Slightly more serious chapter!

I'm still taking ideas as to where to take Ignite, so if you have any I'll take them into consideration!

Also if you have ideas for the AU Dump, leave a suggestion.

Reviews are appreciated!

The whispers about him had died down thankfully. Firestar still got the occasion stare and whisper but all gossip about the foxes and his appearance eventually died down for newer gossip. The newest thing being Brightheart moving into the nursery with Cloudtail's kits.

He had wanted to congratulate his nephew for becoming a father once again, but only away from the nursery. He felt like the queens wouldn't be too receptive of him anymore, not because they hated him but because he was dangerous. No matter how much control or gentleness he displayed, his claws, scales, and tail could potentially hurt someone, especially newborn kits. It wasn't like he could sheath his claws anymore; they were so big that they were permanent fixtures on his paws.

If he could even call them paws anymore...

He had caught Cloudtail alone and gave him his congratulations. The fluffy white tom had given him a shaky smile in turn which Firestar had noticed right away. Cloudtail had left before it had gotten too awkward between them. What happened? His relationship with Cloudtail had been rocky at times, but never this bad.

They all still feared him; but tried masking it with a sense of normalcy. Now things were just awkward whenever he tried talking to someone in the clan. Or he was just flat out ignored.

He would rather be ignored than be talked about behind his back. Which was why he finally stopped hiding away in his den or outside camp and decided it was a good time to see Jayfeather and ask about what really happened at the Moonpool.

He shouldered his way into the den, trying to keep his wings folded tightly on his back so they didn't take up much space. Briarlight picked her head up and gave him a surprised look. Jayfeather was in the back, sorting different herbs.

"Jayfeather." The gray tom's ears pricked and he turned his sightless gaze onto Firestar. He felt a nagging feeling in his head, like something was poking at him. The stone blazed angrily before the nagging feeling went away and Jayfeather gave a pained hiss as he stumbled backwards.

"Jayfeather!" Briarlight cried. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Ahhhh... go outside and do some exercises Briarlight," Jayfeather groaned.

"But-"

"Just do it! I need to talk to Firestar, alone," he emphasized. She stared at him for a few heartbeats, before she slowly made her way out of the medicine den, giving Jayfeather one last worried glance before departing.

"Okay, what was that about?" Firestar exclaimed.

Jayfeather took in a deep breath, trying to stop the throbbing in his head. "I tried looking into your mind. Something kicked me out."

Firestar looked down at the stone, which at that point had stopped glowing and returned to its usual color. "I don't think the stone likes you," he meowed with a wince.

Jayfeather flicked an ear, surprised. "The stone was the one that kicked me out? It's like it has a mind of its own!" Firestar shifted gazes from Jayfeather to the stone and then back again warily. The fact that the stone had enough possible sentience to detect and kick Jayfeather out of his head was worrying. It was already doing so much to his body already. What even was this thing?!

"Anyway, what are you here for? Is the stone doing anything weird to you again, besides apparently being a mental wall?" the medicine cat grumpily asked.

"Ah, besides my senses getting stronger? I'm not here for that though."

"Are your senses getting to Dovewing-levels of hearing?" he asked uncaringly.

"Getting there," Firestar said amused. He quickly schooled his face into a serious expression. "You said that the other medicine cats had the same dream that you had way before the meeting."

"What about it?"

"...You weren't done telling us everything about the meeting were you? You never claimed to have the same dream as the others that night." Jayfeather was silent. "What did you see?"

"Well, I didn't see the destruction of the clans for one." The blind tom rolled his eyes. "I did see something else. But I didn't get to tell you before you went feral on me."

Firestar cringed. He really didn't mean to; it wasn't something he could control. The stone decided whether to do it for him. "I'm sorry about that." He bowed his head, even though Jayfeather couldn't see it. Something inside him told him to keep his head up, and he brought his head up just as quick as he bowed it. He shouldn't be bowing to anyone-!

He blinked; that thought made no sense. He still needed to show respect when it was due! What was the stone trying to instill in him?

Jayfeather gave a drawn out sigh. "I was back in Thunderclan territory, and a large patrol consisting of cats I knew and cats I didn't know went past me. Many of them were carrying prey of different sizes. I followed them to a clearing and..." His sightless gaze burned into Firestar. "I saw that creature again. Or should I say, I saw you."

Firestar kept his shudder inside. He didn't like the implication of him turning into some giant creature.

"You were peaceful actually. The clan was gathered around and sharing prey like it was an everyday occurrence. You seemed happy to see Brambleclaw and Sandstorm especially. You were gentle with them," Jayfeather continued.

"And.. what of Squirrelflight and Leafpool?" he asked worried. Shouldn't all his treasures be with him, even in a dream?"

Jayfeather twitched his whiskers. "I didn't see them. I was more focused on you than trying to pick out who was in the crowd."

"I see."

"That was all I saw before I woke up."

Firestar contemplated what the dream meant. Even as a giant creature, he was still apart of Thunderclan it seemed. In one dream, he was a destroyer, and the other... was he still leader? Would Starclan and the other clans allow him to continue leading the clan as some giant beast? Was it possible to be some kind of guardian?

For the first time in what felt like moons, he was filled with hope at the idea of Thunderclan giving him support and acting like they did with him before his transformation. This dream could prove that he wasn't some monster!

"Think you could present the dream to the other clans when the Gathering comes?" he asked hopefully.

Jayfeather gave him a conflicted look. "I'm not sure I can do that."

"What? Why not?" Firestar asked alarmed.

"I don't think anyone will listen to me. When I tried convincing Kestrelflight you weren't some monster, he accused me of defending you on the basis of us being kin. The others didn't look too sure of themselves either. I'm the only one who received this dream in particular while the others got the other one. I can't prove my dream is real unfortunately; they'll only think I'm trying to shield you," he said bitterly.

Firestar gave an inward curse. The other clans could just say Jayfeather was a liar, trying to defend his kin. And with no one sharing the same dream to back him up...

"We still have to try. I won't let Thunderclan be attacked because of some dream!" he declared.

"Especially with the Dark Forest looming over us," Jayfeather commented. The medicine cat padded forward, using his whiskers to feel along Firestar's head. He tried giving the space behind his ear a lick, when they both felt his tongue go over something that wasn't fur.

"What- what did you just touch?"

"I- I don't know." Jayfeather felt around Firestar's head with his paw. It felt like Jayfeather was touching something solid on his head. It frustrated Firestar because he couldn't see in that area.

"It's some kind of nub or lump..." Jayfeather gave a frustrated hiss, his blindness being a hindrance. Jayfeather led Firestar to the small pool of water he kept in the den and titled Firestar's head so he could see better.

"Can you describe what's on you or can you still not see?"

But Firestar was staring into the water in horror, his mouth working up and down uselessly.

"Firestar?"

"It's... it's a horn."

So yeah the stone is continuing to change Fire's body. What will it take for him to become a full dragon? He'll need a push otherwise it will be a super slow process. It's taken almost a moon for more horns to even start growing in.

Speaking of moons, guess the next Gathering will have to be in the next few chapters. Time skip maybe? Hhhmmmm

The stone is so ingrained into Firestar that it can detect whether his mind is being intruded on. It doesn't like intruders. Starclan and the Dark Forest are different, seeing as those encounters are dreams. Those cats aren't actually getting into Firestar's head like Jayfeather tried.

The clan is trying to get used to Firestar, but they're still wary around him. Everything is just awkward now. It'll take a bit before Thunderclan accepts it as the new normal.

Tell me how I did.