Hey, everyone! Welcome back!

Just a reminder, the contest is still open until November 5th!

Just come up with a few names for the Morning Rays trilogy, and pop them down in the reviews!

Responses:

Kay (Guest): Otterbright just might appear later! :D Cookies! (::) (::) (::)

Fastbreeze37: Thank you so much!

AutumnLeaves, puppydogs68, Fastbreeze37, and Guest, your entries are on my profile if you want to take a look!

Enjoy le chappie!

Sunpaw sighed, looking down at his mouse. He wasn't feeling very hungry, but he knew he had to eat.

He glanced over in Moonpaw's direction. She was chatting with Lavenderfern and Turtlefoot. As Moonpaw glanced up at him, Sunpaw dropped his gaze. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Moonpaw huff and shift a bit, murmuring to her friends in a lower voice.

Sunpaw suppressed a growl. He figured that the group of she-cats were talking about him.

Over the past quarter-moon, the division between Moonpaw and Sunpaw had gotten larger. It was like a crack in the ground that kept splitting wider open, seperating the littermates. Sunpaw missed the closeness of his sister. He had tried and failed to get her attention, and every time he approached her she made some excuse to leave. The golden tom sighed heavily. They were going to be made warriors in under a moon. He had been looking forward to hunting, patrolling, and fighting beside his sister, but he figured that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

He knew that Moonpaw was in love. It was so obvious a blind mouse could see it. He also figured that her chosen mate wasn't from BlazeClan, or he most likely would have realized it by now.

Glaring down at the mouse that was still sitting by his feet, he decided just to get it over with. He swallowed it in a couple of gulps, the rodent tasting like sawdust in his mouth.

Burying the remains of the prey, he glanced up to the sun. The glowing ball of light was just about at it's highest point. Sunpaw decided to find his mentor and ask if there was anything to do, anything to take his mind off his sister.

Glancing around camp, he saw Timbertree stepping out of the nursery.

Must have been seeing Jasminebloom and his kits, Sunpaw figured. The kits were now 3 1/2 moons old, and thought they were apprentices already.

Timbertree nodded to him. "Good morning, Sunpaw. Velvetcloud asked me to take you out on patrol along the EchoClan border. Then, we'll have some battle training."

Sunpaw nodded, thankful to get out of camp. The two cats filed out of the tunnel, Timbertree in front. Jadeshine rushed after them, panting a little.

"Sorry! I was in the middle of a chat with Briarberry." Timbertree nodded silently, continuing to walk. Jadeshine looked awkward for a second before falling back to walk alongside Sunpaw.

"So Sunpaw, how have you been getting on?" she asked, obviously trying to break some ice. Sunpaw decided to let her.

"I've been good. How about you?"

Jadeshine nodded. "Same here. How about Moonpaw? Is she good?"

Sunpaw froze, not sure for a moment if Jadeshine was trying to drop a hint or just be friendly. Sunpaw glanced up at her, exhaling in silent relief when her eyes were filled with nothing but warmth.

"She's enjoying training," Sunpaw meowed. "She's made a lot of friends, that's for sure."

Jadeshine smiled. "She is sweet, and nice to have around."

Sunpaw scuffed his paw in the dirt, suddenly uncomfortable. He sighed in relief when Timbertree came to a halt at a large bush, fairly close to the border.

"Do you smell that?" he asked, lifting his nose. Sunpaw breathed in, smelling a tinge of flowery scent, along with the smell of damp mud.

"Only flowers and damp mud," he responded. He straightened. "Which means..."

"MeadowClan and TwilightClan have been here!" Jadeshine hissed. "It smells like they're gone, though."

"Gone onto EchoClan territory, more like." Timbertree bristled. "They must be trying to take EchoClan's hills! You remember Dawnstar a couple of Gatherings ago, right?"

Sunpaw stiffened. Timbertree immediately began giving out orders.

"Sunpaw, go back to camp and warn Hawkstar. Tell him to send a patrol to the EchoClan camp. Jadeshine, stay here and wait for Sunpaw and his patrol. I'll head over to the EchoClan camp to help. Go!" Timbertree took off in the direction of the cave-filled territory.

Sunpaw hesitated, then began running as fast as he could back to the camp, crashing through the undergrowth. Finally, the burnt BlazeClan camp came into view. He charged inside, almost knocking over Runningbrook on the way.

"Hey, watch it!" he called out. Sunpaw ignored him, bounding into the leader's den.

"Hawkstar! Hawkstar! TwilightClan and MeadowClan are invading the EchoClan camp! Timbertree has already gone to help, and Jadeshine is waiting at the border!"

Hawkstar's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before he nodded, gathering his Clan together.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Burnt Tree for a Clan meeting!" Most of the Clan was already mingling in the clearing, so Hawkstar wasted no time in explaining the situation.

"Cats of BlazeClan, EchoClan is being ambushed! I need a patrol of cats who are willing to help!"

Several cats shuffled forward, and Hawkstar began rattling off names.

"Yellowthorn, Tumblefoot, Quickfleet, Briarberry, Fawnspeckle, Lightstep, Moonpaw, and Featherear, with me! Velvetcloud, stay with Oatsplash, Turtlefoot, and Lavenderfern and guard the camp with the queens and elders. Riverwhisper and Silversprout, prepare herbs! Berryfur, lead Runningbrook, Stormheart, and Fernwillow in a backup patrol! Let's go!"

Hawkstar sped out of camp, the chosen warriors following.

As the BlazeClan cats reached the border, Jadeshine stepped up, beckoning to them with her tail.

"Come on! Timbertree is already at the camp!" racing away, Hawkstar followed her without question or reminder that he was leader.

As the ground got rockier underpaw, the screeches and yowls of battle fell on Sunpaw's ears.

"BlazeClan, attack!"

Leaping into battle, Sunpaw clawed at a couple of TwilightClanners, leaving tufts of fur in his claws. A rush of adrenaline surged up his spine. He leapt, twisted, and clawed without gasping for breath. Claws ripped through his pelt, but he didn't feel any of it.

Moonpaw was across the clearing, scuffling with a MeadowClan cat. She kicked out with her back legs while biting into another cat. Moonpaw rose her eyes to meet his, and Sunpaw simply blinked at her before rushing back into battle.

A TwilightClan cat came up behind him, knocking him off his paws. Lashing out, he caught his claw on the cat's ear, tearing the tip off. The tom snarled, pinning him down, when an EchoClan cat, Curlywhisker, knocked him off, giving a quick nod to Sunpaw. He muttered the word "Thanks," before turning away.

Surveying the clearing, Moonpaw was nowhere in sight. Beginning to panic, he dashed around, looking desperately for her.

"Moonpaw? Moonpaw!"

The silver she-cat was being cornered by a TwilightClan apprentice. He instantly recognized him as Falconpaw.

"Get away from her!" he growled, bowling the tom over. Moonpaw let out a cry of shock. "No!" Moonpaw yowled. Leaping on top of her him, Sunpaw was knocked off the apprentice.

"Moonpaw! What are you doing?! I almost had him!" Sunpaw yowled in confusion. What was his sister thinking?

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I can't let you hurt him."

"What?! But he's the enemy! And-" Sunpaw froze. Then his eyes blazed with anger. "So that's how it is, isn't it?! You fall head over paws for some crazy tom, and then attack your brother for it?! Why, Moonpaw? How could you?" Sunpaw was sobbing at the end. As he connected the dots, he realized that this was the cat that drove them apart. This was that cat who caused boundaries between them.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I can't help it. What would you have done?"

What would I have done?

"I'd have been loyal to my Clan," he growled. "If my sister goes and falls in love with another Clan's apprentice, and then betray your brother about it, then we can't be friends anymore. Not even siblings. What would Cloudchaser or Stormheart say?"

"They don't have to know," she whispered. She hunched over. "Please, Sunpaw. Keep this secret."

Sunpaw hesitated. I couldn't snitch. Not even for this.

"I will, but don't expect me to be happy about it," he snarled. "You're no sister of mine." He dashed off.

As he ran, he tripped over something in the way of the cave. Stumbling, he looked over to see what it was.

It was a body.

No...

Timbertree's body.

Mwahahahaha. Hope you guys enjoyed!

Russetmoth, over and out! :D