*****

"Come at me again, faster though." Toadstep urged to the short orange tom. Sunpaw gave a large gasp for air, Sunpaw had never been a fighter, he had been a healer, Elementalpaw was always the smart one, Moonpaw was the real fighter, not him.

So when Toadstep trained him in the scourging hot sun for hours he grew very tired. But Sunkit did not complain, instead he charged again, he tried to remember the fighting technics Moonpaw had taught him, but only remembered the basic Barnclan maneuver.

With fierce determination in his eyes he charged and jumped. Toadstep sidestepped and Sunpaw twisted in the air, landing straight on his white back. He pushed down with all his strength, the older warrior fell under his weight, Sunpaw jumped off of his back and skidded in the sandy ground.

"Very good... I never knew that move." Toadstep exclaimed when he stood up. "I think you deserve a rest."

Sunpaw didn`t wait to be told twice and headed off into the direction of the fresh kill pile. It was stocked up high with prey and he picked up a plump brown wren. He went over to Blossompaw and sat down.

"Hi." She smiled after taking a bite of shrew.

"Hey."

"How do you like training with Toadstep?" She asked curiously.

"It`s fine." He answered quietly.

"Just fine?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." Blossompaw murmured, Sunpaw always seemed so sad, she wished that she could help him.

"Sunpaw, Blossompaw, would you like to come to the gathering tonight?" Came the voice of Firestar, who appeared from behind the two.

"Yes! Thank-you!" Blossompaw answered happily.

"Sure."

*****

Moonpaw walked beside Elementalpaw and Sunpaw, she could barely contain her excitement. Finally, after about 5 weeks of waiting she would be able to see the other clans close up. "Be careful when crossing the bridge, it can slippery." Sandstorm warned.

Sunpaw went over the bridge first, he trudged over the fallen trees bark with great ease, followed by Moonpaw. Elementalpaw tensilely put each paw on one at a time, near the middle of the bridge her hind legs slipped into the rushing water, Moonpaw looked back in horror, sure the current would pull her in.

Dustpelt rushed to help her, but for some reason the log rolled slightly and Elementalpaw regained her footing. She walked quickly over the other rest bridge way. Moonpaw looked at her quizzically, but Elementalpaw hardly returned her glance.

*****

"Prey is running good in our territory and we have three new apprentices, Sunpaw, Moonpaw, and Elementalpaw." Firestar shouted to the four clans gathered in front of him.

"Wait! You never said that new kits were born in the first place!" Blackstar pointed out coldly. "Or are they kitty pets?" He snarled, some of the other cats bellow him snickered. Moonpaw gave a fierce snarl and Elementalpaw had to sit her down again.

"No, they come from a clan called Barnclan." Firestar corrected angrily.

"Barnclan? Do you know anything about this Barnclan?" Leopardstar asked sternly. "For all we know they could be another Bloodclan." She added devilishly.

Moonpaw could not contain herself any longer, she jumped up and shouted, "Do not speak of my grandfathers clan with such indignity!" Her eyes blazed with yellow fire.

"Your grandfather was Scourge?" Onestar asked, a look of horror on his face. "The one that killed so many?" Firestar shook his head sadly, the other clans would not be so forgiving to the two descendants of Scourge.

Sunpaw was about to answer before his orange eyes turned large, then Moonpaw`s eyes also seemed to glow, followed by Elementalpaw. The siblings stood gaping mouthed in suspended animation Firestar felt his heart beat, what was happening?

Sunpaw glowed red, Moonpaw white, and Elementalpaw blue, they floated up into the air a mouse length and all the forest clan cats backed away slowly. "Life." Sunpaw muttered loudly.

"Death." Moonpaw followed, still in the air.

"And elements." Elementalpaw finished.

"Will combine to face the great danger." Moonpaw said, her pupils disappearing into the yellowness of her eyes.

"Star and Ancient shall meet and fight." Sunpaw replied in a trance.

"Four shall combine with four to create one." Elementalpaw spoke in a high pitched voice.

"To escape a danger they shall fight at the slate, only then shall the dove fly." They each finished in unison before collapsing in tiredness. The glow faded from their pelts and their eyes became normal, the ancient prophecy had been told through the three apprentices.

"What... what happened?" Moonpaw asked wearily, her paws feeling like twigs beneath her.

"Life, death, and elements, will combine to face the great danger. Star and ancient shall meet and fight, four shall combine with four to create one. To escape a danger they shall fight at the slate, only then shall the dove fly." Blackstar repeated the prophecy with great question in his voice, "What does it mean?"

*****

Scourgerain ran over to where Ratpaw had fallen, he had to be dead, no cat could survive that fall. She looked over Ratpaw carefully, his coat was matted with blood, his back was twisted in a strange way, but he was still alive.

"Get Greatbeak!" Scourgerain shouted, but she had no need the black medicine cat was already there leaning over the hurt apprentice. Edgar had dropped Dogkit off by his mother and Wolftooth was licking him gingerly.

"Where`s that dog when you need him? Argus!" Greatbeak shouted. The old protector dog named Argus trudged slowly up to Ratpaw, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Pick `em up." Greatbeak told the dog. Argus picked up Ratpaw genitally, careful not to move him to much. "Ok, take him to my den." Greatbeak ordered.

The mutt turned slowly and walked into the barn in the direction of the medicine den. Greatbeak followed the yellow dog telling him to slow down or be careful every few minutes. Scourgerain felt a weight drop in her chest as she turned around, birds were perched everywhere, each with their head dropped. They had saved him, they had slowed his descent, the birds were to thank, maybe Ratpaw would survive because of them. They had saved a kit.

Webpaw was in a sort of a trance and Bushpaw was trying to wake her out of it. Scourgerain felt her whole heart be ripped away from her, why was Ancientclan letting this happen to them?

*****

"Seven." The black tom smiled coldly to his brother, who had managed to find him again in the black land of nothing. The black cat could only see his brothers amber eyes and occasionally his bone white teeth.

"Yes, but seven still may be to late." The orange tom thought to himself staring into his brothers pupiless glowing yellow eyes.

*****