~ Moonrise cont. ~

Greypaw found Tallpoppy asleep with her new litter of kits. Creeping around behind her, Greypaw gently nudged the sleeping she-cat. Tallpoppy awoke with a start, but then relaxed as she realized it was just Greypaw.

"Oh hello Greypaw. What is it?" Greypaw sat and shifted her paws uncomfortably.

"Can... can you tell me why my mother left?" She whispered. Tallpoppy just looked surprised and then answered softly. "Yes, yes I can."

"Your mother was confused about being ShadowClan after her mate died, your father. She knew that you and your brother belonged in ShadowClan, but she believed she didn't anymore. So she left." Greypaw only nodded silently.

"Tallpoppy, may I stay with you tonight?" Greypaw asked choking on her tears. Tallpoppy smiled and licked Greypaw's cheek in comfort.

"Sure you can, my little one." Greypaw regularly would mind being called that, but tonight she didn't mind, and curled up beside Tallpoppy on the opposite spot of where the kits were. And she fell into deep sleep, trying to imagine her mother. And as she dreamed she thought she felt her mother's voice ringing in her ears.

"I'll be with you always, even if you can't see me, or smell me, I'll be with you. Always."

Chapter 3

~ Dawn ~

"Get out of here!" Blackstar's yowl sounded suddenly as large twoleg machines started to tare up the ShadowClan camp. Greypaw couldn't believe her eyes. Her precious home, that belonged to her, her clan, and their ancestors was being invaded and destroyed by twolegs!

Greypaw hurried to find Hollowpaw.

"Oof!" She fell as Cedarheart accidently crashed into her from the group of scattered, panicked cats. She shook her head groggily and got up. She turned her head in all directions, searching for Hollowpaw's dark ginger tabby patterned fur. She couldn't see him through all the pelts of fur.

Suddenly more yowls came and Greypaw turned her head to see warriors from the other three clans flood into the chaos. The other clans... were helping them!

Suddenly, Greypaw was shoved aside by her fellow clanmate Tawnypelt, as rocks from the higher part of the camp almost fell on top of her.

"Greypaw, get out of here!" Tawnypelt meowed urgently.

"B-but Hollowpaw! I can't leave him!" Tawypelt looked at Greypaw grief and seriousness in her eyes.

"You don't have the time. I'll look as quickly as I can for Hollowpaw while I help the others. But please just go, find somewhere safe to hide!" Greypaw nodded and knew she could trust the tortishell warrior.

Greypaw ran as fast as she could. She was shoved a little by the bigger cats that were trying to help the rest of ShadowClan. Suddenly Greypaw heard a firmillar mew. It was Hollowpaw!

Hollowpaw was beside his mentor Littlecloud. Greypaw raced to him, meowing anxiously. "Hollowpaw come on!" He nodded but awaited for his mentor. His mentor then mewed urgently. "Hollowpaw, go with Greypaw. I have to help the others here."

"Then we'll come too!" He called, dust from the cats and machines filling his lungs. Littlecloud shook his head coughing from the dust.

"No! You'll never make it, just go!" Hollowpaw was hesitant but accepted and raced behind Greypaw. As they made it out of the camp two twolegs were standing there next to the brutal monsters destroying the ShadowClan camp.

They had strange things in their fur, and were looking in the cats' direction.

"Hurry! They've seen us!" Greypaw yowled. Hollowpaw followed and tried to distract the twolegs as they both tried to get Greypaw. Only one followed Hollowpaw, the other was almost at the point of picking up Greypaw, when Greypaw suddenly unsheathed her claws and swiped her right paw across the twoleg's muzzle. Taking her chance she darted past the other twoleg that was trying to capture Hollowpaw and hissed fiercely at it. Hollowpaw took his chance to escape but then he skidded to halt suddenly as the sound of a huge monster was coming near him, and then suddenly as Greypaw watched in his direction horrified, the monster ran over Hollowpaw like a dead twig. When the monster moved headed towards the camp, Hollowpaw's body was covered in blood oozing out of his head, chin, and chest.

Greypaw raced towards him, yollowing in agony.

As she got to his body she sniffed him and then licked his face, her tears landing on his unmoving body. "Wake up.... Hollowpaw... please.... please for me. Just one stir from your eyes. I need you Hollowpaw!" Greypaw wailed uncontrollably, her brother was dead. He was gone, forever.

As ShadowClan and ThunderClan adjusted in sunning rocks, Greypaw sat quivering. Littlecloud had earlier given Greypaw some spare poppyseeds he had found outside his den during the chaos from the ShadowClan camp, to calm her down. Greypaw couldn't understand how the clan could talk with one another when Hollowpaw had died. Of course they had given their respects to him earlier, but now they were trying to adjust to the scare of their home gone. As Greypaw sat her head bent downward, and back arched, she then faced the starry sky, with tears in her eyes.

"I know you're with StarClan now, Hollowpaw. But I promise, that any twoleg or kittypet I met will be brutally hurt by me, as a way of saying to them, not to continue taking away our home. The place you and I as kits chased Tallpoppy around, and where we then became apprentices and vowed to do anything for our clan. I know I'll miss you always."

Greypaw's head hung low, and then her ears perked up as she felt a strange tail stroking her back. It was Littlecloud, Hollowpaw's former mentor.

"I know how you must be feeling young apprentice." He began his meow was slow. "I've too lost someone I cared about."

Alerted Greypaw asked, "Who?"

Littlecloud chuckled unemotionally. "Not today, but before you were born. He was one of my closest friends, his name was Whitethroat, he too was run over by a monster." Greypaw silently stared at the medicine cat wondering what he was feeling.

"We'll say goodbye to Hollowpaw in the morning, and then we'll leave." Greypaw's ears perked up.

"'Leave?'" She repeated confused.

Littlecloud's ears bent slightly downward in surprise. "You didn't know? The clan leaders have all agreed to find a new home. The forrest isn 't as safe as it used to be." Greypaw gave a little nod, as Littlecloud left to join the other cats.

We shouldn't have to leave our birthplace. Stupid twolegs. But I know Blackstar wouldn't choose to leave unless if this is really really serious. I'll go, but I won't be happy. Not until I know my clan is safe.

Wow, I had no ideas so many people would love this, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Stormer23 :)