A/N: I'm unable to update my other fic, SkyClan's Second Chance, but I can update this one since it's already written. Happy new year, everyone!!!! I understand that reviews will be lacking these next couple of days, but that's not stopping me from updating. Have a happy 2008!!!!...ew, it's 2008...

Even though Cherrypaw had an undisturbed night, Skyfeather's was much different, disturbed with many outside sounds. Four times, she woke up in the middle of the night, mostly to a loud squawking noise coming from some remote bird nest. But the last time that woke her up, she heard a tremendous amount of coughing from somewhere outside the nursery.

Careful not to wake Tawnyspot or Cherrypaw, Skyfeather got to her paws and padded through the brambles to the outer camp. She looked around slowly, trying to pinpoint the coughing. When she realized where it was coming from, her heart leaped.

Stormstar!

Quickly and stealthily, Skyfeather pelted across to the leader's den and rushed through the ferns behind the Highrock. Stormstar was doubled over, coughing up something.

"Stormstar!" Skyfeather hurried forward and knelt beside her mate. "Stormstar, are you okay?"

Stormstar looked up, eyes watering. "I don't know," he muttered. Then, after a splutter of coughing, he added, "Go and get Leafstripe."

Skyfeather instantly leaped out of the leader's den and bounded to the medicine cat's den on the other side of the Highrock. Pain surged up her sides as her belly swished from side to side.

Skyfeather tried her best to ignore the pain and trotted briskly through the fern tunnel that was the entrance to the medicine cat's den. Icepaw was sleeping quietly in a mossy nest just outside of Leafstripe's den. Skyfeather brushed silently past him and nosed her way into Leafstripe's den.

In the shadows, Skyfeather saw a golden-brown head lift. "What is it?" a soft voice asked urgently.

"It's Stormstar," Skyfeather whispered in a panic. "He's coughing like he just ate the fur and bones of fresh-kill!"

Leafstripe got to his paws and quickly trotted out of the den. On his way, he picked up a few herbs and followed Skyfeather out of the den. Icepaw lifted his head, but didn't dare follow.

Skyfeather led the way into Stormstar's den. Leafstripe leaned down next to the coughing cat and lifted his chin with a forepaw.

"I don't know what it is, Leafstripe," Stormstar rasped. "I just woke up and started coughing."

Leafstripe nodded, and then shot a glance at Skyfeather. "Get out," he meowed icily. "I don't think you'll want to hear this."

Skyfeather dipped her head and backed out through the ferns. She wanted to listen, but her swollen belly was aching and screaming at her to go back to the nursery and rest.

It took Leafstripe several moments to tell Skyfeather the news. When he finally padded into the nursery, Skyfeather looked up intently. She couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep. She wanted to know what caused the fit.

"Skyfeather…" Leafstripe started, apparently unable to tell her the news. "I'm so sorry. Stormstar…he has greencough."

For a few days, Skyfeather remained silent. Tawnyspot and Cherrypaw continuously asked her what was wrong, but she didn't say anything. Neither Leafstripe nor Sparrowstripe had told the Clan about Stormstar's sickness, and it was bound to be heard by some cat.

But the night of the coughing, Skyfeather dreamed. Ravenstar crept out of the bushes of the three-treed clearing and trotted swiftly up to her.

"Ravenstar," Skyfeather started before he could say anything, "I don't get it. I now know why our Clan should fear the colour green, but why does Stormstar have to get greencough?"

Ravenstar sat down on the dark, greasy grass. "Patience, Skyfeather," he meowed. "You must become leader somehow."

Skyfeather's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that Stormstar's going to lose a life over greencough?"

Ravenstar looked at his black paws. "I didn't say that, but I'm also not saying it isn't true. Listen, Skyfeather, if Stormstar has a sickness, it will be easier to get the four journeying cats out of the Clan unnoticed."

Skyfeather snorted. "Are you telling me that no cat will notice their disappearance?"

Ravenstar shook his head in impatience. "Skyfeather, cats will notice. But if they accuse you, Stormstar won't."

Skyfeather thought about that. She'd rather have Stormstar be sick than have him be angry with her.

"What did you come here to tell me?" Skyfeather rasped quietly.

Ravenstar nodded. "Yes, I did come here for a special reason," he muttered. "Well, I've actually come to repeat words of Firestar." He paused. "Remember, Skyfeather. Don't listen to Lucifer."

"But he's not Lucifer anymore," Skyfeather insisted. "He's Whitepaw."

"Ah, but he'll still be the same old Lucifer you know," Ravenstar responded. "Don't listen to Lucifer."

Skyfeather opened her eyes to the sun shining brightly through the bramble walls. She got up and peeked outside to see that it was sunhigh. She'd been sleeping for that long!

Not like it matters, she thought silently. It's not like I can actually go anywhere. But, as she thought those words, she remembered Stormstar.

Quickly, she dashed out of the nursery and headed straight for the leader's den, only to be stopped by Icepaw.

"Skyfeather, Leafstripe says not to see Stormstar," Icepaw mewed, scuffling his paws in the dust. "He says that you might catch his disease."

Skyfeather shook her head in exasperation. "I don't care what Leafstripe says—"

"That's funny," Leafstripe meowed, padding up to them. "It's against the warrior code to disobey the orders of a medicine cat."

Skyfeather sighed deeply, twitching the tip of her tail in frustration. "Please, Leafstripe," she pleaded. "Can't I see him?"

Leafstripe shook his head gravely. "Unless you want to catch greencough yourself."

Skyfeather looked down at her paws. She didn't know whether or not she should tell Leafstripe about the dreams, which reminded her of Goldenheart.

"Fine," she finally mumbled. As Leafstripe and Icepaw padded away, she bounded over to the elders' den. She knew Goldenheart would listen to her, no matter what.

Fortunately, Moonflower was fast asleep. That gave Skyfeather some time without making her go away.

"Oh, hello, Skyfeather," Goldenheart meowed warmly. "What is it, love?"

Skyfeather sat down, unable to wipe the apprehensive expression from her face. "Goldenheart," she began, "I've had a few more dreams lately."

Goldenheart nodded, immediately becoming serious.

"In the first one," Skyfeather started, "both Ravenstar and Firestar came to me at a strange clearing resembling Fourtrees. The only differences were that there were three giant pine trees, instead of four giant oaks. The grass was greasy, like the Twoleg grass beside the LightClan Thunderpaths. Also, surrounding the Great Rock were two Twoleg inventions. They looked like the tree-eaters came and ate up some trees, and spat them back out like that. I call them tree-forms."

Goldenheart nodded, digesting every last word coming from Skyfeather's mouth.

Skyfeather continued. "Ravenstar came first, then Firestar," she explained. "Ravenstar told me that green is a feared colour for my Clan…Goldenheart, I think he meant greencough. Greencough is feared by our Clan!"

Goldenheart sighed. "He could've very well meant that. What did Firestar say?"

"When Ravenstar left, Firestar spoke," Skyfeather murmured. "He said that I should send loved ones to that clearing, the one with the three pines. He also told me to send one enemy, for he will help."

Goldenheart didn't move; she simply stared right through Skyfeather. Finally, she mewed softly, "Why not Stormstar? Why did StarClan send these dreams to you and not to Stormstar or Leafstripe, or even Icepaw?"

"Firestar said that it must be kept a secret," Skyfeather replied, suddenly getting a bitter aftertaste from the words. A secret. Did that mean she wasn't supposed to tell Goldenheart?

Apparently, Goldenheart got this memo too. She stood up. "Well," she meowed, "I think you've told me enough then. Why don't you go and talk to the ones you're going to send, not me, love."

Skyfeather got to her paws and whined, "But Goldenheart! I've always told you of my dreams from StarClan! What if I have more? Who will I go to?"

Goldenheart sighed. "I don't know, Skyfeather," she replied. "Go to the leader of the patrol you're sending off."

Skyfeather sighed. She would never be able to confide in Snowstorm the same way she did with Goldenheart.

Reluctantly, Skyfeather left the elders' den just as Moonflower peeked open her eyes. Skyfeather gratefully slipped out of the ferns unseen and trotted over to the nursery. Moonflower was bound to come out of the elders' den and check on her to see if she was still in there.

When she got back inside the brambles, a juicy rabbit was waiting for her. I'll go and share this with Stormstar. But just as she was thinking the words, she swallowed them. She couldn't go into Stormstar's den. Leafstripe's orders. Unhappy and awkwardly alone, Skyfeather bent down and tucked in to her meal, even though she wasn't hungry. It wasn't the same without Stormstar by her side, but she ate up until there was nothing left but bones and fur.

A/N: Happy new year, again. -;