Sending a Different Message

Summary: Foxpaw thought she loved him. He was wrong. CRACK: FoxHolly, FoxCinder

A/N: Random idea, thought I'd write it, see what people think. Enjoy your complimentary tea and crackers for reading. :)

Disclaimer: Warriors and all related themes and characters belong to Erin Hunter. No copyright infringement was intended in the making of this story.

He knew from the day he first saw her that they were destined to be together.

It was obvious in the way that she was the only she-cat in the nursery other than his sister, and the way she always spoke gently to him. She cared about him. It was obvious.

Separation was hard. When her apprentice ceremony rolled around and he couldn't even go, he was devastated. But not as devastated as when he realized that she wasn't coming back.

When he found out that she was a medicine cat apprentice, he knew it must have been a mistake. They were made for each other, and if she was a medicine cat, they could never be together. It had to have been a mistake. No matter what had happened, surely everything would be fixed. One day, they would be together.

He caught glimpses of her every now and then. Once, he stepped on a thorn purposely so he could go to the medicine den to see her. Too bad he didn't know she was out collecting herbs.

A few moons later, his problem was solved. She traded places with her brother. No longer was she the unattainable medicine cat apprentice. She could be his once more.

He did everything he could to gain her attention. Everything, that is, short of jumping from the high walls surrounding the camp.

It took him until his fifth moon to realize that he had competition. Berrypaw and Mousepaw, not to mention all the warriors. He needed to be made an apprentice. Now.

Finally, the day came. And who was assigned as his mentor? None but Squirrelflight herself, his love's mother. Surely it was a sign from StarClan. Once again, fate had turned in his favor. She would be his, and there would be no one to stand in his way.

Then came the day that she and her brothers left for their stupid journey. But he vowed to himself that it was simply a test from StarClan. If their love could withstand this... separation, this aloneness, then surely it could withstand anything.

And it did. When she returned, he hadn't looked twice at any other she-cat. She was his star, his fire, his only love.

Then she became a warrior, and his world came crashing down around his paws. There were so many warriors, so many toms, to choose from. Would she be able to stand strong against the tempting idea of all those toms within her reach?

What was he thinking? Of course she could! If he could survive the pain of separation, then she could survive it too. No cat would ever doubt their love for each other.

There came a time though, a moment when he doubted their love, when he doubted that there ever had been a love.

She revealed the secret of her birth. The secret that had been shrouded in mysteries and darkness.

She was no true ThunderClan cat.

But he pushed those foolish thoughts out of his head, and went to speak to her, to declare his love before anything more could come between them.

"Hollyleaf?" Foxpaw called tentatively.

The black she-cat didn't move from her position, hunched over by the lake's edge.

"Hollyleaf, it's me," he said gently. "It's Foxpaw."

"Go away," she said, her voice agonized.

"Hollyleaf -" Foxpaw started.

"I said, go away!" she snapped, finally turning around. Her entire body spoke of anger and sorrow.

Foxpaw stared at her, eyes wide. "I... I just thought you might want some company," he said quietly, looking down at his paws. "But I guess I'll just go back to camp."

Hollyleaf's face softened. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's okay."

Foxpaw tentatively took a few steps forward, then sat down at her side. He wrapped his tail around his feet and glanced up at her shyly. She was staring down at her paws, black tail twitching back and forth.

"Hollyleaf," Foxpaw started.

"Shush," she said. "Don't speak."

Foxpaw looked down. Maybe she wasn't ready for him to say this. Or maybe she already understood.

"Hollyleaf," he began again. He continued before she could get in a word. "I love you. I always have, and I always will, whether your parents are Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, or Crowfeather and Leafpool."

Hollyleaf's head shot up. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said 'I love you,'" he answered gently. "And I always will."

Pain and sorrow lanced across his love's face. "Foxpaw -" she began.

"You don't have to say it," he interrupted. "I know how you feel. It's okay to be confused."

"Foxpaw..." Hollyleaf trailed off, her voice pained. "Foxpaw, we're just friends. That's all we've ever been."

The russet furred apprentice stared at her with shock written across his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice confused.

"Foxpaw, I do love you," Hollyleaf said, staring at him gently. "But like a brother. I love you the same way I love Jayfeather and Lionblaze."

Realization dawned in Foxpaw's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by a devastated pain. "But Hollyleaf... We... We were made for each other! I know it! The signs came from StarClan!"

"Foxpaw," Hollyleaf whispered gently. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had. But all we are is friends. I'm sorry."

Foxpaw backed away, his whiskers quivering, and his paws moving of their own accord.

"No..." he whispered. "It... It can't be."

"I'm sorry, Foxpaw," the black warrior whispered.

Then he turned and dashed into the forest without looking back.

The next night, her brothers came back with the news of her death. He let out a yowl of pain, and his only comfort was that she had died as she had lived, defending and upholding the warrior code.

He sat alone that night in the middle of camp, holding a silent, solemn vigil with no body.

Within days, the whole Clan knew that he had loved her with every fiber of his being. His sister tried to comfort him, as did their mother, but there was no rest for the lonely, pining apprentice. But he tried to live as she had, with the warrior code guiding her every pawstep.

One day, his leader came to him and said he was ready to be a warrior. He just nodded and didn't say a single word throughout the whole conversation.

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Foxpaw, Icepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to defend and protect this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Foxpaw spoke with his sister, but it was obvious to all who watched that his heart wasn't in it. His heart was walking with a black-furred warrior of StarClan.

"I do," Icepaw and the Foxpaw-shell said.

Firestar almost looked a little sad as he continued to speak. "Then I hereby give you your warrior names," he said. "Icepaw, from this day forward you will be known as Iceshadow. StarClan honors your compassion and your friendliness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

He placed his muzzle on top of Iceshadow's as the she-cat gently licked her leader's shoulder. Then the flame colored tom turned to Foxpaw.

"Foxpaw..." Firestar trailed off, looking hesitant. Foxpaw wondered to himself if, maybe, Firestar had decided he wasn't worthy of being a warrior, but then Firestar continued.

"Foxpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Foxleaf. StarClan honors your strength and your open heart, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Foxpaw was shocked at his name. Foxleaf? There hidden meaning behind his new name was definitely apparent. Obviously, Firestar hadn't forgotten his granddaughter.

Foxpaw took a step forward to lick his leader's shoulder, and stepped into his new name.

For three moons, the new warrior made his way from haunted apprentice to respected warrior. He fought with all his might to defend the warrior code as he knew his love would have, blind to everything but his Clan.

Blind, even, to what was the beginning of a new age for him.

Then one night, a she-cat approached him as he hunted, and his life, once again, was thrown off the course he had planned.

"Nice catch, Foxleaf," said a voice from behind him.

Foxleaf turned. "Thanks, Cinderheart," he said.

She smiled shyly. "That was close. That pigeon almost got away."

Foxleaf shrugged. "It's not a big deal. It really isn't that hard."

Cinderheart stepped a little closer, touching her tail to his shoulder shyly. "Maybe you could show me sometime."

Something tugged at Foxleaf's heart in a way that nothing had for a long time, and he smiled.

"Yeah. I think that would be good."

A/N: There you have it! I've always loved Foxpaw... He's just so adorable! Don't forget to tell me what you think! Review!

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl