Once they reached the camp, Spiralwind burst out of the medicine cat den. "Mangopaw! Pearpaw! You must be exhausted!" She pressed her ear to Pearpaw's chest, then to Mangopaw's. "Did anything dangerous happen? Did you swallow a lot of water? Did you faint?"

They both shook their heads. "We were fine," Mangopaw replied.

"Good," Spiralwind said. "All the warriors are out hunting. Shorestar announced a feast. Poppykit and Peonykit are becoming apprentices, and Ivypaw's becoming a warrior."

Suddenly, a fat drop of water fell on Pearpaw's nose. "It's starting to rain!" She rubbed her nose as rain splashed around them.

"Let's take shelter in the medicine den." Spiralwind trotted to her den, eyes down to avoid the rain.

"The rain looks bad,'' a cat called from the elder's den. Rosewish stuck her head out from the draping seaweed. "We ought to go to the Storm Den, Mistgaze."

"We can't go to the Storm Den without protection from our warriors. We must retrieve the patrols." Shorestar padded towards Dawnrise, a serious expression on her face.

Pearpaw looked at Cloudmist, who nodded. "Go into the medicine cat den while we look for the other warriors. Make sure Poppykit and Peonykit stay inside."

Poppykit mumbled and flicked his tail, annoyed. Peonykit licked her brother, nudging his paws. They walked into the medicine cat den, Mangopaw and Pearpaw following.

Ivypaw was already inside with Turtlepaw. "I'm so bored!" she whined. "Pearpaw and Mangopaw had the adventure today." She sighed, sweeping the sandy dirt with her white and orange tail.

"Hey, at least you weren't swimming in a dark tunnel," Pearpaw responded, as Mangopaw curled up by the den wall to sleep.

Dawnrise, Mistgaze, Cloudmist, and Orcamask were organizing search missions for the hunting patrols. It was dangerous to be out in a storm, even kits knew that. Sand slides and hunting was impossible, and high tides or wind could sweep a cat off their paws.

Pearpaw closed her eyes, tired from the adventure before.

Raising her paws, she could tell she was Plumpaw, her brother. The sands whipped her in the face and she could hear many wind-whipped voices.

"Pearpaw! No! Get back here! Cloudmist- why-"

It was Mangopaw's voice. She was in the middle of the cloud, rising into the air.

A huge palm leaf whipped across her face and the world changed.

Pearpaw was herself, now. Kits were tumbling around her paws. "Whitekit, be good to your sister!", she rebuked. The pure white kit was batting at her tan littermate, who looked exactly like Pearpaw.

"Hello, Pearfall, how are you?" The cat who had spoken looked exactly like Poppykit, but older. He seemed to be able to talk, as well.

"Our kits are so lovely, Poppywind," she said, taking a guess at his name.

"Poppywind!" Mangopaw called. She was standing next to the leader, who looked like Orcamask. "Orcastar wants you to go check on the border. We ought to make sure the rogues aren't causing trouble. I will be going with you. Fernfrost! Peonybloom! Lavenderdapple! Come on, we're going to check on the cats."

Pearpaw looked at Poppyflight, who was getting up. "Poppyflight, who are the rogues?"

She jerked awake at a tug at her ear. "Pearpaw! Pearpaw! Wake up!"

"Y-yeah?" Pearpaw replied, yawning.

Ivypaw was leaning above her. "The warriors aren't back yet and it's getting late. What should we do?"

Pearpaw flicked her tail. "Dunno," she said. 

Mangopaw jerked awake. "Wh- the crabs! The crabs- oh, hey, Ivypaw. Did you see the wave kill Shellear?" She rolled onto her other side and curled up, snoring gently.

Pearpaw looked at Ivypaw. "We should go," she whispered. "Where would the patrols go?"

"Well, I was thinking they would be by the Flat Sands. That's where we always-"

A loud yowl echoed around the camp. "Help! Palmdance sank through the sand!"

Spiralwind jerked awake, scattering herbs around the den. "Palmdance?" She called frantically. "I'll be there!"

"Take the apprentices," a calm voice said. Pearpaw suspected it was Shellear. "Only Mistgaze, Shorestar, and Cloudmist are there, and we need to get Palmdance out of the sand. They're by the sand dunes." The sound of many worn paws on wet sand followed his voice, which meant that the other patrols were coming back.

Spiralwind was shaking Mangopaw and Turtlepaw awake, tripping over Poppykit. "Wake up! Turtlepaw, bring herbs. Mangopaw, Ivypaw, Pearpaw, go to the Sand Dunes! Quickly!"

The medicine cat apprentice sprang up and headed to the back of the den, still half-asleep. Holding a bundle of herbs in his mouth, he skidded out of the den and into the rain.

Spiralwind jerked her head and streaked outside, running after her apprentice. Pearpaw, Mangopaw, and Ivypaw followed her.

"Shellear?" Cloudmist called as the four approached. The storm howled around them. Pearpaw hadn't noticed it while they were running.

"Mom, it's us! Shellear told us to come," Mangopaw gasped.

"The storm is howling so loudly," Ivypaw said in awe. "I didn't think that storms could get this big."

Shorestar and Mistgaze had been digging at the hole, loose sand tumbling around them.

"Palmdance!" Mistgaze cried. Pearpaw remembered that he was her mate. "Palmdance! Where are you?!"

Mangopaw suddenly dived into the midst of rain, sand, and moving ground. "I see her!" She yelled. Pearpaw inhaled sharply.

The older cats stopped digging. Cloudmist stopped running around. Pearpaw, Mangopaw, and Turtlepaw stared at the orange apprentice. Turtlepaw still had herbs in his mouth.

Mangopaw was standing on the rocky soil that the older cats uncovered. Pearpaw couldn't see Palmdance breathing.

Mangopaw, her pelt full of sand, turned to the cats. "I don't know how to get up, how will I carry her and climb at the same time?"

Cloudmist looked at Mistgaze. "I'll go," she announced. "I'll get Mother. Come up, Mangopaw." She leapt down and picked up Palmdance by the scruff. Pearpaw could tell Cloudmist felt odd. Mothers usually carry kits, not the other way around.

Mangopaw slipped up the sand to the other cats. "The sand might bury you," she called, scared.

"Don't worry, Mangopaw," Cloudmist mumbled. She attempted to leap up, but she slipped on the sand, causing it to cascade onto the brown rock. She let go of Palmdance, startled.

"Mom, hurry!" Pearpaw looked fearfully up at the dark clouds. The rain and wind were getting stronger. She skidded down to Palmdance and Cloudmist. "The sand might bury you and Palmdance!" She tried to push a path through the sand by walking at a smaller slope, but it caved in.

"It won't work," a new voice said. The cats whirled around.

There was a strange cat standing there.

They didn't look like a wild cat, though, they looked too much like a Twoleg-made "breed". Nearly flawless pattern, shorter legs, and a fluffy yet thin coat.

"Let me get her," he continued, making a huge arc in the air to get down to Palmdance. A few moments later, they appeared with Palmdance, Cloudmist trailing behind. He placed her onto the sand. Spiralwind and Turtlepaw hurried to her.

"And who are you?" Shorestar growled. "Trespassing on TideClan territory like that." She flicked her tail at Mistgaze, who beckoned for Ivypaw to leave. She ran back to camp; Pearpaw suspected she was going to get a patrol.

Mistgaze and Cloudmist balanced Palmdance on their backs, walking back to camp. The medicine cats followed.

Pearpaw and Mangopaw both looked at each other. Were they intentionally not given instructions, or did Shorestar forget about them?

The "cat" turned to Shorestar, his gaze missing Pearpaw and Mangopaw. "My apologies. I did not notice the border marks in the storm. I am Mountain Snowcap, the current King of the Changing Skies tribe. May I ask who you are?"

Shorestar fluffed up her fur. Pearpaw and Mangopaw backed away slowly. "I am Shorestar, leader of TideClan. Your cats will go to your..."Sunstone" territory after this storm fades. I will escort you to the border." She swept her tail around, pointing in Mountain Snowcap's direction, then at a small ditch in the sand.

Pearpaw slunk over to it and looked around cautiously. "Shorestar wants us to follow him?" She whispered to Mangopaw.

"I suppose, in case she gets ambushed and we need to tell the clan." Her sister watched their leader and Mountain Snowcap as they passed. "Come on!"

"I suppose I have not introduced my tribe properly. We are a group of Snow Cats, currently travelling to our Sunstone territory. I am surprised we have never met, but I suppose in our usual route, we avoid your lands."

Pearpaw and Mangopaw stealthily followed the two cats to the border. "Do you think these cats actually exist? I mean, who needs three territories? They have thick pelts, so they should probably just stay in their mountain." Mangopaw looked at Pearpaw. "I mean, what's the point?" Pearpaw twitched her ears and gestured for Mangopaw to be quiet.

"TideClan was founded many, many generations ago. I am not surprised that our Clan has met your tribe previously, when it was new." Shorestar raised her head haughtily. The effect was only dampened by the heavy rains splashing around her, making her fur slick back.

Mountain Snowcap's paw sank in the loose sand, before regaining his step. "The Changing Skies tribe has always been grateful to TideClan. If not for your ancestors, we would not have survived." He padded past the border, Shorestar following.

Pearpaw didn't know whether she was imagining it, but her leader looked confused.

The thump of a large pawstep alerted her. She prepared to leap out of the shadows. "Wh-"

A huge cat leapt onto Shorestar, bowling her over past the border, where a group of Snow Cats was waiting.

Waiting to attack.

⊹˚︵‿₊˚ʚ🐾ɞ˚₊‿︵˚⊹

another chapter! sorry that's it's really late ^^'

thanks to WishcIouds for helping me edit it! :D

-why do you think the Changing Skies are attacking?

-do you have any predictions about the tribe or its origins?

-how do you think TideClan and the tribe are connected?

-can you find any "easter eggs" or foreshadowing in the chapter? [might be important later on 0v0]

published: 06.15.21

edited: 08.02.21

word count: 1748