Leopardkit couldn't sleep.

As dusk fell, Firetail steered her toward her nest, determined that she get a proper amount of rest. Redpaw was finally dismissed for the night after a long day of intensive learning. As the fluffy tom padded out of the medicine den, coat ruffled and exhausted, he shot Leopardkit a knowing look. His green eyes were gleaming with excitement.

The she-kit knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, even if she wanted to. She didn't have the chance to ask Redpaw about his plan during the afternoon, as Firetail had been busy teaching him how to make different poultices and administer them. Leopardkit was left to play with a few stray leaves blowing around the stone hollow, careful to keep her distance from the nursery. Fortunately, Weedkit and Longkit were preoccupied with something else and hadn't noticed her. However, the question had sat in the back of her head all day. What was Redpaw going to do? Where was he taking her?

She lay curled in her nest, watching through half-closed eyes as Firetail stalked out of the den.

"I have some important business to discuss with Darkstar," the old medicine suddenly said, startling Leopardkit. The she-kit's ears twitched back in dismay. How had Firetail known she was still awake?

"I'll be back soon," Firetail assured, looking over at the small she-kit. Her old amber eyes were thoughtful. "Are you sleeping alright? Need some poppy seeds?"

"No, thank you." Leopardkit quickly shook her head, stretching her jaws in a wide yawn for good measure. She shifted a little in her nest and closed her eyes, carefully laying her tail over her nose.

Firetail gazed at her for a heartbeat more and then silently left the den.

Leopardkit sighed when she was finally out of earshot. She needed to be more careful if she was going to escape.

It felt like moons before she heard the padding of paws outside the medicine den again. Leopardkit quickly pinched her eyes shut and slowed her breathing, doing her best to pretend to be in a deep, comfortable sleep.

Firetail entered the den slowly. Unlike the calculating, watchful she-cat that had left, she stepped in as if she had aged many moons. Her amber eyes were dull and her body sagged from her weary bones. The old medicine cat had an air of solemnity and sorrow about her. Firetail must've been so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even check on Leopardkit as she trudged to the back of her den. The she-kit barely cracked an amber eye open to watch.

To Leopardkit's dismay, instead of heading toward her nest, Firetail stepped up to the small pool in the corner of her den. The gray cat paused and sat in front of it, silently staring down into the dark water. What is she doing? Leopardkit thought incredulously, nose twitching impatiently. The sooner Firetail was asleep, the easier it would be to escape.

      After several antagonizing heartbeats, the medicine cat sighed once more, rose to her paws, and padded to her own nest. Firetail settled down and after a few moments, her breathing had slowed.

      Leopardkit let out a breath of relief. She twisted her head to peek at the den entrance. Soon it would be moonhigh. Time for her escape.

      The she-kit carefully stood up in her nest, cringing as the dry moss rustled. She stole several glances back at Firetail, but the old medicine cat remained sound asleep. Or at least appeared to be.

       Leopardkit slowly slunk to the entrance of the medicine den, her breath held. She didn't look back as she crept past the bramble tendrils.

     The stone hollow was silent and bare, washed in moonlight and scattered with fallen leaves. The spotted she-kit shivered and her fur bristled along her spine as she was reminded of the night Mousekit visited her.

Leopardkit kept her body low to the ground as she stalked toward the thorn tunnel. Her heart started beating quickly in her chest. She had never been out of camp before. Because you're not allowed out of camp.

The she-kit shook off her nervousness. At least she wasn't going alone. Redpaw would be with her.

Leopardkit paused at the mouth of the tunnel. Around her, the camp was bathed in cool silver moonlight, yet the tunnel was shrouded in complete darkness. The arch of thorn bushes bore eerie, fang-like projections.

The she-kit hesitated, suddenly feeling very tiny. Glancing back at the stone hollow one last time, she crept into the tunnel and the blackness swallowed her up.

Leopardkit blinked rapidly, her amber eyes struggling to adapt to the darkness. Her heart exploded as a shadow rushed toward her, but her panicked yowl was muffled by a plumy tail covering her jaws.

"It's just me!" a familiar, friendly voice whispered in her ear.

Leopardkit's legs flooded with relief as she made out the tufted ears and fluffy face of Redpaw. The apprentice's green eyes were glowing in the darkness. "We have to sneak past the guard," he meowed quietly in her ear, his warm breath stirring her fur. Leopardkit shivered. Redpaw had always seemed to be a timid and obedient young cat; she had never expected to see this mischievous side of him.

Her heart still pounding, she said breathlessly, "And how exactly are we going to do that?" She challenged him with skeptical amber eyes.

Redpaw smirked down at her, his tail swishing in the darkness. "Lucky for us, I think he fell asleep."

The two young cats carefully crept to the other opening of the thorn tunnel. They peeked their heads out the other end and examined the figure sitting near the entrance.

The stocky warrior was illuminated by dappled moonlight, facing the multitude of trees. Leopardkit recognized him to be Yellowcloud, a particularly stubborn cream-furred tomcat. Sure enough, his head hung from his sitting position, and he emitted a soft snore.

Leopardkit curled her lip, peering at the tom. With ShadowClan's recent trespassing, she would expect the warriors to be on high alert.

Leopardkit felt a fuzzy weight on her shoulder, and she glanced to see Redpaw's fluffy tail. When she gazed up at him, he nodded down to her. Time to go.

Waving his fluffy tail for her to follow, Redpaw silently crept into the forest, watching the sleeping guard all the way.

Leopardkit stiffly followed. Excitement and fear alike pulsed through her veins. Her legs itched to run, but she knew it would give her away instantly. She let out a quiet gasp as a dry leaf crunched under her paw pad.

Redpaw looked over his shoulder in alarm, his green eyes wide. They both slowly turned their gazes to Yellowcloud. The tom sniffled and the snores continued.

Quivering, Leopardkit continued to follow Redpaw into the brush. Now, she was extremely careful to watch what was beneath her small paws, cautiously stepping over twigs and fallen leaves. The she-kit flinched every time a branch poked at her side. Her legs felt weak.

When the pair were well out of earshot, Redpaw whipped around and laughed, his gleeful voice ringing in the all the way to the treetops. Leopardkit was startled by the sudden noise, staring at him with confusion.

The fluffy ginger tom crouched to the ground, his tail lashing. "Can you believe it?" he said gleefully. She tilted her head at him, giving him a curious look.

His green eyes focused on Leopardkit, and before she could react, he sprang at her. The she-kit yelped in surprise as she was barreled over, pinned to the cool ground.

Redpaw blinked down at her, a gleam in his eyes. "A medicine cat apprentice and a kit escaped camp at night!" he exclaimed, unable to stop laughing. "The warriors and apprentices think that they're so extraordinary, but look at us!"

Leopardkit let out a high-pitched growl and shoved the larger tom off of her. "Who are you calling a kit?" she hissed, scrambling to her paws, but there was a playful gleam in her sharp amber eyes as well. This time, it was she who leapt at him.

Redpaw grunted as Leopardkit tackled him, and the two wrestled on the forest floor, laughing and growling at each other. Leaves and dirt were caught in their fur, but the two hardly noticed.

The she-kit was glowing with happiness. Redpaw was right. The warriors of ThunderClan were filled and pride and disdain for anyone weaker than themselves. Yet, the two of them, outcasts in their own ways, had thwarted the guard and escaped. If Weedkit and Longkit knew about this, they would be unbelievably jealous.

Unexpectedly, Mousekit's forlorn face entered Leopardkit's mind, and her joy faltered for a moment. She knew that he would condemn this and be severely disappointed in her. The she-kit shook off the uneasy feeling and tugged at Redpaw's tufted ear with her jaws. She had a new friend now.

Suddenly, Redpaw tore out of her grasp and darted away, glancing back with wild green eyes. His tail lifted in delight, he cried, "Let's go!"

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Leopardkit bounded after the tom, following his fluffy red tail. She had only a heartbeat to examine the the vastness of the territory surrounding her: the massive black trees that stretched endless above her, the swells of undergrowth that flourished on all sides. The she-kit had never seen so much foliage before, and the mysterious environment made her fur prickle.

But Leopardkit didn't have time to be frightened. The excitement thudding in her chest was much more powerful. She scrambled after her friend, breathing heavily. The forest seemed to go on forever, but her chest started to burn. The she-kit had never run this far in her five moons of life.

Redpaw suddenly halted in front of her, his tail raised. Leopardkit gratefully stumbled to a stop at his flank, her chest heaving.

The medicine cat apprentice was also breathing heavily, but the light in his eyes was bright. He lifted his nose to the air, scanning the shadowed forest around them. "We're close," he stated.

Leopardkit narrowed her eyes at him skeptically. She sniffed the air as well, but the thick scents of soggy wood, crisp fallen leaves, and dry thorny plants were no different to her.

"Follow me," Redpaw commanded, turning a slightly different direction. "And be quiet," he added with a whisper, his green eyes glancing back at her.

Leopardkit felt a hot charge of excitement run through her whole body. Were they sneaking up on a creature? A fox? A badger? Her amber eyes wide, she carefully crept after him, her tail trembling with the anticipation.

But to her surprise, Redpaw led her to the edge of the forest. The trees gave way to open sky, which was a dark palette dusted with glimmering white. Leopardkit breathed in awe as she took in the vastness of the night sky. From camp, only a portion of it was visible, always framed by the tall, thick trees. But here, the indigo sea stretched from horizon to horizon. A path of clustered stars was visible above her, a stunning pattern that she had never noticed before in the stone hollow. When she brought her amber gaze back down to earth, she caught sight of the rolling hills that stretched to the horizon.

The sound of pebbles crunching caught her attention. Leopardkit reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the land, glancing over to Redpaw. Her amber eyes widened.

The ginger tom sat at the edge of a crystal clear pool. It was similar to the small pool in the medicine den, with a small stream trickling into it, although this one was far larger. As Leopardkit padded toward it, the dirt under her paws giving way to rock, she felt a strange apprehension envelop her, making her bristle. The ghost of a feeling seemed to hover inside her, although she couldn't discern what. She paused to glance down at the smooth stone, which was embedded with ancient paw prints.

Holding her breath, the she-kit joined Redpaw at the edge of the pool. The stars reflected flawlessly in the crystal clear water, and Leopardkit felt as if she would fall into the sky if she dared to step.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Redpaw murmured softly. His green eyes never left the water. They were entranced by the beauty, sweeping over it with awe. "The herbs are interesting, and I enjoy helping my Clanmates, but this... this is what I love about being a medicine cat."

Leopardkit felt a chill run down her spine, although she wasn't sure why. The pool sat silently in front of them, as if waiting. The she-kit sensed there was something deeper here than just water. "Is this..."

"The Moonpool," Redpaw whispered in sheer reverence.

Leopardkit had heard Firetail speak of the sacred waterhole every now and then. Sandstreak had never mentioned it to her. She truly only knew of it from the stories she and Mousekit listened to from the elders. It was the sacred place for medicine cats to visit every half-moon, a portal of sorts between the living and the dead. Those who slept at its waters gained access to the heavens for a short time, able to share a word with the great warriors of old. If they permitted.

"Redpaw, have you really spoken to StarClan before?" Leopardkit asked, turning her head toward her friend. She had always been skeptical of the afterlife. How could cats truly live among the stars?

If StarClan doesn't exist, then who visited you? Leopardkit had pondered that question often. She barely remembered the moments leading up to her near-death, brushing it off as a dream.

Redpaw snorted. "Of course I have! Firetail and the other Clan's medicine cats all travel here every half-moon to share tongues with StarClan. She's only brought me along once, and it was long ago, but it was the most incredible night of my life!"

Leopardkit's thoughts stirred. "Why doesn't she bring you along every half-moon?"

      Redpaw's tail drooped. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Firetail has told me that there has been... tension in StarClan lately. They've been so elusive, she thinks it's not worth my time coming." He kneaded his paws on the stone, glancing up at Leopardkit with frustration clear in his gaze. "Obviously I can't argue with her, but I think she just doesn't want the trouble of bringing me along."

      Leopardkit wasn't sure how to respond. She offered him a sympathetic look. By the way the old she-cat consistently worked, it was clear that Firetail was efficient and despised wasting time. She could easily believe that the medicine cat didn't want to deal with the hassle of bringing along an apprentice.

      But could Firetail be telling the truth? Was there tension in StarClan?

     Leopardkit's tail twitched. "Well, we're here now, whether Firetail likes it or not," she meowed, attempting to lift Redpaw's spirits.

Redpaw gave her a small, mischievous smile. Suddenly his face grew to an expression full of joy and excitement. "You just have to touch your nose to the water, lap a bit up if you want, and then lay down and let yourself fall asleep."

Leopardkit nodded, her stomach churning with nerves. She glanced up at the night sky again.

"Are you ready?" Redpaw asked, his eyes shining.

Leopardkit nodded, swallowing.

The two young cats bent down and carefully touched their noses to Moonpool's water, sending peaceful ripples through it. Curious, the she-kit opened her jaws and lapped it up. The water was icy on Leopardkit's tongue. She forced herself to swallow it.

Redpaw immediately laid down without a word and rested his head on his paws, his eyes closed. Hesitantly, Leopardkit copied him.

For a few heartbeats she lay there, listening to the sound of the trees rustling in the forest behind her, and feeling the cool breeze curl around her ears. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and she flinched at every sound. How was she supposed to fall asleep when she was so anxious?

Leopardkit continued to lay very still. The scent of water lingered in her nose. She could hear Redpaw's quiet breathing beside her. An owl hooted far off in the forest.

This is ridiculous, she thought with a wave of frustration. The she-kit sat up and opened her eyes, intending to have Redpaw guide her back to camp immediately.

However, she was no longer by the Moonpool.