Okay so I'm back. Life is life and I hope you're all getting on wit it as well as I am. There are going to be some controversial human themes in this chapter so if you feel uncomfortable, please feel free to tell me and/or leave. I will not force anyone to read any of my stories and your opinion is always welcome. Thank you to those who have favorited/ reviewed and or are following this. I hope I haven't let you down. Now, ON TO THE STORY!

Warriors- The Outcats

Crowfeather watched his son and daughter from afar, noticing just how close they were… he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

"No." Breezepelt growled when his father padded up to them. Crowfeather blinked in shock and Hollyleaf rolled her eyes.

"You're not the first cat to ask. You are, however, the most logical one. Don't you think it would be weird if I started mating with my brother? Even if we don't share the same mother, that would be worse than mating with Lionblaze. I don't even want to imagine-"

Crowfeather slapped his tail to her muzzle.

"Neither do I. Care to tell me the truth?"

"We took on a fox when we were kits and we've been keeping up with each other ever since. He's always been my friend but I've never felt an ounce of what he told me he feels for Heathertail. The only reason he's been glued to my side all this time is because he's scared something will happen and no one wants to risk it. Otherwise he'd be chatting with Heathertail and I'd be watching him make a fool of himself as he tried to tell her he loves her."

"That explains… everything really. So you don't like each other at all?" He clarified.

"No! That's feather-brained, Dad!" Breezepelt hissed.

"He's just acting like a super-annoying Shadow until this whole Dark Forest thing blows over."

"Or until we go back to WindClan." Breezepelt groused.

"Which won't be anytime soon if I can help it." Crowfeather grumbled.

HOLLYLEAF BREEZEPELT ASHFUR THORNCLAW HOLLYLEAF BREEZEPELT ASHFUR THORNCLAW

Sandstorm padded to her mate's den, a purpose clear in her eyes and pushing her forward. She couldn't be the only one who recognized that they existed.

"Firestar," She called softly.

"Come in." The leader's voice greeted her ears. She wanted to curl up and let him take all her problems away, but she couldn't let that distract her.

No cat should feel that low about themselves.

"Hey, Sandstorm. What can I do for you?" He asked. He wasn't surprised she came to him, but he caught something akin to sympathy and he wondered briefly who could require such from her.

"What's your opinion on Ashfur?"

"I think he could use some poppy seeds and a good night's sleep if the yowling I heard earlier was anything to go by. What's wrong with Ashfur?"

"He seems to think he's completely alone."

Firestar sighed and gave her a pity-filled look.

"That's a lost cause, Sandstorm. He's got pretty much the whole Clan after his head. No one will believe him after what he did, whether he was injured or not. I personally think he was telling the truth about Hawkfrost. If the good cats can visit us in our dreams, then why can't the bad ones?"

"The Dark Forest." Sandstorm corrected.

"What?"

"The place for the evil cats is called the Dark Forest. I think Hawkfrost has been manipulating him, like he said. I also think Hollyleaf and Breezepelt were right."

"Don't get me started on those two…!" Firestar spat.

"What's wrong with them?"

"Can't you see they're in love? It's… wrong!"

Sandstorm's sides heaved with laughter.

"What did I say?"

"You think- those two- oh, Firestar…" She purred.

"What? Have you seen the way he hangs around her? And she does nothing to get rid of him! Next they'll have their tails twined and then everyone will know it's official."

"They're brother and sister, Firestar. Like Dustpelt is to me."

"Didn't Dustpelt like you before I came along?"

"No, no. We were really good friends. It's why he was so jealous when I started hanging out with you. He was afraid you would ruin our friendship."

"What does that have to do with Breezepelt being closer to her than her own shadow?!"

"You're blowing this completely out of proportion, Firestar! He likes Heathertail, but he's afraid that she'll reject him. He hangs around Hollyleaf because they were long-time friends and he doesn't want anything to happen to her."

"That's pretty much the same thing as liking two she-cats."

"You're hopeless." She groused.

"Help me out, then! I'm confused!"

"Thornclaw and Ashfur." She rolled her eyes when he finally got it.

"Oh." He blinked in surprise after a few heartbeats.

"It doesn't matter that they're not the same gender. They'll always be friends because they know their limits. That's what they allow."

"Do you think they could ever? Ashfur and Thornclaw or Hollyleaf and Breezepelt?"

"Maybe if the situation was different."

"So what's wrong with Ashfur if he has Thornclaw?"

"They both feel like they're not important to the Clan. I tried to convince them otherwise but they really need someone's approval. They think I'm being sympathetic."

"What do you really think of them?"

"I think that without Thornclaw, Ashfur would fall apart. We'd have one less warrior to rely on. Brightheart and Brackenfur wouldn't have their brother. Their kits wouldn't have their uncle. Same for Ashfur with Ferncloud, but Ashfur is convinced that no one cares about him."

"There isn't much I can do about that… They'll have to deal with that on their own. I can't force everyone to change their minds when deep down Ashfur will know it's fake."

"You know they're needed, right?"

"Of course I do! Believe it or not, they're actually two of my best warriors. They've put everything they have into the Clan and they don't complain. I wonder why that is…"

"Why don't you ask them later?" She suggested.

HOLLYLEAF BREEZEPELT ASHFUR THORNCLAW HOLLYLEAF BREEZEPELT ASHFUR THORNCLAW

Ashfur practically pounced on Leafpool, he was so happy. It had been another three days of being monitored, being fed whenever they deemed him hungry, and being lonely when there was no one to talk to. No one consisting of Thornclaw, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Leafpool, Sandstorm, and occasionally Firestar or Brambleclaw. He was sick of it! Sick of not being allowed to move, of being pitied, of being told what to do, of not being a warrior. He couldn't wait to get out of the StarClan-forsaken medicine den and back to the forest.

So he was overjoyed at the thought of being a warrior again.

He padded out of the medicine clearing for the first time in what felt like moons, taking in the sights around him. Brambleclaw was giving out orders for a patrol, Longtail was chatting with Mousefur by the Elder's den and the rest of the camp was just as peaceful. He padded over to Brambleclaw.

"Would you mind if I did a little hunting?"

"Good to see you up and around. Tell Thornclaw to make sure you take it easy."

"Yeah, sure." The grey tom groused. Why were they treating him like an elder?!

He flicked his tail to the golden tabby, who nodded to Brambleclaw and followed his friend into the forest.

They padded back into the camp, their jaws filled with prey. Ashfur set the squirrel and the mice on the pile, while Thornclaw took the one he caught for himself, leaving the other three and the thrush on the pile.

"We need to talk." A shadow fell over the two toms, who looked up to see that it was only the deputy.

"Make sure you get to the entrance by moonhigh or I'm leaving without you." The grey tom informed his former friend. Brambleclaw nodded and left to find his mate.

"Question." Thornclaw mused.

"Answer." Ashfur muttered back.

"Are you okay with Squirrelflight?"

"I haven't really thought about her since the fire, actually. I don't know what I saw then."

"Seriously? She's kinda pretty."

"Yeah, she is, but sometimes you just want a cat to go with it. She'll fight you every step of the way whether you're right or wrong, and now that I think about it, that's exactly what that crazy furball who calls himself our deputy needs."

"What do you need?"

"A walk. Or a nap. I need to think for myself."

"Fine by me." Thornclaw shrugged. "You don't have to stay with me, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do. But you're awesome and you just so happen to be the only cat who can really understand."

"What, because I don't have a mate that makes me the best cat to come to?"

"Did I say that?" Ashfur snorted. "You were my friend long before we grew up, Thornclaw. Remember that. It won't stop even if we do get mates."

"Okay, sure. Now what?"

"Question."

"Answer."

"Do you think the others are right about us being mates?"

So... if anyone is uncomfortable with this, feel free to leave a constructive review telling me why and what you think I should change. Flames will be used to make s'mores. REVIEW PEOPLE! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE READING MY STORY! Thank you!

Cinderfire