Dawnmist's body shook with excitement as she met the wide eyes of Echoflight from the nest next to her. It was a little before moonhigh, but it had been a long day, and most of the cats in ThunderClan had already retired for the night, save Luckystar and Goldenperch, who were on watch.

Dawnmist listened with barely contained joy and energy as she heard Thunderstorm fall asleep with an almighty snore. Echoflight had to flick her tail over Dawnmist's mouth as she snorted in amusement.

"All clear," Dawnmist mouthed to Echoflight, swivelling her ears around to check if everyone was sleeping.

"Good," Echoflight mouthed back before leading the way out of the den, cautiously picking her way through the throng of bodies.

Echoflight and Dawnmist had dragged their nests closer to the entrance so it would be easier to sneak out, but it was still extremely hard. Once or twice, Dawnmist had trod on Poppyfrost's tail, and the she-cat been very enraged when she was woken up. Echoflight had worse luck; she was always waking up Frogfern, who coincidentally was the cat who hated her the most.

Dawnmist couldn't see how her brother hated Echoflight; the latter was so kind and nice. Echoflight always listened to Dawnmist's troubles and helped her with some soothing words. Dawnmist's heart sped up as she remembered that she would be telling Echoflight everything tonight; not just her surface fears. She froze as she imagined Echoflight's expression, her mouth telling her she was useless and that they couldn't be friends anymore...

"Let's go," Echoflight's sharp hiss brought Dawnmist back to her senses.

Dawnmist shook her head, battling with herself. Echoflight wouldn't do that. Echoflight won't do that. Echoflight won't do that.

Dawnmist followed Echoflight as they crept past Luckystar and Goldenperch and raced through the forest until they reached their cave. Echoflight won't do that.

"So," Echoflight mewed brightly. "What did you want to talk about?"

Echoflight won't do that.

"Uh," Dawnmist mumbled. "Never mind."

She could feel Echoflight's gaze scorching her pelt and she felt herself curl up in shame. Echoflight won't do that. Trust her.

"You can trust me," Echoflight mewed softly, echoing her thoughts.

"I...can t-trust you," Dawnmist repeated shakily.

I can't let her know all my fears. She'd hate me.

Echoflight won't do that.

"I have a lot of fears," Dawnmist blurted. "I told you about my unborn kit, but I didn't tell you about the pain about losing it. I didn't even name it."

Echoflight looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"That doesn't help!" Dawnmist flashed before falling back down. "Sorry," she muttered.

"It's fine," Echoflight's tone was soothing and gentle and Dawnmist felt herself calm down.

"After what you said last time, about not being able to control your emotions," Echoflight continued. "I have an idea for you."

Dawnmist looked up.

"So, I figured out that it's sort of an instinctive block," Echoflight explained. "When you get uncomfortable, your body blocks out everything. That's because of your trauma. How you get past that is by telling yourself to unblock it slowly. You can't do it with fierceness, that'll just scare yourself more. Try some exercises, like a counting one."

"How?"

"Count back from, say, twenty, whenever you feel stressed or if you feel yourself being blocked." Echoflight instructed.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

"You're right," Dawnmist opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. "It worked! I don't feel so scared of the world anymore!"

Echoflight purred warmly. "Do you feel ready to tell me more?"

"I do," Dawnmist mewed confidently, but her body started to shake.

No, don't hide. Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

Already, she felt braver and bolder. "I spent so many nights sleepless after the whole Demonclaw/Foxclaw thing. That was when I decided I couldn't stay in the Clans anymore. Every cat who looked like Demonclaw or Foxclaw wound me up and I became super emotional. It got better when I met Salem."

"Who was-never mind." Echoflight cut herself off.

"Salem helped me, but then she stopped showing up, or rather, I stopped coming. One day, I couldn't take it in anymore. I couldn't hold everything in and I just...poured everything out." Dawnmist whimpered.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Mentally, she calmed herself down before continuing.

"ThunderClan didn't seem like ThunderClan anymore," Dawnmist quoted herself. "I told my mother and she brought Luckystar and Goldenperch to me. But they weren't cats like you. They couldn't help me. They just stood there while I vented my feelings onto them. They told me I was heart sick. It was true."

"I was too proud; I didn't want help. But I see now that I need it. You taught me that, Echoflight. I wish you could've been my mentor sooner. You could've stopped me from feeling like fox-dung. It's been so hard to cover everything up, to stop everyone from seeing, and every time I let slip, I shut my eyes tight and I can see their faces scrunched up in dismay and disappointment. Luckystar was my mentor and she tried her best to teach me, but I wasn't the best student. I was never good enough."

"Dawnmist," Echoflight mewed quietly. "You are good enough. You're good enough for me."

Dawnmist, touched, continued. "I vowed that I would never take a mate or have kits, and I don't regret that. Then, I left. I almost died on the journey. Many times. But I made it to the Dynasty of Truth. Eclipse, my friend there, helped to heal my heart a bit more. But once I got back to ThunderClan, I could hear the whispers about me. I have no idea if they were real, but to me they were real. They broke my heart again. The only one who helped me was you. And well, here we are. Life story, complete." She finished off dryly.

"I want to help you, Dawnmist," Echoflight nuzzled her and Dawnmist sank into her black fur. The fur so like Demonclaw's.

"I know," Dawnmist breathed. "You already have. I know that. And I'm grateful. I'm grateful for having you, I'm grateful for you teaching me and I'm grateful since it's already began to help."

They lay there, Dawnmist counting backwards several times before she managed to calm herself completely.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

Dawnmist knew she was going to change, and Echoflight was going to help her.