XoverMasta: Mkays so here's the next chapter!

Sandstorm: So exactly when am I getting with Firestar?

XoverMasta: Soon... or not :D But anyways I just reread The Lucky One... and saw the movie... twice! It was soooo good! Ah Zac... you and your sexyness overpowers me.. but of course Liam aPyne is still wayyyyy hotter *O*.

Sandstorm: -.- Anyway Disclaimer?

XoverMasta: Of course not I own every Warrior book! Well... I sort of lost Rising Storm... and Firestar's Quest... and-

Sanstorm: Let's go onto the story please.

The Flame is back!

"Well?" hissed Bluestar, her face only a mouse-length from his now. Lionheart remained silent as he towered over the young tom.

Flattening his ears against his head, Fire racked his brain for his answer.

What had he said again?

Taking a deep breath Fire said, "I'm no threat to you, or your clan."

"You threaten our Clan when you take our food," yowled Bluestar. "You have plenty of food in your Twoleg nest already. You come here only to hunt for sport. But we hunt to survive."

At her words Fire felt his fur prickle, he definitely knew how hard it was to get through a bitter leafbare.

Luckily for him, this part of the conversation he remembered perfectly, so like he did before he sat up, and straightened his ears. He raised his forest green eyes to meet her cold blue ones. "I had not thought of it that way before. I apologize," he meowed solemnly. "I will never hunt here again."

Bluestar let her hackles fall and signaled to Lionheart to step back. "You are an unusual kittypet, Fire," she meowed.

Then she shared a small glance with Lionheart, and Fire had to wrap his tail around his paws to keep himself still. They didn't know just how meaningful that glance was to him.

Swallowing he silently asked, "Is survival here really so hard?"

Even though he knew the answers, he also knew that these questions got him into ThunderClan.

"Our territory covers only part of the forest," answered Bluestar. "We compete with other Clans for what we have. And this year, late newleaf means prey is scarce."

"Is your Clan very big?" Fire meowed, as a familiar longing tugged at his heart.

"Big enough," replied Bluestar. "Our territory can support us, but there is no prey left over."

"Then… Are you all warriors?" Fire mewed tilting his head to the side.

Lionheart answered him. "Some are warriors. Some are too young or too old or too busy caring for kits to hunt."

"And you all live and share prey together?" Fire murmured trying to keep the sadness and grief out of his voice.

He really missed his grand-children at a time like this.

Bluestar looked again at Lionheart. The golden tabby stared back at her steadily. At last she returned her gaze to Fire and meowed, "Perhaps you should find out these things for yourself. Would you like to join ThunderClan?"

Fire had to keep from yowling a 'yes', if he went with them now he wouldn't meet Whitestorm till much later… and right now he honestly just wanted to see his short-termed deputy in the shortest, and most meaningful time possible.

Bluestar continued on, "If you did, you would train with Graypaw to become a Clan warrior."

"But kittypets can't be warriors!" Graypaw blurted out. "They don't have warrior blood!"

Fire kept from snarling at his best friend.

It hurt especially for it to be coming out of his mouth.

A sad look clouded Bluestar's eyes. "Warrior blood," she echoed with a sigh. "Too much of that has been spilled lately."

Bluestar fell silent and Lionheart meowed, "Bluestar is only offering you training, young kit. There is no guarantee you would become a full warrior. It might prove too difficult for you. After all, you are used to a comfortable life."

"Why offer me the chance, then?"

Bluestar answered, "You are right to question our motives, young one. The fact is, ThunderClan needs more warriors."

"Understand that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly," warned Lionheart. "If you wish to train with us, we will have to take you into our Clan. You must either live with us and respect our ways, or return to your Twolegplace and never come back. You cannot live with a paw in each world."

And I wouldn't want too. Fire thought, he took a careful breath.

Here came the most important part.

"Can I think about your offer?" he asked quietly, "I know I am probably keeping you from your Clan, and I don't want to keep you here because of my indecisiveness…"

Bluestar looked at him for a long moment and nodded. "Lionheart will be here tomorrow at sunhigh," she told him. "Give him your answer then."

Bluestar murmured a low signal, and in a single movement the three cats turned and disappeared into the undergrowth.

Now Fire let his tail to sweep over the forest floor, it swung behind him excitedly.

It had all gone according to plan.

Xx

"Hello, Rusty!" mewed a voice from the fence. It was Smudge. "You should have been awake an hour ago. The baby sparrows were out stretching their wings."

Fire's ear twitched, "You catch any?"

Smudge yawned and licked his nose. "Nahhh, couldn't be bothered. I'd already eaten enough at home. Anyway, why weren't you out earlier? Yesterday you were complaining about Henry sleeping his time away, and today you're not much better yourself."

Fire sighed, curling his tail neatly over his paws. "Remember I was in the woods last night."

Smudge looked down at him, his eyes wide. "Oh, yes, I forgot! How was it? Did you catch anything? Or did anything catch you?"

"Great, no, and yes…" at Smudge's alarmed gaze he flicked his tail, "But don't worry I only met some wildcats."

"What!" Smudge screamed. "ONLY! Did you get into a fight?"

"Not really." Fire shrugged, recalling the moment he met his friend… again.

"Ahh come one don't leave me hanging." Smudge complained, "What happened?" He prompted eagerly.

"There were three of them." Fire said his eyes lighting with pride for his future clan mates, "They were bigger and stronger than any of us—"

"And you fought all three of them!" Smudge interrupted, his tail twitching with excitement.

"No!" Rusty mewed hastily. "Just the youngest one; the other two came later."

"How come they didn't shred you to pieces?"

"They just warned me to leave their territory. But then…" Fire trialed of dramatically.

"What!" mewed Smudge impatiently.

"They asked me to join their Clan."

Smudge's whiskers quivered disbelievingly. "Repeat that again Rusty."

"They asked me to join their Clan."

"Again."

"Smudge." Fire dead panned.

"Sorry… it's just…" Smudge looked at him uncertainly. "Why would they do that?"

Fire shrugged. "I think they need extra paws in their Clan."

"Sounds a bit odd to me," Smudge mewed doubtfully. "I wouldn't trust them if I were you."

Fire had to keep himself from once again purring amusedly at his friend. What Smudge didn't know was that soon Fire would trust all of ThunderClan with his life… and soon theirs with him.

"But I do trust them," Fire said softly. "And I've made up my mind. I'm going to join them."

Smudge scrambled down from the fence and stood in front of Fire. "Please don't go, Rusty," he mewed in alarm. "I might never see you again."

You're wrong there.

But instead of voicing the thought aloud, Fire nudged him affectionately with his head. "Don't worry. My Two-legs will get another cat. You'll get on with her.. or him." he added hastily, " just fine. You get along with everyone!"

"But it won't be the same!" Smudge wailed.

"I know." Fire said softly, "But don't you see Smudge I need to do this."

His best friend looked at him sadly, amber meeting green. "I know but… It's still…" He took a deep breath pressing his nose against Fire's, "Fine then... I can see I can't stop you, but at least let's spend one more morning together."

Fire nodded, another morning… but not their final.

As sunhigh approached, Fire paced impatiently in his garden, he knew Lionheart would be there, but that didn't make it any less nerve racking.

Fire jumped down from his garden fence for the last time and crept into the woods. He had said his good-byes to Smudge. Now all his thoughts were focused on his future clan mates… and Sandst—paw.

As he approached the spot where he had met with the Clan cats the night before, he sat down and tasted the air. He could already smell Lionheart in the bushes, with Whitestorm beside him.

He nodded a greeting, "Greetings Lionheart." He said softly.

A pair of green eyes came from the bushes, and a deep mew answered, "Greetings young one." Lionheart meowed, doing well to hide his surprise. "Can you tell if I am alone?"

Fire nodded, "You have one more cat with you…" he trailed off, "It's not Bluestar or Graypaw this time."

"That's right," meowed Lionheart this time the astonishment was evident in his voice, he turned to call into the bush. "You can come out now."

Fire's ears twitched as he held in his boiling emotions at the sight of an alive Whitestorm.

"This is Whitestorm," purred Lionheart. "One of ThunderClan's senior warriors."

Fire nodded, bowing his head respectfully to his future deputy.

Whitestorm nodded back, Fire could almost taste the surprise coming from both of them.

He was not what they were expecting.

"We are going to take you to our camp." Lionheart mewed.

Whitestorm nodded in agreement flicking his tail in a silent command, "Come, we can speak more once we are in the camp." And then both he and Lionheart took off, Fire hastily following.

The two warriors made no allowances for him as they sped through the forest, but he was prepared, and even though his muscles weren't yet fully developed he wasn't shabby either. He was able to keep them in only a two tail length distance away.

After leaping over tree roots, and scrambling up a log, they finally came to a stop. The two warriors stepped onto a rock that rested on the edge of a small ravine.

"We are very close to our camp now," meowed Lionheart.

Fire nodded, the smell of ThunderClan made his heart leap.

He was so close to home.

"Use your nose," Whitestorm meowed, and Fire hastily followed his order, inwardly berating himself for letting excitement take over.

Fire opened his mouth, and sniffed.

He nodded thoughtfully and announced, "I can smell cats… they all sort of smell the same and yet different." He pretended to look confused, "I never really noticed that before…"

Lionheart and Whitestorm exchanged astonished looks.

Whitestorm was the first to regain his bearings, "There will come a time, if you are accepted into the Clan, when you will know each cat-scent by name." Then he meowed, "Follow me!"

He led the way nimbly down the boulders to the bottom of the ravine, and pushed his way through a thick patch of gorse. Rusty followed, and Lionheart took up the rear.

As his sides scraped against the prickly gorse, Fire couldn't help the nostalgic sigh that passed through his lips.

He really missed this camp.

As he entered the clearing Fire looked around, his heart pounding at the sight of all the familiar faces.

"Just after sunhigh, when the day is hottest, is a time for sharing tongues," Lionheart said snapping Fire out of his thoughts.

He nodded.

The cats had obviously smelled Fire's foreign scent, for heads began to turn and stare curiously in his direction.

Fire turned away from their gazes, his eyes locked with a pair of hostile green and his heart fluttered. Sandpaw…

He looked away, staring down at his paws.

"Here comes Bluestar," meowed Whitestorm, sniffing the air.

Fire turned around just as the gray she-cat a moment appeared from the shadow of a large boulder that lay beside them at the head of the clearing.

"He came," Bluestar purred, addressing the warriors.

Whitestorm replied, "Lionheart was convinced he would not."

Fire noticed the tip of Bluestar's tail twitch impatiently. "Well, what do you think of him?" she asked.

"He kept up well on the return journey, despite his puny size," Whitestorm admitted. "He certainly seems strong for a kittypet." The white Warrior turned to Fire, looking at him with almost suspiscion. "Almost too strong."

Bluestar and him shared a glance before she addressed both of them, "So is it agreed?"

Both cats nodded.

"Then I shall announce his arrival to the Clan." Bluestar leaped up onto the boulder and yowled, "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

Her clear call brought all the cats trotting toward her, emerging like liquid shadows from the edges of the clearing. Fire stayed where he was, flanked by Lionheart and Whitestorm. The other cats settled themselves below the Highrock and looked expectantly up at their leader.

When the cats were still, Bluestar spoke. "ThunderClan needs more warriors," she began. "Never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that ThunderClan will take in an outsider to train as a warrior…."

Rusty heard indignant mutterings erupt among the Clan cats, but Bluestar silenced them with a firm yowl. "I have found a cat who is willing to become an apprentice of ThunderClan."

"Lucky to become an apprentice," caterwauled a loud voice above the ripple of shock that spread through the cats.

Fire couldn't help but letting his eyes shine with amusement, oh Longtail… he thought holding in a purr.

Bluestar ignored the Warrior and addressed all of her Clan. "Lionheart and Whitestorm have met this young cat, and they agree with me that we should train him with the other apprentices."

Fire looked up at Lionheart, then back at the Clan, to find all eyes were on him now. He met their gazes defiantly, as much as the name calling had made him grow, he wasn't looking forward to it.

There was silence for a moment… Then a deafening crescendo of caterwauling rose from the crowd.

"Where does he come from?"

"Which Clan does he belong to?"

"What a strange scent he carries! That's not the scent of any Clan I know!"

Then one yowl in particular sounded out above the rest. "Look at his collar! He's a kittypet!" It was the Longtail again. "Once a kittypet, always a kittypet. This Clan needs wildborn warriors to defend it, not another soft mouth to feed."

Lionheart bent down and hissed into Fire's ear, "That tabby is Longtail. You must prove to him and the other cats that even with were you were born you won't hold back."

Fire's ears twitched signifying he heard.

The future blind warrior continued to jeer at him. "Your collar is a mark of the Twolegs, and that noisy jingling will make you a poor hunter at best. At worst, it will bring the Twolegs into our territory, looking for the poor lost kittypet who fills the woods with his pitiful tinkling."

All the cats howled in agreement.

Longtail went on, well aware that he had the support of his audience. "The noise of your treacherous bell will alert our enemies, even if your Twoleg stench doesn't!"

Lionheart hissed into Fire's ear once more: "Do you back down from a challenge?"

Fire's answer was to stare at Longtail, amusement set in his green eyes, sometimes he couldn't remember how he became friends with the tabby.

Putting his weight on his back legs, Fire let out a growl before speedily launching forward. His hind legs pushing behind him with power, as he used one of his favorite SkyClan moves.

He launched onto Longtail's back, his claws digging harshly into his pelt.

Then a fight of two screaming cats proceeded. They flipped around the clearing, Fire being careful to not show too many of his fighting moves. He only wanted Longtail to make a grab for his neck, he didn't want to permanently injure him… except that nick in his ear always added a pleasant touch in Fire's opinion.

Then the sensation Fire was waiting for came. He felt his collar tighten around his neck. Longtail had gripped it between his teeth and was tugging.

Using his hind legs, Fire pushed away from the warrior a loud snap was heard and he was finally free.

Longtail tumbled away from him, as Fire landed gracefully on his paws. The tabby warrior was crouching three tail-lengths away. And, dangling from Longtail's mouth, was Fire's collar (thank StarClan) mangled and broken.

At once, Bluestar leaped down from the Highrock and silenced the noisy crowd with a thunderous caterwaul. Fire then stood, even though he was breathing hard, he couldn't help glancing at Longtail… who once again had a bloodied ear.

He stared back at Longtail calmly, as the tabby glared at him with hostility.

Bluestar stepped forward and took the collar from Longtail. She placed it on the ground in front of her and meowed, "The newcomer has lost his Twoleg collar in a battle for his honor. StarClan has spoken its approval—this cat has been released from the hold of his Twoleg owners, and is free to join ThunderClan as an apprentice."

Fire nodded with acceptance.

He stood up and stepped forward into a shaft of sunshine, welcoming the warmth on his sore muscles. The pool of light blazed bright on his orange pelt, making his fur glow. Fire held in a sigh, as the prophecy rang in his ears.

Fire alone can save the Clan…

Bluestar approached Fire and placed the shredded collar on the ground in front of him. She touched his ear gently with her nose. "You look like a brand of fire in this sunlight," she murmured. Her eyes flashed briefly, Fire looked at her knowingly. "You have fought well." Then she turned to the Clan and announced, "From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame-colored coat."

She stepped back and, with the other cats, waited silently for his next move. Without hesitating, Fire turned and kicked dust and grass over his collar as though burying his dirt.

Longtail growled and limped out of the clearing toward a fern-shaded corner. The cats split into groups, murmuring to each other excitedly.

Fire looked through the crowd, his eyes catching her sandy coat briefly before Graypaw's voice rang in his ear, "Hey, Firepaw!"

Purring he turned to greet the gray apprentice with a welcoming sniff.

"Great fight, Firepaw!" mewed Graypaw. "Especially for a kittypet! Longtail is a warrior, although he only finished his training two moons ago. That scar you left on his ear won't let him forget you in a hurry. You've spoiled his good looks, that's for sure."

"Thanks, Graypaw," Firepaw replied flicking his tail. "He put up quite a fight, though!" He said humbly. "I definitely paid going against him." He wiped the scratch above his eye.

"Firepaw!"

"Hey, Firepaw!"

"Welcome, young Firepaw!"

"Good name, too!" Graypaw mewed approvingly, earning him a playful nudge.

A low yowl next to the two cats stopped Graypaw from shoving Firepaw back. They both turned, and the gray tabby cat from earlier sat behind them—Darkstripe.

"Darkstripe," mewed Graypaw, echoing Firepaw's hostile thoughts, as he dipped his head respectfully.

The sleek tom looked at Firepaw for a moment. "Lucky your collar snapped when it did. Longtail is a young warrior, but I can't imagine him being beaten by a kittypet!" He spat the word kittypet scornfully, then turned and stalked off.

Firepaw dug his claws into the ground angrily, how he wished he could kill the traitor then and there.

Graypaw opened his mouth to comfort his friend but was interrupted by a warning yowl from an old gray cat sitting at the edge of the clearing.

"Smallear smells trouble!" Graypaw meowed, immediately alert.

Firepaw expectedly turned towards the bushes just as a young cat crashed through and into the camp. He was skinny and—apart from the white tip of his long, thin tail—jet black from head to toe.

Graypaw gasped. "That's Ravenpaw! Why is he alone? Where's Tigerclaw?"

Firepaw's claws sank deeper into the earth at the name, but the worry for his friend out weighed the anger for Tigerstar.

Bluestar stepped forward.

"Ravenpaw?" The she-cat spoke calmly, but a look of worry clouded her blue eyes. The other cats drew back, curling their lips with anxiety. "What has happened?" Bluestar jumped onto the Highrock and looked down at the trembling cat. "Speak, Ravenpaw!"

Ravenpaw was still struggling for breath, and his sides heaved fitfully while the dust around him turned red with blood,but still he managed to scramble up onto the Highrock and stand beside Bluestar. He turned to the crowd of eager faces that surrounded him, and summoned enough breath to declare, "Redtail is dead!"

DONE!

Not much of a cliffhanger but oh well.

Please review, can i get at least five?

-XM

P.S. Thank you to all those who do review it means alot more than you know!