Summary - There is a scene in Eclipse where Foxpaw and Icepaw are playing a game, and Hazelpaw observes them. After some playful bantering between the three, Hazelpaw makes a comment that Foxpaw would never be able to catch green-cough. Later, we find out that both Icecloud and Hazeltail died from green-cough, and Foxleap from battle wounds. I remembered that scene and wondered if it was just a coincidence. This is my take on that.

You Couldn't Catch Greencough

As Hazelpaw watched ThunderClan's newest apprentices tumble around in the new-leaf grass, she had to smile. It reminded her of when she and her own brothers used to be that young and carefree.

Hazelpaw went on unnoticed for a while before Foxpaw spotted her. His amber eyes lit with excitement and he dashed over to his denmate calling, "Guess what, Hazelpaw!"

Hazelpaw smiled warmly as Icepaw joined her brother. "What is it?" She asked.

Foxpaw puffed his chest out proudly. "Me and Icepaw picked out our warrior names!"

The gray and white she-cat raised a single eyebrow, amused. "Yeah? What names did you pick out?"

Icepaw's blue eyes were brimming with pride as she announced, "I'm going to be Icestorm, and Foxpaw is going to be Foxcatcher!"

"Yeah!" Foxpaw agreed. "Because I'm so good at catching them!"

"Foxcatcher?" Hazelpaw echoed, before rolling her eyes playfully. "Foxpaw, you've never even caught a squirrel!"

Foxpaw blinked indignantly. "Well not yet. But that's the game me and Icepaw were playing. In the game, I caught every fox in the forest!"

Icepaw gazed proudly at her brother before exclaiming, "Yeah! He'll catch a real fox one day!"

Hazelpaw snorted. "Yeah right."

"I will catch one!" Foxpaw insisted. "Just you wait!"

"You couldn't catch green-cough." Hazelpaw retorted.

"Yes I could!" The russet-colored tom blurted out, although he reconsidered his words when Hazelpaw laughed. "… I mean, I could catch anything I want!"

"Whatever you say, Foxpaw." Hazelpaw chuckled softly as the duo abandoned their fruitless argument, and continued to chatter on excitedly, the she-cat's remark starting to become a distant memory.

Maybe it was a coincidence, the way their fate was played out. Maybe it was StarClan trying to prove a point. Perhaps it was simply bad luck. Whatever the reason, countless moons later, that teasing remark would become Hazeltail's biggest regret.

"Are you sure it's nothing to worry about?" Foxleap questioned the blind medicine cat. "It's just a sore throat?"

Jayfeather rolled his sightless eyes as he started pushing the russet-colored tom out of his den.

"Foxleap, I've repeated myself three times now: Icecloud will be fine. I'll give her some honey first thing in the morning, and soon she'll be good as new."

"In the morning?" Foxleap protested. "Why not right now?"

Jayfeather growled. It was clear that he had no patience left as he snapped, "because it's midnight, mouse-brain! Leave me alone and go to sleep!" With one last shove, Jayfeather pushed the warrior out of his den. Foxleap huffed as he picked himself up and glared after ThunderClan's grumpy medicine cat. Hazeltail, who had been anxiously waiting for Foxleap to return, joined him.

"What did Jayfeather say?" She asked, concern shining in her green eyes.

Foxleap huffed. "He said that it was probably just a sore throat, and that he'd give her some honey." Hazeltail relaxed at the news.

Despite training very little with the brother-sister duo as apprentices, she had always liked them. That friendship strengthened considerably after the Dark Forest Battle, when the littermates' lost their mother, Ferncloud. Hazeltail made it her personal mission to ensure that neither Foxleap nor Icecloud stayed in a depressed slump for too long, and often invited them hunting, or would force them to share tongues. She never once let them think about leaving ThunderClan to be with their mother in StarClan.

Thanks to Hazeltail, both warriors had bounced back to their regular selves in only a couple half-moons, and eventually were able to help Dustpelt and their older brothers recover from their grief as well.

But Foxleap had grown protective over his friends and family after Ferncloud's death; he never wanted to experience such powerful grief again. And now that Icecloud was coughing up a storm… Foxleap just couldn't accept Jayfeather's answer as easily as Hazeltail.

He gazed at the Medicine Cat Den, resisting the urge to shove his way back inside. "But what if Jayfeather's wrong?" He asked instead. "What if Icecloud is worse then what he said? After all, we did just recover from that bout of green-cough a moon ago…"

A frown pulled at Hazeltail's lips. "Green-cough is much more serious then swallowing a simple feather. If Icecloud has it, then Jayfeather would have noticed the symptoms right away. Besides," she added, her tone lighter, "Only Whitewing, Cherryfall, and Thornclaw actually caught it, and they all recovered!"

Foxleap grumbled, "That doesn't prove anything..."

Hazeltail rolled her eyes. "Oh, quit worrying, Foxleap. Icecloud will be fine." She leaned forward and touched her nose to Foxleap's shoulder. "Come on, lets go back to sleep."

Foxleap hesitated, then sighed. "Lead the way."

The next morning, Foxleap burst into the medicine cat den. Hazeltail trailed more slowly behind him, sporting a smirk and ready to say 'I told you so'. However, the smirk was soon wiped off of her face; Leafpool and Jayfeather were hovering anxiously over Icecloud.

"Leafpool?" Hazeltail asked. "Jayfeather? Is everything alright?" The two medicine cat's turned around at the sound of their voices, and Hazeltail's breath hitched in her throat. They didn't look pleased.

"She got worse overnight." Jayfeather informed them grimly. "The honey did nothing for her. Apparently it's worse than just a simple cough."

Foxleap stomped on the scattered herbs that littered the floor as he marched towards his sister. "You said she would be alright!" He snarled in the silver tabby's face. Concern bubbled in Hazeltail's stomach as she followed the tom.

"Calm down," Leafpool ordered, pushing herself between the bristling toms. "Foxleap, no one said that Icecloud wouldn't be alright. We just said it won't be as simple as curing a cough." She smiled in a way that was meant to be comforting. "No one's sentenced her to StarClan."

But instead of soothing the frazzled tom, Foxleap glared at Leafpool. "So then what's wrong with her?" He demanded. Hazeltail held her breath as she waited for the answer.

"We don't know yet," Jayfeather said with a shrug. "It's too soon to tell."

Foxleap spun around and stormed out of the den. Silence engulfed the small den. Hazeltail winced when she heard Foxleap snap at Lilypaw. "Sorry," she whispered.

Jayfeather huffed, "Don't apologize for that mouse-brain! He isn't your responsibility!"

Hazeltail directed her attention to the senior medicine cat and managed a smile. "Thank you both for watching her."

Leafpool returned the smile with ease, but there was something off about it. It set Hazeltail's fur on edge, and she was suddenly suspicious that the medicine cats knew more then what they were letting on. Is there something seriously wrong with Icecloud? What aren't they telling us?

"Mouse-brains, stay away from her!" Jayfeather hissed as he darted after Hazeltail and Foxleap, who ignored his orders. "You'll catch it too!" But neither warrior paid him any attention as they screeched to a halt in front of their sick friend. Icecloud raised her blue eyes and made a feeble attempt to smile, but it resulted in another bout of raw coughing.

"You were right," Hazeltail gasped with wide green eyes. "She does have green-cough."

Foxleap wore a mask of grim fury and he growled. "I tried warning Jayfeather but he wouldn't listen!"

Hazeltail pressed her pelt against his comfortingly, her eyes never straying from the white warrior. "I'm sorry Icecloud," she murmured.

Icecloud attempted to smile again and replied in a raspy voice, "Don't worry, guys. I'll be f-" another rack of coughing shook the she-cat's body, cutting herself off.

Suddenly Leafpool burst into the den. "Foxleap, Hazeltail, you can't be in here," she ordered.

Foxleap growled, "I'm not leaving my sister."

"You can't force us to go." Hazeltail added, stepping closer to Foxleap. Leafpool's face fell when even Hazeltail, who was usually such a level-headed warrior, protested against her orders.

"But what happens if you catch it too?" Leafpool asked softly. "You'll be no use to Icecloud if you're sick as well." Hazeltail bit her lip as she glanced at Icecloud, and then back up to Foxleap. The russet-colored tom's eyes were focused solely on his littermate, and pooled with concern.

She didn't expect him to be the one to give in first. "Fine." He growled. "But if anything happens to Icecloud I'll never forgive you." And with those parting words Foxleap shoved past Jayfeather and Hazeltail, outside the den. His words left an ominous silence over the four cats' heads', and Hazeltail sighed. It seemed like all Foxleap did nowadays was storm out of dens and yell at medicine cats.

And push me away.

The gray and white she-cat flattened her ears against her head and stared at her paws. She would be lying if she said she didn't harbor romantic feelings for the other warrior. But why did her feelings have to grow stronger now of all times, when Foxleap was almost as grumpy as Jayfeather and Icecloud had green-cough?

"Don't worry H-Hazeltail," Icecloud said shakily, and smiled feebly at her friend. "Foxleap w-will be fine once I'm not s-sick anymore." More coughing.

"Alright, that's enough for now." Leafpool said firmly. "Hazeltail and Foxleap can visit you later, once you've rested."

"Bye, Icecloud." Hazeltail whispered. Icecloud smiled softly, and Hazeltail's hope was renewed. If Icecloud was so sure that she would get better, then who was Hazeltail to doubt her?

"What do you mean we can't see Icecloud?" Hazeltail growled to Jayfeather, who stood in front of the medicine cat den, blocking their path.

Jayfeather didn't flinch as he responded coolly, "She's gotten worse, and I'm not going to risk your two stubborn lives just because you're worried."

"That's not fair!" Foxleap protested. "You can't just keep me from seeing my own sister!"

"Actually I can." Jayfeather retorted. "Now, are you going to leave on your own, or do I need to send for Squirrelflight?" Hazeltail shoved a growl down her throat, ignoring every fiber in her being that yowled at her to attack the silver tabby tom.

"Whatever!" She spat. "Come on Foxleap. We'll find a way to talk to her later." Jayfeather's silver tabby fur bristled along his spine but didn't comment as the gray and white warrior led her companion away and out of camp.

The two warriors were silent as they padded through the soft undergrowth of the forest, both of their minds heavy with dark thoughts. 'Is Icecloud really just going to keep getting worse until she dies?' Hazeltail wondered. 'What would I do if I lost her? What would Foxleap do?' And of course the rest of the clan. Hazeltail constantly had to remind herself that she wasn't the only one who would be affected by the loss of the white she-cat.

Her brother, Mousewhisker, had grown close to Icecloud, to the point where Hazeltail wondered if they would become mates. Plus Icecloud had brothers of her own, excluding Foxleap. Although they weren't as close to Icecloud as Foxleap was, Spiderleg and Birchfall cared deeply for their only sister. And Dustpelt… what would he do if he lost his only daughter? His strongest tie to Ferncloud? And then her clanmates would miss her – Icecloud tended to be a very optimistic and positive she-cat, able to light up even the darkest nights with a simple smile or joke. They would miss her immensely.

'Please StarClan, don't take Icecloud away from us.' Hazeltail prayed.

Foxleap sighed heavily, immediately snapping Hazeltail out of her thoughts and breaking the tense silence. "Why would StarClan choose Icecloud of all cats?" Foxleap asked so quietly that Hazeltail wondered if he was talking to himself. "What has she ever done to anyone?" The green-eyed she-cat felt her gut wrench at her crush's crestfallen face. He looked like he had just lost a war.

"StarClan can't control who become sick, Foxleap." Hazeltail meowed, although she found herself questioning her remark. Was that true? Did StarClan have any power over who died and who lived? Over who was sick and who was healthy? Hazeltail realized with a jolt how weak StarClan seemed if they couldn't who became ill. She also realized how cruel they seemed if they could control such things.

Foxleap looked at Hazeltail with conflicted amber eyes. "But what if they do?" He pressed, echoing Hazeltail's own thoughts. "And if they do, then why would Ferncloud made Icecloud suffer so much?" Hazeltail shook her head.

"Foxleap, Ferncloud was the gentlest cat in all the clans! She would never let Icecloud suffer. Not if she could help it." Foxleap sighed for what seemed like the hundredths time.

"I just wish everything would stop being so uncertain." He muttered. "If Icecloud is going to die, I wish… I wish StarClan would just take her. Stop giving me false hope and stop torturing Icecloud." Hazeltail frowned but she didn't reply. How could she?

"Sorry." Foxleap muttered a moment later. "I'm not trying to be morbid."

Hazeltail shrugged. "I'd be acting the same way if either of my brothers were sick." She reasoned. Foxleap stared at Icecloud for a couple heart-beats, and in those soft moments Hazeltail found herself noticing every detail of the tom. How he was a mouse-tail taller than her; how his glossy russet pelt gleamed in the setting sunlight; how his orbs seemed like endless pools of amber. How badly she wanted to lean into his fur and whisper that she loved him.

"Y'know," Foxleap started, smiling briefly. "If I had to bring anyone out here with me, I'd choose you." Hazeltail blinked.

"R-really?" She asked, perfectly aware of the blush that crept onto her cheeks. Foxleap's eyes started to shine as he nodded.

"Yeah, really. You're just so… comforting. And you understand everything perfectly. It's like you always know what to say." For a moment guilt flashed in Foxleap's eyes. "Sorry for acting like, well, Jayfeather. And for pushing you away. I don't mean to, honestly. It's just that this whole Icecloud thing is-"

"Don't worry about it." Hazeltail interrupted him, and smiled warmly. "I know you weren't trying to push me away. I understand."

Foxleap shook his head. "No Hazeltail, you don't understand. I… I don't ever want to push you away again. If anything," for the first time ever, Hazeltail thought Foxleap looked sheepish and unsure of what he was saying. "If anything I… I want to drag you closer to me."

Hazeltail's breath hitched in her throat when Foxleap went on. "Hazeltail I… I love you. I love you so much and I'm so sorry for pushing you away when we need each other most." He looked at her with pleading amber orbs. "You can forgive me, right?"

Hazeltail smiled and shoved her face into Foxleap's dense red pelt, a monstrous purr rumbling in her chest. "Of course I can mouse-brain!" She exclaimed. "I-I love you too!"

"You do?" Foxleap's mew was filled with surprise before transforming into absolute delight. "Are you serious? You really do?" Her started to cover her ear in excited licks and nuzzled her cheek, whispering complements and promises. It was the moment Hazeltail had always dreamed of but never thought possible.

And for those all-too-short tender moments, Hazeltail was able to think about something other then Icecloud.

"It's about time!" Icecloud exclaimed later that night. Her voice was raspy and feeble and Hazeltail thought she sounded ready to pass out, but she still purred happily. Excitement radiated off her pelt in waves.

"I know; I was so happy I thought I was going to die." She confessed. Both Leafpool and Jayfeather were away at that moment, the former to travel to the moon pool, and the latter to gather herbs. Hazeltail snuck in after they'd both left to inform Icecloud of the news.

"What did he say when you said you felt the same way?" Icecloud asked, ever so eager for the gossip. The fact that she was so eager only made Hazeltail happier. Maybe she really was improving! After all, she had only coughed once or twice since Hazeltail had been with her. Were StarClan about to answer her prayers?

"He kept asking if I was serious, or if I was only joking." Hazeltail replied, prompting Icecloud to giggle.

"That's my brother." She sighed playfully.

Hazeltail smiled. "That's my mate." The words felt like sweet relief as they rolled off her tongue.

Icecloud purred softly before a yawn cut it off, and she blinked sleepily. Hazeltail grinned. "Tired?" She asked. Icecloud sighed.

"Yeah, even though all I ever do now is sleep. I can't wait until I get rid of this stupid green-cough and get back on my paws." Before Hazeltail could respond Icecloud coughed again, and the she-cat decided that she'd had enough for one night. Besides, Jayfeather would be back soon.

"Alright," Hazeltail meowed softly, before leaning over to touch noses with her friend. "I'll let you sleep now. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Icecloud replied weakly. Hazeltail licked her ear before padding out of the den, grinning like a fool. Her long-time crush was officially her mate, and her best-friend seemed to be improving. And as long as Hazeltail kept visiting her, Icecloud would continue to improve. Maybe their private midnight conversations would start to become a thing, even when Icecloud was back to her warrior duties.

For the hundredth time that night Hazeltail smiled. Finally things were starting to go her way.

"Where is she?!" Foxleap howled as he burst into the medicine cat den, knocking over Jayfeather and Leafpool in the process. They yelled at him to get out of the den, that it as in his best interest, but Foxleap didn't care. He had to see it with his own eyes. There was no way they were telling the truth. There was no way StarClan could ever be so cruel.

There was no way Hazeltail had caught green-cough.

But when he saw his gray and white mate laying helplessly in a moss nest, separated from the herbs and other nests, he screeched to a halt. His amber eyes widened until they were larger than full-moons. No. It was bad enough that Icecloud was on the brick of death, and now is mate had caught the toxic disease?

"Hazeltail," Foxleap whimpered.

The she-cat lifted her head weakly, struggling to perform the simple action. Foxleap felt like someone was poking his heart with an extended claw. She had only just caught the disease, and already she was in such a fatal state. "Foxleap," she rasped dryly. Her voice sounded like sandpaper. Her usually bright green eyes were clouded and murky, like the bottom of a filthy pool.

"H-how did you…" The russet-colored tom trailed off helplessly. "How did you catch green-cough?"

A voice answered from behind him. "She's been sneaking out in the dead of night to talk to Icecloud." Foxleap didn't need to glance behind him to recognized Jayfeather's irrigated meow. The red warrior groaned and shook his head.

"Hazel, why would you do that?" He asked in disbelief.

Hazeltail's voice quivered as she answered feebly, "I-I thought I was h-helping her…" A bout of coughing shook the small she-cat's entire body, forcing Foxleap to accept reality. "I'm s-sorry Foxleap." She sounded so ashamed and disappointed in herself, even through such intense sickness.

Foxleap sighed and shook his head as he padded over to his mate. "Don't be sorry." He whispered, and rasped his tongue over her ears. "You were only trying to help." Hazeltail whimpered as pain coursed through her body.

"Foxleap," Leafpool whispered, padding over to his side. "You have to leave now. We'll take good care of Icecloud and Hazeltail, but you can't be here."

Foxleap didn't remember walking out of the den, but the next thing he knew he was curled up in his moss nest, begging StarClan to have mercy on his sister and mate.

Hazeltail never imagined that green-cough could be so painful. Sure it never looked pleasant, and it had never been something the warrior wanted to experience, but that fact that a type of cold could be more painful then a battle wound was startling.

The den was empty at the moment, save for two ill she-cats. Jayfeather and Leafpool were inspecting every cat in the clan for green-cough symptoms, but if they found anyone yet then Hazeltail didn't know. The she-cat's now murky green eyes fluttered shut for a moment, before reopening again. Her head was throbbing, her throat was swelled, her breathing was labored, and there no matter how much Hazeltail shifted she just couldn't get comfortable.

Icecloud moaned from her nest, only a couple mouse-lengths away from Hazeltail. Hazeltail picked up her head and weakly called, "Icecloud, are you okay?" She waited for any form of acknowledgment - a flick of her tail, a feeble meow, her eye lids to flutter, but no such things happened. Instead Hazeltail watched as Icecloud stomach - which was moving rapidly - started to slow down until it finally ceased. Hazeltail squeezed her eyes shut - no. Icecloud was gone.

"Oh no, Icecloud." Whispered a voice, but Hazeltail didn't recognize it as her own. Gathering her strength she glanced behind her and saw a tom with a pelt so red he could have been mistaken as a fox. Foxleap looked stunned as he gazed at the spiritless body that had once belonged to his sister. Hazeltail's heart clenched when his devastated amber eyes landed on her.

"I-I'm sorry Foxleap." Hazeltail murmured, coughing a little in the process. Foxleap smiled sadly and he shook his head before padding over to her side.

"Don't be." He meowed. "Icecloud was suffering – it was obvious she wasn't getting any better. She's in a better place now, with Ferncloud." Hazeltail bit her lip and felt her eyes start to become misty with tears.

"You shouldn't be here." She said softly. "I don't want you to catch green-cough too."

Foxleap laid beside his mate and rested his muzzle on the top of her head. "I won't. Jayfeather already cleared me. If I haven't caught it yet, then I never will." There was a note of humor in his voice, but neither of them were laughing. Instead there was silence. Hazeltail closed her eyes as her head continued to throb with dull, aching pain, and Foxleap's eyes never left Icecloud's body. They stayed that way for what seemed like eternity when a grin started to play slowly across Hazeltail's lips.

"I was right." She said. Foxleap raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at his mate.

"You were right about what?" He asked. Hazeltail raised her cloudy green eyes to meet Foxleap's dull amber eyes, and her grin spread farther across her face.

"Do you remember when you and Icecloud were new apprentices, and you were playing a fox-hunting game? You said your warrior name was going to be Foxcatcher because you caught every fox in the forest, and that one day you would catch a real one."

Remembrance flared boldly in Foxleap's eyes, and for a brief moment there was no room in them for grief. He started to smile and asked softly, "You remember that?"

Hazeltail nodded and went on. "I snorted and told you that you couldn't catch green-cough, much less a fox. And here we are, moons later, with Icecloud dead from the blasted disease, and me teasing death. But I was right about you. You couldn't catch green-cough, no matter how hard you tried."

The smile fell off Foxleap's charming features and devastation engulfed them whole. "Maybe you should have said the opposite. Maybe you should have agreed with me and said that I could catch a fox, and that I could catch green-cough, and maybe then our positions would be reversed." Hazeltail smiled sadly and nuzzled Foxleap's chest, affection for her mate dancing in her ill green eyes.

"No. I like us right where we are."

It wasn't a huge shock when Leafpool found Hazeltail's empty body only four nights later. The clan had known that she was progressively getting worse, and after Icecloud's death, it had almost been expected. However that didn't stop Daisy from wailing, or stop Berrynose and Mousewhisker from neglecting their duties, or Hazeltail's friends from sobbing. And it certainly didn't stop Foxleap from acting as if his life held no more meaning.

It was about moon-high that night, as all of ThunderClan grieved for their lost clanmates. Icecloud's optimism would be missed greatly, and Hazeltail's boldness would be forever remembered. There wasn't a dry eye that night, nor a smile that came with ease. The only one to have gained anything was silverpelt, whose stars seemed to shine obnoxiously bright.

Foxleap wished they'd all just fall out of the sky, and cease shining.

But it wasn't like the clans to stop functioning forever, and over time their wounds would heal. Mousewhisker eventually found another she-cat he could love and cherish until his last days, and these days was never seen without a proud grin adorning his features. It must have been the fact the Ivypool had birthed his kits only nights ago.

Poppyfrost had moved into the nursery two half-moons after Icecloud's death, forcing Berrynose to accept reality and get back on his paws. The creamy-colored tom was eagerly awaiting his new legacies, and would dart to the nursery every time he thought of a new name.

Spiderleg and Birchfall had seen enough life and death to take it all in stride, and once they forced past the barrier of grief that clung onto the clan, managed to help their father as well. Although nothing lasts forever, and Dustpelt died peacefully in his sleep only days later.

And lastly there was Foxleap, who had lost the greatest battle of them all. Every time he walked past the medicine cat den he would flinch, and although they had tried their hardest, he knew that he would never fully forgive Leafpool or Jayfeather for the loss of his sister and mate. There were nights when Foxleap refused to let sleep overtake him, fearful that images of Hazeltail and Icecloud would haunt his dreams.

And yet, not even Foxleap could remain in his downy state of depression forever. Moons later Foxleap decided that he was tired of living his life on auto-pilot and made an effort to become a part of ThunderClan again. His friends and family welcomed him back eagerly, and in an attempt to help the grief-stricken tom, Bramblestar presented him with his second apprentice. The green-eyed daughter of Mousewhisker and Ivypool was thrilled to learn that Foxleap had been Hazeltail's – the aunt she had never met but had heard stories about from her father – mate.

And now, as Foxleap warmed himself on his favorite sunning stone, he remembered Icecloud, and he remembered Hazeltail. Foxleap knew that he would never not miss them, but he had come to terms with the fact. And besides – now that he had made it this fair, not missing them would seem like forgetting.

"Foxleap, Foxleap!" The russet warrior looked up to see his apprentice dashing across camp to him, and he had to smile. Her fluffy light brown and white pelt gleamed in the sunlight, and her bright green eyes shined with unspoken questions. Trailing closely behind her was a white she-cat with a single ashy-gray paw, and sky blue eyes. Berrynose and Poppyfrost's daughter never seemed to leave her friend's side.

"What is it, Hazelpaw?" Foxleap purred when his apprentice screeched to a stop. Hazelpaw looked at him with familiar bright green eyes and grinned.

"Can we go tree climbing, pretty please?" The she-cat begged. Foxleap pretended to think the question over even though he already had his answer – he could never win a fight against those eyes.

"I don't see why not." He respond, purring loudly. Hazelpaw squealed excitedly and darted over to nuzzle her mentor's chin.

"Can Icepaw come to?" She requested.

The red warrior smiled. "Sure, why not." Both she-cat exchanged delighted glances with each other before spinning around and dashing out of camp, teasing one another as they ran. Foxleap stayed behind them the whole time, chuckling as they called out.

"I bet I'll beat you!" Icepaw taunted playfully.

Hazelpaw retorted, "Last one to the Sky Oak has green-cough!"

Foxleap's grin started to slowly fade away when Hazelpaw's comment reached his ears. Almost without thinking Foxleap started to slow his pace down, to the pointing where he was merely jogging after the scrambling she-cats. Maybe he was behaving like a mouse-brain when he let the apprentices purposely win the race, or perhaps he was simply superstitious.

But leaf-bare would be upon them in a matter of moons, and maybe, just maybe, he would receive a visit from two certain StarClan cats soon.

This is simply a book of one-shots for whenever I get bored, or hit with a lightning bolt of inspiration. Either option qualifies.

I already have a few of one-shots planned, but if you'd like to see something specific, feel free to suggest it in a review :)