Yes, it's true. I am finally updating this story. And this time, I promise to get more chapters out sooner.

I've re-worked the whole fic a bit, fixing errors and such.

Oh, and THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! For a fic that started with no outline or planning, it's turned out quite well. I wouldn't be here without all the people who left a review! Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san!

Fire and Shadows

Chapter 5

The next few days were a blur in Fireheart's mind as he struggled to get used to his new duties. Later, he would try many times to recall his feelings and experiences during the first few days of his new life as deputy, but they always eluded him. All he would be able to dig out were faded images and snatches of conversations. By the time things finally started to settle down, it was seven days after the attack on their camp. Evening found Fireheart munching a mouse in the warrior's den, Graystripe by his side. They didn't speak, but the silence was a comfortable one, as they rested in the comfort of the others' presence.

The peace was short-lived, however. Just as Fireheart swallowed his last bite of dinner, there was a rush of pawsteps outside, and Sandstorm came crashing in. She realized too late that she had misjudged her speed, and scrabbled her paws madly in an unsuccessful attempt to brake in time. She ended up flipping over Fireheart as her momentum carried her forward, and landed in an ungainly heap, temporarily dazed..

"Sandstorm! What's up with you!" Graystripe yelped, springing out of her way.

Sandstorm ignored the disgruntled Graystripe and scrambled to her paws. She barely even paused to catch her breath before rounding on the bewildered Fireheart. "I just saw Stormkit!" she gasped, her eyes flashing with joy. "He was walking – Yellowfang says he'll be just fine!"

"That's good news," was all Fireheart could manage to come up with. He was still recovering from the shock Sandstorm's abrupt entrance had inflicted, and was desperately trying to slow his racing heart and relax his tensed muscles as the adrenaline left his veins and his bristled fur settled down again. "What about Shadowkit?" he added as he remembered the youngest kit.

Standstorm sighed, looking dejected, sitting down as her energy ebbed away. "I didn't get to see him… Yellowfang chased me off."

"Well, at least he hasn't died yet," Graystripe muttered, finishing up his meal. "That's always a good sign."

"We should all learn from you, O Master of Optimism," the green-eyed warrior meowed sarcastically.

"At least I do not go crashing into other cats in my haste to deliver a message!" the gray cat snarled.

"No, you just yowl their ears off, you speak so loud," Sandstrom retorted. Fireheart sighed, watching his two friends battle it out. Some things never changed.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"I swear that's exactly what I saw!" Stormkit insisted excitedly, eyes glowing at all the attention he was getting. All the apprentices and his sister, Firkit, sat around him, listening with wide eyes. His new status as a war-veteran had earned him new respect among his peers, and they all wanted to hear a blow-by-blow account of exactly what had happened in that nursery. His wounds were healing nicely, and Yellowfang had agreed to let him out for a while. Whiskers twitching with pride and newfound importance, Stormkit continued his tale, "There was this strange glow, and then this rouge went flying out, crashing a hole through the wall! He flew through the air, just like that!"

"But that's not possible! You two could never have done that by yourselves!" Moonpaw protested, a bit miffed by all the attention the younger kit was getting. She was more interested than she would let on, though, and that was one of the only things keeping her there. That, and the fact that she knew the others wouldn't think too highly of her walking off from their new 'hero'.

"I didn't say I did it! I said I saw this strange glow. It was like…magic, like in the elders' stories! And I bet Shadowkit did it!" Stormkit nodded, as if to confirm himself.

"How?" Timberpaw challenged, fascinated.

"I know I didn't do it, and there were no other cats nearby, except the rouges!" Stormkit meowed. "Who else could have done it?"

"Maybe StarClan wanted to spare your lives, and saved you that way," Leafpaw suggested. "I doubt Shadowkit did it, he's just an ordinary kit."

"But, right after it happened, Shadowkit just collapsed! No one had even scratched him yet! After, though, they jumped on us…" he broke off, shuddering at the memory. Firkit pressed herself against his flank comfortingly.

"Maybe you were just imagining things," Moonpaw meowed, carelessly brushing his words off. Magic was something without rules, and it was a tough thing for the mind to comprehend. It was easier to pretend it did not exist, no matter how convincing the evidence.

"Or maybe he fainted from shock," Rockpaw spoke up, his doubt showing clearly in his jade-green eyes.

Stormkit shrugged, the haunting memories flashing through his young mind, draining the energy from his body. He no longer wished to speak about it.

Xxxxxxxxx

"What do you mean, you don't know what's wrong?" Bluestar meowed sharply, gazing at her clan's medicine cat with eyes full of surprise.

Yellowfang growled softly in frustration. "I mean what I said, I can't figure out why he hasn't woken up yet! His wounds are healing nicely, and he should've regained consciousness by now! But he's sleeping as though dead. In fact, the only way I can tell he's alive is because he's breathing."

"You've never seen the likes of it before?" the clan leader asked doubtingly.

"No, Bluestar," Yellowfang sighed. "I've never heard about it before. We've been getting some water into him, but if he doesn't wake up soon, he'll die of starvation."

Bluestar winced. The thought of having to inform the clan that the kit had survived the initial attack only to die afterwards was not a pleasant one. "Please, just do your best. That's always been enough," she begged.

Yellowfang sighed again, this time in defeat. "I'll try my best, Bluestar. You know I will. Let us just hope that'll be enough." And with that said, she left, her old head bowed.

Xxxxxxxx

Cinderpaw burst joyfully into the Warrior's den fourteen days after the attack, running as fast as she could around her crippled leg. "He's ok, Fireheart! He's alive!"

The ginger warrior jumped. "Who?" he asked, bewildered, as Cinderpaw tackled him in her joy.

"Shadowkit! He woke up, and he's eating right now. He's actually eating by himself! Yellowfang said he'll live! She also said she has no idea what caused him to wake up, but that's beside the point. He's alive!"

Fireheart sent up a grateful prayer to StarClan for the kit's life. "That's great news, Cinderpaw! Goldenflower must be ecstatic!"

"She is! And so are Stormkit and Firkit! You know, you'd never be able to tell Shadowkit wasn't born into the clan. He's as loved as he would be if he shared their blood."

Fireheart nodded, knowing it was the truth. Not only was Shadowkit well loved by his mother and littermates, his clan also adored him. The little black kit was very popular, admired for the intelligence and calm demeanor he showed even at such a young age.

I'm glad, he thought with a small purr of satisfaction. I'm glad that he'd getting the love he deserves. It could have been so much worse, he knew. The clan could have rejected him entirely, and made his life a living hell.

But the little kit was alive, recovering, and thriving from the love of those around him.

How he loved happy endings.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The camp was abuzz with the news.

Wherever he turned, he heard a variation of the same story. Here and there were added extra twists to spice things up. He growled with frustration. If these cats were to gossip, they could at least make it believable. Or stop listening to and believing everything that was being said. Seriously. Who could believe that a mere kit had been shooting fire from his mouth?

Half the clan, apparently.

Doing his best to restrain himself from tackling his nearest clan-mate and biting some sense into him, he kept his eyes trained straight forward and padded towards his destination. Arriving at the base of a cliff, he bunched up his muscles and easily leapt up into a small cave opening.

"You wanted to see me?"

A sleek cat with glimmering chestnut fur rose to its feet, and gazed at him calmly with eerie, ice blue eyes. "Yes. Confirm the rumors," the cat commanded without even pretending to bother with the usual pleasantries.

He snorted roughly. "Me? What makes you think you can trust me?"

The other cat's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "Just because I do not like your attitude, does not mean you do not have skills in the Gift."

He flicked his tail in amusement, tuning to give the spiky-white fur on his shoulder a loving lick. "Oh my…was that a compliment?"

"Just get on with it," his companion snarled through gritted teeth.

He let out a slight purr of laughter, before deciding he might as well comply. "They're half-true."

Blue eyes lit up briefly in surprise. "Only half?"

"Have you heard what is being said out there? They have the kit sprouting wings like a dragon and burning down the forest." His ear flicked in irritation. Cats could be so stupid.

"I see. But the rest is true enough?"

"As far as I can tell, if you take away all the dress-up, the original story should be as close to the truth as it can get."

"Ah," the chestnut cat murmured, sitting slowly down on his hunches. "Ah," he repeated quietly. "Will this be good or bad for the clan?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Really, it depends on how you see it. It might be better in the long run, you know – the clan needs a leader it knows StarClan appointed. However, in the near future, things could very well get messy. Especially for you."

His companion let out a bitter and tired laugh. "Yes. They will only follow me so far. And I know they will want to take him back as soon as possible."

Crimson-brown eyes blinked in slight surprise. "You don't think that is wise? It would be better for him to grow up and train in the clan he is destined to lead."

Ice blue eyes hardened in response. "He is only a kit. To suddenly wrench him away from the only family he has known…will he ever forgive us for that? How do you expect him to trust us?"

He eyed the other cat thoughtfully, before answering. "It is for the good of the clan. His clan. And, he being who he is, there are ways to convince him of how badly we need him."

They were silent for a short while.

He broke the silence with a soft sigh. "No matter what happens, he will end up back in this clan. He cannot have the best of both worlds. It is not better to make sure he's prepared for the responsibility early on?"

The brown cat gave a subtle groan. "I really do not know…and in the end, what I think may not matter. The clan has the power to overrule me."

"True. But they wouldn't dare if the First Warrior backs you up."

Blue eyes widened in surprise. "You would do that?"

"It depends. Convince me."