"Lightspark grew up basking in attention. I think it all went to his head," Ferntail purred, and gave the silver tom a teasing shove as he settled down in between the pale ginger-brown tabby and Smokeflood, dropping a frog at their paws. He twitched an ear with a small sigh. The rain had tapered off by the time they arrived back at ShadowClan's camp. The camp itself was tucked away in a dip in the ground, large pines and constructed walls of pine branches hiding it from view. A great fallen tree slashed across the entrance, bracken, pine, and mud built up all around it as wells except for a small sliver to get in and out.

Ferntail and Lightspark had sat her down outside a bracken den, and the ginger tabby warrior had retrieved an amphibian from the fresh-kill pile.

      "I wasn't sure if you guys have frogs on your territory, but I thought maybe it would taste similar to what you might eat...?" Lightspark meowed, staring at the gray-brown creature.

      "We do. Not many, only by the brooks." Smokeflood murmured, staring down at the meal. Everyone is dead. Ferntail blinked with a surprised grin. That was the first time she had spoken since they had led her away to go back to camp. She didn't move to eat though, and Lightspark furrowed his brows, flicking his tail.

      "You need to eat. You can't get stronger to protect anyone if you don't." She looked up at him with blank hazel eyes, and he gazed back with cool amber-gold eyes. "I got it for you anyway. I'm not hungry." He set his head in paws, eyes half closing.

      "Ferntail..? Did you want any..?" She looked to the tom, her voice barely audible. He ruffled his fur, startled.

      "Oh..! Uhm...," Ferntail awkwardly glanced to Lightspark, who was watching carefully. "...Cats.. erm... cats without elements aren't allowed to eat until others have eaten." Smokeflood curled her lip.

      "What? Why? Non-elemental cats need to eat just as much as elemental cats." Ferntail ducked his head, and the young pale silver Lightspark closed his eyes as he spoke up.

      "It's messed up. It's how the clan runs, though. Many, many seasons back, the other clans were having more and more elemental cats be born than ShadowClan was. ShadowClan started falling behind on the raw power of having elemental control. So, a leader decided that elemental cats be put before all others. At the time, the non-elemental cats thought it was an honor. Now...," Lightspark sighed, glancing over to Ferntail. The long tom couldn't meet either of their gazes. "Now it's unneeded, but many elemental cats still want to keep it, if not make it even more prominent."

      "That's not right at all.... that's so wrong...." Smokeflood whispered. Most of my clan is dead, and they're over here trying to make two equal cats unequal? That doesn't even....

       "Yeah. WindClan is trying to start the process too, but many ShadowClan cats have warned against it, thankfully." Lightspark began licking mud off his paws. "Speaking of Gatherings, there's supposed to be one tonight, right? It's the full moon."

      "Hang on, wait, aren't you benefiting from Ferntail and the others being put down?" Smokeflood half-stood, eyes narrow. Lightspark picked his head up slowly, a flash in his eyes.

      "Benefiting?" He scoffed. "You still don't know anything." Ferntail whispered something to the electric tom, and he flicked his ear. "Eat your frog, there's no reason to cause yourself weakness where it can be avoided." He stood, padding away with the air vibrating around him.

      Smokeflood curled her lip, giving a low hiss. I'll destroy you, you.. you slimy earthworm.

      "Please, Smokeflood...," Ferntail looked up at her, his wide, leafy green eyes full. She swallowed the bile in her throat, and blinked earnestly, laying back down. "Lightspark... he's a good cat. He really is. He's not like the other cats."

      "The one-of-a-kind electric cat 'isn't like the others?' He has everything set for him." Ferntail tipped his head to the side with a small, knowing smile.

      "I know it sounds weird. You should talk to him. Don't let him stay simmering, don't let yourself stay simmering. It won't do either of you good!" He chastised. Smokeflood flicked her tail, taking a bite of the frog.

      "I could care less. ShadowClan is not good, just like ThunderClan. ShadowClan's blood is thick with poison." Just like Pearstar had said... "Poison spreads through the body. It spreads and kills and takes over and then you're dead. If you were to survive miraculously, there's always something that dies. Whether it's physical, or mental. The poison destroys. The poison kills."

"ShadowClan would never do something like ThunderClan did—we just have some old rules and cats who're not the kindest— we're not—!" Ferntail furrowed his brows, ears pinning back defensively. He blinked heavily, the stood, darting away in the direction Lightspark had gone.

      I hope he doesn't come back. I hope he simmers in anger, so maybe he'll know what it's like. Smokeflood bitterly ripped the amphibian apart. She slowed, staring at the frog, the juice dripping down her jaws and the meat feeling cold and tasteless in her mouth. Her stomach was was physically empty, but a had sickening empty feeling not related to hunger as well. The empty feeling filled her body, as realization flooded back to her. Everyone is still dead. I won't even see them again. They're all.. dead. Honeybreeze. Who knows where Miststar or even Rosecall is, or if ThunderClan will kill Eelpaw. Kalepaw said ThunderClan had taken her prisoner.... What if ThunderClan doesn't like non-elementals either? Eelpaw isn't an elemental— what if they kill her? Smokeflood's breathing was ragged, everything around her numbing. That's it. I don't even know if I can ever go back.. StarClan... what's going to happen to all the bodies..?!

"Smokepaw..?" She blearily glanced up, half-hearing her name. "Smokepaw, Smokepaw, hey, it's okay." It was Collieheart. The large black and white tom neared, forest green eyes soft. He limped on his forepaw, and a cobwebs were slathered on a cut across his muzzle, sure to scar. Multiple other parts of his body were also coated in poultices in cobwebs, one across his right shoulder blade particularly larger than the others.

      "..I'm fine, I'm okay, I'm just hungry...," she ducked her head low to the frog, drawing her tail close. Collieheart let out a low sigh, touching his nose to her ear.

      "I know that look. I've never seen it on you yet, but many others share it after yesterday." The ice elemental tom murmured gently. Smokeflood stiffened, unable to look him in the eyes.

      "Smokeflood. It's Smokeflood now, it was one of the last things Miststar did before Pearstar took her." Collieheart still smelled of RiverClan. He still smelled of the water, of fresh fish, of sedges and reeds.

      "It's alright. It's going to be okay."

      "Miststar saved us. She saved us, and I don't want to waste it. She told me to protect my clanmates." Smokeflood picked her eyes up to look at Collieheart. His eyes were fluttered shut, his ears slightly back.

     "Just surviving will protect RiverClan. You need to survive, Smokeflood. You need to survive to protect us. Learn more ways to be a warrior. I know Rosecall always pushed you way too much, I know that more than anyone else. I'm sorry. I'm still so, so sorry about that," he referenced to the time Rosecall had used him to see how powerful Smokeflood, Smokepaw at the time, truly was. "I don't know why Rosecall did it. But I do know that you benefit from it. You can protect us, Smokeflood. Rosecall gave you that power. So survive, and do what you were meant to do." Smokeflood paused a moment before giving a firm nod, her mind clearer.

      "Rosecall didn't give me that power. The cats who trained me did. You, Beechfeather, Laurelstep, every trainer I fought and learned from, from dawn until moonrise. You trained me. You guys have me this power." The dark she-cat stood. She inhaled deeply, and craned her neck to touch her nose to the back of Collieheart's ear. She padded away, her mind set. I need to find Lightspark. All I know is there are some living RiverClan cats that are still in ThunderClan's jaws. Lightspark is the only of his kind, so he has plenty of sway in ShadowClan. The way Lightspark had gone was harder to follow than she had expected. ShadowClan's camp had many small side passages walked with thorny bushes. Her long, thick pelt caught on many of the pricks, but she forced a hiss down her throat and kept going. Stale raindrops flicked down from overhanging nettles and beech leaves, plopping down like icy claws. She heard Lightspark and Ferntail before she saw them.

      "I'm sorry...," Lightspark was whispering, and then she crawled under a thorny bush, and pushed through to the other side. She recoiled, fur hot and eyes averting.

      "Agh- I'm sorry!" She barked. "I didn't mean to walk in on you—!" Lightspark's fur was on end, and he half sat up from where he had been curled around Ferntail, caressing the ginger-brown tabby with gentle licks. Oh StarClan they were totally having a moment or something and I just walked right in— sweet salmon this is so awkward. I can't just ask for his help now, that would be even more awkward. "I'll just uh.. see you later—!"

      "Wait!" Lightspark untangled himself from Ferntail, and sprung forward. He pounced forward to topple her to the ground, but she rested up, preparing to strike out at him. However, his pounce was aimed short, and he swiftly swiveled and swept her legs or beneath her. As she began to crash to the ground, she managed to twist herself to fall onto her paws rather than her back. Lightspark was on top of her though, pinning her down to prevent her from leaving.

      He kept his head low, catching his breath. "You can't.. you can't tell anybody about this." He dropped his gaze to Smokeflood. She raised a brow in slight confusion.

      "I mean I wasn't really planning on it, so get off me..!"

      "You don't understand. If other senior warriors find out I'm... with... Ferntail, I'm technically breaking rules. Non-elemental cats and elemental cats aren't allowed to be mates. Even if I don't get in trouble, Ferntail could be in danger. You can't. Tell. Anyone." Lightspark bared his teeth, and Smokeflood flicked her ears back.

      "I won't, I won't...."

      "I owe you then. I'll do something for you to repay, otherwise there's no reason for you to want to keep this secret." Lightspark meowed, bowing his head. He pushed himself off of her, sitting neatly, his head, which was crowned with darker gray shading, was still bowed. Ferntail watched with wide eyes.

      "Ah... mm... teach me how to do that move. The one where you jumped short and just took my legs out from under me." He picked his eyes up.

      "That's it? No problem."

      "Also, I want you to help me get my clanmates back from ThunderClan. Kalepaw said they took some cats captive." Lightspark nodded eagerly.

      "Yes. That sounds like a good proposition." Lightspark meowed, then looked back to his mate, who gave a cheerful grin.

      "Oh yeah, the Gathering..!" Ferntail reminded, sitting up. "You probably won't be able to go to the Gathering since Cherrystar will want to keep you guys safe in camp. Lightspark gets to go to all the Gatherings, so usually he relays back information to me as soon as he gets back, but you can get in on it too, if you want." Smokeflood nodded.

      "Perfect." Sunset light filled the secret hollow, outlining the three in blood orange light. A loud howl sounded from camp, and they all picked their heads up. Lightspark's face fell, and he sprung past and out of the thorn passage. Smokeflood didn't waste time to follow him, Ferntail right behind her.

      The camp was suddenly very crowded, the cats having come out of their dens at the ruckus. The air was filled with voices, and Smokeflood briefly stood on her hind legs to try and see over heads. Before she lost her balance all fell back to all fours, she got a very clear glimpse of bloodied, bright white fur of one of the largest cats she knew. She held her breath, and shoved through the crowd of cats, having lost Lightspark and Ferntail already. Cats growled in annoyance as she pushed through them, finally making it out to the other side. There.

      The stealth patrol had returned, Sandstripe at it's lead, the shadow cat and the others at his side, all supporting RiverClan cats. She recognized Beechfeather, and Mountainpaw, anD other were warriors she couldn't couldn't quite remember the names of. However, standing on his own with a red-stained pelt was none other than Pearlfrost, RiverClan's deputy.

//
AN

pearlfrost pearlfrost pearlfrost pearlfrost
I love this boi

Some Collieheart and Smokeflood, lovin' illegal boyfriends get caught, and pearlfrost with future scars he received in the battle.