Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys! I really enjoy reading what everyone thinks of my work. It inspires me. I know I said 12 reviews, but I've been so busy with stuff I've not had time to update.

Anyway, this is Chapter 17, and theres a secret at the end. YIPPEY!!!! Okay. I'm done. Lol

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I own all the characters in this story, except Firestar, Bluestar, and...whoever else is mentioned from the books, O.o;;

Chapter 17

Faint. She heard words, but very faint ones, as if she were underwater and someone was speaking to her from the surface. She didn't try to move, didn't try to speed up her recovery. All she wanted was to know that ThunderClan was alright.

That Firepaw was alright.

The words continued to be passed into her muffled hearing. Two cats - or was it three? - were talking, but to her there words were jumbled and crammed together. She waited a few more minutes, reconizing the back of her eyelids as the darkness creeped to her. She was no longer swirling in mists. Finally, after a few long moments, she recongized one voice that made her perk her ears.

"...dead."

Firepaw. It was Firepaw, talking to...Yes. Spiceleaf and Icestar. Snowpaw desperatly wanted to reach out and touch them, let them know she was okay, but the last time she had done something like that, she had nearly collasped again. This time, she was going to let her body recover on it's own time, and no faster. But the time it took was painfully long, and the entire time, Snowpaw concentrated on figuring out how to open her eyes.

Oh. That's how.

Sunlight met her gaze as soon as her eyeslids lifted, and she nearly groaned, and would have if she could've. She heard a fews gasps of shock, and several pats of pawsteps before the sun was blocked by three bodies. Looking up, she saw three cats above her, but she couldn't recongize them for her blurry eyesight. She blinked a few times, before finally Icestar, Spiceleaf, and Firepaw came into view. She blinked, confused a moment.

"Snowpaw!" Firepaw meowed first, nearly tumbling from relief. "Snowpaw, you're okay!"

She blinked again, puzzlement in her eyes. "What...what happened?" Her head hurt, her entire body was sore, and she felt like she was going to throw up. No cat said nothing for a few moments, and Snowpaw, becoming her usual self, became impatient . "I said, 'what happened'?"

"Firesight attacked you," Firepaw replied, head bowed. "He nearly killed you, but you fought him off."

At first, Snowpaw cocked her head in confusion. That had happened? Then, suddenly, her mind was overflowing with what happened and she opened her eyes wider. "Firesight? Oh! StarClan Firepaw, are you okay?" She reached a paw out, touching his own gently.

"I'm fine," he meowed, looking away. Shame pinched Snowpaw's heart and she removed her paw. How did he feel now, after she had called him a traitor?

"Snowpaw, we're all glad you are okay," Icestar meowed, a small smile on her face. "If it wasn't for you and Firepaw's brave efforts, Firesight would've never been brought down."

"Where...where is he, anyway?" Snowpaw meowed gently, and saw Firepaw cringe a few feet away. Icestar said nothing. It was Spiceleaf who stepped forward.

"He is dead," she replied, her eyes cold. "Firepaw killed him after he nearly killed you." Snowpaw, filled with horror and surprise, turned her green gaze on Firepaw, his own green orbs shining back at her. They were silent, simply gazing at each other.

"Er...we'll leave you two alone," Icestar meowed, her eyes gleaming, and her and Spiceleaf exited the den.

No one spoke. Firepaw simply stood there, mezmerized by Snowpaw's eyes. And Snowpaw was the same. Then, in a sudden flash of ginger fur, Firepaw was against Snowpaw, his head on hers.

"I was so scared," he meowed shakily, licking her head. "I thought I had lost you." Snowpaw was shocked. So many emotions ran through her blood at this moment that she didn't know what to think. He had worried and feared for her life, after she had called him a traitor. Low. That's what Snowpaw felt now. Lower that the dirt beneath her paws.

"I'm so sorry, Firepaw," Snowpaw meowed suddenly, her gaze lowering. She shifted the sand beneath her with one forepaw. She was trembling slightly, shame filling her entire body with depression. "I called you a traitor...without anything to back it up with. And Firesight...he blamed it on you." She looked up at him, her green orbs shining. "I'm sorry."

Firepaw said nothing. Only gazed at her for several moments, and Snowpaw gazed back. She felt something knawing at her stomach, and it was a very funny feeling, one that made you feel lightheaded and floating. Was...Could it possibly be...

Was Snowpaw in love?

"Don't say that," Firepaw demanded suddenly, burying his face into her shoulder. "Don't say that. It wasn't your fault. Firesight...he wanted you and me both dead! And I was his brother!" Snowpaw was dumbfounded. Despite what Firesight had done to him, Firepaw continued to call him his brother. That was horribly ironic. A brother...that wanted him dead.

For a moment, the two layed there, their muzzled buried in each others shoulders. For awhile, Snowpaw drifted into a doze, only to be awoken when Firepaw lifted his head. The two stared at each other, each holding the other in their eyes.

"Snowpaw? Firepaw?"

The moment was broken, and so was the eye contact, when Icestar's voice entered the medicine cats den. She stepped in, her bluish fur glowing in the sunset. The two cats broke away, looking at their leader with respect.

"In honor of your bravery and fantastic fighting skills, I have decided to make you both warriors tomorrow at sunhigh." Snowpaw's stomach flipped. A warrior? She hadn't thought about being a warrior since Gingersky's death, but now the idea pleased her. Her eyes strayed to Firepaw, and saw the same excitement reflected in her eyes in his. "After all, you both deserve it." Looking back up at Icestar, Snowpaw saw the sympathy in her eyes and at the same time...something else. It was something that told Snowpaw she knew exactly what it was she was going through, but Snowpaw knew very well she didn't. She kept her eyes on Icestar's and nodded her thanks.

"I never thought..." Firepaw started, shaking his head. "I never thought I would become a true warrior." He was looking at the ground, scratching the dirt with his forepaw. He looked up, and Snowpaw's heart flipped at the emotions in his eyes. "Thank you Icestar. This really means alot to me."

Icestar, purring, nodded her head in reply. "Like I said, you both deserve it." With another nod of farewell, Icestar turned and padded out of the den, her blue fur turning orange in the twilight. Snowpaw watched her go, her heart thudding with excitement. A warrior.

"She's right. You deserve it."

For some reason, it didn't surprise Snowpaw to hear any voice, but it did surprise her to hear Gingersky's. She looked over her shoulder, into the back of the den. The same sweet scent of Gingersky rose in her scent glands, making Snowpaw long for her mentors return. Then, even worse pain struck her.

"Seapaw deserved this, too," she said aloud, meaning it for Gingersky, but Firepaw heard it too.

"Seapaw?"

But Firepaw's question was ignored, for another, nearly forgotten scent mixed with Gingersky, one that sent flashbacks of her childhood speeding through her mind. For there was the famliar light gray fur of her best friend, Seapaw.

"Seapaw?" she meowed in awe, her voice barely above a whisper. The she-cat was now grown, as big as Snowpaw was. And it warmed Snowpaw to see her best friend and mentor again. In response to her voice, Seapaw purred, flicking her tail in greeting, her brown eyes shining with excitement. How long, Snowpaw wondered, had Seapaw waited for this?

Ignoring Firepaw's questions of "what's going on", Snowpaw stood automaticly, and padded toward her two best friends. Gingersky's ginger fur sparkled, seeming to be the bright sun shine, and looking at Seapaw, Snowpaw saw the sparkling water on the rocks at the river. Pain and longing made her sprint toward the two cats she hadn't seen since...well, since they had been taken from her.

She stopped in front of Seapaw, and the two she-cats didn't move, only watched each other for several minutes, before Snowpaw sobbed quietly. She pressed her nose into Seapaw's fur, but to her dismay it went right through the she-cats. Her eyes sparkled with sadness, and Seapaw touched her nose gently.

"Snowpaw," Gingersky said quietly, gently, and Snowpaw tore herself away from her best friend, turning her gaze to Gingersky. "The prophecy is coming to faster than you think." It took a moment for Snowpaw to pull herself away from her memories and pain to focus on what Gingersky was saying. She shook her head.

"What?"

"The prophecy...it's coming faster than you think."

At that moment, a yowl came from the clearing outside the medicine cats den, and Snowpaw jerked her head to look outside the den. She saw Cinderfang and Nightstripe run past the den. She turned around again, and only the outlines of Seapaw and Gingersky remained.

"No! Wait!" She turned around and around, looking for them, but they were gone.

"Snowpaw!" cried Firepaw from the entrance. His green eyes were wide with fear. "FangClan's attacking!"

Snowpaw looked at Firepaw, and saw her own life reflect through his eyes. Seapaw's death; Gingersky's death; Finding out about her mother; Nearly dying because of her own mistake. Looking in his green eyes, she saw what had to be done. She ran up to him, and he never took his eyes of her. She turned her gaze on him, and for several moments, they stood there, staring at each other. There were no words passed, but it was all said in their eyes. Then, after one blink of their eyes, the two cats, side by side, turned and jumped into the fray.

It was time.

---End of Chapter---

Ohhh...guess what?! Only two chapters left! I'm so excited! -jumps up and down- my first warriors fan book will be completed! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it mostly consisted of Firepaw and Snowpaw talking. Oh well.

I expect 20 reviews before I continue. -evil laugh-

Luv you guys!

SoL