Heeey guys! After finally finishing the latest chapter of UiU I got this chapter out right away. I hope that you all enjoy reading this chapter as much I did writing it. This chapter contains: AshxMisty, NightxFox, and Brock/RockxTiger.

Just a reminder...

Ash=Ashpaw, May=Maypaw, Max=Owlpaw, Brock=Rockpaw.

Nightshade=Tigerpaw's mentor, Foxheart=Brock's mentor, Sandstorm=Ash's mentor, Squirrelflight=May's mentor.

Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review at the end. :3

Chapter 4: Battles and Bonds

After Ash and May had gone out with their mentors, Brock and Tigerpaw met up with theirs.

Nightshade glanced at Foxheart with an unreadable expression. "Do you want to tour together or separately?"

Foxheart looked crestfallen at his words, his expression furthering the disappointment. "If you don't want to…" She murmured sadly.

Nightshade realized his mistake and managed a small smile at her. "I was giving you a choice. I never said that I didn't want to."

Her emerald eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh alright. Let's go!" She bounced toward the entrance of the camp with Nightshade by her side.

Tigerpaw, however, followed slowly behind with an expression of unmistaken sadness upon her features.

Brock slowed his pace to walk beside her. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "It must be something horrible for it to wipe that beautiful smile off your face."

She turned away from him angrily with contempt, "humph."

Brock frowned, slightly confused at her random anger. "What can I do to help?"

"Hey you two! Keep up already!" Nightshade snapped in his usual irritable manner.

"Yeah." Foxheart chimed, glancing over her shoulder at the lagging apprentices.

But Tigerpaw didn't hear them as she yelled her angry retort at Brock. "You're a player!" She gave him a glare that showed not only anger but also hurt. "You don't care for me!"

"Oh no…" Foxheart sweat dropped. "Y'all are too young… never mind." She cut off her own thought as it occurred to her that the two weren't listening anyways.

"Of course I care about you darling!" Brock insisted desperately.

"Really?" Tigerpaw's eyes twinkled slightly as she swooned.

"Of course! Please don't be sad." He pleaded.

Nightshade, who could care less about Brock and Tigerpaw's love issues, grunted in annoyance. "Come on, pay attention to your surroundings." He looked at Foxheart. "Where should we show them first?"

"The old twoleg nest by the border." Foxheart answered.

"Alright, let's go." As they walked on, Nightshade decided to address a landmark. "This is the Great Sycamore."

"Yes," Foxheart took over with the tour, "did you know that once a warrior fell from this tree… and died?! I think they were actually pushed…"

Brock and Tigerpaw grew horrified looks on their faces with Nightshade merely smirking.

"Creepy… who would push that cat?" Brock asked.

Tigerpaw shivered.

"Anyway, let's go!" Foxheart mewed cheerfully and bounced on.

On a sudden impulse, perhaps from Foxheart's mood shift, Tigerpaw got on her hind paws and began to dance.

Foxheart and Nightshade stared at her like she had two heads.

"I'll dance with you!" An excited Brock volunteered. He stood on his hind paws and danced as much as he could before gravity forced him on all fours again.

"Good job." Tigerpaw complimented cheerfully.

"Let's go on…" Foxheart muttered and continued walking.

Brock was flattered by her compliments. "Thanks, you did great too!" He sighed. "I missed dancing…"

Foxheart looked back at Brock with an odd expression. "Hmm? You've done that before?"

Brock sweat dropped when realizing how odd that must be to other cats. "I- uh, y-yeah, but I just had no one to dance with me so I didn't really do it much after that."

Foxheart finally gained the same annoyed look that Nightshade had to begin with. "Argh! Enough gossiping!" She snapped.

"Sorry!" The two apologized simultaneously.

The shadow of a smirk appeared on Nightshade's face as they trekked on. He turned to his apprentice. "Do you smell anything different?"

"Yes… Shadowclan!" She yowled.

"Did you sneak out of camp as a kit? How do you know what Shadowclan smells like?" Nightshade blinked.

"Because… uh… oh! I scent a cat!" Tigerpaw piped up in alarm.

"Where?!" Foxheart's pelt bristled in alarm.

Nightshade sniffed the air with an annoyed flick of his ear. "I don't smell anything. Have you got Mouse Bile up your nose?"

Tigerpaw's ears and tail drooped and her eyes glimmered with a hurtful emotion.

"Ouch, very ouch…" Foxheart grimaced.

Brock ran to Tigerpaw's side to glare at Nightshade. "How dare you insult her?! What kind of mentor are you?!"

I- erm," he cleared his throat, "I mean, where do you scent a cat? It's never good to doubt a clan member, I apologize."

"This way." Tigerpaw bolted off, her sadness vanishing.

"Come on!" Foxheart urged and followed the apprentice.

Brock followed instantly but Nightshade hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow.

"Come on!" Tigerpaw called as she ran.

"What's up?" Foxheart turned to Nightshade.

"Hmm? Oh nothing, just forget it. We have more important matters to tend to. I'm starting to scent that cat. Tigerpaw must have a good nose, she scented it before us."

Tigerpaw beamed at her mentor's praise before her face turned serious again. "I smell blood."

Foxheart's face lit up in alarm as she tasted the air for confirmation. "Me too! Let's go."

"I hope the cat's okay…" Brock murmured, still not used to the fact that the injuries were more serious in this world and that with his heightened senses he could smell the nauseating blood very distinctly.

An unfamiliar, menacing voice sounded up ahead. "Unless you want this kit to die, you'll bring us your leader." He growled.

The group of cats gazed forward in horror at these words.

"Let's get a little closer so we can see who this is. Hide yourselves and keep quiet." Nightshade ordered in a hushed voice. "Hustle!"

Tigerpaw nodded and crept along with a perfect hunter's crouch.

"Nice crouch!" Foxheart complimented in a whisper.

"Yes, very nice. Now come on, let's get closer." Nightshade responded hastily and crept closer through a bush.

"Yes, I'll do what you say! Don't hurt my kit!" A horrified, female voice pleaded.

"Good, good. Now go!" The first voice hissed.

Brock followed and tried to mimic Tigerpaw's crouch. "Argh, how does she do it so well?" He groaned

Tigerpaw got closer to Brock, her pelt brushing his, and nudged him into the stance. "There!"

Foxheart rolled her eyes at the two.

"Oh thanks! Now I know how to do it!" Brock cheered softly and instinctively began purring.

"Quiet! We're almost there!" Nightshade hissed silently.

"Hurry now…" Now that the patrol was closer they could recognize the first voice as Rowanclaw from Shadowclan and the terrified voice as their clanmate Ferncloud with her kit, Dustkit. Rowanclaw towered over the two with Dustkit trapped under his paw.

"Okay…" Ferncloud said while trembling and beginning to walk toward camp.

"Mama!" Dustkit cried and looked fearfully after Ferncloud.

"Oh no, not Dustkit." Tigerpaw whimpered.

"Damned Shadowclan!" Foxheart hissed furiously.

"Shouldn't we do something?!" Brock cried in bewilderment.

Nightshade glared at the scene but didn't respond.

"I don't know what we can do." Foxheart murmured.

"I do!" Tigerpaw's eyes gained a gleam of determination as she leaped out of the bush and onto Rowanclaw's back in one smooth jump. The surprise caused Rowanclaw to lift his paw, allowing Dustkit to scamper away to the cover of the bushes, cowering in terror.

"Gack!" Rowanclaw yowled and glared at his attacker. "An apprentice?!"

She gripped his neck fur tightly.

"Tigerpaw!" Nightshade growled in a scolding manner before running out to aid her. He slashed at the warrior's flank with a ferocious hiss.

Brock looked up at Foxheart nervously. "Should we help?"

"Nightshade!" Foxheart cried and rushed to help him. Brock followed his mentor out as well.

The ambush party yowled and leaped out of the bushes on the other side. One Shadowclan cat pinned Foxheart down and three grabbed Nightshade and threw him against a tree.

Nightshade tried to get up but he had hit the tree hard. His muscles screamed in protest as he kept fighting to stand. "Foxheart…" He muttered weakly.

Rowanclaw dislodged Tigerpaw and pinned her down. "Goodbye you filthy little Thunderclan fox dung!" He snarled and went in for the kill.

"Ahh!" Tigerpaw yelped as she struggled helplessly in his grip.

Brock's squinty eyes blazed as he rushed at Rowanclaw, yowling with fury and slashing at him in a rage. "Let her go!"

One of Brock's claw strikes caught him in the eye. "Gyahhhh!" His paw flailed around and ended up whacking Tigerpaw's head, knocking her out.

Foxheart also was knocked out cold by her attacker.

Nightshade clenched his teeth and forced himself to get up, despite his aching muscles. He ran straight for Foxheart's attacker when its back was turned and leaped on it, grabbing its scruff and tossing it on its side. He then started slashing rapidly and mercilessly at its flank in his rage. "Shadowclan fox dung!"

Now that Brock had gotten more into the heat of battle, he started fighting with more experience. The training from Jayfeather in self defense had come in handy. Now he was slashing and dodging with more skill.

"Grr…" Rowanclaw whacked Brock to the side. "You fight like a medicine cat!"

Brock staggered to his paws. "I may fight like a Medicine cat… But YOU fight like a Wurmple!" He rushed at him.

Rowanclaw blinked in utter confusion. "Huh?"

Another voice sounded through the clearing. "Nightshade… You want to fight… fight me."

Tigerpaw regained consciousness. "I smell Windclan!" She gasped.

Foxheart woke to this smell as well but she knew this cat's distinct scent more personally. "Oh no…" She breathed.

Nightshade stopped slashing at the cat he was using as a scratching post and spun around with bared fangs and blazing eyes to face the Windclan cat that had come up behind him.

"Hello Nightshade…" The new cat appeared, staring him down with a dark smirk.

"Blaze… Blazeheart?!" Foxheart stared at the orange Windclan tom in dismay.

Nightshade glared at Blazeheart with a bristling pelt and lashing tail. "You!" He spat venomously. Glancing to the side, he ordered, "Rockpaw, Tigerpaw, one of you two go get backup."

"Busy!" Tigerpaw cried as she tried to fend off two cats.

Brock broke off from his rushing at Rowanclaw. "Fine, I'll go." He glared at him in frustration before pelting away.

Meanwhile with May and Ash…

"That was a great training session you two." Squirrelflight complimented as the group paused for a break in the center of the clearing.

"Yep, with the progress you're making, you'll be warriors in no time." Sandstorm added.

Ash and May grinned at each other. They didn't know exactly what they meant but it sounded good.

"Why don't we go take a drink down at the river? I doubt Riverclan would mind a little drink since it IS on our side of the border." Squirrelflight said.

May and Ash nodded eagerly. They were parched!

As the group made their way to the river, they heard girlish giggling and splashing.

"That sounds like the Riverclan sisters to me." Sandstorm rolled her eyes.

May blinked. "Riverclan sisters?"

"Yep, these three cats who think that they're all so beautiful and graceful in the water." Squirrelflight explained, also rolling her eyes. "And their poor little sister is always teased by them."

"Boy does that sound familiar…" May muttered, glancing at Ash to see if he caught the drift. He looked confused as if he were onto something but not realizing it entirely. May sighed. 'How dense can you be?'

As the group made their way to the river, they saw four cats playing in the water on the Riverclan side of the border. Three of them were the ones who were splashing and giggling girlishly while the fourth one just swam gracefully and skillfully through the water away from the three.

The three cats were all long haired and that fact was still distinguishable although the water pressed their fur against their bodies. One was a cat with fur as golden as the sun and she had a little flower in her fur in front of her left ear. Her eyes gleamed emerald as the sun reflected off the river and made them shine. Another, slightly smaller cat was a dark blue-gray with eyes as rich brown as chocolate. The third, smaller than the blue-gray cat, was a pinkish color with highly contrasting sapphire eyes.

"Come on little sis, like, stop being such a loner and lighten up." The golden cat called out to the smallest, fourth cat.

The fourth cat stopped swimming and looked at them. Her back was to the Thunderclan patrol so it was impossible to tell her expression or eye color but by her voice, she sounded annoyed. "Lighten up?!" She spat, her neck fur rising despite the water pressing her short fur to her body. "Am I the only one taking this situation seriously?! We're cats now! Doesn't that bother you three in the slightest?"

Ash stood staring at the group of cats in the river. But his eyes weren't directed toward the three girlish cats but to the beautiful orange cat who had spoken up. Her voice shot right through him but he didn't understand why it had affected him so much.

The blue-gray cat shrugged, unfazed by the orange cat's hostility. "Like, who cares if we're cats? Sure I miss our old life but as long as we can be around water and like, still be beautiful in some way, shape or form, then I'm happy."

"But you're still a runt, even as a cat." The pink cat sneered.

The orange cat's ears flattened to her head. "I don't have to sit here and take this! I would rather be hanging out with Irispaw and Sagepaw anyways instead of being insulted by my own sisters!"

Sandstorm's voice cut in as Ash listened to the cats' conversation. "Aren't you going to drink? Or are you going to stand there gawking at pretty she-cats all day?" She asked him playfully with a mrrow of amusement.

Ash flushed in embarrassment under his pelt. He had been gawking? "N-no. I'll drink." He tried to slurp the water like he regularly would but found that he had to use his tongue to get any water. After getting his fill of the ice cold liquid, he looked back up at his mentor with a glare of contempt. "And I wasn't gawking!" He tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, you were." May laughed, making Ash pout at her.

Before he could argue, a voice yelled from behind them and they could hear someone crashing through the undergrowth. Brock came into view, panting heavily.

From the corner of his eye, Ash saw the three girly cats look over at the patrol curiously but the orange cat paid them no mind as she pushed past her sisters and climbed out of the river, shaking her pelt free of any water.

"Rockpaw, is something wrong?" Sandstorm asked, her playfulness replaced by alarm.

"We need backup…" He panted, trying to catch his breath. "I was heading to camp… when I saw you guys… were here…"

"Backup for what?" Squirrelflight demanded. "What's happening?!"

"A battle… with Shadowclan. And there's a Windclan cat there too I think." Brock responded, finally beginning to get his breath back.

"Alright Rockpaw. You go on to camp and tell Firestar. Our patrol will go and help out." Sandstorm responded.

Brock nodded and ran back toward camp.

"Let's go." Sandstorm ordered and ran in the direction that Brock had come from, her ears perked to listen for sounds of the battle.

Squirrelflight followed with May hard on her heels.

Ash was about to follow but his eyes were drawn back to the orange cat, as if he couldn't tear them away from her.

May retraced her steps back to Ash to find him still staring at the group. "Come on Ash! This is no time to dawdle!" May scolded urgently.

This caught the orange cat's attention as his name must have meant something to her. She spun around to look at the group across the river with wide eyes and they met Ash's. At seeing her eyes, something tugged inside his heart and he realized that she was the cat from his vision! The sun reflected off of her luminous sea green eyes, making them sparkle and it shone on her fiery pelt in just the perfect way to make her seem almost angelic. She stared at Ash with eyes widened with the same confused expression that he had but she looked closer to realizing who he was than he did her.

Ash felt lost in her eyes and it seemed that she was in no hurry to turn away either. His heart hammered uncontrollably in his chest and ached with an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Squirrelflight came back to find what was keeping the apprentices and found with annoyance that Ash was still staring at the Riverclan cats, not noticing that one was staring right back at him. "Ashpaw! We have more important matters to tend to than watching Riverclan she-cats swim! Now hurry up before I drag you away!"

Both jumped in shock as the angry voice intruded in their own little world and Ash reluctantly turned away, feeling a horrible aching in his heart as he did so. Ignoring the ache and desire to keep staring at her, he followed May and her irritated mentor. All he knew was that he wanted to see that cat again. He wanted to know who she was and why she made him feel that way. Forcing all these thoughts to the back of his mind, he made himself focus on the battle that they had to face.

Back with Foxheart and Nightshade…

"B-Blazeheart… Why?" Foxheart whimpered.

"No," Blazeheart snarled, "don't act pathetic! This is revenge…"

When they were apprentices, Foxheart had met Blazeheart at a gathering and they kept secretly meeting in the underground tunnels their clans had discovered. The two had fallen in love. But then Foxheart one day decided that they couldn't meet anymore. The fact was that her heart belonged to someone else. Although she didn't say who, Blazeheart knew exactly who she was talking about.

Nightshade glared Blazeheart. "Why is Windclan conspiring with Shadowclan?" He demanded.

Blazeheart blinked. "…Hmm. I don't really know…"

Foxheart gave him a strange look.

Tigerpaw gave them a bewildered look before getting pummeled by the two cats she was facing.

Nightshade huffed. "So you just HAPPENED to attack us at the same time Shadowclan came?"

"Nah, I was just bored so I said okay I'll help." He smirked.

Foxheart's jaw dropped in shock.

"HELP!" Tigerpaw cried, getting hurt badly.

Without looking away from Blazeheart, Nightshade ordered, "Foxheart! Go help Tigerpaw!"

"Right!" Foxheart responded and rushed to aid the apprentice.

Nightshade stared Blazeheart down with narrowed eyes. "So are we battling or what?"

"Be my guest…" Blazeheart responded coolly.

"Great…" Tigerpaw coughed with a sweat drop. "Where's Rockpaw?"

Foxheart got in a defensive position. "He went for help." She answered before attacking one of the cats.

"Oh." Tigerpaw responded and attacked the other. The other cat in the ambush party who sat idle and Rowanclaw joined the battle against Foxheart and Tigerpaw, letting Nightshade and Blazeheart have their own personal duel.

Nightshade ran at Blazeheart, feinting to one side and slashing at his flank.

Blazeheart easily dodged the attack. "Aww, you fight like a nursing queen." He taunted with his tongue peeking out. He grasped the large tom's scruff.

Nightshade tried to turn while in his grasp to struggle free.

"After I kill you," Blazeheart grinned darkly, "I'll take Foxheart to Windclan with me." He slashed down Nightshade's back with his hind claws.

Foxheart hissed at Blazeheart when hearing his words.

"I hear approaching cats!" Tigerpaw cried.

"The Dark Forest you will!" Nightshade snarled in fury and twisted sharply to dislodge his scruff. He then slashed rapidly down his side before digging his fangs into the side of his neck and biting hard with his claws still slashing. 'I sure hope those are Thunderclan cats.' He hoped.

"Thunderclan!" Foxheart cried in relief.

"Mama!" Dustkit ran from the bush he was hiding in to his mother, who had rejoined them with the group of Thunderclan cats.

"YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Dustpelt, Dustkit's father, roared in a rage.

"Thunderclan, attack!" Firestar cried.

"Ashpaw, to me!" Sandstorm ordered her apprentice.

"Shadow dung!" Squirrelflight spat.

Other Thunderclan cats rushed in as well.

"Great…" Rowanclaw sighed.

Blazeheart slashed back at Nightshade. "This isn't over!"

Nightshade grinned. "Yes… it is… Are you going to run like a coward?" He slashed at his face.

Ash ran to his mentor with a determined look on his face. "Let's do this! I'm ready." He waited for instruction since he had been scolded enough times for rushing into battles headfirst with no plan.

They kicked ass!

All of the cats had fled after an intense battle and only Blazeheart remained, still battling Nightshade. "You need to say goodbye!" He hissed, pinning Nightshade down with his teeth to his throat.

Foxheart stared on with deep worry in her eyes.

Firestar padded up to the fighting cats. "Want help?" He asked, understanding the deep rivalry between them.

Nightshade hesitated for a heartbeat while still slicing at his attacker's underbelly as he stood over him. He hated to admit it but his situation looked grim and although his pride protested against the idea of help, he let his rationality take over and nodded to his leader.

"Rawr!" Firestar leaped on Blazeheart and bit the back of his neck.

"Grr!" Blazeheart tried to throw Firestar off.

Nightshade continued slicing Blazeheart's underbelly with all four paws as he was pinned under him.

"ENOUGH!" Blazeheart spat.

Firestar let go of him with narrowed eyes.

The Windclan tom then realized that everyone else was gone. "Fox dung…" He muttered before turning tail and running away.

Nightshade stood up and shook out his pelt, wincing slightly from his deep injuries. He dipped his head in thanks to his leader before Foxheart ran up to him and began covering him in loving licks.

"Nightshade! I was so worried!" She cried between licks.

Nightshade couldn't help but smirk. "Worried? YOU were worried about ME?"

"Of course!" Foxheart's eyes twinkled. "I love you!"

Firestar looked proud and overtaken with emotion as he watched the scene between one of his daughters and Nightshade play out. "My baby's growing up!" He cried.

"We knew this day would come…" Sandstorm cried with an expression mirroring Firestar's as they watched their daughter.

Nightshade's eyes widened at her words. "R-really?" He stuttered slightly, his nonchalant expression becoming hopeful and loving. "I didn't think you felt the same way…" He felt sort of awkward, Foxheart always being his weakness. But for the first time in a while, he was actually happy. "I- I love you too."

"Yay…" Foxheart purred with a loving gaze at her new mate.

"I couldn't have chosen anyone better for her." Firestar stated proudly.

"He's a good warrior." Sandstorm agreed.

Nightshade twined his tail with hers, a purr rumbling in his throat as he nuzzled her.

Foxheart purred also. "Let's get you back to camp and get you patched up!"

"You and me both." He agreed and the two padded back toward camp. The other cats began clearing out as well.

"Rockpaw?! Rockpaw?!" Tigerpaw cried, limping around and looking for him.

Brock heard Tigerpaw's cries and rushed over to her. He had some scratches and wounds but the most noticeable was a deep gash on his shoulder. "Tigerpaw! My beautiful flower! Are you alright?!"

"Oh Rockpaw!" She smiled sweetly at him. "You saved my life earlier!" She licked his shoulder wound. "I'm sorry!"

Brock winced slightly in pain as she licked his wound but blushed under his fur. "Of course! I would do anything for you."

"How can I ever repay you?!" She asked.

"R-repay me? No, there's no need!" Brock assured her.

"Are you sure?" She insisted.

"W-well, there's one thing you could do…"

"What?" Tigerpaw asked.

Brock had heard the conversation between Foxheart and Nightshade but for once he didn't care. What he felt for Tigerpaw was different than what he had felt for any human or cat that he had ever swooned over. He felt that he truly loved her. "I have never felt this way about any other cat and well… what I have to ask is… would you stay with me?" He braced himself for rejection for the millionth time, but this time it felt like more was at stake.

Tigerpaw's eyes widened before narrowing with a hidden playful smirk. "…No…"

Brock's face fell majorly. "I knew it! Why did I even ask?! Of course you wouldn't love a cat like me! But after loving you, how could I ever love again?!" He cried in dismay.

"No… I will never EVER leave you." Her voice softened and rang like a blissful bell as she gave him an adoring gaze. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, my sweet!"

"Wha-?! But you-" Reality then hit him like a brick in the face. "Y-you really mean it?" His squinty eyes twinkled hopefully.

Tigerpaw nuzzled his face affectionately. "I love you sooo much, of course I mean it… but I'm worried that you are too good for me…" She frowned.

"WHAAAT?! NO! NO! I- I- Uh- No! I love you too Tigerpaw! You have no idea how happy this makes me!" He purred uncontrollably as he returned the nuzzle.

Her eyes sparkled joyfully. "R…really? NYA~!" She was so happy that she would cry if she could.

The pain in his shoulder brought Brock back to Earth. "We… should probably get back to camp my dear." He winced and looked around to realize that everyone else had already left.

"Of course my love…" Tigerpaw purred.

The new couple made their way back to camp with their tails entwined.

Soooo... Did anyone guess who the "Riverclan Sisters" were and who the mentioned Irispaw and Sagepaw were? :p If not, they will be introduced eventually. Hope you enjoyed.