Here's Chapter 1 everyone! :D

Thank you for the reviews as well. ^^

I just hope I can make this a little bit longer than the prologue—holy crap that thing was short. e-e

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. :3


Sitting calmly in the nursery, sat Firekit, his ears flat against his head and his emotionless amber eyes gazing out of the entrance of the den. He flicked an ear as he heard a bout of coughing and he turned his attention towards his mother, Fernshade, who had her head ducked as she let out a cough.

Flicking an ear, Firekit got to his paws and walked over to his mother, his two littermates sleeping soundly beside the curve of their mother's belly.

"Are you alright," Firekit asked in a curious and worried voice as his mother raised her head to look at him. Giving her kit a strained smile, Fernshade leaned down and licked the three moon old kit's head, getting a growl from the ginger tom.

"I'm fine, Firekit," Fernshade replied in a rasp, her voice hoarse from all the coughing. Firekit flicked an ear, not believing his mother. Looking over his shoulder, he could hear the distant roar of thunder; he looked back at his mother.

"I'll go get Dawntail, I'm sure he knows what to do," Firekit meowed in a monotone voice. Without waiting for a reply from his mother—or ignoring his mother's cries of being fine—Firekit walked out of the nursery, feeling the cold air hit his pelt like a claw. He forced himself not to shiver, but his legs shook as he walked over to the medicine cats' den, ignoring the cold air.

It was early Leafbare in the Clans and the cold air told that frost would be on its way.

Firekit poked his head inside the medicine cats' den and looked around, flicking his ears as his eyes adjusted to the light. Blinking slowly, Firekit lightly placed his paws in front of him as he walked, looking around and sniffing the air occasionally—he found the scents of herbs in the air, but not Dawntail's scent.

Firekit placed his paw on the ground and then suddenly let out a yelp as he tumbled to the ground, landing on the den floor in a weird position.

Shaking his head, Firekit opened his eyes and looked around, seeing nothing in the den except for the back of the den, knowing full well that it was Dawntail's storage for his herbs. Getting to his paws, Firekit looked around, suddenly interested in what was in the medicine cats' den.

"Firekit—what are you doing in here!?"

Firekit's ears flew up and he whipped around, coming face to face with Dawntail, the grumpy medicine cat's eyes glaring dagger into Firekit's wide amber eyes.

Getting back into his emotionless state, Firekit slowly blinked his eyes. "I just came to get you—my mother's coughing is starting to get worst." Firekit meowed as his whiskers twitched. Unlike normal kits, Firekit was unusually tall for his age; he looked more like a newly made apprentice than a kit.

Dawntail let out a snort of annoyance. "You don't think I know that," he hissed his green eyes narrowed even more.

Firekit, far from being annoyed or angry, gave a shrug.

Rolling his eyes, Dawntail sighed and padded past the kit, heading towards the cleft he kept his herbs.

"What kind of sickness does she have," Firekit suddenly spoke up, not looking at Dawntail as he stared at the entrance, watching the flashes of thunder and lightning.

Dawntail looked up from his herb sorting, glancing at Firekit from the corner of his eye as he looked over his shoulder.

He was silent for a few moments before the young cat spoke again, "You don't know…do you…" It wasn't a question.

Without answering, Dawntail looked back at his herbs, sorting them once more.

Firekit, hearing no response from the medicine cat, closed his eyes slowly and listened to the pattering of rain on the ground. Without another word, Firekit padded out of the medicine cats' den, heading back to the nursery with soaked fur.

I have a bad feeling about this… Was Firekit's last thought as he entered the nursery, ignoring the yelps and stern voices of the other queens as well as his mother's voice as he slept over towards the corner of the den, and curling up with a wet fur….his mother had other plans though for he didn't get any sleep until his pelt was as dry as the other kits.


The next morning, Fernshade's coughing got even worst than it was yesterday. Rising his head, Firekit's blurred eyes was focused on the gray pelt of his mother, watching as her head was lowered and a whole bout of coughing escaped her jaws.

"M…mother?" Firekit asked, blinking his eyes slowly as he watched his mother continuing to cough.

"I'm…f…fine…..F…..F…..Firekit." She rasped out in between coughs.

"Mom?" Rainkit asked, worry evident in her voice as she watched her mother with worried-filled blue eyes.

Spiderkit was standing beside his sister, amber eyes wide with worry as well.

Getting to his paws, Firekit shook out his pelt and padded away from his family—his littermates already knew that he was going to go get someone to help—and out of the nursery, narrowing his eyes at the bright sunlight.

Shaking his head, Firekit looked around and headed over to the medicine cats' den, his ears flat against his head.

Poking his head in, he could scent herbs in the air. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he padded inside the den, looking around and sniffing the air occasionally. He let out a growl of annoyance. Dawntail's scent was faint, which meant that he woke up early and left to gather more herbs…..or it was because yesterday was half-moon, but that was beside the point.

Turning around, Firekit padded out of the den and was met with a tail smacking his muzzle.

Firekit blinked his eyes and let them stare at the offender. A black tomcat was standing in front of him, his green eyes narrowed in annoyance, while his tail swished out behind him.

"Sheesh, Firekit, I though you would at least know your manners," Nightpaw meowed in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes.

Firekit ignored the apprentice's talk and headed towards the nursery, ignoring the rude apprentice's yowl of protest and anger.

Poking his head inside the nursery, he could hear the loud coughing again.

"Did you find Dawntail," Rainkit asked as she scrambled over to Firekit, her blue eyes wide with worry and anticipation.

Firekit flicked his ears and stared at his sister's eyes—Rainkit got the silent message and lowered her head, while Spiderkit's eyes widen in disbelief.

"I swear if it wasn't for the fact that yesterday was half-moon I would have clawed that cat myself," Skyheart growled, anger evident in her eyes, but as she looked at Fernshade, her eyes narrowed in worry as she whispered comforting words to the sick queen. Skyheart was heavy with kits—they were supposed to be due next moon or so….but Firekit knew that the kits may arrive sooner than she expected.

The other queen, Redshine, was out of the camp with her two kits, Redkit and Boulderkit.

The experienced queen, Thistlefur, was keeping a watchful eye on everything—Firekit could see that Thistlefur was tempted to go out and call the leader.

"Where is Dawntail when you need him," Spiderkit complained, and Firekit flicked his tail-tip, but said nothing.

"I'll get Birchstar," Firekit said suddenly, getting everyone's attention. "He'll want to know about this."

As he turned and exited the nursery, he couldn't help but swiftly, and quickly, see Thistlefur and Skyheart give each other quick, worried and confused looks.

Walking towards the leader's den, which was locating near the High Boulder, Firekit couldn't help but see that a lot of warriors and a few apprentices, as well as some of the elders, were all starting to crowd around the nursery—they must have heard Fernshade cough, Firekit mused to himself.

Entering the leader's den without permission (as always), Firekit was met with Birchstar giving him a calm look, his ears flicking.

"Firekit, I knew you would be coming," Birchstar meowed, getting to his paws and walking over to the small kit. "I know this has something to do with your mother."

Firekit said nothing, but nodded his head. Turning around, Firekit lead Birchstar out of the leader's den—it was strange, between the two really. Firekit and Birchstar seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking, it was as though they were like twins….if it wasn't for the fact that Birchstar was a lot older than Firekit and a lot more wiser and stronger.

The crowd of cats seemed to have noticed the two and they moved away, making a path for the two. Thistlefur was already out, her eyes showing no emotion, though the flick of her whiskers meant that she was in deed trying to hurry things up.

"How's Fernshade," Birchstar asked, his green gaze on Thistlefur.

"Not good," she replied immediately, her voice shaking, as well as her body. "Her coughing is getting worse and her body is starting to jerk violently. I'm afraid if this keeps up—"

"There's a chance she might die."

Everyone turned their attention to the new voice, seeing Dawntail walking calmly towards his leader and Thistlefur; said she-cat was glaring at him.

"What took you so long," she hissed and Dawntail flicked his ear to dismiss the question, though he did answer it.

"It took me awhile to get back from my trip to the Moonpool, but I'm here now," he meowed, his whiskers twitching in annoyance.

"What's going to happen to Fernshade," Firekit demanded, noticing his siblings' heads poke out of the entrance.

"Fernshade will most likely die," Dawntail answered without hesitation, his green gaze on Firekit. Firekit stared back.

"I was right then, you don't know what this illness is," Firekit said no challenge or accusation in his voice; his tone was devoid of any emotion, as well as his eyes.

Dawntail's whiskers twitched again and he nodded. "It's a strange one and I really wish I knew the cure, but sadly, StarClan showed me no signs of what the cure could be."

All the cats' eyes widen in shock and Firekit flicked an ear, looking over his shoulder at his siblings. Rainkit had wide, scared, eyes while Spiderkit was glaring at Dawntail with evident hatred.

"You're a medicine cat," he hissed as he pushed past his sister and stood beside his taller and bigger brother; his neck fur was fluffed up and his lips were drawn back in a snarl.

Dawntail flicked an ear. "I may be a medicine cat, but even I don't know what some illnesses are." Without another word, Dawntail padded inside the nursery, shooing Rainkit out to wait outside.

Firekit and Spiderkit turned around to look at the entrance, Rainkit standing next to her littermates as the three watched and waited for anything good or bad to happen.

Firekit's ear flicked as he watched Birchstar pad inside the nursery, a grim look on his face.

"What's going on?"

Firekit turned his head to look over his shoulder to see Ravenpelt padding over. His dark gray pelt was bristling as he stalked up to the three kits. He gave the three a fierce look with his pale blue eyes.

"Fernshade is sick and Dawntail and Birchstar went in to see them," Firekit responded.

Ravenpelt narrowed his eyes as he looked up, staring at the entrance of the nursery with a disgusted look in his eyes.

"That's what she gets for staying out in Leafbare for so long," Ravenpelt growled and he turned around and stalked off to the warriors' den.

"That guy's a mouse-dung," Spiderkit whispered harshly under his breathe to his littermates.

Rainkit let out a squeak of agreement while Firekit watched the warrior's tail flick as he reached inside the warriors' den. Firekit narrowed his eyes a bit as he remembered that Ravenpelt was Birchstar's brother.

Firekit's ear perked up as he heard pawsteps and he turned around to see Dawntail come out of the nursery with Birchstar padding behind him.

"Well, how is she?" Thistlefur asked, worry evident in her voice as she stared at the two toms.

Dawntail glanced over at Firekit, Rainkit, and Spiderkit, before looking back at the older queen. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but she's….gone." Dawntail murmured, lowering his gaze towards the camp floor. There were a few wails of grief and murmuring going on throughout the camp.

Firekit flicked his ear and walked past his littermates, ignoring their grief welled eyes as they were trained on him. He padded past Birchstar, Dawntail, and Thistlefur and headed inside the nursery.

Once inside, Firekit looked around and spotted the lifeless body of his mother, as well as the back of Skyheart. Firekit also remembered that Skyheart was Ravenpelt's mate, and was expecting Ravenpelt's kits. How many more things have I forgotten in my clan? Firekit though grimly as he walked over and sat next to Skyheart, staring at his mother's lifeless pelt, a frown on his face.

"Firekit," Skyheart's soft voice made him turn to look at the she-cat. "Your mother's last request before she died was for you and your littermates."

Firekit understood at once what Skyheart meant. Turning around, Firekit saw Rainkit and Spiderkit's heads in the nursery entrance, both looked hesitant to come in. Firekit nudged his head and his littermates quickly scrambled over towards their brother, standing next to him as the three looked at Skyheart, two with huge, round eyes and one with narrowed amber eyes and the same frown on his face.

Skyheart watched the three kits and let her eyes grow soft. She didn't need to tell them what their mother wanted her to tell them…not until they were older. "Your mother wants you three to become strong warriors." She meowed, lowering her head and licking each kit's head in turn.

Firekit narrowed his eyes as Skyheart padded towards her nest and lied down on it. Shaking his head, Firekit turned his attention to the entrance and saw two warriors pad over and take Fernshade's body. Firekit padded out of the nursery with them, standing at the edge of the entrance and watching as Dawntail and the two warriors prepped Fernshade's body for a night vigil. Spiderkit and Rainkit were standing next to him, all three of them watching as their mother was in the middle of the clan with cats murmuring and lying on the ground, all were going to stay awake until sunrise.

Firekit lied down, his littermates doing the same and they laid there, waiting. Firekit let out a sigh as he turned his gaze towards the sky, seeing the stars of StarClan shinning down on them. I wonder…. What did Fernshade tell Skyheart before she died? Was Firekit's last thought as he laid his head down on his paws and closed his eyes, letting sleep take over him.


This chapter…. :c

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. :D