Sorry for such a long wait! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

"You did pretty well, for your first day out." Hawkfrost offered.

"Thank-."

"Don't speak. I can hear you just fine without you opening your mouth."

Oh. Right. Thank you.

"What's the point of you two being reborn if one of you is just going to become a medicine cat anyway? You could have stayed in StarClan for that." He snorted.

Why do you care?

"Because you're going to be mooning over him for the rest of your life and I have to watch! I'm going to be miserable for the next however many moons you live!" The white-bellied brown tom snapped. "StarClan kill me now! Spare me this terrible fate… I didn't actually kill anyone so why is this of all things the one thing I have to be punished for?!"

You're just upset because you never had a mate. Is that it?

"I don't want to watch you two dance around each other for the rest of your lives. Either the warrior code needs to change or Jaypaw needs to change. I doubt the leaders will be changing the warrior code anytime soon so that leaves Jaypaw. You need to convince him that he needs to become a warrior."

I just became an apprentice. Can I have a day where I don't have to worry about Jaypaw or those stupid Dark Forest cats? Please?!

"You have two sunrises before I take over and tell him exactly how you feel." Hawkfrost sneered. Cinderpaw rolled her eyes and curled up to sleep.

Sure. Whatever.


"Jaypaw," His eyes snapped open but he squeezed them shut just as fast. It was so bright… then he gasped in shock and slowly opened them again. He could see!

"Jaypaw!" He whipped around, scenting the air for the owner of the soft voice.

"Welcome to StarClan." A thin grey cat with matted fur and orange eyes padded toward him with a tortoiseshell in tow.

"I'm not dead, am I?"

"No, you're not dead." The tortoiseshell assured him.

"Dreaming, then?"

"Smart one, you are." The old grey she-cat snorted. "How'd you guess?"

"I can see and you said I wasn't dead so…"

"Yes, you're dreaming."

"Is something bad going to happen?"

"Not that you should know of. Not yet, anyways. That's not why we're here."

"Then why are you here?"

"Hold on, we're waiting for one more cat."

A blue-grey tabby stepped out of the bushes and padded toward the trio.

"Hello, Jaypaw. My name is Stormwhisker."

"I know who you are."

"Then you also know why we're here."

"It's the only way I can help Cinderpaw."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Jaypaw. I actually preferred being a medicine cat to being a warrior. I grew up fighting my whole life. I saw no need to fight anymore."

"So why'd you become a warrior?"

"Cinderpelt refused to let me be her apprentice, so I chose to focus more on the hunting part and only fought when I had to."

"But if she was still a warrior, would you have been a medicine cat?"

"I don't know. I don't regret being a warrior. It was funny to see the looks on everyone's faces when I brought my first kill back, never mind when I fought in my first battle. If things were different I probably would have become a medicine cat, but I can't regret being a warrior. It was my best decision, but you have to make your own. I won't care what you choose."


Jaypaw's eyes snapped open at the yowl of alarm and he sprang to his paws. Leafpool's ears twitched and she popped an eye open, surprised to see her apprentice racing around the den, gathering the herbs he'd barely memorized the day before.

"What happened?" She asked calmly as she nudged got to her paws.

"Nightmare." He told his mentor. "She's not going to be pretty."

The scream turned out to be one of the warriors who watched Brightheart writhe on the ground as some invisible force gouged out hunks of skin and fur and she screeched and flailed, trying to free herself. Cloudtail stood frozen by her side and Jaypaw knew that the poor non-believer had just gotten his first taste of the Dark Forest. Jaypaw placed the herbs by her side and Leafpool got to work covering raw skin and bleeding wounds before more could appear. Jaypaw touched his nose to Brightheart's… and promptly collapsed. Cinderpaw narrowed her eyes. If Jaypaw could do it then surely Hawkfrost could help them? She needed to go back to sleep anyway.

The first thing he noticed was that the fog was so thick he could barely see two pawsteps in front of him. The second thing he noticed was that he could see. The third thing he noticed was that Brightheart's screams echoed in his ears. He closed his eyes and let his paws guide him. It wasn't like the fog made any difference.

"Go back to StarClan, she-cat. You don't belong here." A cold voice meowed. She'd only seen him once or twice, and she'd never really met him, but Hawkfrost was known to be ruthless… so why wasn't he attacking her?

"Brightheart!" A grey blur crashed into her and she blinked twice.

"Cinderpaw? What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story but we have to get out of here, now! Do you know where Jaypaw is?" She asked Hawkfrost.

"You think I keep tabs on you stupid Clan cats? This is my territory, kit. If I see the other kit then maybe I'll send him back. Leave before I change my mind."

Cinderpaw glared at the Dark Forest cat.

"Fine then. I'll find Jaypaw myself. This place is weird anyway."

Hawkfrost turned his cold, blue eyes onto Brightheart.

"These apprentices do not belong here." He informed the ginger-patched she-cat.

"Neither do you."

Brightheart nodded and scooped Cinderpaw up so she got the message about getting home. "We'll find him, I promise." She told her apprentice. "I promise."

They woke up at the exact same time. Cinderpaw shook herself out and Brightheart leaned into Cloudtail, who gently nuzzled her.

"It'll be okay." He promised. Well, he had no reason not to believe in StarClan now. He just hoped they could save the Clan from whatever was coming.


Cats filtered into their dens, leaving Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Sorreltail, Brackenfur, Leafpool, Hollypaw, Lionpaw, Poppypaw and Honeypaw surrounding Jaypaw. Cinderpaw hadn't moved from his side and after some time, the two queens ordered the apprentices to bed.

Cinderpaw rested her chin on her paws and leaned against Jaypaw. He'd better wake up soon.


I know that Cloudtail is an atheist and the last part was sappy but I think he would do anything for Brightheart. Any questions, comments, rants? Review!