A/N: Yo, wassup, my peeps! Welcome back to Life of the Rejected: Hawkstar where we pride ourselves on rejected amazingness. A response to the reviews (YAYYYYY!)

iiDusk Spectre 7: Thank you for your fabulous optimism! *fistbump*

Guest: Poor, poor Hawky…. You have no idea what's going to happen to him. Great, you're gonna love a certain character in our series. And it's not Hawkpaw.

Sunripple (Chapter 3): I'm glad you like him. I tried to make him as likable as possible for future purposes. *smiles psychotically*

Sunripple: Because he's awkward, that's why.

On to the story!

It was the night of the Gathering and the full moon hung low over the tall pine trees. I shuffled my paws in the clearing, trying to keep them warm in the chilly wind. Ebonypaw sidled up beside me, warmth in her eyes, and gave a friendly greeting.

We talked for a while until Fernstar climbed up on the High Branch and gathered up the rest of the Clan. "Tonight, we shall be going to the Gathering," Fernstar meowed. "I will bring with me Leafpelt, Tansystripe, Pineleap, Foxpaw, Littlefang, Ebonypaw, Rockscar, Hawkpaw, Coldwhisker, Narrowclaw, Dayspring, and Nettlepaw, as well as the elders who choose to come."

I was delighted to go to my first Gathering and I could tell that Ebonypaw was excited, too. "I can't wait to go," she squealed. "Can't you?" I nodded cheerfully, but my mind was suddenly clouded by a dark thought; what would ThunderClan think of its lost kit that had retreated to a Clan of deep shadows?

I suddenly felt guilt burning through my mind and I stared at my paws, not wanting to show my emotions to Ebonypaw. But apparently, she noticed my shaken feelings. "What's wrong, Hawkpaw?" she prompted gently. "If you don't want to tell me, it's okay," she added quickly.

I knew that I couldn't tell her that I felt guilty by joining her Clan which might come across as offending so I quickly muttered, "I'm fine." Then, I shifted toward Foxpaw and Sleetpaw and began to talk with them as we began the journey to the Gathering.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As soon as we reached the small sloping clearing that resembled my home Clan's camp so much, I choked up. I couldn't believe that only two moons ago, I had dwelled among ThunderClan warriors. Rockscar touched his tail gently to my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.

I was a strong reborn being in a new Clan with a new life ahead of me. But I admitted in the farthest recesses of my mind that I hadn't at all changed from my kit self and had just the same destiny as I had had then.

Walking into the clearing, I picked up the scent of RiverClan, WindClan, and…ThunderClan. Okay, Hawkpaw, I told myself. That just means ShadowClan is the last Clan at the Gathering, nothing else. I took a deep breath and steadied myself before walking into a clearing.

Of course, the first cat I saw was Talonwhisker, the deputy of ThunderClan. Unfortunately, he saw me, too. "Hey, you there!" he called. I stepped forward slowly, feeling my legs tremble. "Um, yes," I meowed, my voice quiet and weak. I hoped with all my heart he didn't recognize me, but again, I got the worst luck.

"Aren't you….Hawkkit?" he asked, a confused gleam in his gaze. "Hawkpaw now," I grumbled darkly and immediately landed my eyes on the ground. When I looked up again, Talonwhisker was glaring at Fernstar, not me. "Those ShadowClan scoundrels," he growled. "Stealing our kits..."He then looked at me sternly. "We thought you were dead. You shouldn't have wandered off like that and now that you have, you've been accepted into a den of thieves. ThunderClan will get you back, Hawkpaw. I will get you back if it's the last thing I do."

I was confused by his passion for me then I remembered that Talonwhisker was my mother's brother and I was his nephew. Before he could say anymore, I quickly bounded into a group of passing RiverClan apprentices.

I spent the rest of the time in between that and the beginning of the Gathering talking with cats who wouldn't be so hostile to me. At first, I was alarmed when I heard the loud yowl from Foamstar, leader of RiverClan. "Let all cats gather under the Gathering Tree for a sacred truce so that we may share our lives with the Clans!"

I glanced up at the pure white tom with bright green eyes looking down proudly at his Clan. I noticed that he looked very well-fed and sleek, though that was probably because of his diet of fish. So did the rest of RiverClan, even the elders who almost always managed to look skinny and frail.

I wonder why they're so plump, I thought. At this time, cats were usually lean from hunting for so much prey to store up for leaf-bare, including myself. I turned my ears to listen to Foamstar's report.

"RiverClan is in good health and we have been finding plenty of fish in the lake," he meowed, his ears lazily flicking away a fly as he spoke. "Three new kits have been born into our Clan, Ivykit, Cloudkit, and Sandkit. I might add that some cats have not been sticking to their borders recently." He eyed Fernstar. "However, we are fine and strong enough to fight any cat who vainly tries to threaten us."

Fernstar dipped her head. "Thank you for your report, Foamstar," she mewed respectfully, but with a hard edge to her tone. "We have four fine new apprentices, Foxpaw, Ebonypaw, Sleetpaw, and Hawkpaw." A murmur went up among the Clans as they realized that in the moons before, my birth had not been announced in ShadowClan.

"We are doing well and finding prey in abundance throughout the forest. Darkwish has gone into the nursery expecting kits." I nodded slightly, remembering the smoky black queen that had been very friendly to me. I didn't know her well, but at least she liked me. "She does not wish to share the father with us. Our borders are well marked and we have had no trouble for the past moon."

It was true. The last border skirmish had been with Snowfoot and his patrol and that had been almost two moons ago. I spotted the white tom with a smirk on his face as he began to continuously poke what looked to be an annoyed friend of his until a senior warrior made him stop. He still had that ugly smile on his face, though.

"That is the end of my report," Fernstar said, dipping her head and stepping back for Goldenstar, the leader of WindClan to make her announcement. I really didn't listen to her report as WindClan was the only Clan not involved with ShadowClan.

Then Breezestar stepped forth. Her pale grey fur bristled in tension and I could see the fire in her eyes before she began to speak. "I directly accuse ShadowClan for stealing ThunderClan's kits," she almost yowled into the clearing. I could see her blue green eyes burning hatefully as they landed on me.

"You have stolen Hawkkit of ThunderClan who belongs to us, not you flea-bags who will probably teach him to disrespect us," she hissed. She paused, took a short breath, and stared at Fernstar. I could almost see her claws flexing in and out of their sheaths; she was ready to fight for an apprentice who could possibly become a fine warrior.

Fernstar stood up calmly and held Breezestar's angry gaze without flinching. "We have not stolen Hawkpaw," she accentuated "paw", showing that she had authority to make me an apprentice of her Clan. "As I see it, you have cast him out of your Clan." Before Breezestar could speak, she flicked her tail over her wide open mouth. "He has told us the stories of how the other kits teased him in the nursery and how you have done nothing to stop their jeering.
"I have seen the scars that he carries from other kits' claws and I believe he would be in better care with us," she finished. Breezestar looked over ThunderClan, probably looking for the queens to demand if Fernstar was telling the truth. Her gaze landed on Maplewhisker, the villainous kits' mother. "Maplewhisker," she snapped. "You were a queen when Hawkkit was with us. Is Fernstar telling the truth?"

For once, the arrogant pale ginger queen looked nervous and swallowed self-consciously, grooming down her ruffled fur. "Um," she stumbled, her eyes darting around all the four Clans' warriors who were staring curiously at her. After a few moments of looking around, her pride suddenly returned and she straightened, turning up her nose at the others around her. "No," she meowed firmly. "Fernstar is a thieving scoundrel who wants nothing but new warriors for her pathetic Clan." She said it just like she had rehearsed it.

To my surprise, a chorus of outrage rang out from almost all the ShadowClan warriors. "We've seen him!" "Hawkpaw is not a cat who would lie to me!" "I've seen how he looks at his adopted Clan. He loves us better than he'll ever love you!" Then, before I could be warmed by their triumphant response, I saw Ashfern sitting sullenly in a corner, rolling her eyes and daintily drawing a licked paw over her head.

She still doesn't love me like her own, I thought sadly. But my heart began to rise as Breezestar glared at Maplewhisker. "I see that your disrespectful queen has willfully lied to us," Fernstar said coolly, staring into the other leader's eyes.

Breezestar huffed in disapproval and turned away, her tail high in the air. "Gathering dismissed!" she yowled and began to promptly trot away with her warriors following. I stared after, hoping to see Sorrelpetal in the mix, but I couldn't see her tonight. My heart sank despite the aura of joy swirling around me from Fernstar's announcement.

"Hey, psst!" A sudden hiss from a bush behind me made me whirl around. There in the shadows were two young amber eyes. A she-cat was crouching in the barrier of bushes around the clearing. I didn't recognize her, so I guessed she must've been from another Clan. Then the scent hit me. She was ThunderClan.

"Look, if you're trying to tease me," I started, but was interrupted. "No, I'm not trying to tease you, mouse-brain!" she hissed, pulling my tail which had unknowingly started to flick around nervously. "That sounded like an insult to me," I grumbled crossly.

I looked into the big amber eyes of the she-cat and I began to recognize her small features. The slightly torn, larger than usual left ear with a small nick that only a thorn could make….the miniscule black stripe under her right eye...

"Petalkit!" I exclaimed. "What do you want me for?" The cream she-cat snorted. "That's Petalpaw to you," she replied sullenly. "Anyways, I kind of wanted to tell you something that I hadn't been allowed to tell you in ThunderClan. Well, I guess now that you're an apprentice in ShadowClan, it wouldn't be acceptable either. But I, uh…I…"

"Petalpaw!" A sharp cry rang through the air and I looked through the brush to see Icekit, now Icepaw wandering around the empty clearing. "Where are you? We're gonna be late, you know!"

Petalpaw gave a desperate look in my direction and I somehow saw longing there. But then it was gone and she pushed out of the bush toward Icepaw. I watched silently as she padded across the clearing. "What were you doing in there?" Icepaw asked coldly, her emerald eyes flickering with annoyance.

"Um, making my dirt," Petalpaw replied awkwardly. Man, she's a terrible liar, I thought, almost chuckling at the strange words. Icepaw narrowed her eyes almost suspiciously toward the bush, almost like she was looking for someone in the bush. She shrugged. "Didn't know you talked while you were making dirt," she said in a voice that almost hinted amusement.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Petalpaw replied. "I do that sometimes. Of course, that's not important." I could see the embarrassment that lit up her face as she glanced toward the brush. "Got anyone there with you?" Icepaw asked. I nearly laughed out loud at how humiliated Petalpaw was.

"No, no," she meowed quickly, turning toward the entrance of the clearing. "Let's go." The two she-cats padded toward with Petalpaw flashing a quick glance over her shoulder. The message in her gaze was clear, Please tell me you didn't hear that.

I shook my head even though she couldn't see and slipped back to join my Clan on their way back home. As I wondered about the events of the night, my thoughts kept returning to Petalpaw. She was so beautiful; I had been so busy being teased that I didn't notice her gentle, slim figure and her glimmering pale amber eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.

I was teased by her, another part of me thought, but I chased that part away. It took me a while to realize…..I loved Petalpaw.

Ooh, romance! Read and review, peeps!