Chapter 18

"Recovery."

8/11/16

Two cats were watching the trees of ThunderClan territory with gleaming eyes.

"You see what happens when you do things on the sly, Crowstar?"

"I see, Lionstar. ThunderClan and RiverClan are going to be focusing on each other. What is the next phase?"

"Oh, I've already got someone who will keep an eye on ThunderClan from the inside."

Crowstar glanced at Lionstar.

"Do you really think that little mouse will be able to pull it off?"

"She doesn't have a choice, trust me." Lionstar replied coolly.

"Now, let's discuss our new alliance…"


Palewhisker woke up and stretched, preparing to check on Stoatfrost. She saw Yellowflower was reapplying cobwebs on Stoatfrost's neck. Palewhisker noticed a gold tail, and she pads around Yellowflower to see Stealthfire sleeping on the side of his nest.

"When did she come here?" She asks Yellowflower.

"Probably in the night." Yellowflower replied. "I didn't have the heart to move her, she looked devastated."

Palewhisker looks at the golden she cat, and sighs.

"She can stay, but I should get her something to eat."

Palewhisker pads out of her den, the warriors were just getting as the dawn patrol made of Rainstorm, Fallencloud, Leopardstrike and Sneezepaw arrives with a creamy brown she cat.

Palewhisker recognizes her from Mistyleaf's report last half moon.

"Thrushwing? Of WindClan? What is she doing here?"

"We don't know," Fallencloud said. "She's completely exhausted from hunger."

"We've already got our own problems!" Sneezepaw hissed.

Leopardstrike smacked his tail on Sneezepaw's head to silence him.

"Nonsense." Palewhisker said, touching her nose on Thrushwing's head.

"ThunderClan doesn't turn away from a cat in distress."

The sun began to rise, and Stoatfrost was still unresponsive. Stealthfire still wouldn't move from his nest. So far, only Flameclaw, Duckheart and Rainstorm.

Now Squirreltail came in, and gazed at Stealthfire with sympathy.

"Hey… Foxflame is about to go hunting."

"I don't feel good…" Stealthfire mumbled. Squirreltail nudged her shoulder.

"It's all in your head. I'll stay with Stoatfrost and watch over him."

Stealthfire reluctantly gets up and leaves the den. Squirreltail sighs as he looks at Stoatfrost's sleeping face.

"Stoatfrost, you better come back or I'll have your tail."


Stealthfire searched the leaf covered ground with Foxflame.

"Stealthfire," he said. "I'm sorry for what happened to Stoatfrost."

Stealthfire grunted in reply.

"He might've been a clown, but he was a good cat-."

"Is." She coldly corrected the ginger tom. "He is a good cat."

Foxflame nodded.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about Sweetflower. Have you noticed how distant she is?"

Stealthfire frowned. She hasn't spend time with the tortoiseshell and white she cat since their apprenticeship.

"Not really."

Foxflame wrinkled his nose.

"I do. I think she's seeing someone, a rogue and kittypet, I don't know…"

Stealthfire looks at Foxflame with a smirk.

"Are you jealous?"

The bright ginger tom huffed and lashed his tail.

"I-I'm not! I just think that she's a bit different from before!"

Foxflame narrowed his eyes when he saw Stealthfire scoff humorously.

"She's a friend, nothing more!"


After a long hour, all Foxflame could find is a sparrow. Stealthfire decided to visit the elder's den.

"Hello, dear." Silverlight greeted her. Stealthfire nodded and sat near Mooneye and Frogpelt.

"I heard what happened to Stoatfrost." Mooneye said, sounding surprisingly sympathetic. "He was a brave cat, foolish, but brave."

"He is." She corrected him.

Why does everyone give up so quickly?! Stoatfrost won't die!

"Stealthfire," Mooneye warned her. "Cats who have suffered a wound to the throat usually die."

"Usually." Stealthfire pointed out. "So there were cats who survived, and Stoatfrost will be one of them."

"You believe in it so strongly. Stealthfire, why is it?"

Stealthfire blinked at the blind old tom.

"I don't understand…"

Mooneye suddenly drops in his nest and slaps his head with his paw.

"Great Firestar in StarClan above! Cats have always said toms were dense as fog! Never before have I met a she cat who is just clueless!"

Stealthfire suddenly felt embarrassed. Frogpelt rolled his eyes.

"Stealthfire, I want to tell you a true story."

Stealthfire faces Frogpelt as he spoke,

"I was like Stoatfrost at one point. Flirted with all the she cats, and always played around without any sense. Until one day, I met a she cat named Flowershine, who wanted nothing to do with me, who said I was too 'stuck up' and 'foolish' to ever be a true warrior."

"I set out to prove her wrong. I've hunted, fought and honored every part of the warrior code. And for a while, I couldn't figure why Flowershine's words bothered me so much. So I decided to make any excuse to be with her on patrols and hunting parties, and slowly I understood why."

"I fell in love with her."

Stealthfire's ears perked with interest.

"We ended up having two kits, Thornstar and Leopardstrike." Frogpelt smiled.

"Yes, those two handsome brutes came from an old, washed up cat, but luckily they had their mother's looks."

"Where is Flowershine?"

Frogpelt laid his head on his nest with sad, amber eyes.

"She passed away from green cough, long before Thornstar and Leopardstrike became apprentices."

"I'm telling you this because sometimes we bottle up things inside from cats we care about, and it will take the last minute of that cat's life before we could truly admit how we feel."

"I… I understand." Stealthfire whispered, standing up.

Silverlight smiles.

"Good. If you do, then promise us sweet little kits ~!"


Stealthfire padded back inside the medicine cat den and rests her nose on his head.

"Stealth...fire?"

The golden she cat jerked back and saw Stoatfrost's eyes open slightly.

"Hey…" He whispered. "I was just talking to Icefoot about you…"

"Don't talk, just stay still." She told him, her heart fluttering wildly seeing Stoatfrost alive. Stoatfrost laid up from his nest and stares at her with humor.

"Stay still? But I'm excited. Icefoot absolutely adores you, I knew she would…"

Stealthfire pressed her muzzle on his own, and electricity shot through her nerves.

She stares into Stoatfrost's deep, blue eyes, and for the first time she sees love.

Holy… I think I…

"Stoatfrost, what did you really want to ask me that day by the lake?"

Stoatfrost chuckles, embarrassed.

"Oh, that. I was just…"

"It's okay." Stealthfire places her paw on Stoatfrost's paw. "You can tell me."

Stoatfrost stared at her and took a deep breath.

"Stealthfire… Would you be my-?"

"He's awake!"

Stealthfire jumped hearing Dawnpaw's voice. The pale grey apprentice ran off and exclaimed,

"Stoatfrost is alive!"

"Bless StarClan!"

"Someone get Palewhisker or Yellowflower!"

Squirreltail burst in the den and licks Stoatfrost's forehead, and smacked his paw over his ears.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Stealthfire stepped out as cats swarmed the den, and parted a path for Palewhisker and Yellowflower. She felt her paws trembling with a mixture of emotions she never knew. Relief. Love. Happiness? Yes, definitely happiness.


Nighttime fell, but Stealthfire was wide awake as she went back to the medicine cat den. To her surprise, Stoatfrost had one eye open in her direction.

"Stoatfrost?" She whispered, careful not to wake up the two medicine cats.

The white tom raised an invisible eyebrow. Stealthfire leaned in and said,

"I'll be your mate."

(Kyubi is surrounded by people lowering their choice of weapons, smiling with satisfaction)

See? Happy now? I WAS gonna make a fake opening where he actually dies, but unfortunately I don't have a stunt double yet.

(An arrow in flames misses only by two inches above Kyubi's head)

Hey - someone take that guy's crossbow! Ugh, oh well. Let me be the first say "YES! They're together!" I haven't been this excited about a pairing since Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable became a couple.

(Kyubi wipes a tear) Ah, memories ~.

I hope you guys review and have a great day.