Disclaimer: I, KatieK101, do not own Warriors. If I did then Crowfrost and Dawnpelt would be the power couple of the Warriors world. Also, can we take a second to admire the new coverart, created by InkblotLeaf? Thank you, Leafy!

Chapter Twenty-One - Part 2 - Reconciliation and Reunion

It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

- Wiz Khalifa, See You Again

Dawnpelt's POV

Watching Crowfrost leave left me with a flurry of emotions. I was surprised, confused, concerned, and… disappointed? Why would I be disappointed that he left when we'd only been arguing anyway?

At least we were speaking to each other, I figured as I watched him go. When he stopped just outside of the Nursery and glanced back at me, my heart began to ache. Our eyes met and at that moment, I felt all of my stubborness and all of my resolve start to wither.

Oh, how I missed him.

I held his gaze desperately and prayed that he would turn around and come back to me, tell me that he still loved me and he was tired of pretending like we didn't care about each other….

But he didn't. Instead he looked away and padded into the Nursery, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a heavy heart.

"Wow."

And Grassheart, apparently.

I shot the pale brown she-cat a cold glance. "Can I help you with something?"

Grassheart snorted. "As if. You can't even help yourself!"

"What's that supposed to-"

"Are you honestly that dense?" Grassheart demanded. "Dawnpelt, I don't know who you think you're fooling, but the entire Clan can see the way that you and Crowfrost still look at each other. We're not all complete lizard-brains, you know."

Despite her condescending tone and the annoyed way she rolled her eyes, I didn't think Grassheart was actually trying to offend me. As a matter of fact, I think this was her way of being nice.

My gaze wandered back to the Nursery. "Too much was said," I finally meowed. There wasn't a point in denying anything. "There's too much that we can't take back, or can't apologize for…"

"Then don't apologize," Grassheart shrugged. "Just, y'know, pretend it didn't happen."

"If you would have just told somebody about the attack-!"

"Then Tigerheart would have been killed! How could I send my own brother to his death?"

"It's not like you haven't done it before!"

Inwardly, I flinched. "I wish it were that easy."

"Look," Grassheart began, her patience clearly waxing thin, "other than what I heard you two shouting at each other, I don't know what went down between you and Crowfrost, but it's obvious that you both miss each other. Is your pride really worth making yourselves miserable?"

I glared at the other she-cat. "Look who's talking. Why are you talking to me anyway? Shouldn't you be off hatching another plan to make Crowfrost yours?"

"Of course not. Why would I want Crowfrost?"

I stared at her. "Excuse me."

Grassheart returned my stare, as if she couldn't understand what was so unbelievable about that statement. Then realization dawned upon her features and she meowed, "Oh, right, I forgot that we haven't really announced it yet." A genuine smile played across her lips. "Waspstripe and I are mates now."

I narrowed my eyes. "And just like that, you're totally over Crowfrost?"

The pale brown she-cat shrugged. "I haven't had feelings for him for awhile now, actually. I only started flirting with Waspstripe in the first place to make Crowfrost jealous, but over time I suppose it just became genuine." Her smile returned. "Waspstripe loves me, and he treats me like I'm the most precious thing to him. I wouldn't trade him for any other tom in the Clans."

I wanted to be suspicious of her; I wanted to call her a liar and tell her that I didn't believe her story for even a heartbeat, but that smile… it was completely genuine. She really meant what she was saying.

I eyed her wearily and asked, "why are you trying to help me, Grassheart? We aren't friends."

I didn't expect Grassheart to look away as a blush dusted her face, almost embarrassed. "I guess you could pin that on Waspstripe too; he mentioned that he hates seeing you and Crowfrost so obviously miserable, and how he wished there was something he could do to help you. I thought… I don't know, maybe I could talk some sense into one of you."

"So you're doing this for Waspstripe?" I clarified.

"Of course. I wouldn't do it for you."

I rolled my eyes. "And just when I thought you might not be such a fox-heart after all, you go and prove me wrong," I mumbled.

"Just try and sort things out with Crowfrost?" Grassheart pleaded. "Even if you don't rekindle your relationship, at least decide where you stand with each other. Because, seriously, it's almost depressing watching you two tiptoe around each other."

I didn't try to mask my scoff. "Well, I'm sorry that my problems bother you. I'll try to work on that." I stood to my paws and started towards the fresh-kill pile, but Grassheart's call made me pause.

After a moment of debate I finally glanced back, and saw that Grassheart was looking sheepishly at her paws again. "Um, while I've got you here…" she trailed off before sighing and looking up to meet my gaze. "When Waspstripe and I overheard you and Crowfrost arguing, I'm sorry that I raced back to camp and announced to the Clan that you were mates. I didn't… I didn't really consider how that would affect anyone."

I blinked in surprise. In all my moons of knowing Grassheart, I wasn't sure that I'd ever heard her apologize to anyone. "Oh. Um… thanks, Grassheart. That means a lot."

"Don't mention it," Grassheart meowed, and I got the feeling that she really meant it. She smiled wearily at me, but still genuine. "I really do hope that you and Crowfrost are able to patch things up."

I sighed softly. "Yeah, so do-"

"SCREEECHHHHH!"

I nearly jumped out of my pelt when a blood-curdling screech erupted from the Nursery. I could only stare at the den in horror, my creamy-colored fur bristling along my spine. That was Applefur!

The kits were coming.

Dawn Frost

Crowfrost's POV

Well. I was officially deaf.

Applefur was panting and groaning in pain, and her sides heaved with every breath she took. "The kits are definitely on their way," I meowed, more to myself than anyone else.

Jayfeather shot me a glare. "What gave it away? The hours we've spent in this den, or Applefur's battle-cry?"

I frowned. "What did you say? My hearing is returning slowly."

"G-get these kits out of me!" Applefur groaned. "I feel like I'm-" another screech cut her off, and I thanked StarClan that it wasn't nearly as shrill as her other one.

Jayfeather moved to stand by her flank. "Okay Applefur, breathe. As soon as you feel the urge, I need you to push with everything in you. Understand?" The mottled brown queen grit her teeth and nodded.

I picked up a pine branch that I'd collected earlier and dropped it by her head. "Bite down on this," I suggested. Applefur blinked gratefully at me and took the branch into her mouth, bracing herself for the pain. There was fear swimming in her eyes and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach.

Somehow, I didn't think this was going to end well.

Applefur groaned, the sound muffled by the branch. I watched as a contraction rippled across her swollen stomach, and realized that she was pushing. These kits were really coming; by the end of the night, I would be looking at Smokefoot's kits.

"You're doing fine," Jayfeather murmured, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Just keep pushing, Applefur. They're almost here." She heaved another groan and I could hear her bite down on the stick, and then something slipped between her legs.

My heart sped up. It was a kit.

My heart screeched to a stop. The kit was deathly silent.

I stared at Jayfeather with wide blue eyes, silently pleading with him to tell me that I was just seeing things; my mind was just playing tricks on me again.

He sniffed the kit, then raised his gaze to look into mine. He didn't say anything; he didn't have to. I already knew the horrible truth.

"L-let me see it," Applefur managed to meow. She tried to raise her head but didn't have the strength.

I acted before I knew what I was doing. I quickly wrapped the stillborn kit in moss and pushed it to the side. Jayfeather opened his jaws to deliver that fatal blow, but I beat him to it. "False alarm Applefur, but don't stop pushing! The first kit will be here at any moment."

Applefur moaned. I would too, if I thought I'd just went through all that pain to push out a kit only to be wrong.

Jayfeather's blind gaze was sharp as he stared at me, but I met it evenly. He might not understand what I was doing, but he didn't have to.

I couldn't let Applefur become Kinkfur.

"I'm gonna go get another stick," I meowed, refusing to look away from Jayfeather even as I spoke to Applefur. "I'll be right back. Keep pushing, Applefur!"

Before either cat could stop me, I carefully picked up the bundle of moss and darted out of the den. I was greeted by the freezing cold and the anxious faces of my Clanmates. Their eyes lit up hopefully when they saw me, but I pushed my way past them and sped out of camp.

Please StarClan, I prayed as I ran through the night, have mercy on Applefur and her kits.

Dawn Frost

I'd only visited Smokefoot's grave once before, and it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory. But I didn't really have a choice except to visit it again; it wouldn't be right to bury this kit beside anyone else.

I reached the grave and was struck by an overwhelming sort of sadness, but I forced it to the back of my mind. Applefur needed me; I didn't have time to sit around and grieve. At least, that was what I told myself until I opened the bundle of moss and actually looked at the stillborn kitten.

It was a tomkit. He had a mottled brown pelt like his mother, but somehow I just knew that those closed eyelids hid a pair of midnight-blue orbs.

My heart clenched painfully and my throat tightened, and I blew out a loaded, cloudy breath. Okay. I can do this.

I got to work digging up a small hole, my eyes never straying from the kit. Never in a million seasons did I think that one day I would bury Smokefoot's kit; especially not right beside Smokefoot's own grave. I stepped back to examine my work. It wasn't a very big hole at all, but it would be enough for a tiny, premature, stillborn kit.

My eyes wandered back to the kit. He needs a name. I can't just send him to StarClan without a name. "Something along the lines of Smokefoot," I said aloud, so that I wouldn't feel so alone. "Firekit? No, you can't name a black kitten Firekit. Ashkit? But we already have Ashpaw." I narrowed my frosty blue eyes in concentration, and then it hit me. "Sootkit," I breathed into the night. "And if you were a warrior, you would be… Sootstep. Yeah, that works. Smokefoot and Sootstep." The faintest smile played across my lips, but then it was gone.

I picked Sootkit up gently, then lowered him into the grave. I went to move a pawful of dirt into the hole with him, but then I froze. Memories of a tiny, shivering tomkit being buried underneath mounds of snow flickered in my mind.

I shook my head and grit my teeth. "It's not the same thing," I growled to myself. "This won't make me like Kinkfur."

I forced myself to begin filling the hole, and gradually it became easier to do. I wasn't trying to burying a kit alive because I couldn't stand to look at him; I was giving him a place to rest, right beside his father.

I completed the job and stepped back, but something felt like it was missing. I couldn't tear my gaze from Sootkit's grave, so I meowed, "Take care, little Sootkit. Give your father a hard time for me, m'kay? Make him… make him tell you stories." The ghost of a smile played across my lips. "Ask him about the time he dared me to flirt with a ThunderClan warrior named Thornclaw. And ask him about the time we won a bet against some ThunderClan cats, so they taught us how to climb trees." My smile stretched a bit farther. "Or when we were apprentices, and we thought that WindClan cats must have some secret technique that allows them to be so fast, so we spent an entire day racing each other through the forest."

A chuckle managed to escape my lips. "One of my favorite stories is of the time that we meant to hide red ants in Toadfoot's nest, but we accidently put them in Russetfur's, and we were so scared that she was going to murder us that we actually ran away from ShadowClan. We were determined to create our own Clan and never return, but we couldn't decide on 'CrowClan' or 'SmokeClan', so we didn't even make it an entire day. No one even realized that we'd tried to run away!" I was laughing now, and I couldn't remember a time laughing had ever felt so good.

My laugh trailed off and at some point my gaze had drifted to Smokefoot's grave. "Tell him those stories, Smokefoot," I murmured softly. "Tell him who I am, and I promise that I'll tell your other kits who you are. So that when they meet you one day, they'll know exactly who their father is."

I expelled a deep sigh. "Congratulations on becoming a father..."

Then I turned around and started slowly back to camp. My pawsteps were heavy, but I realized that my chest felt lighter, and I wondered if this was what closure was.

Dawn Frost

When I returned to camp there was no one in the center mourning, and I couldn't hear any wailing from the Nursery, so I allowed myself to hope that the rest of the birthing had gone smoothly. Cats raised their heads when I passed them and their eyes weren't dark with grief, but they were clouded with… something else.

I frowned and quickened my pace.

"Crowfrost," Scorchfur stopped me just before I entered the Nursery; his amber eyes were also clouded with that something else, and it caused my stomach to churn. "You shouldn't-…" he blew out a frustrated breath and lowered that clouded gaze. "Just… be prepared for it, okay?"

I blinked, confused and anxious. "Uh, sure thing, Scorchfur." I pushed past my friend and entered the den, wondering what had set everyone on edge.

I didn't have to wonder for very long. It smacked me in the face as soon as I saw the kitten nursing from Applefur's stomach.

I felt like the breath had been stolen from my lungs. The kit had the exact same pelt as its' father.

Wow, I thought, because my throat was too clogged with emotion to get the word out. It's like looking at Smokekit again.

Applefur's green eyes fluttered open just then, and when they fell on me my breath caught in my throat. There was no telling how she felt about that kit that looked just like its' father. How would she be able to handle looking at that kit every day, and being forced to remember the tom that fathered it?

My gaze darted back to the kit. Applefur's did the same, and relief flooded my veins when she smiled. "Isn't she perfect?" she murmured, so tired but so obviously happy. I padded over to her nest and sat down beside her.

"She, uh, looks like somebody I used to know."

Applefur purred softly and nuzzled the tiny she-kit. "I know. I love it."

"You do?" I couldn't help but ask. Applefur was handling this in the absolute best way possible, and I almost couldn't believe it. "No one outside seems to share your thoughts."

The mottled brown she-cat frowned. "I know it's a painful reminder for some of them, and I think they think it's going to push me over the edge, but…" she shook her head. "I don't care that she looks exactly like Smokefoot. I'm almost relieved that she does!"

She raised her eyes to look into mine. "But… what about you? How do you feel about it?"

I was silent for a few moments. My eyes were drawn back to the she-kit, the one that could have easily passed for Smokekit, and I expected my heart to clench in my chest or for tears to well in my eyes, but instead I laughed, catching both of us off guard.

"She's perfect," I echoed. I shot Applefur a grin. "When she's a warrior and we've all joined Elders' Den and lost our minds, she's going to scare us to death." Applefur laughed at that so we were both laughing, and a sense of true happiness washed over the den.

"Wow," Applefur finally managed to breath. "I never knew that laughing felt so good."

"Tell me about it." Suddenly I realized that the den felt a bit empty and demanded, "Hey, where did Jayfeather go?"

"Stop yowling," a voice ordered, and a heartbeat later Jayfeather pushed his way into the Nursery. A dripping wet moss ball hung from his jaws. "I was just fetching some more moss, mouse-brain."

I narrowed my eyes, but Applefur thanked the medicine cat and immediately started lapping at the wet moss. Jayfeather suddenly shoved me to the side and hissed, "what did you do with the kit?"

I shoved him back purely out of spite, then fixed him with a hard look. "I buried him with his father," I growled back, careful to keep my voice low. Applefur could never know about the son she'd lost.

Jayfeather narrowed his blind blue eyes. "That wasn't your choice to make," he rumbled.

"But it's what's best for Applefur," I replied. "I have my reasons for doing it, Jayfeather. Just trust me, okay?"

Jayfeather didn't respond immediately, instead choosing to stare me down with such intensity that I questioned for the hundredth time if he was really blind, or if that was just what he told cats so that they underestimated him. Finally he stepped aside, uttering a silent response: I trust you.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Applefur asked, as she licked water droplets from her mouth.

Jayfeather and I shared a quick glance. "We were just discussing names," I meowed smoothly. "Jayfeather said he thought of a brilliant one, didn't you, Jayfeather?"

"I, uhm," Jayfeather stuttered, caught completely off guard. "Yeah, that's it. I was just saying how much I liked the name… Sootkit?"

I nearly choked on the air that I breathed. "Um, forget what I said about brilliant," I meowed quickly. "Jayfeather, that's absolutely terrible! You've lost all of your naming privileges. Get out of here and go make yourself useful."

Jayfeather shot me one of the darkest glares that I'd ever received, then mumbled something about helping Snowbird and her kits back to the Nursery. I plastered on a bright smile and returned to Applefur's side. "So," I started, "you said you wanted names that reminded you of Smokefoot. Any ideas yet?" Please don't love Sootkit, please don't love Sootkit.

Applefur licked the nursing she-kit's head. "Sootkit is a nice name, and it does remind me of Smokefoot," ahh, StarClan no no no no-! "but I think I've already settled on a different name." Applefur raised her green eyes to meet my own and asked, "what do you think about Emberkit?"

I masked the relief that made my legs go weak and echoed, "Emberkit… I like that. It's an older name; I don't think I've ever met an 'Ember' before."

Applefur looked back down at her daughter and murmured, "an ember is what's still burning in a dying fire. After all the flames and the smoke are gone, there's always an ember still burning on. And she just looks so much like him, and she's his only legacy that I-" she stopped, and I watched her swallow the emotion that I knew clogged her throat.

I licked her head. "Smokefoot would love it," I promised her. "I think that he secretly really did want to name a kit Smokefootkit, so this is probably the next best thing." Applefur managed a strained laugh, and I leaned down to lick the newly-named she-kit as well. "Welcome to ShadowClan, Emberkit," I murmured. Do you see her, Smokefoot? Isn't she perfect?

Jayfeather reemerged moments later, followed closely by Snowbird and Honeypaw. The she-cats both carried a kit in their jaws as they made their back to Snowbird's nest. "Oh, Applefur!" Honeypaw purred upon seeing Emberkit for the first time. "She's absolutely precious!"

Snowbird sat Sunkit down in her nest before wearily adding, "she's gorgeous, Applefur. She, um, she looks a lot like-"

"Smokefoot," Applefur cut her off, pride singing in her voice.

Snowbird visibly relaxed and nodded. "Exactly. I bet he would be obsessed with her."

"I know he would be," I meowed, staring at the tiny she-kit. Emberkit had started squirming away from Applefur's stomach, but her mother cooed and coaxed her back to her side. She started mewling shrilly, but with a few tender licks Applefur managed to soothe her to sleep.

She's not Kinkfur, I thought to myself. She'll never be Kinkfur.

"I'll let you get some rest," I meowed, standing to my paws. I touched my nose to Applefur's shoulder one last time and murmured, "Smokefoot would be so proud of you."

Applefur didn't verbally respond, but she blinked gratefully at me and I thought I saw tears of joy glimmering in her apple-green eyes. I nodded at Snowbird and the medicine cats, then pushed my way out of the warm Nursery and into the cold night.

Scorchfur was already waiting on me. "She looks just like him, doesn't she?"

I expelled a loaded sigh. "You aren't kidding; thanks for the warning. I certainly wasn't expecting that, but at least I knew to expect something."

The light gray tom nodded. "I wasn't prepared for anything when I laid eyes on her, and it was… tough." He glanced at me. "How does Applefur feel about it?"

"She loves it, actually," I remarked. "She named her Emberkit."

Scorchfur smiled. "Emberkit. I like that… it's the closest Smokefoot could ever hope to get to 'Smokefootkit'."

I purred. "That's what I said!" I stopped outside of the Warriors' Den. "You turning in early too?"

Scorchfur shook his head. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. I'm standing guard tonight, remember?"

"I don't even remember what I ate this morning, much less who I assigned to what," I huffed.

Scorchfur grinned and nudged my shoulder. "For what it's worth, Crowfrost, you seem much brighter these days. It's nice to see you smiling and joking around again." Then he turned around and headed towards his post, leaving me to watch him go.

I wonder if he realizes that I wasn't joking around. I really don't remember what I ate this morning.

Best to just let him believe it was a joke. Scorchfur already wastes too much of his time on you.

'Wastes'?! Excuse you! I am an excellent use of time, you lousy-

"So are you just going to glare at the den all night, or are you actually going to go inside?"

I turned around to deliver some sort of sarcastic retort, but stopped short when I found myself gazing into a pair of warm hazel eyes. "Oh."

Dawnpelt raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she echoed.

I stepped aside and said, "sorry I was blocking you. You can go in first."

Dawnpelt eyed me wearily for a few heartbeats, then she took a step towards me. "Listen Crowfrost, I'm tired of us-"

"Can we do this later?" I interrupted her. "Like, after I've slept for a solid moon and my paws don't feel ready to fall off?" Dawnpelt bit her lip and glared at nothing in particular, and annoyance towards myself started to bubble in my stomach. I was dying to have Dawnpelt by my side again, what was wrong with me?

I closed the space between us and placed a lick on her shoulder. Her gaze shot up to stare at me, and I mustered a tired smile. "We'll talk later," I promised her. "But honestly, I'm so drained both mentally and physically that if we have a conversation now, I'm just going to fall asleep in the middle of it."

The intelligent, talented, gorgeous she-cat held my gaze for a few moments and then asked, "you promise?"

I nodded. "Promise."

She eyed me for another moment and then meowed, "get some sleep, Crowfrost." I opened my mouth to reply but she cut me off and added, "and I mean sleep; don't wake up in the middle of the night and go brood in the forest."

I managed another tired smile, and inwardly was amazed that I hadn't fallen asleep on my paws yet. "You noticed that?"

"Everyone's noticed it by now," she retorted with a sassy flick of her tail. "We just haven't said anything to you about it because we know you wouldn't listen to us anyway."

"True," I acknowledged with a shrug. "But I don't think I could make it out of camp tonight even if I tried. Helping a queen kit is a lot of work." Helping a queen kit, burying my best friend's son, lying about it all, the works.

Dawnpelt flicked me with her tail. "Then get some sleep. We'll talk later." And with that she padded into the Warriors' Den, not once glancing back at me. Normally that would have bothered me, but tonight I just didn't have the energy to care. I waited a few heartbeats for her to settle in her nest, and then I went to my own. As soon as I curled up in the mossy nest, my eyelids closed and everything went black.

Dawn Frost

When I opened my eyes again I nearly had a heart attack.

I shot up to my paws and looked around frantically, pale blue eyes wide as I searched for even the smallest piece of evidence to prove that I wasn't where I thought I was. But really, there was no way I could explain why every blade of grass glimmered with starlight, or how the stars in the silverpelt were the brightest they'd ever been.

I was in StarClan.

"Oh StarClan," I groaned, horrified. This could not be happening. There was no way that I was dead, right? But then, why else did average warriors just wake up in StarClan?

"Crowfrost." I spun around, and suddenly whether or not I was dead was the furthest thing from my mind. The last time I'd seen this she-cat her blue eyes had glazed over, she'd been completely blind. But now her eyes were the brightest blue I'd ever seen, and it comforted me like nothing else ever could.

"Whitewater," I breathed.

My adopted-mother smiled at me, and if my paws didn't feel so numb then I would have raced over to her. But Whitewater seemed to understand, because she padded over to me and began licking my face like she used to when I was a kit. "I've missed you, my son," she murmured.

"I've missed you too," I replied in awe. I couldn't believe that I was actually here, talking to Whitewater again. "But what am I- I mean, I'm not… dead, am I?"

To my profound relief, Whitewater shook her head and meowed, "no, you're still very much alive. You're just here to meet a few friends."

My heart soared like it had wings. "Smokefoot?" I whispered, hoping against hope.

Whitewater shot me a knowing smile. "In time. There are others you must meet first." A frown traced my lips, but I'd learned from a young age to never question Whitewater. "Follow me. I will introduce you to them."

Dawn Frost

StarClan was breathtaking. There were no other words to describe it, and while I wasn't ready to live here forever, it comforted me that this is where my Clanmates and friends went when they died.

"Dawnpelt would love StarClan," I murmured to myself.

"I like Dawnpelt," Whitewater remarked. "She's good for you."

"Yeah, well, I'm-OUCH!" I stopped to stare at Whitewater with impossibly wide eyes. "Why did you just whack me?!"

"Because you've been an utter lizard-brain as of late, and frankly it's embarrassing," Whitewater scolded me. "You finally allowed yourself to settle down with a nice she-cat, only to go and ruin things by overreacting like you always have!"

"Overreacting?" I echoed. "But Whitewater, she-" I stopped when the she-cat's blue gaze bore into me, then heaved a sigh. "Alright, I overreacted. Trust me, I know I did."

My mother licked my shoulder. "Make things right with her," she advised me. "Life is too short to spend it mourning over your regrets." Her eyes drifted from me to something in the distance, and she smiled. "We're here."

I turned around and expected to see Toadstep or Marshclaw, or maybe even Blackstar and Russetfur, but the only cats in the star-dusted clearing were a bunch of tussling kits. I noticed that their mothers laid on the outskirts of the clearing, maintaining a watchful eye on their kits while they shared tongues with other queens, but I didn't recognize any of them either.

I frowned and turned back to Whitewater. "Are you sure? I don't-"

"Whitewater!" a voice squealed, and I had to leap out of the way to avoid being tackled by a small gray kitten. The tom-kit purred loudly and wound his tiny body around my mother's paws while I could only watch him in confusion. "Did you bring him?" the kit asked hopefully. "I've been waiting for forever to meet him!"

Whitewater licked the top of the kit's head. "If you would calm down long enough to turn around, then maybe you would see him." The gray tom-kit spun around to face me, and as soon as I looked into his bright, wide green eyes I knew exactly who he was.

"Forestkit," I breathed. It was Smokefoot's littermate; the brother that I'd replaced.

Forestkit seemed to mature right before my eyes. He stood a bit taller and his smile lost it's energetic edge, replaced with something knowing; something older. He padded towards me and raised his head, and slowly I leaned down to touch our noses.

"Hi," I whispered.

Forestkit beamed. "Hi," he whispered back. "I've been waiting a really, really long time to meet you."

I laughed hoarsely. "Yeah? I guess I've been waiting a long time to meet you too."

"Are you really the deputy of ShadowClan?" he asked.

I nodded mutely.

The gray tom-kit's smile widened, if that was even possible. "Wow," he breathed. "I can't believe my brother is the real ShadowClan deputy!"

Brother? I wondered, looking up to catch Whitewater's eye. She smiled at me and nodded. I supposed that Forestkit was right; if Whitewater was my mother and Smokefoot was my brother, then Forestkit was my brother too.

"Are you a good deputy?" Forestkit inquired.

I hesitated. "Um, yeah, most of the time. Sometimes I get a bit distracted, but I try to be a good deputy."

"What's your favorite part about being deputy?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, being able to order cats around is a lot of fun."

Forestkit giggled. Whitewater rolled her eyes.

I found myself grinning and opened my mouth to continue, but suddenly froze when someone caught my eye. Two someones, actually. And unlike Forestkit, I recognized them as soon as I laid eyes on them.

Runningkit and Fallowkit had broken away from the tussling kits, and stared at me with impossibly wide eyes. Their eyes. They both shared Kinkfur's yellow eyes, but somehow theirs' weren't cold or bitter; they were bright and warm, like the sun.

Forestkit followed my gaze and then grinned. "Hey Runningkit, Fallowkit, look who I found! Crowfrost finally came to meet us!"

Fallowkit took a few cautious steps forward, her yellow eyes agleam with curiosity. "Are you really our brother?" she asked me. Her voice was as delicate as the flowers in new-leaf, and just as pretty too.

I nodded.

Fallowkit suddenly squaled and raced over to me, and I was completely caught off guard when she started rubbing her head against my paws, purring much louder than I would have expected her too. I'm pretty sure my heart melted right then. I purred and licked the top of her head, and it started to sink in that this was my sister. Not my foster-littermate or someone who I viewed as a sister; my real, actual sister.

I looked to where Runningkit was still sitting. Unlike Fallowkit, he hadn't moved a single muscle. Instead his eyes never strayed from me, wide and calculating, like he didn't know what to think about me.

I stood to my paws and took a step towards him. The brown tabby kit eyed me cautiously, but he didn't run away like I worried he would. I took a few more steps and then laid down in front of him, and for the first time since death frosty blue eyes looked into glowing yellow.

"I remember you," Runningkit finally meowed. His voice was cool and sounded moons more mature than it should have, and for some reason it made my heart clench.

"I remember you too," I whispered.

"We used to play moss ball together, didn't we? Before I died."

I nodded. "You were very good at it. I don't think I ever beat you."

Runningkit didn't respond for a few heartbeats. Then he stood to his paws and disappeared behind a tree, and when he reappeared he was holding a small moss ball in his jaws. He sat it down in front of me and then stepped back, as if he couldn't stand to not look into my eyes. "Do you want to play it again?"

My grin was so wide that it hurt, and I nodded.

Dawn Frost

"Alright kits, it's time for Crowfrost to leave."

"Awww, does he have to?" Fallowkit pouted, as she rubbed her head against my leg.

Forestkit looked at his mother with wide, pleading green eyes. "Can't he just stay here with us?" he begged.

Whitewater shook her head. "No, he can't. Crowfrost still has matters to take care of back in ShadowClan."

"Like apologizing to that pretty she-cat?" Fallowkit inquired.

My face grew hot with embarrassment, but I managed to shoot a smirking Whitewater a glare. "Um, yeah, that's definitely on my list of things to do when I get back."

"Are you gonna have kits with her so that we have more friends to play with?" Forestkit demanded.

Kits? With Dawnpelt?! "Uhm, I'll think about it. No promises though."

Forestkit and Fallowkit pouted.

I chuckled, and turned around to look at Runningkit. The tiny tom-kit was panting slightly, but he wore a smirk that I saw every time I looked at my own reflection.

I dropped the moss ball at his paws. "Well. You won again. And again. And again." I glared at him. "And you swear on StarClan that you aren't cheating?"

Runningkit laughed. "Lizard-brain, everyone knows that you can't cheat at moss ball!" His smirk faded into a hopeful smile. "Maybe you'll beat me next time?" Next time.

"You bet I will," I meowed confidently. "When I wake up again, I'm gonna start practicing. You only won because I haven't played in so long!" Runningkit's smirk returned full-force, and I figured he didn't believe me. Well, I would just have to prove him wrong.

The kits called 'good-bye' as Whitewater led me away, and I threw a smirk over my shoulder at them. They grinned and smiled in return, and inwardly I couldn't remember the last time that I'd been so happy. I thought about how Forestkit asked me if I was going to have kits with Dawnpelt, and while the idea still freaked me out, I wondered if maybe it was worth some thought.

"Those kits are something else," I finally said to Whitewater.

My mother smiled warmly at me, and as if reading my mind she meowed, "you played very well with them. You would make an excellent father."

I leaned my head on her shoulder. "Yeah, I don't know about that. But maybe one day we'll see." We walked for a while after that, and it was one of those rare times when I didn't feel an urge to break the silence. I was content to simply walk across StarClan with my mother.

Finally Whitewater came to a stop. She turned to face me, and I realized that her bright blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I am so proud of you," she whispered. I swallowed. I could hear the 'good-bye' on the tip of her tongue. "My son, I could not be more proud even if I'd birthed you myself."

"I wish you had of," I mumbled.

But Whitewater shook her head. "Don't wish that. Your kithood has shaped you into the warrior you are now, and I love you."

I laid my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes. "I love you too, Whitewater."

We pulled away. Whitewater licked my forehead and then stepped back, her eyes not straying from mine. "May StarClan light your path, Crowfrost, and know that we are always watching over you." Then she turned around and padded over the hills we climbed, back to where her kits played in the clearing.

A thought struck me. "Wait!" I called after her. "How do I get back?" But it was too late; Whitewater was already gone.

I huffed and muttered to myself, "Now isn't that just like StarClan to bring you somewhere and then ditch you? Bunch of no-good starry do-gooders." I'd made up my mind to travel around StarClan and complain to myself until I found a way back to the living, but I didn't make it very far until someone else caught my eye.

In an empty, star-dusted clearing there was a pool. And in front of that pool sat a dark, smokey-gray tom.

I swallowed, hoped against hope, and then slowly made my way towards the tom.

I sat down beside Smokefoot, hardly daring to believe my own eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I remembered when Scorchfur told me that some apologies didn't require words, so I closed my mouth again and followed Smokefoot's gaze into the pool.

The pool was speckled with twinkling stars and the reflection of the pool showed a scene; a queen curled tightly around her kit. I realized we were watching Applefur and Emberkit.

"Look at her," Smokefoot whispered, his midnight-blue eyes not straying away from the pool. "Isn't she perfect?"

"Mhm. She looks exactly like you."

"She'll have her mother's eyes though."

I glanced at him curiously. "How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Ah," I nodded. "So I'll just assume you have magical StarClan powers, then."

Smokefoot finally looked up and when our eyes met, a sense of peace washed over me. Whatever blows we'd exchanged, whatever insults we'd hurled at each other, they'd been forgiven.

"I miss you," Smokefoot meowed.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, the same way I would when we were apprentices and I swore I was too tired to hold my head up any longer. "I miss you too. Like a lot. Like when you first died, I would hallucinate and see you everywhere I looked."

"Okay, I don't miss you that much," Smokefoot chuckled. "But that might be because I haven't moved from this pool since I discovered it, and I've been keeping an eye on everything. Thank you, by the way."

I blinked, puzzled. "For what?"

"For taking care of Applefur for me," the smokey-gray tom replied. "You completely put your grudge behind you to take care of my mate and kit, and I'll never be able to repay you for that."

I managed a smirk. "Don't mention it; what are brothers for?"

Smokefoot shot me a grin. "Yeah. Brothers."

We returned our gazes to the starry pool and watched as Applefur cooed Emberkit to sleep again. "She's going to make such a fantastic mother," Smokefoot murmured wistfully. I murmured my agreement.

After some time I turned around and blinked when I saw we had gathered a crowd. Whitewater was perched on the hill behind us, watching us carefully. She was joined by the four kits, all who- wait a minute, four kits? I frowned and counted again, but I wasn't seeing things. There was Forestkit, Fallowkit and Runningkit, and then there was a tiny fourth kit. I narrowed my eyes, then nearly leaped out of my pelt when I recognized him.

He had the same mottled brown pelt as his mother, but his eyes were the same midnight-blue as his father's.

Sootkit smiled at me. I returned it.

Then I turned around again and leaned against Smokefoot. Silence blanketed us, but I wasn't in a hurry to fill the moment with words. I'd always thought that when I saw Smokefoot again I wouldn't be able to stop talking and apologizing, but right then I was content to simply sit there and exist with my best friend as we waited out the night.

Question of the Day

Read any good Warriors fics lately? Seriously, between all the parodies and the generic OC fics, I'm dying for a good ol' fic :(

Oh gosh guys, only two chapters left! DF is almost over, and I'm equal parts devastated and excited. It'll be my first time completing a fic and I'm really proud of myself for that, because this is the eighth fic that I've started xD

Overall I'm happy with this chapter, even though I feel like some scenes were rushed and others were drawn out, but I've been waiting for this one for awhile and I just couldn't remove any of the scenes! I'm especially in love with the scene where Crowfrost buries Sootkit (morbid, I know) and the scene where he meets Forestkit, Fallowkit and Runningkit. Please tell me what your favorite scene was! :)

On a closing note, some of you may already know this but I've published the first chapter to my newest fic in my one-shot collection! It'll be Graypool-centric, but that's all I'm telling you for now ;) I've got a poll up on my profile where I would really love your opinion on the title for it, because I'm completely empty on ideas there :/

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE IT!

Reviews are the best motivation! If you have any questions or thoughts, then I will respond to them with a PM :)