I'm so sorry for lack of quality. I didn't write all last week pretty much because I was so busy with camp, and then I got home and there was a wedding and I was sleeping in so late because I was so tired and I had no motivation for this chapter and yeah. So, again, sorry. :(

Shadows Of Weeping Wolves: I'll definitely try to make time to draw that scene! And for the OCs it's currently a battle between Wolfkit and another OC Shadekit. I'll put in a message about that at the end of the chapter.

Firestream of Ice: Am I right that this is your first time reviewing? Thank you so much for reviewing! :) I'm so sorry, but I'm not sure I'll be able to put in your OCs, though. None of them take after either Sootstar or Dawnshine in coloration, and I specifically requested that they should. Again, so sorry!

walkswithwheels: I sent in a couple excerpts from some writing I did, including part of the poem currently up on my bio (I might take that down, though, and replace it with a poem I wrote while at camp). I think a slow start for me isn't that good because I've had a hard time starting this third book. It's tough to write when no plot happens, though I will put in a bunch of plot next chapter. And I intended that Cinderstar would save Foxtooth's life by cushioning his impact. Sure, he'll have several broken bones and all, but at least he'll still be alive. And I thought I'd do something a little different than canon, with each cat leaving (but not disappearing forever!) the circle of who gave them their lives as each life was lost. And since I already asked for OCs and no one put forward an albino kit, I probably won't use one in Sootstar's litter, but there will be other litters. I'll make sure to still use an albino kit.

ShadowHawk540: If you don't have a working computer, then how do you read my stories? Do you use a phone or something? And for the OCs it's currently a battle between Shadekit and another OC Wolfkit. I'll put in a message about that at the end of the chapter.

QLKwriter: I think Willowkit made it in! :) Congrats! And yes, it certainly is a long line of gray cats. :P I remember when I first got my tablet I thought, "Why are all my characters gray? Why can't they have more interesting markings?" And no, Cinderstar didn't lose her selflessness, don't worry. *dramatic music* It was with her all along.

ilovewarriorcats: I'm SO sorry about your cousin. :'( *cries* I've lived such a sheltered life the most heartbreaking goodbye I had to say was to my cat Figaro in second grade. But it's so... so sad (major want of a better word here) that he was only sixteen. My brother is seventeen and I can't imagine what I'd do if he died. I already know he's got such a bright future in math and science. I got your review while I was at camp and even if I responded to it right away, I wouldn't know what to say. Maybe I should just move on to your previous review. So I think it would be best if Silverkit was moved to Cinderstar's litter. I can't say she'll have kits soon, I can't say she'd even want kits soon, but later on, maybe even in the epilogue, she should have kits of her own. Is that okay? I know I keep putting your OCs in rather obsolete positions, but you were the only one who said you'd be fine with Silverkit being Cinderstar's kit instead. Or, if you want, she could be Rainstar's kit? She'd probably appear in the actual story that way. And if that girl made you feel important, then you should try to hold on to her. It's tough to really feel important to other people. Luckily for me, I found a group of girls who I know will be behind me at camp (it's truly a magical place there), but I know other people aren't as fortunate to have friends with whom they can really feel like they matter. Is there any way that you can talk to her at school or something?

RANDOM PERSON: I agree, Cinderstar was being a real brat there. XD I'm glad you like her again. I'll try to make her less whiny next chapter she appears in (which would probably be next chapter, actually). And yeah, I definitely agree about Firestar. From about the second series until the fourth I really hated him. I much preferred Tigerstar. Firestar was okay as an apprentice but then he just deteriorated from there. And yeah, Badgertongue is Badger. Do you like the name I picked for her? :)

ThiefOfSong: The trick to writing well is to write a lot. Even if it turns out terribly, you can always edit bad writing but you can't edit a blank page or a blank document. If you look through my story page you'll see nine stories, including a bunch of one-shots and four completed books, soon to be five with this one. It's taken me three years to get this far from The Lost Snow to Misty Peace but it's definitely been worth it.

Leopardstar2002: Don't worry, he's still hanging in there! :)

Guest: I think you forgot your "username." And no, I completely agree with your review. It's not offensive if you're criticizing my character, not me. She's definitely going back to her kit-self a little due to the stress of no food. Don't worry, she'll get better as time goes on. :)

WINX CLUB ROCKS: Okay, okay! Here's your update! Sorry it's so bad though. :( Next chapter I'll make better!

Rainstar's POV

Of course. Just when I'd gotten used to the taste of rabbits, they had to start disappearing. Sure, Crouchfoot told me it was perfectly normal for the first snowfall of Leafbare, but honestly, the Clan was basically starving!

I paced in the snowy clearing, or at least tried to. In actuality, I ended up awkwardly leaping through the shoulder-high snow, trying in vain to pack it down enough so I could see over it. Instead, I ended up slipping on the now-icelike snow underfoot.

"Smooth," came a amused meow. I spat out a mouthful of cold water and looked up to see Aspensplash standing above me, hazel eyes crinkled with her wide smile.

"You try leading the Clan," I muttered, pushing myself back to my paws and, just to be safe, stepping off the track I'd made and into deeper but less slippery snow.

Aspensplash's cheerful mood vanished like the Leaffall grass under snow. "Is it getting to you again?" she asked softly, padding closer and glancing around to make sure no other cats were nearby.

I nodded, remembering the time in Leaffall when a fox had traveled up from the forest and almost killed Hoppaw. I'd shriveled up into myself, hiding away in my den. Alderleaf had told the Clan I was sick with a bad sore throat and couldn't talk without coughing up blood. He and Aspensplash were the only two in the Clan who knew about my temporary inability to function.

Aspensplash pressed her nose briefly against my cheek. "I'm here for you," she reminded me. "And so is Alderleaf. I know you miss your littermates, but you need to lead your Clan."

"I know, it's just…" I sighed. "It's just so hard sometimes with all this responsibility. The Clan's survival is down to me."

Aspensplash gave me a sympathetic glance. I put my head down, taking a deep breath, trying to pull myself together again. "Was there a particular reason you came to see me?" I asked rather abruptly, suddenly realizing that Aspensplash might not have come just to check on me. She didn't seem to realize I was feeling pressured when she'd first approached me.

"Yeah, actually," Aspensplash meowed, glancing over her shoulder. "Lionpaw's getting a little antsy. I think he wants to go battle train or something."

"Why would he want to do that?" I asked. "We won't go to battle with the other Clans for moons at least!"

"Foxes," she reminded me. "He almost lost his brother."

Oh, right. I silently cursed myself, wondering how I could have forgotten about that. A good leader would probably have remembered. "Right," I muttered, stalking past Aspensplash with my ears back and my head down. "I guess I'll take him out to train then."

"Adderclaw sent out a few hunting patrols," she called after me. "They should be able to catch something."

I remembered how hungry I was. Maybe being reminded about things wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Mmmkay," I called back, not really caring if she heard. I just wanted to get outside and run until my troubles were gone for good. Or not, said the traitorous little voice inside my head. There's snow, remember? You can't run through something like that.

"Lionpaw!" I called as I reached the apprentices' den.

Almost immediately, my apprentice shot out, his orange tabby fur unkempt and his yellow eyes gleaming. Behind him I saw Honeypaw and Rowanpaw talking quietly, each sitting on their own nest.

"Rowanpaw," I called on a sudden impulse, "would you like to come battle training with us? Honeypaw, you'd be welcome too."

"Sure!" Rowanpaw grinned, sauntering out of the den with his tail in the air. Behind him slunk Honeypaw, her eyes wide like normal, giving her a perpetually scared, wary sort of air. She sat next to and slightly behind her brother, glancing around the camp from beneath his shadow. I sighed to myself—she really should try to get out of her comfort zone from time to time. It wasn't good for her to constantly fear her Clanmates.

"All right, follow me," I meowed, beckoning with my tail before turning and following a path some other cat had made from the apprentices' den to the entrance.

The hills were covered in snow, crisscrossed with trenches where the patrols had walked. I started down one of these trails, hoping it would take me all the way to the battle clearing. But I honestly didn't expect it to.

Sure enough, the path began veering away from the training clearing the closer we drew to it. Finally, I was forced to turn and begin foraging my way through the snow, leaping forward in great surges, creating a new path for the three apprentices to follow.

Finally we made it to the clearing. I paused to catch my breath, sitting heavily in the middle of the clearing. Waving my tail from side to side in an exhausted sort of way, I breathed, "You apprentices… start… packing down… the snow."

Lionpaw and Honeypaw moved off around the edges of the clearing, leaping around to mark out the edges, but Rowanpaw dived right in, heading for me. He circled around me, making the clear spot I sat on wider and wider.

"It's odd, you know?" he asked. I didn't reply. For one thing, I was panting from jumping through the deep snow, and for another, I didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't leave me much time to puzzle over it, though. "You're only, what, a few moons older than me? And I'm still an apprentice while you're a leader."

"Are you asking for your warrior name?" I asked, my voice monotonous, automatic almost.

Rowanpaw drew back. "No," he said hurriedly, "nothing like that. I just thought it was kind of funny, is all." He bounded away, flattening down more snow by bellyflopping his way toward Honeypaw.

I glanced around at Lionpaw. He looked a little lost, sitting up on his hind paws so he could see over the top of the snow. Poor guy, he hadn't even experienced a single Leafbare before and now he was attacked with this monster of starvation and cold. Maybe it would be best to get them started with their exercises and never mind the snow.

"All right, everyone come here!" I called above the wind. Three pairs of eyes turned toward me and three sets of paws leaped across the snowy clearing. "Rowanpaw and Lionpaw, you two practice first. Lionpaw, you're offensive. Rowanpaw, defensive. Lionpaw, work on your dive and roll."

I stepped back to watch them practice. I knew Rowanpaw was much more experienced than Lionpaw—he was almost ready for his warrior name—but I was glad to see he was going easy on Lionpaw, letting him get the moves right before really trying to avoid his attacks.

Honeypaw sat beside me, her breath puffing out in neat little clouds. Everything about her seemed neat and little, to be honest. I sometimes wondered if she would be ready for her warrior name with her brothers.

"I can fight too, you know."

I was so taken aback I nearly fell over. Honeypaw had never spoken to me before. She'd always looked at the ground, maybe nodded or shaken her head a couple times, but she'd never used her voice. Yet here she was, looking me in the face, talking to me. Her voice wasn't even what I'd have expected it to be. It was rather deep for a she-cat, yet still somehow feminine.

Honeypaw blinked at me. "I can fight," she insisted. "Watch."

It was my turn to say nothing as Honeypaw crept over to the toms, crouching low so as not to be seen, only her eyes and ears peeking over the top of the snow. When Rowanpaw's back was turned, she suddenly leaped out on top of him, catching him by surprise and rolling off into the snow, where she proceeded to pummel his belly with sheathed paws and pin him down with ease.

Then Lionpaw leaped on top of her and she shrieked in surprise, rolling off and curling up to protect her soft underside, flattening her ears against her head.

"That's enough!" I called, leaping over a mound of snow. Lionpaw rolled off of Honeypaw, Rowanpaw got to his paws, and Honeypaw opened her eyes to blink up at me. "Honeypaw, that was excellent stalking work, but you need to work on your strength and confidence. Rowanpaw, you were doing well until Honeypaw attacked you. Always be aware of what's going on around you, even if you think you're safe. Lionpaw, that was excellent thinking in attacking Honeypaw to help out Rowanpaw, but you still have a long way to go before you're ready to fight a fox." I grinned around at the apprentices. "But I guess you're all hungry, aren't you?"

Rowanpaw glanced around at the other apprentices. "But we just got out here," he said uncertainly.

"But the sun's going down, look." Lionpaw nodded at the horizon. "I guess we came out too late to do any serious practice," he added sadly.

Honeypaw, back to her normal self again, didn't say anything, but looked at her paws.

I led the way back to camp.

By the time we got back to camp, everyone was starving. I looked hopefully around at the fresh-kill pile, thinking longingly of plump Leaffall rabbits and hoping the hunting patrols brought back something yummy. But instead, I saw Adderclaw standing beside a tiny pile of four or five rabbits, his shoulders hunched.

I bounded over to him, skidding slightly on a patch of trodden-down snow that may or may not have been my making. "Adderclaw! What's this? Has everyone already eaten?"

I could see his answer in his expression before he sighed heavily and confessed, "No. This is all we have for the entire Clan."

My heart sank. I'd thought this might be the case, but honestly, I'd been hoping that with two or three patrols out we would have caught more than this. But I still had a Clan to lead. So, gritting my teeth, I plastered on a fake smile and poked a paw through the pile. "We have three full-sized rabbits and two younger ones," I counted. "So… let's see, I guess we should send one of these younger ones to split between Alderleaf and the nursery… or, wait, I guess we don't have any queens—"

"What are you talking about?" Adderclaw asked, looking slightly concerned. "Did no one tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I asked, split between excitement and worry. What had happened?

"Lightwing's expecting kits. We have a queen now."

My mind went blank.

What?

Lightwing was going to be a mother again.

Except she was still a mother.

But she'd be a queen.

Was Hyperion the father?

Shaking my head, I pulled myself together yet again. I needed to be strong, I needed to be a leader. "That's… that's great news!" I forced a purr, still unsure of how I felt about it. "Um… yeah, how about Alderleaf shares a younger rabbit with me and Aspensplash? Then one of these older rabbits can go to the apprentices and the others can be split amongst you and the warriors and Lightwing."

"Sounds good," Adderclaw meowed, dipping his head respectfully. I blinked—yes, he was my deputy and should show me respect, but sometimes I couldn't separate this new, responsible Adderclaw from the conceited and bratty kit. What had changed?

"And you should probably choose which cats are coming to the Gathering tonight," Adderclaw added. "The second night after the first snowfall. I wonder if StarClan planned that?" Chuckling softly to himself, he padded off, dragging behind him the three rabbits allotted to him, Lightwing, and the warriors.

Again, sorry for lack of quality. I'm so not proud of this chapter at all. -_-

On a happier note, I've almost decided on the OCs I'll be using for Sootstar's and Dawnshine's litter! Here they are:

Sagekit (ThiefOfSong)

Willowkit (QLKwriter)

But I'm not sure about the tom. It'll either be Wolfkit (Shadows Of Weeping Wolves) or Shadekit (ShadowHawk540). I want to use both kits, but I don't want to have a litter of four. If it's okay with either of you, maybe one of those kits could be used in another litter? Like maybe Rainstar's or Cinderstar's? Neither will have kits for some time, but I'm pretty sure both will have kits at some point in time. If you want, though, one could also be used in Lightwing's and Hyperion's litter. :-\

AOTD: I write whenever I get the time, pretty much. As of right now that's the afternoons. My mornings are taken up with swim practice and sleep and my evenings are taken with rowing lessons.

QOTD: What activities do you do during the summer and/or school year? (I'm guessing everyone is in some type of school?)