Hiya, guys! Meet the new me: Jezebele Destiny White. I'm not Sparrow anymore! I haven't really changed, just my name. My writing still sucks, my plotlines are still totally over-dramatic, and I'm still completely obsessed with Warriors, and a bunch of other random things.

So, no reviews. Sorry for not updating earlier, I was ready, but I wanted to wait and see if I got any reviews. But I knew that I wouldn't get any. You can't just disappear and expect people to wait eagerly until the moment you pop up out of the blue, LOL! I hope next chapter I get some feedback! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this long (long for me) chapter!

Dovewing POV

"Father!" Applekit mewed, scowling at Bumblestripe as he tried to slip away unnoticed. The tabby tom winced, and bit his lip as he turned back to look at the insistent she-kit. Not because he didn't enjoy playing with Dovewing's kits, but because he was doing everything in his power to avoid Dovewing. Still.

"Father, you promised that you would show me the hunting crouch when you got back from dawn patrol!" Applekit scolded, her tail flicking irritably as she chided her father.

Adopted father, that is, Dovewing corrected mentally, wishing she could scream it out to the world. She would have purred at her daughter's boldness, if she weren't serenely exasperated with her supposed mate.

Bumbledstripe trudged over to where Dovewing's and Brightheart's kits were tussling in the snow over a shiny pebble.

Beekit was turning out to be slender and lithe, with long legs that enabled him to move quickly. Beaverkit was growing at a lighting-fast rate, already twice as big as usual kits his age. Applekit remained scrawny and tiny, but she matured fast and had the cleverness of a fox. Dovewing had to admit that she favored her daughter most out of the litter.

Without greeting Dovewing, looking at her, or even acknowledging her presence in any way, Bumblestripe sheepishly demonstrated how to do a traditional hunting crouch. Applekit clumsily mimicked his actions, and in turn, Bumblestripe gently critiqued her, and then attempted to depart as quickly and subtly as he could manage.

Before he could escape, Dovewing called loudly, "Wait, Bumblestripe! We need to talk." She purposefully put him on the spot, so that if he quickly made up an excuse to speak with her, the other cats overhearing their discussion would scrutinize over why he wasn't eager to converse.

Bumblestripe winced, as if she had scratched him. He made his way over to her, and sat down stiffly before her, as if with every step that nonexistent scratch pained him. Once they were close enough that they could whisper between themselves without another cat listening in on their conversation, he glared at her expectantly, as if to say, What do you want?

"Why are you still avoiding me?" Dovewing asked in a hushed tone. "How come you're still mad?"

Bumblestripe groaned irritably. "We're not mates anymore, Dovewing. We both know that that was never real." He looked away regretfully, sadness peeking through his mask of anger. "I thought that it was, but apparently I thought wrong," he continued bitterly.

Dovewing frowned, beginning to feel the pain that nonexistent scratches could inflict. "But I told you that I was in love with you, and that I don't care whose these kits' father is. I want you to be my mate!" she reminded him urgently, sitting up, trying to match Bumblestripe's posture. It was impossible for her to do so, because she was much smaller and slighter.

Bumblestripe shook his head despairingly. "I have no way of knowing that I can trust you," he mumbled, as if it were Dovewing's fault. "This could just be another cover-up for some for some other code-breaking romance that you sneak away each night to indulge in."

Hot, angry tears welled up in Dovewing's eyes. She tried in vain to blink them away. "If you hate me so much, why don't you just tell everybody all my secrets and be done with it?!" she snapped.

Bumblestripe laughed a frustrated, humorless laugh. "You really think that I would sink that low? You really think that I'm that much of a monster that I would snap your heart in two like that?" he asked sarcastically, emphasizing his words as though they tasted bitter on his tongue.

Dovewing didn't respond, but just sat there seething, waiting for him to continue, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Bumblestripe didn't say anything else either, and they sat in silence for a few tense moments, and then he stood.

"I don't hate you," he stated simply. "I never could, and I never will." With those closing words, he strutted briskly away from Dovewing and her oblivious litter, his jaws visibly clenched.

As soon as Bumblestripe had disappeared into the warriors' den, Daisy materialized beside her. "Excuse me, dear, but I couldn't help but notice that you and Bumblestripe were speaking. I didn't hear what you were saying, but Bumblestripe look angry when he walked off. You didn't quarrel, did you?" Daisy inquired, batting her eyes innocently. Typical Daisy, always eager to be the first to hear of any juicy gossip.

Dovewing awoke from her train of thought, and shivered to organize her thoughts. "Oh no, we weren't quarreling! We're just fine, perfectly fine," she reassured the old queen. She tried to sound neutral and mellow, but she could hear the tightness in her voice. Disappointed, Daisy receded as quickly as she had appeared.

Dovewing longed to retire to her nest, and just curl up around her kits and sleep off all of her problems. Though she wasn't really tired, since it was still early morning and she had recently awoke; plus she hated to tear her kits away from their merry play.

After that, the atmosphere declined into a state of peace and quiet. The cold morning air slowly began to lose its bite as mid-day grew nearer. Warriors and apprentices began to rise, yawning and then dragging themselves out into the deepening daylight. The kits squealed and yowled as they squabbled. Dovewing scolded Beekit for kicking Amberkit.

Then, the peace was disturbed as Hazeltail, Rosepetal, and Foxleap aprubtly returned from a morning hunt. They bounded in and skidded to a halt, panting, before the fresh-kill pile where Bramblestar was surveying the clan's measly gathering.

"Whatever is that matter? What happened?" Bramblestar asked, startled. It took a few seconds for the three cats to catch their breath.

"We were hunting at the Great Oak," Hazeltail reported once she had regained her voice, her tone panicked and rushed. "And we scented ShadowClan warriors, and a whole bunch of them! We tracked them through the territory, and it seems like they're headed straight to-"

Hazeltail was cut off by an eruption of chaos as the thorn barrier was torn open from every available angle. Warriors that stank of pines and marsh sludge poured into the hollow. ShadowClan warriors.

The thorn barrier bordered the entire camp except for the part that backed up against the stone wall. The ring of alined warriors made a circle that isolated the elders' den, the apprentices' den, and the nursery from the aid of either the warriors, the medicine cats, or Bramblestar. The warriors' den and the medicine den, however, were pinned up against the wall, unable to attack from another side.

"Shadowclan, ATTACK!" Dovewing heard Blackstar yowl. The mass of offending warriors lunged into action, falling down on everything that emitted even a shred of an element of life.

Without hesitating a millisecond, Dovewing herded the five confused kits into the nursery, where Brightheart and Daisy were stumbling around in confusion.

Dovewing instructed Daisy and Brightheart to comfort the kits, and immediately began trying to seal off the entrance with spare brambles. She didn't even get the chance to finish before the entire front of the nursery collapsed from the weight of five ShadowClan warriors baring down on it. The kits screamed in terror.

The fearful cries of her children filled Dovewing's veins with adrenaline, and she could feel the exhilarating energy of warfare creeping up her spine. Her instincts kicked in, a combination of her desire to protect her kits and her warrior duty to her clan, and she knew that before her she had only one task: to defend.

With a ferocious roar, Dovewing flew at a bulky black tom, the largest of the five, and began clawing and biting and shredding every part of his body that was within her reach. The tom howled in pain and angrily used his advantage of weight and strength to force her off of him and to the ground, where Dovewing was attacked from behind by tortoiseshell she-cat. Dovewing smacked the black cat hard in the jaw with her upraised hind leg, hearing a satisfactory thud as he lost balance and toppled over. Dovewing had used the time she had bought herself to whip around and slide beneath the she-cat, who was conveniently taller than her, and began to pummel her belly from beneath. The she-cat yelped and darted away. Dovewing then turned her attention back to tom, who had regained his stature and was preparing to pounce.

Beside them, Brightheart was faring better than her, battling a skinny little she-cat and a scarred brown tom. Daisy was managing well enough against a young black and cream tom. Dovewing could also hear the encouraging sounds of Brambleclaw rallying his warriors and charging the swarm of surprised Shadowclan cats.

Just as Dovewing thought that she would no longer be able to fight against both cats, the tortoiseshell she-cat disappeared. Dovewing assumed she had fled, and was glad to have a chance to pound this black tom that insisted on not being beaten. She applied her entire to essence to the battle, focusing on destruction. She allowed her hatred toward those who threatened her kits to control her actions, and fought until both herself and her opponent were almost completely waisted.

A cry of pain broke Dovewing from her concentration, and she turned back to see Daisy lying unconscious on the ground. Standing over the cream she-cat was the same tortoiseshell she-cat that Dovewing had been fighting before. She was grinning deviously as she and the cream and black tom circled the little clump of kits.

The black tom took advantage of Dovewing's distraction, and quickly brought her down to the ground, and pinned her there with a mew of triumph. Dovewing struggled with all her might, but whatever she did, she couldn't get out from under the tom's crushing weight.

"Let me go, please! Let me go!" she screeched, tears running down her cheeks. She strained her neck to look back at where her kits were about to be slaughtered like a nest of helpless baby mice. "My kits! Please let me go!"

She turned her flaming eyes on the black tom holding her, and for a second she thought she saw a flicker of guilt cross his face, but it was gone as soon as it had come, and his expression went back to one of stone.

Dovewing looked desperately out at the warriors fighting in the clearing. The warriors were still trying to squirm through the ranks of ShadowClan warriors, with no luck. The apprentices and Purdy were having a catastrophic time holding their own, let alone trying to help anyone else. Bramblestar and Blackstar were fighting atop Highledge, locked in battle, matching each other step for step. Back in the nursery, Daisy lay unmoving against the nursery wall, and Brightheart was being held down by two cats at once, looking pushed to her limits.

Dovewing could do nothing, except cry.

"Let me go! If you have any decency, let me go!" she screeched to her dark captor, who was doing a good job avoiding her gaze. Dovewing twisted her head around to look at the black and cream tom and tortoiseshell she-cat. They had still not laid a claw on the kits. They were toying with them, trying to frighten them.

"Come any closer, and I'll shred your ears!" Applekit threatened, unsheathing her tiny claws and swiping menacingly. It was almost adorable. The black and cream tom cackled and swatted Applekit away as if she were a fly. The little gray she-kit flew backwards and hit the briar walling. She landed with a sickening thud on the ground, and lay motionless, her previously sparkling green eyes now dimmed.

"NO!" Dovewing cried, her vision blurring with tears. "Applekit! Please don't be dead! Please, please, stay with me!"

Until then, the constant commotion of the battle raging outside of the nursery's edges had descended into nothing more than a dull hum. But as Tigerheart stepped into what remained of the nursery, the barrier that had separated the rest of the battle from the traumatic scene before Dovewing shattered, and the two worlds collided.

Tigerheart glowered sternly at the black and cream tom, his expression saying that he disapproved. "Ferretclaw, what is going on here! Who told you that you could-" His gaze strayed from Ferretclaw to the clump of frightened, huddling kits, and then over to where Applekit rested limply, her eyes still open and her mouth still parted in what would have been a high-pitched mewl of protest. "Applekit," he breathed, his form wilting.

Ferretclaw cocked his head in confusion, not understanding. "How do you know that ThunderClan kits?" he sneered. Tigerheart's other ShadowClan colleagues wore equal expressions of incomprehension.

Tigerheart's hackles rose in alarm, his eyes not leaving Applekit's lifeless body. "She not...?" he began, trailing off, unable to say the horrible words.

Dead, Dovewing thought, letting out a sob of despair, no longer able to restrain her sorrow. Tigerheart's head whipped around to look at her, pressed to the ground, weeping pitifully. Fury twisted his face into a snarl. He slowly turned back to look at Ferretclaw, who was still staring at him quizzically, as if any sudden movements would cause his self-control to unravel.

"You murdered my kit," he uttered, barely audible, his eyes burning into the tom with intense hatred. Ferretclaw flicked his ear irritably.

"What?" he asked, leaning closer to hear what Tigerheart was trying to say.

"You murdered my kit," Tigerheart repeated, louder. Ferretclaw tilted his head again, still unable to see what Tigerheart was trying to portray to him. "You murdered my kit!" Tigerheart yowled, flying at Ferretclaw and plowing him down in a flurry of sharp claws and teeth.

The blur of cream and black and brown fur tumbled into the tortoiseshell she-cat, and the black tom and the two cats holding down Brightheart rushed forward to separate Tigerheart and Ferretclaw. Newly released, both queens darted in to stand between their kits and the offenders. Dovewing nosed Applekit's cooling corpse, which was quickly losing heat in the cold of the leaf-bare morning. Grief panged against Dovewing's heart, tearing out a chunk, and leaving a kit-sized hole in its wake.

Once all four ShadowClan cats had Tigerheart restrained, Ferretclaw stood facing him, his hackles raised and his back arched, prepared for another surprise attack. "What in StarClan are you doing?!" Ferretclaw demanded, his eyes wild with bewilderment.

"He didn't murder your kit, Tigerheart! You have no kits! This is a ThunderClan kit!" the tortoiseshell she-cat reminded him angrily.

"Don't tell us you mated with a ThunderClan she-cat?!" the scarred old tom huffed in his deep crackling voice. He grunted as Tigerheart surged against his grasp.

The conversation was quickly gaining volume. Brawling ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats that had previously been occupied by the battle paused to watch the curious exchange in the nursery. All eyes centered on Tigerheart. Dovewing's heart hammered in her chest as they awaited Tigerheart's reply.

Tigerheart froze, realizing that he was trapped. If he lied, then there would be no excuse to explain his behavior. If he was honest, then he would face the wrath of his entire clan. Which was worse?

Tigerheart opened his mouth, and then closed it, hesitating again. His gaze flickered to Dovewing. She stared at him, eyes puffy and nose running, tears still running down her face. I'm sorry, he mouthed, and then stared boldly into Ferretclaw's eyes.

"Yes. Dovewing's kits belong to me," he said, his voice unwavering.

Ferretclaw gawked at him for a few seconds, and then blubbered, "Wha-What?! You me-mean you br-broke the warrior code?!" Tigerheart nodded once.

"Is that true, Dovewing?" Brightheart asked, disbelief clouding her expression. Dovewing bit her lip, and closed her eyes to absorb a share of Tigerheart's courage.

"Yes," she stated. "It is true."

The clearing had gone still. "The kits are half-clan!" Thornclaw yowled, breaking the awkward silence. Shouts of anger, disgust, and confusion sounded all throughout the crowd. Dovewing spotted Bumblestripe in the middle of it all, sitting soundlessly, shuffling his paws guiltily.

The commotion was interrupted a wail of distress. "Blackstar is losing a life!" cried a ShadowClan she-cat amongst the others. The attention turned from the broken nursery to Highledge, where Bramblestar stood over Blackstar's bloodied white form.

The large, muscular tom twitched and squirmed for a few seconds, and then eased, his soul stilling. The cats residing in the clearing waited expectantly in the thickening quiet for the leader to be revived. A minute passed. And then another, and another, and another. Leafpool surfaced from the crowded mass of cats, trailed by Jayfeather, and marched hurriedly up to Highledge. She pressed a paw to Blackstar's throat, checking for a pulse.

"Was that his last life?" Rowanclaw asked worriedly, stepping forward.

"Yes," Leafpool confirmed solemnly. "Blackstar has moved on to StarClan."

"No!" said the scarred tom gripping Tigerheart. He glared daggers at Bramblestar. "Bramblestar killed our leader!"

"He did not do it purposefully!" Squirrelflight defended, also leaping onto Highledge to flank her mate. "Blackstar refused to surrender once he was too weak to fight. Bramblestar had no choice but to continue fighting him."

"Blackstar died of blood-loss," Jayfeather explained, supporting the deputy's statement. "None of the wounds inflicted by Bramblestar fractured his wind-pipe or heart. Aside from that, Blackstar is an old cat. It was his time to die."

"Make your excuses if you want!" Rowanclaw snarled defiantly. "Blackstar is dead, and we will avenge him!" Half-hearted cheers rang through the ranks of his clan.

"No!" Bramblestar commanded, jumping down from Highledge to address the two rival clans. "Too much blood has been shed as it is. Let us end this this skirmish in a draw, and settle our differences at another time, hopefully in a more civil manner." The stone hollow was littered with the bodies of fallen warriors, both ThunderClan and ShadowClan. Among them, Dovewing recognized Cherrypaw, Foxleap, and Dustpelt.

Rowanclaw glared at him for a few more moments, and then looked away, submitting. "I suppose you are right," he growled in agreement. "But before we depart, Tigerheart, step forth!"

Tigerheart's holders freed him, and he sauntered over to Rowanclaw, not one ashamed bone in his body. With his nose in the air, and his stride light with pride, he stood before Rowanclaw, looking him straight in the eye.

"Rule number one of the warrior code states: 'You may have friendships with cats from other clans, but your loyalty must remain with your clan,'" Rowanclaw recited. "Tigerheart, you are charged with the crime of taking a mate from another clan. You dishonor our fallen leader Blackstar. With StarClan as my witness, I exile you from ShadowClan. If you are found again within the boundaries of ShadowClan territory, I will have no choice but to order my warriors to drive you out. If you resort to taking shelter in the care of another clan," Rowanclaw swept his gaze across Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool, "I will protest. We will insist that they, too, drive you out. Go now!"

Tigerheart bowed his head. "I understand, Rowanclaw. And I accept my punishment willingly. Though I ask one last favor of you. Will you grant me permission to bid Dovewing and her kits farewell before I go?" He looked into Rowanclaw's eyes pleadingly.

Rowanclaw glared at Tigerheart one last time, and then nodded wordlessly. Tigerheart turned and quickly padded over to Dovewing, and locked her in a tight embrace, pressing his muzzle into her shoulder. Dovewing gasped in surprise, and then nuzzled him back.

"I'll miss you," she said, her voice audibly longing.

"I'll miss you, too," Tigerheart said in turn. He placed his mouth near her ear. Then, in a whisper too quiet for anyone else to hear, he muttered, "Meet me tomorrow evening at the ThunderClan boundary nearest to the Twolegplace. And bring the Beaverkit and Beekit, too."

"I will," she whispered back, and broke away from him. Tigerheart threw her one last dashing grin, and then waltzed out like an apprentice to his first Gathering.

Rowanclaw wasn't finished. "Whose idea was it to raid the nursery?" he asked, eyeing the various cats of his clan accusingly.

Ferretclaw stepped forward, looking very pleased with himself. "It was mine!" he called, sounding like he thought Rowanclaw was going to appoint him to be the new deputy or something.

Rowanclaw paced toward Ferretclaw until they were standing nose to nose. "Rule number twelve of the warrior code states: 'No warrior may neglect a kit in pain or in danger, even if that kit is from a different clan.' No matter what the case, you never attack a kit," Rowanclaw scolded sternly. The smile had disappeared from Ferretclaw's face.

"Rule number fourteen states: 'An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his or her batttes, unless they were outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense.'"

"With all due respect, Rowanclaw," Ferretclaw interrupted. "These kits are not inside the warrior code. Their birth broke the warrior code, in fact."

"Yes, Ferretclaw, you are indeed correct. But you did not know this before you killed Tigerheart's kit, did you?" Rowanclaw asked, his forehead creased in frustration.

"Uh... no, Rowanclaw," Ferretclaw agreed, crestfallen.

"And the self-defense exception does not apply to you either, unless you, a full-fledged warrior, was struggling to defend yourself against a kit. You weren't, were you, Ferretclaw?"

"No, Rowanclaw."

Rowanclaw cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "Ferretclaw is charged with the crime of assaulting and causing a fatality to a defenseless kit, and also with the crime of killing without need." Rowanclaw turned to look at Ferretclaw. "You also, dishonor our late leader Blackstar. As punishment, I reduce you to the rank of apprentice. You will carry out apprentice duties and take part in apprentice education, until you have proved to me that you know and will follow the warrior code and are worthy of your warrior title."

Ferretclaw mixed back into the group of ShadowClan cats, his head hanging and his tail drooping. Dovewing would have laughed at his denouncing punishment if the atmosphere were not so very sullen, and if she had the ability to laugh. She wondered if she would ever regain the ability to laugh or smile. She doubted it.

"That being over with, we will leave now," Rowanclaw said in conclusion. He turned to go, and then twisted his head back around to look at Bramblestar. "This feud is paused for now, Bramblestar. But hear me when I say this: we are not done with you, not by a long shot. We will have our revenge eventually. ShadowClan, to me!" The ShadowClan warriors collected the bodies of their dead and raced away, melting back into the shadows of the woods almost as fast as they had came.

Dovewing trudged over to where Bramblestar was deep in discussion with his medicine cats and deputy. "Excuse me!" she cut in. Four faces turned her way. "Um, I was wondering if you were going to banish, me, too, Bramblestar, after what I did," she mumbled. Then she straightened, not wanting Bramblestar to think that she was bidding for his pity. "If you are, I completely understand! What I did was wrong."

Bramblestar's weary expression softened. "No, Dovewing. I'm not going to exile you. Losing your kit was punishment enough. You have my permission to remain in ThunderClan."

Dovewing's spirits, which before where so low they were beginning to feel the heat of the center of the earth, rose a little bit. Bramblestar's kindness brought a small smile to her face. At least she could still smile!

Dovewing thanked Bramblestar, and then wove her way around mourning cats, bodies, and wreckage from the broken thorn barrier, to where Bumblestripe was still sitting hunched over right where he had been, all alone.

"Bumblestripe?" Dovewing called softly, watching the striped tom's reaction closely, trying not to get her hopes up. "I'm sorry for everything that happened today, I never meant to put so much pressure on you!" she apologized, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

Bumblestripe turned to Dovewing, and she was taken aback by how tender his expression was. "Oh, Dovewing, don't apologize to me! I should be apologizing to you! I've treated you rotten for the last moon, just because I was jealous. But what you did, admitting what you had done in front of everyone, that took bravery. I don't think I ever could have done that!" he praised, his eyes gleaming. Dovewing's ear tips grew hot with bashfulness.

"No, I should be apologizing to you! I lied to you and blamed you for being angry with me when you had every right to be angry. And now that everyone knows that about my secret, they'll be suspicious about you, too. And it's all my fault," Dovewing looked at her paws, her stomach gurgling. She was afraid she might wretch, if there had been anything in her stomach.

Bumblestripe lifted Dovewing's down-turned chin with his tail. "If it's forgiveness your looking for, then you can have it, along with my apology, and my heart. I love you, Dovewing, and if you'll have me, I want to be your mate, forever and always."

Fresh tears trickled from Dovewing's sore eyes, but for once, they were tears of joy. She barreled into Bumblestripe, and covered his face with affectionate licks. Before she knew it, they were both giggling like giddy apprentices. This only made Dovewing cry more. She could still laugh, too!

Just then, Dovewing noticed a new presence in the hollow. Her fur rose as she turned and saw Ivypool walk into camp, looking around in surprise at the wrecked clearing. "What in StarClan happened here?" she asked Dovewing.

"Where have you been?!" Dovewing demanded, rushing away from Bumblestripe to her previously absent sister. "We got attacked by ShadowClan! We needed you! By Silverpelt, what was so important that you missed defending your clan?"

Ivypool ignored her questions. "Are you okay, Dovewing? Have you been crying?"

"Of course I've been crying!" Dovewing hissed. "Applekit's dead! So are Cherrypaw and Dustpelt and Hazeltail! Tigerheart got-"

"Tigerheart? What happened to Tigerheart?" Ivypool asked, suddenly alert.

Dovewing almost exploded with fury. Just this morning, Dovewing's life had been flipped upside down, turned inside out, and then shredded into a million tiny pieces. With a little help, she had very carefully stitched every piece back into the right place. Now Ivypool was tugging at it, to see if it could hold together after everything that it had been through.

"All you can think about at a time like this is Tigerheart?! What is wrong with you?! You don't even care about anybody except yourself anymore, do you?! I can't believe you!"

Ivypool stared at the ground, her posture wilted. As Dovewing inspected her sister, she noticed that her usually pearly white and silver fur was ragged and dirty and unkempt, with a bunch of thorns tangled through it. Her eyes were swollen and her cheek fur was wet. She looked like she had spent all night crying in a nest made from brambles.

"I'm sorry. I don't care about Tigerheart anymore. He is nothing to me. Nothing." Ivypool emphasized the word 'nothing' to make sure it's meaning sank in.

"What happened between you?" Dovewing asked, her voice switching from angry to concerned. Ivypool turned away.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. We all just need to forget about him," Ivypool said in a flat tone.

"Well, we do need to forget about him, because he's leaving," Dovewing told her, slowly, as to break the news to Ivypool gently.

"What?" Ivypool asked, not comprehending.

"I'll explain everything, Ivypool. Just go find Toadstep, I'm sure he's worried about you. I going to go comfort my traumatized kits. Afterwards, we can talk."

Ivypool and Toadstep had a long discussion, full of confessions. Ivypool promised Toadstep that she loved him, and no one else, and wanted to be his mate. He forgave her for her mistakes. Dovewing explained to Beaverkit and Beekit that Applekit had gone to a special place called StarClan, and wasn't coming back, but that they would see her one day when they were much older.

Five bodies were cleaned and placed in the center of the clearing. Dustpelt, Hazeltail, Foxleap, Cherrypaw, and Applekit. Leafpool and Jayfeather ran around dressing wounds and fetching herbs until everyone was fixed up. Broken bramble tendrils from the smashed thorn barrier and various dens were disposed of, and the building of a new barrier and nursery began.

Ivypool and Dovewing sed themselves up on a large sunning stone, shared a skinny vole, and talked. Dovewing explained the battle, the nursery attack, and how Tigerheart had told everyone the truth about her kits. Ivypool told about how she had ended her relationship with Tigerheart, and decided to stay in ThunderClan with Toadstep. They cried to together.

The bonds that had been broken were mended. The bonds that had wrongly fused were broken. For once in Dovewing's life, she felt utterly complete.

I worked really hard on this one, 'cause I knew that I had to get the climax perfect! It's nowhere near perfection, but I hope it's close enough that you liked it! Please review!