Sunshade:

Over the last few moons, Sunshade and Shadowflame had become closer than they ever had before. That was probably because, of course, now, the littermates were in the same clan, and they could now freely enjoy each other's company. Sunshade sighed, feeling the warm sun scorch her ginger pelt, making it seem as though it were ablaze with a flaming light. Her green eyes glowed, as she realized that only here, in ThunderClan, could she be content.

Sunshade and Shadowflame padded over to the lake. The sun's rays struck the water at a beautiful angle, making it seem as though it was bathed in light. Sunshade's gaze drifted to across the river, where her former home had been, and she dabbed a paw into the water, watching as ripples spread outward. She purred and pressed against her sister.

"Fish-face," Shadowflame teased. From time to time, she would still tease Sunshade like that, and, of course, she didn't mind.

"You'll pay for that one!" Sunshade threatened, though her voice cracked with amusement. Her eyes shone as she formed a plan. As Shadowflame stared into the water, watching the fish beneath the surface, Sunshade gently shoved her. Caught off guard, Shadowflame stumbled, toppling into the shallow area of the water.

"Sunshade!" Shadowflame purred with mock indignation, scrambling back to shore. Sunshade felt the spray of water droplets as her sister shook out her fur.

"I told you you'd pay for that," Sunshade mewed, as innocently as she could. Shadowflame sprang on top of her, her tail twitching as she bowled Sunshade over. Sunshade purred and rolled over, sending Shadowflame tumbling into the lake, for the second time in a matter of minutes. Shadowflame spat with mock fury as she clambered out of the lake.

In the few moons that Sunshade had been in ThunderClan, Shadowflame had picked up how to stay afloat... barely, but she still had a mild dislike of water, which was understandable because of how she had nearly drowned in her dream as an apprentice, if it wasn't for Sunshade.

"Fine, fine," Shadowflame mewed, rolling her eyes. "You win this time." Sunshade shot her a smirk and padded over to the lake shore, looking out into the water, across at the RiverClan border. It was deserted, except for the silhouette of one dark gray cat. Her heart started to thump rapidly as she saw dark-gray fur, which reminded her of Sootclaw, but she relaxed as she saw the feminine form of the cat.

"Sunshade? Is that you?" the cat called. Sunshade almost purred in relief. Rainblaze!

"Rainblaze!" Sunshade called back. "I've missed you so much!"

"So have I!"

"Sunshade?" Shadowflame nudged her until she turned her ginger head to see her sister. "Who's that?"

Sunshade flicked her tail. "My friend from RiverClan. Rainblaze." She turned back to her friend. "How's life in RiverClan?"

Rainblaze shrugged. "It's fine. How about ThunderClan?"

"Great!" But as she spoke, Sunshade caught a glimpse of the sadness in Rainblaze's blue eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Still, Sunshade knew something was wrong with either her, or the whole of RiverClan. "What's wrong?"

"What?" Rainblaze asked, a little too quickly. "Oh, nothing, nothing."

Sunshade narrowed her eyes. She's hiding something. "You think I'd believe that?"

"Fine. You're going to be really upset, though."

"Spit it out, Rainblaze," Sunshade growled, her claws unsheathing in her worry. She knew Rainblaze wouldn't make a fuss over nothing.

"Streamstar has greencough, and Frostwing doesn't know if she will survive or not," Rainblaze mewed bluntly. Sunshade gasped at the news. This was definitely serious. She longed for ThunderClan to help Streamstar, for one of the medicine cats to temporarily work alongside Frostwing, but her loyalty to ThunderClan wouldn't let her.

"I think Willowsplash would make a good leader, though," she mewed.

"Yes, I hope so."

"Rainblaze!" a voice yowled, from somewhere beyond the dark gray she-cat. Though it was so distant, Sunshade would be able to recognize that voice anywhere, with a pang of sadness and longing. It was her own foster-sister, Brightfall.

"I've got to go," Rainblaze mewed. "I'll see you around." She waved her tail in farewell, and Sunshade watched as her friend disappeared through the trees.

Shadowflame was staring into the water, her eyes glazed over as though she was in deep thought. "Shadowflame?" The black she-cat didn't respond. "Shadowflame!" The second time she called, her sister jerked her head up. "You were in a world of your own."

"I was just thinking," Shadowflame mewed. "I never told you this, but when I was a young apprentice... you remember the day I fell into the river in my dream?" Sunshade nodded. "Well, before that, I saw that my paws and fur were ginger, for just a heartbeat. It was gone as soon as I blinked. I had dismissed it as just a trick of the light, but I think I was wrong to do that. You were the ginger she-cat, Sunshade, and I think StarClan willed us to be together."

Sunshade nodded, understanding. "A few days before I became an apprentice," she mewed, remembering clearly the day it had rained when she and her foster-littermates were playing, "I stared into a puddle, and I didn't see myself, but a black she-cat. That was you, Shadowflame. The same thing happened, I blinked, and it was gone."

"So StarClan was right, after all," Shadowflame mewed.

"So it seems," Sunshade replied. She pressed against her sister. "Come on, let's go back." The two of them twined their tails together and headed back through the trees. Sunshade was now getting used to being in the shadows, under the trees, all day. In fact, she enjoyed being in the forest. "I used to feel as though I didn't belong in RiverClan, and I never knew why. Now, I do. Because ThunderClan was my birth clan."

And the two padded into camp.

Ashfire confronted both of them. "Poppyfoot wants to see you, Shadowflame." His eyes glittered with worry.

"Oh, all right then," her sister mewed, padding into the medicine den.

"Why?" Sunshade asked her sister's mate, who was her close friend.

Ashfire shrugged. "Don't ask me," he muttered. His eyes widened thoughtfully. "You know, I've only been in two real battles in my entire lifetime."

Sunshade thought as well. "Same here." I was born in one. Cloudpatch padded up behind Ashfire. "And so has Cloudpatch." Except Cloudpatch fought in two battles, while I didn't fight two.

"Cloudpatch has what?" the gray-white tom asked. Sunshade purred and rubbed against her mate.

"You've fought in two battles in your life," Sunshade mewed. Cloudpatch nodded, as Shadowflame burst out of the medicine den, her eyes glittering with part-worry, and part-happiness. "What was that all about?" she asked.

Shadowflame let out a purr. "I'm expecting kits!"

"Are they Ashfire's?" Sunshade asked.

"Of course, mouse-brain!" Shadowflame flicked her ear with her black tail.

"That's great!" she mewed, happy for her sister.

Ashfire nodded, his blue eyes dancing with excitement. "Now, you go into the nursery right away, and no more patrols until-"

Shadowflame let out a protest. "They won't be coming for a quarter moon, you know!" The two cats padded away, still talking between themselves.

Cloudpatch sighed and twined his tail with Sunshade's. "I wonder when that'll be us."

"You're not going to stop me doing patrols, and send me immediately into the nursery," Sunshade growled.

"I won't," Cloudpatch promised.

"Good."