Urg. I'm back. I'm kind of in a bad mood, so let's hope my attitude won't influence my writing.

THE SECRET

When Ember woke up, everything was dark and spinning, like a black whirlpool. It took her a while to get back to her senses, but when she did, she smelled smoke all around her. A dull, thick pain in her back leg.

She didn't want to move, in case she had seriously hurt something. She remembered the battle only vaguely, but one memory stabbed at her: I hesitated. I got scared, like a little mouse. Paralyzed, like a frightened rabbit. Rat dung!

Even though her head hurt and she didn't feel like thinking, she let her mind expand. She didn't care where she was; she was satisfied with the location so long as she was safe. No awful sneers or slicing claws greeted her, so she thought she must've been dragged out of the spot. She coughed, her throat feeling like it was coated with cement, remembering the intense heat of the flames around her. What was it Jay had said? Was it a threat? More importantly, at least to Ember...how had her whiskers avoided the flame? The silvery lines had cut right through the fire, as if invincible.

She tried to think further, making her ears twitch. Someone had come to save her. Just before she blacked out, that shape, that gray-black outline...Sulfur. Her savior. The cat who was like a father to her.

As the pain in her leg subsided, Ember got bored with thinking and decided to move around a bit. As soon as she stretched out her limbs she knew she was more than just sore. A ripping, searing agony blazed from the toes of her back left leg up her flank, clambering. She winced, gritting her teeth so she wouldn't yowl, grinding her incisors back and forth to the switching of her stiff, raggedy tail. She breathed deeply, hoping maybe it would make things better. But it didn't. Her leg still throbbed, she still couldn't move, and she still didn't know where she was.

She opened her mouth slightly, trying to detect scent. A tiny tendril snaked past her tongue, flooding into her scent glands. She swallowed down the sweet, fresh smell...the smell of grass. Unpolluted by Twoleg smells, grass wasn't cloying, but it wasn't sour. It was just right.

She followed the aroma, scooting her rear end on the smooth, rocky surface until she spotted fronds of green tucked into a large, crinkled cardboard box. She leaned over, her back muscles tight, and sniffed once. Immediately she drew back in alarm. She knew that scent.

Scorn- this is Scorn's nest!

Panic coursed through her like blood through her veins. How had she gotten here? She couldn't have gotten here herself. Not with this wound on her leg. (She couldn't twist around to see it, but she could feel it all right.) Someone must've placed her here intentionally. And what cat would dare enter Scorn's nest without granted permission; who would bring an unconcious kit here. It either had to be Scorn himself, or someone close to him.

She traced her thoughts again (she had to replay the event in her head every once in a while, as she was still woozy), and she came up with enough evidence to assume it was Sulfur who had brought her here. But there was another problem- why didn't Sulfur bring her back to Scrap? And where were the others? Sulfur loved them all equally; he would never abandon one of them. Obviously Sulfur wanted to associate Ember with Scorn somehow. With a tantalizing twinge, she remembered Scrap's words: "Scorn is to train you." She was, in some way, special. Scorn was going to train her, so he valued her. Somehow.

She knew, deep in the back of her mind...that there was a valid reason for this- and that she had been informed of these reasons. But when? She felt like it hadn't been very long ago. Then, she remembered, ever so slightly...Jay! It was Jay who said it! Something about Scorn...something about Scrap...but her memories were all fuzzy, and it hurt to think.

So she sat there, motionless, as if waiting for her fate to come upon her. There was nothing else to do...moving was out of the question; it felt like red-hot porcupine quills were twisting inside of her leg and movement would only make it worse. Her back left leg felt like it was beating along with her heart, each gush of blood sending a severe wrenching of excruciation through it. Her head pounded along with it; she wished she could go back to sleep and make the pain and confusion go away...

Suddenly a dark shape shifted among the shadows, and adrenaline rushed through her. Her eyes opened wide and she instinctively sat up (causing her to wince as her back leg throbbed rigorously). She ignored the pain, as if she were trying to prove herself...earlier, during the fight, she had backed down, she had stood rooted to her spot like a vulnerable tree sapling in a pit of mud. But she found she couldn't be brave; she had been asleep a long time and she wasn't ready to fight. She didn't even want to, not in her condition, and she didn't plan on budging anyway. She just wanted to seem like she posed a threat.

She felt the fur on her back spike, her hisses knife cleanly through the air. But the shadow, tall and lanky, didn't seem fazed. It oozed across the walls, and Ember shook wildly. It seemed like a ghostly figure. The shadow was a thing in itself. Moved on its own, seeping across surfaces, lunging for throats and injecting darkness into warm flesh...

But then, as soon as it had come, it vanished. Flitting away. Another shadow replaced it- rounder, more shapely. She could hear pawsteps on the gritty earth. A familiar scent wafted into her nostrils, and it was enough for her to regain all her energy. She sat up abruptly, her eyes gleaming with mixed happiness and relief. "Sulfur!"

The gray-black cat rounded the corner, looking ragged and tired. His expression lit as he caught sight of Ember. "Ember!" he mewed, his voice light and clear. "You're awake. And good thing, too...I thought Jay had gotten you."

Ember managed a meager smile, but her strength was fading. She wanted to fall back asleep, but at the same time she didn't- she was so glad to see Sulfur. Maybe he would tell her what happened. "What happened? Where is everybody?"

Sulfur breathed a deep sigh. "Oh...I forgot. You've probably suffered mild amnesia from breathing too much smoke. Well...from the information I could gather, you, your sisters, Fury, Finder, Star, and Rage were tussling with Jay. Not a very smart thing to do. She hurt all of you pretty badly...and since she's a pyro, like her father, she knows how to light fires. I do believe she lit one around you, Ember. That burn on your leg didn't come from nowhere."

As Sulfur spoke, memories flooded back into Ember's mind. She craned her neck, her muscles tensing up, and looked at her leg. Gross. The fur had been burned away, and there was an angry, flaky pink scab lined with black. The visuals added on to her pain, and she grunted, her legs sliding out from beneath her. She could see the fire in her mind now. Uncontrollable resplendent flame, curling, bending, interweaving. Everywhere, putting spots in her eyes. She pressed her paws over her eyes. Jay. Jay had almost killed her.

She was too weary to be too mad at the black she-cat. Trying to limit her mews, she asked feebly, "How did you put the fire out?"

Sulfur began to speak, but he was cut off by another voice. One that was lustrous; devious. Her eyes popped open and her head twisted. She knew that long shadow- she listened to the voice with awe swelling in her chest.

"...He didn't put out the fire. I did." A stretchy, jet-black thing coiled into view. Bluish stripes of light lined their flank. She couldn't believe it- it was Scorn, the leader, in front of her very eyes! And so close, too. "We came in the nick of time. Aren't you so glad to be alive, troublesome kit?"

Ember didn't want to seem kittish in his presence, but then she gulped- Scorn was dangerous. She'd forgotten that. She sat upright despite her weariness, trying not to sit on her wound. And, judging by his mews- "troublesome kit"- he wasn't happy. Ember quivered. What would he do? She'd gone off without permission and fought his daughter. Her eyes were fixed on his enormous claws. She could very much imagine those claws raking down her soft kit underbelly.

If she hadn't known better, she would've started rapidly apologizing. But the best thing to do was to keep your mouth shut; she knew that from watching Night get into mischief. Regular warriors were bad enough when you messed with them, but with Scorn, your life was at stake. She could feel his bright yellow eyes, like crescent moons, boring into hers. "My, my, my. What are we going to do with you?" His tail-tip flogged from side to side.

Sulfur's gray-black fur rose on his shoulders. He butt in quickly, changing the subject. "Ember, do you remember anything from the night before? You should try. Think."

Relieved that she didn't have to answer Scorn's questions, Ember tried not to concentrate on his lean figure looming over her. She swallowed, diving into her memories. She could remember all the blood, all the horror and fear as she watched all her friends go down like prey. Jay possessed such power that it shook her up, even now. She definitely had her father in her- there was no doubt she would be the next leader. How interesting it would be, the first BloodClan leader to be a she-cat. Thinking of Jay was the most important part. She couldn't stop itching about what Jay had told her. Something...secret. A secret about her. She could practically feel the heat of the fire around her paws. What was it...?

Then she remembered a single meow.

Scrap.

Something about Scrap. She tried to think deeper. Who was Scrap? Scrap was a queen, a BloodClan queen, and she had four kits...no, five...her, Night, Mist, Cement, and the late Ice. That sent a shiver through her, just the name. It was like that name held secrets, too. It probably did, but she just had to think. Scrap was black-and-white, and didn't look a thing like any of them, not even Night, who shared pelt colors with her. Their father, Snook, didn't look like them, either. It wasn't right. Their older brother, Cement, was distant towards them. They were BloodClan kits, so they were supposed to be cold and sadistic anyway, but not in that way. Her eyes compressed, and last night came back to her. What Jay had said.

"I killed Ice..."

"You're a bunch of forest kits..."

Recognition hit her like hawk talons. She bristled. "I'm a forest kit," she mewed, staring blankly ahead. She couldn't believe what she was mewing. Spilling out. "I'm not Scrap's kit...none of us are..." She looked up at Scorn, her eyes indicating slight indictment. "You...picked us up from the forest, and you brought us here..."

Scorn laughed hollowly. Somehow, it made her feel better. "I was wondering when you would catch on," he mewed approvingly. "At least you know now. And, now that you do, I'll tell you the whole story so you won't have to wonder anymore.

"I was milling through the forest, as I've been invading the four Clans there. Our first target was ThunderClan camp, since it's surrounded by trees and is destroyed very easily. Most of the cowards ran away, but two stayed- a mother and a father. Your real mother," Scorn looked at Ember as he said this. Did she spy a hint of sympathy on his face? "Your real father."

A mother and father...she had them. Scrap and Snook weren't related to her in the least. Great Scourge- she could've been plopped down with anyone and she would think they were her mother.

"Your mother was a tortoiseshell and your father a black-and-white tom," Scorn continued. I did away with him- no, I did not kill him, I only knocked him out temporarily. But your mother is dead- she died having you. She might not have, but there was too much smoke."

It hit Ember with a jolt. My real mother is dead. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she would rather get clawed than cry in front of Scorn. She rubbed at her eyes, trying not to be sad. She didn't even know her mother, after all.

"Because of this, we took you away, and gave you to Scrap. Since her kit, Ice, had just died, we gave you and your sisters to her as a gift. We thought it would be better for you to find this out on your own, but it seems my kit Jay intended to kill you when she told you these secrets." He shook his head. Ember remembered more...what Jay had said.

"You're the reason my father never pays attention to me anymore."

Why was that?

Ember tried to think of everything. So, Cement wasn't their real brother. That was fine- he didn't feel like a brother anyway. But not having Scrap as a mother- it hit her hard. Like getting whacked on the ear.

But Scorn wasn't done. "You kits are special because of this. I won't have any warrior train you; they'd train you the wrong way. For you to be trained properly, you will be trained by me- as Scrap told you."

Ember couldn't believe it. All this was too much to take in- it was overwhelming. Scrap had told her this fact before, but hearing it come from Scorn's mouth...it felt a lot more powerful. No wonder Jay hated her and her sisters...Scorn was treating them nicely, too nicely.

Scorn nodded, as if he was agreeing with himself. "In fact, you kits are getting too big to be causing mischief in the nursery anymore. You'll be apprenticed tomorrow, and we can start training. But for now, we'll get Ashes out to look at that leg. Your sisters are waiting for you back in the nursery. Fair enough?" With a flourish, the black cat turned tail and walked nonchalantly away. Sulfur looked over his shoulder, half worried and half amused, and then trotted swiftly after the leader.

Ember blinked. What had just happened? She had so many questions in her head- I was taken from a forest-cat Clan called ThunderClan? Is that why I'm always getting into mischief? Maybe me and Night and Mist aren't meant to be BloodClanners. Oh, Jay is going to kill me...because she failed to kill me last time. Ha-ha, that idiot cat, now I know her big secret! But wait, I'll have to keep it to myself, or else...or else something. I can't believe Scorn is training me. Great Scourge, it's a miracle, he was actually nice to me! Hold on a second- how did he light fire at camp? He's a pyro, right? I was born in a fire- maybe it's an omen that I have fire-colored eyes. Okay, that's just silly. It's probably some rare disease or something. We're apprentices tomorrow, I can't believe it! I have to tell Mist and Night about this. I have to.

But wait.

Why didn't we die in the smoke?

Where is my father now?

What will this mean for us?

What comes of a bunch of forest fools in a Clan like BloodClan?

R&R. Yay, finally, a new chapter posted.

Question & Answer Time:

1. Ooh! Are they gonna find out what happens to Reedtail?
Maaybbee.

2. Who is Ashes?
He's the Clan Healer, or medicine cat. He's listed in the Allegiances.

3. Why is Scorn all of a sudden nice?
Remember, he thinks Ember's eyes are an omen too. He thinks he's meant to train them. Silly Scorn, what a cute kitty! :3

4. You know that thing Scorn said, at the beginning of the story? Something about how the other Clans wouldn't care if Scorn stole ThunderClan's kits? What's that all about?
Remember, Scorn is a very charming cat. He can pretty much convince anyone of anything. That's my only hint.

Bye now! You be a good person and review!