(A little lesson for Raven to learn.)

Ocean snarled at Raven'paw' as the tom walked past Sakura. Cherry watched in amusement and appraisal as Ocean handled his new apprentice/prisoner. Sakura and Luna were suspicious of the cat, as was Cherry herself. On what Earth does a cat suddenly walk up and ask to be the guardian of your daughter? The black tom looked annoyed if that was the safest way to put it. He had to fetch bedding for them and hunt, not to mention searching the for ticks and fleas. Sakura, Ocean and Luna had to do that themselves, but when Raven entered the picture all of their duties were given to him.

It has been three days since he had been recruited and he's already thinking about quitting, Cherry was sure off it. Luna had been complaining about how her moss bed was prickly and itchy she has been feeling. Cherry chuckled to herself. The poor tom was going to lose all his fur if that kept up.

It wasn't until they reached a human place that housed cows and horses did the tom hisses and bristle his fur at Ocean. "That's it! I am not doing this anymore!"

Ocean flicked an ear, giving him a agitated look. "Doing what, Ravenpaw?"

Raven snarled at the name. "STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm not your apprentice anymore! Just let me be the guardian of the cat!" Luna bristled and Cherry snarled.

"And what makes you think you can that you are fit enough to protect my daughter and guard her from unworthy toms? To keep her alive in a battle?"

Sakura snorted. "I can very well handle myself," she muttered lowly.

Raven glared at Cherry. "I am fully capable of protecting her!"

Ocean's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Are you really Raven? You think that you are capable enough to protect Sakura? My little sister?" Raven yowled.

"You aren't even related!"

Sakura snarled and bared her long fangs. "Its the thought that counts! Ocean has been like a big brother to me since we were kits! I consider him as family. The same with Luna."

"And that automatically makes them my kits," Cherry meowed as she swept her tail over all of her kits. "I raised them and trained them. It is obvious we are a family, Raven. If you cannot respect that then you have to leave."

Raven gave them all a strange look before he growled. "I am fully capable of protecting her." Ocean slid his claws out. "Then prove it. Here is your test."

With a loud yowl he raised his paw and knocked Sakura off her paws, making her land hard on her side. Luna and Cherry sat by and watched as Sakura flailed in surprise while Ocean mercilessly attacked her. Raven watched shocked as this happened and he glared at them. "Aren't you going to help her?! Isn't she your daughter and sister?!"

Luna bared her fangs. "You said you are able to protect her, go and do it."

He flattened his ears as he heard Sakura give a pain yowl. He saw the dark spot on her fur where the blood was and with a yowl he jumped on Ocean and raked his hind claws down the blue male's back. Ocean turned his head and grabbed Raven's paw, biting it and pulled the raven tom off his back.

Raven was up as quickly as he landed and dodged Oceans blows swiftly, leaping in to attack the other tom whenever he could. He saw an opening when Ocean left his flank off guard and dove, claws waiting to sink into the dust blue fur. What he didn't expect however, was to be knocked to the ground by a powerful blow that made him roll a couple time before he came to a complete stop. His head was pounding and his vision was blurry, his side was in pain and he could feel the blood leaking from the obvious wound. His heart pounded in momentary fear as a large law was planted on his neck, claws latching on to his neck fur. He shuddered as Ocean leaned down to his ear and snarled.

"Just because an opponent leaves his flank unprotected, doesn't me he didn't do accidentally. Like just now, it could've been a trap to lure you in."

Raven winced as Ocean's claws scrapped over his skin. "At this moment, you are dead, and so is Sakura, the she cat you were suppose to protect. You failed your job as her guardian and being that she was the last of Cherry's kits, their bloodline just ran out. Congratulations." He heard Ocean snort. "I only used half my strength you know."

As Ocean removed his paw Raven slowly stood, legs wobbly. He looked up at the cats before him and sighed, hanging his head. Cherry was giving him such a disappointed glare. 'I was better off a lone cat, like I was before. I didn't have to watch out for anyone because I only watched myself,' he thought as he limped over to the group.

In his mind he flashed back to last week. He had gotten into a bad fight with a group of cats and was about to be killed. As the cat that was about to kill him raised his paw, Raven went into a haze. He saw two cats in a meadow, a large bulky red tom and a white she cat.

"You don't have to die. I can help you, if you help us." Raven remembered readily agreeing with the tom. He didn't want to die. He'd do anything to live. Though he could've already been dead, but he didn't know that.

The white she cat spoke, "If you prove that you can be the guardian to our little sister and protect her, if you promise us this then we will help you survive, live."

The red tom's green eyes gleamed. "For longer than you can think, along with giving you the speed you need." Power and speed, all to protect some she cat. Ok, easy.

"I will do it."

Raven remembered his self saying that. He remembered the training and the things they told him to say, the feeling of it happening for moons before the cats went away with one warning. "If you go back on your deal, Raven, we will see that you die a horrible death."

He remembered coming back to the present and seeing the cat above him raise a long clawed paw and he remembered that on instinct he lashed out and grabbed the cat's neck with his surprisingly quick reflexes and strong jaws, ending its life. He remembered the meeting place they told him to go to in his "dream".

It dawned on him that had he been foolish and it was a true battle, if Sakura was truly dead that he would die too. Guilt coursed through him. The cats did say he had to prove his self. He looked at Ocean, who was nursing his sister's wounds. "I'm sorry Sakura. I tried to hurt you as little as possible. Are the scratches too deep?"

Sakura shook her head. "It was just like when we train, its no big deal. Had you warned me before hand though," she gave Ocean and low growl. Ocean looked away sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, but if I had told you it wouldn't be real enough." Sakura nodded.

"True..."

She looked past Ocean as she saw Raven passing over to them, head hung. When the black tom sat/crouched in front of Ocean, Ocean looked down him, angry and disgusted. "Do you see what I am telling you now? You may be older than me Raven, but you don't know what I know. You aren't trained long enough to know. I've been at this since I was eight moons old." Raven nodded.

"I know this now and I am sorry. I realized that had this been a serious situation, I would have failed. Will you give me another chance?" He dared to look up at Ocean, heh, he is looking up to people now, strange since he is taller than the youngster. Ocean glare at him with steel light blue eyes before he sighed.

"Ok, since your speed is nothing to joke around with. We could use that." Raven nodded. "Ok."

Cherry growled at him. "Next time you WILL die, should you make that mistake again. Come, let me look at your wound."

After Raven's wound was looked at the group set out again. When they day ended and they made camp Raven made sure to listen to Ocean's instructions. He needs to improve his skills so that he could protect this she cat, because she was the light to his path, the key to his life.