Hello all! As I said, we would be continuing some Dovewing/Cloudfur SnowClan stories. This doesn't cover their entire life, just about up to the point when they become mates. There will be more stories about them and their friends in following chapters

Also, if I hear one more person complain that "Dovewing" already exists in the warrior books, I'm going to explode. You want to know when Dovepaw got her warrior name in role-play? 2010. And you want to know when the official Dovepaw in Omen of the Stars become Dovewing? April 2011. SHE WAS NAMED DOVEWING BEFORE SIGN OF THE MOON CAME OUT.

Cloudkit pounced around the nursery with his two sisters while his mother sat against the wall, watching her kits play. Cloudkit was happy to be in SnowClan and finally have a home, but he wished he had more playmates. His sisters were fine, but they were the only kits in the nursery, and Cloudkit was desperate for more playmates.

It was only when he heard Icestar talking to his mother that he grew excited. A small ginger kit came to join them, and Cloudkit immediately raced to introduce himself to his new playmate.

"Hi, I'm Cloudkit!" he said excitedly.

The ginger kit smiled. "I'm Dovekit! Let's play!"

Cloudkit nodded, and from then on, the two became constant playmates and the closest of friends.

Cloudkit began to drift from his sisters, Skykit and Petalkit, from that point onward. Of course they were still close, but Dovekit became his closest playmate.

"You know you have sisters to play with too," his mother, Rosefur, would tease him.

"Yes, but I like playing with Dovekit too," he told her.

In the nursery, they were playmates and friends, and that was all that mattered to Cloudkit. He had a best friend, and he hoped to continue being friends with her as they continued to train.

Because Cloudkit was two moons older than the she-cat, he was the first to become apprentice. He was glad to train with his sisters, but saddened to leave his friend behind.

"Good luck with training," Dovekit told him. "Soon I can train with you."

He nodded and grinned, and when her day came, he proudly sat below the rock and watched as Icestar named her Dovepaw. And from that moment on, they were inseparable again.

"You have such a giant crush on her," Petalpaw teased.

"I do not!" Cloudpaw growled, his fur getting on edge.

Skypaw and Petalpaw only giggled and walked away.

He continued to deny any feelings he had for her, but it did not sway him from spending time with her. The two often trained together, and they even accompanied Icestar and the deputy Applewhisker on special missions along the territory.

He got the sense that Applewhisker did not trust Dovepaw, but he wasn't sure why. He knew that she had been found on their territory, but that was it. Dovepaw didn't need to know her entire origin to have a rightful place in the clan, or at least he thought so anyway.

One day, dogs broke into the territory. Cloudpaw was not there when it happened, but Dovepaw was. He anxiously waited for her all day after hearing of the dogs, but it was getting late, and he supposed it was time for sleep.

Yet he couldn't shake off the fear he felt for her. He had never felt so protective of her before. Perhaps it was because he was two moons older. Yes, that was it. She was like another sister he had to protect.

Cloudpaw dozed for a bit before he was awoken by the sound of pawsteps. He glanced up, watching Dovepaw quietly slip into the apprentice den. She sat down next to him and began licking her fur, which was stained with blood. Despite her appearance, she seemed rather calm.

"What happened?!" he exclaimed.

Dovepaw looked up. "Oh, it's not my blood," she mewed gently.

Cloudpaw let out a little sigh of relief. "Is everyone okay?"

She nodded, continuing to clean her fur. Her bright ginger fur was soon gleaming again and not covered in dark blood.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Dovepaw nodded. She glanced outside at the setting sun. "It's getting dark..."

"Yeah. We should go to bed," Cloudpaw said.

She nodded and curled up beside him. He grinned slightly as her fur brushed against his. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off.

Light filtered through the den in the morning. It had rained overnight, and the scent of fresh rain lingered. Morning dew hung on the plants and the ground was damp with rainwater.

Cloudpaw awoke before Dovepaw, finding her sleeping heavily. He grinned a bit as he watched her sleep, then stopped himself. Wasn't that weird? Was he truly falling for the she-cat? He had heard cats whisper how they would no doubt becomes mates as warriors. Was he too blind to see that?

The she-cat twitched her tail and Cloudpaw quickly averted his gaze as she opened her eyes and stretched. She rose to her paws and let out a loud yawn. Cloudpaw rose as well and headed outside with her.

"I love mornings after a fresh rain!" Dovepaw exclaimed. "Everything smells sweeter and cleaner."

Cloudpaw grinned. "Yeah. It's nice."

"I hope I get to go on patrol today," she purred.

"Yeah, me too."

"Dovepaw, Cloudpaw, you're on patrol!" Blacktail shouted. He had recently taken over Applewhisker's deputy duties as the she-cat had fallen pregnant. Though who the father was, no one could really say. There was something odd going on in SnowClan.

Dovepaw's face lit up with Blacktail's announcement. "COME ON, CLOUDPAW!" she called, racing to where patrol was gathering.

He grinned and chased after her.

"Where are we going today?" she asked Blacktail, her eyes sparkling. Ha her eyes glimmered like that before? Cloudpaw wasn't sure.

"Just to the stream," Blacktail told her.

"Lead the way!" Dovepaw said happily.

They padded through the forest. Cloudpaw tried to spark some minor conversation with Dovepaw, but she seemed very focused on patrolling. Cloudpaw knew she didn't get to patrol too often, so this must've been a treat for her.

They got to the area of the forest where the dogs had entered the day prior. They paused to have a sniff. Dovepaw sniffed the air and slowly walked past Cloudpaw, sniffing the ground. She froze, and her eyes clouded with worry.

"Do you smell something?" Cloudpaw asked, becoming concerned.

Dovepaw slowly lifted her head. "Yes," she said blankly. "There are no scents of dogs though...just badgers."

"What? Badgers?"

She silenced Cloudpaw by putting her tail over his muzzle. She pricked her ears forward and widened her eyes, yowling, "THEY'RE COMING!"

The cats spun around as two badgers busted into SnowClan territory. They reeked and looked desperate to devour anything in sight.

Dovepaw stepped back and whispered into Cloudpaw's ear, "I think we should run now..."

"Warriors, attack!" Blacktail yowled.

Dovepaw lurched forward, but Cloudpaw held her back. "You heard what he said! Warriors only!"

"I fought dogs yesterday," she said, lurching against him.

"Yeah. You don't need to fight badgers either."

"Cloudpaw!"

Blacktail and the other warriors were fighting valiantly, but it seemed they still needed some help.

"They need help, Cloudpaw!"

"Fine. I'll fight. You run if they break free," he told her.

"What? Why can't I-"

"Stay there!" Cloudpaw growled, launching on the nearest badger. It let out a roar and threw Cloudpaw off. He collided into the ground, and blood began to swell at his shoulder. He winced. He had scraped himself up a bit.

But Cloudpaw was determined, and Dovepaw was obeying his orders. He launched again, and with a bit of force, the badgers gave up and ran off.

"We'll have another patrol check to see if they're gone," Blacktail decided. "Let's head back and tell Icestar though."

Dovepaw marched up to Cloudpaw and slapped him with her tail.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"That was stupid, Cloudpaw! And look, you're hurt!"

"I'll be fine."

"Let's get back to SnowClan, and we can fix you up," Blacktail told Cloudpaw.

He nodded and padded back to camp. Dovepaw was silent the whole way, and he prayed she wasn't too mad at him. Nightwhisker was at work in no time. It was just a tiny cut, but it had bled a lot, and it didn't help that Cloudpaw's fur was pure white.

Dovepaw waited in the medicine cat den with him.

"Sorry. I wanted to help," Cloudpaw muttered. "You already fought those dogs yesterday. I didn't want you exhausted."

Dovepaw sighed. "It's fine. Just don't do that again. That was scary."

He nodded.

Once he got the clearance from Nightwhisker that he was free to go, they both returned to the apprentice den for some well-needed rest. As he curled up to sleep that night, Dovepaw moved a little closer to him. He could feel her chest rise and falling next to him.

As he drifted off to sleep, he glanced at her.

I have a major crush on you, he realized.

Things were different after that day. The two were still close friends, but there was always a sense of awkwardness around them. They felt a little more distant, but a little more intimate.

The day came that Cloudpaw was to be a warrior. He was given the name Cloudfur, and when he raced down to greet his clan, Dovepaw was one of the first to congratulate him.

"Hi," she mewed.

"Hi," he replied.

"Cloudfur, huh? I'll have to get used to that name," she told him, her eyes glowing warmly.

He grinned. He wanted to confess at some point, but today didn't seem like the day. Maybe when she became a warrior.

Cloudfur missed Dovepaw when he was a warrior. He still did his best to see her, but it wasn't the same. He anxiously awaited for the days to pass. Only about a moon had passed when they took a nice walk in the forest.

Dovepaw sat by a little stream and stared at the tiny fish. She seemed to be concerned about something.

"They're coming, Cloudfur. I know they are."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. She had been acting weird lately. She always had a unique personality, but lately she had just been acting downright strange.

"Cloudfur, you-you wouldn't understand," she mewed.

He stared at her, unsure of what to say. He had suggested this walk because she had seemed depressed lately, but he had no idea what she was thinking.

The ginger apprentice dipped her paw into the water where the tiny fish were gathering. She sighed and said, "Sweet little things they are, always sticking together."

"Dovepaw, what's wrong?" Cloudfur asked.

She closed her eyes and shuffled her paws in the ground. "It's a terribly long story."

"I'm here to listen, you know," he said.

She didn't make eye contact with him, but she began to talk. "There was this kit-she was rejected from her mother. Her mother would say 'shoo, I don't want you.' The kit would hide in the corner, watching her littler-mates sleep comfortably close to their mother's belly while she had to sleep in the cold." Dovepaw stopped and dug her claws into the ground a bit.

"The mother would spoil them and cuddle them and coo them. 'Angel!' 'Dearest!' But she would only call the rejected kit 'Rat.' The kit got fed up and ran away but got lost-"

"Dovepaw, is this..." His voice trailed off.

She ignored his comment, continuing to talk. "She was lost for a dreadfully long time and was on the brink of death. But a dog came along, a great big one. He took her as a prisoner in his pack, but he grew to care and love her." She lowered her head. "There was then a battle-she got scared and ran away. The battle was between his pack and a clan of cats."

She turned to face Cloudfur. Tears were gathered in her eyes. "They hated all cats except me, and they blamed the clans of cats for taking me away. I saw it. They attacked LightningClan while I hid in a tree. I just know they're coming for SnowClan next."

"Dovepaw, we can stop them," Cloudfur promised. He couldn't believe how open Dovepaw was being right now, but he understood this was important for her.

She sighed and just glanced away. Suddenly, her ears twitched, and she sprang to her paws. "HIDE!" she shouted, shoving Cloudfur into the bushes.

"Dovepaw, what the?!"

She leapt into the bushes with him and kept her tail over his muzzle.

"I'm getting out," Cloudfur muttered. He couldn't hear or smell anything out of the ordinary.

"Get in here!" she hissed at him.

He shook his head, unsure what she was going off about.

Suddenly, there was the sound of paws hitting the forest. They became louder and louder until a bunch of dogs skidded into the clearing. The one leading the pack was big and muscular.

Cloudfur had never seen a real dog before, but they were indeed terrifying. The leader bent down and glanced at Cloudfur. "Where...is...she?!" he growled.

"Who? Whoever you're looking for is not here," Cloudfur said, trying to stay in place.

"LIES!" the dog barked. He lifted his massive paws high in the air and hit the ground in front of Cloudfur. The forest floor seemed to shake, and the dogs behind them barked loudly.

"I'll give you one last warning to give that kitten that is rightfully ours, then we attack," he growled. Cloudfur heard some rustling and found a group of SnowClan cats, including Icestar, at the edge of the clearing, obviously being drawn toward the sound of barking dogs.

Cloudfur watched in shock as Dovepaw slipped out of the bushes and glanced at the dog.

The dog's eyes gleamed in disbelief. "Kitten? Is that you?" His anger seemed to have vanished completely.

"Yes," she spoke softly. "Yes, Robin. It's me."

He bent down and touched noses with the small she-cat.

"I missed you," he whispered in a gentle tone. "I will take you back from the cats who stole you."

"No, you can't!" Cloudfur shouted, suddenly regretting speaking out.

Robin swung his head around and growled at the tom. "Why not?"

"Um...because...she's a SnowClan cat now!" he argued.

Dovepaw backed away from Robin slowly. He glanced at her sideways and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Kitten-come home with me!"

Cloudfur was beginning to fear Dovepaw truly would leave. He glanced at the she-cat and locked eyes with her.

"Don't leave! I-I love you," he told her.

Tears slid down her whiskers. "C-Cloudfur," she stammered. "I love you too." Robin glanced at the two, clearly confused.

"I raised you, kitten!" Robin pleaded.

"SnowClan raised her," Icestar hissed.

Robin growled.

Dovepaw leapt in the middle as the SnowClan cats were slowly unsheathing their claws. She glanced around, then took off running.

"Dovepaw!" Cloudfur shouted.

"I'll run after her," Icestar promised.

The dogs were soon coming after the she-cat too. Cloudfur stood to the side in absolute shock? Dovepaw loved him but...was he going to lose her too today?

It only took Cloudfur a few moments to realize he should be running after her as well. He rushed after the dogs and cats and stopped where Dovepaw was standing next to Icestar and looking at Robin, the dog who saved her from death.

She quickly caught sight of Cloudfur. The two locked eyes for a moment before she turned back to Robin.

"Robin...you've been like a father to me," she mewed shakily. The dog looked happy to hear this. His tail wagged excitedly.

She glanced over at Cloudfur. He felt his heart race.

"Cloudfur. You've been ever so kind to me-"

"Kitten! You must stay with me!" Robin yipped, breaking off her chatter.

"Dovepaw," Cloudfur begged quietly.

Robin took a step forward as if to nuzzle the she-cat he had taken in as a kitten, but she sighed away, padding over to Cloudfur. He froze and watched as Dovepaw paused beside him.

"I have made my decision. I want to stay in SnowClan," she said.

"Dovepaw...you-you mean it?"

She nodded, and Robin's eyes widened.

"Kitten-"

"Don't call me that!" Dovepaw yowled, refusing to make eye contact with the dog.

"Don't leave me!" he howled.

She finally glanced up at him. "Go away! I'm not a kit anymore!"

Robin's tail went between his legs, and he slowly backed off. "But-"

"But what?! LEAVE!" she hissed.

Tears streamed down the dog's face and he ran off, leaving Dovepaw to cry.

"Are you okay?" Cloudfur asked. He should've been thrilled she had chosen him, but it hurt to see her like this.

"I didn't mean to yell at him so hurtfully," she whispered sadly.

Cloudfur sighed, not sure what to say or do. He sat with her a few moments before turning to her again. "Let's head back to SnowClan, okay? You can rest."

She sniffled and nodded.

The patrol returned with Cloudfur and Dovepaw accompanying. As they reached the camp, Cloudfur took Dovepaw aside for a second.

"Does this mean...would you be my mate?" he asked.

She curled tails with the tom and grinned at him.

"Cloudfur, I would love nothing more than to be with you," she promised, nuzzling him.

Only a moon later, Cloudfur stood below the rock and watched Dovepaw receive her warrior name of Dovewing. His mate rushed down the rock to greet him and nuzzled him.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered.

Dovewing grinned. "I can't wait to be a warrior alongside you."

Cloudfur purred. He supposed this was the future he had always imagined. Even if he had been oblivious as an apprentice, he had never imagined a life without Dovewing in it, and he looked forward to their future together.

Aww how touching. Btw all the SnowClan drama that is subtilely mentioned will be the next 1-2 short stories. Icestar will be the main character in those ones, but it will include Dovewing and Applewhisker and Largefoot and a bit of Cloudfur too. Stay tuned.