{A/N to Jessica Chase: Sorry I didn't get to you earlier. Have you checked your Email after sending it? Maybe there was an error in sending it? If you've got more than one Email, you could try again with a different one. That's what I did. :)}

Sorry I took so long in updating! Enjoy!

...

Jayfeather stomped like a badger all the way to the ShadowClan borders.

Willowshine had tried walking alongside him and make small-talk, but Jayfeather was, for some reason unknown to Willowshine, avoiding her. Willowshine wanted to know why he was suddenly holding back. Wasn't he supposed to be a friend? Usually, for quests and journeys, cats got to know each other and became good friends. Jayfeather seemed to be doing everything counter of this.

Maybe he just... doesn't like me? Willowshine worried.

Willowshine shook her head. Well, the mouse-brain had better get used to me because I can't do anything about how much I like him.

Willowshine was so absorbed in this thought she hadn't seen Jinx stop ahead of her. She bumped into him.

"Sorry." She apologized when he gave her a startled look. "I'm out of it today."

"That's alright, Willow," He meowed. He jerked his head ahead of him. "Is this the ShadowClan territory you're talking about?"

Willowshine examined the landscape ahead of her. Pine trees loomed above them, some dry and some dead, like BloodClan claws sticking out of the swampy mud, very much unlike the tree at RiverClan camp. Their limbs jutted angrily from their moldy trunks, sap dripping like spoiled honey from open gashes in the wood. The sun, blotted almost completely from view by the green hedgehog quills they call pine needles, beat down white and cold; contrary to in RiverClan territory where the sun shines golden and warm on Willowshine's fur. This land was like another world compared to RiverClan.

"Yes." She curled her lip at the mean territory ahead of her. "That's ShadowClan territory."

"Now I can see why they call themselves ShadowClan." Tawny mumbled. "It looks horribly dark in there."

Willowshine blinked, uncomprehending. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it! ShadowClan! ShadowClan!" She began to purr with laughter. "That's funny!"

"Everything's funny to you." Jayfeather muttered, tromping ahead. "Well? Is anyone following, or are we all suddenly a bunch of rocks?"

...

Blackstar did not give a warm welcome.

Jayfeather got a lot of hisses in his face while Willowshine got a bad temper not knowing why the other cats were sniggering at her.

"What's so funny?" She complained as a few cats snorted in her direction. "Do I have something on my muzzle?"

Rose, Jinx and Tawney, however, were as cool as the snow around their paws. They seemed calm and collected even as the ShadowClan cats tried to make them feel unwelcome.

"Take us to your leader!" Rose meowed loudly. Then, while the ShadowClan cats were blinking in confusion, she turned excitedly to Jinx and whispered. "I've always wanted to say that."

Jayfeather sensed a few ShadowClan cats with friendly faces, but they were only few, for the rest treated the group like bugs as they grudgingly trotted off the fetch Blackstar.

Willowshine sighed exaggeratedly. "What's gotten under their fur?"

Jayfeather grunted his agreement. "They've all got ticks or something; the bloody mange-pelts."

Blackstar whisked out of his den at that moment, his white fur dusted lightly with dirt and his big black paws caked with it. As he stomped towards them in his Insane-ShadowClan-Leader way, Jayfeather noticed his resentment coming in waves, as well as tiredness. They'd apparently woken him from a nap.

"What is your business here?" Blackstar hissed in Jinx's face. "Are you planning to overthrow the ShadowClan leader or are you just recruiting medicine cats for your evil deeds?"

Rose flattened her ears. "Is it wrong that we only wish to spread the cheer and the joy of Christmas this leaf-bare?"

Blackstar hesitated. "What?"

"Christmas!" Tawney exclaimed. "A winter holiday. You put up a Christmas tree and give gifts and sing Christmas carols for all to hear! Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Blackstar eyed the three loners as if they were rogue; or more accurately, gone mad. "'Christmas'?"

"Evil deeds indeed!" Rose muttered. "Christmas is a thing for joy! We came here to teach the Clans of Christmas... would you like to learn Christmas?"

Blackstar blinked, not knowing what else to say. ShadowClan, watching in silence, seemed to hold it's breath as it waited for Blackstar to reply. Rose, Jinx and Tawney waited patiently. Jayfeather, on the other paw, felt like squirming in the center of attention.

Finally, Blackstar released the tension in his muscles. He gave them a new look - that couldn't be warmth! "Well, then, give us an example of the joy of this 'Christmas'. Why do you celebrate this? Why is it joyful?"

"It's a no-fur story," Tawney replied. "A no-fur religion. We'll tell you that story tonight if you wish. But the thing everyone looks forward to on Christmas day is Sandyclaws and all his gifts. Sandyclaws swoops down from the sky on a bark-nest full of presents and leaves them under the pine tree..."

Tawney continued to tell the story of Sandyclaws, Rose and Jinx chiming in once in a while to add something Tawney left out. All the while, Blackstar and his Clan stood silent, listening in wonder. Eventually, the story came to a close and Blackstar nodded.

"ShadowClan would like to know a bit more of this... Christmas." Blackstar admitted. He gestured to his den on the other side of the clearing. "Tell me your ideas and maybe - maybe - I'll see what you can do."

...

Sorry I took so long! And I know it's not Christmas anymore, but I'm still updating. :)

I'll try to update more often. Enjoy!

-Over and out-