Cricketstorm

build > Muscular, but slim and long-legged
fur description > Thick and sleek, medium-length
breeds > Moggy
height > 28 cm
weight > 9.2 lbs

voice > Richard Marx
scent > Lavender

scars > Bite scar on his front left shoulder. Scars on his back in forms of two. Claw scars over his face. Left ear ripped.
accessories > N/A
banned traits > N/A

Positive Traits
positive >
    >> Compassionate > Cricketstorm has a big heart that reaches out to everyone, regardless of clan and even species. He gets concerned for another over the smallest issue, be it a scratch or even just dirt in one's eye. He just can't resist trying to help others in need.
    >> Intelligent > His brain is always working when it comes to knowledge. He loves to learn new things to the point that he's searching for something to learn all the time. Cricketstorm's excellent at holding information, as well, and remembers just about everything that he is told.
    >> Adaptable > Cricketstorm, overall, welcomes change and can readjust to new things very quickly. He is the type that believes if something happens, it was meant to happen and doesn't work to stop it, but rather work with it. This makes adapting to season changes or changes in ranks easy.

neutral >
    >> Loyal > Although he cares for every living being, Cricketstorm's loyalty doesn't waver when it comes to EmberClan and his family. He knows exactly where his loyalty lies and, therefore, uses his skills for those loyalties only.
    >> Reserved > He tends to hide his emotions and close himself off from most. Cricketstorm doesn't want to become a hassle to anyone but himself. He always wears a mask of happiness to hide his own concerns, as in the end, he's too busy worry about others to care about his issues.
    >> Moralistic > Cricketstorm believes in doing the right thing, and therefore only does as such. He judges every action that both he and other cats do and whether said action is just, and he seems to make judgments on others based on those actions.

negative >
    >> Insecure > Due to his mother's high expectations, Cricketstorm is incredibly insecure about every part of him. He seems to hate a lot of components about him and always strives to change, but no matter what he does can't seem to get comfortable with himself. He always has an irrational fear of disappointing others because of this.
    >> Complacent > When he does manage to do something right, Cricketstorm becomes smug and overly confident about his accomplishments. He likes to show off a lot during these moments and enjoys having these rare moments of being proud of himself. His temporary selfishness makes it hard to work with him, but it often doesn't last long.
    >> Defensive > Cricketstorm is always keeping his guard up. Even if someone means well in talking to him, his body naturally tenses up and expects the worst, to the point that he has a hard time trusting anyone. 

Parents
 parents >
    >> Lakebreeze > Mother > Dilute ticked tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes and extra toes on her front paws > Played by Melontine > Deceased
    >> Moss > Long-haired black and white tabby tom > NPC Rogue Donor > ???

siblings >
    >> Fireflydawn > Brother > Dilute tortoiseshell tabby cat with a white underside and blue eyes > Played by Warriorcatsfandom25 > Deceased

    >> Lavendernose > Brother > Silver tabby tom with white markings and yellow eyes > Played by peeperonipip > Deceased
    >> Addersong > Brother > Brown tabby tom with vitiligo and blue eyes > Played by Melontine > Deceased
    >> Flurrypaw > Sister > Orange calico she-cat with blue eyes > Played by JurrasicJay > Deceased

mate >
    >> Hootsong > Tortoiseshell she-cat with white spotting, curly fur, and bright green eyes > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Alive

kits >
    >> Hyacinthpaw > Daughter > Tortoiseshell she-cat with white spotting, curly fur, extra toes, and bright blue eyes > Played by Moony011 > Deceased
    >> Parsleyseed > Son > Brown ticked tabby tom with white spotting, curly fur, and green eyes > Played by Melontine > Alive
    >> Fennelspots > Son > Cream-and-white bi-color spotted tabby tom with an extra toe and green eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Primrosedawn > Daughter > Dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with curly fur, extra toes, and green eyes > Played by Mothfluttter > Alive

extended >
    >> Cottonear > Maternal Grandmother > White she-cat with cream spots and blue eyes > NPC > ???
    >> Troutleap > Maternal Grandfather > Fluffy black tabby tom with yellow eyes and extra toes > NPC > ???

    >> Cinderwhisper > Sister-in-law > Dilute tortoiseshell tabby colorpoint she-cat with blue eyes > Played by ScorcherSoldier > Deceased

    >> Dacepaw > Nephew > Colorpoint black tabby tom with blue eyes and extra toes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Piperpaw > Niece > Colorpoint chocolate tortoiseshell tabby with blue eyes > Played by Jax47698 > Missing
    >> Oceanpaw > Niece > Colorpoint blue tortoiseshell tabby she-cat with turquoise eyes > Played by Hugh-Janus > Deceased

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    Cricketkit was born after his older sister, Fireflykit, to EmberClan queen Lakebreeze and a rogue donor by the name of Moss. From the moment his eyes and ears had opened up, his mother expected so much of him and his sister. He was overwhelmed by the feeling and quickly became reclusive.
   During his growing up, a lot happened throughout the forest. Although he didn't know much about the strange rogues that invaded the far side of the forest, he did know that EmberClan had gone to help the other clans in their time of need, defeating the rogues and getting the forest back to its normal, peaceful self. During this time, Otterstar had also lost both of her lives, and Minnowstar stepped up as leader with Wildblossom being appointed as deputy. Aside from this, Cricketkit's life in the nursery was lackluster, save for his mother's constant wanting to make him grow up too fast and his sister jumping at every little sound made.
   Towards the end of his kithood, Cricketkit had become noticeably more independent and keeping his distance from his family. His body language was easy to read as somewhat hostile, and his eyes had gone a bit cold. He didn't seem to notice his own changes, and he ended up taking it to his apprenticeship.

apprenticeship [ 6 - 12 moons ] >
    After his sister's ceremony, Cricketkit stepped up to the newly named Minnowstar to receive his apprentice name. Renamed to Cricketpaw, he was given Aspenbriar as his mentor. He could see that she would be a tough mentor to deal with, but he felt ready to be out of his mother's constant gaze, even for a few moments, and in a new environment.
    For the most part, Cricketpaw's apprenticeship was uneventful. It began with Minnowstar stepping down to become a permanent queen, leaving Wildblossom to take her place as EmberClan's leader. He was skeptical about all of the leader hopping, leaving him to struggle to respect Wildstar for awhile. And on top of this, his mentor was the worst. She acted like she was the greatest thing to ever happen to him, or at least that's what it looked like in his eyes. She made his life almost as bad as it was when he was in the nursery with Lakebreeze. Almost.
   Cricketpaw continued to get more agitated and distant throughout his apprenticeship. Having Aspenbriar for a mentor probably didn't help this. He began to keep to himself more, avoiding especially his family, and causing problems when he could. He was often punished by doing duties rather than training because of this, which only made it worse. In his mind, he thought it was his mentor trying to get back at him whenever he beat her in training. But he was determined to prove to her he can be a worthy warrior. And prove to Lakebreeze that he didn't need her to coddle him.
   Not even a moon before his warrior ceremony, during an assessment, Cricketpaw got his first glance at another clan cat outside of the Gatherings. He watched as a clumsy MarshClan apprentice played on the ice of the lake in the middle of leafbare, falling on her face and making entertainment out of herself for him. When she got too close to the border, though, Cricketpaw was quick to get on her rear about it. But he couldn't bring himself to harm her or chase her off; something about her eyes was doing something to him. What it was he never really figured it out. He learned before she finally left that her name was Hootpaw. Cricketpaw tried to push her to the back of his mind, though--he had a warrior ceremony to look forward to.

warriorhood [ 12 - present moons ] >
    After what felt like forever to the young tom, it was finally time for Cricketpaw to become a warrior. He was given the name Cricketstorm, alongside his brother, Fireflydawn. He finally felt free of all the burdens that were holding him down. He didn't have to worry about anyone breathing down his neck at every little issue he made. He was ready to be his own cat.
    It wasn't long after his and his brother's warrior ceremony did their mother become pregnant again. Cricketstorm was furious; why would a she-cat so selfishly go and intentionally get pregnant again in the middle of such a harsh leafbare? On top of this, she was already a terrible mother to the two kits she currently had. Cricketstorm felt bad for his future siblings, knowing what they were getting into as Lakebreeze's kits. It was around this time that Cricketstorm was finally able to let his mother know all about how he felt about her and his life as her kit, though not in the greatest way. It has since left a rift in their relationship, and Cricketstorm refuses to go see his mother in the nursery, despite the fact that she has fallen ill and is clearly not in the best shape.
    Cricketstorm decided to attend the Festival of Snow, primarily to avoid being stuck in camp with his mother. There, he ran into a familiar face; Hootpaw. Or, it used to be Hootpaw, as she told him she had become a warrior earlier than expected and was now Hootsong. Cricketstorm would be lying if he said he didn't envy her. He would've loved to have become a warrior as early as she did, but it's not like he did any heroic thing like her. Seeing her brought back amusing memories though, and once again he was drawn to her eyes. And Hootsong clearly felt the same when she suggested the idea of meeting with him under Hope Bridge every half moon. He agreed, maybe a little too quickly. Thus, the two started their meetings, slowly bringing them closer.
    Back in EmberClan, Lakebreeze had her second litter in the medicine den. Cricketstorm was informed of this information, but he still refused to see his mother or his little siblings. Because of this, he never knew how many little siblings he had nor their names. He didn't want to be involved.
    Over the past few moons, Wildstar, EmberClan's leader, had been accusing CloudClan of prey-stealing and overall acting very strange. Cricketstorm never really noticed due to his other priorities, but it all eventually came crashing down on him when she declared war on CloudClan. He was thankful that MarshClan's leader, Gullstar, decided to side with Wildstar, putting EmberClan and MarshClan as allies. Cricketstorm wasn't sure what he would do if he had to meet Hootsong in battle. Of course, he still didn't like the idea of a war, especially when there was no solid proof of the matter at paw. He never voiced his concerns though, as he was also secretly excited to finally get some action into his life and, hopefully, get his ill mother off of his mind.
    What he wasn't expecting, though, was that his mother would never recover. Though his little siblings came back to full health eventually and returned to the nursery, Cricketstorm had no idea that Lakebreeze was only deteriorating. And before he could even think about finally seeing her, she was gone. The medicine cats had told the clan that she had passed from whatever illness struck her. Cricketstorm couldn't stay for the vigil. He didn't want anyone to see his... anguish? and regret. He went to the one place he was comfortable at, which was under Hope Bridge. It was no half-moon that night, so he was genuinely surprised to see Hootsong there, too. He ended up letting all of his emotions go on her about his mother's death and his regret for not fixing their relationship before she did. During this time, he began to realize just how much he had begun to rely on Hootsong. He confessed to her that he wanted to see her more, prompting the two to begin seeing each other more often, every quarter-moon.
    After Lakebreeze's death, Cricketstorm tried to make an effort to get to know his little siblings. He figured it would be important to both him and them that they had their older brother to look up to, now, and he was also thinking this could maybe help make up for being such a terrible son himself. He first got to meet Adderkit, who was at first skeptical due to Cricketstorm's absence, but quickly moved past it. He came to enjoy his little brother's time. He learned through Adderkit about his little sister, Flurrykit, too. But that was about as far as he got as the kit fell asleep. The next one he met was Lavenderkit, who Cricketstorm found he had a hard time with. Not because Lavenderkit didn't like him or vise versa, but because of Lavenderkit's lack of ability to speak! Cricketstorm didn't really know how to deal with it, but he tried his best. He hopes he can get to know his other little brother more as he grows up. He still has yet to meet his sister, though.
    Then tragedy decided to strike once more when Aspenbriar, Cricketstorm's former mentor, was found dead in the river. Though Cricketstorm was never really close with Aspenbriar, he still was thankful for her teachings and putting up with him, so her loss still struck hard to the tom. He was able to push through it a bit better than his mother's, though, especially as the clan continued to go through changes. With Shadowrunner also dying, Wildstar declared she wouldn't announce a new deputy, instead creating a council. Cricketstorm both wanted to be on the council, but also felt he didn't deserve it. Not with his secret meetings with Hootsong. So he was thankful he didn't make it, though he continued to work hard with the new changes affecting how the clan was running. Maybe he could still be recognized as a good warrior, despite his dishonesty.
    The first major battle of the war occurred, and Cricketstorm is proud to say that he took part in it. There, he fought against two HailClan she-cats. It started with only one, who he without a doubt had the upper paw on. He began to lose his grip on the battle a bit when the second joined, but he wasn't afraid; he believed he could regain it just as quickly as he lost it. But he didn't have the time to do so when the battle broke up at quite a frightening sight--a big one. A bear had emerged from the HailClan territory, clearly angry at the fighting cats. Though reluctantly, Cricketstorm pulled back at the call for retreat by Wildstar. He came back bloodied and bruised, but proud of what he had completed. Not to mention he had the scars to gloat about. He could go to Stormfire and tell his friend he won their bet!
    Finally, Cricketstorm felt he was finding his place in EmberClan. He was getting to know his little siblings, he had a friend in Stormfire to compete with, and he had scars to prove his loyalty to the clan. He wanted to continue working harder for EmberClan, though his heart still tugged him to his moments under Hope Bridge with Hootsong. He's conflicted on what he wants to do, but he hopes he'll be able to figure it out as he continues to prepare for the next battle and, hopefully, get a little bit of revenge on that HailClan she-cat that so rudely stole his victory.
    Although the war continued to rage on in the rest of the clans, EmberClan got a decent break save for border skirmishes. Cricketstorm's little siblings became apprentices almost too quickly. It had only felt like yesterday that they were born, and now they were being assigned their mentors and being thrown into the real world. It terrified Cricketstorm to think that they would be training in the midst of the war. Would they be okay...?
    The next major battle proved the answer to that question to be no. Cricketstorm had not been a part of the battle, but he still vividly remembers his little sister being brought back into camp with a bloodied body, her face especially. He learned that Maplestream, one of the cats on the so-called Council, had died in the fight, and would later learn that Flurrypaw was blinded in one of her eyes, too. As if things couldn't get worse, less than a moon later, Wildstar was dragging Heatherbounce's body back into camp, their medicine cat apprentice dead. This shocked and quite possibly terrified the clans. Had Wildstar done that to her? Surely not! No clan cat, especially the leader, would kill their own clanmate, especially a medicine cat. Still, the mystery of it all arose questions across the clan, and Cricketstorm felt even less sure about the war as it dragged on. His only comfort in the trying times of it all had been seeing Hootsong on those blessed nights.
    But then Flurrypaw died from her wounds. As did many of their clanmates. Cricketstorm... he couldn't make sense of it. Were the clans so battle-hungry in it all that cats were seriously dying? Over stolen prey? Sure, it was still against the warrior code to cross borders and steal prey, but it was also against the code to kill. Yet, that didn't seem to be going through clan cats' heads, even his own clanmates. The next thing he knew, his own brother, Adderpaw, was throwing himself at the cat that supposedly caused his sister's wounds and drove her to her demise, starting yet another battle that Cricketstorm no longer wanted a part of. For StarClan's sake, Drizzlesong was even trying to reason with the HailClan border to not fight! Yet, it still happened, and Cricketstorm would not leave his clan defenseless. So he fought, although not for long. He was given nasty wounds across his face, and had he not timed the attack and closed his eyes... he may have just become like Flurrypaw. Blinded and broken. But he got lucky. With the help of his clanmates and... and Shellsky's death, EmberClan and HailClan both pulled from the battle and went to their respective homes. No one won that battle.
    That day didn't end there, though. Cricketstorm would've given anything to go to the medicine den and get his face treated, but something told him to stay when Drizzlesong confronted Wildstar with Shellsky's death. He couldn't see what was happening, but he didn't need to. Cats were taking sides if you could even call it that. Suddenly, no one was standing with Wildstar anymore--not even her Council members. This sad excuse for war had gone on long enough, and no EmberClan cat was about to fight it anymore, including Cricketstorm. With the clan behind her, Drizzlesong exiled Wildstar--Wildblossom--and the former leader left with her tail dragging behind her. The clan was free of the head of the destruction, but there was just one problem: who was going to be leader?
    They didn't bother to figure that out right away. They had injured warriors and a vigil to perform. Cricketstorm was quick to be guided towards the medicine den and get his face treated. He had felt almost as relieved as he did with Wildblossom's exile when Hurricanewatcher told him his eyes would be fine. In fact, once they had gotten the blood and crust out of his face, he was able to open his eyes with minimal effort. The scratches were sore, yes, and they would more definitely leave scars, but he was thankful to know he would be alright.
    He was told to stay in camp until he was clear of any possible signs of infection or further injury. And he complied; well, for the most part, he did. Quarter-moon came around, and if anyone thought he would miss his meeting with Hootsong because of some injury, well they thought wrong. Of course, his injuries scared Hootsong at the time, but he brushed them off as something that would scar over and be the end of it. He didn't mention to her what had happened in EmberClan, wanting to keep their time personal and for themselves. In fact, that was exactly what happened that night. That night, they finally confessed to the feelings they were feeling, perhaps convincing themselves more than one another. They knew it wasn't right, and perhaps they should have known better the moment the words slipped out. But they couldn't deny their hearts. They ultimately tied the knot that night, under the quarter-moon, and agreed to keep it a secret, hoping that one day they would be able to be open about it.
    A little over a moon later, Reedshine was chosen to become EmberClan's new leader. With the name Reedstar, they officially announced the end of the war with the rest of the clans, bringing it all to a close. The weight of it all was lifted from everyone's shoulders, but there was still a lot of recovery work for the clans, especially EmberClan. Tensions were still quite high in Cricketstorm's clan, especially while deputy was still open. Cricketstorm, at one point, would have worked hard to become the deputy. He could prove everything he was and wasn't as deputy. But he stepped back, knowing that he wasn't ready; after all, he never even had an apprentice before! And what would the clans say about a deputy who had a mate in another clan? It was for the best when Lotusbreeze was named deputy, and Cricketstorm congratulated the young tom with a warm heart.
    Cricketstorm's little siblings became warriors shortly after Reedstar's leadership began, becoming Lavendernose and Addersong. When they were kits, Cricketstorm never would have imagined himself congratulating them to face. But he was sure to be one of the first to call out their names and come up to them personally. He put the sign language he had learned from MarshClan to use in conversing with Lavendernose, and he felt warmth at Addersong's growth. He only wished Flurrypaw could have stood there with them. He wonders what her name would have been, and if she was watching them from StarClan. Was... was Lakebreeze watching too? Perhaps so. After all, she did love her kits.
    Slowly, things became to return to normal. Tensions were slowly disintegrating, and life was looking up. The nursery filled with kits, but it was missing Beantoe, who had passed from some belly illness. It hurt Cricketstorm to see her gone, but he knew it didn't hurt him nearly as much as his little brothers.
   But there was always a good thing to balance the bad, and Cricketstorm was assigned his very first apprentice. He saw a lot of old self in Nightpaw when he first conversed with the young tom, and while it made him nervous to deal with it, Cricketstorm also felt like it was a good match. Maybe he could help Nightpaw in the ways that Aspenbriar did--something Cricketstorm had not realized until it was too late. He looks forward to his time with his first apprentice, and he only hopes that he can do a good job teaching him.
    Unfortunately, it didn't quite go that way. Nightpaw was a good apprentice up to about his fifth moon of training when his life was suddenly stripped from him by a venomous snake. Cricketstorm was too slow to react to it, and it was heavy on his heart to have lost his first apprentice, especially so close to their warrior assessment. He wondered if this was punishment from StarClan--his mother?--for loving a cat from another clan. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but yet he couldn't help it. The loss only drew him closer to Hootsong, who he was eager to see after Nightpaw's loss to open up about his feelings towards it. It was then he realized he didn't open up anymore in his own clan. Not even to his brother. He wondered when that had started. Was... Was he even really loyal anymore?
    His question was answered during the festival of the snow. Due to the weather and having just come out of a war, the clans had decided against competitions, which left Cricketstorm more time to spend with Hootsong. He was careful in who saw them together, and for awhile, he thought they were succeeding in their caution. But one day, as he left her to go talk with others, his close friend Stormfire confronted him. He confessed the truth about his relationship with Hootsong to her, and he was met with no disappointment or rage, but... sorrow? Jealously? Turns out, Stormfire saw Cricketstorm as more than a friend, and he never knew. She asked him if maybe they could have had what he had with Hootsong, and he wasn't sure how to answer her. If he had chosen her, he would still be loyal to EmberClan... but could he just forget Hootsong? The answer was no. He couldn't. Their conversation was never resolved, and since then, Cricketstorm and Stormfire have been avoiding each other out of awkwardness, and Cricketstorm has never felt more unsure about his decisions than now.
   Things grew strange around camp after that. In addition to Cricketstorm's own problems, an epidemic of greencough began to invade the territories. At first, it didn't concern EmberClan much. EmberClan was healthy, only having to hear about the epidemic from the other clans. But then, it spread like a wildfire. It struck EmberClan quickly, taking the lives of Silverfur and Riverpaw first. And then more cats began to develop it, including... Lavendernose. Cricketstorm's beloved younger brother, who had done nothing wrong to receive this terrible treatment. Why? He had only just finished training his first apprentice when he caught the illness, and despite the efforts of the medicine cats, he never seemed to get better. Until eventually he just... passed. His life slipped through their paws, and suddenly, he was with StarClan. Though he was not necessarily close to his brother, his loss still broke Cricketstorm. He had spent some of Lavendernose's final moments with his brother, alongside Addersong, in the medicine den. At that time, he cared not if he, too, got sick. He just wanted to be there to say goodbye.
   The epidemic took many other cats: Bearclaw, Minnowfin, Snow-whisker, and Fennelspark to name a few. Others developed greencough, but they were lucky to recover. While Cricketstorm had to be happy for those who recovered, he also felt bitter. Why couldn't Lavendernose recover, too? It was hard for him to wrap his head around it all. And the epidemic seemed to disappear just as quickly as it appeared.
   Just because there was an epidemic does not mean that there wasn't any good things that happened to clan, too. EmberClan welcomed many new kits, including Thrushbriar's litter. Cricketstorm would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping to mentor one of the new kits. He wanted to prove that he actually could be a great mentor and that Nightpaw would define his duty as one. But come the future, it would never come to fruition. In fact, Thrushbriar and one of his kits, Wheatkit, went missing just a few moons before they would become apprentices. It was disheartening for the clan, but there was other causes for concern at the time. Things that would affect the entire clan.
   One day, when everyone was sat down for an evening meal, things seemed to be going well until a commotion started up at the entrance of camp. Wild and Dropletshine had burst through camp, racing straight for the leader's den, where they took away Reedstar's meal and opened it up to reveal deathberries in the fish. The clan let out cries of alarm; someone had tried to kill their leader! But who? Wild told the clan what she knew. She opened up to EmberClan about Blizzardfang, a Dark Forest cat that manipulated her back when she was in power, and that she has created a pact with living cats to become her spies and do her dirty work. She revealed that she recalled about seven voices in Blizzardfang's spies, and then she declared that among them, she heard Sleetpuddle and Tigerfrost. The clan clamored in surprise; Tigerfrost and Reedstar had just become mates again, so why would he try to scheme against his mate? It made no sense, and Wild later confessed that while she was sure of Sleetpuddle, she wasn't quite sure about Tigerfrost. Regardless, though, the information was terrifying to hear about, and the cats grew uneasy.
   EmberClan decided to keep Wild in their camp as prisoner, which upset Dropletshine. The rogue stayed with their friend, defending them against any misgivings. Cricketstorm wasn't sure how he felt about this development. But this was the least of their problems; not long after they took Wild into custody, EmberClan became to refuge for more cats--HailClan cats, to be more specifically. It began when one of their members by the name of Pigeoncall showed up. She told the clan that she was exiled from HailClan and seeking refuge, which Reedstar granted. But just before she could get comfortable, that same day, more of her clanmates showed up. The group's leader, Salmonflight, declared that they departed from their clan in protest against Pigeoncall's exile. They had followed Pigeoncall's scent, and after talking with Reedstar for a bit, they, too, were granted refuge into EmberClan's camp and territory, with the agreement that they would still hunt and assist the clan. They agreed to these terms and they, too, began to take their places in the clan. Cricketstorm was quite unsure about this situation. He didn't fully understand why HailClan was becoming so torn up over an exile, which for all he knew, could have been deserved. Especially when it was discovered that she was expecting Ganderslash's kits, meaning she had likely had a relationship with the EmberClan cat long before her exile. He couldn't help giving her some dirty looks, but then reminded himself that he was doing the same thing. And that would some come to bite him back, too.
   He thought his quarter moon meeting with Hootsong would help relieve him of all the stress going on in EmberClan. Turns out, he was wrong. When he first saw his mate under the moon's light, he was ecstatic, but upon her forlorn look, he realized something was wrong. She sat him down and told him that she was caught--or, sort of was. She had told him how Sandstar had increased patrols and caution on MarshClan's territory awhile back. Cricketstorm certainly believed it, especially after Sandstar closed the borders. But one of those patrols caught her sneaking around the territory after their last meeting. Though she did not tell them why she was out so early, Sandstar had deemed it suspicious and a danger to the clan. His solution? He exiled Hootsong from MarshClan. The news had Cricketstorm's blood boiling. How dare her clan forsake her like that, when her family has given MarshClan so much? He was sure to verbally mention this in a rant that night, but when he was calmed down, he turned back to Hootsong and begged her to come with him to EmberClan. They would treat her right. They could finally be together without needing to hide it. But... Hootsong shook her head. She still had loved ones in MarshClan and had to consider them. Cricketstorm persisted, but after the fourth 'no', he gave in with a forlorn look. Though they continued their meeting with their usual news exchange, his mind was never quite there for the rest of the night.
   The HailClan cats continue coming in waves. The camp began to grow quite crowded with the refugees, and Cricketstorm was becoming noticeably more uncomfortable with all of them. It wasn't long until news got around that HailClan was completely in shambles, with their leader unconscious and being treated in CloudClan's camp, and their deputy exiling herself after watching the clan fall apart. Their clanmates were spread out from EmberClan to CloudClan to even going so low as to being rogues. Cricketstorm was only glad it wasn't EmberClan.
   Rather, EmberClan continued to thrive. Reedstar was expecting kittens with their mate and moved to the nursery, and though they would share HailClan blood, Ganderslash and Pigeoncall's kits would be raised in EmberClan, too. With luck, the kits would stay here, too. It was only right, being their birth clan. Thrushbriar and Newtspring's kits also became apprentices--yes, including Wheatkit, a moon later, who returned with their father. As mentioned previously, though, Cricketstorm would not get to be a mentor again, much to his dismay. But that ended up being okay in the end, for he would suddenly have something much more pressing and important to attend to.
   It was the night of his meeting with Hootsong once again. They, of course, had met a good number of times since her exile, and she seemed to be doing alright all things considered. But once again, something was on her mind. She was distant from their conversation, and she seemed off in another place despite being there with him physically. Cricketstorm finally asked her what was wrong, and after a bit more pestering, she confessed to him; she was expecting kits. Turns out she didn't know until just recently herself, having met with her brother who had told her. Cricketstorm was stunned into silence. He was going to be a father? But... they weren't ready! She didn't have a clan to take care of her, or the kits; she didn't have protection. And, oh StarClan, Cricketstorm was going to be a father. The thought petrified him. He was always worried about what it would be like to have kits, having had no good parental figure in his kithood to make a role model out of. But now, he would have to learn somehow, because he would not let these kits be without their father. He would not make his mother's mistakes. With this new information, Cricketstorm once again begged for Hootsong to join him EmberClan, where she can safely deliver the kits with the help of a medicine cat, receive care, and most importantly, be with him. At first, she still seemed hesitant, but after much pestering, she agreed. He was ecstatic, but also nervous. How would his clan react to his relationship with a former MarshClan cat? Would they exile him? He didn't see Reedstar as the type... but it was still a worry. But Cricketstorm put that in the back of his mind. They would not return that night, though, instead settling in and resting there in their hiding place to sleep and prepare for the battle ahead of them.
    The next morning, Cricketstorm guided Hootsong back to EmberClan's camp. He was quite the doting mate over her the entire time, taking his time to avoid any causes for concern and, noticeably, making the trip longer. Of course, it was for Hootsong's sake, but also a bit for his. He was trying to prepare for himself for what he would tell the others. But the time came to do so when they approached the camp. With a deep breath, Cricketstorm and Hootsong went into the camp. He found Reedstar in the nursery, where he told his leader everything; how Hootsong was exiled from MarshClan a couple of moons ago; how she was his mate and expecting his kits; how they wanted her to move to EmberClan to raise their kits together. It was, admittedly, met with quite the uncertainty and disappointment. Reedstar was already dealing with so much, between Pigeoncall's relationship with Ganderslash relating in kits to Wild's appearance. They were visibly unhappy with Cricketstorm for his declarations, and they made sure he knew that, too. Cricketstorm accepted their criticism, especially because at the end of it all, Reedstar agreed to let Hootsong stay.
   His happiness was not without consequence; Cricketstorm was put on menial duties like bedding replacement and elders care, much like an apprentice, for a moon. He was also not allowed to go to the next gathering, which he didn't mind. The gatherings no longer mattered to him now that Hootsong was there. Of course, the gathering he misses just happens to be the eventful one. That day, Cricketstorm had completed his duties and was helping Hootsong continue to settle into the nursery when the sun was blackened out. He didn't take too much note of it, thinking maybe it was the clouds and there would be a storm soon. But by the end of the gathering and his clanmates returning home shaken and Wild injured, he realized something happened. He asked around, and he was shocked to hear the news; a ghost had appeared at the gathering and a fight broke out. Her name was Blizzardfang, and Wild confessed to knowing the ghost. She told the clans how Blizzardfang was training some of their fellow clanmates in what they could only assume would be the Dark Forest, and they were integrated into the clans. So Wild was right... there are cats out to kill Reedstar. Cats that are his clanmates. But who? Cricketstorm could feel his own fur bristling at this news; his kits may be raised with these spies around. For StarClan's sake, what if they're around long enough to mentor one of them? No, that couldn't happen. Not if he could help it. He may not be able to do much, but he would look after his family and his clan, and from then on, he became cautious around everyone that he could no longer trust.
   Still, though, the lives of the clan cats had to go on even with the lurking danger among them. A little less than a moon after that fateful gathering, Pigeoncall and Reedstar both had their kits, filling the nursery quickly with seven kits. And a moon after that, Cricketstorm got to meet his own. Hootsong gave birth to four beautiful kits, two toms and two she-kits. They were so small and helpless, and Cricketstorm's heart swelled with love, nervousness, and the urge to protect them. The two new parents named their kits after plants; their eldest Hyacinthkit, a tortoiseshell that looked like a clone of her mother; Parsleykit, a brown tabby tom that looked a bit like Cricketstorm; Fennelkit, who Hootsong mentioned looked like her brother with fondness; and their youngest Primrosekit, a lovely combination of them both. Cricketstorm and Hootsong doted on them late into the night, until the other queens had to practically push Cricketstorm out of the nursery. But he would be back the next day to do it all over again. He was a father.
    Just because his life was going well did not mean everything else was, though. A few days after his kits were born, Wild fell unconscious and ill, and it was discovered there was deathberries in her meal. That same day, Shadowfeather came back to camp dragging the body of his now deceased father, Snakeheart. The clan was apalled; there was no way in StarClan that Shadowfeather killed his own father, right? No one could believe that, and so it never came up. Rather, Shadowfeather told them how he had found his father already half-dead. He revealed to the clan that Snakeheart was one of Blizzardfang's spies. Hearing that gave the clan something to celebrate, at least, but Cricketstorm was leery about it. That meant that Snakeheart's own kit watched him die. It hurt his heart, not for the dead tom, but for his child. He was a soft cat and was most likely not taking the death well. So while everyone gathered and talked amongst themselves about this revelation, Cricketstorm returned to the nursery and curled up with his mate and kits. He just wanted a good life for them in the end; this was one step closer to it, but at a cost.
    Though she wasn't sick long and managed to recover, Wild was suddenly found dead in her nest. It was so quick that no one was sure what had attacked her. All that they could see was that she was covered in injuries and not breathing. Thankfully, though, she still had the second life of a leader, and she came back after awhile. Though it was alarming, to say the least, Reedstar now finally had the opportunity to get their second life. But that seemed to be the last thing on the leader's mind when they called a meeting and put Sleetpuddle under Irisdawn's guidance. Cricketstorm was confused; what was this about? Sleetpuddle was a full-grown warrior and didn't need babysitting. Unless... he couldn't help but turn to Wild's recovering self. Was she right? Was he a spy, and Reedstar has found out? But if that was the case, why just demote him to apprenticeship? It would be dangerous to leave a spy in their ranks! Cricketstorm was wary, but he tried to believe in his leader's decision, especially since he didn't know why the warrior's sudden demotion was decided in the first place.
    Slowly, life seemed to return to normal in EmberClan. It was as if the spies never existed, save for the melancholic expression of Shadowfeather in the camp. And the fact that they were still housing half of HailClan. It had been so long that it felt like they had become clanmates. Cricketstorm never took note of it anymore, being too caught up in his new role as father and being with his family. But it was noticeable when they brought back a kittypet and let said kittypet join HailClan. Weren't they struggling enough? They didn't need to take care of a soft-hearted cat like that on top of it all.
   And then... Cricketstorm's world came crashing down on him. One day, Fireflydawn went out on a patrol with Weaselsight. But when they returned to camp, both of them were terribly injured and rushed to the medicine den. The medicine cat could deduce by the injuries what they had been up against--coyotes. EmberClan was always struggling with coyotes. The two, unfortunately, didn't survive their injuries, succumbing to their wounds not long after their return. Cricketstorm was distraught at the loss of his brother. They endured so much together, through Lakebreeze's parenting, their little siblings, and still persevering through countless other things. But now Fireflydawn was gone. Cricketstorm didn't do warrior duties for a couple of days after that, mourning the loss of his brother with a grief he never expressed. If he wasn't with Hootsong and the kits, he was spending time with his only living sibling, Addersong. It was all he could do to keep himself going and prepare himself to return to his duties.
    Suddenly, the events all came in one circle. One morning, as everyone was waking up, sudden alarm in the warriors' den denoted that something was wrong. They discovered Sleetpuddle heavily wounded in his nest, and he was quickly brought to the medicine den to treat his injuries. Thankfully, he woke up the same day, and although his state looked terrible, he was desperate to tell the clan something. So Reedstar called a clan meeting, and Sleetpuddle finally revealed the rest of the spies and declared that Blizzardfang, the cat behind the spies and the one spotted at the gathering, had been killed. The relief swept over all of the cats in the clan, EmberClan and HailClan alike, was overwhelming. If Blizzardfang was dead, then surely the spies would no longer act. Sleetpuddle, who announced he was also a spy, stated how he had changed his ways. Suddenly, his putting under Irisdawn's guidance made more sense. It was the first night in a very long time that they could sleep soundly without the worry of someone stabbing them in the back.
    This didn't mean that HailClan was ready to leave, though. They were still without any stable authority, and with that uncertainty, they weren't prepared to reform. Not until they were given a sign. Thankfully, the sign didn't take long to come. One day, the HailClan warrior Salmonflight, whom Cricketstorm got to briefly know in his shared time with the tom in the nursery, disappeared for a day. Someone stated how they saw him cross into HailClan's territory, but nothing else. Soon, though, the large tom had come rushing back and was hastily gathering the HailClan cats to go with him to the newly built Hope Bridge. Everyone in the clan seem to mutually agree this was the last of their shared time together. Some cats who had grown close with each other said their farewells. Cricketstorm didn't have any mutuals from HailClan. The only cat he ever actively interacted with across borders was now here with him, and that's what mattered.
    That same day, one of the HailClan cats had decided not to join the others. Rather, she decided to take up the life of a rogue. This cat was none other than Pigeoncall, or Pigeon, as she was calling herself now. This wouldn't have concerned Cricketstorm, until she decided to take one of her kits with her and leave the other three in EmberClan. It sent their family into chaos that day, and it made Cricketstorm wince. Is that what his family would have been, if Hootsong was still with MarshClan? Would his kits have had to pick their clan, knowing they may never see their other parent again, or that they would maybe have to fight their littermates in the future? It made him all the more happy and thankful that Hootsong had chosen to come to EmberClan, despite the terrible circumstances that brought her there. Their kits would have a good future.
    The clan truly began to experience calm after all of that turmoil for a long while. Leaf-fall came, and save for the few warriors they lost to common casualty causes, the clan was thriving. Even Cricketstorm's first, Peachfur, was expecting her first litter with her mate, Hemlockfang. Cricketstorm wasn't very sure about the burly tom, but he trusted Peachfur and knew that her kits would be beautiful. And still, the clan continued to thrive. This time, in the form of... Stormfire. His old friend was also expecting kits. It set tension in the nursery, as now Stormfire would share the nursery with Hootsong. Hootsong didn't know Stormfire, but Stormfire certainly knew her. And Cricketstorm felt the guilt all over again for the pain he had caused his friend. However, he wouldn't let their awkward past lead to any negativity between their kits. It would only be a few moons that they would share the nursery together, but Cricketstorm made sure to always treat Stormfire with respect whenever he came to visit. Hopefully, they could one day return to their old friendship and laugh off this terrible part of their story.
    It was only about two moons after the death of Blizzardfang that some of the spies decided to return and ruin the clans again. Only, these spies weren't alive. Snakeheart and a CloudClan spy by the name of Drakefeather had appeared at Crystal Falls during a medicine cat meeting. What should have been peaceful turned into chaos. EmberClan later learned that not only did Crystal Falls get damaged in the attack, but CloudClan had lost their longtime medicine cat, Waverose, in the attack, as well as a MarshClan cat. Crystal Falls became too unstable, so medicine cat meetings stopped, and the communication between their medicine cats and StarClan became unstable. Cricketstorm didn't understand it all that well, but he knew one thing for sure; something wasn't right, and it was probably only going to get worse.
   The clan was urged to go about their duties as normal, though, so Cricketstorm continued to do as he was told. In fact, a little over a moon later, he was given the privilege to mentor a cat. It was one of Pigeon's kits, Cardinalpaw. Cardinalpaw was a spitfire, Cricketstorm had learned quickly. She was easy to anger and would snap at some of the smallest things. She already had attitude before her mother left, but Cricketstorm knew all too well the type of cat she was during his visits to the nursery. She would be a challenge, but Cricketstorm was thankful nevertheless. After bringing Hootsong to the clan, he was sure he would never get another apprentice. And, though Cardinalpaw was proving to be a pawful, Cricketstorm saw a lot of himself in her. He hoped he could help her, if just a little, becoming a better cat for the future on top of a great warrior.
    Around the same time that he got Cardinalpaw for an apprentice did Cricketstorm's friends give birth to their litters. Peachfur had her paws full with six kits, and Stormfire had four. Admittedly, Cricketstorm was worried for them--all of them. Right away, Peachfur didn't act the way he was expecting with the kits. He figured she was just exhausted and would open up to the kits soon. And Stormfire's kits... one of them was attached to him for some reason, that one being Monarchkit. She isn't what bothered him, though. Monarchkit's younger sister, Skipperkit did. She looked eerily similar to a certain influence in Cricketstorm's life: Lakebreeze. He wasn't sure why this was, and while he was sure Skipperkit was nothing like his mother, just the similar tortoiseshell pelt made his skin crawl. It made him glad that only a moon later, his own kits would become apprentices and he would no longer have a reason to go to the nursery.
   He never really understood what others meant by growing up too fast. Not until he was walking in their paws, at least. Watching his kits become apprentices was bittersweet; he was so proud of them to get to where they were, but he also wondered when they became so big. He approved of all of their mentors, especially Primrosepaw's, who was his friend and rival Rosefall. He trusted Rosefall to give Primrosepaw the best apprenticeship a kit could have. Still, he couldn't help but treat them like kits that day as they came home from their first patrols, grooming their fur and asking all about their adventures outside. It made his heart swell with love to hear their excited voices.
    And it turned out that wouldn't be the last of Cricketstorm's visits to the nursery. Not long before his own kits became apprentice, his brother's mate, Cinderwhisper, had moved to the nursery, expecting Addersong's kits. Cricketstorm was surprised but also excited for his brother. Addersong would make a wonderful father to his future kits, and despite Cricketstorm's wariness with Skipperkit, he still would actively visit the nursery to help Addersong and Cinderwhisper whenever they needed it.
   Clan life slowly returned to normal again, with the absence of StarClan still looming over them. Cricketstorm's training with Cardinalpaw was, surprisingly, going alright. While he couldn't quite teach her what it meant to be an EmberClan cat in the form of swimming and fishing, her littermate, Heronpaw, was a great help in that field. Outside of it, Cricketstorm taught her battling and land hunting, which especially came in handy as leafbare seemed to creep ever closer to them. He also helped improve her attitude a bit, teaching her manners that she didn't previously had and also to be patient. He wasn't sure how much it would pay off, but she was diligent in learning and seemed to soak up what he put down. He was confident that she would go far; finally, he could prove the type of warrior and mentor he really was.
    The clan also experienced its ups and downs throughout those moons. Where they gained back one warrior in the form of Covecrash, who had gone missing and returned, they lost another as Tigerfrost was killed by a fox. The clan mourned the senior warrior, Reedstar especially, and though Cricketstorm was never close with the tom, he greatly respected him and all he had done for the clan. It would be a terrible loss for everyone in the clan, both close and not to the tom, old and young.
    When Cinderwhisper gave birth to Addersong's three kits, Cricketstorm was eager to meet them and be an uncle. They were all sweet kits, if not a bit mischievous, and he doted on them about as much as he did his own kits. But in his time in the nursery with his nieces and nephew, he noticed the tension among the other kits--specifically, Peachfur and Hemlockfang's kits. The kits simply weren't as playful or cheerful as kits should be, save for Poplarkit. The others always seemed to be competing with each other, or avoiding one another. Peachfur, too, didn't seem very affectionate with them. In fact... she didn't act like a mother at all. Looking between her and Stormfire, it was like night and day how they acted with their kits. It wasn't until a casual conversation with Rosefall did he realize he wasn't just seeing things. Rosefall confirmed that they weren't a normal family; Peachfur and Hemlockfang expected a lot from their kits, too much for a kit to bear. Not only this, but they treated one kit with more attention than the others? That had Cricketstorm's blood boiling, and he ended up abandoning his meal to confront Peachfur about this. At first, while she didn't deny the allegations, she tried to argue that it was for the good of her kits. But Cricketstorm didn't agree; she was doing what Lakebreeze had done to him and Fireflydawn, if not worse. He had to open her eyes. And open her eyes he did, for Peachfur finally seemed to come to reason that what she was doing wasn't right. But she may be too late; her kits were already three moons old and have developed a lifestyle around pleasing their parents. Cricketstorm couldn't believe his friend had become this way. And he had to leave the conversation before he got anymore upset. It would be awhile before he could speak with Peachfur on neutral grounds again. Instead, he just had to pray those kits would be okay.
    Leafbare hit the clan incredibly hard. The lake froze over quickly, forcing the cats to hunt on land. And the filled nursery only made keeping the clan fed more difficult. Cats began to die from the lack of prey, including Drizzlesong and Froststream. Cricketstorm always shared his meals with his kits or Addersong's, ensuring they would survive. But it didn't save Hyacinthpaw; she had gone out on the lake one day. It happened to be a nice day, nice enough to help the ice become unstable just enough for a cat's weight. Cricketstorm's daughter broke through the ice and fell into the water. She never came back up, and by the time she was found, it was only her body. Cricketstorm and Hootsong were distraught at the news that their eldest had passed away. She was so strong and brave, only to get taken away just like that. Why was fate so cruel to them?
    EmberClan couldn't get enough of their losses, either. Not long after the death of Hyacinthpaw, a patrol of cats was attacked by a hungry trio of coyotes. By the time another patrol had come to help, one of the cats, a young apprentice by the name of Goosepaw, was dead. The other two, Irisdawn and Stonewhisper, were severely wounded, and they sadly passed away shortly after the coyotes were chased away. Thankfully, those were the only bodies that were brought back, though everyone noticed the lack of another warrior; Shadowfeather, Stonewhisper's littermate and Irisdawn's step-child, was missing. No one commented on it from the patrol, too filled with sorrow from the losses, and though Cricketstorm was suspicious of the missing warrior, he didn't question it. Rather, he turned his concern towards his old friend, Stormfire. She was family to Irisdawn, Stonewhisper, and Shadowfeather, and though he didn't know her relationship with them all, he figured losing family of any kind would not be easy. He wanted to reach out a comforting paw towards her, but Cricketstorm felt too awkward to do so. They still weren't quite on the best of terms since their previous encounter, and though he got along well with her daughter, Monarchkit, Cricketstorm could still feel the clear tension between them. It felt better to leave it be and let Stormfire grieve on her own time.
    Stormfire was not the only cat grieving in the nursery, either. Peachfur's mate, Hemlockfang, had lost his life to the lack of prey, dying of starvation the same day that the coyote attack occured. At first, Cricketstorm considered it good for his friend and her kits, seeing how he influenced her negatively in the way she treated her kits. But then he saw the sorrow in her eyes, and the confusion in some of her kits' eyes. And Cricketstorm had to remind himself that Hemlockfang's death still meant something to them. He watched Rosefall try to comfort her sister in the loss of her mate and keep the kits occupied, too, and though he wanted to pitch in, too, Cricketstorm kept away. He still wasn't sure about his stance with Peachfur; he saw her trying, he did, but he was still upset with her turning out the way she initially did in the first place. It would take awhile for him to fully forgive her, and until then, it felt wrong to pry himself into her or her kits' lives.
    The weather seemed to be turning for the better as the sun came out more often and the snow began to melt. The lake was and stream were beginning to thaw out, thinning the ice enough for cats to break through and begin fishing again. It was all great news, but not for everyone.
    There were still many younger cats that didn't have much experience with swimming, and that especially applied to the kits. Unfortunately, it became all too clear when one of the kits fell right into the stream and, without that knowledge, drowned. That kit was Bluekit, Stormfire's youngest daughter. Cricketstorm couldn't believe it; the poor kit died the same way his beloved daughter had, and now he had to watch his old friend experience the same grief that he was still working through himself. He couldn't stand watching her blame herself and wallow in the sadness alone. Finally, after moons of tense air and avoidance, Cricketstorm approached Stormfire. It was awkward, and it was hard to get the conversation started. But the two bonded over their losses, and Cricketstorm promised to be there for her whenever she needed the support. It finally seemed like they were rekindling their old friendship, and it made him feel warmer inside, despite the circumstances.
    Things began to look up with the better weather, thankfully. The fresh-kill pile began to pile up again, and cats were filling up once more. Perhaps they were finally past those dark days of leafbare as they grew closer to newleaf. And the good news started with the naming of new warriors and apprentices. Cardinalpaw passed her assessment and received her warrior name of Cardinalsnap, and Cricketstorm held his head high at the success of his apprentice. She was the first cat he fully trained, and he was proud to see her growth and progression as not just a skilled warrior, but also as a cat in general. She would carry the EmberClan name with great pride in the future, even when he would be gone.
    The same day, Peachfur's kits became apprentices. It seemed bittersweet for the family; some of them, like Apricotpaw, were still dealing with the loss of their father, while others like Poplarpaw were all too ready to leave the nursery. Cricketstorm's sibling, Addersong, had the privilege in becoming Tangerinepaw's mentor, and Cricketstorm felt that he would do the young tom good. The others, too, went to good mentors for the most part, though Cricketstorm could assume a good number of cats felt concerned about the idea of Sleetpuddle becoming a mentor, especially to Poplarpaw. He had to hope that Sleetpuddle had truly reformed, especially when he found himself spending more time with Opossumsnap and Piketongue and eventually becoming mates with them. But he still couldn't help but remember the things he had done as one of Blizzardfang's spy.
    Without an apprentice, Cricketstorm found himself having more time. In his spare time, he visited the nursery to see Stormfire and her kits, as well as his nieces and nephew. He was happy to see how close Monarchkit and Dacekit seemed to be, especially now that the tension between their families had all but dissipated. He began to entertain Monarchkit with stories and fun games, including the other kits whenever they wanted to. Admittedly, though, he found himself still partially avoiding Skipperkit, though he desperately tried not to. He couldn't blame a young kit for her appearance, could he? Yet, she still just made him so uneasy. And   apparently, he wasn't the only one feeling it. He noticed that Skipperkit, too would avoid him as best as possible. So he never felt too terrible about it. Though, he still tried to include her, despite both of their guards being up when he tried. It just felt wrong not to.
    The good luck was all but guaranteed to cease eventually when Apricotpaw was lost during a patrol. A search party was sent out, and Cricketstorm joined alongside the concerned Peachfur and Rosefall. The search party decided to split off into groups in hopes to carry more ground, and Cricketstorm decided to go with the sisters in hopes to help Peachfur stave off her worries and keep her in check. Just before they broke off, though, Petaldrift suddenly spoke up with the exclamation that she received a vision about Apricotpaw right then and there. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe her; visions were supposed to be reserved for medicine cats and leaders, right? Though with Crystal Falls destroyed, perhaps nothing was impossible. He couldn't decide, and he was thankful that his mind was distracted from his uncertainties. Sadly, it was distracted for a terrible reason; Willowpaw, Apricotpaw's littermate, began to talk badly about her while she wasn't there, and Cricketstorm had a mind to put him in his place. But it was not the time for that, and Rosefall reminded him of that. He could tell Reedstar about this later. Right now, they needed to find Apricotpaw. He led group to check the twoleg cabin by Crystal Inlet, where they eventually found Apricotpaw caught in a twoleg trap and, horrifyingly, up against what looked to be a hungry fox.
    After helping Peachfur chase off the fox, he returned with her to Apricotpaw, where Rosefall was assessing her wounds and Badgertooth helped her out of the twoleg trap. The poor young she-cat was an emotional mess over it all, and it was clear that having her family around did not help. Cricketstorm was able to break up Peachfur's doting and convince her to go back to camp to tell Yewberry to expect them. Meanwhile, Rosefall took Tangerinepaw to Bathing Boulders to gather the rest of the search party. With her family gone, Apricotpaw was finally able to start expressing her true feelings, and Cricketstorm felt terrible for her. He offered his shoulder for her to lean on while they walked, and she seemed to accept it. Her pain was evident, but Cricketstorm couldn't tell if her physical pain or her psychological pain seemed to be worse. The best Crickestorm could do was offer her the best support he could while they made their way back to camp.
    Cricketstorm helped Apricotpaw all the way to the medicine den, where Yewberry evaluated and treated her. He determined that she would need to stay in his den for a bit while the wound on her leg healed. How long, they weren't quite sure. Cricketstorm hoped it wouldn't be too long; Apricotpaw looked so defeated as he left her there. Hopefully she would be able to build back up her strength and spirit in no time.
    Life had to continue on without Apricotpaw, and it looked up again. The same day, after ensuring her niece was safe in the medicine den, Rosefall proudly announced her mateship with Tawnysong. The announcement made Cricketstorm roll his eyes, but all the while donning a smile. It was about time, but it was good to see his old rival so happy. And then a few days later, her apprentice, Cricketstorm's daughter, became a warrior alongside her littermates and a few others. Cricketstorm's kits were named Parsleyseed, Fennelspots, and Primrosedawn. He stood at the front of the meeting with Hootsong proudly, and he wasted no time to greet his children with their new names right away. He was proud to see their growth, though he could see the bittersweet look in their eyes in knowing that Hyacinthpaw should have been with them. Yet still they endured, and he reminded them that they would carry Hyacinthpaw with them in every step.
    The same day that his kits became warriors, Stormfire's daughters became apprentices. Swallowpaw, Skipperpaw, and Monarchpaw were named apprentices respectively and given their mentors, and Cricketstorm made sure to congratulate Stormfire, telling her that they would become great warriors in the future. Though he did find himself amused when Monarchpaw approached him complaining that he wasn't her mentor. He had to remind her of the great privilege she had received in becoming the deputy's apprentice, and that seemed to perk her up. Besides, he wasn't going anywhere. As long as Lotusbreeze was fine with it, he would be happy to give her a few pointers.
    Sadly, it was time yet again for Cricketstorm's family to get hit with the bad luck. He had been working hard to build up a relationship with his nieces and nephews, and he enjoyed his time with them in the nursery. It was one of those days that he wasn't there, though, that a large fish, bigger than anything the clan had ever seen, had broken through the water and tried to take one of the kits. That kit was his nephew, Dacekit. Thankfully, he was saved, but not without sacrifice. The old elder, Lightningheart, managed to pull him out of the clutches of the fish, but in return, he was dragged into the water instead. He was never found after that, and he was presumed dead. Cricketstorm had been out of camp patrolling the entire time, and when he returned, he was notified that his nephew was in the medicine den. Alarmed, he went to go check on him, where Addersong and Cinderwhisper retold him the horrifying tale. He couldn't believe his ears; there was such a thing as a fish like that? But why now? EmberClan, or any of the clans for that matter, had ever heard of or seen a fish like that. That didn't matter right now, though. Though Cricketstorm would mourn Lightningheart's loss, he was thankful that Dacekit was alive.
    The bad luck didn't end there, though. Within the same moon, Cinderwhisper suddenly passed away from what they learned to be an untreated infection. When did she get that? Cricketstorm couldn't wrap his head around it, but the lost look in his sibling's eyes and the terrible grief in his nieces and nephew had him pushing that question away. He needed to be there for his family. Addersong became a queen to tend to his kits for the remainder of their kithood, and Cricketstorm increased his visits to whenever he could to help lighten his load. He deserved the time to grieve, and Cricketstorm wanted to offer him that time alone should he ever need it.
    In the span of all of this, life with the rest of EmberClan continued on. Lotusbreeze had decided to step down from deputyship to provide the chance for a younger warrior. When he was younger, Cricketstorm always strived to be deputy, and he would be lying if he said he didn't still today. But he was less focused on that in leu of his family, and he, too, stepped away from the opportunity. Rather, he wondered how Monarchpaw took the news. He was glad to see the young she-cat accepting it quite well; she seemed even more proud to call the tom her mentor, in fact. He was glad to see how well she was receiving the change, and he waited with baited anticipation to see who Reedstar would pick for their new deputy.
    Apricotpaw was also cleared to return to training in this span of time. She was stuck in the medicine den for about a moon, and Cricketstorm thought it would be good for her to get back out and continue her training. But whenever he noticed her in the corner of his eyes, he saw the lack of spirit and drive in her. The confidence and determination she had before the incident seemed to have been sapped from her, and she was certainly not the same. He heard his mentor speaking with her mates about how she seemed less enthused, and Cricketstorm's brows creased with concern over this. Would she be okay? He could see that Peachfur wanted to help her... but he wasn't sure how much help she would be. He just had to hope that Apricotpaw would find herself again soon so that she could catch up with her littermates.
    At least, the littermates she still had. One day, Willowpaw had left camp and never returned. Peachfur was worried, as was his mentor, Petaldrift. There were many attempts in trying to find the young tom, but they all came up fruitless. At least they never found his body. Cricketstorm was suspicious, and he had a feeling that Willowpaw's disappearance was no coincidence. The apprentice was always quite uncaring towards not only the clan, but his family. Perhaps he had finally decided that staying with EmberClan was not for him, and he found himself a life as a rogue. And perhaps that was for the best for everyone. Cricketstorm never forgot the encounter he had with the tom when Apricotpaw went missing, and he felt that Willowpaw was never a good clanmate. He just didn't dare voice this, especially to Peachfur. EmberClan can move on without him, and he would likely move on just as well without them. Cricketstorm just had to hope that Peachfur would understand this soon.
    Newleaf finally rolled around, and with it came many new complications. On one paw, the clan celebrated new warriors and the birth of new kits. Reedstar had even chosen their new deputy in the form of Piketongue, who was Skipperpaw's mentor. Cricketstorm didn't know her all too well, but she seemed good for Sleetpuddle, so he trusted that she would be good for the clan, too. The sickness and the starvation seemed to finally be getting past them as the weather grew ever better and brought new blessings with it. The clans even deemed it safe to begin investigating the Crystal Falls and see if they can repair the damage. Though, Cricketstorm never went himself. He was content where he was away from the water of the falls. But from what he heard from others, though the work was slow, it was happening. It seemed as if things were looking up.
    But on the other paw, there were still downsides. The large fish was back, stealing yet another clanmate from them. And the water rose alarmingly with the melting of all the snow, and some cats were swept away by its current. This was not the worst of it, though. The worst of it was when the clan found Lotusbreeze in critical condition, and he died shortly after being found. Everyone was appalled; who did such a thing to their beloved former deputy? He was kind and thoughtful towards them all, and he had no enemies as far as they were aware. Perhaps a predator got to him, but no one could really tell what had really killed him. All they knew was that it was a mystery that would likely remain unsolved.
    Due to his death, Monarchpaw had to be given a new mentor. Reedstar reassigned her to Peachfur, Lotusbreeze's sister. This was not Crickestorm's concern, though. Peachfur was still struggling learning to be a good mother, though he had to remind himself that Peachfur, while perhaps not the greatest mother, was a good warrior. Being a mentor was not the same as being a mother, as Cricketstorm knew quite well in training his own apprentices, and perhaps Peachfur would do better training Monarchpaw. It seemed Monarchpaw was also a bit skeptical about this reassignment, though Cricketstorm later learned it was because of the way Poplarpaw spoke about his mother. Cricketstorm tried to reassure her, and Monarchpaw assured him that she would give Peachfur the benefit of the doubt, regardless of her friend's words. He just had to hope that the arrangement would work out for the both of them.
    Thankfully, they had something positive again to look forward to. A few days after Lotusbreeze's tragic loss, Addersong's kits became apprentices. Even Dacepaw, who still seemed a bit shaken by the appearance of the large fish, seemed excited for it. Cricketstorm watched his nieces and nephews become apprentices beside his sibling, and he noted to Addersong how proud Cinderwhisper is of them from StarClan.
    Clan life continued, and Cricketstorm kept up with his relationships between Hootsong and their kits, Stormfire and her daughters, and of course Addersong and his kits. He enjoyed watching them all grow and learn, even his own kits, who had been warriors for a few moons now. Things were doing so well, despite the occasional loss of a cat. Though sadly that was the life of the warrior.
    It all came crashing down when, during a gathering, everyone heard fighting not far from Hope Bridge. Concerned, many of them went to go check it out, including Cricketstorm. They were shocked to see Wild's body, void of life, laying on the ground. Someone had killed the old rogue. Could it have been someone that was still suffering from her war seasons ago? Surely not; everyone had moved on quite well from it, and though Cricketstorm didn't really like her, he also felt no ill intent towards her anymore. So who did this to her? No one was really sure, but they still carried out a burial and a brief vigil for the lost she-cat, and some of EmberClan still mourned over her death before moving on.
    The strange occurrences only continued, though. One day, Reedstar lost their first life during a patrol when they fell over a ridge. Though they woke up into their second life fine, they never seemed to be quite the same cat. And it definitely didn't go unnoticed. Whispers about their odd behavior made their rounds around the camp, and many were concerned for the leader, Cricketstorm included. One day, Reedstar was even found arguing with their own kit, Heatherhowl, after she supposedly trailed them on a patrol. While it seemed uncourteous to trail them, Cricketstorm couldn't believe that Reedstar would yell at their kit for it. That wasn't Reedstar. They were usually so kind. Could perhaps they had finally snapped after the tragic loss of their mate? Or... did something happen in the loss of their life?
    There was not much time to mull over this. Though the clan celebrated the naming of a new medicine cat in Briarshade, the young medicine cat would be challenged in her first catastrophe. The water levels were already concerning, the clan having to readjust their camp to accommodate for the rising levels. But one night, readjustments wouldn't be possible when the entire cave flooded. The clan was forced to evacuate, but the strong currents still took with them victims. While Cricketstorm was lucky, despite his sodden and shaken pelt, and his mate and kits were safe, he was heartbroken to hear that Piperpaw, his niece, was lost in the chaos of it all. Not only that, but Reedstar, too, was lost, as well as the clan's senior medicine cat, Yewberry. Their clan's high ranks had suddenly been demolished, just like the clan's camp, and Piketongue found herself needing to step up as the new leader in the midst of the chaos. Many other lives were lost, and some cats were never quite accounted for. EmberClan, soaked and in shock, were stranded.
    They were all so tired, but they had no place to sleep. It was eventually suggested that they go to the twoleg cabin to rest up until they could assess the damage. Cricketstorm didn't mind it, but there were other cats that hated the idea. First it was Apricotpaw, and he could understand her aversion towards the place. Peachfur, too, disagreed with the idea. Whether it was for her sake or for Apricotpaw's, he wasn't sure, but just to try her mother, Apricotpaw suddenly felt that the cabin was fine and began making her way there with the others. Peachfur, however, remained steady in her decision, stating that she would go to Bathing Boulders. Cricketstorm was, admittedly, appalled. This was not the time for the clan to become divided. Not only that, but Peachfur's kits needed her! How could she think to leave them in a time like this? He found himself arguing with her, but on top of not being able to change her mind, Parsleyseed decided to go with her; less because he wanted to go to Bathing Boulders, but more because he didn't want to see the two arguing. It broke Cricketstorm's heart, and he didn't want to be separated from his son. But he wasn't going to argue with him. If that's what he wanted, he'd respect his wishes. Reluctantly, he watched the two of them leave, alongside a few of the other cats, including Peachfur's kits Tangerinepaw and Hazelpaw, before turning around to follow the rest to the cabin. He had to hope that they would be safe, that Peachfur would protect them all. In turn, Cricketstorm needed to protect those that he could at the cabin.
    Staying at the cabin was strange, if not uncomfortable. But Cricketstorm was comforted by being with his clanmates--at least, the majority of them. The grew accustomed to their temporary camp, building nests for everyone and gathering fresh-kill for a pile. Slowly, the clan was recovering despite it all, but the flood was not done with them. Stormfire, unexpectedly, passed away. Briarshade, after examining her, presumed that Cricketstorm's close friend had died from swallowing flood water and being left untreated. Cricketstorm was crushed; it was not long ago that they had finally rekindled their friendship, despite all odds. Now, she was gone, just like that. Cricketstorm wasn't sure what to think about it all, but what he did do was try to comfort her daughters. Despite her size, he held Monarchpaw close, and he offered his comfort to Swallowpaw and Skipperpaw, too. Even Skipperpaw's eerie appearance didn't faze him in this moment of grief as he did his best to help them. He wanted to be there for them, just as he was sure they would be there for him, too. They may not be family, but Cricketstorm was sure to make it clear that he would care for these girls whenever they needed it, in Stormfire's honor. She would be watching over all of them from StarClan, and hopefully, she will be smiling.
    Still, he had to smile in pride when his daughter was named a mentor. Primrosedawn became a mentor to young Salviapaw, and he was sure she would be an excellent choice for them. And the good news slowly continued to roll in when Salviapaw's grandfather, Thrushbriar, was chosen to be EmberClan's next deputy. The tom was a little younger than Cricketstorm, and though he was a bit shy, he was honest and good. He reminded Cricketstorm a bit of Lotusbreeze, which made him smile solemnly. He was a good choice. EmberClan would be fine under his guidance.
    Though they were getting by with their makeshift camp, Cricketstorm was glad to hear that the water levels had begun to recede in the cave where they originally resided. The clan was watching closely for when it would be finally safe to return to their camp, and even he was a bit less averse to water as he watched with baited breath. He was among some of the first cats to volunteer to start working on repairing the camp when the cave was cleared to be safe to enter. His declaration shocked some cats, as this meant he would be constantly getting his paws wet in the remaining water. Yes, the thought did make him shiver a bit, but he was willing to push through it if it meant returning to their camp. After all, as the weather grew ever better, who knows when the twolegs were going to return to the cabin for the newleaf and greenleaf. It would be best that EmberClan left before they showed up. So, Cricketstorm was hard at work with the other warriors in their camp preparation, and they were all expecting to return to their regular camp soon.
    The gathering during these times of repairs started as normal, and the leaders all announced their news. Everyone was shocked to hear that tragedy had hit practically everyone; EmberClan was not the only clan to have lost their leader, but CloudClan and MarshClan were going through the same thing. What in StarClan's name was happening? Or rather, was StarClan watching over them at all? He was surprised to hear that EmberClan cats were not the only cats receiving strange visions like Petaldrift's. Turns out, there were a lot of cats, including Dropletshine! Dropletshine told the gathered cats about their vision, and after deciding that he would go find the place and cat in his vision, the leaders decided that they would have some of the clans' warriors go with him and keep him safe. Cricketstorm wasn't all too sure about this idea, but he didn't question it. He wouldn't be one of the cats to go; his place was here, with EmberClan, helping repair the camp and return life to as normal as it could. The gathering ended with that, and they returned home to their makeshift camp, ready to return to work the next day with the thought of the adventure on everyone's mind.
    EmberClan didn't have much time to think about this adventure, anyways. One evening, not long before EmberClan's camp was repaired for return, Parsleyseed had shown up to the twoleg cabin with Tangerinepaw and Hazelpaw. He told the others that there had been an accident: coyotes had attacked their group at Bathing Boulders, and Peachfur lost her life protecting them. Cricketstorm was stunned silent by the news while the others helped the three survivors settle in with the rest of the clan. He believed in Peachfur; he believed that she would be able to resolve her misgivings with her kits, to protect them and loved them like they had deserved. Despite what he had said, he believed she would be fine at Bathing Boulders, that they would see each other again soon. But now, he had to live with the fact that his last words to her were harsh and unforgiving. It wasn't what he wanted. None of it was. And now many of her kits would be left wondering with unresolved issues towards her. Cricketstorm didn't know what to say in the end, but he silently thanked Peachfur for protecting his son at the boulders, and he honored her death that night by sitting vigil with her family.
    A few days after the incident, EmberClan was finally able to return home. The camp was still in need of some repairs and help, but it was at least livable now. The clan was able to rejoice with their return in new apprentices and expectant kits when Ferntail and Hollyblossom moved into the nursery and Curlewpaw was named an apprentice, being given to Cricketstorm's son, Fennelspots. Cricketstorm couldn't be prouder to see how much his children were growing, and he hoped that becoming a mentor would help Fennelspots all the more.
    The same day, Monarchpaw had come to Cricketstorm with fidgeting paws and a shy look. It was unusual on the large apprentice, who was usually so feisty and energetic. She had confessed to Cricketstorm that she saw him as her family, with Stormfire gone and only just receiving a new mentor. She felt he was someone she could trust that would be there for her at all times, and Cricketstorm didn't deny this. So he was surprised when Monarchpaw told him about how she had been feeling as of late. She was never quite comfortable with her identity as a female cat, but she felt for the longest while that it was an issue not worth looking into. But she regretted not being able to tell Stormfire the truth before her death, and she felt telling Cricketstorm was the closest she'd get to telling a parent. Cricketstorm felt honored by this, and he told the newly discovered tom that he'd be there for him through every step, whether it was telling others or approaching Briarshade for some herbs to help his transition. It seemed to make Monarchpaw happy to hear that--relieved even. Cricketstorm almost felt like a dad again towards his own kits as he walked beside the young apprentice to the medicine den to start Monarchpaw's new journey of discovery.
    When it was finally time for some of their clanmates to depart for this odd adventure, everyone waited with baited anticipation to hear who Pikestar would be sending. She chose to send Ganderslash, Primrosedawn, and Skipperpaw. The names had Cricketstorm's fur ruffling a bit. Was Primrosedawn ready for this? But she had only just become a mentor to Salviapaw! And she was so young, too. Not to mention Skipperpaw, who was so close to her own warrior ceremony. He just couldn't help but worry, but he had to believe that Ganderslash would take care of them, as would the rest of the group that was going. So it was with a heavy heart that Cricketstorm said his farewell to his daughter and the others, all while receiving a promise that she would come back. His eyes didn't leave the camp's exit for a long time, long after they had already departed.
    At least there would be some things to keep his mind off of the worries he had. He watched Peachfur's kits become warriors, being named Sprucefrost, Poplarpounce, Tangerinejaw, and Hazelbloom respectfully. Unfortunately, Apricotpaw wasn't able to join them, for she was held back due to her time in the medicine den. He wondered if the young she-cat was okay with this, but looking back at her, she seemed unfazed by it. If anything, she looked as forlorn as when she had first left the medicine den. He was worried for her, but he also wanted to show the new warriors some attention, too, and he cheered their names for Peachfur, who he hoped was looking down on them with pride from StarClan alongside Hemlockfang.
    But the clan couldn't celebrate for long. The world had something against their happiness, for an earthquake suddenly struck the territories a day after they had their ceremonies and the chosen cats had left for their adventure. Having never dealt with such a ground-moving event before, Cricketstorm did his best to help assist who he could, but still it wouldn't be enough. Many of his clanmates were taken by the earthquake, either falling into the earth by its cracks or being crushed by the disaster's aftermath. One of this cats was his beloved niece, Oceanpaw. She had fallen into the earth, never to be seen again. The heartbreak on Addersong and Dacepaw's faces had Cricketstorm just as crushed, and he comforted his family as best as could. Yet it seemed not to faze Addersong, who looked like their life had just crumbled around them with the earthquake. To lose so much of their direct family in such a short period of time, Cricketstorm couldn't imagine the toll it was taking on his younger sibling. He wanted to help, how desperately he wanted to, but he wasn't sure if he was able to do much more than offer his support.
    Another among the dead was Opossumsnap, one of Pikestar's mates and Apricotpaw's mentor. In wake of her death, Pikestar reassigned Apricotpaw to Cricketstorm, and he was a mentor again. He had grown quite used to troubled apprentices, though he felt like Apricotpaw was going to be a different type of conflict. He had never had to train an apprentice that was so close to her warriorhood--she would be a warrior, if not for her accident--and so lost on motivation. He figured he would give her some time to grieve, not just for her lost mentor, but still her lost mother and father. And even their first session together, Cricketstorm tried to get to know her and her perspective more. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to bond or connect with her, but he had to try. He wanted to see that old light in her eyes again, if just for a moment. It would all be worth it if he could see that.
    Training Apricotpaw was difficult, but Cricketstorm managed. It was better when more apprentices were named and assigned mentors. He tried to work with the other pairs to see if maybe working with other apprentices would bring something out of Apricotpaw, usually to no avail. But at least he got to work with his sons, after Parsleyseed received his own apprentice as well as Fennelspots and his. And the clan continued growing when Petaldrift one day found a little rogue kit and brought him home. He was quite cute, not to mention a big kit, and Cricketstorm had no doubts that he would grow into a fine EmberClan warrior one day. Though, he admitted that he was worried for Monarchpaw; the young cat was reassigned to Petaldrift when Peachfur passed away, and now he was on his fourth mentor with Cedarsong. Cricketstorm prayed it would be his last, especially as he neared his warriorhood.
    Yet, it would be time to focus on Cricketstorm's self and his family when his younger sibling suddenly and tragically passed away. Cricketstorm had desperately tried to help Addersong through their grief and troubles, but nothing was able to save them from the swarm of bees that attacked them. Coralpaw coming into camp with the news of the attack had Cricketstorm on edge, knowing his sibling and nephew were on that patrol. He tried his hardest not to race towards the direction, waiting for Thrushbriar's word. But as soon as it was given, Cricketstorm wasted no time making his way there. They found the patrol relatively quickly, and save for the bee stings they were suffering, they seemed alright. He noticed, however, that Addersong was not with them. Dacepaw wanted to come with him to find his nini, but Cricketstorm convinced him to go back to camp. And he was thankful he did, because by the time he got to Addersong, his sibling was already gone.
    Cricketstorm's world had gone black around him with nothing but Addersong in his sight. It was just the two of them there in that moment, with Cricketstorm pleading for his little sibling to wake up. But it was in vain, and Cricketstorm carried the heavy weight of his sibling and their death back home. It was terrible, watching Dacepaw cry over their death. It was just Dacepaw now of their family; Cricketstorm couldn't even think that this would have happened so quickly to them. He curled himself around his nephew during the vigil and held him close while they laid beside Addersong's body, and by the next morning, he took him to say his final goodbyes. Cricketstorm held in what he was feeling in the moment, but he too felt just as lost. It was just him now, of all of Lakebreeze's kits. Back then, he never would have thought he'd be the last. He was so rash and uncontrollable, he always thought he would walk right into his own death. Fireflydawn and Addersong deserved so much better; they should be here, with their kits and their family. But they weren't. It was just Cricketstorm now, with his kits and Dacepaw. He would be there as much as he could for his nephew and remind him that Addersong and Cinderwhisper were still walking beside him in spirit, all while telling himself that, too.