Swiftflight's POV

"...and I'm sending Foxleap, Toadstep and Rosepetal to RiverClan. They can share Ivypool and Swiftflight's moves with Mistystar's warriors."

I gave a slow nod, continuing to listen intently as Brambleclaw stood in the center of ThunderClan's camp amongst his Clanmates - giving them their positions for the Dark Forest battle. Each time the deputy gave a new order to someone, their eyes either seemed to flash with eagerness and excitement, or complete fear.

I was still awaiting my assignment. And while I felt consistent nerves and apprehension for what was ahead, luckily the anticipation of hearing what I'd be doing in this battle unlike any other was actually a bit exciting to me.

So, I pricked my ears, growing even more alert as Brambleclaw then began to scan his amber eyes around the cats gathered. "Any cat's name that I didn't mention is going to stay here," the leader continued, his eyes dark. "We can't be too generous with the amount of warriors that we send off."

Well, then. I guess that I'm in my own camp for this battle, I realized as I stood up, trying to pick out all of the other cats that Brambleclaw hadn't named. A good amount of other cats, too.

I had to admit that I was somewhat relieved by this, for many reasons. While having to encounter cats like Blossomfall or Birchfall was awkward enough, considering how I'd made my past in the Dark Forest known to my Clanmates, I wondered what it would be like having to face Dark Forest trainees in other Clans? I mean, would they even be siding with their Clan at all?

My fur began to bristle as this question crossed my mind. And... what about Breezepelt? I then thought, my stomach twisting with discomfort as I thought of my father, who seemed to be letting his own anger affect him and his decisions more and more every day. It was clear that Brokenstar, his Dark Forest mentor, had been getting the best of him. What side is he going to be fighting on?

A chill then ran down my spine. I think I may know that answer... but I don't like it.

Lionblaze's sharp meow then broke into my thoughts. "Firestar also wants some runners to pass messages between the Clans during the battle," the pale tabby tom called out to Brambleclaw.

I turned to look back at the ThunderClan deputy as he seemed to ponder his foster son's words. Then, after a moment, he gave a decisive nod. "Molepaw and Cherrypaw can do that," he announced. "And Wrenpaw, Lightningpaw and Emberpaw can as well."

Beyond those words, nothing else that Brambleclaw said could process in my head. My own immense terror was blocking them out - the immense terror that came with the realization that Cherrypaw was going to be one of the Clans' messengers.

Obviously, the prospect of the ginger tabby she-cat actually fighting among cats that I knew to be extremely dangerous would frighten me as well, but to think of her being exposed to the fighting going on in not just one Clan, but all of them... running all over the forest where any Dark Forest cat could be lurking, worried me tremendously. And she won't be around for me to be able to be sure that she's okay...

I then looked over towards Cherrypaw as I tried to battle my rising fears. I tried to meet her gaze, but she wasn't even looking in my direction, looking excited and amused as Molepaw complained about not being able to fight with the warriors. Of course she's excited, I thought as I let out a sigh. Nothing scares that she-cat... she's one of the bravest cats that I know.

I then reluctantly and nervously averted my gaze over to Poppyfrost, who I was surprised to see was actually looking back at me. Her blue eyes were clear - much more than they usually were if they were staring in my direction - and thoughtful.

I found that I was quite entertained trying to figure out what the older tortoiseshell she-cat could be thinking. Hm. She probably thinks that I'm worried about my way of winning my Clanmates over is going to be put in danger, I mused bitterly.

I then forced myself to push that muse away. I can't think like that right now.

I then took a deep breath. Not when I'm going to talk to her, I thought, my heart beginning to pound harder and faster. There is so much at stake right now; so much being risked. There's no time to waste.

As I continued to well up with fear, I closed my eyes for a moment and took another deep breath. There's no time to waste, I repeated to myself.

I then glanced back at Cherrypaw, who was now with the other apprentices, listening to Brambleclaw's directions. And my stomach began to flutter as I let my eyes rest on her once again, and I was reminded of why I was going to speak with Poppyfrost at all. And I can't even begin to imagine the amount of regret I'd feel if I backed out. I've done enough of that already.

Feeling a bit more determined and certain, I then drove myself to look back at Poppyfrost, who luckily hadn't left her spot. And gathering up every single ounce of bravery I had, I then let my paws slowly take me to her. And as I began to approach, I was bracing myself for her to let out a hiss and walk away at any moment.

But she stayed put, which almost made me even more nervous. If she walked away, I would have more time to gather my thoughts... and stop being so scared, for StarClan's sake!

I could feel Poppyfrost's gaze burning into my dark gray fur as I then paused in front of her. There's a reason why you're so scared, Swiftflight, I reminded myself, thinking about Snowstorm's words from just a couple of nights before. This is something that you care about, so tell Poppyfrost that.

Yet, when I finally met Poppyfrost's blue gaze and began to open my mouth, thinking that I was ready with something to say... nothing came out. My brain had gone completely blank.

I tried to hold back a growl of frustration. Come on, Swiftflight! You can defy your murderous Dark Forest mentor and stand up for yourself to the entire Clan without a second thought... so get it together!

There was a horrible, unbearable length of silence as I tried to muster up my courage once again and decide how I wanted to start. The longer it lasted, the more sympathy I was actually beginning to feel for Poppyfrost, who was having to simply watch while I stood like an idiot.

And to my surprise, it was actually Poppyfrost who broke this silence, letting out a sigh. "Swiftflight," she muttered simply, giving me a curt nod.

I looked up from where I'd been staring at the ground, trying to hide my utter shock that the she-cat had bothered to greet me at all. "Poppyfrost," I replied, returning the nod hesitantly.

"You alright?" the older warrior then asked, managing to make me feel even more surprised.

I blinked a few times back at her. "A-am I alright?"

I felt my fur slightly begin to bristle as Poppyfrost's blue eyes then narrowed. "You seem... nervous," she observed.

I had to hold back a snort. Well, at least it's established. "Well... I-I..." I then stammered.

I then forced myself to lift my head up a bit more. And there's nothing wrong with being nervous. "Yes, Poppyfrost. I am nervous," I admitted to her, as reluctant as I initially felt doing so.

But those initial reluctant thoughts quickly came back after those words, and I found myself pulling back, trying to mask the meaning behind my words. "Um... Brambleclaw making the plans... definitely a little scary."

"Interesting," Poppyfrost then murmured. Her gaze might as well have been scorching into my fur. "I'd think that you'd be nothing but excited about the prospect of battle."

Suddenly, with those passive-aggressive words, all of the anxiety I'd been feeling suddenly disintegrated as quickly as if they'd been struck by lightning. "Oh, come on! Am I nothing but an unfeeling, sadistic clump of fur to you?" I hissed to Poppyfrost as I stood up.

And now that I knew that I had the ability to actually make full sentences, I took advantage of the moment. "I'm sorry if you can't even bother to try and see it, but I have feelings, Poppyfrost!" I insisted to her, trying to ignore the alarmed look in her blue eyes. "Feelings of fear for this battle, for instance. Because I am scared about that believe it or not."

The more I spoke, the more vulnerable that I was getting, the weirder that I felt. But I knew that I could let feeling weird stop me anymore. "And I have feelings of hurt when you don't even try to trust me..."

I then hesitated for a few moments before nearly whispering, "And... I have feelings of deep, deep hurt when I know that I can't be around your daughter."

I simply took a deep breath, waiting nervously as I watched Poppyfrost blink with surprise. And I actually felt my stomach beginning to hurt when she finally opened her mouth. "Don't you think that I want to believe all of that, Swiftflight?" the she-cat sighed, her eyes full of uncertainty. "Don't you think that I want to allow her to be around you?"

I held back a hiss as I fully turned to face Poppyfrost once again. "Then why can't you?" I demanded to her. And just before I could continue to reprimand her, I held myself back, shocked at where these feelings that I was presenting to Poppyfrost were taking me.

I'd hadn't let my feelings drive my actions or my words many times in my life. But they must now.

I began to shift my paws back and forth. "You sure have never seemed like you wanted to think of me in any sort of positive regard," I then commented to Poppyfrost, keeping my voice even this time.

The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a sigh. "Well, unfortunately, when it comes to my kits, I will think that way about any cat that steps into their lives," she meowed to me, her gaze slowly moving towards where her two kits stood a little ways away. "I don't want either of them to be hurt, and they run that risk every time they befriend someone."

My heart then skipped a beat as she quickly shifted her eyes towards me again. "You, Swiftflight, were someone that I thought would hurt Cherrypaw, and I don't think I need to remind you of why."

"No. You don't," I muttered in reply, all of the insults that the she-cat had thrown at me beginning to resurface in my memory. I then shook my head quickly, as if to get rid of them. "But those reasons are all things of the past, Poppyfrost!" I then insisted to her, knowing my words to be completely true.

But as I had expected, Poppyfrost still wasn't seeing it that way. "How am I supposed to figure that out, Swiftflight?" she then asked, her voice rising just a bit. "When one is a cold-hearted, hostile cat for... let's say... all of their apprenticeship..."

She then hardened her gaze back at me. "A cat who I now know trained in the Dark Forest willingly," she went on, sharpening her meow. "It'd be pretty hard for me to believe that that's all 'in the past' in the blink of an eye."

I took a deep breath as Poppyfrost's words processed. As stubborn as she had seen with her motives, I had to admit that I understood and sympathized with her explanation. But either way, she was still standing by her word, and I needed to do something about it.

I kept my gaze on the older warrior as best as I could. "But what if that cat were to come up to you and tell you themselves that they had changed?"

Poppyfrost's gaze was unreadable as she stared back at me. "It depends," she muttered, wrapping her tail around her paws.

It wasn't the most welcoming opportunity, but I still took it. "Well, I have changed," I began, then letting out a shrug. "I'm trying to, at least. And listen... you don't have to believe me. I won't like it, but it's your right."

I then took another deep breath. "Either way, I'm still going to try and convince you," I went on definitively as I took a step closer to Poppyfrost. "Look, I completely acknowledge how I was in the past - I'm not trying to justify any of my behavior, because I know that I was at the top tier of the mouse-brains."

I felt slightly more encouraged when I heard Poppyfrost let out a quiet, amused sniff. "I let the... dare I say, darkness of the Dark Forest pull me away from who I was," I continued, growing a bit uncomfortable with the current subject, but I trudged on. "It took me longer than I'd like to realize that, but I have now."

I then tried to flash the she-cat a reassuring look. "And now, I'm honestly trying to do nothing but prove that I'm more than what the Dark Forest tried to make me into. I want to truly be there for my Clanmates, show genuine care for others..."

I then shyly looked down to the ground again. "...develop real relationships with some cats that make me... very happy."

Considering how much I had just said, I wasn't at all surprised when Poppyfrost didn't respond immediately. Luckily, her gaze seemed to be rid of all hostility, and only seemed to be full of contemplation. "I see..." she murmured after several heartbeats.

She then flashed me an inquisitive look, one of her eyebrows raising. "Some cats, huh?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Yes. Some cats," I replied, trying to shoot Poppyfrost a hinting look. "And look, if you don't take anything away from what I'm trying to tell you, at least know this - I don't want to see... some cats hurt just as much as you do. I..."

I then trailed off for a moment, realizing that now, I had absolutely no reason to beat around the bush. I took a deep breath, hoping to collect a bit more courage. "I would never even think of bringing any harm to Cherrypaw," I then reassured Poppyfrost.

I then gave a lash of my tail. "And if I ever even come close, you can personally drown me in the lake. I'd even do it myself."

"Oh, my," Poppyfrost purred after a sniff. "I'd like to see that!"

I managed an amused sniff as well. But I had to admit, I had no idea if the older she-cat was joking or not. "So..." I murmured, looking off to the side. "I assume that everything I'm saying probably just sound like empty words to you."

I then looked back at Poppyfrost, my eyes widening with bewilderment when she didn't automatically agree with my words.

And what she said next nearly made my mouth drop open. "No..." she eventually sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Not really."

My heart began to beat faster all over again. "T-they don't?" I asked, my voice nearly cracking.

"No, Swiftflight," Poppyfrost replied, standing up. She then shrugged and let out another sniff. "One reason being because I don't think I've ever seen you say so much at once..."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Understandable."

"But I also truly believe you. I can't believe it, but I do," Poppyfrost went on. She then took a pawsteps forward, and sat closer beside me. "It's like I said, I've always wanted to trust you, and see you beyond what I've always known you to be, but I've never been given any reason to."

What?! I thought irritably. Did the fox attack just not happen at all?

Just as I was about to open my mouth to protest, Poppyfrost flashed me a warning look and raised her tail up in the air. "At least, not any reason that gave me enough reassurance," she corrected herself, her voice a bit sharper. She then took a deep breath, and her gaze softened with admiration. "Not until now. It takes a lot to stand up for yourself like you are."

I couldn't help but let out another snort, being thankful that Poppyfrost was acknowledging how new all of this was for me. "Oh, you have no idea..." I murmured.

"Along with that..." Poppyfrost continued after she'd seemed to have fallen deep into thought for a few heartbeats. "I suppose that I also have to respect Cherrypaw and her own choices. She's not a little kit anymore. In fact, she's going to be a warrior soon."

For some reason, my stomach seemed to flutter at that thought. We'd be able to spend so much more time together... I realized longingly. Being warriors alongside each other... and we could maybe...

I then had to push away my thoughts to continue to listen to Poppyfrost. "Yes, she is young, and being the kindhearted she-cat that she is, she will try to see the good in everyone," she went on. She then nodded to me. "But you, Swiftflight... I can see so easily how much she admires and cares for you unlike anyone else. And while she is very compassionate towards others, she is smart too. She wouldn't make hasty decisions. She knows what she's doing."

I couldn't help but nod eagerly back at the she-cat. "She definitely does." She's so intelligent and level-headed...

I then had to shake my head quickly to bring myself back to focus. "And you're right. I'd like to think that she has been able to see the part of me that I want everyone else to see, and..." I trailed off for just a moment, looking away from Poppyfrost. "I really hope that someday you, especially, can see me in the way that she does."

I could see the older warrior's narrowed eyes staring back at me out of the corner of my eye. "...Why?" she queried in a way that almost made it seem like she were asking an apprentice of hers a question that she already knew the answer to.

And it was clear here that she knew the answer to this question, too. She was just waiting for me to have the guts to say it.

So, I finally did. I straightened myself up, and looked straight into the she-cat's eyes. "So that you'll let me see her," I meowed. At this point, I didn't care one bit about the pleading in my voice. "I want to be able to see Cherrypaw again."

I then stood up, not needing to think about a single word I was saying. "Please, Poppyfrost. I understand why you'd be scared, but I want you to know that I care for Cherrypaw more than I do myself. If you let me see her, I'd protect her. I'd protect her where you can't," I went on.

I then brushed the tip of my tail against Poppyfrost's shoulder, giving her a hard, yet reassuring look. "And if she were ever to get hurt, it wouldn't be because of me."

Poppyfrost hadn't pulled away from my touch. In fact, her gaze only seemed to grow warmer after I'd finished speaking. But nevertheless, I stood in silence, terrified of hearing the response to my declaration.

And I felt lightheaded for just a moment as her eyes revealed that she'd come to some conclusion in her own thoughts. "Well..." the tortoiseshell she-cat eventually breathed. "Luckily for you, I don't think you'll have to wait for 'someday' in order to do that."

Hold on...

I actually had to blink a few times, actually feeling quite certain that I was dreaming for a few heartbeats. "Wait..." I meowed, my voice shaking slightly. "Are you saying...?"

Poppyfrost then let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "I'm saying that you two are free to see each other, talk together, share shrews, annoyingly stare into each other's eyes..." The she-cat then flashed me a teasing look before going on. "You two make each other really happy. I can see that. It just took me a while to let myself allow it to all happen."

She then hardened her gaze once again, standing up and taking a step closer to me. "And I hope you are very aware of what could happen if you put a paw wrong..."

I nodded back at the she-cat, her intimidation not even phasing me one bit anymore. No feelings aside from utter shock and complete happiness could take over right now. "I am fully aware. I am completely and consciously aware!" I insisted. I then stood up as well, looking gratefully back at Poppyfrost. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

She slowly nodded back at me, a knowing look in her eyes. "Oh, I think that I do," she murmured, giving me a nod in farewell before turning around to pad away.

But she'd only made it a few pawsteps before she paused and looked over her shoulder back at me. "So, are you going to tell her?" she asked me, a single one of her eyebrows raising again.

I furrowed my own eyebrows, genuinely confused by the question. "Tell her what?"

"That you love her."

My stomach twisted up into a knot, and a rush of heat ran through my entire body. "What?" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling just as discombobulated as I had when I'd approached Poppyfrost. "Love her? I... well, I don't know if-"

The tortoiseshell she-cat seemed to be holding back a purr of amusement as she shrugged. "I mean, I have to assume. Something's there that's pretty obvious," she meowed warmly. "And considering we're talking about you, that's saying a lot. I saw the way you were looking at her just now."

She then sniffed. "I mean, look at how hard you tried to gain my approval just so that you could 'see' her."

Then, with those words, she gave me a wink, and then proceeded to finally pad away to speak with her mate, Berrynose.

I stayed exactly where I was for several moments, still hardly being able to believe everything that had just occurred. I'm sure many of my Clanmates around me thought that I was delirious with fever.

Great StarClan... I feel as if my heart has just gone through an entire six moon apprenticeship.

~<~<~<~<~<~

The sense of foreboding that circulated the ThunderClan camp was more apparent than the clearest, cleanest stream could ever be. And as calm as everything currently was, the tension was oozing like blood from a fresh wound.

It had now been almost a full day since I'd spoken with Poppyfrost, and training was just now winding down with moonhigh approaching. Many cats were beginning to make their way to their dens while some were grabbing some late-night meals, or going over some moves at the last moment.

I planned to head to the warriors den to rest as soon as I could, for I was absolutely exhausted. After my talk with Poppyfrost, I'd unfortunately had to leap right back into training as it'd begun. I'd switched off through many groups of cats to train them.

And although I'd helped all of them to the best of my ability, my head was set on the thing that I'd hopefully get to do once training was done.

But now, I was free, and there was only one cat on my mind right now.

From where I stood near the Highledge, I began to scan my eyes around the camp in search of Cherrypaw. My stomach seemed to flip upside down as I quickly spotted her near the elders den, speaking with Emberpaw.

The tabby-and-white she-cat seemed to just be leaving. She touched her nose to Cherrypaw's cheek before lashing her tail in farewell and trotting over towards the apprentices den.

The beat of my heart seemed to double in speed as Cherrypaw stayed exactly where she was, leaving me the perfect opportunity to go up and speak to her. I felt so nervous that I could barely stand it. I seriously wonder if I was ever this nervous back in the Dark Forest...

But I then took a deep breath, having to remind myself once again of Snowstorm's words. But surely it wouldn't make you so nervous if it wasn't something... or someone, that you cared about so much?

Scraping up every piece of determination and bravery I had, just as I'd had to with Poppyfrost, I began to pad towards Cherrypaw.

The ginger tabby she-cat was slightly turned away from me, and her head was lifted up to the sky as she looked up at the stars of Silverpelt.

I felt my fur beginning to tingle as I looked at her, and I hardly realized that I'd nearly stopped in my tracks for a moment.

Not that she ever didn't, but the she-cat looked absolutely beautiful. The way that the moonlight fell on her fur, making it look silver, and the way that it made her amber eyes glitter. It also defined her slim, but strong and muscular figure. Her expression showed so much strength and ease. She looks like a warrior, I realized. She's so lovely...

My heart then nearly seemed to stop as I saw Cherrypaw flick her ears, as if my pawsteps were finally coming into earshot. She then looked over her shoulder, and I abruptly stopped walking once she'd seen me.

Her amber eyes flashed with surprise, but then quickly seemed to wash over with pain. "Swiftflight..." she breathed, her voice husky. "What are you doing here?"

I padded up so that I was standing just next to her. "Well, I live here," I muttered, attempting to lighten the mood.

And my heart lifted a bit as Cherrypaw actually let out one of her adorable laughs. "I mean, what are you doing here, next to me?" she then asked me, her moment of joy being very brief. "I didn't think that you wanted anything to do with me anymore."

Just as I was about to comfort the she-cat, and contradict everything that she was saying, her eyes flashed with alarm, and she spoke again. "And what about Poppyfrost?" she gasped.

I raised my eyebrows back at Cherrypaw, trying to hide the fact that I very well knew the answer to that. "What about her?"

As I had expected, Cherrypaw seemed very concerned with my reply. "Well... Poppyfrost won't be happy seeing us together like this," she commented.

I slowly shook my head. "Poppyfrost won't mind at all, Cherrypaw."

I then had to hold back a purr as I watched Cherrypaw's eyes widen. "What?" she meowed, her tail beginning to twitch behind her. "How do you know?"

"Because she told me so," I replied, watching as realization slowly began to show on Cherrypaw's face.

"You... you talked to her?" the ginger she-cat whispered, her eyes glowing with amazement and shock. "But, Swiftflight, I thought that you didn't want-"

I quickly cut Cherrypaw off, making sure to get the truth out as soon as I could. I hated the fact that she had had to walk around believing a total lie for so many days now. "I was stupid, Cherrypaw," I meowed to her, then letting out a snort and rolling my eyes. "Well, I suppose I'm never not stupid, but-"

"Swiftflight, you are not stupid," Cherrypaw insisted to me, her eyes full of concern, and her voice full of laughter. "Not in the least. You're the smartest cat that I know."

I looked back at Cherrypaw, letting my gaze be a bit challenging. "I made you believe that I didn't return any of your feelings - that's pretty stupid."

Cherrypaw then let out a nearly inaudible gasp, and she stood up. She was clearly trying to keep herself from believing my words too soon, considering what she had believed up until now. "You... you return my feelings?" she asked me, her voice shaking.

I held my gaze on the she-cat, my heart continuing to pound like it never had before as I took a deep breath. "Yes, Cherrypaw. I do," I admitted. "I let my fears and... past beliefs get in the way of realizing that. Now, I've had to push all of that away, and I talked to Poppyfrost this morning."

I then took another step closer to Cherrypaw, and a purr began to rise in my throat as I looked back at her baffled, yet cheerful expression. "And you were right," I went on to her. "All it took was to tell her myself about how I'm trying to change, and..."

I then paused for a moment as a wave of happiness rushed through me, almost as if I was re-living the amazing moment that I was telling Cherrypaw about all over again. "She believed me. She believes all of it, and she's going to give me a chance."

I then briefly let my tail brush against Cherrypaw's flank. "She's going to give... us a chance, you could say."

For a few moments, the ginger she-cat's mouth stayed open, but no words came out. She seemed too overwhelmed to speak for a moment.

"Us..." she then whispered. And after I gave her a nod, she stepped closer to me, speaking more loudly. "She is? She really is?"

I nodded, the warmth inside of me spreading like the strongest flood as I watched Cherrypaw become increasingly happier. "I wouldn't have let her go without being sure," I then reassured her.

"Oh, Swiftflight..." Cherrypaw then breathed as she blinked a few times. "That's absolutely amazing. I can't believe you... I..."

She then looked away from me, her demeanor growing a bit more shy. "I..." she continued to stammer as she blinked and shook her head. "My goodness, I think my head is spinning..."

I purred with amusement and tried to meet Cherrypaw's gaze again. "Well, in that case," I murmured, "you act really cute when your head is spinning."

I then felt another rush of warmth and affection as Cherrypaw giggled, finally looking back at me. "I... thank you," she purred. She then shrugged, her gaze a mix of a sort of light helplessness, and extreme joy. "I'm just so happy... I don't even know what to say!"

I took yet another step closer to the ginger tabby she-cat, pretty certain that everything I was currently experiencing was all one perfect dream.

But I suppose that either way, I was experiencing it, and that was all that I could ever ask for. "You don't have to say anything at all, Cherrypaw," I purred to her.

I then beckoned to her with my tail, feeling like my heart was about to explode, and one of the strongest purrs I'd ever felt was threatening to rise in my throat. "Just come here."

I was almost sure that my heart did explode once Cherrypaw let out a loud purr, and she ran up to press herself against me. Her sweet scent flooded into my nose, her soft fur was brushing mine, and I could feel her head pressing into my chest.

I suddenly felt extremely hot, my stomach felt light, and my head felt as if it were filled with fluff. But along with that, the purr that had been rising in my throat finally erupted, and I wrapped my tail around Cherrypaw to pull her closer to me, and I rested my head on hers.

For a moment, I was almost scared of this strange feeling, as it was very new, and was only ever something I'd felt with one cat, and that was the she-cat pressed against me at the very moment.

I was so overwhelmingly happy, and so filled with ease. While there had been many things that could bring me so much happiness over the past few moons, I could definitely say that the happiness I'd felt when I'd gotten Poppyfrost's approval, and then getting to be as close with Cherrypaw as I was now... truly felt like nothing else.

And yet, all that I had done today to get to this very moment still didn't feel complete. And with this realization, I found myself beginning to well up with fear and apprehension once again, an amount of fear and apprehension that was surely unmatched.

Because I knew that there was something else that I needed to tell Cherrypaw, and through the excitement of the two of us being able to do something as little as see each other again, I hadn't been able to say it yet.

And despite how much happiness it would hopefully bring me after I told her, I knew that getting there was going to feel so new and strange. But I had to remind myself once again that it was okay to feel my feelings, and that it was okay to act on them.

And looking down at the she-cat that I was holding close to me, I knew that I wanted to; this kind, compassionate, intelligent, adorable, spirited she-cat who had been beside me unconditionally through my attempts at redemption.

And even before that, too. Even when I'd been such a closed-off, hostile cat, Cherrypaw had never hesitated to be kind to me, and be such a light in my life that seemed so dark and uncertain at the time. She never seemed to see the hostility that every other cat saw. She... she was always able to see me beyond what Ashfur made me out to be... I realized, overwhelmed with emotion as I continued to look down at Cherrypaw. And it took me so long to appreciate it... to appreciate her. To realize just how much she means to me...

I then felt my own ears flick with surprise. How... how much she's always meant to me.

A few moons ago, Snowstorm telling me all about she had thought that Cherrypaw had had feelings for me, for some reason, had once startled and daunted me. I wasn't sure why, but I suppose that all of the warmth and affection I'd always felt towards the ginger she-cat was one of the many things that my training in the Dark Forest had blinded me to.

And now that my eyes had been opened, I was finally able to acknowledge what I had tried to force down so many times. Yes, I have feelings for her, but...

I closed my eyes for a moment, praying to StarClan for strength as I touched my nose to Cherrypaw's ear. "Um... Cherrypaw?"

Cherrypaw pulled away so that she could meet my gaze. And as I looked into her concerned, warm amber eyes, my heart began to pound so loudly that I was certain that it would wake up everyone in camp. "Yes, Swiftflight?" she meowed softly. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded and ran my tail down Cherrypaw's flank, making sure to quickly reassure the she-cat. "Yes... better than okay. I just..."

I then closed my eyes once again, having to hesitate for just a moment. "I... I just really want to tell you-"

"They're coming!"

I didn't get to feel any sort of frustration at the fact that I'd been interrupted. Cherrypaw and I stepped away from each other, exchanging a surprised, nervous glance before turning around to look towards the camp clearing.

The first thing that I noticed the three unfamiliar pelts that stood near the camp entrance - Smokefoot, Snowbird, and Oakfur; ShadowClan cats.

I then looked to the warriors den to find Dovewing standing at its entrance. It looked as if she had practically burst out of it just heartbeats ago, and her green eyes were wide and frantic. She appeared to have been the one to speak.

They're coming?

Firestar, who had been standing with the ShadowClan cats, turned to face the younger warrior. "The Dark Forest cats?"

Dovewing quickly nodded her head. "They're in the forest!"

They're in the forest.

I stood, completely frozen as I heard Cherrypaw let out a gasp beside me. "Oh, no..." she breathed, her ginger fur beginning to bristle. "I have to find the other apprentices!"

Just as I finally felt I could move again, I felt Cherrypaw fiercely press herself against me once again. And I looked down at her, meeting her immensely worried, uncertain gaze. "I'll see you later," she then whispered to me.

As I continued to stare down at her, I was so tempted to wrap my tail around her once again, and keep her right beside me throughout the battle that was now arriving.

But, as much as I hated it, I knew that I'd have to let her go for now.

I forced myself to stand up, and I gave Cherrypaw a quick lick on the head, taking in her scent one last time. "You too," I whispered back. I then stepped back so that I could look into her eyes again. "Please be careful. I don't know what I'd do if..."

I quickly trailed off of my words and shook my head, telling myself that now, there was truly no time to waste. I took another step back and nodded my head forward. "Go," I commanded to Cherrypaw. "The others are waiting for you."

For a moment, the ginger she-cat seemed completely torn, but after just a few heartbeats, she began to trot away, flashing me one last affectionate, yet immensely fearful look before pelting off to join the other apprentices.

I watched her go for a few heartbeats before standing up and running over to join my Clanmates, having to push down all of my worried thoughts about the she-cat for the time being.

My feelings had helped me greatly today, but I knew that now, they'd all have to disappear for this battle. It was the only way that I knew I'd be able to get through it.

I'm going to defend my Clanmates, my family, my friends, Cherrypaw... with whatever it takes, I thought, the determination and adrenaline rising up inside of me as I joined my fellow warriors and waited for directions. Here we go.