A/N: Here's the first chapter, please review :) and please no flames. Hopefully the next update will be this Friday and will have more chapters, though I 'might' update sooner! ;)

Chapter One

Darkness was all she could see. Ginger could only see the outlines of the undergrowth and trees that she knew surrounded her. The unknown forest was filled with many strange new scents. The smells that filled her nose and made her mouth water were the scents of earth, leaves, moss, and small woodland creatures.

She sensed something nearby. The young she-cat widened her green eyes, scanning the dense undergrowth. Despite her unknown surroundings, she moved deeper into the shadows. The strange scents were what drew her in and caused her to keep going. A deep gurgling rumble sounded from her stomach, and she was reminded once more of her hunger. She parted her jaws, tasting the air for something that could satisfy her needy stomach.

In her peripheral vision, Ginger saw a flash of gray race past her. The orange she-cat froze and slowly flashed her eyes in the direction it had gone, her head also still. She listened carefully. A rustling sound reached her ears and, with the utmost care, turned silently to face the direction the creature had gone. It was hiding in the leaves less than two tail-lengths away. Ginger knew it was a mouse and she wasn't going to let it get away, not this time.

"Hey, Ginger! Wake up!"

Her head snapped up from her cat bed, the forest melting away. She was never in it to begin with, it was a dream. The orange she-cat was sleeping in her soft cat bad in the kitchen of her new house folk, or she had been sleeping.

Standing in front of her was her brother and littermate, Tiny. A few days after they had seen that shooting star, some new housefolk came with their kits. Quince, her and Tiny's mother, had told them along with their other littermates that they were there to play with them and get to know them. The next day, each of them went to new housefolk. Unlike Ruby and Socks who went to different housefolk, Ginger and Tiny had got the same housefolk. This had been almost four moons ago.

"Hello, anybody home?" Tiny called, prodding her flank. His icy eyes gleamed with mischief.

Mentally shaking her head from those thoughts, Ginger focused on her smaller littermate. "What is it, Tiny?" she sighed, sitting up and began to give her fiery pelt a good wash.

The small black tom didn't even waver. "I want to go out and explore the forest again," he announced.

Ginger snapped her head up and stared. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Last time you were nearly attacked by that bird!" she reminded him.

Her brother didn't even seem fazed. "Of course I'm sure!" Tiny insisted excitedly.

She glanced up at the window, the sunlight was already beginning to fade away. "All right," Ginger finally agreed grudgingly. "But we've got to hurry, it's almost dark."

"Yes!" Tiny cheered happily before charging out the cat flap, without a backwards glance.

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Ginger raced after him. For a small cat Tiny was really fast and she always had a hard time keeping up. Sometimes she wished she had his energy.

Right as she burst out of the cat flap and into the garden, Tiny was already climbing over the fence. Almost immediately Ginger put on a burst of speed and, without stopping, she clawed her way up and over the fence. Her paws landed soundlessly onto the grass beyond and there was no sign of Tiny, but she could smell him.

The young she-cat charged in the direction it went. As her brother's scent became stronger, she heard the sound of fighting. Fearing the worst, Ginger soon found herself almost flying through the forest until she burst out into a small clearing where a gray tom with patches of white and spiky fur was ruthlessly attacking her littermate. Behind him was a large gray she-cat and a young dark tabby who looked to be around Ginger's and Tiny's age.

"Thistleclaw, stop! He's only a kit!" the gray she-cat yowled shrilly. "He's no threat!"

The gray and white tom pinned her brother to the ground, blood welling scarlet along his wounds."An intruder is an intruder, Bluefur! You've always been to soft on them," he snarled at the she-cat.

Without thinking twice, Ginger streaked across the clearing and slammed into Thistleclaw with a battle cry, the tom completely unprepared for her attack. He staggered sideways, losing his footing and released Tiny from his clutches. Filled with rage that the much larger tom had hurt her brother, Ginger dug her claws deep into the gray and white cat's spiky fur and sank in her teeth. No subtle rituals of swiping and boxing preceded this fight. The two cats were locked in a screaming, writhing tussle that flipped and somersaulted around the clearing surrounded by woodland.

As Ginger scratched and struggled, she was suddenly aware that she felt no fear, only determination to protect her smaller brother. It was in that moment she realized that she would be willing to die for her brother, if it meant he would be alive and safe.

Then Ginger felt her collar tighten around her neck. Thistleclaw had gripped it between his teeth and was tugging, and tugging hard. Ginger felt a terrible pressure at her throat. Unable to breathe, she started to panic. She writhed and twisted, but each movement only made the pressure worse. Retching and gulping for air, she summoned up all her strength and tried to pull away from Thistleclaw's grip. And suddenly, with a loud snap, she was free.

Thistleclaw tumbled away from her. Ginger scrambled to her paws and looked around. Thistleclaw was crouching a few tail-lengths away. And, dangling from Thistleclaw's mouth, Ginger saw her collar, mangled and broken.

At once, Bluefur pelted past Thistleclaw and stood in front of Ginger. "That's enough!" She bared her teeth, and Ginger noticed how the older she-cat was tensed to fight. Her thundering heart twisted at the sight, but in a good way. It had been a long time since someone had helped her defend not just herself, but Tiny as well.

"Warriors don't need to kill to win a battle, remember?" Bluefur snapped, blue eyes blazing with fury at Thistleclaw.

Ginger peaked around the gray she-cat. Clumps of fur was hanging from the spiky furred tom's ruffled coat, much like her own. She could feel a cut stinging above her eye. The gray and white patched tom had a badly torn ear, blood streaming down his hard-muscled shoulders onto the forest floor.

Thistleclaw glared at Bluefur. "I was just defending our territory," he snarled.

"And you've done that," Bluefur meowed, sounding like she was trying to get the tom to see reason, before she exploded. "And if I ever see you do something like that again, I'll report you to Sunstar!"

For a moment the two older cats glared at each other, before Thistleclaw turned and stalked away between the trees, his spiky pelt soon swallowed in shadow. The young dark tabby hesitated, his amber eyes uncertain, until a loud "Tigerpaw!" was heard from the direction that Thistleclaw had went and, giving an apologetic look to Bluefur, he darted off after the older tom.

Once they were gone, Bluefur turned to face Ginger and Tiny. "Are you all right?" she asked, worry shining in her piercing blue eyes as they darted from one kit to the other.

Ginger glanced over at her small brother, who had padded over to stand at her side sometime during Thistleclaw's and Bluefur's showdown. The small black tom had gashes up and down his flanks and scratches all over his muzzle, all of his wounds were still dripping blood.

"I think so," Tiny mewed shakily. "But I don't think my housefolk will want me anymore."

Her heart clenched painfully as she realized he was right. His once unmarred pelt was now covered in scratches and other wounds, most of them were deep and would most likely leave scars. No housefolk wanted kittens that looked to have something wrong with them. They might still take her as she didn't have any wounds that would leave a scar except for the scratch above her eye, but they would more than likely not take back Tiny.

"Then perhaps it will be best if you come with me," Bluefur suggested. "I'll take you to my Clan's medicine cat and he can give you something for your wounds. Maybe my leader will let you join, if he thinks you could be of use."

Tiny dipped his head in agreement before looking at Ginger. "I guess we won't be seeing each other any more," he muttered, his icy eyes filled with regret and sadness.

Ginger frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Our housefolk will take you back, but they'll never take me," her brother explained.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Did he really think she'd leave him after nearly dying to protect him from Thistleclaw? Straightening up, Ginger now narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" she demanded

Tiny looked at her in surprise. "What? No!" He shook his head. "I don't want you to leave me, but I don't want you to give up our home!"

Ginger stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious right now, Tiny?" Her green eyes blazed with fury. "Our home? It won't be if you can't come back!" she snapped. "No! My home is wherever you are, brother."

Her littermate's eyes widened, hope lighting them up. "Do you really mean that, Ginger?"

Purring, Ginger stepped forward and brushed her muzzle against his own, ginger and black blending together. "Of course I do, you stupid furball," she teased. "Always and forever."