If we have siblings and we get into a long fight, I'm sure someone's going to finally try to find a way to stop the argument. Whether we're been threatened to be locked in a room with them or forced to spend a few hours with them, there are times when we just get stuck and have to deal with them. At first, we either try to snap at them just to get it out of our system or we just avoid the other in hopes the anger will die by itself. The smallest things can and will set us off and you question how anyone thought locking you and your sibling(s) up in a room together was a good idea. 

They're annoying and self-centered, aren't they? You can't stand them when you're mad and believe they're the ones making everything worse. It makes things worse when hanging out with your siblings is the only thing you can do to pass time. No electronics or tv time, just talking with your family in hopes of settling arguments over. How fun is it to spend time with the last person you want to see and hang out with?

Fun, isn't it? 

X X X 

"I'm surprised she didn't strike out and try to kill you when you were talking," Beechpaw growled, keeping a careful eye on Cedarsky, who was surrounded by Sparrowblaze and Dovewhisker, making sure the calico didn't suddenly jump out and attack. The two siblings walked alongside the rest of the apprentices, all of their eyes on the calico ahead. "I think she was going to kill you had not Ashstar stepped up and told us it was time to go."

"If she was, then I'm glad," she whispered back, making sure to keep her eyes planted on Cedarsky the entire time. "But I have a feeling if she really wanted me dead, she'd already kill me. It's like another Aspenstar around Icepaw..."

At the sound of his name, the young apprentice glanced at them and gave them an encouraging smile, not asking what the conversation was about. Unlike his older sister, whose eyes widened and watched their lips carefully like a hawk. Mothpaw and Beechpaw looked the other way and Leopardpaw let out a long groan, wanting to ask what the commotion was about. Their mother put an end to their fuss and they continued to march, nearing the camp.

Ashstar and Aspenstar were in the lead as they maneuvered their way around the forest, their ears perked and noses open for any signs of danger. So far, the patrol swiftly entered CinderClan's forest without trouble and began their march to reclaim the lost Clan. Not a single rogue popped out to attack them as they advanced, getting closer and closer to the rogue-infested camp. The fear that seemed so little back in MeadowClan vanished and warriors began to slow down, focusing their attention on their paws a little too much while the apprentices began to shake as they neared their target.

The CinderClan cats looked happy to be back in their home, even if it did smell like rogues. Each leaf and twig went unmarked with the foul stench, making Mothpaw wrinkle her nose, wishing to smell more pleasant scents such as holly berries or mint. Slatepaw was more active and talkative, examining her home with a keen interest, eyes shining as she celebrated. The rest of the apprentices avoided her, rolling their eyes to hide their joy. Out of the MeadowClan apprentices, only Beechpaw took notice of her change and smiled warmly as he watched the younger apprentice dance in the shade.

Mothpaw didn't feel like blurting out her brother's feelings when she hadn't confirmed them herself. Falling in love with a cat from another Clan seemed too obvious for her now, but her brother showed no interest in dropping everything he knew and loved to join Slatepaw and her fantasies. The main thing that held him back was her, and she knew that he could easily freak out if he heard any rumors about a single hair on her pelt getting bruised. The feelings were lost, as anytime Cloudpaw would enter the picture, the gray she-cat's attention would lock onto him and the two apprentices would take off somewhere else.

If Beechpaw really did have feelings for Slatepaw, he didn't show much when she'd leave his side and join her clanmates.

Having him at her side was better, and she felt safer to know that her brother had been with her from the beginning. Mothpaw swore to never tell the striped apprentice about the inner greed that dwelled inside, glad that the relationship was mutual and could have her brother at her side whenever she felt lonely or afraid.

Honeypaw, surprisingly, managed to convince Ashstar to let her join to fight and not act as some kind of helper for Dapplefur. With Finchpaw, Breezepaw, and Whitepaw volunteering to help out rather than fight, the medicine cat had enough help to track down injured cats and quickly get them back on their paws and quickly slip into the fray without getting caught. When he accepted her proposition, she had ran over to her family and told them the news with the jubilance of a kit. Seeing her return to the older sister she lost the day Echoflight died gave Mothpaw a strange stir in her stomach, but nevertheless, accepted the gesture and allowed her sister back in her life.

Scarpaw's words echoed through her mind about Honeypaw's philosophy. Loving one from a distance and then springing on them once they were entirely safe. Then another cat came to mind when she thought of this. The cat that stole her sister and made her brother turn into a rant-machine that didn't stop unless he got tired or hungry. Mothpaw blinked, glad that Beechpaw couldn't read her mind - even if there were some situations she wished they could read one another's thoughts.

Ripplestone. Father. Mothpaw padded forward a few paces when Brindleface hurried to catch up to Vineclaw. Scarpaw said he was alive but he didn't even bother returning with Honeypaw. If he did, I'm sure Beechpaw would've ranted to me for days on end and constantly try to find ways to make his life miserable. Her brother bounced forward and playfully bumped into her, trying to distract him from the incoming battle. She giggled and slapped him with her tail, sending him away, and returned to her thoughts.

Where is he? I never did ask Honeypaw what she thought of him after she returned... Mothpaw looked to her left and watched her older sister walk with the strength of warrior. She hardly noticed her staring and continued forward, keeping her head high and eyes aimed for CinderClan's camp. Then she noticed her brother's rather, unusually large pelt. Anything around the words "Ripplestone", Beechpaw could pick up from a mile away.

That made things hard for her, so she secretly padded closer to Honeypaw, nudging her in the shoulder. She turned and greeted her sister with a solemn nod, and Mothpaw acted before she could turn away. Leaning up and keeping her voice in a hushed manner, she whispered, "This just came to me, but where's Ripplestone?"

"Father's... I don't even know," she sighed. "He's still a strange cat, even after I've been with him for so long." Honeypaw skipped to her left to further the distance between the sisters and brother. Mothpaw followed suite, glad that Beechpaw's attention drifted elsewhere - right back to the CinderClan apprentice that stared at the bare trees, sadness pinching her without the fruitful leaves masking her presence. The rest of the patrol padded forward in the silence, no longer spending time on idle chat. She thought it only doubled the anxiety for the upcoming brawl but didn't speak.

"Is he a wanderer?" she inquired. "Or does he actually want to stay in MeadowClan for the rest of his life?"

"When I left, he just told me he wanted to train me the most. There was a little camp set away from the borders of CinderClan and MeadowClan, but I wouldn't call it a full-fledged one. That's where I spent most of my days. Then he took that group of cats off to fight a small patch of rogues. I ran off with Scarpaw, Whitepaw, and Breezepaw. I went against his words thinking I could track them down, but then ran into you." Honeypaw shrugged and placed a firm paw ahead of her. Beechpaw noticed the distance and crept closer, curious and eager to join in their conversation.

That's when Honeypaw let out a frightful yowl, a paw lashing out to grab Mothpaw by the shoulder, taking them both down. Beechpaw reacted and reached forward with a paw to grab her paw, slipped, and tumbled into his sisters. The three siblings fell into a ditch, the ground giving away as they crashed ontop of each other. First, she landed on her sister's boney shoulder, jabbing into her neck painfully. Then, her brother slammed into her from above, restricting her movements and choking the air out of her. She coughed weakly, feeling her sister shift and growl, mustering strength to toss them off her back.

Beechpaw scrambled and rolled on his back awkwardly, rolling off with a thud. Mothpaw didn't have enough time to brace herself for Honeypaw to throw her off, her face hitting the side of the ditch as the rest of her body followed. Murmurs and shocked cries sang from above, and when she lifted her head to see them, the patrol had stopped and peered at the trapped apprentices. Slatepaw and Cloudpaw were laughing and joking while Vineclaw and Brindleface warned them, pushing them back so they wouldn't fall in as well. Speckleflash and Sparrowblaze came up and leaned as far as they could, attempting to reach a paw out and take them out.

Mothpaw groaned and pulled away, rubbing her head with her paw as Beechpaw let out cries and yowls, hurling himself at the walls of the ditch, claws scraping against dirt and stone. She chased away the confusion and stumbled, bumping into Honeypaw. Her older sister walked in circles, figuring a way out herself. The siblings exchanged glances and nodded, agreeing on one thing.

"Get us out of here!" yowled Beechpaw, eyes pleading to Speckleflash.

"Can you help us get out?" cried Mothpaw, hoping Sparrowblaze could think of something on a whim.

"Go on without us! You're wasting time!" snapped Honeypaw, glaring at Scarpaw and Ashstar.

"No!" Beechpaw and Mothpaw roared.

"I mean it!" Honeypaw protested, bunching her muscles together, taking a jump to bat Whitepaw's offered help, her sister gripping onto her tail with her tail. The white apprentice gritted her teeth together as pain pricked at her rear, but she continued to reach her tiny paws out, hoping to lock claws. Mothpaw's sister batted the help aside and Breezepaw yanked her sister out and spat out her tail in a wet mess. "You just left yourselves vulnerable! Go! We'll find a way out and rejoin you!"

Speckleflash and Sparrowblaze hesitated, looking torn between their apprentices and orders. Honeypaw lashed her tail forward, telling the patrol she wanted them to leave. Cedarsky peered over the ledge and reassured the trapped cats with a lazy smile. Mothpaw climbed onto Beechpaw's back and struggled to balance on the uneven surface. He gasped, legs falling, unable to support her weight. Ashstar kept looking back at the ditch and at CinderClan's camp, unsure what to do or say.

Impatiently, Aspenstar shoved her brother aside and pushed the rest of the patrol forward, snapping, "Then let's go already! Don't you trust your apprentices enough and believe they can get out of this situation themselves?! This just proves how bad you are at ruling your Clan." She promptly passed by an angered Speckleflash and Sparrowblaze, ignoring their remarks. The CinderClan leader slipped away, taking a handful of cats with her, leaving the apprentices behind. With each cat leaving, Mothpaw's courage and hope sank into a deeper part of the river.

Honeypaw shook her head and after what felt like moons, Ashstar dipped his head, sending them a worried look before his tail left their sights. The last cat that stayed was Whitepaw, who watched them with round, worried eyes. A simple snap and yowl from the golden she-cat was enough to shock her into fleeing, joining the rest of her Clan. Alone, Mothpaw and Beechpaw turned on their sister.

"What was that for?! Can you jump out of here yourself and get us all out of here?!" demanded Beechpaw, stomping. "Or are you just going to abandon us like you did all those moons ago?!"

"What's gotten into you?!" Honeypaw retorted, crawling toward the far wall of the ditch. "We can get out if we just use each other. Granted, the last cat will have some difficulties, but other than that, we should be fine."

"Are you going to be that cat? Or is Mothpaw and I?" Beechpaw countered, standing next to Mothpaw. She bit her tongue and lowered her head while her siblings argued, pressing her ears against her skull. "But I am curious to what your plan is."

"I want to climb on each other and jump. I'd be me, you, and Mothpaw. We're going to be tall enough to jump out, but when Mothpaw gets out, all you have to do is jump too. If she's fast and strong enough, she can grab you and drag you away. Then I'll just see if I can climb my way up or jump," explained Honeypaw, gesturing the two. She crouched and waited and when neither of them moved, narrowed her eyes at Beechpaw.

He turned his back and set his front paws on the sides of the ditch, unleashing his claws and hooking them into the soil. With enough effort, he climbed up a few inches before falling on his back, scrambling back up to try again. Mothpaw sighed and stood in his way on his fourth attempt, refusing to let him injure himself again. Honeypaw rolled her eyes and sprang into the air, barely making it to the height of the ditch. She slipped and fell, catching herself barely, growling. Beechpaw growled and sat down, curling his tail around his muddy paws.

"So now we're stuck," he protested. "It won't be long until the rogues take advantage of us, is it?" Beechpaw looked at the sky and dramatically joked, "Oh, what a wonderful life I've lived. I die regretting nothing."

"Stop," Mothpaw whispered. "I'm sure we can find a more effective way. Besides... if we take long enough, we don't have to fight as much."

"That's very warrior-like of you," spat Honeypaw, digging with her claws. "Did you ever receive training?"

"Of course I did," she responded. "I just don't like being in violence. I've never really liked the idea of fighting but I decided to be an apprentice. Being a medicine cat seems useless if there's no StarClan." The answer was truthful and blunt, something Mothpaw hoped her sisters could notice. If they did, they didn't act on it and pressed on, throwing themselves at the brown walls of the ditch.

A shiver slithered down her back like a snake at the thought of Cedarsky bringing a blind cat to a similar ditch, sitting and watching as they died of starvation with a monotonous expression.

Please don't let me die just yet, she prayed, staring at the dim sun. Even if I'm by my family, I'm dying next to my brother and stranger.

"You know," started Honeypaw, giving up on her mission. "Ripplestone never gave up on his faith in StarClan. They never did anything, yes, but he never lost hope. I always thought he was a strange cat for thinking that. His best excuse was he wasn't ready to become our father."

"I don't want to hear excuses from a cat like him." Beechpaw's fur bristled and he spat poison over words, squishing them in the mud. Using that anger, he pounced on Honeypaw's back and before she could yelp and crumble, sprang closer to the top, paws reached for the sky. Her heart soared when he hooked on paw on the edge but shattered as he fell back, their sister forcing herself to move and catch him. With a thud, they hit one another, and Mothpaw's paws moved on their own, carrying her toward the pile and climbing on top, aimed for the top.

But before she could leap, Honeypaw yowled, heaving herself to her paws and tossing both siblings off.

Beechpaw hit the ground and growled, claws digging into the soil as he gritted his teeth. "If he wanted to be a good father, he should've worried when Gorsekit went missing and hung out with us."

"You know he was still a warrior," protested Honeypaw, craning her neck. "Even if he didn't spend time with us, I'm sure it was because he was busy."

"You're starting to sound like Echoflight," muttered Beechpaw, lowering his ears. "No matter what that flea-brain did, she still loved him."

Even if she was the one who didn't want to have kits, added Mothpaw. Turning on her sister, she growled, "If you think he's a good cat, then explain to us the past moons we lost. You know that we were lonely in that nursery. We had two mothers looking after us and friends, but when they were busy talking and Runningpaw and Olivepaw were off playing you know that we were lost. He never came to visit but we tried. After he left... it just felt like there was a mountain lifted off our shoulders."

Honeypaw's fur spiked out and her eyes darted above, hope flaring in them. Beechpaw still had his head pressed down, refusing to listen to the sisters bicker. Mothpaw held her breath and felt an old presence creep up, caging her. Just by the silence that drowned the ditch, she didn't need to turn around to identify the cat. She already felt this once back in the snowy meadow, and getting into another argument with the rogue after they left on bad terms made her own fur rise and a low growl rumble in the back of her throat. But her sister had something else in mind and her fur flattened.

Finally, Beechpaw's curiosity got the best of him and he poked his head out, amber orbs glittering. Mothpaw's guess missed its target at the fury and rage that swarmed him. He staggered to his paws, strength renewed, ready to fight the incomer with every ounce of power instead of using it on the group of rogues. She swallowed and narrowed her eyes, letting the scent wash over her.

It was just how she remembered, the meadow's scent tucked behind strange odors that she couldn't place a paw on. One scent that clung to the pelt made her freeze and shut her eyes, roots tying her down.

Honeypaw smirked and answered, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"