Thanks to the reviewers:
-AtlierSky (This chapter has WC POV even if it's nothing major, because honestly, they deserve a break after everything...and for the trouble that's to come later on to them)
-Guest (you'll find out Bluefur's fate sooner...or later)
-Arika *Guest* (I love FireSand too, but I killed Sand off in the second book for the angst to start to pick up, but yes FireRaven will be a thing, so sorry if you don't ship)
-randomwarriorfan (yep Fire and Raven will be a couple)
Here begins the Thunder and Lightning Prophecy, Spottedleaf had so long ago if you remember in the second book.
Gorsepaw followed his mentor on the patrol towards the forest border. Slate, Reed, Runningbrook, and Dewpaw made up the rest of the patrol.
At first, Gorsepaw had been excited when he heard SkyClan was splitting up. But the cats he was hoping to see never came to WindClan.
Apparently, Cloud Tail had joined his brother in ShadowClan and Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes had stayed put in SkyClan.
Oh well…maybe I could leave…
He shook his head. That was a horrible idea! Leaving WindClan? Leaving his mother? Never!
…Maybe after he became a warrior…
He shook his head and focused on hunting. He would be a warrior soon. Hopefully. And then he could decide what he wanted.
"Where are you going? We have to meet Fern," Thunder meowed. Gray Wing had started padding in the opposite direction of their meeting spot.
The deputy sighed. "I wanted to visit the cats on the moor," He meowed. "And the grave."
Thunder watched his uncle leave and slowly padded towards the meeting spot before he stopped short.
What if I spied on ThunderClan? I think it's time to actually help like I promised. But he knew he couldn't do this alone.
He turned back to camp and almost bumped into the exact cats he was looking for.
"What's the hurry, Thunder?" Owl Eyes asked.
"I'm gonna spy on ThunderClan. To help them!"
"What?" Lightning Tail blinked in disbelief.
"Will you two come with me?"
"Come where?"
The three toms turned to see Leaf padding over. He held a squirrel in his jaws.
"Um…" Lightning Tail hesitated.
"Act stupid," Owl Eyes hissed.
"We're…doing something…that has nothing to do with…spying on ThunderClan…"
Thunder sighed.
"What?" Leaf dropped his prey. "Why are you trying to spy on ThunderClan?"
Thunder sighed and mewed, "listen. Back when I was an apprentice in ThunderClan I could tell something was wrong with their Clan…my dad even said, 'Thistlestar was never truly this brutal back when we first arrived'...doesn't that mean something is–"
"Up!" Lightning Tail interrupted. "Yep. Knew it."
Thunder gave him a look.
Leaf frowned while Owl Eyes looked thoughtful. "Yeah," the gray tom meowed. "You're right."
"So what if we secretly he–"
"Helped! Wow, I am a genius," Lightning Tail meowed.
Thunder stared at him. "Wow. How do you do it?" He asked sarcastically. Leaf chuckled before he grew quiet.
"Okay, if you're gonna do this guys…I'm coming with."
"Really?" Thunder never appreciated his former mentor more than ever.
"Of course," the black and white tom mewed. "I mean this could be our call to–"
"Adventure!"
"Okay, Lightning Tail, you're not coming," Thunder meowed.
"What?" He gasped. "Yeah, right! Try and stop me!"
Owl Eyes shook his head. "Let's just get to it, alright?"
"Let me give this to Milkweed first," Leaf meowed, picking up the squirrel.
"Aw, does someone have a crush?" Owl Eyes asked.
"Shut it!"
Owl Eyes laughed as they watched him head back to camp. Thunder, meanwhile, was brainstorming.
We have to execute this right…because as soon as we're caught, we're dead.
Fern couldn't believe it!
They had ditched her!
She had gone to the meeting place as usual and had to avoid many patrols passing by! And yet neither Gray Wing or Thunder had shown up.
So much for helping, she thought mutinously as she padded back to Twolegplace. She edged along the fence, wary of ThunderClan patrols.
But she wasn't really mad. Gray Wing had given her something to hope for and he was deputy, he was probably busy.
I guess I have to understand he has his own responsibilities.
She'd go back tomorrow.
"Okay, follow me," Thunder whispered and headed towards the Owl Tree. The first place of ThunderClan territory he'd ever seen. And where he'd first met Fern…well not really.
As they crept through the undergrowth, Thunder became aware of rank dogscent. They were still here.
"Be careful. There are dogs," he pointed out.
"Thanks, I didn't know."
"Shut up, Owl Eyes."
When they reached the tall tree with the knot in it, Thunder paused and looked around. We're gonna have to use the trees from now on. We'll be more safe from being caught if we jump from one to the other.
He started clawing his way up the Owl Tree, eyeing the tree next to it. Their branches were close enough they almost touched. He heard claws scrabble under him and turned to see Lightning Tail. Owl Eyes was right behind with Leaf taking up the rear.
He smiled with pride that they would follow him anywhere without question just for this dangerous little mission.
They all settled on a big branch of the Owl Tree, so that Thunder could discuss some kind of plan first before they started moving on.
Just then, a screech sounded nearby. They all jumped and Owl Eyes almost fell off the branch.
Up ahead, an old white tom was struggling and clawing wildly at Darkstripe, who had pounced on him. His apprentice, Fernpaw, watched fearfully from a distance.
"Come on, fellas!"
Thunder startled when a flash of black whipped past from another tree.
Fern!
The she-cat easily tackled Darkstripe and started pushing his face into the dirt, yowling insults at him.
Thunder looked at his companions and they all jumped down and raced to the old tom's side.
"You okay?" Thunder nudged him to his feet.
"No! I'm not okay! That filthy piece of fox-dung stole my mouse!" The tom yowled, glaring at Darkstripe.
Fern had chased him and his apprentice off by now before trotting back. "We might be better off back in your territory," she pointed out. "Before that idiot brings the big, strong warriors because he can't fight."
"Got that right," Thunder muttered. He turned to the old tom. "If you come with us, we'll let you hunt mice in our territory."
The tom with the strange pinkish eyes studied him suspiciously before he sighed. "Alright, it's past my nap time anyway. The sooner we get to a peaceful place, the better."
On the way, he introduced himself as Pink Eyes.
"Makes sense," Lightning Tail muttered into Thunder's ear.
He had been hunting on ThunderClan territory after being abandoned by his twoleg.
"Everyone knows by now not to hunt on ThunderClan land. Only Night and I got away being on their territory before we moved..." Fern meowed. "Darkstripe killed her brother."
Thunder shook his head at this.
Once back in their territory they all settled in the Golden Meadow to talk. Owl Eyes quickly caught a mouse for Pink Eyes.
"Thank you," he sighed and started crunching down on it, hungrily.
"Okay, so we obviously can't spy today since Dumbstripe saw us," Thunder meowed. "We'll have to go back tomorrow and this time, we'll immediately get up into the trees, alright?"
Lightning Tail, Leaf and Owl Eyes nodded.
"Hey, uh, let me help," Pink Eyes rasped.
"You wanna help?" Thunder asked, surprised by his fearlessness.
"Yeah…well really I was hoping to get back at…what did you say his name was? Dumbstripe?"
Owl Eyes snickered and Thunder smiled. "Alright, yeah, you can help."
"But what about Slash?" Fern asked.
"Gray Wing will help with that," Thunder promised. "He just had something to do today."
"Okay," Fern sighed. She got to her paws. "I hope I don't hear bad news if you get caught," she said before leaving.
The sun had just set when Gray Wing reached the Outlook Rock. He had sat all day at the big grave before moving on. Now the stars twinkled in the sky.
Then a screech sounded.
He burst forward without a thought.
"Back off!" He heard a familiar voice growl.
Slate!
He spotted her backed up against a rock. A fox stalked towards her, snarling, its teeth bared.
"Leave her alone!" Gray Wing yowled, leaping forward. He jumped onto the fox's back.
Caught off guard, the fox staggered and fell onto its side. It tried to roll onto its back but Gray WIng dug his claws in. He could feel that it was thin.
The fox shook itself harshly. It jerked its muzzle back and snapped at Gray Wing's neck. When he dodged he fell onto the ground and scrambled to his paws.
The fox turned on him, jaws open for another bite. Slate threw herself at the fox and knocked it off balance.
It yelped, then turned and fled.
The two stood beside each other, panting with effort. "Are you alright?" Gray Wing asked Slate.
She had a nick on her ear. "I'll be fine."
Gray Wing examined the wound. It wasn't too deep, but it was bleeding. "It'll heal. Should we get back to WindClan camp? I wanted to check up on everyone anyway."
"Thanks for helping me." Slate smiled. "And I'm glad you're here."
"Gray Wing!" Gorse Fur spotted him first. He emerged from a den and hurried to greet him. "How have you been?" Then he frowned. "Are you bleeding?"
"I ran into a fox," Slate explained. "Gray Wing came to help me."
Backface hurried out of his den towards them.
A white kit appeared from another den, looking sleepy. "Father?"
"Go back to sleep, Moth Flight," Gorse Fur mewed.
"It's the middle of the night," another voice, Mudclaw's, growled. "Why are there always disruptions at this time?"
"Go back to sleep, Mudclaw," Gorse Fur mewed in the same tone he'd used for Moth Flight.
"No. Not until I know what he's doing here," he glared suspiciously at Gray Wing.
Wind Runner appeared and the apprentice, Gorsepaw and soon many of their clanmates followed.
"What now?" The weary voice of Tallstar muttered, pushing through the crowd.
"Hello, Tallstar." Gray Wing dipped his head. "I don't mean to disturb you. I just came to visit and Slate ran into a fox, so…"
Tallstar smiled. "It's alright. You're welcome to stay the night."
"Now everyone, back to sleep!" Mudclaw yowled. Deadfoot shot him a glare.
"I didn't know there was a change in deputy," Gray Wing heard the black tom mutter as the crowd dispersed. Gray Wing huffed a laugh.
Moth Flight slipped out of the nursery again as Barkface checked Gray Wing and Slate over. Morning Whisker was behind her.
"Who are you?" Moth Flight asked.
"My name's Gray Wing," he answered.
Moth Flight blinked. "Gray Wing," she repeated. "Oh, I remember you! You were SkyClan deputy before we left!"
"Yeah…SkyClan," Morning Whisker repeated, looking almost wistful.
After their injuries were treated, Slate led him to the warriors den. "You can share my nest tonight…if you want."
"Thank you," He purred and curled up, feeling drowsy.
He'd just rest and tomorrow he'd go back home.
The Spy Club: Thunder, Lightning Tail, Owl Eyes, Leaf, Pink Eyes, (and later Cloud Spots)
Notice it's the cats that left with Thunder to created TC in the first place.