Traitor [Open]

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Maplepaw padded into camp, her brother by her side. She hadn't been here for... moons. But it felt like home. Maybe it really was a mistake to leave. But who could tell? They might not even want her back. Maplepaw guiltily noticed that she had added some formidable scars to Lightpaw's pelt. She hadn't realized how she didn't hold back anymore.  Through various spars, she'd gained her own fair share of scars. She stood silently in the camp for a few long moments. "Hmm... home. It just lightens my heart fir me to be back."

One sunhigh after the battle, the claw marks on his back were already healing; the same couldn't be said for the new notch in his left ear. Lightfang moved somewhat gingerly, but held his head high. This still didn’t feel real. That Maplepaw was alive at all had been a shock. With how suddenly the fight had started, that fact hadn’t gotten a chance to sink in until now. She really was coming home. Whether she could stay remained to be seen. Logic was beginning to poke holes in Lightfang’s faith; this would almost certainly have consequences, whether that meant camp confinement or a reprimand for one or both of them. But he wanted to believe in Tinystar and Mistyrain, and so he didn’t hesitate as he stepped into camp.

There was a moment of quiet, then—a pun. Of course. At least no one here could doubt Maplepaw was still Maplepaw, whatever changes her experience in StagClan had brought. With a brief, soft laugh, Lightfang bumped against her. ”I’m glad.” Then he looked outward toward his Clanmates, searching for the cream-colored pelts of his brothers and Firflower. Honestly, he didn't have the energy to shout for them, and he was reluctant to leave Maplepaw's side even just to poke his nose into the warriors' den or the nursery in search of Firflower. He hadn't told his family Maplepaw was coming back—because what if something happened, what if she changed her mind, what if another patrol found her before Lightfang did—but they would be here soon enough.

Sandblaze's breath caught in his throat as he looked a few paces past Lightfang. A bright ginger coat, dappled with white, followed him tentatively into camp. For a moment, he didn't believe what he was seeing. Slowly, the pieces fell into place, and he walked forward like a ghost. Towards his sister. Towards his brother. Maplepaw was home. She wasn't dead. She was safe, with not a scratch on her. Faster and faster, he ran towards her, leaping right past Lightfang and slamming into his lost sister. Weeping. Her fur was soft and warm and smelled like... well, frogs, but that was alright. He didn't care. Tanglekit's order to protect them was not forgotten. They could be together now, in SkyClan, beside their mother. Everything was alright. 

"You idiot," he cried, "You big idiot. Where do you go? I thought you were dead. There's a fox in ThunderClan, for StarClan's sake! Oh, you're home! You're home! Lightfang, where was she?"

ooc: mobile, will make it pretty later

Mistyrain's ears pricked at the sound of a familiar voice, and she inhaled sharply. Immediately getting to her paws, she turned towards the entrance to camp where Sandblaze and Lightfang were already pressed close to their wayward littermate. "Maplepaw, when did you get here?" she asked sternly as she trotted across the clearing, doing her best to hide her relief at seeing the young she-cat safe. The sight of the siblings together was both heartwarming and frightening at the same time; there was little chance that the apprentice would be welcomed by Tinystar.

"Maplepaw, I assume you've come here to return to us from wherever you disappeared off to." the deputy sighed. "Tinystar is unwell at the moment, so I'll allow you to stay here until he has recovered enough to decide what to do with you. I'm not promising anything." A large part of her hoped that Tinystar would have mercy on this young she-cat and allow her to remain in SkyClan with her kin, where she belonged. "You've caused a lot of stress, Maplepaw. But you can stay in the apprentice den for the time being, at least until Tinystar can come to a decision." As much as she wished for her to be accepted gladly back into the Clan, or given a punishment at worst, Mistyrain knew that the odds were not in Maplepaw's favor. Tinystar would not look kindly on the apprentice's actions.

Maplepaw was relieved to hear Mistyrain allowing her to stay- the fact that Tinystar was sick, not so much. "Thanks for letting me stay. I hope I can return to clan life easily."