Wow, that was a quick update! Definitely better than the last one XD

Reviews:

"nerdygirl" - Thank you so much!

"the Key of Endless Winters" - Thanks! And you'll see... ;)

"Tigerflight" - Well, your theory could stand but it doesn't explain why Jaypaw can't hear Nightstorm or Breezekit's thoughts: they're from the same family. You'll undersand everything soon though, in a few chapters!

On to the chapter.

Chapter 9:

"Come on Jaypaw, swipe higher! I know you can do it."

Jaypaw prepared again to do the move, and fixed the spot she was supposed to reach on the tree. A moon and a half of training had proved her talent in both fightning and hunting, and Redwing was pushing her more and more. Fogpaw had also gotten her warrior name half a moon ago, and now went by the name of Fogwhisper. The suffix suited her well.

Eyes unblinking, Jaypaw looked at the claw mark on the tree and jumped as high as she could to reach the spot. In the midst of her jump, she swiped her paw on the bark and left a claw mark just underneath Redwing's.

Cursing, Jaypaw prepared to leap again, when Redwing stopped her.

"Jaypaw," meowed her russet mentor. "You have to concentrate on the force in your hindlegs, and not on trying to raise your paw the highest. We're not trying to stretch, but to jump!"

The stormy grey she-cat nodded vigorously, and crouched again, this time with another goal in head. Imagining she was being chased by a dog and had to jump onto a high fence, Jaypaw closed her eyes for a heartbeat and reopened them with a determined expression on her face.

I will do it, she thought, eyes blazing with determination. I have to.

Jaypaw sprang again, this time not even looking at the claw mark Redwing had done earlier, and swiped at the bark randomly. A few hearbeats later, she fell to her paws, panting.

"Well done!" purred Redwing, padding towards the exhausted apprentice. "I was sure you would manage to reach the mark by today."

Jaypaw looked at the tree and noticed a small claw mark roughly a paw size over Redwing's. Beaming, she purred at her mentor's praise.

"Now we'll just have to practice your precision and force, but I think we've done enough for today," meowed the ThunderClan deputy, motioning for Jaypaw to follow her.

Jaypaw padded in silence next to her mentor, and both she-cats finally neared the camp. "Go and see if the elders need anything," meowed Redwing as they crossed the bramble entrance. "And bring them food!" she called as Jaypaw nodded, already halfway to the elders' den.

Padding back to the fresh-kill pile, Jaypaw grabbed two shrews and a blackbird, and went straight to the elder's den. Beetlewing was snoring like an old badger.

"Hello, Jaypaw," purred Greenflower as Jaypaw arrived with the three pieces of prey. "It's been a while since you last came to see us! How are your days as an apprentice?"

Jaypaw had only taken care of the elders during her first half moon of training, but had had no time to loose with the hard training Redwing gave her. Since there were many apprentices, the elders were always well taken care of.

"Busy," meowed Jaypaw, escaping a little purr. She really liked Greenflower. Ever since she had ended up sleeping in the elders' den by accident when she was a kit. The gentle white she-cat was loving and understanding, and Jaypaw had found comfort in her after Breezekit's accident.

"I can see that!" laughed the white elder. "You hardly visited us during the past moon! Barkshade and I were even wondering if you had forgotten us."

Barkshade and Greenflower were the parents of Harefoot and Mallowfern, the former being Fogpaw's father.

"I'm sorry," meowed Jaypaw, embarassed. "Redwing trains me all day long, and I only got pauses like today once or twice since I last visited you."

"It's all right, little one," purred Greenflower. "I understand. Cats as young like you shouldn't spend time with cranky old elders like us all the time!"

"You're not cranky and old," contradicted Jaypaw, eyes softening. "And I like spending time with you!"

"Well, that's nice to hear," meowed the pure white she-cat gently. "You and Breezekit are the only ones visiting us these days."

"Breezekit?" meowed Jaypaw, shocked. She hadn't known that her sister was visiting the elders. Well, how could she anyways? She was always out of camp during the day.

"Yes," answered Greenflower. "She's a very melancholic cat, your sister. I know you both have a hard relationship, but you should try becoming close to her again. Littermates are the best thing someone can have..."

Greenflower had meowed the last part wistfully, as if remembering a past memory. Jaypaw opened her mouth to ask a question when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Am I not the best thing you have?" meowed a brown tabby tom to Greenflower, as he padded towards her and lay down next to her.

"Of course, Barkshade!" laughed Greenflower. "I just meant that for Jaypaw: she's too young to have a mate yet!"

"I know," purred her mate, nuzzling her kindly. "I was joking."

"I love you too, Barkshade," replied the old white she-cat, licking him on the cheek.

Jaypaw shuffled her paws akwardly, and nudged the shrews towards both elders. "Here you go," she mewed in a low voice, so as not to bother them much. "I'll see you later!" she added as she retreated from the den, the squirrel in her jaws.

Beetlewing was sleeping: she'd get him some prey later if necessary; and Greenflower and Barkshade clearly needed nothing from her. From where she was, Jaypaw could still hear the lovebirds murmuring love words to each other.

What happened to Greenflower and her littermates, if she had some? thought Jaypaw as she placed the squirrel on the fresh-kill pile. I'll ask her later. But what she said about Breezekit... Why would she be melancholic? She was always determined and proud... So why?

Anyways, I won't be the one trying to talk to Breezekit first, she thought, pondering Greenflower's words. She started the fight between us: I had nothing to do with her falling out of the tree, and she refused to talk to me since then!

Well...you did have something to do with her accident, meowed another voice in her head. You were the one who suggested to climb the tree. And no wonder she is melancholic sometimes: she lost an eye, nearly a leg, and a moon or two of training!

Jaypaw sighed. She knew that what had happened to Breezekit was mainly her fault, though she tried to forget it as much as possible. It sent shivers down her spine to be thinking that her actions had nearly killed her sister.

But I won't be the one to talk to her first, she thought stubbornly, flicking her tail. And even if I did, she wouldn't listen.

Why would you think that? meowed her conscious.

Because I tried! The day after the accident. But she refused to listen to me, thought Jaypaw angrily.

While lost in her thoughts, Jaypaw hadn't noticed Larchpaw approaching. "Hey, Jaypaw! Do you want to come and eat with me?" he meowed excitedly.

Oh no, not him again, thought the blue-grey she-cat, groaning in annoyance.

"Hum, no thanks Larchpaw," she meowed to the ginger-brown tabby. "I already ate," lied Jaypaw, not caring anyways since she wasn't hungry.

"Oh, that's too bad," replied the tom, voice still full of energy. "Maybe another time?" he added, not noticing Jaypaw's annoyed face.

"Yes, another time, maybe," answered Jaypaw, padding away from him. It was not that she didn't like Larchpaw, but just because she felt uncomfortable around him. He seemed to like her a lot, but she didn't feel the same way about him. If he hadn't liked her like that, maybe they could have been good friends.

There was still a little time before sunset, but Jaypaw had nothing to do, so she just padded towards a shady spot and rested her head on her paws, examining the warriors going back and forth everywhere. But a detail caught her attention. Her mother, Nightstorm, was sitting near Sorrelstar's den, talking to the ginger and brown leader and Ferntail.

What is she talking about? Jaypaw thought, frowning. But her question was soon answered as Nightstorm padded towards the medicine cat along with Ferntail, and as Sorrelstar jumped on the Highrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Jaypaw jumped on her paws and went to sit by the gathered cats beside Rosenettle. Nightstorm padded a moment later next to Thornfang, who was sitting in front of Jaypaw, with Breezekit at her heels. Ferntail went to join Sorrelstar and Redwing at the base of the rock, while Rainpaw simply watched from the entrance of the medicine cat den.

Jaypaw looked at her sister strangely, wondering what was going on in her head. Was she happy to finally become an apprentice? Did she also wish for her and Jaypaw to be friends again?

Because deep down, Jaypaw missed her sister. They hadn't gotten along extremely well as kits, but they had still had good moments with each other.

The blue-grey she cat sighed, and focused on Sorrelstar as Breezekit padded towards the front row, any trace of her limp now gone. The black she-cat looked like a normal and healthy cat, if not for her blind eye. At first sight, no one could see her loss, but a scar was clearly visible on Breezekit's left eyelid. The thorn that had scratched her eye hadn't even spared the iris, and the pupil was less of a vivid green than the other one.

"Breezekit, please come forward." Sorrelstar's mew rang clearly in the clearing, and Breezekit padded to the base of the Highrock, chest puffed out proudly. Nightstorm and Thornfang had their tails twined together, and were looking at their kit proudly, as if she was the only one in the world that mattered to them. They did not notice the hurt gaze of their other kit, sitting only tail lengths behind them.

"Breezekit, Ferntail has told me that you have healed completely, and that you are as strong as ever," purred the ginger and brown leader. "It is now time for you to become an apprentice."

"From this moment until you become a warrior, you will be known as Breezepaw. Cloudberry will be your mentor."

The white she-cat with a grey tail padded towards Breezepaw and touched noses with her new apprentice. Jaypaw noticed a gleam of disappointment in Breezepaw's one good eye, but it was gone a heartbeat later and replaced with what looked like excitement and joy.

Maybe she thought she would have Sorrelstar as a mentor, imagined Jaypaw. Because I got the deputy... But Cloudberry's awesome too. She's one of the best fighters in all the Clans, and will be able to help with Breezepaw's disability. And she's also Rainpaw's mother! Both of them are really nice.

Sorrelstar turned towards Cloudberry, and continued his speech. "Cloudberry, you have trained many apprentices into wonderful warriors, and I trust you to pass on all of your wisdom and abilities to Breezepaw."

"Breezepaw! Breezepaw!" chanted the Clan, happy for the new apprentice.

Sorrelstar jumped of Highrock and beckoned Redwing with his tail. The ginger she-cat rose and padded with him to his den.

Jaypaw looked with a look of longing at her sister and parents, all three of them so happy and proud. Breezepaw didn't seem bothered by her lost eye; on the contrary, she seemed at ease with it completely.

A few heartbeats later, Nightstorm lifted her head and looked around, as if looking for some cat. Her gaze rested on Jaypaw, and her eyes brightened as she saw the grey she-cat. Nightstorm was asking Jaypaw to come and celebrate with them.

Taken aback by a sudden burst of emotions, Jaypaw didn't respond, but padded tentatively towards her family.

"Jaypaw," purred her mother as the blue-grey she-cat approached her. "It's good to be together again, us four," she meowed, licking her on top of her head.

Jaypaw bit back a sharp retort, and tried to stay calm. She was the one who spent all her time with Breezepaw when she was in the medicine cat den! thought the apprentice. She could have tried to be more with me too. She has no idea how lonely I was all this time...

"I wanted Breezepaw to have some space after the accident, and her moral was very low," continued Nightstorm, looking at Breezepaw proudly.

Jaypaw noticed Breezepaw's look of anger at their mother for trying to set things right when it wasn't her job to do it. Jaypaw felt the same.

"I needed to be with her, darling," meowed the black she-cat, oblivious to her kits' feelings, "but now you can both spend time together and try to be friends again! Isn't that wonderful?" she finished proudly.

Suddenly furious at her mother for her lack of understanding, Jaypaw backed a few steps and growled.

"It was your fault if Breezepaw and I got more separated than ever before!" she spat to Nightstorm. "You never took care of me during all this time, and made me feel like an outcast! And now you want us to be like a normal family, as if nothing had happened?"

"Jaypaw, don't talk to your mother like that," snarled Thornfang, padding towards Jaypaw menacingly.

"I don't care!" yowled Jaypaw, eyes blazing with anger. How dare they! she thought, looking at her parends with hatred now. "All you ever did was taking care of Breezepaw, even though you knew I was alone all the time! No parents like you should exist! I hate you! I hate you both!"

With these words, Jaypaw stormed out of the ThunderClan clearing and raced out of the camp, leaving a stunned Nightstorm, a furious Thornfang and a thoughtful Breezepaw behind her.

...

Night had fallen, and Jaypaw was still in the woods, alone. Nobody had come to look for her, and if they did, they hadn't found her yet.

Blinking away her tears of rage, the grey she-cat finally decided to do something other than dwell on what had just happened. Padding towards the tree where she had practiced earlier that day with Redwing, Jaypaw sprang without thinking and swiped at the bark with all her force, letting go of all her emotions at once.

Satisfied, she sat down at the base of the tree and looked up. The moon was shining brightly, and cast silver shadows on the ground.

A long claw mark could now be seen on the bark, way above other small ones, and two fainter ones could be seen on each side of it.

One day, thought Jaypaw, looking at the glittering stars. One day, I will prove to everyone that being unloved by my family didn't stop me from becoming anything I wanted. Nightstorm and Thornfang will pay for the pain they have caused me.

Ooh, Jaypaw's evil side has just been revealed XD What will happen to her? Which side will she choose? Anyways, I really liked writing this chapter and I hope y'all enjoyed reading it!

QotD: Who do you think is in the right: Jaypaw or her parents?

Oh, and I got fewer reviews for this chapter than the others... So please, can we try to get to 70 reviews now? Whoever will be the 70th reviewer can name an important kit in the story!

~Lightning