So sorry for the really long wait!!!! I'll try to update faster next time!!! Anyway, I just read Sunrise and wanted to say this: this is my version of the series. In my version, Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw are the parents of Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf, so HollyXBreeze is not incest. Oh, and I found out that Breezefoot's name is actually Breezepelt. So I changed that. And **SPOILER ALERT** Hollyleaf does not die. Oh, and Hollyleaf never killed Ashfur, 'kay? So, now that we've sorted that much out, on with the tale!

The sounds of battle faded around Hollyleaf. Lionblaze was looking at her in horror. "Hollyleaf….you could've chosen any tom in ThunderClan for a mate! Why did you choose him? Did you even think about what this could mean to the Clan? Did you even-"

"And do you think that I haven't asked myself each and every one of those questions?" Hollyleaf spat. "I know that I could've chosen any cat in ThunderClan to be my mate. So why did I choose Breezepelt? I don't know. StarClan must have had some reason for bringing us together, I know that much."

Lionblaze's eyes softened. "I can't argue with that. But I want to warn you—"

They were both distracted by Onestar's yowl. The WindClan leader was standing in the center of camp, blood pouring from a long gash in his side. "This is not over Firestar," he hissed.

"Far from it," Firestar hissed back. His green eyes were shining with rage. "Leave now."

Onestar surveyed Firestar coldly. With a flick of his tail he summoned his Clan and plunged out the thorn barrier, back to the safety of his own territory. ThunderClan warriors yowled and hissed insults at the WindClan cats as they retreated. "I'd better go," Breezepelt mewed ruefully. "Good-bye, Hollyleaf."

"Good-bye, Breezepelt," Hollyleaf replied and watched her mate race after his Clanmates.

"I'd better go check on Icestorm," Lionblaze meowed after the last WindClan warrior had vanished. He bounded across the clearing to the nursery.

Hollyleaf surveyed the damage. Cats were beginning to get up and limp towards the medicine cats. Leafpool and Jayfeather padded around, checking on the injured cats and nudging the ones that were able to move to the medicine den. Birchfall was lying on the ground, bleeding out of a wound from the ShadowClan cats that had reopened in the short but fierce battle. His eyes were open and he breathed in quick, short gasps.

Hollyleaf raced over to him. Rapidly his breathing was becoming weaker and weaker. His eyes were beginning to glaze over. "Jayfeather! Leafpool!" Hollyleaf yowled. "It's Birchfall! Come quick!"

Leafpool ran over, quickly assessing her patient. "I need cobwebs," she mewed. "Hollyleaf, can you go get some? Go quickly!"

Terrified for Birchfall, Hollyleaf ran to the medicine den and pushed through the entrance. Cobwebs, cobwebs……there they were! She grabbed a pawful and raced back outside.

Birchfall's breathing was barely visible now. Hollyleaf dropped the cobwebs at the medicine cat's paws. Quickly she pressed them to Birchfall's wound. Birchfall's jaws moved, but only a strangled cry came out. "Whitewing…."

"No!" Hollyleaf growled. "No, you can't die, Birchfall! Not now! Not now when your kits are almost ready to become apprentices! Birchfall!" She pressed more cobwebs to his wound.

But all her efforts were useless. Birchfall's breathing faded away and finally his eyes gazed sightlessly. "We were too late," Leafpool whispered. "He's dead."

Hollyleaf pressed her nose into Birchfall's rapidly cooling fur. "Good-bye," she whispered. Then she straightened. "I'll go find Whitewing."

She found the white queen in the nursery, comforting her kits, who were whimpering with terror. "Don't worry, little kits," Whitewing soothed. "This won't happen again. I promise." She spotted Hollyleaf. "Why, hello Hollyleaf," she mewed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she murmured. "But there's some bad news. Come with me." She led Whitewing into the clearing.

Whitewing let out an anguished wail when she saw the dead body of her mate. "Birchfall!" Cats parted to let her pass. She crouched beside his body, pressing her nose into his fur. "Oh, Birchfall!"

Leafpool rested her tail lightly on the white queen's shoulder. "He hunts with StarClan now."

Whitewing hardly seemed to hear her. She settled beside her mate's body, pressing her pelt into his. "Your kits will miss you," she murmured. "They will be fine warriors someday. I'll miss you, too. But I will see you in dreams, and one day I will join you in StarClan." She rested her head on Birchfall's shoulder.

Brightheart settled beside her daughter, grooming her with soft, soothing strokes. "We will all miss him," she mewed quietly. "He was a fine warrior."

Cats began to separate, heading off to their own dens or the medicine den. Ferncloud, Dustpelt, and Ashfur moved forward to sit vigil for Birchfall.

Suddenly Mousewhisker was beside Hollyleaf. "This is just like when Honeyfern died," he mewed. "Are you alright?"

I just watched a cat die. What do you think? She kept that thought to herself, however, and meowed instead, "Yes, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Fine," Mousewhisker replied. "But Emberfoot gave me a nasty scratch, though."

Hollyleaf turned her head and saw a scratch on his neck. "Ooh, ouch."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Mousewhisker looked at her, his eyes glowing. "But that's fine, as long as you're okay."

With a jolt, Hollyleaf recognized the emotion in his eyes. He loves me! The thought made her feel strangely light-headed and dizzy. But she liked it. She liked a lot. But he can't love me! I love Breezepelt! Another nagging thought tugged at her. So why does Mousewhisker make me feel like this?

Ahh, you gotta love the internal conflicts! So who will Hollyleaf choose? To be honest, I haven't even decided yet. The decision is kind of….in progress, okay? Anyway, I hope you liked it! I tried to make it longer, I really did!