Hello, friends! I'm back with some more War of Shadows for you! I'm getting really into the character relationships in this story, and I keep finding more connections...so the chapters are getting longer. I'm sorry if you all are the type that prefer shorter chapters, but then we'd have like a sixty-chapter story, and I'm not doing that. I'm limiting myself to 36 for this bad boy, and this is definitely going to be the longest fanfiction i WILL EVER work on. Really. This is a monster.

Anyways, here's a nice Lionblaze chapter for you. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer - I don't own Warriors. Not now, not ever.

Chapter 20

Lionblaze

The moonlight of the Gathering was bright and nearly as ominous as a cloudy moon would have been. Lionblaze figured that when things were too bright that everything was going to go badly very soon. He and Icecloud sat together, tails entwined, as Blackstar continued his monologue about the lack of threat of the shadow warriors and of the strength of ShadowClan. If ShadowClan is so strong, then why do their warriors look so afraid?

He wound down, looking up at Firestar, who cleared his throat and puffed himself up to his full size. An aggressive move in some lights, but it was confidence Firestar wanted.

"All is well in ThunderClan," said Firestar. "We, too, have not seen another shadow attack recently. Icecloud and Lionblaze found two kits on the edge of our territory. We have welcomed them as Bouncekit and Crouchkit. In other news –"

"More outsiders, Firestar?" asked Onestar suddenly. Firestar blinked as if he was not expecting the interruption. "What, does that make ThunderClan more outsider than Clan-born?"

"It's two kits, Onestar," said Mistystar crossly. "We are all bound to protect kits."

"Protect them, perhaps," said Onestar. "But I do not think that is Firestar's purpose. Tell me, Firestar, is it your desire to train these rogue kits as ThunderClan warriors?"

"Their wish is to stay with ThunderClan," said Firestar steadily.

"Outrageous!" said Onestar suddenly. "I have stood beside you on these decisions for far too long, Firestar. How do your warriors feel about this most recent choice?"

Lionblaze felt his stomach twist as Onestar looked out into the crowd and was met with an uneasy silence. Icecloud stiffened, but Lionblaze pressed into her to keep her silent. Triumphant, Onestar turned to the other leaders for support.

He found none.

"We are all bound to protect kits," said Blackstar steadily. "What would you have done, then, Onestar? Left them to fend off shadow warriors on their own?"

"This is a time of unity, not division," said Mistystar. "A matter as trivial as this is no reason to start fighting."

Onestar stared all three leaders down, but shifted back when he found them a team. Firestar cleared his throat and continued, talking instead about announcing that Hazeltail was expecting kits as well. Icecloud relaxed, but Lionblaze was still watching as Onestar's discomfort grew visibly. The unity between RiverClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan was threatening WindClan, and now Onestar couldn't help but be suspicious of an alliance – possibly against him. Maybe it would have been better if Blackstar and Mistystar had stayed silent and let ThunderClan take the fall.

Above the trees, the moon shone down all the brighter.

XXXX

Remarkably, there was peace, but it was uneasy for Lionblaze and his friends. He could sense Doveheart getting more and more frustrated by the passing moment, and Jayfeather had never been calm to begin with. At least Rosepetal was slightly more receptive to his shows of friendship, and that was good. Peace allowed Lionblaze to make progress with his attempts to show Rosepetal and the others where they had gotten off track.

Speaking of Rosepetal, the creamy she-cat had just pulled away from her conversation with Blossomfall and Toadstep with a worried look on her face. Lionblaze looked around, but no one seemed to notice.

"See something?" Doveheart was quiet as of that morning, perhaps more worried than usual. Lionblaze tapped her shoulder and indicated to Rosepetal.

"I'm going to go after her," said Lionblaze. "See if she wants to talk."

"She's never wanted to talk before," said Doveheart. Lionblaze hesitated. "Besides, didn't you tell Icecloud you would go hunting with her?"

"That's not for a while," said Lionblaze. "I've had an idea. You stay."

"Lionblaze – " Doveheart tried to cut in, but Lionblaze ignored her and romped off after Rosepetal, calling lightly after her. He caught up just outside of camp, where Rosepetal observed him with suspicion.

"Hey, you just looked like you could use some company," said Lionblaze cheerily. His heart was beating harder than was necessary, probably because he already knew what he was going to do. It wasn't something he was excited to think about saying or doing.

"Why are you really here, Lionblaze?" asked Rosepetal crossly. "Are you going to lecture me again?"

"No, nothing like that," said Lionblaze, stepping away from her. "I just…you looked upset. I wanted to see if I could help."

"Just a little tired and annoyed," said Rosepetal. "It's nothing." She seemed more at ease, though. "I can take care of myself."

"I never said you couldn't," said Lionblaze softly. "Is it so hard to believe that I'm here because I'm your friend?"

Rosepetal fell silent, and Lionblaze decided not to push his luck. They moved through the trees in silence, paws crunching without concern on a layer of frost and newly budded leaves. The new-leaf peace was much appreciated, but Lionblaze could still feel tension under his paws like just-melting snow in the grass. He needed to do something, but with no battle, it was like he was so powerless.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" asked Lionblaze when Rosepetal didn't reply. "If not, there's a story I wanted to tell you."

"Are you going to try to tell me what to do again? Like you and Doveheart keep trying to do?" Lionblaze was silent. "I'm not blind, Lionblaze."

"I mean, the only blind cat I know sees more than I do," said Lionblaze, a little sadly. Some would have laughed at the comment, but Rosepetal just shook her head. "No, Rosepetal. I'm trying to be a friend to you, that's all."

"You don't know what's best for me," said Rosepetal.

"I know what's best for me," said Lionblaze quietly. Rosepetal looked over at him in question. "I went there, too, once. When I was an apprentice, and even as a new warrior."

"Why?" asked Rosepetal. "I mean, why did you leave?"

"I didn't need them to be strong," said Lionblaze, narrowing his eyes at the shimmer of a memory that entered his mind. His claws at Tigerstar's throat, Tigerstar's jaws tearing through his fur, Tigerstar's words in his mind like maggots. "And nor do you."

"Strength has never been my concern," said Rosepetal, but she was speaking openly for once, not hiding behind a shield of self-protection and suspicion.

"Then what is?" asked Lionblaze. "Is it the Clan, then? You really think that having kittypet blood makes you weak? It can't be, not you – "

"Oh, come on, Lionblaze," said Rosepetal, rounding on him. "I couldn't care less who joins this Clan as long as they don't divide it. Under the leadership we've had, though, it's no wonder that this has happened."

Lionblaze paused, and they stood staring at each other, paw to paw, in the shadows of trees. Hearing her words, and how open they were for the first time, he realized that maybe he had bene missing something all along. Maybe the Place of No Stars didn't hold misguided cats. Maybe Rosepetal did know what she was doing, but she was doing things for all the wrong reasons…

"Firestar?" he mewed incredulously. "You're angry at Firestar?"

"Who hasn't been," said Rosepetal in a dead, defeated voice. "Nothing has gone right for me, not my entire life, and I can't help but think that…"

"Firestar is a good leader for ThunderClan – "

"To the cats he privileges, perhaps!" Rosepetal turned her eyes to the ground, as if the grass was what had enraged her so. "Not to cats like me."

Lionblaze didn't know what to say to that. How could he possibly begin to empathize with her, when her perspective was so vastly different from his own? He was always in the spotlight – always the best apprentice, Firestar's kin, the prophesized cat they were waiting for. And Rosepetal? He knew nothing about her, not until she had been given Molepaw as an apprentice. Her apprenticeship had gone by in a blur as he waited for Doveheart, her warrior life always overshadowed by Ivypool and Doveheart, the prodigies.

"I'm sorry," said Lionblaze, because that's all there was to say. "I'm sorry, and maybe I'm guilty of that, too."

"Oh, most everyone has their interests," scoffed Rosepetal. "And you're not exactly the best at retaining those that grow close to you."

Lionblaze looked away. Thinking of Squirrelflight, of Hollyleaf, of Cinderheart, maybe even of Jayfeather and Doveheart now. What could he say?

"I have been guilty of that, too," said Lionblaze. "But let me make it up to you. Let me be a friend to you."

"You want to be my friend?" said Rosepetal. "Drop the ulterior motive."

"The ulterior motive is protecting you," said Lionblaze. He stepped back at her glare. "Haven't we been friends this whole time? While I helped you with Molepaw?"

"While you flirted with Icecloud, you mean."

"I was there for both of you," said Lionblaze in a low voice. "Fine, yes, I fell in love with Icecloud. But I wasn't expecting that. I kept coming back to be your friend. And that was way before all of…all of this."

Rosepetal was silent for a long time, and then she rotated her shoulders back and began walking back towards camp.

"He's doing well, Molepaw, isn't he?" Perplexed at Rosepetal's question, Lionblaze dropped into step beside her.

"Yes, but I don't see what this has to – "

"We're chatting like friends, aren't we?" asked Rosepetal. A small smile lit up her features, and Lionblaze returned it. Maybe he could have an impact this way, as a friend. Maybe it wasn't about telling her what she was doing wrong, but trusting her judgment and being ready to save her at the last minute. Rosepetal seemed quite aware of the danger – she was smarter than she seemed. And she couldn't do it all alone, not when the Dark Forest prioritized getting rid of the cats whose blood had similar composition to Rosepetal's.

By the time they had gotten back to camp, there was a bounce in Rosepetal's step that he had never seen, and a smile on her face that was rare even with Molepaw or Toadstep nearby.

"I appreciate you coming after me," said Rosepetal quietly. "Thank you, Lion- "

"Lionblaze!" Lionblaze froze and revolved on the spot, meeting Icecloud's furious eyes. His mate stalked across the clearing, fur raised, attracting the attention of several cats.

"I'm going to go anywhere else but here," said Rosepetal quietly, and by the time Lionblaze had a chance to turn around to gape at her, she was gone. That left him under the angry gaze of Icecloud.

"What are you forgetting?" asked Icecloud. Lionblaze stared at her. "Hunting?"

Sudden realization crashed over him, and Lionblaze's jaw dropped in an attempt to apologize, but Icecloud's look signified that she didn't want an apology, only the truth. He swallowed his pride and crouched slightly, so he was below Icecloud's line of sight.

"I wanted to help Rosepetal," he said. "She's struggling, and I wanted to help protect her from…" He stopped talking. Icecloud arched an eyebrow expectantly. "I'm sorry, Icecloud. I thought I was doing something right."

"What can you possibly be protecting Rosepetal from?" said Icecloud, her words quiet enough so that their nosy Clan-mates couldn't hear. Lionblaze glanced in a circle, seeing that they still had attention on them.

"I…" He couldn't find an answer, not here. Then he met Doveheart's eyes from across the clearing, and the warning on his best friend's face brought him full circle to silence.

"Lionblaze…" said Icecloud. Her tone had entirely changed; this time, when he looked up, she looked more disappointed than angry. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Icecloud…"

She looked around, seeing the stares of the Clan, and guided him outside camp. Lionblaze followed numbly, his paws tingling in fear. Was Icecloud mad at him? How could he tell her the truth and endanger her? It wasn't her secret to bear – it was his powers. His destiny.

"Please, Lionblaze," said Icecloud as she stopped short once more. "If there's something you can't tell me, how can I trust you when you say you love me?"

"I do love you," said Lionblaze.

"But you won't trust me?" said Icecloud. "How can I base a relationship on that, Lionblaze? How can you keep expecting me to just blindly trust you? If you really love me, why can't you tell me?"

He swallowed in an attempt to find something to say, but all he could see was Doveheart's anger and Jayfeather's silent disapproval. It was their secret, too.

"This is bigger than you, Icecloud," he said quietly. "There are more pieces to this."

"And I'm one of them," said Icecloud. "You can't possibly say you love me and then tell me I can't be a part of whatever it is you and Doveheart and Jayfeather have going on." She scoffed at his shock. "Don't talk down to me like I'm some unruly kit."

"That's not what I mean," said Lionblaze. "I have to keep my priorities straight, and sometimes that means – "

"Your priorities?" said Icecloud incredulously.

"That's not what I meant…"

"Then enlighten me, Lionblaze," said Icecloud. "What did you mean?" He opened his mouth to explain, but maybe that was the truth. He couldn't choose her over this prophecy business, not when so many lives were dependent on him. And he couldn't tell her the truth. It was an impossible truth to bear.

"I think I know exactly what you meant," said Icecloud quietly. "You're prioritizing this secret over me, and you won't change your mind."

A horrible silence stretched out between them, but there were no truths that could override that one. Icecloud saw the answer written in between his eyes, and her whiskers quivered. She drew herself to her full height, as if resisting the urge to cry.

"Fine," said Icecloud in a wavering voice. "If that's what you want, then I'll prioritize, too. I'll prioritize myself. Goodbye, Lionblaze."

"Icecloud, please, no," said Lionblaze desparately. "I love you, but…I have no choice…"

"Don't," said Icecloud, turning away from him. "You have a choice, Lionblaze, and so do I. This is me, making my choice. Don't take that away from me, too."

Then she was gone, and Lionblaze felt his heart moving with her, farther and farther away until he was left with an emptiness so dark it felt like the bite of a shadow cat.

XXXX

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan Meeting!" Lionblaze was startled from his thoughts – Icecloud, how was he going to get Icecloud to stop ignoring his attempts to apologize – by the call, and he got to his feet. What was there to call a meeting about? A part of him stiffened – was something wrong?

Firestar's pelt glowed in the harsh sunlight as he stared down upon the gathering Clan, and Lionblaze read his leader's blank expression to mean that something was indeed wrong, or could be very soon. How very like Firestar, to ignore or start controversy. Lionblaze shook the blasphemous thought away – Firestar did what he thought was best, and it usually was. Some of his Clan-mates may not have agreed, but Lionblaze would follow Firestar to the very end.

"We are gathered here today to see three new apprentices named."

"Three?" Lionblaze glanced down to see Doveheart at his side. The two exchanged a glance. "He can't possibly mean…"

"Bouncekit, Crouchkit, and Mousekit have all reached their sixth moon, and they will today become apprentices. Please step forward."

"This is a terrible idea," said Doveheart so quietly her words could only be heard by Lionblaze. "The Clan is going to hate this."

Her words were nearly drowned out by the silence so loud it seemed to take life of its own. Ferncloud ushered Mousekit forward with her tail, and Daisy nudged the timid Crouchkit to stand beside Bouncekit, who had turned her back to the pointed silence of her new adopted Clan-mates.

"Mousekit," said Firestar, "from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Mousepaw." He swept on before even giving a chance for Mousepaw to hear his new name on the tongues of his Clan-mates (probably purposeful). "Bumblestripe, you will be mentor to Mousepaw. You have shown outstanding courage and unwavering loyalty in the face of adversity, and I know that you will pass these skills on to Mousepaw."

"Bumblestripe?" Lionblaze whispered, watching as Mousepaw marched proudly up to his new mentor, who bent down and said something. He was more interested, however, in the conflicted gaze of Ivypool as she watched the newest mentor-apprentice pair from a paws-length away. "Interesting."

"Bouncekit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Bouncepaw."

"Bouncepaw!" Lionblaze's eyes shot around to find Icecloud leading the call, her eyes bold and her chin high in the air in clear defiance of the hateful looks around her. He took up the call, and found that the Clan joined in. Firestar relaxed slightly.

"Poppyfrost, you have been a smart warrior and have shown great loyalty and strength," said Firestar, moving right along. "You will be mentor to Bouncepaw."

The Clan was silent; Lionblaze found himself holding his breath as Bouncepaw defiantly marched over to her mentor. But Poppyfrost's gaze was kind. It was a good choice on Firestar's part, giving Bouncepaw over to Poppyfrost. Out of all the younger warriors, she was possibly one of the few who could balance Bouncepaw's resilience while holding at bay the negativity towards her. Maybe he had underestimated Poppyfrost as well.

"Crouchkit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Crouchpaw."

"Crouchpaw! Crouchpaw!" There was a more decisive yell from the Clan this time, relieving Lionblaze even more.

"Graystripe, you have been a good mentor in the past, and I think you will pass on all of your loyalty, bravery, and compassion to Crouchpaw."

"Firestar put a lot of thought into this," said Doveheart as Crouchpaw shyly greeted her smiling mentor. "Maybe this will work out."

Lionblaze couldn't have cared less about that aspect of the ceremony, and he moved forward until he was near enough to Crouchpaw and Bouncepaw to meet their eyes.

"Congratulations, you two," he said warmly. He nudged Bouncepaw lightly and ruffled Crouchpaw's ear with his tail. "You'll be fantastic apprentices, I just know it."

"Thank you, Lionblaze!" said Crouchpaw, her voice tiny and barely audible. "I hope I'll be as good of a warrior as you are!"

"Well, Graystripe is a better warrior than I am, so no worries there," said Lionblaze warmly. "You're both in great paws."

"Icecloud!" exclaimed Crouchpaw suddenly, and Lionblaze turned his head to see her leaning down to accept Crouchpaw's affection. The two new apprentices moved to her in an instant, forgetting all others in an attempt to thank the one cat that had saved them. Because she was incredible. Lionblaze smiled weakly, watching Icecloud's eyes crinkle with happiness as she teased the two most innocent and yet hated cats in the Clan. She was fantastic, as a friend, as a mother...as whatever she wanted to be. And there was nothing Lionblaze wanted more than to have her back.

"I know what you're thinking." Jayfeather had appeared out of nowhere. "You can't tell her, Lionblaze."

"But I love her," said Lionblaze, unable to tear his eyes away.

"So what?" said Jayfeather with un-necessary spite. Lionblaze flinched away from his sudden bitterness. "We have a job to do, Lionblaze. Who cares about your petty heart?"

The words stung deep, as Lionblaze's 'petty heart' seemed to hurt pretty badly as he stared at the cat he loved more than anything else in the world. Was he Squirrelflight now, to Icecloud's Brambleclaw? Was this how it all felt? He took a soft step back, wrenching his eyes from the cat he wanted as his mate, as the only cat beside him forever. How could he ask anything more of her, when he couldn't trust her?

She deserved far better than that, way more than he could ever give her. He had duty, and destiny, and the power of the stars in his paws. Once, he had thought that his power made him great. Now, he realized that it just made him lonely.

Well? I'm really hoping you guys liked that. It's a little on the sad side. Wow, all the characters are having a tough time right now. Lionblaze and Icecloud were the only steady couple left and now...heh heh heh. Dramaaa.

Also, it wasn't my intention to make Icecloud come across as needy and annoying in this chapter. I mean, come on, if I'd finally won over the cat of my dreams and he blew me off for some other she-cat and kept keeping secrets from me, I'd be pretty pissed, too. That's all :D

Okay, friends! Let me know what you thought, and I'll be back with a new chapter (hopefully) soon! I have the next few chapters of this one next on my list of things to write, so that's good :D

~Elsi