A/N - Okay guys, so I'll be honest… while I have a pretty bad recollection of the past chapters… I'm confident in saying that this one that sits before you juuust might be in my top 3 personal favorites that I've written so far (Which is probably obvious considering how I finished the entire thing in, like, a week)

Tell me after reading - do you agree? Let me know in the comments, and perhaps we can discuss it!


Disclaimer: Warriors is owned by Erin Hunter/HarperCollins Publishers LLC


The Heart of a Warrior

It wasn't until later that night that Fireheart had his first dream in a long while.

The ginger tom blinked his eyes open, no longer feeling tired in this plain, before growling as he took in the sights around him. The Dark Forest, with all of its gloominess and barren features, was exactly as Fireheart remembered it.

So… they can sense when I call them? Fireheart wondered, immediately getting up to set out in search of the entity.

If he was being honest with himself, this is just what he'd expected.

Fireheart could recall his exact feelings just before falling asleep: He wanted to speak to the entity again - as much as it hurt him to admit it.

He came to realize that there was truly a lot of potential in this realm. The main draw was that he seemed to be relatively safe and secluded in this world, at least in comparison to what he faced in ThunderClan.

Tigerstar had control over everything there; Warriors and apprentices alike followed his every command.

The message was clear: Fireheart had no future in ThunderClan as long as he stayed, and Tigerstar intended he stay there for the rest of his life. And while some cats, such as Yellowfang and Whitestorm, were not so oblivious, Fireheart did not wish to drag them into the pit he'd dug himself.

This was his destiny, after all. His greatest wish was to defeat Tigerstar. This monster killed Bluestar and practically got away with it!

Yes… Nobody in the mortal world was able to help him. They just wouldn't believe the truth… not yet, anyway. As it stood now, it seemed the best path to victory lay within this Dark Forest.

"Mmmmm."

Fireheart suddenly heard a grunt, and he whipped his head around in surprise.

What? He thought. They… aren't hiding from me this time?

Fireheart remembered the other times he visited. The entity must have sensed his feelings - and judging by that grunt, must've also narcissistically agreed that Dark Forest was his best option, and possibly wished to speak with him as well.

Fireheart huffed. So… I truly am connected to this place, then.

Looking around just a few seconds later, he spotted them.

Atop a stone, smaller than the Highrock but comparable in size, sat the shadowy figure Fireheart had been familiar with. They lay on their side as if sunbathing, all the while peering at him.

His ginger fur prickled, seeing them lounging about so casually. The shadow cocked their head, swaying their tail with an attitude.

"…You're two days… too early."

Fireheart shuddered, hearing their deep, feminine voice sound out in almost a chiding tone. They flashed a smug, dirt-eating grin

"I thought I told you, a quarter-moon." They said, raising their brow. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Fireheart frowned, annoyed by their teasing demeanor.

They'd been expecting him. Of course, they'd been expecting him. He was always meant to give in, and the knowing smirk on their face proved it.

"There's no point," Fireheart stated, sounding empty. "You were right. Things are just gonna get worse, aren't they? Why should I keep beating around the bush?"

"… Hmph. "

With a grunt, Fireheart watched as the entity lifted themselves with a stretch. He stared - silently wondering why a body-less spirit would feel the need, much less the desire, to stretch at all - before the entity suddenly returned his gaze.

"What you just said–"

They paused as they leaped down from the boulder. Fireheart raised his hackles a bit more once their paws reached the ground, and even more so when they began to stalk towards him.

"–proves you're wiser than most I've encountered."

Fireheart flicked his ears uncomfortably as the cat strode right up right beside him. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice.

"But I need to make one thing clear–" He put on a stern expression, using the greatest tone of authority he could muster. "We are not friends. I simply needed someone to help me; you simply agreed to help. That's all this… thing will be."

For a moment, the entity looked like they wanted to argue. But they did not. Simply putting on another smile, they nodded slowly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," they said. Fireheart gave them a look, irritated by the fact he couldn't tell if they were serious or not.

"Well… that's it then," he mewled, dejected. "You won me over. Happy?"

The entity couldn't resist a slight chuckle at that.

"Ahah… why, of course!~" They lifted off their haunches, and Fireheart could see a new gleam in their eyes. "The history of ThunderClan's Blessing can finally begin!"

Fireheart blinked, watching as the entity suddenly turned away. Releasing a snort, he lifted off his haunches as well.

"ThunderClan's Blessing, huh?"

He pushed the topic, quickly trotting up behind them. The entity kept forward, not sparing him a glance as he continued.

"And I assume you're not gonna tell me about it, even now?"

Fireheart could hear a low grunt emanate from the spirit. They rolled their head over their shoulders to look at him.

"I don't think there's much I could tell you… your Blessing in particular holds many secrets," they stated, eerily. "But yes– I believe it'd be better if what I knew remained… undisclosed, for now."

Fireheart lowered his ears, failing to hide his disappointment.

"Oh… Well, fine. Whatever," he grumbled. "So, that's it? You want to train me to use this blessing yet you won't even tell me anything about it?"

The entity looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before turning away again.

"Mmh… The nature of ThunderClan's Blessing is… rather shrewd," they began. "For it to manifest… you must have an incredible warrior spirit. It even has the ability to reject its user if they aren't strong enough… like it possesses a mind of its own, separate from StarClan's will."

Fireheart curled his lip at a few soulless husks of cats as they walked by. The entity paused as if waiting for him to start listening again.

"So… if you are to use it, first you'll simply have to grow the strength of your body and mind."

"That's all?" Fireheart looked at them strangely. Seeing the entity's straight face, he just shook his head and nodded. "I can become as strong as it takes, then."

The entity stuttered in their pace, chortling a laugh.

"Acting brash, already?"

Fireheart frowned, looking offended.

"Given all the foxdung I've had to put up with - I think I can handle a little training!"

"No, no, when I say 'grow your strength,' I truly mean it," the entity grumbled. "The Blessing requires not only an incredible spirit but also a vessel strong enough to hold it. Your body now is a kit in comparison to the one you must obtain!"

Fireheart only gave them a challenging look. "Well then, how am I supposed to get stronger if all I eat are scraps?"

The entity paused momentarily.

"There will come a time when you'll sit above everyone else, eating nothing but plump fresh-kill," they said. "But as far as a contemporary solution… let's just say, other cats will start treating you better."

That made Fireheart blink. The entity obviously had some kind of clairvoyance, what with predicting how things would get so much worse in just a few days. He trusted they had a plan, and if it involved him getting fed better - why wouldn't he go along with it?

"Then I'm even more eager!" Fireheart exclaimed. "Getting stronger? In Tigerstar's ThunderClan, that's all cats care about! Do you not see me being bullied by bloody apprentices? I'm nothing to them because I'm not 'strong'... and they're right - I don't feel like I'm worth anything myself! For StarClan's sake, I'm so sick of it all– just not being able to sink my claws into something is driving me crazy!"

Fireheart clawed the ground furiously, reminding himself what happened at the Sandy Hollow yesterday. Tigerstar knew exactly what he was doing, sicking apprentices on him like that to humiliate him. Fireheart hated to admit how much that punishment succeeded at getting under his skin.

The entity could only snicker, listening to his whining.

"So, you just want to be on the opposite end of a blow, is what you're saying?"

Fireheart scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"What I want is for things to change! I'm sick of being ignored and made out to be a liar– and being a weakling." He then looked towards the entity. "You make a convincing offer; one that can give me exactly what I need to save my clan from the tyrants controlling it," he stated. "Well, then, I'm here now, aren't I? I'm supposed to have some sort of gift from StarClan. Let's see it, then!"

At that, the entity suddenly put on a frown. "My, my, you really are going crazy– regarding me in such a tone."

Fireheart blinked, quickly feeling embarrassed. He backed off, remembering how mysterious and unnatural the abilities of this creature were to him. Luckily, the entity just simply moved on.

"But no… you see, it isn't so simple. You are literally the only one that can bring out your power; I cannot just 'show you'. With my training, you'll only be able to wake it from its slumber, but after that, it is all up to you."

Fireheart nodded, seeming to understand. Although, right now, the main thing he wanted was some form of training. He was feeling so antsy after the apprentice incident, it was like he just wanted to prove more to himself that he still retained any sort of fighting prowess.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Fireheart grumbled, thumping his tail impatiently.

The entity hardened their gaze.

"Indeed, I will train you… However, just as you have stated your terms, I will now state mine."

Fireheart frowned, not liking the sound of that. Although, he assumed it was fair since he'd shown up acting rather demanding himself.

"Which are?" He pushed.

"...I will only ask of you one, simple thing…" the entity started. "And that is: No matter what happens, no matter who asks, you must swear to NEVER speak of your training here."

Fireheart gave them a weird look. "I thought you already told me never to speak of this place back when we first met?"

The entity nodded. "Yes, that was… merely a warning. Truth be told, history just hasn't been kind to mortals who've announced their presence in the Dark Forest. It is for both of our benefits..."

"I see," Fireheart simply replied. "Alright, fine. I agree to your terms." He tilted his head. "Now, then, tell me. What kind of training could possibly bring out some supernatural ability?"

The entity said nothing, coming to stop. Fireheart paused behind them, watching as they looked back.

"The supernatural kind," they responded wryly, making Fireheart just glare harder at them. They suddenly lifted their slim, black tail in the air, garnering Fireheart's attention. "Now then, shall we begin?"

Fireheart widened his eyes, a jolt of alarm shaking his entire body. He quickly dropped into a defensive crouch, narrowing his gaze onto them.

"Finally–" he blurted. "Just because I haven't fought in a half-moon, doesn't mean you should underestimate me." He looked at them sternly, and with eagerness. "I'll let you make the first move."

His claws began to slip out, waiting for the entity's response. However, the dark figure just sat there, unmoving.

Fireheart looked at them oddly, noticing how they didn't look prepared to fight at all. Suddenly their face lit up with amusement.

*Snrk* "Hah!"

Fireheart broke his stance slightly, confused at their apparent mirth.

"Don't tell me you thought we were going to spar?"

Seeing the ginger tom's face of pure confusion, the entity could only shake their head in amusement.

"Hoho, truly, you will learn much from our time together."

Fireheart snorted, feeling an acute sense of frustration, accompanied by embarrassment.

"Then, what are we doing?" he mewled, annoyed before glancing around their environment. "And also, why did we even walk all the way over here in the first place?"

Fireheart saw they were in a much more open area than before. They stood in a small clearing amid the seemingly endless forest, with one or two spirits wandering nearby.

It had more than enough room to spar, like the Sandy Hollow, but the entity just stated they weren't going to fight. Thus, it seemed pointless for them to practically lead him into an area like this, but if Fireheart knew anything, the entity never did something for no reason.

The entity by now had recovered from their moment, giving him an amused look.

"Haven't you ever mentored someone before? First things first, as with all apprentices… an evaluation," they stated. "And the reason we walked over here? Well, let's just say I needed to find an… independent variable."

Fireheart looked at them strangely, pinning his ears. "What?"

But instead of replying, their eyes began to glow a bright red. Fireheart's spine chilled with alarm, feeling the aura around them suddenly change.

"You'll pick it up."

Fireheart pinned his ears as a loud, bloodcurdling shriek could be heard from within the forest. He whipped his head around, his hackles raising while his heart plummeted.

One of the ghostly husks of the cats that filled this forest could be seen - sprinting wildly towards them like a rabid dog Their eyes, like with the entity's, glowed a vibrant blood red, illuminating some of the sunken features on their face.

They bounded closer, until–

Fireheart's pupils shrunk. In the blink of an eye, the spirit was suddenly on top of him. He leaped out of the way, the frantic cat's claws just barely scraping his cheek fur before crashing into the ground recklessly.

Fireheart shot back up, adrenaline pumping. What in StarClan's name is that? He thought. And how are they so fast?

The cat slowly meandered back to his paws, turning to face him, and it was then Fireheart could finally get a decent look at them. They were a light-brown tabby - or rather, that's what Fireheart assumed they were. Their fur had been mangled and torn as if they'd been hit by a monster. Their eyes sharpened into a glare that chilled Fireheart to his core. Their lips curled into a snarl to reveal sharp, yellow fangs.

Fireheart pinned his ears, fearful. He could tell from a single glance that this cat exuded pure hatred.

"This will be no ordinary training, young Fireheart."

The entity's words distracted him for just a moment until the enraged spirit suddenly charged again without warning. They were so fast, Fireheart could only wince with surprise before they suddenly barreled into him, sinking their teeth into his shoulder.

Fireheart yowled in agony, folding over as his attacker shoved him to the ground. They began pulling and gnawing into his shoulder, digging their claws into his sides as if they were just trying to cause as much damage as possible.

Fireheart hissed and growled, struggling to slip his hind legs underneath him. With a great heave, Fireheart launched the spirit off of him, only shoving them a foxlength or two away.

The warrior heaved himself to his paws, feeling the extreme sting of pain from his shoulder and smelling… blood?

I-I'm… bleeding? In a dream? Fireheart was thinking frantically. But if I can bleed in a dream, then... can I also be killed?

"BAHAHA! That's right!"

Fireheart's breath caught in his throat, and he cast a sidelong glance. The entity could be seen with the most heinous, toothy grin, and their entire face was teeming with excitement.

"You're fighting to live!"

Fireheart only had time to send her a disgusted scowl before the sound of rapid pawsteps alerted him elsewhere. He turned back, realizing his aggressor had recovered, and was now rushing towards him again.

Fireheart sneered, quickly leaping to the side and out of their way. But they'd been so fast, their claws grazed his muzzle a second time.

The ginger tom scowled, watching the spirit as they recovered from diving headfirst into the dirt again.

What is this?! He mused angrily. This… This isn't training!

The entity could be heard snickering.

"What were you expecting, you daft kit?" They jeered, likely hearing his thoughts. "Did you think training meant for the strongest warrior to ever live began with a hunting crouch?!"

I– You're trying to KILL ME! Fireheart shouted in his mind, only prompting the entity to laugh.

"Oh, but that's the point! Were you not the one who didn't want to beat around the bush?" They inquired as Fireheart dodged a swipe. "In every battle, there is an opportunity to die, therefore you must take all of them seriously! Against a kit or Tigerstar, it doesn't matter - you must refuse to lose! Always give it your all!"

Fireheart tried dodging another swipe but was caught again on his left cheek. Growling, he pushed back the spirit with a strike of his own to their face.

But it hardly seemed to do anything. Fireheart had no time to think, and he barely had any time to react. This cat was just so aggressive.

Fireheart growled, jumping back from the cat, only for them to barrel towards him again. And so, Fireheart just backed off again.

Tch. How am I supposed to beat this thing? He growled in frustration. From what it seemed, this spirit had no limit to their stamina. Who knows if they would ever feel tired–or if they felt anything at all.

Fireheart furrowed his brow. There must be some way.

He barely dodged another pounce, before moving around the spirit, looking for any possible opening he could take advantage of. There was no way he could win by just letting the spirit wear themselves out - that would make too much sense, and this world lacked much of that.

Fireheart growled, putting his mind to work on how to beat him. The entity suddenly could be heard again, their voice ever omnipresent within the forest.

"The strongest cats may survive in this cruel world, but only with an unbreakable spirit can they change it," they began, watching the fight with interest. "You must prove your worth, Fireheart - to me as well as your Blessing. Show me you know how to defeat at least one measly cat~"

This thing is hardly a cat anymore. Fireheart growled to himself but otherwise ignored the entity altogether.

This spirit was fast, Fireheart knew. His claws hardly did much damage to them, usually just stunning them briefly. Lashing his tail, Fireheart couldn't come up with a better plan than simply trying to survive.

The spirit raced towards him again, and as always Fireheart barely managed to dodge them as they lunged through the air, only to tumble into the ground after they'd missed. And again, they stood back up after a brief moment, mindlessly snarling as they faced the ginger tom, readying for another pounce.

Fireheart grimaced to himself. They just won't stop. Their attack pattern is always the same: Pounce; bite and claw; get back up and do it again. They're a mindless creature with no real strategy - just attack me until I'm dead.

Thinking over his opponent, Fireheart became a little bolder. The spirit growled once more, raising its hind in the air and pouncing towards him yet again. But this time, Fireheart was prepared.

The ginger tom growled, crouching in anticipation. The spirit pounced, just as fast and deadly as before - but by now, Fireheart had seen it enough. Once their paws left the ground, claws outstretched and careening towards him, that's when Fireheart saw his chance.

Fireheart lowered his head, burying his feet into the dirt. He lurched forward the moment the spirit came within range, colliding underneath the spirit's chest and knocking them out of the air. With his feet planted, and the spirit's not, Fireheart was able to throw them into the dirt. He quickly sunk his teeth into their dirtied, mangled fur, latching his forelegs around their neck so they couldn't bite him.

"Yeeess… that's it, Fireheart!"

The entity's encouragement fell on deaf ears, as Fireheart struggled to keep the spirit underneath him. With a ghostly shriek, Fireheart was shoved off as the cat's struggling became too frantic.

For a brief moment, Fireheart stumbled away, dazed. He quickly jerked his head back around, only to see a sharpened claw soaring through the air, slamming directly into the muzzle.

Fireheart hissed in pain, keeling over as the taste of blood almost immediately flooded his mouth. Despite being dazed yet again, Fireheart's instincts suddenly kicked in, having been sorely reminded of the relentless attack pattern this spirit displayed.

Fireheart leaped away intuitively just as another claw flew past his face. The spirit growled, seeming even angrier than before, crouching down before suddenly pouncing again.

Fireheart looked back at them with a snarl almost as fierce as the spirit's own, enraged at the hit they'd scored. He knelt low to the ground, turning with the spirit as they soared above him and wildly swinging a claw into the air.

To his surprise, it connected. A blood-curdling screech could be heard as the spirit ate the dirt once more. Fireheart looked back as they got up, seeing them straddling a paw over their face.

He had clawed their eye open.

Fireheart couldn't help but huff in relief, watching the spirit shake its head in discomfort.

Hah– So, that beast can feel pain.

"Aha! Bravo!"

Fireheart pinned his ears in annoyance, turning back to where the entity sat. They waved their tail at him, with an amused glint in their eyes.

"So, despite having been on leave from warrior duties for a month, you've still kept some of that skill," they said before shrugging. "Having been trained by three of ThunderClan's best fighters, I should've expected as much."

"I told you-" Fireheart said in between heavy breaths. "Don't underestimate me."

His statement could've been seen as a challenge, but instead, the entity just grinned like they were pleased by his response.

"Ah, but the fight is not over! You have yet to show me your true spirit, Fireheart!" They exclaimed. "You want to win, don't you? You want to be strong? Then prove it to me, why don't you? Show me your skill - your strength! Show me you have the heart of a warrior!"

Fireheart was so captivated by their ferocious tirade, he flinched when a loud cry echoed behind him.

The crazed spirit was suddenly charging in his direction with blinding speed, throwing a wild swing toward his jugular. Fireheart lurched to the side, but could not escape getting hit, instead getting caught in the shoulder and pushed off-balance.

The spirit reared up for another pounce, but Fireheart was faster, quickly regaining his senses and being able to dodge in the time it took for them to pounce. This time, the spirit seemed notably slower and sloppier.

Their eye is gone. Fireheart figured, both satisfied and relieved. He watched as the spirit suddenly whipped its head towards him, its left eye closed while the other kept its glow. Analyzing them a second longer, Fireheart came to another realization. And the wound is bleeding!

A massive wave of confidence overtook him then. Fireheart narrowed his eyes toward the spirit, viewing their enemy with much less fear than before.

If it bleeds, it can be defeated!

Fireheart suddenly rushed forward - something the brazen spirit wasn't expecting. They stood wide-eyed just as Fireheart struck them across the muzzle.

They screamed in pain - which Fireheart now knew they felt - and recoiled, taking a few steps back.

Fireheart growled, not wanting to let up. After all, Tigerstar never let up. The rogues never let up. The apprentices never let up. Why wouldn't he?

Fireheart struck the spirit again, raking his claws just under their throat, and again they yowled with pain. The entity could be seen off to the side, watching the fight mesmerized and flicking their tail with elation.

"Yesss… Prove to me you can defeat them! Show me you have the spirit, the drive, and the will! Show me!"

They called to Fireheart, but he was not listening.

The spirit stumbled back again, now bleeding from several wounds across its body. With a monstrous growl, they raised their head, releasing the loudest shriek Fireheart had heard from them yet.

It was so intense, Fireheart had to flinch. They seemed more energized, more ravenous, than before; their aura of hatred and rage had grown so much, it seemed to raise their fur.

They launched themselves at Fireheart, keeping low to the ground this time. Fireheart gasped, expecting another airborne pounce, before taking the full brunt of their attack. He yelped as they bit deep into his foreleg, pushing him off of his paws.

Fireheart growled, his gaze clouding as adrenaline pumped through him, and struggled to break free from the spirit's hold. They chewed and tore at his foreleg as if it were a dog's bone, and Fireheart hissed in pain as he tried to break free, twisting on the ground all the while.

"Let– GO!"

He audibly shouted out of pure frustration. But the spirit did not listen. Fireheart curled his lip wide, hardly even feeling the pain anymore as anger flooded through him.

"I said… GET! OFF!"

Fireheart swung his other foreleg over their head, latching onto their scruff. He dug as deep as he could, until he felt the nape, before ripping through their pelt. The spirit finally released him, howling in pain while Fireheart quickly scrambled away.

But the spirit was right back on him. Fireheart lifted himself to his paws before bracing as they slammed into him yet again. Fireheart could feel his heart race, pushing his instincts to their limit as he barely dodged a flurry of their claws and bites.

He fought back as well, swiping at the spirit every so often, making sure his claws felt a pelt underneath.

"Come on!" the entity barked from the sidelines, watching their brawl. "Do you think the Spark can just be wielded by anyone?! SHOW ME!"

The entity's remarks had been mostly ignored by Fireheart up until this point, although that one…

Fireheart winced. Spark? He questioned. Did he hear that right?

However, his pondering, even for just a split-second, almost cost him as the spirit raged on, swiping a claw at him that he almost didn't dodge.

Fireheart growled, backing away from another claw before suddenly, his rear end hit something. He whipped around, confused, before widening his eyes.

A tree? He quickly identified. Had they really fought from such a wide clearing over to the forest's edge?

Hearing a loud cry, Fireheart felt the wind get knocked out of him as the spirit crashed into him from behind. He grunted in pain as they pinned them against the tree using their powerful claws.

Through slitted eyes, Fireheart could see their frothing mouth preparing to bite him. Snarling, Fireheart ensured he was quicker, lurching forward to sink his teeth into their throat. The spirit hissed before collapsing onto their back, Fireheart on top of them.

The two rolled across the ground, their claws and teeth buried deep into each other's pelts. Whenever one of them would bite even harder, the other responded in kind.

Fireheart's vision soon began to blur, but he kept as firm of a grip as he could. The fatigue was definitely ensuing, what with all the blows he'd taken and all the anger clouding his mind. He knew he was tiring, but nevertheless, this monster simply had to be defeated.

Fireheart's eyes clenched as he felt his grip loosen. He flailed his hind legs, attempting to latch onto his opponent's underside, but his bite began to slip, causing the spirit to struggle even more to break free.

Fireheart growled in frustration, eventually snagging the spirit's torso with his hind legs. Fireheart held his breath before thrusting his head back with a grunt, ripping a chunk of fur from the spirit's feculent pelt. Their hold on the ginger tom loosened just enough after that - with the remaining bit of his energy, Fireheart heaved the spirit away, sending them skidding a few foxlengths off to the side.

The spirit spat and whined as they flopped over, clutching the spot of missing fur from where Fireheart had bitten.

Fireheart watched them breathlessly, awaiting their next move. He tried to stand, but alas, his adrenaline was draining much faster than he had even realized.

Fireheart yelped as he fell over, his wounds quickly catching up to him as his energy faded. He lay on the ground, keeping an eye open to see the spirit slowly lifting itself up, albeit with difficulty.

No

Fireheart clenched his teeth. He tried to stand, but his legs would not move. He couldn't get up.

His breath caught in his throat, looking fearfully towards the spirit. They didn't seem at all out of breath, and the sight made his stomach drop.

They're going to kill me…. He breathed heavily, sagging his head on the ground in defeat. I… lost.

Fireheart watched the spirit as they suddenly dropped to their stomach, clutching their shoulder and pawing at their eye. Seeing that was surprising - they had been so animated a moment ago, but now they were almost back to their dreary state.

Fireheart only blinked at them. It doesn't even matter if they attack anymore. They're still up… and I'm on the ground… I lost.

The sound of pawsteps approaching made his ears perk slightly.

"Mmmm…"

He saw the spirit shy closer to the ground, almost like they were afraid. Fireheart's turned his attention towards the entity as they stalked into view, padding toward the spirit with a stern gaze, disregarding the ginger tom completely. The spirit seemed to whine, holding its head down as the entity came up beside them.

Fireheart now could see a clear difference between the two shadows. One was certainly a light brown tabby, but while they were extremely dirty and decrepit, they paled in comparison to the void next to them. The spirit appeared dull and exhausted. Meanwhile, the entity only seemed to glow with authority over them, their pelt seeming to ripple with darkness at times.

The entity looked down upon the spirit - and after a moment, they scoffed.

"Indeed. You should be ashamed." Their voice was cold. "You have failed the Dark Forest for the last time, Rushtooth."

The entity raised a limp paw into the air, keeping the claws sheathed. Fireheart could hardly see what was going on from where he was, but in the blink of an eye, he saw the paw lurch forward.

Fireheart winced as the spirit let out the most terrifying shriek he'd ever heard - a spine-chilling wail as if they were being flayed.

Another sound could soon be heard that made Fireheart visibly flinch.

*CRRRACK*

Fireheart recoiled as he heard what sounded like a large branch snapping in half. He could barely make out the spirit as they flopped to the ground, his vision still foggy.

His stomach then dropped; Fireheart wasn't entirely sure, but he could've sworn he only saw a body with legs hit the ground.

Fireheart could feel his heart racing, seeing the cat he had spent every last bit of his energy trying to defeat be taken out instantly. He simply lay there, stunned.

That was, until the entity raised their paw again, observing the blackened ichor that stained it briefly - before licking it off.

Fireheart only watched, struggling to find his words. He almost didn't want to utter a single noise, for fear the entity may just dispose of him as well

"What–" Fireheart said hoarsely, fighting his fear. "W-what did you do to them?"

The entity did not look towards him at first, seeming lost in thought as they eyed their paw. Eventually, they turned their head and landed their cold gaze on Fireheart, making him shiver.

The ginger tom was afraid; possibly even more now than against that spirit. Whatever the entity just did, Fireheart didn't want to believe it happened.

However, his question remained unanswered. So, against his better judgment, he pushed.

"I… I lost–... *huff* ... w-why did you–"

Fireheart trailed off, his exhaustion weighing down on him like a case of greencough. The entity lowered their head.

"You won."

They suddenly began to pad over, watching as Fireheart struggled to keep his eyes open.

"That spirit…" They began to explain. "I agitated his soul with feelings of despair and anger. From a desolate husk, he grew into a demon of fury, possessing twice the strength he had when he was alive."

Fireheart blinked, remembering how fast and how rabid the spirit was. Is that… why he hit so hard?

The entity scoffed. "And yet, despite all that, you more than held your own... A cat like you, who is still but a young warrior with hardly a season's worth of experience."

Fireheart winced as they came to his side, settling down on their haunches. The entity looked back at their paw, only having a trace of the spirit's blood staining it.

They scrunched their brow, looking disappointed.

"I should be thanking you...That soul was below worthless."

Fireheart looked at them in awe, before hissing as a wave of pain overcame him. The entity just said he'd won… somehow… but despite that, all Fireheart felt was dismay.

"Urgh, but… it hurts…" He whined, not even having enough energy to lick his wounds. "These scratches… they hurt so much."

No... this did not feel like a victory at all.

The entity only watched him wallow in agony, and for once, they actually looked somewhat remorseful. They sighed.

"'Tis only what a great warrior must endure. For there to be growth, there must first be a struggle."

They stood up, placing a paw on his side. Fireheart flinched at their touch but figured it best to just accept it.

"That's enough for tonight," the entity stated, in as warm of a tone as one could. "Another pesky thing about this place I should mention… expect your wounds to carry over into the mortal world."

The ginger tom shot his eyes open, fear escaping him in the form of a gasp.

"W-what?"

The entity just snickered.

"Ah, but there is no need to worry. You already look like a hound's chew toy, yes? No one will suspect a thing."

Fireheart lowered his ears at that, supposing they had a point.

"D-do they go away?" he asked breathlessly. The entity nodded

"Eventually… They do not scar…" Looking at his face, however, made them hum with amusement. "Well, most of them, anyway."

They suddenly brushed their paw across his muzzle before leaning closer to him. Fireheart quickly tensed up in response.

"W-what are you doi-" He stammered, but the entity quickly interrupted.

"Hush~ You did well!" they mewled. "I did not expect such results from your first test. Perhaps you're further along than I thought."

Their gaze turned a little more stern. "But this… is just the beginning. We will see just how much you can take as we continue to play along."

Fireheart widened his eyes, sensing they were about to send him back to the real world.

"W-wait!" he suddenly gasped. "T-the-... Spark?"

At the mention of that name, a deep frown suddenly formed on the entity's muzzle. Fireheart gulped, but still had enough urge to continue.

"You mentioned it… during the fight… the Spark." He looked at them, pleading to be acknowledged. "That's it, isn't it? The name of my… ability?"

After a moment passed without an answer, Fireheart began to grow more worried.

"J-just– at least tell me– How long will it be before I can see it?"

Another moment of silence passed before the entity just shook their head.

"That is for it to decide."

Fireheart blinked, pondering over their response. After a moment, he simply nodded.

I will never get an answer about this thing… He thought. When a scoff could be heard, Fireheart was quickly reminded of how the entity could hear his thoughts.

Fireheart winced as they pressed down on him, bringing their muzzle close to his ear.

"Although… I do happen to know one thing about it–"

Fireheart's fur spiked, hearing the smoothness in their voice.

"It loves a host who can get a little… crazy~"

At that, Fireheart's face scrunched up with confusion. He gave the entity a look, prompting them to simply roll their eyes.

"Ugh. You'll know what I mean soon enough."

Before Fireheart could even reply, the entity lurched forward. Fireheart shot his eyes open as he felt sharp fangs around his neck.

Before he could scream - before he could even feel the pain - all that was heard was another loud crack before his vision suddenly went dark.


Fireheart erupted out of his nest in a cold sweat, yelping with fear. He whipped around, seeing that it was still nighttime in the waking world as his eyes registered the environment around him.

His breath came quickly, however, the familiar comfort of the medicine den quickly worked to calm him down. Perking his ears, he heard Yellowfang stirring beside nearby in her own nest, but luckily she did not awake.

Fireheart breathed a sigh of relief - he did not know how he would've explained his outburst to Yellowfang.

He hissed lightly, feeling a sting of pain in his shoulder. Looking around, he found both his legs and shoulders littered with fresh wounds.

He grimaced, quickly leaning over to clean them. So, it's true. My wounds do carry over.

But at the same time, Fireheart did not feel any weaker because of them. It was strange - Fireheart remembered feeling completely drained of his energy, but it seemed his dream self was not connected to his mortal self in that way, aside from the physical wounds.

Fireheart sniffed before pulling away. Yellowfang won't notice them either. He thought back to the entity's remark, noting he had quite a collection of scratches and marks already.

Still slightly shaken, he lay his head back down in his nest, listening to the sounds of the forest. His fight with the spirit replayed over and over in his head - how frightened he was at first, and then how confident he became as it progressed.

'-twice the strength he had when he was alive-'

Fireheart kept thinking about that particular statement, feeling a sense of pride in it. After hearing that, it made sense why the spirit was such a formidable foe.

So, I've still got it. He thought sheepishly, before frowning. But Tigerstar is more than twice the strength of a regular warrior… who knows how much stronger he is than that spirit.

His thoughts spiraled quickly, fearing the entity may bring even stronger opponents before him. Clearly, they could just summon whomever they pleased - what's stopping them from bringing something like a dog next?

Fireheart mulled over those thoughts with dread, knowing he'd have to push past his limits if he was to unlock this… Spark, as they now call it.

Fireheart couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, fearing who his next opponent may be.

If that dream was only the beginning... Fireheart questioned whether he should ever fall asleep again.

A/N - 130k words later - the title finally makes sense! Totally wasn't obvious or anything, I bet!

(Also, I said there weren't gonna be any torture-y chaps for a while, but I mean, Fireboi was in kind of an actual fight here instead of just getting dogged on, so like… these scenarios don't count)

Well then! Writing this chapter went about as I expected, in that it was super fun, but at the same time just sooo difficult.

Writing fight scenes is definitely a skill one must practice - you cannot just sit down and write one all willy-nilly and expect it to be good. As I do more fights, I'm positive I'll learn more. (In particular, I wish to improve in choreography. Hopefully, y'all imagined this fight the same way I did xD)

So, anyway… This one was a bit more exciting, yea? Compared to the drawn-out drabble we've been through so far? My birthday is a few days away, so I decided to spoil myself and write something actually exciting for once!

Oh, right, and one last thing: Despite Spottedleaf's Heart not being canon in this story for… well, multiple reasons… that won't stop me from handpicking events/characters from it to include! HAHAHA!