Elsi: Here is the second of the three chapters I'm giving you today! That's January 4, 2013. The very last day of my winter break...

Trek: The chapter, Elsi. The chapter.

Elsi: Right. So, this is in Dovepaw's POV! It's really weird not to call her Doveheart. And for those of you who haven't met Elemental Doveheart, I chose Doveheart. Keep in mind that I wrote all of this before the two of them got their warrior names, so I picked what I thought was best. I was spot on with Ivypool, though, which I'm pretty proud of. Anyways, it's Dovepaw's point of view. We get to find out what's on Dovepaw's mind!

Trek: Elsi doesn't own Warriors, either. Read and Review, guys!

Chapter 2

Dovepaw

Dovepaw tried to close her eyes and sleep, but she couldn't. She shifted in her nest, listening to Ivypaw's steady breathing. Her sister was dreaming, so why couldn't she do the same? After several moments of unsuccessfully trying to reach sleep, Dovepaw opened her eyes to stare at her dozing littermate. What had that nod between Ivypaw and Tigerheart meant? Surely nothing. It had to be because Ivypaw was her sister…right? Tigerheart cared about her; he would never hurt her sister. That was the reason. It had to be.

But then…why had Ivypaw nodded back? Dovepaw had never mentioned Tigerheart to Ivypaw. That would mean that they knew each other, personally. Dismay entered Dovepaw's heart at that thought, and she tucked her tail under her nose. It couldn't be true! Was Tigerheart seeing Ivypaw? That would explain why Ivypaw was so tired during some of their training sessions…and it would explain why Ivypaw was suddenly so good at everything! She had been taking lessons from Tigerheart!

Hatred of her sister emerged, and Dovepaw turned her eyes to Ivypaw again. An image appeared in her mind, of Tigerheart laughing with her sister, of the two of them turning love-filled eyes upon each other. No! That was supposed to be her sitting there, with him.

What was she even thinking? Dovepaw sat up, horror creeping into her veins. There was no way she could be with Tigerheart – it would be betrayal. It would be dropping her destiny and all loyalty to ThunderClan! The Clan needed her now, more than ever, and Dovepaw's loyalty lay with her family and friends, her Clan, the place she belonged. Tigerheart couldn't enter the picture. He wasn't even in the picture; he wasn't even hers to claim. Ivypaw could have him, if she wanted. But even as the thought crossed through her mind, Dovepaw's heart began to shatter. No. Ivypaw couldn't have Tigerheart.

Casting her hopes of sleep aside, Dovepaw got to her feet, creeping out into the moonlight. As expected, the Clan slept in silence. Squirrelflight was guarding the entrance with Icecloud, but other than that, there was peace. Dovepaw breathed in that peace, letting it fill her up. She cherished that the Clan was quiet, at least for the night. Trying not to think, Dovepaw let her senses go, washing over the territories. WindClan warriors were asleep in their beds, except for a pair of warriors having some sort of midnight meeting. Dovepaw smiled; she was happy for any warrior that could find a mate. That was her only wish, apart from serving ThunderClan. She wanted a mate, like everyone else. Just because she was part of a prophecy, it didn't mean she couldn't have a life, right? Right.

Smiling at the thought, Dovepaw strained her senses over towards RiverClan and ShadowClan. Nothing was amiss in RiverClan, but ShadowClan brought her a pleasant surprise. There was a cat out of bed, no two, and they were wandering towards the ThunderClan border. The scents were familiar, but they were too far away to place. Frustrated, Dovepaw turned towards the warriors den. She should fetch Lionblaze, and the two of them could go confront whoever the warriors were.

No. Wait. She could go alone. Smiling at the idea, Dovepaw stole across camp, heading for the secret way out. It took a few minutes, but then, she was free in the forest, streaking towards ShadowClan. Her senses stretched out, and finally, finally, she caught the scent of the two warriors. One wasn't a warrior at all – Flametail and Tigerheart! At the thought of Tigerheart, Dovepaw's paws began to tingle. She tried to knock the silly idea out of her head, but it stuck there. What could Flametail and Tigerheart be doing so late at night?

Cautiously, Doveheart crouched beside the border, casting her eyes into the woods. Tigerheart. He would surely talk to her, wouldn't he? She focused her senses in on them, trying to overhear their conversation.

"No, that's not right," Flametail was scolding. "Taller, Tigerheart. Honestly, you're useless."

"Hey, I'm trying," protested Tigerheart, making Dovepaw's heart beat faster. "You know I'm no good at herbs. You should have brought Dawnpelt."

"What, and listen to her questions about Littlecloud the whole way?" snapped Flametail. He sighed heavily. "I'm going to have to go to Jayfeather soon."

"Why would you go to Jayfeather?" snapped Tigerheart. "Wouldn't Mothwing give you what you need?" Flametail hesitated, and Dovepaw frowned. Something was wrong with LIttlecloud, and Flametail needed herbs to help out.

"I guess," Flametail admitted heavily. Dovepaw narrowed her eyes. Had something happened between ShadowClan and RiverClan, something bigger than what had happened between ShadowClan and ThunderClan? Was that even possible? "Go look near the border, and then we'll head back."

"Alright," Tigerheart muttered. Dovepaw shrank back into the bushes, wondering if she could get away without him finding her there. His scent overrode her senses, and she curled her paws under her. He had a nice scent, even if it was slightly too ShadowClan for her taste. If only he was a ThunderClan cat!

"Dovepaw?" Dovepaw couldn't believe that he had said her name. Tigerheart's whiskers trembled, and he laid eyes on her bush. "Are you there?" Cautiously, Dovepaw poked out from under the bush. Upon seeing her, Tigerheart grinned. "What are you doing out here?"

"I…walking," began Dovepaw. "Then I caught your scent and hid."

"Well, it didn't work very well," purred Tigerheart. He smiled. "It's good to see you. How are you after…the battle?"

"I'm fine," Dovepaw answered curtly. Tigerheart frowned, sensing that something was wrong. Dovepaw hesitated, not knowing how to phrase her accusation.

"But…?"

"Have you been meeting Ivypaw?" The question spilled out, and Tigerheart's amber eyes filled with surprise. "I…I don't want her distracted from her duties." Hopefully that sounded like a valid reason.

"No, of course not," Tigerheart meowed, frowning. "Why would you say that?"

"Just…the battle…" Dovepaw suddenly couldn't find words; her relief was too great. "You didn't fight each other. You could have."

"Oh." Tigerheart looked slightly taken back, and he shook his head, cautiously stepping towards her. "I didn't want to hurt your sister."

Dovepaw's heart filled with emotion, and she turned to him, overjoyed. She'd just been overreacting? That was good! That was very good.

"I just thought…" she began. "I guess I was overreacting."

"I guess so," purred Tigerheart. He bent closer to her, making her pulse speed up. Dovepaw tried to bat away her emotions, but it was useless. He looked so handsome in the low light, with those amber eyes gleaming only for her. "I'm not interested in Ivypaw, anyways. Wrong sister."

Dovepaw felt her paws begin to shake, and she opened her mouth to reply, awestruck. He was interested? In her? How interested? What did that mean?

"Tigerheart? Where did you go?" Dovepaw blinked twice at Flametail's call, and Tigerheart stepped away from her. Regret filled her paws, and the same look masked his face.

"I have to go," he meowed. "Can you meet me here tomorrow? I want to see you again." Thrilled, Dovepaw nodded. Tigerheart smiled, giving a mighty purr before turning into the undergrowth.

Dovepaw felt light-headed, and she sat back, staring into the trees where he had disappeared. She was going to meet Tigerheart. He was interested in her. Her heart felt light, even though she knew that she was breaking the warrior code. How could this be possible? She was going to meet a handsome, brave, and strong warrior who liked her back. There was nothing more exciting than that!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dovepaw yawned, trying to wipe the weariness from her paws. Ivypaw stood over her, tail twitching.

"It's about time you woke up," Ivypaw snapped. Dovepaw felt the sting in the words and recoiled as she stood, hurt. What had happened to Ivypaw? Her sister used to be so full of life, always excited and ready for training. When did she start to hate her so? Of course, she had always hated Dovepaw for being better than her at everything. Dovepaw thought that was a little bit unfair – it wasn't like she'd asked to be the more talented warrior. StarClan had made her this way!

"Ivypaw, are you okay?" asked Dovepaw, following her sister into the sunlight. Ivypaw shot her an annoyed glance. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"What, are you starting to get jealous?" snapped Ivypaw. Dovepaw blinked. What was she talking about? "You don't like it that I'm the better fighter now!"

"What?" demanded Dovepaw. "I…no! I just want to know if everything's alright!"

"Everything's great," Ivypaw answered. "Better now that you're not in my way." Dovepaw flinched away from the resentment in that tone. Why was her sister being so mean to her all of a sudden? It didn't make any sense!

"Well, I'll just…leave you be, I guess," Dovepaw said sadly. Ivypaw nodded in approval.

"See that you do," she snapped. "I'm getting used to everyone talking about me."

That final comment made Dovepaw reflect. She knew that the Clan had raved about her earlier, especially because of the beavers, but now they were moving on. Everyone was talking about Ivypaw now. Ivypaw was such a quick hunter! Ivypaw fought so well in the battle! Ivypaw was learning so quickly! Dovepaw hung her head in shame. Did Lionblaze think that Ivypaw was better than her, too? She hadn't fought so well in their last training session. Maybe he was regretting ever taking her on as an apprentice!

"Dovepaw!" At her mentor's voice, Dovepaw looked up. What did he need from her now? She forced a smile on her face and a bounce in her step as she went over to him. There was something stern on Lionblaze's face, something that made Dovepaw frown.

"We need to talk," Lionblaze began. "Will you meet me in Jayfeather's den?" Dovepaw nodded quickly, heading towards the fresh-kill pile. She could at least have something to eat while they talked. Her paws began to buzz again, not unlike when she had met Tigerheart. Oh, that had been…everything she'd ever hoped for. Tigerheart was everything she'd ever hoped for.

Dovepaw followed Tigerheart down the hill, towards the lake.

"It looks so beautiful in the starlight…" Dovepaw began, sitting down. Tigerheart sat beside her.

"Yeah?" he meowed. "So do you." Dovepaw felt the heat in her pelt, and Tigerheart purred at her bashful reaction. Dovepaw regained her composure at once, knowing that they were better friends than that. She could trust him.

"Did you mean what you said?" she inquired, her whiskers trembling. "You're a good friend of mine."

"You want to know if I…" Tigerheart trailed off, and it was his turn to be embarrassed. "Well, I've been wondering for a while if we're more than friends." Dovepaw purred, pressing into his soft pelt. She could feel his excitement, and he leaned back towards her.

"I like this," she commented. "You can take that as you will."

"Dovepaw, would you get your head out of the clouds?" Jayfeather's snap brought her back to life, and she continued padding into his den. Jayfeather sat, his blind blue eyes seeping through her fur. It was unnerving, but she was learning to get used to it. "We have serious things to talk about."

"Sorry," Dovepaw squeaked, dropping her mouse. "Do you want this?"

"No, I know you're hungry," Jayfeather answered, his tail twitching. Lionblaze pushed into the den a few seconds later, and Jayfeather straightened. "Good. I need to tell you two about something, and I need to ask a favor."

Dovepaw shivered with excitement. She could do something helpful? Good! That would show Ivypaw. She wasn't fading into the background; she couldn't be.

"We're in this together," Lionblaze said supportively. "Of course we'll help." Dovepaw nodded enthusiastically. Jayfeather sighed.

"Good," he started. "Because last night, I had a dream." Dovepaw's stomach dropped at his expression; clearly, it wasn't a good dream. "Yellowfang spoke to me, and she told me something. It's an extension to our prophecy, I think."

"What is it?" asked Lionblaze, ready to accept anything. Dovepaw wished that she could be so brave. Jayfeather offering more to their prophecy scared her a little bit, although she didn't want to admit it. She squared her shoulders. She would be ready. Jayfeather sighed, and he slowly began to recite, speaking in his medicine-cat voice.

"There will be three cats, kin of your kin, with the power of the stars in their paws. A dark prophet will arise to complete the Good Four, light of light and the first enemies of the darkness. With starlight in their paws, they will defeat the shadows to save or destroy the Clans." The ending made Doveheart inhale sharply, and Lionblaze curled his tail around her shoulders to calm her.

"Save or destroy," he repeated. "It's our choice."

"Really, it's StarClan's choice," Jayfeather pointed out. He thought for a moment, looking at them. "I need the two of you to find this 'dark prophet' character."

"There's really another one of us?" cried Dovepaw. "We have to find him or her right away, then!"

"That's why I need you to keep a look out," Jayfeather explained. "I think this dark prophet is either another one of us, or they can lead us to the fourth." He frowned, although Dovepaw thought that he was always frowning. Could he frown deeper?

"What should we look for?" asked Lionblaze. Jayfeather thought for a bit before speaking.

"Darkness," he finally said. "Someone who brings word from the Place of No Stars." Dovepaw looked up. She'd never heard that name before, although she had heard stories about a place of darkness, where Tigerstar roamed. It actually existed? Lionblaze nodded, as if he understood, and Dovepaw swallowed hard.

"You think Tigerstar is training someone?" squeaked Dovepaw. The two littermates exchanged a glance.

"You'll have to find out who it is, Dovepaw," Jayfeather went on. "Your senses will work better than anything we can do. Figure out which cats are tired, or hurt from places they can't talk about. They'll be acting suspicious of everyone that moves."

"Can you do that, Dovepaw?" demanded Lionblaze, turning on her. At the thought, Dovepaw felt sick to her stomach. They wanted her to spy on her Clanmates? They wanted her to eavesdrop into their lives, and to not trust her Clan, and to work on her own. Against them. Horrified, she shook her head.

"I can't spy on my Clanmates!" she snapped. "Their business is their own. I can't pry."

"Dovepaw, please," Jayfeather said, his voice taking on a note of personality, one that Dovepaw had never heard. "We need to find the fourth."

Dovepaw shook her head, backing up. She understood that they needed her, and she would help them find the fourth in whatever way she could – except this.

"Find some other way to do it," she snapped. "I won't pry into their lives. That's not right, Jayfeather!"

"A lot of things aren't right, but we do them anyways," Jayfeather pointed out. He held her eyes for several seconds, and a terror filled Dovepaw. Did he know that she had gone out to meet Tigerheart? Technically, that was banned by the warrior code! If he found out, she would be in so much trouble…no. Maybe he was just suggesting something else, or making a vague statement! She wouldn't overreact again. He couldn't know.

"I can't do this," she insisted. "I'm sorry." Then, unable to look at them and their disappointment any longer, she turned and fled the medicine den, seeking fresh air.

Elsi: Dovepawwww...so it's okay to sneak out of camp at night, but not to spy on your Clanmates? Gosh. Also, what's wrong with Littlecloud? What's up between ShadowClan and RiverClan? We will find out later, because I do not know myself.

Trek: **facepalm** Typical. So, if you liked that, tell us so! I'll be nicely raking through your comments and giving them to Elsi when she's calm. Sigh...if that ever happens.

Elsi: I'm constantly calm! Jerk.