Monarchblaze

History

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    After many moons of heartbreak and sadness, Stormfire had finally decided to take her life into her own paws and seek happiness. She sought it in the form of kits, where she found a rogue donor to help her. Soon enough, she was expecting, and she awaited her bundles of joy in great anticipation.
    Monarchkit was the second born daughter of Stormfire's litter, with her elder sister being Swallowkit, and her two younger sisters Skipperkit and Bluekit. She was quite the oddball of her family; where everyone was more average-sized with their soft blue coats, Monarchkit emerged with wild brown and orange fur, broad in the shoulders and surprisingly big for her mother's kit. Yet, her personality shone through from her first squeal. From then on, she became the big cat of the nursery, developing quickly and jumping into action whenever possible. She was amusedly compared to her mother when Stormfire was a kit due to their similar personalities, and Monarchkit had great pride in being like her.
    They were not the only cats in the EmberClan nursery. On top of her mother and sisters, Monarchkit also shared the nursery with a few other queens and kits. Some of them were older, quickly approaching their apprentice ceremonies, and others were Monarchkit's age, having been born not long before her and her sisters. She found herself enjoying the company of one of the kits, Poplarkit, who was just as eager for fun as she was. His littermates, Monarchkit had a hard time getting along with, but she was determined to make friends with them. Of course, she never neglected her sisters, either, making sure to set plenty of time aside for them.
    The kits were not the only ones that caught Monarchkit's attention; the parents, too, fascinated Monarchkit, specifically their fathers. She found herself wanting to know Poplarkit's father more; he appeared big and strong. He carried with him refinement that she would never have, but it made her respect him all the more. She often found herself pestering him a bit, quite possibly to his dismay, in hopes to get on his good side. But she was just as in awe with the older kits' father, Cricketstorm, as well. He was clearly a hardened warrior with his scars and strength, too. He was awkward with his kits but respectful to all that were in the nursery. Monarchkit immediately found herself looking up to this worthy tom, unbeknownst to the heartache he had caused her mother. This fact never seemed to be brought up to her, though, so she continued to ignorantly look up to both him and her mother with high regard.
   Not long after Monarchkit was born, though, many of the kits moved out of the nursery, including Cricketstorm's kits a moon later. Monarchkit, admittedly, was disappointed to know that the tom wouldn't have a reason to visit the nursery anymore, so she ended up putting more of her fascination into Hemlockfang. Whenever he visited, she would ask him to tell her about what being a warrior was like, or if he could give her tips on her pounces and stalking. Though he often rolled his eyes at her, he would give her brief pointers before leaving the nursery to get back to his work. It only made her eyes sparkle more when she was noticed. She hoped that he would be her mentor, or someone just as cool as him.
    When she wasn't trying to get Hemlockfang or another warrior's attention, Monarchkit was putting all of her efforts into making as many friends as possible. Poplarkit was one of her friends, yes, but her best friend was Hyacinthpaw, one of Cricketstorm's daughters. She had gotten to know the older she-cat when she was still a kit, and they grew close quite quickly. Even when she became an apprentice, Hyacinthpaw made sure to make time for Monarchkit and hang out with her, which made her happy. When Hyacinthpaw was busy, though, Monarchkit made more friends in the nursery. She kept up with her sisters, and she tried to involve Poplarkit's littermates in their playtime too. She had tried to get to know Sprucekit, Poplarkit's sister, at the time, but she wasn't all that interested. Monarchkit only huffed at this; she'd be the older she-cat's friend in no time, just she wait! For now, though, she settled with Poplarkit, and Hyacinthpaw as her closest friends, all while involving other kits whenever she had the chance.
    Unfortunately, not everything was fun and games like it was in the nursery. The leafbare, truthfully, was hitting everyone quite hard, including other critters outside of the clans. A fox caused a death in the clan, the cat being Tigerfrost, Reedstar's mate and a well respected warrior. Though Monarchkit didn't really know the tom or his family, she could still tell by the melancholic atmosphere that his loss would be difficult. She tried to keep things positive in the nursery, at least, talking often with the queens to take their minds off the outside world, or spending extra time playing with everyone. Anything to make them smile.
    But there were complications in the nursery, too--complications that Monarchkit isn't sure she every really understood. Although she looked up to Hemlockfang a lot, regardless of Poplarkit's disdain for his father and rolling of eyes, it was clear that him and his mate, Peachfur, cared for their kits in a different way than Cricketstorm and his mate did for Hyacinthpaw, or Stormfire did for Monarchkit and her sisters. She thought it was just another way of showing their love and tried not to think about it, but one day, her opinion changed. She was playing in the bedding with Poplarkit and having a good time when Cricketstorm suddenly came into the nursery. He never really had a reason to be in the nursery since his kits became apprentices, so Monarchkit was naturally fascinated to see a cat she looked up to so much. She hadn't even noticed why he was there, until he had left with Peachfur. She figured it was adult things and returned to her playing. But Poplarkit had other plans; he wanted to follow them. Monarchkit, at first, was reluctant, but the idea of seeing Cricketstorm again had her convinced, and she followed her friend out of the nursery.
    Despite going to listen in on their conversation, Poplarkit didn't want them to be seen, so he pushed Monarchkit behind a rock before they could get any closer. Monarchkit didn't have time to complain as Poplarkit began to lean in and listen, so she had no choice but to follow. Much of what was said was a bit lost to her, at least until the shouting started. Cricketstorm started it, and she was genuinely startled to hear him raise his voice, never having seen him do so before. He was going on about the treatment of kits, and legacy, and family. Monarchkit still wasn't sure she understood it, but based on Peachfur's reaction and sudden silence, it seemed to have hit her differently. Was this about how she treated Poplarkit and his littermates? Monarchkit never saw anything terribly wrong with the way they were raised; they all seemed to be coming out somewhat okay, save for the odd issues like Sprucekit's anxiety or Apricotkit's competitiveness, but she figured those were just how they grew up to be. Was that... not the case? Poplarkit's cursing broke her thoughts, and before she could say anything, he was shoving Monarchkit back towards the nursery. It wasn't long after they entered that Peachfur had returned, too, with a forlorn look.
    Monarchkit wasn't sure whether she should ask Poplarkit or his littermates if they were okay or not. She always thought they were, but perhaps not, if Cricketstorm was yelling at Peachfur about how she treated them? For a bit, she would treat Poplarkit with concern, but after being yelled at for treating him softly, she shook away her feelings. Poplarkit was fine! He was the same after the fight between Cricketstorm and Peachfur, even if his mother was. She started to treat her kits like actual kits suddenly, much like how Stormfire would with Monarchkit and her sisters. It was kind of weird. It was even worse when she fought with Hemlockfang about how they took care of their kits. Monarchkit always looked up to Hemlockfang with such respect, but as she watched him fight with his mate, she suddenly wasn't so sure. She didn't want to fight with her future mate like that. Did she really wanna be like this cat in front of her?
    At least there was some happiness in all of this confusion. More kits were born in this time of change; Cinderwhisper gave birth to three kits, Mosspatch was the parent of three kits, and little Windykit was born to a queen named Shiverroot. Unfortunately, Windykit had to be kept in the herbalist's den for awhile due to being born sickly, but when aer returned to the nursery, Monarchkit welcomed aer with open paws. In addition to their newfound friendship with Windykit, Monarchkit also found herself spending more time with Cinderwhisper's son, Dacekit. She invited him and Windykit to make snowcats with her one day, and they all had lots of fun filling the camp with them. She tried once more to get Sprucekit in on the fun, but the older she-kit denied the opportunity again. One day, Monarchkit would be her friend! But she didn't push it much further, rather wanting to enjoy the time she had with her friends.
    If only that time could last forever. The weather was doing well for a bit, warm even, and the snow was even beginning to melt a bit. It would only be a matter of time before the next snowfall, so cats were scrambling to get prey. Unfortunately, one cat didn't make it home, and that cat was Hyacinthpaw. Monarchkit's best friend, just... gone. She didn't even get the chance to train alongside her! Monarchkit was devastated hearing about her friend's tragic death, and it was even harder to see Cricketstorm look so weak. She couldn't imagine how it felt to lose your own kit, and she wasn't even a mother yet. Poor Fennelpaw looked terrible about it, too. It was hard for Monarchkit to even think about pushing past the loss of Hyacinthpaw, but seeing others aching from it, too, it made her want to be stronger. She wanted to be strong for the ones that were hurting and be their shoulder to lean on. So, though she was hurting, she put on a smile and opened her paws out to comfort those that would let her. At night, however, she was sure to press herself tighter to her mother and sisters, thankful to have them.
   But just because her immediate family was safe in the nursery didn't mean the rest of her family was. They were still warriors, after all. The snowfall came back just as quickly as the sun disappeared, and the hungry predators were out once again. This time, coyotes. Coyotes had caught a small, unsuspecting patrol off guard. Of course, at the time, Monarchkit was oblivious to this; rather, she was playing in the nursery with her friends. But the gasps and murmurs in the camp later that day had her curious, and she followed her mother out. Stormfire's cries of shock caused her to freeze up, and her eyes had gone wide at what was in front of her. The bodies of three cats, two warriors and an apprentice. The apprentice was young Goosepaw, who was so close to zir warrior ceremony. Ze were the most mangled, and it seemed as if they had been dead for awhile. The other two... it was Monarchkit's step-grandmother, Irisdawn, and her auncle, Stonewhisper. Two beloved family members stripped from them. The warriors that brought them back explained that they came across them fighting the coyotes, but Monarchkit wasn't listening. Rather, she found herself laying down beside her grandmother in sadness, her body shivering from the cold and fear. Why did this have to happen to them? They did nothing wrong. They didn't deserve this. It was painful, seeing two cats that Monarchkit loved and cherished cold and lifeless. She remembered Irisdawn visiting her and her sisters and telling them stories about their grandfather, or Stonewhisper bringing them freshly caught prey after a hard day's work. That... wasn't going to happen anymore. None of it. Monarchkit cried for the first time that day, and it wasn't until she fell asleep from her own exhaustion that Stormfire was finally able to bring her back to the nursery. By the time she woke up, her grandmother and auncle had been buried.
    As if the loss couldn't get any worse, her auncle Shadowfeather disappeared. They had last been spotted running away from the patrol after Stonewhisper had died, with Hollyblossom chasing after him. The patrol expected them to return and left them to their own devices. But only Hollyblossom came back. She didn't say anything about their disappearance, or if she did, Monarchkit didn't hear anything about it. She felt numb, knowing she had lost both of her auncles in such a short time. Where was Shadowfeather? Wasn't he going to come visit her and her sisters in the nursery and let her climb on his back again, only for him to buckle from her weight? What about all of the fun conversations they had? Her heart ached, but Monarchkit didn't seem to have the energy to cry. Or perhaps, she didn't want to. No, she wanted to be strong. Needed to be strong. For her sisters, and her mother, and the rest of their family. She needed to be there for them and be the one to smile for them.
    It was around this time that Monarchkit truly started to question the whole StarClan thing. Her mother would remind her that her grandmother and auncles were watching her in StarClan, that they were protecting her and smiling down upon her. But if they were protecting her, then who were protecting them at the time? Wouldn't grandfather had done that for them? Were they even watching over her now? If there was a StarClan, they wouldn't have let all of this happen, would they? Monarchkit tried to keep the hope up that there was someone watching over them, if even to make her mother happy. But, day by day, that skeptism only grew, and it was the first thing that Monarchkit was never truly sure about.
    The weather got bad again, and so did the prey. There were cats dying from the lack of food, and one of those cats happened to be Hemlockfang. Despite his fighting with his mate, he still fed her and his kits first, leaving him nothing at the end of the day, and he eventually succumbed to this demise. Before, Monarchkit was unsure about him as he seemed like a questionable father and mate. She hadn't even noticed what he was doing for his family underneath all of that sternness. He was truly admirable from the start, and though his death was devastating, especially to Peachfur and her daughter, Apricotkit, Monarchkit chose to honor his life and gained a newfound respect for the deceased tom.
    Of course, Poplarkit wasn't very affected by his father's death. While he didn't seem happy about it, he wasn't really sad either. He carried on with his mischievousness, and he would even poke fun at his sister's own despise towards him more. Monarckit wasn't really sure how he truly was feeling, but she felt she could, and should, still be her happy and playful self around him. So she was. But when she was with his littermates, like Apricotkit or Tangerinekit, her demeanor would change to better match the atmosphere and mood of the other party. It was around this time that she really began to understand compassion and sympathy, and though her personality would change with those around her, she considered every change she made authentic to herself, still. She could be anything that someone needed, even if they didn't want it, and she was proud of that.
    It was only the question of who would be there for her when she needed them. Once again, the ice seemed to thaw, if just a little. But a little is enough. Bluekit fell through the ice and into the river. No one noticed before it was too late and her body was being pulled out of the water. She was gone, just like that. It destroyed their entire family to have lost her; she was considered the baby of them all, the one to love and protect no matter what. And she was gone. Stormfire and Swallowkit took it especially hard, and though she tried not to show it, Skipperkit was clearly affected by it, too. This is not to say Monarchkit wasn't affected, but seeing how distraught her mother and sisters were... someone needed to step up. And if that meant it had to be Monarchkit, then she would do it. That day, she began the bigger sister, though it was evident in her own eyes the sorrow she felt and the empty hole that Bluekit had left in them all. If there was a StarClan, Monarchkit only hoped that Bluekit had found it, and that Irisdawn and Stonewhisper were there to welcome her there with grandfather.
    Poplarkit was a great friend as he tried to keep Monarchkit's mind off of her sister's death. He paid her extra attention and always found a way to keep her smiling more genuinely than she had been lately. But it was hardly half a moon later that Poplarkit would become an apprentice alongside his littermates and move out of the nursery. He became busy with his apprenticeship and training, although whenever Monarchkit caught his eye, he'd roll his eyes and smirk to show his clear boredom at the repetitiveness of training. Somehow, he still managed to make her laugh even when he wasn't talking to her, and it made her feel better.
    In the meantime, Monarchkit kept up with her other friends, Dacekit and Windykit. And she played a lot with Skipperkit, who seemed to have gotten over Bluekit's death surprisingly quick. Monarchkit was concerned, but she didn't question it all too much--she was glad to see her sister be herself again. She tried to get Swallowkit involved, too, but her elder sister was still taking the death hard, as was Stormfire. Both of them seemed to feel some form of blame in Bluekit's death, and Monarchkit tried constantly to tell them they weren't at fault. But she didn't tell them that they didn't need to be sad anymore; she was still just as sad as them, and she was open to admitting it when asked. But she was always there for them, and even when she had to, she'd make sure to drag Swallowkit into some fun in hopes to get her mind off of it, even if for a small amount of time.
    One day, the clan was once again up in chaos, and Monarchkit peeked her head out of the nursery. Though she was curious, she was admittedly worried at the idea of another death. But Poplarpaw had come sauntering up to her and told her about the commotion; his sister, Apricotpaw, had gone missing in the middle of a patrol. They were setting up search parties to go find her, and when asked if he was going to join, Poplarpaw just shrugged. Monarchkit wasn't surprised, but she was worried for Apricotpaw. She had just become an apprentice--would she be okay? Thankfully, she was, for the most part. She was found just before the sun dipped over the horizon, and though she was injured, she was alive. She was sent to the herbalist's den, where was taken off of training to heal from an injury caused by a twoleg trap. Though they weren't exactly friends, Monarchkit still went to visit her and talk to her. She seemed so down and forlorn, so Monarchkit tried talking to her about Hemlockfang. They at least shared respect for the late tom, and she hoped talking about him would help improve her mood. Unfortunately, it didn't go quite as planned, with Apricotpaw only berating herself and putting herself down. Monarchkit didn't know what to tell her, not being so great with this type of thing. She told Apricotpaw to not be so hard on herself and wished her well before leaving quickly, not wanting the situation to escalate any further. Hopefully Apricotpaw would take her words to heart.
    Soon, Monarchkit would also be an apprentice. She and her sisters were getting ready for that day, thankfully all three of them relatively eager to become apprentices, if for different reasons. Swallowkit deemed that she would be a strong warrior for Bluekit, and Skipperkit seemed eager to start training. Monarchkit was just as eager, and she wondered who her mentor would be. Would she get Cricketstorm, like she always hoped for? He had just finished training his last apprentice, so it was possible. Or maybe Ospreymask--he seemed pretty cool, too. Rosefall or her aunt, Ferntail, would have been just as awesome, but they were still training their own apprentices and likely wouldn't be able to take up another so soon. It had Monarchkit thinking a lot, but when she turned to ask her mother, she was shocked at what she found.
    It seemed Stormfire had found a dead butterfly. What was more surprising was that it was a silvery blue butterfly; this butterfly was what Bluekit was named after. She was staring at it for a long while, and Monarchkit squeezed her way over to sit with her and asked what she was doing. Stormfire, though gentle with it, as if the butterfly was still alive, removed the wings from the butterfly, stating that she would wear these wings as a reminder for Bluekit. Monarchkit was interested in this. She asked if she could have the other set of wings; she wanted Bluekit with her, too. Her mother agreed and was careful to remove them for Monarchkit. With the touch of a feather, Monarchkit took the wings from her and, as Stormfire worked to fix the wings behind her ear, Monarchkit took the wings out of the nursery with her. As the weather grew warmer, flowers and other plants were starting to sprout around the camp. And one of those flowers was hyacinths. They were still young and growing, but a few flowers were early and sprouting. Monarchkit, with a careful paw, removed some bunches of the flowers. With a few vines and flexible twigs, she tied them to the butterfly wings. And, with the help of Stormfire, she got them tucked by her ear just like her mother. She would always have Bluekit and Hyacinthpaw with her, and she would carry them both to warriorhood with her. She promised that.

apprenticeship [ 6 - 12 moons ] >
    Finally, the time came for her and her sisters to become apprentices! She was proud to present herself in front of her clan as her name was called. Reedstar gave her her official apprentice name--Monarchpaw--and then called up Lotusbreeze. Monarchpaw couldn't believe it. The clan deputy was going to be her mentor? She was extremely excited, to say the least, even if he wasn't a cat that she initially considered to potentially be her mentor. His laid-back personality was nothing like her energetic and spunky one, but perhaps they would balance each other out that way. Regardless, it made Monarchpaw all the more eager to start training as she touched noses with Lotusbreeze.
    Her sisters became Swallowpaw and Skipperpaw respectively. Swallowpaw was given to a young warrior named Spiderdove to be her mentor, and Skipperpaw was given to Piketongue. Monarchpaw, admittedly, was a little jealous about Skipperpaw's mentor; Piketongue was Sleetpuddle's mate, meaning that Skipperpaw would likely get to train a lot with Poplarpaw. But Monarchpaw later figured that if she trained with him, they likely wouldn't get much done. So perhaps that was for the best. Both of her sisters seemed pretty happy with their mentors, and they all were officially ready to contribute to the clan.
    Her first trek in the territory of EmberClan was fascinating to Monarchpaw. Who knew the world was so big outside of the camp? It was all so amazing! She wanted to try everything, from hunting prey to swimming to even climbing trees. Lotusbreeze managed to get her to slow down, though, and he told her that they would continue the next day. And she understood quickly why he said that; by the time they returned to camp, Monarchpaw was zapped of her energy. Where did it all go? Perhaps in all of her excitement and wonder, she had just drained it all in her constant smiling. She was thankful to be back and, after managing a quick bite to eat from the slowly replenishing fresh-kill pile, she went to go find herself a nest in the apprentices' den. Apparently, though, she didn't need to look far. Poplarpaw had made it clear that she would sleep by him so they could tell each other stories about their days at night. Monarchpaw didn't argue. She was so happy to have her friend back, and she plopped right down into the nest and told him all about her first outing. Though he seemed pretty unamused, he was smirking just as much as she was smiling, and everything suddenly seemed right again.
   Training was going smoothly for a bit, but reality wanted to remind Monarchpaw that it was there. The clan lost a few valuable members, from Nectarthorn succumbing to greencough to Acornnose drowning. The hardest one to take in, however, was Lightningheart's death. Monarchpaw was never close to the elder; in fact, he was quite grumpy and was one of the few elders she avoided. But what took his life was something no one in the clan had ever seen before. It was giant fish! And a terrifying one at that. Monarchpaw didn't know there was such a thing as a fish that ate cats, but it didn't hesitate to drag Lightningheart into the water, never to be seen again. What really shook Monarchpaw, though, was what happened before the loss of the elder. He wasn't the fish's main target; Dacekit had been playing by the water when the fish attempted to grab him. Lightningheart had saved him from the attack, sacrificing himself in the end. Poor Dacekit was shaken by what had happened, and Monarchpaw was, too, for that matter. Her friend was about to be taken from her, again. She was quick to rush with him and his family to the herbalist's den, wanting to be there for him. Though he was injured, his injuries were minor, and he was more in shock than anything. She was there when he woke up from the poppyseeds, though, alongside a grumbling Poplarpaw, to keep him company. And she tried to keep his mind off of what happened by telling him how cool he'll look when his scratches heal into scars--cats with scars were always cool. It seemed to cheer him up a bit, and they all ended up having a good time in the end. Though, admittedly, the fish concerned Monarchpaw, but she pushed that to the back of her mind and her friends to the front at the time.
    The fish attack stunned the entire clan, but it didn't mean they could stop life for it. Monarchpaw continued her training, and as she worked, she began to question more about her own identity. She always thought she was pretty set in her own body and personality, but something was feeling... off. To be fair, it always had, but she just never put much thought into it. As she began training and becoming more of an individual, though, she thought about it a little more. However, Monarchpaw once again shrugged it off; she figured she was still shaken by the fish and that focusing on training would be good for her. Whatever this feeling was, it seemed to still be an issue for future Monarchpaw.
    Besides, how could she think about herself when her mentor decided to announce that he would be stepping down from his position as deputy? He said that he would continue to be a warrior and would still train Monarchpaw, but he decided to step away from deputyship and let a younger, potentially more capable warrior take charge. Monarchpaw admired his decision, finding him all the more deserving of respect than when he was a deputy when he made it. It's not every day that someone would step down from such a high and rewarding rank but continue to contribute. And she had the honor of calling that cat her mentor! Besides, Monarchpaw had all the more pride when Piketongue became deputy. She may not be the deputy's apprentice anymore, but her sister was! She cheered for Piketongue about as loud as the next cat, and she congratulated Skipperpaw on it, too. She jested with her, jokingly telling her not to let it get to her head and that she still had just as much to do as the rest of them. It was certainly a change for the clan, but it was a positive and welcoming one that Monarchpaw was looking forward to seeing unfold.
    It wasn't long after Lotusbreeze stepped down that Apricotpaw was permitted to return to training. Monarchpaw, personally, was happy to see her back, though Poplarpaw's complaining got worse with her return, too. He mentioned how he was constantly forced to train alongside her, and that it was much better when it was just him and Skipperpaw. Monarchpaw could only smile in pity for her friend. She, herself, didn't interact with Apricotpaw much since her return, remembering their conversation a moon ago in the herbalist's den. She wanted to see the young she-cat do well, but it seemed there was a lot of internal conflict that Apricotpaw needed to deal with, first. And Monarchpaw probably wasn't the best at helping her with that, especially with bringing up Hemlockfang. She figured it would be best to let Apricotpaw settle back into her duties, and perhaps they'd get to train together some time. She would certainly like to make friends with the older she-cat and help her, if just a bit. For now, though, she'd just continue to focus on her own training and be the best that she can be.
    Training continued going well for everyone, at least until another death occurred. Cinderwhisper, Dacekit's mother, suddenly passed away, leaving him and his sisters without a mother or someone in the nursery. Addersong moved into the nursery to be with them in their state of grief, leaving Tangerinepaw, Poplarpaw's brother, without a mentor. When Reedstar reassigned him, Monarchpaw was surprised--and excited--to hear that her mother, Stormfire, would be picking up his training. Perhaps training an apprentice would help get her mind off of Bluekit again, and maybe she could talk to Lotusbreeze about training her and Tangerinepaw together! Monarchpaw would love to see her mother in action.
    But she didn't ignore the grief that her younger friend was going through in losing his own mother. Monarchpaw made time in her days after training to go visit Dacekit and keep him company, whether that meant playing with him to get his mind off of Cinderwhisper or just sleeping beside him and being used as a pillow. She hated to see him so sad, and he was still recovering from the trauma of that big fish, too. She was prepared to be there for him whenever he needed, and she was thankful that Lotusbreeze was so relaxed and would adjust their training if she asked. It wouldn't be long until Dacekit would be an apprentice himself; perhaps the training would help him, and maybe they could train together, too! That would be fun, having the group all back together. She vowed that she would cheer his name loudest when that day came.
    As if Poplarpaw's family couldn't get enough of the problems and concerns, his brother Willowpaw suddenly disappeared. Someone mentioned that they had seen him leaving camp, but he never returned after that. His mentor was beside herself with worry, as was Poplarpaw's sister, and Monarchpaw couldn't help but worry about the young tom, herself. Poplarpaw was quick to shrug him off, though, so Monarchpaw tried not to think about it in front of him. But she felt terrible for Petaldrift as she constantly went out looking for Willowpaw. Hopefully he'd turn back up soon, or that he was at least okay.
    On the plus side, some of the apprentices became warriors around the same time, making room in the apprentices' den again, if for a short time. Monarchpaw was so fascinated watching Hillcreek and Timberwolf's warrior ceremonies, and it just made her all the more eager to train and aim for her own ceremony one day. Even more good news, more kits were born to a cat named Dogear, who had an exciting litter of five. Monarchpaw briefly met them once on her trip to see Dacekit, but she didn't get to know them as they were still too young to really do anything. But it gave her hope that the clan was looking up again after all of the tragedy.
    That hope, however, was terribly shot when her mentor suddenly died. He was found in critical condition and died soon after to his injuries, to the point that no one could figure out what had happened to him. Monarchpaw was heartbroken; she loved her mentor and training with him, even when they were complete opposites. It wasn't so long ago that he was deputy! How could this had happened? She attended his vigil solemnly, and when it was time to bury him, she followed the elders all the way to the camp entrance before they departed. She wanted to say goodbye one more time, but she wouldn't have much more time to grieve, as she needed to continue her training.
    Reedstar reassigned her to Peachfur, Lotusbreeze's sister and... Poplarpaw's mother. Monarchpaw wasn't quite sure about this change; she grew up around Peachfur, and based on what she had seen and heard, she wasn't the best mother. Would she be a good mentor? Poplarpaw didn't seem to think so, complaining on Monarchpaw's behalf about the assignment. He constantly bashed his mother to her and told her she should join him and Sleetpuddle on their training sessions. But despite her own doubts and her friend's words, Monarchpaw figured she needed to give the older she-cat the benefit of the doubt. She'd only seen one side of her, and though that side wasn't really the best, perhaps Peachfur as a warrior would be better. She just had to hope that was true.
    She at least had one thing to celebrate in Dacekit and his sister's apprentice ceremonies. As promised, Monarchpaw cheered him, possibly louder than his own family, and she welcomed him with open paws to the apprentices' den, helping him get comfortable in his own nest. Of course, she was just as welcoming to his sisters, Piperpaw and Oceanpaw, and she was excited to have the three of them there. It would make training more fun, although none of them got mentors that Monarchpaw's mentor was terribly close with. They'd just have to beg their mentors to let them train together! The new change brought Monarchpaw's spirits up a bit, and she hoped her friend was also feeling just as excited and happy as her.
    Then Reedstar lost a life. Monarchpaw was never really close with her leader, but of course, they were her leader, so she was concerned for the older cat. Especially when they began to act a little strange after the loss of their first life. Monarchpaw couldn't quite put her paw on it, but they just weren't the Reedstar that she had seen around camp. Even their own kit, Heatherhowl, seemed to have noticed. Would Reedstar be okay? She hoped so, it just wouldn't be EmberClan without Reedstar!
    Well, the clan would have to believe that their new herbalist, Briarshade, would be able to help their leader through whatever Reedstar was going through. It was quite the celebration, Briarshade receiving her full name and being deemed a full herbalist. The clan would have the wonders of having two fully trained herbalists. But that wasn't what was on Monarchpaw's mind; her friend, Windypaw, had become an apprentice around the same time. She got to know aer when they were kits and they made snowcats together, and her friend was given to a kind mentor named Heronbriar. She was quick to congratulate the smaller apprentice and told aer that they had to convince their mentors to put them on training sessions together. There would be so much for Windypaw to learn, and Monarchpaw was looking forward to learning together with them.
    But they wouldn't have much time to think about this future when one night, Monarchpaw was shaken awake by Poplarpaw. She complained for the longest time, but when water began to fill her ears, she was wide awake and jumping up in alarm. The den was half-flooded by then, and Monarchpaw scrambled to help the younger and smaller apprentices wade out of the den. It wasn't just the apprentices' den; the entire camp was flooded, and everyone was racing towards the cave's exit to escape. Poplarpaw had already made it out, but Monarchpaw struggled towards the back as she helped others. By the time she was out in the open, she looked like a soaked rat.
    Once she recovered from her own shock, Monarchpaw was quick to search for her family. And she was beyond thankful to find Stormfire and her sisters, wet but alive, and she held her sisters close. Some of her clanmates, however, were not so lucky. When she learned that Dacepaw's sister, Piperpaw, had been lost during the flood, she couldn't imagine how her beloved friend was feeling. Losing a sister sounded terrible, and it made her all the more thankful to see her living sisters there with her, but she was still sympathetic for him and reminded herself to be there to support him when he needed it.
    Piperpaw was not the only one to have been lost to the flood. Many warriors, young and old alike, never came out of the flood, and an elder, too, was lost. But they weren't the most concerning of the deaths and losses; both Yewberry and Reedstar were gone. Yewberry, like Piperpaw, was nowhere to be found, but Reedstar was presumably dead when someone mentioned they had saw him get tackled and shoved into the water. Who would do such a thing to their leader...? Monarchpaw didn't know, but it had her in disbelief. Just like that, in one night, the clan had lost their leader and their senior herbalist. Poor Briarshade was alone, so soon after becoming a full herbalist herself, and now, Piketongue would have to step up as EmberClan's leader in the midst of all the misfortune and uncertainty.
    EmberClan couldn't return to their camp that night. In fact, they weren't sure when they would be able to go back. But they needed to go somewhere to rest, as they were all exhausted and confused. Piketongue suggested the twoleg cabin, where there would at least be shelter from the elements and a place they could set up temporary camp. At first, everyone seemed agreeable on this decision, but then Apricotpaw spoke up in protest, reminding everyone about the twoleg traps that she was caught in moons ago, or the possibility of foxes and other predators. Monarchpaw had to remind herself that the older apprentice had sound reason to want to avoid the place, and it even left her a bit on edge thinking about it. Though as Peachfur went in to agree with her daughter, Apricotpaw immediately shifted gears and decided it would be a fine place to stay, which was strange.
    But it didn't change Peachfur's mind as she began to make her way towards Bathing Boulders. Cricketstorm tried to interfere, stating that now was not the time for everyone to split up. But he was unable to get through to Peachfur, and Parsleyseed decided to go with her along with two of her kits, Hazelpaw and Tangerinepaw. When asked what she wanted to do as she watched her mentor go separate ways, Monarchpaw didn't question her place; she was to stay by her family's side with the rest of the clan. She and Stormfire agreed that they could meet with Peachfur and Tangerinepaw everyday for training alongside Badgertooth, who mentored Hazelpaw. With the decision made, the EmberClan cats went towards their respective temporary camps, and Monarchpaw got to working on helping settle others with makeshift nests and comfort before promptly passing out herself for the remainder of the night.
    The first quarter moon that the clan spent at their temporary camp was pretty alright. Monarchpaw worked well with the arrangement of meeting Peachfur halfway in the territory for training, and when she wasn't training, she was often getting into trouble with Poplarpaw. The older tom was really interested in the cabin and twolegs, though Monarchpaw was a bit less enthused. Whenever he talked about sneaking into the cabin, she said she would stand watch outside, which seemed to satisfy him. In truth, she just didn't want to go in, nor did she want to get trouble like Poplarpaw did when he was caught. It certainly didn't stop him from continuing to do so. Though it was still not an ideal situation, overall, the clan as a whole was working with it, and some cats seemed to even be getting comfortable in their makeshift camp.
    But the flood's reign of terror was not over for Monarchpaw. One day, Stormfire never woke up, no matter how Monarchpaw and the others tried to wake her up. Briarshade came to examine her, and after seeing some water pooling from her mouth, it was determined that she likely died from aftermath to swallowing water during the flood. Monarchpaw was devastated and heartbroken at the loss of her mother, and she cried. Though, her cries and screams were more in rage than grief. Why did Stormfire have to die? She didn't deserve to die. Was this what StarClan wanted, whoevere and wherever they were? Monarchpaw ended up missing training that day, hoping that someone would explain her absence as she laid at her mother's side for the remainder of the day until she was taken away for burial.
    At least the clan had some positives happen in light of the flood. Of course, Pikestar was named leader, which meant she had to name a deputy. She chose Thrushbriar, a senior warrior that was known for his kindness. There were also some new apprentices in the form of Mosspatch's kits, though Monarchpaw did not seem to pay attention to these changes in her clanmates. It wasn't that she cared, but that she was desperately trying to focus on her training or her mischief with her friends to keep her mind off of Stormfire's absence. She found herself checking on her littermates often, though Swallowpaw was struggling with Stormfire's death, and Skipperpaw only grew more distant. So Monarchpaw found herself turning more to Cricketstorm and his family, taking comfort in the senior warrior as he, too, grieved the loss of his close friend. It reminded Monarchpaw painfully of when they had lost Hyacinthpaw, and she felt at peace and comforted in the presence of Cricketstorm. Even her mentor's presence began to help her, as Peachfur seemed to help keep her mind off of it all.
    Until she couldn't anymore. The day was quite peaceful, with Monarchpaw having already completed her training and resting in the makeshift camp. She was basking in the sunlight when Parsleyseed came stumbling into the camp, along with Tangerinepaw and Hazelpaw. They all had a dark look on their faces, though they looked thankfully unharmed. But when they told everyone what had happened, Monarchpaw's own face fell in despair. Coyotes had attacked them at Bathing Boulders, taking them by surprise. But Peachfur was quick to step in and protect the younger cats. In doing so, however, she ended up losing her life. Just like that, Monarchpaw's mentor was gone. And, just like last time, she didn't have the chance to say goodbye or, more importantly, thank you. She had grown comfortable with Peachfur; sure, maybe she wasn't as close with the she-cat as she was Lotusbreeze, especially given Poplarpaw's commentary, but she didn't mind Peachfur and enjoyed their training sessions together. And now, Peachfur wouldn't get to see her become a warrior, either. Monarchpaw couldn't even imagine how her kits were feeling, especially Tangerinepaw and Hazelpaw. She could guess on a whim Poplarpaw's reaction, though when she glanced the expressions of the others, they were feeled with conflict and confusion. None of them seemed as concrete in their emotions as Monarchpaw and Poplarpaw were at that moment, but they all had to face the fact that Peachfur was gone.
    Parsleyseed, Tangerinepaw, and Hazelpaw promptly resituated themselves back with the rest of the clan at the twoleg cabin after the incident. Meanwhile, Pikestar had to reassign Monarchpaw to what would be her third mentor. She was given to another older warrior by the name of Petaldrift. She was nice, though Monarchpaw couldn't help but think about her last apprentice, Willowpaw, who was Poplarpaw's brother. The older tom had gone missing not far into his apprenticeship and had never returned. Though she didn't believe Petaldrift to be at fault--despite knowing how terrible mentor and apprentice had gotten on--Monarchpaw still just wondered if this was right for her. Besides... what if this mentor died, too? Knowing Monarchpaw's luck, it didn't seem out there to think about. So, though she listened to Petaldrift and followed instruction, she found herself distancing herself from the older warrior. She remained closed off about her personal conflicts and her life, making their interactions strictly mentor-apprentice. She felt bad doing so, yet at the same time, she just didn't want to make the same mistake again.
    When she wasn't training, Monarchpaw found herself volunteering to help rebuild the camp back in the cavern. The water levels had gone down significantly in the past moon and warriors were constantly going in and out of the makeshift camp, hard at work to rebuild their old home. At first, they seemed a bit skeptical about letting an apprentice help. Though not only was she on the older side of apprentices, but her size gave many advantages, such as carrying supplies to the camp, and they eventually agreed to letting her help. Monarchpaw found the rebuilding something next to peaceful, as it kept her mind off of everything that was happening. Soon enough, she was proud to see the camp look back to its former self and help welcome her clan back to their home.
    Though she, admittedly, was not expecting the effort it would take to get some of her clanmates back. Windypaw seemed extremely skeptical, and she watched Heronbriar try to gently coax aer to go back. Meanwhile, she heard Sleetpuddle calling out Poplarpaw's name from in the distance, and Monarchpaw was certainly not expecting her friend to emerge from the twoleg cabin covered in webs and accompanied by a spider. Sure, he had been in there multiple times by now, but never did he bring things back with him. But he didn't seem to get in trouble as Sleetpuddle just shook his head and announced they were heading home before turning away. Monarchpaw met Poplarpaw's gaze and simply laughed it off as they returned to camp together.
    Things suddenly felt better, being back in camp. It was like the sun rising for some of their clanmates as they began to quickly get back into the groove of their old routines. Even Monachpaw, admittedly, was quite glad to be home. But as the day stretched on, they watched the sun go down with a forlorn look. Something was still unsettled in the depths of their belly, and as they stared at their reflection in the stream that flowed through camp, they wondered why the cat that looked back at them looked so unfamiliar. They looked more worn than when they last left camp, and they felt something stir in their chest as they stared for a long time. Something wasn't right, and though they had known this their entire life, it was finally time to fix it, much like they had fixed their camp.
    They wasted no time in seeking out Cricketstorm, who at this point, was like the only parental figure they seemed to know. But as they approached the older time, they began to find their body trembling in nervousness, and by the time they called out Cricketstorm's name, their voice was meek. But this was something they had to do--they could not back down, not this time. They never got the chance to tell their mother this, or Lotusbreeze or Peachfur, so they hoped that Cricketstorm would be enough for all three of them. They confessed to the tom about feeling wrong and off about themselves for moons now, since they were a young kit. They never acted on until now, after so much had happened and so many changes. They felt that it was time for this change too; they announced to Cricketstorm that they were a tom, and quite frankly, had always been so. They never could put a word to the feeling, though they knew many other cats in their clans and other clans that had felt the same. Yet, they just weren't sure until it felt like it was too late. Thankfully, though, Cricketstorm disagreed and stated that it was never too late. He even brought up his brother, Fireflydawn, who was not unlike Monarchpaw in their younger moons. He showed the young tom overwhelming support, telling him that his mother would have been proud of him and that he would walk along with him during his journey in her honor. Something about this sentiment made Monarchpaw tear up, but thankfully, it was in tears of happiness. It felt like a long time since he had the chance to cry with such positive emotions. Cricketstorm patted him with his tail and, together, they went to talk to Briarshade about his new identity and path of transition and happiness.
    Of course, Cricketstorm was not the only cat he had to tell. He didn't wait to tell his sisters, who both showed him support just as much as Cricketstorm. And he told his friends, too, like Dacepaw. The one he left for last would end up being Poplarpaw. As the two settled in to get sleep for the first time in the new apprentices' den, he timidly asked his friend if he could take to him. Though he seemed exhausted, Poplarpaw sat up to give him his attention. Somehow, telling Poplarpaw felt even more nervewracking than telling Cricketstorm, but as Monarchpaw waited with baited breath for a reaction, Poplarpaw simply yawned and patted him on the shoulder with his tail. Tom or she-cat, he was still Poplarpaw's best friend--that's what he said. Nothing was going to change their friendship, and Poplarpaw supported Monarchpaw regardless of what it was. This had Monarchpaw grinning like a beebrain, and as Poplarpaw grumbled something about letting him sleep, he plopped himself down beside his best friend and rolled onto his back, finally content in going to sleep and waking up in a new light the next day.
    EmberClan's outlook began to look up once again with the return to their camp. Monarchpaw was especially excited to hear that two of his aunts, Ferntail and Hollyblossom, were expecting kits and would be moving into the nursery. Hollyblossom had never seemed to be quite the same since Irisdawn and Stonewhisper's deaths and Shadowfeather's disappearance, so he looked forward to seeing how the kits would hopefully bring her light. Then, a quarter of a moon after returning to their camp, Monarchpaw got to cheer on his best friend as he became a warrior alongside four of his littermates. He decided that Poplarpounce fit his friend quite nicely, and though he was sad that he wouldn't get to sleep with Poplarpounce in the apprentices' den anymore, his friend reminded him that he was only a moon away from becoming a warrior himself.
    Of course, the celebration of Poplarpounce, Sprucefrost, Tangerinejaw, and Hazelbloom's warrior ceremonies did not go without a bit of melancholy. Apricotpaw, their sister, unfortunately was held back due to her time spent in the herbalist's den. She needed to catch up on training after this, and by the time her littermates were ready to become warriors, she was not. Monarchpaw noticed the she-cat leave the ceremonies without watching them all the way through, and he worried a bit for her. But he was also reminded of how poorly his conversation went with her moons ago when she was in the herbalist's den, and he decided to leave her be.
    The same day, it was decided who would be going with Dropletshine on a quest to finding answers about StarClan. The quest had been decided by the leaders, herbalists, and the rogue collectively one gathering where Monarchpaw had not attended. According to Poplarpounce, there were many cats across the territories that were experiencing weird visions, and after hearing Dropletshine's, they decided to try and go find the place in Dropletshine's vision, and cats from all four clans would accompany them. This had Monarchpaw curious, though he wasn't sure whether he was interested in going or not. But he felt dread settle in his chest when Pikestar announced the cats that were going: Ganderslash, Primrosedawn, and Skipperpaw. Never mind the young tom's dismay of Primrosedawn leaving for who knows how long, but Skipperpaw!? Why would they send an apprentice, and worse, his little sister? Monarchpaw instantly began fretting over the idea of Skipperpaw leaving, and he found himself following her to the herbalist's den begging her not to go. But his efforts were in vain, and it took Poplarpounce's large stature blocking the camp's exit for Monarchpaw to not simply follow them. Poplarpounce reminded him that his sister was nearly a warrior, just like himself, and that she could handle herself out in unknown territories. Besides, it would not just be those three; they would have the other clans there as well as Dropletshine--though Poplarpounce rolled his eyes at the idea of this as he said it. Still, it put a bit of ease in Monarchpaw's chest as he watched the shapes of his clanmates grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the horizon. Whoever it was he was supposed to pray to, he simply prayed that his sister would be okay and come back safe.
    At first, Monarchpaw figured he could keep his mind busy with more training. But he wouldn't have time to think about this when, the next day, the earth started to shake violently underneath him. He wasn't sure what was happening, but based on the cracks in the ground, he could deduce that it wasn't good. He scrambled up to a high ground where Poplarpounce had dragged Dacepaw to safety. There, the three watched with baited breath as they watched their camp yet again be torn apart. By the time the shaking stopped, they cautiously got down to assess the damages with their clanmates. Most of it was repairable, but the clanmates they lost could never be replaced. Many of their clanmates ended up falling into the earth between the cracks, and after much investigating, more were found dead outside the camp. Among them was Dacepaw's remaining sister, Oceanpaw, who they had seen fall into the ground. Monarchpaw put much of his energy into comforting the younger tom while Poplarpounce went to continuing assessing damage and making sure his spider was okay. But worse, no one knew what would become of the quest cats, and Monarchpaw's mind whirled with one, uncertain question: was Skipperpaw okay?
    Monarchpaw was tasked with much of the camp repairs given his skills from the flood damages. While the dens were repairable and herbs could be recovered, the cracks in the ground were another thing. For the time being, cats were simply told to avoid them, and Monarchpaw even found himself yelling at Poplarpounce as the young warrior tried covering a crack to see if someone would fall through it. Meanwhile, others got back to their regular day-to-day lives. Cricketstorm ended up becoming a mentor after the whole ordeal to Apricotpaw, whose mentor tragically died in the earthquake.
    Despite the scars that the earthquake left, the clan continued about their lives and began to return to normal again. At least, as normal as they could make out of their situation. Monarchpaw returned to his training, and he had fun as more apprentices were named and he got to train alongside them. They were far younger than him and less experienced, though, so he didn't work with them as often as he would Swallowpaw or Dacepaw. And he found Petaldrift alright. She seemed quite nervous having an apprentice again, but given Monarchpaw's age, he didn't have much left to learn anyways. All that was really left was training for his upcoming warrior assessment.
    Which Petaldrift would not lead him in. It was approximately a quarter of a moon after the earthquake did a patrol return to camp with a tiny kit in tow. They said they found the kit alone and without a mother. This had everyone increasingly worried, as the kit didn't even look to be a moon old. What were they supposed to do with it? Petaldrift decided to step up and said she would adopt the kit if Pikestar would agree to let the young tom-kit live here in EmberClan. The leader agreed, and suddenly, Petaldrift was a queen and was making hers and the newly named Lupinekit's nest in the nursery. With her being unable to complete Monarchpaw's training, he was reassigned to a younger warrior by the name of Cedarsong.
    On one paw, Monarchpaw was glad that he didn't get reassigned because of another death. But on the other, he felt a bit of bitterness well up in his chest that he had been tossed aside. He was less than a moon from becoming a warrior! Was there something wrong with him? But he could also see how happy Petaldrift seemed to be in becoming Lupinekit's mother, and he couldn't find himself to be angry for much longer. Still, he was saddened and hurt, and he only pulled further away from who would be his fourth and final mentor.
    He couldn't be selfish over this change for long anyways. Monarchpaw was out catching fish at the lake when the attack happened, and by the time he returned to camp with his hunting party, he was shocked to see Dacepaw crying over Addersong's dead body. The warrior looked almost unrecognizable under all of the bee stings, and Monarchpaw got a rundown of what had happened from Poplarpounce; a patrol was attacked by a nest of bees at Bathing Boulders. Many of them were in the herbalist's den still being treated, and Addersong was the only one to die in the attack. He was shocked to hear that it was Cricketstorm that had brought him back. Monarchpaw couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he was quick to join Dacepaw and Cricketstorm at their sides. He was never close with Addersong, but he considered those two as much of family as Swallowpaw and Skipperpaw. Monarchpaw nestled himself against Dacepaw's side, curling his tail comfortingly around his back, while Cricketstorm crouched silently, melancholically, beside him. They sat vigil together like that for the longest time, and when it was time for them to go bury Addersong, Monarchpaw guided Dacepaw back to the apprentices' den in hope's that the young tom could get some proper sleep. He saw Poplarpounce hesitate as he tried to follow them, but he realized he wasn't an apprentice anymore. Monarchpaw only smiled and said they'd all be back together soon and that he would be there in spirit before returning to his duty at Dacepaw's side.
    The remainder of his last moon as an apprentice was uneventel, but it was melancholic. There was some dark overtone in the atmosphere, especially around the high ranks, and it wasn't long after the bee attack did Thrushbriar announce that they were increasing the number of patrols around HailClan's border. It had Monarchpaw questioning, but he didn't pry as everyone seemed to just go with the flow of it. Besides, he had to put his efforts into his warrior assessment. And he was so excited to hear that he had passed and that he would be moving into the next chapter of his life as a warrior, that all of the terrible things that had happened in the past few moons seemed to slip away from him, if only for a moment.

warriorhood [ 12 moons - present ] >
    He wondered if this is how Poplarpounce felt as he stood in front of Pikestar, ready to take his oath and earn his warrior name. And when he heard his new name, his fur fluffed up in uncontained jublilance: Monarchblaze. It felt so right as he mumbled it under his breath multiple times, and even more so as his clanmates called his name out in celebration.
    Swallowspark was also made a warrior alongside him, and though he was proud of her and himself, he also felt a sense of melancholy underneath it all. Skipperpaw should have been with them. Bluekit should have been with them. Stormfire should have been there to see this. But they were all gone. Though he reminded himself that Skipperpaw could and should still be alive out there, he was upset at the fact that she should have been made a warrior with them that day. But he didn't mention any of this, as it was a day to be happy, and he wasn't going to ruin that. So as the ceremony concluded, he ran over to meet with Cricketstorm, Poplarpounce, and Dacepaw, ready to show off his new name.
    Though they were all happy for him, he didn't miss the conflicted face that Cricketstorm had. When he asked Cricketstorm about what was on his mind, the senior warrior admitted that Apricotpaw did not pass her warrior assessment and was once again being held back for another moon. Shocked, Monarchblaze turned to look across the crowd; sure enough, Apricotpaw wasn't there. She didn't pass? When they were all younger, she seemed to adamant to be a great warrior of EmberClan, worthy of her father's praise. Did she feelt truly so down that she had forgotten her goals? Or perhaps... those goals were not her own anymore. Cricketstorm reassured Monarchblaze that he was working with Apricotpaw and that she would catch up in no time, though as he said this, Poplarpounce simply turned up his nose. Monarchblaze only smiled at Cricketstorm's words and wished him good luck, though the senior tom wouldn't need it--he was a great warrior that could push through anything.
    Monarchblaze already found himself enjoying being a warrior in his first few weeks as one. There was no more hopping mentors and seeing the different training techniques they'd use, and he could do whatever he wanted without someone's permission. He also enjoyed sleeping next to Poplarpounce again, and though he was about to tell Dacepaw that they'd be waiting for him, he noticed that Dacepaw had become exceedingly close with another apprentice, Foxpaw. Monarchblaze could only smile at them and decided to leave him be, thinking maybe he was doing alright without them in the apprentices' den.
    Meanwhile, Ferntail and Hollyblossom both gave birth to three kits each, and Monarchblaze was so excited to meet his nieces and nephews. Once they were settled in and the kits had fallen asleep, he snuck into the nursery to see them. The two queens told him their names in a hushed tone: Ferntail's kits were Oysterkit, Rosemarykit, and Orchidkit, and Hollyblossom's were Glekit, Dewkit, and Mistkit. They were so tiny, and Monarchblaze wondered if he was ever once that small. Cricketstorm eventually jested that he was one of the biggest kits he had seen born, save for Poplarpounce and his littermates. Monarchblaze only smiled as he begged the queens to let him play with the kits--as soon as they were old enough, of course. He just had to wait until then.
    The remainder of his first moon as a warrior was relatively uneventful. The only thing that caused the clan to really stir was finding Grizzlygrowl's body near Hope Bridge. Based on her injuries, she looked to have been killed, but by a predator or another cat, they weren't sure. Monarchblaze wasn't close to the she-cat, so he did feel any certain way to her death save for the fact that something was preying on their clan. He wasn't going to let anything else come to harm them! He couldn't...
    Cricketstorm returned to camp one day with a content smile, and Monarchblaze asked him what had him so giddy. He announced proudly that Apricotpaw had passed her assessment and would become a warrior, which had Monarchblaze patting him on the back with his tail in celebration. He knew the old tom could do it! Sure enough, Apricotpaw's warrior ceremony came as quickly as it was announced, and she was named Apricotshell. Monarchblaze attended her ceremony and cheered for her, despite their differences in their younger moons. Though, he couldn't convince Poplarpounce to join him, as the older tom was too petty over Apricotshell leaving on his ceremony to attend hers. Oh well, she would always had Monarchblaze's support at least. And Apricotshell even looked a bit like her old self as she was given her new name. Maybe even different, but a good kind of different. Monarchblaze believed that, in that moment, something had shifted in the she-cat to change her and make her into the warrior she would be, and he was going to be there to see her walk the miles.
    But it would have to wait, for fate had another idea for him. One day, Monarchblaze and Swallowspark decided to go fishing on the lake's shore together, on the shore near Bathing Boulders. He was determined to keep his close relationship with his sister despite everything that had happened, and he was glad that she agreed to come with him. And they were doing quite well; between the two of them, they had a small pile of fish ready to bring back to camp. But Swallowspark wanted one more, and Monarchblaze waited patiently for her to catch her last fish. He never would have expected, though, for an eagle's shadow to suddenly cast down on them. Monarchblaze's ears dropped in shock, and just as he yelled to warn his sister, the eagle had snatched little Swallowspark into its talons. It began to fly back up in a hasty retreat with Swallowspark struggling in its talons, and Monarchblaze didn't hesitate to give chase.
    He found himself chasing the eagle into the forested area near HailClan's border. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea, especially given the increased patrols around HailClan's border, but he didn't care. He couldn't lose his sister. As the eagle got higher, he made a split second decision as he leapt at a tree and grabbed on with his claws. He had never climbed a tree before--he never had to--and his paws struggled to gain a proper grip. He didn't wait for that, though, hauling his heavy weight up the tree in hopes to catch up with the eagle. It creaked under his weight, and bark would tear from his claws as he scrambled up it. He was so close to smacking the eagle out of the sky, so close to saving his sister. But as Monarchblaze went to make the leap, the tree's branch below him snapped, and he was falling quicker than he had climbed.
    The impact was hard. His whole weight had landed heavily atop his right leg, and he could both hear and feel the snap in it. Monarchblaze cried out from the pain, but still he lifted his injured head up to look at the sky. And much to his horror, the eagle and Swallowspark were gone. He scanned the depths of the blue horizon for many moments as he laid there in pain, but he could not see the tortoiseshell pelt of his dear sister anymore. Monarchblaze gritted his teeth just before screaming again, but this time in the agony of realizing he was alone.
    Monarchblaze laid there for a long time; it was less out of pain and more out of sorrow. His mind could not escape the terrified look in his sister's eyes just before he fell from the tree, and it haunted him. But even with the increased patrols, Monarchblaze remained alone. He needed to get home. He needed... he needed to tell someone. Someone had to go after that eagle. Someone had to save Swallowpaw. But it was difficult getting up. His entire body hurt, though it was nothing like his leg. When he tried to put weight on it, it felt as if it had been bitten off by a badger. He was forced to hug his leg close to his chest as he limped slowly back to camp, his body battered and beaten. He hadn't even remembered about all the fish he and Swallowspark had caught, and sadly, the pile was left long forgotten back on the shore.
    He was beyond exhausted between his heavy sorrow and the excruciating pain coursing through his body by the time he got back to camp. He was huddled by his friends and loved ones, and as he told them what happened, his face had gone blank, numb to everything he was feeling. It was just as he was begging someone to go find Swallowspark did he finally pass out from his pain, and the next time he awoke, he was in Briarshade's den. His leg had been carefully tucked to his chest and splinted, and as he tried to move, the herbalist told him not to. Though he was uninjured on the outside from his fall, Monarchblaze likely had a lot of bruising and possibly some other fractures inside that had not been jumbled like his leg. She said she had given him some herbs for the pain and that he should continue to get some sleep. But he couldn't as he demanded to know what happened with the eagle. But it was Cricketstorm that told him as the warrior came into the herbalist's den. A small patrol had followed Monarchblaze's scent back to where he had fallen out of the tree, but past that, there was nothing they could use to track the eagle. There was nothing they could do. Monarchblaze laid his head down in numbed shock as time seemed to slow down and things suddenly came hitting him all at once: his sister was really gone.
    Monarchblaze remained cooped up in the herbalist's den for a long time, as his leg needed time to heal. He never tried to move it, or much of anything really, as he laid motionless in his nest. He had heard that his mentor, Cedarsong, had become mates with Spiderdove, but he had not the energy to congratulate them. Besides, he wasn't that close with Cedarsong, anyways, and she could do without his sentiments. When he wasn't working, Poplarpounce would come to visit and try to cheer up Monarchblaze. But when he reminded him of Skipperpaw, Monarchblaze had a horrifying realization: how was he going to tell Skipperpaw? Their sister was gone, and it was Monarchblaze's fault! He was wild with worry, and Briarshade had to shoo Poplarpounce out and calm Monarchblaze down with a poppyseed. Yet, he still couldn't get that painful thought of his mind. Then again... would there be a Skipperpaw to tell? She had been gone for so long and... he was not one for being pessimistic, but in this moment of helplessness, Monarchblaze felt terribly alone, and he truly wondered if his sister was still alive out there.
    The only thing that got Monarchblaze moving in that moon was Dacepaw's warrior ceremony. Poplarpounce had come into the herbalist's den practically forcing the tortie to get up for their friend's ceremony. Monarchblaze was still quite tired and melancholic, but... knowing that Dacepaw was becoming a warrior gave them a small sense of hope. With Poplarpounce's help, he limped out to the entrance of the herbalist's den, and together, the two watched as their friend became Daceshell, a warrior of EmberClan. They cheered for their friend, and from the corner of his eye, Monarchblaze could see the pride in Cricketstorm's face as he watched his nephew's ceremony. He made sure to congratulate his friend before he was ushered back into the herbalist's den.
    Daceshell's ceremony seemed to put a new spark into Monarchblaze. He realized that sitting around moping was going to do nothing for him or his clan. He wasn't going to look like a lazing beaver when Skipperpaw came back! So he finally began to take his recovery seriously as he worked on physical therapy with Briarshade. It was difficult; the herbalist seemed right in that his leg was not the only thing injured. Though his body seemed to have recovered alright, it was achy from being unused for a moon. But he took his rehabilitation seriously from then on, taking slow and short walks around the camp with Briarshade's permission and sitting in casually with the younger warriors or apprentices as they shared tongues and ate their meals. Everyone seemed pretty happy to see that Monarchblaze was acting more like himself, and Monarchblaze was happy about it, too. They were right; sitting around moping wasn't Monarchblaze. And he wasn't going to be like that again!
    Sure enough, his work paid off, and Briarshade released him from her den. However, she told him plainly that his leg would never mend properly again. And Monarchblaze knew this; whenever he tried to move it, it seemed to be stuck to his chest in the position that it had been splinted. Perhaps not moving it himself and working it had caused it to mend improperly, and he would forever be with that disability. It was at first difficult for him to accept, knowing that he would have to relearn how to do things, and that it was a painful reminder of losing Swallowspark. But he remained optimistic; if he could train under four different mentors, he could learn to adjust to a little mishap like this! He wouldn't let some bent leg stop him.
    Though he was surprised to hear that Mistkit had passed away while he was busy recovering. He went to go visit his nieces and nephews, and Hollyblossom's melancholic face told it all. He was informed that Mistkit passed away of kit cough, and he felt awful for never having the chance to meet the young kit. He didn't know how to comfort his aunt either, but he still tried to help in becoming a babysitter for the kits and taking care of them when Hollyblossom or Ferntail needed a break. He enjoyed playing with them after all, and though he may have looked awkward with his leg, he didn't let it slow him down as he played mossball or badger with them. Playing with them made him smile, and it reminded him fondly of his time as a kit with his sisters and mother in the nursery. He wanted these kits to have a wonderful kithood like he had, despite tragedy hitting them at such a young age.
    Though he had to split his attention between them and Poplarpounce when Rosefall suddenly went missing. She was the last of her litter between her, Lotusbreeze, and Peachfur, and she was the closest family Poplarpounce felt he had. Monarchblaze could see how conflicted his friend was with her disappearnace; he had never experienced a loss that really affected him before, not like this one. Monarchblaze comforted him and told him that it was okay to feel what he was feeling, but Poplarpounce simply shook his head. It's not that he didn't want to feel it, but that he didn't know what he was feeling. Besides, Poplarpounce was adamant that Rosefall was still out there and wouldn't die so easily like his mother had. Nevertheless, Monarchblaze tried to be there for him in the best ways that he could. His friend had always been there for him, and now it was time for him to be there for Poplarpounce.
    And turns out that adjusting to his new life with a disabled leg was a lot harder than he thought! It was his dominant paw that had been injured, and he hadn't realized that until he tried fishing. Fishing felt impossible, and he was constantly falling over and scaring the fish when he tried. At least swimming wasn't all too terrible--he just had to push stronger with his capable paws. But his frustration only grew with his leg at every failed attempt he had of fishing and over methods of hunting. Was fighting going to be this terrible, too? He'd have to try a spar with Poplarpounce and see, but for the time being, he desperately continued attempting to fish. After all, what was he going to do if he couldn't hunt for the clan anymore?
    Monarchblaze was excited to see another of his friends become a warrior as Windypaw received aer warrior name. Aer was named Windywisp, and Monarchblaze cheered their name loudly. But that day would be filled with many pleasant surprises when a faint but familiar scent came through the camp entrance: Skipperpaw. The quest cats were back, and Monarchblaze cried with glee to see his sister alive. She looked pretty beaten up, given the burn scars and the herbs that were applied to her pelt, but she was alive. Immediately, Pikestar made her a warrior that day, giving her the name Skipperbug. Monarchblaze was just as happy to celebrate her warrior ceremony as he was Windywisp's, but at the same time, he felt terrible dread as he realized how much he would have to catch her up on.
    It was difficult, reliving the loss of Swallowspark in his words, as he told Skipperbug. His ears drooped as he told her, and he couldn't tell what Skipperbug was feeling in that moment. She looked--conflicted. Like she couldn't believe Monarchblaze's words. Perhaps she was trying to find the right words and she couldn't. Monarchblaze couldn't blame her. Before she had left, she had distanced herself from the rest of their family, and though Monarchblaze supported and loved her unconditionally, he wasn't sure if she felt the same about him. They weren't as close as they were as kits. But it was just them in their immediate family, so they had to be there for each other... right? He wasn't sure if she felt the same, but Monarchblaze vowed to her that he would always be there for her, regardless of what would happen between them and to their clan.
    She didn't tell him much about the quest, and he didn't pry. He gave her the space she needed to readjust to being in the clan and everything that had happened. In the meantime, Monarchblaze continued to try and re-improve his skills, but with no luck. He wondered if he would need to be retrained, and that... did not settle well with the large tom. To train under another mentor? And what would they teach him? It's not like he didn't learn or wasn't a warrior-- he just had to readjust! He didn't want to learn under a new cat. But as he fell into the lake after another failed attempt, Monarchblaze couldn't contain his rage as he yelled to the horizon in frustration.
    What he wasn't expecting was for Primrosedawn to be near and to hear him. He had completely forgotten that she had returned from the quest alongside Skipperbug, and as she approached Monarchblaze, he felt his heart stopped. It had been moons since he had seen her... had she gotten prettier? He didn't know, but something about her had his fur fluffing up in embarrassment, and it was more than just the fact that she had found him looking like a soaked rat. He let her sit with him and keep him company, though he wondered if that really helped him. After all, he found he couldn't focus on anything other than her. It was like when he was with Hyacinthpaw and catching mere glimpses of her during his time with his late best friend, even if she didn't look back at him. His heart was racing and there was nothing else around them. Back then, he told himself that it was stupid to feel what he was feeling and he would get over it... but he didn't. He most definitely did not.
    With her help, they managed a decent haul of fish back to camp. Monarchblaze confessed that he enjoyed her company, and he asked if she'd be willing to keep hunting with him, at least until he adjusted to his disability. He was nervous about being turned down, but surprisingly, she replied with optimism. Though he could tell in her eyes that she looked at this offer as a friendly gesture, and perhaps that's what it should have been. After all, she had only just returned to the clan! Maybe she wasn't ready for anything more, and she probably didn't even realize his own feelings. But Monarchblaze gladly took what he could get, and he was happy to have her accompany him in future hunting parties.
    The clan celebrated the arrival of Pikestar and Sleetpuddle's kits, Snapkit and Eelkit. Though Poplarpounce said he wasn't interested in meeting his former mentor's kits, Monarchblaze watched him leave the nursery with a smug grin, and when Monarchblaze called him out on it, he simply said he could see those kits being absolute troublemakers in the future. He only rolled his eyes at his friend's worrds and shoved him in jest before going into the nursery himself to see both the new arrivals and his nieces and nephews. It sure has become quite cramped there.
    Life remained relatively peaceful, thankfully. There were more expecting kits and more newly named warriors. It was a bit of a shock when Badgertooth was suddenly killed after being dragged into the water, but Monarchblaze didn't have much of a connection with him. Who he did have some form of a connection with was Petaldrift, his former mentor. He still, admittedly, had a bit of a grudge against her for leaving him high and dry in his training, but when she announced that she would stay in the nursery as a caretaker after her son became an apprentice, he couldn't help but smile. Yeah, that work was a lot more suited for her, and he was happy that she was happy.
    Something that he really celebrated, though, was when Cricketstorm and Hootsong announced that they were expecting another litter of kits. He was excited for his role model, and he congratulated Primrosedawn and the others on becoming older siblings in the near future. Monarchblaze almost wished he could've been an older sibling, but after his heart ached for his lost mother, he shook that feeling away. He would just have to fill that emptiness with an apprentice, which he would hope to get soon. He was glad to see his friends receive apprentices, as Poplarpounce, Daceshell, and Windywisp were all given apprentices at the same time. Monarchblaze wondered, for a moment, if his injured leg set him back in receiving one himself. But he held back and remained patient; Pikestar wasn't that kind of leader, and he would be rewarded eventually.
    A rogue came to the camp one day and joined the clan. At first, Monarchblaze wasn't too sure about him. But he watched as some cats gathered around him in delight, and the news later reached him that this cat--Sootweaver, as he went--was a former EmberClan cat. Even more, he was Cedarsong's brother and Thrushbriar's son. So Monarchblaze thought that he would give him a pass, though he also hoped a bit that this wouldn't become a trend.
    His time finally came when a new apprentice was named and given to him for training. Her name was Thorntalon, and Monarchblaze was probably as excited as her when he first showed her around the territory. He told her that she would have plenty of friends to make as he would set up training sessions with some of his friends and their apprentices. She looked into it, and he was eager for the future.
    Though he was a bit worried by the sudden appearance of unnaturally large fish in the lake and the bugs that ate the plant life around them. Everywhere they turned, it seemed unsafe. Cats couldn't swim, and hunting became difficult as the fish--muskies--ate the smaller fish. Herbs seemed to become harder to find, too, according to Primrosedawn, as the bugs ate everything in their vicinity. What was going on? He hoped it would all get better soon as he told Thornpaw to steer clear of the water for the time being.
    Skipperbug also was given an apprentice not longer after himself, a young cat named Puffinpaw. She looked excited, and Monarchblaze was happy for his sister. She always seemed like she was going through a lot, and he hoped that this apprentice would help take her mind off of things. Meanwhile, the clan continued to thrive as new warriors were made and Hootsong gave birth to two healthy kits. Monarchblaze came to visit and meet them with Primrosedawn, his eyes practically watering at the sight of them, as if they were his own. He congratulated the couple and promised them he would come to play with them and give them the best kithood they could possibly receive.
    Things were so uneasy that no one expected the herbalists to be attacked again. It had been some time since the Crystal Falls had been repaired and the herbalists could go back, but they hadn't heard from StarClan. Still, they tried to contact them. They would bring their own guardians from each clan every half-moon, but nothing would happen. At least, not until now. Everyone was shocked to see Briarshade come home with an injured Pearldusk and the body of Tawnysong. Ghosts had attacked the Crystal Falls, and there was a lot about StarClan being broken and something about a Veil that was causing cats to slip out. The clans didn't have to worry about it anymore, thankfully, but it was all thanks to a cat that Monarchblaze thought was gone: Shadowfeather. His titi had disappeared moons ago, even to the point that no one had spotted them. They had only just recently been spotted again with some young cats, and now... they were gone again? For good? Shadowfeather sacrificed themself to fix the Veil, bringing the ghosts back to where they belonged in the process. He was gone. Monarchblaze wondered for a moment what happened to the young cats that was following him, but for the time being, he needed to process everything that he heard.
    It wasn't long after that the cats who followed Shadowfeather would come to EmberClan to seek refuge. Apparently, they were his adopted kits, seeing him as their parent and struggling just as much with his loss. Monarchblaze welcomed them warmly, his heart clenching when he heard their names: Reed, Tiger, and Iris. They were... they were names of past cats. His mind wandered for a moment, thinking of those cats, before shaking his head. These weren't those cats, and these cats in front of him needed help.
    But so did others. His own sister was struggling with the loss of her apprentice, who had fallen off of a cliff and tragically passed away. Not only her apprentice, but Windywisp and Daceshell's apprentices went missing, as well. Monarchblaze was worried for Galepaw and Orchidpaw, being his step-cousins. He went out searching for them once in a while, but there was no signs of them. Eventually, he would stop searching in favor of continuing to train his own apprentice, often working with Poplarpounce and Oysterpaw as he did.
    He thought that things would calm down now that the ghosts were gone, but it was like the loss of apprentices was just the beginning. It would be not much longer after Galepaw and Orchidpaw went missing that a badger infiltrated camp and attacked. Many cats jumped into action, with Monarchblaze racing to the nursery to defend it. Others went straight for the badger, like Thrushbriar and Foxfire. Thankfully, there was minimal damage, with those two being injured. Tragically, Dewpaw had also died in the attack. Or, at least, everyone thought he had died. After a few moments, while tending to the injured and mourning for the lost, Dewpaw had opened his eyes, life breathing back into him. Everyone was shocked. Did he actually die? No one could really make sense of it, but they were all just glad to have him back. For his bravery, he was even named a warrior early, given the name Dewmist
    This event seemed to be a turning point for Shadowfeather's kits, too. For the last moon or two, they had been silently staying with EmberClan, taking in their new lives as they tried to deal with the loss of their parent. But suddenly, shortly after the badger attack, they had approached Pikestar and requested to officially join EmberClan. Of course, they were accepted in and made apprentices. Monarchblaze was happy to hear that Daceshell would be training Reedpaw, while Irispaw and Cinderpaw were given to Cranwatcher and Salviawhisker respectively. The new apprentices seemed determined to make their places in EmberClan, and Monarchblaze was proud of them all for making that decision. Shadowfeather was, without a doubt, proud of them.
    Things calmed down a bit, and Monarchblaze was finally able to catch a breather. He watched as Cedarsong and her mate adopted some kits and Petaldrift's son became a warrior. Thrushbriar had decided to step down from being deputy to move into the nursery as a caretaker, and Gullwatcher was named as the new deputy. He was a good cat, and Monarchblaze thought it was a wise choice. Caretaker also fit Thrushbriar well, and he likely would enjoy being able to help care for his grandkits with Cedarsong.
    Not all cats were perfect, though, especially not when they were kits. Singekit, one of Mintbreeze's adopted children, was especially adventurous and eager to get into trouble. The whole clan was searching for him when he had suddenly gone missing, and it wasn't until later when it was discovered that he had found his way out of camp and nearly in the jaws of a hungry fox that he would be retrieved. His adventure was not without consequences, because Thrasherbelly, a young warrior who had bravely defended the kit, lost a leg to the fox. Though he hadn't lost his leg, Monarchblaze could understand the feeling of something that had gone terribly wrong. He hoped Thrasherbelly would be able to come back from it like he eventually did, encouraging the young tom that it would be alright and it would get better.
    But he also attempted to comfort Petaldrift when her son suddenly died after slipping and hitting his head. He wasn't that close with her, but he couldn't imagine losing his only kit. He wasn't... the greatest at it. He eventually left her alone to grieve, wondering if he was instead making things worse. He, instead, worked to prepare Thornpaw for her warrior assessment. She passed with flying colors, and his chest was puffed up with pride as he told Pikestar. So Thorntalon was named a warrior a moon later, and alongside her, Shadowfeather's kits also became warriors with the names Reedspark, Irisshadow, and Cindershade. He was glad to see that they stuck around, and they looked like they were fitting in well. He wasn't all too sure about letting Singepaw become an apprentice so soon after the accident, but he figured the young cat had been through enough with the trauma of the fox and Thrasherbelly's injury. He only hoped that no more trouble would come from her.
    Thrasherbelly ended up deciding to become a caretaker after being released, which surprised Monarchblaze. Honestly, he was a bit sad to see the tom make the decision, but he didn't voice this. It didn't seem like it was because he lost his leg that Thrasherbelly made the decision, as he seemed genuinely happy with the kits, but Monarchblaze almost wished he could have proven that he could still be a warrior even without his leg. So instead, he cheered for Cricketstorm and Hootsong's kits when they became apprentices, and then he jested with Cricketstorm when he and his mate announced their retirements, calling him old. But he knew just how much they deserved the rest, and he promised to visit them in the elders' den often.
    It was a surprise when Apricotshell came back to camp sodden and shaken. As she was ushered to the herbalists' den, she recounted that the patrol she was on had gone out on the ice, where the ice gave out and they all plunged into the cold water. She, unfortunately, was the only one to survive the ordeal. Her apprentice, Gustpaw, was lost, as well as Hollyblossom. Monarchblaze wasn't very close with his step-aunt, but he could see how her loss was difficult on Shadowfeather's kits. He prayed for his step-aunt, wherever she had gone, to continue watching them.
    The weather only got worse, forcing the patrols to cease their work and come home. Some of the patrols that Monarchblaze was on would even be cancelled as the snowstorms became impossible to navigate through. Some patrols would struggle to get home if the weather suddenly turned on them halfway through, and eventually, it would become a problem when cats were lost. Everyone was worried when a patrol came home without two apprentices, those apprentices being Cricketstorm's younger kits. Search parties were made, and Monarchblaze stayed behind to comfort Primrosedawn and others while their clanmates searched. Cricketstorm joined the search party, as well ass Petaldrift and Skipperbug. He told Skipperbug to come back safely, and then they were all going through the camp's entrance.
    Eventually, the party came back with both Trufflepaw and Myrtlepaw safe. Not everyone came back alive, though. The cold bit back hard, leaving the young cats with terrible frostbite. It had also claimed a couple of lives in the search, as the cats brought back the bodies of Petaldrift and Parsleyseed, Primrosedawn's littermate. Monarchblaze was shocked that they both could be lost so easily to something so simple, and while he mourned his former mentor, he focused more of his energy into comforting his beloved friend. As the vigils were arranged and cats mourned, Cricketstorm muttered that he retired too early, else maybe this wouldn't have happened to his family. So, when the vigils were done and the day had passed, Cricketstorm announced that he would be coming out of retirement. Monarchblaze was a bit worried about the decision, but he didn't dare fight the old tom on it. His decision was made and it was final, so he did what he can to support his role model.
    The weather only continued to consume lives when Thorntalon went missing in a snowstorm. Monarchblaze searched high and low for his former apprentice, even going on when he was advised not to. But no matter how far he looked, she was nowhere to be found. He bit his lip, yelling at the sky in rage, wondering who could do such terrible things to their clan if they were truly their ancestors. Though he had been given the idea that StarClan was, in fact, real, he simply couldn't put his faith in those that would let their clan suffer so much.
    Singepaw was eventually named the new herbalist apprentice, much to the disdain of many cats. Monarchblaze was a bit confused on the choice, as well, but he tried not to comment. Instead, he tried to soothe his irritated nerves with Primrosedawn's presence. She may not have known it, but she was a cat that he felt he could be himself around and ease his worries. Not in the way that Poplarpounce did, where his best friend would make him laugh and forget what happened, but she would acknowledge his feelings and help him through it. He always knew that he liked her--there was never a doubt about it--but he was always afraid of what she would say if she were to ever find out. But he figured it was better to say it and be rejected than to never come out with it and be stuck in this loop of wonder. So when the weather was decent for once, he took her out of camp for a walk, recounting their first hunt together and his joy when she came home. Eventually, he bit his lip and just came out with it, closing his eyes tightly as he waited for her to turn him down. But surprisingly, she reciprocated his feelings, calling him strong for his openness and brave for all of the hardships he's been through. He was beyond relieved when he realized that this was real, and he couldn't hold it in when they came back to camp and he could tell everyone that she loved him back. Of course, Poplarpounce teased him about it, and Cricketstorm said he was proud to finally call him his son. Monarchblaze realized, too, that Cricketstorm was now his father-in-law and his fur ruffled with delight. Though he had been through so much, this was something that he never anticipated, but it was the easily the best day of his life.
    Just because he was having a good time didn't mean everyone was. The clan experienced more hardships when they lost Thrasherbelly and Coyoteheart in quick succession. An older apprentice, Frostpaw, also failed her warrior assessment and was held back compared to her littermates. Monarchblaze felt for the young she-cat, and he wondered if he could somehow approach her and encourage her. But he didn't, instead silently sending her some positivity for her next assessment. But things were still good enough for Cricketstorm to retire once more when his creaky old bones were too much for his warrior duties. He stated that he really wanted to continue being a warrior, at least until his kits were warriors, but Monarchblaze assured him that he and the others would watch over them. After all, Cricketstorm deserved the rest and retirement with his mate! So, albeit with reluctance, Cricketstorm once again made his nest in the elders' den and was officially removed from warrior tasks.
    Monarchblaze was a bit worried when he heard that one of Cedarsong's kits, Lilacpaw, had gone missing, but he didn't have much time to think about it. About half a moon after she disappeared, the camp had been suddenly attacked while the gathering was taking place. Monarchblaze had stayed home, so he experienced the attack firsthand as strange cats rampaged through the camp and attacked anything that moved. He fought against the strangers, but of course, he could only do so much as he protected the nursery with the caretakers. Eventually, the cats fled, but it wasn't because they were forced out. Looking around camp, it was obvious who the losers really were. Bodies were strewn about, EmberClan cats lost to the attack. Among them, Monarchblaze was surprised to see Briarshade, motionless by the herbalist's den. While cats checked the wounded and for any signs of life from the dead, others checked the herbalist's den, where they found that their herb stores had been completely destroyed. Was that the goal of these cats all along? Not only did they kill cats, but they also left them with no way to heal the wounded.
    It only got worse when the cats from the gathering returned, some of them injured. They reported that a deer rampaged through the gathering, injuring multiple cats. And to think, they had no herbs to help these injured cats, nor did they have their herbalist anymore. Singepaw looked strangely lost without Briarshade, but Hurricanewatcher stepped in to help out. Even Skipperbug and Primrosedawn, primed with herbal knowledge from their quest, took up assisting with replenishing the stocks and treating minor injuries. But it would take a long time for the clan to recover from this. And still, in the back of everyone's minds, was one question: who were their attackers?
    Things were difficult for a bit. Without Briarshade, some cats were not properly treated and were provided incorrect care. Another cat, young Frostlily who had just become a warrior after passing her second assessment, also went missing. Monarchblaze did what he could to help the clan, going out for more hunting parties or border patrols. He kept all of his senses alert for the strange cats. Some had noted how they smelled like CloudClan and HailClan, but after a moon passed, they found out that not only were CloudClan and HailClan also attacked that night, but so was MarshClan. All of the clans had been attacked. This wasn't necessarily targeted, but it was at the same time towards the clans as a whole. Monarchblaze was so confused. Did the rogues band together? But there were so many cats... that didn't make any sense. He continued to mull over these questions, never quite finding the answers as he continued his duties.
    He at least would have good news to celebrate in time. It started with Cricketstorm and Hootsong's kits become warriors, named Myrtledove and Truffleskip respectively. Being Skipperbug's apprentice, Monarchblaze could see his sister's pride in Truffleskip's naming ceremony, and Monarchblaze cheered for his little sibling-in-laws. He also got to celebrate Skipperbug and Sprucefrost's mateship announcement, even nudging his sister a bit with a grin. The two had been dancing around it for quite a while, and he was happy for them both. Of course, he couldn't say he didn't do the same with Primrosedawn. But he was just so glad to see his sister finally happy.
    Though it was a bit concerning to hear that Apricotshell was expecting kits. Monarchblaze didn't think Apricotshell wouldn't be a good mother, but she knew that Apricotshell had a lot of her own hardships that she was facing. Seeing the she-cat's face, he could see that she didn't look ready for kits, and even Curlewbounce, her mate, looked a bit nervous. Monarchblaze tried to support them, but he wasn't sure how close his words got to them as they suddenly broke off their mateship shortly after the pregnancy announcement. He winced about, remembering how they argued. He couldn't imagine doing that with Primrosedawn. If she suddenly came to him one day saying she was expecting kits, he would be ecstatic. Of course, that couldn't happen, not with him at least. But he would be happy regardless. He only hoped that Apricotshell and Curlewbounce would find solace soon.
    Meanwhile, it didn't go unnoticed how Singepaw had begun to treat aer clanmates. While ae previously accepted help pretty openly, listening to Hurricanewatcher and letting cats accompany aer on herb gathering, ae was suddenly saying ae was grown up and didn't need help. Of course, that wasn't all too far from the truth when ae eventually became a full herbalist and was given the name Singeflicker. Still, Monarchblaze wondered if it had to do with the loss of Flaredawn, who went missing shortly before aer herbalist ceremony. He only hoped the young herbalist would calm down soon.
    Apricotshell gave birth to three healthy kits, and on top of her own kits, Daceshell had adopted two young she-kits who had lost their parents. Monarchblaze was already going to attempt to visit Apricotshell's kits, but he found himself in the nursery more times than he could count seeing Daceshell's daughters. He developed a bond quickly with them as they began to call him Uncle Mon, and he would also attempt to involve Apricotshell's kits in their games, especially Brindlekit, who seemed a bit lonely. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn't. Monarchblaze remained patient with them, understanding that they were going through a hard time with their parents and family dynamic. Monarchblaze only wish it didn't get worse.
    He had noticed for some time how Poplarpounce was acting strangely. He would go off alone to scout the borders, coming home with pondering and thoughtful gazes. Sometimes, he seemed lost in thought when Monarchblaze would talk to him, which was unusual for the typically mischievous tom. What could be going on inside his head for him to be acting so airheaded? Monarchblaze couldn't figure it out, but when he found Poplarpounce leaving the camp one day, he chose to follow. His fur bristled when Poplarpounce told him that he was leaving EmberClan. What...? Leaving? What in the world made him decide that on such a whim!? Monarchblaze could barely form the sentence in his anger, and Poplarpounce's response only made it worse; he was bored. Bored? Bored? Was that a good reason to leave your family, your friends, your clan behind? He yelled at Poplarpounce, telling him to stop being so ridiculous and come home. But his friend just smiled as he walked away. And, sure enough, he never returned.
    Monarchblaze was admittedly quite difficult to be around for the next moon after that. He barely noticed the return of Flaredawn and Lilacpaw or their mentions of being held hostage by strange cats with similar appearances to their aggressors, or how Cindershade was reported to be abducted by twolegs. Any time he tried to calm down, the same conversation with Poplarpounce would come rushing back, and he was suddenly seeing red again. He was bored! Seriously! Monarchblaze couldn't make sense of it at all. His only solace was with Primrosedawn, who would listen to his gripes about it constantly. He also would distract himself with visiting Daceshell, who was just as confused about Poplarpounce's change of behavior, and his kits.
    It was when Apricotshell returned to her duties and left her kits to Curlewbounce and Skipperbug and Sprucefrost announced expecting their own kits that Monarchblaze woke up a bit. Time was moving, and he wasn't moving with it. Whatever his friend had decided, it shouldn't have to affect him like it was. He decided he needed to be there more as an uncle, not only to Daceshell's daughters, but to his future niblings and to Poplarpounce's niblings, too. Not only that, but he learned that HailClan had some of their kits taken by the strange cats and that the clans were attempting to come up with a plan to rescue them. There was so much going on, and he was missing out on it all. So Monarchblaze worked on himself, perking up immediately when he visited the kits and putting on a smile wherever he went. It worked out for the most part, though he sometimes would find himself frowning in frustration when he came across the borders. Just where in the world did Poplarpounce go?
    Thankfully, the HailClan kits were saved. The clans attempted a parlay with the strange cats, which they later learned were known as a group called the Empire. The parlay isn't what brought the kits to them though, as cats had gone to rescue them while the talking happened. There was no peace made that day, either, as cats were still injured in the process. Nevertheless, Monarchblaze was glad to hear that the kits were safe and that no one in the clans had died.
   Singeflicker chose Isopodpaw, Dewmist's son, as aer herbalist apprentice. It was a controversial decision--not only because of them being family, but also because of how young Singeflicker was. Some weren't even sure if ae was still fully ready to be an herbalist aerself, but Monarchblaze tried not to comment on it. After all, that was a field that he was completely ignorant about, and he wasn't able to try and pry into something that he didn't belong in. He only hoped that Singeflicker knew what ae was doing.
    Monarchblaze had still been taking on multiple patrols during the day, mostly to keep his mind off of things. He would often search for a sign of Poplarpounce on border patrols, just like he did with this one. He tried not to, given everyone relied on him as patrol leader, yet he simply couldn't help himself. He hoped that the patrol would go by quickly, in fact, so that maybe he could go home to the kits and to Primrosedawn. But things weren't that simple. As if flying cats existed, those strange Empire cats from the camp attack suddenly came down on them from the trees about, tackling his clanmates. An especially heavy one went after Monarchblaze from the ground, who fought against him as he commanded his patrol to protect the apprentices. He couldn't really recount to anyone what all happened in that attack. One of the things he knew was that Rosemaryoak had been killed and that the Empire cats had one of the own stuck in a tree. The other thing he could recount was the reappearance of his friend, who fought on the side of the enemy.
    In all of his rage, Monarchblaze had quickly abandoned his fight with the dark tom he was fighting as he leapt at Poplarpounce. As soon as Poplarpounce had let Clovermist go, who had attacked previously, he was just as quickly tackled by Monarchblaze. The two fought with claws out, all while Monarchblaze begged him to explain himself. Poplarpounce's words only made it worse. He recounted what he said--that the clans were boring and monotonous--and he said that this group of branch-antlered rogues gave him the thrill of life once more. He attacked Monarchblaze relentlessly, who tried to convince him to stop and that he should be home. But he didn't listen as he continued to drag Monarchblaze under, ripping his lip and leaving small marks on him. It wasn't until the enemy called retreat that he paused, and Apricotshell had come to Monarchblaze's aid. Still, he couldn't just... let him walk away like that. As Poplarpounce began to retreat to help the cat the apprentices were fighting, he found himself digging his claws into his old friend's back, his eyes seeing red. If there was one thing Poplarpounce wouldn't do, it would be hurting the apprentices. They were ready to jump into another fight when Apricotshell jumped between them. She called the apprentices off, and with his superior free, Poplarpounce retreated with the rest of the enemies. Monarchblaze just... he couldn't believe what he had seen. His old friend--his best friend, was a traitor.
    Poplarpounce surely left him with gifts to remember him by. Monarchblaze's face burned, as did his body. He was admitted to the herbalists' den, alongside many of his patrolmates. Primrosedawn didn't leave him alone, spending much of her time treating him herself. He appreciate her love and support, but his eyes stared blankly at the den walls as he would recount everything that happened. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't Poplarpounce, but not only was the appearance the same, but his demeanor was back to his old self from before he left the clan. Though, he couldn't help but roll his eyes when Timberwolf was kicked out of the herbalist's den after making some terrible remarks to Singeflicker and Isopodpaw. He deserved it, if you asked Monarchblaze. He only wished he could do the same to Poplarpounce.
    He heard news about Newtspring passing in her sleep, and Cranewatcher was suddenly found dead with evidence of being attacked and drowned. It was likely because of those awful cats. He couldn't comprehend how Poplarpounce could simply... side with them? Even as Monarchblaze was released from the herbalist's den, he couldn't figure out why his friend would think that was the best option. There had to be some form of explanation to it all. Poplarpounce was an enigma, even to his closest cats, and Monarchblaze was no exception. He figured there was something else itching under Poplarpounce's fur to make him join paws with such awful cats. And, he believed, that it wasn't over. It would come out alright, in the end; it always did.
    So, despite his friend's betrayal, Monarchblaze perked up and began to participate in his duties with more attention. He no longer searched for signs of Poplarpounce, and he stopped being angry over his actions. It was a strange reaction coming from him, and some cats questioned him about it. He simply said that he believed in Poplarpounce. Which was true, though he wasn't sure if he could hold that up when he saw Poplarpounce again. And that reality hit him when he was assigned to be Brindlepaw's mentor. He was a good uncle to Brindlepaw when he was a kit, being there for him when Apricotshell struggled. Before, Monarchblaze would have been ecstatic to train the young tom. But as he stared down at his new apprentice, the looming presence of his old friend towered over Brindlepaw. Everywhere he looked on Brindlepaw, he simply saw Poplarpounce: his blue eye, his folded ears, his rosette markings... even his extra toes. It was like he was Poplarpounce's son, not Apricotshell's. And it haunted Monarchblaze.
    It made training the young tom a bit difficult. Brindlepaw seemed to pick up on Monarchblaze's reaction quickly, and whatever relationship they previously had quickly fallen apart. Monarchblaze felt terrible about it, but even as he tried to reassure Brindlepaw, he would look away from him. He couldn't face him, and it hurt knowing it was like this. It was Poplarpounce's fault, but it was Monarchblaze that was holding onto it. Brindlepaw did nothing to deserve this treatment, yet he couldn't help what he saw. He only hoped he would get over it soon.
    Around the same time that he was given Brindlepaw, Isopodpaw was reassigned to Iceshroud as a warrior apprentice. The reassignment looked like it was difficult on him, and he often seemed to linger at the herbalist's den entrance. Monarchblaze wondered what had happened to cause the chance, but he chose not to pry, not being close to either of them. Instead, he turned his attention to Ferntail's death. He always admired Ferntail and her strength, so he was surprised to hear of her death and that HailClan might have had something to do with it. It only got worse when Peachblaze was also found dead by HailClan's border a little while later. Was HailClan really attacking them when they had a shared enemy to deal with first? It didn't make sense to Monarchblaze, but he found himself watching the HailClan border more often with the recent deaths.
    Monarchblaze was among one of the first cats that went to the nursery to meet his new nephew and niece as Skipperbug and Sprucefrost gave birth to Firekit and Barkkit. Firekit, especially, looked so much like little Bluekit that Monarchblaze couldn't help but cry a bit as he thanked them for giving him such beautiful niblings and telling them that they would be great mothers. Around the same time, Daceshell's kits were becoming apprentices, and Monarchblaze encouraged the girls a lot, preparing them for the apprentice ceremonies. What shocked her the most, though, was when Apricotshell and Curlewbounce had announced that they were reinstating their mateship. What was going on in the background to cause that? And... how did Brindlepaw and his littermates feel about it? Both him and Mottledpaw seemed almost angry, and Monarchblaze thought it would be good to throw in some more fighting training to help the young tom get his frustration out.
    It was around this time that he chose to try and talk it out with Brindlepaw. He sat the young tom down somewhere in a peaceful, quiet place for them to converse. He confessed to Brindlepaw that it was his fault they had become distant. He admitted that he saw Brindlepaw's uncle in him a lot, saying that his uncle right now wasn't a good cat. He apologized for comparing them and told Brindlepaw that he was nothing like his uncle, nor should he believe him to be so. Brindlepaw was a good cat that was drawn unlucky lots, and Monarchblaze promised him that he would always be there for him. It... wasn't perfect. And it was obvious that it was going to take time until they could fully trust each other again. They seemed to acknowledge this, but at the very least, they didn't seem tense around each other anymore. Monarchblaze hoped he could grow close with Brindlepaw again, in time.
    One day, Irisshadow had come rushing out of the herbalist's den with the brightest expression on her face. It was pretty normal to announce when one was expecting kits, but Irisshadow practically shouted it across the clan, her eyes lit with excitement and warmth. Cats congratulated her, happy for her and her future, but when asked about who the father was, everyone was shocked when she blatantly said that it was someone outside of the clan. She didn't say that it was a rogue donor, which cats would often gain help from when they wanted kits. Rather, she seemed to be filled with love when she talked about this cat, as if they were more than just the father of these kits. The warm congratulations suddenly turned sour, and whispered spread throughout the clan. Some of them were comforting as a few cats helped Irisshadow make her nest in the nursery, including Hootsong, but most of them were venomous. Many cats talked about traitorous actions and said nasty things about Irisshadow. Sootweaver had even said something about her becoming a rogue again if she wanted to so badly ignore the code. And he was one to talk!? He didn't come back to the clan immediately when he could have, now did he? Monarchblaze found herself reprimanding Brindlepaw when he said something about a traitor, and he also tried to explain to Carppaw how love sometimes didn't know bounds. But... it was not enough. No comfort could help Irisshadow as the shine in her eyes dulled. Overnight, she had disappeared, and she never came back. Monarchblaze was upset about what cats had said about her, even joining some of the searching for her. But she was gone.
    Things were a bit sour in the clan after that, and Monarchblaze didn't want to talk to anyone that had blatantly been rude to Irisshadow. Perhaps Pearldusk felt the same way, because she left the clan shortly after Irisshadow did. She was eventually seen with HailClan, and at least Monarchblaze could say that she was okay. But was Irisshadow? She was pregnant and out there likely alone for the first time ever. Monarchblaze simply couldn't understand how the clan could go on with life so casually after saying such horrible things about one of their own.
    But he wouldn't have much time to think about this. He had been out on another border patrol, hoping to catch a glimpse of Irisshadow, but there was still nothing that he could see. With a sigh, he took himself back to camp, where the action really happened. He was stunned to find the camp, once again, in tatters. The herbalist's den had completely fallen apart, debris everywhere. Not only that, but there were injured cats and... and Cricketstorm was dead. His body was sprawled out just outside of what was left of the herbalist's den, his neck slashed. His young son was curled up against his body, and other cats were slowly gathering.
    Monarchblaze learned that the Empire was behind the attack. Of course it was the Empire. Who else would it be? They had stolen their herbs yet again, and now they also destroyed the herbalist's den. At the very least, EmberClan did some damage back when Monarchblaze found an unfamiliar body among the wreckage. And, even better, there was another, more familiar one found in the rubble alongside Timberwolf, who looked like he was about to cross over to StarClan himself. It was the general that Poplarpounce had followed that day. He couldn't help but be glad that such a cat was dead, and then he regretted his thoughts. No cat should be having to die like this, enemy or not. It didn't make sense to him why they couldn't talk it out instead.
    Piketongue had also lost a life that day, and she decided to step down and retire when she came to. This left Gullstar as their new leader, and Monarchblaze was looking forward to seeing what the leader would do. It's not that he didn't enjoy Pikestar as a leader, but she deserved a good rest alongside her mate, Sleetpuddle, who also retired. Gullstar eventually named Snapstream as his deputy, and although Monarchblaze was a bit disappointed, he still congratulated Snapstream for his promotion.
    He was surprised when Willowpaw suddenly showed up in camp. It had been seasons since he had seen Poplarpounce's brother, who had left the clan and never looked back. And now he was asking to rejoin? And everyone let him? Of course, Gullstar did so with keeping a close watch on him and requiring that he have an escort for some time, but Monarchblaze just couldn't believe the hypocrisy, especially when Sootweaver welcomed him so warmly. So a cat who willingly left the clan and had forsaken the code can be welcomed back, but their own clanmate, who had stayed with the clan despite going through so much, was going to be shamed? He couldn't help but shake his head, though he had to admit it was interesting to see Willowpaw--or Troutspider, as he named himself--back.
    Apricotshell was starting to come down with something, yet she refused to go to the herbalists' den. It was obvious that her family was worried, including Brindlepaw. Monarchblaze noticed his concern, and he gently encouraged him to talk to Apricotshell. And, after being pressed enough, she finally went to go get herself checked out, where Singeflicker gave her something to help with the cough. He hoped that it would be enough, but Monarchblaze was just glad to see the improvement in Brindlepaw and Apricotshell's relationship.
    It was no surprise when Hootsong passed away, honestly. She seemed lifeless since the loss of Cricketstorm, and she struggled to eat or sleep. Eventually, she just... slipped away. Monarchblaze stuck by Primrosedawn's side the entire time that the clan held her vigil, all while grieving himself. He hoped that Cricketstorm and Hootsong were happy together in StarClan, even if he himself had little faith in such a space.
    At the very least, the clan was able to slowly pick itself back up from the attack a couple moons ago. Singeflicker picked a new herbalist apprentice named Elmpaw, and this time, she looked confident in her decision. The clan also had all worked together to construct a new herbalist's den, and it finished shortly after Elmpaw was named herbalist apprentice. Fennelspots' kits also became apprentices, and although Monarchblaze wasn't nearly as close with them as he was with others, he was still happy to see that they were doing well. He cheered for them as loudly as the rest of the family, even if Lavenderpaw had the awful fortune of being given to Timberwolf.
    That happiness would not last for too long, though. It was a relatively peaceful day, and Monarchblaze was resting in the warriors' den with Daceshell. The first thing he heard outside was Carppaw's sudden cry, and he was jumping up and racing out with Daceshell. He was shocked to see that the ice along the river had broken, and several young cats were stuck on a large chunk of it. Among them were Carppaw and Minnowpaw, who cowered while curling around a smaller figure that he realized was Gritkit. Daceshell had gone racing into the freezing water towards his kits, but Monarchblaze grabbed him by the scruff and pulling him back. After all, what would happen if he died of hypothermia before they could be reached? Unfortunately, the clan had no choice but to watch them continue to drift away, the only warrior able to reach them being Cicadahowl, Daceshell's close friend. Monarchblaze called out for them, telling them all to listen to Cicadahowl and that they would find them soon. Then, which an aching heart, he watched them slowly disappear over the horizon.
    For several days, Monarchblaze searched the perimeter of the lake for the missing cats. He was often accompanied by Brindlepaw, who was terribly worried about Carppaw. Other cats also searched, but there was nothing. Monarchblaze even tried to expand his search perimeter to outside of EmberClan, going around near Misty Mountain, but still, nothing. His brows creased with worry as he attempted to comfort Daceshell. The parents of the other missing young cats weren't doing okay, either, but he wasn't close to them--never mind his dislike for Sootweaver. All Monarchblaze could continue to do is search and pray for their safety.
    Although they were searching, Monarchblaze had to continue training Brindlepaw. They worked towards his assessment, even through Monarchblaze's curiosity of Poplarpounce's increased scent on EmberClan territory, and he passed with flying colors. Thus, Brindlemane was named a warrior alongside his littermates. Monarchblaze was shocked and unsure about the announcement that Mottledpaw was named Hemlockbadger. How much did she know about her grandfather? Surely she did this because of him, and Monarchblaze wasn't exactly sure that it was the right decision. But he didn't say anything, rather joining together with the clan in saying goodbye to Hurricanewatcher, who passed away that night in his sleep.
    There was also more surprising news from the other clans at the gathering, and that was that CloudClan had been chased out of their territory by the Empire. CloudClan was currently scattered, with some staying in HailClan, others in MarshClan, and the rest unaccounted for. Where could the rest of them had gone? He wasn't sure, but he worried about the power that the Empire was gaining with that victory. The clans needed to put a stop the Empire somehow, and soon.
    Daceshell was released from the herbalist's den after his foolish dip in the frozen water, but that didn't take away his worries and lack of emotion from the loss of his daughters. He didn't eat unless Monarchblaze convinced him to, and he often had to drag Daceshell out to patrols and parties with him if to get him out of the warriors' den. It was concerning seeing how his friend had become a shell, but he would do all that he could to help him, even if that meant simply being there for him.
    Still, he had to celebrate when his niblings became apprentices, cheering for Firepaw and Barkpaw. He was excited--and worried--about the prospect of Firepaw becoming an herbalist apprentice. Did Singeflicker have enough time to mentor two apprentices at once when he struggled with one? Firepare seemed so happy and eager to learn, though, that Monarchblaze couldn't speak up about his concerns. Meanwhile, Barkpaw was given to Troutspider, which Monarchblaze also was a bit skeptical for. He had come to accept Troutspider and even welcomed him, but was it not too soon for him to mentor a cat? He only hoped that Barkpaw would be alright.
    Meanwhile, it was more difficult for Daceshell as the time for his daughters to become warriors came and went. And then another moon went, and while Mintbreeze's kits became apprentices, her missing kit Gritkit was left behind. Monarchblaze didn't like the sullenness of it all, so a few days later, he dragged Daceshell into the middle of the camp. There, he gave him a fat fish to feast on while Monarchblaze held some form of mini ceremony for Carppaw and Minnowpaw, as if they were becoming warriors. In his eyes, they were warriors. Daceshell was a lot more reluctant about this, but Monarchblaze convinced him to at least entertain the idea. After all, the girls could hear him wherever they were, and they deserved to hear their father's congratulations. So, although Daceshell was unsure about it, he still joined in, and together, they celebrated the girls' warrior ceremonies.
    There was more to be done, and Monarchblaze was surprised when he was approached by Gullstar and Snapstream to lead a patrol onto CloudClan's territory. Of course, it wasn't CloudClan's at the time, but rather the Empire's. They gave him a specific time and told him to bring a good amount of cats, over a certain amount. He didn't really understand why they had this information, but they did at least tell him that they were ambushing the Empire. Monarchblaze was all for it, and he gathered some cats together for a patrol that day. Daceshell had asked to join, though he wasn't enthusiastic about it. Monarchblaze still let him come, but as they approached CloudClan's borders, he told Daceshell to turn back. He would be alright with the others, which included Troutspider, Timberwolf, Darknight, and Floodshiver.
    He was a bit surprised to see Poplarpounce on the patrol that they were going to attack, along with how Poplarpounce was casually sidling up to another one of the cats. Monarchblaze couldn't let that stop him, and when they got close enough, he called for the attack. Monarchblaze joined Darknight on the larger of the cats, while Troutspider went for Poplarpounce and Timberwolf and Floodshiver attacked Poplarpounce's friend. Things were going well--really well. That was, however, until Timberwolf and the other Empire cat fell into the river. While Darknight held down their opponent, Monarchblaze went to go check on Timberwolf. Before he could peek his head over the edge, though, Poplarpounce had leapt over the edge, diving in to retrieve his companion. He flung Timberwolf off of the small calico cat and further down the river, where Monarchblaze went in to pull him out. When they were on land, Monarchblaze told him to get up, shake it off, and move on. Then, he called for EmberClan to retreat, watching as Poplarpounce slowly picked up the now unconscious cat and walked off towards the CloudClan camp. He knew that EmberClan had proven their strength there, but Monarchblaze couldn't help but think about what had happened as he glanced back one last time at the Empire cats.
   It was a victory, though Monarchblaze wasn't sure how he felt about it. He felt bad for Poplarpounce, who looked angry in the moment. He had never seen him angry before--not like that. He wondered who that cat was, and he heard from Troutspider that he was supposedly Poplarpounce's mate. Monarchblaze never thought he would hear the day that Poplarpounce would fall in love, and to think it would happen outside of EmberClan... maybe being away really did help him. Not that Monarchblaze didn't miss him, but he continued to pray that everything would work out.
    And eventually, it did! Of course, Monarchblaze was glad to hear that Hazelbloom and Avalancheriver had announced their mateship, but even better, the cats who had drifted away all of those moons ago were back! To say they were safe would be an overstatement, as they all looked to be worse for wear. Monarchblaze was especially worried about Carppaw, who had lost a leg. Gritkit, too, seemed off as he reacted negatively towards his mother, at least until he heard her voice. They were all alive, though, and that was what mattered. Monarchblaze was glad to see that Daceshell was so happy, and Monarchblaze also gathered the girls into his own embrace once he was done checking them over and giving them his love. After the reunion was over, the clan gathered for some of their much-needed ceremonies. Gritpaw became an apprentice while Tadpoleflame, Carpfin, and Minnowtail became warriors. That wasn't all, though, as Gullstar also named Orchidwish and Burdockflutter warriors a couple of days early. Everyone was relatively excited for them all, and Monarchblaze especially cheered loudly for the return of the beloved young members.
    Time didn't slow down, though, and there was still a lot of work to be done. The clans had formulated their plan to drive out the Empire, and now, it was time execute it. Of course, Monarchblaze didn't hesitate to join in, wanting to help directly in the CloudClan camp. While others distracted outside of the camp, he followed the patrol he was in to CloudClan's camp. Beside him was Daceshell, Carpfin, and Minnowtail, and him and Daceshell told the girls to stick with them. Carpfin chose to be with Monarchblaze while Minnowtail went with her father; it immediately felt comforting knowing that the girls, despite what had happened to them, were ready to fight for the clans.
    The battle started a bit slow, but it quickly picked up. Monarchblaze focused his efforts on a small pale cat, though she wasn't much of a fight as Monarchblaze allowed her the chance to leave and she took said chance. He sighed and looked for another fight, but he was surprised to see that Carpfin had gone back over to where Daceshell was fighting another cat. Monarchblaze, at first, went to stop her, saying her father could handle it. But he didn't expect Daceshell to fall in one swift attack, the Empire cat looming over him with an awful delight. As his daughters cried, Monarchblaze was seeing red. He crouched down, poised to attack the Empire cat and avenge his friend, when another shadow swooped over him. And boy was he glad to see who it was.
    Poplarpounce had attacked the Empire cat. Trusting his best friend to take care of it, Monarchblaze went in to check on Daceshell. Unfortunately, his wound was deep, and it was obvious that he was fading fast. He didn't see what Poplarpounce did, but when his friend came over with red-stained paws, he could assume what had happened. He didn't ask, he didn't say a word, turning his attention to Daceshell as his friend spoke. His final words broke his heart as Monarchblaze curled his tail around Minnowtail. When Daceshell closed his eyes and stopped breathing, he bit back his own cry as he said his goodbye. After a moment, he turned to continue fighting the Empire, with words that the girls had a choice to stay or leave. He wasn't surprised that they wanted to go home, and he promised that he would bring their father home. Meanwhile, Poplarpounce stood beside him, nudging him like the old days, and they went back into the fray together.
    The attack was a success, and the Empire was quickly pushed back. Monarchblaze and Poplarpounce continued to work together in fighting the Empire cats, who would call him a traitor as they ran. Glancing at him, Poplarpounce just grinned, the glean his eyes menacing. Together, with the rest of the clan cats, the Empire was successfully driven out of CloudClan, and the clans had won.
    It wasn't without its losses, of course, and Monarchblaze kept his promise as he brought Daceshell's body back home. The clan held a vigil for him, Monarchblaze holding Daceshell's daughters close as they all mourned. Poplarpounce also showed a semblance of grief, something that Monarchblaze didn't expect. After the vigil, Poplarpounce, along with Gullstar and Snapstream, had announced what most had already picked up on; Poplerpounce was a spy for EmberClan, gathering information about the Empire and passing it to them respectively. That explained why they knew about the perfect amount of cats to overpower an Empire patrol at a specific time. Monarchblaze puffed his chest up with pride to call Poplarpounce his best friend, and he welcomed him back with their typical banter. Poplarpounce wasn't alone though; the cat that he had helped in that patrol attack had come with him to EmberClan, asking to seek refuge. He had forsaken the Empire after realizing the errors in their ways. He loved Poplarpounce and wanted to be with him, and the clan was a safe space to do so. Monarchblaze wasn't entirely sure about that sentiment, knowing the very cat who caused his partial paralysis was in the same camp, but Gullstar nevertheless welcomed the cat, known as Hackberry, and the herbalists continued his treatment. Monarchblaze also welcomed him, as well as Troutspider and a couple of other cats, while many still looked at him skeptically. Perhaps they thought that it was a trick, especially given that Poplarpounce was involved in a lot of the attacks. But surely they would understand that that was necessary for him to gain the Empire's trust, right?
    Although it was very difficult to move on without Daceshell, Monarchblaze was happy to have his best friend back. He noticed how some cats avoided him, while others were also glad to have him back. Monarchblaze stuck close to Carpfin and Minnowtail as they recovered from their grief and shock, especially Minnowtail, who seemed worse than her sister. He became even more concerned when cats started to get ill with various symptoms, being sent to the herbalist's den for their symptoms. This included some of Monarchblaze's extended family like Fennelspots and Myrtledove, and he assured Primrosedawn that they were strong and they would be alright.
    But it began to grow more terrifying when the first cat died to the illness, that cat being Ravensight. It was hard to tell what was causing the illness, and the herbalists didn't know how to combat it. There was a lot of experimenting and trying different things, but nothing seemed to work. It only got worse when Sparkpaw made some awful remark about the herbalists being incompetent, and many cats rebutted back. Monarchblaze only bit his lip as he glanced into the herbalist's den, hoping for everyone's recovery.
    Monarchblaze was among the few cats that cheered Hackberry's new name, Sproutpaw, when he was officially accepted into the clan. Poplarpounce had worked extra hard, joining more patrols and even doing solo work and den repairs, to not only regain the trust of their clanmates, but for them to also see that him and Sproutpaw meant their positions. And now his efforts were paying off! Gullstar gave Sproutpaw to Primrosedawn, and Monarchblaze was proud of his mate as he told her that she was the best choice. She would teach Sproutpaw everything there was needed to be known to become a warrior.
    What he didn't expect was that he would be getting an apprentice to train along side her. Much like her, too, his apprentice was a bit... odd. It was Hemlockbadger. Gullstar had pulled Monarchblaze aside and told him that he would be retraining Hemlockbadger on the code and what it means to be a warrior. He was confused as to what happened, glancing down at Hemlockbadger, who didn't look back at him. When they left the leaders' den, it was Poplarpounce that told him what was going on; Hemlockbadger had leaked information about EmberClan to Poplarpounce while she believed he was truly a part of the Empire, betraying the clan. Monarchblaze was appalled, and he couldn't help but stare at his new apprentice for a bit as she crossed the camp. He knew that Hemlockbadger was going through a lot, but was that really the way to release her frustrations? To throw everyone into the lake? He sighed, but he understood. In fact, perhaps it would be even better that he and Primrosedawn trained Hemlockbadger and Sproutpaw together on the warrior code, because then maybe Hemlockbadger could see just how well the code could be followed, even by an outsider.
    When he wasn't trying to retrain Hemlockbadger, Monarchblaze was often checking up on Daceshell's daughters and Firepaw. Firepaw had been going through a lot of emotions with Ravensight's death, and she only got worse when Myrtledove died to a failed experiment. He tried to cheer her up and assure her that she was trying her best and that not everything would work out the way she wanted. Meanwhile, Primrosedawn helped out in the herbalist's den more after her younger brother's death on her own off-time, and Monarchblaze couldn't help but worry for her. He didn't want her to overexert herself, and he would remind her to rest when she could.
    It was event after event, though, for EmberClan. Reedspark had taken a patrol out for border checking, and when he came back, only a portion of his patrol returned with him. He reported back to Snapstream, who looked more and more upset with each word. Monarchblaze didn't completely understand or hear what had happened, but when Heronbriar and Ashenpaw finally returned uncomfortably quiet, he could only assume it wasn't good. It got worse as rumors began to spread about her attacking a young cat, and that's when Monarchblaze realized the story: a young rogue had been attacked off of EmberClan's territory. The day after, he noticed how Sturgeonlily was following Snapstream around like an apprentice, and he figured that she had been demoted much like Hemlockbadger was. He sighed, wondering what was going on with the younger warriors, and he hoped that Sturgeonlily would learn from her actions with this punishment.
    At least he got to celebrate Barkshell's warrior ceremony as the young warrior passed their assessment and eagerly received their name. Monarchblaze sat with Firewing and Skipperbug as he cheered brightly, all while telling Firepaw that she would be right behind them with her herbalist name. She seemed a bit unsure, but he reassured her with a gentle nudge.
    Though, the sickness likely didn't help. It had spread across the clans, and it was so severe that the herbalists had officially named it wasting disease. The name was terribly accurate from the way that Monarchblaze saw cats struggle against it. There were so many cats struggling with it, and more kept dying. He grew increasingly concerned when Minnowtail caught it, checking in on her constantly and promising her loads of fun if she got better. He feared that she would go see her father too soon, and while he was sure that she wanted to, he could only imagine Daceshell coming down to kill him himself if his daughter left too soon. Besides, Monarchblaze didn't want to lose her, and he couldn't bear the idea of Carpfin going on without her. Spiderdove had passed away from wasting disease at some point, and Cedarsong faded away shortly after. Monarchblaze spent a day at Cedarsong's grave, honoring his last mentor. Though he wasn't close with her, he still respected her and how she put up with his distance from bonding with her. By the next day, he was right back by Minnowtail's side.
    Aside from wasting disease, things seemed rather peaceful. New kits were being born, apprentices were made, and warriors were named. It was like any other day. Except, the world would always have more plans for them--was it the world, or StarClan, Monarchblaze wondered? No one could expect the camp to cave in, but they woke up to a loud sound and a part of the cave collapsed. Many cats had been buried under the debris, and many worked hard to dig them out. Some were saved, but many were lost. Poplarpounce, himself, had to go to the herbalists' den from injuring himself digging at the debris. It was astonishing how many cats they had lost to the cave-in, and Monarchblaze felt sullen when the massive vigil was performed.
    So much time had passed that he hadn't even realized it was time for Hemlockbadger to regain her warrior rank. He wondered if she really learned anything during her time with him and Primrosedawn and Sproutspring, who also received his warrior name, but he certainly hoped so. He cheered for Sproutspring, and his cheers grew louder when Firewing was announced a full herbalist. He was so proud of his niece for getting so far, despite all of the hardships. And Poplarpounce, from the herbalist's den also seemed glad that Sproutspring had been accepted as a warrior as they butted heads, and Monarchblaze couldn't help but smile for his best friend.
    He was a bit surprised when Gullcatcher suddenly announced his stepping down from leadership. The leader had lost a life in an accident in the lake while trying to save Hazelbloom, who unfortunately also died. He passed the rank off to his deputy, naming Snapstar as leader. Monarchblaze wondered what was going through Snapstar's mind as this happened. Did he have a deputy in mind? For a moment, Monarchblaze wondered if it could be him. But then he shook his head. As great as it would be to be deputy, and as desperately as he would like to have the rank, he was also content with where his life had ended up. That didn't still mean he wasn't curious about who the next deputy would be, though.
    And then Firewing approached him and Skipperbug one day, tears in her eyes and stumbling over her words. He reassured her, told her to talk slow, as she asked to speak with them privately. They all went to somewhere secluded to talk, Monarchblaze constantly speaking gentle and encouraging words to her. He waited for her to recompose, and when she finally told them what she wanted to say, it was his turn to find his composure. Firewing said something about having a dream about Bluekit, and she realized that she was Bluekit. Was that... was that true? Monarchblaze had heard of reincarnations before, but he wasn't really sure how much he believed it. But if his sister had really been given a second chance... then maybe StarClan truly wasn't such a bad place. He ended up crying--a lot--as he hugged Firewing. He told her that she would always be his niece, even if she was his sister, and that would never change unless she wanted it to. All that he was happy about was that she was given another chance to live.