(This is AU, and takes place after The Last Hope and before Bramblestar's Storm)

(Plot adopted from Tansywish)

Chapter 1:

Blossomfall turned away from the medicine den, sad. Bumblestripe rubbed his tail along her back for comfort, and then padded off to the nursery to visit his mate (Dovewing) who was expecting his kits.

"She'll never pay attention to me when Briarlight is still around!" she muttered to herself.

After the battle, Millie had grown even closer to Briarlight. The maimed tabby she-cat had escaped the medicine den to help Jayfeather treat patients, much to the Clans' dismay. She was alright in the end, but now Millie had grown even more protective over her.

Bumblestripe had long-since stopped caring about the amount of attention he got, but Blossomfall craved her mothers' love. The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat's personality prohibited her from having many friends, so she relied on her mother for love and support that a mate or friend could normally give.

"Cloudtail, take Cherryfall, Rosepetal and…" the dark ginger deputy's pretty green eyes scanned the camp, "and…Blossomfall."

Blossomfall suppressed a hiss. It seemed like she was always the last cat picked for any patrols, if at all.

The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat straightened her posture and padded over to the camp entrance, where Cloudtail and the other two she-cats were standing, patiently waiting for her.

"Great," Cloudtail meowed, "Let's go."

Rosepetal and Cherryfall were whispering and pointing (with their tails) at something on Blossomfall's pelt all throughout the walk to the Ancient Oak, where the patrol had chosen to hunt.

Blossomfall suddenly stopped and turned to the two warriors, "What's wrong with my fur?"

Cloudtail looked back, stopped, sat down, and sighed loudly, his displeasure clear.

"You've got…" Cherryfall snickered, then shook her head and giggled.

"There's a…" Rosepetal meowed, coughed to hide a laugh, then turned away and composed herself, "Your fur is sticking up, like a freshly-groomed kit's would look!"

Blossomfall twisted around and quickly smoothed down her fur, deeply embarrassed. Her ear tips were almost glowing red.

The cream she-cat and her ginger companion dashed ahead of her and padded slightly behind Cloudtail, who had gotten to his paws and had begun to move forward.

The she-cat duo fell to the back of the patrol to whisper about something else.

"Sorry about that," Cloudtail sighed.

Shocked, Blossomfall replied, "You're apologizing to me?"

"Yeah," the fluffy white tom meowed, "They were getting out of paw back there."

Blossomfall was silent. No one had ever apologized to her for good reason, ever.

"Okay," Cloudtail meowed, "Rosepetal, Cherryfall, you two go that way. Me and Blossomfall will go this way. Meet up at camp by sundown."

"Alright," the two she-cats chirped, and trotted off, laughing.

"So, this way?" Blossomfall asked awkwardly and pointed her tail to the left of where she and her companion were standing.

"Yes," Cloudtail's brief moment of sympathy for the tortoiseshell-and-white warrior had faded. He was now back to his professional tone.

The white tom had changed a lot after his uncle (the great leader, Firestar) had died during the Great Battle. He missed Firestar, and had changed his work attitude. He had even started to believe in StarClan. In short, he was a whole different warrior.

Blossomfall didn't want to hunt with the fluffy warrior. Sure, he was nice, but things had just grown awkward between them after the Great Battle.

"I see a squirrel!" she lied, and dashed off in front of where she and Cloudtail were standing. She looked back over her tortoiseshell shoulder and saw the white warrior shrug and pad off to the left. She sighed in relief.

She slowed to a walk and ducked behind a bush to smooth her ruffled fur. The wind had been blowing in her face as she had charged in pursuit of a "squirrel."

Oh no, Blossomfall thought, If I don't return to camp with a squirrel, Cloudtail will think I'm lying! Or, I can say I wasn't able to catch it. But then he'll think I'm a rubbish hunter! Better just find a squirrel.

The warrior set off, her nose alert for the scent of a squirrel.

She saw a flash of grey, and looked up a tree. A large, fat grey squirrel was sitting on the first branch up.

She purred in amusement as she saw Graystripe's face where the squirrel's head was. She shook the image out of her head and proceeded to claw her way up the oak tree.

The squirrel was busy nibbling on an acorn, and by the time is saw Blossomfall, her sharp claws were already pinning it to the branch. She ended its life with a quick blow, and leapt from the tree elegantly, though no one was watching.

She buried her catch and spun around, just to come face-to-face with Millie.

Her mother cleared her throat and began, "That was a rubbish jump. You twist and leap, you don't leap and twist."

Blossomfall sighed and prepared herself for a lesson from Millie.

"Sorry, mother," she used her best apologetic tone, though she wasn't really sorry.

"Do it again," the silver she-cat meowed and sat down.

Blossomfall turned away, rolled her yellow eyes and climbed up the tree to the same branch the squirrel had been on. The rodent's blood had turned a part of the branch dark red.

"Twist and leap," Millie ordered.

Blossomfall nodded, and prepared to jump off the branch. She gathered herself into a crouch and pushed off with her paws as she twisted her body around in a full circle.

Suddenly, she was upside-down and her paws were flailing in front of her face. She saw the tree branch grow farther and farther away, then pain rocketed throughout her entire body as she heard a sickening crack, and the world went black for Blossomfall.