Warriors: The Darkest Season

This is it. The end. It's hard to believe – I've been working on this story for a year, and it seems almost natural! I don't think I'll be writing in the world of Warriors for a while now, but I will continue to write, and at the end of this final installment, I'll tell you what you can expect from me in the future.

EPILOGUE

"Thorndancer, I'm taking Rosepaw out for a hunting session. Will you and the kits be okay on your own?"

The silver queen purred with amusement. "Really, Lionblood – when have you known me to not take care of myself?"

Lionblood rolled his eyes, though his tone remained good-natured. "You still haven't shaken off your mischievous streak, and you haven't been able to stop getting into trouble quite yet," he pointed out.

"Oh, just go," Merrycloud teased, nudging her friend's shoulder. "I'll make sure she doesn't wander off."

"Oh, all right," Lionblood sighed. "Will you and Owlpaw be joining us later?"

"Yes, and I think Frostpool wanted to bring Pebblepaw, as well," Merrycloud answered. "Smolderfur and Duskpaw are practicing battle moves today, so we probably won't see them."

"Got it." With a nod, Lionblood hurried away.

"He worries too much!" Thorndancer complained when the light brown tom was out of earshot.

"It's just because he loves you and the kits," Merrycloud purred. "I still can't believe that you ended up choosing Lionblood as your mate – you loved Smolderfur so much, back when we were apprentices."

Thorndancer shrugged lazily. "What can I say… he chose Birdsong. I was just as surprised as you when I fell in love with Lionblood, but I know it was worth it – especially since it allowed Cherrykit, Rushkit, and Breezekit to be born."

Rushkit tumbled out of the nursery as she spoke, his black fur in disarray. "Thorndancer, Cherrykit pushed me!" he complained, staring up at his mother with wide green eyes.

"Did not!" Cherrykit exclaimed, stepping out from behind Thorndancer. Her blue eyes glinted furiously, and her fluffy, silver tabby coat bristled with anger.

"You're just a mouse-heart, Cherrykit!" Rushkit snapped. "That's the only reason you'd have to try a sneak attack on me!" The kit was just as headstrong as his namesake, Rushpelt, but his sister could match his fire easily. She was just about to make a retort when their brother, Breezekit, poked his ginger head out from within the nursery.

"I was trying to take a nap, you mouse-brains!" he complained grumpily. Though he was the most docile of the three kits and never started a fight himself, the blue-eyed Breezekit was just as likely as any cat to be ferocious when angry.

"Do these kits have any of their father in them?" Merrycloud joked.

"Not that I can see," purred Thorndancer. "Speaking of that, Merrycloud… I really do worry about you, sometimes."

"What?" Merrycloud asked, startled. "Why?"

"Well, you haven't found a mate yet. I know that you don't need one, but it is a little unusual – we're just the right age to be queens, you know."

"No one in ShadowClan has caught my attention yet," Merrycloud replied indignantly. "Besides, who would I have to choose from? The only unmated toms in the Clan are Stripedstar and Drew, and Drew is the medicine cat!"

"Well, I'll admit that you don't have many options," admitted Thorndancer. "That's really what makes me worry, though."

Merrycloud bent down to lick her friend's ear. "Don't worry about me, Thorndancer. Maybe I just wasn't meant to find a mate."

Thorndancer shook her head. "Clearly, you don't understand why I'm worried. I'm not worried about you – at least, not about you being lonely. I'm worried because… well, you form friendships with cats outside the Clan far too easily. What if –"

"Don't," Merrycloud interrupted. "I don't even want to get into that. Listen, I'm taking Owlpaw to find Lionblood now, so don't get yourself or the kits into any sort of trouble."

Thorndancer rolled her eyes. "Really, Merrycloud, what sort of a mouse-brain do you take me for?"

"I should be asking you the same question," Merrycloud called as she broke into a run towards the apprentices' den. "Hey, Owlpaw! We're going hunting with Lionblood and Rosepaw!"

"Oh, you're going now?" Frostpool called from near the elders' den. "Let me find Pebblepaw and I'll be right with you."

"Got it!" Merrycloud shouted back.

It was still so hard to believe that the events involving Larkleaf had taken place nearly two seasons ago. Merrycloud still dreamed about the days of hiding out at Fourtrees occasionally, and awoke thinking that Shallowstone or Lightningpelt should be by her side. Perhaps Thorndancer was right – perhaps she did befriend cats from other Clans too easily. Her own father's punishment for mating with a kittypet should have been enough indication to her that she should not repeat his mistakes, but sometimes, she worried about the same things as Thorndancer.

She still spoke to both Lightningpelt and Shallowstone at Gatherings. Shallowstone was mates with a white she-cat named Dovedream now, and the two of them were expecting kits. Merrycloud highly doubted that Lightningpelt would ever find a mate – there was something about him that drew her in and repelled her, all at the same time, as if he came from some other world. She doubted if any cat even spoke to him regularly, other than herself, Stripedstar, Lizardstar, and Drew.

Drew was an odd cat anyway, though. He had some rough and prickly edges, but was actually very kind and caring; he tended to want to do things his own way, however, regardless of Stripedstar's orders or even the code. Stripedstar had never even offered him a warrior name – if Drew had wanted one, he would have asked for one himself, or even demanded it. Merrycloud knew that despite all his oddities, Lionblood's apprentice Rosepaw had a crush on him, and this worried her greatly. Though the grey she-cat was not as small and weak as she had been at birth, she was still rather gentle and sensitive, and Merrycloud knew that her affections for Drew would only end in a broken heart. Worse, Rosepaw had expressed interest in switching to medicine training, and while Merrycloud knew that this job would be better than warrior for the gentle she-cat, she had to wonder if Rosepaw's heart was truly in the right place, or if she only wanted this training in order to work with Drew.

Rosepaw's brother Owlpaw, who was Merrycloud's apprentice, was an intelligent and thoughtful tom, and Merrycloud had no doubt that if he set his mind to it, he could be leader someday. Duskpaw, on the other hand, was a fun-loving cat who could never be serious – much like Thorndancer in her youth. The true leader of the siblings, however, was Pebblepaw. She, like Owlpaw, was intelligent, but she did not posses her brother's amazing decision-making skills. However, she was very persuasive, and could almost always talk the other apprentices into seeing her point of view. While she would also make a good leader, Merrycloud still felt that Owlpaw, with his critical thinking and higher intellect, would be a better choice.

Overall, ShadowClan was enjoying a long period of peace. Merrycloud was certain that things would not stay this calm forever, but she enjoyed the quiet while she could. At times she found herself missing the days when the four Clans were as one, when boundaries were not so important, and when friendships could blossom and thrive between Clans without the harsh judgment that came with following the code. At times she found herself specifically missing Lightningpelt – his calm, his almost mysterious influence, and his deep kindness that existed below layers and layers of unusually distancing individuality. Almost paradoxically, Merrycloud sometimes found it unusual to not have a cat around with strange powers, a cat who knew everything that was going on around them, whether spoken or unspoken.

It will pass, Merrycloud told herself. One day, everything will be back to normal, and everything will feel normal again.

Stepping out into the leaf-fall wood, orange and brown leaves crunching beneath her paws and her silver tabby apprentice at her heels, Merrycloud was not entirely sure that she believed her own thoughts.

Oh well…

"Why don't we practice on our way to find Lionblood?" Merrycloud suggested, turning to Owlpaw; Frostpool and Pebblepaw had not yet entered the wood. "Now remember, when you stalk a mouse, they can actually feel the vibrations that your paws make…"

And that's really the end.

Next, I'm going to dive into the dangerous world of… Twilight fanfiction. (shudder) I've been planning a Volturi-centric story for months now, but I think it's rather obvious why I waited until now to mention it – I didn't want your opinions of me as an author to be shot down, and I really hope that they haven't been.

Besides that, I'm also considering writing a Pokémon fic or two. I have quite a few ideas for that fandom, actually. Another Alice in Wonderland oneshot may also come out at some point – one that is much lighter and, well, sillier in tone than my previous oneshot (even though that one was admittedly pretty light as well).

I'll also probably update my ongoing Tokyo Mew Mew fic eventually, although I've been having some serious writer's block as far as that one is concerned.

So, just because I'm not writing Warriors anymore, at least for a little while, doesn't mean that I won't be working. I hope that at least one of the things I've mentioned has caught your interest, and thank you once again for being such fantastic and loyal readers!