Remember when we were in kindergarten and saw someone easily making friends left and right? Maybe we are that person making friends left and right. Maybe we aren't. It doesn't matter, we've all been in the same square before, bare ground and friendless. Even if we happen to be at the top of the game or have a record for the most amount of friends, we all know what it's like to be somewhere without a friend.

So what if the loneliness gets to you. Let's say you look at that person and decide to mimic their behavior and actions. We're only putting up a mask to hide the part that we know people don't like. You act as someone else in hopes someone will like you and become someone's friend. As time progresses and if you manage to keep up your mask and hide - do you ever get lonely? 

Does anyone around you notice that you've gone 'missing'? Perhaps it's just you that's realized the absence. If you keep playing this act, will you eventually make a new friend or maybe find yourself in a big group of friends? Is that the right time to lower your mask and let it melt away and - hopefully - they won't be mad at you? 

But what if that's not the case? Everyone's stories play out differently. It's like smoking or being on drugs or alcohol. Like I said, everyone has their reasons and don't have to share it to the entire world. Say someone gets on them because that's the only escape they can have or possibly the only way they'll be liked by everyone. Deep down, it can slowly kill you off.

Then there's always the case of even playing a mask.

What if they don't even notice your change with that mask?

X X X

"I'm sorry," Lionfur meowed with a dip of his head. Beechpaw's hopes sank to the ground as the golden tom shook his head. "We can't afford anything else with leafbare coming up." Mothpaw lowered her head as her brother began to protest.

"But we're hungry!" Beechpaw was dismissed by Swiftbranch behind him, prodding the apprentice away. He scowled but stalked off, holding the small mouse in his jaws. Her crystal gaze followed him the entire time as he went up to Echoflight, and dropped the rodent in front of her. Their mother purred and gently pushed the prey back to her son, whispering something in his ears.

The line moved again and soon, Mothpaw found herself with a small mouse. Lionfur looked her way and said, "If you can, I want you to share this with somecat." With a nod, she scampered off to her mother's warm pelt. Right as Beechpaw took his prey back, she dropped her prey by Echoflight's paws.

"What is with you guys?" She asked with a purr, pushing Honeypaw's offer away as well. The three apprentices looked up at her wide eyes. "You're apprentices now, you should be more independent from me." Mothpaw shook her head and nudged the prey to her, hoping her silver-pelted mother would accept it. Instead, she pushed it back forcefully.

"But, mother..." She trailed, stomach growling loud enough for the cats around her to hear. Honeypaw blinked sadly at the prey. Three little mice all piled together for their mother to eat. Echoflight pushed the prey back.

"Do you know who would want it?" advised Echoflight. The three apprentices pricked their ears up. "It'd make me happy if you did so."

"Who is it?" Beechpaw chirped, snatching his prey back up and darting his eyes back and forth from each cat. Echoflight laughed and took hold of her son's head with her paw, directing it toward a stone-gray pelt in the corner. At once, Mothpaw felt Beechpaw's hostility rise and sink his teeth further into the pelt of the mouse. Honeypaw lifted her head, affected by the increased rage and even with her back turned, knew who their mother was looking at. 

"Not him," he snarled, breaking free of Echoflight's grip. "I'd rather have you eat it."

"He's a warrior just like the rest of us," she fought, demanding him to go forward. "What happened to the talk we had?"

He let out a growl of frustration. Guilt washed over Mothpaw, seeing her father sitting alone and staring at the camp with sorrowful eyes. Not even noticing the rest of his family staring at him, he remained stone-like. Echoflight shook her head, picking up the two mice in her jaws and handing them to her daughters. By now, the prey was getting cold, something that Beechpaw would enjoy giving to Ripplestone.

Maybe this can be a reason to approach him, she argued with herself. She never had the time to talk with him - not that he ever visited the nursery, anyways. That day when she met her father for the first time gave her nausea. If her father truly loved her, why didn't he hang out with them? A single thought slipped into her mind and almost caused her to yelp out loud.

Was it because Echoflight or Ripplestone was paired up with the other one? If it's true, then it must've been Echoflight, she's the only one who's cared for us! Mothpaw stumbled backward weakly, her mother's paw catching her fall. With a soft shove, Mothpaw was back on her paws and pushed forward along with her siblings. Beechpaw dug his claws into the ground while Honeypaw, though usually hyper and rambunctious, kept returning her worried green gaze back to them.

"Go on, he won't hurt you," she reassured sweetly. Her scent flooded over them, reminding Mothpaw of the warm nursery. Then her eyes landed on Ripplestone's figure and a cold sensation swept over her.

"Do we just offer the prey and we're done?" Honeypaw questioned.

"Try to have a conversation, if you can," Echoflight persuaded. "He might be the funniest cat you've ever met!"

"I highly doubt that," Beechpaw declared with a lash from his tail. "If he's funny, why doesn't he make you smile or laugh?"

"Just go," she growled, losing patience with her son. Pushing them all forward, they stumbled over, fighting each other to see who would greet him first. Despite their arguing, Ripplestone didn't glance up. Beechpaw got a rough shove by the two of them, forcing him to be in the front.

"Stop it!" He twisted around to make Honeypaw be in the lead. The golden tabby ducked under the blow and tripped him, making him fall. He let out a grunt as he hit the ground, right next to their father. Mothpaw peeked out from Honeypaw's side. She tensed up when their father slowly twisted his head and glowered at his son.

Silence passed between the four of them. Ripplestone's amber eyes remained on Beechpaw, who didn't lift his head from the dirt. His gaze, after examining the bundle of fur thoroughly, went to Honeypaw. She unleashed her claws and dug them into the ground, her fur beginning to tremble. Feeling her sister's fear and anticipation, she found herself shaking and fighting to keep her fur flat. Two amber daggers struck her, making her turn to stone. Only brave enough to move her fearful eyes, she dared to look at him.

She could practically see herself in her father's eyes. An uncontrollable cat that couldn't even get out from behind her older sister's pelt. Ripplestone craned his neck further, finally locking onto a patch of her silver fur. His eyes widened and jaws parted as if he going to say something. Mothpaw's shoulders began to lower, the worry in her eyes draining out. He narrowed his eyes at her and she felt a wall go up in her mind, wanting to flee to her mother's pelt.

That's when Beechpaw sprang out from the ground, shocking their father. Honeypaw and Mothpaw let out a surprised gasp as he threw the mouse at him. Ripplestone jumped back and then relaxed, realizing it was only prey. Her brother was fuming with rage, his spine arched and tail hovering around his back legs like a waiting snake.

"There," he snarled, venom leaking out of his mouth. "You got your stupid prey." With that, he whirled around and stomped off back to Echoflight. Mothpaw caught a brief glance at Echoflight's face, which was painted with disappointment at her son. She shook her head but welcomed him back, pushing away her anger.

"Are you also here to give me prey?" Ripplestone asked the two of them. He didn't sound mad or frustrated, just exhausted like Ashstar. Mothpaw crawled out from behind Honeypaw and quickly nodded, leaning forward and dropping the prey next to Beechpaw's offering. As quick as a fleeing rabbit, Honeypaw dropped her prey and ran off, her golden tail whipping in the wind like a flag. Leaving the silver-apprentice all alone with an apathetic cat that she called her father. Mothpaw whirled around, trying to stand her ground.

If Honeypaw didn't make a conversation with him, then I'll do it for her! Sure, Beechpaw sorta made small talk... She shook her head, growling at her father. "What they said!" She growled, shoving the three mice at his paws. Ripplestone looked at her with a confused expression.

As she tried to keep calm, her father began to inspect her harder. Paying closer attention to her movements, tail twitches and her eyes flickering around him. He sighed, wrapping his tail around himself and stared at the three prey. Her father didn't lean down to eat the gifts and was showing the signs that he didn't want her around anymore.

She waited. And waited.

"Are you going to say something else?" she demanded, catching his attention again.

"You're Mothpaw, correct?" he asked, voice raspy. She didn't respond, quivering in place. Ripplestone raised an eye. "Can you talk?"

"Yes, both correct!" She fumbled with her paws and shook herself. It's a surprise he even knows my name, I thought he didn't know I existed.

"Echoflight's doppelganger?"

"Doppelganger...?"

"You're a living double of your mother, her pelt, eyes, name it and you're similar." Ripplestone got up, standing his full height. Mothpaw glanced up and tried to find something she shared with him. His eyes were amber and pelt was darker than Echoflight's. Looking into the amber pools, she could see Beechpaw's face reflecting back.

He's probably mad about that, she worried. "So what if I am? Is being a doppelganger a bad thing?"

"No," he replied sharply. "Just make sure you have your own personality. MeadowClan doesn't need two of the same cat."

"What's so bad about that?" She demanded, her fur bristling. "If you're trying to make me mad at you, then you've already succeeded!"

"If you go missing and you're just a copy of another cat, then nobody will know you're gone." The words dug under her fur harder than she expected. Knowing he got to her, Ripplestone smirked and walked away, his tail brushing past her. Mothpaw stared at the ground, embarrassment swarmed over her entire body.

He... He doesn't know what he's talking about! She protested, wanting to whirl around and talk to her father. The confidence she needed left her and forced her to stay where she was. Now understanding why Beechpaw resented their father, she gritted her teeth together and sunk her claws into the ground.

I'm not my mother's doppelganger! I'm Mothpaw of MeadowClan! He doesn't know that! Whirling around, not even bothering about the wasted three mice Ripplestone hadn't even touched, stormed off. Echoflight seemed to be lecturing Beechpaw, Honeypaw standing aside as a bystander.

I will never be my mother's doppelganger! Not now, not ever! He's just being a mouse-brain! She trotted over to her family, Honeypaw not evening speaking up. Echoflight's eyes narrowed at her suspiciously but returned to her brother.

Yet the whole way, she felt her father's amber eyes following and those words linger around, making her shoulders sag a few inches lower, and understanding the cold-hearted truth that her father didn't share a single ounce of love for any of his kits.