"Please, Dapplestar, we need to take a break! Fallenpaw's burning up and he seems dazed!" Breezepaw cried, her shoulder wedged under Fallenpaw's to keep him upright. Fallenpaw was stumbling and Breezepaw knew in her heart she couldn't go on for much longer although she kept pushing herself to do it for her denmate.

"I want to go home.." She heard Leafpaw whisper. She winced, watching Dapplestar whip around.

"Then leave, you worthless piece of fox-dung!" the dappled leader spat. Breezepaw forgot about Fallenpaw momentarily as she lunged forward, claws extended. She barely scraped Dapplestar's pelt before the leader had her pinned with claws at her throat.

"Get away from her!" Sorrelpaw snarled, springing over Dapplestar and behind Breezepaw's head.

"Calm it, Bossypaw." Dapplestar sneered as she ran a claw lightly along Breezepaw's throat.

"Leave my sister alone! If you kill her I'll kill you!" Sorrelpaw threatened, fangs bared. Dapplestar released her grip to stalk up to Sorrelpaw while Breezepaw took the opportunity to get up.

"Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Frogpaw's scream came. "What is happening?! Dapplestar, those are your sister's kits! Would you really kill them? Are you insane?!" Dapplestar scoffed.

"Shut it, you worthless creature. Come and defend them yourself if they mean so much to you." The dappled leader spat. Frogpaw's eyes burned with a coldness Breezepaw had never seen in Fallenpaw's littermate.

"Dapplestar, stop!" Sorrelpaw wailed. Dapplestar had reached over and struck the apprentice with her claws.

"Why should I? I'm the leader of JungleClan! I can do what I want!" Dapplestar's voice sounded far from her own. Breezepaw took a breath, clawing her way up a tree trunk. She snuck across a branch hanging over Dapplestar's head, blood roaring in her ears. She had to save Sorrelpaw!

"I'm sorry!" Breezepaw yowled, plunging off of the branch, paws extended to aim blows at Dapplestar's head. Dapplestar staggered a few tail-lengths from Sorrelpaw and Fallenpaw before collapsing.

"You did it!" Scorchpaw cried, running out from behind a wide tree. Breezepaw watched Leafpaw follow behind him, Frogpaw pad up to Sorrelpaw and give her ear a comforting lick, and Scorchpaw curl up beside Dapplestar before moving towards Fallenpaw. Over the past few sunrises, Fallenpaw had become noticeably better, but today he'd seemed to have a relapse and had gotten worse.

"Fallenpaw?" Breezepaw asked meekly. Fallenpaw raised his head, his eyes focusing on her.

"Hi, Breezepaw. Are you okay? I watched the whole scuffle." Fallenpaw questioned, his voice strong instead of weak like it had been earlier. Pressing a paw to his head, she felt relieved that he felt normal.

"I'm fine, actually. Physically, I mean. I'm horrified to think that Dapplestar actually wanted to kill us..." Breezepaw confessed. Fallenpaw's gaze softened as he pushed himself to a sitting position. Breezepaw leaned into the tom, exhausted.

"I wish we could just get there already," Breezepaw meowed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Maybe we'll be there before you know it, Breezepaw. Maybe we'll be there in a sunrise." Fallenpaw meowed. Breezepaw smiled. Breathing in deeply, the she-cat let the sudden sleepiness pull her in. She could use a nap, anyways.
***
"Breezepaw." Breezepaw's blue eyes flew open.

"Nightsky!" She yowled, the starry figure of her mother in front of her.

"My dear, it kills me inside to see my sister treating you and the rest so poorly. I am ashamed to have let my life slip away from me so easily. I had many more moons, moons I could've used to spend time with you and your siblings... Oh, I'm rambling on about it, aren't I? Breezepaw, I want you to continue on to Dapplestar's cave." Nightsky whispered, curling around her kit. Breezepaw relished the sweet scent of her mother, and soon she felt a tear streak down her cheek.

"Don't cry, my warrior. You will see me again, I promise." Nightsky vowed, her starry fur tickling Breezepaw's nose. Breezepaw watched the clearing she'd awoken in fade along with Nightsky, and she felt her heart sink.

"Bye!" Breezepaw wailed as she closed her eyes.
***

"Breezepaw! Breezepaw, wake up!" Sorrelpaw's voice whispered. Breezepaw blinked, looking over at Fallenpaw. He had sat patiently as she'd fallen asleep pressed against him.

"Thank you," she whispered to the tom, and by the look in Fallenpaw's blue eyes, Breezepaw knew he knew what she was thanking him for. "Sorry for falling asleep, it must have been annoying to sit there for so long." Fallenpaw's eyes widened as he violently shook his head.

"Of course not! You are my best friend, after all." Breezepaw felt her ear tips grow hot with embarrassment, but she also felt something else. Warmth.

A/N:

WELL. That took me forever to write for whatever reason. Wondering what Dapplestar'll do to the "paws" after she wakes up? Next chapter'll explain that! Anyways, I bet some of you see what's happening between Falleneh and Breezeh :3

Until next time, my fellow warriors,

May StarClan light your path!

~Catching <3