Happy 2015! (unless if you're Chinese and don't celebrate the new year until February)

Okay, so I'm really sorry for not uploading for over a week. I've been trying to finish the 100-review special (a drawing of Sootpaw, Cinderpaw, and Rainpaw) but I haven't really had enough time to work on any quality drawings now that school's started up again. So I'll try to finish just the cats and leave the background blank. I'm sorry, but that's all I'm probably going to be able to do if I want to get the special out anytime in the near future. But as it's been so long since I've uploaded and the special still isn't done, I figured I'd just post the next chapter and put out the special sometime in the next week, if I can.

QLKwriter: I remember when I got a Kindle from my parents last year and a Kindle case from my brother. It's really useful for not carrying around five pounds of books when you go on long trips. XD

The Age of Awesomeness: I never really got involved in Pokemon. I did try out a WiiU at my friend's house once, though, and they're really cool, though I most likely won't get one because I already have a Wii.

EradrinSkyleaf: *jaw drops* There's a dictionary entry about Legolas? *goes to look it up immediately* I found a new word: Legolasing. It means, and I quote, "when you shoot arrows at people and appear in the lord of the rings and you kill orcs." :D That's just great.

Anova: I got a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card! I have to wait to spend it, though, because my birthday's in about 2 weeks and I'd just buy all the books I want for my birthday. :P

XxLight-of-Flaming-OakxX: Hey, I got (one) really cool pen, too! It's a calligraphy pen and I have no clue how to use it correctly but it's still really cool. XD I'm not sure what Paracord is but it sounds fancy. And tablets are great – I've used my mom's and it's (surprisingly *sarcasm*) great!

Nightfeather: London was fun, thanks for asking! :) It was cold and mostly soggy but I got to eat scones and clotted cream, which incidentally is one of the best foods in existence. But yes, candy is also wonderful. XD Hmm, I wonder how you thought up that suggestive QOTD? Happy New Year! (it was still New Year's Eve when you reviewed)

Scarletpool: I actually never thought of what Soot x Dawn's ship name would be. Which sounds best to you? ;)

Willowdream of ForestClan: That's so cool! One of my friends got a guitar and she took it out to practice chords when I went over to her house a week or two ago. And the bracelet sounds great, too. ;)

ShadowHawk: I doubt you'll get copywrighted. If anything, the company might think you're just advertising for them for free or something. XD But headphones sound cool! I always unconsciously mess with the cords of my earbuds and break them so I switched to headphones about a month or two ago.

Cinderpaw's POV

We walked on and on through the forest, parallel to the swollen, raging river. Badger padded in the lead with Foxtooth, while I followed behind. I was okay with this arrangement, even though normally I preferred to lead the way, because this way I could keep my eyes on Badger at all times. For some strange reason, I didn't trust her.

I growled under my breath, kicking at a stray stick lying beside the path, sending it flying through the air to land with a slight splash in the swiftly flowing river. I watched it bob along until it passed out of sight behind a line of thick beech trees ahead.

Fixing my eyes once more on Foxtooth and Badger, I realized they were talking to each other. Foxtooth was grinning as usual, making him look like an idiot as usual, but I had to do a double take when I saw Badger's expression. She was also smiling. What was going on there? Did she actually like talking to Foxtooth? Maybe she should just ask him to be her mate now, I thought with a savage surge of pleasure. She's the only one who likes him besides Rustpelt.

Though I was perfectly fine with leaving them to talk about nonsense and fluffy clouds or whatever it was they were talking about so energetically, my boredom was increasing. After a quick glance to either side to check for more branches to kick into the river, I resigned myself to asking them one question.

I sped up, making sure to keep my gaze above their heads. Looking up indicated I was above them and their petty conversation. Looking down would make it seem like I thought myself subservient to them, and I couldn't stand Badger thinking she was better than me.

"So," I meowed in a loud, obnoxious voice sure to scatter their conversation like leaves before caterpillars, "how long until we get to RiverClan? Or," I added, dropping my gaze to stare straight at Badger, "are you leading us in the wrong direction?"

Badger had the nerve to roll her eyes. My skin prickled with irritation and my suddenly unsheathed claws dug into the ground. "We'll get there when we get there," she said infuriatingly. I hissed at her and fell back to pad behind them. No need to let Badger know she got on my nerves.

I didn't notice Foxtooth until he spoke. "We'll be there by sunset," he meowed softly. I glared at the river, away from my Clanmate. At least he didn't speak too loudly this time. Finally, he was learning.

"Oh yeah?" I shot Badger a dirty look. "What, so she told you but it'd kill her to tell me?"

Foxtooth was silent for a moment. "Um, I'm not sure why she wasn't telling you, Cinderpaw," he said. "You're a great cat. I guess she just hasn't gotten to know you well enough to realize that." I didn't reply, hoping he would go back ahead to Badger and quit showering me with his awkward compliments. After several long heartbeats, he did.

As I glanced back ahead at his and Badger's backs, I spotted the gleam of Badger's yellow eyes glaring at me in irritation. I felt a stab of triumph to know I'd been able to get her annoyed. I thought I knew what had gotten her tail in a twist, though. Foxtooth. You can have him, I thought loftily at her. I don't care.

But what if I spent more time with Foxtooth just to annoy her? It would certainly make her think there was something between us, diminishing her chances of winning his affection. Sure, I'd have to put up with Foxtooth's constant adoration, but I could deal with that if I could just glimpse Badger's livid expression.

I grinned to myself. Yes, that was what I'd do. Badger would hate me forever.

By the time the sun set that evening, the rain had finally stopped. I had taken up a position in the front just so I could get the first glimpse of the RiverClan camp and be right there to either say, "Finally!" or, "You lying fox!" Then again, maybe I should replace 'fox' with 'badger' just to annoy her.

"It's just over this hill." Foxtooth's voice broke into my thoughts from behind, where he padded beside Badger like he had this entire trip. I glanced back at him and he nodded at the rise in front of us, just where the forest ended. "The RiverClan camp is just ahead."

I grinned. "Thanks," I meowed briefly. I kept looking over my shoulder for another heartbeat so I could see Badger's glare, even though I had to try to ignore Foxtooth's suddenly elated smile. Then, I began bounding forward.

The hill was slippery from the recent rain. I kept my gaze fixed on the turf in front of me, making sure each of my paws landed on a tussock of grass. The last thing I wanted right now was to slip and tumble back down the hill to land at Badger's feet. She'd never let me forget it.

Finally, I crested the hill. I looked ahead, my heart filling with excitement. This was it. This was the moment I'd finally reach my goal.

The land stretched away, completely flat besides one small dip in the ground near the river. Inside, I saw cats milling around and even a small pile of fish. They were there. RiverClan. The end of my journey.

Foxtooth and Badger caught up with me. I turned to look triumphantly at Badger. "Finally!" I half-yowled before turning to race down the hillside. I couldn't wait to meet RiverClan. I couldn't wait to hear their meows of ascent as they agreed to return with me to defend the peace around the lake. Behind me I heard the thumping of paws and out of the corner of my eye I saw a flicker of russet fur. Foxtooth must want to share in this moment; he did come all this way to find RiverClan, too. Behind me, I heard Badger's pawsteps as she tried to keep up with Foxtooth.

We were halfway there when I finally realized something was wrong. A putrid stench hit my nostrils as though I'd suddenly passed through an invisible barrier between clean air and filthy air. Coughing, I slowed, trying to breathe without opening my mouth, for the scent glands on the roof of my mouth would double the wretched stink.

The three of us skidded to a halt at the top of the dip and looked down. At a closer look, I finally realized that cats not only moved slowly around from den to den, but also lay on the ground, some writhing in apparent agony. I glanced sideways at Foxtooth and saw he looked just as stunned as me. His hazel eyes met mine and I nodded in agreement with the message plain within them. These cats were obviously Clan cats, but something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Cautiously, I padded forward into the dip, avoiding the cats lying sprawled across the grass. Something told me they could be dangerous. I didn't want to risk becoming one of these cats, trying to survive while something terrible moved through the midst of my Clanmates.

"Who are you?" A raspy sort of meow sounded from the mouth of a den to my right. I turned, careful to keep away from the limp cats, and spotted a light brown she-cat stepping out of the shadows to face us. She tilted her head, a strange mixture of wariness, fear, and confusion on her face. I stepped toward her, but she gasped and shook her head feverishly. She coughed once before speaking again, the roughness disappearing from her throat. "No! Don't come near me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you," I meowed placatingly.

"That's not what I'm worried about," the she-cat insisted, backing away. "I don't want you to get hurt from me."

I exchanged another glance with Foxtooth. I thought I was starting to understand this strange phenomenon. For a heartbeat, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before, but I figured it was because I'd encountered it so little before. "You're sick," I meowed.

The she-cat bowed her head. "I might be. I don't know. But my Clanmates are dying all over and I'm scared…" she swallowed and didn't finish her sentence. "My name is Rushstar and I'm the leader of RiverClan – or, that is, what's left of it."

"But what about your medicine cat?" Foxtooth cut in. "They'd be able to help, right?"

She shook her head wearily. "No. It's too late. We've tried everything we have, but this sickness is something we've never seen before. There's no way to fix it. We're slowly dying, one by one, and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Dun dun DUUUUUUUUN!

I tried to make this ending all dramatic. Did it work?

AOTD: You already know about my drawing tablet, but I also got a pair of black combat boots. Yes, they gave me a blister before I broke them in, but they're still one of my favorite Christmas presents.

QOTD: (credits to Nightfeather) What's your favorite candy?