Chapter 7: One Final Task

The soft breeze of dawn slowly began to stir as Alderheart, Asuna, Lucina, Dovewing, and her three kits made the walk from the Moonpool back to ThunderClan. On the way, Asuna and Alderheart informed Dovewing on anything that she had missed after she had left. She listened with eagerness at the news of Cinderheart and Ivypool's kits, the she-cat excited to see them. That joy faded when she had realized that she wouldn't be able to see them every day and that their kits wouldn't be able to play with her own.

"You can always sneak them out like someone did over here." Asuna looked over at Alderheart, a slight blush on his face.

"I wouldn't advise it, but who knows, maybe Tigerstar and Bramblestar could work something out." Alderheart stated.

"I think that's wishful thinking…but I'd love for that to happen." While the warriors were talking, the three kits were busy bouncing around, their energy obviously revitalized by having their father back.

"Will we be made warriors?" Pouncekit asked.

"Not immediately." Dovewing told her. "You'll need to be made apprentices first, and you're still too young." The three kits let out groans, causing the other warriors to share a laugh.

"Hey, I'm a warrior! Get off of my territory!" Shadowkit declared, glaring at Lightkit.

"You first, mange-pelt!" Their mother let out a sigh.

"Where they got their energy from, I have no idea." Asuna let out a giggle.

"Maybe it comes from their father."

"Is he usually like that?" Lucina wondered.

"Well, not really, but while I was in ShadowClan, he reminded me a lot of Kirito. You know how he can be sometimes."

"I can only imagine the trouble any of these three would get in if he was their mentor. Maybe it's good that I'm going to ShadowClan." Dovewing joked, the two she-cats sharing a laugh.

Once the entrance to ThunderClan was in sight, the others saw Dovewing stop, the she-cat hesitating.

"Sorry, I'm just…scared that I'll be branded as a traitor for what I've done." Asuna placed her tail on the she-cat's shoulder.

"I'm sure everyone will be relieved to see you more than anything. If anything bad happens, I'll be here to defend you for as long as you're here." Dovewing let out a smile.

"Thank you, Asuna." Alderheart crossed through the tunnel, the rest of the group following behind him. Once they entered the stone hollow, they saw that it was motionless still. Once Dovewing and the others entered, Twigpaw let out a yowl of surprise.

"Dovewing! Lucina's back, too!" She ran over to the two, Lucina letting out a smile once her blue gaze touched Twigpaw's green eyes.

"Hi, Twigpaw. I'm sorry that I missed you and Finpaw's warrior ceremony." Lucina apologized.

"That's Finleap to you!" The brown tom said as he approached. "And this is Twigbranch."

"Oh, sorry!" Lucina apologized.

"Don't worry about this furball, Lucina." Twigbranch assured her. "I was just happy to see you back in ThunderClan safe and sound at the end of our warrior ceremony. Where did you run off to?"

"I can explain later. Dovewing deserves to be the center of attention right now. Every cat in camp got out of their dens and walked out into the clearing, overjoyed to see Dovewing. Ivypool was the first one, the silver-and-white she-cat sprinting towards her sister and lovingly pressing herself against her.

"Oh thank StarClan you're alright! I was…so worried about you!" She told her.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Ivypool."

"Dovewing!" Birchfall ran over to her, followed by Whitewing. "We all thought you were dead!"

"It's great to finally see you again! Oh thank StarClan!" Her mother purred.

"Aunt Dovewing!" Nightheart joined the loving family gathering that her kin was having. "I'm so happy to see you again!" Dovewing was quickly becoming overwhelmed with everything that was going on, the she-cat not even sure when to start answering the questions every cat had. A moment of clarity came when she saw two kits making their way through the crowd, Lelouch helping them along the way.

"Looks like you made it back here alive." The tom meowed. "Was the journey not hard enough?" Dovewing let out a purr of laughter.

"Trust me, you have no idea." She noticed the slightest shimmer in the tom's violet eyes. "Stop, you're going to make me feel bad if you start crying, Lelouch." She looked down at the two kits as they started sniffing her. "Are these your kits? They're so cute!"

"This is Foxkit, and this is Swiftkit. They're only a few days old. Their eyes just opened this morning." Ivypool told her.

"She looks almost like her mother, blue eyes and all." Dovewing meowed. "And Foxkit has his father's eyes."

"They're so small!" Lightkit meowed as she touched noses with Swiftkit.

"These kits are you kin. Their mother is my sister, Ivypool. Lelouch is her mate. You remember me telling you stories about them both, right?" Dovewing looked over at her sister and her mate. "This is Lightkit, Shadowkit, and Pouncekit." Lelouch looked down at her kits and let out a small smile.

"Dovewing didn't tell you anything bad, did she?" He asked.

"Nope! Only cool things, like your strange eyes!" Shadowkit meowed, eagerly padding up to the tom.

"Why are your eyes like that? I've never seen a cat with violet eyes before! Are there more cats with violet eyes?" Pouncekit wondered.

"Other than Nightheart, Foxkit, and I, no." He told her. "Speaking of her, this is your older cousin, Nightheart." The she-cat looked down at the kits with joy.

"You three are so cute! I can't believe I just had siblings and now I have cousins, too!"

"I knew you'd like them, Nightheart." Dovewing said with a smile.

"I didn't know how much kin we actually had. This is awesome!" Lightkit cheered.

"Who's the lucky tom?" Cherryfall asked. Dovewing's smile faded at the sound of the question. She looked at her Clanmates and let out a breath.

"These are Tigerstar's kits. I had to leave because I felt like I wouldn't be welcome here due to having kits with him. Also, I was having nightmares where the nursery was destroyed and my kits died. I couldn't risk that happening, even if they might have been just dreams."

"Hold on." Bramblestar broke through the group of cats and stood in front of Dovewing. "Did you just say Tigerstar? What exactly happened at the Moonpool?"

"Tigerstar had died on the journey back here." Lucina explained, stepping forward and joining the ThunderClan leader. "I was granted a vision of his death, which is why I ran off early yesterday morning. I wanted to stop it, but apparently it was actually a vision of the past and I had no way of changing it. When we brought him back here, Puddleshine suggested that we bring him to the Moonpool, and after we waited, Tigerstar suddenly came back to life. Before he left for ShadowClan…he told me that it was because Rowanclaw died."

"So…he transferred his leadership and nine lives over to Tigerstar? I never knew such a phenomenon was possible." Bramblestar stated. "Still…I'm not so fond of this. The last time there was a Tigerstar leading ShadowClan…" The whole Clan seemed to shudder at the thought.

"I've heard the stories, and this Tigerstar is nothing like the one I've been told about." Asuna assured them. "He helped me so much when I stayed in ShadowClan. I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about."

"Right. After all, StarClan chose him to lead. The way they brought him back is something that has never happened before." Dovewing added. She looked at her kits and brought them closer to her with her tail. "Okay kits, I think it's time to go back to your father and ShadowClan." Time seemed to stop once she said that. Everyone had seemed to believe that Dovewing would finally return to ThunderClan.

"Wait…you're going to ShadowClan?" Sparkpelt said, breaking the silence. "You traitor!"

"Sparkpelt, please. This isn't an easy choice for her to make." Asuna defended the she-cat, standing in front of Dovewing and her kits. "Surely you all can see that, right?" Ivypool brought her kits closer to her with her tail, turning away from her sister. Lelouch looked at her with worry. I knew she would take this badly, but I also knew that Dovewing would have to make this choice if she did return to the Clans. They need a father in their life.

"I'll come back to visit." Dovewing told her former Clanmates. "I had to make this choice…and I know you all may think this was the wrong choice…but…" She didn't know how else to alleviate the shock and anger she saw in most of her Clanmates' eyes. It was almost like her fears were becoming a reality. Bramblestar looked over at her, and then at her kits.

"You'll need some protection for these three. I'll send a patrol to escort you back."

"We'll go." Birchfall volunteered, along with Whitewing.

"Great. Lelouch, would you like to go as well?" The violet-eyed tom looked over at Ivypool, the she-cat not returning her gaze.

"Yes, Bramblestar."

"Good. Once you've escorted her to ShadowClan, you three can go on the dawn patrol along our border with SkyClan." The ThunderClan leader looked over at Dovewing. "We look forward to seeing you at the next Gathering. I'm sorry, but if you're not a part of the Clan anymore, I can't just let you drop by whenever you feel like it." The she-cat seemed hurt by the leader's declaration, but nodded her head.

"I understand." She gave one last look at her sister before gathering her kits together and leaving, Lelouch, Birchfall, and Whitewing following behind her. The light of dawn slowly began to brighten up the sky, Squirrelflight now assigning the rest of the patrols for the morning. Bramblestar walked over to where Lucina was, the she-cat turning to face the leader when she noticed him.

"You must be tired. You look like you haven't slept in moons."

"I haven't slept ever since I left camp yesterday. I'm really sorry for not saying anything before I left." The leader shook his head.

"You don't have to apologize. You're at least done with visions for the time being, correct?" He said with a small hint of laughter.

"I hope so…well, at least for a while. I don't mind them if it means helping the Clans."

"An answer I should've been prepared to hear." He meowed, letting out a smile. "Go get as much rest as you'd like. Spottedleaf has worked you a bit hard these past few days." Lucina made her way over to the warriors' den, the simple mention of sleep causing her eyes to close. She disregarded what bedding she saw and rested down, closing her eyes. There are going to be five Clans again, but my work here isn't finished yet. I still need to make sure that the relations they have is one of peace. However, that can wait…

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Wait, so you can just ask any cat to do whatever you want?" Lightkit asked as she hung on atop of Lelouch's back as the group made their way to ShadowClan.

"Lucky! You can ask for prey whenever you want!" Shadowkit added.

"It's not exactly like that, but I did use it to ask Bramblestar to bring me prey once. That was when I first came to ThunderClan. He was still a deputy back then." Lelouch told them.

"We have one of the greatest uncles ever!" Pouncekit cheered. "Can't you stay in ShadowClan with us? Please?"

"Sorry, but Foxkit and Swiftkit need me, just like Tigerstar needs you three. You all understand, right?"

"Yes." The three said in unison.

"Tigerstar told us that you and Dovewing were mates before. Is that true?" Pouncekit wondered. Lelouch and Dovewing both stopped and looked at each other in surprised, clearly embarrassed by the kit's statement.

"W-When did he tell you that?!" The gray she-cat asked her kit.

"Your mother and I were never mates. We've just…gotten close before." Dovewing gave the tom a small push, a huge blush on her face.

"Lelouch! You're not supposed to tell them that! You just needed to deny it!"

"Well Tigerstar apparently told them something!"

"We're still here, too." Whitewing meowed, causing Lelouch to jump.

"I didn't mean close in a weird way!" He quickly stammered. He then heard the three kits begin to laugh.

"Tigerstar was right, you both did act funny when I asked that." A blush of embarrassment formed on Lelouch's face before he let out a sigh.

"For ShadowClan's sake, I hope you mate doesn't use his leadership to play tricks like this." Lelouch stated, Dovewing nodding in agreement.

"Wait…but you said that you and Dovewing got close. So…how close?" Shadowkit questioned.

"This isn't really a conversation we should be having, kits!" Dovewing responded. "Alright, no talking until we get there!"

When the group arrived at ShadowClan, Tigerstar was the first to approach them as they entered camp. The kits all ran up to him, the leader letting out a smile. The others followed behind them.

"Tigerstar." Birchfall meowed. A look of worry formed on the leader's face.

"Just protect our daughter and her kits. That's all we can ask of you." Whitewing told him, Tigerstar dipping his head.

"I promise that I will." He replied. "Thank you for bringing them here safely." He looked over at Lelouch, a hint of humor now in his eyes. "I hope the kits didn't give you a hard time."

"Hey! You should be telling me that, too!" Dovewing gave him a push. "Lelouch and I were never mates, and you know it!" The leader let out a small laugh.

"It's great to see you again, Tigerstar. I'm sure you'll fit the role well." Lelouch told him.

"Thank you, Lelouch. Without you and Asuna, none of this may have actually happened."

"What is he talking about?" Whitewing questioned. "Lelouch?" The violet-eyed tom turned around. Concern filled her eyes.

"Asuna and I helped Tigerstar and Dovewing leave." He confessed. "After Dovewing told me about the dream she kept having, I had to help her."

"Don't be mad at him or Asuna, please." Dovewing told her parents. "It was all my idea to leave. They just helped us be safe." Birchfall and Whitewing both looked at each other, the tom letting out a sigh.

"We should get going now." He walked over to Dovewing with his mate to share one final goodbye to her daughter and their kits before making their way out of the exit.

"I'm sorry for saying that, Lelouch. I wasn't thinking." Tigerstar apologized.

"It's okay. I don't regret what I did, and neither does Asuna." He assured them. "I should get going, too." He looked over at the three kits and let out a smile. "You three behave, okay?" They all nodded.

"Bye Lelouch!" Shadowkit meowed, running up and pressing close to him, the other two doing the same.

"You'll come visit, right?" Lightkit asked.

"I'm not sure about that, but when you get older and attend your first Gathering, I'll be there."

"Promise?" Pouncekit said, the tom nodding. "Yay!" Lelouch looked back at Dovewing and Tigerstar.

"Well, I'll see you both later. Good luck with everything." The violet-eyed tom turned around and made his way towards the exit.

"Lelouch, wait!" He turned around and saw Dovewing walking over to him. He saw that the kits were now with Tigerstar.

"Yeah?"

"I'll…miss you." She meowed. "Thank you again for everything you've done for me ever since you first arrived in ThunderClan. It feels like just yesterday that Lionblaze almost killed you." The tom let out a small laugh, causing her to smile. He let out a small gasp of surprise when he felt her brush her head onto his chestfur. "Please…please take care of Ivypool. I know she's hurting really badly because of the choice I made." She whispered.

"I will. You don't have to tell me twice, Dovewing." He meowed, pressing his head closer to hers.

"See? I told you they were close!" Tigerstar meowed out loud, causing Dovewing to jump away from Lelouch.

"You said you wouldn't say anything!" She called out to her mate. "StarClan give me strength!" Dovewing looked over at Lelouch, the she-cat shuffling her paws. "I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to surprise you. I just…you don't know how much you mean to me, Lelouch."

"It's okay. I'll miss you too, you know that." He looked over at Tigerstar. "Sorry about that!" The ShadowClan leader let out a laugh at the tom's apology.

"I…guess this is goodbye, for now at least." Lelouch nodded.

"Yeah. Is there…anything you want me to tell Ivypool before I go?"

"Tell her that she's the greatest sister a cat could have…and that I'm sorry it has to be this way. Even though we're in different Clans, I'll love her like I always have." Dovewing wiped her green eyes with a paw. "That's all."

"Got it." Dovewing gave the tom one final nuzzle to his shoulder before he left camp. When he walked out, he saw that Whitewing and Birchfall were waiting for him. "Should we talk before we go?" He asked the two.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Whitewing muttered. "We've been worried for so long…and you and Asuna knew where she was?"

"We all thought she was dead!" Birchfall exclaimed. "You saw how anxious Whitewing was when she was sick."

"I know. I just…didn't want Dovewing to get in any trouble if I said anything. I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone." He responded. "I could see how worried everyone was, and it killed me inside to keep that a secret…but I wanted to help her, and if it meant lying and staying silent, I had no choice." Whitewing's blue eyes touched his violet gaze.

"Does Ivypool know this?" The tom nodded.

"She was the only exception I made. I couldn't bear seeing her worried about Dovewing any longer."

"She didn't tell us either." Birchfall meowed. "How could you all be so selfish?" Lelouch avoided the tom's gaze. He didn't know what else to tell them.

"But…you all did it to help Dovewing." Whitewing meowed. "We don't know what may have happened if she stayed here. She said she was having nightmares, which usually is normal, but if they were true, you helped save her kits." Lelouch looked over at the she-cat. "It hurts to know that Dovewing chose her mate and kits over her Clan…but I think I would have done the same thing."

"Whitewing…"

"Wouldn't you?" She asked her mate. "Dovewing did something that would be difficult for any cat to do." Whitewing looked over at Lelouch. "You've helped both Dovewing and Ivypool so much ever since you came to ThunderClan, Lelouch. You've saved Ivypool's life more than once, and you've always been there to talk with Dovewing when she needed it. I'm happy that you're a part of our family." A small blush formed on the tom's face.

"T-Thank you, Whitewing. Again, I'm sorry that I kept this all a secret from you both, and ThunderClan."

"Don't be." Birchfall stated. "Whitewing's right. We were angry at first, but we know from the past how caring you are. You did what you thought was right." The tom let out a small smile. "Hopefully our daughters haven't been bothering you too much."

"They've bugged me just enough." The violet-eyed tom joked. "We should get going on that border patrol. I need to talk with Ivypool as soon as possible."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Suguha, Noctis, Twigbranch, and Asuna sat together around camp, the four enjoying their first piece of fresh-kill of the day.

"Man, did you all really get to see Dovewing's kits?" Noctis asked before taking a bite of his mouse. "I mean, I saw them, but I wish I could've gotten a closer look. Were they cute?" Asuna let out a small laugh.

"You're such a different person when it comes to kits, you know that?"

"Hey, cool guys can't like cute animals?" He meowed after he finished chewing. "I'm still waiting for someone to answer my question, you know."

"All three of them are adorable."

"I would have loved to mentor Lightkit. She was so cute." Suguha meowed. "They'll grow up to be great warriors, just like their parents."

"Speaking of warriors…" Noctis looked over at Twigbranch. "You excited for your first day out as one today, Twigpaw?" He let out a sigh. "Sorry, I'm so used to it, Twigbranch."

"I bet. You were so happy to watch her finally get her warrior name." Asuna said.

"Well, yeah. It was the second time I was there for her warrior ceremony. She finally made it." A slight blush formed on the she-cat's face at the tom's praise.

"You should do something special together!" Suguha suggested. "Oh! Go out on a cute little date!" Noctis began to cough on the piece of mouse in his mouth before swallowing it.

"A d-date? Maybe you should save that idea for Finleap." He stated, Twigbranch looking at them in confusion.

"What's a date?"

"It's usually something couples, well, mates in this world, go on." A blush immediately formed on Twigbranch's face. "They do fun things and just have a great time being with each other."

"N-Noct and I?" She looked over at the black tom. "I-I mean we've been out hunting together plenty of times."

"Yeah, but usually that's because it's Clan work. On a date you just relax. Talk, go out on a walk, have a piece of prey together. That sort of thing." Asuna meowed.

"Okay, let's just stop talking about this already, you two." Noctis urged.

"Why? I think it'd be cute. It doesn't need to be in a mate sort of sense at all." Suguha told him. "It can just be a friendly date." Noctis looked over at Twigbranch, the she-cat still avoiding his blue gaze. He let out a sigh.

"You've both gone this far. Twigbranch?" She slowly looked over at the tom. "Do you wanna go on a 'date' later tonight?"

"Like you have to ask. It's an obvious yes from her!" Asuna stated.

"I want to hear it from her. I can handle rejection, y'know." Twigbranch slowly nodded her head.

"O-Okay."

"How cute! Kirito and I will go too and make it a double date!" The cream she-cat meowed. "Suguha? You can ask Alderheart and we can make it a triple date!"

"W-What?!" A blush formed on the black she-cat's face.

"C'mon, what happened to just being a friendly date?" Noctis questioned, a sly grin on his face. "I know he'd be more than happy to be your plus one."

"He's busy in the medicine cat's den. I don't need Jayfeather getting mad at me for taking him out. Besides…I still haven't talked to him yet."

"Well then there's your chance to ask him." Asuna told her. "Please? It'll be fun. All five Clans are finally together again. We haven't had nothing to worry about in a while."

"Okay, okay, I'll ask him." Suguha meowed. "Right now?"

"Yeah. Look, he doesn't seem busy." Noctis stated, pointing his tail towards the camp exit, Alderheart heading through the thorn tunnel. Suguha took a few more bites of her mouse before she left camp. When she entered the forest, sped up her pace to catch up to the tom.

"Alderheart!" The dark ginger tom jumped when she called him. He turned around, Suguha noticing a scrap of a toy in his mouth.

"Suguha? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I wanted to talk to you…but it seems like you're busy." She meowed. "That's Velvet's, right?" He nodded.

"I found it and thought I'd bring it back to her."

"Oh…" Alderheart noticed the sad tone of her meow. Is Suguha alright? I didn't do something wrong, did I?

"If you don't mind…could you come with me, Suguha? I was gonna go alone, b-but I think I'd be safer with you around." I'm being completely honest…but I don't want her to think this is just a way I can be with her alone or anything!

"I'd love to, Alderheart." She meowed, letting out a small smile. The two now began walking together on their way to the Twolegplace near ShadowClan.

"You said you wanted to talk to me, Suguha?" Alderheart meowed.

"It can wait until after we bring Velvet's toy back.

When they arrived at the Twolegplace, they saw that it was bustling and brimming with life. Although Alderheart had wanted to go alone, he was glad to have Suguha around so she could relieve him of any stress with her knowledge of Twoleg life. However, as they traveled deeper into the Twolegplace, they couldn't find any sign of Velvet. Her scent was impossible to pick up within the other dozens of mingling scents around.

"Maybe we should just go back, Suguha. Just look how big this place is. There's no way we—." Alderheart's ears suddenly picked up when he heard a familiar voice.

"It was so cool living with the Clan cats. I learned so much about herbs and am a better hunter that probably just about every cat here." Without warning, Alderheart leaped onto a fence surrounding a Twoleg den, Suguha following him. In the middle of the stretch of grass in front of the two was Fuzzball, the young tom talking with a white cat.

"Hey, Rippletail!" Alderheart called out. "It's Alderheart! From ThunderClan!" The white tom turned to look at the two, shock on his face. Immediately, he dashed across the grass and into a small door of the Twoleg den.

"Hey Alderheart! Hey Suguha!" Fuzzball greeted the two. "What did you just call that cat?"

"Rippletail. He's from ShadowClan." The medicine cat replied.

"Really? You might have the wrong cat." Fuzzball meowed. "That cat is Buster. I told him all about my time in ThunderClan and he didn't mention anything about the Clans. I'm sure he would've."

"Maybe he's found a home here after the rogues destroyed ShadowClan." Suguha whispered to the tom. He gave the she-cat a nod before looking over at Fuzzball.

"Do you know how long he's been here?"

"He didn't come here too long ago, but he seems really happy with his Twolegs."

"I see. Do you think you could leave him a message?" The tom nodded. "Tell him that ShadowClan is whole again, and that his Clan would be more than happy to have him back. Got it?"

"Yup, but he does seem happy with his Twolegs."

"It wouldn't hurt to at least let him know." Alderheart replied. "Now, could you tell us where Velvet lives?"

"Sure. She's missed you a lot, Alderheart. Follow me you two." Alderheart and Suguha leaped off of the fence and followed the kittypet around the Twolegplace until he stopped in front of another Twoleg den. "Well, this is it. I should get going. My Twoleg's kit sometimes makes a fuss if I'm gone for so long."

"Bye Fuzzball. Thanks for your help."

"No problem. Oh, could you tell Jayfeather I said hi?" Alderheart nodded. "Thanks! Come visit anytime, you two!" The tom made his way back to his den, the two jumping on top of the fence to examine the Twoleg den.

"Look, she's over there in the window." Suguha meowed.

"Win…dow?" Alderheart looked at her in confusion. She pointed her tail towards it and Alderheart saw her resting. "Velvet!" He called out. She instantly reacted at the sound of her name being called, the she-cat looking down at the two before going out of their sight. A few minutes later, Velvet's Twoleg opened the door, allowing her to slip out into the garden, the two meeting her by a bush of flowers.

"Alderheart, Suguha, it's good to see you. I'm sorry I took so long. Sometimes Twolegs can be a bit…" Suguha let out a small cough, Velvet remembering that the black she-cat was originally a Twoleg herself. "Oh! I don't mean it offensively, Suguha!"

"It's okay, she's just messing around." Alderheart assured her. "Here, I brought you something." He dropped down the scrap of her toy, the she-cat's gaze growing soft.

"My toy! Oh, Alderheart, thank you so much! You too, Suguha!"

"It was all Alderheart. I'm just here to make sure he gets back safe." She stated.

"Oh…well if you both aren't in a rush, would you like me to show you around?" Alderheart looked over at Suguha, who nodded her head, letting out a smile.

"We'd love that."

Once Velvet was done showing the two around the Twolegplace, the sun had already begun to go down. Once they reached Velvet's den, the she-cat turned around to face the two. Suguha stood away from the two, giving them some alone time as she waited. She watched Velvet lead Alderheart into the back of the Twoleg den, the tom returning minutes later with a plant in his jaws.

"Did Velvet give you that?" He nodded.

"It's thyme, but it's different from the one we use in camp. She says it's stronger."

"That was nice of her. So, are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah…" Alderheart let out a gasp when he saw the pale half-moon beginning to rise up in the sky. "Oh StarClan, I might be late for the medicine cat's meeting at the Moonpool! Let's go, Suguha!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When Suguha and Alderheart reached the thorn tunnel leading to ThunderClan, the tom remembered how she ended up aiding him on his journey to return Velvet's toy.

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot that you wanted to talk to me, Suguha. What did you want to talk about?"

"It can wait, Alderheart. I don't want you being late to the medicine cat meeting." He shook his head.

"I just almost forgot. I don't want to forget again, Suguha." He meowed. "Besides, you matter to me more than that meeting, you know that." Alderheart could feel the fur on his face grow hot in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Alderheart, really." Still, the tom insisted he tell her.

"I'm not leaving until we talk, Suguha. Jayfeather's already gonna yell at me anyway." He rested down in front of the she-cat. "Is it something I've done?"

"Well…not really." She rested down on the grass below her. "I just…you've grown so much ever since I came to this world with Asuna and Kazuto. I remember how much you'd talk with me when you were still an apprentice…but now…it's like we barely spend time together or talk anymore." The tom looked at her in surprise. "I know it's because you're busy with medicine cat duties, but…I miss being the cat you would talk to almost every day."

"Suguha…I-I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry that I never realized. Has this been bothering you for a while?" She nodded.

"It only started when I saw how much time you'd spend with Velvet. You were almost inseparable from her. I guess…I guess I was jealous of her, Alderheart." The tom could feel his heart sink. He couldn't believe that all the time he spent with Velvet actually had an effect on her.

"I'm really sorry, Suguha. I do like Velvet…but I like you, too, you know that. After I admitted my feelings when you saved Sparkpelt and I from the dog...I wanted to keep a bit of distance between us. I didn't want you to think of me as clingy or annoying." The she-cat shook her head.

"I would never think that, Alderheart." She told him. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to bother your relationship with Velvet. You both look cute together. Nightheart and the others convinced me to tell you how I've felt."

"I'm glad they did. I'll try to spend any free time I have with you from now on. A-Are you sure you won't mind?" She let out a smile.

"Not one bit." She gave the tom a lick to the ear, causing him to blush. "Sorry! I've gotten a bit used to these cat gestures."

"It's okay." He assured her. "Is that all you wanted to talk about, Suguha?"

"Yes. I was going to ask you if you'd join Asuna, Kazuto, Noctis, Twigbranch, and I on a date tonight, but I didn't know your medicine cat meeting was today."

"What's a date?" Alderheart quickly became flustered once the she-cat explained it to him. "I mean…I wish I could go, but…yeah…"

"It's okay. We can go on one alone some other day."

"I-I'd like that, Suguha." He pushed the thyme in front of her. "Could you bring this into the medicine cat's den for me?" She nodded. "Thanks." When they both got to their paws, he brushed his pelt against her shoulder, despite all the embarrassment he felt in doing so. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Bye, Alderheart." Suguha picked up the thyme and made her way into camp. Squirrelflight approached her once she entered camp.

"Suguha, thank StarClan you're alright. Is Alderheart okay?" She nodded. "That's a relief. We've been having so many cats wander off lately, but it's good to know you're both safe." The deputy looked at the plant in her jaws. "What is that?" Suguha placed the plant down.

"Thyme. I went out with Alderheart to the Twolegplace to return Velvet's toy to her. She gave it to us."

"You both went that far? Well, thank you for traveling with him. I'm sure he was in good paws with you around. Is he at the Moonpool now?"

"He's making his way there. I may have held him back to talk with him for a bit."

"I'm sure he enjoyed that, right?" Squirrelflight joked. "Anyway, you're probably tired from that small trip. You should get some rest." Suguha dipped her head in thanks and made her way over to the medicine cat's den to drop off the thyme. After she did, she saw Kirito and Asuna approach her.

"There you are! Did you and Alderheart go out on a date without telling us?" Asuna wondered, a sly glint in her eyes.

"N-No! We just went to return Velvet's toy!" The black she-cat told them. "I did speak with Alderheart, though."

"What'd he say?" Kirito asked.

"He felt sorry, but he said it was because he didn't want to annoy me." She answered.

"Aw…well don't worry, Suguha. We saw Jayfeather and Leafpool leaving to go to the Moonpool, so we're postponing our date night to some other day."

"I'm sure Alderheart doesn't mind one bit." The black tom stated. "I think Twigbranch was a bit mad, though."

"No she wasn't!" Asuna bumped into the tom. "She's still as flustered as she was this morning."

"That, I can believe." Suguha said with a small laugh. "Asuna, can I talk with you for a second?" She nodded.

"You can go get some sleep, Kirito."

"I thought you'd never ask. Night you two."

"What did you want to talk about, Suguha?" Asuna asked once the tom left. She noticed that she seemed embarrassed about something.

"Do you remember the other night when we were talking about Alderheart?" The cream she-cat nodded. "I said I wasn't jealous of Velvet…but I think I was."

"Right, because Alderheart was around her more and you missed talking with him."

"No, I know that, but…I think that I was jealous because…I'm starting to have feelings for him." She confessed, her face growing hot. Asuna looked at the she-cat and let out a small smile.

"I'm guessing you didn't tell him?"

"I don't know when I should. He's a medicine cat, and unlike Velvet, I'm here until we're finally able to leave. I don't want to distract him from his medicine cat duties."

"That makes sense." The cream she-cat stood in thought for a while. "I'd keep it away from him for a bit. You never know what sort of prophecy could be in store for us now that the five Clans are together again. He might need to be clear of any sort of distractions." Suguha nodded her head in agreement. "Still, this is cute! He's fallen for you, and now you finally feel the same way! I can't imagine how overjoyed he'll feel when you finally tell him."

"Just…try to keep it between us? If Kazuto found out, who knows what he'd do."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me…and Nightheart."

"I guess it's obvious that I'll tell her, huh?"

"You two have been amazing friends ever since we came here, after all." She meowed. "Let's go get some sleep, you must be tired." The two she-cats walked into the warriors den and rested down on their bedding and drifted off to sleep.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lucina woke up from her long slumber, the she-cat wiping her eyes with a paw. She realized she was dreaming, the moon reflecting its beautiful light on the clearing and the nearby forest.

"Lucina?" She turned around and saw that it was Kirito.

"Kirito? What are you doing in my dream?" She wondered.

"Your dream? You sure this isn't mine?" He looked around the area. "Wait…where are we anyways?"

"You've never been here before?" She asked, the tom shaking his head. "Strange…"

"Kazuto! Lucina!" The two turned around and saw Suguha running over to them. "Where are we?"

"Lucina says she's been here before…oh, and apparently we're all sharing a dream or something." Her cousin meowed.

"Really? This is so strange. Wait…isn't this StarClan?"

"No, it's a different place entirely." The cats turned and saw Asuna walking over to them. "Spottedleaf called this place the Forest of Moonlight. I've been here before with Alderheart when we were trying to figure out how to wake up Lelouch months ago."

"Hey!" They saw Noctis running over to join the four cats standing in the middle of the grassy clearing. "What are you four doing here?"

"We're dreaming, Noct. Apparently we're all sharing one dream." Suguha told him.

"That's…definitely something. I think I've been here before, though." The black tom sat in thought for a while until he remembered. "Yeah, when Luna brought me to this world. It's been a while."

"So…we're all the cats from different worlds." Kirito stated. "Well, except for Lelouch."

"Isn't that him over there?" Lucina meowed when she spotted a black cat approaching them in the distance. When they saw the tom's violet eyes, they realized that she was right.

"Okay, now we're all here." The younger black tom reiterated. "So…any idea why we're here?"

"My guess is to speak with Spottedleaf." Lelouch stated. "All five Clans are together again, and we don't know the next step."

"That's right." The cats all turned and saw a tortoiseshell she-cat approaching them. Once she got close enough, she stopped and let out a smile. "It's nice to see you all and meet some of you for the first time. My name is Spottedleaf." She greeted. "Oh, would you all feel more comfortable as Twolegs?" The others watched as Asuna swiped a paw down, a menu appearing in front of her. Kirito and Suguha did the same, and the others watched as the three cats began to glow, three humans now appearing once the light faded. "You three can do the same thing as well." Noctis swiped his paw down first, Lucina and Lelouch following his example. The same light surrounded them and once it faded, the three were reverted back to their human forms.

"Lucina, you're so pretty! You definitely are a princess." Suguha told her, the blue-haired girl blushing slightly at her praise.

"T-Thank you, Suguha. You all look great, too." She looked over at Noctis. "Is that what royalty wears in your world, Noctis?"

"This is just what I wear. Nothing really fancy. I'm guessing other than the tiara your outfit's like mine?" She nodded. "It looks good." He looked over at Lelouch. "That's definitely not what royalty wears in your world."

"I'd rather be a cat if I was wearing all those clothes." He replied, causing Noctis to let out a small chuckle.

"Hey Sugu, look over there." Kirito pointed a finger over to where Lelouch was. "As handsome as you hoped?"

"K-Kazuto!" Her cousin stammered. Lelouch looked over at her, causing Suguha to blush.

"Okay, I don't mean to stop admiring how we all look when we're not cats, but Spottedleaf probably has some news to tell us." Asuna stated. The group all sat down in a circle, Spottedleaf walking into the middle of it.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've brought you all together." She began. "There are five Clans once again, but there is still one more mission that I need to give you all before you return to your respective worlds." Her amber eyes looked over at Lucina. "Lucina, do you remember the one other thing I told you before sending you to the Clans?"

"You told me that although the Clans are finally five again, trouble would still follow. You said that the sky has cleared, but the Clans would still need help if they all wanted to prosper."

"Correct, and now I grant the same task to each of you. The Clans still need your help, and I'm sure you'll all be able to help achieve that period of peace they're seeking."

"We won't let you down, Spottedleaf." Kirito promised. "Hey, do you mind if I pet you?"

"Kazuto!" Suguha nudged her cousin.

"It's quite alright. Ever since I've met C.C. I've become a bit fond of it. It makes me envy kittypets a bit." She walked over to Kirito, the boy gently petting her, Spottedleaf letting out a purr.

"Hey, bring her over here." Noctis told him, Kirito passing the she-cat over.

"Okay, now this is becoming a bit demeaning." The she-cat muttered as Noctis stroked her fur. "…but it does feel nice." Later, she swatted Noctis' hand away. "That's enough, Noctis. Thank you." She hopped off of his lap and returned to the middle of the circle. "Again, I want to apologize for finally talking to some of you so late. I had to find the perfect cats suited to help the Clans…and you're all around me right now. So…thank you."

"We're glad to help, Spottedleaf. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say we're grateful for this opportunity." Lucina told her.

"Right. I know I said this when we first met, but all the friends we've made here and memories we've made, they're enough of a reward." Asuna added.

"Still…that means our time in this world is coming to an end, right?" Suguha said, crestfallen.

"Can't say it ever crossed my mind." Noctis let out a sigh. "I'm gonna have to step away from Twigbranch someday... It seems the only one worry-free here is you, Lelouch."

"Well, our circumstances are similar, Noctis. You could stay if you wanted to."

"As much as I'd want to, Luna's waiting for me. Besides, I think Finleap would be more than happy for me to leave." He said with a small laugh.

"I don't want you all feeling sad, now." Spottedleaf meowed. "Smile. You've all been amazing help for the Clans. They couldn't be more fortunate."

"Yeah. We'll do our very best until the end. We can save all the sad stuff for after we've finished our mission." Kirito stated, causing Spottedleaf to smile.

"I'll let you all get some rest now. Goodnight." Spottedleaf watched as everyone around her disappeared, except for Asuna. The she-cat turned around to face the hazel-eyed girl. "I need to speak with you Asuna…cat to cat preferably." The girl nodded and swiped her hand down. After pressing through the transparent screen for a few seconds, she was reverted back to her cat form.

"What is it?" She wondered.

"It's about you and being a medicine cat." Asuna avoided her gaze. "I know it's easy to place the blame on yourself, especially in the situation you faced. I used to be a medicine cat as well, remember?" She nodded. "This seems even easier for you due to ThunderClan having three medicine cats at the moment, but you have to let it stop eating at you. StarClan blessed you with special powers to help cats who are injured. Any Clan cat would dream to have such abilities. Right now, the only cat stopping you is yourself, you know that."

"I know…but what if I make another mistake that ends up killing a cat close to me?"

"Then learn from it, Asuna. Having that worry in your head is perfect fuel to drive you towards becoming a better medicine cat. No medicine cat lives a life without encountering another cat's death. I understand how much Briarlight's death hurt, but I'm sure she never wants you to give up on your duties as medicine cat. Cats may depend on your skills, Asuna. Don't be selfish and restrict yourself because of one mistake." Asuna could feel her heart swell with gratitude at the she-cat's compassionate words.

"Thank you, Spottedleaf. I'll think about it." The tortoiseshell she-cat gave her a comforting lick to the ear.

"I'm glad to hear that." Spottedleaf watched as Asuna began to slowly fade from her view, leaving her alone in the Forest of Moonlight. Lelouch…Kirito…Suguha…Asuna…Noctis…Lucina… I know you'll complete this final task with no problem at all. You've each already helped the Clans so much, and I can't be more appreciative than I already am. The future of the Clans will definitely be one filled with hope…and it's thanks to all of you.


And with that, A Future of Hope is finally finished. I hope that you've all been enjoying Everlasting Miracles II up to this point. I'm thankful for any of you who have been keeping up with this series so far. It really does mean a lot to me. We've got one more story to go before this adventure comes to an end. I hope that it will live up to any expectations that you all have. ~Geasswolf