Moonheart had been devastated. After hearing the news, she stalked to the back of the medicine den to sob, and stayed there. She didn't even sit vigil for Sunheart.

Nightstrike stopped himself from yawning. It was almost morning, sun rays close to leaking. Four cats star around Sunheart's body—Kestrelstripe, Skyflight, Nightstrike, and Flutterwing.

Sunheart's body was covered with flowers, disguising the scent of Thunderpath. Dappleleaf had also tried to clean out the blood, but Sunheart's body looked ragged and twisted in a wrong angle.

You would be remembered for your hunting skills, Nightstrike thought to his littermate, May you live happily in StarClan with Ambershine.

~

After the elder's took Sunheart's body to bury, Nightstrike decided to check on Moonheart.

"I'll be back." He told Skyflight.

Skyflight nodded, her nose's touching Nightstrike's before they parted.

Nightstrike paddled towards the medicine den, the hard stone ground scraping his tough pads. He went through the entrance, which was hidden by bramble tendrils in case of an attack. Nightstrike paddled to the back of the cave, where Moonheart was.

"It's all Dappleleaf's fault... My fault..." Nightstrike heard his mother sob. "And my s— no, NIGHTSTRIKE's fault!"

Nightstrike flinched. Should I approach her?

Moonheart continued, still unaware of Nightstrike. "I've lost everything. Ambershine, Sunheart, my Nightkit."

Nightstrike tilted his head. Nightkit? Not Nightstrike? Also, I'm not dead, ain't I?

"Moonheart, I'm here." Nightstrike meowed softly.

Moonheart's head snapped toward's Nightstrike. "You." She snarled, her blue eyes burning. "Get away from me and put your disgusting face into fox dung!"

Nightstrike gasped. "What?"

Thoughts began to boil in his mind. How could she meow that to me? I'm her son! Does she not recognize me? I thought she loved me...

"Leave." Moonheart bared her fangs. "Now."

Nightstrike backed up and scurried over to the outer part of the medicine den. "Dappleleaf," He meowed. "Is Moonheart okay?"

"She's fine." The medicine cat meowed, not taking her eyes off her herbs, which she was sorting. "Just upset."

"She didn't seem so fine to me." Nightstrike's whisker's trembled with worry.

"She's fine!" Dappleleaf snarled icily. "Are you here to get mouse bile? I'm sure Adderblaze would like you to pick off his ticks for him!"

"Don't be mean to Nightstrike!" Volepelt murmured nearby.

Arghh. Nightstrike thought, First Sunheart dies, now Moonheart's mad at me for something StarClan-knows-what!

Nightstrike stalked out of the den unhappily.

"Wait!" Volepelt called after him. "Don't go!"

Nightstreike stopped and looked back at the den's direction. The medicine cat apprentice dashed up to him.

"Don't lose your faith in StarClan." Volepelt meowed quietly. "StarClan has reasons to allow bad things to happen.

"For example, remember how before I was a medicine cat apprentice, I was bullied by Branchfrost to collect bedding for him? Well, it helped me know how to serve the clan, sure, not not all cats are that rude..." Volepelt looked at Nightstrike.

Nightstrike stared back.

"Never mind." Volepelt meowed quickly, and dashed back into the medicine den.

Nightstrike sighed and paddled towards Lightfire, who called for a border patrol. 

Skyflight was not going on the patrol with him.

Let's see how bad could this day be.

~

Nightstrike and Skyflight were grooming each other, sharing tongues.

"Skyflight." Nightstrike meowed, pausing his grooming. 

Skyflight also stopped and looked at Nightstrike with her glimmering green eyes.

"You know how I visited Moonheart this morning?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Nightstrike explained, "Moonheart hissed at me and told me to go away, and told me to put my face in fox dung."

Skyflight's jaw dropped open. "Wait, what did she tell you to do?"

"She told me to put my face into fox dung."

"Are you sure she meowed that?"

"She did! And I didn't misheard it! Trust me!" Nightstrike meowed frantically.

"Calm down, I trust that you're not lying." Skyflight traced her tail down Nightstrike's spine. Nightstrike's muscles relaxed. 

"But... I'm really worried." Nightstrike breathed. "I don't want my mother to be insane forever!"

"She's probably just upset." Skyflight reasoned. "She'll recover."

"I hope so..." Nightstrike meowed sadly, and began grooming Skyflight's fur again.

They continue to share tongues in silence. 

After a while, Skyflight meowed, "I'm supposed to guard the camp tonight."

"Really?" Nightstrike meowed, sounding upset. I won't get to share a nest with her then...

"Yes, and after everyone's asleep," Skyflight whispered, "You're going to sneak out of camp with me!"

It took a while for Skyflight's plan to sink in. "For what?"

"I have something planned." Skyflight meowed.

Ooo. A surprise. "And the camp?"

"I'm sure no cat would invade our camp," Skyflight meowed. "I mean, sure, we have conflict with ShadowClan, but it's not like they're going to travel through SkyClan's territory and lead an ambush to our camp."

"True." Nightstrike agreed. He let out a delightful purr. "I can't wait!"

"Shh." Skyflight placed her tail on his mouth playfully.

Nightstrike purred again.

Maybe today isn't going to be too bad after all.