I'm back! Aren't you all so happy? 8D

Well, I almost decided to delete my FF account and this story, but I chose not to. I know you're all so happy about that. xD

Enough of me rambling. On with the story! And I suggest you reread some of it... heh heh...

OoOoO

I yowled for her, but she didn't seem to hear me

I yowled for her, but she didn't seem to hear me. She was there, waiting for Gargoyle to attack her. But… he didn't. He paused and touched her nose, shooting me a look. He sheathed and unsheathed his claws, and slashed Mother. She flew backwards, and hit the ground hard. I whimpered, but unsheathed my claws.

Gargoyle turned to me, his dark gray eyes bright. I shivered and padded up to him. He stared down at me, his enormous size making it impossible for him to look me straight in the eye. He sat down and bent his head to peer at my face.

"I don't care if I can't hurt you; just stay away from her."

"Who said she was real? You're dreaming; anything can happen in a dream," Gargoyle meowed calmly. Why did he have to have personality switches every heartbeat?

"'Anything can happen' isn't necessarily what I want, but it can be, right? So you don't have to be here."

"You can't get rid of dead cats," he explained bluntly. "We come and go as we please."

"Then go away," I snarled, lashing out at him with my forepaws. They sailed through him, but I didn't care. It showed that I meant it.

He warned, "You don't want to fight me."

"I think I do," I retorted. "If you can come and go as you please, go down to SkyClan. I want you to know how I felt during that time, with the sea of flames."

"I would have done that already if I could, precious," he purred.

"What do you mean?" I snarled, backing away.

"Well, of course I can't go down to the real world—I'm not alive," he explained silkily, stepping towards me. "Do you want me to change that?"

"Get away," I growled. "Stay away!"

"Oh, but why would I want to?" Gargoyle's whiskers twitched as he watched me.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up," I chanted to myself. "I need to wake up!"

"You want to leave me, Panther, dearest? I'm offended." Gargoyle's eyes glinted dangerously, however sweetly he was talking. "Why don't you stay with me?"

"I… don't… want to!" I wailed. I was a kit again, Gargoyle was there again.

I squeezed my eyes shut as Gargoyle came even closer. When I open my eyes, I'll be awake, I thought desperately. I have to be awake!

"Pantherpaw…"

He never calls me Pantherpaw! I must be waking up!

"Um… Pantherpaw?"

I opened my eye a smidgen, and then they both flew open. I leaped to my paws and stretched, then I—wait. I stretched? I leaped to my paws? How is this happening? It was a miracle! I was fully healed! But how? Did it matter?

"Pantherpaw, you're kicking me," Starlingpaw groaned from the nest next to me. I gazed around. Echosong was asleep still, and I must have woken Starlingpaw up.

"I'm going out," I announced. "Tell Echosong if I don't get back before she wakes up."

"Okay," she coughed.

I nodded briskly and trotted outside. I breathed deeply, relieved to breathe the fresh air of the camp instead of the musty, smelly medicine cat den. I padded up the cliff, careful not to wake any cat by accident (or on purpose).

Having reached the top of the cliff, I sat down and stared at the stars. They were beautiful; sparkling, silver, bright. The night would be completely dark without the stars, completely evil. The moon would cast some light, but the stars are the things that guide our way and watch over us. Where would we be without the stars?

Which one are you, Mother? I found myself asking. Are you up there guiding me?

"Pantherpaw, what are you doing here? You should still be resting."

I jumped, startled, and whirled around. It was Sharpclaw, of course, staring at me curiously. His ears were pricked and his tail was twitching.

"No, I feel fine. It's nothing, really," I replied, shaking my head. "It must be a miracle from StarClan."

"A miracle? Let me see."

Sharpclaw padded towards me to sniff the spot where the wound used to be. As he approached, my skin prickled oddly and I felt warm all over. Sharpclaw sniffed my flank, then glanced at me.

"It must be a miracle from StarClan—there's no sign of an injury at all."

"Nothing there? Are you sure?"

"Positive," he purred. Sharpclaw backed away to stare at me again.

"What?" I asked, self-conscious.

He mused, "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Pantherpaw, I know this is a little sudden, but do you think you'd like to be my mate?" Sharpclaw offered, stepping towards me.

I blinked in shock. "W-What?"

"I know that I'm your mentor, and that you're very young, but I think we belong together."

As Sharpclaw came closer, I could see Gargoyle in him for a moment. I jumped away and shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't, Sharpclaw. It would be too uncomfortable for me. Besides, what would the Clan think?"

"What does it matter? What they think will only get in the way of our love."

"What love? We barely know each other!" I would never admit I had a crush on him.

"If that's what you believe," he hissed.

I flinched and saw Gargoyle again.

"It is," I whispered.

"Fine, then," he snapped. "If that is how you feel. Since you are fully healed, we will resume training tomorrow at dawn. Don't be late."

He whirled around, lashing his tail as he walked away. I glanced at the sky—it was almost dawn anyway. I sighed and followed my mentor. I hoped he wouldn't make training torture for me.

OoOoO

Yay! End of chapter. O.o What will happen? You'll have to wait for me to write the next chapter (and be not-lazy enough to post it, heh heh...). Yay! Reveiw if you like. I know, I know, it was a crappy chapter, but hey, at least it's a chapter. :)