That morning long before moonset Squirrelflight was lying in her nest trying to motivate herself to get up. But instead she just continued lying there, thinking about all that had happened over the past two days. Ever since Jaypaw had come into the camp shouting about how Leafpool had fallen into the Moonpool her life had been turned upside down. Now they were stuck in the wrong bodies in unfamiliar territory, and until they found a way up the cliff they couldn't get back.
“Hey, Squirrelflight?”
“Yes Brambleclaw?” she yawned.
“I'm up before you for once, last time that happened you were sick.”
She looked up at the broad shouldered horse with a brown coat and cream chest who was looking down at her. “I’m not sick, just disconcerted. I am in the wrong body, after all.”
“Ah. You still have to get up though, it's almost time for the scouting mission.”
“AHHH! I entirely forgot!” she said, leaping out of her nest, or at least that was her intention. What actually happened was she stepped on her tail, so when she tried to leap she just lurched into Brambleclaw. He managed to keep on his hooves, though only barely.
“Woah! You almost knocked me over!”
“Sorry Brambleclaw.”
“It's ok, and anyway, there's no need to be in such a hurry. There's still time for you to clean your pelt and get a meal.”
“Thanks for getting me up Brambleclaw. I probably would have slept through the patrol if it weren't for you,” she said, walking off to the drygrass pile. Brambleclaw followed.
When they got there they found Jaypaw. “Good to see you didn't leave before the patrol was ready, again.”
“And she hasn't threatened to tell anyone's secrets recently either,” said Brambleclaw.
“She what?” sputtered Jaypaw.
“Guess she never told you that story.”
“Because there wasn't much to tell. Besides, you wouldn't even have gotten to Midnight's cave without me.”
“Yeah, you're right.”
“Well, now that that's been cleared up and I'm done eating, do you want to hear the story?”
“Sure,” Jaypaw responded. Brambleclaw began grooming Squirrelflight as she told her story.
“Well, back when I was an apprentice, shortly before Brambleclaw and I went on our journey to get a message from Midnight, Brambleclaw left camp without telling anyone where he was going, and was acting very suspicious. So I followed him, and found him meeting with cats from the other clans. Before he noticed me, I discovered they were going on a journey, but I wasn't sure where to. So I confronted them. The conversation was kind of boring, and I don't remember the details, but I do remember threatening to tell the rest of the clan about it if they wouldn't let me come. Not my finest moment, but it worked out in the end.”
“Well, the story's over and your pelt is better, so I believe it's time to find out when our patrol leaves,” said Brambleclaw.
“Good idea," said Squirrelflight. “We should go talk to Firestar.”
“I’m not a kit, I knew that myself.” Brambleclaw set off towards Firestar's nest, with Squirrelflight following behind. “Firestar?”
“Yes Brambleclaw?” responded Firestar.
“When does our patrol leave?”
“As soon as you're ready.”
“Ok, we'll be right out.”
“Leafpool!” called Squirrelflight.
“Yes Squirrelflight?” came the cheery reply.
“It's time to explore the horseplace.”
“Yes sister!”
The moon was still in the sky when Brambleclaw, Leafpool, and Squirrelflight were overlooking the horseplace from the cliff.
“I guess we got here quicker than expected,” said Squirrelflight, bouncing on her hooves.
“No one is out yet, so I think we should sneak in,” commanded Brambleclaw.
You idiot. It's not guarded, we could probably walk right in. “OK?” said Squirrelflight, biting back her skepticism. “Lead the way.”
Brambleclaw began stalking down the gentler slope towards the horseplace. Leafpool and Squirrelflight followed suit. They had crossed a few trails when they heard hooves clicking in one of the horsedens to their right.
Squirrelflight dove under the lower hole in the horseden. Brambleclaw and Leafpool crouched by either side, partially hidden in the bushes. Then a green horse stuck her head out the window and looked side to side. Upon seeing nothing she retreated into her den.
“Squirrelflight,” hissed Brambleclaw.
“Yes Brambleclaw?”
The larger opening flew open and Squirrelflight's eyes dilated in sudden panic. The green horse stepped out and looked away from them. Then she looked right at Squirrelflight.
“Why are you on my porch at 6 in the morning?”
“Sorry, I tripped and fell.”
The green horse nodded, but then froze. “Did all three of you trip?”
“There of me? What are you talking about?”
“Hey Bon-Bon! I need your help downstairs!”
At this point Brambleclaw burst out of the bush and tore down the trail, with the others close behind. They went until they reached the next big trail and turned right, then immediately turned right again into a small trail running between the dens. After they got about halfway back they stopped.
“We need a new plan,” said Squirrelflight.
“And who's the leader here?” snapped Brambleclaw.
“You are, but your leadership is lacking.”
“I’d like to see you try to lead this mission.”
At this point Leafpool took a step away from the quarreling mates and hunkered down.
“Challenge accepted,” Squirrelflight bit back.
“Then you'll have to explain when we come back unsuccessful.”
“If we're unsuccessful.”
And I'm not letting that happen. If I fail here he'll treat me like an apprentice again. I'll show him. “We need to break cover. This is an open area, it'll be less suspicious if we just walk through.”
“What's the plan then?” asked Leafpool.
“We walk out of here and act like we belong. Or, better yet we say we're lost.” It's not even a lie. We really are lost. “Come on.” Squirrelflight walked over to the nearest exit and peered out. The path was currently deserted. “All clear,” she said, hissing in annoyance after failing to properly flick her tail. As she walked into the center of the path she noticed the moon setting rather quickly.
“That's weird,” said Leafpool, tilting her head at the sky as she emerged. Then the sun began to rise.
So much for moonset, thought Squirrelflight, annoyed at the strange weather. She began to walk down the path, with Leafpool and Brambleclaw following behind.
By the time they arrived at a large circular horsenest more horses were walking the paths. Squirrelflight saw a white horse with a horn, a purple mane, and a pink strip around her neck walking in their direction. She called out, “Hello!”
“Hello darling. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“We're new around here and I'm a bit hungry. Do you know anywhere we can get food?”
“Certainly. I was just on my way to the Ponyville Café, you could join me if you'd like.”
“Ah. Thank you,” said Squirrelflight.
The white horse resumed her walk back the way the cats had come. “They make a lovely daffodil and daisy sandwich.”
“That sounds delightful,” said Leafpool.
After crossing one other path they arrived at the Ponyville Café. Their guide led them to one of the several giant mushrooms and sat on one of the two piles of dry grass facing the mushroom. She held up a hoof and a pale yellow horse with a dark blue mane stepped over to her. “Yes madam?”
“Would you be a dear and fetch us two more seats?”
“Of course.” He walked back into the horsenest the mushrooms were centered around. Then he came back with two bags of dry grass. He dumped them out into two more piles around the mushroom. Then he set four flat brown things on the mushroom and walked off.
“Come, sit,” offered the white horse, gesturing at the three remaining piles of grass. The cats all sat on one of the piles as indicated. Squirrelflight sat across from their guide. The white horse took one of the brown things and opened it. “My name is Rarity, what are yours?”
“I'm Squirrelflight, this is my sister Leafpool and my mate Brambleclaw.”
Rarity set down the brown thing and the tom from before came back. “Have you made your decision?” he asked.
“The daffodil and daisy sandwich you mentioned sounds delicious, so I was going to get that,” said Squirrelflight.
“I’ll have two Trottingham muffins,” added Rarity.
“I think I'll get the same as you,” said Leafpool, nodding her head at Rarity.
“And for you sir?”
“I’m not hungry,” answered Brambleclaw. The yellow tom took the brown things and walked off again.
“That's nice,” said Squirrelflight, pointing at the thing on Rarity's neck with her hoof.
“Oh you like it? It's just a simple little thing I made one day. Would you like one like it?”
“Sure!”
The yellow tom came and set three white circular slabs on the mushroom. The ones in front of Rarity and Leafpool each had two white cylinders that had been cut in two through the middle. The third circle was set before Squirrelflight with a light yellow square filled with green leaves set on top of it.
Leafpool eyed her white cylinders warily while Squirrelflight leaned in and bit her square. “Mmm, this is delicious,” she mumbled through it. The yellow tom placed a small bowl with a silver stick and a yellow liquid on the mushroom and stalked off. Leafpool took a small nibble out of one of the cylinders. It tasted rather bland but much better than grass.
Rarity's horn began to glow a pale blue. Brambleclaw looked warily at it. Then the silver stick begins to glow in the same manner and it rises into the air. All three of them stare at the flying stick. It dips into the yellow liquid and takes some to spread over Rarity's cylinders. “It's just butter darlings. Do you not have any at home?”
Squirrelflight decided to try and avert suspicion. “No, it's just that the thing you are spreading it with is very nice.”
Rarity blinked. “The butter knife?”
“Yes.” The meal continued in awkward silence with Brambleclaw glaring at Squirrelflight while Rarity glanced at all three of her guests with apparent concern. “What's wrong?”
“Are you three doing alright? Anything you need help with?”
“No, we're fine,” insisted Squirrelflight, before finishing her square.
The yellow tom came back to the mushroom. “That will be three bits.”
Rarity uses her horn to pull out a golden circle and set it on the mushroom, which the yellow tom takes and puts into a pouch on his side. “Do you have any bits at the moment, darlings? Or do you need help?”
“I lost our bits when I tripped and fell earlier this morning,” said Squirrelflight.
Rarity placed two more ‘bits’ into the tom's pouch. “Now why don't we go to my boutique and I'll get you something for the cold?”
“Thank you.”