Chapter 8, Fleet falls of tomorrow.

Fireheart curled up inside his nest in the tree. The smell of blood choked most of the air, and when Fireheart opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything beyond a deep red haze. His fur felt hot and sticky, and his paws felt weighted down with a strange weakness. The prophesy kept echoing off of the walls of his head. "Four will become two, Lion will meat Tiger in battle, and blood will rule the forest." Fireheart shivered. What was he to do? He couldn't make it out. The ancient Lionclan and Tigerclan weren't going to come back from the dead to fight… Right?

Fireheart stood, and tried to shake the bad feelings he had. It didn't matter what would happen. Fireheart told himself, Thunder clan would be able to face it. He sat down and started washing his paws, the feeling of blood finally washing away in the new light of dawn as the sun started to shine through the trees. He was content with his own answer.

He started to think back to his clan. He knew them to be strong and loyal cats, even if some were ruder than others. How did the other cats react to his sentence? It was hard to guess for some. He hadn't been popular with the queens, elders or apprentices. Bluestar, bless her soul in Starclan, had been fragile under difficult circumstances, and even though she wrought the punishment, a part of Fireheart believed she too had missed him. Even if only to quench the feeling of being cast out.

He wondered how Cinderpelt was handling. He had seen less of her than Sandstar, since she was the medicine cat. The last time he had seen her, was… the day before his exile, when he had asked her what he should do about the attack. He knew she would be fine, but he had grown a pesky tick about keeping an eye on her. He hadn't a chance to actually talk to her, and he felt a little guilty. Regardless of her medicine cat powers and her unnaturally wise advice, he always kind of felt like he was still responsible for her. Fireheart also missed her constant support. He had come to rely on it with the pressure of deputyship

Fireheart stretched, and opened his mouth in a yawn. There wasn't much he could do about it. Outcasts were never welcome back with happy purrs. It wasn't anything Fireheart could handle. Now that he knew that Starclan, or at least Spottedleaf, was still watching out for him. Besides, he could visit princess more often now. Fireheart stood out of his stretch, dumbfounded with his own brilliance. Why didn't he think of that before?

Sandstar followed Cinderpelt's scent out into the open world again. Starclan had accepted her leadership of Thunderclan! She had been worried, because her time as deputy had been a short one, and she had left some of the deputy work to Whitestorm. She had been afraid that Star clan would reject her, and Thunderclan would have to find a new leader. But, not only had she been accepted, but she had Redtail's approval.

Cinderpelt looked troubled, staring at her paws, deep in thought, and her nose was twisted to the side. "What's wrong, Cinderpelt." Sandstorm asked. It was weird how the tension eased between the two she cats, at least in recent events. Not to long ago they were in a silent war with each other over… what? Sandstar didn't even know

"Did you… smell… anything unusual while we were in the moon cave?" she asked hesitantly. Sandstar shook her head. The smell of musty, ageless rock was all she had smelled, and she hoped she would never have to smell it again. "Then… it might have been my imagination. I am kind of tired from the trip here."

"Alright, if you say so." Sandstar said half heartedly. Walking with a limp must be hard.

The two traveled back over the thunder path, and across to Windclan territory as the sun started to poke up over the horizon. They hadn't met any cat when they first crossed, to their good luck, and Sandstar was hoping that they wouldn't have to the way back ether. But, before they could even cross the boarder, Sandstar caught a strong wave of Windclan scent. Cinderpelt stood at the edge of the boarder, ready to meet the native clan. Sure enough, three distinct Windclan cats were coming towards them. They had obviously sensed the Thunderclan cats first, because they were walking unwaveringly towards them. The lead cat was a small, cream and white cat, and she had a new apprentice with her, a black tom.

The third cat was none other than Onewisker, the brown tabby tom. He had always been close to Fireheart since he and Greystripe retrieved wind clan from beyond Windclan territory, and when Fireheart saved Sandstar from falling into a deep gorge when she was an apprentice. Things had really changed since those days.

"Hi. What are you doing on our territory?" The she cat asked. She seemed a bit too cheery for what she was doing. Then again, cats came in all kinds and types.

"We were only passing through on our way home from Mothermouth."

Onewisker took a step forward, and the she cat stepped to the side. She might have been leading the patrol, but it was obvious that Onewisker had seniority. " Why would you need to go to Mother mouth? I hope its not bad news."

"The worst. Bluestar had lost her last life." Cinderpelt replied.

"Bluestar was a wonderful leader." Onewisker pondered. "She will be missed by all the clans… Now, unless Cinderpelt became a warrior and deputy in less than a moon, you must be Thunderclan's new leader, Sandsto… Sandstar."

"Yes… I guess I am." Sandstar had wanted to sound nonchalant, but she failed to hide the sound of pride in the back of her throat.

"What happened to Fireheart?" Asked Onewisker "I thought he was deputy at some point."

"He was. He… he was cast out by Bluestar… for stopping Thunderclan's attack on Windclan." Sandstar was downbeat.

Onewisker paused. "I knew he would probably be punished, since he went behind Bluestar's back to talk to us. But I though Bluestar would treat him more fairly than that." he winced.

"Not to sound insensitive, but we've better get back to our clan." Sandstar stood, prompting Cinderpelt to her feet. Cinderpelt obviously thought that this wasn't Windclan's business

"Of coarse." Onewisker complied.

"Should we escort them? To the boarder, I mean." The Windclan she cat asked Onewisker.

"I'm sure we can make it there on our own." Cinderpelt answered for him. "We wouldn't want to distract you from you patrol."

"As long as you don't catch anything on our land. Being a leader doesn't grant you the right to hunt here." Onewisker warned.

"We wouldn't dream of it." Cinderpelt said humorously. "Good-bye, Onewisker."

"We'll see you at the next gathering." Said the Windclan apprentice. Sandstar's heart jumped. She had forgotten that there were three of them.

"Now, where should we go next, Moorfoot?" Onewisker asked the Patrol leader.

The two-some crossed the open moor, the trip slowed with Cinderpelt's pace. She had took lead, letting Sandstar followed a pace or two behind with her thoughts. The conversation had etched a question in Sandstar's mind. Where was Fireheart? He hadn't returned to the clan since he ran off with the dogs? The last he had heard was when Stormtail and Mistyfoot had brought back Bluestar's corpse, telling of how Bluestar had blindsided the dogs over a gorge, and fell in herself. But that didn't account for any ginger-furred toms.

It was only yesterday… Was he unable to out run them? Did they tear him apart? Sandstar had seen what they did to Lostface and Brokenfoot. They had been so marred that Bluestar had renamed them, and given them warrior status, believing they were dead. Both survived, but with hideous scars that covered their bodies and permanently handicapped them. But that was under a medicine cats intense care. Unless he was found and nursed to health, there would be no hope for Fireheart if he was caught.

"Don't worry, Sandstar, I'm sure he's okay." Cinderpelt said, not looking at Sandstar. " He's a strong cat. You just need to have faith in him." She was almost scolding Sandstar, but in a less intense, understanding way.

"What? What do you mean?" Sandstar was dually shocked. Had Starclan given the ability to read minds to Cinderpelt?

" I know your worried about Fireheart. But believe me, he wouldn't let the pack get him. You just have to believe in him." She looked like she was talking to herself, not even acknowledging Sandstar with a glance.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Sandstar didn't hold the surprise from her voice.

Cinderpelt re-adjusted her limp, slowing her pace slightly so she would line up with Sandstar. "Your not too hard to figure out. You two were close in the moons before his exile. Its natural to worry about a cat you haven seen in a long time. Knowing that he was chased by dogs isn't the best way to sooth those worries."

"But… but how can you be sure he wasn't caught? We haven't heard of him since he blindsided the pack?"

"He was my mentor. An apprentice should be able to trust her mentor. And I trust that he got away from the dogs." Cinderpelt said. She finally looked at Sandstar. Her eye's spoke more than her mouth. She was trying to convince herself as much as Sandstar.

"You would know. He relied on you during his deputyship." Sandstar replyed. It was the only excuse she could come up with to believe Cinderpelt. Even if it was a fragil consolation, it was better than nothing.

"You think he didn't value your opinion?" Cinderpelt questioned. There was a thin glaze of sarcasm on her voice.

"No… I mean… yes. I know he and I became better friends, but he actually valued your input when it came to… well, whatever you two would talk about. I'd find it hard to believe he would want to train to become a medicine cat, especially where he was then. But me…" Sandstar spilled. This was the reason that Cinderpelt and Sandstar had been on hot ice with each other before… at least in Sandstar's perspective.

"He relied on you with his deputyship. Don't tell me he visited you den so he could train to be a medicine cat when Bluestar died." Sandstar said, lightening a little at her humor.

"No. Can't say he would make a good apprentice anyway." Cinderpelt half heartedly responded.

"Do you think that he will come back to the clan, now that Bluestar isn't the leader anymore?" Sandstar asked.

"I don't know. A leaders word is law. I don't know if that still applies to a dead leader. Besides, we don't even know if he wants to come back or where he is. There's a lot to think about when it comes to this kind of matter.

"What should you think I should do? Would it be appropriate to send out search parties for him?" Sandstar said, already listing the best trackers in her head

"… I think it best not too." Cinderpelt advised. She focused her gaze on the path ahead. Thunderclan territory had finally came into vision, and Cinderpelt heaved a sigh of relief. "We've no idea where he has gone. If he has been in Thunderclan territory before, none of our patrols have picked up on it, and considering how things are, with leaf bare ahead and the clan still recovering from the fire, we won't have the warrior power to send out search patrols."

"What was your relationship with Fireheart, anyway." The now simmered down question burst from Sandstar without notifying her. "I mean…"

Cinderpelt ear flicked, and she became ridged. When she did finally speak, it was slow and deliberate. "We were friends. He was my mentor, and I was his medicine cat…"

Sandstar didn't take the bait. "Is there something here I shouldn't know about?" Her tail started to twitch. Cinderpelt usually wasn't one to cut up truth.

"Your not going to like it, Sandstar." Cinderpelt warned.

"I don't have to like it to know it, Cinderpelt. I'll be fine. Just tell me." Sandstar braced for the worst.

"Oh… kay… Sandstar, I of all cats don't need to tell you that Fireheart was never just a regular cat."

"Yah… he always seemed special. What of it?" Sandstar suppressed her nervous stomach. This didn't sound too bad.

"So it wouldn't shock you to know that he has been receiving prophetic dreams since he was an apprentice?" Cinderpelt ventured.

"You mean, like a medicine cat after they've completed their training?" Sandstar asked.

"More than that. Usually, a medicine cat only gets an obscure vision. Fireheart has received direct warnings from a Starclan cat." Cinderpelt was playing it slowly. The two she-cats crossed the boarder, coming up towards the Great rock in which gatherings were held around.

"And I would sometimes help him with his dreams, if the were a little to obscure. And he with mine… sometimes…" Cinderpelt was having a little trouble weaving around the foliage that surrounded the clearing, and was already out of breath from the work. For a warrior, it took one good shove to get past most of the branches, but Cinderpelt couldn't give one. Sandstar slipped around her, and helped open the path a little for the limping medicine cat.

"And which Starclan cats did he get to see?" Though practically unheard of, working out Starclan's dreams with a medicine cat seemed logical enough to Sandstar. She didn't care why Starclan would choose Fireheart. They had their ways.

"That's the part your not going to like" Cinderpelt said through a mouth full of leaves. "He only ever came in contact with one."

"And they are?" Sandstar was becoming impatient. She pulled the last branch out of Cinderpelt's way, and the two entered the clearing.

"She. Her name is Spottedleaf."

Authors rant.

There's something that I really need to get out of my system, and its been eating me up since the last chapter… Starclan.

I really hate what it has become. As I have read through the series the whole concept of Starclan slowly slipped into a rut in my opinion. It just infuriation sap! What happened!?

When I first learned of Starclan and read about the prophecies and visions, I use to get this mystical feel off of them. They were some kind of sub-supernatural force. A leaf twitching and revealing prey. The wind blowing in just the right direction before a kill. A warriors skill to catch a mouse time and time again over a span of situations. The thriving of a clan in green-leaf and its survival in leaf-bare It felt like the warrior ancestors were as faint, but still helping to guide the clan in death. It was, dare I say, magical.

Then Fireheart became Firestar. All of Starclan came to harbor in the leadership of a new great warrior. This made them seem more tangible, more… protecting, but less… helpful, or at least not as cool. They were still aiding breath in a growing kit recovering from green-cough, but now they had a sense of wisdom and power in them too. They lost the ghost of ancient, and became more parent like to all clans. Less sparkly, but still somewhat good.

And now we have the Starclan that we see in "Power of three" and beyond. They are now literally a bunch of dead cats with a few tricks hidden in their fur. Nothing more! They've lost what I loved so much about them. Its… sad. Almost a laughing stalk! And *Major spoiler alert?* They can even die again!?What the Merrrowww! #R.I.P Fireheart and Spottedleaf… maybe?# *End spoiler alert*

Haaa…. Glad to steam that out. Thanks for listening… right?