It's finally finished! :D Currently it's really late, though, so my review replies might be a little... um... incoherent? I'll try to stay awake, though. :)

But before reviews... I have an announcement.

With this chapter, Misty Destinies will officially be over 100,000 words long.

I'm so excited.

It just doesn't seem like it.

I'm so tired...

QLKwriter: I think Wake Me Up might be more of Sootthorn's song, personally. But I can see it also working for Rainsky!

Willowdream of ForestClan: They do, don't they? And here's the next chapter, just as I promised! :)

Leopardstar2002: Yes, Nightstar does want a war, doesn't he? And the only difference between Rain x Silver and Love Story is that eventually Taylor Swift gets the marriage while Silver had to go and die... More on that in this chapter, in fact! ^^

ShadowHawk540: I used to listen to a BUNCH of religious music, even though now I've started branching out and listening to different types of music as well. But yeah, not much religious stuff out there describes Warriors so well. :P

Nightfeather: But cats don't like spaghetti! XD Well, they'd eat the meatballs. And my cat Widget would eat the sauce. She's so picky normally, so I was astounded when I jokingly offered her some sauce thinking she'd take one sniff and walk away immediately, but instead she began licking at it. I hope you did well/are going to do well on your test!

walkswithwheels: Sorry. :( I just started making a personal list and thought, "This would make an okay QOTD." And I actually found something when I was at DI! :D So National Geographic was one of the sponsors and the idea just hit me out of the blue and I had no idea why I hadn't thought of it before. I'm currently thinking it'd be really cool to be a National Geographic reporter so I can go and tell people to stop killing sharks and elephants because they'll go extinct if you keep killing them for ivory or shark fin soup. No, sharks can't swim without their dorsal fins. They die. :'( And about the multiple mates, I think the Erins may have originally planned for there to be a multiple mates sort of thing but left it due to the younger audience? It's just that before Rusty came to ThunderClan, basically everyone was a half-brother or half-sister of everyone else.

Sweetflower0409: I might... not... eh, I kind of don't want to give out spoilers. But it will be resolved by the end of the book, okay? ;)

ilovewarriorcats: Generally speaking love triangles are a bit cliche but I figured it would be semi-boring if I didn't put it in, so I made it there but sort of not as important to the plot. And I used to play both clarinet and piano but I stopped both of those. I should probably try to pick up one of those again or try a new instrument but honestly I wouldn't ever want to practice, so... yep. And I'm not sure which character is my favorite and which is my least favorite... it's too hard!

RANDOM PERSON: Yes, you get a reply. XD I posted the author's note specifically because you reviewed. I won't give up this story, don't worry! And also, your UPDATE NOWs made me laugh, so even if you think it's childish and kind of stupid, it would probably make me live longer if you kept posting reviews that made me laugh. :) Thanks!

The hunting patrol caught a small heap of fresh-kill. After dropping it off with Sootthorn's and Sparrowtalon's patrols, we took the rest with us to WindClan territory to practice our battle moves.

"Hey, Rainsky, want to practice with us?"

I glanced up to see Aspenpaw standing over me, Alderpaw at her side. "Sure," I meowed, abandoning the remains of my blackbird to follow them to a small dip in the ground, out of the wind. "Um, how about you two go first?"

Aspenpaw crouched, rocking back on her haunches. "Sounds perfect." She gave her brother a daring, mischievous glance.

"Hey!" Alderpaw protested. "I don't want to go up against her!"

"Scared, Alderpaw?" Aspenpaw taunted.

"No!" he shot back. He dripped into a crouch identical to hers. "I can beat you any time!"

Aspenpaw's grin widened. "Is that a challenge? Well, I accept!"

She pounced forward, reaching for her smaller brother with sheathed paws. Alderpaw darted to one side, skirting around back to bat at Aspenpaw's hindquarters and tail, but Aspenpaw spun on her forepaws, lunging forward as soon as her hind paws touched the ground.

I watched as the two tussled in the long, soft grass. Aspenpaw reminded me a little of Cinderpaw. They had the same fiery spirit and skill in fighting. She always took the offensive rather than defensive like Alderpaw.

I realized suddenly that though I still missed Cinderstrike, the ache was easier to bear than before. Maybe having Aspenpaw around helped me miss my sister less. But there was one she-cat whose absence I felt more strongly than ever now that my worries for Sootthorn were gone and my worries for Cinderstrike had been diminished.

Silverdapple.

An image of her seemed to dance in front of my eyes. I'd only known her for about a moon, but during that moon it had felt like we were meant to be together. I wished with all my heart that I could see her again.

"Um, hey Aspenpaw? Alderpaw?"

The practice fight feel apart as both pairs of eyes turned to me. "What?" asked Alderpaw.

"I'm going to go... um... practice on my own for a bit, okay?"

I could tell from the disbelieving flash in Aspenpaw's eyes that she could see right through my lie like it was Sunrise mist and she was the Sunhigh sun. But she shrugged anyway, turning back to Alderpaw. "Sure," she meowed in a flat sort of voice. "Go ahead. Just don't blame us if Sootthorn gets mad."

I nodded, barely registering her words as I backed away up the short slope. When I reached the crest of the hill I turned and bounded away through the dry grass. I heard a surprised yowl from behind me, but I ignored it as I sped across the plain toward the forest. I leaped across the stream, plunged into the undergrowth, and after several moments of streaking headlong through bushes and brambles I emerged beside the camp.

I skidded to a halt, panting, and stared around. Where was the gravesite again? Oh, right, around back. It was close enough that cats could go to grieve in the middle of the night without putting themselves in danger of a NightClan attack, but still far enough away that cats wouldn't be constantly reminded of the dead.

I padded silently around the edge of the hollow, aware of the scuffling sounds coming from below as Sparrowtalon's patrol practiced their moves. Finally, I found a small but well-trodden path through the trees. I slipped along it, the gray shadows welcoming me and cooling my fur.

At the end of the tunnel I found a thorn barrier with only a small pathway through. I bent to wiggle through, wondering why the warriors made this tunnel so small when they had to carry bodies through it on a regular basis. Then I remembered the possibility of foxes finding this place. It would be traumatic to have to rebury your Clanmate.
A pale gray tail swished in front of my nose. I blinked, glancing upward to find the owner.

It was Dawnshine.

"Dawnshine?" I asked, surprised.

Dawnshine jumped, whirling around, eyes wide with shock. "Soot-" She saw my face and realized who I was. "Rainsky?" Her voice had changed from alarmed to curious. "I thought you were Sootthorn coming to reprimand me for not practicing my battle moves. What are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "Why are you here?"

"I came to visit my sister." Dawnshine's eyes suddenly filled with tears. She turned away quickly and as she lifted a paw to her face, I saw a bunch of freshly picked flowers lying on a patch of ground.

I pushed myself out of the tunnel and sat beside Dawnshine, a little unsure of what to say. Sure, I'd known her sister had died, but any details I'd never found out.

"Her name was Featherpaw, right?" I meowed softly.

Dawnshine nodded. She inhaled sharply, almost as though she was going to elaborate, but then pushed me away. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "You must not have come here to comfort me. I'll leave so you can grieve in your own."

"No, that's fine, you can stay here," I meowed, somewhat startled. Dawnshine have me an odd look, and I realized with a start that it must be common for cats here to take turns grieving here. It was a sobering thought.

"I came for Silverdapple," I continued, nodding at where I knew her grave to be-a patch of new grass covered halfway by moss. "It's all the way across the clearing. We won't bother each other."

Dawnshine gave me an uncertain look. "If you're sure." She turned back to Featherpaw's grave.

I padded over to where Silverdapple was laid to rest. I felt tears prickling my eyes as I sat down in front of it and bowed my head, salty tears dripping through my fur around my muzzle. Now that I was here, staying at her grave, she seemed much more real to me than before. I even imagined she was forming before my eyes, her bright blue eyes sparkling with stars...

I blinked and she was still there. At the same moment I realized how solid she really was, I heard Dawnshine's voice shriek, "Featherpaw?"

As I reached out to press my nose against Silverdapple's cheek, however, I realized that this cat was older than Silverdapple had been. Disappointment surged through me like the river I'd crossed between here and the peaceful forest. Who was this cat who looked so much like the car I'd loved?

"My name is Silverstream," the silver car meowed. "And this is my daughter, Feathertail."

"Feathertail?" Dawnshine asked, her voice rising in anger and disappointment. "Feathertail?" Her meow shook with fury. "You tricked me! She howled, staring with mad eyes at the calm silver she-cat. " You made me think you were Featherpaw! You will pay!" And she launched herself at the StarClan cat.

Swamped with grief as I was over Silverdapple, I still realized that attacking a StarClan cat was a big no-no. I leaped forward, sinking my claws into Dawnshine's fur and dragging her away. She thrashed under me, trying with all her might to get back to the fight. For once I wished I had my brother's strength.

"Feathertail!" Silverstream rushed over to her daughter, hurriedly sniffing her over. I spared a glance to see Feathertail had several nasty slashes in her fur, all of which were bleeding silver-red blood.

Silverstream turned to Dawnshine, a fierce gleam in her eyes. "No one attacks my daughter and gets away with it," she growled. She stamped a paw on the ground and another whirl of stars fell from the sky, solidifying into a dark gray tabby tom. For a heartbeat, I thought it was Ashthorn, but then I realized that my father wasn't a tabby.

"Graystripe, hold her down," Silverstream instructed. "She needs to hear this, too."

The tom placed his paws next to mine. With a warm glance, he let me know it was okay for me to let go. I complied, stepping back to allow Graystripe to pin Dawnshine to the ground.

Silverstream took a deep breath. Then, nodding to Feathertail, she meowed, "Why don't you start?"

Feathertail dipped her head, then moved forward to stand before Dawnshine. "You thought me to be your sister," she began in a high-pitched, musical voice. "There is a reason for that. Silverstream and I were sent in particular to make sure you listen to our message." She hesitated for a moment, glancing in my direction. "Thank you for not attacking my mother," she said. "This shows me that you will be more willing to accept my message, though Dawnshine is the one who needs it more."

She took a deep breath. I suddenly got the feeling that she didn't really want to tell us. Why else would she keep stalling and drawing out the conversation?

"You both need to let go of your grief," Feathertail said bluntly.

A shocked silence followed her words. My mind had gone blank. What did she mean, let go of my grief? How could I do that? Did she want me to forget about Silverdapple altogether?

"What?" shrieked Dawnshine. For a heartbeat, Graystripe had major difficulty in keeping her pinned as she thrashed with sudden energy to free herself. "I will never forget Featherpaw, never!"

"I didn-" Feathertail began, but Dawnshine cut across her, "Did you hear me? I said I'd never ever forget her! She's my sister! Have you ever had a sister die? Do you know how it feels?"

I stared at Dawnshine, dumbstruck. She'd always come across to me as a kind, calm, gentle she-cat. Did she act like this a lot? Did Sootthorn know this side of his mate? I backed away as her randomly swiping claws almost gouged out a tuft of my leg fur.

"Shut her up!" Silverstream yowled above Dawnshine's outraged wailing. Graystripe clawed up a lump of moss and stuffed it into Dawnshine's mouth, clamping her jaws down on it. Her voice was muffled by the wad of green fluff, with only a quiet sort of hum emanating from her nose.

Silverstream approached Dawnshine cautiously, staring into her eyes, which blazed like miniature suns, attempting to blot out the light of the stars. "I'm sorry to have to oppress you so," she meowed gently. "It's just so important for you to hear this."

Dawnshine's humming increased in volume. I assumed she was trying to scream something unfit for kits' ears and was suddenly glad of the moss muffling her words. Of course, I could be wrong.

"I know you've already heard it," Silverstream continued. "But I'm afraid you still don't understand it. And understanding is the most important part of listening." She nodded to Feathertail. "Continue, daughter."

Feathertail shot a nervous glance first at Silverstream, then Graystripe, then down to Dawnshine. Then she looked up at me, and I could see in her eyes that she was wary of me, too. Why would she be wary of me?

"You don't need to forget about those you loved that died," she began again. "You merely have to accept that they are at peace. And you need to accept that peace as well. You cannot keep coming here to grieve. These cats," she glanced around at the ground, "they are long dead. And yet you come to grieve like they joined StarClan only yesterday. You need to set your grief aside.

"Your Clan needs you."

I stepped forward, my mouth opening in protest. Why couldn't I keep grieving? It wasn't affecting my service to the Clan! In fact, it would probably compel me to fight when otherwise I'd shy away from the violence. How was that hindering the Clan?

As if reading my mind, Feathertail continued in a rush, "Rainsky, Dawnshine, you are connected by one cat. Sootthorn. He loves both of you with all his heart. Whilst you are both consumed with grief, he has no one to turn to, no one to rely on. You don't want to put all the responsibility on his shoulders, do you? Especially now, just when Rainsky's returned and he thinks he can finally relieve some of his terrible burden." She fixed her eyes on me. "You wouldn't want him to hand some of the responsibility to you only to find you shying away, leaving him to catch it on his own and continue on alone? That would crush his heart."

I looked down. I'd never thought of it that way. It was a new feeling; normally I could look at a situation and see it from every point of view with ease. Was my grief really blinding me to my own brother's needs?

Feathertail hesitated, as if waiting to see if more convincing was needed. I lifted my chin, eyes shut tightly, feeling sunlight play through the trees onto my face. Though Silverpelt wasn't visible, I imagined I could see Silverdapple gazing down on me from above, that cute half smile firmly in place as she shook her head in exasperation.

Rainsky, you caring fool. Quit trying to bring me back and go help those who are still alive.

I blinked open my eyes. Though I wasn't sure whether that voice had actually been Silverdapple or just my own mind playing tricks on me, I figured I might as well treat it as if it had been her. And if it had been her, I needed to do whatever it took to ensure I did as she said.

I will, Silverdapple, I promised. I will go help Sootthorn. You can count on me to never back down. But I'll never forget you. Never.

That's okay, Rainsky. Just make sure your grief never completely takes you over. More cats than just you would pay the price for that. My selfless tom, you wouldn't let that happen, would you?

Never.

Is Dawnshine still so flat of a character? This is a bit of a preview for Book #3...

AOTD: I made a big long list. Let me pull out my phone and copy it down.

1. Hey, Brother (Rainsky)

2. Wake Me Up (Sootthorn)

3. Take It All Away (Rainsky to Silverdapple)

4. Beautiful Mystery (Foxtooth to Cinderstrike)

5. Chorus of Apologize (Sootthorn to Ashthorn)

6. (LOOK UP THE LYRICS THEY FIT SO PERFECTLY...) Carry On My Wayward Son (Ashthorn to Sootthorn)

QOTD: Who are your least favorite and favorite characters in this story?