I was born here on a sunny day. My mother used to tell me that being part of BloodClan was a wonderful privilege. As I grew up, mother passed away, leaving just me and my brother Muddy in this big world. Each day, I grew fiercer, further away from my true self. That wasn't how I wanted to be. Yet I stayed, because this is the place that has been my home for moons.

"Hey, Blood, watch this!"

My brother's shout distracted me from my grooming. I turned to see him balanced perilously on the fence, his brown pelt gleaming from the sun and his blue eyes shining. With one massive leap, he landed on the top of one of the garbage cans scattered around the alleyway. He gave a yowl of triumph and jumped on top of me. We rolled together on the hard pavement until a monster roared by and showered us with dirty sewer water. We broke apart immediately to wash ourselves. My tongue ran smoothly across my soft brown fur. I looked like my brother, to say the least, with my reddish-brown pelt that grew lighter towards my belly and finally led to my white paws. The only difference was my white muzzle and the two raindrop-shaped markings above my eyes. My golden eyes reflected the sun, making them shine. As I looked at my younger littermate, who was lapping at his pelt and making faces at the yucky water, I couldn't stop myself from blinking warmly at him. He was my only family left.

In that moment, I vowed to protect him. I felt not only warmth to Muddy, but to BloodClan as well, especially Scourge, leader of BloodClan. Scourge was my leader, and this was where I belonged.

But that was about to change.

oOo_oOo_oOo_ oOo

"Muddy! Muddy, do you hear me? Muddy?" I shouted frantically, but my brother didn't reply. His eyes were closed and blood was slowly trickling down from his agape jaws. His pelt was drenched in the stench of the Thunderpath. The monster had charged away and left a trail of dust in its wake. I wanted to track that monster down and rip it apart, but I couldn't leave my brother alone. I looked down once again at the still body of my littermate. His scent lingered in the air, threatening to be blown away by the slightest breeze. A wail rose in my throat, but I pushed it down. Muddy would get up in no time. I just had to wait. I settled down beside him and waited. I waited until sun-down, but he still hadn't moved. I crouched there, willing him to start breathing and look at me with the playfulness like he used to.

How long I was asleep, I don't know. I awoke to the sound of pawsteps and I opened my eyes to see two familiar black and white pelts.

Ice and Snake. They looked down at me with an almost pained expression.

"Come on," Ice meowed, "Let's go back to camp. Scourge'll want to hear this." They tried to make me stand, but I refused to budge. Not without Muddy. I remembered Scourge's rule.

No cats are allowed to live together after they reach three moons.

Still, I disobeyed that rule, because of my vow. My vow to protect him. But he's still dead. Some protector I am.

They hauled me back to camp and dumped me in front of Scourge. I looked into those ice cold eyes and shivered. I didn't know what he would do to me. Probably the same as what he did to Violet. He padded down towards me and stared at me, disgust filling his ice blue eyes. He raised a paw and sliced it down my flank. Agony filled my entire being. Cats had begun to whisper amongst themselves at my betrayal, but they sounded distant. I could tell that they were flooding out the alleyway, as if my betrayal was a disease that could be caught if you stayed near me.

Once I was sure every cat was gone, I dragged myself across the Thunderpath, not knowing where I was going. I wanted a monster to crush me like Muddy. But when I had reached the other side, I was still alive. Badly injured, but alive.

I heard some voices, but I wasn't sure who they belonged to. I was being dragged under, darkness engulfing me until I couldn't sense anything anymore.

I'm sorry, Muddy. I couldn't fulfill my promise.

oOo_oOo_oOo_ oOo

"Look at that wound! It looks painful! I'm surprised she survived!"

"I know. We are very lucky to have you as our medicine cat, Cinderpelt."

I groaned as I slowly opened my dull golden eyes, once so full of energy. The two cats that were talking noticed and quickly crowed around me. I noticed another cat standing further back. I couldn't make sense of where I was.

Seeming to sense my discomfort, a cinder-pelted she-cat mewed, "You're in ThunderClan. You were gravely wounded, but you've healed a bit."

I gazed at the three cats curiously. I had never smelt their scent before. The sandy coloured she-cat to my right introduced herself.

"Greetings. I am Sandstorm." She meowed gently. She beckoned towards the other cat standing behind them. As he came forward, I realized that he was a ginger-pelted tom with emerald green eyes. He raised his head high.

"I am Firestar, leader of ThunderClan."

The remaining gray she-cat dipped her head to me. "I am Cinderpelt, the medicine cat."

Cinderpelt, huh? It fits her.

"So, where did you come from? And where'd you get that nasty wound?"

I hesitated, then I mewed quietly, "BloodClan."

All three cats visibly tensed and it was several moments before Cinderpelt motioned at me to continue.

"And who gave you the wound?" she asked shakily, as if she were afraid of the answer.

"Scourge."

oOo_oOo_oOo_ oOo

"By the spirits of our warrior ancestors, I now name you Snowfire!"

Snowfire. I like that. Much better than Blood.

I licked Firestar's shoulder and padded back to join the rest of the warriors. Some of the warriors muttered discontentedly, probably because they thought I was going to betray them in the fight against BloodClan because of my origins. I flattened my ears, but I was determined to prove my loyalty. I would hunt down Snake and Ice and make them pay.

As we bounded towards Fourtrees, I was planning out the battle in my head. We encountered WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan on our way there. With our allies behind us, we raced to the enormous clearing. Scourge challenged us and before I knew it, the clearing was plunged into chaos as cats from LionClan and BloodClan alike pounced on each other. My sharp, golden eyes sought out the two brothers that had made me suffer so much agony.

Strangely, when I found Snake and Ice, Barley was also fighting them. He was outnumbered, though, so I plunged into their midst and grabbed Snake's scruff, just in time to stop him from killing Barley with a bite to the throat. Snarling, I clawed the black-and-white cat until he yowled like a kit. That was probably what I sounded like when Scourge had tried to kill me.

The memories of my pain made me even angrier than before. I clawed blindly, a red haze filling my mind. Somehow, they managed to escape. I didn't bother chasing them. I knew that they were beaten. Whipping around, I fought my way between warring cats, looking for a black pelt and the ice blue eyes that I had grown to hate.

I spotted him fighting with Firestar. I was about to help, but I saw that there was no need. Scourge's blows got weaker until he stopped completely, spasms seizing his thin frame. His eyes, getting duller every second, slid to the side and he saw me.

"Blood…" he croaked. I stared at him, my hatred unmasked.

"No, I'm not Blood anymore."

I've left that behind me. I am no longer the weak cat that you tried to kill.

"I am Snowfire of ThunderClan."