So, it took me a while to get around to writing this because Lionblaze and Icecloud's romance is too perfect and I can't handle it/write it properly. Plus, after that Jayfeather and Briarlight scene, which I've been dying to write since I first decided that Briarlight would play an important role in this story, it became harder to write other things :P

This chapter is shamelessly fluffy in some places, but don't worry. It sobers up. Doesn't it have to?

I don't own Warriors! Disappointing, I know. For me. Not for you, because the Erins are SO much better than I am...heheh...

Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 17

Lionblaze

Lionblaze took a hesitant bite of the thrush before him, not really caring what he was eating. It all tasted bland, as if the meat had sat in the sun for days and had shriveled up. This wasn't true of course – Icecloud had caught this thrush that morning, in fact. But watching the cat he loved and hearing Doveheart's warning in his head, Lionblaze could do nothing but sit.

Doveheart had told him that he couldn't keep Icecloud. That their mission was too important, that he couldn't get distracted. But how could Icecloud, in her beauty and grace, be seen as a distraction? That was like calling her a mistake. Icecloud was not a mistake. Still…was she right? If Icecloud didn't know that he was involved in a prophecy, it was like she was missing a huge part of him.

"What's wrong with you tonight?" asked Icecloud, her blue eyes shining. "You're quiet."

"There are just a lot of things on my mind," said Lionblaze, obligingly taking another bite of food. "Like you."

Icecloud purred at this, her whiskers twitching up in amusement.

"Easy there," she said, flicking her tail at him. Lionblaze spared her a smile, but closed his eyes and rested his head on his paws. How could he tell her of the danger of their world? It hurt him to see her walking through life with her head held high, unaware of everything going on around them. But it would crush him if he had to look on her face and see only fear. So what was better – letting Icecloud unwittingly put herself in danger, or ruin her happy ending?

Her happy ending would be with him, he decided. From the look in her eyes, he knew that was what she wanted, and more than anything else, he wanted that, too. Looking across the clearing, Lionblaze could see Doveheart all alone, her smile a little sad as she thought of what to do next. He knew that his loyalty had to go to her above all else – even Icecloud – and that would not change. Would it even be safe to tell Icecloud? Being with him was dangerous, and she should know that.

Yes, she should know that. He couldn't push her away just to keep her safe, and he knew that now – it would always be Icecloud who had to make that decision.

"Will you go for a walk with me?" asked Lionblaze, turning his full attention to her. "I want to talk where we won't be overheard."

Icecloud trusted him; he could see that much in her face, and it scared him a little bit that she would put so much blind faith in him. How would she look upon him once she knew his secret?

"Of course I will," said Icecloud. The look in her eyes said that she was beginning to worry about what this conversation would hold, but Lionblaze knew that she should. How could he tell her? There was no good way to explain without telling her of his powers, and then he would be taking away Doveheart's and Jayfeather's rights to privacy. Could he really justify that for Icecloud's sake? No…he'd have to warn her, but he couldn't tell her the truth until they agreed with him. And knowing Doveheart, that wouldn't happen for quite a while.

The sun sat low on the horizon as they moved out into the trees. Dying evening light filtered through the shadows of the oaks, leaving imprints of purple and orange on the grassy floor. Icecloud's pelt shimmered with a mélange of colors and shades as she passed elegantly through the trees, and Lionblaze watched her, entranced as he always was. How lovely she was, and how surprising it was that she would ever love him. His heart light, Lionblaze prowled after her, matching her step-for-step. They brushed under a low-hanging branch, dislodging a pawful of frost which slipped onto Icecloud's nose.

Squeaking in surprise, the white she-cat thrashed, sending melting snow onto Lionblaze. Seeing the ice hit Lionblaze's face, Icecloud began to laugh. Lionblaze looked up, a little startled at the cold sensation, but then found the laughter in Icecloud's eyes. His heart warmed more than snow could ever chill him, and he purred in response, flicking her flank fondly with his tail.

Playful as a kit, Icecloud nudged him back a little more forcefully, and Lionblaze found himself flying high. All of a sudden, they were apprentices again: crouching clumsily in the undergrowth and sending gentle blows at each other, balancing dumbly on their hind legs to batter each other with friendly paws, entangling limbs so foolishly that they fell together, rolling through their laughter into a heap on the ground.

Icecloud pushed Lionblaze down forcefully, her pretty blue eyes sparkling as she giggled again.

"Got you," she said, her whiskers twitching. Lionblaze laughed and let her have her win, reveling in this dizzy, light-headed feeling that encompassed them both. He sat back, closed his eyes, and for a few seconds, they were silent. Lionblaze could feel Icecloud's weight, but he didn't mind; he could feel her fluttering heart beat and was sure that she could feel his as well. They were together, in love, and foolish, and he didn't want it to end.

"I love you, Icecloud," said Lionblaze after several seconds.

A purr from Icecloud was prelude to, "I love you, too, Lionblaze." Hearing her say it, though he had never needed the words, made him want to sing. Another few seconds of silence, and Lionblaze slowly opened his eyes to study the sky.

The stars glittered between branches of the trees above them, innocent and gorgeous just as she was. But there was a wisdom there, too, something that Lionblaze could not ignore, and seeing Silverpelt above his head reminded him that his warrior ancestors were looking down on him in expectation.

Icecloud could feel the mood shifting, so she let him get up and tilted her head, confused. Lionblaze was sad most of all that their happiness had to fade, just as it always did. For a little while, he had been happy and carefree – any other warrior. That's not who he was, though. He would never have that life, and while he did not, he had a responsibility to protect those he cared about.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Icecloud asked. "You look so worried."

"So do you," said Lionblaze fruitlessly – he knew she was only worried about him. She told him as much, and he just nodded, wondering how to phrase his words.

"I'm worried about you," he said honestly. Icecloud blinked twice, alarmed. "ThunderClan isn't safe. None of us are safe."

Icecloud hesitantly crossed towards him.

"Of course," she said. "The shadow warriors?"

"There's more than just the shadow warriors," said Lionblaze. That made Icecloud hesitate. "A lot more is going on here. And…"

I'm involved. I have to stop it. You'll be in danger just by being with me.

"And?"

"And I'm worried you'll be hurt."

Icecloud hesitated, processing, and then her eyes narrowed in what was presumably irritation.

"Lionblaze, I'm a warrior. I can take care of myself. I have so far. And even if I get in trouble, you and the rest of ThunderClan will have my back. That's why we're a Clan."

She was right, he supposed, but there was so much she didn't understand! How could he ever show her that he was the danger, that he was not just a warrior of ThunderClan.

"There's more to it than just being a warrior," he said. "These shadow cats…they aren't just random. We think…we think there's something bigger going on. Someone – " He swallowed, knowing that he couldn't tell her details. "Someone is trying to destroy the Clans."

"How are you so sure?" asked Icecloud. Lionblaze hesitated, and Icecloud took on a new look, one of worry and despair. "Don't just leave it there."

"It's…complicated…" said Lionblaze, hating himself for saying the words. "The more I tell you, the more danger you'll be in. Because…I'm…they want…"

"You're in danger?" asked Icecloud. She understood, somehow, what he was trying to say. All signs of irritation vanished, to be replaced with a fierce protective pride. "Then you have to tell me. Fine, you want to keep me safe, but don't you think I want the same?"

"It's different," protested Lionblaze. "I've…you don't…I can't…"

"Lionblaze, hush."

"No, you don't – "

"No, really!" Lionblaze fell silent, noticing that Icecloud's attention was no longer on him. Her ears perked up, and she turned around. "Do you hear that?"

He shook his head, not hearing anything but the night wind in the trees and the scuffling of animals in the brush. Icecloud bounced ahead a few paces, at full attention. When he followed her, the tiniest of sounds met his ears, something so tiny and insignificant he was sure he would have missed it.

"Those are kits," said Icecloud fiercely. "Kits are in trouble."

"Icecloud – " said Lionblaze, but Icecloud was already tumbling through the undergrowth, in full pursuit of the tiniest of noises. Perplexed, Lionblaze skidded after her. How had she heard kits, when he had only heard their voices? They had been arguing, and that sound was so small. He would have ignored it for sure – but Icecloud…she was something else. The sound of someone in trouble, and she would not rest until she had solved the problem. She was incredible.

He slowed to a stop when the mewling got loud enough to make sense of, and Icecloud's voice cut clearly through the panicked sounds of kits. Bounding over a fallen branch, he caught sight of her bright white pelt in the trees. Slowly, knowing he could scare the kits, Lionblaze padded gently to stand beside her.

"Hello, there. It's okay, I won't hurt you." After a moment, Lionblaze saw to whom she was speaking: two kits, not far from being apprentices, staring at them with wide eyes. Their pelts were both creamy and long, but matted with enough dirt that Lionblaze assumed they had been moving for more than just a sunrise. The smaller had lovely green eyes, which blinked in fear and confusion from her position behind her companion. The larger one stared at them with beautiful blue-violet eyes the likes of which Lionblaze had only seen on Heathertail.

"Wh-who are you?" said the larger kit, in as aggressive a voice as she could find. "Don't come near me."

"I heard you crying," said Icecloud gently. "I'm here to help you."

The smaller one squeaked as she crouched down to slink closer to them, her bright eyes darting between the two warriors in terror. The larger kit unsheathed her claws and let out a hiss before leaping ungracefully at Icecloud.

Icecloud wasn't quick enough to avoid a sweep of the she-kit's claws, but upon recoil, just stared. She shook her head, dislodging the few flicks of blood that had made their way onto her muzzle, and then sent Lionblaze a fixed stare. Lionblaze realized that his fur was bristling, and that now the small kit was staring up at him from a fighting stance that proved that she had been able to defend herself for a while now.

"We're not going to hurt you," said Icecloud once more, a little more sternly this time. "You're afraid, you're lost, and you're hungry. We're just trying to help."

"You can't prove that," said the big kit. Her voice was hostile, sure, but also just sounded lovely and docile. Icecloud sighed.

"My name is Icecloud, and this is Lionblaze," she said. "We're cats of ThunderClan. You'll be safe here with us."

It took the kit a long time to think about her next move, but at last, she relaxed and returned to stand before her companion.

"My littermate is sick," she said. "Can you help us?"

"You'll be safe here with us," said Icecloud once more. "Our medicine cat can see to you both. I'm sure you'll be welcome to stay."

"What are your names?" asked Lionblaze in a gentle voice. After a moment of reaction and mistrust, the older kit swallowed.

"My mother always called me Bounce," she said. "And this is Crouch."

Icecloud and Lionblaze exchanged a glance – not Clan cats. So where were they from? Lionblaze nodded quietly at Icecloud, and she smiled. It didn't matter. They were kits that needed their help.

"Can you both walk a little farther?" she asked sweetly. "Our camp isn't far from here." Bounce gave Crouch a long look, and the littler she-cat got to her paws weakly before wobbling a little and falling. At once, Bounce leaped to her sister, letting out a cry of distress. Icecloud worked in a soothing noise, making Bounce look up in fear and surprise.

"I can carry her back," said Lionblaze calmly, and he bent down to take Crouch's scruff in his jaws. Both kits were bigger than he had originally thought, but without much food and as sick as she was, Crouch was light enough. The tiny kit let out a cough before murmuring something. Bounce mewed once more, not convinced that her littermate was safe.

"It's alright," soothed Icecloud. "You're safe with us. Come on."

They made an odd foursome – the beautiful she-cat guiding the bedraggled but brave kit, followed by Lionblaze, who carried a sick kit in his jaws. Crouch fell asleep before they had gotten halfway back, and Lionblaze noticed that the farther they went, the slower Bounce's pace got. He deduced that they were each about four moons old – old for kits, about the same age as Whitewing's latest pair – and had been traveling for a good portion of their lives. But where did they flee, and why?

They met Doveheart, who was bickering profusely with the guard - Foxleap and Toadstep – at camp entrance. Upon their arrival, all conversation died.

Doveheart came closer, so only Lionblaze could hear her.

"I saw you struggling, and I tried to come help," she said, but her eyes were on the kits. Her shock was evident. "How can I help?" She said this to Icecloud.

"Fetch Firestar immediately," said Icecloud. He turned to Foxleap and Toadstep, who stood dumbstruck by the sight of the pair of kits. "Will one of you get Jayfeather?"

Bounce didn't protest even when she was ushered into camp, although she hesitated long enough for Icecloud to have to reassure her. Once inside, the entire camp had fallen silent. Lionblaze set Crouch down, making the she-kit mew; the noise only intensified the gazes of a shocked ThunderClan.

Brambleclaw and Firestar bounded towards them, Doveheart not far behind. At Lionblaze's nod, she faded into the background of the Clan.

"What's going on?" asked Brambleclaw, but Firestar reached the kits first. He bent down, so that he was nearly eye-to-eye with Bounce. Lionblaze stared at their leader, almost shocked: he did not glare down at Bounce like a leader; he merely observed her at her own level.

"Hello, young one," said Firestar. "My name is Firestar, leader of ThunderClan. You have nothing to fear here."

"My sister is sick," said Bounce stubbornly.

"We will make sure she heals," said Firestar. "We will not hurt you, young one."

Bounce stared at the leader, who rose to his full height suddenly. The small kit wavered on her paws for a few moments, as if deciding whether or not she could trust this new cat and this new place. Then, as if she had simply given up, she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Jayfeather!" called Brambleclaw, but the blind medicine cat was already pushing his way through the Clan. He crouched by the two kits, sniffing them quickly.

"Move them into my den," he said. "I'll examine them there. Quickly." He picked up Bounce with gentle teeth, nodding to the others before turning away.

Icecloud scooped Crouch into her jaws, bidding Lionblaze a look of farewell as she sped off. Now Firestar turned to Lionblaze for an explanation.

"We found them near the WindClan border," explained Lionblaze. "From the looks of it, they've been traveling for a while." He glanced around at the Clan, seeing their suspicious faces. "I don't know what we can do for them."

"Do they have names?" asked Firestar. Lionblaze identified the kits. Firestar nodded thoughtfully.

"Not Clan cats, then," he said.

"Too brave to be kittypets," said Brambleclaw. Firestar shot him a look, and the deputy took a step back, knowing his fault right away.

"You're right, though," admitted Firestar. "Rogues, then?"

"And away from their mother," said Lionblaze. "What will we do?"

"We can't keep them here." The outburst came from Birchfall, who sat on the edge of the crowd between Whitewing and Mousewhisker with his tail flicking back and forth. "They're rogues."

"They're sick kits," said Firestar. "All cats have a loyalty to protecting kits."

"It's fine if they plan on leaving," said Mousewhisker across the clearing. "But what if they wish to stay with ThunderClan?" He looked around at the Clan, who all started to process this possibility. "We don't have the resources to feed two more mouths."

"Could we take them in as kits of ThunderClan?" asked Sorreltail, her eyes bright. "They could train to be warriors with us."

"Take in rogues?" asked Whitewing, her whiskers twitching. She drew a tail around her paws before taking a look back at the nursery as if worrying about her kits' integrity if they lived with rogues.

"It's been done before," said Brambleclaw. "Many of our great warriors have been from outside ThunderClan." He cast a glance at Firestar, and around the clearing. Lionblaze found with a smile that it was true – even Whitewing, who challenged the outsiders, owed her existence to Cloudtail, a former kittypet.

"We can't keep doing this," said Spiderleg crossly. "Before long, more of ThunderClan will be made up of rogues and kittypets than actual Clan cats."

"Actual Clan cats!" cried Berrynose suddenly, sitting up. "I was born outside of ThunderClan, but that doesn't make me any less of a Clan cat than you!" He glared at Spiderleg, who stood up and glared back, bristling.

"Maybe ThunderClan is becoming weak with so many outsiders," said Rosepetal gently. She rarely spoke up, so now that she was, Lionblaze's interest peaked. "Look at us now – divided because we come from different backgrounds. The situation will only worsen if we take in every spare kit we find in the woods."

"Like your mother?" called Dustpelt angrily. The senior warrior gained the attention of the Clan and strode over to take Firestar's other side. "Like Firestar? Who among you would challenge the great warriors we have with us? Cloudtail, Millie, Berrynose, Hazeltail, and Mousewhisker…Daisy and Purdy…they are all our Clan-mates. We are their friends, their kits, their mates. We've fought beside them in battle or trusted them to train our kits. How can we doubt them now?"

He looked around them, and for several seconds, there was no argument.

"It doesn't matter where we come from," Brambleclaw said supportively. "Kittypet or ThunderClan through and through, it doesn't matter. Our loyalty to ThunderClan is what's important."

"It's hard to be loyal to something that is ceasing to exist," said Spiderleg in a low voice.

Before anyone else could answer – before Lionblaze could even get to his feet in order to protest, a new, unexpected voice spoke out.

"It will do us no good to be fighting," said Ivypool, and every eye turned to her. Lionblaze watched as the silver tabby looked up, blue eyes shining, and held them all at her paws. "Firestar is our leader. Our opinions have been heard, but Firestar is the one that chooses in what direction this Clan goes."

Even Thornclaw and Spiderleg refused to argue after that, but Lionblaze's heart chilled as all around the clearing, those who had protested stepped down. Ivypool's word was law.

That wasn't a call for peace, he realized. That was a threat.

Ivypool's blue eyes glimmered with the faintest hints of a smile. Across all of his Clanmates, Lionblaze found Doveheart's eyes. She had heard the threat as well. She had seen that Ivypool had commanded the attention of the others with a few diplomatic words and a smirk. She had seen that all of a sudden, Ivypool was the commander. Lionblaze's pelt prickled as he looked around once more, scanning faces and meeting the eyes of those cats whose attention went only to Ivypool.

Thornclaw, Spiderleg, Whitewing, Birchfall. Mousewhisker, Foxleap, Rosepetal. Ivypool.

Oh StarClan, they were everywhere.

Well, there's that. My endings aren't as bad as they have been lately...eh, eh?

Let me know what you think of this chapter! I'm getting kinda lonely, doing this thing where every new email could be a review (and then they aren't). I know this sounds like me begging, but I kind of am...so...please?

~Elsi