A/n: Welcome to the sequel! I told you it would be happening c: If you didn't read the one before this, I suggest you do. It's called 'What Could Have Been', easily accessible on my profile c: I don't think this will attract a lot of new readers, but just in case, there you have it!

-Important! Please read- So, in this story I will need a LOT of cats. Soooo, I've made a forum: myforums/Silent_Steps_in_Silver_Snow/4030349/ Please go there to create a kitty :3

Sunlight shone through the treetops, filtering through the leaves and shining down into the clearing in the forest below. The ground was covered by soft, deep green moss and patches of grass that sent a warm, summery smell into the air. In the glade, two she-cats were engrossed in deep conversation—One was a white she-cat with deep blue eyes that sparkled with starshine, and the other was a gray she-cat. She was less shimmery, and seemed more earthly than her companion. Her fluffy tail swished the grass nervously as she asked, "are you sure that this is the best for us, Icepaw?"

The StarClan she-cat nodded wisely. "Yes, I am sure. I've talked with Bluestar, Spottedleaf, Flametail, Jayfeather—All of the greatest StarClan cats, and they all say the same thing: This is the only thing that can save your Clans."

"But what of warrior blood? With so many non-Clan cats, won't we become nothing more than a group of cats with Clan blood somewhere in our ancestry?"

"Rainbreeze, I expect you to know better," Icepaw chided gently. "A cat in a Clan has warrior blood, no matter where they came from or who they were."

Rainbreeze nodded. "I understand," she mewed. "When should I bring this up with the Clans?"

"At tonight's Gathering," the StarClan apprentice replied. "The leaders will be more open to the idea then you might expect."

"I will do that," Rainbreeze promised. "Thank you."

Icepaw purred. "Goodnight, my friend. Or should I say good morning?"

The StarClan forest dissolved into a silver fog and Rainbreeze woke up in her den, splayed in her nest with her face to the moss. Groaning, she rose to her paws and gave her fur a quick grooming. A quiet coughing from the front of the den told her Brightpaw was awake. The ThunderClan medicine cat padded over to where the young ginger-and-white she-cat lay. "How are you feeling today, Brightpaw?" She asked.

The apprentice raised her head groggily. "Better," she rasped. "My throat still hurts, though."

The young she-cat had come down with whitecough a few sunrises before. She was healing, but Rainbreeze wanted to keep her in the medicine den so that it wouldn't turn to greencough. "Here, eat this," she told Brightpaw, pushing a wrapped bundle of herbs toward her. "It won't taste good, but it will hopefully mean you're training again tomorrow—light training, mind you."

Brightpaw took a bite of one of the leaves, then spit it back out and dramatically wiped her tongue on the moss. "Ew," she complained, "do I have to?"

"Here, let me help you with that," Rainbreeze chuckled, pulling a honeycomb out of her stores and dripping some on the leaves. "That should make it taste better."

"Thanks!" The ginger-and-white she-cat settled down to eat the herbs ("They still taste kinda gross!") while Rainbreeze took fresh moss from a ball by the entrance and set about changing the bedding in her nest as well as Brightpaw's. Using the last scraps, she carried them to the back and lined a small dip in the floor.

The medicine cat apprentice's nest had been empty for over 12 moons. Hopefully not for much longer, she purred to herself. Lilyheart's kits were becoming apprentices today, and if he agreed, Emberkit would become her own apprentice. Rainbreeze patted the last scraps of moss into place and stepped back to admire her work. Satisfied with the outcome, she left the den and emerged into the warm sunlight. Curling her claws into the soft dirt, Rainbreeze stretched and yawned in the dappled light, then made her way through the throngs of cats gathered for morning patrols and leaped up the tumble of rocks leading to the Highledge. Talonstar was grooming himself at the peak of the stone, watching sun with dull amber eyes. He was getting old, and there were rumors of him retiring. When the medicine cat leaped up to land on the flat rock, he glanced over.

"Good day, Rainbreeze," he greeted her. "Are you here for the ceremony?"

"Actually, I had something to tell you first." Rainbreeze summarized up her dream from the night before, ending with, "Icepaw told me to tell the Clans at the Gathering tonight."

Talonstar dipped his head thoughtfully. "I will make sure you have the chance. In the meantime, it's sunhigh. Time to call everyone for the ceremony."

Rainbreeze nodded respectfully and jumped down to sit halfway up the rock tumble as Talonstar called everyone together. Moonkit, Emberkit and Stormkit were sitting near the edge, whispering excitedly. Lilyheart and her mate, Sparktail, were sitting a little while off, tails twined. Rainbreeze watched Emberkit with special interest as he glanced around brightly, looking more nervous than either of his siblings. He had been the one to repeatedly lead his littermates on escapades through the medicine den. One time, Rainbreeze had returned from an herb-gathering expedition to find Stormkit pretending to be a greencough patient while Emberkit ran around madly, picking herbs out of their stores and pretending to feed them to his brother.

The Clans quieted down as Talonstar began to speak. "Today, we have three kits who have reached the age of six moons and are ready to be apprenticed. Emberkit, Moonkit and Stormkit, please come forward." The three young cats, swapping excited glances, ran out of the crowd and stopped nervously before the Highledge. Talonstar looked down at them with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, then continued, "Stormkit, from this moment until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Palefrost, you have proved yourself ready for an apprentice, so you will be mentor to Stormpaw."

The light gray tom stepped out of the audience to touch noses with the new apprentice, before both withdrew into the crowd.

Next, Moonkit took a small step forward as Talonstar announced, "from this day until she earns her warrior name, she will be known as Moonpaw. Featherpelt, you are a loyal warrior, and I know Moonpaw will blossom under your training."

The two gray she-cats touched noses, leaving only Emberkit standing in the middle of the clearing. Rainbreeze couldn't help but notice as the young tom's eyes flickered nervously, his amber gaze jumping from cat to cat with barely visible flicks. As Talonstar began the last part of the ceremony, his eyes moved so he was watching his leader with bright eyes. "Emberkit, from this day until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Emberpaw. Emberpaw, you are different. Even as a kit, you were not like your littermates. For this reason, you will be apprenticed to Rainbreeze, if you so choose."

Emberpaw looked stunned for a moment, then happy as he dipped his head. "I would like that," he mewed with barely concealed excitement, veiled only by a thin layer of outward calmness.

Rainbreeze felt a purr grow in her chest as she leaped down to touch noses with him. He stared at her with a mixture of excitement and wonder as they withdrew to the side, where Rainbreeze usually sat during meetings.

"Stormpaw! Moonpaw! Emberpaw!" The Clan cheered. Talonstar let it continue for a few heartbeats, then raised his tail for silence.

"As you all know, our deputy Lilyheart has been in the nursery for the past six moons with her kits, who are now apprentices. Therefore, she will resume her duties, taking back over from Lightfur. Lightfur, we thank you for being so willing to serve your Clan in her absence."

"Lilyheart! Lightfur!" After that round of cheers had died down, Talonstar finished with, "the cats going to the Gathering tonight will be myself, Lilyheart, Rainbreeze, Palefrost, Oaktail, Pondpaw and Sparktail. That is all." He turned and retreated into his den, signaling the end of the meeting.

The moment the crowd began to break up, Emberpaw turned to Rainbreeze and assaulted her with questions. "So, what are we doing first? When do I get to meet StarClan? Are we taking care of any sick cats right now?"

Rainbreeze laughed. "Calm down, Emberpaw," she purred. "We'll get to all of that. Right now, I'm just going to take you on a tour of the territory and show you some of my favorite spots to get herbs. I'll tell you about some of them on the way."

"Okay!" Emberpaw's ears pricked up and he bounced forward, leaving Rainbreeze to trot after him, knowing that she would be very, very tired that night.

A/n: Well? Yeshyeshyesh? I liked it c: 'Twas pretty impressive for me, I think :3 Don't be afraid to review, I promise that I don't bite! Also, don't forget to go submit some kitties to the forum linked at the beginning of the chapter! I really need 'em c: