Chapter 1

A/N: Yay, another chapter! If I post another chapter, it will be the first time I will have posted over 3 chapters to story on FanFiction, even if the first chapter was the Allegiances:D I just realized that prophecy sounds kind of weird because the words fearsome and fierce are too close together, but I'll leave it as it is for now.

EyeOfTheTiger - Yay, something to burn Daisy with! holds Daisy up with one hand, then picks up flame and drops it on her and she burns to a crisp Mwahahahahahaha! Anyways, thanks! throws extra big cookie for being the first reviewer

Niah-Miyoki - Yeah, I know, but I was actually thinking of writing a story about this long before these types of stories really started getting popular. throws cookie

Dragonsoarer12 - Thanks! I know what you mean, it's kind of hard to be descriptive all the time, but I'm trying harder. Hopefully everybody thinks this chapter is better. throws cookie

Firekit opened his piercing green eyes and blinked sleepily as he felt a small claw prodded him sharply in the side. Grunting irritably, he rolled over, coming face-to-face with his sister, Nightkit, who looked exactly like their father, Ashfur. She widened her dark blue eyes innocently, and he sighed, unable to get mad at her for waking him.

"Well, what do you know?" piped up a teasing voice from Firekit's other side. "Sleeping beauty has finally awoken!"

Blackkit, Firekit's brother, was watching him with amusement in his eyes. Firekit's flaming orange fur bristled and he hissed a playful challenge as his brother continued. "Well, it's true you know. You could sleep through a badger attack!"

The ginger tom leaped at Blackkit, pinning him to the ground and batting at him with his paws - his claws sheathed, of course. He couldn't imagine what Squirrelflight, their mother, would say if he actually hurt one of his siblings.

Blackkit heaved upward with all his strength, sending his brother flying across the nursery and straight into Whitewing's side, nearly bumping into her two newborn kits. Firekit scrambled to his paws and looked up at the white queen sheepishly.

"You three are getting too big for the nursery," she meowed, curling her tail closer around Pinekit and Maplekit, although there was a hint of laughter in her voice as she looked down at the moss-covered kit. "I hope Bramblestar makes you apprentices soon."

Firekit knew Whitewing would miss their presence in the nursery, as would the rest of the queens, although his fur tingled excitedly at the thought of finally becoming an apprentice. He had been dreaming about it ever since the three kits had reached their sixth moon. When he began training, he could finally show all of BrambleClan that he was worthy enough to bear the great Firestar's name. Although he hadn't heard much about him, Squirrelflight assured him every day that his grandfather had been a noble cat, who had died the death of a warrior.

Firekit was shaken out of his reverie as Squirrelflight appeared through the bramble entrance to the nursery. When she saw the mess her three kits had created, she looked down at them disapprovingly, and they shrunk under her gaze.

"Sorry, Squirrelflight," Blackkit mumbled, huddled up against his two siblings. "We were just having fun. It's so boring in here!"

Squirrelflight sighed. "Great StarClan, why did I get stuck with you three?" she asked, and as she looked down at them her eyes softened. "How about you play outside and leave the queens in peace for awhile?"

"Yes, Squirrelflight," Blackkit mewed, and he obediently marched out of the nursery, Nightkit and Firekit trailing behind. Firekit shivered as he was hit by the cool newleaf air. His fur was still nursery soft, and it would take him a few suns to get used to the cold air.

Nightkit sat down in the well-trodden grass, and her brothers quickly followed suit. For a few heartbeats, all three of them stayed silent, looking about the camp. After a long moment, Firekit sighed, breaking the peace.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked, commencing yet another thoughtful silence between the three kits as the camp bustled around them. Suddenly, Nightkit brightened, and Blackkit and Firekit looked at her hopefully.

"We can hear a story from the elders!" she announced cheerfully. Her two brothers groaned, and the gray she-cat deflated in front of them.

"We've heard every single story a thousand times," Blackkit pointed out, and Firekit nodded in agreement. They had gotten into trouble many times, and had always been sent to work for the elders as a punishment. As they had picked out ticks and changed bedding, wistfully remembering what it felt like to play, the elders had rambled on about how Firestar and Bluestar had done this, and how Tigerstar and Brokenstar had done that. They had heard the story of the Great Journey so many times, they had memorized it.

"There's got to be at least one we haven't heard yet," Nightkit pleaded, being the only one who enjoyed listening to the stories. She glanced at Firekit and Blackkit hopefully, and finally they sighed and gave in.

"Fine," Blackkit meowed. "But if they tell us the story of the Great Journey one more time, I think I'm going to rip my tail off."

Nightkit bounced happily toward the elder's den, Firekit and Blackkit padding regretfully after her. Firekit couldn't believe they had given into their sister yet again, just like they always had. Maybe it was because she was a she-cat, and the two brothers, being toms, felt the need to protect her. Or maybe it was just because they couldn't bear to see their sister sad. Whatever it was, Firekit, realized, Nightkit always seemed to get her way.

"Morningflower, we want to hear a story!" Nightkit called eagerly the moment they stepped into the den. The ancient tortoiseshell she-cat lifted her head and smiled when she spotted the three oldest kits. As she heaved herself slowly to her paws, Firekit imagined he could hear her old bones creaking. Every cat worried about her, and they knew she would go off to hunt with StarClan any day now.

"Well, what kind of story?" she asked, her eyes twinkling. "Perhaps about the Great Journey? Or of the brave Firestar, battling against BloodClan?"

Firekit's ears pricked at the sound of his grandfather's name, but Nightkit shook her head.

"No, we've heard all those," the spotted gray kit mewed. "Something… new."

Morningflower stared down at the three of them for a moment, and Firekit thought he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. She looked warily at the other elders, and all but Webfoot and Mousefur, who were bickering quietly over a piece of fresh-kill, shook their heads vigorously. Morningflower sighed.

"There is only one story left to tell," she meowed slowly. "The story of the four Clans."

"Four Clans?" Blackkit interrupted in amazement. Nightkit glared at him irritably, but he ignored her. "I thought there had always been two!"

The old queen shook her head. "Merely five seasons ago, four Clans lived in this forest. WindClan, crafty and swift, led by Onestar. ThunderClan, brave and strong, led by Firestar. RiverClan, clever and tough, led by Leopardstar, and ShadowClan, mysterious and proud, led by Blackstar. The cats in these Clans were descended from a long line of cats, all the way back to Windstar, Thunderstar, Riverstar and Shadowstar, just as you three are."

"The four Clans thrived once they came here," she continued, "though they missed the old forest. I was of WindClan. We lived on the moors, ThunderClan here, in this very hollow, ShadowClan in the pine forest, and RiverClan by the river."

"One day, Firestar was caught in a fox trap that tightened around his neck. It ripped away all 5 of the lives he had left instantly. Bramblestar became ThunderClan's leader, and appointed your father as deputy. A moon later, Mistyfoot, the deputy of RiverClan was murdered, and Hawkstar took her place. Leopardstar died soon after. She had been getting on in age, but she wasn't old enough to die from natural causes." Morningflower's eyes hardened.

"Too soon afterwards, both Onestar and Blackstar, young leaders with nearly all their lives left, died. Hawkstar and Bramblestar decided that Ashfoot and Russetfur weren't fit to lead their own Clans, and so took over. WindClan and ThunderClan became BrambleClan, and RiverClan and ShadowClan became HawkClan." As the elder continued, their was a suspicious edge to her voice.

"Bramblestar and Hawkstar aren't to be trusted. I believe they-" She was cut off as a deep, menacing voice sounded from the entrance to the den.

"You believe what, Morningflower?" Bramblestar hissed, his fur bristling. Morningflower stared at the leader fearfully, and shrank back into her mossy nest.

"Bramblestar, I didn't-"

"I don't care," Bramblestar snapped. "Ashfur! Cloudtail!"

The two toms appeared in the entrance to the den obediently. Ashfur had a malicious look to him, while Cloudtail shifted on his paws uncomfortably, so unlike his usually fiery attitude.

"Take Morningflower to my den," the tabby tom ordered. Both warriors nodded, and Ashfur grabbed the elder by the scruff. Cloudtail followed reluctantly, making sure the tortoiseshell couldn't somehow break free and run.

"No!" Morningflower screeched loudly as she was dragged off. "Please, no! I don't want to end up like Daisy and her kits! StarClan, help me!"

Firekit, Nightkit and Blackkit watched fearfully, huddled together for protection from the furious leader, who was glaring at the ranks of elders in the den.

"Let this be a warning to you all," he growled. "Never tell the story of the four Clans again, or you will face the same fate as poor Morningflower."

With that, Bramblestar whipped around and stalked back in the direction of the Highledge, to give Morningflower her punishment.

A/N: For all of you that loved Morningflower, I'm sorry, but I had to somehow demonstrate how savage the Clans have become. And she was really old, too, she's been alive forever. She's ancient.