Shadowpaw:

Who was that? Ever since she had been to the lake, just on a walk, the image of the ginger she-cat stayed in her mind. She had been looking out at the water, and on the other end, the RiverClan side, a ginger she-cat, with the same green eyes as her, had met her gaze, and something unspoken passed between them. Her heart told her that the she-cat had been important... Green eyes. The same green eyes. She... she couldn't be my sister, could she? Not a chance. We look so different otherwise.

But something told her that the ginger cat would be a major part of her life.

"Silvergaze?" she murmured, only to realize that the gray she-cat wasn't beside her. She spun around to see the silver she-cat and her gray-furred brother sharing tongues near the fresh-kill pile. Thinking about Ashfire warmed Shadowpaw, for some strange reason. "Silvergaze! Ashfire!" she called, feeling a little guilty for disturbing the littermates' bliss.

Silvergaze whirled around and looked at her. "Coming!"

Ashfire nodded. "I'll be there right away."

Shadowpaw watched as the two raced over to where she rested under a large oak. "Well, Shadowpaw?" Silvergaze mewed.

"Uh... sorry if I bothered you, but..."

"Not a problem," Ashfire mewed. "We're glad to help."

"Ashfire... what do you think about this whole Blackstream thing, that I might have a littermate, and-" Shadowpaw began.

"I can't believe you're still worrying over that!" Silvergaze interrupted. Ashfire shot her a warning glare before replying.

Ashfire sighed. "Shadowpaw, I... what do you think?"

"I think that Blackstream actually might have a chance at being right." The black apprentice's answer was honest and direct. "I mean, no other queen has ever thought they had more kits than they really had, so why Blackstream?"

"But it's not possible for a cat to just disappear like that!" Silvergaze protested.

Ashfire dipped his head. "Shadowpaw, you might actually be right." His blue gaze was warm, drawing Shadowpaw into his eyes. "You might have a littermate, who died at birth."

Shadowpaw pressed against the tom, before she knew what she was doing, ignoring Silvergaze's teasing glance. Ashfire didn't pull away. "Thank you, Ashfire. You're one of the only ones who actually... believes what I'm saying." Ashfire's gaze was warm as it rested on her, and he didn't say anything in reply to Shadowpaw.

Silvergaze sighed. "I understand, but I just can't imagine such a strange thing happening."

Then, there was a long, pregnant pause. "About a half moon ago, I was taking a walk near the lake, and... I..." She trailed off.

"Go on," Ashfire mewed, encouragingly.

"...I saw a ginger she-cat from RiverClan... across the lake... but something about her... her eyes were the same as mine, and she looked about my age... I can't help but think that she is my sister," Shadowpaw admitted. Ashfire narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Shadowpaw," Silvergaze mewed, "there's nothing similar between you and Sunpaw, except your eyes. That's almost nothing. I don't think..."

"Oh, her name's Sunpaw?" Shadowpaw mewed.

"Yes, I met her on a patrol before," Silvergaze replied.

"That's almost the opposite of my name," Shadowpaw mused, thinking.

Silvergaze sighed. "Shadowpaw, it's almost impossible. How did she get to RiverClan? No one saw her being stolen during the invasion."

"I..." Shadowpaw began.

"Ashfire!" a voice yowled. It was Moonblaze, her white fur glowing in the dark sky.

Ashfire shot Shadowpaw a glance, almost an apologetic glance. "I've got to go." Shadowpaw sighed; for some reason, she didn't want the young gray warrior to leave. "Catch you later!"

Once Shadowpaw had watched him pad all the way across the clearing, Silvergaze turned to her. "Don't tell Ashfire I told you this, but Ashfire likes you. More than just a friend. And... from what I saw just now, you like him back?"

Shadowpaw felt hot under her sleek, black fur. "No!" she protested. "He's just a close friend, that's all."

"Yeah, right. Admit it," Silvergaze teased. "I won't tell."

Could I really love Ashfire? That warm feeling in me when he's around... No. Not yet, anyway. I'm just an apprentice... "Well, I'm just an apprentice, but I guess we're starting to get close." That was just as close to the truth as she'd tell.

Silvergaze was not satisfied, but she didn't go any further. "Can I tell Ashfire? Just him?"

Shadowpaw shook her head. "No. I don't even know if I like him." She shook her head, trying to change the topic. "Moonblaze took me battle training again today."

"How was it?"

"It was okay," Shadowpaw mewed. "I mean, we do it more than we do anything else. Tomorrow, I have to check the elders for ticks." She frowned, wrinkling her nose at the very thought of dabbing mouse-bile on Moonheart's and Patchfur's fur.

"I told you that you wouldn't like that part of being an apprentice!" Silvergaze mewed.

Shadowpaw swiped playfully at her nose, but she dodged, purring. Then, the black she-cat froze, her whiskers twitching. "You have to help me, you know. Jaystar said that you and Ashfire had to help me in my duties."

"Unfortunately," Silvergaze growled.

"It'll be great fun," Shadowpaw hissed, sarcasm weighing down her words. Silvergaze paused, then flashed out a soft paw at Shadowpaw's ear, but she ducked, purring cheerfully as Silvergaze aimed another blow. Shadowpaw dodged and leaped, bowling the silver warrior over and taking her by surprise as she swiped again and again, playfully.

"All right!" Silvergaze protested, as Shadowpaw's soft blows rained down on her. "You win!" Shadowpaw released her, struggling as a weight fell on top of her. She twisted her head around to see Ashfire, back from talking to Moonblaze, on top of her, playfully pinning her down. Shadowpaw went limp, but Ashfire kept a firm grip on her.

"Fine! Fine!" Shadowpaw mewed. "You win!"

Ashfire sat back triumphantly, his lips playing in a smirk. "I always do."

"Really?" Shadowpaw mewed, narrowing her eyes. "Against this?" She launched herself at Ashfire, who was easily bowled over. The two tussled on the ground, lost in their happiness.