I've been gone a while but I'm back. This chapter was pretty hard to write because I literally suck at fight scenes. I'm working on writing them but as of right now, I'm really bad at them. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you can. It didn't exactly come out as I planned but I've been rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender so I was slightly distracted. Hehehe

Any who, hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7

It was snowing when Waterpaw woke up. She heard Snowpaw sigh and glanced over at her sister who was staring at the snow longingly.

"What's wrong?" Waterpaw asked. Snowpaw looked up and met her eyes.

"I was just really hoping that there would be flowers by now." She said. "Ravenwing is getting annoyed at me because I keep asking about them." Snowpaw said. "But I can't help it. They sound so pretty from Cinderlight's stories."

"I'm sure some flowers will bloom soon." Waterpaw reassured Snowpaw. "And then you can collect them all and put some in your nest."

"Ooh!" Snowpaw perked up. "That would be so pretty!"

Waterpaw smiled.

"Waterpaw!" Hazelrose called. "We're having a mock battle with the other apprentices when Littleclaw gets back. In the meantime, get some food. It's going to be a long day."

Waterpaw and Snowpaw nodded and the two of them each grabbed a mouse from the fresh kill pile. It wasn't long before they were done and the two of them joined Hazelrose and the other apprentices as they left camp. They were halfway to the training clearing when Waterpaw caught an odd scent on the wind. She raised her head, scenting the air, pausing when she realized that it was ThunderClan. She quickly turned to Thrushpaw, who she was walking next to.

"Do you smell ThunderClan?" she whispered. Thrushpaw blinked, sniffed the air and then her eyes went wide as she nodded.

"Yes," she replied. She stretched her head up, turning to Oakdust, her mentor. "ThunderClan is here."

The small group came to a halt at Thrushpaw's words.

"Firepaw," Littleclaw said. "Go back to camp and tell Hawkshadow and Redstar that ThunderClan is on our territory. Tell them to send a battle patrol."

"But what about–" Firepaw started to protest but Littleclaw cut him off with a sharp command.

"Go!"

Firepaw nodded quickly as he turned to run back to camp. Waterpaw glanced around at her clanmates. Icepaw was grinning next to Snowpaw who was watching Ravenwing nervously.

"Icepaw, Snowpaw, Waterpaw, head back to camp as well. You haven't been trained long enough to be well-enough prepared." Littleclaw said. Icepaw frowned, looking read to object but Morningsky shot her a sharp look and Icepaw nodded.

Waterpaw and Snowpaw began to head back to camp with Icepaw trailing behind them, frustrated that she wouldn't get to stay to fight.

About halfway back to camp, they passed a relatively large patrol heading towards the training clearing. Icepaw stared after them longingly.

When they reached camp, Cinderlight rushed to greet them with a swipe of her tongue along the scruffs of their necks.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed. "I was so worried you'd be fighting."

"Speaking of fighting, shouldn't you be out there?" Icepaw asked as she ducked away from her mother. "Everyone else is fighting so why aren't you?"

"I wanted to make sure you got back safely." Cinderlight said. "I'm going now. Go to the apprentices' den."

And with that, their mother rushed off to join the battle patrol. Firepaw was sitting in his nest, waiting for them as they entered the apprentices' den.

"What's happening at the battle?" Firepaw asked the second he saw them. "I wanted to go back but Cinderlight wouldn't let me."

"I don't know," Waterpaw said. "They wouldn't let us stay."

"We should sneak out," Icepaw said. "There's almost no one in camp. No one would notice if we snuck out."

"That's not a good idea." Waterpaw said. "We'll get in trouble."

"So?" Firepaw asked. "This is our first battle and I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss it."

"Mama would want us to stay." Snowpaw whispered from where she lay, curled in her nest.

"But imagine how proud of us she and Flamestripe will be if we kick some ThunderClan butt!" Firepaw exclaimed.

Waterpaw began to shake her head. She didn't want to spend the rest of her apprenticeship checking the elders for ticks. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, I'm going." Icepaw said. She turned to leave. "You guys can come with me if you want but you aren't going to stop me."

Firepaw joined Icepaw as they left the apprentices' den. Snowpaw and Waterpaw exchanged glances before Snowpaw slowly followed her older siblings. Waterpaw grimaced but also trailed behind them.

It wasn't long before they reached the training clearing once again. As they drew near, Waterpaw could hear the sound of yowling and the slashing of claws. They entered the clearing and Waterpaw grimaced when she glanced down to see that the snow was red.

Waterpaw instantly regretted coming when she caught sight of her mother and father fighting side by side against a large dark brown tom.

Waterpaw glanced at Icepaw felt a shiver run through her at the wide grin on her sister's face.

"Come on!" Icepaw said, leaping forwards into the fray. Waterpaw grimaced before following her littermates.

Waterpaw launched herself at dark gray tom. Slashing his side with her claws. She hadn't received much battle training as Hazelrose had been focusing more on hunting than battle, but she figured if she just clawed the other tom up enough, she'd do well enough.

Waterpaw glimpsed Icepaw facing off against a ginger she-cat who appeared to be an apprentice. Out of the corner of her eye, Waterpaw could see Cinderlight watching them, looking absolutely furious.

The dark gray tom that Waterpaw was fighting slashed Waterpaw across her right eye when she wasn't paying attention. Waterpaw flinched back. She could feel blood dripping down her face. She reared back on her back legs and flung her claws out wildly, striking the other tom blindly. She could tell she'd got him when she heard him hiss in pain.

Waterpaw suddenly felt a presence beside her and out of her left eye, she spotted Snowpaw launching herself at the dark gray tom. She and Snowpaw drove him back, Waterpaw striking out as much as she could without seeing through her right eye.

Suddenly a black and brown tom that seemed to come out of nowhere tacked Snowpaw to the ground. Waterpaw turned, briefly to Snowpaw to see if she needed help but Snowpaw nodded at her as if to say she was okay. Waterpaw's attention was caught by the dark gray tom as he once again, clawed at her face. Waterpaw only just managed to duck out of the way as his paw sailed over her head.

Waterpaw found herself standing next to Dustcloud who glanced at her in surprise before attacking the dark gray tom. She launched herself at him, claw him across his flank. The dark gray tom yowled in pain.

"RETREAT!"

At the command, ThunderClan cats started to leave, dispersing into small groups that ran the forest back to their own territory. It had started to rain and Waterpaw glanced around, trying to find her family as best she could with only her left eye. Icepaw and Firepaw were huddled under a clump of trees where Flamestripe stood, glaring down at them.

Snowpaw was nowhere to be seen. Waterpaw spun around, looking for her sister's familiar face. She padded to where she'd last seen Snowpaw, her paws sinking into the red slush that used to be snow. As she approached the bushes, she caught sight of a patch of gray fur. Waterpaw's eyes widened and she rushed towards it, spotting her sister's familiar pelt.

Snowpaw's white fur was stained red and Waterpaw knew it would take more than a few washes for it to return to its natural colour. Snowpaw wasn't moving and Waterpaw's heart thumped in her chest as she reached Snowpaw.

"Snowpaw?" she whispered, nudging her sister. Snowpaw was so cold. "Get up."

There was no response.

"Snowpaw, please." Waterpaw begged. "Please get up. We need to go back to camp."

There was still no response. Waterpaw nudged Snowpaw again, pleading her sister to wake up.

She couldn't see properly; her eyes were blurring. She crouched by Snowpaw and buried her nose in her sister's cold fur. Snowpaw was dead.

If any of you have suggestions for future couples, please let me know in a review or message because I have no idea what the endgame couples are going to be. Okay that's kind of a lie. I know some of them but most of them, I've got no idea.

- Hollyshade