Sorry I've been absent so long! I've recently started taking summer pre-calc classes, so that's eaten up a huge portion of my former writing time. But I promise I'll be wrapping the story up soon enough, with a cute little epilogue to boot.

Starsplash gently plucked up Lilypaw, the apprentice hanging limply in her jaws. Her leg was snapped, glistening in blood, and Starsplash forced down a retch. Behind her, Chillfang's once beautiful body lay torn and bloody on the ground. She gazed sadly at the rogue's corpse, a sort of pity filling her. The rogue had certainly loved Hawkfrost, and now Snakepaw and Lilypaw were without a mother. At least she can't hurt anyone else now.

Lilypaw whimpered. "I can't feel my left leg," she breathed, and Starsplash hummed sympathetically.

"It's okay. Leafpool will help you, okay?"

Lilypaw nodded weakly, letting her head hang. Starsplash manipulated her so that she was in an easier position to carry, pulling her towards camp. Snakepaw followed alongside the two of them, flicking his tail with worry for his sister.

Hollyleaf padded alongside the warrior and apprentices. "Kit, what's your name?" she asked quietly.

Snakepaw puffed up his chest. "I'm Snakepaw, ma'am."

Hollyleaf frowned, chest puffing out. "And how old are you?"

"Six and a half moons, ma'am!" he purred proudly.

Hollyleaf flicked her tail. "And your mentor?"

Snakepaw shook his head. "Never really had one. I mean, Steel used to train me and Lilypaw how to fight, and Eaglefang taught us to hunt. But other than that, me and Lilypaw never really had mentors."

Squirrelflight padded up alongside them, ear scabbing up quickly. "When we get home, I'll give you each a mentor." She sighed, looking at her paws. "I suppose enough time has passed. I haven't yet traveled to the moonstone, but a deputy has to be appointed." She turned to Starsplash. "If you were in my paws, who would you choose?"

Who would I choose? She wondered, flicking her tail. "Well, Berrynose is a bit too arrogant, and Ferncloud is getting too old. So I'd probably pick Foxleap. He's strong and selfless if a bit rash. Or, if you don't want to pick him, then Lakeflower is a good choice. She's even-tempered, and she doesn't let her achievements go to her head."

Squirrelflight hummed, flicking her tail. She smiled sadly at Hollyleaf, licking her daughter's wounded shoulder affectionately. "I would appoint you if I thought I could get away with it, but you have been gone from the clan for far too long."

Hollyleaf shrugged. "I don't resent you. Everything I've done, I do for my clan and the code."

Squirrelflight chuckled. "I'm proud of you."

Hollyleaf flushed, ducking her head. Starsplash chuckled and lay her tail on her aunt's shoulder, who smiled softly at her.

As Starsplash pushed through the entrance to the camp, Lilypaw wriggled gently. "Starsplash, I can walk."

Starsplash huffed. "No." She pulled Lilypaw through the vine entrance, into the medicine den.

Leafpool made a whimper of sympathy at Lilypaw's leg. "What happened?" she asked Starsplash, as the warrior placed the apprentice down gently in a nest.

Starsplash sighed. "Battle wounds. Can you help her?"

Leafpool nodded. "I think so. Right now, however, there's nothing much I can do to help her." She nudged Lilypaw. "Clean that wound of yours. I'll be back in a moment." She pushed through the entrance again and went to the clamor of cats returning from battle.

Lilypaw licked at her leg sullenly, fur spiked up with irritation. "Thunderclan isn't anything like you said it would be," she grumbled.

Starsplash glared at her. "Life isn't a box of chuckles. It's a tough life out here, especially during Leafbare. Every piece of prey, every claw-mark on our enemies, every patrol could mean the difference between life and death."

Lilypaw was silent for a moment. She flicked her ears and buried her head in her paws. "So if life is so difficult, why aren't we all just kittypets?"

Starsplash scoffed. "And what? Would we sit in their dens all day, lazy and fat? Eating dry food and wet slop, meowing for attention? Perhaps they enjoy that, but I'm a proud warrior of Thunderclan."

Lilypaw blinked quietly. "Maybe. But it also seems nice. I mean, a warm place to sleep, and two-legs to comfort and love you. No fear, no hardship." She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and she sighed contently, placing her head down.

Starsplash would have continued, but a quiet croak spoke up from a corner of the den. "What's this about kittypets?"

"Sagewhisker!" meowed Starsplash, bounding over to her friend. The she-cat's once vibrant red pelt was dirty and torn, and she had a welted scar across her eye. Still, her eyes were bright and fierce, and Starsplash felt as though she could drown in her friend's gaze.

Sagewhisker purred and pushed her cheek to Starsplash's. "Leafpool told me you came back, but I thought she was just lying to spare my feelings."

Starsplash shook her head, placing gentle licks to Sagewhisker's ears. "I can't die, remember? I'm too stupid."

Sagewhisker laughed, voice stronger than before. She twitched her whiskers and stood, bracing herself on Starsplash's shoulder.

Sagewhisker hobbled over to Lilypaw, looking her up and down. "You're about the age I was when my two-leg threw me out. She didn't want me." Sagewhisker bit her lip and looked down. "No one else would come get me, either. Momma wanted to keep me with her, but the two-leg kept saying something about me being kittypet quality. Momma thought she would kill me, but the two-leg just threw a shoe at me until I ran away."

Lilypaw whimpered. "Why would she do that?"

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Who knows? But I'm telling you this so that you don't get the wrong idea. Being a kittypet is nice enough, but it's not all cream and collars. You only eat when they feed you, they choose if you get to go outside, and some cats even get hit by their two-legs. It's a comfortable life for most, but it's not all sunshine."

Lilypaw thought for a minute, tail flicking. "Is there any life where a cat can truly be happy?"

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Every cat is different. If you don't want to stay a clan cat, that's your decision to make. I just hope you know that whatever path you walk, you have to make it on your own."

Lilypaw thought for a moment, then nodded. "I understand." She turned to Starsplash, calico ears flicking. "Starsplash, please don't hate me, but I want to be a kittypet."

Starsplash sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." She turned to Sagewhisker. "Let's get you some fresh air."

Sagewhisker and Starsplash made their way out of the den, where they sat at Leafpool's side. The medicine cat was pressing thin bundles of wet cobweb to Berrynose's side, where Jinx had left a long gash on his shoulder. The warrior hissed and shook his pelt as a slow drip of blood fell down his side.

"Where's Poppyfrost?" he asked, looking around for his mate.

Leafpool smiled. "She's in the nursery, Berrynose. Don't worry."

He bit his lip. "Thanks for treating me, Leafpool. I'm going to go check on Poppyfrost now."

Leafpool rolled her eyes. "I told you last time that she'll be better off if left alone. She's still recovering, she doesn't need you clogging up the nursery."

He flicked his tail in irritation. "Okay, I'll go hunting. I'll bring her back the tastiest sparrow!" He bounded out of camp, to the annoyance of Toadstep.

Starsplash chuckled. "I hope that when I take a mate, they aren't as mouse-brained as Berrynose."

Sagewhisker flushed and dipped her head. "Yeah, well…"

"Oh, by the stars. Are you seriously padding after him?" asked Starsplash, incredulous.

"No!" denied Sagewhisker even more, flushed at this point. "Just drop it, alright?"

Starsplash rolled her eyes with jealousy. "I can't believe this. I thought you had better taste than him. Besides, he already has a mate."

"I'm not padding after him!" she hissed. "I just like how attentive he is to his mate. That's it, really."

Starsplash sighed with relief. "Alright, fine. But surely there must be someone in the clan you like? Or," she whispered, dropping her voice, "I won't tell if your sweetheart is in one of the other clans."

Sagewhisker shook her head furiously. "No, no! They're in the clan, I promise. I'm just not comfortable talking about it right now, so just drop it."

Starsplash smiled. "Alright. But if you get knocked up, you have to name one of them Tigerkit."

Sagewhisker laughed, bringing her paw up to her mouth. Starsplash felt her face grow hot at the adorable action, and she smiled. "Alright, alright, I'll remember that. But why Tigerkit?"

Starsplash shrugged. "I don't know. It just has a fearsome ring to it, doesn't it?"

Sagewhisker sighed. "Say, if tigers were orange with black stripes, why was Tigerstar a brown tabby? Come to think of it, so's Tigerheart of Shadowclan"

Starsplash poked Sagewhisker. "Well, you're not green with purple flowers, are ya? Names don't have to make sense. Like, stars don't splash, and squirrels don't fly. It's just supposed to be a representation of the cat."

Sagewhisker pouted adorably, which sent Starsplash's heartbeat running. She shook her head and pressed her tail to Sagewhisker's face, watching Snakepaw run around to each of the different warriors. "C'mon. There's someone I want you to meet."