I managed to squeeze out a chapter today. I have a weird feeling that it feels unfinished though? Probably because I have no ideas as to how to do the inbetween stuff. I'll think up of stuff! Hopefully... My dumb self is trying to push out updates despite school. :P

You get that feeling that you have stuff to say in the A/N and then have no idea what to actually say?

No update tomorrow as usual.

Reviews are appreciated!

Everything felt different again, but in a good way. Like his body was different, but something deep down told him that this was normal- this was okay- this was right. He didn't question the feeling and allowed himself to drift off again.

"Firestar!"

Who was calling him? Couldn't they see that he wanted to sleep?

"Firestar! Wake up!"

He grumbled and shifted, finally cracking his eyes open. He couldn't see anyone from here...

"Firestar!"

He blinked. Was the voice coming from below him? His gazes shifted downwards to see a satisfied looking Brambleclaw standing below him, a pile of prey next to him. It certainly looked appetizing. He brought his head down, almost about to take a big bite of the meat pile in front of him when his mind caught up to him and realized his vantage point was much higher than usual.

"Brambleclaw? When did you get so small?" Why was his voice so loud? The tabby only gave him a confused look and laughed.

"What are you talking about? I'm the same size as I always was. You're the one that got all big on us!" he said cheerfully. He gestured to the pile of prey next to him. "I hunted all this for you!" Aw, that was sweet of his hatchling. The pile wouldn't fill him up exactly, but it would make a nice snack. He was just about to eat when a nagging feeling entered his mind. Something about this wasn't right.

"Is there something wrong? Do you not want the prey?" Firestar's gaze shifted back over to Brambleclaw, who was giving him a confused, but somewhat hurt look at Firestar's hesitance to eat all the prey he worked hard to hunt for.

"Ah- no! You've done nothing wrong, hatchling! It's just that... something feels off," he rumbled.

"How so?"

"I just... get the feeling that things aren't supposed to be like this..."

"What are you talking about Father? Everything is fine!" He turned to see Squirrelflight bound up to him, Leafpool running up behind her.

"But I-"

"Everything is fine dear," Sandstorm meowed as she stood with the other three cats. The nagging feeling that maybe something was wrong intensified. The feeling battled with the pulses of heat and warmth emanating from the stone, which was glowing brightly.

Everything is meant to be. You're right where you should be- with your mate and hatchlings. Isn't this what you want the most?

He did want this...

Brambleclaw looked up at him and said: "Whoa, his wings are so big!"

What...?

Firestar blinked open his eyes to see the little white kit with golden patches, sniffing him. Oh right, the kit's name was Hisako, he remembered. The she-kit was nosing him all over, getting excited as she sniffed his scales and wings. She looked ready to climb all over him too, when he shifted ever so slightly, and the kit noticed he was awake and staring at her.

"Oh! Um..." She stood in front of him and bent her body in a bow. "Ohayou gozaimasu, mister!" Firestar blinked, unsure of what she just said. He titled his head slightly, and Hisako faltered. "Did I say it wrong? I did exactly as Okaa-san told me to do!" she muttered to herself.

"You didn't do it wrong, he just doesn't understand the language, Hisako-chan," Hanako murmured from where she was laying. She opened her jaws into a yawn and glared at the kit. "We don't climb and sniff every bit of our host, Hisako," she chided. "Now what do we say?"

The kit's ears went flat on her head, and she bowed once more. "Gomenasai, mister." He still didn't know what she was saying, and his eyes darted to Hanako, pleading for a translation.

Hanako sighed. "She said she was sorry." ohayou gozaimasu

"And the other things she said?"

"It was a polite way of saying Good Morning." He figured that Hisako was talking in the language Hanako mentioned the night before. They had strange names, and hearing their language was even weirder. He got up and stretched out his body the best he could without taking up more space. The two she-cats watched him intently.

"I think your wings are super pretty!" Hisako suddenly squeaked. He froze at her compliment. Someone not of his clan thought his wings were...pretty?

'Well, that's new,' he thought begrudgingly. His own clan were scared of him, and here was this kit telling him how nice he looked. He thought these two cats would have left overnight because of his appearance.

"Um, thank you?" he stammered to the kit. She only grinned brightly up at him. He turned to Hanako. "So how long do you need... protection for again?"

"Only until Razor loses interest and stops looking for us. Then we can probably make it back safely to our owner."

"Won't your housefolk be worried about you?"

She flicked an ear. "He's very old. He probably doesn't realize that we're even gone. But we should be getting back soon before he does realize and panics," she meowed, worried for her owner.

Should he tell her that he had no intentions of entering the Twolegplace? There were more cats than he liked knowing about his condition already. She noticed his uncomfortable shifting. "Well... I don't expect you to escort us home after all. You've done enough by sheltering us already. I won't ask you to guide us home if you're uncomfortable showing yourself to others who may see you," she purred.

Why weren't these she-cats scared of him? The only ones who were okay with what he was now were his close family and friends. His legs buckled under him as his thoughts traveled back to his treasures. He missed them so badly-!

He jerked as Hanako's tongue drew over his head, avoiding all of his horns. "You must have gone through a lot since you've gained all these features," she murmured.

"Kaa-san, is he okay? He's shaking," Hisako mewed. Was he shaking? He honestly couldn't tell. The stone sent out a warm pulse, and all the tension in his body left him. He breathed in deeply, his body having stopped shaking.

"I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about," he meowed. He wondered who he was trying to convince here. A look from Hanako told him that she didn't buy his excuse either. She gave a hum and sat back down, beckoning Hisako to her side and she started to groom the kit, much to Hisako's protests.

Watching these two made him miss his treasures even more. He didn't notice the stone's pulsing light as he continued to watch Hanako take care of Hisako.

The stone' s pushing thoughts and feelings into Firestar again... These two cats are pretty accepting of him, and the fact that these two cats who hardly know him are more accepting of him than most cats in his own clan caused him to have a mini-breakdown. Poor guy. The stone is also pushing his jealousy and enviousness up by watching Hanako and Hisako.

Basically it's trying to persuade him to take Sand, Bramble, Leaf, and Squirrel.

Hanako taught Hisako Japanese so she doesn't forget her roots. She tends to forget that most cats where she lives don't know Japanese, so it slips out sometimes. She's a kit; she's still learning.

Tell me how I did.