Thank you, oh faithful fans! This is by far the most popular of all my stories! That makes me happy! XD

Chapter 13

Oakpaw's grudging thanks was delivered by means of not calling Snowpaw a kittypet for a whole day. Not much in return for saving her life, Snowpaw thought, but coming from Oakpaw, that was probably like slavering thanks all over her. Still, she didn't complain, as her mind was stuck on other things.

Other things like Stormpaw. She had not spoken a word to the tom since she and Oakpaw had gotten back, and though Stormpaw had tried to speak to her several times, but each time she had walked away without a word. Snowpaw was not sure why she was rejecting her former friend, but the thought of how he had called her a kittypet caused her unimaginable pain every time she thought about it.

On the other hand, nothing had happened with ShadowClan since the fog filled battle. Snowpaw and the other apprentices were still training, though not as vigorously as before the climactic battle.

The next Gathering was coming up, and Snowpaw was especially eager to come to this one, as it would be the first time any of the ThunderClan cats had encountered ShadowClan since their battle.

Well, for most of them.

Snowpaw was walking alongside the border, hunting whatever she could find when she heard a surprised mew. "Snowpaw?" Looking up, Snowpaw saw Nightpool and Olivepaw standing on the other side of the stream.

"Hello." Snowpaw meowed gruffly.

"There's no need for that tone." Olivepaw meowed, flicking his tail with annoyance. "None of us really wanted to do that to you."

"Right." Snowpaw meowed, putting as much sarcasm as possible into the word.

"No, really." Nightpool mewed. "Neither of us," She indicated Olivepaw and herself. "Wanted to attack you. I said to Pebblestar, 'What good does it do us to attack some other Clan for no reason?'. He just shooed me away."

Snowpaw didn't say anything, and Nightpool meowed. "How are you?" The black she-cat winced horribly as Snowpaw glared at her.

"I'm in a fight with my best friend." Snowpaw hissed. "But other than that, I'm fine. What's new with you?"

"Um, nothing?" Olivepaw didn't seem to notice Snowpaw's sarcasm until Nightpool hit him on the top of the head with her paw. "Ow. Oh, sorry." He also winced as Snowpaw looked furious. "I'm guessing you just want us to go away, right?" He meowed as Nightpool rolled her eyes.

"That would be fine." Snowpaw stated coldly, and the two ShadowClan cats vanished into the undergrowth. The white she-cat immediately regretted sending them away, as now she felt even more depressed. Sighing, she bounded off to go hunt.

Later, Snowpaw was bringing her squirrel and vole back to camp when Thistlepaw and Drizzlepaw shot past her, both looking horrified. "Flamestar!" Drizzlepaw shouted.

Pinepelt stepped out from the corner in which he had been sleeping and looked at the pair of them, his gray eyes narrowed. "What's going on?" He growled.

"Trouble at the WindClan border!" Drizzlepaw gasped. "We were out on patrol with Lionmane, Sorrelheart and Gingerblaze, and then five WindClan warriors came out of the bushes."

"They said that Breezestar was growing tired of having to put up with ThunderClan, and that they were going to teach us a lesson!" Thistlepaw put in while Drizzlepaw paused for breath.

"Lionmane told us to come and get Flamestar, because they couldn't hold off four warriors at once." Drizzlepaw mewed frantically.

"Flamestar's out on patrol down by the lakeside. I'll come. Rainstripe! Come with me!" Pinepelt called to his son, who was lounging by the fresh-kill pile. Rainstripe blanched for a second and then dashed off with Drizzlepaw, Thistlepaw, and Pinepelt.

"Shouldn't we go with them?" Snowpaw asked Moongaze, who shook her head.

"If five warriors and two apprentices can't hold off four WindClan cats, then ThunderClan must be weak indeed." She meowed, looking after the four cats.

The camp was silent, save for the excited squealing of Shadekit and Whitekit. The two kits were tussling rather violently as Twilightkit looked on with amusement. Snowpaw saw Stormpaw exit the nursery, followed by Bluetip. The large blue-gray she-cat looked wary, and Snowpaw wondered why.

Stormpaw spotted Snowpaw and made a beeline for her. Snowpaw stiffened as he approached.

"Snowpaw, I wanted to tell you something." Stormpaw meowed, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Snowpaw didn't say anything, and Stormpaw spoke. "What you said the other day- Was… Completely out of line."

Snowpaw let out a hiss of indignation. "So was what you said!"

"You said that you wouldn't judge me by my family." Stormpaw shot at her.

"That was before I realized you weren't any better than the rest of your family!" Snowpaw growled, her hackles rising. "You had no right to take out your anger on me!"

"I wasn't taking my anger out on you!" Stormpaw protested.

"Uh huh. Sure." Snowpaw was getting more furious by the minute. "You were yelling at me for saying that I hoped Rainstripe would be a better cat once he was a warrior! And you called me a kittypet for no good reason!"

"That was for a good reason!" Stormpaw shouted before he caught a glimpse of Snowpaw's furious gaze. "You had told me that I was as bad as Rainstripe!"

"Only after you called me a kittypet, you stupid piece of fox dung!" Snowpaw screeched, her back arching, and Stormpaw cowered under her rage. "You had no right to take out your anger on me, just because you were mad at Rainstripe! I thought I was your friend! And friends don't do that to each other!"

"Well, you haven't been acting like a friend!" Stormpaw growled.

"Maybe because you haven't been fessing up to how you've been acting!" Snowpaw hissed, ignoring the looks from the rest of the cats in the camp.

"How I've been acting?!" Stormpaw snarled with fury. "Why don't you look at your reflection? It'll be the only one that can stay in the same space with you, kittypet!"

Snowpaw screamed with fury and flung herself at Stormpaw, who shrieked and clawed at her ears as she sank her fangs into his flank.

The pair of them began rolling around on the dusty ground, screaming with rage as they clawed and bit at each other. The kits were squealing, cheering them on as they tussled. Snowpaw bit down on Stormpaw's back leg, and he screeched as he snapped down on her tail.

And then a powerful ginger paw was pushed between them, and Flamestar's green eyes were filled with anger. The ThunderClan leader grabbed Snowpaw's scruff and flung her away from Stormpaw, who was bleeding.

"What is the matter with the two of you?" Flamestar rumbled ominously. "You are clanmates, there is no need for you to be acting like this."

Snowpaw didn't speak, and then she heard a slight snicker from behind her. Rainstripe, and the rest of the ThunderClan cats had apparently just come back from the WindClan border. Some had scratches on them, others had the blood of WindClan warriors on their pelts.

Pinepelt, who had a nasty cut on the side of his head, stepped forward. "Flamestar, twice, this kittypet has attacked a clanmate. Surely you would have no second thoughts about sending her back to her twolegs for good?"

There were several yowls of protest, mostly from Thistlepaw, Drizzlepaw, Darkpaw, and Moongaze. Pinepelt silenced them all with a look. "She doesn't deserve the title of a clan cat!" He yowled. He seized Snowpaw's scruff and dragged her toward the camp entrance, every cat shouting for her to be thrown out. And outside the camp were huge dogs, their teeth glowing as they screamed for her blood.

Stormpaw was hanging over her as she was thrown to the dogs, laughing. His laugh became high and cold as he became Rainstripe, sneering at her as the dogs began to tear her apart. Snowpaw screamed, and she heard a distant voice hiss.

"Beware the calm before the storm…"

"Snowpaw?" The white she-cat opened her eyes. Stormpaw and Tawnyflower were bending over her, their eyes wide. She saw Flamestar a little further back, his gaze troubled.

"What happened?" Snowpaw mewed, wincing as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.

"You were attacking Stormpaw," Tawnyflower meowed, turning to nose through some of her herbs. "and you were pulled apart by Flamestar and got flung across camp. You hit your head on a rock, and went unconscious."

"Oh." Was all Snowpaw said, staring around. They were, indeed, in the medicine cat's den. There were still herbs everywhere, and Snowpaw winced again as she felt the pain from where the rock had hit her.

"Where's Barkpelt?" Stormpaw asked, looking around.

"Out looking for some more tansy. I'm fresh out. And I had my paws full with you two, clawing the life out of each other." Tawnyflower replied.

Snowpaw didn't want to meet his gaze, she was too embarrassed. Stormpaw wasn't looking at her either, and she was grateful. She wasn't sure how she was going to say anything.

"Well, I need to see Pinepelt. I'll leave you two to yourselves." Tawnyflower gave Flamestar a pointed stare, and the tom followed her out, muttering something about going to check on Gingerblaze.

After about five moments of silence, during which Snowpaw was sure she saw Tawnyflower hiding by the entrance to the den, Stormpaw spoke.

"I'm……… Sorry."

"What?" Snowpaw stared at him. Stormpaw was staring at the ground, his tail twitching around.

"What I said…It was out of line, and I never meant to hurt you. I was just… So angry…" Stormpaw's eyes welled up with tears, and he turned away, while Snowpaw was speechless. Stormpaw… Snowpaw thought.

The white she-cat got to her paws, and walked over to the blue and black tabby. She pressed herself against his sobbing form, and felt him shake even more with his cries. "I forgive you, Stormpaw." Snowpaw mewed, licking his shoulder.

Stormpaw looked gratefully down at her, and licked her forehead.

"I forgive you…" Snowpaw murmured again.

Sorry for this reeeeallly late update, I was really busy. I know I shouldn't advertise, but Snowpaw insisted.

Snowpaw: Visit Addy's forum! Valley of the Clans!

Right, now that I've gotten that out of the way, you guys won't have to wait as long for the next chapter. And I figured out how to do the line break thingy, so I'm happy.