I managed to finish it! :D

So I took your advice and decided to smush Cinderstar's and Rainstar's POVs together. Still about the same length, I'm afraid, but hopefully a little faster moving? Maybe?

Sorry about this, but I'm going to answer the reviews not so thoroughly because I need to do homework and stuff and I don't think you'd really care much anyhow because you wrote those like a month ago... o-o

Queen Eradrin: Popsicles... XD Did you get one? Or maybe can you just not remember? It's been awhile since you wrote that review...

Leopardstar2002: Bouncefire would be an option...

Willowdream of ForestClan: I might've replied to your second review? Anyway, I think you should try drawing Sootstar and Maplekit again, if you have time! ;)

QLKwriter: Have you stayed in the habit of no guest reviews since your review about a month ago? That would be pretty awesome if you did, since it would mean extreme non-laziness. :)

ShadowHawk540: I didn't think your review was inconsiderate, don't worry. :) Procrastination doesn't run in my family but sometimes I get huge waves of it and other times I'm so motivated and I do it all and then feel wonderful but then procrastination sets back in... eh.

Nightbird1648: Thanks. :) It means a lot that I've gotten such supportive reviews from everyone, including you.

RANDOM PERSON: Hey, thanks for getting me to post that author's note! I'd quite forgotten it had been an entire month. o3o

EmilyOwl1: Yeah, Rustpelt's the deputy though so he probably should have an apprentice soon.

ilovewarriorcats: I'm a junior in high school, so death year full of homework, or so the stereotype tells me. But hopefully I can keep up with posting new chapters anyway, despite my mountain of homework. :)

Cinderstar's POV

I sat stiffly in the center of the clearing as Sparrowtalon and a patrol of warriors led Sootstar into the camp. As my eyes roved over his broad shoulders, his fluffy tail, I couldn't help but remember the time when we were kits and he pretended to fall asleep to save my pride as I went to make dirt late at night. How he'd pulled me out of that icy river.

But then, staring into his eyes, I realized I couldn't see Sootkit or Sootpaw there anymore. He was Sootstar. And he was no longer my brother. The coldness like a layer of ice over his eyes told me that plainly enough.

Taking a deep breath, I meowed in a loud, clear voice, "What is the purpose of this visit, Sootstar?"

Sootstar paused before me, dipping his head slightly as one leader to another. My throat closed up a little to see him so formal. I was his sister, for StarClan's sake! At least give me one small smile!

"My warriors have found something rather suspicious in ThunderClan's territory I believe all Clans should know about," Sootstar responded emotionlessly. "We woke this morning to a mess of scent trails crisscrossing our territory. They were from other Clans."

I blinked. "Huh. My warriors found that too. Strange." I frowned. "How could they have gotten there?"

Sootstar looked away in disdain. "I have decided to call a meeting of all five Clans. We must discuss this odd occurrence."

I almost bristled at his formal words, his uncaring tone. Then I realized he might be trying to get me angry, that it would make him seem better than me. For a heartbeat, I almost dismissed it as something he couldn't possibly think to do; caring Sootstar would never try to seem better than his littermates! But then I remembered our fight. Apparently Sootstar, leader of ThunderClan, couldn't possibly stoop to considering a ShadowClan cat his sister.

Well then, I'd just have to match his attitude. Give him a little of the same treatment and see how he feels. Lifting my chin, I stared down at him as best I could—he was almost as tall as me now—and said loftily, "Very well. I am sure you are rather tired from your journey into ShadowClan territory, so I will send a messenger to RiverClan and alert them of this arrangement."

Sootstar dipped his head again. "With all due respect, I have already sent a message. I ensured both SkyClan and WindClan knew of our Gathering, and taking into consideration WindClan's excellent stamina, asked Rainstar if he might send a message to Mossystar in my stead. I expect RiverClan is already aware of it."

Of course he'd leave me for last. Doing my best to keep my claws sheathed, I nodded stiffly and stood to indicate our meeting was over. Sootstar did likewise. "Until tonight, then, Cinderstar," he meowed and turned, padding regally back across the clearing. I nodded to Mistheart and Sparrowtalon to accompany him to the border, then turned away, letting out a long, annoyed sigh. How could he have changed so quickly? I thought desperately. We're littermates! I should know why he's doing this. I paused, then: I wish we had our mind-speak back. I wish we could trade it for our nine lives.

But if I didn't have my lives, I'd already be dead. I didn't want to think about that. I started walking, not really caring where my paws took me as long as it was something for them to do. Maybe walking would keep my mind occupied enough to keep from thinking about Sootstar.

The medicine den loomed in front of me. Fox dung, I didn't mean to come here! It'd just remind me of my lost life. I turned to pad away.

"Cinderstar! You've come to see me!" I glanced back around to see Foxtooth peering excitedly out of the den, still lying in his mossy nest.

Sighing to myself, I headed into the den. "Hey Foxtooth," I purred, pressing my nose against his forehead. "How are you doing?"

"Good. But Stormtuft told me I'll have to stay in here for the next moon," he grumbled. "I'm already bored out of my mind!"

"Here." I scooped up a pawful of moss from his nest, rolling it into a ball.

Foxtooth rolled his eyes. "Moss-ball? Really? I played that as a kit!"

"I thought you said you were bored out of your mind," I teased, raising my eyebrows. "Even a little moss-ball should drive that boredom away, shouldn't it?"

He shrugged. "Fine then. Just don't make me reach too far. Stormtuft will skin you alive."

"Point noted." I tossed the ball into the air, aiming directly at Foxtooth. He twisted but couldn't quite reach and it bounced off his flank.

"Not there!" he protested. "You're throwing it right at me! It's hard to catch that way!"

"Okay, okay," I muttered. "Yes master. I will throw higher next time." Winking at him, I threw it a little higher. This time, rolling onto his back, he was able to snag it in his foreclaws.

"All right," he grinned. "My turn." He threw it directly at my face.

Rainstar's POV

I sat on the Tallrock, watching the sun setting beyond the hills marking the edge of RiverClan's territory. I wasn't thinking about anything, really. Just watching the sunlight vanishing from the purple and orange sky. It was peaceful.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aspensplash leap up beside me. "Hey Rainstar," she meowed, settling herself beside me.

"Hey."

She hesitated for a moment, glancing up at the setting sun. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I replied honestly.

Aspensplash bit her lip, staring sideways at me. I thought I knew what she was thinking, but no, I wasn't thinking about her. Not Silverdapple. I was surprised to realize I hadn't thought about her in several sunrises, in fact.

But no, tonight my mind seemed to be more focused on the Gathering tonight. I couldn't help remembering the last Gathering, when I sat helplessly on a branch, watching as my littermates shouted in each other's faces with claws unsheathed and bushed-up tails. Not only was it breaking the truce, it was breaking our already fragile connection.

"The sky looks pretty cloudless tonight," Aspensplash commented, her voice sounding slightly strained.

"Yeah. I guess maybe we'll have a normal Gathering for once," I joked.

She snorted. "Remember what it's being called for?"

"Mmm." I pressed my lips together. "True." I hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "You're so lucky to have Alderleaf in the same Clan."

Aspensplash blinked, apparently startled. "Um, yeah, I guess. Why?" She stared at me hard.

"I just… I dunno." I looked away, off toward the lake.

"Oh."

I looked away. She liked me, right? So why all this dancing around each other? Brief conversations, Silverdapple hanging in the air between us, awkward, hastily broken eye contact. I was sick of it. But to end it, I'd either have to break her heart or start liking her back. But did I?

Shaking my head to clear it, I gazed back out across the lake. The Gathering. That's what I needed to be worried about. Not Aspensplash. Certainly not Aspensplash. "We should probably get going," I said, wincing inwardly at my overly loud voice. No, that might give the wrong impression. But what impression did I want to give?

Gah.

Whatever.

I leaped down from the rock, staring around the clearing. "Gathering patrol!" I called. "Let's go!"

Out of the shadows surrounding the camp, the figures of nine cats appeared: Adderclaw, Alderleaf, Tansyfoot, Forestwind, Blossomstep, Crouchfoot, Lionpaw, Hoppaw, and Oakpaw. Adderclaw nodded to Aspensplash and me. "Ready to go, I think." I returned the gesture and turned to leave.

In silence, we raced across the hills, dark shapes snaking across the drifting snow. And though Aspensplash kept pace with me, she didn't speak during the entire journey to the island, for which I was grateful. I really needed to keep my mind focused on the Gathering ahead.

We reached the bridge and crossed quickly, claws digging into the decaying wood. I wondered briefly how much longer this log would last. It had to snap eventually, right? But those thoughts were shoved roughly aside as my paws touched frozen pebbles, shifting with a soft crackling. I glanced over my shoulder, making sure the rest of my Clan was on the bridge before heading away into the clearing.

RiverClan and ThunderClan had not yet arrived, it seemed. I padded slowly to the Great Rock, looking around for Cinderstar and Rockstar, but both were out of sight. So instead I turned to watch as my Clan spilled into the clearing.

They seemed to be interacting well. I spotted Adderclaw bringing his apprentice, Hoppaw, over to meet a couple SkyClan apprentices. Alderleaf grinned as he bounded over to Stormtuft of ShadowClan, exchanging a few words of greeting. My heart swelled to see the Clans interacting with each other in this friendly sort of way. Maybe there was hope for this Gathering to go smoothly after all. With this in mind, I turned to face the Great Tree again, bunching my haunches to leap into its branches.

My hopes vanished as I heard spitting from the general region of the Tree-bridge. It sounded like Mossystar and Sootstar were having a fight.

All right, next chapter should be pretty interesting to write, but all the same I don't know when it'll be coming out. For now I'm going to discontinue the QOTDs. Hopefully when I get back to a more regular updating schedule I can restart them!