A/N: Sorry, I decided to take a short-ish break after school ended. Very relaxing ;) Unfortunately, during that time I injured my neck. Seriously this break was not intended to be so long, but that incident lengthened it as I had no appetite for writing when in pain. :( But my neck is feeling much better now after two visits to the chiropractor and after having three small bones in my neck being put back in place... all caused by a dumb deer that decided to scare my lovely pony.

Answers to Reviews:

XxSilverslashxX- haha! Thanks for the review!

Silver wolf rain- thanks!

Wishheart01- hopefully this chapter will clear up that ;) Ravenheart talks just a bit about his past...

Dragonflywing- yeah, Akain is awesome! :D

RiverClanWarrior2102- thanks! I'm so glad to have another reviewer!

Stormfeather of LakeClan- is your finger better now? Thanks!

Chapter Seventeen: It Comes in Three

"The clan has three new kits tonight!" Mosspaw announced happily.

Ravenheart's ears pricked up from where he sat nursing his wounds, his heart racing. In the aftermath of the battle he hadn't had a chance to visit the nursery yet. Had Stormdance… or was it Blizzardstar? He hadn't seen either since he returned just moments ago.

He let out a sigh as he managed to catch a glimpse of Stormdance's gray pelt. So they were Blizzardstar's.

Stormdance settled down beside him, "You're hurt, you should go see Feathersky," her voice was monotone, barely more than a whisper in the breeze.

"What's wrong?" Ravenheart asked, burying his nose comfortingly in her thick pelt.

"I'm scared," her voice caught, "I don't want to go through what Blizzardstar went through tonight."

"It will be all right. I'll be there."

She nodded, her eyes slowly drooping sleepily, "It will be soon, won't it?"

"Yes, Feathersky gave you another half moon," Ravenheart replied.

After a moment in silence she asked, "So, how did it go? Are they safe?"

"I think so. Nimble is with Nadia and Akain… he should have…" Ravenheart looked around for the tom, "I… I'll be right back!"

"Raven- wait! There they are!" Stormdance called him back.

Ravenheart turned to watch as Hazelblossom and Grayscar dragged a barely conscious Akain through the bushes and into camp. Feathersky hurried up and checked him over.

"He'll live," she replied crankily, hurrying everybody away with a swish of her long tail.

Ravenheart gave a sigh of relief as Blizzardstar's dull white pelt emerged from the nursery den. The queen looked drained of energy and swayed slightly on her paws as she made her way to the top of the pillar of stone with Forestpath at her side. For a moment she didn't speak as she surveyed the clearing and regained her breath.

"Cats of ForestClan. Today we won a great victory but also at a great cost," she staggered slightly, only to be caught by Forestpath. Again she paused before continuing, her voice shaking, "We gained three new kits today. But we also lost three of our warriors… tonight ForestClan says goodbye to one of our younger warriors, brother, and cousin, Wolfshadow, along with Ringtail, who after losing her kits joined this clan soon after its creation, and our deputy, Breezeheart."

Oh Rabbitpaw.

"Rabbitpaw, say goodbye," her father coaxed her.

She starred off into the darkness… anything not to see it. Anything not to believe it. She didn't want proof. She didn't want to see. She just wanted to be… lost.

Cloudwhisker nudged her once again, "Rabbitpaw."

The young apprentice snarled, "Maybe I don't want to say goodbye! Maybe I don't want to see!"

Rabbitpaw stormed off, a tear rolling down her cheek. Cloudwhisker leaped up to follow her but Feathersky stepped in his way.

"Let her grieve the way she wants to," the medicine cat ordered.

In the aftermath of the battle he had almost forgotten all about it. Almost. And now here he stood, standing only a couple fox-lengths from WhisperWood to attend a meeting set up by StarClan themselves and see two other cats that he had no idea what their identities were. It sounded so unrealistic. He took a shaky breath. Tonight was the night… right? He looked up at the moon. Yes. Soft paw steps sounded on the ground nearby and he quickly jumped into a fighting stance out of instinct. A pair of amber eyes peered uncertainty out of the darkness.

"Are you one of the ForestClan cats I was supposed to meet?" she asked.

Ravenheart nodded his head.

With a sigh of relief she stepped into the moonlight, revealing a long-haired golden pelt with darker, almost muddy looking muzzle, paws, and ears.

"Wildsong, I presume?"

She nodded, "I've seen you at the gatherings before… I'm sorry, but I seemed to have forgotten your name."

"Ravenheart," he starred at his paws, "Well, this is strange. Perhaps we are to wait for the third?"

Wildsong nodded, "Thundersong said that-"she cleared her throat, "Umm, I mean I think they are a cat from your clan."

"Oh," Ravenheart paused, "Your guardian?"

Wildsong reluctantly gave a slight nod, "You have one too? Who?"

Sadness crept into Ravenheart's expression, "She isn't a clan cat. She loved to take in orphan or abandon kits and give them a home- I was one of them. After she died I joined the clan."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Again the clearing descended into silence. Ravenheart was about to give up and leave when the undergrowth near him shook. He jumped to the side so that the cat wouldn't bump into him as she tumbled out. She licked her muddy forepaw clumsily and without a word sat down near the night shadows.

Ravenheart stared at her, first confused, then unbelieving, "Rabbitpaw?"

Her empty hazel eyes gazed up at him for a split second before she looked away, "I'm here, okay?"

Wildsong glanced back and forth, the question in her eyes burning bright and alive. Ravenheart shook his head.

"We can hold this meeting another day. Come on, Rabbitpaw, I'm taking you back to camp."

She hissed, "No! I made it to this meeting didn't I? StarClan ordered it. I'll stay, thank you very much."

Ravenheart worriedly looked at his apprentice, "Fine… I guess we then just… put our noses to the tree?"

"Sounds good to me," Wildsong spared a second glance at the ForestClan she-cat before lying down comfortably and resting her nose on the smooth white bark.

After the FieldClan warrior and her mentor had settled down by WhisperWood, Rabbitpaw had reluctantly followed them. Her vision was blurred. Her mind wasn't making any sense. Her ears were ringing. Everything was a mess. Her pelt felt clammy and dirty and her legs like toothpicks. So it didn't surprise her that she woke up in the exact same place where she had laid down just moments ago with Wildsong and Ravenheart still snoring on the ground. Even StarClan didn't think she was decent enough to enter their perfect kingdom.

But it did surprise her when her mother appeared beside her. Rabbitpaw turned, something sparking in those dull, unknowing eyes of hers.

Breezeheart smiled, "Oh, my dear, I am so sorry I had to leave you and Snowpaw so early."

"It's okay. Especially since your now here with me! Everybody will be so glad when we return to camp!" she replied in kit-like innocence.

Her mother frowned, "Rabbitpaw, wake up."

"Wake up? But I am awake! Quite awake indeed!"

"Rabbitpaw!" her mother replied more forcefully.

The ground shook under Rabbitpaw's feet and suddenly she couldn't find the strength to stand any longer, instead collapsing into a limp ball of fur on the ground. Breezeheart approached her cautiously and gave her a gentle lick on the ear.

"Nothing is the same anymore! Nothing!" she whimpered, "Your dead. Why did you have to die? Why couldn't you have stayed with us? Why'd you have to leave?"

"Dear," Breezeheart curled her body around Rabbitpaw's form, "It was time for me to go. You need to start carving your own path. I don't want you to grieve like this. This isn't the end, far from it. You have good friends, loyal friends. Lean on them for support and they won't let you down. Be strong."

Rabbitpaw choked back a sob and got to her paws, "Thank you. It's time for me to go now, isn't it?"

Breezeheart nodded, "The other two are waiting for you in StarClan's hunting grounds. Don't let anything scare you, Rabbitpaw. We can all get through this… together."

The apprentice gave a slight smile, "Together."

A/N: And the three are together! Poor Rabbitpaw, she did go a bit crazy. It was a last moment decision to make Breezeheart die, but the clan had gotten so big... Anyways, it gave me more emotions to pack into this chapter ;) The final battle is getting closer everyday! Will the clan cats only have to battle Rezkin, Darkstar and their army? Or will there be another enemy to face? Will there be more deaths in the final battle? When will it be? Will our kitties survive?

And will I get out the next chapter on time?

Give your comments in a review! (Sorry, I ran out of questions to ask...)

~Willow