~Summary~

Skyheart used to be a normal ShadowClan warrior. That was before she woke up on the other side of the lake on WindClan's territory, with no memory of the past six moons. Now she struggles to live a normal life, haunted by that black void that looms in her mind whenever she tries to think back, along with a best friend who is acting strange and unusually protective of her. And then there is that RiverClan warrior, the one who stares openly and acts much too friendly with her. Life has never been so complicated.


Previously...

Skyheart didn't like this. Stormfall was coming to the ShadowClan camp? Great StarClan, this is just wonderful! I want to be rid of that arrogant furball!

But she didn't voice her opinion. Starlingwing was leading this hunting patrol, so it was his choice. So she just decided to go along with it. As much as it irked her.

So once Stormfall's fur was clean of all traces of foul-smelling substances, the four cats made their way to the ShadowClan camp, with Starlingwing in the lead, Redstreak at Stormfall's side, shooting hateful glares at said cat, and Skyheart in the back, trudging along reluctantly.

This is going to be a long trek home, Skyheart thought flatly. I hope I can sleep the rest of the day away when I get back. StarClan knows I'm going to need it.


~Lost~

Chapter Six

It was indeed a long trek home. Redstreak wouldn't stop casting hostile glares at Stormfall, who returned each one with equal hostility, plus a side of scorn and contempt. The two toms seemed ready to rip each others' pelts off.

Needless to say, Skyheart quickly grew tired of the tense atmosphere between them, and bounded up ahead of them to join Starlingwing at the head of their little group. She felt Stormfall's gaze on her the entire time, and it unnerved and irritated her endlessly.

She had yet to recover from his earlier actions. He had been much too close for comfort, despite the fact that a part of Skyheart hadn't minded what he had been doing - a truth she wished that wasn't. She could just imagine how her Clanmates would react if they knew that...

Which was why she was greatly relieved that her Clanmates hadn't noticed her internal battle, for she was sure to would result in a plethora of both curious and suspicious questions. That she had no answer for. Like usual. How utterly frustrating.

I wish, that for one moment, that things were easy, she thought sullenly to herself, glaring at the ground underpaw as she padded alongside Starlingwing. She didn't notice the tom giving her curious and slightly concerned glances, she was far too wrapped up in her own thoughts for that.

It wasn't until a sudden and loud hiss jerked her from her inner thinking that she became re-aware of her surroundings, snapping her head around to stare behind her.

Stormfall and Redstreak were fighting. Actually fighting, with teeth and claws. Starlingwing turned back toward them and raced over, Skyheart at his heels. The older warrior forced the two younger ones apart, glaring at the two of them with anger in his eyes.

"Redstreak!" Starlingwing growled, "We are bringing him back to camp with us, not tearing his fur out. I thought I made that clear enough to understand."

Redstreak glared in response. "He called me a mouse-hearted coward!" He snarled, eyes flaming with indignation and fury. "What was I supposed to do, just let him insult me?"

"Yes!" All three cats were surprised when Skyheart butted into the argument, looking as angry as the formerly fighting cats themselves. "Starlingwing told you what we were doing, and that was not, "let's attack the RiverClan warrior"!" She glared at Redstreak, inwardly surprised by her own actions.

Redstreak flattened his ears at her, looking uncharacteristically hurt, but that quickly faded, replaced once again by anger. "Why are you defending this piece of fox-dung?" He growled, shooting her an accusing look. "He's a RiverClan cat!"

Skyheart stopped, feeling a sense of dread and confusion coming over her.

Why was she defending Stormfall? This was the cat who had taunted her, and then forcefully pinned her to the ground, violating her personal space. She was supposed to be angry at him, not Redstreak! Why was she acting like this?

"I'm not defending him," Skyheart shot back quickly, tail twitching, "it's just that we can't bring him back to camp if he's gravely wounded, right? So how about we just stop this pointless fighting and continue on our way, alright?" She looked at her two Clanmates, who were now giving her odd looks. StarClan, I didn't say something strange, did I? I merely just made a reasonable suggestion, right? She started to feel uncertain, wondering if she should have just kept out of it.

Finally, however, Redstreak took a step away from Stormfall, though he still looked angry. But at least he was listening to her now, and not clawing more of the RiverClan cat's fur out. Thank StarClan.

Skyheart breathed out a silent sigh of relief, and then inwardly berated herself for being glad that Stormfall wasn't hurt too badly. And then she scolded herself even more when she realized she felt guilty for slicing at his eye earlier. Even though he had kind of deserved it.

Stormfall is from RiverClan. You are from ShadowClan. He is not your friend, or your ally, or StarClan forbid, your love. Stop feeling sorry for him. He doesn't deserve it. He lied to you, and taunted you openly. Show him no guilt, or pity, or sympathy, she told herself firmly, steeling herself against the sudden intense look said RiverClan warrior was now giving her again. If she couldn't ignore that itself, then what point was there for even trying?

The walk home resumed, but now it was tangibly even more tense than it had been before. Skyheart knew it was partly her fault, for defending Stormfall, even though she had verbally denied it.

You can't stay in denial forever... you have to accept what is the truth eventually...a voice hummed in the back of her mind. Skyheart firmly shushed it, and then continued on her way, following her Clanmates, and dreading what was to come with each and every step.


The camp was busy like any other normal day in ShadowClan. Cats were milling about, sharing tongues peacefully with each other, preparing to head off on patrols...nothing seemed out of place. Just a normal day...

Until the hunting patrol returned with a RiverClan warrior in tow. That's when the camp exploded into a flurry of low growls, hisses, suspicious looks, and hostile mutterings, each and every glare directed at the enemy cat in their midst.

Skyheart was secretly impressed at how calm Stormfall managed to remain throughout the whole ordeal. Not one whisker out of place. He looked as at ease as he might within his own Clan, a fact that also managed to confuse and irritate Skyheart. A cat shouldn't act so casual when in the camp of a rival Clan.

After several more moments of disarray, Rowanstar finally emerged from his den, looking irritated. From the sleepy look on his face, Skyheart guessed he had been taking a nap when his Clan had started to make a ruckus.

"What is the meaning of all of this noise?" He snapped, glaring about the camp, before his eyes fell on Stormfall.

The camp fell eerily silent as their leader stalked up to the RiverClan warrior dangerously, a dark look in his eyes. Stormfall flinched ever so slightly from the look he was receiving, but he stood tall, a defiant glare on his face. RiverClan warrior thinks he's so tough and brave, Skyheart thought scornfully, glaring along with the rest of her Clanmates.

"RiverClan warrior," Rowanstar growled, "A RiverClan warrior is in our camp. Would someone like to tell me why?"

Starlingwing stepped forward hesitantly, bowing his head to his leader before meowing, "We found him on our territory while we were hunting," he shuffled his paws, appearing to get even more nervous with each passing second as Rowanstar's glare grew darker and more angry.

"That's not all he did!" Redstreak burst out, causing the Clan to look at him, "He was all over Skyheart when we came across him! He had her pinned down!"

The Clan erupted into mixed growls of disgust and shock, glaring at Stormfall and giving Skyheart pitying and sympathetic glances. As if being pinned by a RiverClan warrior was the worst thing ever. Skyheart wished she could disappear, not liking the sudden attention being trained on her.

Rowanstar's eyes narrowed, and he got even closer to the RiverClan warrior still standing proud before him. "Is this the truth?" He hissed to no one in particular, but Stormfall surprisingly dipped his head, much to the shock of the Clan.

"Yes, it is."

Hisses and snarls exploded from the ShadowClan cats surrounding him, some looking about ready to claw his eyes out. At this point, Skyheart was among them, with Redstreak clawing at the earth under his paws.

Why couldn't this mouse-brained cat just keep his jaws shut? He just had to go and blurt out an answer like that! Skyheart stifled an irritated hiss, wishing that he had just kept silent so Rowanstar could send him away sooner.

Rowanstar didn't seem to expect Stormfall's answer either, for his eyes widened in response. "So you openly admit it," he muttered, looking at the enemy warrior with a new kind of anger that would have sent Skyheart cowering against the ground if it had been directed at her. "That's all I needed to hear. Starlingwing, Redstreak. Show this cat to the storage den," he waved his tail decidedly, "that is where he will be staying for the next while. One of you will remain there to watch him."

Skyheart along with her Clanmates stared at Rowanstar with wide eyes. He was going to keep Stormfall here as a prisoner? The gray-and-white she-cat's claws sank into the earth, and a wave of hate and despair crashed over her. Could she handle having him constantly around, giving her secretive looks?

Don't think about it, she told herself, don't think about him, period. Pretend he doesn't exist. Ignore anything he says to you, every look he gives you. Don't waste your time and energy on him. He's not worth it, remember?

Chanting that in her head a few times, Skyheart watched as Rowanstar turned and padded back to his den with a low growl of, "Meeting dismissed," before vanishing from sight, while Redstreak and Starlingwing led Stormfall away. Redstreak looked satisfied and annoyed at the same time, pleased because the RiverClan warrior was now their prisoner, and angered because he had to deal with him for even longer. Starlingwing just looked tired, probably wondering why this was happening to him.

That's when Skyheart remembered Sunblossom, all thoughts of Stormfall and Redstreak and the Clan being banished to the back of her mind. How could she have forgotten about her friend for so long?!

She bounded across camp toward the medicine cat's den, ignoring the looks she received as she went, including the prying one from Stormfall himself. She slipped inside the den, but this time being quieter than she had this morning.

Fernblaze was still curled up in her nest, but she didn't look up this time when Skyheart entered. Either she didn't care, or she was sleeping. Skyheart suspected the latter.

"Frostwing?" She called softly, once she was inside fully. She didn't want to risk disturbing Fernblaze again. There was no reply. She tried again, "Frostwing!"

There was a sudden curious scrambling noise from deeper inside the den, and then a cat came into view. Skyheart twitched in surprise, obviously not expecting who it was. Not Frostwing, but...

"Vinetail?! What are you doing in there?!" All thoughts about being quiet vanished.

The gray tabby tom blinked at her and then narrowed his eyes. "Visiting Sunblossom, what do you think?"

Skyheart cocked her head to the side. "Is Frostwing in? Did she let you inside?" She found it hard to believe that the snowy white medicine cat would willingly let Vinetail in, especially after the greeting she received this morning.

Vinetail rolled his blue eyes. "Of course not," he meowed, "Did you really think I'd be able to get in here if she was?"

Skyheart's eyes widened. "You mean Frostwing's not in there...and yet you're still in her den without permission?" Frostwing wasn't going to too pleased to know about that...

"So it seems," Frostwing herself padded in behind Skyheart, causing Vinetail and Skyheart to tense. Frostwing's eyes were narrowed in irritation, and she gave Vinetail a glare. "I believe I distinctly told you to not bother my patients, Vinetail."

Vinetail's ears flattened to his head at the medicine cat's scolding. "I just wanted to see if Sunblossom was okay..." he grumbled.

"Sunblossom will be fine," Frostwing snapped, pushing the tom out of the way as she swept into the den. "Now I would really appreciate it if you warriors would leave me and my patients in peace," she gave Skyheart and Vinetail a stern look over her shoulder. "Go do something useful. Join a hunting patrol, patrol the border, StarClan, go bother that RiverClan prisoner if you want, just leave us in peace!" And then she vanished deeper into the den, where Skyheart assumed Sunblossom was being kept.

The medicine cat's words made Vinetail perk up. "RiverClan prisoner? We have a prisoner? When did this happen?"

Skyheart turned to pad out of the den, muttering over her shoulder at Vinetail, "We brought him in just this afternoon. He was creeping around in our territory. Where have you been all day?"

"He's been pestering me all day, that's where he's been!" Frostwing called from inside the den irritably, causing Vinetail to flinch in embarrassment and Skyheart to snicker softly at him, earning herself a glare.

About to respond to that look, Skyheart was suddenly reminded of Fernblaze when the she-cat spoke up, startling the two cats in the process.

"I'm trying to sleep over here, and you two are being louder than a pair of newborn kits," Fernblaze's voice didn't sound happy, and Skyheart shuddered at the tone while Vinetail stiffened. "Now do as Frostwing says and get out, before I make you!"

The two cats scrambled to get out of the den and escape Fernblaze's angry glare. Outside, the two cats glared at each other, before Vinetail snorted and stalked off with his tail high in the air, leaving Skyheart standing there, wanting to cuff the tom around the ears.

Such an arrogant furball! Skyheart thought in irritation. He's insufferable!

She turned her gaze away from the retreating Vinetail, and immediately wished she hadn't. She really should have been expecting it, yet still...

He was staring at her again. Stormfall. His eyes bore into her, as if seeing straight into her soul. Skyheart blinked and took a step back unconsciously, unnerved by the look. Honestly! Did no one ever teach him that staring was rude?!

She averted her own gaze to the cat who stood next to Stormfall. Redstreak. The reddish-brown tabby tom was once again glaring at the RiverClan warrior, but when he felt eyes on him, he looked up and met her gaze.

His amber eyes widened for a moment, before he suddenly tore his gaze away, turning away from her entirely.

Skyheart felt her fur rise. Was he still cross from earlier, when she had 'defended' Stormfall? Shouldn't he just let that go? It's not she had insulted him or anything...why was he so angry?

Toms...I'll never understand what their big deal is... Skyheart thought, rolling her eyes to herself as she firmly ignored the two toms and turned away from them, padding away, even though now she could quite clearly feel both Stormfall's and Redstreak's eyes on her back.

As she tiredly made her way to the warriors' den, she reflected to herself how today had gone. She had met Stormfall, discovered a confusing mix of hatred and buried affectionate feelings for him, found out Redstreak was, for some reason, jealous of Stormfall, and lastly, re-confirmed that Vinetail was an arrogant furball.

Well, at least today wasn't boring... she thought, as she curled up in her nest, shutting her eyes and letting sleep claim her.


Once again, another boring ending. But I hope this chapter was satisfactory for you all.

Think of this rapid update as an apology for making you guys wait so long for the last chapter.

~TheAzuraStar