Chapter 16- Dustypaw

"Troutleap!" The tom was looking at him with complete shock.

"What were you doing with Mosspaw?" His voice was ice, his eyes were the stars, looking down on him, watching him sin.

"We were- uh." Dustypaw stammered, sighed and hung his head.

Troutleap padded up to the tom and pressed his pelt to his. "Listen, Dustypaw. This is normal. It is normal for you to have feelings for a she-cat and I understand completely, but you can't have a she-cat from another Clan as a mate!"

Dustypaw looked at Troutleap with narrowed eyes. "What if Dawnstream was from a different Clan? Would you still love her? Well, I like Mosspaw and the Warrior Code shouldn't control who we love!"

Troutleap let out a low growl. "Dawnstream is from our Clan, she always will be from our Clan and there is nothing you can do to change that!"

"Why would I want her to be from a different Clan? She is my sister!"

Troutleap couldn't contain himself anymore and his fury erupted. "She is your half sister!"

Dustypaw stepped back. "Half sister, what do you mean?" Troutleap looked at his paws and said nothing. "What do you mean half sister?" Troutleap refused to answer.

Dustypaw stormed off. His heart was stinging like it had just been stung by a thousand bees. Sighing he walked to the edge of the lake by ShadowClan territory. His illusion this time was his fur was silver, Mosspaw was in his Clan and they were fishing together. He was happy until he heard a voice behind him.

"Dustypaw!" His fur faded back to brown and Mosspaw disappeared. In her placed stood Snakepaw. "Dustypaw, what's wrong?"

Dustypaw looked at his paws. "Nothing."

Snakepaw pushed his friend's shoulder. "Don't tell me it's nothing. We've been friends for moons, I know when it is and isn't nothing and this isn't nothing." Dustypaw said nothing. "You like Mosspaw, huh." Dusypaw looked up confused. "You were sitting by an illusion of her. I can't say I blame you. She's a pretty cat." Snakepaw's voice grew even quieter. "I know how you feel too. I like Fernpaw."

"Fernpaw? I'm surprised."

Snakepaw shrugged. "Yeah, well I am too. I'm really wondering what this prophecy has done to us. We're just a couple of hopeless romantics." He paused. "There was once a time when I swore I would never break the warrior code. Then this prophecy came around and that's all changed. I've been keeping secrets from Ferretpaw. I never keep secrets from Ferretpaw, ever."

"So he doesn't know you're involved in the prophecy or like Fernpaw?"

Snakepaw shook his head. "He knows about my crush on Fernpaw and he suspects something beyond the warrior code. He covers for me when I leave a lot."

Dustypaw sighed. "I wish my sisters were all like that. I have four. Dawnstream and Ripplesong are from a different litter." Dustypaw looked distant as he talked about them. "My littermates are Daisytail and Hailpaw." He looked Snakepaw in the eyes. "Troutleap just told me Dawnstream and Ripplesong are just my half sisters."

Snakepaw looked at him confused. "Half sisters," he looked at him with different eyes. "Who are your real parents?"

Dustypaw shook his head. "I don't know. I'm assuming Rainstar is still my mother. She says Daisytail and Hailpaw look like her mother but I've never heard her tell us we look like our father. We never met him anyway. He died before we were born."

"Then who could your father be?"

"That's the question." The two toms sat looking into the water when they heard a scream. "What was that?"

They ran to the edge of the territory until they saw a pair of bright yellow eyes. "You're too late, Dustypaw."

Dustypaw let out a hiss at Treadpaw. "Too late for what?"

Treadpaw lifted up a bloody paw. Below her was the lifeless body of Moonshine. Her once beautiful white fur was crimson and her beautiful blue eyes were glazed over. There was a deep scratch running through her belly. Everything was covered with sticky blood. Snakepaw resisted the urge to gag. Dustypaw's claws were sinking into the soft, marshy ground. "Don't you dare attack me, Dustypaw. I'll just come back and kill those little kits you saved from the Dark Forest or I might even kill Mosspaw." Treadpaw let out a purr. "I heard you two talking about your little romances. Snakepaw, don't think for a moment I won't kill Fernpaw. I could convince that brother of yours, Ferretpaw, to help me." She lifted her upper lip and her fangs were exposed. "If he refuses, I'll just kill him. He doesn't like to fight in the forest anyway."

Snakepaw tensed to leap but Dustypaw held him back. "She wants to get a reaction out of you. She's going to try to kill him anyway." Snakepaw was still tense but didn't attack.

Treadpaw let out a deadly smile. "Be prepared, the Dark Forest is attacking soon." She then perked her ears and feighned a shocked voice. "I would hurry to your friends. I think they are starting to attack the barn."

Treapaw turned and ran through ShadowClan territory back to ThunderClan. Dustypaw faced Snakwpaw. "Go warn Troutleap, tell him about the barn and then you go back to ShadowClan and warn your Clan."

Snakepaw nodded, started to disappear, but looked back over his shoulder. "Be careful."

Dustypaw nodded before running to the barn.

Getting interesting huh? I've been so excited to finally write this part of the story. I surprised myself by killing off Moonshine but it had to be someone. Did anyone else notice she died without telling Troutleap the truth? Interesting eh? Next chapter will be Troutleap so you will get to see all those excititng emotions and fights. It looks like this story will be a total of 21 chapters, give or take a few. This chapter was originally planned to be two chapters, both from Dustypaw. Chapter 16 was suppose to be all Dustypaw confessing his love for Mosspaw to Troutleap. There was no Snakepaw at all. Well, I found he is my favorite to write for. Well thanks to each and every one of my reviewers. This story wouldn't still be going without y'all! My poll for the sequel is still up, be sure to vote! No beta this chapter. If you want to beta please PM me.

Songstar of MaskedClan