O my God, people! This is the second to last chapter. I know I said 25, but I am lowering it to 24, because I have already started the third book and the beginning is much better with the last chapter and okay it doesn't really matter just…okay. Calm down. Here's Stripethroat.

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Stripethroat didn't feel like eating. Maybe it was true that he hadn't eaten anything yesterday either, but yesterday he had been too sick to eat. Today was better, but not by much. I wasn't his stomach that was hurting, it was more his... his heart.

With a sigh, Stripethroat passed by the fresh-kill pile, closing his eyes momentarily. Ghostpaw was now apprenticed to Darkfang, and deep down in Stripethroat's mind, her knew that nothing good would come of it. Darkfang was all right, but there was something about him, something below the surface, that made Stripethroat uneasy. He could tell that Redstorm and Mistystone understood it too – he had seen the look on Redstorm's face before, as if he knew something about Darkfang that could mean tragedy for the Clan. It wasn't so much that he felt that Darkfang was a bad person – no, Darkfang was fine. But it was something about how he, well, lied, in some way. Like every word he uttered had a second meaning that he wasn't about to reveal.

Stripethroat sighed again, a long-drawn-out sigh, full of sorrow. He didn't worry for his son's safety, he knew perfectly well that no mentor in his right mind, Darkfang or not, would never let any harm come to his apprentice. First, it would make him a traitor, and second, it didn't look so good on a warrior's record if he had the blood of an innocent apprentice on his paws. Stripethroat shuddered and shook his head, forcing the thoughts away.

Stripethroat was now walking slowly past the Highledge, and before he knew it his paws had carried him into the forest. Besides it isn't only Ghostpaw that I'm worried about… Stripethroat shook his head. Yesterday, Mistystone had come to him and told him about her "little secret", that in a few moons she would bear Louis's kits. The gray tom was gone, for all he knew, which meant double disaster for his sister. Not only was she a medicine cat, but she was also a medicine cat without a mate. There was nothing worse.

In some ways, Stripethroat was happy. His sister, his sweet, beloved sister, was going to have kits. His son was apprenticed to a skilled warrior. His mate was happy, he was happy. Anyway, he should be happy. But in another world, his sisters would probably be driven from the Clan, his son was in grave danger because his mentor was a psychopath, his mate was struggling to fit in in a Clan that harbored the deepest misgivings for the Clan of her birth, and his two brothers hated each other nearly more than Firestar had hated Darkstripe.

Stripethroat sat down and curled his tail around his paws, taking in the scenery. He was in a tidy clearing, not far from the lake by the smell of it, and the trees were tall and widely spaced – a nice place, overall. He was glad that he had come here. He needed time to think. He didn't get it.

Less than a second after Stripethroat had sat down, he heard a loud rustle in the bushes. Calmly, trying to control the jolt of fear that lanced through his heart, Stripethroat stood, his eyes trained on the foliage. There was another rustle, and then two cats tumbled from beneath the leaves, spitting out mud and hissing.

"I told you we couldn't have gotten very-" The first cat stopped abruptly when she noticed Stripethroat standing rigidly in the center of the clearing. The other one shook itself and got to its feet, looking around with an air of extreme annoyance. The first cat was still staring at Stripethroat with surprise and fear.

"M-Mistystone?" he stammered. "Louis?"

All three cats were silent now, staring at one another. Finally, Louis shook his head, blinking. "No, no, Mistystone, we need to leave now, before it gets dark. Stripethroat, I'm sorry, but this is none of your business-"

"Louis…" the she-cat murmured.

"…We'll just be on our way, and-"

"Louis!"

He turned. "What?"

Mistystone sighed. "He knows."

Louis stopped, his tail twitching. "Oh. I thought you weren't going to tell anyone!"

Stripethroat cleared his throat, and Louis gave him a cold stare, his eyebrows raised.

"He's my brother, Louis," Mistystone explained, exasperated.

Silence reigned for another long moment, as Stripethroat stared from Mistystone to Louis, and back. Finally he mewed, "Mistystone? What's going on?"

The silver she-cat looked once at Louis, who seemed to have realized the tension in the air. The gray tom was now beside her, his eyes fixed calmly on Stripethroat.

"I'm leaving, Stripethroat. I'm sorry, but this is the way it has to be. Louis and I are leaving, but I'll come back when…when the kits are old enough. So I'll see you again. Goodbye."

She got to her feet, a sad smile on her face. Louis rose too, wisely keeping his mouth shut.

Stripethroat did not make a move to stop her. He could tell that it had been unbelievably difficult for Mistystone to make the choice, and he knew that here was sense in stopping her.

Returning her hesitant smile, Stripethroat nodded to her, then to Louis.

"Goodbye."

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Woo-hoo! Hip-hip-hooray! The end of Book Two! I hope that everybody liked it. So, I'll sort of explain what happens in the six moons that I skip between this book and Book Three. Ratwhisker gives birth to three kits – a silver tom, a blueish tom, and a red she-cat. Windkit, Waterkit, and Firekit. As you know, Windkit is killed, though no one knows how – yet. Of course they are all heartbroken. Pondfroth gives birth to two kits the next day – a black she-kit, and a dark gray tom. Ravenkit and Shadowkit. Pinenose hates them from the day they are born, but you will hear more about that later. Meanwhile, Louis and Mistystone receive a not-so-warm welcome at the Tribe of Rushing Water, but Skyteller reluctantly allows them to stay until Mistytone's kits are born. She gives birth to two kits – a silver she-kit and a calico tom. Featherkit and Windkit. Also more about them later. Maplefang's kits are apprenticed, Dapplegrace dies, Yellowflower is killed by a fox, and Vinetail announces that she is carrying Bearclaw's kits. Okay, next book is up soon!