"Lightningpaw, you have learned and understood the rules of the Warrior Code, and I commend you as a warrior in turn. Lightningpaw, do you promise to uphold and protect the Warrior Code, even at the cost of your life?"

Lightningpaw hesitated as he attempted to keep his voice steady. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From now on, you shall be known as Lightningstrike. Lightningstrike, Starclan honors you skills and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan." She bowed her head to him, and he licked her shoulder.

I raised my muzzle to the sky and cried as loud as I could. "Lightningstrike! Lightningstrike! Lightningstrike!"

He puffed his chest out to the crowd as they chanted his new name, his glowing eyes suddenly darkening when I had a coughing fit, but shook it off and continued to shout. He leaped down to join me. "Are you okay, Phoenixpaw?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.

"Yeah, I think I just swallowed a feather or something," I assured him.

"Okay, but I still want you to see Honeyscent."

Honeyscent was the new medicine cat after Spottedleaf was killed by an enemy warrior during a raid on Sunningrocks. I sighed. "Okay, fine." With a purr, I turned and lightly flicked his nose with my tail and headed towards Honeyscent's den.

She was busy mixing a strong-smelling poultice with her pretty, golden paws. She looked up when I padded in. "Oh, hello Phoenixpaw, do you need something?"

"Yeah, Lightningpa- er- Lightningstrike wanted me to check with you about this cough I have."

She looked thoughtful for a second. "You're a strong cat, so I don't think you have greencough, but I'll check you anyway." She put her ear to my chest. "Just breathe normally, stop panting like a badger." I didn't know what she meant.

"I'm not panting!" I protested, but I slowed my breathing down anyway.

She straightened up. "You're fine, but I'll still give you some herbs to make sure you don't get greencough." I cold breeze blew though the entrance and ruffled my fur. "And the last thing we need is a greencough epidemic in leaf-bare."

"Alright."

She nodded and disappeared into her den, coming back out with a mouthful of herbs. "This is coltsfoot and this is tansy," she told me. "I want you to come back to my den tomorrow for more herbs, luckily, green-leaf and leaf-fall were good to us and brought me plenty of supplies."

I sniffed the herbs. "They aren't too nasty, right?"

She purred. "You can sweeten them with mouse blood if you want, just grab one from the fresh-kill pile and eat them at the same time." She flicked my nose with her tail. "You may hate me for them, but trust me, it'll be easier to take them now than to get greencough later, and a lot less miserable, too."

Lightningstrike looked wearily at me. I was coughing, again. After a few nights of this, Honeyscent finally decided to keep me in her den. It wasn't greencough, yet, but Honeyscent wanted to keep the infection from spreading. He joined me by the fresh-kill pile as I searched intently for a rabbit. "Need help?" he asked.

I shook my head. I could get my own fresh-kill! At this thinking, I coughed again, stifling another one seeing how scared Lightningstrike was. Hurriedly, I snatched one and withdrew to the medicine den. I heard Lightningstrike talking to Lilypaw and Cometpaw, and watched as they sat by Solarpaw, and all tucked into their prey. Prey was getting harder to find, and it was getting harder for me to eat it. Most of the time I end up coughing half of it up anyway. Despondently, I put my head on my paws and thought. Not about anything in particular, but just thought.

I clung on to what my father told me. "We will not take you until you have become a warrior."

Things seemed even worse when Honeyscent padded blindly out of her den one sunny day. "It's greencough," she whispered to Lightningstrike. "I'm so sorry, but she's just not responding to herbs."

My mind reeling, I stumbled out of the den. "Phoenixpaw?" Lilypaw mewed confusedly.

"Phoenixpaw! You're supposed to be in the medicine den!"

"Are you better?"

Questions where flung at me endlessly. I ignored them all, and struggled to make myself heard, my voice rasping and cracking. "Silence!" I yowled. The cats quickly hushed themselves and stared at me expectantly waiting an announcement. I sunk to the ground and dust went up my nose. A new smell reached me also. It was harsh, like the green-leaf sun burning the tips of my fur.

Alarmed, I struggled to rise and in my final attempt, I cried, "Fire!"

The cats looked confused as they opened their mouths. I looked up. The sky was slowly being blotted out in the horizon. Smoke!

Bluestar leaped from her den, her eyes calm, but beneath her tranquil shield, her blue eyes were wild with fear. "Quick! To the river!" She looked around the camp, seeking out three cats in particular. A few moons earlier, Bluestar had a litter of three kittens, Mosskit, Mistykit, and Stonekit. She was making sure they were safe. They weren't in the nursery.

"Where are they?" She demanded no one in particular, perhaps herself. Not seeing them, I guess she assumed they were already fleeing. She surveyed her camp once more, then leaped down and followed her escaping clan.

I stayed still, calmed by the flames, now visible through the trees. In fact, as I stared at the gently leaping flames, I felt untouched by their heat. Part of me knew it was real, but the other part knew I was safe. Then, I was hearing squeals and cries of terrified cats. Kits, more like. I saw them now, crouched under a tree branch, hissing ominously above. Now, I was springing into action. I swerved around the apprentice's den and bundled them away from the wide trunk. The tree crackled and sizzled as it burst into flames. Not knowing what else to do, I crouched down and shoved the young kits under me, and closed my eyes, waiting for the fire to die as the camp burst into flame around me.

My vision began to swirl and I saw everything that happened in my life. Playing Catch the Mouse with Bluekit, Graykit, and Lionkit, running for my life, climbing the mountains, meeting Lightningstrike, and everything froze and the memory of his face. I'm sorry Starclan, I failed you. I'm sorry Mosskit, Stonekit, and Mistykit, Bluestar, Graystripe, and Lionheart, I'm sorry Lickingflame, Flametooth.

"No," someone whispered in my ear. "You have failed me." Mapleshade!

I'm sorry, Lightningstrike, Lilypaw, Cometpaw, and Solarpaw. I've failed everything and everyone...