His footsteps were light as he reached the SummerClan border - finally, he thought to himself. Although his paws didn't make a sound, Foxstar did not return quietly to the territory. No, his sides heaved with every breath as he pushed himself on, trying to desperately get back to camp. He had started to lose stamina at the SpringClan border. Normally, it would have been polite of him to go around, but this time, he had felt no remourse as he trekked right into their territory. He wanted to make it all the way home, he really did, but if he collapsed in SpringClan, or got stopped by a guard, at least he was on good terms with the clan. They'd see by the fact he looked like he was about to keel over dead that he came in peace, and worst case scenario, he was sure that he could convince Sakurastar that he needed medical treatment. They were good friends, after all; all he would need to do was widen his silver gaze and cough a few times and she'd relent to let him stay. Best case scenario, he made it all the way through without interruption. As soon as he hit the SummerClan border, he could collapse all he wanted to. Eventually, one of his clan mates would find him. He had a sneaking suspicion it would be Sunveins - if she woke up and went to check on him and he wasn't in his den, he was sure she'd come looking. She'd know right where to find him, too. After all, he'd been dropping hints that he needed to speak to StarClan. Of course, it had always sounded like he wanted her and Cypresspaw to prepare to come with him; after all, he knew enough about his best friend to know that she wouldn't let him travel that far alone. For an average cat, the distance to Moon Creek wouldn't have been a problem. But, Foxstar wasn't an average cat, and, without someone to stare disapproving daggers into him, he was prone to pushing himself far beyond simple over-exertion. Of course, she wouldn't let him go alone. That was precisely why he'd left without her knowledge. He couldn't tell why he wanted to speak to the ancestors alone, but there was something that told him that he needed to come by himself. He'd waited until she fell asleep the night prior, and then snuck out of camp like a child sneaking out of the house. If it wasn't so silly, sneaking out of camp - he was the leader, after all - there might have been a rush to it all. But, instead, he felt a pang of guilt for leaving Sunveins in the dark.

That had been the night before, though. Since, he'd made it to Moon Creek. The journey there was absolutely fine, but his eagerness for guidance made him go a little faster than what would inevitably be sustainable for him to get home, given that the whole secret mission thing left him without traveling herbs (he didn't want to get Cypresspaw involved, not because he thought he'd tattle, but because if he didn't, Sunveins surely would have given him some sort of talking to about why it was that Cypresspaw thought it was appropriate for him to travel without some sort of companion in case he got particularly asthmatic on the way, or something like that. No, Foxstar was resigned to his own inevitable scolding, but he wasn't going to force the poor medicine cat apprentice into the same fate. No, it was better that Cypresspaw not get involved). When he'd gotten there, he had immediately padded to the water, slipping rapidly into sleep.

His dream had come quickly. He had been teleported back into the pine forest. Funny, how that was the place the ancestors took him to. The land that was not his, was never his, but that he was raised in. SummerClan had always been his birthright; after all, Phantomfox had first been Coyotewild. But, his first memories were of the scent of the forest and not the sea. He'd left a piece of himself back in the forest, a piece he'd never be able to get back, not really. He let out a sigh, his silver gaze searching between the trees. For a while, it was devoid of all life, and then, he heard a slow whistle. His head had snapped in the direction, his gaze settling on Lifflefin. The two had grown up together, just as he and Rosypaw had; being that he had no siblings of his own, and Aspenstar thought he was her first war prize, it was no surprise that the leader encouraged her niblings to play with him and treat him as one of their own. It had been a gesture of kindness, had Aspenstar been capable of kindness. His head tipped to the side; while Rosypaw had been his partner, his best friend, he and Littlefin perhaps had more in common. You see, Rosypaw was kind, sweet, patient, but she wasn't weak. There was nothing wrong with her, not like there was something wrong with Foxstar and Littlefin. They were equally pitiful, their survival equally endebted to favoritism (Littlefin had once been part of the group of apprentices that attempted to take one of Aspen's lives, after all. if they weren't blood, they would have hung on the gallows with the other two); it was what it was. Still, he had been surprised to see the tiny black and white cat. I'm not here for a family reunion, they meowed with a smirk, their green gaze as distant as ever. While Foxstar's ailments were physical, Littlefin's had always been psychological; they were a product of an abduction, and the only one of their siblings to not fall victim to Stockholm Syndrome. Instead, they fractured, only to meet their untimely demise with open arms. Don't worry, neither am I, he had replied easily, his tail tip twitching. You've got to know why I'm here. Why else would it be you? Littlefin and Foxstar had never been on particularly good terms- even though they resented their aunt with all of their being, Littlefin couldn't help but be jealous of Foxstar for becoming her favorite child. His reaction had elicited a smile from Littlefin. Ah, of course, they replied. Littlefin and Foxstar had two things in common: they were both fragile, fickle little things, and they were both traumatized by Aspenstar. Mommy's back and you're frightened, that's right. Littlefin let out a laugh. Between you and I, I'm glad she's down there. Better your problem than mine. By this point, Foxstar had grown slightly agitated, rightfully so. Let's get to it, then, he meowed, fighting from letting his voice turn into a growl. What's the message I'm here for? Littlefin let out another laugh, their eyes brightening. Well, aren't you excitable these days? Leading got the little prince down? They crinkled their nose with a roll of their eyes. This time, Foxstar didn't contain his growl, which earned him a dismissive flick of Littlefin's tail. Yeah, yeah, they muttered, before blinking. There will be three, and among them, you will lose your ability to see.

Littlefin had barely finished the statement when Foxstar had been disturbed from his sleep. Voices. A short scene later, Foxstar had started his trip back to SummerClan. It was still deep in the night, and if he made good time, he would be back before Sunveins woke up- excellent, he thought. With Littlefin's words now firmly in his head, he wanted to be able to slip back into his den and think, process their words alone. Three? Aspen had left three kittens next to the corpse. It was easy enough to make the connection. Whatever happened, it would be related to them, right? It was the second part he needed to think on- what did Littlefin mean, lose his ability to see? His chest puffed up; certainly, he'd be able to take on a bunch of kits if they tried to scratch his eyes out, right? Plus, why would they do that? They were still barely more than infants. What did they mean? Deep in thought, Foxstar hadn't noticed the warning signs: his pace was slowing, he was starting to feel the first ripples of discomfort, his breathing was growing ever so slightly harder. He'd ignored them until they were too late. By the time he had reached SpringClan, he knew he was in a race against the clock. His trek through SpringClan had been surprisingly... easy. He knew it was still late- or was it now early? - but he had expected to at least notice a fresh smell from a midnight patrol. He didn't, though he supposed he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. It was better that he didn't get stopped; maybe he did have a chance of getting home.

When he saw the SummerClan territory, it was like he had reached the finish line of a ten mile jog. As soon as his paws crossed the line in the sand where SpringClan ended and SummerClan started, the tom let himself collapse. He was home, which was good, given that he was probably having some sort of medical emergency. His chests heaved as he desperately tried to catch his breath, the toll of the trip wearing heavily on him. He closed his eyes for a moment. Could he get to camp? Was it better to just wait? By now, the sun was starting to rise, it wouldn't be that long until the sunrise patrol was out, right?

Luckily, before he got too far into his oh crap i feel like my lungs are about to collapse what do i do-inspired dilemma, he heard footsteps approach. His eyes opened immediately, a cough that racketed through his small body making his presence known. StarClan bless the early birds.