Thank you for the reviews! And once again, Starstar, awesome review. Your reviews always add humour to my otherwise rather dull life.

Hollyleaf: With your friends, how is life dull?

Mormeril: I dunno, you get used to them and their pure insanity after a while. By the way, big announcement in the author's note at the end of the chapter!

Chapter 13

The Truth

Bright green eyes watched as the tabby tom sat alone, staring up at the night sky. The owner of the eyes could tell that he was upset by something. The pale golden she-cat sighed before slipping silently towards him.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

The tom whipped around, startled. "Goldensong!" he meowed, shocked. "I didn't know you were there."

Goldensong ducked her head, glancing away from him. "I'm sorry, Hawkfire. That's a bit of a problem of mine. It comes with being, well, one of my kind."

"I hate the way you say that," Hawkfire meowed. "Your kind. You're still a cat, just like the rest of us."

"Barely," Goldensong meowed bitterly. "I'm not living, nor am I dead. I just… am."

Hawkfire's gaze softened as he looked at her. "I hate seeing you suffer," he mewed softly.

"Since when?" Goldensong retorted. "You've done little else since this journey started. You blame me for having to leave the lake. You accuse me of not understanding how you all feel. You frequently antagonize me-"

"And that's wrong of me," Hawkfire finished for her, cutting her off, and stepping towards her.

She raised her head to stare at him, surprised by his sudden kindness. He was no longer the angry tom she had known recently, but the tom she had known long ago. The Sky she had fallen in love with.

She shook her head. "I asked you a question earlier that you never answered," she meowed, turning back to the original subject.

"Oh, right, if something was wrong," Hawkfire meowed. Whatever had passed in that moment, it was gone again now.

"Well, is there?" she mewed softly, gazing at him.

"No. Yes, I don't know," he muttered.

Goldensong stepped forward to sit beside him. "You can tell me anything, I won't judge you," she promised.

"Thank you," Hawkfire meowed. "Well, there's this she-cat. She's beautiful, amazing, perfect in every way-"

"It's Hopeflower, isn't it," Goldensong meowed, a thin note of sorrow in her voice.

"No! It's not her, she's great, really great, but she's just a friend. I meant-" he cut himself off, Goldensong's hopes rising again.

He sighed, and took a deep breath before confessing. "I meant you," he finished softly.

Goldensong felt her heart leap with joy as she purred. "I feel the same way about you," she replied, her voice equally soft. "I always have."

"Really?" he meowed.

She nodded. "You have no idea how long I've waited for you," she mewed.

Hawkfire blinked in confusion.

"You aren't the first reincarnation of Sky," she meowed softly. "There was another, very long ago. A thousand season cycles by now." She shut her eyes.

"You loved him," Hawkfire meowed slowly.

She nodded, eyes still shut. "You're exactly like him. The exact same cat. When he died, he promised me we would see each other again. That was when I attempted to end this, this, this whatever it is. But when that didn't work, I waited. And now you've come back." She gazed up at him, and was relieved when she saw the understanding in his eyes, rather than confusion.

"I- I had no idea," he meowed. "But that explains a lot, like how I always felt like I knew you when we could never have met before."

"I'm sorry. It's a lot of information to handle all at once," Goldensong meowed apologetically. "I should have waited to tell you that."

"No, don't be sorry," Hawkfire replied immediately. "I'm glad to know. It means that this is meant to be."

"You really think so?" Goldensong mewed.

"I know so," Hawkfire promised, pressing against her side, their pelts brushing. "I love you."

"I love you too," Goldensong purred.

Hopeflower sighed and turned away from where she had been watching in the shadows. He was never mine to lose. Why regret what cannot be?

She felt like her heart was breaking yet again. But why should she feel so much pain over Hawkfire? Hadn't she learned by now what came from love every time she felt it? Either she turned away and let some other she-cat have the tom, or she was just being played by a member of DarkClan.

She began to tremble as she walked away hearing them confess their love to each other. These are words he'll never say. Not to me. Not for me.

His heart is full of love for Goldensong. He will never feel this way about me.

Yeah, I know, it sounds like Les Miserables. In particular, the scene "A Heart Full of Love", which I borrowed lines from. Hopeflower's thoughts are identical to the lines Eponine sings. So I may as well admit that Les Mis is my new bit of inspiration for this story. I'm pulling inspiration from everywhere. My own feelings, LOTR, Warriors (DUH!), and now Les Mis. Who knows what will be next?

Hollyleaf: Well, today you watched Moulin Rouge and Rock of Ages with your friends. Maybe those?

Mormeril: I doubt it.

Blackstar: Phantom of the Opera?

Mormeril: Maybe. It is epic. But enough of that. Reviewers get a GoldensongXHawkfire plushie set! Also, there will be a teaser trailer on youtube soon for Rising Night 5, revealing the title! This announcement was put up on twitter around 1:40 this afternoon, btw. As I said before, Twitter is my easiest way of alerting you what's going on with that stuff!