A/N: I have not read the third series on Warriors. I have only peeked at the books and read the character listings.

It has been a long time since I read the first series, and I haven't read the second yet either. So if I make a mistake on character profiles, or timelines, you'll know why.

The time period is around the Sight.

The Kits

Leafpool set the kits in front of Firestar.

"Spottedkit, Firekit, Crescentkit, and Littlekit?" Firestar repeated.

Leafpool nodded.

"Very well," Firestar sighed. "But you know you cannot raise them yourself. I will give them to Daisy to raise, but you must tell her the truth."

"I understand," Leafpool mewed.

Squirrelflight, Sorreltail, Leafpool, and Firestar padded out of his den, each carrying a kit.

They arrived at the nursery, and Firestar called Daisy forth.

She padded out of the den and gasped when she saw the four mewling kits.

"Daisy," Firestar mewed, "I know you have no kits so far to take care of, but if it not a burden for you, will you take these kits to feed and care for?"

"Of course she will," Ferncloud mewed from behind the former kittypet. "And if need to be, I'll help her. You have nothing to worry about, Firestar."

Leafpool bowed her head and meowed, "Thank you, Ferncloud. But there are some things you must know about these kits first. And, if you want, you may share with the rest of the clan who's their mother."

And so she them. Both queens nodded in understanding and said not a word.

Then, Daisy led the four kits into the nursery.

Leafpool felt a sudden burden lifted off her chest.

But a new thought awoke worries from within.

If StarClan didn't exist, what were the rules to follow?

How did the leaders gain their nine lives?

And more importantly, if StarClan didn't exist, who walked in hers and others' dreams?

A few moons later:

"Firekit, get back here!" Jaypaw yowled as a ginger she-kit with a flaming pelt and blue eyes ran away with a mouth full of catnip.

A dark gray tabby tom kit with green eyes and a white chest and muzzle jumped on Jaypaw's back and meowed to Firekit, "Run, Firekit, run!"

Firekit giggled and squeezed into the nursery.

A small black tom kit with amber eyes and a white tipped tail cowered away as the she-kit ran by, not wanting to get into trouble.

However, another kit, a pale brown she-kit with amber eyes and dark flecks on her fur, encouraged Firekit. "In here, Firekit! Jaypaw's too big to fit!"

Firekit wiggled into the bramble and pressed her pelt against the wall. She smiled.

Safe at last.

Firekit set down the catnip and licked her lips. The small black kit and the pale brown kit padded into and sniffed the air.

"Great job, Firekit!" the pale brown kit meowed, licking her lips. "You got a whole bunch this time!"

"Thanks, Spottedkit!" Firekit exclaimed.

"I don't think that was a good idea," the small kit murmured.

"Don't worry, Littlekit! Jaypaw's too busy fussing over his fur to worry about the catnip," a voice reassured.

"Crescentkit!" Spottedkit mewed.

The dark gray kit squeezed into the bramble bush and sat next to Spottedkit.

"That was some distraction, Crescentkit," Spottedkit commented.

Crescentkit puffed out his chest proudly and mewed, "What can I say? I'm amazing. No wonder Firestar's trying to figure out who should teach me. I'll just too awesome to be taught."

"Leafpool, those kits of yours are a menace!" Brambleclaw scowled.

Leafpool dipped her head shamefully. But Brambleclaw wasn't done yet. "I don't know what went through your head when you brought them here, but enough is enough! This is the second time this week that Firekit has stolen something from the medicine den, and the eighth time this week that Crescentkit's clawed up Jaypaw. They're too dangerous, too irresponsible, too foolish! They're nearly six moons old and they'll soon be apprentices. But then what? They'll do all sorts of crazy things that will get us in trouble!"

"Actually," Firestar chuckled, "this is working quite well for us."

"What?" Brambleclaw asked, shocked.

Firestar chuckled again and lifted his paw and pointed at Jaypaw. "We need to train Jaypaw better, because if a kit can go in and out without him noticing early enough, how will he became a good medicine cat?"

"True," Brambleclaw mewed.

"And, if we can harness the kits' wild nature, we can use them as a weapon against our enemies."

"Again, true. But how do we do that?"

"Simple. Give them more of a challenge. Push them to their limits. See what makes them tick."

Brambleclaw bowed his head and padded out of the den.

Leafpool looked at her paws and mewed, "Firestar, who will mentor them?"

Firestar sighed and rested his chin on the smooth stone of his den. "I was thinking along the lines of Crescentkit being Graystripe's apprentice, Littlekit being Brightheart's, Spottedkit's is Sorreltail's and Firekit being mine."

Leafpool nodded and turned. Before she left the den, Firestar called, "Leafpool, there's something about those kits that's bothering me."

"And what's that?"

Firestar shook his head and mewed in response, "Never mind. Just forget I said that."

Leafpool shrugged her shoulders and left the den.

Haunting words plagued Firestar's mind. There will be three, kin of your kin . . . who hold the power of the stars in their paws. A pool of leaves and a crow's feather. Together they will drive to become one. When they do, a crescent moon will rise to set fire to the heart of the tiger. A small leaf will be the roots of the clan. A feather will gain her spots. Water will drown the clan's beliefs. And thunder will save the clan.

Heart of the tiger. Was Tigerstar coming back? And if he is, where will he come from?