Hey guys! Here's chapter 4... I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while (this goes for last chapter too). I've been extremely busy lately, but I'm back now! :)

xxx

Willowtail strode out of the warrior den, the sun glinting on his back. He stretched and looked around camp. His days had become fuller since he had been appointed to deputy, taken on an apprentice, and his mate, Laurelfur, had been pregnant with her first litter.

"Ah, hello, Willowtail," Blazepelt, an elder, greeted him.

Willowtail nodded toward his friend.

"How's Laurelfur?" Blazepelt asked.

"I was just going to check on her now, but she's fine. Her kitting will be soon." Willowtail said.

"More warriors for the Clan, I see. Send her my congratulations, will you?" Blazepelt asked.

"Of course, Blazepelt." Willowtail replied and stalked over to the nursery. It had been 5 moons since Angelpaw disappeared and he thought about her every day.

He stepped into the nursery and saw Laurelfur, her belly heavily swollen, nibbling on a mouse.

"Good morning," Willowtail said and nuzzled his mate.

"Morning," Laurelfur purred.

"How are my little darlings?" Willowtail asked.

"They're well. Jasminebloom thinks they'll come soon." Laurelfur said with a smile.

"Really?" Willowtail exclaimed.

Laurelfur chuckled. "Yes, dear."

Willowtail spent a little while with his beautiful mate, but then he went off to find his apprentice.

"LOSTPAW? LOSTPAW!" Willowtail shouted for his apprentice.

A small ginger ball of fur tumbled toward him and crashed into his side. He winced and jumped to his feet, alert.

Lostpaw giggled and stuck her wiggling rump into the air. Willowtail growled playfully and pounced.

The apprentice jumped to the side and jumped on him while he was down. "Gotcha!" She declared.

A glint of amusement formed in Willowtail's eye and he jumped off the ground, throwing Lostpaw about a foxlength away.

"Hey, no fair!" Lostpaw whined.

"Do you think fair really matters in battle?" Willowtail asked.

Lostpaw shook her fluffy head just as Rainberry passed. Rainberry had become a warrior about a moon ago, a result of Willowtail's excellent training.

"Hey, Rainberry!" Willowtail called to his former apprentice.

"Oh, hello, Willowtail. Hello Lostpaw." Rainberry meowed.

Lostpaw nodded respectfully. "Have a nice day, Rainberry!" She exclaimed.

A glint of happiness formed in Rainberry's eye as she passed her former mentor and his apprentice.

"So, who wants to go out hunting?" Willowtail asked once Rainberry had gone.

"Me!" Lostpaw exclaimed and rubbed against her mentor gently.

Willowtail's tail curled up happily. "Alright, let's go, mouse-brain! I bet I can beat you there!" And he took off, Lostpaw racing after him.

"Gah! How did you beat me?" Willowtail asked.

"Because I'm faster!" Lostpaw exclaimed.

"I let you win." Willowtail claimed.

Lostpaw opened her mouth, ready to retort, but a rustling in the bushes stopped her. The scent of a vole alerted his scent glands and Lostpaw instinctively dropped into the hunting crouch. Willowtail was proud of his intelligent apprentice.

She crept forward silently and leaped into the bushes. Willowtail heard a loud squeal and then silence. A few heartbeats later, Lostpaw bounded out, a large vole hanging from her jaws.

"Extremely well done! That vole wouldn't see you coming in a thousand moons." Willowtail meowed, impressed.

Lostpaw purred her thanks.

"Okay, how about you go up by Twolegplace and catch a little more fresh-kill before coming back to camp, and then when you come back tell me anything you saw while you were out." Willowtail ordered.

Lostpaw nodded and bounded off into the underbrush of the forest.

Willowtail walked back to camp and went immediately to Jasminebloom's den as he did every day. Just to check. Just to be sure.

"Hey, Jasminebloom," He greeted his close friend.

"Oh, hi Willowtail! Are you alright?" Jasminebloom asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just was wondering if you had any, uh-"

"No, Willowtail. I didn't get any messages from StarClan about her." Jasminebloom interrupted.

Willowtail looked down. "I just thought that you might have gotten something... it is her birthday after all." He muttered.

"You remembered." Jasminebloom meowed.

"A brother never forgets." Willowtail said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Go rest. You look as if you haven't slept in moons." She instructed.

Willowtail nodded. "Thank you, Jasminebloom."

He walked off to the warrior den to take a little mid-morning nap.

The acrid scent of the Thunderpath filled Willowtail's nostrils. Monsters were almost constant on the pungent path.

He just then realized that he was right across from ShadowClan territory. A white ball of fluff was standing across it, yowling his name. "Willowtail! Willowtail!" It screamed.

"Angelpaw! Angelpaw, I'm here!" He replied.

"I need you! Help me!" Angelpaw whined.

"Okay, I'm coming! Hang on, I'll be right there." Willowtail exclaimed and waited for a pause in the oncoming monsters.

He dashed out into the Thunderpath and ran as fast as he could. But as he came closer to the other side, Angelpaw began to look more like Mistyfoot. And by the time he was across the Thunderpath, Angelpaw was Mistyfoot.

"Mom," He gasped and nuzzled his mother. "I can't believe you're here! I've missed you so much."

"I don't have much time. Willowtail," Mistyfoot meowed and used her tail to lift her son's chin. "The angel will die at your paw."

Willowtail was lost. The angel will die at your paw? What did that mean?

He stretched and padded out of the warrior den. Lostpaw was just racing into camp, her eyes wild and her fur sticking up.

"Lostpaw! What's wrong? You look as if you've just seen StarClan hunting on our territory." Willowtail chuckled.

"Not StarClan. ShadowClan." Lostpaw wheezed.

He suddenly turned serious. "What is ShadowClan doing here?"

"I have no idea! But I heard a white cat talking about attacking camp! Oh, Willowtail, I'm so frightened!" Lostpaw exclaimed.

Willowtail nuzzled his apprentice, but comforting her was the last thing on his mind. What white cat? Why was ShadowClan coming?

"Lostpaw, go alert the warriors and apprentices. Tell them to get the queens, kits and elders safe. I'll go inform Scarstar and Jasminebloom. Go now." He ordered and raced to Scarstar's den. Only he and Jasminebloom knew that Scarstar was on his last life.

"ShadowClan is attacking camp. Everyone on guard." He screamed to Scarstar before running to Jasminebloom's den.

"Get cobwebs together. ShadowClan is attacking camp." He meowed, but stopped when he saw that Laurelfur was there.

"Laurelfur!" He exclaimed.

"Willowtail! Are you okay?" Laurelfur asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you?"

"The kits are coming, Willowtail. What did you say? ShadowClan?"

"It's nothing, darling."

Jasminebloom looked between them. "I'll keep her safe. And I have the cobwebs. Go do your duty, deputy." She said.

Willowtail nodded respectfully and ran back out just as ShadowClan's battle cry rung and the fighting commenced.

He ran out into the battle and looked to see if anyone needed help. He saw Lostpaw battling a ShadowClan warrior with apparent ease and felt a surge of pride.

Suddenly, a black mass of muscle pounced on Willowtail, clawing his back. He yowled and used his paw to claw the warrior's side. "Leave. Me. Alone!" He screamed loudly and the warrior seethed.

"Angeldream won't be too happy. I'm her mate." The warrior snarled before leaping off.

Angeldream. Angelpaw! She was okay! Maybe she would come back to ThunderClan.

His thoughts were interrupted by the growl of Scarstar, facing Greenstar head on. Scarstar was pinned down by the fierce ShadowClan leader and was wailing.

Willowtail raced over and leaped onto Greenstar, raking his claws down the old cat's back. Greenstar yelped and whined, but continued to fight. Willowtail was just about to take a swipe at the cat's underbelly when something jumped on him.

He turned to see a white ball of fluff. At first he reared back, ready to pounce but then he saw her. Angelpaw.

"Angelpaw!" He exclaimed.

The beautiful she-cat grimaced for a heartbeat but then recognized him. "Willowtail," She breathed.

He took a step toward her. "You're okay! Oh StarClan I missed you so much!" He tried to nuzzle her but she stopped him with a hiss.

Willowtail jumped back. "Oh, Angelpaw, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." He trailed away.

"It's Angeldream actually." She hissed.

"Oh. Sorry! I still can't believe I found you. How is-" Willowtail was cut off by a claw raking his underbelly. It was Greenstar. Willowtail yowled.

It all happened very quick. He had closed his eyes from the pain and he swiped his paw around in an attempt to hit Greenstar.

He hit Angeldream instead.

An earsplitting shriek filled the air. Willowtail ducked as if the sound could hit him. He opened his eyes and saw that Greenstar was fine, but Angeldream was lying on her back, her neck wide open in a bloody gash.

"Angeldream," He whispered.

She didn't hear him. Her screams were too loud.

Suddenly Greenstar yelled the retreat cry and all ShadowClan cats except Angeldream left the clearing.

"Medicine den! Get her to the medicine den!" Willowtail exclaimed. Then he saw Scarstar, bleeding from many deep scratches. "Him as well! Now, go!"

Other cats dragged the two to the medicine den. He followed close behind and waited outside.

It was just sundown when Jasminebloom exited the medicine den.

"Willowtail," She started. The tom sprang to his paws. "Is she alright?" He asked.

"I'll put it simply. Scarstar is with StarClan." She confessed.

He was extremely sad, but he needed to know about Angeldream. "And Angeldream?"

Jasminebloom sighed. "Angeldream has entered a deep rest. She may not awaken. It's possible that she will. But we don't know. Her fate rests with StarClan now."

Willowtail's world was blurry. Angeldream... in a deep rest? He whimpered slightly.

"And there's more. While I was fighting off a cat, another slipped in. Laurelfur and two of your kits are..." Jasminebloom trailed off.

Willowtail didn't want to know, but he had to. "Tell me. Please."

"They're gone." Jasminebloom said.

It was over. Scarstar dead. Laurelfur dead. And two of his precious kits dead. Angeldream in a deep rest from which she may never awaken. It was completely over.

"But there's good news," Jasminebloom meowed. Willowtail looked up as if nothing could be good now. "A kit survived. Her name is Shadowkit. She's black. She has your eyes."

Willowtail looked up. "Shadowkit?" He asked.

Jasminebloom nodded.

"May I meet her?"

Jasminebloom nodded again and beckoned Willowtail inside. He saw a limp grey body along with two small ginger ones, but one was wriggling. He approached it.

"Hello," He said, choking up at the sight of the beautiful kit.

"Mew," The midnight kit replied.

He smiled sadly. "I love you." He meowed.

"Mrrowww." The kit replied and nosed into his paw.

He left the kit to squirm and went to see Laurelfur and the two kits.

"Oh, Laurelfur," He meowed and nosed into her cheek. "I love you so much. You died protecting our kits, and two of them will be forever with you in StarClan. Send me a dream when they become apprentices."

He licked his mate's cheek and moved on to the ginger toms. "Your mother loves you so much, okay? Be good to her. I love you both." He licked their miniscule heads and walked to Scarstar's limp yellow pelt.

"I won't let you down. I'll be the best leader this forest has seen." He said and licked the shoulder he had licked so many times before.

Angeldream's eyes were closed. So unlike her, since her eyes were always so wide and shining. Willowtail licked her to see if she would stir, but to no avail.

"Wake up. Come on, Angeldream, I know you can do it. Just wake up. I'm right here. It's alright. You'll be completely okay. I'm here. Just open your eyes so I can see you. Please. Please, Angeldream." He whispered.

"Please."

xxx

Ooh... sad! Long chapter, though. So Angeldream's in a coma for cats. Heart-wrenching! Will she wake up? You tell me. Vote in the reviews. Just press the little button right there!