The contest thingy that this was for is over, and I was too busy with school to finish this, but I'm going to write it anyway.

"Leafpaw, this is the millionth time today I've caught you not paying attention to me. What is the matter?"

Leafpaw snapped to attention at her mentor's voice, trying to block out the setting sun behind the small, gray cat whom watched her with narrowed eyes and a small frown. Ever since the patrol had left early that morning to help the captured clan cats, Leafpaw hadn't been able to rest, eat, or keep at least one eye at the sun or surrounding area at all times. Clear to every ThunderClan cat, her mind was never on her work, and she ended up making foolish mistakes, such as almost giving Ferncloud yarrow for her cough.

Cinderpelt had scolded her harshly; the Yellowfang in her sprang out. "A mourning cat like her obviously needs to throw up! You know better than that, Leafpaw! Pay attention next time"

Although she stayed out of her apprentice's way for most of the rest of the day and tried to give a few instructions instead, Leafpaw was never able to listen. Her mind, as always, was on her sister.

If I didn't worry worse than an elder in leaf-bare, then perhaps I could do my duty to the clan more efficiently rather than keep everyone worrying about me whenever Squirrelpaw sets one paw out of camp! Leafpaw scolded herself and turned her anxious eyes to her mentor.

"I'm alright, Cinderpelt," she lied, twitching her tail unconsciously.

"No, you're not. Any cat could tell, and I know you almost as well as Firestar, Sandstorm, or even Squirrelpaw!" Cinderpelt slid awkwardly to the ground of the new medicine cat den at Sunningrocks, her bad leg at an angle. She busied herself by licking her paw, yet one blue eye was locked on her apprentice like a hunter. "Tell me what's bothering you."

"I…" Leafpaw hesitated. "It's Squirrelpaw."

"Of course," Cinderpelt sighed, "since it always is. Leafpaw, tell me if this makes sense. You're worrying about Squirrelpaw so much that you are damaging Sunningrocks and the cats on it in the process; you can't control Squirrelpaw, but you can manage your now-pitiful performance as a medicine cat, yet you're fretting over your sister instead, whom will come out of this escapade if you worry about her or not."

Leafpaw sprang up. "Damaging?! I would never do that!"

Cinderpelt held up a paw. "Intentionally. You would never do that intentionally. Remember earlier? You almost made Ferncloud sick. Also, with all your walking around not paying one bit of attention, you keep crashing into herb stocks, and I have to clean it up; some herbs are damaged in the process and have to be thrown out. Oh, must I remind you of that little incident with almost giving deathberries to Longtail rather than juniper berries?"

"That was-"

"A mistake made because you weren't careful." When she saw her apprentice stare at her paws and shake slightly, Cinderpelt laid her tail on Leafpaw's shoulder and spoke gently. "Leafpaw, you have more promise than I've seen in a life time. Actually, you have more than I ever did. Remember this- a medicine cat must be strong, no matter what the odds against her. Even if the leader loses three lives, four warriors die, and all the kits are dead, a medicine cat must go on. There are still other cats that need tending to, and fretting over one will make the chances of the others surviving will harm the clan."

Leafpaw froze with a frown. "You sound like you're preaching to a cat who had another die."

Cinderpelt's eyes, once only on her apprentice, grew distant. "I had a lot of that…"

Just then, a yowl of grief sounded out nearby. Every cat rose their head and stared at the spot between two bushes where the noise came from. Cinderpelt and Leafpaw, curious and fearful, made their way between ThunderClan and watched as many cats trailed into the clearing. All were from ThunderClan, and every cat had the same expression of loss and hopelessness. Leafpaw felt her heart begin to pound at the lowered tails and heads; Squirrelpaw padded into Sunningrocks, but, rather than bounce around like her normal self, she watched the ground below her.

"Squirrelpaw!" Leafpaw ran up to her. "What happened? Why is everyone so sad?"

"Oh, Leafpaw," her sister wailed, "Firestar and Graystripe are gone!"

Leafpaw found herself unconsciously taking slow steps backwards until she backed into a tree, and Squirrelpaw was three fox lengths away from her. The medicine cat apprentice felt like her heart and head were struck by the sharpest claws, and they were frozen.

Her mind blanked. "Wh-what?"

"The monster got them." Thornclaw came up behind Squirrelpaw and growled. "Fox-hearted Twolegs."

"I don't…" Leafpaw shook slightly; it slowly increased with her every heartbeat. "How… Why… What…" She fought for breath.

"Eat these," a soft voice murmured to her and Squirrelpaw. "You'll feel better. Afterwards, go and get some rest."

Leafpaw, numb to the core, did what was asked of her. The herbs were tasteless in her mouth.

The sun had not fully set yet, but the two she-cats curled up next to each other in the new apprentice's den. Leafpaw found herself slightly comforted by her sibling's presence, but she doubted that she would ever by "okay" again. How could ThunderClan go on without Firestar and Graystripe? How could they survive the destruction to the forest?!

Feeling cold with the weather's embrace and recent shock, Leafpaw slowly drifted into an uncomfortable sleep, which was not even filled with the slightest dream.

I'm not telling what happens to Firestar yet, but Graystripe isn't coming back. The exact same thing is going to happen to him; he'd be back in the PO3, if I wrote that far.