Just to be clear, chapters 2 + 3 was just one day and chapters 4 + 5 were also one day. They were both back-to-back days. The beginning here does take a bit longer but things will pick up here pretty quickly!

AAAAAAAA

A silver tabby sat next to a pool of water. She blinked when she realized she was not in her nest, sleeping. She looked around the area, her ears pricked.

There was a rustling of grass. Her head whipped around to see a brown tabby pushing through the grass. She stared at the tom for several heartbeats. Suddenly her heart twisted and ached with the feeling of loss. "Russetface..."

He nodded and stepped to the edge of the pool, opposite from her. "Rainleaf." There was sadness in his eyes.

She sighed. "Why have you come to me? What does StarClan have to tell me?"

His starlight-littered pelt glimmered as he put a paw into the water. "I have a prophecy for you."

She straightened up. "A prophecy?! Does it have to do wi-" A silver long-furred shape came from the grass next to Russetface. It was almost massive.

"Greenstar!" Rainleaf exclaimed. She last remembered her former leader to have been scrawny and hunched. The tom she saw before her was tall and errect; he was what Greenstar had been before his age had caught up with him. His green eyes blazed with starlight.

Greenstar dipped his large head to her. "Greetings, Rainleaf. I thought perhaps I would see you. I'm not the one to deliver the prophecy, but yes, it involved me." He sat down. Russetface looked up at him and sat down as well.

Rainleaf blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Russetface, what is the prophecy...?"

The tabby kneaded the ground before speaking. His voice was solumn. "Just like the Great Fire, there will be a disaster in the Clans. This disaster won't be caused by Twolegs though." He closed his eyes as he continued to speak: "Many will be lost, but only two will keep the Clans alive."

Her eyes wide, Rainleaf sprang up. "Can you tell me more?!"

Russetface shook his head and opened his yellow eyes, sad. Greenstar nodded. "This is all we are able to give you."

Disheartened, she looked at her paws and began to think. She looked up at Greenstar again. "Can you at least give us time...?"

Greenstar purred. "Of course." He stood up. "I've missed you Rainleaf. I miss Blackclaw dearly as well. I can see that my kits are doing quite well." He dipped his head to Rainleaf and turned away from the pool. He walked through the grass.

Russetface was still staring at his paws sadly. Rainleaf watched him for several heartbeats. She sighed and padded into the pool. It was very, very shallow. It didn't even cover her paws.

Russetface blinked and watched Rainleaf walk to him. The two stared at each other for a moment. Her green eyes sparkled. They were wide with hope and happiness as well as longing.

Russetface returned the look with one that was similar. His look held longing and happiness at being reunited. He stood up and put a paw into the water. Rainleaf purred softly.

AAAAAAAA

"Who shall you send to the Gathering, Willowstar?"

The patch-pelted leader looked around the camp and at the waiting cats. Then he revealed to them who would be making it to the Gathering, and who would be staying.

Satisfied, the cats began to disperse and chat about the Gathering that would happen the next night. Lilynose purred to her older brother. Blazetail padded up to them.

"Well it seems that I'm the only cat of our kin that isn't going," he grumbled.

Breezefire flicked his brother's ear with his tail. "It's just a Gathering."

"But we get to see all of those cats, remember?" Lilynose purred.

Blazetail looked around the camp as Lilynose went on. He watched the two apprentices walk into the elders' den. He saw Sandpelt sunbathing as well as Silksong carrying a mouse across camp. Everyone that wasn't going seemed to be content. The cats that iwere/i going seemed to be buzzing with excitement. His tail twitched as he saw Milkwhisker step out of the queens' den. He purred. She was already obviously a queen. It had been more than half a moon since they had declared that she would be having kits, and her belly was almost swollen. Since Dapplepelt had died, everything seemed to have calmed in SlateClan. Sandpelt was now even more of a level-headed cat. Blackclaw, however, was only worse-off. She now resided in the elders' den, and the one who was reassigned to be Crowpaw's mentor was none other than Blazetail himself.

"Lilynose!"

Breezefire and Blazetail both turned their heads to see Crowpaw padding up to Lilynose. Blazetail could feel Breezefire's burning distaste as if it were emanating from his pelt. "Come see Windcall's kits! They just opened their eyes!" the apprentice exclaimed.

Lilynose nodded and walked towards him. She flicked her tail in farewell to her brothers. They watched as she entered the nursery with Crowpaw.

Breezefire spat. Blazetail looked at him curiously. Their sister obviously liked the gray tom, but she always seemed uncertain. "I don't like him," Breezefire had hissed, when Blazetail had discussed it with him. Blazetail assumed it was because his brother was so protective.

Breezefire seemed to relax when Milkwhisker padded over. Blazetail purred and rubbed his cheek against hers. She purred as well and did the same in response. She then looked at Breezefire as she sat down. "Crowpaw loves kits. I wonder why," she mewed. Breezefire hissed slightly at the name. She looked at him and her eyes narrowed. "What do you have against him? He and Lilynose get along so well."

Breezefire shook his head and walked away without a word. Milkwhisker pinned her ears back as she watched him leave. "What's up with him?" she asked, looking back to Blazetail.

He shrugged, sitting down as well. "You know how he is. He's so protective..."

Her tailtip twined with his in front of her. "Well he should be happy for his sister," she replied. "She seems to like Crowpaw, and he's not a bad cat."

"Try telling him that," Blazetail sighed. He looked at the nursery again. He watched as four kits wobbled outside on stumpy legs. One was a tortoisshell with large yellow eyes. Another was a black cat with white paws and snout with amber eyes. The third was a brown kit with green eyes, while the fourth was an orange tabby with a white chest and neck with blue eyes. He couldn't help but curl his tail up and purr.

Milkwhisker noticed and turned her head to look. She purred as well. "They're beautiful kits," she meowed. "They're all toms. The tortoisshell is Turtlekit, the black one is Dark-kit, the brown one is Greenkit, and the tabby is Firekit. Windcall named him Greenkit because she knew how much Greenstar meant to Willowstar. Afterall, Greenstar mentored Willowstar."

Blazetail nodded, still watching the kits. Their mother was close behind them. Crowpaw and Lilynose were walking away from the den. They looked happy. Blazetail was glad that both his sister and his apprentice were happy.

He stood up. He touched his nose to Milkwhisker's before padding over to Crowpaw. "Crowpaw."

His apprentice looked away from Lilynose and saw Blazetail. "Oh." He stopped in front of his mentor. "Yes Blazetail?"

"I need to take you out to the training hollow. I've already asked Goldember, and he and Crystalpaw will meet us there," Blazetail mewed. "Go see if Rainleaf needs anything, and meet me at the training hollow at sunhigh."

Crowpaw nodded. "Yes, Blazetail."

Blazetail turned and padded away from the two. He could feel Lilynose's eyes burning into his back. He still walked, and soon his paws led him into the forest. It was quiet as he padded on, scenting the air and staying away from any signs of prey, so that the hunting parties could get them.

He continued on silently. Something was troubling him. He looked at every leaf, every tree, every bush, every plant...

He knew these woods so well. He always made sure he was dilligent. He always went out into the forest, especially when he wasn't assigned to do anything that day. He also always made sure to listen. He knew where the best spots to catch prey were. He knew that there was an owl living in a tree near the border between SlateClan and FireClan.

He knew everything about the forest. He also knew most things about his Clanmates and the history of it.

What had driven him to gain all this knowledge...? He looked at his paws as he walked. Surely there was a reason for it. He knew that he wanted to be the best he could for his Clan. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to do the best.

Blazetail suddenly emerged out of the forest to a gravely area that lasted a few foxlengths until it stopped at the river. He looked out across it. He then looked down at his paws. He unsheathed his claws and kneaded the gravel. He raised his chin high as determination set in.

I want to be leader! I want to be leader of SlateClan!