By the next day, I was out of the nursery. Brushkit, I learned, was a dark brown tabby and Orangekit was a tawny colored tabby. Slowly, I stuck my nose out of the nursery. I heard something, gently encouraging me to step out of the densely woven bramble shell that protected me in my first few days. I followed to voice. Right outside, I saw a bright orange she-cat. She was gazing at me through dark blue eyes. "You're out," she purred.

I looked up at her in awe. I thought I had seen everyone since cats constantly came to see me. "Who are you?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter right now. For now, I have a message for Honeyscent."

I examined her more closely. "Are you a Starclan cat?" I asked.

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Not exactly. I don't live in Starclan with any other cats, nor do I live in the Dark Forest."

"Then where do you live?"

"Mostly hang around your mind. Even after a cat dies in Starclan, they can still live on through one's mind. That's where I live."

"Sounds lonely," I commented.

Her eyes dulled with deep regret. "It is."

Something about her seemed familiar. "Where you a queen?" I asked. Her stature and size reminded me of a cat who once had kits.

"Once," was all she replied. "Look, I can't stay here long, and only you can see me, so I must pass this message."

"Okay."

"Tell Honeyscent," she closed her eyes. "Only the one with the heart of a flower can save the forest against a force even the strongest storms cannot stop."

"Huh? What does it mean?"

"Just tell her!" She insisted.

I nodded. "Honeyscent!" I called, turning towards her den. When I looked back, the mysterious cat was gone. I charged towards Honeyscent's clearing. "Honeyscent!"

"Yes, Phoenixkit? Is there something wrong?" She asked, yawning as she padded out of her den.

"A cat came to me!" I told her excitedly. "And she said-"

"Wait, a Starclan cat?"

"Yes, but she told me-"

"Coming to a kit? I've never heard such a thing."

"But Honeyscent!"

"No Phoenixkit," she growled. "I understand you're a kit, and you love to play games and all, but lying about a message-"

"I wasn't lying-"

She lifted her paw. "Lying about a message from Starclan is much too far."

"Honey-"

"Leave my den!"

Terrified, I bolted out of her den. My paws took me towards a large rock near one wall. I slipped behind a curtain of lichen, expecting to find bare rock to press against but it opened into a large cleft in the rock. "Phoenixkit?" A cat asked confusedly.

"I'm so sorry! I'll leave-"

"No, I can tell you want to say something important. Come here and get comfortable, tell me what's on your mind."

"I-"

"Bluestar!" A voice called from outside.

"Hold on, Lionheart!" she replied. "Now, Phoenixkit, what's wrong?"

"Honeyscent won't listen to me."

"Well, Phoenixkit, she's very busy."

"But it was a sign from Starclan!"

She seemed interested now. "Go on."

"I went outside the nursery and there was a cat there who told me-"

"Who was this cat?" Bluestar interrupted.

"I don't know, a bright orange she-cat, but she didn't say her name."

Bluestar looked solemn now. "Phoenixflame," she whispered.

I didn't know who Phoenixflame was. All I knew was that she died before I was born. "She said," I closed my eyes, remembering the cat's words. "Only the one with the heart of a flower can save the forest against a force even the strongest storms cannot stop."

"Heart of a flower?" she repeated. "The only flower I know is Phoenixflame's daughter, Lilyheart."

"Lily is a flower, heart is part of it. Do you think-"

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Why would Lilyheart be important, but not Comettail or Solarflare?"

"I don't know," I confessed.

She was silent for a second. "Thank you, Phoenixkit, go back to the nursery and this conversation and your talk with the Starclan cat are our little secret. Don't tell anyone else, got it?"

I didn't reply.

"Got it?" she pressed.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Got it."