"Very good! Now bring your full weight down on me." Dawnsky instructed. It was a cool, sunny day in leaffall, which was the perfect weather for training. Mosspaw and his littermates were gathered in the training hollow.

"Like this?" he mewed, after rearing on his hind legs and jumping down on Dawnsky with his claws sheathed.

"Yes... perfect!" she mewed in a muffled tone since her head was pinned to the ground by his massive paws.

He stepped off of her, "Sorry..."

She laughed, "No don't say sorry, silly! This is battle training. Would you say sorry if I was from an enemy clan?"

"Well I guess not." he mewed, smiling.

"Okay, let's try that move again. Remember, don't be afraid to use all of your weight." she waited for him to get into the fighting position and did the same herself.

Mosspaw used his powerful back legs to jump, and she could tell he was using all of his strength this time. She wasn't going to let him win easily though. Dawnsky used the same move on him, and there was a look of confusion in his eyes as she flipped him under her.

"Hey! What was that for?" he squeaked.

"I wasn't going to just let you win! If someone does that to you on the battlefield, remember to be quick and flip them over instead."

He nodded, and she could see that he understood what she was saying. He is going to be a great warrior! she thought to herself. She turned her head and saw her sister walk in with her mate. She fought back a growl in the back of her throat.

"Hey Dawnsky!" Speckledpath purred, "Do you mind if we watch you train?"

"Actually, Mosspaw was just taking a break. Right Mosspaw?" Dawnsky tried to make an excuse, shooting a pleading glance at Mosspaw.

"Uh sure Dawnsky," he mewed in a confused tone, "whatever you say..." he padded off towards the fresh kill pile.

Dawnsky sighed and relief and started to walk out with Mosspaw, "Dawnsky! Come here!" she stopped in her tracks and reluctantly turned around and walked towards Speckledpath, whose leaf green eyes looked hurt and angry.

"Umm yes, Speckledpath?"

Speckledpath beckoned for Nightpelt to leave them alone, and he grunted in reply, walking over to where Mosspaw was. Speckledpath turned her head to Dawnsky, "Why have you been avoiding me?" she hissed.

"Avoiding you?! What do you mean?" she laughed nervously.

"Ever since I told you about me being mates with Nightpe- wait a second!" she growled, "You're jealous aren't you?!"

"Jealous?" Dawnsky hissed in disgust, "How could I be jealous of him? How could you even like him?"

Speckledpath stepped back, looking even more hurt than before, "Dawnsky.... I-"

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean it... I just," she tried to think of something to say to make up for the terrible things she just said to her.

"You know what? Never mind. Nightpelt might not be your first choice but I love him! You can think whatever you want about him, but I don't care!" she turned away, "And I'm sure I would never judge you for loving anyone! I thought you were a better friend than that..."

Dawnsky froze at her sister's tone, not able to speak. She watched as her sister and only friend stormed off and went to join Nightpelt. "You don't understand...." she managed to say, but Speckledpath didn't even hear her.

Mosspaw merrily bounced in, a squirrel hanging out of his jaws for Dawnsky, "Okay Dawnsky! I'm ready to train again!" he looked at the expression on her face and stepped back, "Oh.... umm actually I- what's that Dragonpaw? I'm coming! I have to go..." he mewed awkwardly, leaving the squirrel by her and quickly padding out.

Why did I say that to her? she scolded herself, I am terrible! How am I going to make it up to her? She had a feeling that her sister was going to hold a pretty big grudge. She couldn't blame her, but she still had a feeling that Nightpelt wasn't the right match for her. She knew that something was weird about that cat. I have to learn to like him somehow! she decided.

***

Later that evening she padded out of the warriors den and saw Speckledpath bringing in mouse bile for the elders. Today was the last day that they had to do this chore, which was a big relief to all three sisters. Dawnsky quickly rushed over to Speckleepath, "Here, let me help you with that!"

"I can do it myself," she growled, not even glancing in Dawnsky's direction.

She sighed, well that didn't work.... she thought bitterly as she gathered some moss. She brought it over to the elders den and quickly made their nests.

"This has a thorn in it!" Smallface complained.

"And mine has at least two twigs in it!" Growled Tawnyfoot.

"Oh... sorry," Dawnsky mewed, distracted.

Tawnyfoot and Smallface exchanged glances, "What's gotten into you?" Tawnyfoot mewed.

"I guess I just wasn't paying attention," she mewed while picking up the thorn, "my bad.."

"No that's not what I meant!" She snapped.

Dawnsky sighed, "I need to go.... um... on the hunting patrol!" She said as she saw a group of cats including her sister leave camp.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me..." she growled, "but next time watch out for twigs!"

Dawnsky nodded and sprinted across the clearing to catch up with them, "Hey guys! Can I join?" She mewed, out of breath.

Whitefang nodded while Speckledpath turned her head away in anger. Nightpelt and Stormfeather were also on the patrol. They all walked out together, heading deeper into the forest.

Dawnsky awkwardly tried to move closer to her sister, "Hey..." she whispered.

"Just leave me alone!" Speckledpath hissed. A bird flew out of the undergrowth with Stormfeather running after it.

"Mouse dung!" Stormfeather spat, giving a dirty look to Speckledpath.

Dawnsky looked at Speckledpath's embarrassed expression. Mouse brain! You made it worse! She thought. She sighed, "I think I'm going to hunt over here for a little bit..." she mewed.

"Good! Now you and Speckledpath won't scare the birds away!" Stormfeather rasped.

Dawnsky shook her head and moved deeper into the undergrowth. It was harder to see since the sun was going down, so she relied on her sense of smell more. She could hear a rustle of leaves nearby, and could scent a mouse. She got in the hunter's position, when all of a sudden she heard a voice.

"Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw!" It whispered.

She gasped, stepping on a twig and scaring the mouse away, "Shadowstripe? Is that you?" She hissed.

"No, but are you alone?"

"Why should I tell you?" She growled softly.

"Because I really need to speak to you...." she looked and could see a familiar face appear out of the underbrush.

"Bear?! Is that you?" She purred, already knowing the answer. She rushed up to him and rubbed against him, "I missed you!"

"Yes, it's me. And I missed you too." He replied happily, "Why don't you ever meet me anymore?"

"It's kind of...." she thought of the words to say, "a long story...."

"Well I've got time!"he mewed.

She sighed, "Well... you see... whenever I don't make a right decision for my clan, bad things happen."

"What? That's impossible!" He protested, "Is this about Star Clan or something?"

"Er.... sort of... but not really." She didn't know how to explain this to a cat who didn't even believe in Star Clan in the first place.

"Come on! Seriously? Dawnpaw I-"

"It's Dawnsky now," she interrupted.

"Okay fine... Dawnsky I... I need to talk to you." He mewed, becoming serious.

"Well what do you want to talk to me about?" She asked curiously.

Bear looked a little uncomfortable, "Dawnsky... I love you."

"Wait, you what?" She gasped.

"I... I love you. Every day that I was away from you made me know that I need you in my life. I can't live without you! D-do you feel... the same way?"

Dawnsky stood with her mouth open at Bear's confession. She couldn't believe it... someone loved her! Do I feel the same way? She thought to herself. She had thought about Bear just about every day as well, but she had tried to push him to the back of her mind. But it was because of how much pain it caused that she would never be able to see him again. She looked at Bear, whose eyes were filled with hope and worry, "Yes... I do feel the same."

Bear smiled, moving closer to her. He entwined his tail with hers, "Then will you come with me?"

"Oh no you don't!" Yowled a voice from the bushes. Nightpelt burst out of the undergrowth and lunged on top of Bear. Dawnsky stepped back in horror, worried that Nightpelt would kill him.

But Nightpelt was no match for the huge, muscular tom, who easily threw him off, "You little piece of fox dung!" He spat, the fur on his neck rising.

Dawnsky saw a sudden change in Bear. The pupils in his eyes turned to little slits, though it was nighttime. He looked like a totally different cat. Nightpelt backed up into a tree and Dawnsky could see him shaking from where she was standing. She stood, not able to speak.

Bear jumped on Nightpelt and pinned him down. There was an almost psychotic smile on his face as he unsheathed his claws and aimed for Nightpelt's throat.

"Bear STOP!" She cried, "What are you doing?!"

Suddenly, another cat came barreling out of the bushes, this time she could see that it was Speckledpath. She rammed into Bear, throwing him off balance so Nightpelt could get up. Whitefang and Stormfeather were not far behind her. They all surrounded Bear, hissing and clawing at him.

Bear growled, the pupils in his eyes seeming to have gone back to normal, "This isn't over!" He growled coldly to Nightpelt, who was cowering behind Speckledpath. He quickly bounded into the undergrowth, shooting an apologetic glance in Dawnsky's direction.

Dawnsky still stood there, shocked. She watched as Speckledpath groomed Nightpelt, trying to comfort him. Dawnsky slowly padded up to Nightpelt and he lifted his head and hissed at her, his yellow eyes filled with rage.

"You!" He cried, "You've been breaking the warrior code! Just wait till I tell Moonstar!"

"Now wait a second-" Whitefang started, but Nightpelt had already dashed towards camp, Dawnsky running after him.

"Nightpelt, please don't!" She pleaded.

"Moonstar is going to exile you for meeting with that rogue!" He snickered as he rushed into camp.

Dawnsky couldn't believe how much Nightpelt hated her. She watched helplessly as he ran up to Moonstar's den. But right as he was about to make his way inside, he was stopped by Featherpool. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but when Nightpelt slowly walked down the highrock, she knew something was wrong.

His eyes were glazed over with worry and he looked stunned. "Nightpelt! Nightpelt are you okay?! What's going on?" She cried desperately.

"Moonstar," he mewed, "has greencough....."