kick. Kick. I was making slight progress. But all my hopes shattered as something grabbed the back of my neck, its teeth making my fur filthy.
I was lifted out of the water, and dropped onto the muddy ground besides Stargaze and Pale-Moon. I coughed up water, and squeezed my eyes shut so no horrible water got inside!

"Oops." Pale-Moon's gentle but slightly scratchy voice said. I opened my eyes into a squint, the crocks were still sleeping. "You pushed me into the water!" I hissed at Pale-Moon.
"Oh don't be so harsh Whiskers, I only slipped and bumped into you on accident." She said, in a tone that told me she thought I was exaggerating.

I looked down at my 'white' fur. It was all filthy and green, with mud and who knows what in it. "My fur!" I screeched.
"My beautiful white fur!" I cried. "It's all ruined!" I hissed. I shook my fur to get rid of the water, but it remained fuzzed up and dirty.

"This will take weeks to clean off!" I meowed sadly.
"Oh Whiskers, it still looks beautiful. I don't know about pet cats, but in the wild, we know how beautiful a cat is from the inside, not the out." Pale-Moon said, trying to comfort me.
I looked up at her. "You can't see my inside." I growled. "Oh I see it clearly! And cat are you beautiful!" Pale-Moon said happily.

I looked at my dirty paws. "Ava would be so upset to see me like this." I sniffed.

"Let's go party pooper, we have some more walking to do." Pale-Moon meowed, nudging me forward. I stumbled, but started walking slowly, my head hung low.
I noticed Stargaze roll his eyes in amusement.

"We're almost there! Cheer up!" Stargaze meowed. "How!? How can I cheer up when my beautiful fur looks so horrible!" I hissed sadly. "Now, now, I'm sure there's a clean lake 'round here, don't go ruining your time." Pale-Moon said.
"Clean lake? Really!?" I meowed happily.
"Indeed, should be here somewhere." Stargaze mumbled thoughtfully.
"Aha! I remember! Just around here! There's a human water tunnel!" Stargaze meowed, running through the trees, me and Pale-Moon at his tail.

"What's a human water tunnel?" I asked as we ran. I didn't get an answer for awhile, but finally, we stopped, and I puffed furiously, before following Stargaze's gaze. "This is a human water tunnel." Stargaze said.
"And where there's a human water tunnel, there's a human town."
Pale-Moon nodded.

"Um... How am I gonna have a bath in there? That's a well!" I hissed.
"Oh don't get your tail in a bundle, we've done this before, it's fun." Stargaze smiled. "Uh-hah... Show me than." I said.

"OK." Stargaze shrugged, and looked at Pale-Moon expectantly. Pale-Moon shrugged too, and walked beside Stargaze and the well. She jumped up on the stones surrounding the well, then jumped!?

I ran to the well, and looked into the dark hole. Pale-Moon was laying on the wells bucket. Phew...
"Alright Whiskers, lower it in." Pale-Moon said, looking up at Stargaze. Stargaze lowered the bucket down into the water, until the dark water covered her completely.

"What are you doing?!" I yelped.
"Ah she's fine, she's on the bucket." Stargaze chuckled.
"What if she say, slips off!? And who knows whats in there!? I doubt humans use this well anymore!" I hissed.
Stargaze shrugged carelessly. "Never happened before." He said.
"There always a first time!" I growled.

Stargaze waited a moment before pulling the bucket, with Pale-Moon on it, back up. Pale-Moon was soaked with water. "All clean!" Pale-Moon meowed.
I shook my head. "You didn't even wash yourself! You just dunked yourself in some water!" I hissed angrily.

"Well, this is the closest to a human bath your gonna get in the wild Whiskers." Pale-Moon said. "Your turn." Stargaze smiled.

"Nu-ah, I don't think so!" I hissed.
"Just don't panic, or you'll fall off the bucket." Stargaze said, pushing me onto the bucket. "No, no, no! Wait!" I meowed frantically. The bucket wobbled under me as I tried to grip onto the sides of the stone well.

Stargaze ignored me and lowered it into the water. "No! Wait-" I tried to meow, but the water covered my face before I could finish.
Everything was dark. Pitch black darkness. I couldn't even see my own paws. All I could feel was the cold water on my freezing skin, and the bucket beneath my paws. All I could hear was the water moving ever so slightly.

Wait... What if the rope snaps!? What if my ribbon falls out!? What if a small shark lives down here!? What if I slip!? What if Stargaze leaves me down here too long!?
But thankfully, the bucket began to be pulled up, and I was finally out of the freezing water.
"See! Your all clean!" Pale-Moon meowed, and helped me out as my frozen limbs climbed out of the well.
"I-i-im not c-clean! And th-that was
fr-r-reezing!" I tried to hiss.

"Aw come on, let's go you spoiled thing." Pale-Moon rolled her eyes.