Here's chapter 9! I liked writing this chapter a lot, actually. I hadn't even really considered having Foxstep's character have more of a past and reason for how he acts. But then I got to thinking about it and starting thinking about what could prompt Foxstep to do the things he does? I expanded on his otherwise brief character summary. By the way, the section written in italics is a flashback.

Also, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. I literally didn't expect this many. Maybe one review per chapter at most.

Fact: Originally the only characters to have more depth and plot time were going to be Ashpaw, Dapplepaw, and Creampaw. However, then I wrote more on Foxstep, then starting planning out the future for Rainpaw and Rosepaw as well.

Foxstep blinked awake. Light shined through the roof on the warrior's den, which had been coming apart lately. Their dens were a series of abandoned badger dens from when the badgers ruled the territory. Normally they didn't get holes, but this one was coming apart.

He crept out of the tunnel, glancing around camp. Piles of rocks surrounded them, so they did truly have a camp. Foxstep glanced around, his eyes searching for one dappled pelt.

Dapplepaw was drinking from the small brook that ran through camp. She shook water droplets from her whiskers, glancing toward the freshkill pile. As she started over there, Foxstep scrambled to meet her, a few leaves flying up behind him.

"Dapplepaw!" Foxstep meowed enthusiastically. He gazed down at her. As she looked at him, a flicker of irritation and annoyance flashed in her eyes before she tried to make it disappear.

"Foxstep," she greeted, her fluffy tail swishing.

Foxstep's ear twitched. The deal was that she would be nice to him. And she was. But how could her old memories not be coming back to her? About how in love they were? All the goods times she had? How could this not happen? The half moon ended that evening. The half moon she agreed to be kind to him, and if she didn't like him at the end he wouldn't bother her again. He had made a deal and he intended to stick by it.

"Do you want to go hunting?" Foxstep asked, his mind drifting to anything that would actually appeal to her. She was a very close-minded cat, and even though her tone of voice was nice, it was obvious she made no effort to put aside her dislike for him.

Dapplepaw rolled a sparrow from the pile. She paused before she picked it up. "No, not really. Rainpaw and I are going to hunt for a bit. We're trying to...bond." She plucked up her meal and started for a spot shaded by a fern.

Foxstep sighed. She was impossible, just like Sweetpaw. Well, she was Sweetpaw, reborn. He believed that. Ever since she died, he was alone. But a moon later Dapplepaw was born, and she looked just like Sweetpaw. At that moment, it was clear StarClan gave her another chance, gave them another chance.

But Dapplepaw didn't remember. She had no clue of how much they loved each other, and Foxstep wanted her too. He would be happy, and so would she. He had observed her snappy remarks to cats, her irritation. Dapplepaw's personality was different that Sweetpaw's personality, though Foxstep saw similarities.

"Sweetpaw," Foxstep murmured, thinking of her. Plus, she hadn't visited him in a dream like he knew she would. And the only explanation would be that she wasn't in StarClan at all!

He padded up to Dapplepaw. "Well?" he asked, his tail flicking and most of his hope drained. He gazed down at her, waiting. "It's been a half moon."

"Believe me, I know." Dapplepaw got to her paws. "Sorry, Foxstep. I just can't bring myself to care for you." She met his gaze evenly. "I think you will love a cat one day just as much as you loved Sweetpaw. But I am not her."

Foxstep's eyes widened. "What?" he gasped. "You remember? You remember your past?" Excitement tingled through him at the thought. "You know you were once Sweetpaw?"

Dapplepaw's eyes softened. "No, Foxstep, I'm not," she meowed to him, almost sounding gentle, which was uncharacteristic of her. "I know you think Sweetpaw was reborn as me, but that's just not true."

"Them how do you know about her? About how I loved her?" Foxstep challenged, desperate. It's her, it has to be her! Sweetpaw cannot be gone! He stared at her while she sighed, preparing to speak.

Dapplepaw looked up at him. "I know you don't want to hear this, but she came to me in a dream and explained everything. How you really did care for her, and how much she cared for you. How she died from falling with that tree. The large pine tree." She stepped back, her tail swishing. "She also said that it was time to let go. Move on."

Foxstep didn't realize he was trembling. He had hoped that Dapplepaw was Sweetpaw so much. He had denied that Sweetpaw was actually gone, but she was, and Dapplepaw had just clarified that.

Foxstep took a shaky step back. "I'm sorry, too," he murmured, head down. He stumbled backward, heading for the warrior's den. He found his nest and curled up.

"Sweetpaw?" Foxstep called. He glanced around. He woke in his dream in StarClan territory.

He was on a prairie, and there weren't any leaves, which was strange for a LeafClan cat.. The territory was unfamiliar, too. What cat lived on such open land other than in leaf-bare?

"Sweetpaw," he called again. "I know you can hear me. You must be able too! You're in StarClan, right?" Foxstep looked around, desperate. Where was she? Was Dapplepaw lying?

"I'm here, Foxstep," a voice called. Dapplepaw's voice. It wasn't, though, because the cat that emerged had blue eyes, just like Sweetpaw's, and not Dapplepaw's green eyes. She padded in front of him, her fur shimmering with stars.

Foxstep stared at her. He hadn't seen her in moons, and there she was, as though she had never been gone. "Sweetpaw...?" he asked shakily, wanting to confirm she was there.

"Foxstep," Sweetpaw meowed. She sat down. "I've watched you. I looked after you from right here in StarClan."

Foxstep sat down as well, wrapping his red tail around his paws. "You have?" He hesitated. "You never visited me in my dreams, Sweetpaw. I waited for you. Until Dapplepaw was born. I had...hope. Hope that you were actually alive." His voice trailed off as he looked at her.

Sweetpaw nodded, her eyes closed. "Yes, I know. I didn't want that. I didn't. I wanted you to move on with your life. Be happy again. I thought that if I came in your dreams, you wouldn't forget me. I need you to, Foxstep. I need you to forget me. Not our memories, just me. You deserve to be happy again."

Foxstep shook his head. "I can't. Not without you." He touched her nose lightly. "Please, just stay?"

"No," she meowed sadly. "You did love. You loved me, but you also loved Dapplepaw."

"Because I thought she was you."

"Yes, but you loved her for her, even when you thought she was me. Be happy, please." Sweetpaw's image blurred as she disappeared, leaving Foxstep to snap awake in the warrior's den.

I don't love Dapplepaw. I don't, and I can't. I love Sweetpaw, and no cat else. But Sweetpaw thinks I do...do I? Foxstep sighed. His life became complicated ever since Sweetpaw fell.

"You'll never catch me!" Sweetpaw meowed lightly, her voice energetic and happy. She zigzagged around the bases of the maple tree, the ground stirring. It was new-leaf when there weren't leaves on the ground or any bitter snow.

Foxpaw let out a small bit of laughter. "I bet I will!" he called, putting on a boost of speed. His paws ran rapidly over the ground, trying to catch up to her.

Sweetpaw hared around a large pine tree. It was unusual, that pine. It was in a territory with dense maple trees, yet lived on. Well, it looked as though it would fall any day now. The tree had grown sick and old. It was a landmark, that pine. It was named the Tall Pine. Pretty soon it would be the Fallen Pine.

Sweetpaw looped around the trunk, her fluffy tail being all Foxpaw saw. He leapt the other way, his heart pounding. He wasn't sure if he could love another cat like he loved Sweetpaw. As he rounded the corner, he paused. She was gone.

Foxpaw hesitated, wary. He glanced up to see her staring at him from a branch, eyes teasing. "See, you'll never catch me!" she purred, her voice triumphant.

"Oh yeah?" Foxpaw sprung at the tree, his claws sinking into the bark, which was rotten, and that made it far more difficult to climb. Still, he struggled up to the branch she had been on. By that time Sweetpaw had scaled the tree to nearly the top. "Careful," Foxpaw couldn't help but call.

Sweetpaw rolled her eyes. "This tree's so strong. It won't break." She lashed her tail, her blue eyes flicking from him to the branch she was standing on. "See?" She pressed on it with her paw. "It won't break, you worry-cat!"

Foxpaw sighed. She was right, it wouldn't break. It couldn't. Foxpaw second guessed his logic when he examined it more closely. It was practically broken already, just needing a gust of wind to knock it down. "Okay, but come down now. I don't want to chance it."

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Sweetpaw leapt around the branches to prove her point. "I'm fine, see?"

Foxpaw's heart dropped when he heard a loud creak. He let out a yowl when he felt the tree start to tilt. "Sweetpaw!" he called. Quickly, he inched to the edge of the branch. Once there he flung himself at a close-by maple, digging his claws into the firmer wood.

"Foxpaw, help!"

Sweetpaw's shriek rang throughout the territory, as did the crash once the tree fell.

"No, Sweetpaw!" Foxpaw dropped clumsily from the maple, scrambling around the dead branches for the she-cat's fluffy fur. "Sweetpaw, can you hear me?" His voice became desperate as he shoved around in the rubble. "Please help!"

Not long after the fall a patrol of cats skidded around the corner, eyes wide. "What happened?" demanded Brackenclaw, the deputy.

Foxpaw took in a shaky breath. "Sweetpaw...she's buried under here! Help! Please!" He dived back among the branches, some catching his fur and snagging him. He struggled toward the area of tree where she had been when it fell.

And then he saw her fur. Just a tuft sticking out. Foxpaw threw himself at it, clawing at the brittle wood to move it away. "She needs a medicine cat!" Foxpaw yelled after he pushed everything off her. "Get Rushwater!"

Brackenclaw peered at her, his eyes grave. "Foxpaw, she's gone." His meow was stern and calm, but clearly sad.

"No!" Foxpaw cried out, pawing at her fur. "No, she can't be!" His mind thought rapidly. No, this couldn't be happening and it couldn't be true! One moment she was alive and well. They had their whole future written out for them. They planned to have a family, be together forever! That was one moment ago! In a split second she was gone, taken away from him so fast he could hardly blink.

Brackenclaw nudged him away, moving to help lift Sweetpaw's lifeless body. Ivytail and Mousetail helped. It was their first patrol as warriors.

A second patrol padded over, led by Silverwhisker. His eyes darkened, flicking between Sweetpaw's limp body and Foxpaw, who was shaking. Foxpaw looked up at his mentor as Silverwhisker approached him. The harsh warrior's gaze softened. "I'm sorry," he meowed.

"S-Someone needs to get R-Rushwater. Sweetpaw's h-hurt!" Foxpaw meowed, his voice troubled and devastated. No, no StarClan please no! Let her be saved! She didn't deserve this! This is my fault! Foxpaw thought, his strength draining. Sweetpaw was gone? Was that true? There would be no other cat like her. No cat could replace the hole in his heart.

Foxstep snapped out of his daydream. He shuddered at the memory of the worst day of his life. He had remembered that he was sure that he would never love another cat as he had loved Sweetpaw. And now he believed he still didn't. Not counting how much he loved Dapplepaw when he thought she was Sweetpaw.

But I did love her, Foxstep thought, frowning. Well, he had believed she was his true love Sweetpaw. However, Sweetpaw had thought he loved Dapplepaw. And he had loved Dapplepaw thinking she was Sweetpaw, yet he loved everything about her that wasn't like Sweetpaw.

What have I done? he asked himself. Have I tricked myself into loving Dapplepaw?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. I am aiming to get to 50 reviews by chapter ten.

Next chapter: Dapplepaw tries to understand the motive behind Rainpaw's recent revelations.

Question: Did you expect this past plot to happen for Foxstep nor not? Do you think it adds to the story?

Side note: One more chapter before I will answer one question to everyone who has reviewed from chapter 1.