Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warriors. It belongs to Erin Hunter.

'Thoughts' Dreams Memories

ShadowClan's...medicine cat? The words swirled in Firepaw's head and she stayed still, blinking. Yellowfang narrowed her eyes at Bluestar as the leader took a few steps closer, snapping her jaws loudly in warning. The paler molly huffed crossly but soon looked to her newest apprentice, her eyes taking on a thoughtful look.

"This will need to be addressed by all the Clan, Longtail, Darkstripe, surround her! We're going back home. And Firepaw...try not to wander off. Ravenpaw, claw her if she does." Bluestar added with a growl, giving the black furred tom a certain look. Ravenpaw lowered his head but gave his leader a tiny meow of agreement, his paws shuffling.

Firepaw blinked to the other demon as Bluestar turned her back and the patrol began to head out, giving him a slight nudge as Ravenpaw shook his head. "I don't...I won't hurt you, whatever Bluestar says."

"I know," Firepaw answered, her voice calm as she then started to follow after the rapidly distancing patrol.

As the two younger cats walked together, Firepaw looked up at the sky and to the clouds, her eyes taking in all the different shapes. She sighed softly, idly thinking of what she told Sandpaw and of what just transpired. Perhaps...a week is too long. Her paws itched to claw at more than a few cats and Bluestar was turning out to be chief among them.

Firepaw then stopped walking, her claws digging further and further into the earth. Ravenpaw noticed this and turned to Firepaw, tilting his head. "Firepaw?"

The ginger molly ignored the black cat for a moment, closing her eyes as quite a few thoughts ran through her mind. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, looking straight at Ravenpaw, a small smile on her muzzle before she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm fine, Ravenpaw. Let's go before Bluestar rakes our ears for falling behind. No need for you to get in trouble, right?"

"Right."

The two walked together, back at the camp where cats were already gathered. As usual, the Clan was separated and the two apprentices were quick to take their place beside Sandpaw and Graypaw. Ravenpaw looked up to see Bluestar speaking with Darkstripe before she beckons Yellowfang closer to the Highrock then calls the Clan's attention.

"Today, one of our apprentices has made a surprising discovery. She has found and even fought with Yellowfang, the medicine of ShadowClan! Due to her injuring this young cat and having the strength to do so despite her age, I have decided that ThunderClan would be holding her prisoner!"

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes, her fur bristling at the announcement. She glared up at Bluestar, satisfied when the leader looked away. "As if you could hold me prisoner! I am a warrior of ShadowClan! I will never bow to you or your warriors!" Here Yellowfang then smirked, her tail flicking to Bluestar's separated ranks, particularly to the demons' side of the divide. "Seems like you have a bit of a morale issue here, Bluestar. I can only guess as to why? I suppose that you would treat me like scum then, since I am one of them!"

Amid gasps and yowls of shock, Yellowfang struggled to her paws, her legs trembling but she remained standing. She glared around the Clan while turning that glare to Bluestar, who stood, her claws scraping the rock.

"I will not hide in the darkness! I will not cower and beg forgiveness for what I am! I am a demon of ShadowClan and proud of it! Any of you who has a problem with that, step up now and prepare to die!" Yellowfang's snarl echoed through the Clan and no one moved, stunned by the bold decree.

It was Firepaw who took the first step, standing beside the older gray cat and bowing her head. "You have nothing to fear. I won't let any of them hurt you!"

Yellowfang looked down on the small apprentice before a smile broke upon her muzzle. She then gave Firepaw a hearty nudge that nearly toppled the young molly. "Who says I'm afraid, young one? If any of those fools step up to me, they will find themselves missing eye or paw."

Bluestar's fur was bristling, her fangs were bared as she snarled at the pair. "Silence! I will not have you threatening my Clan! You, Firepaw! For breaking the warrior code, you will be confided to camp and placed under guard! And since you think you can eat before the Clan, I hope you've had enough because that will be your last meal for the next three days! As for you, Yellowfang, you will be placed under guard as well. Lionheart! You will be one to contain her. If she makes one wrong move, kill her!"

Her decree made the demons and even a few of the normal cats narrow their eyes, chief among them Whitestorm and surprisingly Runningwind. What was the point of keeping Yellowfang prisoner if Bluestar was so quick to order her death if she stepped out of line? Why not kill her now?

"She's slipping," Tigerclaw muttered to himself, Ravenpaw, Lionheart and Spottedleaf were close enough to hear and all stared at the massive tabby, each having their own thoughts running through their heads. "Soon there will be nothing left."

He then stood and muttered something about going out hunting. The others watched him go but all felt suddenly uneasy and bent their heads close together. Ravenpaw then started to tremble, knowing what Tigerclaw must be feeling and struggled to force himself to remain calm. Lionheart looked down on the young apprentice but before he could speak, Bluestar beat him to the punch.

She had started to pace around Firepaw, glaring at the apprentice while the fire colored molly stood her ground, not cracking in the slightest under the leader's smoldering gave. Bluestar sneered at this before growling at the the younger molly.

"You better watch yourself, Firepaw. You seem to be getting a little too comfortable doing whatever you wish. I'll be watching you closely from now on!"

Firepaw only blinked, not raising to the bait as she then got to her paws to walk over to Yellowfang, helping the older demon construct a nest near the elder's den and asked her if she would like anything. The gray medicine cat only smirked and nudged Firepaw with her claws out, though there was no malice in her actions.

"Good see if you can get me some poppy seeds from that pretty medicine cat of yours, I'm sure she would also have some coltsfoot as well. I have to be careful, there was a crazy apprentice who attacked me, I need to make sure I can recover and be ready for if I am attacked again."

Firepaw chuckled softly at this before turning to do as Yellowfang asked, the young demon felt like she would be able to get along with the older cat and decided that since she's going to be stuck in the camp for the next three days, she could look after Yellowfang.

As she walked towards Spottedleaf's den to get the herbs she needed, she noticed Bluestar and Darkstripe heading for the leader's den. The tom looked relatively calm and thoughtful while Bluestar was clearly on edge, however she didn't stop to think about it, it was none of her business.

XxXx

Darkstripe sat in his leader's den, watching her pace back and forth, his eyes narrowed. Bluestar's claws were unsheathed, her hackles were raised and every so often, her nostrils would fare in a agitated snort.

When it finally looked like she wasn't going to speak, the dark furred deputy opened his jaws, getting the leader's attention on him. "Bluestar, we need to talk about your treatment of the demons in our Clan. Quite frankly, it's tearing our Clan in two. You have done nothing to stop the other cats from the demons food, they have to hunt and eat whatever they can outside of camp. There have been fights breaking out and you do nothing to punish the normal cats when they are the aggressors! For StarClan's sake Bluestar, the demons are being forced to sleep outside of the dens, exposed to whatever the elements throw at them! You need to stop this and stop this now!"

Bluestar paced for a few more seconds before turning to Darkstripe, her eyes blazing. "Redtail and Spottedleaf are the only ones that told me! I only knew because they told me about it. How many more secrets are the rest hiding?! What more are they keeping from me?"

"Bluestar, that may be but you can't-" Darkstripe tried to speak but Bluestar cut him off with a savage snarl.

"They betrayed me! Betrayed ThunderClan! Spottedleaf and Redtail vowed to me that they would never eat any cats and yet they do it, revealing themselves to the whole of RiverClan! How can I trust any of them?"

"So this is your plan? Punishing them for something out of their control?! Then why even keep Yellowfang in our midst?"

"ShadowClan would so anything to get their medicine cat back. Imagine the territory or the prey they could give us! That is her only use to me! If it weren't for that, I would have left her to rot. The only use these demons have to me is as a fighting force. Demons are strong, I could send them out for battle while my warriors are at a safe distance. That is the only reason they stay within ThunderClan."

Darkstripe's eyes widened in disgust and he shook his head, backing away from Bluestar. "You only see them as a fighting force! Bluestar, whatever your fears, Lionheart, Spottedleaf, all of them, they are our Clanmates!"

The dark furred warrior then turned, leaving Bluestar alone. As he exited out of the den, he heard someone rush off and after sniffing around, Darkstripe realized it was Tigerclaw. Was he lisenting in on them? Shaking his head, he walked over to where Lionheart and Sandpaw was talking and noticed the pair gave him rather reserved looks. Darkstripe tried his best to ignore it.

"Listen, the fresh kill pile is getting low and I was wondering if you would like to go on a hunting patrol with me?"

Sandpaw snorted and turned her head away while Lionheart, only grunted. "Are you sure you want to go hunting with the monsters? Don't you feel threatened by us?"

"I don't. And I don't think none of you are monsters." Darkstripe replied evenly but perhaps Lionheart didn't think he was speaking the truth as he turned his back.

"I'm sorry, Darkstripe, but I have to go train Graypaw. You should look elsewhere if you want to go hunting." As the massive tom moved to leave, Sandpaw followed after him, keeping close by his side.

Darkstripe watched them go and sighed, hanging his head. "Seems like the lines have already been drawn. Bluestar doesn't trust them and I might have lost my chance for them to trust me..."