I bet we can all relate to a moment in our lives when heard a little secret that wasn't meant for our ears. It doesn't have to be a bad one, but maybe one about a room you've never been into in your house before or a part of the forest that has remained unexplored. Maybe a horror movie is the best example - one person tells the victim to not enter Room 237 or enter the haunted building. As human beings, we go against the words of adults and do it anyways.

At first, we think we're smart and slip into trouble. Most of the time, someone has to come and save us or they learn about the quest sooner or later. You're thinking through the whole time, "I'm brave, I can do this!" Then you're discovered and you either run from the inevitable or face the truth head-on. That's when we have to come to realize why we did it. Was it because of the rule saying not to go? Was it for our safety?

Or was it because the person telling us wanted us to go there and see what lies in the 'forbidden land'?

No matter what happens, we know that adults know better than us. They tend to be smarter with words, sly with actions that cover a child's senses. Manipulating them to do what they want, whether it's an order like, "Eat your vegetables!" or "Don't touch that!". But, then we're all exposed to the fact that sometimes a kid won't eat his or her vegetables or will touch the object. It's not a guarantee they'll ignore you or listen, but what doesn't change is that the adult told them so.

Is it something in the kids that makes them misbehave, or is it something else?

X X X

"What I'm about to tell you, you cannot let the others know." Ashstar paced around the den slowly. His tail would whisk across the floor once, twice, and then a third time. Every few times, Mothpaw would hear the faint rustle of small leaves scatter around the den from the leader's tail movements. As she waited, she could feel her paws tingle with excitement and worry.

If a meeting's this important, then there has to be a reason to be worried. For once, Mothpaw couldn't deny the fact her sister's so-called 'motivational speech' worked.

Of course, if Mothpaw was bursting with excitement, that meant her rambunctious siblings were twice as excited. Ashstar hadn't even gotten started with the speech and he already dealt with Beechpaw and Honeypaw's shenanigans. Still and silent, Mothpaw inched closer to the warm, black pelt of Olivepaw. The last apprentice in the room, Runningpaw, kept his gaze firmly planted on Ashstar.

The older apprentice gave her a quick smile and returned to Ashstar's pacing. The gray leader seemed concern and unprepared for this special meeting. Mothpaw would've guessed he went through it at least once to himself.

Then again, he was the leader and had other things to worry about. Such as Firefleck's disappearance. Worrying would only make things harder on the old leader, and that was one thing Mothpaw didn't want to force on him. Becoming leader wasn't on her mind, in fact, the more she pondered, the more she became to realize that was one of her fears. Ashstar had MeadowClan under control - mostly under control.

"Listen up," the leader spoke and sat down. He looked exhausted, shoulders sagging down and skinnier than a twig. The stress had gotten to him, she worried. Seeing her leader this fragile and weak made her feel like an enemy was constantly watching her back. Olivepaw and Runningpaw straightened up, while her siblings momentarily stopped fidgeting.

Am I going to regret this? Mothpaw leaned her ears forward, hoping to pick up each and every detail that was about to be said.

"The current problem both MeadowClan and CinderClan face is none other than missing cats." His voice was hard to understand like he had honey coated in his throat. "We don't know why they're missing or gone, but we're going to stop it soon. You three." His gaze landed on Mothpaw and her siblings. "Must be extra careful."

"But Echoflight said we're good." Beechpaw frowned at the comment.

"That was your mother and father's decision." She felt Beechpaw tighten up at the mention of Ripplestone. Honeypaw kept her eyes on the ground. "It doesn't mean you'll go missing, the life you've all had has been sheltered." Ashstar locked eyes with all of the apprentices, making them catch their breath. "Now it's time to remove that fantasy."

Her hopes sank to the ground. Echoflight had told them over and over that she would do anything in her power to protect them. Yet the thing she said that scared Mothpaw the most was the fact she couldn't save her from everything. The world outside the nursery was a different place, and if she wasn't careful and treaded blindly, she could find herself falling into an endless depth of mysteries and horrors. She shuddered at the thought, wishing that the time where she would leave the nest would come slowly.

But that wasn't how time worked.

As time moved on and the closer she felt herself getting closer to six moons, Mothpaw began to feel as if she was seeing more of what was in front of her. The silence of the Clan in the morning, the speed and time it took to complete a border or hunting patrol. Cats seemed hesitant to join but finished up the tasks quickly. Whether they were efficient or not wasn't up for her to decide. Danger lurked around the corners, and Mothpaw knew that with leafbare approaching, the thought of dying in the white season made anycat cautious of even stepping a foot outside the camp.

That's why I hoped I wouldn't be made an apprentice at four moons! Mothpaw bit her lip to seal her anger. Already, being made an apprentice at a young age let the thought of displeasing StarClan slip through. If that Clan existed, was she already on bad terms? MeadowClan was suffering, did they enjoy seeing the entire Clan suffer from the loss of cats? Echoflight rarely mentioned StarClan and anytime Mothpaw found herself wondering if they were real made her head throb.

"One of the first things I want you to know is the previous leader, Daystar." That snatched up all their attention. "She was fearless, and brave until the end."

"What happened?" Olivepaw whispered, fear glinting in her eyes. Runningpaw nudged her softly, giving her support.

"She dealt with our missing cat problems, the last straw was most likely the death of her brother, Nightfall." The leader curled his tail around his paws neatly. Mothpaw tried not to pay too much attention to his tail, noticing that it barely had any fur clinging to its boney frame.

How bad is this affecting him? She worried and bit her lip to distract herself.

"She took matters into her own paws and left, leaving me in charge of the Clan. Moons went on, she never returned. We never heard anything about her. None of us knew if she was coming back or if she was alive."

Mothpaw didn't need to know that if someone as powerful as Daystar had suddenly disappeared, panic would spread faster throughout the Clan. She wondered if her mother was alive at the time. That'd be a question to ask the next time she saw her silver-pelted mother.

"We lost four warriors, and a medicine cat," he added. Runningpaw tilted his head in confusion.

"Was Dapplefur not alive then?" He spoke up, tilting his head as if to ponder the medicine cat's age.

"She was," Ashstar acknowledged. "But her mentor disappeared and then came back, much to our sorrow."

"Came back?" Olivepaw questioned.

"Is she a warrior?" Honeypaw wondered.

"That's something for another time," Ashstar replied. He earned disappointed sighs and moans from all of them. "Our Clan couldn't survive without a leader and when I received my nine lives, I never saw Daystar."

"Is she still alive?" Mothpaw spoke up, her jaw slamming shut after Ashstar twisted around.

"No cat knows, she left a broken Clan for me to repair. With every new apprentice we get, we lose half of them or more." The apprentices in the den exchanged a worried look, wondering who would be the next cat to go. All of them experience the loss of a sibling, even if it wasn't clear in their mind like the moon. Mothpaw barely felt the absence of Gorsekit, but Runningpaw and Olivepaw suffered the painful memories of Mallowkit. At that moment, she understood that even the strongest cats like Ashstar were just as vulnerable as Tigerfang's unborn kits. Even CinderClan, the distant group of cats dwelling in the forest, were under the same problem.

Where's StarClan? Mothpaw thought, a small rage beginning to grow inside of her. Ashstar sensed the rage and shook his head.

"StarClan has its ways of telling us, we just have to be patient," he protested with them. Runningpaw scowled and Olivepaw looked at the ground dully. That affected Beechpaw and Honeypaw, the two having a silent conversation in their heads. Mothpaw stared at her paws, her thoughts feeding into the flames.

Where are they? Do they not see us in pain? Where are you? Come out and help us, please, I'm begging you. Her wishes remained ungranted and the situation in the den stayed in the gloomy mood. Honeypaw's expected special meeting was nothing grand or exciting. All it was, a painful reminder to them that it turning into survival of the fittest.

"As apprentices, you are now treated as warriors." His voice dropped low that Mothpaw almost had to lean in to hear. Exhaustion swept through him and it pained her to see him in this condition. "However, I want to tell you about the plan that has been kept hidden from you."

Honeypaw's eyes lit up and her attention was taken back to the dull conversation. Mothpaw gulped, her heart beating against her chest harder. Ashstar noticed the change and inched back as if regretting the choice he made. It was too late to turn back now, all the apprentices were straining their ears to hear his words. His dull gaze lifted up and pointed his tail outside the den. They turned around, wondering what he could be motioning at. All that lay there was the exit of the den and a clear view of the night sky.

"Each time a cat has turned into an apprentice, I told them about this. But we can't speak it out loud to anycat, not even your own mother or father." Ashstar padded over to the den's exit and stared out with regret flashing in his eyes. The apprentices got up and walked beside their leader, standing next to him and looking out. "If you get taken or go missing, do whatever you can in your power to get out and return."

"But what if---" Olivepaw sharply elbowed her brother to keep his jaws shut. Whisking her tail up to their leader, she shook her head, signaling them all to keep quiet. Runningpaw rubbed his shoulder, casting a small glare at her but nevertheless, stayed quiet.

"There are so many possibilities as to why they are missing." Ashstar sighed, his shoulders sagging and dropping down to the size of the cats around him. Mothpaw tried not to worry about the visible bones she could pick out from his fur. "Are they dead? Alive? Nobody knows those answers and StarClan is silent."

"Is there any way to contact them?" Honeypaw whispered, breaking the silence. The other apprentices whirled around to berate her. Ashstar took care of the situation, placing a paw on Runningpaw's back and forcing his tail in the way of Olivepaw. Beechpaw didn't make a single movement toward her and inched closer to Mothpaw.

"There is one way, the Moon Tree, but only Dapplefur is permitted to go there," Ashstar instructed. "I know that'll only increase your desire to go there, I know what it's like to be like you." His eyes clouded with grief and Mothpaw saw his gaze shift to the left the slightest. Trailing it all the way to where he was looking, she saw the distinctive outlines of trees - CinderClan camp.

Does he want to go to CinderClan? No, sounds like regret lies there, Mothpaw confirmed. Does Dapplefur visit the Moon Tree often?

"But." Ashstar turned to Honeypaw directly, who straightened up under his presence. "If you want to go there, then I won't stop you or save you from Dapplefur's rage."

No, please don't open up the door for another adventure, Mothpaw begged.

"If you do, then I warn you." Ashstar pointed toward the medicine cat den. "What you find there, you mustn't bring back to this camp, it has to stay there."

So what's there? Mothpaw narrowed her eyes, she'd have to find out where the Moon Tree was located, obviously. Echoflight would let them know if they asked politely. That's when her plan was squashed out by the other side of her mind. Why was she planning this? Shouldn't it be Honeypaw or Beechpaw?

To her luck, Honeypaw and Beechpaw's eyes were shining with excitement, clearly telling Ashstar and the others about their plan. Runningpaw and Olivepaw exchanged a glance one last time before nodding.

"You are free to go," Ashstar mumbled. "But ask yourself before you do. Are you willing to go? Once you leave, there is no returning, no matter how much you desire."