So, this is the REAL chapter ten. Remember, first reviewer will get a oneshot, your characters, your plot. Or you can leave it up to me and just tell me the general outline of it. Go!

And the reason I haven't been posting, is that I met this guy, he's sweet and kind, and certainly has manners. He calls me his flower. =) The only problem is I met him online, arg. So, tell me what to do! R,R, and R! (read, review and recommend!)

I screeched to a stop, spotting Emberspirit's ginger pelt racing away from me.

I took off again, my paws hitting the packed dirt of the deer trail hard. My paws stung, my muzzle throbbed where a branch had lashed me and I had tiny thorns embedded in my skin from a bramble thicket.

Pain lashed at me as I skidded through a patch of pine needles. Emberspirit's voice rang through the trees.

"Stop chasing me, Rainflash! We are over!" the words made me flinch, but I continued on, racing after him.

Abruptly, he appeared in front of me on the deer trail, looking around.

My momentum carried me forward, crashing into him and tumbling head over heels into a small brook that was running at the bottom of a tiny hill.

We both sat up, soaked to the bone and he snarled at me, leaping out of the stream and shaking himself.

"Emberspirit, wait!" I hurried after him, not bothering with my pelt.

He whirled, baring long fangs. "What?" he growled, his eyes pieces of flint.

"It was a huge mistake, Emberspirit. I should have never said that." I rushed, trying to get the words out of my mouth before he stalked off. "I realize now that I love you, and I will have to leave you, once we find Winter's mother. But, for now, let us have some tiny piece of love that is inside of you and I." I didn't think what I was saying was making any sense, but his eyes were softening; becoming the warm pools of green they had once been.

"I know that you are still hurt, and it will take time to heal," I meowed, looking down at my soaked paws. "But I am willing to let you heal until you are ready. Then, can we try again?" I finally looked up at the ginger tom, my own green eyes pleading.

He was nodding slowly, his green eyes now calm and thoughtful.

"I will try, Rainflash. Did you know that you are the only the second cat I have ever giving my love to? Tawnyflight, the she-cat I once loved, died while defending her other, secret mate from PineClan from an attack from LeafClan." his eyes grew bitter and distant.

I now understood why he had reacted so violently to my words and I stepped closer, just letting my presence be there.

He seemed to shake himself out of it and he stepped back, looking deeply into my eyes.

"I will try." he repeated, before turning and disappearing into the forest. I looked after him, emotions rising within me like a tidal wave.

"Oh, Emberspirit." I murmured. "When will you heal?"

I padded slowly back to our temporary camp, my thoughts whirling.

"Rainflash!" a hiss came from a clump of ferns waving wildly.

"Willowfang?" I meowed, padding closer.

A paw shot out and pulled- no, dragged, me into the ferns.

"Shh, don't speak my name. She might hear." the cream tom was crouched low, ears flicking nervously.

"Who? Redstrike?"

He gave me an exasperated look. "No, Shadowstar. Yes, Redstrike! I know she's been telling you to stop loving Emberspirit." I reeled back slightly offended. I mean, Willowfang was my other best friend, but this was girl stuff. He caught my look and wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, I know what your thinking, 'why would Redstrike tell Willowfang, it's she-cat stuff!' But it not just she-cat stuff. Toms have hearts that can be broken too, you know!"

"And I thought that was just a myth," I meowed drily, thinking back to Emberspirit.

"No! It's not!" He actually thought I was being serious about the whole myth thing. Wow.

He started to pace, tail lashing.

"Pursue your love. Find it, stroke it into a blaze of fire so hot and brilliant that none can put it out." he was nose-to- nose with me now, staring straight into my eyes.

"Go, Rainflash. Before it's too late."

I lifted a paw, opening my mouth.

"We actually-" I was broken off by an amused but bemused voice. StarClan, come on! I thought, turning to face Redstrike.

"Hi, Redstrike. Gotta go get a drink," I meowed, pushing my way past her.

"Hi?" I heard Willowfang mewl.

I chuckled. Redstrike might be trying to take my love away, but I could always count on her and Willowfang being my comic relief.

Winter was playing by the empty streambed, batting a feather around.

The sunlight dappled the ground dark and light.

I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds around me.

"Rainflash?" I opened my eyes to see Winter sitting in front of me, one paw place carefully on the feather.

"What is it, snowflake?" I asked, laying on my side and starting to groom my paws.

"Can you tell me a story?" she asked, bouncing up, feather forgotten. I paused with my tongue hanging out of my mouth, eyes wide.

"Wat?" I asked, tongue still out.

She giggled, dabbing at me with one paw.

"Tell me a story!"

I looked longingly at my mussed paws but then sighed.

"Okay, settle down. Let me tell you the story of . . ." I trailed off, thinking. Oh, great StarClan. I didn't know any!

"Riversong." a deep voice meowed. I looked up, startled. Emberspirit's green eyes stared back down at me.

"I want to hear the story of Riversong." he meowed, copying Winter's pose and laying down in front of me.

I breathed in, smelling the scent of him.

"Riversong, it is then."

'As all cats do, except for the very first set on this land of ours, Riversong, started out as Riverkit . . ."

The warm green-leaf sun shone down on us, the birds trilled out their songs and all was right in the world.

But a great darkness was coming, sooner than they thought . . .