Hey everyone and welcome back to the story. This chapter mainly focuses on Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha's first day of training. I hope that you enjoy.

Chapter 2: Fate

Kirito walked slowly through the forest following Dovewing and Lionblaze, admiring the vast amount of trees and shrubbery. Today Kirito was finally going to learn how to fight as a cat, something he reveled about when he first heard about combat being a priority in this world. He wasn't sure if it was because of all the VRMMORPG's he'd played, but he was already hyped up on his second day in the forest.

"This sure feels nostalgic, doesn't it, Dovewing?" Lionblaze asked her. "We're out here training Kirito, just like we did with Lelouch two years ago."

"Wait, you both trained Lelouch as well? I think I feel kind of special now, well, other than being a part of the prophecy and all."

"Yup, although I don't think Lelouch was as keen on learning how to fight. He knew it was necessary, but yesterday you couldn't wait until you learned." Dovewing said with a giggle.

"Well, all the better then, right? I think I might catch on a bit quicker than he did." He stated. "So, how much longer until we're there?"

"Just through these trees." Lionblaze assured him. They passed the trees and broke through a row of bushes out into the clearing, the meadow of grass in front of them containing a few trees scattered around it. Dovewing let out a breath as she surveyed the area.

"So much happened here two years ago. I can't believe that it's been that long."

"I know, especially for you, Dovewing. I'm sure you have a lot of memories of this place." Lionblaze responded. "Anyway, we should start before Kirito over here complains that we're spending too much time being nostalgic."

"What? C'mon, I know we only met yesterday but I'm not that rude." Kirito said with a small pout, causing Lionblaze to laugh.

"I was only kidding, Kirito. Besides, I'm a bit excited for this myself. I haven't trained a cat in forever." He told him. "Okay, well this first move is the Forepaw Slash. Pretty much just swipe a paw forward with as much power as you can."

"So like this?" Kirito demonstrated the Forepaw Slash with ease. "Seems a bit too simple."

"Well it is one of the basic moves." Dovewing told him.

"It is, and it is much like the Front Paw Blow, which is pretty much a Forepaw Slash to the head, but your claws are sheathed. A Forepaw Slash is an attack on a cat's body or face with your claws unsheathed."

"Okay, so the Forepaw Slash is more of an injury-type move, while the Front Paw Blow is used to stun, right?" Lionblaze nodded his head.

"Correct, but also…" Lionblaze leaped out towards Kirito, pinning him to the ground. Dovewing let out a small gasp of surprise, but then let out a small smile, remembering that this was almost exactly like how Lelouch's training went, and some of hers when she was an apprentice, for that matter. "…you can get pinned to the ground by an opponent, which does happen a lot."

"Maybe you can warn me next time at least?" Kirito asked.

"You won't get a warning when in the heat of battle. I'm sure you know that from all your adventures."

"I guess you're right. So what do I do when I'm like this? I can try to shake you off, or I can kick you with my hindlegs." Kirito said, pushing his hindlegs softly into Lionblaze's stomach.

"Both are correct answers, actually. You can also play dead by going limp, but if you don't have any severe wounds, I wouldn't recommend this. Instead, if you can get your paws free, immediately unsheathe your claws and go for a Belly Rake to get the cat off of you."

"Right. Um…you don't still need to have me pinned, right?"

"No, but why don't you try to get me off?" Kirito nodded and this time, he focused his strength in his hindlegs to kick Lionblaze off of him, the golden tom almost losing his footing on the grass. "Excellent. You could really benefit from using the Back Kick if your hindlegs are that strong."

"I assume it's just a kick with my back legs while I'm up?" Kirito said, and Lionblaze nodded.

"Right. You weren't wrong when you said you thought you'd catch on quicker than Lelouch. This all feels like it's second nature to you." Kirito smiled at the warrior's praise. "Now, let's move on to the Half-Turn Belly Rake. With this one, you roll under your opponent and scratch at their belly and then roll back up on all fours. Think you can do it?"

"No sweat." Kirito took a few pawsteps back before running a short distance and then rolling on the ground, swiping up at the invisible enemy and then slowly got back up. "I might need to still practice getting off the ground. I don't think I'm used to it just as much."

"Well you are training after all. Other than that your speed is amazing, Kirito." Dovewing told him.

"Dovewing's right. I don't remember seeing a cat that fast. Who knows how swift you'll be in a real battle situation." Lionblaze added.

"Thanks you two, but actually, you'll see one a bit faster if you watch Asuna run. You won't find a more agile cat anywhere else."

"Really? Well there's something to look forward to." Lionblaze said.

"You know Kirito's her boyfriend, right?" Dovewing told the golden warrior, a strong blush on his face.

"What?! Of course I know that!" The pale gray warrior let out a small laugh and Lionblaze let out a sigh from her joke. "Why don't you just practice rolling and getting back on your paws, Kirito? I'm sure you have attacking with your paws down." The black tom nodded and began practicing to conquer his first obstacle in training. "That also is a defensive move called the Duck and Twist, so it really is important for you to get it down right." Kirito practiced the maneuver for a few minutes until he felt like he learned it, and Lionblaze gave him a nod at his progress.

"Glad I finally got that down." Kirito said with a sigh of a relief. "What other moves are there?"

"A bit more. Remember that along with your claws, your fangs can also inflict some serious damage. Usage of your teeth is known as a Teeth Grip, and what's good about that combat move is that your paws are free still, so you can inflict some damage with them as well." Lionblaze explained. "There is one warning about using your teeth though. Biting at the back of your opponent's neck is known as a Death Blow, which should only be used as a last resort, understand?"

"Crystal clear."

"Good. Now, I didn't teach Lelouch this one because it's not used often, but since you're so eager to learn about fighting, I think you might be interested."

"Are you talking about the Jump and Pin?" Dovewing asked, Lionblaze nodding his head. "I think Kirito might be capable."

"What's so hard about it?" Kirito wondered.

"Well, you climb up a tree and leap backwards towards your opponent, pinning or knocking them to the ground."

"Can I try it?"

"Sure, but it's not exactly a necessary move to learn. More like, if you know it, it's a bonus move at your disposal." Lionblaze told him. Kirito looked over at a nearby tree and dashed towards it. Once he reached the base of it, he began climbing, but fell to the grass below.

"Ow…" He got up and shook the dirt and grass off of his body. "Maybe I should learn how to climb a bit first." Kirito unsheathed his claws and stuck them lightly into the bark so he could stick his paw out with ease. He did the same with his hindpaws and made it a bit higher up before he fell down, but this time he landed on his paws.

"You'll get better at it someday. Why don't we get to your final part of fighting today?" Lionblaze told him.

"Final part? What is it?" Lionblaze looked over at Dovewing.

"Ready to make another memory of this place?"

"Wait…what?!" The she-cat exclaimed in shock from his statement.

"You and Kirito are going to have a practice fight, just like you did with Lelouch back then. If I recall, you were as surprised then too." Lionblaze said with a laugh.

"Because it caught me off guard again like last time too!" She retorted, a small blush on her face. "But I guess we need to prepare Kirito for the prophecy after all." Dovewing moved so that she was fox-lengths away from the black tom, the two cats' eyes connecting. "I won't go easy on you, Kirito." She warned him.

"Give me everything you've got, Dovewing." He replied with a confident smile. The two stood off, but then Dovewing shook her head, looking over at Lionblaze.

"Wait, you're not invincible anymore, so why do I have to fight him?" Lionblaze rolled his eyes.

"Because that's how everything happened with Lelouch two years ago. It's not like Kirito's out to kill you or anything." He responded. "Remember you two: no claws and if you bite, bite softly, okay?" He saw the two nod. "Okay then…start!" Lionblaze watched as the two charged at each other, the golden tom still astounded at Kirito's speed. Even as a cat he's got running at such a speed down.

Once Dovewing closed the distance between her and Kirito, she swerved right, passing her opponent. Kirito stopped and turned his head to see Dovewing running towards him. She pounced towards him in an effort to pin him, but he quickly sidestepped and gave her a slight slap to her face with his tail. She turned around and looked at him, blushing.

"That's not funny!" Dovewing yelled in anger.

"Are you sure? I thought it was." He responded with a snicker. Kirito noticed that his reaction got her even more irritated and her speed increased as she charged towards him. Again, he sidestepped, but Dovewing anticipated it and turned as well, tackling Kirito to the ground.

"Who's laughing now?" She taunted, pinning the tom. Kirito tried shaking his forepaws, but she had them planted firmly to the ground.

"Y'know, you're cute when you're mad." He replied, watching the fur on her face grow hot. Gotcha. Now, Kirito broke free from her grasp and got back to his paws and once he was ready, he ran towards her. Almost mimicking Dovewing, Kirito leaped towards her, but the she-cat rolled down on the ground and used her hindlegs to kick Kirito as he leaped over her, causing him to lose balance and fall on the grass. "Ow…nice move, Dovewing." He commented.

"Had enough yet?" She asked.

"I know we only just met, but one thing you should know is that I don't give up easily." He responded.

"I can tell." Dovewing now ran towards him, but unlike her last two approaches, she focused on her paw strikes and once she was close enough, she swung a paw towards him, causing him to step back. He then retaliated with his own paw strike, making a small leap to close the distance between them and using his right paw to hit her. He saw that it knocked her to the ground and she fell on her side, causing Kirito to look over at her in shock.

"Dovewing!" He ran over to her and looked down at her. "You're not hurt, are you?" Unexpectedly, Kirito felt two hindpaws flip him over and he landed on his back. Dovewing swiftly got up from the ground and walked above his head, pinning his forepaws to the ground. He looked up at her in shock.

"Y'know, you look cute when you're surprised." She let out a cute smile, a blush forming on Kirito's face.

"I guess I let my guard down there. You win, Dovewing." He told her. She then helped him up. "Thanks." Kirito looked at her left cheek. "I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

"No, it's fine, really. I mean it hurts a bit, but it's nothing."

"Sorry." He apologized, and she gave him a playful shove.

"Hey, we were fighting, weren't we?" Kirito smiled at her response. "How are you feeling? I saw the fall you took when I kicked you with my hindpaws."

"I'm fine. I've been through a lot worse. You can't even imagine." He told her, and she let out a friendly smile.

"Nice fighting you two. It ended exactly like how it did when we trained Lelouch. It even looked as familiar."

"I was trying to recreate what I could remember from it, but Kirito didn't really pin me down like Lelouch did."

"Really?" Out of nowhere, Kirito knocked her down and placed his forepaws over hers. "How's that?"

"Strong. You have a nice hold, Kirito." She told him, unable to wriggle out of his grasp. "Could you let me up now, please?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." He now helped her up, and Lionblaze let out a smile.

"You two seem like really good friends already."

"You two? I'm pretty sure we're good friends too, Lionblaze." Kirito responded and the tom let out a small laugh.

"Right. Anyway, that's good for combat today. We should get back to camp."

"Why don't we take him out hunting for a bit?" Dovewing suggested.

"Well…I thought about it, but I think we should leave that for whatever group he's with tomorrow."

"I guess that's fair. Does that mean we'll be training with Asuna and Suguha tomorrow?" Dovewing wondered.

"If everything goes as planned, yeah. Don't worry though, you won't need to fight if you want to come along tomorrow." Lionblaze assured her.

"Are you just saying that to surprise me tomorrow?" Kirito let out a laugh.

"I think she got you there, Lionblaze."

"What? No, really, I wasn't thinking about that at all! Since those two are out training along with Alderpaw and Sparkpaw and they're going to be both with us, I was going to make them spar against each other." He assured the pale gray she-cat.

"Okay then, I believe you…for now."

"If it makes you feel any safer, why don't you instruct the two while I watch?" Dovewing let out a giggle.

"You know I'm only kidding, but actually, I'd like to if you don't mind." Lionblaze gave her a nod. "Thanks, Lionblaze."

"No problem. C'mon you two, let's get back to camp." The golden tom took the lead, the two other cats following behind.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Remember: keep low and try not to make any noise." Molewhisker whispered as Asuna crept towards a lone mouse. Okay, no sticks to step on, and there's a few leaves. I think I got it this time. Once she closed the distance between her and the mouse, Asuna leaped towards it and caught it between her paws, finishing it off with a strong scratch with her claws.

"Nice job, Asuna." Alderpaw told her, looking over at the mouse.

"Thanks, Alderpaw." Asuna let out a warm smile. "See? It took me a bit to finally get a piece of prey."

"Yeah, but you're not originally a cat. I don't think I'll ever catch a piece of prey. Look how easy Sparkpaw does it." Asuna looked over at the dark ginger tom's littermate and saw that she just pounced. In a few seconds, she picked her head up, a thrush hanging from her jaws.

"All cats learn at a different pace, Alderpaw." Nightheart said as she approached her apprentice and Asuna. "I won't give up on you, and neither will Molewhisker."

"Nightheart's right. I know we've been training you for a bit and you may think you're not making progress, but that's not true. You're slowly getting better at hunting."

"Yeah, slowly. I can't even get the basic battle techniques down right." Alderpaw said with a sigh.

"Suguha, that was a nice catch." Lelouch commented as he saw the pale ginger she-cat with a mouse at her paws.

"Why don't we go into the forest away from them so Alderpaw can concentrate a bit more?" Asuna suggested.

"It's worth a shot." Molewhisker said. "Nightheart, do you mind telling the others? I'm sure Lelouch would especially want to know." A blush formed on the black she-cat's face.

"You're right. You three get going. I'll catch up." Nightheart turned away from her group and padded over to where her father and Cherryfall were training Sparkpaw and Suguha. Lelouch saw her and smiled as she approached.

"How's training going?"

"It's pretty good. Asuna finally caught something after a few tries. I saw that Suguha did the same." Nightheart stated.

"Yeah. Sparkpaw's helping her learn as well, so it's like Suguha has three mentors." Lelouch said with a laugh. "I saw that the other three were leaving."

"Oh, yeah. We were going to train Alderpaw somewhere quiet so he could concentrate." His daughter explained. "I just wanted to tell you in case you got worried."

"Right, thanks. Be safe out there, okay?" He gave his daughter a small lick to her forehead.

"Please, father, you have nothing to worry about." She assured him. "We'll see you back at the camp." Nightheart told him before she ran to catch up with the group.

"Where are they going?" Cherryfall asked as she walked over to Lelouch.

"They're training somewhere else. They think it'll help Alderpaw concentrate, which makes sense."

"Right. I hope he gets everything right soon. It doesn't help that Molewhisker yells at him sometimes."

"He just wants Alderpaw to do his best, but I'm sure Nightheart tries to scold him whenever he yells, and with Asuna around, she'll probably scold your brother as well." Cherryfall let out a small laugh.

"I guess that's good for Alderpaw. Those two are really sweet towards him. Do you think that's all he needs?"

"I'm hopeful that it is." They saw Suguha approaching and looked over towards her.

"Sorry! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Lelouch shook his head.

"Not at all. Did you need something, Suguha?"

"Well, I was just wondering what else we were doing today."

"We're just hunting. Tomorrow you and Asuna are going with Lionblaze and Dovewing to learn fighting skills, at least that's if we're going along with the rotation plan he talked about." Lelouch told her.

"Yup. By the way, you're doing great at hunting, Suguha. You took a bit, but now I think you got it." Cherryfall told her.

"I couldn't have done it without the advice you both gave me…and Sparkpaw helped as well." Suguha said with a small laugh. "Hey, where'd the others go?"

"They went away from us to see if all Alderpaw needs is some concentration."

"Oh. I hope I wasn't being too noisy."

"It's not your fault, Suguha. Alderpaw's just been having a really difficult time lately." Sparkpaw assured her as the apprentice approached from behind with a mouse in her mouth. "So, what now?"

"We're heading back to camp now. Suguha, don't forget about your mouse over there." Lelouch reminded the pale ginger she-cat. Suguha walked over to the tree to pick up her prey and once the four were ready, they made their way back to ThunderClan.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Alderpaw, just focus on one small area of the time when you're scouting for prey. Keep your senses towards there instead of all around you." Molewhisker advised his apprentice.

"He's right. Now just remember everything you've learned about hunting: keep your body and tail low and try to make little to no noise." Nightheart reminded him softly.

"Right." Alderpaw said with a nod. He scanned the area around him carefully until his senses picked up on a mouse near an oak tree, Slowly, Alderpaw began to creep towards his prey, mimicking everything that his mentors had taught him. Right when he was close enough and ready to pounce, the snap of a twig resonated across the forest and the mouse scurried off. Alderpaw looked under his right forepaw and saw a broken twig. He let out a growl of irritation and Nightheart let out a sigh. She looked over at Asuna, who she could see felt sympathetic towards the apprentice. The black she-cat walked over to Alderpaw and placed her tail on his shoulder.

"You almost had it, Alderpaw. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get it next time." Alderpaw refused to look at his mentor, nor did he look back at Molewhisker, who he knew was more than frustrated with his performance today.

"Maybe you can try again, Alderpaw." Asuna stated, but Molewhisker shook his head.

"I think that's enough for today. Let's head back to camp you three." Without hesitation, Molewhisker made his way back to ThunderClan, leaving Asuna and Nightheart with Alderpaw.

"What kind of apprentice can't even hunt or fight? Molewhisker must think I'm a failure!" Alderpaw stated shamefully.

"Alderpaw, Molewhisker doesn't think that at all, I'm sure of it. To be honest, I think he's mad at himself." Nightheart told him.

"Why would he? He's not the one missing prey and failing combat training."

"Because he thinks he's the reason that you're failing." Asuna said, and Nightheart nodded.

"Exactly. He's blaming it all on himself."

"But Nightheart, what about you?" The she-cat sighed.

"It hurts seeing you beat yourself up about failing, but I know that you can do it one day, Alderpaw." She gave him a small lick behind the ear.

"But what if I'm meant for something different?" He asked.

"Different?"

"It's just a thought. It's nothing, really." The apprentice stated. "We should get back to camp now. Thanks for the talk, Nightheart. You too, Asuna. I only met you yesterday, and you've been really nice." The cream she-cat let out a smile.

"It's no trouble at all, Alderpaw. I just don't like seeing others sad or distressed."

"That's probably why you were given the prophecy, Asuna. You can easily forge bonds. I'm sure Kirito and Suguha can do the same. Maybe that'll help embracing what's in the shadows." Nightheart stated. "Anyway, let's get going."

When Nightheart, Alderpaw, and Asuna passed through the thorn tunnel and arrived in the camp, Squirrelflight walked over to them.

"Welcome back you three. Asuna, do you mind taking Alderpaw over to get something to eat?" The deputy asked.

"Okay. C'mon Alderpaw." The apprentice followed Asuna to the fresh-kill pile and when they got there, Asuna placed a paw on her head. "I'm so silly." Asuna walked away from the pile and at his paws, she dropped the mouse that she caught today.

"But it's your first catch. I think you should have it, Asuna."

"You mother told me to feed you, and I want to give you this mouse. No complaining now." Alderpaw let out a small smile and looked back over to where Squirrelflight was. He saw Nightheart making her way up to Bramblestar's den and his smile suddenly faded. He looked down at the mouse. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nightheart's going over to speak to my dad. It has to be about me, I know it."

"Hi you two." Sparkpaw walked over to the two cats. "Alderpaw, how'd hunting go?"

"Horribly. I missed another easy catch." He told her.

"Mouse-dung! I know you'll get it someday." She said, taking a bite of her mouse. "Want some of mine?"

"No thanks. Asuna gave me hers. Thanks again, Asuna." The apprentice told her, taking a bite of the mouse.

"Hey, did you know that Molewhisker went over to dad's den when he got here?"

"Alderpaw just said he saw Nightheart going there too." Asuna told her.

"You're not in trouble, are you?"

"I…I hope not." Asuna looked over at Bramblestar's den and saw the leader appear along with Alderpaw's mentors, and Jayfeather and Leafpool. I hope he's not in trouble. He's really trying hard. As the five cats stepped down and touched the camp floor, Alderpaw looked over and saw his father motion for him to come over with his tail.

"I'm sure your father just wants to talk to you. I'll keep your mouse safe." Alderpaw gulped before glancing over at the cats and walking over to them. "Sparkpaw, do you want to join Kirito and Suguha with me?" She asked.

"Sure." The two she-cats walked over to where the cousins were sitting, eating their fresh kill.

"Hey you two. What's going on with Alderpaw over there?" Kirito asked.

"He's just having a talk with my dad and the others I guess." Sparkpaw informed them. "So, how was training with Lionblaze and Dovewing today, Kirito?"

"It was great. I learned so much. Hopefully hunting goes as well."

"You sound like you think you're going to fail. Your hunting stat in SAO was almost at max, remember? You know everything about it already." Asuna told him.

"I guess you're right. Sword wielding capabilities don't apply to fighting skills though, although I think I'm already becoming a pretty decent warrior."

"You don't need to brag about it, Kazuto." Suguha told him with a small shove.

"Hey, I'm not trying to. I'm just saying that Lionblaze and Dovewing trained me well." He said. "Oh, and Asuna; make sure to show Lionblaze just how fast you are. I was talking about it and he's really looking forward to it."

"Aw, he's looking forward to you, Asuna." Sparkpaw said, causing the she-cat to blush.

"Sparkpaw!" The apprentice giggled at the flustered she-cat.

"I'm just joking, Asuna. He already has Cinderheart."

"Hey look, Alderpaw's coming over this way." Suguha told them. Once the tom got over to them, he sat down, silent. "Alderpaw, what happened?"

"They told me…that I'm going to become a medicine cat apprentice instead of a warrior."

"Oh Alderpaw, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know being a medicine cat isn't a bad thing, but it was your dream to become a warrior." Asuna told him. "Here's your mouse."

"Thank you." Alderpaw took the mouse and continued eating it.

"But being a medicine cat is important stuff!" Sparkpaw told him, but saw that her brother stayed silent. The others all looked at each other, sorrow in their faces as they felt empathy for the apprentice whose destiny suddenly changed.

"I don't think I'm that hungry anymore. Thanks for the mouse, Asuna." Alderpaw stood up from the group and made his way to the apprentice's den.

"Alderpaw, wait up!" Sparkpaw got up and ran over to join her brother.

"Poor Alderpaw. I can't imagine what it's like training to be something and then being told you're going to be something else." Kirito stated.

"I hope he feels better soon." Suguha added, looking over at the crestfallen apprentice. "Sparkpaw was right about medicine cats being important though. Maybe Alderpaw might have something big ahead of him."

"I'm sure he does." Asuna said. "If not as a warrior, then definitely as a medicine cat, I'm sure of it."

Over in the warriors' den, Lelouch rested on the floor as he groomed himself. Ivypool was out on border patrol, and some of the other warriors in the den were busy chatting with each other. He saw Nightheart enter the den and she walked over to him. She sat down, but Lelouch knew that she wasn't herself.

"Nightheart, is something wrong?" He asked his daughter.

"Father, is there really such thing as fate?"

"Well, I think that it brought me back to ThunderClan to see you, so I guess so. Why do you ask?"

"Because…Molewhisker and I aren't mentors anymore, and neither are you."

"What?" Lelouch was appalled at his daughter's news.

"Bramblestar said that StarClan had decided that Alderpaw should become a medicine cat, and since we became mentors so we could be together, there's no point in Sparkpaw having two mentors anymore." She informed him. "I know he had trouble hunting and fighting, but would StarClan really put him through that much just to tell him that?"

"It's possible, but with all the hardships he's been through it might mean that he'll do an excellent job at being a medicine cat." He did say that Leafpool was staring at him at the Gathering a few weeks ago, so maybe he's destined to assist with the prophecy.

"Let's hope Jayfeather gives him an easy time." Nightheart said with a giggle. "Oh, Bramblestar also told me to tell you that he's sorry."

"He doesn't have to be. Besides, we still get to spend time with each other, right?"

"I guess you're right." She told him, pressing her head onto his fur. "It was fun while it lasted though. It was a good preview of what to expect when I get my own apprentice. I'll miss training Alderpaw."

"Hey, it's not like we won't see those two around anymore. Plus, I'm sure Alderpaw enjoys seeing you. He really looks up to you as a warrior, Nightheart." A blush covered her face.

"Do you really think so, father?"

"Absolutely."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Night fell above the sky in the forest. Some of ThunderClan's warriors were out for some late night tasks, but for the most part, it was time for them to rest. Like last night, Kirito, Suguha, and Asuna slept close together, regaining their energy for their training tomorrow.

Asuna slowly opened her hazel eyes and saw the beautiful moonlit plain in front of her. She looked around and saw no sign of Kirito, or Suguha, or any ThunderClan cat for that matter.

"Asuna." The cream she-cat turned around to see a ginger flame-colored tabby tom with green eyes standing behind her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh…well, thank you. I'm sorry, but who are you?" The cream she-cat asked.

"My name's Firestar. I was the past leader of ThunderClan before Bramblestar." Asuna's eyes went wide.

"Wait, you're the Firestar that I heard stories about yesterday?" A small blush covered her face, and she quickly bowed her head. "Sorry! If I knew I would've been a bit more formal in greeting you." The tom let out a small laugh.

"Please, it's okay, Asuna." The tom assured her.

"Wait…if you're here…then…am I dead too?"

"You're not dead, I can assure you. Cats like you usually are welcome in StarClan."

"StarClan?" Asuna tilted her head in confusion.

"Yes, the place where all deceased warriors who've lived an honorable life go when they die. For you, think of it as a dream." Asuna looked around and saw the many cats scattered around the lush dreamscape.

"It's beautiful." Firestar nodded his head. "Are Kirito and Suguha here as well?"

"They aren't, but I'm sure they will be brought here someday." He told her.

"But…why me first? I'm sorry, but I'm just really confused about all of this."

"That's understandable. You've only been in this world for two days so far, but I promise that everything will be explained. Please, follow me." Asuna followed the tom as they made their way towards the clearing where all the other cats were. As they passed by, Asuna noticed that only a few of the cats looked over at her.

"Did they all expect me to come today?"

"No, but every cat here knows who you are. The same goes for Kirito and Suguha. We're all aware that you've been given the prophecy that the medicine cats and Lelouch were given. We were told that you would help in finding what lies in the shadows."

"So, does that mean that there's something more to the prophecy that you're going to tell me?" Asuna wondered.

"Not exactly, but it's more of the path that you must take in this world." He explained. "This tree is familiar to you, isn't it?" A cascade of pink petals flew past the two and Asuna's eyes followed them as they moved in the breeze.

"Cherry blossoms? There's only one tree here. I've never seen any around ThunderClan."

"It was a gift for when Lelouch first came to this world. It's a very soothing addition to StarClan, but it's also where we choose to talk with some cats when we need to discuss things with them." The past ThunderClan leader explained. "Anyway, I digress. The other day you asked Jayfeather about becoming a medicine cat, correct?"

"Yes. He said he didn't mind teaching me about it."

"Right. I'm here to tell you that you are destined to walk down the path of a medicine cat. That is most likely why we're talking right now."

"But, Kirito and I are together. Jayfeather told me that medicine cats can't be in relationships." Asuna tilted her head in confusion.

"Correct. I know this is going to sound like much, but you're also destined to walk down the path of a warrior as well."

"What? Firestar…is it possible for me to do both? Is there any rule against it?"

"It's never been heard of a cat being both, but from what I can see in you, you've done it before."

"Oh…I guess you're talking about my fighting and healing abilities in SAO…but combat and medicine in the forest is way different."

"I understand your concern, but this is your fate, Asuna. Besides, you were interested in learning about medicine, right?" The she-cat nodded. "See? I'm positive that you can learn both. Just take your time and I'm sure that you'll use the abilities you gain when the time is right." He gave her a small lick on the ear, causing the she-cat to jump back a bit, a blush covering her face. "Sorry! As a cat, that's a sign of comfort!" He apologized, the fur on his face suddenly growing hot realizing that she was unaware of his sudden notion.

"Oh…sorry for reacting like that. You do seem like a really kind and noble cat, Firestar. I'm sure all of ThunderClan respects you."

"That's nice of you to say, Asuna. I'm sure all of ThunderClan will appreciate you as well in time. The same goes for Kirito and Suguha." He told her. "Just remember that as a medicine cat, talking with StarClan may be frequent. I won't always be the one to guide you, but know that I'll do my best to inform you and your friends whenever I can. I want to make sure the Clans achieve peace, and StarClan can't do it without you three." Asuna didn't know what to say. In front of her was ThunderClan's most legendary warrior, and although all she heard were stories of his greatness, being able to meet him was an experience she would never forget.

"Okay. Thank you, Firestar. I'll do my best to learn whatever I must to help aid the Clans."

"I'm sure you will." Asuna watched as the ginger tom in front of her slowly began to fade, along with her surroundings, leaving nothing but darkness around her.

Asuna's eyes shot open and she looked around to see that she was now back in the warriors' den. It really was just a dream. She looked around to see that every cat around her was still fast asleep. Maybe I should talk to Jayfeather in the morning. He did say to come talk to him whenever something about the prophecy came up. Asuna looked out towards the stars in the sky. If it's fate that decided that I'll learn about combat and medicine, so be it. StarClan is counting on us to make sure the Clans live in harmony. The real journey to find what's in the shadows hasn't begun yet, but I know that we'll be prepared for what's to come.

I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Looks like Asuna has an even bigger niche to fill than expected. I went through her skills and stats in SAO and saw that along with her proficiency with swords, she was also a skilled healer, which made me decide to also carry the role as a medicine cat. I'm unsure if I announced this before, but this story will pretty much be The Apprentice's Quest with the added characters, so if you read that, you know how this story will go. I don't want to change it as much, but if an idea arises, who knows? Maybe this story will take a turn. Anyway, I hope that you're enjoying this so far and I hope to see you all in the next chapter. ~Geasswolf Out.