Thanks to Iceshadow911247.

Chapter 33, Living Dreams

Six moons later.

Petalstar jumped up onto the dead tree, clawing her way up to stand in the late afternoon light. "Cats of ShadowClan," she called out. "A very important time has come in the lives of three young cats. Step forward, Leafkit, Thornkit, and Wolfkit."

As Iceshadow watched from the shadowy, dappled trees she watched the form she knew so well on the path to hardship, pain - and maybe someday, love.

Words don't describe emotion, true, pure emotion.

A pale silver cat with a brown tailtip, and pretty green eyes followed the determined gray shecat, with amber eyes flashing. Beside Wolfkit was Thornkit, a ginger tom with gentle brown eyes.

"Thornkit, you will be mentored by Silverheart," Petalstar called out, with excitement in her eyes. She was determining the course of their lives. "Leafkit, it is your wish to become a medicine cat. Sleetflash will teach you the ways of StarClan, and how to fulfil your dream."

Iceshadow felt a familiar emotion as she heard the word dream. It meant everything to her - like an old childhood friend, greeting her like she'd never left the innocence. It was where she could escape, it was what she thought about constantly, it was an all consuming, fire, it was a cool river, washing her back to the shores of serenity.

It was everything.

"Wolfkit." The words rang through the clearing, and in one moment everything stopped. The wind, the needles stopped swaying and froze, the birds stopped singing and all that stayed was Iceshadow's blue eyes and the soft sunlight.

"Your mentor will be Iceshadow."

*.*

One moon later.

Wolfpaw was bouncing through the drifts of leaves, Snakeclaw was playing with her as Iceshadow sat quietly. There were many thoughts, running through her mind like streams of sunlight.

Wolfpaw was like the daughter she would never have. She had been the mother Iceshadow had lost to betrayal. I'll do everything for you - I'll teach you everything you know, I'll always be there for you, I'll... I'll do everything you did for me, and you made me who I am.

Words are nothing. They may be like the wood of a fire, once they were trees, branches of green spreading underneath the ever changing skies... but they are the wood, and the fire is the light, the heat, the beauty. The fire is what they mean to us, the emotion they can give us and the dreams we can express in them.

Without our dreams, we would be nothing. They are everything, and the one word that can express and emotion is...

Dream.

She had been through a lot, she'd lost people and she'd thought everything was lost.

But she's kept going.

You have to keep going, no matter what.

If you gave up, you gave up your life.

In the fierce world of the warriors, this was an unspoken law of life, but it had another meaning. It was laces with dark veins of life, and it it pulsed with emotion. If you gave up on life, succumbed to the death and sorrow, you were gone forever.

As the sunlight streamed down onto the thick, dry, grass a leaf fluttered through the air, turning and twisting, it's golden splendor in the breeze.

Iceshadow's claw swiftly came up, and she heard the crackle of it breaking.

Words don't express what we have to go through in life, but as the sunlight streamed through the forest...

Sometimes she didn't need words.

END OF PART ONE

I'd like to personally thank all of you, and to tell you when the sequel will be out. Part two will take place, in the same story (as in it'll just be the next chapter of this story), after I've gotten some help possibly deciding on the main character's appearance, personality, name and etc. Visit Iceshadow of ShadowClan's forum to help me out there.

Now, what has been important to me.

You've helped me through writing my story. Without the unexpected 134 reviews, when I never thought this story would get half that many, it wouldn't have been as good as it was. You've given me help with your constructive criticism, you've made me a better writer with them and for that, you have my thanks. You've given me praise, and that means more to me than you'd think. Even the slightest kind word, even when it was just to keep me writing after giving me criticism, meant a lot. Writing is my dream and I'm proud to call this story my best story yet, and you've made it that.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for that, that you've been so kind, that you've made me feel like maybe my dream has a chance, and even if this story hasn't changed your life - I feel like it's changed mine.

I'd like to thank all of you for helping me -

Mintfrost29

Amber342

Poison Black Holly

SnowstarX

Tabby-Tiger-Cat

NaomiThePheonixfromBluestar

Anonymous Anon

R.L. Sisters

Moonblaze13

Sunmist

Priceless Cat Lady

Anonymous Koraki

Drakan722

Anonymous Brightstorm

Violetsong

Miryam lea

monkeyCsaw

MyrtleFalls

The Freak of Nature

Talons That Fly Upon Rainbows

Horse8910

DIGITALRANDOMNESS

Skystar Leader of FlameClan

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Rain's Feather

Meta-If

SorrelxCrowForever

Badgerclaw ThunderClan Warrior

MatsuriWolfsong

The Goddess of Darkness

The Storm-Mist account

Arkxy-chan

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XSpiritwingX

Anonymous Playing With Fire

Emberstar of Iceclan

Silvershadow1142

Words don't convey what this story has meant to me.

~Iceshadow of ShadowClan~