Chapter 5

Heya, sorry for the wait! School, people, other fan fics to deal with...but you don't care about that, let's get on with the story!

Coyotepaw watched on in concern as cats from RiverClan crowded around the fainted apprentice. He padded up and shouldered his way through the cluster until he got to her.

He prodded her with his paw. "Hey, Bubblepaw…Bubblepaw…Bubblepaw!" he hissed into her ear but she still didn't budge. She trembled slightly, and she mewed almost inaudibly.

He watched on sadly. A nightmare…? He asked her silently. Or does the truth just hurt? He stroked her cheek with his paw, and she mewed again. Suddenly, a paw batted at his face.

He back-stepped easily and gracefully, swishing his tail at the right time as to not lose his balance. He had all the right moves because of his 'phantom-cat' status.

Anyway, he landed on all fours, fur bristled and hissing furiously. "Watch where you're going, mouse-brain!"

Dreamfur sneered at him. "Oh, that wasn't an accident. I thought I told you to stay away from her!" he spat, his neck fur bristling.

"It's a Gathering, for StarClan's sake! We have a truce, and I'm allowed to be friends with her!" Coyotepaw defended himself defiantly.

Dreamfur's meow was a low growl. "You and I both know you have more than friendship on your mind." Coyotepaw felt the blood pool at his cheeks. "And that goes against StarClan's wishes, too, so we're even. Now leave." Dreamfur dismissed him with a flick of his tail and turned, ending the conversation.

Coyotepaw's lip drawn back in a snarl, he looked at Bubblepaw one last time before returning to his own Clan.

Dragonheart was waiting for him. "That's sad, isn't it? She finds out now, at her very first Gathering."

Coyotepaw passed her, his meow bitter. "Yeah."

Dragonheart was irritated with the young apprentice, but didn't press the issue.

Coyotepaw looked over his shoulder once as Lionfoot and Dreamfur supported Bubblepaw on the way back to their camp. He swished his head back soon after.

Dreamfur must really not like me…I guess Bubblepaw's like a little sister to him…Coyotepaw sighed. But he's right. It would be against StarClan's rule to…his ear flicked at the thought.

But…my real duty as the phantom cat…is to serve my new master. There hasn't been one found since Riverstar's family line was running. But, I was told it would be a she-cat, and maybe Bubblepaw is…! I mean, she fits the description…

Coyotepaw decided he would go to Cheetahspots and Inkpaw-only those cats close to him knew his secret, and that included the two medicine cats- about this. Maybe they could ask StarClan for advice…gah, I'm so confused!

Bubblepaw's eyes fluttered open. What she saw was blurred at first, but soon came into focus.

Lionfoot, Goldenclaw, Nightpaw and Mistypaw, along with Honeyclaw, huddled around her. Goldenclaw's eyes brightened when she saw that the apprentice was awake, and began licking her vigorously.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay, Bubblepaw!" she cried.

Lionfoot swiped his tail over her ear, chuckling in his low voice. "You're quite the trooper. I'm proud of you, Bubblepaw." Nightpaw and Mistypaw beamed at her.

Despite their love, Bubblepaw turned over to where she couldn't see them. She didn't want to. They had pretended to be her family all those years. But they weren't, really. No cat knew.

Her so-called family mewed to her to not be mad. Not to blame her 'siblings' because they didn't even know. But it didn't matter to her.

No matter what they said, they had still lied to her for her entire life.

Bubblepaw didn't speak after that. A moon went by and still she crashed in the medicine cats' den, ignoring even the medicine cat herself.

At the beginning, all of her friends kept visiting her, but when she paid no attention to them and they looked into her lifeless eyes, they decided to leave her alone.

But everyday, no matter what, her foster family visited with her. They shared tongues with her, even though she never responded.

She was asleep while she was awake. All she had ever dreamed of and hoped for, loved and lived for, was shattered. Gone. She was unsure of whether or not she was in RiverClan. Or even forest-born. She could have been some kittypet, or a loner. Or she could have been born forests and forests away, not even under the skies of StarClan.

She stared blankly at the wall all day, all night.

In that moon, the rest of the Clan learned to forget and ignore her.

But not her family.

Coyotepaw looked over the RiverClan border sadly. He had heard that Bubblepaw had never spoken a word since that night, a moon ago at her first Gathering. He had heard nothing of her lately, though-they must have taught themselves to move on and forget the poor loss.

Coyotepaw thought of her everyday. How desperately he wanted to leap over the border and be her hero…but he knew he couldn't. All he could do was sit and watch.

As he sat daydreaming one day, Firestone approached him. He flicked his ears in greeting.

Coyotepaw nodded to him as he sat down beside him. He hesitated before speaking. "So…still thinking about her, eh?"

Coyotepaw's face fell as he nodded. "…Yes." He forced himself to stop.

Firestone noticed this. "Let it go, Coyotepaw. You can tell me, I'll listen."

Coyotepaw clenched his teeth before taking in a big breath. "Bubblepaw doesn't have a real family but she thought she did! She doesn't know where she came from or how she got to RiverClan, or even the forest! But I understand her! Better than any other cat, I understand her! Because I don't have a real family, either! It's really rough, not knowing your heritage! And even rougher when you have a duty to fulfill and cats to make happy all the time, when you aren't yourself!" he shouted. His lip trembled and his vision was blurred, his teeth still pressed together.

Firestone licked his friend. He was among the few who knew his phantom secret, and acted as a big brother to him, as did some other toms in the Clan.

"I tried to go see her, but they wouldn't let me." Coyotepaw choked.

"It's okay," Firestone soothed. Coyotepaw buried himself in Firestone's fur, enjoying the warmth this strong warrior gave him.

"Just follow your heart, and you'll be fine." Firestone comforted his makeshift sibling further. "I know it's hard to live life with the image of your parents being murdered always glued to the wall in your head, but… if you find someone that can erase that image, or at least store it away, and ease your pain, go for it. Especially if you can do the same for them."

Coyotepaw stood, smiled at Firestone and then twitched his ears in goodbye as he headed back to the apprentice den. "…Thank you."

Firestone watched as Coyotepaw disappeared behind the bushes. He chuckled in a bittersweet way. "What a kid…"

Okay, so if you liked it and want more, please review for another chapter. Next chapter, we will delve into Coyotepaw's terrible past...