Author's Note- Hi again! How is everyone? Hehe… Well, this is the next chappie of I'm Still Here! :D

Disclaimer-I own nothing but my OCs and the plot…

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Random cats from other Clans and such

Mousestar—Tortoiseshell leader of WindClan. She-cat

Twistedear—Black and white deputy of WindClan. Tom

Icefang—Daughter of Mousestar. Runs all the way to ThunderClan to get help.

Chapter 2

Something to Believe In (Jeremiah)

Sweetpaw's POV

I came to, and Ashpaw was curled around me. His dreams came to me loud and clear.

Grass swayed back and forth in front of me, but the rabbit's scent still drifted past my nose.

I dropped into the hunting crouch, and then the entire scene shifted. Sweetpaw stood in front of me, completely healthy.

"Why'd you want to be a medicine cat's apprentice?" She mewed, tilting her head to the side. Those bright green eyes bored into mine.

I tried to answer, but she began to walk away. When I tried to chase after her, my feet wouldn't move.

Soon she disappeared from sight, and a crushing grief rose in me. It drowned me.

"SWEETPAW!"

Both of us snapped out of the dream at the same time. I could feel, and hear, Ashpaw's thudding heartbeat. I could smell his fear-scent.

"Sweetpaw, how are you feeling?" He asked, as he slid away from me. He raised a paw, and felt the pads of my feet. "Fever's gone… Are your lungs still aching? Do you feel dizzy?"

"I feel fine," I mewed. He still circled me, poking random spots. I flinched when he prodded my shoulder, which I'd landed on after my slip and slide down sunning rock yesterday.

"Sorry," He purred softly. Sunlight filtered in through the opening to Frostheart's den, and yowls echoed in my ears.

I jumped to my feet, and then realized that it wasn't in our camp. It came from WindClan territory.

"Frostheart!" I heard her pad into the camp, and I raced out of her den, stumbling.

"Sweetpaw! You should be resting! Ashpaw, why'd you let her stand?" Frostheart growled.

"WindClan is in trouble! Foxes broke into their camp!" I snapped, trying to get her to focus on me. This had nothing to do with Ashpaw!

"What are you talking about?" The medicine cat exclaimed.

"WindClan is in trouble! I can hear it! And see it!" I yowled. And yeah, I could. I could see the scene as if I were standing right in the middle of it.

"HELP!" That was a yowl definitely not in my head. An off-white she-cat stood panting in the entrance. She was thin and wiry, so I assumed she was from WindClan.

"A pack of foxes is attacking our camp! You have to help!" She shrieked. Blood fell from her side in a steady stream. She wavered, but stayed standing.

Every warrior came forward.

Crossstar leaped down from his den above Highrock.

"Burntail, Darkfur, Dawnstripe! Stay here and protect the Clan. Sunpaw, Dapplepaw, stay and help them! All other warriors and apprentices, with me! Icefang, lead the way!" Crossstar yowled. I froze. He hadn't told me to stay behind. Holy crap.

Ashpaw came up beside me, two bundles of herbs in his mouth.

"Take this!" He hissed, then tossed one at me. I grabbed it gently in my teeth, then took off. I wouldn't be much help fighting, but I could tend to the wounded with Ashpaw and Frostheart. Of course, they'd be fighting too…

How am I supposed to keep up?

I ran my hardest, and actually kept pace with everyone else. I got a nose full of WindClan scent, and I knew it was nowhere near as bad as the ShadowClan stink.. Which I could oddly smell.

The fuck is up with my senses?

I looked around me, and saw the warriors of my Clan moving as a single unit towards the little hollow I knew belonged to WindClan.

I'm starting to know too much.

When we burst into the camp, I could hear the dying cries of a cat even clearer.

I followed my ears, and saw a dark brown tabby tom with one of his ears almost completely torn off, and a gaping hole in his stomach.

I almost retched.

"Ashpaw!" I yowled. He sprinted towards me instantly, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a streak of ginger.

"NO!" I leaped forward, and knocked him out of the way.

The fox caught me in its mouth instead, and took off towards the forest ThunderClan didn't control.

"SWEETPAW!" Ashpaw's furious screech echoed all around me. I tried squirming out of the fox's mouth, but he clenched his teeth tighter around me. None of them pierced me, but it was a clear warning.

I should stay still.

The rest of the foxes appeared around us, and I realized the leader was carrying me.

Their thoughts were clearer than I thought they'd be; in fact, they were almost clearer than a cat's!

This is the one? She's such a small, frail thing! How is she supposed to help us? This came from a dark red male towards the back. He limped slightly, and I realized that some of them were splitting off…

Creating a false trail. They were making sure my Clan wouldn't find me.

"Why are you doing this?" I mewed softly. I didn't expect an answer, since I was blocking his mouth, but an answer formed in his mind.

We have our own version of StarClan, young one. They sent a message to our healer, saying we must find the cat who speaks with her mind, and uses her senses with her heart. You are she.

He knows I can read thoughts. Holy crap. Holy crap.

"So why did you attack WindClan? They never did anything wrong…"

We meant to have a diplomatic meeting with their leader, but as soon as they saw me, they assumed we were attacking. We were just defending ourselves.

"Then what about that poor tom who was ripped to shreds?" I yowled.

Again, those teeth clenched tighter. Then loosened slightly.

You would do well to keep your voice down, young one. And that was a mistake. He and one of our youngsters got into it, and the youngster lost his head.

"Why were you leaping towards Ashpaw? If you were thinking about hurting him, I swear I will destroy you!" I hissed. I could still hear Ashpaw, his mournful yowls. They brought tears to my eyes.

I was going to leap over him. When I saw you rushing to his defense, I heard the whispers of my ancestors. They told me you were the one, so I grabbed you. I would never have hurt him.

"What is your name?" My fighting spirit calmed. I looked him in the eye, and those dark brown eyes held gentleness and truth.

Heartsong. My original name was Heartstrike, but whenever a fox becomes leader, we take the name song. Our culture is similar to yours, in a way, though much more volatile. If two foxes from different packs so much as look at each other funny, those packs could go to war, should either take offense.

"My name is Sweetpaw. And I'd like to learn more about fox culture, if you don't mind."

All in due time. When we get to camp, you shall give me your story, then you shall hear ours.

"Okay," I purred, then tried to get comfortable. Heartsong stopped for a moment, and grabbed me gently by the nape of my neck.

"Is this better?" His voice was a gentle growl.

"Much!"

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The fox camp was amazing. The elders den –Heartsong pointed it out for me- was made of sparkly stone, and I knew it was watertight.

What I assumed was the warriors den was made of brambles, and it was huge! I mean, I know that the foxes are a lot bigger than cats, but still! It was huge!

All of the foxes emerged, and I felt fear quiver in my heart. Heartsong could've been lying… He could've brought me here as a treat for his pack.

Keep me safe StarClan…

"Sweetpaw, calm down. They can all smell your fear, and it makes them nervous. I won't let anything happen to you," Heartsong growled.

I gulped, then nodded.

"I trust you," I mewed. I raised my head, and breathed. He will keep me safe.

"Brethren!" Heartsong called. "We have found her!" Immediately, yips of what I hoped were joy rang through the air. Even the kits were happy, leaping all over each other near the nursery.

"Heartsong… When will I be able to go back?" I asked, afraid of the answer. Again, Ashpaw's voice rang in my ears from far away.

He turned his head towards me, and smiled.

"You will be with your Clan soon, I promise."

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Ashpaw's POV

The lead fox, I assumed, galloped off Sweetpaw in his mouth. I instantly raced after them, screeching Sweetpaw's name. But an older fox, one that seemed to have trouble running but was still quick, stopped me. She blocked my way, and when I tried to attack her, she just smiled, then took off in the opposite direction everyone else had. I'd lost them. No..

"SWEETPAW!" I caterwauled her named to the sky, feeling tears build in my eyes.

I lost her…

Dammit!

"Crossstar!" I screeched, turning towards my leader. "We've got to save her!"

"There's nothing we can do!" He growled, looking mournfully towards the sky. "And even if we did, how could we get her back? There's an entire pack of foxes, Ashpaw! There's no way… I'm sorry."

Again, my voice rose to a caterwaul.

"NO!" I collapsed on the ground, and buried my face in my paws. I sobbed. I just lay there and sobbed.

Mousestar, the leader of WindClan, began speaking with Crossstar.

"Thank you. They would've destroyed us without you."

"We owe you a great debt," Twistedear murmured. Someone nudged me, but I didn't move.

"Let's just drag him back," Mothblaze mewed. The same someone who nudged me hissed ferociously, then prodded my shoulder again.

"Ashpaw… C'mon. You have to get up. We're about to leave," My sister's mew was gentle.

"I lost her!" I yowled into my paws.

"Move, apprentices. I'll get him."

"Leave me be, Sparklewind. When we leave, I'll move."

"No, you'll move now. Come on. You're old enough now that you should be able to deal with things like this. So stop moping around like a spoiled kit!" His words filled me with rage, and I leaped upwards to get in his face.

"Have you ever loved someone so much you know you can't live without them? Have you ever loved someone so much that if they so much as get a splinter you're instantly at their side, making sure they're okay? Have you ever loved someone so much that if they got sick with a killing disease, you'd immediately give up the life you'd planned to help them? Have you?" I hissed.

Sparklewind looked down at me with unsympathetic eyes.

"Yes, and I still do. But th-"

"And you know she's absolutely fine, don't you? You don't have to worry if she's going to be eaten!"

"You have a point, Ashpaw. But you have to listen to me. There. Is. Nothing. You. Can. Do!" He hissed.

"Don't say that!" I yowled, letting my hackles rise.

"Stop!" Crossstar broke in between us, and I resisted the urge to claw him.

"Calm down, both of you. This is not the time or place to be doing this. Ashpaw, when we get back to camp, I want to have a word with you in my den. Sparklewind, gather up our cats," He snapped, staring both of us down.

Sparklewind trudged off dutifully, while I just stood there for a moment.

"Crossstar, we can't just leave her to be torn apart by those foxes!" I yowled. He stood tall, and stared down at me.

"Ashpaw, calm yourself! We will discuss this when we get back to camp!"

"NO! They'll have eaten her by the time we get home! We have to do something NOW!"

Before he could answer, I tore out of WindClan camp, following the disgusting stench of fox. There were two separate trails, one veering off towards RiverClan, the other going into the woods no Clan controlled. I took that route, rolling around in the fox smell to stop anyone from following me.

I will find you, Sweetpaw.

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Sweetpaw's POV

I will find you, Sweetpaw.

Ashpaw's thoughts rang through my mind.

I jumped to my feet, then paced around for a moment.

"Heartsong, Ashpaw is coming after me… Is there any way he could find his way here? Will your pack hurt him? Will any other pack hurt him?" Panic surged through me at the image of Ashpaw's torn and bloody body.

"The young one will be fine. Cats very seldom wander into these woods, and when they do, they are welcomed as guests. Calm yourself, Sweetpaw. Sit back down."

"But he thinks your pack ate me! He's coming to die too! And how am I supposed to calm down?"

There were a lot of foxes… There's no way I'll be able to survive fighting even one… At least we'll see each other in StarClan…

I relayed Ashpaw's thoughts to Heartsong.

The fox leader just sat there calmly.

"This young one seems to feel very strongly for you, no?" I felt a blush spread across my face.

"That's not the point, Heartsong! He's going to rush into the camp, claws and fangs bared! He's going to attack the first fox he sees, and they'll kill him! I can't lose him!" I yowled.

"So you feel strongly for him?" Mouse-brain!

"You're not getti-" A familiar yowl interrupted my hiss, and I cursed Ashpaw.

I flung myself through the curtain of lichen covering the front of Heartsong's den.

"Ashpaw, stop!" I screeched. He froze, his eyes wide and his claws stretched towards Darkbone, one of the queens.

She looked at me, then backed towards the nursery, herding almost all of her kits. The last one, the one who'd glomped me when I was getting the tour of the camp, bounded towards me.

"Sweetfeather!" He crowed. I licked the top of his head.

"Don't call me Sweetfeather. My name is Sweetpaw. I'm still just an apprentice," I mewed. My feet began moving towards the still-frozen Ashpaw. His head turned, and his eyes locked with mine.

"Yeah, but your fur looks like feathers! And your name is Sweet… So Sweetfeather! Please don't be mad at me for the nickname," Blazepup whimpered.

"Blazepup, go back to your mother. I need to talk to Ashpaw," I murmured, flicking my tail across his nose gently.

"Okay Sweetfeather!" The pup trundled back to his mother, whose shining eyes I could see.

"Sweetpaw… Am I already dead?" He mewed, finally moving towards me. I stood just in front of him, with my head bowed.

He moved forward, and rubbed his cheek against mine. My body rumbled with uncontrollable purrs.

"Is this a dream? Or is this real?" Ashpaw whispered, as he rubbed against my entire body.

"We're not dead," I mewed back.

"So the foxes didn't eat you?"

"It's a long story."

"I didn't lose you?" This time, his voice made me want to cry.

"You never would've."

It was then that he finally figured out that we weren't dead, this was really happening, and I was right in front of him.

"Sweetpaw!" He yowled, laughing and smiling, still rubbing against me.

I laughed, then nudged him. Heartsong stood just outside his den, smiling. He moved his head slightly, and I got the message.

"Come on, Ashpaw. There's someone I want you to meet."

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Author's Note- Weeellll? What'd you people think? Like? Love? Hate? Review please!