Mistletoe's Quest - Jammie263

 Hey jammers! Jammie263 here!

I made a story about this warrior cat called Mistletoe! I hope you like it.

Anyways, here is the reason I decided to make this story:

No it is not my pet, sadly. This cat is one of my ultimate dreamies, so if you have her I'd be extremely thankful if you gave me her! :)


I now own her! I got her from a giveaway. I spent 5 hours on the form for it. :P

Also, thank you so much .:RainFire:. for giving me her, she is my dream come true and .:RainFire:. BTW, is the awesomest person on Chicken Smoothie! x3 And I'm serious about that.

Also, this is the dog version of it, (or you could say original) which I really want badly!

I can't seem to find anyone willing to trade it, which makes me even more desperate. .3.

Here it is:

First I'd like to thank my sister, IndigoCat (on ChickenSmoothie), for editing this entire story. She made it much better, and I appreciate her time and support. Without her, I might not have been able to get this far so quickly. Her constant nagging for me to write more motivated me to keep moving forward. 

Oh, also thank you so much Cecelia. and Olivia.! You guys are also the awesomest people on CS, along with all my great friends. <3333 

Here is what I did so far. Sorry that I didn't finish the other one I just really wanted to make this one since I really liked the idea. I'm not that into the other story anymore, and I may stop working on it. Or I'm just going to stop for a long time. :P

All photos taken for mini book not owned by me — I take no credit for the art, only for the writing.

Well, here goes nothing:

Chapter 1 Currently from Mistletoe's point of view

     I paced behind the bushes. I couldn't hide forever, could I? If I wanted to become a warrior, I had to let myself show, I thought, slowing down. 
    "But I'm a fox, they will never be fooled. If only I were a cat." I murmured, cringing as I realized that I had said it out loud. Hopefully they hadn't heard me. 
    "EEK!!!" A young kit leaped up and down, obviously spotting something. I daringly peeked out of the bush. A female kit, white as snow with a grey stomach and black paws. Her eyes were interestingly orange. Uh-oh, she was staring at something now. I stopped breathing, and our eyes met. 

Chapter 2

     Had she'd seen me? "Oh great," I said in a normal voice. I couldn't hide now. I stepped out. My shoulders sagged, yet she still seemed to look at me like I was trying to hurt her. 
     "Get away from me!" Quite a bold cat. 
     I spoke for the first time to her. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I uhhh... kind of wanted to become a cat myself." There was an awkward moment of silence, as she stared at me as if I were acting crazy on purpose. 
     "Yeah right," I heard her murmur. 
     "Well, my name is Mistletoe. And yours is..?" I tried to sound polite and sympathetic. 
     "Quit your acting," the cat spat at me, daring a glare. 
     "Could I at least go see your uh, leader?" My heart pounded.

Chapter 3

     "Fine." She seemed grouchy, whoever she exactly was. I followed her past pricks, thistles, and branches. 
     "And you are...?" I asked yet again, hoping she'd finally answer and not make me ask yet again. 
     "It's Snowkit." She hurried on, not looking back.
     "So you're a kit?" I felt suspicious.
     "Yeah..." She rolled her eyes.
     "Then why are you out here?" I was full of questions; though it seemed that none of them so far had gotten me anywhere.
     "I slipp—. Nothing." She seemed careful not too say too much. Sadly I couldn't make out much from I slipp. I slipped? Slipped on what? Slipped away? I was pondering the confusing response, my brain practically bursting.
     "It's none of your business. Now, do you want to see Patchstar or not?" Snowkit demanded. That's when I spied the den.

    

Chapter 4

     Snowkit dipped her head toward a white cat with brown splotches.

    

     I assumed it was the leader, the one she called Patchstar. 
     "Come in." She sounded calm and certain, much like what I had always imagined a clan leader to be like. I stepped into the leader's den. "Who is she?" I heard Patchstar whisper to one of the warriors next to her, and he whispered back. 
     All I could make out was "slipped... a fo.. beware." It was hardly any information. PatchStar seemed to have a little worried look but overall an amazing poker face. 
     "Okay."

     "Mistletoe. Where are you from?" Her voice sounded kind and thoughtful. 
     "I.. was from.." My voice trembled, and I swear the words I said could only be heard by Patchstar herself.

Chapter 5

     "The forbidden heaps?!" Patchstar seemed extremely surprised, which was actually the reaction I had been dreading. 
     "You're a loner!" The warrior next to Patchstar sneered. I hadn't paid much attention to the warrior earlier. He was an orange tom cat, with darker stripes.

     "Stripeclaw!" Patchstar glared at him, and he quickly hushed. "Why are you here?" Patchstar didn't seem so kind anymore. Her tone was harsh, and I shivered even though I could tell she was bluffing.  Behind all her bristled fur, she looked worried and even a bit scared.

     "I'm a loner. I just want to join LightningClan," I said truthfully. Well... half truthfully. 
     "I see.." Her muscles were still tense, but she did seem to relax a bit. 
     "Wait, this is a clan right?" I had forgot to ask Snowkit. 
     "Yes." Patchstar seemed to feel in control again, and she settled back down into her pile of moss.

     There was a bit more discussing as I hummed a little tune to keep from having any awkward silence.
     "We all welcome you to LightningClan. Would you like a welcoming ceremony?" Stripeclaw jeered sarcastically, assuming my answer was no. I'd actually enjoy having the honor but I got the hint it wasn't happening.




     "You have been dismissed." Patchstar told one of the cats beside her to hustle me out. 
     "But—" When I tried to go on, Patchstar hushed me. 
     "No buts about it!" I hated when animals said that.              

Chapter 6

     I was left alone outside of the den. At least, I thought so. Soon many cats had gathered around me. They went on and on with questions like, "Who are you?", "Yeah, are you from DarkClan?" and "Is she even a cat?".

     So many cats were around me now. "I'm Mistletoe." I didn't want to go further into the questions, but they insisted. "I'm not a cat." I finally declared as some nodded their head while others snarled in disgust. I tried to sound bold and challenging, but it was clear that no one fell for it. 
     "Really?" Some seemed doubtful. 
     "Ha, not a cat. What are you doing here then?" 
     Although I instantly understood none of these cats would ever be my friends, I still wanted my questions to be answered. Questions I've been pondering for ages. "What's DarkClan?" 

     There were murmuring whispers, until finally a warrior explained. 

     "DarkClan is a clan that is trying to take over our territory. They are made up of evil cats, who have no care for anyone, including others in their clan. They lure cats from all clans using each cat's worst fears and are able to train them in their dreams."

     "That didn't sound too good." 
     "Yeah, and they are becoming stronger. What the cats are doing in their dreams are turning into reality, and some wake up to find themselves scarred," another cat added.
     "There were many other clans like DarkClan before. Those tried to destroy us, though we were much stronger and we had many more warriors then. We were lucky." I felt kind of bad for them, even though they were acting rude and mean to me. 

     Suddenly, a warrior cat stepped out toward me. "You're a spy for them, aren't you." The warrior glared at me, his eyes burning with hatred.

Chapter 7

     I felt humiliated, as others started to agree. Then, a cat whose name I didn't know stood up for me. 

     She was an apprentice though, so it didn't help much. "I think she's nice." She seemed a similar age to me, and friendly. No one cared to speak against her for obviously she had no where near even a sliver of influence toward the discussion. 

     After all the commotion had ended, I bounded toward her, hoping that I had made a new friend. "Hey." I looked toward her, hoping that her eyes would look kind. 
     "Hi! I'm Streakpaw." So that was her name. She looked very happy, and not embarrassed by what had happened just a while ago. 
     "You know I'm not a spy, right?" I wanted to make sure she didn't just say that to get attention. 

     "Of course not! But you don't seem like the others.." She stopped in her tracks and lowered her voice to a whisper.

     "What's wrong?" I felt obligated to whisper and not give ourselves away to whatever we were trying to get away from. " 
     Her only response was simple two words. "It's him."

     She sounded so scared, that even though I didn't realize who yet exactly, I could hear my heart pounding. Thump. Thump. Thump. 

     I looked in the direction of her fearful eyes. It was the same cat that had accused me of being a spy. He was laughing, and I willed my heart to stop pounding, in order to eavesdrop on what he was saying. My heart slowed down just a tiny bit, enough to get the last bit of information. "You're a genius! No one will know." He laughed, and the two cats bounded off.

    

Chapter 8

     "No one will know what!?" I finally was able to speak. Streakpaw looked at me, her eyes showing pure fear. "I think he is a—" I cut her off. "spy." Just the thought of saying that one word made me want to run until I got to the edge of the earth. We both shivered.

     She looked at me for confidence just at the same time as I did, and I instantly knew I had made a new friend. The first friend I ever had.

Chapter 9

     "So, what is his name anyway?" I asked, trying to sound as if nothing had happened. "His name, Tornclaw," Streakpaw said, "definitely fits his personality. Although he isn't really torn.. more that he gets others torn. Literally." 

     "Should we go tell someone?" I didn't bother to sound confident. I wasn't. 
     "I'm not sure, nobody will believe us. Even if they do, everyone is scared of him." She trembled with fear, and I realized that she had even less confidence than I did.

     "Why?" Once the words escaped my mouth, I mentally facepawed myself. She looked at me weirdly, one of her eyebrows raised. "Right, because he's a big bully." I hoped she didn't think I was too stupid.

     "And because he is the Deputy." 
     "Deputy? I don't know much about the ranks here. What are they?" I hadn't planned on listening to a 15 minute long explanation, but that was what I got. 
     "Here are the ranks:

Kit: The kit has basically no power at all in the Clan, which makes sense, because kits are only from 0-6 moons old. Anyone can scold a kit, but it is considered impolite to do so unless you are a leader, the kit's mother, or the medicine cat. Kits stay in the nursery with the other queens and kits until they are 6 moons old.



Apprentice: Apprentices are the next rank up from kits, and range from 6 moons old to about 1 year old. Apprentices have a higher status than kits, but once again can be scolded by almost anyone. But now, as an older cat they are expected to be able to do tasks for the elders and other warriors who need things done.

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Medicine cat apprentices are regarded in basically the same manner as other apprentices, except, when the time calls, they can be talked to like they were a full medicine cat.

Warrior: Warriors are the general rank of the cats in a Clan. They are given tasks mainly by the leader or deputy, and sometimes the medicine cat. They hunt, fight, and patrol and are now full-grown cats.



Senior Warrior: Senior warriors are the next rank up from warrior. They are usually closer to the leader/deputy and are more frequently chosen to do more important tasks. Age matters in this situation and senior warriors are mainly warriors who have been alive for a long time, but are not yet old enough to become an elder.



Mentor: Mentors are normal warriors/senior warriors who have been chosen to train an apprentice. As well as training they do the normal warrior duties, and will return to being a warrior once their apprentice has been deemed worthy of the warrior status.



Queen: Queens are she-cats expecting or nursing kits. Full-time queens are almost always in the nursery and they take care of other she-cats kits, if the mother does not wish to stay in the nursery. Queens are rarely assigned warrior duties, unless they choose to be given them. Only in the most desperate times will queens have to defend the Clan, and usually warriors from other Clans do not attack them unless necessary.



Medicine Cat: Medicine cats take care of ill cats, and also do some warrior duties if necessary. There can only be one medicine cat, or two, if a medicine cat apprentice becomes medicine cat before the other medicine cat joins CloudClan. Medicine cats frequently get omens from CloudClan. Medicine cats are not allowed to have mates or kits.



Deputy: The deputy of a clan is the second-in-command. If the leader dies, then the deputy takes his/her place. The deputy assigns other warriors their duties (patrolling, hunting, etc.) and helps the leader with their decisions. Except for the leader and medicine cat, everyone has to listen to the deputy.

Leader: The leader is the cat who leads the clan; anything the leader says, goes. Leaders are to receive nine lives from CloudClan as well as their leader name (the first part of their name with 'star' at the end) before they can make any true decisions. The leader of a clan represents that clan at gatherings, and may also receive signs from CloudClan. Do you understand?" (click here to see where I got this)

     I was speechless. I had never been stuffed with so much information, I felt like one of those poor birds two leggers sometimes ate. 
     "You there?" She waved her paw in front of my face, and I blinked quickly.

Chapter 10

     "Second in command. How'd that happen? I mean seriously, if no one likes him..." Clan life sure was confusing.
     He's one of the best hunters." Like that explained anything. I'd better take a step back from all those questions, I could tell I was getting on Streakpaw's last nerve. So, about what you were saying before...?" I hoped she would be like 'Oh. Right' and go on about what she was about to say. 
     "Huh?" Yeah... Not what I'd had in mind.
     "Oh!" I let loose a sigh of relief. No way was I going to be able to humiliate myself by saying something about not being like the others. 
     She continued, "Right, I think you are kind of different from the others. I don't believe you are a spy exactly."

     Although she seemed a little afraid of me, she didn't seem bothered. I wanted to glare at her, but she was right. And she said exactly what I had wanted her to say, well at least the beginning part. "Well I mean you act like a cat00—" She must've realized that I wasn't offended.

     "Do you think I'll ever be accepted here?" 
     "Sure you will." She sounded uncertain though, which made me want to hide under my moss bed even more.

     "What's the key to blending in?" To not be noticed may have been better wording, for she didn't seem to understand. 

     "Blending in?"

     "Why would you want to blend into something?"

     I had to explain. And no, I don't like to explain. "Blending in is like trying to fit in with others. It also means to try to make no one notice you in the crowd." I hoped that made sense. "I guess you just do whatever you are told. You don't get attention, which isn't necessarily bad." 

     I realized the question probably wasn't something she knew much about, since she had stood up for me which was definitely not blending in.

Chapter 11

     "I think you have to be a cat." Our talk about blending in had been already two moons ago.
     "What?" I was confused and bewildered. Streakpaw was going to get her Warrior title soon, with only one moon to pass. I, on the other hand, was still an 'outsider'. I scoffed. Who was I trying to fool? That was the better term; usually people called me a 'horrid spy'.

     "I mean, I don't think you will ever be ranked or be able to 'blend in' if you are a fox." Streakpaw was getting to know that phrase a lot more as time passed, along with many other ones. "Not like I'm ever going to become a cat." I said it casually, with no care or respect for the words.

     Suddenly, Streakpaw broke into a smile. "Or will you..."

Chapter 12

     "What do you mean 'Or will you...'?!" Streakpaw was bounding faster and faster. She grinned happily. "I know who can change you!"

     I was offended. "Change me? What's wrong with me?" She glanced back at me, enough for me to see her rolling her eyes. "Right, into a cat." She made me feel dumb, but I still grinned wickedly back. I was too excited to have my spirits brought down.

     "Well, why do we have to be in a hurry then?" It seemed like the least stupid question ask I had in my head. 

     "He's going to leave to get herbs."

     "Erbs, as in E-R-B-S?" I asked incredulously. 

     "No, herbs as in H-E-R-B-S."

     "Oh. What's that?" I still had so much more to learn. 
     "They're a type of plant that is sometimes used for medicine." The response seemed so knowledgeable, I would never have guessed that she was an apprentice. Unfortunately, I still couldn't seem to understand who this amazing cat Streakpaw referred to as 'he' was. I frantically searched my brain for the answer, which should've been easy to find since she just told me all the ranks in the clan.

     Finally, I gave up and just asked. "What is his rank?"

     "Medicine Cat Apprentice. His mentor is the Medicine Cat, who plays an important role in this clan. He is next in line to become the Medicine Cat." 
     "Why aren't we going to ask the Medicine Cat?" I knew there must be a purpose, I mean, why would you ask an apprentice something if you could ask a warrior? Just saying.

     Streakpaw lowered her voice to a whisper. "Rumors have it that the Medicine Cat, is—" She lowered her voice even more, and I strained my ears to hear as I leaned in closer. 
     "Dead."

Chapter 13

    

      "Wait, so—"

      "Shhh!!"

      "Okay, so what do you mean by 'rumors'? Wouldn't the clan know?" I felt dumbfounded that they wouldn't even care to find about what happened to the Medicine Cat. Streakpaw had said that it was an important role in the clan, right? 
     "Don't we need to know? Especially when we are getting ready for battle."

     "The problem is, the Apprentice Med Cat said we don't need to look."

     "That's crazy! Of course they do."

     "Yeah, I know. But I think Sleekpaw, he must know something he doesn't want others to find out."

     She had a point. "But what?"

     "Do you think he did—"

     "Of course not! I know him, and he's very kind and mellow. But there must be something under his fur that he's been hiding. Not like that, but maybe he's trying to cover for someone else." 

Chapter 14

     Finally, we had reached the Med Cat Den. "Hi!" Sleekpaw smiled at Streakpaw, but he frowned at me. Not the rude one, but a confused type. "And who is this?" He smiled sympathetically. "I'm Mistletoe," I responded.

     "Ahh... interesting name. Come in, come in!" He hustled us into the den, quickly collecting some herbs and returned to squashing them with a stone. Streakpaw and I sat down on a moss patch, and he began talking away.

     "So, what do you need?"

     "Oh, you can tell she's not a cat right?" They spoke to each other like I wasn't there, making me feel entirely left out.

     "I see. Sadly, I don't know the secret to morphing."

     Streakpaw scrunched up her nose, looking disappointed. "Oh, do you know anyone else who could possibly know the potion?" Sleekpaw shook his head, then slowed down looking thoughtful. "Well.. my mentor di—does."

     "Where is she?" Streakpaw tried to look calm, but she was very impatient.

     "Umm..."

     "Come on, we are like the best of friends. I promise I won't tell anyone, except for Mistletoe of course." I felt all warm inside when my name was mentioned. She considered me as a best friend!

     "Fine, but you have to swear on CloudClan you will not tell anyone but Mistletoe."

     "I promise," Streakpaw whispered.

Chapter 15

     "First though, I'd like to show you," Sleekpaw paused, as if trying to find a word to fit. "this friend." He said it sarcastically, as if he actually hated this friend.

     "Okay." I wondered who it was, and I felt nervous since this friend could be a vicious, killing, monster on the thunderpath. I had learned a lot after staying at Lightning Clan. I still didn't get why they didn't realize they were actually cars and roads even though they were still quite scary.

     Sleekpaw led us up a dirt path.
     "So, where does your friend live? We have been literally walking for hours!" Streakpaw looked tattered, but that wasn't the worst. My white splotches were now grey, soon black. Plus, my orange bold fur was now dirty, and I wasn't being vain either.
    I had been concentrating so hard on lifting my paw up from the ground and placing it a bit forward, that I hadn't realized Sleekpaw didn't respond. Actually, they had both stopped, staring at— was that another cat?

Chapter 16

     We all stared in awe, except for Sleekpaw who dipped his head forward and then looked toward us, shrugging. Until then did I realize snow had fallen everywhere, coating my fur with white. Hers on the other hand seemed to be already white, pure with dazzling blue eyes. I must admit, I was jealous.

     "Nice to see you again." Sleekpaw finally broke the silence of which I was mostly studying the tip of her tail. 
"Yes." She smiled, and her teeth were shiny white, unlike all the cat's teeth at Lightning Clan.  "And I hope you haven't sold me out. Remember, I have some, personal, information." This time, her voice was harsh, cold as stone. She chose her words carefully, not giving away much to any of us.

     I didn't know what was going on, but it seemed like they needed a little time alone. Quickly, I told them I was going to go hunting, and realizing what I was trying to do, Streakpaw tagged along.

     "Who do you think she is?" Streakpaw seemed to recognize that her voice had turned cold and unwelcoming. 
     "Probably the ice princess, or queen." I didn't know why I thought that, but she did seem like one, well more like an evil ice princess.
     "Yeah. I wonder what Sleekpaw has to cover up for her." I winced at Streakpaw's question.
     "They probably have had enough alone time now," I attempted to change the subject. I had never liked gossiping.

Chapter 17

     I heard Sleekpaw whisper to the mysterious snow cat. I peeked out from behind a pine tree, straining my ears to eavesdrop what they were saying. Inconsiderate I suppose, but I was desperate. Streakpaw was getting closer to me, looking eager. 
     Unfortunately, she accidentally put her paw on a twig. "Snap!"

     "What was that?" The elegant snow cat's ears twitched. Sleekpaw must of known we were there, for he quickly beckoned us. 
     "Hey...," I said awkwardly, looking down at the ground. Sleekpaw smiled toward Sleekpaw and me. Flustered and confused, I scooted to the right.
     "So, again, why did you bring us here? And how is she going to help." Streakpaw looked almost angry, but her eyes softened when she began to realize a tear was beginning to form on Sleekpaw's cheek.

     "She... she—" Sleekpaw wanted to answer, but the she-cat interrupted, looking very upset. 
     "You will not sell me out." The snow around her turned to ice, and I realized she must be a season changer of some sort. The snow that had been falling all around was now hail, and there were many sounds of Thunk!

     "Yes, I will. I have been keeping it to myself for too long." Sleekpaw's fur stood up, and he glared at her. "Here are 4 words for you guys: She. Killed. My. Mentor." There was a moment of silence, and Sleekpaw looked much more relaxed after saying it. Sleekpaw's eyes flared angrily on the word killed; so brightly it seemed there was fire in his eyes.

     Now, she had a few choices: 1. Deny it. 2. Deny it and blame someone else. 3. Run away. 4. Get us to pity her. 5. Fight us. 6. Start arguing.

     Luckily, she didn't pick the worst of them all. "No, you don't understand!" She whined and tried to look cute, which definitely worked since she did, but I still had a suspicion. Streakpaw looked startled.
     "Wait a second... so you're telling me... she's a murderer?"

Chapter 18

     "Oh, I do understand." Before I could stop her, Streakpaw started making conclusions. I decided to take control. "I want to hear your side of the story."

     "I was supposed to b—" Sleekpaw cut her off, glaring. "Her end of the story!? She's just going to lie and you guys are just going to believe her? You're going to cut her off easy just because she's 'pretty'. Seriously guys, seriously? I've officially lost face in all felinity." I shivered, for everywhere was ice, cold, cold, cold, ice. 

     Suddenly, a surge of anger shot through me. "How can we believe you? You say that she's the one who did it, well guess what, we can't trust you any more than we can trust her!" I don't know where I came from, but I for some reason doubted both this cat and Sleekpaw.

     "Mistletoe," Streakpaw reached her paw out to me. "I've known Sleekpaw for— well, ever. Of course we can trust him." Her eyes softened, and I could tell she was having a hard time choosing. 
     "Sleekpaw, do you know this cat's name?" It was as if I had just gained lots of knowledge within a single breath, for I suddenly understood why I felt she was so familiar. Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed the she-cat tense. I told them, "This is my sister, Icecloud."

Chapter 19

     Icecloud looked almost frightened although from her eyes I could tell she knew who I was. She started murmuring to herself. "But that doesn't... no, they told me," she paused for a second, "you were dead..." Finally, she looked into my eyes staggering, still whispering so quietly I couldn't hear, and her cold blue eyes turned soft.

     "And what do you mean by 'they'?" Streakpaw demanded, obviously wanting to understand. 
     "The—" Icecloud said shakily, while all the ice turned to a light drizzle, in which some was running down her cheek like tears. 
     "Don't listen to her!" I suddenly remember that Sleekpaw was there, glaring at Icecloud angrily. "She killed my mentor. I repeat, she killed my mentor!" He seemed to reach desperately for support, for words of agreement.

     I turned my head back to Icecloud, trying to look comforting. "Go on." Exhausted, Sleekpaw sighed, rolling his eyes doubtfully. 
     "The... other cats." She sounded almost like me, but weaker and more upset. "Oh, are you talking about Tornclaw and his horrible buddies?" I must've sounded really stupid, because Icecloud rolled her eyes. At least her eyes seemed to dance with laughter, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

     "Not them, you silly!" I then realized that Icecloud had never met those guys. 

     "Okay..."

     "Well, who then!?" Streakpaw kicked some of the snow which was turning to slush. 
     "Them." 

     "Still not answering my question!" Streakpaw was losing patience, until she saw where Icecloud's eyes were looking straight at.

Chapter 20

     A huge group of cats stalked toward us.
    "Of course." I sighed, and Streakpaw looked teary.
    "But... Sleekpaw!" Streakpaw exclaimed. While she was weeping over the evil med cat apprentice, I hurdled poisonous berries at the group.
    "Where did you get those?" Icecloud looked surprised, even though she was the one who could control the weather around her.
    "No idea. Probably from my name and the holly always being in my mouth.." I paused, "I must've had the power all along. I feel that I can control all plants, and it seems that poisonous berries was what I thought of first. 

     I made me think, I have huge potential! Almost as much as Icecloud! Of course that was before I realized a war was starting right before my eyes.   

Chapter 21

     If you thought getting stung by thousands of bees was bad, you wouldn’t be able to imagine how bad it was to see thousands of blood thirsty cats leaping toward you, baring their fangs.

     A sharp clawed paw swiped against my cheek. "Ow!!" I recognized that this cat wanted to battle, but did he really have to be that harsh? Anyhow, he kept on scratching as I yelped in pain. "Powers..." Icecloud whispered softly into my ear, and my first thought was, What powers? Right.. I used all my effort into lifting a Venus Fly Trap plant onto the cat's face— definitely a random choice. "What in the wor—" The cat's face was now being ripped into pieces by a plant, which was... I don't know, I'll go with weird. "Sinmph whemph dimph planmph eamph camphs!?" I kind of felt bad for the cat, so I commanded the Venus Fly Trap to disappear.

     "Speak." I glared at him, crossing my claws that he wouldn't swipe me again. "Argh! I was told to fight you. If I don't, the leader's going to kill me."

     "And leader as in...?" He looked at me like I was hopeless, and I almost regretted taking away the plant. 
     "Tornclaw, duh." I practically leaped out of my fur. How could I have thought he was spy? Of course he was the whole creator of the problem! 
     "Then what does Sleekpaw have anything to do with it? He's just an apprentice med cat, isn't he?" I questioned.

     "Oh..." 
     "Oh what!?" I almost felt like Streakpaw now.
     "He's uhhh... He is the med cat."

Chapter 22

      "Okay, now this is just getting more and more ridiculous." I glanced back at Sleekpaw shakily. "Med cat.. of your 'clan'? Or of our clan?" I caught a glimpse of Streakpaw attempting to throw a teeny rock at her opponent. She definitely needed my help. Still, I turned back to this cat. 
     "Clan? What are you talking about?" For once, I wasn't the one bewildered.
     "Clans... tons of cats in it... fighting together for their territory... always by each others' sides.." I was planning to say more, but then realized I didn't actually know any more.

     "I see. Well, we call this an army."

     "Sounds... like a two legger word."

     "Wow... no offense, you have no vocabulary." I frowned, then straightened up trying to look dignified. Again, I was starting to regret making the Venus Fly Trap disappear. 
     "To answer your question..." I had totally forgotten about my question. His forehead furrowed. "Both."

Chapter 23

     "So he's like, handling two jobs at a time? What happens in battle? Who would he help?" He looked angry. Although he had looked that way the entire time, it looked even more bugged now.
     "Yes. And of course he'd help our army. We're kinder to him, and we pay more attention."
     I sighed, realizing my life was hopeless. "What do you do to help him?" He looked stuck for a moment, but after what he said, I could tell he was only saved by his quick thinking and ability to improvise.
     "Well... we feed him lots of food, and we always congratulate him when he saves a cat." I didn't exactly believe that was true, and I doubted Sleekpaw even enjoyed saving the violent cats. "Let's pretend that's true," I decided not to argue, and instead to try to stall as long as possible. "What do you gain from any of this? Do they give you as much attention as they do to Sleekpaw? Do they ever congratulate you for your accomplishments, be kind and generous to you, feed you your fill?" The realization crossed his face, and he looked as if he was wavering between whining and crying. Finally, he sat straight up.
     "Well, if I defeat you, I don't die." He avoided all the other questions, making it obvious he hadn't come up with anything to say for the others.
     "Come on, stop trying to block it out. You can run away, and you won't die either. You will be admired by the other cats who want to run away, and you will become the leader, which would never happen in your army." 

      I hadn't until then realized that a huge tree trunk was about to slam onto my head. I dodged it, glaring at all of the army's cats, daring them to move forward. "Big mistake," I said with all seriousness. 

Chapter 24

     I channeled all my power into gathering all 163 tiny rocks. I gave total credit to Streakpaw for the idea. I swiped my paws forward, and the rocks followed. They began pelting all the cats in battle, besides Streakpaw, Icecloud, the mysterious cat who I'd been questioning, and Sleekpaw, who I decided could help us. 

     They scattered, hiding behind any place they could find, which was usually a tree stump, not the best choice. Finally, they gave up, running behind the hills.

     "Whoa." Icecloud looked impressed, "And you're amazed by me?" 

     "It's not big deal, considering the fact that you can control weather around you."

     "Let's stop admiring each others' talents and kill Féroce!" Sleekpaw obviously thought everybody was going to follow him blindly.

     "Actually, no." I tried not to sound like I had never known Feroce was the cat's name.

     "He's going to try and kill you!" I realized Sleekpaw would soon reveal the secret. I decided acting surprised was best, because he might blurt out more than I already knew.

     "How do you know that's his name? How do you know he tried to kill us?" The last question sounded stupid, oh well.

     "Umm... we talked. And of course I'd know that, you were fighting." A drop of sweat rolled down his face. "When have you talked? Are you on their side?" I eyed him suspiciously. 
     "No… of course not! We met before... before," Sleekpaw stammered, "the battle." 

Chapter 25

     Streakpaw gasped, as did Icecloud. I felt like a lawyer on that Law and Order show I had seen two leggers watch. "So you admit that you knew Feroce before. How did you know him, and how do we know you didn't team up with this side?" 

     "Argh, it's Féroce, not Feroce!" Feroce, I mean Féroce growled.

     "Yeah, yeah Féroce, whatever," I rushed. Why did Féroce have to interrupt! It was just a little difference, and now Sleekpaw had more time to think of what to say. I bet he did it on purpose. 

     "Yes... I knew him because..." I sighed. It seemed that I'd met another good improviser. 

     Sleekpaw continued, "when I was collecting herbs in the woods one day, I met him. We talked, and he uhhh..." Obviously he wasn't as good as Féroce, because he made a mistake right there. 

     "uhh, what?!" I responded with annoyance. I felt proud and victorious inside. 

Chapter 26

     "He wanted me to join the army." Sleekpaw sighed. 

     "And you did." I finished off. Surprisingly, I felt kind of bad for him. Ugh, sometimes I annoyed myself with all of this "softy" business. 

     "Well, they offered a lot..." After admitting what he did, Sleekpaw still seemed to think he could get around the consequences. 

     "Like what? If you wanted, you could have just left LightningClan." I felt awkward sticking up for the clan who hated me and thought of me as an outsider, but didn't warriors defend their clan no matter what?

     "None of the cats in your clan respect me. They promised honor and attention. If I'm not even noticed, how will I ever take over th—" Sleekpaw was about to give some important information, but cut himself off. Streakpaw seemed to realize too, for she groaned. So close! I tried not to act like I had noticed. What Sleekpaw was about to say may only get us all in more crisis.

     "Of course we respect you! If only you'd let them try and find your mentor..." I hinted, hoping Icecloud and Streakpaw would join in. Unfortunately, Féroce spoke first.

     "I was told to talk to you too. Sleekpaw, tell them about... what you know." I felt a spark of happiness, which I didn't understand. Féroce was actually trying to help us!

     Sleekpaw sighed. "Icecloud didn't kill my mentor." I didn't interrupt because that was pretty obvious by now. My sister would never do such a thing! Besides, what would be her purpose? "I did." Sleekpaw winced. 

Chapter 27

     "What!?" Icecloud, Streakpaw, and I said at the same time. Féroce shrugged, and for some strange reason I admired his response. 

     "Why in the clan— or army would you do that!?" Sleekpaw, no, I meant Bloodykiller, looked down at the ground. Icecloud suddenly moaned, and I rushed toward her. "You okay?" I asked with worry.

     "The weather.. it's changing." At first I was confused, but then I raised my head toward the sky. Icecloud sounded meek. Was she simply acting? 

     "Maybe you don't control weather around you. Possibly you control all weather? Or the whole sky?" I tried to find an explanation, although the power didn't seem possible. Was Icecloud that powerful?

     "I'm not controlling it. Something else... an evil force." I didn't see how she knew, but I trusted my sister. I looked toward "Bloodykiller", but he seemed too dazed. Féroce on the other hand was completely still, not moving at all. Last, I looked toward Streakpaw, who was shivering. 

     It was snowing, or more like a blizzard. I dragged Icecloud to Streakpaw, keeping their body heat warmer. Rushing to Féroce, I poked his back. He didn't turn around to smack me, so I dragged him toward Streakpaw too. I felt bad for her, because he was freezing cold. It was the only way to get him warm and up moving, or more accurately, huddling again. 
     I leaped toward Sleekpaw whose eyes were crossed. He was wandering from place to place, looking dizzy. I grabbed his shoulder, smacking his face as hard as possible. Immediately, he groaned and was back to his normal self. I ordered him to go to the group of three, and he did so. I didn't see how they were all so cold. I  was practically collapsing and seemingly exhausted, but other than that I felt completely normal. 

     I finally let myself rest. As I was falling onto the snow, Féroce, who must've recovered grabbed me. As I was sliding in toward them, he winked. Was he serious? How could he be grinning after... after..., my head fell onto his shoulder, and I fell asleep.

Chapter 28

     Once I woke up, I could tell I'd been out for a while. I was on some sort of sled like structure, as Féroce was hauling it in the front. Icecloud was in the back, though it seemed she was mostly just making sure I didn't fall off the cliff. Streakpaw was on one side, while Sleekpaw was in the most dangerous spot. He was the closest to the edge of the cliff. Wait a second.. cliff?

     "How long was I asleep? Where are we?" 

     "We're on a mountain," Icecloud responded. 

     "And this cliff is..?" I asked with wonder.

     "A little more shallow." I practically gaped with horror. When I looked into the corner of where I could see, the cliff looked about 4000 lengths deep. 

     "Could I get off of this? Let somebody else have a turn." I quickly shoved myself off, and Sleekpaw almost fell off the cliff. Streakpaw used all her strength into pulling the sled toward her, Sleekpaw following. I wanted Féroce to have a turn, however I didn't know why. It would have probably been weird. Luckily, Féroce spoke up.

     "Sounds good. Why don't let Icecloud have a rest." Icecloud did look exhausted, although almost all of them did. I felt kind of guilty. I shouldn't have slept for so long. Icecloud looked relieved, hopping onto the sled.

     "You helped us a lot when they snow storm came." Féroce nodded approval. "You did look exhausted, so we didn't dare wake you up." Streakpaw laughed. My facial expression turned serious.

     "Do you know what caused that storm? Icecloud said it wasn't her." I wasn't sure if they had comprehended Icecloud's claim before they had turned different. I didn't even know if they remembered their odd state.

     "I agree with Icecloud; it was definitely something evil." Féroce looked troubled. "I think it was... Tornclaw. Maybe he wants me to go back." Féroce sighed, looking depressed. He really wanted to come with us?

Chapter 29

    "How do you know?" I had totally forgotten Sleekpaw was there.

    "Well... I don't." I could feel his confusion. 

    "It's possible that's your power." I had felt similarly when just a few days ago I had found my power. Did all cats have one, or only some? I wasn't quite sure now; I silently mocked myself. How could I have believed that Icecloud and I were special?

     "What? Being able to know what's going to happen really soon?" Sleekpaw joked, snorting. 

     "Maybe," I replied. We were on a rocky road now, and had already gone down the mountain. I still didn't understand why we didn't simply go around the mountain, but I didn't complain. The others had been walking the whole time while I had been asleep half of the time. No way was I going to whine. We all put Icecloud down, and she grinned happily. My paws had blisters, but Streakpaw, Sleekpaw, and Féroce all looked worse. 

     "I have never not not not not not talked for this long of a time!" Streakpaw groaned. 

     I stared at her lethargically. How could she have so much energy? 

     "I have never not talked for that long." Streakpaw was back to her original self, her talkative, demanding, humorous, hyper self. 

     "We're going to stay here for the night. Sound good?" Féroce started gathering sticks.

     "You're making a den? You know that will take a while, right?" I asked, as he continued to collect. I felt awkward watching everyone else work while I just stood there, so I started putting sticks into a pile. 

     "Oh, I'm making a fire." I had once heard that mysterious word. Fires could burn down huge trees, ruin everything we built, and are very dangerous. I stopped, and suddenly I had the suspicion he wanted to do something like that. 

     He must've realized my narrowed eyes. "Oh, not like that. I'm going to rub two sticks together, to start a fire. The other sticks are thrown in to keep it going, and as long as you don't go too close, it won't hurt you. In the army, this is used for warmth." 

     Féroce rubbed two sticks together, and a small light appeared on the wood. I stared in wonder, as I felt its heat. We all gathered around it, and helped put in sticks. I felt oddly sle... sle... I yawned as my head fell onto the hard ground, and I fell asleep.

Chapter 30

     While I was asleep, I tossed and turned. I had the oddest dream ever. I could barely breathe. Choking, I hauled Streakpaw far away from the burning flames. The air was thick, and there was the sound of loud crackling fire everywhere I wandered. 

     "Move on without me..." Streakpaw groaned, her eyes full of pleading. I could see a rigid outline of Féroce who was laughing hysterically. I glared at him, but he didn't seem to pay any attention. 

     "I won't leave you Streakpaw!" I moaned with much effort. I felt my body falling through what was like a black hole. Streakpaw was with me, gripping my paw. The last cat I saw and heard was Féroce, laughing, his eyes looking murderous. 

     I woke up with a startled gasp. I sniffed the air to make sure the fire was no longer there. This place didn't seem like what I had always imagined a black hole would be like. It was full of color with beautiful fall leaves. It almost like the.. real world. 

     "You okay Mistletoe?" I turned toward the familiar sound, relieved to see Streakpaw. Her head tilted to one side. Her bright yellow eyes were full of concern. "You've been asleep all morning!" 

     "Where are we?" I rubbed my eyes, yawning. Streakpaw looked super excited, even more than usual. 

     "We're at the same spot as we were the day before, silly!" She rolled her eyes, grinning happily. "Even better, Féroce says we are going to have a ceremony for me since I am supposed to become a warrior today! Squee!" She crouched down low, pounced at the chilly air in front of her, then rolled over playfully. So that was why she was so joyful.

     I didn't want to ruin her happy mood, so I nodded. I had planned on telling her all about my dream, but that could wait. I just had one question: Wasn't Patchstar supposed to give her her warrior title?

Chapter 31     

     "What about my warrior ceremony? When are we going to do it?" Streakpaw kept pestering Féroce.  Féroce wasn't answering. He had already attempted ignoring her, but it hadn't worked out so well. Now she was very impatient and growing a suspicious that Féroce had been just kidding when he'd promised her. 

     "Féroce!" Icecloud glared at him, "How could you promise her that? You know she can't become a w—" Icecloud quickly hushed, realizing Streakpaw was getting extremely upset. 

     "And why can't I?" I could tell she was angry. "Last I asked, Patchstar said I could become a warrior in then next moon. It's already been one moon!" She had a point, but now that we weren't really in the clan, were we even apprentices? 

     "Only the leader of our clan can make you a warrior. Since we are LightningClan cats, Patchstar has to." My words hung in the air, holding the place of the silence. 

     Finally, somebody spoke up. "I can help you. After all, I'm the real LightningClan leader." We all turned toward the cat.

Chapter 32

     Streakpaw was the first to speak up. "What do you mean by 'real'? I can become a warrior if I want to anyway. Everybody has to call me Streakheart from now on!" The cat stared blankly at Streakpaw, I mean Streakheart (I'm just saying this to make her happy. She's not officially a warrior.). She blinked, and her eyes, I mean eye, darted from place to place. "Waiting!" I felt bad for the cat, and Streakheart was being a little harsh. 
     "Patchstar. She... she..." Did all cats who had important information ever get to the point? I think Streakheart's attitude was catching onto me, too. "She's not the real leader. CloudClan never approved of her taking my spot." She looked scared, and covered her one eye with her paw. It must be too horrible to even think about. 
     "So Patchstar only has one life?" I questioned. Not that I wanted to get rid of her or anything, but curiosity got the best of me. Sleekpaw stared at her wide-eyed with disbelief. 

     "Patchstar told me you abandoned us! She told me CloudClan told her in her dreams that she was supposed to be the leader." Sleekpaw looked amazed at the same time angry that Patchstar had lied to him. The she-cat padded closer to us, and I could finally see how she looked.

     "To answer your question," She looked toward me. "that's true. She only has one life." She paused. "Sleekpaw, what do you mean abandoned? I would never do such a thing! I was a loyal leader, until Patchstar came along. Now I am just a loyal wanderer who has part of her face scratched out." She sighed, looking depressed. 

     "So, what's your name anyway?" Féroce changed the subject. The cat nodded as if recognizing he didn't want her to feel sad. 

     "Spottedstar." I felt surprised that she still thought of herself as the leader. "My original warrior name was Spottedtail." She licked her paw, waiting for a response.  

     Féroce nodded. "So, technically you are the ThunderClan leader. Could you let Streakpaw become a warrior, so that she will stop bothering me?" He glared at Streakpaw, who didn't seem to notice as she bounced up and down happily. Spottedstar, or Spottedtail (whatever she preferred to be called) padded over to a rock. She hastily clawed at it. Amazingly, she got a grip onto it and leaped up.  

     "I don't know... I haven't done it in a while. Let me try." She paused, searching for the exact words to say. "All cats old enough to.. stand?" She looked flustered, but continued. "gather! Streakpaw has proved to be a loyal cat, and helped us through many battles." I didn't see how she did, but I didn't bother to shout that out loud. "She shall be given her warrior title. Her new name is... Streakheart." We began to chant Streakheart's new name, and Streakheart beamed. 

Chapter 33

     "Swallowtail would be so proud!" Streakheart clawed at the dirt happily. Spottedstar chuckled. I gulped as the memories of my family returned. My awareness slipped away as the memories clouded my mind.

     The dark, bleak clouds had covered up the moon. The rain splattered onto my fur as I looked up at the sky, my paws trembling with fear. Glancing back for the last time, I saw the silhouettes of my brothers, sisters, and my beloved mother sound asleep in their den— my den. Water streamed down my cheek, although I wasn't sure if it was the rain or tears. Finally, I thrust my snout forward, forcing my self to bound farther and farther away from the comfort of my home.

     I tried to think that it was all a dream, but everything felt so real. Even the rain seemed to actually be surrounding me. 

     "Mistletoe?" Féroce tilted her head, interrupting my thoughts. Quickly, I pushed myself up from the wet ground. It was pouring outside, as Féroce led me under the safety of the thick tree branches. I sighed with exhaustion. 

Chapter 34

     I must have slept through the entire day, although I had a feeling that it only looked like night time because the clouds had covered up the blue sky.

     "I'd better get going before the storm gets worse." Spottedstar sighed. "Hollyclaw would of been real proud of you." My jaw dropped down.

     "You know my mother? Do you know how my sisters are doing? What about my brother? How about my father?" 

     "Of course I know your mother. I know just about every animal in this forest. Your sisters are doing quite well as are your brother and your father. Here, why don't I draw some pictures."

     "You remind me a lot of your mother. Same personalities, and even looks!" Spottedstar was an amazing sketcher, for I felt that my mother was really there. I wanted to bound into the picture and cuddle up next to her, smelling her warm breath.

     "Your sister, Gloria. She was always your favorite, am I right? Gloria's grown up to be almost as beautiful as you are. She looks a lot like your dad." I didn't bother denying it, for Icecloud always knew she wasn't closest to me among our siblings.

     "What about my other sister?" I asked, hoping I didn't need to mention her name.

     "You mean Icecloud? Or... the other one." Looking into my eyes, Spottedstar realized which one I meant. 

     "That's Penelope." Icecloud copied Penelope's bratty voice. Penelope was the oldest. Bossy, mean, or selfish were all great ways to describe her. She was also the prettiest, but if you knew her personality you'd say she was the ugliest and most disgusting. "Has she gotten any better?" Icecloud asked.
     "Well... she's not too bad. Although... last time she did try to scare me off. She needs to control... her emotions. Must have been jealous from me spending so much time with Hollyclaw." Obviously Spottedstar was only trying to be polite. 

     "This is your brother. Ah... it's interesting how some of your siblings like Gloria look a lot like your parents —or one of your parents— while some like Rolan look nothing alike. I can tell he's a pain in the neck to you." 
     I still didn't understand how she read my mind so well. "He's grown up to be quite a handsome fox, and much more mature now. If you weren't his sister, you would have been all over him!" Spottedstar laughed as I rolled my eyes, blushing with embarrassment. 

     

     "Drew, your father." Spottedstar began. I sighed, depressed. "He left before when you and your siblings were one moon old." 

     "Wait... how do you know him?" I tried to cloud my mind with confusion instead of anger. 

     "Like I said, I know just about everyone." 

     "Wow, you have a big family. Most cats only have two kits at a time." Féroce's eyes bulged out as he licked his paw.

     "Why did you leave your family?" Sleekpaw asked Icecloud and me. I tried to think of a way to explain without sounding stupid. There didn't seem to be any way.

     "Could you stay with us Spottedstar?" Icecloud asked, using her cute kitty cat eyes. 

     

Chapter 35

     "Well... if you insist!" Spottedstar blushed. Icecloud grinned happily, tugging onto Spottedstar's pelt. I imagined Hollyclaw scolding Icecloud to not be rude to visitors, and I too chuckled. 

     "Hello..? Not answering my question!" Sleekpaw growled with annoyance. 

     "Well, I had a dream to become a warrior— cat." I had given up on trying to make that sentence sound knowledgeable. 

     "Well of course warrior cat, there are no other warriors!" Streakheart rolled her eyes.
     "Actually... there are warrior foxes too." Spottedstar said seriously. Icecloud and I nodded our heads   in agreement. 
     There was an odd moment of silence. Praying that Icecloud would speak up, I lay restlessly on the ground. 
     "Anyway... I left my den because Hollyclaw was worried sick about you. She thought that you were dead, and frantically told me to go look for you. In the beginning, I wandered. Searching everywhere, you were nowhere in sight. I didn't have the heart to go home without you. After walking miles and miles, I realized I missed Hollyclaw, Gloria, Rolan, and even Penelope. I tried to move back, but a storm arose. That was when I figured out I could change weather. Later, I overheard Sleekpaw talking to himself. That was when I learned what he had done. The thing Sleekpaw was covering up for me was..." 
     Icecloud trailed off, realizing she had almost given away what she had done. 

Chapter 36

     
     "Icecloud, we're your friends. We'll understand. Everyone makes mistakes." Féroce tried to sound comforting. Icecloud lowered her head, as if blocking out Féroce's words. Suddenly, I felt as if I wasn't as close to Icecloud as had thought. She didn't even trust us to keep a secret. 
     Icecloud took a deep breath, and a spark of hope flared inside of me. Sighing, she said nothing. "Please?" I tried copying her cute kitty cat eyes. She rolled her eyes and grinned back.
     She stopped looking so playful as she began to speak. "I got Snowkit to see you when you were hiding. There, I said it." Icecloud whimpered.
     "Huh? Wait but isn't that good?" Streakheart asked with confusion. 
     "Yeah, I mean that's how all this started, right?"
     "Yes, but now I've put all of us in great danger." Icecloud sighed, looking toward Sleekpaw worriedly. 

Chapter 37

     "I was selfish. I wanted to see you again, talk with you, simply be with you. I chose the dangerous path, the one that will most likely in the end have us all killed... except for one of us." She glanced around at us all, as if unsure who that one was. "I just pray that it isn't me. I don't deserve such kind and loving friends."
     "One..." Féroce repeated, looking dazed. 
     "Is he okay?" I asked, worried.
     "Hmm... let me see." Spottedstar put her paw on his forehead. "There's too much going on for him."
     "Are you a medicine cat too?" Spottedstar seemed to be talented at just about everything.
     "When I was an apprentice, my mentor was Goldenclaw. I see that you're wondering who Goldenclaw was. He was the mentor of Leaftail, Sleekpaw's mentor." She could have simply said 'yes', but I guess that it made things clearer for us all.
     "Wait, so you stopped being his apprentice?" Sleekpaw questioned, suddenly interested. 
     "Hm... I guess you could say it that way. Goldenclaw realized I wasn't meant to be a medicine cat. CloudClan sent a message to him in his dreams. I was really meant to be...—"
     "The leader of LightningClan." I finished off with a sigh of relief. For a second I almost thought she'd say...
     Spottedstar took a breath. "No, dead." 

Chapter 38

     
     "What!?" Icecloud and Streakheart gasped in horror. I would have too, but I was busy. My jaw had dropped down, and I doubted that my vocal cords would be working anytime soon.
     "Huh? Why? What? How?" Féroce looked confused as Spottedstar gently lay him back down. 
     "You mean you're from the future? I mean the past. You're from the past, aren't you?" Féroce asked.
     "For once someone has asked me a question I can't answer." Spottedstar sighed sadly, shaking her head. 
     "So you don't know why CloudClan told him that? Or you don't know how you were supposed to be dead?" Streakheart questioned. 
     "Both. It's always been a mystery to me. Leaftail became the new apprentice." Spottedstar winced.
     "Wait, so what did you do then?" I wondered as we bounded out into the clearing. The rain had stopped quite suddenly.
     Féroce spoke up. "I'll go hunt for food. We haven't eaten in days."
     "I'll go too," Streakheart volunteered.
     "So... about my question. What did you become afterward?"
     "I don't really want to talk about it..." Spottedstar mumbled. Her face turned red hot with embarrassment. I understood immediately. 
     

Chapter 39

     Two hours had passed until Féroce and Streakheart came back. Well, maybe less. It felt like moons though for Spottedstar and I just looked down at the ground the entire time. It couldn't have been any worse. At least I had some peace and quite and some time to think.
     Seriously, why are we here anyways? How come I want to be a cat anyways? I felt terribly bad about myself, risking so many cats' lives. I should've not made friends with anyone so that no one would offer to help. If so, I would probably be dead but still!
     Streakheart and Féroce bounded into the clearing. Streakheart, looking joyful like always exclaimed with delight, "There's so much prey! I caught two voles and a squirrel. I already feel like a warrior!" Her face brightened. 
     Féroce on the other hand looked worried and not like himself. He glimpsed toward me with a hint of guilt which I didn't understand. None the less, I tried taking my mind off of the glimpse. We had food to eat and everyone was safe. I sighed, trying to feel content. 
     For some reason though, I didn't. 

Chapter 40 Currently from Streakheart's point of view

     "Wait a second," Mistletoe gasped, suspiciously. "where's Sleekpaw and Icecloud?!" Féroce grumbled something under his breath which I didn't catch. I shook my head, trying to act like I had no idea. Sure, I felt horrible about lying to her, but what could I do? A promise is a promise. Besides, just 'cause Féroce and I saw both of them separate sneaking around didn't mean they were up to anything, right? 
     "Streakheart? Streakkkheartttt....?" Mistletoe waved her paw in front of my face. My instant impulse was to unsheath my claws but quickly I tucked them back in. Mistletoe didn't look suspicious toward me luckily although she kept glancing back at Féroce who was wilting sadly. If she did, I would probably burst open and spill the beans as fast as I could talk.
     "I don't know. How come we didn't even notice? I mean, it wasn't like we weren't paying attention or anything..." Spottedstar said, looking around attempting to look innocent. For some reason, that made me laugh. Really, almost everything made me laugh.
     "Umm..." Féroce's head dropped down guiltily looking depressed. Mistletoe sighed, realizing Féroce was hiding something but was obviously too tired to ask further.
     "It's getting late, we should rest." I sighed contently though not tired at all. 
     "Mreoooowwwww..." Spottedstar smiled sympathetically, lying down. Soon everyone was fast asleep except for me. How could they sleep when Icecloud and Sleekpaw had gone missing? Was I the only one who cared?
     Trying my best to not step over any of the other cats, I silently ran into the woods.

Chapter 41 Currently from Mistletoe's point of view

     The moment I opened my eyes, I knew Streakheart had left. I didn't sleep a wink and obviously neither did she. I glanced at the woods, sighing with a shake of my head. I had a sneaking suspicion she was chasing after Sleekpaw and Icecloud. 
     Spottedstar peered at me with a worried look on her face. With sheathed claws, she smiled at me then licked her paw. "Thinking about Streakheart, huh?" Sometimes I'd forget she was a regular cat with no special power in particular, it was as if she could read minds!
     "You couldn't sleep either?" 
     "Oh no, who could?" Spottedstar grinned laughing lightly. 
     "Féroce." I sniffed, quietly. Spottedstar's eyes showed no pure feeling. She looked sad, hopeful, confused, upset, understanding, and under all the worry, a tint of cheerfulness. Maybe Spottedstar wasn't who I thought she was. 
     I smiled back.

Chapter 42 Currently from Streakheart's point of view

     So maybe I could have planned out better. I mean, what now? Run into the woods and now I have no idea what to do. Seriously, what's my problem? I shake my head sadly, slowly getting used to my surroundings. A damp, dark, forest. No, not scary... I'm, I mean I'm not alone, right? Wait, if I'm not alone that means...

     "AHHHHHHH!" I shrieked. 

     "Shh!" the figure sighed. Looking closely, I realized it was only Sleekpaw rolling his eyes.

     "Why'd you scare me like that?" I demanded, glaring at him trying to sound bold, "and how come you're here?" The moment the words left my mouth I felt stupid. Of course he was in the woods, I saw him just yesterday, duh. But why... yes, that's what I should have asked.

     "I admit, I shouldn't be here. Just heading back to Mistletoe and the rest of them from the a— never mind." Of course, him being his secretive self. I sighed. "I'm sorry." Sleekpaw must have noticed for he looked down at the ground.

Quick notice: I show a picture of the character from Chicken Smoothie to introduce the character (if there is one that looks like it). The character must be mentioned a minimum few times in the book to have a picture of itself. Sometimes there may be many characters shown in an area of the book, and sometimes you may find that some areas have no new characters introduced. 

  (all pictures are not owned by me!)

Like it so far? :P My teacher wants to read it. Do you think it's good enough? Will she like it? My mom wants me to finish it first, so should I make another book, as in it's a series? Comment below to tell me your opinion!


  Animal Jam Bouncies: Mistletoe's Quest - Jammie263 does not claim any rights to the Warriors series by Erin Hunter and is a fan-page. DarkClan and many of the ideas in this story are based off of Erin Hunter's books. Warriors and all things affiliated with the Warriors books belong to Erin Hunter and Harper Collins Publisher. All text is copyright to Jammie263, unless stated otherwise. This fan-page is kindly hosted by Jammie263