Alright, I lied. There are no picnics in this. Nor is there any froliking. I lie a lot, have any of you noticed? Well, if you can believe it, we have only two more chapters left in this story before I move on and do something different. What that different is going to be, I don't know. I've tried pushing around the story of Brokenstar's Elite, but it's not going anywhere anytime fast, so I'm going to rethink it and, well, do something else in the mean time. I don't quite know what that will be, but we'll find out... Eventually.

Oh, another thing I lied about: This story isn't going to be eleven chapters long. It's going to be twelve. I miscounted, and kept getting confused, but it's all settled now. There's twelve chapters including the prologue, so you have one more chapter than you thought you were going to have, yay!


tifted titmouse: Nothing good ever happens in this story, I've decided. :)

GlimmerIcewood: Why thank you! And, by the way, there will be a LOT of Cedar/White in teh next chapter, so be happy!


"ThunderClan leaders are cursed. First Bluestar went crazy, and now Firestar? What is StarClan punishing us for? What have we done?"

Firestar could hear the whispers even though he was in his den, snarling in his feverish sleep and raking his claws across his nest. He had shared this nest with Sandstorm before the battle with BloodClan, he had watched the moonlight over her fur, and the way her sweet green eyes had fluttered when she looked up to him and told him that she loved him. Firestar hissed when Cinderpelt entered the den with poppy seeds, sending her out. He had seen Whitestorm's troubled face from the entrance of his den, and the way he and Cinderpelt had whispered together. Plotting to hide his weakness. Plotting to take the Clan from him.

"They will not have it," hissed Firestar hotly. His body was on fire, sweat and foam dappled his fur and slicked it dark as shadow. His green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of his den, "ThunderClan is mine, and I will not let them take it from me."

Cinderpelt was telling the other cats that Firestar had eaten bad food, and merely needed to recover from it. How did he know that? He could feel her mind beating against him, like a second heart beating in time with his own. He could hear what she heard, feel what she felt. The wind, the sun, the darkness and rage. From that mere touch on the nose, the final connection that they needed to become one, Fire and Shadow had been brought together, brought to be one soul in two bodies. It was painful, maddening, and strangely blissful. Firestar laughed when he thought of how he was before Burntfur had been born from his grief, how simple the world had been and how simply he had seen it. But this, this was seeing the world. This fire that raced through his blood and made him weak and powerful at the same time, smelling the air twice over steaming lungs, seeing it through boiling eyes. There was no better way to see the world. No other way to truly see it.

At some time Whitestorm entered the den and sat next to him, his blue eyes quiet and his shoulders stooped. He really was an old cat, Firestar realized as he opened his eyes and sat up, "What is it, Whitestorm?"

"I wanted to tell you I am resigning as deputy," Whitestorm said steadily, "I should not be teaching Snakepaw either. Give Snakepaw to Brambleclaw and choose a new deputy, I will have nothing more to do as deputy."

"Whitestorm-"

"No." Whitestorm's eyes were hard, "I will take no other option. I will retire, and you cannot keep me as deputy."

"Fine!" Firestar spat, thinking rapidly. Who would replaced Whitestorm? Who could replace Whitestorm? He finally growled and said, "Tell Graystripe that he's the deputy now. There won't be a ceremony for you or he, before you ask, I am through with the ceremonies of StarClan. Now leave me in peace, you coward."

Whitestorm's mouth tightened when he stared at Firestar, but he said nothing, and quietly stood and left the room. Graystripe tried to enter later, but Firestar snarled so loudly and coldly that he backed away as fast as he could, and did not return. Firestar lay for a longer time in his feverish sleep, something wailing, sometimes laughing to himself.

"Where the light is strongest, the shadows are deepest," Firestar laughed and panted to himself. He dragged himself up, his body was light but his legs were weak and made of sand. He shouted for something, but the words couldn't seem to form correctly in his mouth, and outside he felt his other body sense the fear that rippled through the camp when he bellowed. He threw back his head and laughed, and then staggered upright, screaming for her.

"I am here, my Light," Burntfur said quietly when she appeared in front of him. She seemed to have stepped from the very stone itself, though she appeared to be as lifelike as ever. Calm, gentle green eyes. Wide and enormous, but no longer ringed with white. Her fur was smoke-gray, her body slim and wiry and ears small and neat. Her breathing was silent. Her eyes were made to look only at Firestar. She was made only to obey Firestar. Firestar laughed again and felt his haunches give beneath him, and he fell to clumsy seat. He watched Burntfur for a long time beneath hooded, sweat-ringed eyes, and she stared back at him quietly. Her eyes blinking slowly.

"You are my Shadow," Firestar panted.

"Yes," she answered quietly, "I am your Shadow. I will protect you."

"I know the other leaders will be moving against me soon. You have heard this."

"I have."

"Do you know their plans?"

"Some. RiverClan and ShadowClan will join against you. WindClan will take no part in either side.

"I see." Firestar closed his eyes, his breath coming in rapid, short huffs, as if it were an effort just to stay upright, "Burntfur, why are you mine?"

"Because you are the brightest heart, my Light, the warmth and fire of your heart was enough to draw others to you, to help you light the way for the Clans. No one would know what would happen afterwards, nor what would happen if that light that protected so many would be blocked. The shadows are deepest where the light is strongest, and your Shadow came to life after it felt the Change coming. The Change that gave your Shadow the ability to move and speak, to become a part of you and show you what she has seen from the Change."

Firestar closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground again. Burntfur made no move to help him. After a few long minutes Firestar opened his eyes again. Burntfur still stood there, her green eyes made only to look at him.

"It was the Catalyst who brought you to life." He said finally.

Burntfur closed her eyes and did not look at him, "Yes."

"Then you know who he is? And the others as well?"

Burntfur opened her eyes slightly and lowered her muzzle, "Yes. I do."

Firestar stared at Burntfur, then snorted and looked away, "Then let them change the world. I'd rather die than know that this world will continue as it was. This world is cruel, Burntfur, cruel and unjust."

"Yes." Was all Burntfur said.

"This world must be rebuilt. Must be torn down and re-sculpted from the ashes."

"Yes."

"Then I will make it so." Firestar stood again, feeling stronger, less feverish. He stared at Burntfur for a long time and then said: "Go to RiverClan and ShadowClan. Be seen by them. Let them know that it was I who sent you. Kill Leopardstar. Kill Blackstar."

Burntfur nodded slowly, her green eyes meeting Firestar's.

"As you command."


Reedpaw raised his head, what was this tingling going down his spine? He stood, his legs itching suddenly with the desire to move, and took a few steps forward. The world was so gloomy outside of the camp, the water was so still and quiet tonight…

Blackclaw said that one of the reasons RiverClan chose to have their camp on the island was to keep it protected, any attack on the camp would be noticed because of the splashes that paws would make in the shallow water, coupled with sharp stones that generations of warriors had arranged just beneath the surface of the muddy, sandy bottom. And it was because of this that Reedpaw felt safe in the RiverClan camp, safer than in any other part of the forest. But… but this feeling…

Reedpaw walked further out of the camp, to the raised bit of land that connected the island with the shore. This part was still slightly under water, but one of the few places that there were no sharp rocks. Reedpaw stood paw-deep in the water, watching the darkness carefully. The faint outlines of the reeds and forest were visible to him, and every small movement made his eyes flicker and his belly twinge. He knew in his gut that something was out there but he didn't know what it was. Behind him he heard the soft footfalls of the other warrior on guard that night, Stormfur, the cat with a father in ThunderClan. The attitude towards him had been harsher since Leopardstar returned with word that Firestar was seeking to destroy StarClan, but Reedpaw didn't quite understand why. Stormfur had always been a loyal warrior, after all.

"Do you see anything?" he asked, walking up behind Reedpaw and lifting his nose to scent the air. Reedpaw didn't answer, his concentration fixed on the forest. But finally the apprentice shook his head and turned back to the older warrior.

"I thought I did, but I must've just been imagining things."

"I see." Stormfur murmured, staring out to the forest. What was he thinking? Did he think that ThunderClan would attack tonight, and that he would have to fight his father? Reedpaw thought that was the case and sniffed to himself. Stormfur probably didn't have the guts to fight his own father, as loyal as he was to RiverClan. Stormfur glanced down at Reedpaw, sensing his distaste, and then glanced back into the distance.

"I'm thinking of taking a mate." Stormfur said suddenly. Reedpaw jerked back and stared at Stormfur, but the big tom didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on the distance. There was a long silence and Stormfur said: "Leopardstar and Mistyfoot suggested it to Feathertail and I. To… to prove our loyalty to RiverClan. They told us who to mate with as well. Feathertail's supposed to mate with Heavystep and I'm… I'm supposed to mate with Swallowpaw when she becomes a warrior. You're friends with Swallowpaw, right? Is she a good cat?"

Reedpaw stared at Stormfur for a long time and finally said, quietly, "She's the best cat I know."

"I hoped so," Stormfur sighed, "I just… I knew that you and she…"

"It was nothing," Reedpaw said brusquely, continuing back to the camp, "Just a kitten crush. Nothing."

"Reedpaw, wait-"

But Reedpaw had closed his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, blocking any words that Stormfur was going to try and say to him. In his chest his heart felt like it was being dried to a raisin, his eyes burned like they were on fire. But his stomach was steel in his belly, and no matter how hard his mind wanted to retch in revulsion at the thought of Stormfur and Swallowpaw being mates, his belly would not allow him to. So the steel in his belly turned to sour rust and disgust as he paced the RiverClan camp, and the rage in his mind blazed.

He finally stopped to glance at the apprentice den, where he could see the faint rise and fall of Swallowpaw's flank next to Ashpaw. How long had he been this in love with Swallowpaw? His entire childhood was the two of them playing while his siblings slept, of watching her dancing green eyes when they snuck out of the nursery to watch the apprentices and warriors go out on patrols. Swallowpaw had become an apprentice first, and gone out without him, but always came back to visit and tell him the amazing stories of outside of the camp. And when Reedpaw had become an apprentice as well, and had gone out with Swallowpaw for the first time… It had been like a dream come true. Like fantasy become reality. He thought there was nothing more joyful than trotting along the river, his fur brushing hers and smelling her sweet, watery scent.

He tore his gaze from Swallowpaw's dark, shiny fur. Now she was being used to prove the loyalty of another cat. It was more than Reedpaw could bear. He kicked at a sharp stone that had come loose from the water around the island as was waiting to be replaced and it rolled towards Leopardstar's den. He sighed and padded after it. He had nothing better to do, he might as well replace it. As he bent to pick up the rock he froze, his eyes fixed on Leopardstar's den, where a dark she-cat was standing in the entrance. A dark cat he had never seen before, who smell of burnt pelts, of ThunderClan, and of blood.

"ThunderClan!" Reedpaw cried, not taking his eyes off of the cat, "ThunderClan!"

Stormfur took up the yowl, bounding into camp and racing towards the she-cat as she tried to make her escape out of the camp entrance. She swerved to avoid him and Reedpaw darted in, nipping at his ankle. He felt his teeth brush short fur and an ashy taste filled his mouth, but the she-cat was not phased, and continued to run.

"Get after her!" Mistyfoot snarled to the stumbling, half-awake warriors. She called to Runningnose and the both rushed to Leopardstar's den. A moment later a wail broke the air around Reedpaw, and Mistyfoot's pained voice was heard above the clamor to follow the ThunderClan assassin, "Leopardstar is dead!"

Reedpaw opened his mouth to wail but Blackclaw bowled into him, knocking him over. Blackclaw snarled something incomprehensible and Heavystep was at his side, seizing his scruff and dragging him out of the camp, after the ash-tasting she-cat. Reedpaw stumbled to his paws and a crowd of cats began to push at him, forcing him out of the camp and after the cat. After failing several times to push through the cats and get back into the camp, Reedpaw turned and began to run with them in search of the killer. It was all he could do for now.

The cats scattered when they reached the main land and many turned and began to head towards ThunderClan territory, the direction an assassin from ThunderClan would take. But Reedpaw felt himself drawn upstream, and circled around the camp, feeling a shiver run up his spine whenever he heard Mistyfoot wailing for her lost leader. His mother would need comfort, and Reedpaw almost turned to go back to camp and do so, but the pull in his gut was too strong, and he quickened his pace, braking into a slow lope down a well-used path. Unexpectedly, he jumped into a sprint, which carried him further north in the RiverClan territory until his chest was heaving and his paws felt raw and sticky with blood. He stopped and turned them over, but saw nothing unusual about them. Tentatively, Reedpaw licked his pad, and his mouth was left with the taste of ash.

"I knew you would find me," said a sad voice.

Reedpaw looked up and stumbled back a few steps in surprise. The trail he had followed had thinned to a simple hunting trail which led around the far edge of RiverClan territory and was flush against the broad, flat fields that twolegs kept their cows in. He had passed beneath the fence that separated forest from field, and was standing in flank-high grasses, moonlight coating his pelt. The moon was nearly full, but the light seemed to be dim and cloudy. The killer stood in the grass only a few tail-lengths in front of him, her green eyes tilted downwards, tail low in the grass.

"Wh-who a-are you?" Reedpaw stuttered, caught off guard by the cat's sudden appearance.

The cat sighed and lifted her head as a soft breeze washed over her, closing her large green eyes. Reedpaw shivered when he caught the scent of sour, burned pelt but paused when he smelled something else. Something that he could not quite describe, but was something like the smell of sadness. The she-cat turned back to him.

"I am what tragedy brought to this world," said the she-cat, her green eyes distant and full of sadness, "I always am. And it is my curse to always be. You will understand, soon." She turned to leave and then glanced back, something strange reflected in her green eyes, "I wanted to meet you once before then. Just once."

Reedpaw opened his mouth, he should try to stop her, he should fight her and drag her back to RiverClan to face judgment for what she had done. He filled his lungs, prepared to cry out a battle cry and rush at the she-cat who was walking away from him, but instead he felt the battle call turn into a question, and the question called out to her:

"But who are you?"

The she-cat turned and looked at him for a long time, and then a small, sad smile played over her face. She answered quietly in her strange voice; "I have lived several lives, each with a different name. In this they call me Burntfur."

"And what do you call yourself?"

The smile faded from Burntfur's face and her eyes became distant again. Her mouth formed one word, and as soon as it was said, she vanished without a trace.

"Grief."


Reedpaw walked slowly back to the RiverClan camp, trying hard not to think of what just happened between he and the she-cat Burntfur, or Grief. His thoughts were so clouded he didn't even hear the ruckus going on in the camp until he walked into it and bumped into Swallowpaw. She said something excited that he didn't quite make out and rushed off, leaving Reedpaw. Ashpaw bounded up to him then, her bright blue eyes dancing.

"Reedpaw, Mother's gone to the Moonstone to get her nine lives!" she said, "Runningnose went with her and so did Heavystep!"

"Heavystep?" Reedpaw tilted his head to the side. Heavystep was a powerful warrior, full of strength, but not very fast. He was a gentle cat, though, and treated Reedpaw nicely whenever they were working together.

"Heavystep says he had a dream from StarClan, and they told him to become a Medicine Cat!" Ashpaw grinned, "It's so exciting, isn't it? Mother says we're going to get revenge on those mangy cur for ever messing with RiverClan. She's so angry right now, I wish you could have seen her!"

Reedpaw briefly thought that it would be a problem for Feathertail, who was supposed to become Heavystep's mate, but there were other male cats in the Clan, she would be assigned to another and prove her loyalty through them. The rest of the conversation Reedpaw lost track of as Ashpaw led him to the apprentice den and they settled down next to each other to sleep. He felt himself drifting to sleep even though his mind buzzed with the activity of the night, and when he slept, he dreamed of fire and blood.


Grrr... I have to run now. Cleaning for my father isn't the greatest job, but it gets me paid, at least. Mulah in the pocket!

Anyway, review, enjoy, and search for my errors! I'll see you in the next chapter with Cedar/White, and we'll watch the events unfold!