HEY Y'ALL! Whaz up? HOLY CRAP! Some ice just fell off our roof! Sounded like the sky was falling!

I've been SUPER busy because...THERE'S BEAN SOME SNOW! Yeah, we got us like 6 or 7 inches, AND IT FREAKING SNOWED ON MY B-DAY!XD

Anyway, there's no new COTC because the last 2 spots haven't bean filled. ALSO, DON'T THINK I FORGOT ABOUT CHARACTERS! THEY'LL COME INTO USE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SEQUEL!

Recap: Last time, Snowpaw had an idea! The rest of the cats fleed!

Chapter 20

Snowpaw saw the other cats retreating, but she had thought of something that could determine the outcome of a future battle with Forestclan. Snowpaw found it hard to walk, her shoulder making it nearly impossible. She looked around for a faster cat that could tell Balzeheart her idea. She spotted Fallowpool.

"Hey Fallowpool, come here!"Snowpaw called to the warrior. Fallowpool's eyes were clouded in confusion.

"What?"he asked as he padded up to her.

"I need you to tell Blazeheart to come back to me. Just him, no one else. Got it?"

"Okay..."Fallowpool raced off. Snowpaw sat down, relived to be released of battle; for now.

Forestclan seemed to be doing okay, but they had lost a lot of cats. Snowpaw noticed most of them were the rouges Rainstar had invited in. She spotted Flameheart talking to Rainstar. Snowpaw got up and padded closer, then sat down again. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"If we can kill Blazeheart before they attack again, then they won't have a leader, and then they'll leave me to rule the forest."Rainstar meowed.

"Yes. I will work on killing both him and Snowpaw, as long as you give me what I want,"Flameheart retorted.

" Yes yes, but Snowpaw's still alive?"Rainstar asked, his blue eyes widening in shock.

"Yeah. She lives with us now. I used to like her..."Snowpaw stopped listening; there was a cat beside her, and judging by the scent, it was Hawkfire.

"Why are you still here? Aren't you going home?"Hawkfire asked.

"I'm waiting to tell Blazeheart of an idea. Want to hear it?"Snowpaw replied, focusing her eyes on the entrance to the Forestclan camp. The brambles had all been trampled, and the moss crushed.

"Sure."Hawkfire meowed.

"Well, I realized we lost because we lack numbers."

"No duh."Hawkfire snorted with laughter, and Snowpaw shoved him with a paw playfully.

"ANYWAY, I thought, what if we could take some of their cats, and give them to us? I realized the kits would be easiest to take; well some of them. All we have to do is ask them if they want to go somewhere better."

"Good idea. What are you going to do about the other clans?"Hawkfire asked her.

"I don't know yet. Blazeheart'll figure it out. But I need to ask you a question."Snowpaw shifted her paws uncomfortably. She stared at her paws."Will you come and live with me in Windclan? It gets really lonely."Snowpaw lifted her gaze towards Hawkfire's blue eyes.

Hawkfire blinked, then meowed,"Yeah. I've missed you so much."he brushed his cheek against hers."I don't think I could live with another separation for so long."

Snowpaw started purring, but her mind was hard at work."But I thought you told me you wanted me to come live with you in Waterclan!"

"I do. But Waterclan doesn't have you in it, and I already know you won't leave Windclan; yet."he paused, gazing towards the approaching Blazeheart."But after the final battle, will you come and live with me? Please?"

"I'll think about it."Snowpaw replied. How could I leave the clan now? I feel as though they need me. Blazeheart padded up to her, weariness of being in Rainstar's camp evident in his yellow eyes.

"So. What's your idea?"he asked, nodding to Hawkfire.

"We need to gain numbers; Rainstar needs to lose numbers; lets ask the clan if any cats or kits wish to join our ranks."

Blazeheart nodded slowly."I like the way that sounds. Is Hawkfire joining us?"

"Yes, for the time being."Hawkfire turned to his fleeing clanmates."Jaytalon! Poppyfire! Darkwing! Come here!"the three cats bounded over."You remember Jaytalon, my brother, but Poppyfire and Darkwing are a couple of kits we found by our new home."he meowed to the three,"Are you coming with us? One of you at least must return to home and tell Waterstar we're okay."

"I will."Jaytalon volunteered.

"We will return home."Poppyfire meowed, her green eyes narrowing with untrust. She and Darkwing bounded out of the Forestclan camp. Blazeheart bounded up onto Great rock, and yowled,"Let all cats gather for an important message."

Slowly, yet surely, cats started wearily coming out from their dens. The more hardy followers of Rainstar started growling in protest, but Blazeheart ignored them.

"Greetings, cats of Forestclan. You all know that I am the rightful deputy of this clan, but have left because of Rainstar's unfaithfulness to God and Eternalclan. I am giving all of you an opportunity to leave for good. To go away forever and never return. To have a life, rather than live a life chosen for you. Rainstar has annihilated the forests' careful balance; and now I am giving all of you the chance to find a new beginning. Would anyone like to leave Forestclan, and join us in Windclan, while we build up our strength?"

Silence gripped the camp. At first, not a single cat stepped forward. But out of the shadows, a kit mewed in his high-pitched voice,"Yes!"

All of the cats turned to look at the orange and black tabby tom. Rainstar followed the kit outside of the den where he came from, his blue eyes enraged."No Tigerkit, you are going to help me lead someday!"

"I decide my own path!"the angry kit growled. He stepped towards Snowpaw and Hawkfire.

"No Tigerkit! You must stay! Please!"Rainstar pleaded, but Tigerkit shook his head.

"I'm ashamed to call you my father. I'm taking this chance to leave while I can."Tigerkit meowed, and sat down beside Snowpaw. She was shocked by Tigerkit's decision to move, but her heart broke for the small kit. To have a father like that would be awful! she thought in agony.

"You little piece of fox-dung! To leave your father and sister like that!"Rainstar yowled."If I ever, EVER find you on my land again, you're becoming my meal!"

Shocked mews rang out across camp, and more of the original Forestclan cats started saying they wanted to leave: Badgerclaw and her kits, and Tinykit and Pouncekit, Stonehawk, Thistlejaw, Curleyfur, and several new cats. The new cats were Rosesky, Brackenclaw, Birdflight, Littlewing, Moonwater, and Graycloud. The rest of the cats simply stepped away and left.

Blazeheart gathered his cats with a sweep of his tail, and quickly darted with them out of camp. Hawkfire stayed with Snowpaw, who had to walk slowly. Tigerkit walked with Snowpaw because he wasn't very big for a four-moon old kit.

The cats exited camp and began the slow trek through the forest. Tigerkit meowed,"I've heard stories about Foreststar. She sounds like an awesome mother and leader. Her kits must be the bravest of all. Have you guys met her or her kits?"

"Well,"Snowpaw replied, slight amusement in her voice."She was my mom..."

Tigerkit stopped dead."REALLY? WOW!"he yowled with excitement."What was it like, being her kit?"

"Well,"Snowpaw mewed."She was not much different from your average leader. Yes, she did die for me and my siblings, and she founded and helped all of the other clans build themselves up, but other than that, she was just a leader."

Tigerkit was shaking his head."But there HAS to be more, isn't there?"

Snowpaw narrowed her eyes, hard in thought,"You know what, I don't know much about my mother's past. I know she was brave, but I don't know what life for her was like."

Tigerkit frowned."But what about your other siblings? Who are they? Are they with you?"

Snowpaw chuckled softly."Well, Whitepaw and Bronzepaw are two of my brothers, and the third died of black cough; his name was Thunderpaw. My sister Emberpaw died of greencough. My other sister is Briarpaw, is the medicine cat apprentice."

"Oh...that's very interesting."Tigerkit replied. The trio had come to an old log. Hawkfire helped Snowpaw over first, then Tigerkit. The sun had gone behind the horizon, and it was getting dark fast.

"We need to pick up speed if we are to make it home in time,"Hawkfire meowed curtly. He picked up Tigerkit, who didn't protest, and started trotting. Snowpaw tried to pick up her pace at first, but eventually quit.

"Hawkfire!"she called up ahead. He obviously didn't hear her."HAWKFIRE!"

Snowpaw stopped trot-walking, and whipped around. I'm I being followed? she thought nervously.

The wind blew softly. Bushes rustled, trees made their shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sound. Snowpaw shrugged and continued onward. And if I am being followed, I can just...oh poop. What if I AM being followed?

Snowpaw realized that she couldn't defend herself that well, not with the way her shoulder was. She heard more rustlings, and it wasn't from the wind.

"There she is!"Flameheart stepped out from behind a bush. Several other cats appeared, including Rainstar, Sunfall, and two other cats Snowpaw didn't reconize; a dark gray, almost black she-cat, and a russet-red tom.

"Nice job, Blackheart. You tracked well for your final assessment."Rainstar meowed, praising the dark gray she-cat.

"Now let's see if your brother can match it by killing this easy apprentice."Flameheart meowed happily in an evil voice. Snowpaw narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears so they were flat on her head.

"If you dare try and touch me, there'll be consequences worse than Rainstar's reign!"Snowpaw threatened. But what could I do? Oh God, please send me more help...

"Attack her, Redfang!"Rainstar yowled. Redfang charged towards Snowpaw, who instinctively got up and started running. The pain in her shoulder was nearly unbearable. I can survive with pain for a little bit longer! Snowpaw told herself. The problem was, she didn't know how much longer.

Suddenly, it was all over. Snowpaw didn't see a stick that was there, and she tripped and fell, dislocating her shoulder. She couldn't move. Redfang caught her almost instantly after she fell. But he wasn't alone for long.

"Rip her eyes out!"Rainstar yowled.

Flameheart added,"Make her face look like it's red, not white!" Redfang was hard at work, but Snowpaw was deflecting his every move. How the heck am I doing this?!

The battle continued on, but the wind was starting to pick up. Large massive trees were being whipped side-to-side.

Suddenly, a large roar cut off the battle. Redfang started backing away, eyes wide in fear. Rainstar and Flameheart were already gone, but Blackheart and Redfang were trapped; by a large falling oak. The tree landed with a hard thump! Snowpaw was okay, but so were Blackheart and Redfang.

"Now we finish you off!"Redfang growled, padding towards Snowpaw.

Snowpaw only rolled her eyes."Yeah. You can't beat me anyway."

Redfang growled,"Only fools can't beat you!"

"Really? I've defeated Flameheart before."Snowpaw started licking a paw. Both cats' eyes were wide in astonishment.

"Really?"Blackheart asked.

"Don't listen to her sis, she's lying!"Redfang hissed. His amber eyes were dark with rage.

"How?"Blackheart glanced at her brother, then spat,"Will you stop being so protective Red? I'm trying to find out how to defeat that mangy flea-brain!"

Snowpaw blinked, wondering why she wanted him gone."Well, I defeated him with some help, but I didn't have to even touch him."

"Wow..."Blackheart sat, blinking, her eyes wide in interest. Redfang had stopped growling, but his eyes were still narrowed.

"Why do you want him gone?"Snowpaw asked, lying down for the first time.

"Well,"Blackheart and Redfang exchanged glances."When we were younger, he was coming here to help Rainstar and such, when he found us. We were trying to find a home because-"

"Because our mom was killed by Flameheart, and we didn't know where it was because we were out hunting!"Redfang interrupted.

Blackheart glared at her brother, then continued,"He said he'd take care of us, so we followed him to the camp. When we got there, we saw our father being killed by Rainstar. Flameheart said that weak cats die, but the strong ones live. We were apprenticed to him, and we were called mini kit killers. Our first 'loyalty' assessment to see how loyal we were, was to kill a group of kits. If we didn't kill them, WE'D get killed, so we had no choice."

Snowpaw's eyes were wide in shock and horror."You were forced to kill kits?"

"Yeah."Blackheart meowed, then added,"Our real names are actually Aspen and Ginger..."

"Wow. Maybe you could come back with me?"Snowpaw invited. We need more numbers anyway...

"Yes. And we're only eight moons old, by the way."Ginger added (former Redfang).

The trio started the long trek home.

WOW! WHAT AN INTERESTING STORY! These next chapters are going to be DRAMA PACKED, SO DON'T MISS ANY!XD

There will be a squeal, but more on that later.

HAVE FUN IN THE SNOW!

*ALSO, NO NEW COTC! Not enough people for the last one. GET SOME PEOPLE TO REVIEW PEOPLE! It would mean alot to me! Posting New Allegiances next time!

~Night

NO! THERE'S MORE!

A funny thing I found:

"Desmond the moon bear"

*shows polar bear on moon*

"How did I get here?"he asks.

THE END!