A/N: Unfortunately this is a shorter chapter, but never the less... R&R

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, only Flamepaw and the minor plot differences.

~Chapter Eight~

Bluestar stood and began to pad toward Mothermouth with her trailing behind her leader. Tigerclaw had taken to walk on Bluestar's other side, matching her stride step for step.

"Come on, Ravenpaw!" she heard Graypaw call out

It only took them a few moments to reach Mothermouth. Flamepaw stood on the threshold along with the others. She noticed how her brother seemed to be curious while Graypaw and Ravenpaw seemed nervous. Even Tigerclaw seemed unsettled by the black hole ahead of them. "How will we find our way in such darkness?" he asked.

"I will know the way. And so will Flamepaw," answered Bluestar. "Just follow our scent. Ravenpaw and Graypaw, you will remain on guard outside. Firepaw, you will accompany me, Flamepaw and Tigerclaw to the Moonstone."

Flamepaw could see that her brother was excited, but she could tell that even though Tigerclaw had his chin boldly raised he was afraid and she didn't need to smell his fear scent to know. Bluestar then walked forward and she followed her leader without a pause. Tigerclaw and Firepaw followed close behind her.

Flamepaw walked the familiar twisting and turning path of the tunnel. She soon could smell the familiar heather scented air and knew that they had reached the cavern. She walked into the open space then and turned and walked a few steps along the wall of the cavern before stopping and turning to face forward again and sat down. It was then that someone spoke. "Where are we?" Firepaw asked.

"We have entered the cavern of the Moonstone," came Bluestar's soft reply. "Wait here. It will be moonhigh soon."

Flamepaw could hear the calm gentle breathing of her brother and Bluestar, but she could also hear the more rapid, fear-scented panting of Tigerclaw.

Suddenly the familiar blind white light of the moon came through the hole in the cavern and brought the Moonstone to life. Flamepaw looked down then at her pelt and saw that it had been turned into a brilliant silver. She looked up then and saw Bluestar who was staring upward, and saw that her fur had been bleached white in the glow of the Moonstone. Even Tigerclaw's dark pelt shone silver.

Flamepaw could smell Tigerclaw's fear-scent growing, until it became overpowering. She saw the dark tabby warrior's eyes meet hers and saw his eyes which had been filled with fear, widen in amazement instead as he saw her pelt which glowed silver in the light shining from the hole in the roof above. She then saw him give her an apologetic look before turning and fleeing past her brother into the tunnel towards the entrance.

"Firepaw?" Bluestar's voice was quiet and calm.

"I'm still here," he answered nervously.

After a moment he spoke again. "Bluestar?" Firepaw mewed again when she didn't answer.

"It is all right, young warrior; don't be afraid," Bluestar murmured. "I think Tigerclaw was surprised by the power of the Moonstone. In the world above, Tigerclaw is a fearless and mighty warrior, but down here, where the spirits of StarClan speak, a cat needs a different kind of strength. What do you feel, Firepaw?"

After a moment he answered. "Only my own curiosity," he admitted.

"That is good," Bluestar replied.

Flamepaw looked at her leader then who nodded towards her and together the two of them walked forward, side by side before the Moonstone. Once the reached the Moonstone they both crouched beside it before touching their noses to its cold surface. Immediately, Flamepaw felt the familiar coldness grip her body and forced her into a deep sleep.

She felt as if she had been lying there for barely a heartbeat before she no longer felt cold stone seeping into her fur but soft grass. Opening her eyes, Flamepaw looked around then and realized she was in ThunderClan territory near Sunningrocks. Suddenly, she heard approaching pawsteps and turned to see a familiar speckled gray tom with pale blue eyes slink out of the undergrowth.

She quickly bowed her head in respect. "Greetings, Goosefeather," she meowed to the old ThunderClan medicine cat who was actually Bluestar's uncle.

The old tom nodded towards her with the same respect. "It's good to see you again, Flamepaw. You are almost ready to become a full medicine cat, but I'm afraid you aren't destined to be ThunderClan's next medicine cat," he replied sadly.

"What do you mean," she demanded. "Being a medicine cat was all I wanted to do! I've done nothing but trained to be a medicine cat."

The speckled gray tom sighed heavily. "I know," he mewed heavily, "but you will be a full medicine cat for a while before having to give up being a medicine cat."

Sighing in defeat Flamepaw murmured, "When?"

"You will know when the time comes," the old medicine cat said. "Now follow me. There is something you must see."

The orange and white medicine cat apprentice followed confidently after the StarClan cat and soon they came to the ravine. They strode through the gorse tunnel and padded over to the nursery. Goosefeather nodded towards her to go in and she pushed her way into the nursery to find it was empty except for one nest that was occupied by a queen.

Suddenly, the queen looked up and Flamepaw hissed in surprise to find that the queen was herself and stepped back a couple of steps. After a few moments she hesitantly walked forward and looked into the nest to find four tiny kits curled up in the moss. It was unfortunately to dark to see their fur color.

"These kits will become great warriors for ThunderClan," Goosefeather mewed.

"When will this be?" she murmured softly, without taking her eyes off her future kits. It was strange feeling the mother within her come out even if the kits weren't born yet.

"Not for some time," the old cat replied. "Now you must go. Your Clan is in danger."

With those words darkness swam around her and she let the darkness swallow her up with the thought of who her future kit's father would be. Flamepaw awoke a few moments before Bluestar and slowly she sat up and arched her back.

Suddenly, she remembered what Goosefeather had said before the darkness took her. ThunderClan was in danger.

"Firepaw? Flamepaw? Are you two still there?" Her leader's voice sounded remote and agitated.

"Yes, Bluestar." She heard the old she-cat's pawsteps going in the direction of the cave entrance and Firepaw. Flamepaw quickly followed.

"Hurry," Bluestar hissed, pushing past Firepaw. "We must return to camp."

Flamepaw managed to squeeze past her brother, before he followed and raced after her leader through the blackness. She felt the familiar path twisting and turning and going up and up. Up towards the outside world.

...

Tigerclaw and the other apprentices were waiting for them at the opening of Mothermouth as they came rushing through the cave entrance. Flamepaw turned her gaze towards Tigerclaw and saw that his expression was cold and his fur was slightly ruffled, but he sat motionless and dignified.

"Tigerclaw." Bluestar greeted him but did not mention the warrior's flight from the depths.

Tigerclaw relaxed a little. "What did you learn?"

"We must return to camp immediately," Bluestar meowed briefly.

Flamepaw suddenly felt a strange sensation prickle through her and she found herself no longer at Highstones. She found herself back at camp and felt herself freeze in terror as she watched shadowy, dark warriors attack her clanmates. Soon the clearing was covered in blood and tufts of fur. As she watched, she saw her clanmates collapse under the weight of the shadow warriors. "Dark times are coming, Flamepaw," she heard the familiar voice of Redtail reply. "It is time to choose where you stand. With the darkness that fights for bloodshed and death or against it. You can only be with one but not the other." The scent of blood was overpowering and was now seeping into her fur and climbing till it filled her nose and mouth. "The darkness will take you, Flamepaw," Goosefeather meowed into her ear. "But you mustn't let it win. Fight it."

"Flamepaw!"

Quickly she snapped out of her terrifying vision to find Tigerclaw and the others looking at her in worry.

"What did you see, Flamepaw," Bluestar demanded. The old ThunderClan leader's eyes seemed to pierce through her pelt all the way to her soul.

"Blood," she whispered, "and death." She looked at Bluestar then and said, "We need to get back to camp immediately!"