Armed with a sadly empty cup of coffee, a misshapen lemon scone, and some medicine for my crippling cramps and horrible headaches, I bring you…. Chapter 53!

RR:

Stormbreeze: Aye aye cap'n. Listened; liked it :P. And are your predictions correct? VE SHALL SEE VON'T VE.

I think I actually love Vixenpaw. Up there in my favourites.

And yes, I'll be doing a Hallowe'en special. What is it? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out. Picking right up where we left off about thirty six years ago.

Chapter 53.

"H- help me?" Lightningpaw stammered, her jaw hanging limply. "Help me how?"

"Well, you want to make that tom like you, right?" Vixenpaw inquired. "Hey, what's his name anyways?"

"B- Breezepaw," the flustered she-cat replied. "And- and yeah, I want him to like me. But he's from WindClan! It's- it's wrong! It's against the code!"

Vixenpaw rolled her eyes dismissively. "What's wrong with living a little? Rules are made to be broken."

Lightningpaw didn't know what to think of that philosophy, but if it excused her crush on Breezepaw, she was all for it. "I guess."

"Oh, come on. I saw how you looked him." Vixenpaw's amber eyes glimmered as she teased her sister. "Don't deny it."

"Fine," Lightningpaw snapped, heat flushing through her fur. "What's your brilliant plan anyways?"

Vixenpaw grinned, her amber eyes sparkling with mischief and delight. "Aw, this is so cute."

"Tell me your stupid plan before I go to my nest and never come back," Lightningpaw retorted, her golden eyes flashing in warning.

"Fine, fine," Vixenpaw nodded. "Alright, so here it is. The Gathering's tonight, right? Right. So what better way to shake some sense into Breezepaw than to totally ignore him and flirt with Rainwater?"

"What?!"

Lightningpaw's jaw nearly broke the ground it dropped so fast. Her eyes widened until they could have rivalled the sun in golden intensity. She wasn't looking at Vixenpaw like she had bees in her brain so much as looking at her as though she had suddenly turned into a giant bee and invited her to go patrol some trees.

When her breath returned, it returned with flair.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Lightningpaw's yell nearly shook all of the leaves off the trees a couple moons early.

"Hush, keep your voice down!" Vixenpaw snapped and then smirked widely. "Insane? Possibly. I prefer the term 'evil genius'."

Lightningpaw was still shell-shocked by her sister's outlandish proposition.

"WHY IN STARCLAN'S NAME-" Her next shriek was cut off by Vixenpaw stuffing her paw into her sister's mouth.

"Shhh!" She exclaimed. "This is going to work, promise. You just have to listen."

Lightningpaw sat with a resigned expression. "Alright. Spill."

Vixenpaw's devious smirk grew. "So toms are stupid sometimes, I think we can all agree. They pine after she-cats and then seem to lose interest for a moon, then they're wondering why we're ignoring them."

Lightningpaw nodded, privately wondering how exactly Vixenpaw was so knowledgeable in the inner workings of the brains of toms, but said nothing. Whiteshadow let out a gusty sigh in her mind.

"What better way to knock some sense into him than to make him jealous?" The ginger and white she-cat suggested. "Besides, Rainwater's so oblivious I could run up to him now and yell that the sky was falling and he'd probably just blink at me."

Lightningpaw stifled a laugh. That's probably true…

"I guess," she allowed. "But how are we gonna be sure it worked?

"I'll strike up a conversation while you flirt with Rainwater," Vixenpaw explained easily. "If he seems distracted, or on edge, then we'll have our answer, won't we?"

She nodded slowly. Vixenpaw's plan was logical, but… "You want me to flirt with Rainwater? B- but…"

"But nothing! You want this to work!" Vixenpaw snickered. "C'mon, he's a jerk. He deserves it."

Lightningpaw nodded, though it was hard to keep the utterly lost expression Rainwater had wore when Petalpaw- that is, Molly -left ThunderClan out of her mind. He's gone through nothing worse than I have. We all have troubles, but just because his sister left the Clan doesn't mean he gets the right to be a sour badger all the time.

With that thought firmly in her head, she said to Vixenpaw, "Let's do it."

A slow smile spread across her sister's face. "Knew you'd come around."
And with that, she stretched out her paw.

Lightningpaw met it with a press of her pad.

Sisters once more.

"Lightningpaw!" Blackpool called to her from across the clearing.

Lightningpaw bounded over, irritation burning her. I just want to go to my nest! Is that so much to ask? I did way more than any other cat. I've been hunting and I was in the fight and I'm just sick of working!

"I have a job for you," he informed her.

"Shocker," she muttered.

"What was that?" His eyes narrowed sharply.

"Nothing," she muttered mutinously. "What's the job?"

Blackpool shuffled his paws, looking embarrassed. "Well, since… Fawnshade… passed, the kits have been restless. I was wondering if you could… um, distract them?"

Lightningpaw stiffened. He wants me to go play with the kits of my dead mother and that monster?! She opened her jaws to tell Blackpool exactly what she thought about that idea when Leaffur rushed up to her.

"Thank you so much, I've been so stressed with handling all eight of them," Leaffur exclaimed, her eyes tearing up. "And Fawnshade… with Fawnshade gone, I just… I just don't know… You remind me so much of her, you know? Thank you for everything, Lightningpaw. Your mother would be proud."

Lightningpaw gaped, but quickly collected herself. "Yeah, yeah, it's no problem…"

Leaffur's eyes filled with gratitude and guilt swamped Lightningpaw.

Brushing off her exhaustion, she headed for the nursery. I owe it to Leaffur, at least. I'm not the only one impacted by Fawnshade's 'passing', as Blackpool so delicately put it…

She tried not to think about her mother.

"White-ningpaw!" a kit exclaimed, bounding out of the nursery.

The 'kit' was nearly as big as her, and she recognized him as Birchkit. His green eyes glowed in the sunlight as he bounced up to her.

His sister, Stormkit, dashed up behind him and nudged him aside to greet Lightningpaw.

"Hi Lightningpaw! Are you going to show us a fighting move? I asked Leaffur but she said no…" the smoke-gray kit exclaimed.

"Well, if your mother says no…" Lightningpaw mewed uncomfortably, but temptation curled her fur. Stormkit was so eager.

"She should show me first!" Birchkit insisted. "I asked first."

Lightningpaw was saved from having to tell Birchkit that no, he didn't actually ask first, or at all, when five kits came dashing out of the nursery. Their expressions were too innocent, too sweet, too soon.

Lightningpaw winced.

"Lightningpaw!" Sweetkit exclaimed, her face lighting up. "You're teaching us fighting moves?"

"No," Lightningpaw growled.

Seven pairs of big kit eyes blinked up at her. Her half-siblings' eyes hadn't even changed from the kit-blue and they were already asking about ways to murder others. I should expect nothing less from the kin of that scum.

"Really?" Stormkit pouted. "Fine."

"Let's play mothball!" Birchkit suggested eagerly.

"Mossball," his sister corrected.

"Yeah, mothball," Birchkit nodded.

Lightningpaw rolled her eyes affectionately. They might've grown, but I guess Birchkit's still got his lisp…

Whiteshadow made a noise that sounded like it might have been a whimper, but Lightningpaw wasn't sure.

"But you guys always win!" Pearlkit exclaimed, pouting.

"That's 'cause your legs are short!" Stormkit shot back.

Pearlkit looked like she was about to burst into tears and Sweetkit looked heartbeats away from tackling Stormkit and scratching her up.

"Well now, there's no need to be rude," Lightningpaw said diplomatically, itching to put Pearlkit in her place but refraining.

Sunkit laid his tail on Pearlkit's shoulders comfortingly. "It s'okay, Pearlkit, we can play mossball on our own. See, my legs short too!"

Lightningpaw nodded gratefully to Sunkit, internally hoping that maybe not all of the cursed offspring were terrible cats in the making, and he lit up like his namesake and started batting a morsel of moss to his sister.

"C'mon, Stormkit, I'll play," Lightningpaw said.

"I'm play too," Sweetkit said defiantly. "You too, Clou'ykit."

Lightningpaw bit her lip, but said nothing. 'Clou'ykit' tottered up to them with a dazed expression.

"I play mossball?"

Well, he's certainly not the quickest cloud in the sky… Lightningpaw observed to herself wryly.

The game started with Cloudykit tripping over his own tail and banging his muzzle into the ground, squealing in pain, and dashing back into the nursery. Well that didn't last, Lightningpaw thought with a prick of dark amusement.

After that, things rolled smoothly. Two teams were formed, and to Lightningpaw's chagrin she found herself facing off Birchkit and Stormkit with Sweetkit by her side.

The game started, the mossball being flung high into the air. Sweetkit was put out of commission briefly when Stormkit headbutted her into the side of the nursery. Lightningpaw made up for it by flicking the ball in a soaring arc over the heads of the two kits.

Birchkit launched himself into the air and batted at it with one paw. When he inevitably landed, it was clumsy. He staggered sideways and yanked his other front paw off the ground like it was lava.

"Are you okay?" Lightningpaw asked nervously, the game briefly forgotten.

"That's his bad paw," Stormkit informed her wisely. "Dawnsplash says it's cursed. He's always banging it and hurting it. That's the only paw he's gotten a thorn in."

Lightningpaw blinked. "It's cursed?"

"I… I'm going to see Dawnspash," Birchkit muttered, wincing as he inspected his paw gingerly.

Lightningpaw nodded nervously. I've only been watching them for a few minutes and Cloudykit already banged his muzzle, Sweetkit crashed into the thorns, and Birchkit banged his 'cursed paw'. Wow, I'm doing great. Tip-top job there, me.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Kits can be a pawful, Whiteshadow said softly. Although I suppose neither of them were quite as much trouble as eight kits would be.

Neither of them? Lightningpaw narrowed her eyes, preparing a sneaky interrogation, but Stormkit distracted her.

"Will you show us a fighting move now? We can't play mossball with three cats," the smoke-gray kitten said, pouting.

Lightningpaw hesitated. On one paw, the kits were eager and she really didn't want to turn down the kit that might be her future apprentice. On the other paw, if Leaffur had said no, she didn't want trouble with Stormkit's mother. Well… maybe not a fighting move… Thinking fast, she crouched, stalking an imaginary mouse.

"How about I show you how to hunt?" Lightningpaw suggested, smiling as enticingly as possible.

"But that's boring!" Sweetkit squealed, scowling at Lightningpaw. "Don't you know? Rainwater showed us how to stalk yesterday and that was ages ago! We wanna learn how to fight! We're going to play warriors and foxes!"

Lightningpawpaw frowned at the she-cat. When I was her age, I would have loved if an apprentice showed us how to stalk! She thought haughtily, then pictured Rosepaw swaggering over to them to teach. Well… maybe not her. But I'm not nearly as bossy or annoying as Rosepaw! I… hope…

"Well… maybe one fighting move," she relented, dodging at glance at the entrance of camp where Leaffur still had not returned from her walk.

"Yay!" Both kits cheered.

Sunkit and Pearlkit paused their game to join in the fighting. Cloudykit returned from his injured sulking in the nursery as well.

But when Lightningpaw saw who was with him, she had second thoughts. Rainbowkit, she thought, her lip curling involuntarily.

"Hi, can I try a fighting move?" Her voice was cool and sweet, like honeysuckle dew.

Lightningpaw wavered again. It wasn't fair to Stormkit to shut down the idea, but she didn't want to interact with the little long-furred calico she-cat anymore than she had to…

"I- I guess," Lightningpaw muttered resentfully.

"Great!" Her kit-blue eyes shimmered with excitement.

The dark brown and white she-cat debated briefly what move she should show them. Nothing too graphic… how about how to jump onto an enemy and stay on? That should be good for their kit-games but not lethal.

"Alright, I'm going to show you the jump-grab," Lightningpaw announced, and the kits cheered. "Like this; watch carefully."

Imagining a dead stump as her adversary, Lightningpaw squared off against it and growled menacingly. The kits watched with wide eyes, and the dark brown apprentice heard Cloudykit's low mutter to his sister:

"Why're her eyes and ears all squished up?"

"I think it's so that the enemy can't claw them," Rainbowkit answered thoughtfully, her eyes glued to the apprentice.

Irritation at Rainbowkit's easy understanding of a concept Blackpool had to explain to her, Lightningpaw launched herself with more force than necessary and overshot the stump. Undaunted, she hooked her claws into the back and pretended to haul it backwards.

"So that's the jump-grab," she said, breathing hard from her large jump.

They don't need to know that I completely botched it… she thought to herself, frustration zinging through her.

"Wouldn't it be easier to pull over an enemy if you landed on top of them instead of beside them?" Rainbowkit asked, tilting her head innocently.

"No, duh, because then you'd fall over too!" Lightningpaw snapped, though she knew that the move also involved leaping off at the last heartbeat.

"Well, then you could just leap off at the last heartbeat," Rainbowkit replied quickly.

Lightningpaw's claws flexed, but she held her tongue, managing, "Well, you can take that up with the generations of warriors who have used that move effortlessly and without complaint."

Rainbowkit shrugged. Lightningpaw fought back a snarl.

"Thank you so much," Leaffur repeated gratefully.

Lightningpaw nodded absently. She had been whiskers away from launching herself out of camp to stop herself from beating up a kit when Leaffur had burst back into camp.

As Leaffur went back to the kits, Lightningpaw hurried towards her nest, only to be stopped again. Grr. Let me sleep, she thought, but she turned with a vacant expression to her newest hassler.

"Yes?" She blinked suddenly as she recognized the pale green eyes of the new leader.

"Lightningpaw, I'd like you to do something for me," Redstar said smoothly.

The dark brown she-cat unsheathed her claws. I'm sick and tired of running errands for everybody! Just let me sleep!

"What," she said as sharply as she dared.

"Get some rest," Redstar told her, blinking kindly at her. "You look like you're going to fall asleep on your paws, and for your courage in the battle and perseverance in helping out around the camp today, I'd like you to attend the Gathering."

Lightningpaw blinked. The Gathering? How… how can the Clans all unite in one place after ripping each other apart only hours before? Her thoughts spun like the lake in a storm, and she winced as a headache began to build behind her nest.

"Yes, Redstar," she murmured, and hurried into the damp and cool apprentice den.

She tucked her tail over her nose and fell asleep in heartbeats.

When she woke, the last of the sun's rays were dripping off the trees. She blinked blearily, trying hold onto the last fluttering wisps of her dream.

She remembered Fawnshade's troubled amber eyes, her last scream…

Shuddering, she brushed it off and stretched in the dark den. She felt her muscles pulse sorely, an ache squeezing every bone.

As she padded out of the den, a yawn split her jaws.

"Lightningpaw," a cool mew greeted her.

Lightningpaw cut herself off mid-yawn and readied a scowl at the young warrior, when she remembered. I'm supposed to make him like me… Taking, a deep breath, she employed a winning smile and tilted her head.

"Hi Rainwater!" She trilled. Okay, okay, take it down a notch, that sounded ridiculous… she berated herself. "Uh, I mean…"

The gray tom blinked at her blankly. He continued to stare at her wordlessly and she felt her fur itch. This is stupid. I'll try again later, she thought, pressing back a glare and quickly slipped past Rainwater.

How in StarClan's name am I supposed to make that soggy log flirt with me? Lightningpaw wondered irritably, embarrassment flushing heat through her fur. Well… I suppose he doesn't have to flirt back, I just need to pretend long enough to make Breezepaw a bit jealous.

At the thought of the golden WindClan tom, her heart sped up. For Breezepaw.

With his image firmly in her mind, she dragged herself to the base of the rock where Redstar was preparing her announcement.

"ThunderClan! All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge," she called, her voice ringing powerfully around the camp.

She'll make a good leader, Whiteshadow observed. Despite her name, she reminds me of her sister.

Redstar's sister? Lightningpaw asked, confused. Redstar doesn't have a sister; her only littermate is my father, Owlclaw.

No, I meant the sister of- Whiteshadow was cut off as Redstar called again.

"The cats attending the Gathering will be as follows," the leader announced, "Myself, Blackpool, Dawnsplash, Birdtail, Heatherclaw, Oakpelt, Mallowdrop, Rainwater, Vixenpaw, Lightningpaw, Slatepaw, and Rowanwind."

Lightningpaw breathed a sigh of relief. I guess our plan could have been derailed if Vixenpaw wasn't invited to the Gathering. Lucky thing she was.

"What about me?!" The irate mew rang across the gathered Clan from the entrance to the medicine den.

A couple of purrs of amusement were quickly silenced by a certain cream and ginger she-cat sending them a blazing look from bright green eyes.

"Rosefire-" Redstar began gently, but the she-cat barrelled on without listening to the leader.

"I deserve to go as much as anyone!" she snapped. "More, even! I got badly injured, and for what? So that Thornstar could bite the dust and go be at peace in StarClan? I deserve to go!"

Oh, he's not in StarClan, Lightningpaw thought darkly, flexing her claws.

"Rosefire, listen to me," Redstar said authoritatively. "If I cared nothing for your health, I'd bring you along. But you fought so hard, you almost beat RiverClan single-pawed, and you're injured. I need warriors to guard the camp in case of RiverClan attempting a sneaky counterattack on the full moon. You're the best cat for the job."

Rosefire scowled, but there was less bite behind it this time. "If you really need me here…"

Redstar nodded quickly. "I do. Thank you, Rosefire."

The cream and ginger she-cat gave a haughty sniff and slunk back into the medicine den. Dawnsplash shot a grateful look at Redstar.

Lightningpaw looked admiringly up at Redstar. That was pretty good. Just the right amount of ego-massaging and authority to make even that stubborn stick back down.

Yes, like I said. A good leader, Whiteshadow said, sounding a little sad.

The dark ginger she-cat leapt down from the highledge, fluffing her tabby pelt out against the chilly leaf-fall wind and led the way out of camp.

Lightningpaw hurried after her, finding that her energy had returned to her after her nap.

"Ready?" Vixenpaw's eyes gleamed in the darkness, and the dark brown she-cat had a feeling she wasn't referring to the Gathering.

"Always," Lightningpaw responded, her stomach fluttering.

After tonight, I might finally be with Breezepaw… She could have squealed like a kit, but she held the urge back and took a deep breath. Focus. Focus.

Lightningpaw… don't you think that leading Rainwater on is… wrong? Whiteshadow pressed.

Well… I mean, I guess. But he hates me! It's just tonight anyways. He's not going to actually flirt back or anything, Lightningpaw reassured her.

Hm. Whiteshadow made a noncommittal sound. We'll see.

"Before or after the leaders do their announcements?" Vixenpaw asked.

"What?" Lightningpaw blinked, clearing Whiteshadow's warning to the back of her mind.

Vixenpaw rolled her sparkling amber eyes. "It's like your head is full of fluff. Do you want to enact our brilliant plan before or after the leaders do their announcements?"
"Oh- uh," Lightningpaw stammered. "Before, I guess."

"Alright. I'll find Breezepaw. What does he look like again?" Vixenpaw tilted her head, her features blurred in the darkness.

"His pelt is like the sun and his paws are like shadows, his eyes are like green-leaf and-" Lightningpaw cut herself off. "Yellow pelt, black paws and tail-tip, green eyes."

Vixenpaw collapsed into a fit of giggles. "Oh, you've got it bad…"

"Shut up," Lightningpaw said, flushing.

The clearing was lit by moonlight and little else. The chilly breeze of leaf-bare's breath blew across them as the four Clans assembled, shuffling in and casting suspicious looks in the general direction of ThunderClan.

"It was Thornstar that wanted to attack you, not our elders, not our medicine cat, not any of the warriors," Vixenpaw snorted under her breath.

"Mm," Lightningpaw agreed absently.

"There he is!" her sister suddenly hissed in her ear, making her leap about a fox-length into the air.

"Don't startle me like that!" she snapped at Vixenpaw, then turned her gaze to where her sister was motioning frantically with her bushy tail.

Breezepaw's golden pelt was lit by the moon, colouring it a shimmering bronze. His head swivelled slowly as though he was searching for someone. Me? Lightningpaw's heart jumped into her throat.

"Lightningpaw! Focus!" Vixenpaw bumped her shoulder. "Go find Rainwater!"

"Right, right," she said, nodding briskly and hustling away from Breezepaw and out of her reverie.

She ended up crashing right into her target.

"Argh!" He yelped, leaping away from her and scowling at her. "What was that for?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" she simpered.

His eyes twitched briefly, but he smiled awkwardly. "It's fine, I guess."

She blinked at him. StarClan, what do I do now? I haven't the faintest idea what I'm doing… Whiteshadow! Help!

Don't ask me for help! My love life was a hot mess! Whiteshadow shouted back. I don't know, ask him something about himself! Toms love bragging.

Lightningpaw took a deep breath. For Breezepaw, she reminded herself, and squared up to Rainwater.

"You fought really well in the battle today," she purred.

"Oh- uh, thanks!" he exclaimed, but his eyes narrowed with what was perhaps suspicion. "You weren't bad yourself."

"Thanks," she muttered. "Um… which Clan do you think fights best?"

"ThunderClan," Rainwater responded easily with a haughty sniff. "If you mean of the other three… I don't know. ShadowClan is weak, RiverClan is lazy, and every cat knows WindClan cats are cowards."

"WindClan cats are not cowards!" Lightningpaw snapped before she could stop herself. "I- lots of them fought well!"
Rainwater rolled his eyes. "Didn't know you liked WindClan so much. I'm so very sorry I've offended your delicate sensibilities."

Lightningpaw resisted the urge to claw his smug muzzle and said instead,

"I'm glad I'm in ThunderClan."

"Me too," Rainwater said softly, gazing into her eyes.

Finally making progress! Lightningpaw thought triumphantly, a little uncomfortable with Rainwater's stare. I hope Breezepaw's looking!

"Better than being a kittypet," the gray tom added bitterly.

Lightningpaw's stomach lurched guiltily at the reminder of Rainwater's past.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, and against her instinct leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

She felt him tremble, then tense, then relax.

Lightningpaw held still as long as she dared, then pulled away. She caught Rainwater's blue gaze and froze as she realized there was genuine affection there. Oh no. He doesn't actually- is he really- fox-dung!

Lightningpaw backpedalled, horror churning through her. It backfired!

Rainwater tilted his head, looking like he was about to ask what was wrong when her saviour suddenly melted out of the shadows like he'd been born there.

"Evening, Lightningpaw, is it?" Wavepaw said smoothly. "I'd like to get to know some ThunderClan apprentices better to heal the horrible rift between our Clans."
Lightningpaw shot a look which she hoped looked rueful to Rainwater and let herself be swept away by Wavepaw.

"Thanks for the save," she muttered to him.

"He was bothering you?" Wavepaw tilted his head with a dark expression.

"It's- a long story," Lightningpaw sighed. "I just- wasn't- y'know."

Wavepaw nodded sympathetically, his posture relaxed and his eyes soft.

"I get it, you just wanted a break."

"Exactly," she agreed warmly. "It's just hard to be on all the time, you know? It's tiring. I just want to let down my guard for once and just be able to talk to some cat who won't expect me to be a certain way."

Wavepaw nodded, his expression open and kind.

"I know. My sisters are great and all, but they're so much to deal with, and they have their own set of problems that they expect me to always listen to…" Wavepaw muttered, looking away.

Lightningpaw nodded. That's exactly it! It's like there's no time for me!

Whiteshadow made a disapproving noise, but it was drowned out as Wavepaw turned back to her.

"You know, I'm sorry if I came on a little strong when we first met. I was so determined to make a good impression on every cat, I literally dived into a lake to win your favour and all…" he confessed. "I'd like us to be friends."

Lightningpaw found herself nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that too."

Wavepaw beamed, his white teeth sharp and glistening in the moonlight. "Great! I'm glad RiverClan and ThunderClan don't fight much. Too far away, I suppose. Then again, after last moon, I'm not so sure…"

"Or that was our fighting quota for the next hundred moons," Lightningpaw countered, purring.

"That could be it too," Wavepaw agreed, twitching his whiskers amiably. "Whatever it is, I hope our Clans don't clash again. If we worked together, think about how much more we could accomplish! Loyalty to your Clan might make you strong, but if the Clans were bound together, we'd be able to share prey and herbs and everything, and the weakest link, whichever Clan that is, would be supported until they were strong again."

Lightningpaw nodded, his electric blue eyes hypnotic as he spoke passionately.

"Yeah, yeah, together," she murmured.

He held her gaze for another heartbeat, before looking away quickly with an embarrassment fidget.

"I'm glad there's at least one other cat in the Clans who gets how I feel," he muttered.

Lightningpaw beamed. "So am I."

Lightningpaw and Wavepaw chatted until the leaders commanded their attention, Rainwater and Breezepaw forgotten.

It's like every time I meet him, he's a new cat, Lightningpaw thought affectionately as she waved her tail in farewell to the silver tom.

Be careful, Whiteshadow cautioned. In a game of hearts, there a seldom winners.

Thanks for obscure prophecy-y warning number I've-completely-lost-count-at-this-point. Lightningpaw wrinkled her nose.

"WindClan will speak first," Spottedstar announced coldly. "In the horrible and unprovoked attack of yesterday, we lost Oatpad. Sunnyfur, Copperspots, and Rabbitpaw were badly injured and are recovering under the care of Morningpoppy and Littlepaw. Leopardpaw has received her warrior name and is now Leopardheart, Provided no other casualties occur, or another attack," Spottedstar paused to curl her lip at Redstar, then continued, "that is all WindClan has to report."

Lightningpaw bristled a little at the barb thrown at Redstar, but Redstar sat as coolly and unruffled as ever. Cheers for Leopardheart rose up from the Clans, however the majority of ThunderClan was stonily silent.

"ShadowClan will go next," Ivystar said, stepping forwards. "After ThunderClan's brutal assault on an innocent Clan, two of our warriors have died. Mousepelt and Vinestem are gone but not forgotten. We hope that Mudpaw and Poolpaw, Vinestem's two kits, will bring honor to his name. Shiningsnow has moved into the nursery and is expecting Wildwind's kits, who will hopefully grow up with both parents alive. One of our elders has unfortunately passed away. Ratpaw and Pinepaw are now Pineleaf and Rattail. That is all."

Some half-hearted cheers for the new warriors came from ShadowClan, but the other three Clans were silent. Unpopular, I suppose, Lightningpaw thought to herself. I think I remember them; unpleasant and rude.

As the sparse greetings faded, Snowstar stepped forwards. He was limply slightly and his snow-white fur was matted in places, brownish-red and pale green where blood and poultices had soaked into it.

"RiverClan will share news next," he grunted, wincing as he put weight upon his left foreleg. "RiverClan is grateful for the intervention of WindClan and ShadowClan on our behalf when ThunderClan unfairly accused us and invaded our territory with a savage and unwarranted attack."

StarClan, these leaders love talking about how awful ThunderClan is, Lightningpaw thought irritably. I mean, yes, the attack was wrong. But Thornstar's dead, and Shadefur, er, star, publicly announced that he didn't support the attack, and neither did the rest of ThunderClan! It was Thornstar's fault, not ours.

"Crowstrike, a new warrior, and Badgerfur, her previous mentor were killed in the battle," Snowstar continued gravely, his blue eyes darkening with sorrow. "We hope to avoid any conflict with other Clans in the future, and we wish for things to be resolved with words in the place of claws. Poolfur has kitted; four kits by the names of Splashkit, Islandkit, Trilliumkit, and Quailkit. And one of our apprentices has become a warrior after helping to deal with a fox that came onto our territory. Cinnamonpaw is now Cinnamonheart."

Lightningpaw felt indignance rise within her at Snowstar's continued accusations aimed at ThunderClan. It's not a problem anymore! Now that Thornstar's gone, everything's okay!

"And ThunderClan will go last," Redstar mewed softly, stepping forwards. "We too have lost cats; Brownwing died in the battle and Fawnshade died during kitting not long before. They will be mourned by their families and we will never forget them. Now that Thornstar is dead and gone, I hope to bring a new era of peace upon us. However, challenges to my leadership or the honor of ThunderClan will not be met with submission and apologies but rather tooth and claw. Thank you, that is all."

The clearing was silent. Lightningpaw felt a rush of pride for their new leader fill her. That was great! She sure showed those guys!

Whiteshadow made a noise of approval.

The silence was soon broken as the sounds of mingling returned. Maybe I can find Breezepaw or Vixenpaw… see if it really worked.

"Lightningpaw!" A mew suddenly startled her and made her turn.

"Darkpaw?" Lightningpaw narrowed her eyes, remembering the tiny calico's vicious attack during yesterday's battle. "Hi…"

"Lightningpaw, I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Darkpaw said, her eyes wide and genuine. "I- I- I'm sorry. But you understand, it's just loyalty to ShadowClan. I didn't want to hurt you."

Lightningpaw had a hard time believing that last statement. The image of Darkpaw's manic grin as she tore into the dark brown she-cat's flesh wasn't going away in a hurry. But… I should give her another chance, she thought ruefully.

"Apology accepted," Lightningpaw said grudgingly. "It'd be great if you didn't try to wrap my kidneys in grass for another couple moons though."

Darkpaw giggled. "I'm sorry."

The giggle only served to energize the crawling feeling on her back, but she attempted a smile and nodded. "I'm sorry too, if I hurt you."

"You didn't," Darkpaw said abruptly, and turned back to leave and return to ShadowClan.

Lightningpaw shrugged and turned to continue her search for Vixenpaw or Breezepaw. Darkpaw gives me a weird feeling… she told Whiteshadow silently. You're an all-knowing StarClan cat right? What's her deal?

She's just another player in this game of hearts, Whiteshadow replied mysteriously.

Thanks, very useful, Lightningpaw snorted.

Her eyes finally landed on the tell-tale ginger and white pelt of her sister. She hurried over to her.

"Great news!" Vixenpaw exclaimed, her amber eyes sparkling with mischievous delight. "It totally worked. I tried to talk to him and he was acting like his brain was grabbed by an eagle and dropped off the edge of the world."

"Really?" Hope ignited inside of Lightningpaw. Could I get a happily-ever-after like a cat in an elder's tale? Is StarClan finally repaying me for taking my mother from me?

"Definitely," Vixenpaw replied, flashing a grin. "You should have heard him. 'Bluh bluh what? Who's that tom over there?'"

Lightningpaw wrinkled her nose at her sister, irritated by how she was portraying Breezepaw as some sort of bumbling rabbit-brain.

"Well… what's next then?" Lightningpaw asked nervously, shuffling her paws. "Should I go talk to him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Vixenpaw rolled her eyes at her sister and the fur along Lightningpaw's spine rose a little. "No, of course not! You wait another moon, flirt more, then talk to him! You can't just give him what he wants before he even knows he wants it! Besides, this is funny. So how'd Rainwater react?"

"He- he- uh," Lightningpaw stammered, not wanting to reveal the gray tom's peculiar behaviour.

"Had no idea what was going on?" Vixenpaw finished, rolling her eyes again. "Of course. That mouse-brain."

Lightningpaw faltered. Has she always been this mean? And… controlling? She wondered.

"Yeah, sure," Lightningpaw replied uncomfortably.

Stay tuned for the fun Hallowe'en special! QOTC: Do you ship Lightningpaw and Rainwater? Until next week!

~Pondfrost