The Shadow Saga by Pinipy/The Shadow Outcast

Book One: The Shadow Outcast
The Shadow Outcast is the first book in The Shadow Saga, formerly known as Behind The Shadows and The Shadow Prophecy.

Dedication

 * For Devon—who challenged me to write this. I could never have written this Book without your amazing guidance and your challenge. If it wasn't for you, this dream would have never happened.

The Blurb

 * The martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted...
 * I am human, or I was. I was fine, and now I'm cursed with insanity. They say I can do great things, but all I've done so far is kill. Sacrifice can only get me so far, and the feeling of exile and outcast isn't new to me. Is this what you wanted StarClan?

The Praise
''"This deserves more reviews, as it is very well written, and captured my interest from start to finish. I am guilty of sometimes giving up on a book after reading half of the first chapter if it doesn't catch my interest, but I read this one all the way through and plan to read more beyond that!" — Sandyfire ''

"You are an amazing author, I have no idea in the slightest how you can so perfectly write this amazing story. The only reason I have not commented earlier is because I have not been able to tear myself away from this story! It's AMAZING and I think-- No, KNOW that you deserve all the praise and positive everything from your readers and I cannot express how amazed I am at this story. Of course, I notice about 20-30 mistakes in every chapter, but guess what?  I love mistakes! :3 Especially stupid ones!

KEEP WRITING!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!

P.S. I am a hardcore Hetalia fan, and I noticed from the very beginning that you, very skillfully I might add, had the twins be named Matthew and Alfie like America (Alfred) and Canada (Matthew), the twins!!! This made me very, very happy, considering that in my group of friends I am considered the (Fem!) Canada! (My boyfriend is our America, but, :P)

P.P.S. I am now going to follow you and ♥ your stories because I find you inspirational and overall a great person! ~*\(^_^)/*~" — Biella

''"7th time reading this? XD......" — Rosepaw''

"This story instantly grabbed me with the PERFECT way it was written in the summary, and the actual prologue - it was so detailed! Behind The Shadows seems like an fantasticly-plotted (if that's a word xD) book, and I can't wait to read the rest of the chapters. A very well done story so far! ;D" — []

History
Book one of The Shadow Saga began in November, 2009, when the Author, Rose, was first introduced to the Warrior Cat series. From then until December 25, Christmas, Rose had been consistently reading through the first series and jotting down ideas on her mothers laptop whenever she could. It wasn't until Christmas when Rose received a laptop. After writing some not so good original pieces, and showing them off to her best friend, her friend gave a challenge to see who could write the longest story in the shortest amount of time. It was thanks to this challenge that Rose decided to put together the ideas she had formed and started to write The Shadow Outcast.

Among many other beginnings, the story originally started with a girl called Annie. Much like her own life, Annie's parents were no longer together. She lived with her father and younger brother in a house near a beautiful forest. She loved to protect her younger brother as prior to the story's beginning, her other brother had been murdered in front of her eyes; she was lucky to escape. It seemed that the Cats of StarClan had been looking down upon her, and every once in a while she would notice a peculiar orange, spotted cat that would sit and watch her. After the four leaders of StarClan, decided that Annie needed a new life, she was taken from her life and turned into a cat in order to play a role in a Prophecy for the Cats of the forest.

After writing out most of the story in the perspective of a female and uploading it onto a website, one of Rose's friends mentioned it would be better if the main character was a male, so, following the friend's advice Rose went back through the original novel, changing "Annie" to Oliver, and all the she's to he's. For some reason, Rose had also uploaded the female version to a popular website called "Wattpad", although she ended up deleting it and replacing it with the freshly edited male version, where she had gone and changed most of the names, including Oliver, who was now known as Matthew.

In it's past, The Shadow Outcast has been many things. It has been "Behind The Shadows", "The Shadow Prophecy", a failed attempt at a book, a challenge, and a dream. As of now, it is inspiration, and the Author hopes that you enjoy it and become inspired to write your own.

The Shadow Outcast Updates and Changelog
Under this section is where you can find the current status of this book. This page will be edited whenever a Chapter of this book has been updated, as the Author is currently in the process of updating the Books. If there is an error in one of the chapters, or names that do not add up, check back here to see if the chapter in question has been updated, if not, just be patient.

Below is a table of name changes, and below that is the current most updated chapterlog I went back to Chapter One and Two and edited out a mistake where I called Falconpaw (Falconstrike), Hawkpaw and I called Springfur  IvyClaw. Her name is meant to be Ivyclaw but I forgot to change it in a lot of chapters so I will just leave it as Springfur.In Chapter Thirteen, after being alerted by a follower, I realised that if Rainpaw had taken eight of Rosestar's lives, Rosestar would be dead. She lost one lift at the gathering, therefore only had eight left, so, I changed it to him taking seven lives instead, and where he lists "there are six cats here to be exact, " and then lists the names, I removed "Thunderstrike," if the cat and that situation is ever mentioned again, I will revise this.

Chapters 0-34 '''have been edited. Chapter 0 is the Prologue. Anything after this has not been edited. There WILL be errors in names and other things. Read past here at your own displeasure.'''

Last update to chapters: 10/Jul/15

Prologue
 Book One: The Shadow Outcast

 The first book in  'The Shadow Saga', written by Rose Harley, aka Pinipy.

 Based upon the popular   'Warriors'  series written by Erin Hunter.

 ¤¤¤

A soft breeze blew as a beautiful golden she-cat made her way down the wide path. She walked on the grass, choosing not to scrape her almost perfect claws on the hard, rocky Thunderpath that she was following. The sky was a dull blue, notifying the she-cat that leaf-bare was coming closer, and that she would need to leave before the season changed.

Her real home, up in the stars where she ran in the lush green forests, was a long way away. She had left momentarily to come see a Twoleg, one that had struck her interest the first time she had come down to visit her old life. She hated it here, but that was the only way she could see the Twoleg. No matter how many times her instincts or even her StarClan friends said no, she simply  had  to see this Twoleg.

The first time she had seen the Twoleg was when she was taking a forest walk in her home territory. It hadn't been long since she'd joined StarClan back then, and she had been given permission from the older StarClan residents to return to the forest she'd once lived in so that she could see how it lived on without her. Of course, none of the cats  alive  down there could see her, as she was merely a ghost, but she didn't care. She wanted to see her family; the forest; her  home.

She had seen the Twoleg sitting on a boulder, looking at his large, hind paws. The Twoleg was upset from what she could tell, because as she drew closer, his eyes were cloudy and full of sadness. The Twoleg was young. He was mumbling to himself, and even then, though she couldn't understand his words, he sounded as if he were upset. Curiously, she had watched him until moonhigh, when she was to return to StarClan, however, the Twoleg still hadn't left.

After that day she, Cheetahfur, had visited the Twoleg many more times, after getting permission from the Four Leaders. Though it had been many seasons since, Cheetahfur insisted on visiting him again, though, this time for a reason. After studying the Twoleg, Cheetahfur had noticed that he was always with another Twoleg, one that was younger than himself. She had seen the older Twoleg protect the younger one several times, almost as if he were acting like a shadow. It was strange, and if this Twoleg really was acting the way that she thought, she wanted to know why.

Cheetahfur glided gracefully, her back arched to show off her beautiful black spots. As she came across the Twoleg nest that she'd memorized, she leaped up onto the fence post and into the small closed in area that the Twolegs had reserved for some reason. Cheetahfur then waited for the Twoleg, knowing that he would be out soon with the younger one. The one that he protected...

He came, as Cheetahfur had hoped, though he was tall, now, much taller, in fact, than when she'd first seen him, and his head was covered in short golden fur. He walked out to the closed-in area and watched the younger Twoleg play. He sat on a large boulder as the younger one played with a large brown ball of moss. The Twoleg's eyes were soft, yet his expression seemed blank. Over the seasons, Cheetahfur had learned what the expressions meant, and what body language she needed to look out for. Right now, like always, the Twoleg seemed bored but, in truth, was actually pushing away a certain emotion.

"Why are you so curious about these Twolegs?" meowed a familiar voice from behind her. "They are too different from our ways." Cheetahfur, shaken from her thoughts, turned around to face the tom. The tom who had addressed her was Tigerfang, her best Clan-mate. He was a very tall, white tom with black stripes across his slender body and shimmering green eyes that always flickered with wisdom.

"I'm only interested in the bigger one," replied Cheetahfur as she turned her attention back onto the Twolegs. "He's just...different. Unlike any other Twoleg I've seen before."

"Why do you say that?" asked Tigerfang as he sat down beside her, licking his paws. "They're all the same, aren't they? Big and dangerous creatures that invade our territories without a second thought—"

"You're wrong!" hissed Cheetahfur. "They're almost  never  alike! Not  all  Twolegs are bad," she said, staring up at the Twoleg once again, "this one is just... strange . Like a snowflake in Green-leaf."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes showing his interest.

"What do you mean?" meowed Cheetahfur, tilting her head slightly.

"Haven't you heard about the new Prophecy? Talking about the 'Strange One'?" asked Tigerfang. Cheetahfur's eyes widened. Yes, she had heard of it, but she hadn't paid any attention to it at all.

"But what would a  Twoleg  be doing in a StarClan prophecy?" she asked. "Why would StarClan choose a Twoleg?"

"We StarClan cats do not choose the Prophecy cat, Cheetahfur,"

Cheetahfur then turned around again, this time being a little more afraid. Cloudstar, the leader of ThunderClan before Cheetahfur had died, was standing right in front of her, looking disappointed.

"You should know that, by now," he said, flicking his tail. "The Prophecy itself is created when the cat is born, and when Destiny has chosen and chained itself to that cat. Therefore, this Twoleg cannot be part of a Prophecy. Destiny can—and will only—choose cats. This Twoleg isn't special in any way, just a ball of moss for you, Cheetahfur."

"But—"

" No, Cheetahfur!" said Cloudstar, eyes narrowing tightly. "It is wrong that you are even watching this Twoleg. For StarClan's sake, Cheetahfur, act like one of us! Act like one of the Clan's ancestors instead of a curious kit!"

Cheetahfur opened her mouth to protest, her tail flicking beside her, but then shook her head and looked at her paws. There was no point in arguing with him. Cloudstar was right; she needed to act like a StarClan cat for once.

"I thought so," said Cloudstar after a few minutes. "We're going back to the stars now. Thunderstar wants you."

¤¤¤

Cheetahfur waited patiently for Thunderstar, ThunderClan's first leader, in a large cavern. The forest around the cave had been made especially for the first four Leaders of the Clans. Although she had no clue  why  she had been summoned, she knew it must be important if the Leaders were involved.

A movement from the back of the cave told her to come in, and so she did. She padded along the narrow cave walls and finally got the end. Thunderstar sat at the very back of the den on a nest of moss. Three cats were beside him and Cheetahfur had recognized them immediately as the other Founding Leaders of the Clans. They were all watching her with different expressions on their faces.

Shadowstar, a large black she-cat with thick fur and green eyes, looked annoyed and disgusted, while Windstar, a thin, wiry, brown she-cat with yellow eyes, looked as if she were examining Cheetahfur's soul.

Riverstar, a silvery-grey tabby tom with wide, green eyes, was giving Cheetahfur a warm, kind smile that seemed to give her confidence that, whatever they were going to do, it was going to be okay. But the expression Thunderstar gave her seemed to wash all that away. The big ginger tabby with amber eyes and white paws, was giving a very blank expression, though a hint of curiosity flashed before his eyes as he blinked.

"Cheetahfur," said Thunderstar, breaking the silence, "we are aware that you have been visiting a Twoleg once every moon. Is this rumour true?"

Cheetahfur, cringing at the loud booming voice, lowered her head a little. Even though she couldn't tell if she was in trouble or not, she felt the curious eyes glaring at her. Were they mad at her for being curious of the Twoleg? After all, it  was  their fault the Clans had to relocate...

"Y-yes, it's true," said Cheetahfur, her voice wavering. Thunderstar smiled before standing, his fiery ginger fur shining with perfection.

"Then we must ask you what you have discovered," said Thunderstar. "I, for one, am curious."

Cheetahfur couldn't believe her ears. They were asking her to  tell  them of what she had learned? Didn't they already know?

"B-but why?" she asked. "I don't understand," Riverstar chuckled a bit.

"It's okay," said Riverstar, "we aren't mad, just curious as to why you have been watching this Twoleg. We have been doing the same, however, we still don't understand: what is so interesting about him that has caught your attention?" Cheetahfur gulped, her head low and blood roaring in her ears with embarrassment.

"Well, the first day I saw the Twoleg he seemed upset," Cheetahfur explained. "I didn't know for sure, but after watching other Twolegs, I noticed that he was depressed. I watched him a lot after that, noticing that he seemed like he was trying to hide his depression. Then he started protecting this smaller Twoleg, one that is much younger than him. The Twoleg  seems  happy, now, but I can see past that. He's just...strange."

The four powerful leaders were thinking now, calculating the information she had given. After several heartbeats, Thunderstar looked up to her, his amber eyes showing a spark of light.

"I am assuming you've heard of the new Prophecy, correct?" he asked kindly. Cheetahfur nodded slowly, wondering where the leader was going with this. "Are you sure that this Twoleg is strange, even still, if he were a cat?"

"Yes," said Cheetahfur, "it's like he's wasting his life away, trying to forget the reason he's so sad. I've never seen anything like it." Thunderstar nodded a determined look on his face.

"Then our decision is final," he said. "Cheetahfur, we are going to turn this Twoleg into a cat, bringing it into the world of Clan cats. It will start a new life in the Clan that it chooses, and will hopefully learn to live again. If this Twoleg is so strange, then it is a likely cat for the Prophecy. For that, I am willing to take the risk."

"As am I," said Riverstar, standing, his bright green eyes full of curiosity. "I want to see this Twoleg in cat form, from where I can watch it closely."

"I will also take the risk," said Windstar, caution showing in her yellow eyes. "It is time we see some justice, and if this Twoleg may be able to do it, then I will help."

Shadowstar's bright green eyes told Cheetahfur she was debating whether or not to do it. If Shadowstar said no, then the Twoleg would live and die depressed. If she said yes, however, the Twoleg would live again in what she hoped would be a happier life.

"The risk is a large one," said Shadowstar. "One that will change the world of the Clans forever. If danger truly is coming, why not let the current leaders fix it? It is, after all, the job of the current leaders to protect their Clans, Thunderstar,"

"Yes," Thunderstar agreed, "but this danger is beyond the help of the leaders. 'The Unexpected is to kill the Unexpected', according to the Prophecy." Shadowstar narrowed her eyes but then sighed.

"I will take the risk," said Shadowstar. " Purely  for the sake of my Clan."

"Then we shall get to it," said Thunderstar. "Cheetahfur will explain to this Twoleg exactly what is going to happen to it when the time comes. In the meantime, she will also keep watch over it. If there are any changes, she will tell us. Understood?"

Cheetahfur beamed with pride. Not only would she be able to keep watching it, she was going introduce it to a Clan cat's life. What an honour! But her smile soon disappeared as she noticed a small problem:

What if the Twoleg  didn't  want a new life?

Chapter 1
Matthew lay in bed wondering if any other members of his family were awake yet. His blue eyes gazed absently at the ceiling as he waited for his alarm to go off. It was sometime around six thirty, and he had been awake for a while.

Just another morning,  he thought,  the same old thing, every single day. Walk Daniel to school, go to school myself, come home, watch Daniel, play and help him with his homework, eat dinner, go to sleep. Could life be any more boring? It wasn't this way when Alfie was here. ..

Matthew closed his eyes, forcing the thousands of memories that tried to break through his perfect barrier. His twin brother, Alfie, was gone and he just had to accept it and move on. The only way he found that he could do that, however, was to basically build a wall in his brain and make himself forget Alfie completely. The more he pushed away the memories, the stronger the imaginary wall got. No matter how strong it got, however, he still managed to remember, making the ocean of grief and depression, not to mention guilt, return.

Matthew sighed as he heard the loud beeping of his alarm clock, and then turned it off with a push of a button. He sat up and got dressed for school.

Even my uniform is terrible! Thought Matthew as he put on the grey shirt and dark grey pants.

As he did, he tried to avoid looking at the large star-shaped scar that had been there since he was nine. It only made him remember once again that it was his fault that Alfie was gone.

After getting ready to go, Matthew made his way downstairs and into the kitchen for breakfast, tying his green and red striped tie. Since his father's car was gone, he knew that he had gone to work, as he always did. This meant that Matthew had to once again take care of his little brother Daniel, and that was the way he liked it. To Matthew, his brother was his only family and so it was his job to protect him. It was the only way he could make up for what he did.

"Matt?" asked Daniel. "Why are you up so early?"

"It's not  that  early," said Matthew, laughing a bit. "It's already seven fifteen." Daniel's green eyes widened, and then he sped back up into his bedroom, probably to get dressed. Matthew sighed, still trying not to laugh, and then made breakfast. Hopefully Daniel would be down on time. He was already going to be late to school.

After eating a bowl of coco-pops and waiting for Daniel to get ready, they were off. Matthew's school wasn't that far from their house, but they did have to cross a few roads. Today seemed busy for some reason. Matthew walked beside Daniel, not holding his hand, but still walking close to him.

Winter was drawing nearer and the coldness was already showing. The bare trees, the dead grass and the light grey clouds above made him shiver. Why was his life so gloomy all of the time?

It wasn't like this when Alfie was here,  he thought,  it always seemed sunny to me.

Alfie's death had brought a whole new meaning to the word change. Matthew had spent most of his days in the forest near the lake; his mother had divorced his father and then left; Matthew's father had gotten a job that made him work all day, and Daniel, poor little three year old Daniel at the time, was left with no one to take care of him. Matthew hadn't really thought of protecting his little brother until Daniel was five because at that point he thought he was going crazy. He'd lost his best friend and twin brother, his mother, and almost had lost his sanity. This was almost proved when he had seen the same orange cat with black spots several days in a row. It just seemed to watch him, and then he knew that he was going insane. However, after he built the imaginary wall in his mind and started worrying about Daniel more, he seemed to get a hold of himself.

"Hey, Harry!" Daniel suddenly called, making Matthew return to reality and figure out what was going on. Harry, one of Daniel's many friends, was on the other side of the street, waving to them. Daniel suddenly darted forward through the street. Matthew tried to grab him, but he didn't get there in time.

Matthew instinctively looked around to see if a car was coming. A car  was  coming, and it was going too fast to see Daniel. Matthew knew what was going to happen if he just stood there trying to think quickly, and so he didn't. Instead, he sprinted forward toward his brother.

"Daniel!" Matthew yelled at his brother, trying to get his attention. Daniel looked over his shoulder and then at the car that was coming straight at him. Instead of running faster like Matthew had hoped, his brother stopped and froze, eyes wide. Matthew was running faster than he ever had now, trying to get to his brother. He didn't know what he was going to do, he just knew that he was going to do something. He would  not  lose another brother. Not when he finally managed to recover from the first accident.

From that point onward, everything seemed to happen too quickly:

Matthew pushed Daniel over and then tried to run. It was too late. The driver of the car hadn't seen Matthew nor Daniel and had continued to drive. With a screech from the car, it hit him. Matthew heard Daniel yell something, but it was drowned out the pounding of his heart and the blood rushing through his ears. His mind was trying to warn him of the danger, but he wasn't listening. There was nothing he could do. Matthew's body was submerged in pain, he couldn't move at all. He was pushed forward by the car, and when his body hit the ground he could hear a few cracks that brought him more pain in his stomach and back.

Distant yells and sirens were sounding now as he lay there, and his vision was getting blurry. Darkness was taking him, but he was protesting.

No! I can't die! Not when Daniel needs me! I need to live! I can't let Daniel go through the same thing I did. No! Thought Matthew, however, no matter how many times he protested, it only slowed the process down, forcing him to live and feel the overwhelming pain coming from his chest. He needed to live, but he was giving up. Darkness took him, and he forced himself to say something,  anything, to poor Daniel, who he knew was above him at that moment.

"I'm so sorry" he muttered, before taking in his last breath.

☼☼☼

The darkness, which Matthew had been in for what seemed like hours, suddenly lightened up a bit. In the distance he could see a bright light, like a star. It was coming closer, and soft female voice was singing from it. Matthew went towards it, wondering if this was death. If it was, he thought it was boring, and that the 'don't go toward the light' saying was actually true.

But then, just as he was about to be engulfed in white, the star disappeared, and the same orange cat that had been watching him earlier in his life stood above him, her dark blue eyes looking at him with a kind smile on her face. He had to say, for not really liking cats, she was a pretty cat. Her fur shined and her eyes pierced through him. Her sleek fur was glossy, and her black spots stood out against her bright orange coat. It was as if she were royalty, to be honest, which made Matthew suppress the urge to bow.

"Welcome, Twoleg," said the cat. "We have been expecting you."

"Is this some kind of joke?" asked Matthew, confused. "You can talk, and I can hear you. But cats  can't  talk!" the cat chuckled a bit, her kindness showing through now.

"You can hear me because you are turning into a cat yourself," explained the cat. "After your death in the Twoleg world, my world has decided to make you a cat, giving you a second chance to actually  live  your life rather than spend it like you did your last life: protecting your brother,"

"I'm turning into a  cat ?" asked Matthew, his eyes widening. "But that's not possible! This has to be a dream. It  has  to be! How can I be turning into a  cat ? And what if I  don't  want to live again? I failed at protecting my twin brother, and I died when Daniel needed me most. I don't  have  a reason to live again!"

The cat shook her head, looking as if she'd expected this. "This is exactly why we are doing it, Twoleg. You need to live again, for what you did back in your old life was not  truly  living. No, you just sold your soul to your brother, and your death today proved it."

"But I don't want another life!" Matthew protested, hoping that these cats would at least respect his decision. They didn't, he found out as the cat shook her head.

"It isn't your choice," said the cat. "The four leaders have all forced you into this, knowing that you wouldn't want this life. Don't worry, we StarClan cats aren't bad, we're just going to make you do this so that you can see that not all life is sad and depressing. You will find that love, friendship, and loyalty is much more than protecting those you love. Good luck on your journey to life."

Then she stood, looking blankly above his head. Four more cats then walked up beside her, all of them looking equally as powerful as the pretty orange cat.

"I, Cheetahfur of StarClan, call upon the Destiny that brings us hope to give this Twoleg another chance at life," said Cheetahfur. "His original life wasn't enough to show him the powers of love and friendship. I wish that he become a cat, learn our ways, and learn the ways of life."

Whatever she did, it hurt. A lot. A burning pain came from within Matthew, making him drop to his knees. The other cats didn't seem to notice, however, because they kept staring blankly ahead.

"I, Thunderstar of StarClan and the First Leader of ThunderClan, call upon the Destiny that brings us hope to give this Twoleg another chance at life," said Thunderstar. "From what I've heard, his heart is full of grey clouds and a wall of stone that pushes out his love. I wish to let him break free and learn our ways."

Another burning pain shot at him, but this time on his left, he tried his best not to scream, but he did whimper a bit. He sounded pathetic.

"I, Riverstar of StarClan and the first leader of RiverClan, call upon the destiny that brings us hope to give this Twoleg another chance at life," said Riverstar. "Without the care of his family, he hasn't gotten the love he needs. I wish that he become a cat, learn our ways, and learn what it means to have a family."

Now unable to see again, Matthew chocked out a little sob of pain as a burning sensation once again erupted from his chest. It felt as if three burning balls of fire were lodged into his lungs, restraining him. Changing him.

"I, Windstar of StarClan and the first leader of WindClan, call upon the destiny that brings us hope to give this Twoleg a chance to be normal, to be what he was meant to be before depression and guilt took over him. I wish that he learns the meaning of loyalty, but not that of protection. Learn what it means to be the one protected, other than be the one that protects. I wish him to learn our ways, and learn what it means to be a true warrior."

Matthew cried out loud, his eyes watering up with tears. This was the first time he'd cried in years, and he was trying not let it happen even more than it was. There was no way this was actually happening. It was just not possible!

"I, Shadowstar of StarClan and the first leader of ShadowClan, call upon the destiny that brings us hope to give this Twoleg a chance to be what fate has brought him here to do. Justify his thoughts, and learn what it means to love. I wish for him to break the wall in his mind and accept the fact that he failed and live with it. I wish for him to grow stronger, so that when he is needed he will not fail again."

And then the pain became unbearable. Matthew screamed when the fifth burning ball of fire entered his chest, making Matthew wonder if this was what a heart-attack felt like. Then the burning seemed to join together, spreading throughout his body. Then he was once again pulled into an eerie darkness.

☼☼☼

Matthew's eyes flickered open, trying hard not to remember what had just happened. He didn't want to remember the intense burning pain, the five cats, the whole thing about love and loyalty and friendship and the fact that he was a cat and—

Matthew looked at his hands and feet. They were no longer hands, nor were they feet. They were paws. Grey and white paws. He suddenly realized he had a tail, and that when he stood, he was on all fours. He fell, not used to that feeling at all, and increased the migraine that was hammering away inside his head.

It was too much. This couldn't be happening. He didn't want another life, not when he failed so badly at his last one. Didn't they know that it was  his  fault that his brother was dead? They seemed to know everything else about him, yet they forget that one detail! And what was that  StarClan ,  ThunderClan  and  WindClan  nonsense? Thunderstar, first leader of  ThunderClan ? What was happening? What was going on? Why was this happening to  him  of all people? And what was a  Twoleg ?

Matthew looked over to his shoulder, realizing that it still had the star-shaped scar that he'd gotten from the first accident. If they wanted him to live a new life, why did they make him carry the scar? Why was this so hard to understand? Why could he scent so many forest things, like that mouse that smelled so delicious.

No! Thought Matthew, rejecting the scent of the mouse. I will  not  eat a mouse, I am  not  a cat, and I am  not  alive! I am dead, I am no longer living!

Matthew looked around. It was so unnatural, the way he saw things now:  the trees were no longer big, they were  huge ! The fern in front of him was a few feet taller than him, and everything just seemed too big. The bare trees, the murky grey sky that seemed so far away, and the lake that also smelled delicious. It was so strange, so different, and yet, though he still wanted to die like he was supposed to, he was interested in what every smell, sight and sound was. He had excellent senses, and he wanted to use them, just not right now while he knew this was a dream.

Figuring that he might as well get up, he tried to stand. Unfortunately for him, however, standing up wasn't going to be easy. He tried, but then ended up falling again. After about four more falls, he was able to stand, though he still wobbled. Matthew stood there for a few minutes before taking a step forward.

He seemed to be somewhere between a moor and a forest, which was strange. Everything seemed somewhat familiar, but not enough to know exactly where he was. He walked for a while, finding the lake quickly. He lapped up the clear water, feeling very odd, and then looked at his reflection.

He was indeed a cat, and a small, too. He was a bluish-grey tom with white paws. His eyes were a lightning bolt blue, and his build was abnormal to him. He was very small but had a long body. He just seemed so different, so strange. It was just so weird seeing his reflection as a cat rather than a human. He just wanted to be normal, but after this, that didn't seem likely.

Matthew looked up at the murky sky, it seemed as if a storm was coming. Deciding that he needed to find shelter, he walked away from the lake and onto the moor. If he was going to be in this cat body, he might as well do what he was asked to do. Cheetahfur said something about a ThunderClan, so all he had to do was—

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Matthew's head turned to see who – or what – was yelling at him. Five cats were quickly running toward him, hissing and yowling in rage. Matthew turned and ran, but he wasn't nearly as fast as the cats. They caught up with him quickly, and attacked. One leaped on him, forcing him down. Matthew instinctively kicked at the tom's stomach with his hind legs, making the tom yowl. Matthew got up, but didn't run. He was surrounded, of course, by the five cats, all of which were ready to fight and much, bigger than him.

"Who are you?" hissed the tom that had attacked him. "You don't smell like any of the Clans - you must be a loner or a kittypet!  Why are you here?"

Matthew growled lowly after regaining his balance. He still couldn't stand without wobbling, and running seemed like a stupid idea now. His new body was still not familiar, making his situation twice as difficult.

"I'm Matthew," he replied, thinking quickly. A loner is probably my best shot. "I am a loner, and I didn't know that this was your territory." Matthew could feel his fur bristling and his tail lashing with anger, and he wanted it to stop. He was trying to sound calm, but between his tail lashing and his voice wavering, he hardly sounded calm.

"Well then,  Matthew, you must have a very terrible sense of smell," the tom hissed. "The dawn patrol marked those borders  today ."

"Haretail!" said a silvery grey she-cat. "Stop asking for a fight! Look at him, he's barely six moons old, and even smaller than any of  our  new apprentices. He's  probably been separated from his family."

"I don't have a family," Matthew said quickly, though a little softer than he had intended, "I'm just trying find a place to settle down. I didn't know this place was taken. I'm sorry." he dipped his head.

The five cats looked at him as if they were all trying to decide something. Then suddenly, the silvery grey she-cat walked up to him, her eyes focused on the scar on his shoulder.

"That star," she said before pausing, bringing the other cats to see it. All of them seemed shocked and amazed, "have you always had it, or is it just a scar?" Matthew took a step back, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Why were they all so interested in his scar?

"It's just a scar," Matthew replied, easing their interest. "I didn't think it was that  important, though."

"It is the mark of our ancestors," said the silvery she-cat.,"it is  very  important." Another she-cat hissed at her, making her turn around. The she-cat who hissed had glossy black fur and sharp amber eyes. As the other cats made a path for her, Matthew suddenly knew that the she-cat was high in the rankings, if there  were  rankings.

"This is a  loner, Silvershine, not one of the Clan cats," the black she-cat said to Silvershine. "You mustn't tell him  everything  about us." Silvershine   dipped her head apologetically.

"Yes, Blackpelt," Silvershine   said, "I am sorry."

The black she-cat, whose name was now identified as Blackpelt, which suited her very well, then turned to him, her amber eyes looking at his scar. She was quiet for a few moments, but then she turned her gaze back to the other cats.

"Rosestar will want to know of this," said Blackpelt. "This kit is either a sign from StarClan, or he is what he says he is: a loner, who should try asking  ThunderClan  for help instead of WindClan." From the laughs that came from the cats other than Silvershine , Matthew knew that what Blackpelt had said was an insult. However, at this moment, he didn't care. He was in the right place, he just needed to get out of WindClan territory and move to ThunderClan territory, wherever that was.

Matthew then followed the other cats, his head low. For some reason, these cats scared him and he hated it. Silvershine   was the only one not giving him glares, and she seemed like a nice cat. Silvershine   dropped her pace and fell beside him with a kind smile on her face.

"Don't mind Blackpelt," said Silvershine , "she's only doing her job as deputy. Haretail, on the other hand, is just mean all around. He's always asking for a fight, which he proved to you today. Now, Swiftstrike, the golden tabby over there, is always rushing everyone to do something. Sometimes he acts like deputy, too. He used to act that way too, when we were kits."

Matthew nodded, taking in everything she said. "Firesoul the pale ginger tom, is another problem. Instead of being a proud deputy act-alike, he's almost  never  serious. He's only a few moons younger than I am, but he's been that way for a while now.... However, he's smart. Don't underestimate him when he looks like a fool. It's just how he wants everyone to see him as, just so he can prove them wrong many times over."

"Wow," said Matthew, "those are some weird names." Silvershine   giggled at that.

"Yes, they might be strange," she agreed, "however, it's a name that lets everyone by the lake know that we're Warriors. Our ancestors have named each generation like that, and if it's a Warrior tradition, it's hard to get rid of."

Matthew opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get it out he realized that they were entering some sort of secret hide-out.

Many cat scents lingered around him as they entered the hide-out. He was lead right into the very center. Cats seemed to be everywhere, and as he went in, they all stopped and stared. He kept his head low, but he couldn't help taking in everything around him.

"Who is  that ?" he heard one cat say.

"He doesn't smell like any Clan cat!" yelled another.

"Yes, but look at the star on his shoulder! It's a sign from StarClan!"

"Silence!" Matthew turned his head toward the voice and saw a light grey she-cat with bright yellow eyes, which were narrowed at him. "I will deal with this  loner  in my den. Yellowstreak will come with me." The she-cat then turned and made her way toward a den looking thing. A pale golden tom with yellow eyes followed behind.

"Follow her, loner," Blackpelt ordered. "Rosestar will decide your fate." Matthew took a second to look around before catching up to the two cats and following them inside the large den. All he hoped was that Rosestar decided to do anything but kill him, because then the whole 'second chance at life' thing really wouldn't work out.

As Rosestar sat, so did the other tom Matthew assumed was Yellowstreak. Matthew did the same, hoping to look at least a little more formal. Rosestar then started circling him, stopping at his scar. After she looked at it for a few moments, she turned to Yellowstreak.

"Has StarClan told you of a cat with a star-shaped scar, Yellowstreak?" Rosestar asked. Yellowstreak shook his head.

"StarClan has not spoken to me about anything but the prophecy, in which I believe only a real Clan-born cat can be chosen. This cat is just a regular loner with an irregular scar," said Yellowstreak. Rosestar then began circling him again, her yellow eyes looking venomous.

"Tell me, loner, where did you get this almost perfect scar?" Rosestar asked. "I would be delighted to know." Matthew sighed, lowering his head again. He was afraid she was going to ask that, because he knew he couldn't answer. He had been human when he had gotten it, after all.

"I can't remember," Matthew lied, "I got it when I was younger." Thank God for his good lying skills, because Rosestar seemed to buy it. However, she still looked interested, which he knew was a bad thing.

"Do you remember anything about ancient cats?" she asked. "Has anything  strange  happened to you lately?"

"No," Matthew lied again. Honestly? Strange  couldn't describe what had happened to him in the last 24-hours.

"Well then you are obviously not the cat we were hoping for," said Rosestar. "I don't think the cats out there will like a loner in their Clan, so I have no choice but to send you elsewhere."

"To be honest, I've actually been looking for a place called ThunderClan," said Matthew slowly, choosing his words carefully. "When I was traveling here, someone told me that ThunderClan would give me a place to stay for a few days." Rosestar laughed.

"Yes, they will take you in, that's for sure." said Rosestar. "Because you requested it, I will send a patrol to escort you to the ThunderClan border. It is nearly dusk so their patrol should be out soon. You will leave immediately." Matthew nodded and followed Yellowstreak out of the den. Yellowstreak stopped and looked at Blackpelt, telling her of Rosestar's response.

"Morningbreeze, Leopardspot, Cedarflame, Falconpaw I shall join the patrol," Blackpelt announced. "As Rosestar said, we must leave immediately." After the cats got together, they left. Matthew kept his head low again, hoping that it would show the other cats that he didn't want to fight, he just wanted to know more about these Clans. Like what a deputy was, or how many cats lived around this lake.

It didn't take the patrol long to get there, and after dropping Matthew off at the border, the WindClan patrol left. Matthew sighed in relief, but then turned toward the forest. He smiled, letting the memories of his brother return. He remembered playing in this forest with Alfie, chasing each other and playing tag while their parents stayed and waited for them. Every time they'd come he'd always spot a cat, and now he knew why: he had been invading their territory.

Matthew stopped as he caught the scent of another cat. He tensed up and waited for them to come. However, instead of it being a patrol like last time, it was a she-cat that was only a little taller than him it seemed. She was a bluish grey she-cat with pale green eyes. He just wanted to tell her that he was  supposed  to be there, to avoid a fight.

"Who are you?" she snapped, baring her long fangs.

"I'm just a loner," Matthew replied, his voice wavering a bit. "My name is Matthew." The she-cat relaxed a bit as he introduced himself, but she was still looking cautious.

"What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" she asked, her eyes searching him as if he had weapons on him. Matthew sighed, wishing that these Clan cats weren't so hostile.

"I don't know," he lied, "I came here looking for a home but ended up being taken into this WindClan place. They kicked me out and sent me here. So, uh, yeah. I really don't know what's going on, or why you're so hostile towards me right now." Confused, the she-cat relaxed entirely.

"Robinpaw!" someone yelled from further into the forest. "What are you doing? It's a rogue!"

Just like he had expected, there was the patrol, except this time there were only four cats. Well five, including the grey she-cat he'd been talking to, whose name was Robinpaw.

"Yelloweye, he's just a loner that's been dumped over here by WindClan," Robinpaw explained. "He's not a threat."

"What he says may not be true," Yelloweye pointed out. Robinpaw lowered her head. Matthew kept quiet, letting the silence stay. Just as Matthew thought that it was safe to speak, however, a reddish brown tabby with intense yellow eyes attacked.

The tom lunged, leaving Matthew no time to dodge the attack. He was pinned down quickly, and this time he couldn't move at all. The tom laughed aloud, with his eyes narrowed tightly.

"Not so tough now, are you, loner?" the tom whispered to him. Matthew screeched with anger, refusing to die again. Not to this idiot. Not now when he was so close.

Matthew tried his best to think quickly, trying to find a way to attack. He knew how to defend himself as a human, but as a cat he had no idea how to get this idiot off him—what he did before in WindClan was just instinct. Finally he decided on something and hoped he wouldn't kill the cat. He lifted his head off the ground with his teeth bared, hoping to catch onto the tom's neck. Lucky for him, it did. The tom screeched, and as Matthew let go, the tom got off him and backed away.

"Sharpfang!" Yelloweye growled at the tom who had attacked Matthew. "This kit is barely six moons old! You should not have attacked it!"

"Don't underestimate him!" Sharpfang snapped. "He could have killed me, attacking like that!"

"And whose fault was that?" Matthew hissed, his blue eyes narrowing. "If you hadn't attacked me, I wouldn't have defended myself!" Matthew sat up, not even daring to stand yet. His body was already shaking, and he was trying his best to keep back the memories that once again wanted to close in on him.

"How dare you—"

"Sharpfang, stop it right now or I will tell Jayflight and Ravenstar!" Yelloweye warned as he got in front of the angry tom.

"You're just happy to see one of your  loner  friends, aren't you, rogue!" Sharpfang hissed at Yelloweye. "Finally able to see someone that's  not  Clan-born!" As they continued arguing, Robinpaw walked up to Matthew, rolling her eyes.

"They're always like this," she explained. "Sharpfang has never really liked loners, which is probably why he attacked you. Sorry about that. Are you okay?" Matthew nodded, trying to look as okay as he hoped he was. He stood up, still a little shaky, but he could walk. Then Robinpaw gasped, looking straight at his scar. Why is it so important to these cats?

"What's that?" she asked, her eyes wide. Yelloweye and Sharpfang had stopped and walked over, as did the other two cats he had yet to meet.

"It's just a scar," Matthew replied. "Something I got a while ago."

"It's star-shaped, though," a long-furred black she-cat pointed out. "Doesn't that mean something?"

"It doesn't always mean something, Thorntail," said a tortoiseshell she cat, "but sometimes it does."

"I think we should take him into camp to see Ravenstar and Jayflight," Yelloweye decided finally. "Even if it doesn't mean anything, we can still offer him a home. After how he fought today, I'd say he's got potential."

"That's what they said when you came along," Sharpfang muttered. "And look how you turned out." Yelloweye gave a low growl before flicking his tail onward. The other cats followed, like last time Matthew fell behind all of the cats, Robinpaw beside him. At least now he was going into the right Clan, and hopefully going to stay there. Maybe life here wasn't so bad, but he still didn't like it. It was just too  weird.

Chapter 2
Matthew walked with the patrol, his eyes scanning the environment around him. Everything was so large, so big. In this point of view, he felt restricted yet free. Matthew's objection to becoming a cat was now out of his mind. Now all he could think about was how lucky he was to be able to see this while still being able to compare it with his world, the one he grew up in. Matthew sighed, remembering once again that this was a bad idea. He wasn't used to being a cat, and he shouldn't have even lived.

With a little nudge from Robinpaw, Matthew bounced back and watched where he was going. Nothing seemed different. Unlike WindClan territory where there was actually an entrance, there seemed to be nothing here at all. Where was their camp?

Matthew found out, as he followed the patrol, that it was underground. Bramble thickets surrounded the entrance everywhere except for one part, which they walked into. After walking down a slope that was a bit steep, they walked into a camp that seemed to also be filled with cats. Matthew's nose picked up many unfamiliar scents.

Like last time when he entered WindClan camp, they all seemed to notice him. Matthew ignored the glares and hisses and continued on, hoping that none of them would catch the star-shaped scar on his shoulder. He hated being thought of as royalty, or at least being different. He wasn't different, in a matter of speaking. He was just a cat, besides the fact that he used to be human. He just had an irregular scar.

"Who is this?"

Matthew looked up to find a large black tom with one brown ear. The cat towered over Matthew, making him take a step back. Cursing at the fact that he was smaller than anyone there, he made himself look taller. The worst thing he could do right now, it seemed, was look afraid. At least he was good at something.

"He's a loner we found on our patrol," Yelloweye explained. "WindClan found him and then threw him out beyond our border." Sharpfang scoffed at this.

"They probably thought that we would take him, considering all the other loners and rogues we've taken in." said Sharpfang. "I hope we just leave this one to ShadowClan. We don't need any other soft mouths to feed around here. We need strong, Clan-born warriors." Yelloweye gave a low growl, but the black tom just narrowed his eyes.

"I understand, Sharpfang," the black tom said reasonably, "but it is up to Ravenstar." Matthew sighed with relief, but Sharpfang wasn't as happy. He just walked away, and that was a good thing, Matthew hoped.

"Come, kit," said the black tom then. "Ravenstar is waiting. We shall decide whether you are worthy or not to become an apprentice of ThunderClan." Matthew nodded and then followed the black tom, knowing now that he must be the deputy. So, Matthew figured his name was Jayflight, since Yelloweye and Sharpfang talked about him that way. All he could do was guess at the moment, so he did.

After making the short but hard trip up the ledge, Jayflight led him into a large den that Matthew knew was the Leaders' den. Why wouldn't it be? It was the highest den, not to mention the largest, and the safest. Matthew shivered as he walked into it, finding it actually really cold.

"Jayflight? Who is this?" came a deep voice from inside.

Matthew looked up to see a large dark grey tom with lightning blue eyes exactly like his own. The tom seemed young, yet he was leader and he looked curious. His fur was longer than the average cat, but it was groomed so that it looked glossy in the light given.

Matthew blinked, hoping his eyes would adjust to the dim light, but he wasn't inside the den anymore. He was instead—well he didn't know where he was. It was darkness, pure black darkness. A few seconds later and several cats—five, exactly—stood in front of him, all the same cat. It was Ravenstar, yet there was several of them. What on earth was happening?

"The martyr, the pariah, the shadow. . . .The martyr, the pariah, the shadow . . . the unloved, the unprotected, the unwanted . . . the unloved, the unprotected, the unwanted. . ." the cat's all chanted together, their lightning blue eyes narrowed tightly. In a few seconds he gasped and tried to grip his claws into the stone beneath him.

Wait! He  was  sitting on stone! Matthew sighed in relief as he realized he was back in the den, sitting right beside Jayflight, who looked really confused. In front of him, Ravenstar blinked his eyes several times before looking at Matthew. Ravenstar then circled him, searching with shocked eyes for something that Matthew hoped he wouldn't find.

Ravenstar, unfortunately, was good at finding things and found Matthew's scar quite quickly. While staring at it, Ravenstar's eyes showed nothing but shock and surprise. Had Ravenstar seen him in that darkness? Had he known something that Matthew didn't?

"It can't be. . ." Ravenstar murmured, low enough for only Matthew to hear. Ravenstar looked up to Jayflight.

"Where was he found?" the dark furred leader demanded. "Is he a rogue? Loner? Kittypet?"

"He was found near the WindClan border, said to have been caught on WindClan territory and then thrown out by Rosestar," Jayflight explained. "He's a loner, so Yelloweye tells me, though Sharpfang said he was as well and Sharpfang never lies if it is about blood." Ravenstar nodded in response.

"Where did you get this scar?" Ravenstar asked Matthew.

Matthew sighed and shook his head before saying, "I don't remember, it was long ago when I got it."

"Anything's good, I just need an answer," said Ravenstar. "Tell me anything you remember."

"I told you, I don't remember. I—"

"Anything's an answer," Ravenstar said, interrupting Matthew. Well, he could say some things without telling Ravenstar that he was human and that he was sent here by StarClan., which he assumed was like God. Besides, Matthew was going to have to come up with a story anyways, so why not make it now?

Thinking quickly, he responded, "I remember fighting, yelling, and blood but that's it. Everything else seemed to slip from my mind due to the intense pain I was feeling. I can't even remember who my family is.... if they're even alive."

Ravenstar seemed to buy it, and that was really all that mattered. Ravenstar sat, looking at Matthew's scar.

"Is there something wrong, Ravenstar?" Jayflight asked, looking worried. Ravenstar sighed, but shook his head. Finally taking his eyes off the scar, Ravenstar looked up to his deputy and nodded.

"He will stay," Ravenstar decided. "He doesn't have a family of his own, and I don't think he would last more than a day out there in the world as young and small as he is." Jayflight nodded, but then paused.

"I do not question your wisdom and kindness, Ravenstar," Jayflight started, "however, if WindClan has seen this cat and sent it across our border, they will no doubt think that we will take him in. They will call us the names they did back then. Are you okay with this?" Ravenstar nodded in response.

"WindClan can say what they will, but none of it is going to matter," said Ravenstar smiling. "Not when this kit grows up to be a fierce warrior that will be more loyal than any of their cats combined. There is hope in this kit, Jayflight. I can feel it." Jayflight nodded, and then left the den, leaving Ravenstar and him alone.

"You are going to ask about what you saw, aren't you, young one?" Ravenstar asked, a certain kindness in his eyes. "I wouldn't blame you if you don't—it's natural."

"There are several things I'd like to ask about what just happened... but I'm too afraid," Matthew explained truthfully. "So, until I've found the bravery to ask, I will leave it. There is one question I'd like you to answer, though," said Matthew,

"You're wondering why there were five of me, yes?" Ravenstar said, smiling. Matthew nodded. "They are the lives that I have lost, young one," Ravenstar explained. "Five out of the nine that I was given from StarClan when I received the title of leader. You will learn more of that later, I am sure, but first we must give you your apprentice name."

"So you only have four left?" Matthew asked. "Lives, I mean." Ravenstar nodded, curiosity and caution in his eyes.

"Yes, I have four left." he said.

"But why have them, then?" Matthew asked. "Why live when it would be so much easier just to die and get it over with? Why live when, if you go back, other people— cats, I mean, would demand more of you?" Ravenstar, looking very confused, tilted his head.

"I wasn't just given the nine lives because I became leader," said Ravenstar softly, "I was given them to protect my Clan, to let them demand everything from me. You'll learn more of this when you train as an apprentice, young one. Just wait." With another smile, Ravenstar left his den and walked out onto the ledge.

As Matthew followed, he tried to make sense of what Ravenstar had just said.Protect his Clan? But how could Ravenstar protect them if he failed and died? Why would Ravenstar want to live with that, and let everyone remember that? It just wasn't right. Matthew was now starting to grow uncertain about this whole Clan thing and wondered if it would actually be good for him.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." said Ravenstar, standing tall with pride.

Matthew watched as the cats gathered, coming out from several dens from around the camp. From blacks to whites and tabbies to tortoiseshells, every cat from the Clan came together beneath the Highrock.

"I'm sure some of you know already, but for those who don't I will explain," Ravenstar started. He continued by flicking a tail to Matthew, who was so nervous that his face felt like it was on fire. He hated being stared at, and right now, several were glaring, smiling and hissing at him. "This kit is a loner, as I am sure you have figured out due to his scent. He has no memories of his family, no memories of his life aside from that after he got this scar." Reluctantly, Matthew showed his scar. Most of them gasped and whispered some things that Matthew would rather not have heard.

"It's a star!" said one cat. "It's a sign from StarClan!"

"But what if it's a bad sign?" asked another cat. "What if their telling us not to accept any more non-Clan-born cats?"

"It's almost perfect!"

"Who is he?"

"Did he come from StarClan?"

"Is he safe? I will not let my kits be harmed!"

"Silence!" Ravenstar ordered, though his smile was still kind. "This kit has no family, and cannot survive in the wild without one. We will take him in, no matter where he comes from. The scar may or may not be a sign from StarClan, but either way it does not matter. We must remember our ancestor, Firestar, and the fact that he was a kittypet originally, and yet lived to be the best leader StarClan has ever known. He lives in our blood to remind us that not only Clan-born cats can become warriors. This kit can become one as well." Ravenstar then turned to look at Matthew, surprising him a bit.

"Young kit, do you accept my offer? Do you wish to learn the ways of our Clan, the ways of our ancestors, and learn the ways of the Warrior Code? Do you wish to live everyday with your loyalty placed in this Clan, and love placed to everyone around you?"

Matthew, face burning harder, nodded. "I do,"

"Then from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw, for your fur, but also for your determination. When fire threatens our forest, rain will fall high from the sky and extinguish even the worst of flames. Your mentor will be Thorntail. I hope that she can teach you of the Clan and help you learn the ways of your new home." Ravenstar then looked up to his Clan.

"Thorntail, please step forward." Ravenstar ordered. The pretty long-haired she-cat then stepped up, her amber eyes looking up to Rainpaw with pride. "Thorntail, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Yelloweye, and you have shown yourself to be adventurous and loyal. You will mentor Rainpaw, and I have no doubt that you will pass on all of your knowledge to him and teach him the ways of our Clan." Rainpaw ducked his head in respect for Ravenstar, and then clumsily walked down the Highrock. After making it to Thorntail, she touched noses with him and smiled kindly again.

"Rainpaw! Rainpaw! Rainpaw!" The Clan chanted, all really happy for whatever reason.

Thorntail laughed but then called someone over. Robinpaw then appeared, looking at Thorntail with confusion.

"Are you doing anything with Grassfur today?" Thorntail asked Robinpaw. Robinpaw  shook her head, her pretty pale green eyes glittering. Something about that jade colour made him a little nervous around Robinpaw. Just so. . . pretty.

No, no, no, definitely not! StarClan or whoever those cats were wanted me to do something here, and so I will do it and die so that my life can finally be over. I will not fall in love!

"Could you show Rainpaw around? He'll want to know the names of his den mates, and he'll need to know the names of his elders. I've got a hunting patrol I need to go to, otherwise I'd do it as his mentor. Would you be willing?" Thorntail said hopefully.

Robinpaw shrugged."Sure," she said. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

Thorntail nodded and left with some other cats that Rainpaw would know later. Robinpaw then looked to him and smiled.

"Are you coming, Rainpaw?" Robinpaw said before walking off. Rainpaw followed, trying hard to ignore the many eyes that were glaring at him from all ends.

"Well I'm sure you've seen the Leaders' den up there on the Highrock," said Robinpaw. "It's where all of the ThunderClan Leaders' have slept, sometimes even with their mates. Ravenstar doesn't have a mate, but that's only because he acts too much like a kit around us she-cats. You'd think a leader would have more confidence with those nine lives behind him."

"So does every cat get their nine lives when their ready to become leader?" asked Rainpaw. "Or does the cat who gives them out choose if they are worthy or not?" Robinpaw shrugged at this question.

"Beats me, I'm barely an apprentice myself," Robinpaw explained. "In some of the stories told to me and my sister as kits it was told that Nightstar—not the current Nightstar, but a former one— of ShadowClan, was not given his nine lives and died of Greencough. He never told his Clan, so when he died of Greencough it scared everyone because they thought it had taken all his lives at once."

"ShadowClan? How many Clans  are  surrounding this lake?" Rainpaw asked. Robinpaw giggled a little at this.

"Only four: ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan and us, ThunderClan." Robinpaw explained. "Although some cats have heard of Tribes and other Clans from far away."

Rainpaw's eyes widened. There was probably around, at least, twenty-five cats in each Clan? So that would equal one-hundred cats around this whole forest. Who knew?

"Okay, come on, I only have so much time before I have to train with my mentor." said Robinpaw, moving forward. They came to a very dark den, making Rainpaw shiver.

"This is the medicine cat's den," Robinpaw explained, "it's where our medicine cat, Snowdrift, stays. It's also where all his herbs are. If you ever get a cold or a serious wound, you'll end up there.  Snowdrift may be grumpy, but he's one of the best medicine cats ThunderClan has ever had." Rainpaw narrowed his eyes with confusion.

"So he helps everyone?" asked Rainpaw. "But what about himself?"

"It's against the Warrior Code to harm a medicine cat, Rainpaw," Robinpaw explained. "Snowdrift should never have to heal himself unless he gets sick or something. He should be getting an apprentice soon, though, so we're alright." Robinpaw then led him toward another den, this one slightly larger than the medicine den. Over ten cats could probably fit in there.

"This is the Warriors' den," Robinpaw explained. "Besides us apprentices and the younger kits, everyone sleeps there. Jayflight, the deputy, even gets to sleep there."

"The deputy is second in command, isn't he?" asked Rainpaw.

"Yes," Robinpaw explained. "He is in line for Ravenstar's position, if Ravenstar dies. However, if Jayflight dies, then Ravenstar will appoint a new deputy by that moonhigh. If not, the cat Ravenstar will choose will be considered a bad omen. Firestar, the kittypet Ravenstar was talking about during your ceremony, was chosen as deputy after moonhigh. He was also really young, so no one knew how he was going to cope. He actually did well, and so he was leader. A really good one, too." Robinpaw then led him toward a smaller den with about five nests in it.

"This is our den, the apprentices' den," Robinpaw explained. "We've already made a nest for you over there. Oh! And speaking of apprentices', we should probably go see the others. Let's see . . . there is Shadowpaw and Amberpaw; let's go talk to them." As Robinpaw led him over to the two she-cats, Rainpaw couldn't help to wonder how many apprentices there were. Hopefully not many, because Robinpaw made it out that he had to remember them all, and that didn't seem likely.

"Hey guys," Robinpaw greeted. "Thorntail told me to show Rainpaw around and meet the other cats. So, did you catch anything on your patrol this morning, Amberpaw?" the blue-grey she-cat with sharp amber eyes shrugged.

"Just a mouse," said Amberpaw. "Shadowpaw, here, caught more." The light ginger she-cat with dark, grey paws next to Amberpaw sat proudly.

"I caught a squirrel and two mice!" said Shadowpaw happily. "Snowclaw was so proud of me!"

"Well that's a new one," said Robinpaw. "Snowclaw's nearly never happy with you. That is, unless you do something absolutely outstanding."

"She's nice once you get to know her, Rainpaw," said Shadowpaw with a wink. "I'm still jealous of you, though. Thorntail is going to train you up good!" Rainpaw smiled and the others laughed.

"Well, we better go," said Robinpaw. "We've still got the nursery and the Elders' den to take care of." Shadowpaw and Amberpaw nodded in response and then they left.

When they got to the next den, Rainpaw could already tell what it was. He heard kittens suckling from their mother's stomach, and he could smell it as well.

"This is the nursery," said Robinpaw. "It's where the Queens that are expecting kits and the Queens that have already had their kits, stay until their kits are six moons old and ready to be apprentices." Robinpaw led her inside, and Rainpaw felt the warmth as soon as he walked in. There was a black she-cat and a grey she-cat who both had kits beside them. The grey she-cat's kits seemed to be older, much older.

"The grey she-cat is Softstreak, Tigerpelt's mate," said Robinpaw. "The two kits are Sweetkit and Frostkit. The black she-cat is Springfur, Ravenstar's sister. She's stubborn, but I guess Yelloweye can control her. I mean, he's her mate after all. Lionkit and Bluekit are mischievous little guys, and it's only been a few days since they've opened their eyes!" Rainpaw smiled, but then suddenly, the calico kit ran up to him, her bright blue eyes shining up at him.

"You're Rainpaw, huh?" asked the kit. "I'm Sweetkit, and in a moon I'll be an apprentice, just like you! I felt a little sad when I heard that you didn't have a family, so now I'm going to count you as my brother!"

"Hey!" said the other kit, probably Frostkit. "What about me?"

"You're still my brother, mouse-brain," said Sweetkit, "Rainpaw here is just my other one!" Rainpaw laughed, then, as Sweetkit licked his cheek and ran off to go play with her brother.

"Sweetkit is always like that," said Robinpaw, shaking her head, "sorry if she brought up some memories." Rainpaw smiled and shook his head.

"No, she was fine," said Rainpaw. "I thought it was cute." Rainpaw watched the kit for a little bit before walking out of the den. She called him family, she called him her brother. For that, he would protect her. For that, he would make sure this kit would live to be a warrior. But is that really what StarClan wanted?

¤¤¤

The martyr, the pariah, the shadow. . . .The martyr, the pariah, the shadow. . . the unloved, the unprotected, the unwanted. . . the unloved, the unprotected, the unwanted. . . "

Rainpaw looked around through the complete and utter darkness. Voices were coming from everywhere, and Rainpaw was becoming afraid.

"You left me . . . you failed . . . I hate you . . ."

Alfie? Rainpaw looked around. That voice was definitely Alfie's, but where was he? Why did he say that?

"You failed to protect . . . you should've died . . . you left me. . ."

"Alfie!" Rainpaw yelled. "Where are you?"

"Mum is gone . . . dad is going insane . . . you are dead . . . and I am alone . . . you left me . . ."

"Daniel?" asked Rainpaw. "Daniel!"

"Learn to love . . . learn to be protected . . . learn to have loyalty . . . learn to trust..."

"Daniel! Alfie! Where are you?" Rainpaw searched around him and then began to run.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"You failed to protect me!"

"Be loyal!"

"You left me alone!"

"You killed me!"

"No!" Rainpaw screamed. "No! No! No! No! No!"

"It's all your fault!"

Scenes of the past seemed to engulf him. Alfie's blue eyes looking at him with a kind smile on his face. Alfie playing in the forest, laughing along with Matthew. Alfie chasing him, always catching him and winning the tag game instantly. Alfie and his new toys that he got for Christmas. Alfie looking at baby Daniel.Then came the bad scenes.

Alfie being held down by something, screaming for help. Alfie, beaten and broken, whispering for help. Alfie, a gun shot, and then nothing. Blankness. Matthew screaming with pain and fury and heart-break.

Daniel suddenly appeared. Daniel running through the backyard. Daniel eating his eighth birthday cake. Daniel, playing soccer. Daniel, smiling at him just as Alfie did. Then Daniel seemed worried. Then Daniel seemed sad. Then Daniel seemed mad.

"It's all your fault!"

"No!" Rainpaw screamed.

Then suddenly he woke up, opening his eyes to the apprentices' den. Rainpaw noticed he was breathing loudly and quickly so he slowed himself down, telling himself that it was only a dream. A dream of his life, a dream of what he'd done.

Rainpaw closed his eyes but then stood up and opened them. He needed to be alone, someplace where he wouldn't bother anybody. After exiting the apprentices' den, Rainpaw walked over to the centre of the camp and sat down. Nobody seemed to be up, and he wouldn't dare leave camp, so this was the quietest place, he figured.

StarClan wanted me to learn how to love, how to trust. I can't. This life is only leading me to believe that it was my fault. I don't want to live remembering that it was my fault. Can't I just die and get it over with?

"Having trouble sleeping?" Rainpaw flinched, but then realized it was only another apprentice. It was one that he'd actually never met before, but he didn't ask his name. Rainpaw's mind was clouded with more important things. Rainpaw just nodded in response.

"I never seem to sleep well at all," said the ginger tom then. "But then again, I never seem to do anything, anyways, which means I never get tired. I can't train because Yelloweye is too busy—you know, with his kits and all."

"I'm just having dreams that—well, I don't know," said Rainpaw. "They're just bringing up too many memories, I guess." Flamepaw nodded.

"It sounds normal," said Flamepaw. "You're not the only one either. Yelloweye, I was told from my mother, didn't sleep well either, until he was a warrior. That's probably because of what happened to his family." Rainpaw, now interested, tilted his head.

"What happened?" asked Rainpaw.

"Well from what I've heard, they were killed by WindClan," Flamepaw explained. "You see, WindClan haven't really been, well, kind to us these past few seasons. Ever since I can remember, they've all been hostile toward us because we take in outsiders. So, when they found Yelloweye's family on their territory, they killed them. Yelloweye was able to run and get out, and that's where Dawnpelt found him. Ever since then, Dawnpelt has basically been his mother. Oh and boy did he need one! After seeing death like that, no one is ever the same. Especially if you see it young. I've never seen it, and my mother says that that's a good thing." Rainpaw laughed a bit and then looked at his paws.

"Maybe that's my problem. . ." Rainpaw muttered. Flamepaw then tilted his head.

"You've seen death?" asked Flamepaw curiously. Rainpaw nodded, his head pounding and tears trying to burst through the barrier he still had in his mind.

"My own brother was killed in front of me I think," Rainpaw replied. "I can remember the screams from him, the screams for help. I—I don't know why, or how he died. I remember being held down by myself but nothing else. I don't know what was attacking us, I just know that it was my—"

"Fault?" Flamepaw asked. Rainpaw nodded slowly, making Flamepaw smiled and nearly laugh. "Rainpaw, it wasn't your fault and I'm sure of that. If you were unable to move and your brother was as well, than there was nothing you could have done differently. Besides, maybe there was a reason that he died. My mother used to say that everything happens for a reason—StarClan always makes sure it's for a reason." Rainpaw sighed. He wanted to believe Flamepaw—he really did—but he couldn't. StarClan wasn't doing anything for him. They were just sentencing him to a miserable life in a place he hadn't even know existed until yesterday. This life wasn't a gift from StarClan. It was a curse from whatever these cats called the underworld.

¤¤¤

"Is that the best you can do, Rainpaw?" asked Shadowpaw from in front of him. "You're worse than Sweetkit!" She then lunged forward, a smile on her face. Rainpaw laughed as he dodged, his sides moving fast. He'd never had this much training at all in his entire life! Well, at least his human life.

It had been two days since the nightmare and even though Rainpaw continued having the same dream, he'd moved on. There were more things to worry about, like if he was on the dawn patrol or if Shadowpaw was going to use her super small paws to send a surprise attack on him at any moment. Life had been too busy for him to think about anything but training, so his life had finally settled in.

Shadowpaw then rushed forward, her claws sheathed. Most of the Clan had gathered to watch, mostly because none of them had seen Rainpaw fight. Thorntail had taken him battle training the day before, so he knew at least some moves.

Rainpaw dodged her move again and then this time got behind her. As quick as a snake—or an adder, as these cats called it—Rainpaw leaped onto Shadowpaw and landed square with his fore paws on her shoulders and his hind paws on her hips. Shadowpaw rushed forward then, surprised. Rainpaw then jumped off, watching Shadowpaw closely. She moved, he dodged, and then he slid his paw into her leg, unbalancing her. She fell and he pinned her down. That was easier than I thought it was going to be, Rainpaw thought. Maybe Shadowpaw's having a bad day.

"Can you admit that was a good fight?" Rainpaw asked. "Because if not then I don't know what'll make you happy." Shadowpaw rolled her eyes before pushing him off, a small look of nervousness on her fact.

Rainpaw held his head high, proud that he'd been able to do that. Shadowpaw surprised him once every day all in different times and different places. Today he'd finally won.

"Don't get so proud of yourself, kit," said a very cold voice, "if that were a real fight you'd be a dead kitty." Rainpaw then looked to the cat who had spoken, and he was not surprised to find out that it was Sharpfang. The brown tabby tom then walked forward, his amber eyes looking straight at Rainpaw.

"I bet you don't even know half of the moves that any  normal  apprentice would know," Sharpfang said, his voice cocky and bold. "I mean, you're only a loner that's half the size of a real six moon old kit. I'd bet that you're lying about your age."

"Oh, be quiet," hissed Shadowpaw defensively. "The fight was just a bit of training, that's all."

"Yeah, and he failed in my point of view," Sharpfang hissed to Shadowpaw. "His moves did not flow together and then that one at the end was so predictable. He's also too small to have pulled off any of that jumping on any normal warrior." Rainpaw growled lowly, making Sharpfang raise his eyebrows."Think you can fight me, do you?" said Sharpfang, interested. "Then go ahead and try."

Sharpfang then crouched low to the ground, his tail lashing and his amber eyes just asking for a fight. His teeth were bared and his claws were moving in and out of sheathed form. Rainpaw just sat, trying to decide what to do.

"Sharpfang!" called Yelloweye then. "Don't you dare! He's just a kit!"

"Yeah, he was just trying to play with me!" Shadowpaw said then, probably aware that Sharpfang was a very good warrior and would be very hard to fight. Rainpaw knew this as well, but if Sharpfang wouldn't shut up unless they fought, then so be it. It would be nice if he won, but Rainpaw doubted that he would.

"Oh be quiet!" hissed Sharpfang. "It's not like you did him any good." Rainpaw narrowed his eyes as he noticed that Shadowpaw was offended by this. Most of the Clan was now watching him, probably hoping that he'd accept the challenge.

"Hey, Shadowpaw," said Rainpaw as he crouched low to the ground, copying Sharpfang's position. "Make sure Snowdrift is ready for me; I probably won't get out of this unscathed." Rainpaw then waited for Sharpfang to make the first move because he didn't want to look like the idiot when he lunged right into Sharpfang.

"Excellent," was the only warning that Rainpaw got before Sharpfang attacked.

Rainpaw hadn't even realized what had happened. All he knew was that he was going to get humiliated before the fight had even begun. Rainpaw dodged and dodged and dodged, but he was growing tired. He wasn't used to this much movement and he could feel his body giving out and getting tangled. Rainpaw then jumped forward, thinking that Sharpfang was there, but it was only his trap. Sharpfang unbalanced him and then pinned him down, leaving him breathing rapidly for some breath. Sharpfang laughed as he breathed hard, hardly looking tired himself.

"I told you that you didn't belong here, but you never believed me," said Sharpfang. "Ravenstar made a bad mistake, taking you in. WindClan should have finished you off when they had the chance." Sharpfang then leaned closer to him, his mouth dangerously close to Rainpaw's ear. "I'll just have to finish you myself."

Rainpaw's eyes widened as he tried to get out of Sharpfang's grip. He then reached up and grabbed onto Sharpfang's neck, making him yowl in pain. Rainpaw took that moment to break free, his heart pounding with adrenaline and fear. He was too slow, however, making him wish that his legs were longer. Sharpfang lunged and jumped in front of him, an evil little grin on his face. Then, with unsheathed claws, Sharpfang slashed across Rainpaw's chest.

Rainpaw screeched in pain and fear, hoping quietly that someone would help him. He heard a laugh from Sharpfang then, making him take a step back. Then before he knew it, fangs had entered his skin right into his shoulder. The shoulder with the scar on it.

Rainpaw's nightmare then began to replay itself in his mind, making him yowl in physical and mental pain. He could hear the yells of someone in the crowd, but then the hiss of someone who wanted them to stop.

The nightmare then took him away.

"Matthew, help me!"

"I'm sorry, Matthew!"

"Matthew, don't leave me!"

"Matthew, wait!"

"Rainpaw! I'm going to call you my brother from now on. I hope I'll be as good as your brothers were!"

Sweetkit? What was  she  doing in his nightmare? What was she trying to do, convince him that he needed to protect the cats in this world now that he was unable to in the other world? Right now, he was too busy trying not to die in Sharpfang's grip. Otherwise he couldn't protect her at all and then he'd fail again.Then Rainpaw's mind changed.

Protect. Protect. Protect.

Rainpaw stood up. Sharpfang, surprised, looked at him and froze with shock.

Sharpfang is the enemy. Kill him.

"That's impossible!" Sharpfang exclaimed as he got back into a fight position. "You should be out! That move was supposed to knock you out!"

"Well, it obviously didn't," Rainpaw muttered, his eyes narrowed at Sharpfang. "It actually woke me up. Ready to see a real fight?" Rainpaw's voice had changed.

This had happened to him before, but it was never this bad. Usually he just punched whoever was insulting or threatening him or Daniel. Right now, his voice was like thunder and his eyes felt like they were on fire for whatever reason.

As Sharpfang took a step back, Rainpaw lunged with his claws unsheathed. Sharpfang dodged easily, but that was what Rainpaw wanted. He slid his paw into Sharpfang's leg and hoped to unbalance him. Sharpfang didn't fall like Rainpaw had hoped. Instead, Sharpfang just stumbled and leaped away from Rainpaw. Sharpfang seemed to be happier about the fact that Rainpaw was like this now, but he still seemed a little more afraid. Sharpfang attacked with fury, his claws ready to rip through him. Rainpaw gave a small smile before running underneath Sharpfang and surprising him. Rainpaw then turned and jumped onto Sharpfang, biting down on the tom's shoulder. Sharpfang yowled, but then rolled over, nearly crushing Rainpaw under the weight.

Rainpaw held on, also forcing the tom to roll over. They rolled for a few more minutes before Rainpaw stopped, pinning Sharpfang down finally. Rainpaw then watched him as his mind tried hard to fight what he really wanted to do.

Kill him!

No, I can't! I can't do that, this cat hasn't done anything but make me furious. I can't kill him.

You want to.

No, I can't!

Kill him!

Well. . . maybe I can. ..

Then do it: kill him!

I mean, nobody likes him, right?

So, kill him!

Just one cat won't hurt my reputation. ..

Kill him —"

"Rainpaw?"

Robinpaw? What's she doing?

"Rainpaw? Are you okay?"

Robinpaw should know I'm fine. I mean, she can see me right?

"Rainpaw! What are you doing?"

I'm doing what the Warrior code tells me to do, Robinpaw. Protecting you and the others. Isn't it obvious?

"Rainpaw! Stop!"

What? Why? I'm doing a good thing aren't I?

"Rainpaw!"

Then he felt like he was being pulled off of the enemy. He felt like someone was taking him off of his prey. He didn't go with them. He wanted to kill.

Robinpaw! Stop! Let me do this! Let me kill him!

"Rainpaw, stop! What's happened to you? Your eyes... they're so dark!"

My eyes are darker? Really? But why? Why doesn't this make sense? I need to kill him, Robinpaw! Before he hurts you!

"Rainpaw! Get off of him! He did nothing wrong!"

No! He did do something wrong! He nearly killed me, and he'll go after you next! Robinpaw? Robinpaw what are you doing? That hurts! That really hurts! Stop! Robinpaw, stop! Robinpaw that—  

Chapter 3
Rainpaw barely knew what happened after he'd fallen unconscious. He remembered slightly that he'd woken just long enough to see Robinpaw sitting by him, looking worried and guilty. It faded, but then he awoke again. This time he could hear Snowdrift and Ravenstar talking, although it wasn't really clear. "StarClan" was said a lot, alone with "The Prophecy cat".

Rainpaw also continued to have nightmares, but this time they were different. According to his dreams, he was a killer, a murderer. He kept visioning himself with dark blue eyes and unsheathed claws. It made him shiver every time. What was he thinking? Why  was he thinking it? He never wanted to kill like that; he'd always want to leave it to someone else unless they were hurting the one person he wanted to keep safe. He didn't have that person anymore, so why did he want to kill?

"You are changing, young one," answered a familiar voice. "You have nearly learned what it is to be loyal." Rainpaw looked up from the stupid, annoying darkness that kept returning. Cheetahfur, the first cat he'd ever seen, before he'd been turned into a cat, was standing in front of him, a smile on her face.

"Cheetahfur!" said Rainpaw happily. After being alone in darkness for what seemed like hours, he was lonely. Any person, or cat, was okay at the moment.

"Hello," said Cheetahfur, purring with amusement, "did you figure it out?" Rainpaw tilted his head.

"Figure what out?" asked Rainpaw. "I've been stuck in here, so of course I didn't."

"What do you mean?" asked Cheetahfur. "This is your mind; it is the best place for you to figure things out." She then looked around, making a very strange face. "Though I can see why you don't think in here. It's far too gloomy." Rainpaw, however, was thinking of other things.

"This . . . this is my mind?" asked Rainpaw, eyes widened with shock. Cheetahfur looked at him and then nodded with a kind smile on her face.

"StarClan has given you the ability to hide in your head when you feel too many emotions," Cheetahfur explained. "So, whenever you feel like you need to sort out your mind, you can retreat here."

"But what about the cats around me?" asked Rainpaw. "Will I just . . . disappear?" Cheetahfur shook her head.

"No," she said, "you'll only fall asleep." Rainpaw smiled widely in wonder, his eyes searching his mind. Nothing was there, but for some reason, he felt safer. He felt like he was in a comfortable place where he could hide, a place he could go to whenever he wanted. He felt like he was home.

"But why is it so dark?" asked Rainpaw curiously. "Why is it covered in shadows and full of darkness?"

"This is your mind, young one," Cheetahfur replied. "Your mind is full of the things you love and cherish. It's full of what you put your trust and loyalty to. It's full of what you protect—your goals, and your failures."

"So I've got nothing?" asked Rainpaw, lowering his head. "I don't have anyone that I love or cherish? I don't have anyone that I have put my trust and loyalty into, no one to protect? I don't have any goals or any failures?" Cheetahfur shook her head again, making Rainpaw sigh with frustration.

"Oh you have failures, but you aren't looking for them." Cheetahfur explained. "The bad things, such as failures, stay away as long as you don't call for them. Sometimes you do accidentally, but that's not the point. You have no happiness in your life, you never did. All you cared about was your Twoleg brother. As I said before, however, you are learning the meaning of loyalty."

"What do you mean?" asked Rainpaw, curiously.

Cheetahfur laughed a bit, and then stood. "Follow me and you shall see what I mean." She then took off, making Rainpaw dart forward to try and catch up. Why, oh why, did cats have to be so fast?

Following Cheetahfur through the darkness just made Rainpaw depressed. Nothing was there. It was all just a foggy shadowy looking place that seemed to go on forever and ever. To think that  this  was his mind!

A bright light caught his attention, making him slow down and look in front of him. It looked almost like ThunderClan's forest, but different somehow. It was night time—there were stars—yet everything seemed light. As he walked a little further, he could barely believe his eyes.

Robinpaw was the first thing he saw. She was laughing with Shadowpaw, her jade green eyes glittering beneath the stars. Shadowpaw just continued smiling, her sweet yellow eyes like daisies in the spring. More cats were there, but they were blurred. Everything was, Rainpaw noticed, as he took a closer look, even Robinpaw and Shadowpaw, just not as much as the others.

"Why is everything blurred?" asked Rainpaw curiously.

"You aren't completely loyal to them," Cheetahfur explained. "Until you are, this will always be a blur. The reason Robinpaw and Shadowpaw are clearer is because you are more loyal to those two cats individually. It will take you some time to learn the true meaning of loyalty, but you are heading in the right direction."

"So you're saying that I'm becoming more and more loyal to my Clan?" asked Rainpaw.

"Yes," Cheetahfur replied. "But remember, to live with the Clans, you have to be loyal to  all  of the Clans." Rainpaw tilted his head, confused. The Warrior Code said to be loyal to  his  Clan, not  all  of them. What was she talking about? Before he got to ask, however, she disappeared.

Then the view changed. He was no longer looking at Robinpaw and Shadowpaw in the forest, he was waking up. His eyes flickered open; his vision still blurred, and then he sat up. Scents of herbs filled his nose, letting him know that he was in the medicine cat den. His shoulder hurt, but he'd known that that would happen, and his head was sore enough to call it a migraine.

"Finally awake?" asked a familiar voice. Rainpaw laughed a bit.

"Yeah but I wish I weren't," Rainpaw muttered, "my shoulder's killing me!" Rainpaw then looked up to see Robinpaw looking at him with her pale green eyes. Her expression made him duck his head. She was angry, he could tell, but also afraid.

"Sorry about that," said Robinpaw then, her expression changing. She looked guilty, but why? "I didn't mean to hurt you . . ." Rainpaw lifted his head higher and tilted it. He knew she'd knocked him out, but that was no reason to be guilty.

"What do you mean?" asked Rainpaw. "You didn't do anything at all. It was my fault I got into that situation and it was my fault that I didn't listen to you the first several times you warned me."

"You were actually listening?" Robinpaw asked. "I thought you were just ignoring me."

"I'd never do that," said Rainpaw, thinking it was obvious. "I wasn't me when I was fighting Sharpfang, Robinpaw. I—well—I don't know . . ." Rainpaw trailed off, unable to say anything without blowing the whole "I'm really a dead Human" secret. He knew what to say then.

"Do you remember when you told me that my eyes had grown darker?" asked Rainpaw. As Robinpaw nodded he sighed in relief. He didn't have to bring up the thought just yet. "Well, I think that was a sign for you and the others; a warning of some sort. I wasn't thinking clearly. As you saw, all I wanted to do was kill. That's not how I think—I swear on StarClan's name! I don't know what happened—maybe Sharpfang did something. I mean, he did bite my scar and all—"

"Rainpaw," Robinpaw interrupted, "I get it, you're not like that monster, before. Besides, the whole Clan knows that it's because Sharpfang bit your scar that you acted like that." Rainpaw's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Rainpaw. "How do they know?"

"You know how your scar is regularly black?" asked Robinpaw. Rainpaw nodded, still not believing this. "It wasn't when you acted like you were about to kill Sharpfang. It was—well—yellow. It was  glowing . No one knew what was happening, and it turns out that I was the only one brave enough to stop you." Rainpaw shrugged.

"You were probably the only one that could." Rainpaw muttered, looking at his paws again. "I was so lost into my mind. . ."

"Good thing I did, otherwise we would have exiled you already," Robinpaw said then. "Everyone thinks that you're a bad omen now. Ravenstar and Yelloweye are doing their best to convince them their wrong, but it's not easy." Rainpaw sighed when he heard this, trying hard not to give up on this life and let them exile him. This was just too complicating, even for him.

"Did Snowdrift say I have to stay in?" asked Rainpaw. "I wouldn't blame him if I had to."

"Oh no, he said you're completely okay," said Robinpaw. "He's had three solid days to work on you, Rainpaw." Rainpaw's eyes widened.

"Three—three  days ?" said Rainpaw, shocked.

"Yes. You're wound is fine. You just slept so long, making us worry." Rainpaw nodded, stood up, and left. He heard Robinpaw do the same, following him out of the den.

As he left the medicine den, he felt everyone's eyes upon him. Rainpaw ignored them as he made his way over to the fresh-kill pile. Walking with a limp made him slow, but eventually he did get there. However, Snowstorm, one of the warriors, got in front of him before he even reached the fresh-kill pile. Rainpaw sighed in irritation—couldn't these cats tell that he wasn't even from StarClan? Couldn't they tell that he was better, that he didn't always think like that?

"No one who kills so freely like that will eat the food that we've caught!" growled Snowstorm. "You threaten this Clan every second you're here, no matter how small you are." Robinpaw gave a low growl, though she didn't look mad.

"Snowstorm, he didn't mean to do what he did," said Robinpaw defensively. "Rainpaw is just a normal apprentice, so let him eat." Snowstorm shook his head and stood taller.

"If he's so hungry, he can hunt for himself," said Snowstorm with a look of disgust on his face. "He won't eat from this fresh-kill pile!" Robinpaw hissed with frustration, her tail lashing with irritation.

"Rainpaw is still wounded; he can't hunt!" Robinpaw hissed. "Besides, Ravenstar said that he's staying and that he is not a threat, so why are you even bothering?" Snowstorm's tail was lashing now, trying to challenge Robinpaw.

"Ravenstar's decisions have to be brought up in a Clan meeting and voted on before they are absolute," said Snowstorm proudly. "He must wait for that day before he can eat from this fresh-kill pile." Robinpaw then growled, getting into a challenging position. Snowstorm did the same, but then Rainpaw stopped them.

"If I have to wait, then I will," said Rainpaw calmly. "No blood will be split over something so stupid. Just stop, okay?" Robinpaw rolled her eyes, but then stood and walked away. Rainpaw followed her with a limp, still ignoring the glares he was getting.

"I could have taken him on," Robinpaw hissed furiously. "He needed to be taught a lesson."

"Yeah, and to everyone else, so do I," Rainpaw pointed out. "Right now, I wouldn't blame them for thinking I'm a threat. I mean, look at me. I'm a loner, and I actually was going to kill him if you hadn't butted in. The star on my shoulder also tells them that I'm different, good or bad is what they can decide. The point is, if I was in their shoes—I mean paws—I'd think the same." A sharp pain shot into his head, but then disappeared. Something had changed within his mind, and at the end of the day, Rainpaw was going to check it out. Right now, however, he was too focused on Ravenstar, who was walking onto the Highrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan Meeting." Said Ravenstar, his voice booming into every nook and cranny of the camp.

Rainpaw stood in front and looked out to the Clan, gathering up his courage to talk to them if he had to. At this point, Rainpaw would do anything to stay in ThunderClan.

"I know most of you are wondering what I've decided to do about young Rainpaw here, but to be honest I haven't decided," Ravenstar started. "He may be small, but he's strong. He's an excellent fighter, a good enough hunter, but, as you all saw a few sunrises ago, he can kill. I honestly did not see this in him the first day I saw him—to be truthful, I am confused on what to do."

"Exile him!"

"Send him away!"

"He's a threat! He cannot be trusted!"

"Is he really a threat?" asked Ravenstar then, surprising Rainpaw a bit. Why was Ravenstar sticking up for him? Did Ravenstar know what had actually happened? "Or was that just something sudden that he was going through?"

"That's outrageous!"

"That's insane!"

"He's a killer!"

"Rainpaw?" asked Ravenstar, looking down to him. "What really happened?"

Rainpaw dipped his head respectively to Ravenstar, and then looked to the Clan. He'd made up the story, and he would use it. It was true, but it wasn't everything. It was the only thing he could think of that  might  convince them.

"When I decided to take the challenge Sharpfang had given me, I just wanted to let him know that I'm not as weak as he thought. I wanted him to have something real to compare to, not just the things he thought I was. So, when I fought Sharpfang, I knew there was no way that I'd actually win. He's two times bigger than I am and he's moons older, so how on earth could I win?" he began.

"At first it was how I expected to be," explained Rainpaw. "He was too fast for me, and far too strong. Within seconds he had me cornered, and so I had given up. I had no idea, however, that he was using unsheathed claws and teeth to win the fight. He bit the scar on my shoulder, doing something I'd only done once before. It was never this bad, though. I've never wanted to kill in my life. Then suddenly, my whole body was urging me to kill him. I didn't want to at first, so I argued. However, my mind got the better of me, finding the loopholes in my answers. After a while, it made sense to have to kill Sharpfang. I mean, he nearly killed me, so why not? He was a threat to me, and therefore a threat to the Clan. I don't think that, now, however, but I did three sunrises ago. I truly was going to kill him.

"Robinpaw, thankfully, was brave enough to stop me. Hearing her voice screwed up the thought process that was urging me to kill Sharpfang, making me confused. She asked what was wrong with me, and I thought that it was nothing. I mean, my head felt like it was on fire and my shoulder hurt, but I wasn't in danger of dying. Robinpaw then asked what I was doing, and I thought it was obvious: I was protecting my Clan by killing a threat. Then she started to pull me off, and I didn't want it. I wanted—no,  needed— to kill this cat.

"Then she told me my eyes were darker than usual—it caught me off guard, and so I stopped for a little bit, though I still tried to get away from her grip. Then she told me he did nothing wrong, and then I knew something was wrong with her. He did do something wrong according to my mind, he nearly killed me. He was a threat. After that, I didn't know what she was doing. She was hurting me, but it made no sense why. She was my friend, why was she doing this? Right before I fell, however, I returned to normal. I knew what I'd done was wrong, and I knew why Robinpaw was trying to stop me.

"I'm now afraid to think of what I looked like three sunrises ago, because when I was asleep in Snowdrift's den I was having dreams—well nightmares, really—about what I probably looked like. I'm not mad at any of you for thinking of me as a threat—I'd think the same. I probably am a threat if it's my scar that's the problem, but the solution to that is to just leave it alone. Think what you want; just remember that what happened three sunrises ago was something that doesn't happen regularly with me." It was quiet then, all of them trying to decide what to think. Sharpfang, he noticed, was at the back, looking at him with curiosity.

"So, ThunderClan," said Ravenstar, "what do you think of Rainpaw now?" A few cats murmured to each other, most of them stayed quiet, but still, a few didn't buy the story.

"He's a liar!"

"The story is not true! He's still a threat!"

"He's lying!"

Rainpaw sighed, and shook his head. These cats weren't going to learn, no matter how many explanations he gave. So, he was going to do something he probably should not do. He didn't care. He'd just made this his home so he was just going to have to live with it. Another sharp pain in his head warned him that his mind had changed again, but again he ignored it.

"If you think I'm lying, then so be it," said Rainpaw loudly. "If you want it to be this way, then it will be this way. I will make a deal with you, if that is what you want, and I will ensure you that I will not be a threat to your Clan." Everyone grew quiet then, every pair of eyes on him.

"You will let me stay here and continue training as usual. You will let me do everything a normal apprentice would do with the exception of not touching my scar." Rainpaw stopped, then, as some cats yowled in protest.

"You'll hurt my kits!"

"You'll kill someone!"

"You're a threat!"

"How is this a deal?"

"Be patient!" yowled Ravenstar, narrowing his eyes at his Clan. "He hasn't finished." Rainpaw dipped his head to Ravenstar again, and then continued.

"In return for letting me stay, I will give you the right to exile me if I do this again," said Rainpaw. "You will have the right to do anything to me, so long as you let me stay. So, in other words If I threaten your Clan again, you can exile me and I will leave as soon as I have my right mind again without any objection." Many whispers then went around, and as Rainpaw looked at Sharpfang, he found that the tom was now really curious.

"Rainpaw? What are you doing?" asked Shadowpaw, to Rainpaw's surprise. "Who knows when that'll happen again, and it might even be accidentally! You could be exiled for no reason at all!" Rainpaw ignored her and Robinpaw as well. He had to do this, he just had to.

"Does anyone think that this deal is not one they can commit to themselves?" Ravenstar asked, quieting down the crowd. No one spoke, so Ravenstar nodded. "Then Rainpaw will stay, but if this ever happens again, he will have to leave. This Clan meeting is over." Rainpaw then made his way over to the fresh-kill pile, his belly not forgetting to remind him that he was hungry. Yes, in some part of his mind, he did regret making the deal with ThunderClan. However, it was the only thing that was going to let him stay, so he had to. His head was throbbing, reminding him to retreat to his mind, but he ignored it for now. He needed to hunt for the Clan, no matter how hard that was going to be. He was still a Clan cat, now; he was still supposed to support the Clan. It was his job. It was his life. It was his only hope.

Chapter 4
A few weeks had passed since Rainpaw had made the deal with ThunderClan, and everything seemed to go back to normal—well, as normal as it was ever going to be. He tried his hardest to help his Clan, and tried his best to ignore the whispers and glares that were still going around. His mind was improving and now had many things in it. He now trusted Robinpaw and Shadowpaw, just not to the point of protecting them with his life. Even Flamepaw, Amberpaw and Ravenstar were close to him.

The Gathering had passed, and Flamepaw had told Rainpaw that WindClan was not surprised when ThunderClan announced Rainpaw's arrival and acceptance into ThunderClan. However, after telling the other Clans that Rainpaw was actually a good fighter and that he put a few wounds on Sharpfang, they all seemed surprised. This had made Rainpaw even more determined to do even more for the Clan and to show the others that yes, he was going to become a warrior and yes, he was going to stay.

Thorntail, however, didn't seem as happy. Her life didn't seem simple for her, for whatever reason. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and she wasn't mentoring him as well as she had been. Rainpaw hadn't really noticed since a few days ago, but now that he had, he noticed that she looked almost sickly, which made him wonder.

"Okay, Rainpaw," said Thorntail, her usual smile gone from her face. "That's enough for today. Make sure you hunt on the way back, I'm going to hunt by myself for a little while." Thorntail left, though Rainpaw didn't. He was trying to decide whether or not he should follow her, but then decided against it. It wasn't his life so he didn't need to pry.

Rainpaw then turned and started "hunting," though his mind wasn't focusing on prey, or scents. He didn't even know where he was going, though he did know that he was still on ThunderClan territory. A scent suddenly caught his attention. It was Thorntail's, and it wasn't old. Curiously he followed it, seeing no harm in trying to find out what his own mentor was up to.

As Rainpaw followed the scent he became aware that he was getting close to ShadowClan's territory—too close. Then before he knew it, he was right at their border. Rainpaw stopped, eyes narrowed with frustration. The scent had moved now. Thorntail was heading to RiverClan, it seemed like, for her scent was going down toward the lake, but why?

Rainpaw, not thinking, continued following her scent. His ears and eyes were alert, ready to find a ShadowClan patrol asking him who he was and where he was going. Of course he wouldn't know, so that would be bad. He hoped he could avoid that.

Rainpaw then began to worry. ShadowClan's territory was coming to an end as the smell of fish and water filled his nose. Thorntail had gone into RiverClan's territory, but why? Why on earth did she want to go into RiverClan?

Then he saw movement, and from her scent Rainpaw knew she was close. He then rush froward, trying to catch her. They weren't anywhere near RiverClan's camp from what he could tell, but there were still RiverClan cat's near by. He sped up, finally finding Thorntail in a large bush that hid them both.

"Thorntail!" Rainpaw called before he got any closer. "RiverClan cats are near. We need to get out of here!" Thorntail then looked over to him, her eyes widening with shock. Did she even know that the RiverClan cats were coming right toward them?

"Rainpaw?" asked Thorntail, walking up to him. "I told you to stay and hunt! It's too dangerous for you here!"

"Same with you," hissed Rainpaw, "RiverClan cats are coming!" Thorntail seemed worried, and she kept looking back to where the RiverClan cats were.

"I'm not in any danger," she said then, "it's only one cat, and he won't hurt me." Rainpaw's eyes widened. Was she crazy? How did she know this certain cat wouldn't try to kill her?

"What?" Rainpaw asked, still thinking Thorntail was crazy. "Thorntail, how do you know he won't kill you?"

"Because he loves me," answered Thorntail. Now  she was officially crazy. "Rainpaw, I've been coming here every night, but today he wanted me to come early to discuss something with me. Just stay here unless I call you, okay? He's calling for me." Rainpaw was too shocked to say yes or no, but either way she left. After a few moments of sitting there, he walked closer but did not come out of hiding. Rainpaw then listened to their conversation.

"Hello, Thorntail," said the RiverClan tom. He was a grey tom with darker grey stripes. His pale yellow eyes reminded Rainpaw of the sunset, but he wasn't really worried about that. He was too focused on Thorntail and what was going on between them. "You usually beat me here. Having a bit of trouble getting away?"

"Yes," said Thorntail, her eyes gleaming at the sight of the RiverClan cat. "My apprentice is very frustrating sometimes, but I got rid of him soon enough." Rainpaw kept himself from hissing in anger, but then he calmed himself down. She meant it playfully and he knew it—no reason to get angry.

"Ah yes, your new apprentice," said the tom, "a very interesting little fellow, I've been hearing. Has he healed, or is that shoulder wound still bothering him?" Rainpaw narrowed his eyes in confusion. Just how much had Thorntail told this cat?

"Oh it's fine now, Wolfheart," said Thorntail. "Rainpaw is now back on the path to becoming a very good fighter, though, not so much as good a hunter. He will learn quickly, though, I am sure of it." The RiverClan tom, Wolfheart, chuckled a bit.

"That's good to hear," Wolfheart said, "because over here in RiverClan it's been crazy. Five kits is already a hassle, but three that are my own? That's insane. Leopardspot is a good mother, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm a good father. I'm Deputy so they must be proud, but still, taking care of kits is hard work."

So, he's the Deputy of RiverClan, he has kits that aren't Thorntail's  and  he already has a mate? Thorntail, you're going insane!

"How is she, now that you've told her?" asked Thorntail, a bit of sadness in her eyes. "It couldn't have been easy. . ."

"The first few days was hard on her," said Wolfheart. "But then she understood. I'm still her friend, and we both do have kits, so it's not that bad. We just won't be having any more kits, that's all." Thorntail smiled.

"I'm glad," said Thorntail, "you are truly the bravest cat I've ever met."

¤¤¤

"I still can't believe you've been seeing a cat that's a  Deputy  of another Clan, who, by the way, has kits that aren't yours, for a whole two moons," said Rainpaw, breaking the eerie silence that was covering Rainpaw and Thorntail as they traveled back to ThunderClan. "You must be more of a mouse-brain than I thought." Thorntail didn't seem to hear the last part, or at least she wasn't offended.

"I met him at a gathering when I'd first been made a warrior. He told me I was pretty, and then we went on from there. It wasn't until two moons ago that we actually started seeing each other, but still, I love him." Rainpaw sighed.

"I don't care that you do, it's just that I think it's dangerous," said Rainpaw. "I mean, what if  you  have kits? Who will you say your mate is? Who will be the father?"

"We won't have kits, Rainpaw," said Thorntail. "Just believe me. I don't know how we'll make it work, but we just will. You don't have to be jealous." She finished with a smirk on her face, but Rainpaw didn't understand. What was she talking about? He wasn't jealous at all!

"What do you mean?" asked Rainpaw. "I'm not jealous at all! Why would I be?" Thorntail rolled her eyes and playfully nudged him.

"Oh come on," she said. "I've seen the way Robinpaw looks at you,  and  the way you look at her. You guys are made for each other!"

" What?  No we aren't!" retorted Rainpaw. "We're just friends!"

"Are to," argued Thorntail. "Even Shadowpaw likes you, I think. Just admit it. You love them both."

"I will not, because I don't love  either  of them,  that  way" said Rainpaw firmly. "I just like them as friends, not as  mates  or anything. That's just stupid." Thorntail laughed, but then didn't say anything more on that subject. She obviously knew that it was a lost cause. Rainpaw walked proudly after that, hoping that he'd never have to talk about it again.

Thorntail and Rainpaw crossed the border back into ThunderClan territory when Snowstorm found them, claiming he was hunting alone and asked if they could help him. They agreed, figuring that they might as well bring something back like they were supposed to so there weren't any suspicions.

It didn't take them long to catch a few mice and a squirrel, and soon they were on their way back to dig up their prey and bring it back to camp.

"Yeah, right," said Thorntail who was talking to Snowstorm. "I could take you down any day." Rainpaw rolled his eyes at Thorntail's challenge, feeling quite sure that Snowstorm would beat her. He was bigger and much older, but then again, Rainpaw thought, Snowstorm wasn't that good at fighting from what he'd heard. Snowstorm was a better hunter, and that had definitely showed today.

Then an unfamiliar scent caught his attention, making him stop and sniff again. Something was definitely there, and it didn't belong in this forest. His eyes scanned the forest, hoping that Thorntail and Snowstorm would notice. He was surprised that they didn't, but perhaps they were too caught up in their conversation to really notice?

A shadow then moved in the near distance, sharp amber eyes glowing from the trees. There was more than one cat here, but he didn't know how many, the scents were acrid-like and Rainpaw wasn't going to wait to find out.

"Thorntail! Snowstorm!" Rainpaw called, turning his attention to the other warriors. He was panicking and his heart beating quickly. He then suddenly realized that many pairs of eyes were looking at them, and that there was no way out.

They were surrounded.

Rainpaw didn't even get to warn the others before they attacked. He was suddenly down on the ground, claws entering his skin. He screeched, but did not forget to fight. Thinking quickly but not all that well, Rainpaw kicked the tom that was on him with his back legs, making the tom yowl in agony giving Rainpaw an opening. Rainpaw rolled out of the tom's grip, trying to find Thorntail and Snowstorm. Through the mess of cats, he could hardly see anything.

"Thornta—" Rainpaw called, though he was cut short by three large toms that savagely leapt at him. They grabbed at his scruff, using their claws and teeth to pull him back. They were trying pin him down by using brute strength, something that Rainpaw really didn't have much of. They were larger than him, and they were stronger, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

He struggled and struggled but it was no use. The cats pinning him down were stronger than him and they weren't about to let go. Rainpaw looked around franticly for Snowstorm and Thorntail and finally found them. They, too, were being pinned down by many cats, four each to be exact, and they were both looking very worried. Then he felt teeth sink dangerously close to his scar, breaking his focus toward Snowstorm and Thorntail.

"I wouldn't bite that shoulder if I were you," Rainpaw growled, narrowing his eyes. "Unless you and your friend want to die. However, if that's the case then you might actually want to bite the scar." The teeth were removed then and placed somewhere between his shoulder blades. It hurt, but at least the cat wasn't risking death. Right now, Rainpaw did not want to kill. He just wanted the others to be okay.

Then a large, dark tom walked in front of the three pinned down cats, his sharp yellow eyes looking down on the warriors. A sick looking grin was on his face, making Rainpaw growl.

"Did we do a good job, Master?" asked one of the cats holding Thorntail down. The dark tom looked down to Thorntail with evil looking eyes, his grin only widening.

"Yes, yes," said the tom. "You did an excellent job. We have a warrior, a small yet pretty she-cat and a. . ." the tom then looked to Rainpaw, who was narrowing his eyes and hissing furiously. "An apprentice that has  potential ." The tom laughed, making the anger that was already boiling up inside of Rainpaw climb even higher.

"Just let me go and I'll show you just how much  potential  I have!" Rainpaw hissed. The cats holding Rainpaw pulled him back a step, getting a better and more firm grip on him. The tom with yellow eyes shook his head.

"Smart little thing?" asked the tom. "Well, we'll deal with you later. Right now, however, we've got a bigger problem." The tom then walked over to Snowstorm, who didn't seem to be struggling at all. Rainpaw didn't think twice about it, though. He was too worried on what the tom was going to do.

"A little birdy told me that you are next in line for deputy," said the tom. "So, unfortunately for you, you're first. Second would be the little pipsqueak with an attitude. Then when it c laugh that boomed through the forest and sent shivers down Rainpaw's spine, the tom gave a signal that Rainpaw knew wasn't good. One of the four cats that had been holding Snowstorm down, leapt onto him once more. Rainpaw closed his eyes as Snowstorm screeched with pain, and within seconds, his voice faded.

Snowstorm was dead.

Rainpaw then felt a burning pain in his head, making him hiss in frustration. Right now was not the best time for a warning that his mind had changed. As it kept burning, however, he realized that it wasn't the same. Something else was happening. Something very bad.

His vision was blurred but he could still see what was happening. Rainpaw could see the tom moving closer to Thorntail, whispering something to her. Thorntail's eyes were growing wide with horror, making Rainpaw's anger rise once again. Thorntail then suddenly tried to back up, making the cats pinning her down move with her.

"Help me!" Thorntail was screeching. "Help me! Anyone! Help me!" Rainpaw struggled, but his strength was fading. Something was happening in his mind—it was changing, yes, but memories were also being brought up. Memories that he did not want to see at this time. Memories that should have stayed hidden. Memories that were being brought up by Thorntail's yells. Memories that he wished he could forget.

Rainpaw's nightmare came back, but it was worse. It was the truth. It was the night that his twin brother, Alfie, died right before his eyes. He only got glimpses, but enough to know what it was about. Thorntail's voice turned into Alfie's, making Rainpaw shiver. This vision was full of the past. He caught glimpses of the dark figures that were pinning down Alfie and himself, hearing the evil laughs of the dark figures' leader. He caught the glimpse of a knife, a gun, and other tools used for murder and torture. A gun shot, and Alfie's screams died. Whispers now came from him, but then they died as well. The evil laughs then grew louder as they grabbed something long and red, showing that it had been in a burning fire. It was metal, and at the end it was a star-shaped. The next think he knew, his left shoulder was burning with pain, like a fire was engulfing him alive. He never knew how he'd escaped, but it hadn't been easily.

Rainpaw's eyes flung open and his body suddenly rushed forward. After being limp and screaming for who knew how long, the cats pinning him down were surprised enough not to notice his escape to Thorntail, trying hard to get the cats pinning her down to stop.

He lunged, his claws unsheathed. Rainpaw sunk his teeth into a black tom's shoulder, alerting the cats holding Thorntail. They all attacked him then, leaving Thorntail free. Rainpaw was then pulled off the cats who then pinned him down hard. He could barely breath but it was how he wanted it.

"Get the Clan. . ." Rainpaw rasped, ignoring the growing pain in his shoulder. "Don't—worry about me. . .get the Clan. . .hurry. . ." Thorntail then darted off, a look of worry on her face.

"Catch her! Don't let her get to their camp!" The dark tom the other cats called 'Master' hissed, alerting the other cats of Thorntail's escape. Rainpaw had gathered up his strength for this, and now he was ready.

"You won't be going anywhere until you deal with me," said Rainpaw, a grin on his face. "Just try and kill me—see what happens then." A cat's claws then raked down his left side, making him grin even wider.

"Let me show you just how much  potential  I have now, oh great and mighty  Master ," said Rainpaw. "Let's see how many cats I can kill before my Clan gets here."

Rainpaw's mind changed, once again.

Tick tock goes the clock

Rainpaw turned around and sunk his teeth into a tom's neck, just enough to kill him. The tom only screeched once before falling to the ground, completely motionless.

And what now shall we play?

Rainpaw advanced onto another tom, this one completely black except for a small speck on his chest. The tom took a step back, realizing the change and how powerful Rainpaw had suddenly become. Rainpaw then lunged, using his claws this time to slice his throat open and kill the tom easily.

Tick tock goes the clock

Rainpaw then looked to a dark grey tom, one who looked too cowardly for his taste. He lunged and cut open the throat, instantly killing the poor tom.

Now Thorntail's run away.

Rainpaw, not knowing exactly what he was doing with the blur in his mind, turned toward the Master He rushed forward, feeding off of the fear that the tom gave to him. Just the eyes alone told Rainpaw that this cat was afraid, and that's how he liked it.

Tick tock goes the clock

Many cats then suddenly pinned him down, grabbing onto anything they could. He was pushed into the ground and he found that all of his breath was knocked out of him, making him gasp for air. The cats around him whimpered with fear, but the Master did not. That tom was actually laughing, amused by what he saw even though he had been afraid just a few moments ago.

And what then shall we see?

"You are a tough one, aren't you?" the tom purred. "I'm impressed. Maybe we could keep you. Train you up, of course, and use you at the last moment. Ah, yes, the perfect battle strategy." Rainpaw yowled, as another tom bit his scar again. Then another, and another, and then again. His mind was now to the point of exploding, but he didn't let it. Not when he'd gotten this far.

Tick tock until the day

"Just try to get me under control," Rainpaw hissed, "you'll find it harder than you think." The cats around him then pushed him harder into the ground, probably afraid of being slaughtered like the others. Rainpaw continued to feed on their fear, grinning more when the tom they called Master took a step back.

That death will not please me.

Rainpaw raked his claws across another cat's throat, watching as the tom fell to the ground. He did the same to three others before they pinned him to the ground again. Rainpaw could taste their fear now, watching as their eyes glanced over to their master, probably hoping for the signal to kill him. Rainpaw's nose was filled with his Clan mate's scent, giving him hope that they would come quickly.

Tick tock goes the clock

"Master, they're coming!" a tom near Rainpaw warned. "The Clan cats are coming!" The Master looked at Rainpaw, narrowing his eyes tightly. It was silent for a few seconds, but then the Master shook his head.

You'll have to run much faster

"You are a threat to me now, kit," said the Master. "The next time me or any of the rogues under my control see you, we  will  kill you. I don't know what you are, but I do know that you are strong and that, if you knew where we lived, we would be finished. Good-bye, kit. I will hopefully never see you again."

Tick tock goes the clock

It was then that the clan came, and it was then that the rogues fled. Rainpaw was free from their grip now, but not from his mind. He tried to get it under control, but it was no use. Before he could stop himself, he lunged forward and grabbed onto a rogue, biting down on his neck. Rainpaw killed him quickly, and then there were no more rogues. They had fled, and Rainpaw was glad.

Till Rainpaw kills the master.

"Rainpaw!" he heard Thorntail call. "Rainpaw, are you okay?"

"Thorntail, stay here!" hissed the familiar voice of Jayflight. "Look at his scar—he's not okay, and probably not in his right mind."

Retreat to my mind... Retreat to my mind...

"But look at this eyes!" Thorntail protested. "One is it's normal colour!"

Retreat to my mind... Retreat to my mind...

"Yes, but his scar is still glowing," Jayflight pointed out, "however, he seems to be rejecting it..."

Retreat... Retreat...

Tick tock goes the clock

"His scar is normal now," said Yelloweye. "And his eyes are lightening up."

The cats all cry meow

"What's he doing?" asked Firepaw, his voice sounding worried. "What's happening to him?"

Tick tock and not too soon

Darkness took him, but not enough to keep him from hearing. Rainpaw heard cries of grief and sorrow from where he figured Snowstorm's body was, and heard the worried whimpers of Thorntail and Shadowpaw before he was fully unable to see, hear, smell or taste anything. He had gone into his mind and he planned to stay there until he was sorted out.

The enemy is gone now.

Chapter 5
"Snowstorm was a brave warrior—we will miss him dearly." said Ravenstar before jumping down off the Highrock, ending the clan meeting. Rainpaw watched, his head low, as the elders carried Snowstorm's body out of camp. It had only been a few hours since he'd woken up, and everyone wanted to know what had happened. He wouldn't tell anyone, however, unless it was Ravenstar, Thorntail, Robinpaw or Shadowpaw that asked. Too much had happened that day to recite it to just anyone.

"Hey, Rainpaw," said Robinpaw softly as she sat down next to him, "are you okay?" Rainpaw sighed at this question, not knowing really how to answer it. He felt fine, but his mind was swarming with memories that he would rather not bring up.

"Mentally or physically?" Rainpaw asked, his eyes still fixed on his paws. Robinpaw licked his shoulder, making Rainpaw feel a little more comfortable. He sighed, continuing to answer her question.

"I would understand if you don't want to talk to me about it," Robinpaw said kindly, "no one should go through what you had to the other day." Rainpaw smiled at this, though he wasn't really all that happy. She'd brought back the dull memories he kept replaying in his mind.

"I've been through it twice," said Rainpaw darkly, "and neither time did I manage to save the victim." Robinpaw, now curious, tilted her head to the side.

"What do you mean, 'you've been through it twice'?" she asked. "You've actually been in that situation before?" Rainpaw nodded slowly, still looking at his paws.

"I was younger—probably around three moons—when it happened last time," Rainpaw explained, trying hard not to tell her that he was human. "My brother, Alfie, was with me. We were merely hunting—more like playing—in the forest like we usually did at that point of the day. Neither of us were really paying attention to our surroundings, we were too busy having fun. However, it would have been nice to know that we were surrounded. Too many to count, but that didn't really matter. They killed him first, and I think I know why now. They wanted to hurt me physically and mentally for whatever reason. They did, and that's how I got the scar. After that, however, I don't know what happened. All I know is that, because of what happened, I went nearly insane yesterday. I didn't believe that remembering would effect me that much. . ."

"Sometimes it's the memories that help us," said Robinpaw, "and sometimes it's the memories that kill us. Either way, memories are good. They might have made you crazy the other day, but maybe in the future they'll make you stronger." Rainpaw looked up to Robinpaw and smiled.

"Thank you," said Rainpaw. Robinpaw nodded, then left as her name was called by Grassfur. Rainpaw thought some more, happy that everyone seemed to be leaving him alone.

Most of them were still a bit scared of him, probably afraid that he was going to change at any second. However, they didn't really matter. The few that did matter were the few who were convinced that Rainpaw had killed Snowstorm, and that the rogues were just a myth. Of course, with Thorntail as an eye witness, Ravenstar didn't even think of exiling him.

"Hey, Rainpaw!" A very familiar voice called him. Rainpaw looked up to Sharpfang, to his surprise. The tom was standing a few feet away from him. After walking up to Rainpaw, Sharpfang smiled. Did this cat even remember what had happened? Rainpaw nearly killed him, and yet Sharpfang was talking to him?

"Um, hi," said Rainpaw with a confused look. "Did Ravenstar send you to tell me something?"

"No, why do you ask?" Sharpfang asked curiously. Rainpaw's jaw would have dropped had he not forced it to stay up. Sharpfang, a cat he still considered an enemy, was talking to him like there wasn't a care in the world. This was too weird.

"In case you've forgotten, I nearly killed you!" Rainpaw exclaimed. "Why are you talking to me as if that never happened? You're acting as if I were born in this Clan..." Sharpfang shrugged.

"Maybe because you're actually a really good fighter," Sharpfang replied. "Look, I know this may sound strange, but I actually respect those who are above me. Oh, and I  definitely  respect those who nearly kill me. Also, I have it in my mind that, because of your special ability to be good once your scar is bitten or scratched, you are the prefect battle monster." Rainpaw, still trying to get over the fact that Sharpfang was talking to him, shook his head.

"That's just it," he said. "I'm a monster."

"Not really," Sharpfang said, "from what I've heard, you were actually rejecting the strength and speed once you were finished with the enemy. Of course, if Thorntail or anyone were anywhere near you, you probably would have killed them. That doesn't mean that you can't train. I mean, think about it: if you can control your mind while still using the strength and speed, you'll be nearly invincible. Like I said, the perfect battle monster. Neither ShadowClan nor WindClan will want to battle us any more, or complain that we take in too many loners for that matter." Rainpaw shrugged, figuring that Sharpfang he had a fair point.

"Maybe I was wrong about you, Sharpfang," said Rainpaw then, standing up as he heard his name being called. "You may be a little hostile and judgmental, but when you're nice you are a very good friend." Sharpfang smiled in response, and after smiling back, Rainpaw padded off toward the den in which his name was called from.

It didn't take long for Rainpaw to realized that it was the medicine den that he was entering, and that it was Snowdrift who had called his name. He could smell Ravenstar, Snowdrift and Thorntail. Why they were all there was a question that he intended to have answered.

"Rainpaw, there you are," said Thorntail. The tone of her voice let Rainpaw know that she was worried and panicked. Rainpaw was now alert, ready for the news in which was making everyone in the room worried and afraid. "There's something you should know. . ." she said, quietly.

"Yes?" asked Rainpaw curiously, his eyes looking into her green ones. Thorntail seemed to calm down a bit, as if Rainpaw had really calmed her down by just looking into her eyes.

"I'm. . ." Thorntail drifted off, her head low with uncertainty. "I'm having kits."

Rainpaw found himself in shock after that, frozen except for the every second breath that he took. Thorntail was having kits that no doubt belonged to Wolfheart, the RiverClan tom she had been seeing for more than two moons.

"She's told me who the father is," said Ravenstar then, breaking the eerie silence. "It is against the Warrior Code, yes, but that's not the problem. The kits are the real problem. Everyone will want to know who the father is, and once the kits are born, many many problems may sprout up."

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," said Rainpaw then, "but why couldn't she just keep the kits and just tell everyone she doesn't know who the father is?"

"We don't know if we can trust Wolfheart," Ravenstar replied. "Once they are born I'm going to have to announce it at the next clan gathering, meaning Wolfheart will then know that Thorntail had kits. He'll probably figure out that they're his and demand to know why they stayed with Thorntail and was never told about them. The whole thing could end up with every Clan knowing that we let half-Clan kits be born right underneath our noses." Rainpaw sighed, but then thought of something.

"What if Thorntail and I just tell him tomorrow or something?" asked Rainpaw curiously. Ravenstar, obviously confuse, tilted his head a bit. Thorntail seemed hopeful, yet worried. What she was worried about was beyond Rainpaw's recognition.

"Are you mouse-brained?" asked Ravenstar suddenly. "You can't go back to RiverClan territory! What if another patrol sees you?"

"W-well, I know it's dangerous," said Rainpaw, at a loss for words. He hadn't really expected his answer, really he'd just expected Ravenstar to say no, "but what other choice do we—I-I mean you—have?" Ravenstar pondered on that for a while, and then sighed.

"I will grant you permission, but only this once," Ravenstar said then, "if it weren't for the conditions, I wouldn't be letting you go. Thorntail, you will go as well." Thorntail nodded at this.

"Wolfheart was going to meet me tomorrow anyway," said Thorntail. "We'll wait until then." Ravenstar nodded and then stood, but, as he looked at Rainpaw, he seemed to realize something.

"Hmm," said Ravenstar, "Thorntail will have to go into the nursery today, since she is quite pregnant. It seems you'll need a new mentor for the time being. . ." and with that, the tom left, leaving Rainpaw confused. He needed a new mentor? Who on earth was he going to get along with? Nobody even cared to look at him after Snowstorm's death!

Rainpaw followed Ravenstar after hearing the leader call a Clan meeting, knowing what it was going to be about. He was curious and scared about who was going to be his mentor, yet nervous, worried, and still a little bit shocked that Thorntail was going to have kits. Rainpaw then sat near Flamepaw and Amberpaw, who were both ready to become Warriors.

"Do you know what this is about?" asked Shadowpaw as she came up and sat next to Rainpaw, smiling as usual.

"Is it our warrior ceremony?" asked Amberpaw hopefully.

"No, Ravenstar would have told us if that was happening," said Flamepaw. "Wouldn't he?"

"Guys, it's not your warrior ceremony," growled Rainpaw, getting their attention, "I'm getting a new mentor." Everyone stared, absolutely confused.

"What?" said Amberpaw.

"Why?" asked Robinpaw, who had come to sit by them.

"You'll know in a moment," said Rainpaw quickly. "Now be quiet and listen!" Ravenstar flicked his tail to silence the murmurs that were going around.

"Cat's of ThunderClan," Ravenstar began, "it gives me great pleasure to announce that Thorntail, a brave and loyal warrior of ours, is expecting to have kits soon, and with that she is going to be welcomed into the nursery today." Ravenstar then watched as Thorntail's family and friends congratulated her, but then flicked his tail for them to be quiet again. "As I am sure some of you are wondering, Rainpaw, Thorntail's apprentice, needs a new mentor. I therefore am appointing Sharpfang as his new mentor, in hopes of passing on his strength and cunning mind down to Rainpaw. The Clan meeting is now dismissed."

As expected, the murmuring began. Rainpaw was too shocked to notice Robinpaw looking at him with worry, and also to shocked to notice Sharpfang arrive. Robinpaw noticed, however, and then left, alerting Rainpaw that Sharpfang was near. Rainpaw looked up to his new mentor, shaking a bit with shock. Sharpfang seemed to understand the shock that was going through Rainpaw because he didn't say anything until Rainpaw blinked.

"I understand if this is a surprise to you," said Sharpfang kindly, still smiling, "but it wasn't to me. Not only because Ravenstar had told me this just a few moments ago, but also because I think I could help you."

"So you've said," Rainpaw muttered, remembering the conversation Sharpfang had with him just a little while ago. He sighed then, his mind ready to explode with so many things going through his head. "I don't know, maybe you  can  help, but it's just. . .odd." Sharpfang looked confused now, and curious. He tilted his large head to the left, asking with his body language as to why it was odd.

"I nearly killed you!" Rainpaw reminded Sharpfang lightly. "How in the name of StarClan am I expected to train with you when that could very well happen again? I know that I'm able to control that urge to kill a bit now, but even then. I  knew  it was going to happen while fighting the rogues—I wanted it to happen. What if it happens accidentally when I'm training with you?" Sharpfang, who seemed to be listening to him rant, nodded with nothing but a smile on his face.

"Rainpaw," said Sharpfang. "I know that you're afraid of what might happen, but you can't be. Out here in the forest, your fears only bring you down. That, Rainpaw, is why I want to train the fear out of you. Once your mind has settled down, since I can obviously see that there are way too many things going on right now, I will begin training the fear of killing out of you."

"But killing isn't good!" Rainpaw argued. Sharpfang nodded.

"No, it isn't," Sharpfang agreed. "However, if you are scared of killing, then you are scared of fighting. And if you are scared of fighting, then you will no longer belong in this Clan. By training that urge to kill, you will be stronger than any of our senior warriors, and controlled. Isn't that what you want?"

"I guess so. . ." Rainpaw murmured, "but I'm still not sure." Sharpfang smiled and nodded in understanding.

"It's your decision, Rainpaw," said Sharpfang as he stood up to leave. "I'm leaving it up to you." With that, the large tom left, leaving Rainpaw with his thoughts.

Rainpaw just couldn't put his finger—well,  paw—  on it. Sharpfang hadn't talked to him since the day Rainpaw almost murderd him, and now he was Rainpaw's mentor? Sharpfang seemed to hate Rainpaw ever since he'd arrived, and now he wanted to train Rainpaw specially so that he could be stronger than any other cat around the lake? It just didn't make sense! Cat's—nor humans, for that matter—could  not  change their personalities from judgmental to helpful within only a few weeks time. It was just impossible. Either Sharpfang was pretending to like Rainpaw just because they were stuck together as mentor and apprentice, or Sharpfang wanted to get something from him. If that was the case, Rainpaw just wished that Sharpfang would ask him soon.

Chapter 6
Rainpaw sniffed the air, sighing. Winter—well,  leaf-bare— had taken over the forest now, making everything seem lifeless and bare. The cold, soft snow was now covering everything, and even the trees looked plain. The normal scent of prey was now replaced with the bitter smell of Clan territories.

Speaking of territory, Rainpaw was nearly holding his breath now because of the stench that the RiverClan and ShadowClan borders were giving off as he and his previous mentor, Thorntail, made their way into RiverClan territory. It was even foggier in their territory, which meant that they could hardly see anything. Rainpaw couldn't even tell that it was already sunhigh! How could cats hunt in this weather?

"Are you thinking again?" asked Thorntail as they walked toward the spot Rainpaw remembered from the last time he'd entered RiverClan territory. "I can see that you aren't really paying attention." Rainpaw smiled to show her that she was right.

"Just mostly about how much this forest has changed since I've been here," said Rainpaw, noticing that a small stream next to them was frozen. "It's only been two and a half moons!" Thorntail giggled at that.

"It's always like this," Thorntail replied. "During new-leaf I can just feel the life. Kits are playing, the scents of prey are returning, and the green life of the trees are finally reappearing. It's just so magical. Then, in green-leaf, everything seems to be at a balance. It may be hot, but it's still all okay. The prey are all feasting and getting fat, some older kits are now apprentices, and the green trees are at their fullest. When it comes to leaf-fall, however, I seem to like the colours. Brown, amber and green are just so pretty together, you know? I also like the yellow colours as well. Sure, the weather may be cooling and fine the prey may be leaving but at least it's better than leaf-bare. With everything so white and boring, and with all the prey gone, it's actually not that interesting."

"That's not true," Rainpaw argued. "Back in the old days when I was a loner, I actually thought Wint—leaf-bare was the best. Even though I was only two moons old, I loved leaf-bare. It reminded myself that, even though life can be bland at times, it will get better sooner or later, all you have to do is wait and be patient. I also had fun throwing small balls of snow at my brother—he  hated  that." Rainpaw then realized that the months didn't add up—if he was only nine moons old right now, there was no way he was alive when the last leaf-bare had occurred. He just hoped that Thorntail didn't notice.

"Oh really?" asked Thorntail, looking very curious. "Huh, I never thought of it that way." Rainpaw smiled, but then paid attention to what they had to do. They were close now, and Rainpaw could already scent Wolfheart. The wind was blowing slightly away from them, meaning that their scent was being carried right toward Wolfheart. This was going to be a tough meeting, it seemed.

Feeling no need to hide himself, Rainpaw walked out with Thorntail, his eyes locked on Wolfheart, who was shocked. Wolfheart was surprised, that much was true, as the tom's wide eyes looked from Thorntail to Rainpaw.

"You brought your  apprentice?" asked Wolfheart in shock. "Out everyone you could have told—you told your apprentice? He's a loner, how can you trust him?" Rainpaw growled in warning, his eyes narrowing and his ears going back toward his head. Wolfheart growled as well, but Thorntail interrupted their challenges.

"Wolfheart, he already knew," Thorntail explained softly, "he followed me last time we were out, and promised never to tell anyone. However, I had to tell others. Ravenstar and Snowdrift, the ThunderClan medicine cat, also know." Wolfheart eyes widened more as he heard this, but then he narrowed them dangerously at Thorntail.

"Oh calm down, mouse-brain," Rainpaw hissed, forcing Wolfheart to look at him, "she didn't just tell them because she thought it would be a good idea. Thorntail would be a mouse-brain if she hadn't told her leader—it's against the Warrior Code! Anyway, she told them because she had to." Wolfheart then looked to Thorntail, his eyes basically demanding to know why.

"Well. . ." said Thorntail. She looked at her paws now, probably afraid of Wolfheart. Then, she looked up to him. "I'm carrying your kits at the moment, Wolfheart. I'm having your kits in just one moon." Wolfheart's eyes grew wider with every word, obviously now knowing what was going on.

"You're having kits?  My  kits?" Wolfheart asked. "But how? I thought we established that we wouldn't be having kits! How could we let this happen?" Wolfheart then looked down at his paws.

"There's another thing," Thorntail said, her voice barely a whisper. "Ravenstar's making me keep the kits, telling me to keep the kits' father a secret. I'm going to have to tell everyone that I don't know who the father is."

" What ?" asked Wolfheart, his gaze shooting back to Thorntail.

"I can't come and see you anymore either," said Thorntail, looking at her paws. "I've moved into the nursery, meaning I'll be watched constantly and even more now that Ravenstar knows. I'm sorry it has to end this way, but it just does."

"So not only are you  keeping  the kits, you are never going to see me again?" asked Wolfheart. He then stood up, his anger obviously rising. "Are you mouse-brain? I'm the father! I should be allowed to at least keep one!"

"Someone would notice," said Rainpaw, also standing up. "Snowdrift always tells someone to help with the kitting. Besides, it's Ravenstar's order. Are you telling your own mate to disobey her leader just so that she can satisfy your selfish need?" Wolfheart then looked at him, growling loudly.

"You dare ask such a question to  me?" asked Wolfheart, his eyes burning with anger. "I'm the RiverClan  Deputy!  No one but the other Deputies and Leaders are to treat me like that!" Rainpaw's eyes widened as Wolfheart lunged at him, not really expecting that response. Rainpaw was soon pinned down.

"Wolfheart, no!" Rainpaw heard Thorntail scream. Rainpaw closed his eyes, trying to keep from panicking. That didn't help. Sharpfang hadn't taught him anything about controlling himself, so if Wolfheart scratched his scar, it would all be over. Rainpaw shuddered to think of what would happen.

"Now do you question me?" asked Wolfheart. "Well do you?" Wolfheart then gripped harder, making Rainpaw's air suddenly leak out. He tried gasping for it, unable to hear any of Thorntail's screams. Wolfheart's paws was now on both of his shoulders, and Rainpaw was now trying harder to struggle away.

Then Wolfheart was off of him, and Rainpaw could only just lay still on the ground, breathing hard. Rainpaw then sat up, noticing that Thorntail only then let Wolfheart go.

"What on earth was that for?" asked Wolfheart. "He needed to learn his place!"

"Wolfheart, stop," said Thorntail, breathing hard. "You were just about to make a huge mistake, one that would only end in your death." Rainpaw, listening to the conversation but not quite understanding, just sat with his eyes wide. His breathing was quick and short. He needed to get a hold of himself.

"What do you mean?" asked Wolfheart. "He wasn't even able to move!" Thorntail shook her head then, lowering it after that.

"Yeah well"—Thorntail  sighed—"I can't explain it to you. Just trust me! Rainpaw is different, and you were just about to kill yourself." Rainpaw then seemed to calm down. He forced himself to stand, even though his body was somewhat exhausted.

"Thorntail, can we just go?" asked Rainpaw, turning toward the lake. "Wolfheart obviously disagrees with the plan Ravenstar had, so we better go back and tell him." Thorntail walked up to him, then, and licked his forehead.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Thorntail asked then. "You look horrible."

"I'm fine," Rainpaw snapped before turning around. He then began running, unable to stay. He had almost killed Wolfheart—the Deputy of RiverClan! Why, oh why, was he cursed with such a power?

Rainpaw shook his head, realizing that he was right by the lake. He stopped and noticed that he was breathing hard now. Rainpaw then looked into his reflection, his heart dropping as he looked at his cat body. No matter how many times he remembered the good things of being a cat, he remembered what it was like when Alfie was alive. This life—it was different, too different.

While human, Rainpaw could run in the snow without worrying about crossing the border. While human, Rainpaw could sit in the sun without having to worry about glares or stares. While human, Rainpaw didn't have to worry about someone accidentally scratching his shoulder to protect them from his insanity. Why did he had have to die? Why did he have to become a cat? His life back then, with Alfie and Daniel and his mother, why couldn't it just reappear? Why couldn't he just start over?

"I am a monster," Rainpaw whispered, tears streaming down his face, "I am a killer and a murderer." He then lowered his head, remembering the bad parts of his life. Rainpaw remembered being forced to watch his own brother be beaten and broken, and then killed. Rainpaw remembered having to just scream through the pain that caused his scar. Rainpaw remembered having to live through his brother's death, the many stares and glares that he got when people saw his scar. Rainpaw remembered Daniel, crying over his dying body. Rainpaw remembered the pain he got when he died, the sorrow filled heart.

"I am nothing. . ." Rainpaw whispered then, closing his eyes. "Why? Why was I cursed with life? I'm going no where! When I was human, I did nothing but watch others die and scream for help. Now that I'm a cat all that I do is murder. What was the point of giving me this life? I am worth nothing! I am worthless!"

" Are you really?"

Rainpaw didn't look up as he heard Cheetahfur's voice, unable to look at anyone at the moment. Hatred, sorrow and emptiness was filling his black heart.

" Rainpaw, remember what you came here for." Cheetahfur's voice sounded again, making Rainpaw look up. His eyes was narrowed at her, anger flashing through them.

"There isn't a reason in the world that I'm here!" Rainpaw hissed. "I'm only here because of pity and regret, aren't I? I'm completely worthless! I only bring sadness and sorrow—I'm not good!" It was quiet for a few seconds as Cheetahfur's ghostly figure stood before him, looking disappointed.

" Rainpaw, you are anything but worthless,"  Cheetahfur whispered. "We didn't just give you another life because your other one didn't work well—we gave it to you as hope." Rainpaw looked up, his heart beating quickly.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

" We gave you another life because of a prophecy,"  Cheetahfur explained. "It's difficult to explain, but I can say this: your life fit what the prophecy was looking for, and therefore we changed you so that you could become the prophecy cat."

"I-I'm from a prophecy?" Rainpaw asked. "Is that why my mind changes whenever my scar is scratched or bitten?"

" First of all, no, you aren't the Prophecy cat,"  said Cheetahfur. "You can't be, because in truth, you're human, and no human can be the Prophecy cat. Second of all, that is not why your mind changes. That was our fault, a glitch in your making. I wanted to make you forget the pain and sorrow while you lived this life, so I basically took a part of your soul and split it from the rest of your soul and body.

" Of course it didn't work,"  said Cheetahfur then, lowering her head,  "instead of actually leaving your body like I'd hoped, it hid in the corner of your mind, waiting for a reminder that it exists within your body. Once it does, you're unstoppable. It's like being hit with all of your worst memories at one time. No one but your most trusted can save you."

"So I  am  a monster, huh?" said Rainpaw, lowering his head again.

" No, you aren't!" Cheetahfur growled, obviously offended. "Look, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, that's the main reason I convinced the four leaders to give you the ability to go inside of your mind. Just don't give up. You have a full life ahead of you!"

"But I'm a murderer!" Rainpaw protested. "I've killed seven cats, Cheetahfur. It doesn't mater that they were all evil anyway, I killed them! This life isn't helping me at all—I just want to die again." Cheetahfur then suddenly narrowed her eyes, a blue fire rising in the large eyes of hers. Rainpaw's eyes widened, never seeing a cat so angry.

" Rainpaw, you should think more of yourself!" Cheetahfur scolded. "Have you ever thought of the good things of this life? Have you ever thought of the friends, the families, and the elders you've made friends with? Have you ever thought of the love they've put in you? Do you want to cause them just as much pain as you did Daniel? Do you?"

Rainpaw then remembered the good things about this life. He remembered Ravenstar's welcoming smile, Robinpaw's lovely grin, Shadowpaw's cute face, Sweetkit's promise, and most importantly, Thorntail's lick on the forehead. She. . .she acted like his mother, and he just ran off. Tears began to fill his eyes then as he was unable to control his emotions.

" You will never know how much the four leaders gave up for you,"  Cheetahfur said, continuing with her lecture. " Nobody has talked to me since I granted you life, Rainpaw. Nobody but the four leaders have looked at me with kindness. I gave up so much, and yet you want to throw it all away? Why not learn to love first? Why not prove to them that you can change, that you can protect. Just show them. Do it for us, not for yourself. Erase the black wall of clouds in your heart. Let the memories flood to you, Rainpaw. Forgive yourself, and then forget it. We are constantly at war with the other Clans, and right now you've caused a riot in RiverClan. Just go now, return to your life. Remember, though, that we made you, and that we did it for a reason. Prove to us that we gave you life for a reason!" Cheetahfur then faded into nothing, making Rainpaw sigh. He kept what she said in mind, because that was what mattered.

Rainpaw dipped his head for no apparent reason, and then stood as Thorntail came up behind him. He could smell RiverClan coming near, making his heart beat faster. He kept a brave face on, though, hoping not to worry her.

"RiverClan are coming!" Thorntail exclaimed. "We need to leave—come on!"

"No," said Rainpaw. "We can't leave. We'll just demand to get shown to their leader, and then explain. If we don't, they will tell Ravenstar at the gathering, and to tell you truth, I really want this to be secret." Thorntail, obviously at a loss for words, nodded and then they waited.

It didn't take long for the RiverClan patrol to come, with Wolfheart obviously leading it. However, there was a much older cat that seemed to understand when Rainpaw and Thorntail asked if they could see Bravestar, the RiverClan leader. There was a bit of an argument, but not enough for anyone to notice.

There were a few murmurs from the patrol about how an apprentice and a queen, since Thorntail already seemed to be showing, would be such a threat. Apparently Wolfheart had basically ran off and told his whole Clan that they were trespassing and, from the scent, they had been there every single day for the past two moons. This would make things difficult, of course, but Rainpaw wouldn't back out. Not yet.

Their camp was reeking with RiverClan stench, but it seemed very protected. Rainpaw wasn't surprised that everyone's eyes was glued to his scar, but he was surprised that they weren't giving Thorntail dirty looks. Ignoring that fact for now, Rainpaw then turned his head to a large majestic cat that was no doubt Bravestar, the leader of RiverClan. The patrol separated from Thorntail and Bravestar, then, making Rainpaw stop. He didn't trust any of these cats, so he would not give them a reason to blame him for anything.

"Are you the two trespassers?" Bravestar asked, his bright blue eyes looking into Rainpaw's. Rainpaw nodded, sitting down so that he could show the others that he was not a threat.

"Yes, we are," said Thorntail, lowering her head. Rainpaw looked at her reassuringly, hoping that her confidence would gather soon. She  was  older then him, and therefore she needed to be the one to speak. Thorntail nodded, seeming to understand his words through his eyes. She then looked back to Bravestar.

"Well, is there a reason you were crossing the border?" asked Bravestar, tilting his head to the side. "I mean, it would be easier to hunt on ShadowClan territory, wouldn't it?" Rainpaw growled lowly, narrowing his eyes, but then calmed down.

"We weren't hunting on your territory, Bravestar," Thorntail explained, a little bit more confident now. A few cats disagreed with her statement.

"That's just a lie!" hissed a large and strong looking she-cat. "You just want to save yourself." Rainpaw narrowed his eyes, but did not stand. The last thing he wanted to do right now was fight, especially if they accidentally scratched his scar.

"Stonefur, quiet," Bravestar growled softly. "They have not finished, have you?" Bravestar then looked back to Thorntail.

"We were just trying to get to Silverdew, because of the. . ." Thorntail drifted off then, obviously bad at the whole lying. Rainpaw hissed lowly in frustration, hoping she wouldn't hear. Stonefur, the cat who yelled last time, laughed.

"That sounds like a lie," said Stonefur with a smug smile. "Is it?"

"Leave her alone," Rainpaw growled lowly, narrowing his eyes. "She's just nervous."

"Oh yeah, pipsqueak?" Stonefur hissed. "Who are you? From your description, I'd say you're the loner that ThunderClan picked up." Rainpaw winced as he was called a loner, trying hard to keep his anger down.

"I am Rainpaw of ThunderClan," Rainpaw growled, "I will not fight, unless you attack Thorntail. She's a queen—a moon from her kitting, actually. So I expect you leave her alone."

"She's that far into the pregnancy?" Bravestar asked then. "Why isn't she in the nursery?" Rainpaw, trying hard not to speak for Thorntail, looked over to his mentor and nodded reassuringly. Thorntail nodded a bit in response and then looked back up to Bravestar.

"That's what we're here for," said Thorntail, lowering her head again. "We need a herb from Silverdew, one that Snowdrift doesn't have." Bravestar seemed to believe this, but Stonefur still didn't.

"You aren't even showing the signs!" Stonefur hissed. "You claim you're a moon in, but you haven't changed a bit! Trust me," said Stonefur then, looking to the other cats. "I was a queen once!"

"Oh really? Where are your kits? I feel sorry for them." Rainpaw didn't know why he'd said that—maybe it was because Stonefur called him a loner—and he regretted it from the moment it came out of his mouth. Stonefur glared at him, her eyes filled with rage. He stood up then, unable to resist the temptation to fight the one that called him a loner.

Stonefur attacked, pinning his small body down quickly. Rainpaw thought quickly and kicked his hind legs into her stomach. She screeched, and then gave him an opening. Rainpaw then got on top of her, making sure she couldn't move. She probably could, but she didn't try. Stonefur seemed too shocked that he was able to do that.

"Stonefur!" a dark grey tom screamed. This tom was apprentice looking, and he resembled Stonefur a lot. This was one of Stonefur's kits.

"Mamma!" a black she-cat with white streaks spoke then, a worried look on his face. Rainpaw looked over to the two apprentices, and then back to their mother. He couldn't even scratch Stonefur now.

Rainpaw then stepped off, not looking at Stonefur or Thorntail as he did so. Those kits weren't going to experience what he did. They were going to live on happily with their family, and that was that. Rainpaw seemed happy then-he finally save a life rather than putting it in danger for once.

"You'll regret that decision, kit!" Stonefur suddenly yelled from behind him. Rainpaw had no warning after that. Stonefur had lunged at him, and soon had him pinned down again.

"No—" Rainpaw tried to say, but was interrupted by Stonefur, who was enjoying his struggle.

"Those are my kits, and since you are probably only five moons yourself, I won't kill you." Stonefur explained, a grin forming on her face. "I will, however, have to give you something to remember me by." She then raised her right paw, and from what Rainpaw could tell it was headed straight at his scar.

Rainpaw didn't know what to do. If Stonefur scratched him, he would go berserk and kill her. Oh no, and not just her. The whole Clan would be in danger! It was something he didn't want. He looked to Bravestar with a look that only begged for him to do something. Yell something—do something. He didn't care. He just wanted Stonefur off of him.

Help me, Bravestar! He was thinking. Your Clan will die if she touches my scar!

Then, just as Rainpaw brought up the memory of the rogues that attacked him, he seemed to lock eyes with Bravestar. To Rainpaw, it felt as though something was being taken from his mind and sent across to Bravestar. It was painful, but soon he could tell that Bravestar was seeing something. Rainpaw didn't know what yet, but he had an idea. Bravestar seemed to be watching the memory that Rainpaw seemed to push into his mind.

Rainpaw didn't care how or why it happened, only that it did. Soon, Bravestar seemed to return to the real world, and the memory seemed to then be pushed back into Rainpaw, making him whimper a little bit. Bravestar then looked to Stonefur and stood up with his tail lashing.

"Stonefur—stop!" Bravestar yelled, making Stonefur look up to her leader. "Get off him—he's just a kit!"

"He threatened my family!" Stonefur protested, her paw still raised dangerously close to his scar. "He deserves punishment!"

"Tell me, Stonefur," said Bravestar then, his eyes showing that he was relieved that Stonefur had not scratched him. "Would you sacrifice your Clan just so you could avenge your family?" Stonefur was obviously confused, but then she shook her head. Stonefur then backed off of him, making Rainpaw sigh with relief.

Rainpaw sat up quickly after that, hurrying over to Thorntail. He was breathing quickly, but not as quick as last time. Rainpaw suddenly caught Wolfheart's expression out of the corner of his eye. The RiverClan deputy seemed confused and angry, as if he'd expected something else. Then he looked to Bravestar, who looked horrified at the sight of Rainpaw at the moment. There was a few moments of silence, but of course it didn't last long.

"Rainpaw, Thorntail and Wolfheart," Bravestar called loudly so that the rest of the Clan could hear him. "Please follow me into my den, you have some explaining to do." Rainpaw had been expecting that, but at least he would be able to tell Bravestar the truth now.

It didn't take them long to get to the leaders' den, which, like the other two, were enormously large. Rainpaw laughed silently as he realized that he'd been in every Clans' leaders' den except for ShadowClan. He'd bet anything that no other cat had done that before.

"So is what I saw true, Rainpaw?" Bravestar demanded, his eyes expressing nothing at the moment. Rainpaw had no choice to nod. Suddenly his stomach lurched as he realized that Bravestar would now know what he was: a monster. Bravestar's bright blue eyes flashed with a look of worry, but then the brave leader erased it, making Rainpaw feel more at ease.

"That day was not the first, either," said Rainpaw. "The first time I lost control was when Sharpfang attacked me. The second time was when the Rogues attacked us. With Sharpfang, I never controlled it. Robinpaw, a friend of mine, actually had to make me go to sleep in order for me to sort my mind out. With the rogues I had the lucky shot of being wounded enough to just pass out." Rainpaw lied about the last part, hoping to avoid telling Bravestar and everyone else in this room that StarClan gave him a power to see into his mind.

"How do I know this is true and not just a trick that you're playing on me so that you can go free?" asked Bravestar, narrowing his eyes. Rainpaw simply flicked his tail toward Thorntail.

"She was there—she can tell you anything you want to know." Rainpaw said, smiling a bit. Bravestar then looked to Thorntail.

"Were you there that sunhigh when the rogues attacked?" asked Bravestar. Thorntail nodded, though she was surprised by the answer.

"Were you there when he was scratched?" Bravestar asked then, surprised when Thorntail shook her head.

"I wasn't there when they made his sanity leave," said Thorntail. "However, I was there in the aftermath. There were seven dead bodies—all of them had been killed by Rainpaw. I know because they all had his scent on them."

"They were actually really good at restraining me," said Rainpaw then, just saying his thoughts aloud. "I was surprised. Well, I was surprised  after  I woke up. I was too busy trying to kill them before that." Thorntail glared at him, but he didn't really notice.

"Anyway," Thorntail continued after looking back to Bravestar. "He was still insane when I got back with the rest of the patrol that Ravenstar had sent. His eyes were a dark blue, different from the normal lightning blue, and his scar was glowing." Bravestar nodded, probably recognizing these symptoms from the vision Rainpaw assumed he had. "But then he just looked blankly at the others and I. Like one part of his mind was telling him to attack while the other half was telling him to stop."

"That's true," said Rainpaw. "I'm able to reject it once the enemy is gone, but only if they're far away. If they came anywhere near me I probably would have killed them all." Bravestar nodded.

"Do you want to kill even when your scar is not scratched?" Bravestar asked Rainpaw. "Or is that new for you?"

"I do not kill," Rainpaw answered. "I have seen my brother die in front of me, and  I have nearly experienced death itself, though I didn't ever actually die. I would not wish it on anyone—I would rather protect. I am horrified when I change—I feel like I'm never going to return to my original state. However, in some other ways, I feel relieved. It's like a large burden taken off of my shoulders. It's as if, since I don't have to think about anything or anyone anymore, I'm free to do what I wish. I've never wanted to kill, and I never will. I am still sad about the seven cats that I killed, no matter if they were the enemy or not. They were cats—they deserved to live, and yet I took away that chance." Rainpaw shook his head, then, unable to go any further. Bravestar nodded.

"Well that solves those questions," said Bravestar. "You are not a threat, and so I will not keep you here like I was intending. I won't tell anyone, but in return you and Thorntail must tell me why you have been in our territory. Oh, and the whole truth would be nice." Rainpaw nodded and then took a step back. Now it was Thorntail's turn, not his. He only knew half of the story, and not Wolfheart's. This conversation wasn't for him.

"Bravestar," said Thorntail then, "please don't exile Wolfheart when I explain this—none of what I'm about to tell you his fault." Bravestar nodded, agreeing to her request, and then she continued.

"Wolfheart and I met at my third Gathering, the first Gathering I'd been at since I was a warrior. Wolfheart had congratulated me after introducing himself, and then we just started talking. After the Gathering, I asked him to meet me in his territory at sunhigh. He told me no.

"At the next Gathering, I asked him again. He said no. Then, at the last Gathering, he. . . well. . .before hand, he said no, but then afterword, I convinced him. So, after that, we started seeing each other night after night.

"We promised each other that we'd never have kits, for his sake so that you didn't get mad. However, Wolfheart told Leopardclaw, his mate, about me, admitting that he loved me more." Thorntail then looked to Wolfheart, urging him to tell Bravestar now. Bravestar then looked at Wolfheart, forcing the deputy to talk.

"Leopardclaw seemed to understand, and after mentioning that we could still be friends, she agreed not tell anybody. So that problem was fixed." said Wolfheart.

"Rainpaw, however, seemed to notice that I was acting different, and so he followed me one day." continued Thorntail who looked to Rainpaw.

"I was just interested in where she was going and why she was going there." said Rainpaw "After all, it wasn't like Thorntail to just leave like that. Also, I had been interested as to why she was tired, so it just made sense to follow her. However, after following her to RiverClan, I was actually worried for her. I found out later that they loved each other, so I just lived with it. My mentor could do what she wanted with her life—it wasn't mine."

"When we returned to our territory, the rouges attacked. They ended up killing Snowstorm, a warrior of ThunderClan before. . .well you know what happened." Rainpaw continued.

"After Rainpaw woke," Thorntail went on, "life seemed to go back to normal. Well, almost back to normal. I started feeling weird—like something was moving inside me. I kept eating twice my share of fresh-kill but I didn't really know why. Then Snowdrift saw me and announced that I was having kits.

"I had to tell Ravenstar—I just had to! They were definitely Wolfheart's kits, so I needed his help to decide what to do. After explaining the situation to Ravenstar, Snowdrift called Rainpaw in, since he knew about me and Wolfheart and therefore needed to know that I was having kits.

"Rainpaw then came up with the idea of going to see Wolfheart and telling him. You know, just so that he wouldn't freak out at the next gathering when Ravenstar announced that I was having kits. So we came today, hoping that Wolfheart would respect my decision to keep the kits.

"Well, as we found out today, he didn't. Wolfheart wanted one, but I didn't let him. I was on Ravenstar's orders, so how could I give him one?" Thorntail looked at Rainpaw again.

"And then I kinda provoked Wolfheart," said Rainpaw then. "He attacked me, about to make me go insane again, but then Thorntail was quick enough to push Wolfheart out of the way. That wasn't really the best experience for me, mostly because I'm too scared of myself."

"You're scared of yourself?" asked Thorntail curiously, a little worried for some reason.

"If you killed seven cats in ten heart-beats would you be scared of yourself?" asked Rainpaw as he looked at Thorntail. Her green eyes gave a flash of horror, but then she calmed down. "See? Well, anyway, Sharpfang is going to give me special training. Maybe I'll be able to control it, after that." Bravestar chuckled to himself as Rainpaw finished, making everyone look at him.

"If you do end up learning how to control it," said Bravestar. "RiverClan won't attack ThunderClan, you'll have my word. A dangerous little kit like you? That's bad enough. But controlled and all grown up? I feel sorry for anyone who wants to fight you." Rainpaw smiled a little at this, not really sure if he should be happy, or sad.

"Well, we better be going. . ." said Thorntail then.

Bravestar dipped his head respectivly. "I will see to it that you two are escorted, just in case a few of my. . . loyal  warriors decide to attack. It is very important that you are kept safe—Ravenstar should know." Rainpaw smiled in response and waited for Wolfheart to lead them out.

As Rainpaw had expected, everyone at camp were on their paws as he walked into the clearing. For a few heart-beats, everyone just stared. All of them were looking at Rainpaw of course, but Rainpaw wasn't trying to glare at them at all. He just wanted to see Stonefur and hopefully explain the best he could that he was sorry and why.

"Bravestar has decided to let them go after hearing their story," Wolfheart announced, then. "They did not steal any prey—they did not break any rules of the Warrior Code and therefore are to go home and are not to be harmed, understood?" There were a few murmurs, but then it was quiet. They didn't think Bravestar was doing the right thing, from what Rainpaw heard. He believed it, because if he was in their paws, he'd think the same.

"Good," said Wolfheart then. "Bravestar has ordered me to make an escort patrol for their protection. Those who will be going will be as followed: Whitestream, Cloudpaw, Ashbreeze and Softwillow. Escort them to ThunderClan territory, but that is it. We don't want to stir up any trouble, do we?" The cats he had called walked up to them soon enough, and then they were off.

Rainpaw didn't really pay attention to where he was going, not when he had so much on his mind. First he thought of his talk with Bravestar and if telling him was the only thing he could do. And what if Bravestar told the rest of the Clans what he, Rainpaw, a small under-age looking loner who was nine moons old and a complete disaster, could do? What would happen then?

However, after thinking of this, Rainpaw remembered the good things. Bravestar would now think twice before attacking ThunderClan, and also be cautious of making any ThunderClan cat angry or hostile. It wasn't all bad, but still it was stressful knowing that Bravestar knew about him.

"Hi!"

Rainpaw jumped to the side as he heard that. After being lost in thought for so long, he hadn't expected the loud, high-pitched greeting that he'd just gotten by the small black and white apprentice. This was Stonefur's daughter, if he remembered right, so why would she be talking to him? Clan cats were weird like that.

"Um, hi." said Rainpaw back. The kit's name was obviously Cloudpaw, because Wolfheart had only counted one apprentice and this was the only apprentice looking cat in the patrol. The name suited her—after all, the streaks on her flanks looked like a few of those weird straight, long looking clouds that sometimes tried to cover up the moon at night.

"I'm Cloudpaw!" said the jumpy black-and-white she-cat. "What's your name? I missed it before." Rainpaw tried to stay as calm looking as possible, though he didn't feel it. His ears hurt from the loudness coming from Cloudpaw, but it wasn't like he could tell her that. She was being way too nice.

"I'm Rainpaw," he said calmly. "I thought you were Stonefur's daughter." Cloudpaw bobbed her head repetitively for a few seconds before replying.

"Yeah, I am." Cloudpaw put simply. Then she tilted her head to the side with a curious glint in her eye. "Why?" she asked, making him sigh.

"Well, since I provoked your mother to attack me, I sort of thought that you would hate me." Rainpaw explained, an awkward tone coming from him. Cloudpaw laughed, letting him take a turn at being curious.

"I wouldn't hate you just because of  that  silly!" Cloudpaw explained. "Swiftpaw, my brother, might hate you, but I'm perfectly fine! Mamma can be a little protective over us sometimes because of—well..." Cloudpaw lowered her head then.

"What happened?" Rainpaw asked, realizing the horror and grief that was flowing through Cloudpaw's eyes. Cloudpaw looked up to him slowly, her eyes meeting his after a few moments. Her bright green eyes were comforting in a way. It looked to be the same expression he found himself wearing when he first looked into the mirror after finally grabbing a hold of himself when he was a human after Alfie died. It was as if he was relieved to find someone that felt the same way—sad, depressed, and guilty. How could she, only around nine moons old, feel the same way? She only had nine moons— months— and yet he had nine years to experience something like that! What possible could have made her feel that way?

Then it happened again, but it was different. Instead of sending a memory over to her like he'd done Bravestar,  Cloudpaw  sent a memory to  him! One moment, he was standing their looking into her beautiful green eyes, and then next he was looking  through  them as she watched a black tom battle another tom. From what Rainpaw could see, Cloudpaw was in the nursery and therefore still only a kit. Beside her was the dark tom that Rainpaw assumed was Swiftpaw.

Then, as Cloudpaw started paying more attention to the black tom, Rainpaw noticed that their mother, Stonefur, was also near, comforting the two helpless, scared kits. Rainpaw knew what was going to happen, even as Cloudpaw screamed 'Shadowstrike', the name of the black tom.

As Shadowstrike fought, Rainpaw could tell that the tom was at a disadvantage. Then, just as Shadowstrike seemed to be catching onto the other tom's moves, he was killed by another cat. The cat that killed Shadowstrike was faintly familiar to Rainpaw, but it rushed out of his mind quickly. Cloudpaw's memory then shot out of his mind after making what seemed to be a copy and leaving it with Rainpaw.

". . .I don't remember what happened after father died—it just happened so fast. . ." Cloudpaw was saying, though Rainpaw's sudden gasp made her stop. She looked up to him with a confused look on her face as Rainpaw tried to regain his footing. Receiving a memory like that forced a lot out of Rainpaw, one of those being his breath.

"Rainpaw?" asked Cloudpaw then. "Are you okay?" Rainpaw nodded through breaths, trying to get himself breathing like a normal human— cat— again. His head was aching a bit, as if the whole experience had really irritated it.

"I'm. . .fine. . ." Rainpaw lied between breaths. "That story just left me breathless." Cloudpaw seemed to buy it, but it still bothered Rainpaw that she was so happy, even after explaining the story. So, because of that, he tried something else.

"Just so you know, Cloudpaw," said Rainpaw, getting the small apprentice's attention, "I've gone through the same thing." Cloudpaw was excited a bit at this, curious as to what she was interested about.

"Really?" she asked in her usual high voice. Rainpaw nodded.

"Really." Rainpaw answered. "Except it was my brother who was killed. It's how I got the scar, by the way." Cloudpaw then looked at the star-shaped scar on his shoulder, her eyes widening in wonder.

"Wow," she murmured. "I wish I could control my emotions like you could! You're so good at it!" Rainpaw smiled, realized that ThunderClan territory was near by, and then quickly replied.

"I'm not anything special, Cloudpaw," Rainpaw said simply. "It's actually good to show your emotions to others sometimes. You know, so they can comfort you. I envy you on that, mostly because it's a flaw of mine to hide everything from everyone." Cloudpaw giggled, obviously a bit bashful underneath.

"You really think so?" Cloudpaw asked.

Rainpaw nodded. "Trust me, Cloudpaw. Showing your emotions helps in life, especially with a death like that one. Well, I gotta go. See ya later!" And with that, he bounded off to go with Thorntail back to camp.

As he heard Cloudpaw's farewell, Rainpaw couldn't help but feel at ease. She knew what he'd gone through, and same with him. They understood each other, which was something Rainpaw didn't really get often. It was just. . .normal between them. Just so wonderful!

Chapter 7
Rainpaw lunged forward, his claws sheathed as he tried to fight against his mentor. Sharpfang was fast, but Rainpaw was turning into a speedy midget that actually took advantage of his small body instead of trying to be just like everyone else.

Sharpfang had a proud grin on his face as his apprentice continued to train, but Rainpaw had no idea why. It was as if his plan to get Rainpaw's insanity under control was working, which it wasn't. No matter how many times the scar was scratched and he rejected himself back into his mind, Rainpaw was still just as much of a killer as the time before. It had already been two weeks since his visit to RiverClan, and still the whole 'special training' wasn't working, meaning that he was coming back to camp with the same wounds on his shoulder for nothing.

"Good, Rainpaw," said Sharpfang then. "Now, let's try this again and see if we make any progress. If not, we'll just call it a day, okay?" Rainpaw nodded, his rapid breathing catching onto the icy cold snow on the ground.

Leaf-bare was only barely beginning, but it seemed too slow. Snowdrift had hoped that Thorntail would have the kits after leaf-bare, but she was already so swollen that Rainpaw couldn't understand why his previous mentor hadn't exploded. The kitting was soon to come, and with leaf-bare moving as slowly as it did, there was no doubt that she'd have them during the dead of winter.

As Sharpfang walked up to him, he held his breath. Rainpaw knew what was next, and he didn't like it. Sharpfang swiftly gave his scar a small scratch, and then it began. Like the other thousands of times that Rainpaw's scar had been scratched, he immediately lunged at Sharpfang.

Sharpfang was ready for this, and quickly dodged to the side before Rainpaw was able to catch him. Rainpaw's small body was agile, though, and turned quickly back toward Sharpfang. His mentor, however, was anticipating this move as well. Sharpfang gave a quick dodge to the left and then quickly lunged forward toward Rainpaw. Rainpaw used his small body to get underneath Sharpfang, and then he pushed himself from the ground and into Sharpfang's stomach. His mentor gave a small yowl, and then fell to the ground. Rainpaw was proud that Sharpfang hadn't expected the move, but he didn't stop to gloat about it. His mind was focused on killing.

Rainpaw turned and pinned his mentor down, his dark blue eyes narrowing with anger on his prey. His claws were unsheathed now, and they were digging into Sharpfang's skin. His lips were drawn back, showing his long fangs to his mentor. Rainpaw laughed a laugh that he hoped never to hear ever again. Even though his mind was focused on killing, there was a still small voice in the back of his mind telling him not to do anything.

Suddenly Rainpaw felt teeth in his scruff. Jayflight—the  volunteer  helper—was doing his job and pulling him off of Sharpfang before he got killed. Rainpaw's body was struggling, but his mind was not. It was relieved, happy that he was being saved.

It wasn't long before Jayflight got him off of Sharpfang and then got his body to give up. Soon Rainpaw was engulfed into shadows, and then quickly woken up again. Rainpaw's body was shaking as he stood but he didn't care. He didn't want to do this anymore—he wanted to just simply leave his scar be.

"Where are you going, Rainpaw?" asked Sharpfang curiously behind him as he tried to leave. Rainpaw sighed.

"I'm going back to camp," Rainpaw meowed, "this is getting us nowhere." With that, he left and headed for camp. Well, at least he hoped it was for camp. Truthfully, he had no idea where he was going.

Rainpaw's mind was buzzing. Even though he'd just said to Sharpfang that the special training had gotten him no where, it was a lie. Something  was  happening, but he couldn't tell his new mentor about it.

His mind was changing. He was no longer feeling such an urge to kill, though he still wanted to. It just wasn't as demanding. That part of his mind was dulling and at the moment Rainpaw didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Rainpaw's nose suddenly caught something unfamiliar. It wasn't prey—it was a cat. However, this cat wasn't one he'd met before and it wasn't one from ThunderClan. His senses then grew alert, and even more so as many more unfamiliar scents showed up.

Then one was familiar, one that he'd only met once before.

Rainpaw hissed in anger, though he didn't move. His mind was arguing with him. He knew he should go back and warn his Clan that there was an attack, but his anger was urging him to lunge forward and kill that cat in front. The one who'd forced him to not only remember, but to frighten those he loved.

Then, as he saw the cat's shadows reach him, Rainpaw turned and ran toward camp. He could hear the yowls of the rogues behind him, making him go a bit slower than he should, but he kept going. Rainpaw thought of it as protecting his family, and that was all that was making him go forward.

As he reached camp he could hear the other cat's gaining on him. Rainpaw hissed in frustration and then pushed through the thorn barrier, trying to be loud as he did so. Rainpaw then looked to the cats looking at him, narrowing his eyes with anger.

"The rogues are attacking!" Rainpaw called. "They're coming!"

The Clan then went into complete and utter chaos. The queens rushed to get their kits into the nursery, Snowdrift ran into his den while carrying a few herbs, Ravenstar came out of his den and got down from the Highrock, and Jayflight was barking out orders as if he were leader. Rainpaw just turned around and glared at the thorn barrier, waiting for his prey to arrive.

Then they came.

Rainpaw's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. There were too many of them—probably twice as many as ThunderClan. They were pouring into camp, each of them finding a battle partner easily. Rainpaw lost track of his enemy, but then found him. This was his fight.

Rainpaw sprinted forward, dodging the battles as if they were rocks. He only had eyes for the tom these cats called Master, and he wasn't going to fight anyone else. Rainpaw then lunged at the tom, his teeth bared and ready for a fight. The tom turned before Rainpaw could surprise him, and then quickly dodged the attack.

Rainpaw rolled a few tail-lengths before finding his paws and standing up. He growled and lashed his tail at the tom, hoping to provoke him.

"Ah, it's you again," growled the tom. "I'm so happy to finally see you. After all, we haven't really had an equal fight, now have we?" Rainpaw hissed.

"This is a battle, not a picnic," Rainpaw yowled, "hurry up and fight like a real tom."

"Ah, but you see, there is a tradition I have stood by," said the tom, also lashing his tail, "I want to know the name of the cat I kill so that I can tell the story to others more easily. Don't you agree?"

"I'm just here to kill you," growled Rainpaw, "I don't care about your stupid traditions."

"You won't get a full fight out of me until you tell me your name," the tom teased. "Oh, and did I mention that I'll have to tell you my name? I think that's something you'd wish to know." Rainpaw stopped hissing then. He actually  did  want to know the name of the cat that he was fighting with.

"I'm Rainpaw, apprentice of ThunderClan," Rainpaw muttered. "I started out as a loner and I know a few things about Twolegs."

"You know about  humans, eh?" asked the tom curiously. "Well that's interesting. . ." Rainpaw forced himself not to gasp. How did this cat know about humans?! He banished the thought from his mind.

"Keep to your part of the deal!" Rainpaw hissed. "Tell me your name! Or will I have to beat it out of you?"

"My name is The Mountain's Shadow, and I was a fighter for The Cats of the Storms." The tom explained. "You can just call me Shadow if you wish." Rainpaw tilted his head.

"You  were  a fighter for them?" asked Rainpaw. "What on earth does that mean?" Shadow didn't answer. Instead he lunged toward Rainpaw.

Rainpaw hissed with frustration before dodging and then attacking. He lunged forward, his eyes narrowed on his enemy, and then bit down hard on Shadow's scruff. Shadow didn't flinch.

Shadow easily threw him off then, an evil grin across the black cat's face. He laughed an evil laugh before slashing his long white claws across Rainpaw's chest. Shadow then bit down on Rainpaw's neck, creating a nasty wound that was far from Rainpaw's scar.

Rainpaw kicked Shadow with his hind legs, forcing the big tom off him. Shadow stepped off, but then attacked again. Rainpaw was pinned down again, and this time it seemed almost impossible to move. Shadow's claws unsheathed into Rainpaw's skin then, making the young apprentice yowl in pain. Shadow continued to laugh.

Everything went into slow motion. Rainpaw watched in horror as Shadow slowly came toward his neck again, this time trying to actually kill him. There was no way Rainpaw could move and he was in too much pain to scream for help. He just watched, absently accepting his death.

But isn't this what I wanted? Rainpaw thought. Isn't this what I wanted to happen from the beginning? I wanted to die and join my brother in the afterlife. I wanted to just be alone. Isn't this what I wanted? The thing was, however, he didn't want it. Though his body had already given up, there was a part of his mind that wanted him to struggle. Rainpaw knew what he wanted.

Rainpaw had made many friends and had been treated like family. Rainpaw had been protected and knew a very complicating secret that no one else knew. Rainpaw wanted to see Thorntail have her kits. Rainpaw wanted to see Flamepaw and Amberpaw become Warriors. Rainpaw wanted to become a Warrior. Himself. Rainpaw wanted a mate and he wanted kits. He wanted to  live.

StarClan was right. This life had changed his mind. A lot.

Suddenly Shadow's weight had been taken off him. Rainpaw had only caught a flash of ginger fur before he was free. When he sat up, however, he realised that Flamepaw had pulled Shadow off him. Rainpaw stood up then, a little angry at Flamepaw.

"I don't need your help, Flamepaw!" Rainpaw hissed. "Let me fight him!"

"No, I will not!" Flamepaw growled back at him. "You are still too small to be fighting a cat like this! Besides, what would happen if he scratched your scar?" Rainpaw growled.

"I had that part under control!" Rainpaw objected.

"Just go fight someone smaller—I'll deal with him," growled Flamepaw. "I'm older and stronger."

"But—"

"Rainpaw!" screeched a familiar voice. "Rainpaw, help me!" Rainpaw turned around and gasped in shock. Sweetkit was in the clearing, shivering with fear. She had called him to help, and now he could see why. A grey tom was inching toward her with the look of a killer on his face.

Rainpaw yowled with fury before darting off toward Sweetkit, remembering her promise. She'd made him her brother, and therefore he had better start acting like one. Rainpaw wasn't going to let down another one of his siblings.

Rainpaw then lunged at her attacker, lashing his tail and unsheathing his claws. The grey tom grinned wider at the sign of a better fight, but then dodged Rainpaw's attack. Rainpaw rolled again, but this time he did not make it to his paws. The grey tom pinned him easily, and now he knew that this fight wasn't going to be a picnic, like he'd hoped.

The grey tom raked his claws down Rainpaw's stomach, feeling the need to inflict even more pain on a dying cat. Rainpaw yowled in pain, hoping that the grey cat would give some sort of opening soon. The grey tom then screeched in triumph, as if to brag to the other cats. Rainpaw just hoped the tom wouldn't go anywhere near his scar.

The grey tom then bit into his right shoulder, the shoulder without a scar. Now the tom was trying to kill him, though it didn't seem to be going well. Rainpaw yowled again, and then gave a little whimper. This was the first time in a long time that he felt like a child.

"Aren't you afraid, kit?" growled the tom. "You're going to die! I need to see you trembling!" The grey tom then raked his claws down Rainpaw's flank, making a large gash that stung against the snow that covered the ground.

"I am not scared, if that's what you want. . ." Rainpaw muttered.

"Ha!" laughed the grey tom. "Yeah right! You're shivering already and soon you'll have no strength to control your emotions. Say good-bye to the world, kit. We ain't gonna miss ya!" Rainpaw's heart was beating quickly, but he knew what to do.

Rainpaw scooped up the snow with his left paw and then flung what he could at the grey tom's eyes. The tom was momentarily blinded, giving Rainpaw just the opening he needed to roll out of the grey tom's grip.

Rainpaw took in as much icy breath as he could while the grey tom recovered from the snow in his eyes. Then, just as Rainpaw got enough air, he lunged at the tom. Since the tom hadn't been expecting this, Rainpaw had pinned him down easily. Then before the grey tom could recover from the attack, Rainpaw bit down on his throat, hoping that the grey tom would give up soon.

Rainpaw felt the grey tom's heart beat slow down and so he stopped. He didn't want to kill, not until he knew that he absolutely had to. So Rainpaw looked at the grey tom with expressionless eyes.

"I told you I'm not afraid," Rainpaw mewed. "I know death – I've seen it, and I am not afraid."

"W-what are you?" asked the grey tom, fear flashing through his eyes. I must look like a monster right now if this Rogue is frightened,  Rainpaw thought.

"Nothing special," Rainpaw replied. "Just a human that was turned into a cat." The grey tom then snapped at Rainpaw's neck, though it wasn't really worth it.

"You aren't going to give up, are you?" asked Rainpaw, keeping his tight grip on the grey tom.

"Of course not!" the grey tom snapped. "I was trained to kill or be killed! I will not abandon my training!" Rainpaw then looked into the tom's eyes harder, finding nothing but anger and a little bit of fear.

He had looked too long.

The grey tom slipped from underneath him and then attacked Rainpaw. Rainpaw evaded the attack with difficulty, but didn't let his eyes move from the grey tom for one second. The grey tom attacked again, and Rainpaw dodged, but made it close on purpose. While only two inches from the grey tom, Rainpaw slit his throat, and then watched as the grey body fell to the ground.

Rainpaw looked at the body and then at the crimson stained snow. Was that who he was? Was he pure as snow until he saw blood? He'd seen so much of it in his life, and now right in front of him was a cat he killed on purpose, a cat he killed without any excuse.

"Rainpaw!" called the familiar voice of Robinpaw. Rainpaw didn't look at her as he heard her walk up to him. He just looked at the body, letting it sink in. His paws were stained with blood but why? He didn't know. He wanted to know.

"Rainpaw," said Robinpaw as she came up to him. "I saw the fight. Sweetkit's fine, but she's—" Robinpaw then gasped, probably noticing the body in front of him. It was quiet for a few moments before Robinpaw moved.

"R-Rainpaw?" she asked in a low whisper. "A-are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rainpaw murmured. "Well, I'm not insane or anything, anyway." Robinpaw nudged him, getting his attention. He then looked to her, and then warmed up when he looked into her jade green eyes.

"You look horrible," Robinpaw stated, licking a bit of blood that was about to drip into Rainpaw's eye. "Are you sure you don't want to go see Snowdrift?" Rainpaw then realized that the battle with the rogues was over, making him shake his head a bit to get back to reality.

He looked around then, daring himself to find out what had happened. There was blood everywhere but there were few dead bodies. None of the dead bodies seemed to be ThunderClan cats, and the wounded all seemed to be healthy enough to walk over to Snowdrift, who seemed busier than Rainpaw had ever seen him.

"Snowdrift seems busy enough," said Rainpaw. "I'll live." Robinpaw licked him before running off to see her mentor, which was actually a good thing. Moments later he was called to the medicine den by none other than Thorntail.

Rainpaw ran as fast as he could to the den, quickly rushing past Snowdrift, who was outside the den, and then over to Thorntail. When Rainpaw saw her he was shocked. She had many wounds on her and her swollen belly had a large scratch on it.

"Thorntail!" Rainpaw said. "You're not supposed to fight when you're expecting kits—just look what happened!" Thorntail's head went low to the ground, looking very ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Rainpaw, but I had to," explained Thorntail. "Sweetkit was in danger!"

"I took care of the danger," Rainpaw pointed out. "Besides, leave the protecting to us Warriors. You're already taking care of who knows how many kits within you. How do you think I would feel if you died?" Thorntail's head went lower, but then she sighed.

"It doesn't matter," said Thorntail. "I'm too weak—how can I kit in this condition?"

"Just pray to StarClan that you'll kit late," said Rainpaw. "Then you'll have enough energy." Thorntail rolled her eyes, but then suddenly widened them. She looked absently at the ground as if something was happening within her.

"Rainpaw!" Thorntail gasped. "Get Snowdrift! Now!" Rainpaw's heart raced as he darted out of the den to go get Snowdrift, hearing the whimpers of his previous mentor.

"Snowdrift!" Rainpaw yelled as he finally got to the medicine cat. "It's Thorntail—I don't know what's happening! She just called for you all of a sudden and—" Rainpaw didn't say anymore. Snowdrift was already on his way into the medicine den.

Rainpaw followed, trying to see what was going on. Thorntail was breathing rapidly by the time he got there, and now he had a hint of what was going on but wasn't sure.

"Thorntail, just breath," Snowdrift told her. "Just breath in and out, there's no reason to be tense."

"It hurts!" Thorntail exclaimed. "The gash on my belly—it hurts!"

"This won't be an easy kitting, Thorntail," warned Snowdrift, "but you'll have to go on with it if you want to live. Now just breath." Snowdrift then looked to him.

"Rainpaw, I'm going to have to trust you with her," Snowdrift explained. "I got many other cats out there waiting for me to heal them and this kitting could take a long time. I need to see to them first." Rainpaw's eyes widened.

"But I'm no medicine cat!" Rainpaw objected. "I don't know what to do!"

"Just keep her calm until the kits arrive," Snowdrift explained. "When the kits are out just make sure that they're breathing and then give them to her. Thorntail will know what to do."

"But what about her wounds!" Rainpaw pointed out.

"I have a few leaves of marigold and a some horsetail in the stocks," said Snowdrift. "I'm sure you can scent them out. Just chew up the marigold leaves and let the juice go onto her wounds. Then get some cobwebs to stop the bleeding—it's not that hard."

"But—"

"Rainpaw, you have to do this," said Snowdrift, "for Thorntail." Rainpaw opened his mouth but then closed it. Snowdrift was right—he needed to do this for his mentor.

Snowdrift noticed that he understood and then left with a nod, quickly returning to his duty. Rainpaw turned back to Thorntail and smiled weakly at her.

"Guess I'm stuck with you now," Rainpaw muttered. "I hope I don't mess anything up." Thorntail smiled back, but Rainpaw could tell she was in pain. She didn't reply, but that was okay. He knew what to do now.

Thorntail screeched a few times in the thirty minutes they were waiting. Snowdrift kept coming in to check on her before grabbing some herbs and returning to the other cats. From the conversation outside, Snowdrift had apparently forbidden anyone to go into the medicine den until Thorntail's kitting was over.

Then it started.

Thorntail began pushing, making Rainpaw grow more alert. He watched for the kits, hoping that they'd be out soon. He hated seeing Thorntail in so much pain. It wasn't long before he heard a little high-pitched squeal.

Rainpaw took the kit, then, and started licking it. The kit squealed and struggled, trying to get away from his grip. After hearing the kit's heart-beat he shoved it over toward Thorntail, who let it suckle at her belly while she pushed some more.

Another kit then came, this one's white coat easy to spot against Thorntail's long black fur. Rainpaw licked this one like he did the other, and soon gave it to Thorntail.

The last kit took a little longer than the first and second. It seemed to get stuck, but was then out in no time. Thorntail collapsed to the floor after the final kit was out, breathing loudly. Rainpaw ignored that for now as he licked the third kit, which was about half the size of the other two kits. After the kit squealed a few times Rainpaw let it go to Thorntail, breathing rapidly.

It was then that Snowdrift walked in, seeming to be relieved that Thorntail didn't look that bad. Rainpaw stepped back as Snowdrift examined the exhausted queen. However, when Snowdrift started to frown, Rainpaw's heart once again began to race.

"What's wrong?" Rainpaw asked, a worried look on his face. Snowdrift waited a few moments before looking to Rainpaw.

"She's too weak, Rainpaw," Snowdrift explained. "She won't be able to feed the kits. She'll die if she's forced to, but I don't know how to fix that. . ."

"Couldn't we give them to any of the other Queens?" asked Rainpaw.

"No!" Thorntail gasped. "I don't want these kits to be raised by just anyone. Besides, their rightful place is with their father, so they should be his. If I can't have them, he should."

"But he's in RiverClan!" Rainpaw pointed out. "How on earth could we get these kits over there?"

"I don't know, but you'll have to," said Thorntail, "they need to know their father. Do it for me." Rainpaw sighed then, realizing that he was giving up all to easily. He didn't care. If this was what Thorntail wanted, then so be it.

"Alright," said Rainpaw, "I'll see what I can do. Carrying three kits is going to be tough, but I'll do it, if that is what you want, Thorntail. Besides, it shouldn't be that difficult. Bravestar and Wolfheart both know about the kits, so it should be easy."

"Thank you," said Thorntail, her eyes filled with relief. "Thank you, Rainpaw, thank you!"

"No problem," said Rainpaw before turning to Snowdrift. "Is there any way out of this den besides the entrance? I don't think Ravenstar would respect my decision to go out into a blizzard with three kits on my way to RiverClan." Snowdrift chuckled before flicking his tail toward a small dark tunnel near the stock of herbs.

"I use it all the time to get outside," said Snowdrift. "It'll lead you right outside the camp." Rainpaw smiled.

"Thanks," said Rainpaw before carefully picking up the three kits.

As Rainpaw walked into the tunnel, he called himself crazy. This plan wouldn't work and he knew it. He'd die before he even got to ShadowClan territory. It was a fact. Not only was he seriously wounded from the battle, he was going into a blizzard that didn't look like it was going to stop soon. Then there was the fact that RiverClan was so far away. He was doomed. However, Rainpaw was not going to give up. Not when Thorntail was counting on him. They were her kits and he needed to protect them, no matter how crazy he seemed to be while he did it.

Chapter 8
Rainpaw dragged his feet through the snow as he carried the three kits. The icy wind blew toward him, making him have to look at the ground to go on. Rainpaw's wounds had stopped bleeding because the air around him had basically frozen the blood so that it couldn't ooze out. He was still in pain, though, and it was slowing him down.

The kits were fine, though the golden brown one kept trying to get out of Rainpaw's grip. The white one was rather still and the black one moved a bit but only every few seconds. They seemed too tired from shivering to struggle too much, which was somewhat a good thing.

Rainpaw's mind was racing—no matter how he thought he could get out of this, he was proven wrong. These kits meant the world to him at the moment, so of course he wasn't going to give up on getting the kits to RiverClan. He couldn't stop in ShadowClan, they'd think he was a rogue trying to steal kits and send him out if not kill him first and keep the kits for themselves— well, Robinpaw had told him that had happened when Brokenstar was leader, whoever that was.

He was running out of options, and he could tell that the kits were getting colder than he was. Rainpaw knew this was bad because he'd actually been to a vet camp when he was younger and still human. Rainpaw knew from that camp that hour old predator animals had to be kept safe and warm by their mother to get stronger because they couldn't see or hear—their nose was the only thing they used.

The kits started squealing then, crying for their mother's warm milk. Rainpaw sighed but then lied down in the cold snow and curled his body around them to warm them up. They immediately quieted down as he started giving them his body heat, making him smile. Rainpaw wasn't doing anything really helpful at the moment, but at least he was warming up the kits so that they could live a bit longer.

After about fifteen minutes Rainpaw gathered the kits scruffs into his mouth and painfully stood up. His legs were numb but he didn't care much. Rainpaw just focused on moving forward.

Rainpaw's body was slowing down and it was probably because of the blizzard that just kept getting worse. The snow was piling up as the wind blew the snow toward him, and he could tell that it was not going to stop soon.

Instead of thinking of the snow and the pain, Rainpaw decided to change the subject. He started thinking of back when he was human, when things were normal. Rainpaw tried to find things he missed, but the only things he missed at all were Daniel and Alfie. His mother was never there and neither was his father, add in the fact that everyone thought he was a creepy tattoo freak and you could basically say that he hated his old life now, and that he never wanted to go back.

Yes indeed. Rainpaw knew he would never miss the human Holiday's such as Halloween or Christmas. He wouldn't miss the rush through life or the glares and whispers. He wouldn't miss his over-worked father or his unproductive mother. He wouldn't miss the shadows that he lived in to keep everyone else away—he wouldn't. This life was better, much better, and he seemed to have finally accepted it.

Rainpaw's ears grew alert as he realized he was now by the lake entering ShadowClan territory. He made sure to stay in the two tail-length span that ShadowClan couldn't claim as their territory. He knew it was already moonhigh but still. If ShadowClan knew that he was hauling kits over to RiverClan, he'd never be let go. They'd tell everyone and then the kits would be known as half-Clan kits that is, if they even lived.

Rainpaw shook his head before focusing on the road ahead. The slight hum of the snow was making him very tired, and all he wanted to do was lie down. He didn't even notice when he collapsed, only that he was suddenly clouded with darkness.

¤¤¤

"Who is he?" asked an unfamiliar voice then.

"He reeks of ThunderClan!" yowled another cat.

"Yeah, but there's something weird about him. . ." murmured a young she-cat.

"He shouldn't sleep in the snow like this," growled a much older cat. "Especially with this blizzard still going on. He must have been exiled to be as crazy as this."

Rainpaw's eyes flickered open as he woke, realizing that the cats talking about him were ShadowClan cats. He shook his head a bit as he stood up, guarding the kits from view of the other cats. He stared at the ShadowClan cats hard before narrowing his eyes and giving a low growl.

The cats stared, all of them looking a little worried and a little curious. Rainpaw glared back, though with his muscles screaming at him he couldn't really do anything.

"Excuse me," said the largest tom. He was a dark brown with intense yellow eyes. "But why exactly aren't you in ThunderClan territory?" Rainpaw didn't reply. He just stared back, his light blue eyes drooping. His body was still tired, but he couldn't fall asleep again. It was already dawn and his wounds weren't in the best shape.

A squeal from one of the kits told him to get a move on. The two she-cats of the group gasped as the heard the kits, and watched with shock as Rainpaw let them see the kits.

"What are you doing with kits in this weather?" demanded the younger white she-cat. "They're cold!"

Rainpaw sighed, feeling it was probably best to answer her. So he picked up the kits by their scruffs and then started to walk away. The patrol caught up to him of course and the younger she-cat got in front of him as if she were trying to stop him.

"You're taking them to RiverClan?" asked the young she-cat. Rainpaw nodded. "But why?" Rainpaw sighed, then let the kits down to answer her.

"Their mother demanded it of me," said Rainpaw. His throat was dry and sore when he spoke, and his voice sounded as if he'd been dead for moons. "Their mother is a great friend to me, and if this is what she wants I need to do it."

"These kits will never make it!" the she-cat stated. She then examined Rainpaw a bit. "You'll never make it!"

"I don't care what happens to me," said Rainpaw simply. "It's the kits that I care about. They need to get to RiverClan, and that's where they'll end up, even if I have to die first." The young she-cat's eyes widened before she was pushed away by the largest tom.

"Why not take them to ShadowClan?" asked the tom. "At least let us heal you and get the kits healthy enough to travel." Rainpaw paused, considering it, but then shook his head.

"I can't," Rainpaw replied. "I can't wait any longer, my Clan will get worried, and I  won't  let your medicine cat give me herbs that are rightfully yours. I just need to hurry, and maybe if I do I'll make it to RiverClan before moonhigh."

"Our medicine cat has plenty of herbs," growled the largest tom. "And you need them. Just come back with us and we'll take care of the kits." Rainpaw narrowed his eyes then, noticing that his tail was lashing furiously.

"No," Rainpaw said firmly before turning toward the kits. "I must get to RiverClan without any help—it is what I've vowed to do. It's only honourable that I carry out the vow that I made with my friend."

"Honourable, eh?" growled the largest tom. "Would it be honourable if you died? Would it be honourable if you failed? Would it be honourable if these kits died? Would it?"

"No," Rainpaw hissed through clenched teeth. Anger and fear were rising, and with his back to the tom he was happy that he had self-control.

"Then why do it?" asked the tom. "I don't see any chance that you would live through this, and the kits are extremely hungry. Do you even know if RiverClan will accept these kits? They're from ThunderClan for StarClan's sake!"

Rainpaw snapped.

Rainpaw turned his small body quickly and then lunged at the tom, claws unsheathed. The tom hadn't been expecting this, and therefore Rainpaw pinned him down easily.

"I've failed before, mouse-brain," Rainpaw hissed, trying hard not to let his anger loose. "I know how it feels. I know I have a good chance of dying and I know that this is suicide. However, with the life that I have left, I want to make someone happy and I want to make them feel relieved rather than make them feel hurt and angry. I'm cursed with a star-shaped scar to remember, and trust me you do not want to know what I do when the memories return. I'm doing what I can with my life of broken glass shards, so go lecture to someone else about how dishonourable it is to die doing something stupid like saving lives." Rainpaw was then shivering with anger, but he was keeping it down well enough. He then slowly stepped off of the tom and looked at the kits at his feet.

It was silent. The three other cats—two she-cats and an apprentice looking tom—were quiet with fear in their eyes while the largest tom that was on the ground didn't want to move.

"Just keep in mind that I've killed, and that if you give me a reason, I will do it again." Rainpaw then picked up the kits and headed back over to RiverClan, leaving the frightened patrol behind.

¤¤¤

Rainpaw had actually made it to RiverClan territory without dying, surprisingly enough. The kits had made him stop a few times but it was dusk and he was already there. Rainpaw was proud, though he really couldn't show it. His wounds had opened again once it got warmer, and his muscles weren't in the best shape.

Rainpaw hadn't had any patrols meet him, which was actually disappointing. However, he was still glad that he was near RiverClan. After sleeping he'd been refreshed and therefore was able to make it to the territory without any danger.

Then Rainpaw heard a yowl of agony and pain. His head turned directly toward the noise and he waited for another scream to prove he wasn't imagining it. When he got the proof by a yowl of anger and rage, he darted forward as fast as he could with the kits in his mouth.

When Rainpaw finally knew what was happening he froze. A deep red fox was fighting off three full Warriors and one small apprentice, though they didn't seem to be doing that well. Blood stained the snow below them, and most of it was cat blood.

One of the kits squealed, alerting the fox and the other Warriors of his arrival. The fox seemed to light up at the chance to be free, and then it licked its lips as it realised the meal standing dumbfounded in front of him.

The fox lunged forward for Rainpaw, though he'd already began running. The kits only gave him so much speed, and the fox seemed very fast. Why did everything have to go wrong? He was so close to RiverClan territory!

The fox lunged again, and Rainpaw had to leap to the left to dodge the attack. He kept trying to weave through trees and jerk to the side to get the fox to give up, but this one wouldn't. Its heart was locked on its prey.

Rainpaw then ran into a den, his heart beating quicker than it ever had. Running into a den wasn't the smartest idea ever, however. It was probably the dumbest. When he was in the den he realised that there weren't any openings. He was trapped.

Rainpaw thought quickly and set the kits down in a corner. He then turned to face the fox that was chasing him. He could hear the other Warriors racing toward the fox, but there was no time. Rainpaw saw the giant red fox towering over him, teeth sharper than any claw and its eyes colder than any snow storm.

The fox then lunged for him, its teeth bared and ready to grab onto the prey. Rainpaw evaded the attack with difficulty, his flank suddenly reminding him that he was still wounded from the battle of the previous day. The fox bit the stone ground before growling with frustration.

The fox's yellow eyes then narrowed at Rainpaw, making him get ready for the next attack. The fox swiped its paw at Rainpaw, but the small apprentice dodged it easily. However, when sharp teeth entered his neck, he realised dodging that attack was a mistake.

Rainpaw yowled in pain as the fox picked him up and shook him wildly. He could hear the squeals and screeches of the kits below him and he could hear the yells of the Warriors behind the fox. However, the pain coming from his neck made him scream louder than any of those sounds.

The fox dropped Rainpaw then, as if it did not like his screaming. Rainpaw hit the ground hard, but didn't waste time moving to get away from yet another attack. His body was giving up, however. It was giving in to the intense pain that all of his wounds were giving him.

The fox then suddenly screeched, making Rainpaw look up. The Warriors and apprentice had come, and they were trying their best to get the fox's attention. The fox, however, had a different idea. It pulled each one of the cats off of itself and then flung them away, getting itself free rather quickly.

"Rainpaw!" screamed a familiar voice. "Rainpaw get out of there!"

Rainpaw froze with shock as he realised who it was. Cloudpaw, the apprentice he'd met the last time he'd come out here, was right in front of him, trying to get the fox's attention.

Rainpaw then remembered the fox, though by then it was too late. It had grabbed his right shoulder, and then flung him into the den wall. Rainpaw's head was bleeding by the time he fell to the ground, and his mind was racing with idea's to get out of here.

Unfortunately, Rainpaw never got the chance to even think about it thoroughly. The fox grabbed his left shoulder, and shook him again, though it let him fall sooner than the last time.

When Rainpaw hit the ground he didn't get up. His mind was changing, he could feel it, but it was too slow. The fox seemed to screech with triumph, but it was cut short by what looked like the Warriors. His mind was blurry, and then it happened.

Kill.

Rainpaw looked over to Cloudpaw, his eyes beginning to close as he rejected the demon part of his mind. She looked worried as she watched him, probably thinking he was dying.

"R-run. . ." Rainpaw rasped. "Run!"

"Rainpaw!" Cloudpaw screamed.

Kill.

Rainpaw's frown then turned into a sick grin as his eyes turned a dark blue colour. His scar glowed as he stood up, a laugh of evil happiness escaping his lungs. Rainpaw was then standing fully, his demonic eyes looking into the fox's. The fox then turned its attention to Rainpaw again, looking surprised that its prey was alive.

"Ready for a real fight?" asked Rainpaw, his claws unsheathing. His voice sounded like a blood crazy demon that was ready to kill. "Ready to die? Must feel pretty bad, dying by an apprentice when three Warriors have tried to kill you." The fox then attacked, its teeth dangerously close to Rainpaw. However, his new and improved mind had very quick reflexes that worked excellently in this situation.

Kill it.

"You were doing pretty well, but you just had to go and bite the scar. Well, at least I finally get to have my fun. After being trapped in the back of this idiot's mind for so long I've been getting kind of lonely, you know?" The fox attacked again, though Rainpaw dodged again.

This was weird to Rainpaw. It felt as if there were two people in his mind. One of them was a demon and the other was a shadow, yet they both seemed connected somehow. It was strange, yet it felt good. It was as if he felt in control now, and he liked it that way.

This time Rainpaw attacked. He lunged for the fox's neck, his claws unsheathed and his teeth bared. Rainpaw's teeth clamped onto the fox's neck while his claws slashed at the fox's chest. The fox screeched with pain before grabbing Rainpaw's tail and flinging him off.

As Rainpaw fell, he felt good. He felt  alive. Rainpaw stood, then, a happy grin on his face that was just asking for more.

Fun.

"Yeeeees!" Rainpaw hissed to the fox, his tail lashing with excitement. "Now you're putting up a good fight! Let's see if I can push you some more!" Rainpaw then lunged forward, his teeth biting into the fox's leg.

Wild.

The fox attacked Rainpaw, aiming for the scar again, but the speedy apprentice moved out of the way just in time. He moved onto the left side of the fox before biting down on its other leg. The fox attacked again, but Rainpaw leaped under it. He then raked his claws down the fox's belly.

Free.

The fox screeched before backing up, grabbing Rainpaw firmly with its teeth, and then shaking him so wildly that blood splattered everywhere. The fox then flung him back against the stone wall, making him yowl in pain. After falling to the ground he lay there a bit longer than the last time, actually quite shocked.

As Rainpaw jumped up he yelled, "Yes! Yes! Yes! This is the best fight ever! Rainpaw should get into trouble more often—I'm lovin' this!" Rainpaw then lunged forward, his teeth grabbing onto the fox's neck. The fox tried to clamp its teeth onto Rainpaw, but he was using his small body to dodge the attacks.

Tick tock goes the clock

Rainpaw let go and then leaped to the side before the fox's sharp teeth got to him. The fox attacked with his paw then, trying the same thing that had nearly ended the real Rainpaw. With a demon laugh, the small apprentice jumped over the paw slashed toward him, and then bit down on the fox's muzzle as it tried to grab Rainpaw again.

And what now shall we play?

"You're not so much fun anymore," growled Rainpaw with a disappointed frown on his face. "Oh well, at least I get to kill you in front of the idiots over there. They'll have a story to tell when they get home."

Tick tock, oh what a shame

Rainpaw then lunged at the fox again, this time missing its body on purpose. He then slit its throat, and evil demon-like grin on his face as he did so. The fox screeched but was cut short as it started gurgling. Rainpaw landed cleanly on his paws, but then realised his mistake. He had not cut the fox's throat thoroughly, and therefore just made it dying instead of dead.

I've slit your throat today.

The fox grabbed Rainpaw's right shoulder and flung him into the stone wall harder than the last few times. He heard a bit of a  crack  before he fell to the ground, and for some reason the demon part of him seemed to fade away. The burning sensation in Rainpaw's head eased, and his vision grew clearer.

Rainpaw then heard the fox fall to the ground, and for some reason a smile grew on his face. He heard the kit's squeals and tried to get up. Rainpaw's body really wasn't listening to him at the moment, as if it was mad at him for pushing it too far already, and so he gave up. All he could do now was hope that the RiverClan Warriors would do the right thing and take the kits to their camp.

The RiverClan Warriors then drug the fox's body out of the den before returning quickly to examine Rainpaw and the kits. Cloudpaw stayed outside. Her eyes were wide with fear and her body was trembling as if she'd just gone into the icy cold lake and ran back. Rainpaw suppressed the tears beginning to form behind his eyes, hoping that she'd put what she'd seen today behind her if and when he woke up.

"Great StarClan he looks horrible," muttered a slim silver she-cat, her bright blue eyes looking down at him. Even with his mind foggy he could see everything, but he was still not really ready to respond to anything they were saying. "Do you think he's as crazy as he looked just a few heart-beats ago?"

"Don't get close so him, Jayfrost," growled a very light cream coloured tom, his blue eyes narrowing at the silver she-cat whose name was obviously Jayfrost. "When he's unconscious—which looks to be soon—we'll take him to Bravestar. If you haven't forgotten, our leader did act weird the last time that scar was nearly touched. Remember that he wasn't even close to crazy before the fox bit that shoulder."

"So you're saying that the scar is responsible, Otternose?" asked a much older she-cat, also cream coloured. The tom—whose name Rainpaw now knew as Otternose—nodded. "That's  impossible ! The scar is star-shaped, yes, but wouldn't that be an omen, not a curse?"

"I don't know, Softwillow," said Otternose. "However, this tom couldn't have just gone crazy—he was perfectly sane before the fox got to him. It's as if someone else was controlling the body, the way that he kept saying "Rainpaw should let me out more often" and things like that—it was strange."

Well, I'm outta here. See ya later, Rainpaw. Hope we meet again soon!

Rainpaw didn't really understand what happened, but he could tell that the cats beside him weren't in any danger anymore. This made a smile of relief cover his frown of displeasure, making everything seem happier.

"Either way, I think we should get these kits somewhere safe," murmured Jayfrost. "They look like they're starving! They must be at least a day old if not more, and yet they're not with their mother? How stupid and or dangerous was this tom?" Otternose sighed with frustration as Jayfrost insulted Rainpaw, but then shook his head.

"According to the Warrior code all kits that are nowhere near another cat must be brought back to camp, and these need to be anyway," said Otternose wisely. "Jayfrost, Cloudpaw, take these kits back to camp and get them to Reedfeather before they starve to death. As soon as  he  falls unconscious we'll take him to Silverdew and Mysticpaw and await Bravestar's orders on what to do. Don't explain anything that happened tonight to anyone until Bravestar says you can, understood?" Both cats nodded before taking the kits and leaving. Rainpaw noticed Cloudpaw give a glance of worry to him before leaving, and it was then that he felt at ease.

Rainpaw's eyes closed and darkness took him. However, that darkness did not last. His dreams made every inch of darkness fail to come to him, filling his mind with laughter and happiness.

Chapter 9
"Mysticpaw, how did he do during the night?" asked a soft, yet somewhat harsh voice. A small cat stirred near his side, yawning as she woke.

"He didn't seem to be in much pain," said the cat next to him whose name Rainpaw knew as Mysticpaw. "He did seem to be having some happy dreams, though. He kept laughing and running in his sleep as if he were a kit." The first she-cat seemed to laugh at this, but then the sound stopped.

"How are the kits, Silverdew?" asked Mysticpaw. "Did they make it through the night?" It was quiet for a few seconds, making Rainpaw want to wake up faster. He'd been waiting quite a while to hear about the kits. Well, he wasn't awake all that time, but still.

"Yes, they're all happy with Reedfeather at the moment," said Silverdew, the first she-cat who'd spoken. "The runt, the golden brown one, nearly died but he's happy now. They need constant watching, however. You never know when they might take a turn for the worst."

"That's good," said Mysticpaw as she seemed to stand and walked a few steps away from him. "Those kits were really cute. I just wish I knew who their real mother is. It must have been a sibling or something for this tom to have come so far considering his wounds and the blizzard."

"It's not a sibling," said Silverdew. "I actually think it's his mentor. You know, the long-haired black she-cat he had with him last time he came here? I think that she finally had her kits, but for some reason she couldn't keep them."

"But why bring them here?" asked Mysticpaw then. "Couldn't his mentor just give the kits to another nursing Queen, or maybe to WindClan or ShadowClan?"

"Why would he do that?" snapped Silverdew. "ShadowClan is probably unfamiliar to him, since he's a loner, and I heard WindClan didn't want him. For all we know, his mentor could have told him to bring the kits to another Clan and, feeling that we were the best place, brought them here. It was just his luck that got him caught up in a blizzard with those wounds."

"He must be unlucky then," Mysticpaw decided. "After all, do you think any other nine moon old apprentice has walked in on a fox while carrying three kits during a blizzard?" Silverdew chuckled a bit at this.

"No, Mysticpaw," said Silverdew. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

Rainpaw finally started to wake up then, after listening to their  interesting  conversation. His eyes flickered open while his body seemed to tense up a bit. Mysticpaw and Silverdew both grew quiet, both of them look at him. Rainpaw did his best to sit up, though after a few seconds he just decided to lay there on his belly where he felt most comfortable.

Both she-cats in front of Rainpaw were obviously medicine cats. The youngest one, Mysticpaw, was a white and grey tabby she-cat with deep amber eyes that reminded him of fire. Silverdew, the older one, was a silvery grey she-cat with sharp yellow eyes.

"D-do you feel okay?" asked Mysticpaw with uncertainty. Rainpaw shrugged.

"I've felt worse," Rainpaw muttered, "but I'm feeling better than I did yesterday, that's for sure." Mysticpaw seemed to smile then, happy that she'd done a good job on healing him. Silverdew, however, seemed a bit more cautious.

"You must be insane, carrying three kits like that through a blizzard," Silverdew sneered. "Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?"

"Yep," said Rainpaw simply. "And don't worry, a ShadowClan dawn patrol already gave me that lecture. I was doing it for a friend of mine—yes, my mentor—and I wasn't worried of dying. If you want, you can call me crazy, because in a way, I did go insane yesterday."

"I heard of that from Cloudpaw," hissed Silverdew. "Exactly how crazy were you?" Rainpaw growled lowly for warning then, but just sighed to get his anger down.

"Enough to kill, Silverdew," Rainpaw replied. "Your friends were actually lucky that the fox knocked me out before I killed it. The kits were lucky as well, actually, and so was I. If you want to know anything else you'll need to speak with Bravestar." Silverdew narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a few moments before shaking her head and looking away.

"Speaking of Bravestar, do you know where he is?" asked Rainpaw. He lowered his head then. "I have a feeling he'd want to talk to me once I'd woken up. . ."

"He's asleep in his den, getting ready for the gathering," hissed Silverdew. "And if I were you I'd stay right where you are until I tell you to get up, understand?"

"Yes,  ma'am ." Rainpaw muttered as he lay back down to rest.

"What did you say?" asked Silverdew, actually more curious than angry. Rainpaw stopped breathing for a moment as he realised that cats didn't understand the formal saying of "ma'am".

"Er, nothing, Silverdew," said Rainpaw. "Just talking to myself." Silverdew seemed to leave then, as did Mysticpaw. Rainpaw was happy now that he  finally  got peace and quiet.

Well, not for long. The familiar scent of Cloudpaw filled his nose as she walked in a few moments after Silverdew left, though she hesitated. Rainpaw could tell she was afraid, and he didn't blame her. However, he did wish that she would realize that he wasn't insane and kill-crazy.

Cloudpaw seemed to lie down beside him, but she was still shaking with fear. Rainpaw tried not to move, trying to look asleep. He really wasn't doing all that well, but it was enough to fool her. He smiled as her fur brushed his—it was so warm.

"Oh, wow," she muttered to herself. "Silverdew was right: your fur  is  cold." Cloudpaw seemed to calm down a bit then, probably feeling like she needed to warm him up more than she needed to be afraid of him. She sighed after a while, startling Rainpaw a bit.

"I just can't believe you'd take such a risk," said Cloudpaw, pretending to talk to Rainpaw. She was probably doing this to calm herself down. "I mean, if she wanted to take the kits somewhere, couldn't she just have done it herself? She made you go through a blizzard! A-and with those wounds? I'm surprised you made it to RiverClan at all. And then with the fox, you were just unlucky. I-I'm afraid to ask about the whole 'going insane" thing you did, mostly because I'm afraid you'll do it again. You should have seen how scary you looked!"

"I'm sure I look scary enough to frighten a leader," said Rainpaw then, startling Cloudpaw. The small apprentice suddenly got up and took a few steps back all while keeping her eye on Rainpaw. He sat up, seeing it fit to let her know he was actually awake.

Cloudpaw's eyes were wide but she still seemed to be trying to hide the embarrassment. Rainpaw laughed, then, making her tilt her head in confusion.

"W-what?" asked Cloudpawpaw, curiosity burning in her bright blue eyes.

"You really  were  scared of me when I nearly killed the fox, weren't you?" said Rainpaw, still laughing a bit. "I'm surprised! After meeting you a few weeks ago I thought nothing could scare the great almighty Cloudpaw!" Cloudpaw seemed unsure then, as if she were surprised that he was acting like this.

"Cloudpaw, I'm not crazy," Rainpaw insisted, sounding a bit more serious now. "It's just what happens when my scar is scratched—really! I don't know why it does that, but it always has. Trust me, I  hate  it when that happens."

"So you're not evil?" asked Cloudpaw curiously yet cautiously. Rainpaw shook his head.

"Not unless my scar is scratched, which doesn't really happen often," Rainpaw replied. "Just the same boring loner cat that came to ThunderClan three or so moons ago." Cloudpaw smiled and giggled then, licking his face.

"Well that's good," said Cloudpaw. "I was starting to wonder if I was talking to a monster." Rainpaw frowned a bit when she said that, but then he put on a brave face and smiled.

"Sorry I was being so stupid," Cloudpaw apologized, lowering her head. "I didn't know what to think of you." Rainpaw smiled before licking her cheek.

"It's okay," Rainpaw reassured her. "You can think of me however you want.

¤¤¤

"That's mouse-brain!" hissed Wolfheart, his pale yellow eyes narrowing tightly. "Why would she send  you  to give me the kits? Why not send a whole patrol?"

"It was meant to be secret," Rainpaw growled. "She didn't want anybody to know that she even had the kits so that they wouldn't notice when they were gone." Rainpaw was getting very irritated—he had just explained everything to the frustrating deputy, and yet he still didn't seem to get it. Bravestar, on the other hand, seemed a bit more understanding.

"Couldn't she have at least told Ravenstar?" asked Bravestar kindly. "It would have been the better thing to do." Rainpaw sighed and shook his head.

"No, because I don't think that he would let me go on in a blizzard with wounds like this and three kits," Rainpaw replied. "He hardly lets me out at all anymore after the episode that happened last time I came here." Wolfheart growled lowly for some reason, seeming very angry and distressed.

"She couldn't have wanted the kits to be with me," said Wolfheart, as if he didn't even notice that two others were near him. "Not after what she said a half-moon ago. It's unbelievable."

"Wolfheart, I told you, she couldn't keep the kits," Rainpaw reminded him. "She wanted you to have them, stating that if she couldn't have them, it was only right that you did." Wolfheart just shook his head, making Rainpaw roll his eyes. Bravestar seemed a little more concerned, however.

"Rainpaw, you do realize that you're giving us three mouths to feed, one of which might not even live through the next full moon?" asked Bravestar. "It's a lot of work to take care of two kits, Rainpaw, but three? Reedfeather will need her strength of this, and to get that she will need food that we do not have."

"I understand," Rainpaw replied. "And if you do not want them I will take them back to ThunderClan when I've recovered." Bravestar's eyes widened a bit.

"You'd be willing to do that?" asked Bravestar. "After all of the work they've proven to be already?" Rainpaw nodded.

"As I said before, their mother means the world to me, and therefore if they died, I would count it as a failure, something I've seen too much of already." Rainpaw answered. "If these kits died, I don't think I'll be sane. I don't know how to explain it. . .it's as if, by talking the vow that I would bring them here, I've now vowed to protect them until they are home as well. I've done this before, but I failed last time, and I will not do so again." Bravestar eyed Rainpaw suspiciously for a few moments before shaking his head.

"You are a mysterious cat, Rainpaw," said Bravestar. "And I'm just praying to StarClan that being unknown is a good thing." Rainpaw smiled a bit then, and soon it was quiet.

"I'll send a patrol to escort him back," said Wolfheart after a long while. "ThunderClan will be missing him."

"No," Bravestar growled, his eyes still on Rainpaw. "Rainpaw will stay here until the Gathering. He needs time to recover before he can return to his Clan, and if he waits until the Gathering it will give him enough time. However, you should tell the dawn patrol to catch the ThunderClan patrol to let them know we have their apprentice and that we will be returning him at the Gathering." Wolfheart narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. He just left.

"You didn't have to do that," said Rainpaw. "I could have made it back on my own." Bravestar shook his head.

"You just don't know when to rest, do you?" asked Bravestar. "Stop giving away your life so freely—fight, and you'll actually find that sometimes it's better to let others take care of you rather than just do everything yourself." Rainpaw tilted his head, confused as to what Bravestar was talking about. After a few seconds, however, he left the den and headed for their camp.

It was a peaceful afternoon, actually. Smokekit, Maplekit, and Oakkit were all playing happily, awaiting their apprentice ceremony that was soon to come. The elders were sunning themselves by some rocks, a few Warriors were sharing some fresh-kill, and a few others were having quiet conversations.

Rainpaw felt at ease. His wounds stung a little, but either than that it was, well, calm. It was something he hadn't had the time to experience for a very long time.

"Hiya, Rainpaw!" said Cloudpaw, jumping up to him. Rainpaw jumped back to reality as the small black-and-white apprentice bounced beside him.

"Hi, Cloudpaw," Rainpaw greeted, though when he saw a dark grey tom walk up to him his smile turned into a frown. This tom was very long and lanky, tall as well. He almost looked like the polar opposite of Rainpaw in conformation, and his narrowed bright blue eyes didn't really help matters much. This tom did not look happy.

"Oh, this is Swiftpaw!" said Cloudpaw happily. "He's a little angry at you for what happened the last time you came here, but he'll get over it." She then glared at her brother, narrowing her blue eyes. "You will, won't you, brother?"

Swiftpaw didn't answer at first, but then he relaxed a bit. "Whatever you say, Cloudpaw," said Swiftpaw, though he still didn't take his eyes off of Rainpaw. "As long as he behaves." Swiftpaw left then, making Cloudpaw roll her eyes.

"Don't mind him," she said. "He has  never  really been fun."

"It's okay," said Rainpaw. "I'm like that sometimes." Cloudpaw, however, seemed to be trying to remember something and didn't hear him.

"There was something I was supposed to tell you. . ." said Cloudpaw. "I was over visiting the kits, who was I talking to? Leopardclaw? No. . .OH! Reedfeather wanted you to help naming the new kits. Wolfheart didn't want anything to do with them, so she sent me to go get you." Rainpaw's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought of naming the kits, and right now he wasn't really thinking up very many names.

"Oh. . .but I—" Rainpaw started.

"Oh, come on," Cloudpaw insisted, "you carried them through a blizzard—you should at least be able to name  one.  Besides, Reedfeather wants you in there to see them. She's been really wanting to see you." Rainpaw thought about it for a few minutes, but then sighed and gave in.

"Okay," he said, "just don't expect my names to be good. I've only been a Warrior cat for so long, you know." Cloudpaw then took off, not even listening to the last part of his sentence. He followed reluctantly, trying to remember that these cats didn't know about half of the stuff that he did.

When Rainpaw entered the den, he felt warm and comfortable. The smells were very good, and the sights were so cute. Leopardclaw, Wolfheart's first mate, sat scolding Maplekit and Oakkit while Smokekit played with her sister's tail. Dewdrop, another queen, was nursing two kits while Reedfeather licked one of the five kits suckling at her belly.

Rainpaw walked over to her and instantly recognized the three kits that he'd brought over. They were a lot different from the other two kits, Foxkit and Mosskit. Foxkit was a flame coloured she-cat, and she was much bigger than the small golden tom he'd delivered. Mosskit was the soft grey she-cat, and the three kits he knew weren't even close to that colour.

No, the three kits he'd brought over were much smaller than the two week kits they ate by. The black tom with a white tip on his tail was the biggest and the first born, if Rainpaw remembered right, and he seemed to be quite happy to finally have food in front of him.

The white she-cat was a bit smaller, but still larger than the golden tom. She had long fur like her mother, Thorntail, but that didn't seem to get in her way. She did look like a little cottonball though.

The golden brown tom was the tiniest kit, probably three times smaller than Mosskit and Foxkit. He was gold like the sun when it's setting—it isn't orange, but it wasn't a sand colour either. Just in the middle. It sort of reminded Rainpaw of dusk.

"So?" asked Reedfeather. "Do you know what you're going to name them?"

"They aren't mine!" Rainpaw reminded her. "Wolfheart should be naming at least one. . ."

"He doesn't want them," said Reedfeather with a very sad expression on his face. "He's too mouse-brain to see what wonderful kit's he has." Rainpaw sighed, feeling that it would better if he didn't argue.

"I don't want to name all of them," Rainpaw said then. "After all, you're going to be the one taking care of them. It's only fair that you name at least one." Reedfeather looked like she was going to argue, but then she ducked her head.

"Well . . . I  do  have a name for the white one," said Reedfeather. "She reminds me of the snow outside. The soft, fuzzy feeling you get when you're inside watching it fall. I want to name her Snowkit." Rainpaw smiled and nodded.

"That's perfect for her," he said. "Snowkit it is."

"Maplekit, you get over here this minute!" Leopardclaw suddenly hissed. The dark ginger fur of Maplekit suddenly flashed by him, getting to the kits.

"They're so cute!" exclaimed Maplekit. "I can't believe they're  our  siblings!"

"Half-siblings," Leopardclaw corrected her daughter. "And they are too young for you to be around them. Get back over here! Now!" Maplekit's ear flicked back to show she was listening, but she ignored her mother. Meanwhile, Smokekit and Oakkit were now joining their sister.

"Wow! They're small!" said Smokekit.

"Very small," Oakkit squeaked. "I wonder who their mother is. . ."

"Oakkit! Smokekit!" Leopardclaw yelled furiously. "Get over here!"

"But mum!" Maplekit whined. "They're our siblings! I want to watch them!"

"Yeah, mum!" said Smokekit, "We should at least get to see them!"

"Well. . ."

"Pleeeeease?" the three kits begged all at once. Leopardclaw eyed them, but then sighed.

"Oh, alright," she decided. "Just don't get too close to them, okay?" The three kits nodded while Leopardclaw left, and then turned their attention to their siblings.

"The three of you came at a good time," said Reedfeather then. "Rainpaw and I are naming the kits. So far, we've named the white one Snowkit. Would you like to name one?" The three of them nodded.

"Let's name the black one Blackkit," said Smokekit excitedly. "It suits his fur."

"What about his tail, though?" asked Maplekit curiously. "We should name him Snowflakekit!"

"That's a ridiculous name!" Smokekit argued, looking at her sister as if she was stupid. "Who would want the name their kit  that ?"

"Well then what about Ashkit?" asked Maplekit, trying to please her sister.

"The tip is  white  not grey!" Smokekit pointed out. "Cloudkit would be a better name."

"No it wouldn't!" Maplekit protested. "He's mostly black, not white and anyway, we already have a Cloudpaw!"

"True," said Smokekit thoughtfully. "Would Shadowkit work?"

"We can't name him  that !" said Maplekit. "There is already a Shadowpaw in ThunderClan!"

"What about Nightkit?" asked Oakkit then, the one who hadn't even given one response during the kits' argument. "The night has stars in it, which could represent his white tip on the tail, and the blackness of a moonless night could represent his fur. Would it work?" Smokekit and Maplekit looked at each other a bit before shrugging.

"That's an excellent name, Oakkit!" Maplekit said cheerfully. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"'Cause you're stupid," said Smokekit teasingly. Maplekit glared at her brother playfully before jumping on him and starting a play-fight.

"Quit it you two!" hissed Reedfeather then, getting the two gets to stop almost immediately. "If you want to play go somewhere else. We still have the golden one to name." The two kits then looked at the golden tom and tilted their heads.

"Why is he so small?" asked Maplekit, curiosity burning in her blue eyes.

"Because he was born that way," said Rainpaw educationally. "Where I come from, we call those kinds of kits runts."

"Well then that should be his name!" said Maplekit. "Runtkit!"

"Hey now," said Rainpaw kindly. "It's actually kind of rude to the kit to name it something like that. It's like naming him Smallkit, to remind him of his shortness. And I don't know about you, but I don't like being called small." The kits ducked their heads with embarrassed faces. "Besides, I want to name this kit. After all, I haven't been able to yet."

"Really?" asked Maplekit. Rainpaw nodded. "Okay, then. You name it. I bet you can't come up with a better name than Oakkit did with Nightkit." Rainpaw smiled before shrugging.

"How's Duskkit?" asked Rainpaw. "His fur reminds me of the golden rays the sun gives off when it sets." Maplekit scowled after that.

"Okay, you win," she said, "Duskkit is a better name than Nightkit."

"Nightkit's a good name, too," said Rainpaw, trying to make Maplekit happier. It was quiet after that, all of them watching the three kits feed off of Reedfeather's milk. Rainpaw smiled, happy that he got to name Duskkit. He would always remember the day that he did, and therefore always remember the tom he was looking at, no matter what Clan he was in.

"So those are the names, then," said Reefeather. "Snowkit, Nightkit, and Duskkit.

¤¤¤

"Rainpaw, we're ready," said Bravestar after jumping down from whatever he was on to announce who he was going to take to the gathering. "We'll wait for you by the camp entrance, but please don't take too long. The other Clans will only wait so long."

"I understand," said Rainpaw, dipping his head respectively. Rainpaw then turned around to face Reedfeather, frowning as he realised what a friend he'd made. Now he'd have to leave her, and he didn't want that. Rainpaw knew she was going to have to take care of the five kits on her own, and he just wished he could help.

Reedfeather licked him on the forehead then, noticing his displeasure. "I'll be fine with the kits, trust me. I've taken care of a litter before, and I have Leopardclaw and Dewdrop to help me." Rainpaw nodded.

"If anything goes wrong with any of them—even Mosskit and Foxkit—please let me know however you can," said Rainpaw. "I'll be there for you, I promise. Wolfheart should be, but I guess I'll just take the lucky job." Rainpaw smiled, though he still felt uncomfortable leaving her. Reedfeather just nudged him, then, as Bravestar called for him.

"Hey Rainpaw!"

Rainpaw turned his attention to the nursery where three kits came bounding up to him. It was Maplekit, Oakkit, and Smokekit. All of them looked very sad that they hadn't become apprentices, but they all looked very excited for some reason.

"Thanks for letting us name Nightkit!" said Maplekit.

"Yeah, and don't worry, you'll see us again," said Smokekit proudly. "Though the next time will hopefully be when we're apprentices. I can't wait until we are!"

"Good-bye, Rainpaw," said Oakkit shyly. "I hope I see you soon." Rainpaw laughed a bit.

"Yeah, I hope to see you soon too." said Rainpaw, noticing his name was being called by Wolfheart angrily now. "Good-bye!"

Rainpaw then padded away, leaving his new friends behind. Bravestar nodded as he came and then led the Warriors and apprentices out of camp. Rainpaw fell behind everyone, feeling that he belonged last since he wasn't exactly in this Clan.

Then he found that Swiftpaw was beside him, startling him a bit. Swiftpaw was staring at him, his bright blue eyes looking right into Rainpaw's.

"What does Cloudpaw like about you?" Swiftpaw demanded. "I don't see it. You could kill her, and yet she treats you like a friend."

"Well, yeah," Rainpaw replied. "We are friends. We understand each other." Swiftpaw growled lowly, his teeth bared.

"What is there to understand?" Swiftpaw asked. "You're an insane cat who thinks everyone is going to like him because he's "special". If you ask me, you're faking it." Rainpaw growled lowly, narrowing his eyes angrily.

"Faking it?" said Rainpaw. "How on earth could I fake it? Nobody is perfectly sane and then just like that snaps into insanity. Trust me, it's not like that. I swear. Maybe your sister just likes me because I'm mysterious, and she thinks she needs to take care of me. That's what my den-mate, Robinpaw, thinks of me in my opinion. To be honest, my whole Clan thinks that."

"And you don't mind?" asked Swiftpaw, widening his eyes. "You don't mind that they like you just because they want to help you?"

"No, I don't mind," said Rainpaw truthfully. "It's better than not being loved at all. In the future they might love me because of me and not just because of what I can become, but then again, maybe not. That doesn't matter, though. I only care that I have a family because back when I was a loner, I had nothing. Now that I have something, I'm happy."

"Wow," said Swiftpaw, his eyes still wider than when they first began their conversation. "Someone like that would definitely get along with Cloudpaw. She likes to hang around people who want to protect, who don't care how annoying she could be. I like that. She hasn't found someone like that in a long time." Rainpaw smiled at his words before turning his attention to where they were.

Rainpaw could smell ThunderClan, and now he knew why. They were close to the Gathering place from what he saw, because all three Clans seemed to be on a little island that had a fallen tree as a bridge. It was a very cool looking place, and he was wondering why he and Alfie hadn't found it when he was human.

As RiverClan jumped onto the fallen tree, Rainpaw waited. His mind was racing as he got excited about going home to ThunderClan. However, he was polite as he waited. Finally, as the last RiverClan cat entered the Gathering place, Rainpaw leaped onto the slippery log and carefully walked across.

As Rainpaw reached the end, he jumped off of the log and into the Gathering place. There were so many sights and smells—it was so interesting. He looked continued looking around as RiverClan spread out, unable to take his eyes off of the pretty landscape.

"Rainpaw!" called a familiar voice. "Rainpaw, over here!" Rainpaw's eyes turned toward Robinpaw, smiling as he saw Flamepaw and Amberpaw as well. He then ran up to his friends.

"Oh thank StarClan you're okay!" said Robinpaw with a relieved expression. "We were all worried about you!"

"You were?" asked Rainpaw curiously. "But you knew that I'd be coming back!"

"We knew you were gone before that announcement, mouse-brain," Robinpaw told him. "Everyone was looking for you! Oh, and the RiverClan patrol didn't really help: 'Your apprentice was found in RiverClan territory while one of our patrols was fighting off a fox. He unfortunately got in the middle of it and now carry's serious wounds, and so will stay with our Medicine cat until the Gathering for recovery.' Are you kidding me? Couldn't Wolfheart have at  least  told us how you were doing?"

"Wolfheart isn't exactly the best cat to be around right now," Rainpaw said, lowering his head. "He's been a little moody around me, and I don't know why."

"So are you okay?" asked Robinpaw, ignoring what he'd just said. "You look terrible." Rainpaw rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine, Robinpaw," said Rainpaw. "I've felt worse." Robinpaw eyed him suspiciously, probably thinking he was lying, before looking away.

"Hey, Rainpaw!"

Rainpaw nearly jumped out of his skin as Cloudpaw yelled into his ear, but he calmed down as soon as he realised who it was.

"Oh, hi Cloudpaw," Rainpaw greeted back politely before noticing Robinpaw glaring at Cloudpaw. "Oh, Robinpaw," he said. "This is Cloudpaw. She was on the patrol that found the fox I ended up fighting. She's been helping me around since then, and she's really nice." Robinpaw muttered out a "hello" and then looked away, forcing Rainpaw to frown. Robinpaw was getting jealous, he knew, and he just hoped that she would find that Cloudpaw wasn't trying to  steal  him from her.

Rainpaw didn't get any chance to tell her that, though. The Gathering had just started and everyone turned their attention to a big oak tree that the four leaders sat one. Bravestar sat on the highest branch while Ravenstar sat on the lowest. Rosestar, narrowing her eyes at the ground, sat on the second highest while Nightstar, ShadowClan's leader, sat on the second to lowest branch. From what Rainpaw could tell, they seemed to be oldest to youngest.

Rosestar stood, then, her fur shining as the light from the moon bounced off of her coat. "I shall speak first," she said. "Prey has been running well in our Clan, and we have not yet had any more run-ins with any loners. We have, however, had an invasion from a band of rogues a half-moon ago. We defended our camp easily and drove them off, though their scent seemed to disappear half way to ThunderClan territory."

"I am happy that your Clan did not suffer from the attack," said Bravestar then. "You must have had a good leaf-bare." Rosestar nodded proudly, but did not say anything more. Nightstar stood after Rosestar sat down, his amber eyes looking at the Clan cats below.

"ShadowClan has lived through a harsh leaf-bare, and now has two new Warriors: Scorchspot and Tinyear." The Clans began cheering, but then Nightstar lifted his tail for them to stop. "Besides that, ShadowClan has nothing new. However, I would like to mention a ThunderClan apprentice passing by. He'd fallen asleep—or collapsed I might say—on the two-length territory between our real borders and the lake. The patrol who found him noticed three kits, all of them days old. My patrol stated at he wanted to be left alone, and that he was heading to RiverClan. I don't know that he made it, but none of patrols saw him after that." Everyone was looking at Bravestar, now, awaiting the news on the mysterious ThunderClan apprentice. Robinpaw, however, was looking at him. He ducked his head, becoming even more embarrassed as a few more ThunderClan cats looked in his direction.

"The ThunderClan apprentice did make it, as did the kits," said Bravestar. "Unfortunately, he came during a bad time. When he arrived in RiverClan he managed to run into a patrol of mine, one that was busy fighting a fox. He attracted the fox, turning everything into a disaster. The kits weren't harmed, though the apprentice did get quite a few wounds. He is fine now, and has been reunited with his Clan just tonight. The kits are now being nursed by Reedfeather, a new queen of ours, and have taken the names of Nightkit, Snowkit, and Duskkit.

"I must tell you, however, that the kits have RiverClan blood in them. Their father is Wolfheart, though I don't know the mothers name. Rainpaw, the apprentice who brought the kits, did not tell me. He only said that it was for a friend." The murmuring then began. As Rainpaw's name was said, they all started whispering to each other. All of them were similar, all of them wondering why an ex-loner would be doing anything for a  friend  and if that friend even existed. The murmuring stopped, however, as Bravestar began speaking again.

"I have decided to let the kits stay, as Rainpaw has told me the mother is too weak to nurse them. They will be raised in RiverClan, whether they are half-Clan cats or not. They are strong kits to have lived through their first few days of life." Rosestar laughed, leaving all eyes on her.

"Is there a problem, Rosestar?" asked Nightstar, glaring at the cocky she-cat.

"There's no problem here, Nightstar," answered Rosestar. "I'm just wondering if my Clan is now the purest. I mean, after all, in the last three moons, ThunderClan has picked up a loner and, why look at that, RiverClan now has three half-Clan kits. I'm starting to wonder if it was RiverClan or ThunderClan that attacked WindClan, not actual rogues." Many hisses and growls were heard throughout the Gathering Place, but Ravenstar and Bravestar did not look wavered from their usual expressions.

"Rainpaw has become a fine apprentice," Ravenstar warned then. "He may be dangerous, but he is learning to be a great fighter, which he proved three nights ago before he took the kits to RiverClan. The rogues, probably the same that attacked WindClan, have attacked ThunderClan two times this moon. Rainpaw and his previous mentor, Thorntail, were hunting with Snowstorm, another Warrior of mine. The rogues surrounded the three of them and threatened them, though they were quick. Snowstorm was killed almost instantly, but they were not quick enough to kill the other two. Rainpaw broke free of their grip and distracted the rogues as Thorntail ran to get the rest of us. When we returned, seven bodies lay motionless on the ground. Dead. And unless another came to help him, which isn't true, we can tell that Rainpaw did it all by himself.

"The second time he proved himself was three nights ago when the rogues actually attacked the camp. I wasn't there to see him, but from my Warriors I can honestly say that he manage to wound two cats twice the size of himself, though he didn't send them to retreat. Flamepelt, a new Warrior of mine, was there to help.

"It must have been then that Thorntail, the mother of the kits—" Ravenstar didn't get to continue. The murmuring spread like a wild fire after he said Thorntail's name. They all began to question how Rainpaw was even in this now, though they then figured it out that Rainpaw and Thorntail had become friends after nearly dying with each other, which wasn't true. Thorntail was his first mentor—he would do anything for her. Ravenstar got it quiet, then, and continued.

"It must have been then that Thorntail, the mother of the kits, started kitting. Snowdrift, our medicine cat, must have told Rainpaw that Thorntail was too weak to raise the kits, and then the three of them must have decided to let Rainpaw take the kits to RiverClan. They did not get my permission for this, mind you. I have just realized where my apprentice was tonight." Rainpaw felt sick, then, as Ravenstar's eyes pierced into him. He was definitely going to get lectured when he returned to ThunderClan camp. It was quiet, then, before Ravenstar spoke again.

"Besides these unusual attacks and Rainpaw's disappearance, all is well in ThunderClan. There was no green-cough this leaf-bare, and we now have two new Warriors: Flamepelt and Amberstorm. We also have two new apprentices, whose names are Frostpaw and Sweetpaw. Frostpaw's mentor is Snowdrift, as he has decided to become a medicine cat apprentice. Sweetpaw's mentor is Duskfeather." Ravenstar then sat down, making Rosestar laugh again. Rainpaw seemed confused, as did everyone else, even Bravestar.

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Rosestar. "You've just announced that Thorntail, one of your Clan's most loyal she-cats, has had kits that have the father of Wolfheart, RiverClan's deputy, and then you just give a normal report? And what about that mouse-brain story of the rogue attacks?"

"Mouse-brain story?" asked Ravenstar. "Why is it a mouse-brain story? I was telling the truth—ask any of my Warriors."

"Like they'd actually tell the truth," hissed Rosestar. "It's mouse-brained story because it's impossible that a shrimp, such as your loner/apprentice, could take down seven full grown cats on his own. You're just trying to gloat to the rest of us that you have the perfect apprentice." Rainpaw growled lowly, alerting a few around him.

"Rosestar, I'm not trying to brag," Ravenstar growled. "It isn't such a good thing that I have an apprentice able to kill so quickly. It's scary, and if he were in your Clan, you'd know what I mean."

"Oh, so not only is he a loner, he's a killer as well?" asked Rosestar. "Brilliant. How do you know he won't kill any of your kits?"

"I never said he was killer," Ravenstar snapped. "Only that he  can  kill, which is scary at such a young age. He's actually rather the opposite. He hates killing, but when it needs to be done he'll do it."

"As if anyone here will believe that," Rosestar said coolly. "As if anyone here will believe  anything  you say." A few cats laughed, but Rainpaw was far from that. Rosestar was getting on his nerves, and it looked like she was getting on Ravenstar's as well.

"I think a few disagree," Ravenstar growled. "And if you don't believe me, why don't you just ask him?" Rainpaw lowered his head, then, as if trying to hide.

"Like I'd talk to a loner like him!" Rosestar hissed, a certain iciness in her voice that send shivers down Rainpaw's spine.

"Oh really?" asked Ravenstar. "I heard that you talked to him first, before even any ThunderClan cats found him. I heard that you were interested in him, that you wanted to  use  him." Rosestar's eyes widened as Ravenstar said this, giving him what he wanted.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Rosestar. "I never talked to him!"

"Not from what I've heard," Ravenstar hissed, grinning as fear washing through her face. "You're cruel, you know that? All you care about is the 'purity' of your Clan, and about the fame. That's what you were interested in, wasn't it? You thought his star-shaped scar had something to do with StarClan, and thought that it would give you fame if it wasn't for the fact that he was a loner."

"Loners are for you ThunderClan cats!" Rosestar hissed, her eyes narrowing. "I was ashamed to even have that filth in my den, let alone talk to it!"

"Ah, so you admit it?" asked Ravenstar. "That's not like you, Rosestar." Now they were both in fighting positions, both ready to lunge at each other. Ravenstar seemed to be enjoying herself while Rosestar seemed a bit scared.

Meanwhile, down where Rainpaw was, WindClan seemed to also be trying to pick a fight with the other Clan cats. Many cats were hissing and growling at each other. Rainpaw was on his feet, ready to defend his friends if anyone attacked.

"You are good with your words," Rosestar growled. "But are you good with your claws?"

"Ravenstar! Rosestar!" hissed Bravestar then, standing up from his spot. "This is a Gathering—this is not the time to fight!" Ravenstar and Rosestar ignored Bravestar, both continuing to growl at each other.

"Let's test the treaty, shall we?" asked Rosestar, her ears pinned to her head.

"We shall," said Ravenstar. "ThunderClan—attack!"

"WindClan! Attack!" yowled Rosestar, lunging at Ravenstar, pushing him out of the tree. The ThunderClan cats and the WindClan cats began to fight while the other two Clans stayed out, awaiting their leader's orders.

"RiverClan! Stand back!" Bravestar hissed, noticing Wolfheart growl at a nearby WindClan cat.

"ShadowClan! Stay clear of the battle!" Nightstar hissed, his fur bristling. The RiverClan and ShadowClan cats then stood back and watched the battle between WindClan and ThunderClan.

Rainpaw hissed as a large tom suddenly lunged into him, pinning him down easily. He lashed angrily for skin until he finally caught some, making the tom yowl in pain. Rainpaw rolled out of the way, then, getting himself free. However, the tom that he was fighting was quick enough to catch him.

"Come here, loner!" hissed the tom. "You're not going to get away from me that easily. You're just a puny apprentice!" The tom then pulled himself on top of Rainpaw and raked his back claws down Rainpaw's back. Rainpaw yowled, but it turned into a scream as he realised his scar was scratched. The tom seemed to notice this too as he widened his eyes and backed away.

Rainpaw was ready for the insanity that usually came. He was ready for the sudden urge to kill and the new reflexes. They never came. Instead, he felt an overwhelming ache in his head and his scar was stinging like a snake's venom. He looked into a small puddle near him and realised what was different.

Instead of being a dark blue like usual, his eyes were a light, silvery grey, like a star. His scar also glowed, though this time it shined with the same colour of his eyes. Then he felt as if something was moving through him, something spiritual.

" Rainpaw, stay calm,"  a familiar voice soothed. It was Cheetahfur. " Thunderstar and the others are holding back the insanity you should be in as good as they can. I know it hurts but it must be done—this is the only way we've found to stop this battle. Just hang in there."

"C-Cheetahfur," said Rainpaw, his voice full of pain. "H-hurry." He could feel his body giving out, he could feel it weakening. He shoved his claws into the ground to keep himself from falling as he realised what was happening outside of his head.

Many glowing cats were running around now, pulling the real cats off each other. The glowing cats had a star tint to them, making it obvious that they were StarClan cats.

Two cats were by the two leaders. One was in front of Ravenstar and the other was in front of Rosestar. The same thing seemed to be happening to each and every cat of ThunderClan and WindClan, though the two cats in front of the leaders seemed stronger and wiser.

" The fighting must stop!" all of the StarClan cats said at once. "You are breaking the treaty!" The cats had already seemed to stop, however, and now it was quiet.

" Ravenstar, Rosestar,"  called all of the StarClan cats. "When you became leaders you vowed to protect your Clan. Just a few heart-beats ago, you were doing the opposite. You both sent your Clans into danger, and therefore angering StarClan. You need punishment, and shall be given so. Ravenstar and Rosestar, we have taken one life from each of you, in hopes that you will lead your Clan with better care." The cats then turned to the medicine cats, and then they stared at each other for a few moments.

" StarClan has decided, though we cannot say if our decision is absolute. The prophecy has been written in stone, and the cat that Destiny has chosen will save the evil growing within the Clans. Await the Saviour, for we will need it soon." The cats then began to fade slowly, but they started whispering. It was something that shocked Rainpaw, something that made him shake even more.

" The martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . ." It stopped for just a moment, making everyone look around curiously.

" The Saviour has come."

Rainpaw then had to take a step back to keep standing. He looked at the ground as everything seemed to be pushed back. The voices in his head were blurred too much for him to hear, but he knew they were there. They were taunting him almost, though he knew they weren't. Rainpaw was just too messed up at the moment to understand what was going on.

" Almost there,"  said the clear voice of Cheetahfur. "We're almost done." The ache then began to fade, making him smile a bit. Finally, it was all gone, leaving only the scratches he'd gotten from the WindClan tom stinging. Even that was numb, so he actually felt pretty good.

Rainpaw then made sure he was standing correctly so that he didn't look weird to anyone else standing by. He still looked at the ground, knowing that if he looked up, he would get very, very dizzy. He the suddenly felt Robinpaw's warm fur about against his.

"Are you okay?" asked Robinpaw softly. It was then that Rainpaw realised several ThunderClan cats standing near him, guarding him from view of the other cats. It didn't look too obvious, but it was enough so that no one could see him.

"Better than I usually am," Rainpaw replied, looking up into her jade green eyes. "That was...different." Robinpaw smiled, then, and licked him on the cheek before standing up and giving a little signal to the rest of the cats.

WindClan was already gone by the time he looked around, though ShadowClan and RiverClan were still there. Both of the Clans had separated themselves from the scattered battlefield, forcing them to basically line up beside each other near the edge. Both Clans seemed tense, but with ThunderClan beginning to gather themselves, they seemed to ease up a bit.

Rainpaw then looked over to Ravenstar, shocked at what he saw. The dark furred leader was staring at the ground wide-eyed and shaky. It was as if he'd just seen a ghost, which in theory he did, but that didn't matter. His leader was either in shock or pain, and he wanted to find out why.

"Don't worry," Flamepelt said then, interrupting Rainpaw's thoughts. "Ravenstar just lost two lives tonight—he has a right to be in shock." Rainpaw then looked at his friend with confusion.

" Two  lives?" asked Rainpaw. "I thought he only lost one." Flamepelt shook his head.

"When Rosestar pushed him off of the tree he fell and broke his neck," Flamepelt explained. "Then StarClan took the other life away."

"That must be horrible for him. . ." said Rainpaw.

"But he deserved to lose that life," Flamepelt reminded him. "Both of them." Rainpaw knew that, he knew it, but he didn't want to accept it. Then a thought dawned on him, making him shake a bit.

Ravenstar only has two lives left.

Chapter 10
Rainpaw sighed as he sat near Robinpaw and Shadowpaw, listening to the boring lecture about the hunting crouch. His mind was elsewhere as he pretended to listen, thinking of what happened around a week ago. That Gathering was the first and probably last he was ever going to according to Jayflight, mostly because it was his fault the fight even started. No one had been seriously injured, and even he had recovered from  all  of the wounds he’d gotten, but everyone seemed very, very distressed after that day.

Ravenstar hadn’t even come out of his den since that day, and everyone kept talking about it. They were all saying about how immature he was for starting a fight like that, but really Rainpaw didn’t blame the dark furred leader. He actually blamed Rosestar.

And that wasn’t the worst of it, actually. Everybody kept trying to ask him what he had to do with StarClan’s arrival, and of course he didn’t answer. However, not answering was actually making a lot of them very suspicious of him.

Oh, and of course everyone was very, very, curious as to who the “Saviour” was. Rainpaw didn’t know, but he knew that everyone thought it was him. All of the ThunderClan cats, anyway. It didn’t matter, though, because he knew that there was no way he could be the Saviour or the prophecy cat. He was just him, the ex-human ex-loner ThunderClan apprentice who was cursed with a scar that made him insane. That was it.

“Rainpaw!” Sharpfang growled suddenly, making him come back to reality. “Were you even listening to what I was saying?” Rainpaw looked up to his mentor and shook his head. Sharpfang growled with frustration.

“Rainpaw, if you don’t listen to me you won’t learn anything,” Sharpfang growled. “You’re days away from being ten moons old—you should know how to listen.”

“Sorry,” Rainpaw muttered. “I’ll try to listen next time.” He could feel Robinpaw’s eyes on him, and Shadowpaw’s, but he didn’t care. It was quiet for a few minutes before Sharpfang just sighed and flicked his tail in dismissal.

“You seem down today,” said Sharpfang. “Go ahead and take the day off from training. Just don’t get into trouble, okay?” Rainpaw nodded and left, knowing that a regular apprentice would have probably wanted to stay. He, however was not normal and did not want to stay.

He made it to camp quickly, thinking of the same things over and over. Frostpaw and Sweetpaw were busy doing their normal apprentice chores while the elders seemed to be sunning themselves. It was a normal day, yet something seemed to be wrong.

“Hey, Rainpaw!” called Lilyear, a kind elder. “Could get this annoying flea off me? I can’t reach it!” Rainpaw smiled, happy to help anyone he could, and ran over. He smiled as a greeting before catching the pesky flea and killing it between his teeth and spat it out.

“Thank you, Rainpaw,” said Lilyear happily. “You’re very kind. Most of the apprentice’s these days would rather go train for battle then help an elder like me.”

“I’ve seen enough of battle to know it’s nothing to be excited about,” Rainpaw replied. “Guess I’m different that way.” Lilyear smiled, her eyes twinkling a bit.

“Oh, you are different,” said Lilyear. “Reminds me of Ravenstar in some ways.” Rainpaw sat, then, and tilted his head.

“What do you mean?” asked Rainpaw. “It isn’t a bad thing or something like that, is it?” Lilyear shook her head.

“No, no,” she replied. “I’m only say that he too was different. He’s was a loner, just like yourself. The first non-Clan born cat since Firestar to become a leader.”

“Is that a bad thing?” asked Rainpaw. “He seems like a good Warrior to me.” Lilyear sighed and shook her head again.

“No, it isn’t,” she replied. “But there’s something different about him. He seems to know what dominance is and how to use it—as if he’d already been in a place like the Clans with the same rules: respect those higher than you and follow them without question. Of course, the Warrior code has changed a bit since my time, and therefore made everything softer. Anyways, I think he was apart of a group, one that isn’t as kind as the Clans and in a way, you remind me of him.” Rainpaw’s heart leapt as he realised just what she meant.

The Cats of the Storms.

Shadow had lived there, but he must have been exiled or something because he didn’t live there anymore. What if Ravenstar had come from there too? It would help a lot with the rogue problem maybe, and that “little birdie” that Shadow kept talking about.

“I gotta go,” said Rainpaw then, leaving the den. “I’ll see ya later.” He then ran over to the highrock. Without any warning to the cat inside, Rainpaw walked into Ravenstar’s den.

“Rainpaw?” asked the dark tom. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

“With the Clan? No,” said Rainpaw. “With me? Yes. Ravenstar, Lilyear told me that you were a loner and that you came from somewhere with much more power and cruelness.” Ravenstar’s blue eyes widened with shock.

“How did she know that?” asked Ravenstar. “I—I never told anyone!”

“Yes, but I’m smart enough to figure it out, and so must she,” said Rainpaw. “Ravenstar, was this place you were from called the Cats of the Storms?” Ravenstar nodded slowly, worry in his eyes.

“Brilliant,” said Rainpaw, closing his eyes.

“What?” asked Ravenstar.

“Shadow, the rogue’s leader, comes from that place, but was exiled,” said Rainpaw. “He told me himself.” Ravenstar’s eyes widened.

“The Mountain’s Shadow?” asked Ravenstar. Rainpaw nodded, and this increased Ravenstar’s fear. “No, no, no. Not him, not him!” Rainpaw tilted his head.

“Can I ask what is so bad?” asked Rainpaw. Ravenstar stared at the ground for a few moments before looking up to him.

“Shadow is my brother,” Ravenstar replied. “He was evil, I knew, but that’s just how it was in that...group of cats. You see, they live in the forest, but they’d much rather live here. They are cruel cats that think loners and rogues must never exist and therefore must be either killed or put to work. The she-cats aren’t treated all that nicely, but they are respected more than rogues and loners. No matter the blood or gender, though, they adore power. So for example, if you showed up there, you’d be treated as if you were leader of StarClan. They’d love you.” Rainpaw’s eyes widened.

“And you lived with these cats?” asked Rainpaw. Ravenstar nodded.

“Yes, my family lived there, all of them did, but I couldn’t stand it,” said Ravenstar. “Shadow thought I was weak and my other family members did as well, and soon they disowned me. I always came back from training with wounds, and this was even before I was six moons old. They’re cruel, and I knew that, and so I left, hoping the Clans were at least a bit more decent.

“When they accepted me and trained me as an apprentice of their own, I was so happy. I nearly almost didn’t believe them at first, but soon I got used to the kindness and the respect.

“When I became a mentor I couldn’t believe it. Snowstorm was just so. . .so good to me. He always wanted to make me proud, and I was. He was a loner too, so I understood him, and we got along great. When Cloudstar appointed me deputy, I was shocked, and most cats believed it was a horrible idea. You know, because I was a loner. They all said that I was just lucky, and that I would never gain the spot of a leader.

“But that was before the first band of rogues attacked. When they did, I fought as I hard as I could. Cloudstar only had a few lives left, and he lost them all that night fighting my brother. I became leader too quickly and here I stand. Ten moons later, and I’ve already lost seven of my lives.” Rainpaw stared at the ground, trying to figure out this puzzle that he knew was going around.

“Do you think Shadow wants revenge?” asked Rainpaw curiously. Ravenstar nodded, looking straight into Rainpaw’s eyes.

“Yes, and that’s why I need you,” said Ravenstar. Rainpaw narrowed his eyes in confusion, tilting his head a bit.

“What?” asked Rainpaw.

“Rainpaw, you heard what the StarClan cats said at the Gathering,” said Ravenstar. “‘The Saviour is coming’. That has to be you! You’re the only one that can kill them, with that scar of yours. Sure, we can wound some of them, but that doesn’t matter. If these rogues are being led by Shadow, they won’t give up until you kill their leader, and only you can do that.” Rainpaw’s eyes widened, his lightning blue eyes shocked at what he was expected to do.

“I’m not the only one who can do that!” Rainpaw pointed out, standing now. “What about Bravestar and Nightstar? They’re strong enough! Even Rosestar could do it—she  hates  rogues!”

“They can’t, Rainpaw,” said Ravenstar. “There are too many of them, and if I’m not mistaken, Shadow had already made you a target. Rainpaw, remember the whispering that the StarClan cats gave to us? About the pariah, the unwanted, and the unloved? You were all of those things before ThunderClan found you.”

“Yes, but what about the martyr, the shadow, and the unprotected?” asked Rainpaw. “I’m none of those things, and you know that!”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Ravenstar. “I may know nothing of your past, but I can see the hints. You grew up like I did, pushed around and doing everything you could to save those you loved. You really didn’t care how you turned out, only that your family was okay.” Rainpaw narrowed his eyes, growling lowly for warning.

“Don’t talk about that, Ravenstar,” Rainpaw mumbled. “That past is behind me, and I will never need to remember.”

“But don’t you see?” asked Ravenstar. “You  are  the prophecy cat, the Saviour we’ve been awaiting. I know the prophecy, and it fits you perfectly.”

“No, I’m not the prophecy cat,” growled Rainpaw. “I can’t be. StarClan wouldn’t have chosen me, not with what I am. . .”

“Rainpaw, they  chose  you  because  of what you are,” Ravenstar reminded him. “Your insanity could save us all.”

“No, I’m not talking about that part of me,” said Rainpaw, looking at his paws. “I’m something else, something that they told me themselves they couldn’t choose.”

“You’ve talked to them?” asked Ravenstar, disbelief in his eyes. Rainpaw nodded.

“They’re the reason I’m cursed with insanity,” said Rainpaw. “Because of that one little mistake they made.” Ravenstar was quiet then, too shocked to say anything. Rainpaw just sat there, thinking of the many things he figured out.

Finally, after a few minutes of sitting there, he stood and walked out of the den. Rainpaw knew that there was something missing, one final piece that would tie everything together, but he just couldn’t find it. He knew that he probably had  something  to do with the prophecy cat, but there was no way he could actually be the one. It was impossible, but as Ravenstar had put it, he fit perfectly.

Rainpaw jumped down the highrock, his head low and his tail dragging on the ground as he walked toward the apprentices’ den. Robinpaw suddenly bounded up to him, her eyes flashing with happiness.

“There you are!” she said happily. “I was looking everywhere for you! Anyways, guess what Grassfur told me today?” Rainpaw sat down and put a smile on his face as he listened to Robinpaw speak.

“Shadowpaw and I are going to be Warriors soon!” said Robinpaw excitedly. “She said we’re both doing very well and that she’d speak to Ravenstar as soon as she could about making us Warriors. Isn’t that so exciting?” Rainpaw laughed a bit.

“Yes, it is,” said Rainpaw. “You’re very lucky, I don’t think Sharpfang will ever think I’m fit to be a Warrior.” Robinpaw rolled her eyes as he said that.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she reassured him. “He can’t keep you an apprentice  forever. ” Robinpaw then sat next to him, brushing her warm fur against his. Her blue-grey fur against his smoky grey and white fur made them look connected, and hearing her heart-beat reassured him that everything was okay, and nothing was going to tear them apart.

“Rainpaw,” said Robinpaw then, their tails twining together. “Do you like Cloudpaw?” Rainpaw smiled, feeling happy that she finally brought about that subject.

“Yes,” he said. “But as a friend. You are much more, and I will always remember the day you gathered up your courage and saved me from being exiled for something I didn’t mean to do.” Robinpaw purred then, and licked him again. It was beautiful moment, one that he would also remember.

But of course, it ended quickly. A loud yowl caught both of their attention, making them both stand up and look in that direction. Sharpfang, Duskfeather, Sweetpaw, and Brightpelt were dragging a body into camp, one that was lifeless.

The rest of the Clan had gathered to see who it was, and when the four cats stepped back to let them see, everyone gasped. Rainpaw heard Thorntail scream in disbelief, and he himself was shocked.

Jayflight, Ravenstar’s loyal deputy, lay dead and motionless on the ground before him.

“No!” Thorntail screamed, pushing through the crowd of cats, trying to see her brother. “No! No! No! No! No!” Thorntail was crying now as she lay down beside her dead brother, her tears falling onto his lifeless fur.

Rainpaw walked over to the body, sniffing it with care. When he realised who the scent on Jayflight was he took two steps back and the stared at the ground. Ravenstar had been right, Shadow  wouldn’t  give up. Rainpaw then looked up at Ravenstar who was sitting on the Highrock. Their eyes exchanged the conversation that they needed to have.

Shadow was Jayflight’s killer

¤¤¤

“I say these words before the body of Jayflight, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice. Sharpfang will be the new deputy of ThunderClan. I hope that his loyalty and strength match that of Jayflight’s, and that he will lead this Clan, if he needs to do so, with care.”

“Sharpfang! Sharpfang! Sharpfang!” the Clan cheered, though most of them stayed out, still grieving for their lost deputy. Sharpfang stood proudly, yet sadly, up on the Highrock, his eyes looking down to Jayflight’s body as the elders took it away.

Rainpaw hadn’t spoken since he’d seen the body, still trying to find out  why  Shadow had done it. He remembered Shadow saying that a “little birdie” told him that Snowstorm was next in line for deputy, and then he was killed. Now Jayflight was killed, and he was deputy. Who on earth would want to be leader that bad? Sharpfang was nicer now, so there was no way it could be him, and now Rainpaw was starting to wonder if he should warn his mentor about the link to the attacks.

Robinpaw hadn’t even spoken to him, she’d been too worried about Sweetpaw and what she’d seen. Amberstorm and Flamepelt were out scenting the territory for the rogues, and Thorntail had to go back to the medicine den to sleep. Nobody he really knew could talk to him, not that he really wanted it.

“Jayflight was the perfect deputy,” said someone behind him. “I just hope Sharpfang will do well in his spot. With Ravenstar only on his second life, who knows what’ll happen.” Rainpaw closed his eyes as he listened, hoping that Sharpfang was better than the loner-hater that Rainpaw had seen before he’d become his apprentice.

Springfur suddenly rushed through the entrance of the nursery, her eyes flooded with worry. Rainpaw looked up to see how distressed the she-cat was, finding that she looked as if she were going to collapse as she stood there shaking like a tree in a wind storm. Rainpaw got to his feet, ready to hear the reason.

“My kits!” Springfur screeched. “They’re gone! I can't find them anywhere!” Rainpaw then looked to the other cats, hoping that one of them had seen them. Yelloweye, Springfur’s mate, started looking immediately. The Clan looked and looked, but by moonhigh, the kits were nowhere to be found.

Rainpaw had called Sweetpaw to the apprentices’ den, making Robinpaw and Shadowpaw curious and so they followed. He didn’t really mind—if the kits were where he thought they were he’d need the two she-cats help.

They all gathered rather quickly, and then Rainpaw began explaining.

“Sweetpaw, do you remember where you found Jayflight’s body?” Rainpaw asked. Sweetpaw nodded, but the other two looked confused.

“What on earth are you talking about?” asked Robinpaw. “What do the kits disappearance have to do with Jayflight’s death?” Rainpaw looked to her, smiling.

“Robinpaw, I’d thought you’d understand,” he stated. “Look, don’t you think that Bluekit and Lionkit, two kits ready to become apprentices in days, would go looking for a reason to become one quicker?” Robinpaw shrugged.

“I guess so,” she said. “But I still don’t see the connection.”

“I’ll bet you anything Bluekit and Lionkit went to go scent out the killer of Jayflight, hoping to get revenge for everyone and therefore be made apprentices sooner than planned.” Rainpaw explained. “If we go to where they found Jayflight’s body, maybe we’ll find them.” Robinpaw and Shadowpaw seemed to understand now, though Sweetpaw seemed very, very scared.

“But what if the rogues are there?” she asked.

“Then we’ll fight them,” Rainpaw put simply, though that just made her start to cry. Robinpaw rolled her eyes before looking at her.

“Sweetpaw, you’ll have two strong she-cats at your side who are over eleven moons old, and then you’ll have Rainpaw,” said Robinpaw. “Plus, if everything goes wrong, we’ll just have someone scratch Rainpaw’s scar. Then we’ll  really  be protected, won’t we?” Sweetpaw nodded, though she still looked scared. “If you don’t want to go, Sweetpaw, you don’t have to. You just can’t tell anyone that we went to go get the kits, okay?”

“Never!” said Sweetpaw. “I’m an apprentice now—I can do this!” Rainpaw smiled at the kit’s determination, and noticed Robinpaw smiling proudly as well. She would be a good mother, Rainpaw thought. A very good one.

“Okay then,” said Rainpaw. “With the Clan in such chaos, I doubt anyone will notice us leave through the thorn barrier, so let’s go. Sweetpaw, you’ll be in front.”

“I will?” asked Sweetpaw, her eyes widening with shock.

“Well of course,” said Rainpaw. “You’re the only one who knows were Jayflight’s body was found—you’re actually quite important.” Sweetpaw still looked scared, but Robinpaw came to the rescue again.

“Don’t worry, Sweetpaw,” said Robinpaw. “We’ll be right behind you—we’ll all protect you.” Sweetpaw then nodded, leading the way out of the apprentice’s den. They walked out of camp and no one seemed to notice. The plan was going perfectly.

They began running as soon as they were out, Sweetpaw taking the lead. Rainpaw ran beside Robinpaw, Shadowpaw behind them. The four apprentices ran quickly through the forest, all of them having one thing on their mind:  save Bluekit and Lionkit.

Let’s just hope that Shadow has gone home for the night,  Rainpaw thought, unable to think of what would happen if they actually did run into the rogues.

Chapter 11
Rainpaw’s legs were aching as he ran, noticing the moon getting lower and lower in the sky. Dawn was coming, and they still hadn’t found the kits. He could tell Sweetpaw was getting tired, for she slowed down a lot as they were getting closer.

Robinpaw sped up, then, and picked up Sweetpaw by the scruff. Rainpaw ran up beside her and smiled, knowing that Robinpaw would want to know that they were all with her. Sweetpaw then began calling out instructions on where to go, and everything seemed to be going quite well.

“Stop!” Sweetpaw suddenly yelled, making the three cats skid to a halt as Robinpaw put her down. Sweetpaw sniffed the area and looked back to Rainpaw.

“This was where we found the body,” Sweetpaw explained pride showing in her eyes. Rainpaw smiled.

“Good job,” he said. “But we’re still not done. Do you think you could help us scent the kits out?” Sweetpaw nodded, and then the four of them got to work. Rainpaw was now relying on his friends, because he honestly wasn’t a good tracker.

Rainpaw sniffed and sniffed, but nothing had Bluekit or Lionkit’s scent on it. There were plenty of rogue trails, but they were all stale. Jayflight’s scent was strong as well, and the smell of blood made him wrinkle his nose when he got too close.

He found something interesting. There was a large stone den, small enough only for a few cats to fit through. It had the rogue scent all over it, but that was stale as well. However, it looked as if someone had tried to get rid of the scent.

“I found the kits scent!” Shadowpaw called then, bringing him back to reality. “Come on! Let’s follow it!” Rainpaw looked up from what he was doing and forgot all about the rogue scent. He followed his friends, leaving the stone den behind.

Rainpaw ran to catch up with his friends, exhausted yet happy that they’d found the kits scent. It didn’t take them long to find the two kits, and when they did Robinpaw seemed really, really happy.

“Bluekit! Lionkit!” Robinpaw called. “Over here!” The two kits looked over to them, and then their smiles turned into frowns. They then began running, making Rainpaw dart forward.

They chased the kits, but not for long. The two found another stone den and crawled in, making Rainpaw narrow his eyes. Robinpaw was much taller than him, Shadowpaw too. Sweetpaw was too inexperienced to go, and so he would have to go through the tunnel first, even if they wanted to.

Rainpaw leaped in front of Robinpaw and crawled under the opening, looking for the kits as he did so. He caught a glimpse of Lionkit’s ginger tail before it disappeared, and then he followed it. Their scent wasn’t hard to follow, but it was being blended in with the awful rogue stench that was definitely not stale. There were some near, but he couldn’t just leave the kits behind.

Rainpaw could hear Robinpaw, Shadowpaw, and Sweetpaw crawling in as he crawled on his belly toward the kits. It was dark and damp, and he was going down. Rainpaw knew he must be going underground inside the tunnel, but he just didn’t understand it.

So many things were going through Rainpaw’s head as he crawled toward the kits. The rogues were definitely close, and not to mention how dangerous it was to be crawling around in such damp tunnels. It was definitely nerve racking.

Then, just as Rainpaw was about to catch up with the kits, he realised that there was a tunnel right beneath them that literally went down without a slope to catch them.

“Bluekit! Lionkit! Stop!” Rainpaw yelled, but it was too late. They had already fallen. Rainpaw growled to himself and then jumped down as well, noticing Robinpaw and Shadowpaw yell after him.

Rainpaw landed smoothly on his feet, and he was surprised. Usually he wasn’t the one to make clean landings, but apparently he’d timed everything right. Rainpaw then ran to find Bluekit and Lionkit, who were still visible in the cloudy darkness.

As Rainpaw began running, he realised they weren’t in a tunnel anymore. They were in a cave, and from the darkness around him, he could tell that it was a large one. Rainpaw skidded to a halt as he realised how strong the rogue’s stench was, and then he heard the loud hostile hisses coming from the darkness.

They were inside Shadow’s hideout.

Rainpaw hissed with frustration before turning around to warn his friends, but unfortunately he found them already fighting two very strong toms. Rainpaw growled again before turning around and running back toward Bluekit and Lionkit, who were no doubt meeting rogues.

When Rainpaw caught up, however, he found Lionkit and Bluekit’s scruffs already in the mouths of a very scary looking dark brown tom. Rainpaw narrowed his eyes with anger as his ears shot back against his head, showing his fury.

“Let them go!” Rainpaw demanded. “We didn’t come here to intrude!” The tom just shook his head and took two steps back, making Rainpaw let out a loud screech. He couldn’t really tell what was happening behind him, he just wanted to get out of the death trap.

“Leave them and fight me!” Rainpaw yowled. “I know you want to! Or are you too scared?” The tom narrowed his eyes then, but still did not let the kits go.

“He’s not scared of you,” a sudden voice replied, one that was familiar enough to make Rainpaw growl. “He’s scared of me. Disobeying direct orders could get ya killed down here. I thought you knew all that, since you’ve experienced something. . .well, sort of like that anyway.”

“So this is your hide-out?” asked Rainpaw, turning to face the yellow-eyed tom. “Pretty easily found, if you ask me. Not at all like your usual attacks are, Shadow. Should I be worried that you’re no longer a worthy opponent?”

“Worthy opponent?” asked Shadow, tilting his head a little. “That’s not like you, Rainpaw. Has your scar been scratched lately?” Rainpaw growled in frustration, his claws automatically unsheathing as his anger rose.

“Well, if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just have to find out myself,” Shadow hissed before lunging toward Rainpaw. Rainpaw leapt to the left to evade the attack before lunging toward Shadow himself. He bit into the dark cat’s neck, clawing at his side as he did so.

Shadow didn’t hesitate to grab Rainpaw’s scruff and throw him off, his teeth sinking into the small apprentice’s skin. Rainpaw screeched as he slid into the cold stone wall, then fell with his right shoulder throbbing. Rainpaw got up slowly, though quick enough to see Shadow’s attack. Rainpaw jumped aside as Shadow reached for him, evading the attack with difficulty.

Shadow then screeched with fury as he turned around to face Rainpaw, his yellow eyes looking as if they were orange as the anger boiled within the evil cat.

“The strongest win the fight, Shadow,” Rainpaw taunted, narrowing his eyes tighter. “I thought you knew that. You know, since you came from a pretty evil place. Maybe that’s why you were exiled: you were just too weak.” Shadow growled before lunging at him. Rainpaw dodged, but suddenly he felt a large amount of weight on his back.

Rainpaw collapsed under the weight and yowled in agony as the cat on top of him raked its claws down his back. Shadow’s laughing echoed against the cave walls, making Rainpaw try to cover his ears. He tried to struggle free, but more and more cats pinned him down. It was useless, the fight was over.

Rainpaw growled lowly as he looked to see where Robinpaw, Sweetpaw and Shadowpaw were. Just like him, they were pinned down and unable to move much. They only had two or three cats keeping them down, unlike him who had several cats.

Sweetpaw looked as if she were going to pass out with fright while Robinpaw just looked worried, yet annoyed. Shadowpaw looked scared, though she seemed determined to get the toms off of her. Lionkit and Bluekit, who were being held by the scruffs next to the apprentice’s, looked as if they thoroughly regretted even setting a paw out of camp.

“You see it don’t you?” asked Shadow then, stepping in front of him. “The fear in their eyes, the very emotion you’ve made so many feel. I enjoy it, but you. . .not so much. Why is that? I’ve never understood it. I mean, after all, before you came to the Clans you were feared beyond all else. With that scar of yours, the kittypets hardly dared to go near you. The only one that loved you was your precious little brother, the one you'd die for.”

“Shut up!” Rainpaw hissed, lunging forward. The cats kept him there, one of them even biting into his skin. He pushed aside the pain and calmed down, though he was still angry. Shadow’s sick grin turned into a face innocent frown then, showing his fake concern.

“Oops, I should stop talking now shouldn’t I?” asked Shadow, a fake look still on his face. “However, I find it fun, and since you can’t stop me, I’ll be continuing.” Rainpaw growled again.

“Your story is much more interesting,” growled Rainpaw then, “Why don’t you tell them yours?” Shadow hissed, and then Rainpaw felt claws raking down his back again, opening the old wounds further. He forced himself to stay quiet, though he still whimpered a bit.

“Crying now, are you?” asked Shadow, a smirk on his face. “I thought you were used to this. The beatings, the scars, and the murder. If I remember correctly, that’s how your brother died, wasn’t it?” Rainpaw growled again, thought this time it was louder, and now it was Shadow’s second warning.

“Oh yes, you remember,” Shadow growled, a scowl in his face. “The day you got the glorious star-shaped scar that everyone seems to love. You stood there, unable to move just like you are now, watching your precious twin brother die in front your eyes. That death was the first that ended up being your fault, and now you do it all the time. That’s why I’m confused. Shouldn’t someone like you love killing? Shouldn’t someone like you love seeing your brother die in front of you? I know I would, my brother is weakling, even if he does have nine lives.”

“Just because he was brave enough to leave that place you used to call home doesn’t mean he’s weak!” Rainpaw hissed, baring his teeth the cruel cat. “Your brother was braver than I will ever be! You are a Shadow. You are the shadow of your brother, and shall always be looked down upon. You have no friends, no one to lick you when your cold, which is actually all the time! You’re heart lays forgotten, and even though mine was too, I’ve found it! I may have been just like you when I was younger, but I’ve found what friendship means, and I shall forever cherish those around me, even if they hate me after tonight!” Shadow narrowed his eyes as Rainpaw finished his speech. It was quiet then, but only for a few moments.

“You have grown weak, Rainpaw, and therefore you have no reason to live.” Shadow turned around with a grin on his face. “Kill him.” Rainpaw’s heart raced then, hoping that he could get out of this mess. Pain overwhelmed him then, this time forcing him to yowl out in pain.

“Wait,” Shadow ordered then, making the pain ease up a bit. “I think. . .oh yes, I definitely think we should let him suffer pain, but not only physically, but mentally as well. Seeing his friends die in front of him would definitely be the best way to go, don’t you think? Though, just in case he gets any ideas, we might want to have Venom scratch him up a bit.”

“Master?” a cat called from the shadows. A large white cat then stepped into the dim light that went around the cave, his fur blood stained. “You called for me?”

“Ah yes, thank you Venom, for listening,” said Shadow, turning to face the large white tom. “We have a nuisance that I’d like you to get rid of. You know, with those painful claws of yours.” Venom, the white cat, then tilting his head.

“Really?” he asked, walking over to Rainpaw, seeming to examine him. “He must be really special for you to want to kill him so painfully.”

“Ah yes, this one has gotten on my nerves.” Shadow replied. “Such a weakling he is.”

“Oh really?” asked Venom, a sick grin forming on his face. “Then this should be easier that I had originally thought.”

Venom then lunged forward, slashing his green claws across Rainpaw’s neck. It was painful, but he didn’t die. The gash was high enough to bleed heavily, but low enough not to kill him instantly. Rainpaw forced back a loud screech by biting his tongue, making blood fill in his mouth.

“Painful, isn’t it?” asked Shadow, sitting as he continued talking. “and that is just the beginning. Now, ready to watch your friends die?” Rainpaw hissed with fury, lunging forward again, trying to get free of the cat’s grip. He failed, getting pinned down even harder.

Shadow laughed before standing and turning around. He then walked up to Robinpaw, making Rainpaw yowl. Shadow smiled at this.

“So, you like this one, eh?” asked Shadow. “Then she shall be first.” Shadow then turned to face Robinpaw again, and lunged toward her. Rainpaw lunged forward, struggling harder this time. The cats holding him pulled harder, but he still struggled.

“No!” Rainpaw yelled, watching as Shadow bite into Robinpaw’s neck. Robinpaw yelled, shock showing in her jade green eyes. Then, just as it had done with Thorntail, memories to last a lifetime hit him all at the same time. He fell limp as he remembered, watching the glimpses of his past life pass through him.

Robinpaw continued screaming, Rainpaw heard it, and he was trying to gather up his strength to save her. Then the memories eased, and he lunged forward with all of his strength—plus a little extra—and broke free of the cats holding him down. After being limp for some time, the cats who’d been holding him were surprised and therefore let him escape easily.

Rainpaw then ran over to Robinpaw quickly and tore Shadow away from her, raking his claws down the dark tom’s back. Shadow screeched, making Rainpaw smile. Shadow’s paw came toward him, but Rainpaw’s sudden quick reflexes let him evade the attack easily. Every cat in the cave then dropped what they were doing and tried to catch Rainpaw, which was harder than it looked to most.

Rainpaw’s body had the speed and strength of that when his scar was scratched, though he actually wasn’t crazy. He was perfectly sane. Well, aside from the fact that his anger was fuelling his power.

Robinpaw and Shadowpaw joined in on the fight while Sweetpaw watched the kits. Rainpaw then made his way over to his friends, getting their attention then.

“Get the kits and get out!” Rainpaw ordered. “I can handle myself here!”

“You’ll get yourself killed, Rainpaw!” Robinpaw yelled back, her jade green eyes narrowing. “Let us stay and help you!”

“This is my fault, and if you died I’d kill myself!” Rainpaw yelled. “Get the Clan if it’ll make you feel better, just get out of here while you still can!” Robinpaw hesitated, but then nodded and called Sweetpaw and Shadowpaw over. Soon, the three of them and the kits were gone. Rainpaw sighed with relief.

A bunch of cats suddenly jumped onto Rainpaw, making him fall to the ground. He was pinned once again to the ground, but he had a plan this time. Shadow walked up to Rainpaw then, his eyes narrowed.

“What a wonderful little stunt you pulled,” Shadow growled, a scowl on his face. “Too bad it’ll end soon.” Rainpaw hissed before lunging forward, only that just brought him more pain. The pain was a burning sort, and it was as if he were bit by a snake.

Rainpaw took a few steps back, realising his vision getting a bit blurry. His body was getting numb, and his hearing wasn’t as good as usual. He then saw Shadow smirk.

“W-what’s happening?” Rainpaw asked.

“You noticed, didn’t you?” asked Shadow, walking a few steps closer. “Venom didn’t just nearly kill you, Rainpaw. He injected the juice of the death berry through his claws. It won’t kill you, not for a few days anyway, but it’ll be extremely painful. The best part? There is nothing you can do about it.” Rainpaw wanted to hurt Shadow so bad, he wanted to kill him. But he couldn’t. His body was giving out, and it was just too soon.

A paw suddenly landed on Rainpaw left shoulder, just barely hanging on. With no plan whatsoever, Rainpaw moved quickly to the right and made the paw unsheathe its claws and scratch his scar. It was the only thing he could do, the only thing that could help him at the moment.

Ready for me again ? Asked the demon-like voice in his mind. You sure look like it!

Do what you must,  Rainpaw thought to whatever was going to take over. I need to get out of here before the poison reaches my heart.

Now that I can do, said the voice. Now let’s get ready for some fun! Rainpaw then stood up, the demon within him controlling his body completely.

“Wait, what happened?” asked Shadow, a look of worry on his face as he saw Rainpaw’s dark blue eyes and glowing scar.

I think this one should die,  said the demon.

“M-master!” a dark grey tom yelled with worry. “His scar—it was scratched!”

Yeah, I agree,  thought Rainpaw.

“You idiot!” Shadow yelled, his voice booming throughout the cave. “This is what I told you exactly not to do! You’ve doomed us all!”

“Finally,” said Rainpaw with a demonic voice. “The idiot’s finally given me free rein to do whatever I want! So, let’s play a game.”

“P-play a game?” asked Shadow, a worried look in his eye.

“Why yes,” said Rainpaw, smiling as the cats trying to hold him let go backed away slowly. “Have any of you heard of the game of ‘tag, your dead!’?” Shadow then backed away.

“It’s an easy game to play, really,” Rainpaw insisted, his voice still rough. “All you have to do is run and scream like little kits while I try to kill you. So, you ready to play?” Shadow and the other cats ran away, making Rainpaw eager to chase them.

Rainpaw lunged forward toward the cats, killing a black tom easily by slitting his throat. Blood once again stained Rainpaw’s coat, but at the moment he didn’t care. He was living, and he was weakening the rogues before he died. He felt like it was his last duty.

Rainpaw killed three more within a minute’s time, but it was okay. It was going just as the real Rainpaw had planned. The rogues were scattering into the tunnels that led out into Clan territory, leading the demon inside of him to follow them. Soon, he was going to be out of the rogue home and hopefully die out there. After all, with the wounds he had, there was little way for him to live much longer without a medicine cat.

Rainpaw then began crawling into a tunnel, making his way up as he followed none other than Venom. The white tom was breathing heavily, trying to get away from the insane killer below him. Rainpaw, however, was much faster with his new and improved strength.

“It’s you who’s made me this slow, isn’t it?” yelled Rainpaw up to the white tom. “Well, just because of that, I think you should die. I was going to do it earlier, but a few weaklings got in my way.” The white tom looked back but only for a second before climbing up higher.

This slow? Does that mean he can be faster, stronger, and have  better  reflexes? W-what on earth is he? Thought Rainpaw as the demon laughed a laugh he never liked to hear.

“Oh look! Land!” Rainpaw screeched as he climbed out of the tunnel and onto ThunderClan territory. “Now I can kill you faster!” Venom lunged forward into an all-out run while Rainpaw just followed, panting heavily.

The trees and bushes were all passed quickly, it was just a blur to the real Rainpaw. The rain didn’t help matters, as it splattered onto his already soaked fur. The pain may have gone away for the demon, but for Rainpaw it was still haunting him. Rainpaw was now close enough to kill Venom, but a loud scream made Rainpaw stop.

“Rainpaw!” screamed the familiar voice of Robinpaw. “Stop!” For some reason, this made the demon stop as well. Rainpaw knew he wasn’t in control, but it seemed like it.

Stupid poison! Said the demon inside Rainpaw's mind. It’s making me weaker!

Sweetpaw then ran up to him, as did Robinpaw, Shadowpaw and the kits. They all seemed relieved when they should be worried. Robinpaw’s eyes were filled with worry and concern, but the most powerful emotion was relief that he was okay. Sweetpaw seemed happy, though still fearful. Shadowpaw was happy, though still worried.

They came closer and closer while Rainpaw just stood still, a look of surprise on his face. Venom was nowhere to be seen, but he was still there. Rainpaw’s senses were dull but they were still good enough to know that the enemy was near.

“Rainpaw! Thank StarClan you’re okay!” Robinpaw yelled happily toward him as she ran closer. “We were so —”

Suddenly Robinpaw realised what was wrong with him and came to a complete stop, her eyes wide with fear. Shadowpaw seemed to notice as well and held the two kits back. However Sweetpaw had gotten past the two apprentices and was unable to know what was wrong. Sweetpaw continued running toward him.

Right at that moment Rainpaw realised Venom sneaking up on the apprentices. His heart raced, thinking of a million different things at once. All the while, the demon within him was trying to take over.

Venom is near, I must kill him!

But I might accidentally go toward Robinpaw and the others!

He’ll kill them if you don’t!

But I might kill Sweetpaw as well!

Just concentrate!

But I can’t!

JUST DO IT!

Finally Rainpaw jumped, using all of his power to go the furthest he could. Robinpaw and Shadowpaw ducked, their eyes not even daring to look what was happening. Rainpaw then landed on the other side of them and slit Venom’s throat within seconds, blood spraying everywhere as the large tom fell.

Rainpaw could tell he was in control now, and though he didn’t know why, he was happy. He stood there, his eyes wide and his claws sheathed, listening to Robinpaw and Shadowpaw realise that their death wasn’t near.

“R-Rainpaw?” asked Sweetpaw, her voice shaky with fear. “W-what’s going on?”

“Sorry, Sweetpaw,” said Rainpaw. “I-I don’t know why, but I’m fine now. I not going to hurt you, though I couldn’t even I wanted to. My body isn’t going to last much longer.” Robinpaw then ran over to him and supported him on his left while Shadowpaw supported him on his right. Sweetpaw picked up Lionkit while Shadowpaw carried Bluekit.

“Your wounds are bad,” said Robinpaw, examining him. “We need to get some cobwebs!”

“N-no,” Rainpaw objected. “We ne-ed. . .Snowdrift.” His voice was raspy and choppy with all the pain that he felt, making Robinpaw feel more worried.

“You won’t that last that long!” Robinpaw objected. Rainpaw shook his head.

“I-it’s not the wounds,” Rainpaw told her. “Death berry juice. . .injected. . .Venom’s claws. . .” Robinpaw nodded then, but didn’t say anything.

“Okay then,” said Robinpaw in defeat. “I don’t really know what you said but if you really want to see Snowdrift. . .” Rainpaw nodded and stood up, helped by both Shadowpaw and Robinpaw. Sweetpaw followed behind as they walked forward slowly.

Rainpaw’s vision was getting blurry as the painful juice went through his blood stream, and his paws were getting very numb. His hearing was still there, but his sense of smell wasn’t very good at all.

“Why is Rainpaw so loopy lookin’?” asked Lionkit curiously as they walked.

“He’s not feeling too good right now, Lionkit,” Robinpaw replied, her voice wavering a bit. She was trying to put on a brave face but anyone could tell that she was sad and worried for Rainpaw.

“Oh,” Lionkit murmured then. “Well, he still looks funny!” Rainpaw smiled, happy that the kits weren’t being brought down by his dying state.

Suddenly Robinpaw stopped and gasped, a sort of happiness in her eyes as far as Rainpaw could see. She carefully set Rainpaw down with Shadowpaw helping of course. Rainpaw lay there, motionless except for the occasional breathing that wasn’t at all even.

“Robinpaw!” called the familiar voice of Grassfur. “Robinpaw, what’s going —" Grassfur stopped, gasping loudly.

“Grassfur?” asked the familiar voice of Thorntail. “What’s the matter—" Thorntail must have caught a glimpse of Rainpaw, making her gasp that loudly.

“Rainpaw!” Thorntail screamed, seeming to run over to him. All he could do was hear now, he was numb in all places and his sight had totally disappeared.

“What happened?” Thorntail demanded. “Why is he like that? Did the rogues attack again?”

“Thorntail,” soothed Yelloweye’s voice. “He’s stable right now, though I don’t think that will last much longer. Robinpaw and Shadowpaw can give us the full story when he’s recovering.”

“But what if he doesn’t?” asked Thorntail with a worried look. “He’s my apprentice! He can’t just die!”

“I won’t. . .die. . .” said Rainpaw painfully, determination in his voice. “It’s just. . .death berry juice. . . in my body. . .” It was quiet for a few seconds before Rainpaw was picked up again, this time by Yelloweye.

“Let’s get them back to camp,” Yelloweye ordered. “Snowdrift needs to see him, it’s the only way he’ll live. Springfur will be wanting to see her kits soon anyway.” Thorntail and Yelloweye then drug him forward quickly, probably toward camp. Robinpaw and the others followed behind.

The journey from the clearing to camp was a rather short one, probably because he kept slipping in and out of consciousness, and when they got there the Clan all seemed to be gathered. Many cats gasped when they saw him, and others began whispering. Snowdrift, however, immediately began demanding what was wrong with him.

“It’s poison,” Robinpaw replied. “Death berry juice, if what Rainpaw was saying was true. It wasn’t swallowed, though, it was just injected. A cat scratched him I think, and the claws that he scratched him with had been coated with death berry juice.” Snowdrift sighed in frustration, not even caring that Rainpaw wasn’t put in the medicine den.

“That’s new,” Snowdrift explained. “I’ve never had to deal with it, but I know one thing. He shouldn’t die soon, but he will within the next three days if I don’t do anything. He also shouldn’t have had too much in him, since it was only injected due to infected claws. There’s only a fifty-fifty chance he’ll live though.”

“Should we move him into your den?” asked Yelloweye then.

“No,” Snowdrift replied. “It’ll take too long, and I’ve only got so much time. If you want to do something, please keep these cats back and give him some air. Even Ravenstar shouldn’t be near him right now.” Yelloweye muttered an 'okay' and then walked back toward the gathering Clan cats.

“Frostpaw, get some yarrow and some cobwebs,” Snowdrift ordered, watching the white apprentice sprint off. “Thorntail, if you could follow him and get some marigold for Robinpaw’s wounds.” Rainpaw coughed a bit then, groaning as he realised how painful it was.

Soon Snowdrift told him to eat something, which he did subconsciously. Only then did he realize that it was the yarrow, and that it would make him throw up the poison. He did throw up, but it was only blood that came out of his mouth.

“Did it work?” asked Frostpaw with a worried tone. It was quiet for a few moments before Snowdrift sighed.

“No, it didn’t,” Snowdrift growled, irritation in his voice. “And I think the poison is actually faster than I thought.”

“That or the demon sped it up,” Rainpaw rasped. “What a tricky little mouse-brain.”

“He can’t die!” Robinpaw screamed suddenly, her voice sounding as if she were crying. “He means too much. . .”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do,” Snowdrift whispered softly. “There’s no way he could live against the poisoning of a death berry.” It was quiet then, and nothing was heard except the heavy rain against the ground and the crying of some cats.

Robinpaw’s warm fur brushed up against his suddenly, making him flinch in surprise. Then, Rainpaw smiled with happiness. His eyes closed, though he still couldn’t see, and he now felt like he was ready to die.

“Our f-friendship wasn’t supposed to end like this,” said Robinpaw, sniffling back the tears.

“Could you tell me. . .exactly how. . .it was supposed to end?” asked Rainpaw with a raspy voice. Robinpaw was silent for a few moments before replying.

“You were supposed to fall in love with me, and then ask me to be your mate,” Robinpaw explained. “You and I were supposed to become Warriors and get our apprentice’s together. We were supposed to have kits together, and then raise a family. You and I were supposed to become elders together, and then die of old age together. We were supposed to live.” Rainpaw laughed a bit at this.

“There’s one step. . .that you didn’t get right,” Rainpaw rasped. “The first one is wrong, ‘cause I’ve already fallen in love with you.” Robinpaw seemed to cry harder as she lay on him, the rain seeming to fall harder.

“Oh, Rainpaw!” she cried. “If I asked you if we could become mates, what would your answer be?” Rainpaw laughed a bit again.

“That’s an easy question,” Rainpaw said with a smile. “That answer would most definitely be ‘yes’.” Robinpaw cried harder, and it was now becoming louder than the rain. And even though he was scared for what might happen next, he was ready for his second death. After all, he’d learned all that he needed to, and knew all that he wanted to. It was his time.

Rainpaw! What are you doing? The voice of Cheetahfur demanded. You’re giving in! You can’t!

Why not? asked Rainpaw in his head. It’s my time, and since I’ve done all I really need to, I don’t have to stay.

Cheetahfur was quiet then, but Rainpaw just had this feeling that she was trying to reach him. There was something in the way, like a soundless wall. He still lay in peace, waiting for darkness to overtake him. It never did. Then, suddenly, in the back of his mind, the demon stirred.

As if I’d let you die!

Chapter 12
As if I’d let you die!

Rainpaw’s eyes opened and grew wide as he realised who it was, and then he gasped. Something was happening to him, something that would only happen once. More blood seemed to leak out of his wounds, though instead of being red it was purple almost.

Then, just as Rainpaw felt like he was going to die, he felt fine. And there, right in front of him, stood an exact copy of himself, smiling widely. Well, it wasn’t an exact copy. Where Rainpaw had white, this cat had grey, and where Rainpaw had grey, this cat had white. The cat’s eyes were also a dark blue, and he still had a star-shaped scar, though it was glowing yellow. This cat was also very ghostly looking, just like the StarClan cats were. Right then he knew just who he was looking at.

The demon within him.

“W-what did you do?” asked Rainpaw, his eyes wide. The cat in front of him grinned widely, as if to be happy to answer that question.

“I'm  saving  you, mouse-brain,” the demon replied. “What did you think I was doing?”

“I thought you hated me!” Rainpaw reminded him, standing to his paws. “I thought you hated it when I gained control!”

“I do hate you,” the demon said simply. “But if you die, as do I, and I really don’t want to die right when your life is getting interesting. I mean, if you died, I wouldn’t be able to see how far I can evolve within you.” Rainpaw’s eyes widened. He must have been dreaming — he must have! This was just too weird. ..

“ E-evolve? ” asked Rainpaw, his voice showing his shock. The demon nodded, a sick grin on his face.

“Ever since you used me for the first time, I have been changing,” the demon replied. “First I was just a disease type thing, but then I grew into my own personality. When you started the special training with your second mentor, I couldn’t help but take that to my advantage. Remember when you felt different? When the urge to kill wasn’t as demanding? Well that’s because it isn’t you anymore, it’s me. You’re just watching, without any control whatsoever. I just never showed this to your mentor, mostly ‘cause I hate him.” Rainpaw was still shocked, his body was shaking now.

“W-what?” he asked disbelieving every word. “That’s impossible! At this rate you’ll gain your own body and slaughter the whole forest!” The demon shook his head and frowned then.

“Unfortunately, no, that won’t happen,” the demon replied, disappointed. “Remember, Rainpaw, that I am nothing but bottled up memories from your past. I know everything you’ve been through, everything that happened before you came to the Clans. I am the reason you do not think of your past life so many times.” Rainpaw shook his head.

“That can’t be true!” Rainpaw protested. “It can’t be!”

“Ah, but it is,” the demon said with a smile on his face. “I’m the reason you are happy with your mate, and happy with your new life. I am the reason you have so much strength, for a kit your size. I am the reason you made it through the blizzard, the gathering, the rogues, and every other life threatening situation you’ve been in. Without me, you would have ended up as your murderer, becoming suicide out of your own guilt. You’ve wanted to die too much, and now that I have grown, we will soon have to come to an agreement.”

“What?” asked Rainpaw, with a shocked look upon his face.

“Soon, I shall be your strength and soul,” the demon said dramatically. Suddenly Sharpfang lunged forward, attacking the demon. Unfortunately, his mentor only went through the demon.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” said the demon, though he didn’t really mean it. “You can’t hurt me unless you hurt your apprentice, and that’s impossible. Besides, I think I’ve done enough damage here. See ya, suckers!” The demon then looked to Rainpaw.

“Oh, and by the way, this may hurt a little,” the demon warned before running toward him and then disappearing.

Rainpaw then screamed, mostly in surprise. Not only did his wounds hurt twice as much, his head ached and his scar burned like it did when he’d gotten it. He suppressed the urge to scream again. The world around him got darker and darker before going completely dark, and that was when he heard the demon voice again.

Cry-baby.

¤¤¤

As Rainpaw’s eyes flickered open, he wasn’t where he thought he would be. The darkness never faded, but he could see Cheetahfur standing in front of him, and she did  not  look happy. Her eyes were narrowed and her claws were unsheathed. And even though Rainpaw knew she wouldn’t kill him, he felt the sudden urge to plea for help. He didn’t, but the urge was still there.

“Rainpaw,” growled Cheetahfur. “What on earth did you think you were doing? You promised me that you wouldn’t give up! You promised me you would think of what Thunderstar and the others gave up for you to have this life! You promised me you would think of me, and what I’ve had to go through to keep you alive!”

“I-I thought I’ve already done what you and the others asked,” Rainpaw replied, his head low. “I also thought that it was just my time. . .”

“It wasn’t your time, Rainpaw,” Cheetahfur hissed. “You have much more in store for you! The prophecy cat has been found, and considering you are part of that cat’s life, you must not die! You’ve found a mate, friends, and a home but those things are never permanent!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Rainpaw, standing up tall and narrowing his eyes. “Besides, even if I didn’t give up, how would that have helped me live?” Cheetahfur sighed, calming herself down a bit.

“If you hadn’t have given up, the demon within you would’ve given you the strength to live,” Cheetahfur explained, worry in her eyes. “And though he is a killer, he is the only reason you are living today.” Rainpaw yowled in fury at this.

“He’s my enemy!” Rainpaw hissed, his ears pinned to his head. “I shouldn’t rely on him that much!”

“You’re not,” Cheetahfur argued. “If you give your body a command, such as ‘stay alive’, you shall do so with the demon’s power. It’s just a fact of life, Rainpaw. Even if it did leave, it would be fatal to you because of the memories it would take with it. Think about it, the only reason you are living right now is because of your dark past, and if that is taken away from you, StarClan’s power couldn’t help you and you would die. Just accept what is, and then maybe act like a normal person — well,  cat —  in the process.” Rainpaw sighed and shook his head.

“But with the demon inside of me, how exactly am I supposed to be normal?” Rainpaw asked. Cheetahfur narrowed her eyes again before the world around him changed.

He was now in the snow, but it wasn’t cold. In front of him wasn’t Cheetahfur anymore, it was Robinpaw. She was smiling at him, and even though she was ghostly looking, she still looked beautiful. Cheetahfur then appeared beside Robinpaw.

“You had her while you had that thing inside of you,” Cheetahfur pointed out. “Having a crush is something normal, isn’t it? And now she’s your mate. There is nothing abnormal about that.”

The surroundings changed again after that. Now Rainpaw was looking at Duskkit, Nightkit, and Snowkit, all of them beside Reedfeather, Mosskit, and Foxkit. Cheetahfur was then beside that family.

“You helped name three kits while you had the demon within you,” Cheetahfur reminded him. “Being able to do this is normal, even if it took a miracle to save them.” Rainpaw’s head lowered, realizing she was right.

The nursery changed then, fading and then sharpening into a forest. In front of him was Cloudpaw, Shadowpaw, Flamepelt, Amberstorm, Swiftpaw, and a few others who were all smiling at him. Cheetahfur then appeared beside them.

“You made wonderful friends while the demon was inside you,” Cheetahfur pointed out again. “That is very normal—even for a Twoleg.” Rainpaw sighed, hoping that he wouldn’t be proven wrong again.

Unfortunately, that was a no. The world around him changed once again into a clearing in the forest, where Thorntail and Sharpfang stood. Cheetahfur appeared beside them like the other three times.

“You have gained the respect of two mentors while that thing was within you, both of them getting your trust as well,” Cheetahfur said. “Being able to get a motherly-like mentor and a strong, caring, fatherly-like second mentor isn’t exactly normal, but it is at least something that has nothing to do with the demon.”

Then the scenery changed, this time too quickly for Rainpaw to tell Cheetahfur to stop. He was now in ThunderClan camp with everyone doing their normal duties. It was so peaceful, and when Cheetahfur appeared in the center, Rainpaw’s head lowered.

“You have lived within the Clans without killing anyone from inside, even with that murderer within you,” Cheetahfur growled, a bit of anger building up in her eyes. “You have been able to live a normal life, even with the abnormal things going on within you. And yet, through all that, you don’t think you can continue?” Rainpaw lowered his head again, his eyes showing defeat.

“I-I don’t know,” Rainpaw replied honestly. “I may be able to lead a normal life, but I just don’t think that will last much longer. . .” Cheetahfur sighed, calming herself down again.

“Rainpaw, no matter what you do, your life is not going to be all that normal,” Cheetahfur replied. “However, no one’s life is going to be for much longer, not with the danger that’s about to come.” Rainpaw narrowed his eyes in conclusion then.

“What do you mean, ‘danger’?” asked Rainpaw. Cheetahfur just shook her head before fading away, and then after a few seconds, the world around him began fading as well. This time, however, he flickered his eyes open, instead of just being moved elsewhere.

As Rainpaw had expected, he woke up in the medicine den with Robinpaw next to him. He smiled as he sat up, waking her as well. Robinpaw then sat up, her eyes wide with worry. Rainpaw, however, just continued smiling.

“A-are you okay?” asked Robinpaw quickly. Rainpaw just shrugged, frowning a bit as he realised that his wounds hurt a lot.

“I’ve been better,” Rainpaw replied. “But aside from that I’m just happy to finally be awake.” Robinpaw smiled after that and licked his cheek.

“Good,” she replied. “I was worried there for a moment.” Rainpaw smiled before he heard movement in the den entrance. Frostpaw and Snowdrift then walked through, both of them looking quite relieved that he was awake.

“Are you feeling okay?” asked Frostpaw, his blue eyes looking curiously to Rainpaw.

“I feel brilliant,” Rainpaw replied, smiling wider. “You did wonderful.” Frostpaw smiled happily, pride filling his eyes as he held his head up high. Snowdrift laughed a bit before looking to Rainpaw.

“I’ll go tell the rest of the Clan,” Snowdrift told them. “Don’t forget to check him over, Frostpaw!” Snowdrift called over his shoulder before leaving. Rainpaw smiled before looking to Robinpaw.

“So have you told the Clan about what happened?” Rainpaw asked, his smile disappearing. Robinpaw sighed, but then nodded.

“Yeah, I did,” she answered. “They were all shocked about what happened, though Sharpfang seemed very, very angry with you.”

“I don’t see why,” Rainpaw muttered aloud. “Not only did I save your lives, I’ve weakened the rogues by splitting them up. Why can’t he accept that I’m a real Warrior?” Robinpaw shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I mean, when he attacked that cat two nights ago he seemed like he was protecting you. Sharpfang was really worried when you passed out as well.” Rainpaw shrugged.

“Well, at least I know Sharpfang doesn’t hate me,” said Rainpaw, looking on the bright side of things. “He just wants to make sure I’m strong enough to become a Warrior, I guess.” Robinpaw seemed to brighten up then, her eyes showing a lot of excitement.

“Speaking of becoming a Warrior,” said Robinpaw happily. “I’m going to become one today!” Rainpaw shared her excitement then.

“Really?” he asked. “That’s great!”

“Yeah, it is,” said Robinpaw proudly. “It was supposed to be yesterday, but since you were still asleep I refused. Shadowpaw refused as well, and so Ravenstar agreed to wait until you woke.” Rainpaw sighed.

“You shouldn’t have waited for me, you know,” he teased. “I’m not  that  important. . .” Robinpaw shook her head, determination in her eyes.

“To me, you are,” Robinpaw insisted. “And since we’ve basically declared each other mates, we should both see each other’s Warrior ceremony. Besides, no one would have been in a very good mood with you still sleeping in here.” Rainpaw rolled his eyes, but still didn’t argue.

“So, are you hungry?” asked Robinpaw. “The fresh-kill pile is so full with new-leaf here!” Rainpaw laughed a bit before standing up slowly and nodding.

“Yeah, I’m starving,” Rainpaw replied. “Though by the time I get through the large crowd that’s probably going to be surrounding this place, it’ll be nightfall.” Robinpaw rolled her eyes before helping him out.

When Rainpaw got out of the medicine den he felt at ease. After being asleep for two days, his mind had grown tired of the darkness. With the sun high and warm in the sky, however, he could just feel the sun on his fur.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” asked Robinpaw, also looking as if she enjoyed the sunlight. Rainpaw then noticed Ravenstar upon the Highrock, his dark fur shining in the sunlight.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!” Ravenstar called, his voice booming throughout the Clan’s camp. The cats then gathered as Robinpaw helped Rainpaw over to the Highrock. Then, she left him with a smile before joining with Shadowpaw to await their Warrior ceremony.

“Shadowpaw, Robinpaw,” Ravenstar called, a smile on his face. “Please step forward.” Robinpaw and Shadowpaw both took three steps forward, separating themselves from the crowd. Ravenstar then looked over to Grassfur and Snowclaw, who both had proud looks on their faces.

“Snowclaw, mentor of Shadowpaw, and Grassfur, mentor of Robinpaw, do you think that they have proven themselves worthy of becoming Warriors?” Snowclaw and Grassfur nodded. Ravenstar then turned to Robinpaw and Shadowpaw.

“I, Ravenstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my Warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They both have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as Warriors in their turn.” The Clan cheered a bit before Ravenstar quieted them.

“Robinpaw, Shadowpaw,” said Ravenstar then, continuing. “Do you promise to uphold the Warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Robinpaw and Shadowpaw both nodded.

“I do,” said Shadowpaw.

“I do,” said Robinpaw.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your Warrior names,” said Ravenstar then. “Shadowpaw, from this day forward you shall be known as Shadowflame. Robinpaw, from this day forward, you shall be known as Robinwing. ThunderClan welcomes you as full Warriors.” The Clan cheered loudly then.

“Shadowflame! Robinwing! Shadowflame! Robinwing! Shadowflame! Robinwing!” the Clan chanted, with Rainpaw leading them. He wished he could be louder for Robinwing, but of course his wounds got in the way.

Rainpaw waited for the rest of the Clan to congratulate Robinwing and Shadowflame before walking up to them both. He then licked Robinwing on the cheek.

“Congratulations,” Rainpaw said happily. “You’ve finally made it.”

“It won’t be long until you’re up there as well,” said Robinwing, licking him back. “That will be a very exciting day.” The two of them then walked over to the fresh-kill pile and began eating while talking about the normal things. And that was just it. What they were doing was  normal, showing Rainpaw once again that Cheetahfur had been right.

Chapter 13
Rainpaw lay comfortably in the middle of the apprentices’ den with Bluepaw, Lionpaw, and Frostpaw sleeping around him. He was the oldest apprentice now, with both Robinwing and Shadowflame Warriors, and this made him proud. Sweetpaw always seemed to look up to him, and both Bluepaw and Lionpaw always asked him to help them with battle training, mostly because they remember the night he made the rogues scatter.

The rogues scent had disappeared, which was odd to Rainpaw. He knew that Shadow was still out there, but they seemed to be hiding. Why? Rainpaw had no idea.

Rainpaw then realised one of his wounds was stinging, and though he would have loved to ignore it, he just couldn’t. So, he stood up and carefully slipped through the apprentices’ den. He then padded quietly through camp before walking into the medicine den, sighing as he realised how many times he’d been in the den.

As Rainpaw walked in, he realised that both Frostpaw and Snowdrift were already awake. It seemed odd to be at this time of night, but then Rainpaw realised that they had come back from the Moonpool only a short time ago, so they had a reason to be awake.

The two medicine cats looked up at Rainpaw as he entered, both looking quite stressed as they did. Curiously, Rainpaw looked harder for the reason why, hoping to get something through their eyes. However, that’s not what he got.

Rainpaw was given a memory instead. He was then in Frostpaw’s body as he stood in a grass field that seemed to stretch for miles. In front of him was Cheetahfur, Thunderstar, Riverstar Windstar, and Shadowstar. All of them looked odd, and they were all saying the same thing. Rainpaw then tried harder to listen.

“Blood will be shed as the ashes fall, with memories lost and some forgotten, evil shall over-power even the strongest of the Clans. We wait for the Saviour, and pray that we will be saved.”  Cheetahfur recited, her voice strong and mighty. “These are words you must remember, young Frostpaw, for they will help you when you become a full medicine cat.”

“But I don’t understand!”  Frostpaw protested. “The Clans will. . .die?”

“No,” said  Cheetahfur firmly. “They will always be here in this forest. However, some leaders aren’t as good as others.”  Frostpaw was frantic, he had no idea what was going on.

“There is another thing you should remember, Frostpaw,”  the she-cat warned. “Something that even I don’t the outcome of. The monster that is living within the Clans shall be tamed, but only enough to listen. With a name and a purpose, what this monster will be able to do is unknowable. You must be careful.”

“Monster?”  asked Frostpaw. “You mean those nasty smelling things that go across the Thunderpath?”  Cheetahfur shook her head before fading away, the others following her lead.

“Remember the prophecy, Frostpaw,”  Cheetahfur reminded him. “Let it guide you through many more seasons of life.”  Then the world around Rainpaw changed, and soon he was in his real body. He’d been holding his breath, and when he let it go, Snowdrift seemed a little curious. Frostpaw was shocked, but Rainpaw was not. He was too busy adding the piece to the puzzle.

Rainpaw then ran off, his mind too occupied to explain himself to the medicine cats at the moment. He slipped back into the apprentices’ den, panting heavily as he lied down.

What has StarClan come to? Rainpaw thought. How could they let danger just take over like that? And whose memory will be lost? Who will be forgotten? This makes no sense! Rainpaw thought about it more carefully, but not once did he know just who was going to take over. Whoever it was, they were probably plotting to kill Sharpfang at any moment, and then Ravenstar. The ‘some leaders aren’t as good as others’ part was obvious. Someone was going to try and take over ThunderClan by becoming its leader.

Well, the other warning actually makes a bit more sense,  Rainpaw thought then. “The monster” is my demon, probably, but I have no idea how it’s going to be tamed. He never listens to me, so who would he listen to? And who’s gonna give him a name and a purpose? I know I won’t—that dumb demon would kill me of he knew how, which he’ll probably find out if he had a purpose to take over. Rainpaw sighed then, closing his eyes before trying to get some sleep.

Why does this life have to be so complicating?

¤¤¤

Shadowflame sat by Flamepelt, both of them laughing at each other’s stories. It was really cute, actually, and Rainpaw was sure that they would become mates soon. Amberstorm also sat by him, listening to Robinwing tell the story of how she startled Grassfur for the thousandth time. It was a good afternoon, and with the new-leaf sun warming them up, Rainpaw felt at ease.

Grassfur then rushed through the medicine den entrance after being in it for nearly an hour. Talontooth walked proudly beside her, his head held high as he looked at the other Warriors.

“I’m having kits!” Grassfur announced. Rainpaw nodded, noticing how Grassfur looked a bit bigger. The excited she-cat giggled as Talontooth licked her, before running off to her closest friend. Robinwing then looked to Rainpaw.

“That will be us someday, won’t it?” she asked, licking him on the cheek. Rainpaw chuckled before nodding.

“Yes,” Rainpaw replied. “But can I become a Warrior first?” Robinpaw laughed before continuing her story, and then everything went back to normal.

Someone suddenly barged through the thorn barrier, and when Rainpaw realised who it was he stood up and waited for an explanation.

“WindClan!” Sweetpaw gasped, her eyes wide as Yelloweye ran up beside her.

“The rogues are with them!” Yelloweye announced. “We’re greatly outnumbered!” Ravenstar then leaped down the Highrock and started mewing out commands.

“Sweetpaw! Get Lionpaw and Bluepaw and protect the apprentices’ den!”

“But—” Bluepaw started.

“You’re too young to fight!” Sharpfang scolded. “Now do as you’re told!”

“Grassfur, since you are bearing kits, please get to the elders den and let Talontooth protect you and the elders!” Ravenstar ordered, making Grassfur nodded and then hurried into the elders den, Talontooth right behind her.

“Snowdrift! Frostpaw!” Ravenstar called. “Get the necessary herbs ready!” The two medicine cats nodded before disappearing into their den to prepare the supplies for what the only hoped wouldn't end in death.

“Everyone else, get ready for a big fight!” Ravenstar yelled then, and everyone replied with a nod. The ThunderClan cats were scattered throughout the camp, ready to take on any battle that they needed to.

It was then that WindClan attacked, the stench of rogues behind them. Rainpaw got ready, but he wasn’t sure what to do. His body was still recovering from the poison, so he didn’t know how long he’d last.

Rainpaw then jumped onto a black tom, frowning as he realised he was still too small to fight an adult cat. Rainpaw did anyway, figuring that he might as well try.

The tom dodged his attack, kicking Rainpaw in the stomach. Rainpaw coughed as he landed on the ground, but didn’t waste any time. The tom attacked, his teeth bared, but Rainpaw slid underneath him and pushed himself from the ground and into the tom’s belly. The tom gasped for air as he hit the ground.

“You’re a smart little bug, aren’t you?” asked the WindClan tom. “The rogues seemed to think so anyway.” Rainpaw hissed before lunging toward the tom. The tom quickly evaded the attack, and then they began circling each other.

“Tell me, oh wise WindClan cat,” Rainpaw mocked. “Why are you fighting with the rogues?” Rainpaw then evaded the toms attack before turning around and slashing his claws across the Warrior’s flank. The tom screeched before they resumed their circling.

“To outnumber you ThunderClan weaklings,” the tom replied with disgust. “But there was a deal.” The tom then lunged forward, his claws unsheathed and heading for Rainpaw’s scar. Rainpaw dodged the attack with difficulty, and then he waited for the tom’s second attack. It never came. Instead, the tom just continued.

“If we helped attack ThunderClan, they’d get the chance to kill Ravenstar. Rosestar wants to finish him off after that, but the rogues do want to kill half of him. It wasn’t that hard of a decision, since we were actually planning an invasion anyway.” the tom explained.

“Well that’s too bad,” Rainpaw taunted, a smirk on his face. “Ravenstar has many loyal Warriors, including me, that would die before Rosestar could get to him.”

“Then they will die,” the tom responded. “Have you forgotten that you’re outnumbered?” Rainpaw tilted his head before he realised just what the tom meant. He turned around to defend himself, but Rainpaw was too late. He was pinned down easily by two other toms. The other tom, the one he’d been fighting, smirked.

“If you ever want to know, Rainpaw, my name is Falconclaw, and I am the one and only son of Rosestar.” said Falconclaw, continuing smirking as he turned around to face Rosestar, who had stopped fighting Ravenstar.

“Mother!” Falconclaw called. “Tell the rogues we’ve got a surprise for them!” Rosestar grinned, and then announced it to the rogues. Shadow wasn’t anywhere near the fight it seemed, but that just meant that he was hiding. Rainpaw was too busy struggling to notice what was going on.

Hello, Rainpaw! Said the demon-like voice. Wow. How come I always find you like this?

Why are you here? Asked Rainpaw in thought. My scar hasn’t been scratched at all!

I know! Hissed the demon. But these rogues are really startin’ to tick me off. Is it okay for me to show them whose boss?

NO! Rainpaw yelled at the demon. WindClan can’t know what I’m capable of!

Too bad,  said the demon. You’ll just have to live with it.

Wait! Don’t do that! If WindClan finds out what I can do they’ll—

I don’t care~! The demon sang.

Rainpaw growled with frustration before looking for someone to help him. His eyes scanned the area, and then he quickly found Robinwing.

“Warn the others!” Rainpaw yelled. “I-I don’t know what’s happening, but it isn’t good at all!” Robinwing’s eyes were wide with shock and filled with worry, but she did as he told her and ran off toward the other cats. It was then that the demon took control, and it was then that Rainpaw was pushed away.

The demon then slashed his claws through both of the toms’ throats, killing the both of them easily. He stood and shook out his fur, and then laughed as he saw the face of Falconclaw. The large tom had his eyes wide, which only fed the demon’s thirst for blood.

“Oh, so you’re afraid, aren’t you?” asked the demon. “Well that just makes it all the more fun to kill you!” The demon then lunged forward and bit Falconclaw’s neck, killing him in a few seconds. Falconclaw fell dead to the ground, making the demon smirk.

“Falconclaw!” Rosestar screamed, alerting all of the other cats. The battle stopped as everyone looked to the demon and Falconclaw. The demon just smirked again as fear crept over the rogues eyes.

“Followers of Shadow! Retreat!” a rogue called from the thorn barrier. “We are no match for that monster!” The rogues then all left through the thorn barrier. Rosestar looked confused, unable to understand why the rogues left so quickly.

“Aw,” the demon whined. “They all left. Oh well, guess I’ll have to settle for you WindClan weaklings.” the demon then lunged forward, his claws slitting a she-cat’s throat easily.

“ Silvershine ” a golden brown tom screeched as the young Warrior fell to the ground. The tom then lunged toward the demon, who only evaded the attack and then slit his throat as well.

“Go join your sister, weakling,” the demon hissed with pleasure.

Wait, how did you know they were siblings? asked Rainpaw.

I just knew,  the demon replied with a smirk on his face, though Rainpaw knew that the demon had some ability that he probably didn’t want to know about just yet.

Another tom came then, and this one was pale grey with a short tail. The tom lunged at him, but the demon killed him with ease.

“Aren't there any  fun  fights anymore?” asked the demon, looking very disappointed. “You Clan cats are so easy to kill.” Rosestar then ran toward him with fury, tears running down her cheeks.

“You killed my mate  and  my son, you ugly piece of crow-food!” Rosestar yelled as she reached him.

“And?” asked the demon.

“You shall pay!” Rosestar said after screaming. She then lunged forward, her eyes clouded with emotion. The demon gasped with shock as the strong she-cat managed to scratch him.

“Oh, so you’re a good fighter, eh?” asked the demon. “Well then, this may be a little more fun.” The demon then lunged forward, his claws unsheathed as he slashed them toward Rosestar’s throat. He missed, but still managed to make a gash on her chest.

Rosestar screeched with agony before taking a few steps back and then lunging toward him. Rosestar’s jaw snapped toward the demon’s throat, trying to kill him.

“You want to kill me?” asked the demon curiously. “If that’s the case, then I’ll actually have to strategize this kill.” The demon then lunged toward her, pinning her down with difficulty. After that, he dug his claws into her shoulders, making her screech with pain. Rosestar kicked his stomach, making him get off.

“Not so good now, are you?” asked Rosestar, a smirk on her face. The demon just shrugged before sprinting up behind her and raking his claws down her hips. She then fell to the ground, but quickly stood up again.

“Cats fighting with fury in their hearts aren’t the smartest type, now are they?” asked the demon, a smirk on his face. Rosestar narrowed her eyes with confusion.

“What in StarClan’s name do you mean?” asked Rosestar.

The demon just kept the smug smile on his face as he attacked her once more. She dodged with difficulty, her wounds effecting her movements. The demon attacked again, and she evaded it. The demon repeated the processes, and so did Rosestar. The cocky leader was getting slower, however, and that just made the demon happy. Finally, the demon paused, watching Rosestar breath heavily. The demon smirked as he watched her.

“A bit tired, now aren’t we?” asked the demon. “You won’t be able to last much longer. Looks like my plan has worked.” Rosestar’s eyes narrowed with determination.

“What do you mean?” she rasped. “I’m just warming up!”

“Oh trust me,” the demon hissed. “You aren’t going to be able to move here in a little while. You see, I scratched both shoulders and both hips, making your legs bleed with pain. Then, when I kept attacking you, I was only trying to get you to move. Or, in other words, tire yourself out. Now I can take all of your lives at once without having you struggle.” Rosestar’s eyes widened, and she backed away, but she realised what was happening all too late.

The demon lunged toward her, his jaw clamping onto her neck as he pinned her down. For a minute they stayed there like that, and everything was quiet as Rosestar’s lives drifted away. She was in too much shock to move, and the demon was having too much fun to stop.

One. . .Two. . .Three. . .Four. . .  Rainpaw counted in his head as the lives poured out of the leader. Rosestar was then down to her last life, but something stopped the demon.

The demon was pushed to the ground and held there by an unknown force. Rainpaw couldn’t see the face, mostly because the demon kept thrashing around. Rosestar then stood up shakily after laying there. Her eyes were wide her body was drained of energy. She couldn’t do anything.

“W-WindClan. . .” she rasped. “R-retreat. . . .” The WindClan cats then fled, helping Rosestar run away. The cat keeping the demon down did not get off until all of the WindClan cats were gone. The cat then got off of him, making the demon angry as he stood up.

“I was just about there!” the demon screeched. “Why did you stop me? I thought she was the enemy!” The cat that had held him down was Sharpfang, to Rainpaw’s surprise, but the demon was not as impressed.

“Rosestar is a Clan leader.” Sharpfang argued, his eyes narrowed. “You know that, Rainpaw. Are you okay?”

“Rainpaw?” asked the demon. “What gave you the idea that Rainpaw was back?” Sharpfang’s eyes grew wide, then, as the demon said that.

“Y-you’re still the monster?” asked Sharpfang.

“Yeah,” the demon hissed. “Who else would I be?”

“Why aren’t you trying to kill me?” asked Sharpfang. “Aren’t you a monster?”

“Well yeah,” said the demon. “But since the scar wasn’t scratched, Rainpaw has the ability to come back whenever he wants. So, like right now, when he’s struggling to gain control, I can’t do anything but talk to you, which is actually kinda boring now that I think about it. . .”

“The scar wasn’t scratched?” asked Sharpfang, his eyes wide with shock. “How were you able to gain control?”

“Eh, ask Rainpaw,” the demon growled. “I don’t really feeling like explaining it to you. Bye-bye~!” Rainpaw then gained control, sighing with relief as he did.

“Thanks, Sharpfang,” Rainpaw muttered as he stood up. “WindClan would  not  have been happy if Rosestar died. . .”

“How was he able to gain control, Rainpaw?” Sharpfang asked, his eyes narrowed.

“To be honest? I don’t know,” Rainpaw growled. “He basically just popped in and took over. I only had enough time to warn Robinwing before the demon took over.” Sharpfang acted like he was going to say something, but then he just walked away. Rainpaw shrugged before looking for Robinwing.

“Rainpaw!” Robinwing called, running over to her. Rainpaw turned around before smiling at his mate. “Rainpaw, are you okay? I was so worried!”

“I’m fine,” Rainpaw insisted, licking her on the cheek. “Just a little winded, that’s all.”

“Amberstorm!” screamed Birdflight. Rainpaw then looked toward the elderly Warrior, only to find a crowd of cats blocking his view. They were all surrounding someone, and Rainpaw had a bad feeling it wasn’t just because the cat was wounded.

Rainpaw then ran through the crowd, tears slowly making their way down his cheeks as he tried to keep his emotions down. When he made it to the centre, he gasped with shock.

Amberstorm lay there, motionless aside from some very shallow breathing. There were many wounds upon her, the biggest near her lungs. The she-cat was quickly dying in front of him.

“No. . .” Rainpaw murmured. “N-No!” He was crying, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. Rainpaw knew that if he’d been paying attention, he could have protected her, and then she wouldn’t be in that situation. His heart ached at the sight of her.

Many cats watched the she-cat in silence, even as she slowly drifted away. Amberstorm no longer breathed, and her heart no longer kept beating. She was gone.

“StarClan,” Rainpaw whispered, just low enough for Snowdrift to hear. “Please, for me, give her life.” Rainpaw knew it wouldn’t work, but he just felt like saying it. Robinwing sat next to him, comforting him as he wished for it to happen.

Suddenly, Amberstorm coughed, making Rainpaw look back to her. His eyes were wide as Amberstorm sat up without a wound on her, looking perfectly happy. Amberstorm looked confused, happy, and amazed all at once.

“I-I’m. . .alive?” she asked, looking herself over. “And I’m healed! What did you do, Snowdrift?” Snowdrift, who had been sitting near her, shook his head.

“I didn’t do a thing, young one,” Snowdrift murmured. “Though I believe Rainpaw could tell you a thing or two.” Rainpaw then looked up to the medicine cat in alarm. He had no idea how it happened.

“I, er, just wished to StarClan to give her life,” Rainpaw replied, a little embarrassed that so many cats were looking him. “That’s nothing special, is it?”

“Strange things happen to strange cats,” said Snowdrift wisely.

“Yeah,” Robinwing agreed. “Maybe since you took so many lives, they let you save one.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Rainpaw reminded her. “I said the same thing to Snowstorm, and did he live?” Robinpaw’s head went low, but she didn’t look sad or anything. Rainpaw went through in his head about what went different this time, and then he found his answer.

“Rosestar’s lives,” he murmured. “The monster must have kept them for himself.”

Er, I never meant to keep any lives,  said the demon in Rainpaw’s mind. I didn’t notice that I was even gaining them. I mean, I could feel them gathering within me, but that was it.

Rainpaw sighed, but no one seemed to notice his annoyance. Are you going to take over again, or no? You don’t really seem to want to take control.

Nope, I’m just here for the show,  the demon replied. When you saved the she-cat’s life, I was a little surprised. And interested, of course, but mostly surprised.

Whatever,  Rainpaw thought. Just as long as you aren’t going to kill any of my friends.

“Well, I don’t think it was intentional,” said Rainpaw aloud. “But either way, if that was only one of her lives, I still have six left.”

“You took  seven  of her lives?” asked Robinwing in shock. Rainpaw shrugged.

“As far as I know,” Rainpaw replied. “It was hard to count with the stupid demon in the way. It was all but her last one, that’s for sure.”

“Amazing!” Bluepaw chirped.

“It’s not amazing!” Springfur scolded her kit. “It’s scary! Now go help the other Warriors fix up your den, or do you want to sleep in the rain tonight?” Bluepaw lowered his head before following his brother toward the apprentices’ den.

“If you have seven of Rosestar’s lives, then that would mean you have eight lives left, take away the one you gave back to Amberstorm,” said Flamepelt, putting the pieces together. “So you’re basically a leader.”

“Am not!” Rainpaw hissed angrily. “I’m like every other apprentice, and it shall stay that way. I just need to find a way to get rid of these lives. . .”

“Get rid of them?” asked Grassfur. “but they could save someone in the future!” Rainpaw sighed, knowing she was right. However, he didn’t want to keep these lives for himself. It felt wrong, and with all those cats he killed.

Rainpaw then had an idea. He stood up and walked toward the pile of dead WindClan cats that he’d killed. His heart did a somersault in his stomach as he saw them and realised that it was his fault that they were all dead. That didn’t matter though, ‘cause he was going to fix that.

“Rainpaw, what are you doing?” asked Robinwing as she walked to him, some other Warriors following her.

“Robinwing, these cats are dead because of me, and they didn’t do anything wrong,” Rainpaw explained. “I need to save then, and now that I can, I will.”

“Rainpaw, they invaded our territory!” Flamepelt reminded him. “How’s that for not doing anything wrong?”

“That was on Rosestar’s orders,” Rainpaw growled, narrowing his eyes. “It wasn’t their fault. There are exactly six cats here: Falconclaw, the two that were holding me down, Thunderstrike, Silvershine, and Spottedfoot. If I save all of them, I’ll be able to forgive myself completely.”

“I don’t understand,” said Amberstorm, walking up to him. “You’ve killed before, and yet you’ve never felt guilty. Why are you doing so now?”

“Because these cats are Clan cats,” Rainpaw replied. “They’re just like you and me, and all they were doing was respecting Rosestar’s ridiculous orders. These cats have families and friends and just a few moments ago I took that all away.” It was quiet then, and even Ravenstar was watching from the Highrock. It only lasted a few minutes though.

“I just have one more question,” said Sharpfang. “Why don’t you just keep the lives for yourself?” Rainpaw narrowed his eyes, obviously offended by the answer. His tail was lashing and his ears were back.

“If I kept them for myself, I would not consider myself a Clan cat,” Rainpaw growled. “I don’t want that. ThunderClan is my home, and though I’ve had my bad moments, I will protect it the best I can. I am a Warrior, and Warriors don’t kill. So, I’m going to be doing the right thing, and I am going to save these cats.” Rainpaw then turned toward the WindClan cats and closed his eyes, concentrating as he asked StarClan to give them life.

StarClan, please give them life, and let them return to their families. Rainpaw thought.

You mouse-brain! The demon within him hissed. It took me a long time to kill them, and now you’re just going to give them your lives? You’ve got to be joking! Rainpaw ignored the demon and focused.

Now Rainpaw could  feel  the lives coming out of him. It was like a river flowing from his heart to his left shoulder and then to the cats. His scar was probably glowing as he did this, but he didn’t care. This was he wanted to do, and he was going to do it correctly.

After a few minutes, it all stopped. Rainpaw opened his eyes to find all seven cats standing up, all of them surprised that they were alive. They then looked around each other, their eyes shocked as they found Rainpaw. The seven of them then fled through the thorn barrier before disappearing.

Sheesh,  said the demon then. You’d think they’d thank you for saving their lives. What an ungrateful bunch. Rainpaw laughed a bit before standing up happily. He didn’t feel quite so sad for killing them, because he saved them.

Ravenstar walked over then, a proud smile on his face. Rainpaw looked curiously over to the leader, ready to hear what he had to say.

“It looks like I have another Warrior ceremony to preform,” said Ravenstar, smiling. “Rainpaw certainly showed us all that he is ready to become a full Warrior of ThunderClan.”

Chapter 14
Rainpaw sat with the rest of the crowd, his heart beating quickly as he realised that he was going to get a Warrior name. Everyone around him seemed very happy, and he had even caught a glimpse of Cheetahfur smiling at him. After six moons of training and constant wounds, Rainpaw was glad that he was finally receiving his Warrior name.

Rainpaw watched closely as Ravenstar leaped up the Highrock, and as the great leader sat down, he waited for his name to be called.

“ThunderClan, we have witnessed a wonderful thing today,” Ravenstar started. “We have seen Rainpaw’s true loyalty to not only his Clan, but WindClan as well. This is something that is hard to come by these days. Rainpaw could have kept the lives his demon stole for himself, but instead he brought back those his monster killed. He made it clear to us that he does not kill willingly, and that he is a true Warrior of ThunderClan. For that, I think it is high time he receives his Warrior name.”

“Rainpaw,” called Ravenstar, looking down at him. “Do you promise to uphold the Warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Rainpaw nodded.

“I do,” said Rainpaw clearly.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your Warrior name,” Ravenstar continued. “Rainpaw, from this day forward, you will be known as Rainfur, for your outstanding bravery and loyalty. We welcome you as a full Warrior of ThunderClan, and hope that you stay with us for many moons to come.” Rainfur dipped his head respectively, unable to describe how happy he felt.

“Rainfur! Rainfur! Rainfur!” The Clan chanted, Robinwing louder than all of them.

“I shall now announce those coming to the gathering with me,” said Ravenstar after quieting everyone down. “Sharpfang, Snowdrift, Frostpaw, Birdflight, Lilyear, Dawnpelt, Talontooth, Flamepelt, Robinwing, Shadowflame, Rainfur, and Sweetpaw.” Rainfur couldn’t help but to feel proud now. Not only was he a new Warrior, he was also going to go to the gathering.

Robinwing walked up to him, licking him on the cheek as she did so.

“I’m so proud of you!” she said. “Now we’re both Warriors! Isn’t this great?”

“I still don’t understand why I couldn’t go,” Amberstorm growled playfully. “I know I died, but I’m fine now.”

“Maybe Ravenstar thought you were still under a bit of shock,” Rainfur suggested. “It’s not every day a cat experiences being dead and then being brought back alive.”

“How was it, by the way?” asked Shadowflame curiously as she walked up to them. “Being dead, I mean.”

“Strange,” Amberstorm replied awkwardly. “Can we not talk about this? It’s just weird. . .”

“Sure!” Shadowflame replied quickly. “I was just curious!” Amberstorm chuckled.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” the gentle ginger she-cat replied. “I’m not that mean.”

“What do you think WindClan is going to say?” asked Flamepelt as he walked up to the crowd, looking a bit concerned.

“Do you think they’ll even be there?” asked Amberstorm.

“Of course they will,” said Robinwing. “They’re too stubborn not to come. Now Rosestar is another question. I honestly don’t know what she’d do if she was there and saw you, Rainfur. Probably run with fear, if you ask me. Did you see how she looked when she left?” Rainfur shrugged.

“Maybe she just won’t come then,” said Shadowflame innocently. “Blackpelt has become quite the deputy. She’s almost an exact copy of Rosestar.”

“Wasn’t she always like that?” asked Rainfur.

“No,” Robinwing replied. “She used to be very gentle and kind from what I’ve heard. However, she’s just become like Rosestar lately.”

“Well that’s sad,” Sweetpaw chirped up as she joined the conversation. “I was really hoping that Rosestar would die so that WindClan could become nice again.”

“Don’t say that!” Shadowflame scolded. “Leaders are leaders, and they can do what they want. After all, they have nine lives and have lived for many years. We consider them the same as our Elders.”

“But Rosestar doesn’t have nine lives and she definitely hasn’t lived that long!” Sweetpaw argued. “Why can’t I wish that she dies? I know Ravenstar wishes it! And the other leaders as well! From what I’ve heard, nobody likes her.”

“Sweetpaw, you are younger, and so you should not wish such things,” Robinwing soothed. “I think your mentor is calling you now, by the way.” Sweetpaw nodded before leaving, looking quite determined as she did so.

“Well she’s got one thing right,” said Flamepelt. “Everyone  does  want Rosestar gone.”

¤¤¤

Rainfur basically pranced beside Robinwing, who was giggling as he did it. She had already been to a Gathering as a Warrior, but he had not. Rainfur knew deep down that most cats weren’t going to really care about his Warriorship because of what happened last time he came to a Gathering, but he didn’t care.

They were just entering WindClan territory, and everything seemed to grow intense. Everyone was quiet—well, not the leaders—as they looked around with hostile glares. None of them had forgotten the WindClan invasion, and none of them were going to let their guard down.

Rainfur, of course, didn’t care. He was too excited to really notice the WindClan gathering patrol show up behind them, and he was too busy talking to Frostpaw to realize that ThunderClan had stopped to send warning growls to WindClan, who were doing the same. When Rainfur finally did realize what was going on, he just took a step back and hoped that this wouldn’t end another fight.

“You traitors!” a ThunderClan cat yelled.

“You must be mouse-brain to work with rogues!” Another yelled.

“You’re the weaklings!” one WindClan cat hissed.

“The only thing that saved you from the rogues was that monster!” another WindClan cat growled. Rainfur’s fur bristled at that sentence, growling lowly for warning.

“At least we’re not weak enough to call to rogues for help!” Robinwing hissed beside him, determination in her eyes.

“Yeah!” Shadowflame agreed, also narrowing her eyes. “How many lives did Rosestar loose again?” Many WindClan cats yowled with rage as Shadowflame said that, and the ThunderClan cats weren’t much better. However, Ravenstar made sure that this did not end in a fight.

“Silence!” Ravenstar yowled above all of the threats. “WindClan have learned their lesson, and are lucky that we brought those six cats back to life. They need not to be threatened.” The black cat in front of the group made Rainfur a bit uneasy. He knew her. She was one of the first cats he’d met. That was Blackpelt, the deputy of WindClan. Was that Blacstar now?

However, before he got to question it, Ravenstar lead them forward. Blackpelt waited awhile before walking, quieting her Clan down as well. Rainfur was afraid now.

Did Rosestar die? Did the demon wound her so badly that she lost her last life? Why is the demon so evil?

Hey! Hissed the demon then. It’s not my fault! It’s yours! It was you with the suicidal past! Rainfur rolled his eyes before continuing to walk forward with the rest of the Clan, hoping that Blackpelt was not the new leader.

When they came to the fallen tree, Rainfur waited for everyone but Sweetpaw to pass before he jumped on. He kept an ear out for the small apprentice, though, aware that she had never been to a gathering before. She did fine, though, and crossed without a problem.

Rainfur was suddenly pushed playfully to the ground by none other than Cloudpaw from RiverClan. He laughed as the black-and-white apprentice acted like she was all that.

“Get off!” said Rainfur. “Is that how you treat a full Warrior of ThunderClan?” Cloudpaw got off immediately, still giggling.

“You’re a Warrior?” she asked quickly. “I am too! My new name is Cloudstreak!”

“It suits you,” said Rainfur as he stood up. “My new name is Rainfur. What’s yours, Swift...?”

“Heart,” Swiftheart answered. “My name is Swiftheart.” Rainfur smiled, but then noticed the WindClan cats come in. The ThunderClan cats glared at them, though they seemed to take no notice. However, Swiftheart figured it out real quick.

“Who killed Rosestar?” the new Warrior asked. “It must have been a bunch of people, I know she had all but one of her lives.”

“She isn’t dead, I don’t think,” Rainfur snapped. “Only seven lives were taken, though she  did  have many wounds. The cat that killed her wasn’t really thinking correctly.”

“Who did it?” asked Swiftheart, narrowing his eyes.

“I. . .er. . .don’t know,” Rainfur replied, lowering his head. “It’s complicated, and I—”

“I know you know,” Swiftheart growled. “Who did it?”

“I’m not telling you!” Rainfur growled. “I can’t. . .”

“You did it, didn’t you?” asked Swiftheart. Rainfur shook his head.

“No, I didn’t, not really. . .” Rainfur murmured. This was getting really uncomfortable, especially with Cloudstreak standing right there.

“How could you?” asked Swiftheart. “She’s a leader, for StarClan’s sake! How could you take  seven  lives of hers?” Rainfur snapped his head up, his eyes narrowed with anger.

“She attacked me!” Rainfur growled. “WindClan was the one that invaded! The rogues that has been attacking ThunderClan made a deal with them! I-I didn’t know what to do. . .I had no choice on what I did. . . We were outnumbered. . . the demon just. . .just came out. It had never done that before, not even with the rogues last time.” Rainfur shook his head before looking up to Swiftheart, who was looking very angry, though fearful as well.

“Look, my life hasn’t been the best since I saw you,” Rainfur growled. “With the two kits I saved from the rogues, Jayflight’s death, and the death berry poison—”

“Death berry poison?” asked Swiftheart. “How on earth did you live through that?” Rainfur narrowed his eyes harder, refusing to answer. However, Cloudstreak’s worried looking eyes got the best of him.

“Let’s just say the monster of my memories is the only reason I’m here at the moment,” Rainfur growled as stood up, happy that no one was near the three Warriors. “I would have died moons ago had it not been for my extra strength.” He left Swiftheart and Cloudstreak staring back at him in shock, making him frown. At least they know not to pester me about those things,  Rainfur thought. Hopefully it won’t happen again.

Rainfur then noticed that the gathering was starting, and so he found Robinwing and walked up beside her. She smiled at him at first, but then she noticed the sad look in his eye and then looked questioningly at him. He didn’t explain anything. He just wanted the gathering to be over with.

Blackpelt sat on the lowest branch while Ravenstar sat on the one above it. Bravestar sat on the highest while Nightstar sat on the second highest. The three leaders all looked at Blackpelt, hoping for her to go first so that she could explain what happened to Rosestar.

“WindClan is thriving as new-leaf gives us more prey,” Blackpelt began, an emotionless expression on her face. “We have had no problems, and have gained two new apprentices: Willowpaw and Bramblepaw. Two new Warriors have also been added: please welcome Echoscreech and Falconclaw.” The Clan cheered for Echoscreech, though Falconclaw was not there. It actually wasn’t surprising to Rainfur at all.

“Falconclaw could not make it due to some wounds he has gotten,” Blackpelt continued. “He is okay now, just recovering.” Blackpelt then sat down, signalling her finish.

“I am sure everything is fine, but mind my asking, where is Rosestar?” asked Bravestar. “I am sure we are all curious to know.” Blackpelt narrowed her eyes, showing an emotion finally. She stared at Ravenstar for a few moments before looking to Bravestar again.

“Rosestar is still recovering from a battle a few sunrises ago,” Blackpelt told the Clans. “With many wounds from battle, she is in shock. Duskshadow, our medicine cat, says that she is okay and will not lose any of her lives anytime soon.” Rainfur sighed with relief, happy that Rosestar was not dead.

“Falconclaw and Rosestar both?” asked Bravestar curiously. “Was it the rogues who attacked?” Blackpelt held her breath, deciding on what to tell them. Ravenstar had already made sure ThunderClan was quiet, and Rainfur just hoped that they would understand how vulnerable it would make WindClan seem if they knew they were fighting with the rogues, not against them.

“We invaded ThunderClan,” she replied. “We outnumbered them, and so we thought we could defeat them easily enough. However, ThunderClan is stronger than we thought. Their up and coming Warriors were trained nicely, and though there were no deaths, Rosestar, Falconclaw, Webbedfoot, Spottedfoot, Skyhunter, and Silvershine are all in complete shock, having met ThunderClan’s secret weapon face on. They are okay though, and quickly recovering.” Bravestar was quiet then, aware of what she was talking about. He glanced over to Rainfur, but then looked away quickly.

“What do you mean, ‘secret weapon’?” asked Nightstar then, the only leader who had no idea what they were talking about.

“I’m afraid that information is not going to be shared tonight,” Ravenstar growled. “It would only end in another fight, something I’d rather not experience again.” Bravestar nodded in agreement.

“Agreed,” said Bravestar. “Now I would like to report a few ceremony’s I’ve preformed. Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw have both gained their Warrior names. They are now Cloudstreak, and Swiftheart. Foxpaw, Maplepaw, and Oakpaw have now taken their place as apprentices and are doing well under training. We have had no more encounters with any other foxes, and are doing well this new-leaf.” The Clan cheered out the names of Cloudstreak and Swiftheart before Nightstar stood up to speak.

“ShadowClan have done well this new-leaf and have made two new Warriors: Spottedfur and Swiftfeather.” The Clan cheered out their name before Nightstar continued. “Dawnstripe, our queen, has given birth to three wonderful kits that have been named Mudkit, Tigerkit, and Cloverkit. Bluekit has now become Bluepaw, and now has Pineshade as a mentor. Other than this, we are glad to say that we have not had any Green-cough.” Nightstar then sat down before Ravenstar stood up.

“ThunderClan has done well this moon,” Ravenstar announced. “Bluekit and Lionkit have now become Bluepaw and Thrushpaw, and are now much more cautious since they ran into the rogues. Grassfur is expecting Talontooth’s kits, and has happily moved to the nursery.” The Clan cheered as Ravenstar paused.

“No one was killed during the fight with WindClan,” Ravenstar continued. “Rainpaw, the wonderful apprentice we gained, showed true bravery. He protected his Clan from Rosestar when she attacked him, and though I had to finish the fight, I remembered to give Rainpaw the credit that he deserved. After all, not many apprentices would take on a leader with nine —  or eight, in this case —  lives. Rainpaw has now gained his Warrior name: Rainfur.”

ThunderClan cheered, as did RiverClan and some of the ShadowClan cats. WindClan did not cheer. They all gave hostile glares at him, though some of them were a bit scared. Rainfur sat proudly, happy to share this moment alone. Ravenstar then sat down, making Blackpelt glare at him.

“How brave you must be to lie about such things,” Blackpelt muttered. “Rosestar would never attack an apprentice.”

“Ah, but she would if she thought he killed her kit and mate, wouldn’t she?” Ravenstar countered, keeping a calm expression. “You know exactly what happened, Blackpelt, and so I suggest you don’t question your leader’s actions in front of those who’d we both rather not hear.” Blackpelt hissed with fury then, her eyes flashing with anger.

Oooh,  said the demon curiously. I sense a little hostile glares coming from the outside. Mind if I butt in?

Absolutely not,  Rainfur growled. This is a Clan meeting, and I don’t want  everyone  knowing what I can do.

But that would be interesting! the demon argued. Everyone would be afraid of you, and then you would be on top of the world!

Yeah, but then you’d kill someone, and then I’d be exiled,  Rainfur hissed. Stay put, or StarClan will try to kill you.

No they won’t! the demon insisted. You would die if that happened, and right now, that’s the last thing they want! If you died, the whole prophecy would fail!

What do you mean? Rainfur asked curiously. I thought I had nothing to do with that!

Er. . .  the demon muttered. Bye-bye!

Wait! Rainfur called, but it was already gone. He growled lowly with frustration, hoping not to worry Robinwing that much.

“Blackpelt, please remember that this is a Gathering,” Bravestar reminded her. “Ravenstar, would you like reminding of what happened last time?” Ravenstar narrowed his eyes but he then jumped down the tree. He glared at Blackpelt one last time before leading his Clan toward the fallen tree.

Ravenstar suddenly turned around to look at Rainfur, surprising him a bit. Some message seemed to be trying to reach Rainfur, as if Ravenstar was trying to tell him something, but it never got to him. Something was already reading it.

Okay, now I’m really ticked off,  said the demon, suddenly popping in. This dumb leader needs to be taught a lesson.

Wait, what on—  Rainfur was suddenly cut off as a sharp blade looking thing shot toward Ravenstar, surprising everyone around him. It bounced off of something though, flying elsewhere while another one did the same thing. Rainfur followed the blades as they shot toward many other cats, bouncing off each of them and then making a replica.

Then, when there were ten blades, they went to the middle, and that was when Rainfur found that they were all engulfed in flames. Then they separated so they made a star. The fire then connected the blades, making a full star that burned with fury.

Hehe,  the demon laughed. That was totally not what I meant to do, but boy is this awesome!

The loud evil laugh that came from the demon then boomed throughout the forest, making everyone shiver with fear.

“Rainfur!” Robinwing screamed above the laughing. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know!” Rainfur yelled back honestly. “I can’t do anything!”

“I  am not to be controlled! I am not to be defeated! I am not to be looked down upon! I am the king! I am the leader! I am the demon! I am your fear! Now die by the blade that started my creation!”  The demon screamed.

All of the blades then lined up and paused before one shot toward Ravenstar. It was quick—too quick. Ravenstar had no chance, and as the blade went through him, a life was quickly lost. The brave leader fell to the ground, the blade still burning as the others waited to attack.

Another blade soon shot toward Blackpelt and killed the deputy easy. The Clan then began running in complete terror, trying their hardest to get over the log.

Rainfur was aware of the life he now had, and for some reason he knew what he had to do to stop the killer of his soul.

StarClan, save them all!

The blades orange flames then grew a lightning blue before zooming toward him. He stood still, hoping that this would stop them. The eight blades then stopped and shattered into tiny blue dust specks. Then, just as he thought it was over, the dust specks gathered into a lightning bolt and then shot up into the sky, forming a thunderstorm right above them.

Everything was okay then, making Rainfur sigh with relief. Since the other Clans had vanished, probably afraid that more blades were going to come, ThunderClan was free to ask him about what had happened. Sharpfang, of course, was the first to question him.

“What in StarClan’s name just happened?” Sharpfang demanded. “You just wasted a life of Ravenstar’s!”

“I did not!” Rainfur hissed, narrowing his eyes. “I also honestly don’t know what happened. The demon was really getting jumpy when Blackpelt and Ravenstar was arguing, though I managed to convince it not to take control. Then Ravenstar did something, and whatever he did really made the demon angry. After that, I have no idea what happened. I used Ravenstar’s life to shatter the blades—”

“Blades? Is that what those sharp sticks were called?” asked Sharpfang. Rainfur sighed to calm himself down. He’d forgotten that these cats knew absolutely nothing about the names of human things.

“Yes, and they’re used mostly for killing in the Twoleg world,” Rainfur hissed. “Anyways, I used the life to save everyone, but I don’t have anymore. Blackpelt is dead, and I can’t restore Ravenstar’s life. I don’t know what happened, but do know that the demon is getting ready for something. He just keeps popping up whenever it gets interesting. I don’t know what’s going to happen. . .”

“What did it mean when it said ‘Now die by the blade that started my creation’?” asked Sharpfang. Rainfur didn’t respond. He couldn’t, not with everything going on. He knew exactly what the demon meant, but he just didn’t want to remember.

“Rainfur, answer me!” Sharpfang hissed angrily. “You know how it was created, don’t you? Why haven’t you told me?”

“Because I couldn’t!” Rainfur hissed. “The demon was created the moment my brother was harmed, but I just couldn’t remember! Now that I have, I refuse to remember. Those memories feed the demon, and the fear that I felt back then just encourages it. The blade was the first thing they used on my brother, and that was when the stupid demon was made. That’s the reason I haven’t told you or anyone else.” Sharpfang and everyone was quiet as he finished his speech, and that’s when Ravenstar finally woke up.

As the leader stood to his feet, he looked to Rainfur with fear. Rainfur just ignored this. After all, Ravenstar had a right to be afraid of him.

“What are you?” asked Ravenstar with a raspy voice.

“What I was in the past doesn’t matter anymore,” Rainfur muttered, his head lowered. “What am now is unknown. What I will be, however, is something I’m afraid to ask myself. The only thing I can do is pray that StarClan brought me here for a reason, and not by accident.” Rainfur then left, unable to stay there with the voices in his head. The memories going through him, and the stares that he was getting.

He was done. Over with. No one would trust him now, just as he gained it from every single cat. They were all now back to square one, and Rainfur knew in his heart that it would not return to the way it was ever again. The only ones who would like him now would be his friends, and even that was uncertain.

Rainfur then ran forward after jumping off the fallen tree, sprinting through WindClan territory.

“Why!” he screamed as he ran. “Why was I even brought here? I’m different! I can never be normal! I-I am never going to be the same as them! I’m going to destroy everything!” He kept yelling, hoping and praying that someone would answer him. Deep down there was only one answer for each question and one answer for each fear.

“The martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . .”

Chapter 15
The next few weeks were dull for Rainfur. He was ignoring everyone and everyone was ignoring him. It was simple, yet plain. When he went on patrols, he just did what he was told. When he went hunting, it was by himself. When he ate his fresh-kill, he ate alone. The only cat who was talking to him was Robinwing, and even then it was distant.

Rainfur was just happy that he wasn’t exiled. Ravenstar had told the Clan that he, himself, had provoked the demon and that it was his fault. The Clan had disagreed, but didn’t argue. They were too afraid.

WindClan was now even angrier and fearful of ThunderClan now. They grieved for Blackpelt, and were frightened of what had happened to her. However, Rosestar was just asking for a war. They kept sending hostile glares, and when Rainfur was on a patrol, they sometimes attacked.

ShadowClan didn’t have a clue of what was going on. They just thought it was because of Ravenstar and Blackpelt, and they kept mocking ThunderClan patrols as they came by. It was actually quite normal for them, and they didn’t know anything about him.

The thunderstorm that Rainfur’s monster had made did not go away. It was still going, and it seemed angry. It kept getting wilder, and though it hadn’t made any fires yet, Rainfur was sure that it was going to happen soon.

He sighed with frustration as he finished his mouse, hoping that his life would get better. It was just about perfect until those stupid gatherings.

“Rainfur. . .” Robinwing murmured, looking as if she were in pain. “I don’t feel so good. . .” Rainfur immediately stood up and walked over to his mate.

“Did you eat too much?” asked Rainfur. Robinwing nodded, making Rainfur chuckle a bit. “Then go see Snowdrift, I’m sure he’ll give you a herb that’ll clear that right up.” Robinwing nodded again before standing up painfully and making her way over to the medicine den.

“Where’s Robinwing going?” asked Sweetpaw as she walked up to him. She grabbed a plump mouse from the fresh-kill pile before sitting down beside him. She looked happy today, and oddly curious as well.

“Just to the medicine den,” Rainfur replied, sitting down. “She ate too much.”

“She’s been doing that a lot lately,” said Sweetpaw as lied down to start eating the mouse. “I saw her taking twice her share yesterday morning, and then again today. She had stomach problems both times. I wonder if she’s got a cold. . .”

“I doubt it,” said Rainfur confidently. “New-leaf is  not  the time to catch a cold. Though, it is the time for kits. . .” Rainfur’s eyes widened then, realizing something that he hadn’t even thought of.

Robinwing was having stomach problems.

Robinwing was eating too much.

Is Robinwing going to have. . .kits? My  kits?

Rainfur’s heart was beating really fast as he realised how true that could be. It had been almost a moon since they’d declared themselves mates.

What would he do? Rainfur knew nothing of being a dad, only a brother, and even then it was...different. How could he take care of these kits? How would he take care of Robinwing during her pregnancy? He wasn’t ready for this at all.

Robinwing then erupted from the medicine den then, her face filled with joy. Rainfur smiled as he realised what she was going to announce. He ran up to her and licked her cheek, his tail twitching with happiness.

“I’m having kits!” Robinwing announced. Everybody cheered, not even caring who the father was. Rainfur and Robinwing smiled at each other, feeling connected with joy.

“You’ll be a brilliant mother,” Rainfur purred, licking her forehead.

“And you a wonderful father,” Robinwing agreed before snuggling up to Rainfur. The two of them stayed together, both comfortable enough to fall asleep together.

Suddenly Sharpfang ran through the thorn barrier, shaking with fear and exhaustion. His amber eyes flashed with worry, yet determination. After that, Frostpaw and Snowdrift ran out from their medicine den. Then, at the same time, they both yelled out their emergency.

“Fire!”

“What?” Asked Sharpfang. “Did you see the fire coming from WindClan and ShadowClan as well?” Snowdrift shook his head, making Rainfur’s eyes widen.

“No!” Frostpaw yelled. “We saw the fire coming from right behind our den!” The Clan then went in complete chaos. Ravenstar came out from his den, still unsure of what to do while Sharpfang kept trying to calm the Clan down.

“What can we do?” asked many cats.

“We’re surrounded by fire! We’ll be burned alive!” another said.

“What about the gathering place?” asked Rainfur. “It’s surrounded by water, and even the fallen tree is too soaked for the fire to reach! It’s perfect!”

“It’ll be a miracle to get to, though!” Sharpfang pointed out. “The fire will just barely let us through!”

“Well then we’ll have to hurry!” Rainfur yelled. Sharpfang growled with frustration but he could not argue. It was the only plan they’d have.

Cats then began to pour out of camp, and even more as the fire burst through the camp’s wall. Rainfur did his best to keep up with the others, but it was hard. Everyone was screaming, just asking for help. He made sure to be last, and then he followed his Clan out.

When Rainfur went through the thorn barrier, he was amazed. Fire was indeed coming from both Clans, and it was scary. The lightning must have struck many, many places.

“Stick together!” Ravenstar ordered. “Make sure everyone is with us! Now go!”

“Robinwing!” said Shadowflame suddenly. “She’s still at camp!” Rainfur gasped with fear before turning around. There was no entrance, though. It was only fire.

“We have to leave her!” yelled Sharpfang. “She’s gone. I’m sorry Rainfur.”

“Robinwing is not dead!” Rainfur yelled. “Let me go and save her! I’ll do it!”

“No!” Sharpfang yelled. “There is no way she survived in that fire. Plus, we can’t wait any longer.” Rainfur hissed with fury.

“I don’t care what you think, I  will  save her!” Rainfur screeched. “Leave without me, I don’t care! I  will  save Robinwing!” Before anything could change his mind, Rainfur turned around and ran through the fire into camp. Everything was on fire, and there was no way out. Rainfur hissed with fury before looking for his mate.

The fire was unbearable. It was licking at his fur, just threatening to kill him. Rainfur did his best to ignore it, but that was hard. He was looking for Robinwing, but somewhere deep inside him knew that she was gone.

She won’t die! She’s alive! I must find her! I must save her!

It was hard to stay determined as memories flashed by him, most of them of when Alfie was killed. His mind felt like it was burning from the inside out, making it almost impossible for him to find Robinwing. His eyes were blurred, but he kept going. He was  not  going to fail again.

Finally, Rainfur found her trapped in a loop of flames. She was coughing, unable to breathe correctly. Rainfur was crying by the time he got to her, just praying that she would be okay.

He then grabbed her by her scruff before pulling her through the flames. Robinwing tried her hardest to help, but her lungs were filled with smoke and without any real oxygen to help her breathe, she was quickly dying.

“Come on,” said Rainfur as he drug her through camp, hoping that he wasn’t accidentally letting the flames burn her. “Live Robinwing! Remember about the kits! Remember me! You need to live! For your Clan! For your kits!” Rainfur then managed to somehow jump over the small line of flames while carrying Robinwing. It was probably the demon’s doing, but he didn’t care. He just needed Robinwing to live.

Rainfur then drug Robinwing toward the lake, his heart beating quickly as he realised he was nearly surrounded by fire. He was being as quick as he could, hoping that the way to the gathering place wasn’t blocked off.

“R-Rainfur,” Robinwing rasped then. “L-leave m-me here. G-go. . .s-save yours-self. . .”

“No!” Rainfur yelled, determination burning in her eyes. “I will not let you die! I will not let you give up!” Rainfur’s vision was blurring more as he realised how quickly everything was happening. The fire was joining around him, burning every inch of land.

Rainfur then began running, hoping it wasn’t killing Robinwing even faster. He just needed to get to a safe piece of land so that he could do CPR or  something  to save her.

The flames still flickered around him as the air warmed around him. He coughed and gasped for air, his lungs suddenly working twice as hard as they usually did.

He saw a flash of other cats running into the tunnels where the rogues lived. Rainfur knew that those cats were probably the rouges, but for some reason, he still felt sorry for them.

Finally, he got to the lake. However, there was nowhere to go. Fire was everywhere—in every direction possible. However, in front of him, the lake peacefully lapped at his paws. Rainfur closed his eyes, knowing that it was the most idiotic idea he’d made, but it was the only one he had.

“Y-you m-mouse-brain,” Robinwing rasped, her eyes closing. “N-now w-we’re both d-dead. . .”

“Robinwing, whatever you do, hang on to me!” Rainfur yelled suddenly. He then felt her grab onto him, making him smile. He then walked into the lake, aware of the cold water in his fur. Robinwing swayed on his back, flinching as the icy water touched her skin. She then held on tighter, making him relieved.

Rainfur began swim, happy that the rocky shore had finally gone away. It was hard to swim with Robinwing on him, but he kept going. He had to. He wanted to. He needed to. For Robinwing. For Shadowflame. For Amberstor,. For Flamepelt and anyone else who happened to know Robinwing.

Rainfur looked around as he swam, noticing the fire that surrounded the lake. Every single Clan territory was on fire, and to realize that it was him that had caused it? That was just unbearable.

Time seemed to slow down as he pulled her toward the gathering place. The silence was frightening, yet calming. Everything seemed to be spa-like, and the fire seemed to be happy. Robinwing just seemed to be sleeping, and the water around him was calm.

Rainfur was suddenly getting very tired, his legs barely able to move any further. He was two-thirds of the way there, but of course, he was not going to make it. He could see the dark figures of the other Clan cats on the gathering place island, but he was unaware of the RiverClan cats coming to help him.

When Rainfur finally realised it, he only swam faster. He wanted to do all that he could—he didn’t want to be helped. However, the RiverClan cats were quick enough to help Robinwing get off him. Robinwing did not want to let go. She stayed on him, holding onto him as hard as she could.

Rainfur smirked at first and continued swimming, but as he realised that he wasn’t going to make it to the island, he slowed and let the RiverClan cats literally try to pry Robinwing off him.

“It’s okay, Robinwing,” Rainfur soothed. “Let them take you, it’s fine.” Robinwing then let go immediately before half of the RiverClan cats took off with her toward the island. The other half then helped him toward the island.

When Rainfur was able to feel the sandy shore beneath his paws, he knew he’d over done it. Rainfur nearly collapsed as his legs refused to work for him, and his lungs were still raspy from the smoke and water combination. However, he still managed to make his way to Robinwing before totally collapsing.

Rainfur lay beside her, listening to her heart beat slower and slower as her breaths were calmer and calmer. He didn’t want to admit that she was dying. He didn’t want to admit that she was never going to have kits. He didn’t want to admit that she was never going to talk to him again. He didn’t want to admit that he’d failed again.

“No. . .” Rainfur rasped. “No! You can’t die! Not now!” Rainfur cried harder as Snowdrift, Duskshadow, Mysticpaw, Silverdew, Frostpaw and whoever the other medicine cat was walked over, their eyes filled with sadness.

“I’m sorry, Rainfur,” said Snowdrift. “She’s gone.”

“No!” Rainfur hissed, unable to believe it. “She can’t be! It wasn’t supposed to end this way! Don’t die on me, Robinwing!” Even though his legs ached, screaming at him to stop, he didn’t. He wanted to save her. He wanted her to be alive.

“Rainfur, stop!” Frostpaw warned, his eyes filled with worry. “You’ll die too if you keep this up!”

“What does it matter?” cried Rainfur, finally giving up. “If she’s dead, then I’ve failed again, and that gives me no reason to live.” He then lay still on his side, looking absently into the distance as tears ran down his cheeks.

No reason to live, eh? asked the demon, actually sounding a bit sad himself. Does that mean I can take over now?

Why would I care? Rainfur muttered in his head. Just try and take care of my body, will you? I just need to be alone right now. ..

Sure thing, boss,  said the demon with a small laugh. Boy is this going to be fun. The demon then pushed extra strength into Rainfur’s body before standing like nothing had ever happened. The demon then began laughing as he used Rainfur’s body and voice. Rainfur was again pushed to the back of his mind, but this time it didn’t matter. All he cared about at the moment was the fact that he failed for the third time, and that it would probably be his last.

“Okay, then,” said the demon. “Who has ticked me off the most around here?” The medicine cats around him suddenly got off and backed away slowly, all of them seeming to be aware of what was going on.

“Rainfur?” asked Frostpaw, his voice frail as he backed away. “I-is that you?”

“Well what do ya think?” asked the demon with a smirk on his face. “The cry-baby wouldn’t really be asking who got him angry, now would he? He’d be too busy ballin’ over that dead she-cat, and trust me, you would much rather watch me kill then him cryin’ over somethin’ that’s dead.”

“WindClan! Get back!” Rosestar screeched to her Clan. You couldn’t miss the fear in her eyes as she protected her Clan, aware of what was happening. WindClan had fear in their eyes as well as they backed away, making the demon laugh demonically again.

“RiverClan! Please stand back!” Bravestar ordered, a calm yet determined expression on his face. “He isn’t all what he seems right now!”

“But he’s just a small inexperienced Warrior!” a RiverClan cat called, though the cat still seemed scared. “He can’t be that bad!”

“He’s bad enough to take seven of Rosestar’s lives!” Bravestar hissed. “Now get back!”

“Aww, you guys aren’t makin’ it any fun!” said the demon. “Why can’t you just all fight me yourselves? I bet I could win~!”

“Bravestar! What is happening?” Nightstar demanded. “Why are you calling your Clans back?” Bravestar looked at his fellow leader and shook his head.

“You’ll see in a little bit, but I suggest you get your Clan back before they get themselves killed!” said Bravestar, making Nightstar confused. However, the noble leader still called back his Clan.

ThunderClan had already taken many steps back, all of them knowing exactly what was going to happen. They were all scared, but some, like Sharpfang, were looking determined to fight for their Clan.

The leaders then stood in front of the Clan they led, just waiting for the demon to attack. The demon just crept toward them in an evil way, scaring them even more. It fed on the fear, and just kept on going. The demon then got into a fighting position, ready to kill anyone who got close enough.

“Ready to see the real Rainfur of ThunderClan?”

Chapter 16
The demon lunged forward, his claws unsheathed and ready to spill blood. His dark blue eyes were wide with happiness and insanity. The scar on his shoulder glowed like a real star, lighting up his razor sharp teeth.

The demon landed in front of Ravenstar, his eyes showing a demonic happiness as the evil grin grew across his face. Ravenstar stood his ground, but the fear in his eyes could not be mistaken.

“Killing you once was fun,” said the demon, attacking Ravenstar with his long claws. Ravenstar easily evaded the attack, but that was because the demon was only playing at the moment. “Killing you again will hopefully teach you the lesson.”

The demon suddenly heard movement behind him, making him sigh with frustration. He leaped to the side as Rosestar lunged at him, making her run into Nightstar, who was also getting ready to attack.

“You leaders are all the same,” the demon growled. “Proud and noble for your Clan, though scared and fearful of me. Why is that? I’m only a small Warrior after all.”

“Corner him!” Bravestar yelled, alerting the demon that someone was coming. He sighed before kicking his hind legs into Rosestar before leaping away. The demon then lunged toward Ravenstar, his eyes narrowed.

“How dare you tell him that? How dare you even try!” the demon yelled as he pinned the dark leader down. The demon then raked his claws down Ravenstar’s stomach, making him scream. The demon hissed before leaping off of him, his eyes ready and alert.

“Give Rainfur back!” Ravenstar yelled. “He doesn’t deserve this!”

“Hey, it was he who wanted me to take over this time,” said the demon, a proud grin on his face. “Oh, and he didn’t deserve half of what has happened to him, but the cry-baby has the heart to continue.” Ravenstar then lunged toward him, fury burning in the leader’s eyes.

The demon leaped to the side, not even realizing who he was jumping next to. Nightstar had his eyes wide, but he was still determined to save his Clan. The ShadowClan leader then slashed his claws across the demon’s chest, making a large gash that bled heavily.

As the demon leaped away, he laughed with excitement. His heart was beating quickly, but it wasn’t because of the fact that he could die any second, it was because the fight was finally getting interesting.

“So, you must be Nightstar.” Said the demon. “Hopefully  you  received your nine lives.”

The leaders all looked at the demon with surprise, unable to believe that they were able scathe him. The demon, however, wasn’t surprised at all. He stood there, panting, watching the leader’s expressions as the wound oozed out the sticky red blood drops. Then, the wound fixed itself, making the leaders eyes widen with shock and fear.

“I thought you knew better than to be afraid,” said the demon with a disappointed look. “After all, didn’t Rainfur tell you that your fear feeds me? With so many frightened cats here, I can’t help but to take advantage of it.” The demon then took the advantage he had with the shocked leaders and lunged toward Ravenstar, his claws ready to kill.

“Ravenstar!” the demon heard Bravestar yell.

The demon smirked as he slit the leader’s throat easily, sending the dark furred cat falling to the ground. Many ThunderClan cats were heard, all of them shocked as they saw their leader die before their eyes. The demon looked to the rest of the leaders, a dark look in his eye.

“You want to make me mad?” the demon asked. “Let’s just say that’s how you’ll end up. Rainfur has given up on life apparently, and is probably not going to want to take over anytime soon. So say hello to your new and improved Rainfur, ‘cause that’s all you’ll be gettin’ for a while.”

Suddenly his scar hurt badly. It burned, it ached, and it stung. The demon yowled in pain as it did, trying to claw at his scar to try and make it all stop. The three leaders that were left looked at the scene in confusion. They had no idea what was happening inside him.

“Stop!”

“Don’t give up, Rainfur!”

“Live!”

“Don’t leave your Clan mates to die!”

“Stop, you stupid StarClan idiots!” the demon screeched, the pain increasing as it went on. “I can handle this myself! Go away!” Several StarClan cats then showed up around him, pinning the demon down without even thinking. They kept trying to get Rainfur’s attention.

The Clans watched in shock. Not only were they seeing StarClan defend them, they were seeing StarClan fight. They were seeing StarClan do what they were supposed to do.

The StarClan cats suddenly disappeared, though when they did, the demon’s scar started to glow white, not yellow. The demon finally stopped yowling in pain, though he still stood there, shocked.

“That was the last thing I needed!” the demon hissed in frustration. “Rainfur’s coming back! Mouse-brain!”

Rosestar then jumped onto his back, raking her hind claws down his back. The demon yowled with fury and pain, unable to admit that he was loosing.

Nightstar then lunged to his right side, creating a gash with his claws. The ShadowClan leader then bit into the demon’s shoulder, happy that it wasn’t the shoulder with the scar. The demon screamed again, feeling so much pain that he could not feel the fear, and therefore he could re-heal the wounds.

Suddenly, Bravestar attacked him, slashing his claws across his scar. The demon screeched as the pain left him weakened to such a state that he was shaking.

“Do something to the scar!” Bravestar yelled. “It’s weakening him!” Rosestar and Nightstar nodded, ready to finally kill the demon.

Rosestar, who was still standing on him, bite into his shoulder, making yowl again. Nightstar scratched the scar multiple times, making the demon scream with fury, anger, sadness, pain, and every other emotion that had created him.

The memories returned.

“Alfie!”

“Matthew! Help me!”

“Alfie! Hold on!”

Simple glimpses of Rainfur’s depressing human life flashed through the demon’s eyes as everything poured through his scar. The three leaders stared in shock as they received the memories, unable to believe there eyes.

There was a gun-shot, and everything ended. The Clan leaders let go, taking several steps back as they tried to recover from the shock. The demon was going crazy, and he wasn’t about to start fighting any time soon.

“ Getting tired already, eh?”  asked the familiar voice of Rainfur. " Want me to take over now?”

The Clan cats then gasped with surprise and hope. The demon growled with frustration as he watched his worst enemy return. Rainfur was smirking as he showed up, starry like the StarClan cats were. The demon’s figure then became blurred, making most of the cats around them confused.

“ I’m surprised,”  said Rainfur, still smirking. | I was thinking that you were gonna kill more cats than you did.”

“ Yeah, well I was a bit focused on the idiot I did end up killing,”  the demon growled, his dark blue eyes narrowed. ”Now I just have you.”  The demon lunged, his claws unsheathed as it headed for Rainfur’s neck. The young Warrior just leaped out of the way, using his small body to his advantage.

“ I still can’t believe you came back,”  the demon growled. “You were ready to give up, and now you suddenly pop in acting like you’re all that? I just don’t get it.”  Rainfur then lunged toward the demon, his claws slashing a large gash in the demon’s chest. This one did not go away, it stayed edged into the demon’s skin.

“ I only gave up because I thought I failed,”  Rainfur growled. “Then you went and killed Ravenstar, allowing me to give Robinwing life. Now—ta-da!—I have a reason to take over.”  the demon yowled, anger filling in his eyes as Rainfur stood as still as possible.

“ You hate it, don’t you?”  asked Rainfur. “You hate remembering the reason you were created, just as I do. As much as I don’t like to admit it, we are the same. I was once you, and you were once me. However, that has changed. I  have changed, and because of that, I know you can to. You might not be as. . .calm as I am, but you can learn that killing is not the answer, at least not most of the time.”  The demon yowled, half in pain and half in anger.

“ I will never change!”  the demon screeched. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here. If it weren’t for you, I would not live every moment of everyday living in the memories you left behind. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve abandoned me, and therefore I shall never listen to you. Never!”  The demon then lunged toward him, though stopped short as Rainfur concentrated. The demon then yowled in pain, his head ready to explode with the memories being sent toward him.

“ I’m sorry,” said  Rainfur honestly. “I just can’t have you here at the moment.”  the demon then fell to the ground unconscious, making Rainfur sigh with relief. The demon then faded, and that was when Rainfur looked like a real cat again.

It was quiet after that, and nobody moved. Rainfur turned to look at the three Clan leaders, his eyes expressionless aside from the large amount of exhaustion that had returned to him. Nightstar was still alert, as was Rosestar, though Bravestar stood quite calm as he realised what happened.

“Mama! Let me go play!” a sudden voice suddenly whined.

“No!” scolded the mother’s voice. “You must stay here—that tom doesn’t want to play.” Rainfur suddenly become alert, aware that he wasn’t exactly able to move quite yet and that the demon was still alert in his mind.

“No! Duskkit! Come back here!” The mother’s voice yelled. However, the small kit was able to go over and around many of the cats that tried to stop it, finally finding its way to Rainfur.

Rainfur’s body instinctively tensed as the kit touched its nose up against his fur, but nothing happened. A few moments later, however, and that was when Rainfur almost had to take a step back with fear.

The kit was one of Thorntail’s, something he’d just realised, and the kit was already two moons old. It’s life flashed before his eyes—what the kit could remember at least. It was just glimpses, but it was enough.

“Come on, Duskkit,” soothed the familiar voice of Reedfeather. “Open your eyes so you can play with your siblings. Open them!” The young kit’s vision was blank, probably because it had not opened its eyes yet.

“Wolfheart, if you just encouraged him a little—”

“This kit is worthless!” growled the rough voice of Wolfheart, making Reedfeather stop. “It will never open its eyes, and even if it does, it’ll only be a soft mouth to feed. It’ll never be a Warrior, no one that size could be.”

“Come on, Duskkit!” a small white she-cat urged on. “Almost there!”

“ Hurry, or you’ll never get to play with us!” a black tom teased.

“Duskkit! Get back here!” Reedfeather ordered, her voice stern. “You’re too small to play with your brother and sister.”

“But I want to play!” Duskkit whined. “I never get to!”

“I’m sorry, but you’re just too small,” Reedfeather soothed. “Now sleep, for you will need your rest.”

“Wolfheart, you must at least show them that you are their father,” Reedfeather growled. “They look up to you, and if you are just going to push them away, then they’ll learn the same.”

“I told you thousands of times, Reedfeather,” hissed the large deputy. “I do not want to be a part of those kits’ lives! Snowkit and Nightkit maybe, but Duskkit is lucky he’s even alive. I shall not claim him as my son—he is not worthy.”

“Mama, will I ever be a Warrior?” asked the tiny golden kit. “Daddy keeps saying I’m worthless. . .”

“You will, young one,” said Reedfeather, though uncertainty covered her voice. “Just you wait.”

“Hey, daddy! Look what I can do!” called Snowkit as she and her brother Nightkit ran up to Wolfheart. Duskkit watched cautiously, aware of what he thought of them.

“Go away, you filthy half-Clan scum!” hissed Wolfheart, making the two kits tuck their tails with fear. The two kits then ran back to the nursery, frightened and scared.

“Mother, what does half-Clan mean?” asked Duskkit curiously to his mother. Reedfeather looked at him, slightly surprised, though mostly angry.

“It means. . .” Reedfeather drifted off, unable to bring herself to say it. “I-it means that your father is from one Clan, and your mother is from another.” Duskkit sat there for a few moments, figuring things out for himself. Reedfeather tried not to cry, unable to realize that her kit was going to figure out that he wasn’t really her kit.

“So daddy isn’t our father?” asked Duskkit, actually quite happy. “That would make sense—he’s never really liked us.” Reedfeather shook her head, though, unable to lie.

“No, Duskkit,” said Reedfeather. “Wolfheart is your father, but he isn’t really a good one. Your mother is Thorntail, a Warrior in ThunderClan.” Duskkit’s eyes widened, unable to believe such a thing.

“But then why didn’t she want me?” asked Duskkit, tears forming behind his eyes. “Why did she give me to you?”

“She wanted you badly, Duskkit,” Reedfeather explained. “Enough to take you to her Clan and raise you in her womb there. However, in a battle, she was wounded badly. She wasn’t able to keep you, so to keep it fair, she gave you to RiverClan.”

“How could she do such a thing?” Duskkit demanded, standing to his paws. “Was she even crying when she dropped me off?”

“I never saw her, Duskkit,” Reedfeather explained. “Her apprentice, Rainpaw, was the one who brought you here. She was too weak to move, and she didn’t want just anyone bringing you here. She wanted someone she could trust.”

“She trusted an apprentice?” asked Duskkit, quite confused actually.

“With her life,” Reedfeather replied. “You see, you were born during a battle that the rogues were having with ThunderClan. Your mother was brave and saved a kit called Sweetkit, but while doing so she wounded herself. You were born after the battle, but in her wounded state, she could not care for you. Rainpaw, who was already wounded from battle, carried you here. It took him a few days because of a blizzard, but nonetheless he got you to the RiverClan border. Do you know those nightmare’s you and your siblings have, the one of the fox?” Duskkit lowered his head, remembering once again of the smoky grey and white cat that was fighting the fox right in front of him. The fox was scary, but the monster cat was scarier.

“Y-yeah. . .” Duskkit replied.

“Well that cat was Rainpaw,” Reedfeather replied. “We don’t know why, but he nearly gave his life to insanity trying to save you, and nearly died by the fox. That nightmare was real, Duskkit, and that cat is real too. He lives in ThunderClan with your mother, and would probably love to see you someday.”

“I want to see him!” said Duskkit happily. “He’s probably going to be the only one I know beside you and my siblings that don’t call me worthless! He’ll probably even like me! I’m make him proud of me, mama!” Reedfeather smiled, though inside, she was worried. The small golden kit had forgotten about how scary Rainpaw had looked in his nightmares, and how much he had given in to insanity.

“Really?” asked Snowkit. “Was that really what happened?”

“Really!” said Duskkit, his mouth a bit dry after having just told them the story of when they were born. “Aren’t you excited to become apprentices now?”

“Oh yes!” said Nightkit. “I want to see this Rainpaw, and I definitely want to see Thorntail! Our first gathering will be so great!”

“I know!” Snowkit agreed. “They may call us half-Clan cats, but sooner or later we’ll prove that we’re just as good as they are!” Duskkit agreed, but deep down, that wasn’t what he was thinking.

Duskkit was thinking of all the cats who called him too small, or called him worthless. He was thinking off how everyone looked at him as if he were from a different species. He was thinking of the whispering everyone seemed to do around him, and the half-glances that they shot at him.

Rainpaw, the one Reedfeather had told him about, was small for his age. At least, that’s what Reedfeather had told him. This meant that Rainpaw would know what he was going through, right? Duskkit could only be hopeful until the day came that they met, and when that day came, he would talk to Rainpaw.

Rainfur looked down at the kit as he realised how much it had been through. The memories had stopped, and as the kit looked up to him, he smiled.

“You’re Rainpaw, right?” asked Duskkit, a joyful smile on his face.

“Yeah,” said Rainfur. “Though I’m a Warrior now. My new name is Rainfur.” Duskkit nodded, but did not get a chance to start speaking. Other cats were trying to get to the small kit.

“Duskkit!” Reedfeather yelled, running up to him.

“Reedfeather!” Bravestar hissed, getting on her way. “We must keep a distance—we don’t know what’s happening or what just happened. We can’t do anything until ThunderClan tells us its okay, alright?” Reedfeather whimpered as she sat down, hoping and praying that her kit wouldn’t get hurt.

“StarClan! Help him!” Reedfeather cried, making Rainfur a little sad. He then looked to Duskkit, smiling warmly as he did.

“If I remember correctly, you want to know how I handled being what I am?” asked Rainfur, his voice soothing and calm. Duskkit nodded, an excited look in his eyes.

“I cannot tell you, for what I feel is something I’ve never really gotten used to showing cats,” Rainfur explained. “So stay still and let me show you. Ready?” The small golden kit nodded before Rainfur called back the memories that had been long lost and forgotten.

“ Look at his scar!” called a cat from the crowd.

“He’s too small to be an apprentice!” hissed Sharpfang. “He’s just a pathetic loner that can’t even stand up for himself!”

“We were just doing a bit of training, that’s all,” Shadowpaw muttered, lowering her head.

“Yeah, and in my mind, he failed,” Sharpfang growled. “He wouldn’t last in a real fight.”

“Shadowpaw, make sure Snowdrift is ready,” said Rainpaw, copying Sharpfang’s position. “I doubt I’ll get out of this unscathed.

“Ha! Is that the best you can do!” Sharpfang laughed. The fight continued, though when Sharpfang bit Rainpaw’s scar, something changed within him.

“Ready for a real fight?” asked Rainpaw, his eyes darkening as his scar glowed.

Kill him.

But I can’t!

Do it.

Maybe, I mean I would be defending my Clan. ..

Kill.

Stop, Robinpaw! He must die! What are you doing? That hurts!

“He’s a murderer!” hissed a cat from below, giving a disgusted face to Rainpaw.

“He’s a killer!” hissed another cat.

“What’s the full story?” asked Ravenstar.

“He’s lying!” hissed a cat.

“My kits aren’t safe! He must die!” yelled a dark brown cat.

“If you want to hate me, then go ahead!” Rainpaw yelled. “I give you the right, for I would hate any of you if you did what I did. For that, I will make a deal. If you let me stay her and be a normal apprentice with the exception of avoiding my scar, than I will give you the right to exile me—or do anything to me, really—if I hurt any of you again.”

“Alfie! Daniel!”

“Thorntail. . .” Rainpaw rasped, tried and wounded from saving her. “G-get the c-Clan. H-hurry!”

“I-I’m having kits. . .” Thorntail murmured.

“You’ll have them here, and you shall tell Wolfheart tomorrow,” Ravenstar ordered.

“Wolfheart, I’m having you’re kits. However, I must keep them. I cannot see you anymore. I’m sorry..."

“You what?” asked Wolfheart. “Can’t I at least have one of them?”

“That would be disobeying Ravenstar’s orders, mouse-brain,” growled Rainpaw. “Live with it.”

“Rainpaw, it was my fault, I was just trying to help—”

“It doesn’t matter. . .” Rainpaw growled. “You brought me into this world, made me have an insane demon within me, and now I’ll just have to live with it. Thanks a lot.”

“Rainpaw, please,” said Thorntail as she cried. “If I can’t have these kits, Wolfheart must. Please, take my kits to RiverClan.”

“I will,” said Rainpaw, realizing how stupid he was being.

“Why waste your life on these kits?” asked the ShadowClan tom.

“Because they mean a lot to a friend of mine, and a lot to me,” Rainpaw growled.

Finally! I’ve finally made it to RiverClan! Wait, what was that smell?

“Crap! A fox!” Rainpaw growled as he ran with the kits in his mouth into a cave.

The fox grabbed his shoulder and shook him after already making countless wounds upon him. As he fell to the ground, however, his eyes darkened again and his scar glowed. He was going insane.

The memories suddenly stopped as Duskkit refused to receive them, creating pain in both his and Rainfur’s mind. Rainfur then opened his eyes and listened to Duskkits screams.

“Stop! Stop!” Duskkit yelled, obviously in pain. “That hurts!” Rainfur then disconnected the memories, making him clench his jaw as the pain in his mind doubled.

Duskkit then ran away, scared and frightened as he realised just how dangerous the cat he’d been dreaming about was. The small golden kit was shaking as he snuggled up to his adopted mother.

“What happened?” asked Reedfeather, a worried look in her eye. “Duskkit? What happened?”

“My nightmare!” Duskkit whimpered. “It’s real! The monster! The scary looking t-thing. . .Mama, I’m scared.” Rainfur watched the kit, his eyes wide. He had no idea what happened—he’d forgotten that the kit had had nightmares of him.

“Shh, little one,” Reedfeather soothed. “Everything is okay. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Rainfur stared wide-eyed at the kit, unable to accept it.

“But Rainfur—he’s—he’s—” the kit was crying, it was loud enough for everyone to hear. “He’s  killed  before! I-I’m scared. . .” Rainfur’s heart did a flip as he realised just how right the kit was.

“I-I’m a monster. . .” Rainfur murmured. “I’ve killed. . .I’ve hurt things. . .” Blurry pictures flashed up in his eyes. The rouges that he killed, Sharpfang, who he almost killed, the fox, the kits and everyone else he’d put in danger.

He’d felt this way before, but as he saw the frightened look in Duskkit’s eyes, he finally realised how scary he was. Rainfur finally knew how he looked to others. Rainfur finally accept that he wasn’t normal, and he wasn’t good.

“Rainfur?” asked the familiar voice of Robinwing. “Rainfur, you’re scar isn’t glowing. . .are you alright?”

“Get away from me!” Rainfur hissed, not even bothering to look at her. “W-what have I done? W-what’s happened to me?” He just felt like screaming. He was killing himself, the restraint of the memories the only thing keeping him sane.

“Rainfur, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Robinwing growled.

“It was StarClan’s fault!” Rainfur yelled suddenly. “But was it? Could it have been me the whole time? There were times I wanted to kill when I was—but I was sane.”

“Rainfur, what are you talking about?” asked Robinwing, sounding really worried. “You aren’t looking right, are you sure you’re okay?”

Five starry figures suddenly appeared in front of him, though he did not look up. His eyes were glued to the ground, wide with shock.

“ Rainfur, stop thinking of such things!”  Cheetahfur yelled, a bunch of worry in her eyes. " You aren’t evil! You aren’t a monster! Stop!”

“StarClan?” asked Robinwing, her eyes wide. Rainfur could already tell who was around him. Thunderstar, Shadowstar, Riverstar, Windstar and of course Cheetahfur. “What are you doing here?”

“Go away!” Rainfur hissed to the StarClan cats, closing his eyes. Anybody could tell his brain was overloading with information, but not everyone knew exactly what information he was receiving.

“ Rainfur, you’re acting like a kit!”  Cheetahfur hissed, acting impatient. “Pull yourself together! Remember about your kits! Remember about your friends!”  Thunderstar and the others watched carefully, knowing that if anyone could talk to him, she could.

“But aren’t I bad for them?” asked Rainfur. Cheetahfur sighed, trying hard not to get angry with him.

“ We’ve got no choice,”  said Cheetahfur as she turned toward the first four Clan leaders. “We have to get that memory out of him. If we do that, it will return to him as soon as he wakes. However, right now, it’s just going to make him loose his sanity.”

“H-he’s losing his. . .sanity?” asked Robinwing, shocked of what was happening.

“ If that is truly what must be done, we shall do it,”  Thunderstar agreed bravely. “However, it cannot be one of us. The fear of that kit would destroy StarClan, and then we wouldn’t be doing any good. It must be someone from the Clans.”

“ Who can we trust with the knowledge?”  asked Shadowstar, pointing out a really good question. “This knowledge could change a cat.”

“ Sharpfang,”  Thunderstar replied. “He’s the next leader of Rainfur’s Clan—it would be good for him to know. After all, Ravenstar knew.”  Cheetahfur seemed unsure, but she didn’t say anything. Everyone else nodded.

Thunderstar then walked over to Sharpfang, making most of the cats around him take a few steps back. Sharpfang, however, stood his ground and waited for his orders.

“ Sharpfang, deputy of ThunderClan, we ask of you to save Rainfur,”  Thunderstar began. “What is happening to him is not information we’re going to give to you, however, to save this Warrior, you are going to see something no one else knows. Will you take on this knowledge to save this cats life?”  Sharpfang stood there for a few seconds, but then the brave leader nodded.

“I will,” Sharpfang replied. Thunderstar nodded before turning around, knowing Sharpfang would follow him. Then, as the two ThunderClan leaders faced Rainfur, Thunderstar explained the situation.

“ We don’t know what’s happening, for we cannot see within Rainfur like normal cats,”  Thunderstar explained. “However, we do know  why  it’s happening. The kit that he was sending memories through did something to make him realize what he could do, sending his mind into complete and utter chaos. If you could take that memory from Rainfur, he should forget instantly of that moment and fall unconscious.”  Sharpfang nodded in understanding, determined to get this right.

“ Now just look him in the eye and choose the memory you wish to take,”  Thunderstar explained, standing up and walking over to Rainfur. “It must be the right one, or the demon within him will mix itself with the soul of Rainfur, forcing everything together. That would mean the demon would run freely, and we do not want that.”  Sharpfang nodded again before standing up and locking his eyes with Rainfur’s, which had just looked up.

Rainfur felt. . .strange. One moment, his mind was focused on the fact that he’d killed. The next, it remembered how great it was to kill so many cats. Then in another moment, he was remembering how crazy his demon was. When he felt someone within his mind, however, he knew that something was going wrong. Something was going through his head, searching for a certain memory.

Rainfur mentally tried to stop it, but was blocked by several StarClan cats. He didn’t know what was going on, only that it was for the greater good. His instincts, however, said otherwise.

Several moments later, and he felt empty. He wanted to feel sadness, but he didn’t know why. He wanted to feel excitement, but he had no clue what made him that way. He wanted to feel regret and sorrow, but he kept asking himself, ‘what for?’ It wasn’t long before his vision blurred, catching the end of what Thunderstar was saying to Sharpfang.

“ In the morning, you must return this memory to him,”  Thunderstar explained. “When that happens, you need not tell anyone of what happened. Remember, if you keep this memory, it might end up destroying him, and if that happens, the Saviour is doomed.”

Darkness took Rainfur then, and that wasn’t by surprise. As he closed his eyes, though, he caught an expression on Sharpfang’s face that he couldn’t quite understand. Was it a smirk? But why? What had made him so happy?

Chapter 17
Rainfur woke the next morning, his eyes opening to the gathering place. He was still exhausted from swimming the day before, but he seemed much more refreshed. Groaning, he decided to get up, hoping that the other Clans wouldn’t flee at the sight of him.

As Rainfur sat up, he listened to the chattering going on. It must have been late dawn, because everyone seemed up. When he looked around, he found Robinwing, Amberstorm, Flamepelt, Sweetpaw, Shadowflame, and even Frostpaw in front of him.

Rainfur listened to their conversation as he adjusted his eyes to the bright light. None of them noticed his awakening, and with that, he was going to use it to his advantage.

“I can’t believe everyone still thinks he’s going kill everybody,” said Sweetpaw, a certain distaste in her voice. “I mean, we explained to them that he’s perfectly fine, and that when he wakes, he’ll be as good as anyone else around here. Why don’t they believe us?” Amberstorm shrugged, a small look of worry in her eyes.

“I don’t know,” Amberstorm replied. “However, I think it has something to do with the fact that Rainfur wasn’t exactly there last night. As Robinwing said, he was literally going insane.” Flamepelt looked at Amberstorm and nodded, but something else seemed to be bugging the young tom.

“I also think it has something to do with the fact that Rainfur just let it happen,” Flamepelt continued. “I mean, usually Rainfur has had no choice, but as soon as he saw Robinwing dead, he just. . .gave up.” Shadowflame murmured in agreement.

“Then when he went insane?” asked Shadowflame. “Do you think that has anything to do with it? Even then, he looked scary. He looked as if he didn’t have a soul. As if everything had just drifted away, and all he cared about was. . .well. . .what was it?” Shadowflame looked to Robinwing, waiting for an answer. Rainfur sighed as he realized what they were talking about, and he felt even worse when he saw the look on Robinwing’s face.

Robinwing was quiet as she looked at the ground, deep in thought as her eyes absently stared. Her fur was groomed cleanly, and there were no burns like Rainfur had been expecting. However, mentally, he could tell she was not doing very well.

“He. . .” Robinwing drifted a bit, still thinking. “He was going on about something, as if he were confused. I know he said he was a monster once, and that was after looking at Duskkit’s frightened state. It was as if he’d realized what he was right then, and he just couldn’t accept it. His mind was on an overload, and even though it was him with the mental pain, it was scary to watch. He felt so. . .distant from me. It was like he didn’t even know I was there. . .”

“How strange. . .” murmured Frostpaw, who was sitting next to Flamepelt. “I wonder if he’ll be stable when he wakes. Then again, either way, he’ll be furious. To think that the Clan leaders want him gone. . .” Rainfur suppressed the urge to gasp. The Clan leaders wanted him gone? But why? He didn’t do anything wrong!

“I think this all has something to do with his brothers,” said Flamepelt suddenly. “He kept saying that it was all his fault when he was an apprentice, and that he kept failing, and remember what he said to the demon? ‘I gave up because I thought I failed again, but after you killed Ravenstar, I used the life to save Robinwing, and that gave me another reason to live.’“

“Robinwing is his mate,” Shadowflame reminded the ginger tom. “Anyone would have given up at the sight of their mate’s dead body.” Flamepelt shrugged.

“And while that may be true, remember the word ‘again’ in that sentence,” Flamepelt pointed out. “So, that means he’s already failed, meaning he’s let someone die. Also, if it has something to do with his brothers, then he was there both times they died,” Flamepelt continued. “I know he was there when his first brother died.”

“He had two brothers?” asked Robinwing curiously. “He’s only told me about the one.”

“That’s because the other wasn’t the one that caused the demon, and therefore wasn’t important enough to mention, as I only talk about my past if it was handy information,” Rainfur growled, getting everyone’s attention. “The second brother didn’t die. I failed him by leaving him while I was forced to come here. As an older brother and having been through the same experience, I call that a failure.” Robinwing’s eyes were wide as she looked at his angry state, and the others were a little embarrassed.

“H-how long have you been listening?” asked Frostpaw, his head low.

“Enough to know what I need to,” Rainfur growled, his eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe-”

“Rainfur,” hissed Sharpfang from behind him. He quickly jumped to his feet and turned around, a little sore as he did so. “I see you have awoken.” Rainfur growled a little as he relaxed, his eyes still narrowed.

“What do you want, Sharpfang?” Rainfur hissed. “I just want to be at peace right now, I don’t care what wise information you’ve got for me.” Sharpfang narrowed his eyes as he shifted his noble stance. An amber flash of anger went through Sharpfang’s eyes, making Rainfur a bit curious.

“My name is Sharpstar now, if you please!” Sharpstar snapped, his eyes narrowing tighter. “And that is not how you should treat the Saviour of your life.” Rainfur stared at the brown tabby before relaxing completely, feeling that since the tom was a leader, and he should be respected.

“Whatever,” Rainfur muttered, looking at his paws.

“I’m calling a Clan meeting soon, and since you are the main point, you should be there,” Sharpstar hissed. “The other Clan leaders will also be there, and they will also have a say in what I have to tell the Clans.” Rainfur forced himself not to show any emotion, though sadness was overwhelming him. He knew exactly what the Clan meeting was going to be about, and though he wanted to talk back to Sharpstar, he couldn’t.

The noble ThunderClan leader then left, his head held high as he did so. The other Clan leaders followed him toward the great oak tree, preparing for a Clan meeting or, in this case, a gathering.

“How did he get his nine lives?” asked Rainfur as he stood up. “I thought he had to travel to the Moonpool.”

“Since StarClan was already there after you fell unconscious, they decided to give them to him then,” Frostpaw explained quietly. “I-I think that’s why Sharpstar’s so proud: every single cat in this forest got to watch him receive his nine lives.” Rainfur shook his head, getting even angrier. Sharpstar may have been his mentor, but he was still ticking Rainfur off. A lot.

Rainfur then walked forward, his heart aching with fear and sadness. Robinwing walked beside him, also sad, yet mostly worried. Rainfur ignored everyone as he got to the head of the crowd and sat down, looking up to Sharpstar and the others as they sat proudly on the branches of the oak tree.

“ThunderClan grieves the loss of Ravenstar, who has led this Clan through many seasons. However, through all of this, we must focus on his killer,” Sharpfang paused, then, letting the outbreak of yells stop him. Rainfur looked to the Clan cats, watching as the fear and anger flashed through their eyes.

“Murderer!”

“Killer!”

“Monster!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Rainfur yelled, narrowing his eyes. “You all saw me yesterday, and I’m fine now! I’ve killed before, yes, but that wasn’t me!”

“Ah, but you let him take over, didn’t you?” asked Sharpstar, forcing Rainfur look back to him. “And don’t forget about the deal you made with ThunderClan, and what you must do to stay true to that deal.” Rainfur narrowed his eyes, anger flashing through his eyes.

“It was still Ravenstar’s fault, wasn’t it?” asked Rainfur. “He was the one that made himself targeted by the monster, it was  his  fault!” Sharpstar shook his head, making Rainfur’s heart started to beat faster.

“What is this deal you are talking about?” asked Bravestar then, looking quite curious. “Remember, only your Clan knows.” Sharpstar nodded in understanding before replying.

“The first time ThunderClan saw Rainfur try to kill was when I was training with him,” Sharpstar explained. “I bit his scar by accident, and then regretted that. Rainfur had me pinned easily, and remember, he was just barely an apprentice at the time. I would have been a dead cat had it not been for Robinwing, who was brave enough to stop him.

“After that day, ThunderClan wanted him dead, for he was a danger to them. Even after he explained himself, we didn’t want him to live. After that, without even Ravenstar having a clue what was going on, Rainfur made a deal with us. The deal was that as long as we let him stay, he would give us the right to exile him if he ever did that again to another Clan cat. And, seeing as he’s killed Ravenstar, we have the right.”

“It’s not fair!” Rainfur hissed, anger surging through him.

“It was your deal,” Sharpstar reminded him before looking to the other Clan leaders. “Do you agree to exile him, even from your own territories?”

“I do,” said Rosestar instantly after Sharpstar finished. “He is a danger to my Clan, and I shall not have any threats lurking around in the darkness, no matter how tame they may seem at first. I have seen the monster within him face on, and I do not want anyone of my Clan ever experiencing it.” Sharpstar nodded before looking to Nightstar.

“I agree to exile him as well,” said the brave ShadowClan leader. “I have only seen this once, but even so, if he is able to kill a Clan leader so quickly, then he shall not be allowed in my territory. I shall not have my Clan ripped to pieces due to this threat.” Rainfur couldn’t believe his ears. It was happening all too quickly. He couldn’t admit that it was his fault. Why did this have to happen?

“I don’t think you’re being reasonable,” said Bravestar as Sharpstar looked to him. “As long as he’s sane, he’s okay, isn’t he? Why can’t you just accept him, just as Ravenstar did when he came to your Clan?”

“Because he is a threat to my Clan, and there are no replacements for Ravenstar,” said Sharpfang, narrowing his eyes. “If you can’t decide, then why don’t you ask you’re Clan-mates?” Bravestar’s eyes narrowed for only a moment, and then he looked to his Clan.

“Exile!”

“Outcast!”

“Send him away!”

Bravestar then glanced a sorry look to Rainfur before looking to Sharpfang and saying, “Exile.”

Rainfur’s eyes widened with fear as he realized what was happening. Sharpfang looked back at him, a frown on his face. As Rainfur turned around, he saw the many angry looks that he was getting. His heart raced as he noticed that all of them seemed to be getting closer.

Rainfur panicked, unable to think correctly as he saw Robinwing’s shocked stare. He felt a warm tear fall down as he looked to Sweetpaw and his other friends, and he felt his heart lurch.

Rainfur then ran, his mind on another overload. However, he could handle this one, though in some ways, he felt like just giving up again. As he ran, he could hear Sharpstar’s voice as clear the chirping of a bird.

“Rainfur is no longer a Warrior, and shall no longer go by that name,” Sharpstar called to the Clans. “He shall go back to being called Matthew, for that is loner name.” Rainfur ran faster, unable to hear anything else behind him. He leaped onto the fallen tree and sprinted off, his lungs barely letting him go any faster.

Rainfur knew not where he was going, or even what direction. He just knew that he was never going back to the Clans. He couldn’t, not if he wanted to get killed.

Thousands of things went through his head as he realized what was happening to him. Rainfur finally understood that he was never going to see Robinwing ever again. Rainfur understood that he wasn’t going to name his kits, and he knew that those kits would be looked down upon and hated by everyone aside from Robinwing. Rainfur understood that he would never see Flamepelt, or Shadowflame, or Sweetpaw, or even Frostpaw ever again. Rainfur knew that he was never going to see Thorntail, and he knew he was not going to get to see Duskkit and his siblings grow up. Rainfur understood that he was never going to become a true Warrior, and he knew that he was never going to make up for the failures and crimes he’d committed in the past. Rainfur knew it, and it was killing him. Everything was ending now. Everything.

Rainfur finally collapsed near a large pine tree, crying and gasping for air. He whimpered and sobbed more than he’d ever had in his life. This was the end. He was stuck in his cat body without a clue how to live. This was it.

“Rainfur, don’t give up!”  yelled the distant voice of Cheetahfur.

“What’s the point?” Rainfur yelled to himself, his eyes closed. “Why can’t I give up? I don’t know where to go! You told me to find a place to belong when I first came here, Cheetahfur, and now look at me! I’m done for!” Rainfur continued crying, unable to stop. He didn’t know what to do. He was lost.

Finally, after such a long time, Rainfur fell asleep. His body was still exhausted from the day before, and since he cried so much, he was even more tired. When he slept, he still didn’t find peace. It was only a never-ending dark shadowed place, and even then time didn’t go quickly. There was just one thing that kept going through his mind through all of that:  what do I do now?

¤¤¤

Run!

The Saviour is on its way!

The monster is near!

Run!

Huh? Rainfur thought as he opened his eyes to complete darkness. What was that? The voices he’d been hearing were ghost-like. Not like StarClan, like real ghosts. They were high-pitched and all female, but also very quiet. He had a hard time understanding them, even though he really didn’t even know what they were about.

“ Having trouble, are you, cry-baby?”  asked the familiar voice of the demon. Rainfur immediately opened his eyes wider and turned around, watching the cat opposite of him smirk in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” asked Rainfur, his eyes narrowed. “I thought I defeated you enough to stay away!” The demon only laughed, the grin of a monster on his face.

“ You do not understand what you must truly do to gain my allegiance, and therefore I will not listen to you, whatever you do,”  said the demon, his voice echoing throughout the darkness.

“Why would I want to gain your allegiance?” asked Rainfur, his eyes showing curiosity. “You’re my enemy, the memories of my past, and something I would rather not deal with.”

“ Why, you ask?”  asked the demon, his head tilted with fake innocence. ”Wouldn’t you like to share my strength, without having the scar scratched? Wouldn’t you like to have your scar scratched, without having to worry about who I’d kill? Wouldn’t you like to be in control, and yet let me be me?”  Rainfur thought about this carefully, actually noticing how nice those things sounded. But then he shook his head rapidly.

“No!” Rainfur yowled, his eyes narrowed. “You’re lying! You just want me to give in to your strength!” The demon frowned, the happiness gone.

“ Why would I lie to my own mind?”  asked the demon. ”Why would I lie to myself? Don’t you remember? We are the same cat, person, or whatever we are. We are of one mind.”

“That’s not true!” Rainfur hissed, his fur bristling. “You are not me! You are just a past that was me, and has now been forgotten!” The demon hissed, baring his long fangs. He was obviously offended.

“ I could be remembered!”  the demon hissed. ”I could be brought up without the pain! I could live every moment without having to remember what we went through!”

“Liar!” Rainfur hissed, lashing his tail. The demon opened his mouth, but then shut it. The dark, blue eyed tom then calmed himself down with a long sigh, straightening himself out so that he didn’t look as if he were going to kill Rainfur. Then, the demon looked at him, a smirk on his face.

“ I shall not push you, but remember this,”  the demon said. ”I will keep coming, and each time I shall give you a hint at what to do. I know you, Rainfur, and eventually, if you have seen the right things, you will help me, and yourself.”

Rainfur suddenly opened his eyes again, only this time, to WindClan’s moor. Rainfur sighed as he realised that that had all only been in his mind, and remembered exactly what had happened the day before.

Suddenly Rainfur heard movement, making him jump to his paws and hiss in warning to the thing that was somewhere in the tall grass. He looked through the marsh, hoping that he’d find the intruder.

“Hiya, Rainfur!”

Rainfur took a few steps back as Sweetpaw jumped in front of him. It took a while for him to understand that the she-cat was in front of him, but then he shook his head and forced himself to realize it.

“Sweetpaw?” Rainfur asked, his eyes narrowed with confusion. “Why aren’t you with your Clan?” Sweetpaw shrugged, still happy.

“The Clans were being moue-brains, exiling you like that,” Sweetpaw replied. “I didn’t want to be with cats as scared as they were-I wanted to be with you. So, I woke before dawn and sneaked away. Luckily for me, the Clans were tired trying to hunt this morning, so no one woke.” Rainfur then shook his head, unable to really understand that.

“Go home, Sweetpaw,” Rainfur muttered. “Being a loner isn’t exactly something for a young kit like you to be doing.” Sweetpaw narrowed her eyes, her tail lashing with irritation.

“I’m not a kit anymore, mouse-brain,” Sweetpaw hissed. “I am eight moons old-almost ready to become a Warrior.”

“If you come with me, you won’t be able to,” Rainfur reminded the small she-cat. “You’ll just be called ‘Sweet’, and you’ll never see your family again.” Sweetpaw rolled her eyes.

“I mean a  real  Warrior,” said Sweetpaw. “Not those scared kittypets back at the gathering place. Plus, I don’t care if my name is Sweet, or if I’ll never seem my family ever again. It was their fault for not sticking up for you.” Rainfur rolled his eyes before walking away, his tail drooping.

“You don’t belong with someone like me, Sweetpaw,” Rainfur muttered, looking at the ground as he walked. “There’s so much to me that you don’t understand.” Sweetpaw then bounded up to his side, walking with him.

“You are my mentor now, Rainfur,” Sweetpaw insisted. “Besides, I know all I need to know about you, don’t I?” Rainfur opened his mouth to answer, but then shook his head.

Rainfur knew nothing of what he used to be, not now that his demon talked to him. Rainfur was lost as who he was, now that he was exiled, and he knew nothing of what he was going to be, due to the shadow in his mind. There was nothing he could do but try to find a home, which was going to be hard. He didn’t know what it was like, being a cat outside the Clans. The only thing he could do was live like he knew, and hope that no one would see through him.

“So, where are we going?” asked Sweetpaw, prancing beside him as she sniffed the ground and looked around wildly. Rainfur looked at her before rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to check on the fire,” Rainfur replied. “I want to do something for the Clans before I leave.” Sweetpaw then looked up from what she was doing, tilting her head with confusion.

“Where are we going when we leave?” asked Sweetpaw.

“Sweetpaw, you aren’t coming with me,” Rainfur growled. “You aren’t old enough.” Sweetpaw frowned before noticing a butterfly. She then jumped after it, her short attention span coming out into the open. Rainfur then continued walking, noticing the burnt ground underneath him.

It was all ash, and even though the sky shed some colour in the territory, Rainfur found a bland colour on the ground. He just hoped this wouldn’t scar the forest forever.

Rainfur continued walking, ignoring Sweetpaw and yet trying to figure out what he was going to do. He knew that Twolegs were near, he could smell them. He also knew that fire trucks must have erased the fire, for no storm could have made the fire disappear this fast. So, what he was going to do, was try and figure out which part was on fire, and which part was not.

Rainfur then heard voices of humans, making him look up to the large red fire-truck that the firemen were using to make the fire die down. Rainfur watched, a frown on his face. The humans were getting the fire demolished quickly, as they were working on the ThunderClan border at the moment.

As Rainfur looked across the lake, he noticed that RiverClan was also fire-free, same as most of ShadowClan. This meant that he’d have to leave the Clan territories quicker than he’d have liked, making him nearly cry.

“Wow!” Sweetpaw suddenly yelled in astonishment. “Those monsters are  huge ! Why do they have water coming out of their tails?” Rainfur chuckled a bit, remembering that she didn’t know as much as he did.

“This is called a fire truck,” Rainfur explained. “The water is to quench the fire, making it die down and eventually disappear. The Twolegs are really helpful for that. They are making the monster work, and therefore help us in return.” Sweetpaw watched in wonder.

“That’s so cool!” she whispered. “I didn’t know Twolegs helped us so much! Is that why all of the territories are okay now?” Rainfur nodded.

“There are more of these trucks, much more,” Rainfur replied. “Twolegs make a lot so that these fires don’t reach their homes.” Sweetpaw just sat there and stared, making Rainfur smile. It felt like she was his daughter, but as he remembered that, his heart flipped.

How is Robinwing doing?

He couldn’t help but wonder. He wanted to know what was happening back at the gathering, and how his friends where doing. Rainfur wanted to know what everyone thought of him, and how his kits were doing. He wanted to know so much, but in reality, he knew he could never see them ever again.

“Hey look!” a man suddenly called, forcing Rainfur out of his thoughts. “Those cats are just standing there! I wonder if they live around here?” Another man then came into view, staring at Sweetpaw and Rainfur. Sweetpaw was confused, even more so as the two men continued to talk.

“Rainfur, they’re going to try and catch us!” Sweetpaw stated, backing away. “We need to run!”

“No,” Rainfur growled. “They won’t come near us, not so far at least.” Sweetpaw tilted her head in curiosity.

“How do you know?” The over-excited she-cat asked. “Can you understand them?” Rainfur nodded, a smile on his face.

“I was a loner, remember?” he asked, making her nod.

“I wonder if their hungry. . .” the second man murmured. Rainfur then continued to listen. After all, he was hungry, but he couldn’t hunt. There was no prey-they’d all been scared away by the fire, and since everything was ash, Rainfur doubted that it would all come back. If the humans gave him food, then he would not need to look.

“Well, do you have anything they would like?” asked the first man, looking as if he were joking. The second man then nodded, a bright look in his eye. Then, the man disappeared. When he returned, he held some food that was wrapped in aluminium foil.

The man then unwrapped it, walked several steps in their directions, and then set the food down. The man then walked away, a smile on his face. Rainfur was confused as to why a fire man would do that, but then remembered that there were probably reporters here, so he dropped the question.

Rainfur then walked over to the food, sniffing with delight as he realised that it was bacon. Sweetpaw walked with him, though she was a little more cautious, though still curious.

“What is that?” she asked as Rainfur started eating the delicious meat.

“It’s called bacon,” Rainfur replied. “Oh, this is so good. I miss food like this. . .come on, Sweetpaw. It’s not poisoned or anything.” Sweetpaw then walked over, and slowly took a bite. However, when her tongue tasted the bacon, she started eating quicker. Rainfur laughed a bit, but continued eating.

When they were done, Rainfur looked over to the Twoleg who had gave it to him, but the man was already gone, making Rainfur shrug. He then stood up and nodded toward the gathering place.

“We’re going back?” asked Sweetpaw, confused. Rainfur nodded, knowing exactly how she felt. They betrayed him, and now he was going back.

“We are going to tell them that their territories are free of fire,” Rainfur explained. “I know it sounds weird to be going back to the place that exiled me, but I promise, they won’t do anything to hurt you and I.” Sweetpaw nodded before following him, though she still seemed confused.

Chapter 18
Rainfur and Sweetpaw were quiet as they walked toward the fallen tree, hoping not to alert the cats in the island. It was sunhigh, and as burnt ground flaked beneath their paws, Rainfur hoped that his welcoming would not be death. He hoped they would just see him as, well, a loner, which was what he was now.

Sweetpaw seemed worried as well. She'd told him of how she'd said goodbye to her family, and now she was going to have to see them one last time. It was hard for a cat her age, Rainfur knew.

They both stopped at the edge of the fallen tree, hoping the other would go first. Rainfur then nodded to Sweetpaw before jumping onto the log and swiftly walking across, aware of the unwelcome glares and hostile hisses he was going to get.

When Rainfur jumped off of the log and onto the island floor, he heard gasps of all sorts. Hope, fear, and curiosity of the voices he heard, but mostly it was anger.

"He's back!" one cat gasped.

"Is he going to hurt us?" asked one cat aloud.

"Mama! Help me!" Rainfur looked at the cat who'd said that, and he wasn't surprised to see Duskkit backing away toward Reedfeather, who glared at Rainfur.

"Sweetpaw!" called another cat, making Rainfur aware of the she-cat behind him. "You've come back!" Rainfur looked to Softstreak, Sweetpaw's mother.

"Have not!" Sweetpaw hissed, her eyes narrowed. "I'm only coming back because of Rainfur. I will not return to a bunch of scaredy-cats!" Rainfur chuckled a bit, but then noticed the four leaders standing before him, all looking quite confused, and angry.

"We have exiled you, Rainfur, did you not understand?" asked Sharpstar icily. "You shouldn't have come back."

"I did not come back," Rainfur growled, his tail twitching as he narrowed his eyes. "Consider it a visit, the last you shall see of me." Sharpstar then glanced to Sweetpaw, who was behind Rainfur, hiding.

"I see you've forced Sweetpaw to follow you," Sharpstar hissed, his eyes also narrowed.

"I have not," Rainfur growled. "She is the other reason I've come. Right now, if she wants to, she may stay. If not, then that is her decision."

"None of this matters," Rosestar hissed, ears pinned back toward her head. "You were exiled! You should be killed for returning!" Rainfur looked to the young leader, his eyes cold and emotionless. He was hiding it, hoping not to show the billions of feelings he was trying to keep inside.

"I should be killed for telling you some good news?" asked Rainfur. "I hardly think that's a reward for watching out for the Clans, even though you've exiled me unfairly." Rosestar hissed angrily, her eyes narrowed.

"What news?" asked Bravestar, his eyes filled with sorrow and curiosity.

"ThunderClan's territory is the only one that is still in flames," Rainfur explained. "According to the Twolegs, that land shall be fire-free by tonight, and then tomorrow is when the Twolegs will be gone. WindClan territory is safe from them, as is RiverClan's. Those two Clans are free to go home, but ShadowClan might want to watch out.

"Prey is also another issue," Rainfur continued. "On my way there, I saw nothing. I'm afraid you won't see prey for quite some time, though some underground prey might show up. That is all." Rainfur then dipped his head respectively, hoping to show them all that he wasn't deceiving them.

"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Sharpstar angrily. Rainfur flicked his tail toward his scar.

"Ask StarClan," he growled. "They should know. They should know everything about me, actually, since they're the reason I've been sent here, given this scar, and exiled. I would say it was all their fault, but I have to remember, we all make our mistakes." Rainfur then stood up before walking to Robinwing, hoping not to get killed in the process. Most cats stayed quiet as he walked up to his mate, though some whispered.

Robinwing was shocked. She looked at him as if he were God, and she was the villager. It was strange, but Rainfur would live with it to say goodbye.

"Sorry I have to leave so soon, Robinwing," Rainfur whispered into her ear. "I promise I'll see you when our— your  kits arrive, no matter where I'm banned from. Please remember that Rain always comes after a fire, and ash is the only thing left." Rainfur then gave his mate one last smile before walking away, unable to stay any longer. Sweetpaw followed him after saying goodbye to her brother again.

Rainfur was just about to get back onto the fallen tree when Nightstar caught up to him. The young Warrior looked confused as the elder leader talked to him.

"If you ever choose to come back, you are welcome in my territory," Nightstar explained. "I've spoken to my Clan, and they agree. Just keep this in mind thus you need to come back." Rainfur nodded, uncertainty in his eyes.

Too bad,  the demon suddenly said. We're not comin' back, and this is why.

Stop, you idiot! Rainfur yelled. His eyes narrowed with anger as he felt the demon move, making his scar glow a brilliant blue. Nightstar took many steps back as something shot into the sky. The star of fire returned, though this time it was blue. The demon laughed aloud for all to hear, making everyone scream in terror.

" Good-bye, you idiots!" the demon screeched, a certain insane touch to it.

" Shut up and stay put!" Rainfur yelled, making everyone really confused. He was too, for he hadn't really expect his thoughts to be said aloud.

" But I want to terrorize them!" the demon whined. "Besides, we're never going to see them again! Why can't I?"

" Just because I hate them doesn't mean you can scare them or hurt them, which is what I know you were planning to do." Rainfur hissed.

" Correction!" the demon sang. "I can't hurt them because StarClan's here, so technically I never wanted to hurt them."

" We're leaving, so stop it!" Rainfur growled. "You'll get to see a lot of memories soon, so just stay excited about that, will you?" The demon sighed.

" Fine, fine,"  it hissed, clearly disappointed. "I guess you're right. . ." The star then disappeared, and everything went back to normal.

Rainfur then leapt onto the fallen tree and walked across, Sweetpaw following him. This was the last time for a moon that he would see the Clans, and really, he was only seeing Robinwing a moon from now.

As Rainfur jumped down from the log, he waited for Sweetpaw to catch up to him.

"Sweetpaw, this is your last chance," Rainfur murmured. "Would you like to return to the Clans, or come to me?" Sweetpaw shook her head.

"I want to come with you, Rainfur," said Sweetpaw, reassuring herself with a nod. "You're the bravest cat I know."

"You're braver," said Rainfur with a smile.

¤¤¤

Rainfur looked back to the Clan territories as he pass the WindClan border, stepping on land he'd never seen before. He sighed, hoping silently that he would get to come back, instead of dying out in the real world as he'd thought was going to happen.

"Come on, slow poke!" Sweetpaw called back to him. "We need to hurry if we're going to make it to wherever you're planning by sundown." Rainfur looked to the small apprentice.

"I'm coming," said Rainfur, walking up to Sweetpaw as she looked at him with excitement in her eyes. "Why are you so impatient?"

"It's not every day I get to go on an adventure!" said Sweetpaw, almost jumping up and down in happiness. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"My first home," said Rainfur honestly. "There's something I have to check." Sweetpaw then walked beside him, prancing as she looked around. They were entering the horse place, and that meant that there would be horses and cows, two things that Sweetpaw had never seen.

As they passed a few pastures filled with bay and chestnut horses, Sweetpaw hid behind him, curious, yet cautious of the large animals so close to her. Rainfur rolled his eyes.

"Sweetpaw, these animals are called horses," Rainfur explained.

"Aren't these the animals Twolegs ride so they can pretend to have four legs?" asked Sweetpaw, still hiding.

"Yes, but originally, when they didn't have monsters to ride in, they rode the horses," Rainfur explained. "They won't hurt you, so you shouldn't be afraid. To be honest, they're more scared of you. They were afraid of your ancestors, after all."

"Really?" asked Sweetpaw, standing up straighter. Rainfur nodded, a smile on his face.

"Yes," Rainfur replied. "They were hunted by many things, and because of this, the horse runs from any danger. That's the only thing it can do, since it doesn't have claws or fangs to defend itself."

"Wow!" said Sweetpaw in amazement, her eyes wide with wonder. "That's so cool! I wonder if they'll run if I try to chase them. . ."

"Maybe, but don't," Rainfur growled. "Those horses can kick, and if they manage to hit your head, you'll die." Sweetpaw nodded, though she didn't really seem to be paying attention.

Rainfur just rolled his eyes and started walking away, forcing the young she-cat to follow him. He felt like a father as he explained the things that they passed. It was soothing to know he wasn't alone, and when he talked to her he forgot all about being exiled. It was so nice, and when he looked at Sweetpaw, he felt alive. Like there was more to living then just being there.

"Rainfur," said Sweetpaw then. "I never remembered the Clans saying that this was all close to Twoleg nest. They said that this just led to land. Did you live on plains like this?" Rainfur shook his head.

"I lived with the Twolegs mostly, though not really in their nests or anything," Rainfur explained. "It's hard to understand, but you'll know when we get there. The nests are new, by the way. They were made soon after I was born, and that's when my family moved. It was a very good place to stay, with the streets so clean." Sweetpaw tilted her head, clearly confused.

"What do you mean, 'was'?" she asked. Rainfur looked to the ground, letting the memories pass through his mind. Alfie's cry for help and the laughs of the enemy. Rainfur closed his eyes and shook his head before looking ahead to the horizon.

"It became a place to torture, really," said Rainfur. "My family moved away, but my brother and I always used to stray over to that side of town. . .it had become a place where mean Twolegs and animals gathered, all of them having a thirst for blood. That's not where we're going, though. We're going to a place just past the killers. I promise that I'll keep you safe as we go through there." Rainfur gave a brave smile to Sweetpaw who nodded and walked on.

Rainfur smiled as he finally found a den, which he'd been looking for. It was really just a thick hedge sheltering a large patch of grass, but it was at least something.

"Come on," said Rainfur, flicking his tail toward the hedge. "Go and stay over there. I'll hunt. It shouldn't be that hard around here. . .oh, and remember, if you see any trouble, just run and yell. I'll come and get you." With a reassuring smile, Rainfur then turned around and tried his best to look for a mouse or two.

¤¤¤

Run!

The thorns are deep!

Run!

The stars have made a mistake!

Run!

The Saviour is late!

Run!

" You honestly think that you could get away from me that quickly?" asked the demon, making Rainfur open his eyes. He was sleeping, he knew, but the demon was there, making him alert for anything funny.

"I don't want to talk to you!" Rainfur hissed, narrowing his eyes at the memories that had left him. The demon just continued to smirk, his dark blue eyes showing excitement.

" It's the only way you're going to live, Rainfur,"  the demon growled. "It's the only way your pathetic past will truly be forgotten. You must remember Cheetahfur's warning, and remember what the four leaders told you before you became a cat."

"This isn't true!" Rainfur yelled, his fur bristling. "I don't want to rely on you!"

" You won't be,"  the demon reminded Rainfur. " You will only need me when your strength is lost." Rainfur shook his head.

"My strength will never fail me!" said Rainfur, narrowing his eyes. "I will never have to use you ever again now that I am not going back to the Clans." The demon smirked, his tail twitching.

" You have no idea what you are about to witness,"  said the demon. "Oh, and don't forget, you are still a part of the Prophecy, even if you aren't the prophecy cat. That is not the last you shall see of the Clans. They will need you, and you shall come with my strength leading you. It's only a short time away, and boy do I wait for the day that Cheetahfur's warning comes true."

Before Rainfur could reply to that statement, he woke, and no matter what he tried, he could not go back to sleep.

¤¤¤

By sunhigh the next day, they had gotten to the city. They hadn't eaten since that morning, but Sweetpaw didn't seem to care. She was too excited to finally see all the sights of the city to be hungry. Rainfur smiled, happy to watch her excited state.

Rainfur was too busy swimming in the memories of him and Alfie, playing in the grass. They'd run down here after sneaking away from their parents. Alfie would eventually do something to get them into trouble, of course, and then the police would make them go back to their parents. This made Rainfur smile, remembering that. It was soothing.

Of course, when they got to the buildings, Rainfur found there was so much graffiti that he couldn't find the original wall colour. The streets were littered with trash and nothing was clean. This was just the bad side of town, the part that Alfie and Rainfur both had to get past to get to the forest.

"Be careful," Rainfur called to Sweetpaw, who wasn't even getting an inch away from him. "This place is where I got into trouble, the reason one of my brothers is dead." Rainfur gulped as a knot formed in his throat, remembering the mistake that cost Alfie his life.

After getting the memory out of his head once again, Rainfur continued to walk with an alert look. He didn't want Sweetpaw getting hurt because of him. That would be torture to him.

Finally, the ally they were in ended. Another ally showed up, but as Rainfur and Sweetpaw looked into it, they found it was just a dead end. Rainfur, however, knew it was much more than a dead end.

Rainfur remembered running down this ally in the dark as they sun started to go down. Alfie had just realised the time and then forced Rainfur to follow him. When they got to this point, however, they met the 'Fire Stars'. It was a gang of many men, though they were mostly young adults.

When the gang had seen Alfie and Rainfur, they'd acted as if they'd found gold. It didn't take long for the gang to start threatening the seven year-old boys, but unfortunately for them, the cops were looking for Alfie and Rainfur. The gang then just told them never to return, or they'd regret it. And then after that, Rainfur and Alfie avoided this area, taking the long route around.

"Rainfur?" asked Sweetpaw. "Are you okay? You seem tired." Rainfur blinked away the memory before looking to Sweetpaw and smiling.

"No, I'm fine," Rainfur replied. "Just lost in a memory." Sweetpaw then smiled before turning her attention to something else.

"Hey, what's this?" Sweetpaw asked, bouncing up to a small chain. Rainfur followed the chain until he saw a dog on one end and a kennel on the other.

"Sweetpaw! Stop!" Rainfur yelled running up to her. However, it was too late. The dog had already woken up, finding Sweetpaw as an easy bit of prey.

The dog lunged toward, baring its teeth. Sweetpaw screeched, her eyes filled with fear as the dog snapped at her. Rainfur thought quickly before leaping in front of Sweetpaw and slashing his claws down the dog's muzzle. The dog let out a loud yelp, probably alerting every human in the city.

"Sweetpaw, run!" Rainfur yelled as the dog growled at them. Sweetpaw was hesitant, shocked yet worried about Rainfur. "I'll catch up, just run!" Sweetpaw nodded, finally understanding, and then ran off.

Rainfur hissed at the dog after Sweetpaw left, his claws unsheathed and his fur bristling. The dog did the same, though he showed his teeth much more clearly.

"No one tries to kill one of my friends and gets away with it!" Rainfur hissed, his eyes narrowed. As he looked at the dog, he found out that it was a pit bull. This meant that it was the Fire Stars' dog, and that meant that it was probably waiting for them right now.

The dog then lunged, catching Rainfur by surprise. His reflexes made him jump back, but the pit bull's teeth still ended up sinking in his skin a bit. Rainfur yowled, listening to the yells that some humans gave as he got louder.

Rainfur then pulled back, forcing the dog to let go of him. The large pit bull's chain was tight as it reached the maximum length, making Rainfur sigh with relief.

The dog suddenly lunged forward again, moving the kennel it was attached to. Rainfur instinctively jumped backward, though by that point he was backed up against the wall. There was nowhere for him to go, meaning that he could consider himself dead.

"That was Rex!" yelled a man from a distance.

"He's found something!" yelled another man. "Let's go!"

Crap! Rainfur hissed to himself. Not only is a dog after me, the humans are as well! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid! Rainfur sighed, but got ready to lunge as he got into a fighting position.

Then, just as he was about lunge at the dog, the demon interrupted,  Ooh, a fight. Care if I join? Rainfur hissed to the demon before lunging, finding extra strength that he didn't know he had.

Rainfur ended up running into the dog, and then as he slashed open a large wound into its flank, he found speed. Rainfur ran away as the dog yelled, finding even more speed than before. He managed to dodge the humans through their legs, and then start running while following Sweetpaw's scent.

When Rainfur found Sweetpaw, he saw her poking her head through a hole of a wooden fence, calling him over. Rainfur smiled as he squeezed through, pushing her out of sight. He made sure he could not be seen either before sighing with relief.

"Oh, thank StarClan," Rainfur breathed. "I thought I was done for." Sweetpaw nodded as he noticed her breathing heavily as well.

"I thought so too," Sweetpaw responded. "That fox made such a loud racket—I wouldn't be surprised if  Frostpaw  heard it." Rainfur smiled before listening to the dog and humans run by, yelling franticly. A few moments passed before Rainfur replied.

"That thing was a dog, not a fox," Rainfur told her. "They're of the same family, just like we're in the same family of a Tiger and Lion. The humans prefer dogs, though, for personal reasons. That dog, however, was trained like we are. Instead of being trained to become a loyal Warrior, though, it was trained to become a killing machine. The Fire Stars did it, I'd bet."

"Those Twolegs are mean," Sweetpaw growled. "Are all of them like that?" Rainfur shook his head, smiling.

"Only the evil ones are," Rainfur reassured her. "The Twolegs are mostly nice, like the ones I knew. They loved me, but I didn't really want to live the life of a kittypet." Sweetpaw nodded, listening to ever word. "Now, where are we?"

When Rainfur looked around, he recognized the place immediately. It was a junkyard, the only one in the city too. This was the place many cats lived, and also where a lot of stray things gathered.

"We're almost to the nicer part of town," Rainfur told her. "We need to find a way out of here and then get to city, which isn't far. I think we'll sleep right now, though. Fighting that dog was a lot of work." Sweetpaw nodded in understanding before prancing over to a monster.

"Why are these monsters so old-looking?" asked Sweetpaw. "Are they asleep?" Rainfur shook his head, happy to show her what they were.

"These monsters are old, but no, they're not sleeping," said Rainfur. "They're . . . dead." Sweetpaw then widened her eyes and jumped away, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"You mean we're sleeping in a monster grave?" asked Sweetpaw. "You're mouse-brained!" Rainfur shook his head, feeling very smart at the moment.

"They don't smell bad," said Rainfur, walking up to a large white truck. "Plus, it's not like their bloody or anything. It isn't that bad, trust me." Sweetpaw was edging closer, but she still seemed unsure. Rainfur then rolled his eyes before jumping onto a large bucket and then into the car.

"Rainfur!" Sweetpaw shrieked as he disappeared into the truck. Rainfur laughed as he landed on the comfy cushion of the passenger's seat.

"I'm okay, Sweetpaw," Rainfur insisted, making sure she could see him through the window. "Come on, it's not going to eat you. Just jump up like I did."

Sweetpaw then lowered her head with fear before slowly making her way over to the bucket. She leaped onto it, making sure to keep her balance as the bucket wiggled. Sweetpaw looked up to him, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Are sure this is okay?" Sweetpaw asked. "I'm afraid. . ."

"You're fine, Sweetpaw," Rainfur insisted. "Just jump." Rainfur then backed away and waited for her, hoping that she would jump.

Finally, Sweetpaw came flying up to him, landing on her paws. She stayed there for a few moments, frozen with shock, before looking up to him.

"Don't you ever. . .make me do that. . .again," Sweetpaw breathed, panting heavily. Rainfur rolled his eyes before jumping into the driver's seat.

"You sleep there while I sleep here," Rainfur told her. "We'll start at dawn tomorrow." Sweetpaw nodded before looking around with a curious eye.

"What's that strange round thing for?" asked Sweetpaw, looking at the steering wheel.

"It's for controlling the monster," Rainfur told her. "It's very important to have. Without it, monsters cannot be used." Sweetpaw tilted her head.

"So if they were born without it, they can't be used?" asked Sweetpaw. "Don't the monsters like it that way?" Rainfur chuckled before shaking his head and curling up on the seat.

"Go to sleep, Sweetpaw," Rainfur told her. "You'll need your rest." Rainfur then closed his eyes with a smile on his face, knowing that he was close to his home.

There was a feeling of excitement within him as he thought of what he'd do when he saw Daniel. He was so anxious to see his brother, and even his father, if it was possible. He wanted to visit all of the sights that he and Alfie used to play at. He wanted to relive his old life, remembering the good and bad things that happened. It was just so different, but no matter what, he wanted to remember Alfie again.

Chapter 19
Run!

Hope is gone. We shall not be saved.

Run!

We are trapped!

Run!

Only two nights does it take for things to go wrong. ..

Rainfur listened to the voices, trying to make sense of them. They kept coming, every time he'd fall asleep. Who needed to run, and why? Why was all hope gone? Why couldn't whoever needed his help not be saved? Why were they trapped? Why was it only two nights? Did something happen to the Clans? He knew he couldn't go back, but with what was going on here. ..

" Confusing, isn't it?" asked the familiar voice of the demon, making Rainfur hiss with annoyance.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" asked Rainfur. "I want nothing to do with you! You are the reason I cannot be with my mate or my friends!"

" Me? What have I done?" asked the demon innocently. "I have merely grown within your body, gaining strength and speed. The reason I am how I am, however, is your fault. It was you who chose to get you and your brother in trouble." Rainfur shook his head, trying to keep himself calm.

"Nothing could have been changed!" Rainfur hissed.

" Could it?" asked the demon. " I think it could. I think you could have avoided that area, going the long way around, and then saved your brother the death and yourself the heart-break. If it wasn't for that mistake, you would still have your brother. If it wasn't for that mistake, you would still be human. If it wasn't for that mistake, you wouldn't have or need me, and therefore be pure."

"That isn't true!" Rainfur yelled. "It can't be! I spent six months getting myself to think otherwise. Stop messing that up!"

" But it must,"  the demon insisted. "It brings you closer to the truth, and it pushes you to give me my name and in return gain my strength."

"I shall never name you!" Rainfur hissed. "You are supposed to be forgotten! How can I name something that was supposed to be in the past?" Everything faded before the demon could respond, making Rainfur sigh with frustration.

¤¤¤

By the next day just after dawn, Sweetpaw and Rainfur had gotten really close to the city. They didn't encounter any humans, and truthfully, they hadn't had any trouble whatsoever. It was no different from the day before, making it simple for Rainfur.

Sweetpaw had, of course, continued asking her random questions about random objects, and Rainfur continued to answer them. It was as if he were her mentor, taking her out to explore the territory for the first time. It made Rainfur wonder if life was any different from the Clans.

Rainfur then realised where they were, making him tense. They were close to the place where the demon was created. They were close to the place where Alfie's life ended. Rainfur's mind became clouded, and his heart defeated.

Sweetpaw noticed his discomfort, making her look up to him with a worried look.

"Rainfur, are you okay?" asked Sweetpaw. "You look. . .ill." Rainfur looked to the worried she-cat before shaking his head.

"I-I'm fine, I promise," Rainfur insisted. "Just lost in the memories." As they continued walking, Rainfur was torn. He didn't want the memories to be remembered, but at the same time, he was curious. He wanted to avoid the place where Alfie died, but at the same time, something was pulling him there.

Suddenly Rainfur stopped, making Sweetpaw alert. He was shocked at the fact they were already in the better part of town, knowing full well that it should have taken them a bit longer. Then he realised it.

"Rainfur, what wrong?" asked Sweetpaw, still curious.

"They've re-built everything," Rainfur whispered, his voice barely audible. "When I was younger, this wasn't like this. I thought it was the same, but it seems I was wrong. The humans must be trying to get rid of the mean men. This would mean—" Rainfur didn't finish the sentence. He was too busy looking around, trying to figure out where they were.

"Rainfur?" asked Sweetpaw, still worried.

"Follow me," Rainfur ordered, taking a sharp left. He was running toward the memories, trying to figure out what had happened. The houses he passed were new and very nice. It was strange—too strange. This wasn't supposed to be like this!

Rainfur stopped as he realised that he was there. He breathed heavily having run so fast, and as he walked forward, he hoped Sweetpaw wasn't too far behind.

Rainfur was now in a park. It was small, but big enough to fit a few swings and a few slides. There was also a sand pit, as well as a small patch of flowers. The rest was bright green grass, tall enough to call healthy, though short enough to call cared for.

Then, right in the middle, a sign was posted with writing big enough for all to see. It was all stone, aside from the plate part in which the words were crafted. There were steps for small children to see it, and a blank spot for adults.

Rainfur walked up the steps, reading it carefully.

This park is dedicated to a small boy by the name of Alfie, who died right in this spot. At only eight years of age, the boy died for his brother, making even the bravest astounded. For this deed, we've created this park, as a reminder to others that you need not be older to be brave.

Alfie Stephen's

Born: 1999, September, 4th

Death: 2007, June, 26th

Rainfur's eyes widened with shock as he read this, unable to believe that they had done all of this for Alfie, his twin brother. They had rebuilt this part of the city, creating a park, all for Alfie. Rainfur thought that no one had noticed the death of Alfie, but it seemed he was wrong.

Why didn't I notice when I was human? Rainfur thought. I—I probably didn't notice because I was too focused with Daniel. I was so stupid!

"Rainfur?" asked Sweetpaw, looking at the monument. "I-is something wrong? What do all of these markings mean?" Rainfur blinked his way back into reality, stepping down from the monument. He looked at the ground, still getting over the shock.

"It was nothing," said Rainfur. "It's just something about a human that died, giving them a reason to rebuild this place." Rainfur felt as if he could collapse, right there, without any warning. It was just heart-breaking to remember, let alone know that he wasn't the only one who cared about Alfie's death.

Rainfur then stared at the ground, remembering in full detailed what happened. He could see every building and street within the memory. He could hear every footstep and every yell that Alfie threw at him. He could feel everything he touched, as well as things that touched him. It was realistic, as if in a dream.

Rainfur watched as he followed Alfie down the street, running and laughing as they continued to try and play before sundown. They had no idea where they were going, mostly because they were paying no attention to their surroundings.

Then suddenly, something grabbed them both. Their laughter was cut off as they were pulled into a brick building. Both of them were afraid, though Rainfur a little more. He had no idea what was happening, only that it wasn't anything good.

They were pulled into a shadowy room, and though they knew there were windows somewhere, curtains covered them. As Rainfur and Alfie looked around, they realised that there was many people in the room, grinning widely as they saw the two boys. Alfie shook with fear beside Rainfur, who was trying his best to look calm.

"Looks like you've forgotten our warning, boys," a man hissed, smiling evilly. "You will pay for that. No one walks these streets without fear in their eyes! No one!"

The other men yelled with agreement before they were pulled into another room. This one was much larger, and a bit lighter. Rainfur wished it wasn't, though, because what he saw made him gasp with shock.

There was so many tools in the room, all of them used for some kind of torture. Blades, guns, and much more. It was horrifying to know that they were in such a place, and what it was all going to amount to.

They grabbed Alfie first, inflicting enough pain to make the boy scream. Rainfur had already closed his eyes, trying hard not to cry as he heard his brother cry out in agony.

When it was Rainfur's turn, they made sure to take him by surprise. As soon as he felt pain in his arm, he opened his eyes immediately, and then began struggling. None of that worked, of course. It just made things worse.

Hours had passed by the time everything seemed to stop, all the while Rainfur had mostly been in a daze. His heart was still racing, and he still tried his hardest to escape, but that was all on instinct. He had already mentally given up.

Rainfur could feel the sticky blood that covered him, and as he looked over to Alfie, he cried harder. His brother was staring wide-eyed at the ground, laying nearly motionless aside from his breathing. He was also covered in blood, but also, burns.

Rainfur wished he could move as Alfie whispered for him, too tired to scream anymore. A gun then came in sight, making Rainfur's heart skip a beat. He struggled harder, trying to get to his brother, but whatever was holding him would not let go.

When Rainfur was just about ready to give up, he heard voices. They were yells, more likely, and they sounded as if they were looking for Alfie and Rainfur. He was hopeful, and even more so as he noticed the fear in the man's eyes.

"They're on to us!" a man called from the other room. "They're getting closer!"

"Make sure the brats are quiet!" hissed the leader. "They haven't found us, and they won't. We must stay quiet!" Rainfur then looked to Alfie, his eyes hopeful. All they needed to do was make noise, and then they would be saved.

Just as Rainfur was about to let out a yell, however, something covered his mouth. He was unable to say anything, and though he wished something miraculous would happen, he knew that he was done for.

Suddenly, Alfie moved. He moved enough to make a few things fall to the ground, making lots of noise. Rainfur knew it wasn't enough to alert the people outside the building, and so did Alfie, but Rainfur knew that Alfie had a plan.

"Shut him up!" hissed the leader angrily. The gun that had been raised suddenly clicked, and right before the gun shot off, Rainfur heard one thing:

"Good-bye, Matthew,"

Rainfur watched with wide-eyes as his brother's eyes closed, completely lifeless. He was unable to scream, but he wanted to. With all his heart, he wanted to yell for his brother. He didn't want to admit that Alfie was dead. He was unable to.

"I thought I told you to keep him quiet!" the leader yelled.

"Well, I thought that was the only way to—"

"You just made noise! You idiot! They know where we are now!" the leader hissed, interrupting the first man.

"What do we do now?" another man asked, worried yet quite calm.

"Might as well let the world know it was us," the leader muttered. "Go get the brander, and this time, don't screw up!" As the man left, the leader turned to the others. "The rest of you, run out the back door. I doubt the stupid police have got us surrounded." The leader then left with his men, leaving two of them behind without notice.

Rainfur had absolutely no idea what was going on, mostly because he couldn't see anything but the wall in front of him. He was worried, though, as a voice inside him told him something bad was going to happen.

The next thing Rainfur knew, his left shoulder was burning with pain. Something hot was being pushed into his skin, burning it as well as scarring it forever. Rainfur tried his hardest not to sound weak, but it was no use. He screamed, hoping it would hide the pain.

At that point, the police had already barged through the door, finding Rainfur and the other two men easily. Rainfur's mind was too far gone to really understand what was happening as he lay on the stone floor beside Alfie, but he did catch a few words.

"Are they alive?" one policeman asked.

The other policemen shook his head, but as Rainfur opened his eyes and coughed the Policemen gasped.

"One of them is alive!" yelled the policeman. "Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

After that, Rainfur slipped in and out of conscious, unable to understand anything that was going on. He heard sirens, more policemen, and even more reporters. It was crazy, and through all that had happened, Rainfur was glad he mentally made the wall in his mind.

"Rainfur?" asked Sweetpaw then, bringing him back to reality. "Rainfur, you've been standing there like that forever! What's wrong?"

"What? Oh, sorry," said Rainfur, shaking his head, trying to get it to clear up. "I didn't realize it. I was just deep in thought."

"Yeah, very deep," said Sweetpaw, mostly teasing, though also worried. "I've been trying to get your attention, but you just kept on staring at the ground. What were you thinking about, anyway?" Rainfur didn't answer right away. He was too busy trying to get the mess of thoughts and memories out of his head. It was no use, though. He was too deep into it.

"I-I'm just a little tired, I guess," Rainfur reassured Sweetpaw, smiling as he turned around to face her. "We should get going." Sweetpaw nodded, still looking worried.

Rainfur smiled again as he took a step forward, hoping to look a bit better. However, when he took that step, he got dizzier. The world around him spun, and he felt as if he were wobbling.

Eh, you're not feelin' too good,  the demon muttered. I'm not either, but I can still help you if you want.

No! Rainfur hissed immediately after the demon said something. I'm fine! Why aren't you?

You remembered, idiot,  the demon hissed. What did you think was going to happen? After nearly six months of convincing yourself that you forgot about your brother's death, you've remembered, making everything go into complete chaos. Including me. Of course, it's more of an illness than anything. I seriously can't take over at the moment, not even if our scar was scratched.

Rainfur hissed lowly, feeling as if he were going to pass out. It wasn't something he wanted to do in front of Sweetpaw, either, especially with her already so worried.

C-crap,  said Rainfur. What's h-hapening to me?

Same thing that's happening to me, apparently, t he demon growled. Yeah. . .you're not going to last much longer.

But why not? asked Rainfur, irritated that just a small memory was making him feel like this. I'm stronger than this! We're  stronger than this! We've made it through death-berry poison, so why on earth is a memory making us like this?

Because it's the very memory that has created us,  the demon reminded Rainfur. Think about it: If Alfie hadn't died, you wouldn't be a cat. Even if you'd turned into a cat, you would be dead due to the fact that I was made when Alfie died, and therefore I would not have given you the strength to make it through Sharpfang's attack. WindClan would have killed you before that, probably, because the only reason they didn't was because of the star on your shoulder.

Rainfur's stomach suddenly became tighter, forcing him to lay down. He was panting heavily, and could feel the blood pulsing into his head. He was feeling warmer and warmer, as if the sun was making the temperature rise dramatically.

Darkness washed over him after that, making Rainfur angry, yet quiet and relieved. He didn't feel the pain anymore, making him feel quite relaxed and peaceful. He just hoped that Sweetpaw was alright.

¤¤¤

Run!

The Saviour! He's come!

Run!

The Saviour needs guidance!

Run!

The Saviour needs the truth!

Rainfur hissed with frustration as the voices stopped. Who was the Saviour? What did it need? Where was this all coming from? The Clans? If so, then why was he hearing the voices? He was miles from the Clans! Did they need him? But why would they? Wasn't he banned from that place? It was just too confusing!

" You seem to be feeling better,"  the demon said with an amused look. "That makes one of us."

"What do you mean?" asked Rainfur. "You're still feeling sick?"

" No, I'm actually feeling quite alive right now,"  the demon responded. "However, you're really getting on my nerves. You still don't see the power that you could have. Yet, just yesterday, you admitted that we were connected, instead of saying that I was forgotten. It's just frustrating."

"I can't give you a name," Rainfur murmured. "I just can't! I mean...you're my enemy...aren't you?"

" Yes, back when I was an illness, not an actual living thing,"  the demon reminded him. "Now that I am living, though, and you've finally accepted that we're connected, I think you're starting to realize that I'm not so bad anymore."

"You've killed people!" Rainfur hissed, narrowing his eyes. "You're bad!"

" That was before I realised we could go further into a connection,"  the demon growled, also narrowing his eyes. "You've noticed that even though I can take control whenever I want, I don't, haven't you?" Rainfur shook his head.

"I just don't know," Rainfur muttered, lowering his head. "I was sure that you were lying, but now that I relived that memory, it's not that hard to believe. Still, there's something telling me you're leaving something out of the deal." The demon frowned at this, but that was when everything faded.

¤¤¤

Rainfur flickered his eyes open after that, actually disappointed that his dream was over. He wanted to know more, but that was always when the information stopped coming to him easily.

Rainfur narrowed his eyes with confusion as he tried to figure out where he was. He sat up to try and get a better look, but that didn't help. He was still in the nicer part of town, but he didn't know exactly where.

"Rainfur! You're finally awake!" the familiar voice of Sweetpaw chirped behind him. "Are you feeling okay?" Rainfur smiled with pleasure as he turned around to face the brave apprentice, happy that she was the first to greet him.

"Yes, Sweetpaw," Rainfur replied. "I mean it this time. That memory just took a lot out of me, I guess. I'm beginning to wonder what will happen when I get to my first home." Sweetpaw smiled, happy to see Rainfur healthy again.

"Yay! Just wait until I go tell Leslie!" said Sweetpaw with excitement.

"Who's that?" asked Rainfur cautiously, his eyes filled with suspicion. Sweetpaw ducked her head, seeming to realize what Rainfur would think.

"I—well—she's—" Sweetpaw lowered her head, still trying to find the right words.

"Sweetpaw, you know better than to talk to strangers," Rainfur growled, narrowing his eyes. "This cat could be anyone!"

"This cat is actually really nice, Rainfur," Sweetpaw growled, her eyes narrowed. "She helped me after you passed out. I-I didn't know what to do, and with all the Twolegs around, I was afraid. Then Leslie showed up, carrying kits in her stomach, curious as to what was happening. I told her and she seemed to think it was nothing. Then she told me to help her drag you here, and so I did. What else could I do? You were laying in front of me in a large clearing with many strange Twoleg things. I—"

"Sweetpaw, stop," Rainfur murmured, making her nod weakly. She was in an emotional state that he didn't know how to fix, but hopefully he didn't have to. "It's okay, I didn't know. I forgot that you were in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar situation to deal with. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," said Sweetpaw then, smiling to show she was feeling better. "I over-reacted. . ." The two of them looked at their paws, trying to figure out what to say.

"Why don't we go see Leslie?" asked Rainfur, making Sweetpaw look up to him with excitement. "She helped you—and me—so she deserves something in return." Sweetpaw stood up, nodding with happiness.

After telling Rainfur that Leslie lived just a few houses away, Sweetpaw took the lead, basically prancing as she made her way toward the cat who'd helped her.

Rainfur was still unsure if this was going to go well, considering how strange this cat seemed, but he kept going. After all, this cat helped Sweetpaw, and for that, she needed something in return. The only thing wrong, however, was that he wasn't really sure of what his body was capable of. The demon was close to doing something, and though that something may be controllable, it was probably not.

Not to mention that this cat had kits. ..

Chapter 20
As Sweetpaw had told him, they found Leslie, the strange cat that had helped him when he'd passed out, just a few houses away.

Leslie lived in a small cardboard box with a blanket in it, which wasn't much of a house at all to Rainfur. There was so many things that could get the poor she-cat here, and with kits this just made things worse.

"Leslie!" Sweetpaw called as a tall black she-cat got herself out of the box. This she-cat had bright blue eyes, which stared at him with a certain interest. Her stomach was also very swollen, making Rainfur wonder if she was due to kit yet.

"Hello, young one," said Leslie, smiling at Sweetpaw. "Has you're friend woken up?" Sweetpaw nodded, looking over to Rainfur before looking back to the black she-cat.

"Yeah, just a few moments ago," Sweetpaw replied. "He says he's fine, but after yesterday, that's the last time I'll believe him." Rainfur snorted, teasingly of course.

"As if you were any better," Rainfur teased, smirking. "Even when you were a kit, all you did was get into trouble." Sweetpaw stuck her tongue out at him with that, both of them playing.

"You got into even more trouble!" Sweetpaw accused. "And you were an apprentice!" Rainfur rolled his eyes, laughing under his breath. Leslie was amused as well, it seemed.

"You two get along well," she mused. "Are you related?" Rainfur shook his head.

"It's. . .complicated," Rainfur muttered.

"No it's not!" said Sweetpaw to Rainfur before turning to Leslie. "He was born here, and then after his brother died, he came to the Clans. WindClan kicked him out, and that's when Robinwing found him. Then Ravenstar announced him to the Clan, and that was when I told him that I was making him my brother, since he didn't have any other family." Leslie nodded, now even more amused.

"You lived here?" Leslie asked, looking to Rainfur with curiosity.

"Er, yeah, to an extent," Rainfur murmured. "I was, uh, born here but that was a long time ago." Leslie chuckled before shrugging.

"I'm new here," said Leslie. "I came here to try and get to the forest where you came from, but after I met Carlisle, I decided to stay. Especially now with the kits coming."

"Is Carlisle the one who hunts for you?" asked Rainfur, clearly curious. "I was just wondering." Leslie nodded, smiling.

"Yes, that is true," she replied. "However, I try my hardest to do all I can. I feel worthless, sitting in this box all day."

"I'm sure Carlisle disagrees," Rainfur commented. "It's how I would act if I were with Robinwing right now."

"You have a mate?" asked Leslie, quite surprised. "Why aren't you with her? I can see that you love her. You're eyes give yourself away." Rainfur lowered his head, frowning. Being exiled was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"The Clan I belonged to exiled me," Rainfur explained, looking at his paws. "It was my fault, I guess, but I'm still sad to know that my own kits will never know me."

"What did you do?" asked Leslie, not really understanding how bad it was. Rainfur looked up to her, keeping his emotions to a minimum.

"I killed their leader," said Rainfur, making Leslie gasp with shock.

Suddenly, a large cat lunged right into him. Rainfur's breath was knocked out of him as the tom that was on him hissed. Rainfur gasped for air, instinctively unsheathing his claws. That was a mistake, for this just made the large tom atop of him grip harder with his claws.

"Stop!" Sweetpaw shrieked. "He didn't do anything!"

"He's a killer!" the large tom hissed. "He should not have come! I will not let him near my mate!" Sweetpaw then lunged, bringing the tom off of Rainfur. The tom was surprised.

"My friend is not a killer!" Sweetpaw hissed, narrowing her eyes as a small tear ran down her cheek. "Yes, he's killed, but that wasn't him! He's cursed with that stupid star-shaped scar that makes him go insane, and eventually kill! Rainfur is not a killer on purpose!" The large tom, whom Rainfur now knew as Carlisle, stared up at Sweetpaw with amazement.

Sweetpaw then stepped down from Carlisle, her head held high. Rainfur sat up the same time Carlisle did, making the large tom glare at her.

"That's impossible, kit," Carlisle growled. "You're a liar."

"She's telling the truth," Rainfur muttered. "I am in fact cursed with the scar. Would you like to prove it?" The tom then shook his head, making Rainfur roll his eyes.

Carlisle stood and walked over to Leslie, who was still staring at him with shock. "Leslie, my sweet," Carlisle soothed. "Are you okay?" Leslie nodded, blinking herself back to reality.

"Y-yes," Leslie replied. "Just a little surprised, that's all."

"I'm sorry," Rainfur apologized. "I shouldn't have come. I-I just wanted to repay you for helping me earlier, but I just made things worse. I'm sorry." Leslie nodded in understanding, but Carlisle glared at him.

"Leave. Now!" Carlisle yelled. "Don't ever come back, or I  will  kill you." Rainfur nodded before turning around and running, knowing full well that Sweetpaw could keep up with him.

Rainfur ran until his lungs told him to stop, warning him not to go any further. He stopped, looking at the ground as he breathed.

"Rainfur, are you okay?" asked Sweetpaw, making Rainfur sigh with irritation. "I think you need to rest."

"No," Rainfur growled. "We need to get to my last home soon, and if we're to do it before tomorrow, we need to get going."

"But—"

"Come on, Sweetpaw," Rainfur growled, walking toward where he thought Daniel's house was.

¤¤¤

It was sundown by the time Rainfur decided to stop. He still wanted to get further away from Leslie and Carlisle, but with Sweetpaw tiring, he had to stop.

"I'm sorry," Sweetpaw whispered. She had been quiet the whole way there, looking very sad as she did. "I shouldn't have even mentioned her. . ."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rainfur. "Look, Sweetpaw, it wasn't your fault. If anything, I should be thanking you. You were brave enough to push Carlisle off me. That just proves that you're a true Warrior now." Sweetpaw seemed to brighten up at that sentence.

"Really? You think so?" she asked. Rainfur nodded, making the small she-cat jump up and down.

"If I were a leader, I'd have already give you your Warrior name," Rainfur replied.

"Well why don't you?" asked Sweetpaw curiously, tilting her head as they both sat down. "I mean, we're both banned from the Clans, so StarClan can't do anything to us. Plus, we'll just be pretending. It'll be fun, come on!" Rainfur looked at her for a few more moments before shrugging.

"You deserve it, so why not?" he asked himself before leaping onto a large boulder.

"Wait, what's our Clan name?" asked Rainfur. "It can't be ThunderClan because we're not actually there. Have any ideas?" Sweetpaw thought for a moment, but only a moment.

"I know!" she chirped then. "How about ShadeClan? We're in the shade right now, and if you think about it, rain clouds make shade." Rainfur chuckled before continuing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the high boulder!" Rainfur called, making Sweetpaw giggle. She then walked up to the boulder, but made sure to keep a few steps behind it, knowing she'd be called up soon.

"ShadeClan, today we have witnessed true bravery, and for that, Sweetpaw will become a Warrior in return." Rainfur paused, as if waiting for the Clan to stop cheering. "Sweetpaw, please step forward."

Sweetpaw smiled as she took a few steps forward, her head held with pride.

"I, Rainstar, leader of ShadeClan, call upon my Warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to a Warrior in her turn." Rainfur smiled again before looking at Sweetpaw a bit more seriously.

"Sweetpaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Rainfur asked.

"I do," Sweetpaw answered.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your Warrior name," said Rainfur. "Sweetpaw, from this day forward, you shall be known as Sweetclaw, for your determination and bravery." Sweetclaw then raised her head with pride, making Rainfur smile.

Suddenly, his scar stung. Rainfur gasped, as did Sweetclaw, and that was when a strange starry ripple went through Sweetclaw, making her eyes widen with shock.

It was quiet for a few moments, giving Rainfur and Sweetclaw the chance to calm themselves. Then, five StarClan's showed up between Sweetclaw and Rainfur.

"StarClan approves your choice," t he StarClan cats whispered before fading away. Rainfur knew that the five cats were Thunderstar, Shadowstar, Windstar, Riverstar, and Cheetahfur. What had just happened?

"R-Rainfur?" asked Sweetclaw. "Was that StarCan?"

"Yeah, I think," Rainfur replied. "They approve my choice of giving you a Warrior name." Sweetclaw looked up excitedly.

"Really? Does this mean I'm a  real  Warrior now?" asked Sweetpaw. Rainfur chuckled.

"Yeah," said Rainfur. "Congratulations." Rainfur watched Sweetclaw jump into the air with happiness as he jumped down from the boulder.

The two Warriors then lied down in a large box that they'd found, hoping to shade themselves from the upcoming storm. They had been asleep all of two minutes before someone started calling them.

"Sweetpaw!" a she-cat yelled to them. "Sweetpaw, are you here?"

Sweetclaw immediately stood up and walked out of the box. Rainfur followed her, curious as to what was happening.

"What's wrong?" asked Sweetclaw, though then she was confused as she looked at the small grey she-cat. "Who are you?" The she-cat breathed a bit more before replying.

"I'm Luca, a friend of Leslie," the small she-cat answered. "Leslie and Carlisle were attacked by a large group of cats. I-I don't know who they are, but they have Carlisle pinned. I don't think they'll kill him, but if we're not quick, they might."

"What about Leslie?" asked Rainfur with a serious tone. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Luca replied honestly. "They were advancing on her when I left, and that was after she told me to look for Sweetpaw."

"My names Sweetclaw now," Sweetclaw replied. "But that's beside the point. We'll help you. Can you lead us to them?"

"Sweetclaw, no," Rainfur growled. "I'm sorry, but we are too close, and it's their fault for sending us away anyway." Sweetclaw narrowed her eyes, but Luca spoke before she could reply.

"They aren't that far away, actually," Luca told him. "Leslie came looking for you after you left, forcing Carlisle to follow her. They're just a few blocks away." As Sweetclaw heard this, she looked to Rainfur with hope in her eyes.

Rainfur sighed before saying, "Fine. We'll go." Sweetclaw nodded with understanding, though he could only imagine the happiness she was feeling within.

After a moment of silence, Luca lead the way toward Leslie and Carlisle. Rainfur was nervous of what was going to happen, hoping that he would be able to keep these cats away from his scar. As earlier, the demon was getting jumpy, and he wasn't about to let it kill not only a gang of cats, but a soon-to-be mother and a protective father as well.

As Luca had said, they were there in no time. When they showed up, Rainfur leaped onto the nearest cat he could find, noticing Luca and Sweetclaw doing the same.

The tom Rainfur had attacked quickly started to struggle, making things difficult. Rainfur wasn't using his full strength, so this wasn't going to be easy. However, when he realised how many cats were around him, he was suddenly starting to rethink the 'careful' part of his plan.

Rainfur slashed a large gash into the tom's shoulder, and then he raked his back claws into the large tabby's stomach. He was hoping the cat would run in retreat, but unfortunately, these cats were tougher than the Clan cats, and that meant that they would not give up easily.

Rainfur continued to fight the tom, but he soon found that he was losing. The more wounds he gave to the tom, he found that he was getting double. It was just too much.

"Help!" Leslie suddenly screamed. "Somebody! Help me!" Rainfur turned his attention toward the black she-cat, noticing two large cats cornering her.

Brilliant! Rainfur hissed to himself, swearing as the tom pinned him down. Well. I guess there's no choice. Demon, are you there?

Hmm? Did somebody call me? The demon teased. My name wasn't called, so I guess not. ..

Shut up and stay here! Rainfur hissed. I'm calling you to help me. I don't want you to go insane and kill everyone though, just spare a bit of strength and speed.

Ha! the demon laughed. Did you really think I'd give you that without a price? Rainfur hissed again as the tom sunk its teeth into his throat.

What do I have to do? Rainfur asked, just as Sweetclaw called out his name with worry.

You have to give me name,  said the demon simply.

Are you kidding me? Rainfur asked, but then yowled in pain as the tom bit harder. I can't figure out a good name at this very moment! Besides, you gave me strength before!

Yeah, but that was when I just wanted you to get a taste of what I can do after you give me a name,  the demon explained. I'm not going to give you any more of that, however, unless you get your scar scratched.

Rainfur hissed with irritation, but at the moment, getting his scar scratched was the only thing he could do. So, he looked up to Sweetclaw and gave her a serious look. Sweetclaw nodded in response, understanding completely. She then turned to Leslie and Carlisle.

"Stay calm!" she called. "Everything's going to be okay, even though it may look chaotic!" The seven cats who were fighting suddenly became alert, confused as to what is happening.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but. . .  Rainfur drifted a bit but then gathered up his courage and said it. Take over, demon. Do as you wish.

Really? asked the demon, surprised. Hmph. Well this'll be interesting.

As Rainfur felt the familiar sensation of being pushed to the back of his mind, he hoped it wouldn't end too badly. As the demon immediately pushed himself from the ground and slit a tom's throat, however, he felt that it was no use to hope.

The cats then began to attack him, and of course, the demon wasn't going to just stand there and die. He used his sharp reflexes to kill the two toms that attacked him, leaving only two, which were pinning Carlisle down. Those two cats left quickly, leaving the demon lost.

"Well that's sad," the demon muttered, clearly disappointed. He was happier when he turned to face Luca, Sweetclaw, Carlisle and Leslie. "Looks like I'll just have to fight a new type of. . .strength."

"What are you?" Carlisle asked, shaking with fear.

"What am I?" asked Rainfur. "Well, let's see. I could be called Rainfur's past, but then again that's not exactly what I am. I could be called a simple memory, but that's an understatement. I could be called 'Rainfur's other half' as well, but then again, this is the first time he's given me control like this. But anyways, you don't really need to know what I can do, because—"

Because I'm taking over now.

The demon's eyes widened with shock, unable to believe what Rainfur just said.

"No!" the demon yelled, his voice becoming choppy with shock. "What—are—you—doing? That's impossible! But you can't be!"

Oh, but I can. Rainfur growled. My scar wasn't scratched, remember? I have complete control of you, because I let you take control in the first place. I am taking my body back now.

"It can't be!" the demon yelled. "No! I won't let this happen!" Rainfur smirked as he took control, pushing the demon away. The demon was quiet as he took control, making Rainfur even happier.

"That was interesting," Rainfur murmured as he blinked his eyes open. He looked up to Sweetclaw, who looked quite relieved that he wasn't being controlled by the demon.

"What just happened?" Carlisle demanded, his eyes narrowed with anger as he realised Rainfur had changed back.

"You know what happened," Rainfur muttered. "Sweetclaw told you, didn't she?"

"Yes, but she also told me the scar should have been scratched!" Carlisle pointed out. "It wasn't."

"Okay, let me rephrase my answer then," Rainfur hissed, narrowing his eyes. "It was as Sweetclaw said, except I gave the insanity permission to kill those cats." Carlisle's eyes widened, making Rainfur sigh with irritation. This wasn't going to be easy to explain.

"Look, it's not what you think," Rainfur growled. "I gave it permission only because I knew I could make it stop whenever I wanted, instead of having Sweetclaw try and make me black out like usual. I was trying not to even let it into the fight, but unfortunately, those cats were very determined to kill us all. So, I gave it permission to kill the cats, and after it did, I took over again. That's why it wasn't happy, because usually, I can't do that." Carlisle still didn't get it, but he wasn't as keen on being angry at Rainfur as before, so at least there was a bright side.

"I still don't trust you," Carlisle growled.

"You don't have to," said Rainfur back. "You're not the only one who doesn't like me, either, so don't go thinking I will take offense." Carlisle just glared again before turning to Leslie.

"Are you okay, my sweet?" he asked. Leslie nodded, but shook her head after noticing something.

"I think. . ." Leslie began, acting as if she had a stomach ache. "I think the kits are coming." Carlisle widened his eyes, seeming to go into complete panic. Rainfur, on the other hand, nodded calmly.

"Well, since I don't want to travel in the dark, we'll stay here with you," Rainfur told her. "If that's alright for you and you're mate of course." Carlisle hissed loudly at this.

"I don't trust you!" the large tom hissed again. "I don't want you anywhere near my kits!"

"Let them stay," Leslie murmured, her blue eyes looking into Rainfur's. "I trust him, and Sweetclaw has become a good friend. Both of them can stay."

"But—I—what?" Carlisle stuttered, unable to believe that his mate was disagreeing with him.

"Carlisle, it's not every day one see's the birth of new life," Leslie murmured. "It would be a good experience for these young cats, and if anything, they can help."

"That's true!" Sweetclaw chirped then. "Rainfur's already helped a mother give birth! To three kits, actually!" Carlisle glared at the young Warrior before stomping over to his mate and laying down beside her. Rainfur smiled, happy that he was able to watch yet again the miracle of kits being born.

Chapter 21
StarClan help us. ..

What an interesting offer!

The stars have given us a Saviour, but where is he?

Who is this cat? Why is he so odd? Who does he remind me of?

Rainfur listened carefully, narrowing his eyes as he realised who the voices belonged to. The first one was Frostpaw, making Rainfur wonder what was happening to ThunderClan. The rogues could have been a problem, but then again, the fire must have driven them away. . .right?

The second voice was Rosestar. This was something Rainfur did not understand, though something told him that she was walking into a trap. He didn’t know what to think about that, only that he hoped Rosestar would be smart.

The third voice was Bravestar. It was no surprise that the leader knew about the Saviour, and it wasn’t shocking that RiverClan needed him. All four Clans seemed to be in trouble, so being need of the Saviour wasn’t exactly exciting.

The fourth voice was Nightstar, and the fact that a new cat had shown up was a bit strange. It was also weird that Nightstar thought he was odd. Rainfur could only guess of who the cat reminded him off, and none of them would be correct.

As always, nothing made sense, making Rainfur wonder if giving the demon a name was such a bad idea.

“ What is that I hear?”  asked the demon, suddenly popping in. “Thinking of giving me a name, are we?”  Rainfur growled, making the demon frown.

“No, though it is tempting,” Rainfur muttered. “I mean, those voices. I can hear them for a reason, right?” The demon shrugged.

“ I can’t tell you until you give me a name,”  said the demon, encouraging him even more.

“Of course you can’t,” Rainfur muttered. “You wouldn’t be as annoying.”

“ Or fun!”  the demon chirped. “I love annoying you, though I would love it more if you trusted me.”  Rainfur sighed, thinking once again how nice it would be not to worry about getting his scar scratched.

“What will I be able to do  if  I give you a name?” Rainfur asked, making sure to emphasize the word ‘if’ so that the demon knew he wasn’t actually giving him a name.

“ Well, let’s see,”  said the demon. “You’ll gain my speed, intelligence, and strength as well as my trust, meaning you won’t have to worry about me killing anyone. You’ll know all of what the voices are about and what’s going on at the Clans territories. You will also be able to travel faster, having my speed. Of course, you’ll need to train first. . .”

“What?” asked Rainfur, narrowing his eyes with confusion. “I have to train to get these things?”

“ You can’t just become an assassin in one night, Rainfur,”  the demon pointed out.

“Then what’s the point of giving you a name?” asked Rainfur. “Why can’t you just train me now?” The demon sighed with frustration, obviously regretting telling him about the training part.

“ Giving me a name signifies your trust in me,”  the demon explained. “I won’t train you now because that would give me nothing in return. If you have your trust me, you will help me forget the memories that made me, giving me the strength to avoid killing cats. Do you understand now?”

“I guess,” Rainfur muttered.

Everything faded after that, making him open his eyes. At first, Rainfur had no idea where he was, but he remembered after a few moments.

As Rainfur stood up, he realised he was sleeping in a cat bed. It was red on the outside with fuzzy white fur on the inside. It was so comfortable, and though he wanted to stay, Rainfur had other things on his mind.

As he stood up however, Rainfur felt stiff, as if his skin was restricting him. When he looked himself over, he found that he had many stitches and bandages over his body.

Probably what the cat lady did,  Rainfur thought. I would thank her, but then again, I really need to move. I have a lot of stuff I want to do, and I don’t need a vet to help me heal.

Sweetclaw suddenly showed up, her blue eyes filled with worry. Rainfur smiled to her as he looked over her body, happy to find no wounds like he’d been expecting.

“Are you feeling okay?” asked the calico she-cat. “That old Twoleg must have called another Twoleg over. I didn’t know what it was going to do, but apparently nothing bad.”

“What did the second Twoleg look like?” asked Rainfur.

“It had a white thing on his body and he looked really weird. He seemed worried about you, though, and he ended up fixing most of your wounds it looks like.” Sweetclaw explained.

“That Twoleg is called the ‘vet’,” Rainfur explained, still smiling. “His job is to heal us animals, so I’m not surprised he came over. I would have liked it if he gave me something that would make me a little less restricted, though.”

“Are you mad?” asked Sweetclaw curiously.

“No, just annoyed a bit,” Rainfur told her. “Where is Leslie?”

“Oh! Right over here,” Sweetclaw answered, leading the way through the walls. Rainfur followed her with joy, hoping the kit he’d protected was okay.

They passed only one room before making it to Leslie. The tall black she-cat was lying near Carlisle, looking down to her two kits. Rainfur walked over to the new family, happy that everyone was doing okay.

“Leslie!” said Sweetclaw. “Rainfur’s awake! He’s looking really good today.” Rainfur rolled his eyes before looking to Leslie.

“That’s good,” said Leslie, looking up to him. “I was wondering when he’d be up.”

“That was a long night,” Rainfur reminded her, smiling. “I needed the rest.”

“Oh yes, I knew that,” Leslie murmured. “I was going to let you sleep however long you wanted, for you saved little Romeo.” Rainfur shrugged.

“I would have done that for anyone,” Rainfur muttered, his head low with embarrassment.

“Exactly,” said Carlisle, his voice deep. “I was convinced that you would get us killed. Instead, you saved us, and nearly gave your life for one of our kits. For that we thank you, and will give you anything you want.” Rainfur shook his head, a modest smile on his face.

“I want nothing,” said Rainfur. “Leslie helped me when I needed it most, and has helped me realize something important. For that, your debt has been payed. We are even.” Carlisle still seemed unsure, but he nodded in understanding.

“Hey, Rainfur,” said Sweetclaw curiously. “Are you still planning to go to that Twoleg nest you kept talking about?” Rainfur looked over to her before nodding.

“It’s just across the roa—thunderpath, so I won’t be risking anything if I do go,” Rainfur explained. “I think I’ll be living here until these stupid stitches are out, though.” Sweetclaw nodded in understanding before seeming confused again.

“Are we going now?” asked Sweetclaw.

“If you’re okay with it,” Rainfur responded. “I’m just waiting for you.” Sweetclaw looked excited at that, her eyes widening with happiness.

“Really?” asked Sweetclaw. “You want me to come with you?”

“Of course,” Rainfur told her. “You made this journey with me, so you deserve to come with me. It’s only fair, after all.” Sweetclaw seemed to jump with excitement as she heard that, making Rainfur smile. He loved making her happy like that.

“Let’s go!” yelled Sweetclaw. Rainfur stood up again and gave another look at the new family he’d saved. He was happy for what he’d done, and before he went to see  his  family, he wanted to remember this one.

After that, Rainfur followed Sweetclaw out of the house. They seemed to be near the front of the house, so it actually didn’t take that long. Rainfur noticed many cats as he walked, though, making him wonder just how many families lived there.

After Rainfur went through the small cat door, he walked over the concrete porch and then followed the walkway through the front yard. It was a quick trip, and with Sweetclaw in the lead, they’d make it there quickly.

When they crossed the lonely Thunderpath, Rainfur took the lead. He stood in front of the house, smiling as the memories returned to him.

The house was cabin-like with wooden looking walls and a dark brown door. There was three windows that Rainfur could see through. One was from the kitchen, and the other was the living room. The other window Rainfur could see was from his old bedroom on the second story, which had probably turned into the guest bedroom.

Rainfur then walked through the grass and up the stairs onto the red wood porch. After that, he went through the small dog-door that had been there since they had gotten Fluffy, a Golden retriever lab mix. Rainfur was surprised it was still there, but also grateful. It was the only way into the house that he could find.

When Rainfur entered the house, he was welcomed by the familiar entry way that led into the living room and kitchen. Rainfur walked across the hard-wood floor, forgetting that it made everything louder.

“Make sure to use you’re pad when you’re walking,” Rainfur whispered to Sweetclaw. “We can’t be loud—I don’t know if the Twolegs are back from their work or training yet.” He watched her nod before turning back toward the stairs.

Rainfur walked over to the wooden stairs and hopped onto the first step. He did that a few more times before he realised Sweetclaw wasn’t following him. He turned around to face her, noticing that she looked a bit scared.

“You want me to climb that?” she asked. “It’s so steep!”

“Come on, Sweetclaw,” said Rainfur in a teasing voice. “If Twolegs can do it, you can. Besides, you’ve climbed things steeper than this at home!”

“Yeah, but it looks really slippery. . .” Sweetclaw murmured.

“If you slip, then use your claws,” Rainfur told her as he turned around. “It’s not that hard. Trust me.” After that, he heard her jump onto the first step, making him smile.

After making it up the stairs Rainfur followed the hall down to the back bedroom where Daniel stayed. The door was open, thankfully enough, so he just walked right in.

Rainfur found that the room was empty. There was no bed, no shelves, and no chairs. It wasn’t like this when Rainfur remembered it.

“Is something wrong?” Sweetclaw asked as she walked up to him.

“It’s empty,” Rainfur whispered. “It’s as if the Twoleg that lived here moved. Usually there is useless stuff everywhere, but there’s not. . .” Rainfur then turned around and made his way over to his old bedroom, finding much more there.

Daniel must have moved into this bedroom, because it looked nothing like Rainfur’s old room. Everything of Daniel’s was in there, making Rainfur wonder if Daniel moved because he was grieving for him. It would make sense, but this made Rainfur a little sad.

After that, he looked over to the Calender, finding that it was Saturday. If was Saturday, then Daniel should have been home, unless he was with his friends.

“The Twoleg isn’t here,” Rainfur told Sweetclaw as he turned to face her. “Looks like we’ll just have to come back tomorrow.” Sweetclaw nodded in understanding before following Rainfur through the hall and down the stairs.

Rainfur was a bit disappointed, having hoped that Daniel was home, but he made sure not to show it to Sweetclaw. He just needed to come back another time, which would probably be at night. That was when Rainfur knew Daniel would be home.

As they passed the living room, Rainfur heard the TV. He sighed, knowing that his dad probably left it on before going to work.

Rainfur took the detour and walked over to the brown couch. He jumped onto it and then looked for the remote, hoping that it wasn’t lodged inside the leather couch. As he looked, the TV channel that it was set on caught his attention.

“ . . .and we have yet to understand why Daniel Stephens committed suicide after calling his father.”

Rainfur stared wide-eyed at the TV, hoping that what he’d just heard was just his imagination. Daniel couldn’t have committed suicide. Not in just six months!

“ Apparently, Daniel’s father knew nothing of this. Daniel had just told his father that he was going out, and then called a half-hour later to tell him that he was going to kill himself. Daniel’s father is not here for a comment, but we have recording of the call. . .”

“ Dad?”  asked the familiar voice of Daniel. He seemed like he was crying, making Rainfur’s stomach lurch. “Dad, are you there?”

“ Yes, Daniel,”  replied the stern voice of Rainfur’s father. He seemed to realize that Daniel wasn’t acting right, and so in a softer voice, his father asked,  “Is everything okay?”

“ No,”  Daniel whispered. “Nothing has been okay since Matthew died.”  His father didn’t reply immediately, though Rainfur heard a sniff that was obviously something to avoid crying.

“ Daniel, I know you’re sad, but you have to move on,”  his father whispered. “Matthew did when Alfie died, and I know that he would want you to do the same.”

“ No. . .”  Daniel murmured. “You’re wrong! Matthew never moved on, I could see it in his eyes. . .”  Daniel was quiet for a few moments before the father responded.

“ Daniel, come home,”  his father told him. “We’ll talk about it more later.”

“ That’s the thing, dad,”  Daniel muttered. “I’m not going back home. I want to see Matthew again, and the only way to do that. . .”

“ No!”  his father yelled. “You can’t! You’re only ten! Look, I’ll go and pick you up. Just stay right where you are. I’ll—”

“ Sorry dad,”  Daniel whispered. “I’m sorry about everything, but I just can’t live like this anymore. Good-bye. . .”

“ Stay where you are!”  his father yelled in panic. “Stay right there and—”  The line ended, and then the lady on the news continued to talk. Rainfur ignored this though, looking to his paws.

No. .. Rainfur thought. No! Daniel couldn’t have died! But he did. . .and it was all because of me. If I hadn’t left him, this wouldn’t have happened. I can’t believe I made this happen. . .Daniel died, because me, just like Alfie. ..

“Rainfur?” asked Sweetclaw, looking worried. “Rainfur, are you okay? Why were you looking at that moving picture thingy? What did that Twoleg say? Rainfur?”

Why? Why must it always be my fault? I can’t believe this. . . all because of me. . .Daniel died. . .What do I do now? Will I even make it? Can I go back to the Clans? Not unless I want to join ShadowClan. . .but I still need to go back. Robinwing has my kits. . .but how will I make it?

Er. . .I know it’s not the best time right now, but you know, I can help you,  said the demon. I mean, you’ll get my strength, remember?

But I need to give you a name, is that it? Rainfur asked. Like I’d do that. That’s the last thing I want to do. . .wait. . .if I give you a name, you’ll help me forget all of this and help me move on, right?

Yup,  said the demon, an excited edge to his voice.

I’ll know what’s going on with Robinwing and the others,  Rainfur thought.

Yes,  the demon replied.

That doesn’t sound too bad,  Rainfur murmured. You know, I think I’ll do it. After what just happened, you must be in even more pain than last time, and I’m not much better.

So you’ll give me a name? a sked the demon.

Yes,  Rainfur replied. Your name will be Jactur.

Chapter 22
''StarClan help us. . .''

What an interesting offer!

The stars have given us a Saviour, but where is he?

''Who is this cat? Why is he so odd? Who does he remind me of?''

Rainfur listened carefully, narrowing his eyes as he realised who the voices belonged to. The first one was Frostpaw, making Rainfur wonder what was happening to ThunderClan. The rogues could have been a problem, but then again, the fire must have driven them away. . .right?

The second voice was Rosestar. This was something Rainfur did not understand, though something told him that she was walking into a trap. He didn't know what to think about that, only that he hoped Rosestar would be smart.

The third voice was Bravestar. It was no surprise that the leader knew about the Saviour, and it wasn't shocking that RiverClan needed him. All four Clans seemed to be in trouble, so being need of the Saviour wasn't exactly exciting.

The fourth voice was Nightstar, and the fact that a new cat had shown up was a bit strange. It was also weird that Nightstar thought he was odd. Rainfur could only guess of who the cat reminded him off, and none of them would be correct.

As always, nothing made sense, making Rainfur wonder if giving the demon a name was such a bad idea.

"''What is that I hear?" ''asked the demon, suddenly popping in. ''"Thinking of giving me a name, are we?" ''Rainfur growled, making the demon frown.

"No, though it is tempting," Rainfur muttered. "I mean, those voices. I can hear them for a reason, right?" The demon shrugged.

"I can't tell you until you give me a name," said the demon, encouraging him even more.

"Of course you can't," Rainfur muttered. "You wouldn't be as annoying."

"Or fun!" the demon chirped. "I love annoying you, though I would love it more if you trusted me." Rainfur sighed, thinking once again how nice it would be not to worry about getting his scar scratched.

"What will I be able to do if I give you a name?" Rainfur asked, making sure to emphasize the word 'if' so that the demon knew he wasn't actually giving him a name.

"Well, let's see," said the demon. "You'll gain my speed, intelligence, and strength as well as my trust, meaning you won't have to worry about me killing anyone. You'll know all of what the voices are about and what's going on at the Clans territories. You will also be able to travel faster, having my speed. Of course, you'll need to train first. . ."

"What?" asked Rainfur, narrowing his eyes with confusion. "I have to train to get these things?"

"You can't just become an assassin in one night, Rainfur," the demon pointed out.

"Then what's the point of giving you a name?" asked Rainfur. "Why can't you just train me now?" The demon sighed with frustration, obviously regretting telling him about the training part.

"Giving me a name signifies your trust in me," the demon explained. "I won't train you now because that would give me nothing in return. If you have your trust me, you will help me forget the memories that made me, giving me the strength to avoid killing cats. Do you understand now?"

"I guess," Rainfur muttered.

Everything faded after that, making him open his eyes. At first, Rainfur had no idea where he was, but he remembered after a few moments.

As Rainfur stood up, he realised he was sleeping in a cat bed. It was red on the outside with fuzzy white fur on the inside. It was so comfortable, and though he wanted to stay, Rainfur had other things on his mind.

As he stood up however, Rainfur felt stiff, as if his skin was restricting him. When he looked himself over, he found that he had many stitches and bandages over his body.

Probably what the cat lady did, Rainfur thought. ''I would thank her, but then again, I really need to move. I have a lot of stuff I want to do, and I don't need a vet to help me heal.''

Sweetclaw suddenly showed up, her blue eyes filled with worry. Rainfur smiled to her as he looked over her body, happy to find no wounds like he'd been expecting.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked the calico she-cat. "That old Twoleg must have called another Twoleg over. I didn't know what it was going to do, but apparently nothing bad."

"What did the second Twoleg look like?" asked Rainfur.

"It had a white thing on his body and he looked really weird. He seemed worried about you, though, and he ended up fixing most of your wounds it looks like." Sweetclaw explained.

"That Twoleg is called the 'vet'," Rainfur explained, still smiling. "His job is to heal us animals, so I'm not surprised he came over. I would have liked it if he gave me something that would make me a little less restricted, though."

"Are you mad?" asked Sweetclaw curiously.

"No, just annoyed a bit," Rainfur told her. "Where is Leslie?"

"Oh! Right over here," Sweetclaw answered, leading the way through the walls. Rainfur followed her with joy, hoping the kit he'd protected was okay.

They passed only one room before making it to Leslie. The tall black she-cat was lying near Carlisle, looking down to her two kits. Rainfur walked over to the new family, happy that everyone was doing okay.

"Leslie!" said Sweetclaw. "Rainfur's awake! He's looking really good today." Rainfur rolled his eyes before looking to Leslie.

"That's good," said Leslie, looking up to him. "I was wondering when he'd be up."

"That was a long night," Rainfur reminded her, smiling. "I needed the rest."

"Oh yes, I knew that," Leslie murmured. "I was going to let you sleep however long you wanted, for you saved little Romeo." Rainfur shrugged.

"I would have done that for anyone," Rainfur muttered, his head low with embarrassment.

"Exactly," said Carlisle, his voice deep. "I was convinced that you would get us killed. Instead, you saved us, and nearly gave your life for one of our kits. For that we thank you, and will give you anything you want." Rainfur shook his head, a modest smile on his face.

"I want nothing," said Rainfur. "Leslie helped me when I needed it most, and has helped me realize something important. For that, your debt has been payed. We are even." Carlisle still seemed unsure, but he nodded in understanding.

"Hey, Rainfur," said Sweetclaw curiously. "Are you still planning to go to that Twoleg nest you kept talking about?" Rainfur looked over to her before nodding.

"It's just across the roa—thunderpath, so I won't be risking anything if I do go," Rainfur explained. "I think I'll be living here until these stupid stitches are out, though." Sweetclaw nodded in understanding before seeming confused again.

"Are we going now?" asked Sweetclaw.

"If you're okay with it," Rainfur responded. "I'm just waiting for you." Sweetclaw looked excited at that, her eyes widening with happiness.

"Really?" asked Sweetclaw. "You want me to come with you?"

"Of course," Rainfur told her. "You made this journey with me, so you deserve to come with me. It's only fair, after all." Sweetclaw seemed to jump with excitement as she heard that, making Rainfur smile. He loved making her happy like that.

"Let's go!" yelled Sweetclaw. Rainfur stood up again and gave another look at the new family he'd saved. He was happy for what he'd done, and before he went to see his family, he wanted to remember this one.

After that, Rainfur followed Sweetclaw out of the house. They seemed to be near the front of the house, so it actually didn't take that long. Rainfur noticed many cats as he walked, though, making him wonder just how many families lived there.

After Rainfur went through the small cat door, he walked over the concrete porch and then followed the walkway through the front yard. It was a quick trip, and with Sweetclaw in the lead, they'd make it there quickly.

When they crossed the lonely Thunderpath, Rainfur took the lead. He stood in front of the house, smiling as the memories returned to him.

The house was cabin-like with wooden looking walls and a dark brown door. There was three windows that Rainfur could see through. One was from the kitchen, and the other was the living room. The other window Rainfur could see was from his old bedroom on the second story, which had probably turned into the guest bedroom.

Rainfur then walked through the grass and up the stairs onto the red wood porch. After that, he went through the small dog-door that had been there since they had gotten Fluffy, a Golden retriever lab mix. Rainfur was surprised it was still there, but also grateful. It was the only way into the house that he could find.

When Rainfur entered the house, he was welcomed by the familiar entry way that led into the living room and kitchen. Rainfur walked across the hard-wood floor, forgetting that it made everything louder.

"Make sure to use you're pad when you're walking," Rainfur whispered to Sweetclaw. "We can't be loud—I don't know if the Twolegs are back from their work or training yet." He watched her nod before turning back toward the stairs.

Rainfur walked over to the wooden stairs and hopped onto the first step. He did that a few more times before he realised Sweetclaw wasn't following him. He turned around to face her, noticing that she looked a bit scared.

"You want me to climb that?" she asked. "It's so steep!"

"Come on, Sweetclaw," said Rainfur in a teasing voice. "If Twolegs can do it, you can. Besides, you've climbed things steeper than this at home!"

"Yeah, but it looks really slippery. . ." Sweetclaw murmured.

"If you slip, then use your claws," Rainfur told her as he turned around. "It's not that hard. Trust me." After that, he heard her jump onto the first step, making him smile.

After making it up the stairs Rainfur followed the hall down to the back bedroom where Daniel stayed. The door was open, thankfully enough, so he just walked right in.

Rainfur found that the room was empty. There was no bed, no shelves, and no chairs. It wasn't like this when Rainfur remembered it.

"Is something wrong?" Sweetclaw asked as she walked up to him.

"It's empty," Rainfur whispered. "It's as if the Twoleg that lived here moved. Usually there is useless stuff everywhere, but there's not. . ." Rainfur then turned around and made his way over to his old bedroom, finding much more there.

Daniel must have moved into this bedroom, because it looked nothing like Rainfur's old room. Everything of Daniel's was in there, making Rainfur wonder if Daniel moved because he was grieving for him. It would make sense, but this made Rainfur a little sad.

After that, he looked over to the Calender, finding that it was Saturday. If was Saturday, then Daniel should have been home, unless he was with his friends.

"The Twoleg isn't here," Rainfur told Sweetclaw as he turned to face her. "Looks like we'll just have to come back tomorrow." Sweetclaw nodded in understanding before following Rainfur through the hall and down the stairs.

Rainfur was a bit disappointed, having hoped that Daniel was home, but he made sure not to show it to Sweetclaw. He just needed to come back another time, which would probably be at night. That was when Rainfur knew Daniel would be home.

As they passed the living room, Rainfur heard the TV. He sighed, knowing that his dad probably left it on before going to work.

Rainfur took the detour and walked over to the brown couch. He jumped onto it and then looked for the remote, hoping that it wasn't lodged inside the leather couch. As he looked, the TV channel that it was set on caught his attention.

". . .and we have yet to understand why Daniel Stephens committed suicide after calling his father."

Rainfur stared wide-eyed at the TV, hoping that what he'd just heard was just his imagination. Daniel couldn't have committed suicide. Not in just six months!

"Apparently, Daniel's father knew nothing of this. Daniel had just told his father that he was going out, and then called a half-hour later to tell him that he was going to kill himself. Daniel's father is not here for a comment, but we have recording of the call. . ."

"''Dad?" ''asked the familiar voice of Daniel. He seemed like he was crying, making Rainfur's stomach lurch. "Dad, are you there?"

"Yes, Daniel," replied the stern voice of Rainfur's father. He seemed to realize that Daniel wasn't acting right, and so in a softer voice, his father asked, "Is everything okay?"

"No," Daniel whispered. ''"Nothing has been okay since Matthew died." ''His father didn't reply immediately, though Rainfur heard a sniff that was obviously something to avoid crying.

"Daniel, I know you're sad, but you have to move on," his father whispered. "Matthew did when Alfie died, and I know that he would want you to do the same."

"''No. . ." ''Daniel murmured. ''"You're wrong! Matthew never moved on, I could see it in his eyes. . ." ''Daniel was quiet for a few moments before the father responded.

"Daniel, come home," his father told him. "We'll talk about it more later."

"That's the thing, dad," Daniel muttered. "I'm not going back home. I want to see Matthew again, and the only way to do that. . ."

"''No!" ''his father yelled. "You can't! You're only ten! Look, I'll go and pick you up. Just stay right where you are. I'll—"

"Sorry dad," Daniel whispered. "I'm sorry about everything, but I just can't live like this anymore. Good-bye. . ."

"''Stay where you are!" ''his father yelled in panic. "Stay right there and—" The line ended, and then the lady on the news continued to talk. Rainfur ignored this though, looking to his paws.

''No. .. ''Rainfur thought. ''No! Daniel couldn't have died! But he did. . .and it was all because of me. If I hadn't left him, this wouldn't have happened. I can't believe I made this happen. . .Daniel died, because me, just like Alfie. . .''

"Rainfur?" asked Sweetclaw, looking worried. "Rainfur, are you okay? Why were you looking at that moving picture thingy? What did that Twoleg say? Rainfur?"

''Why? Why must it always be my fault? I can't believe this. . . all because of me. . .Daniel died. . .What do I do now? Will I even make it? Can I go back to the Clans? Not unless I want to join ShadowClan. . .but I still need to go back. Robinwing has my kits. . .but how will I make it?''

''Er. . .I know it's not the best time right now, but you know, I can help you, ''said the demon. I mean, you'll get my strength, remember?

''But I need to give you a name, is that it? ''Rainfur asked. ''Like I'd do that. That's the last thing I want to do. . .wait. . .if I give you a name, you'll help me forget all of this and help me move on, right?''

Yup, said the demon, an excited edge to his voice.

I'll know what's going on with Robinwing and the others, Rainfur thought.

Yes, the demon replied.

That doesn't sound too bad, Rainfur murmured. ''You know, I think I'll do it. After what just happened, you must be in even more pain than last time, and I'm not much better.''

''So you'll give me a name? a''sked the demon.

Yes, Rainfur replied. Your name will be Jactur.

Chapter 23
Rosestar

"Rosestar," murmured a tall black she-cat, bowing her head with respect. "The ThunderClan cats have kept to their side of the border, not once stepping out of line since the meeting you and Sharpstar had yesterday. He has kept his promise, and his cats tell me he will only give us another half-moon to decide. That is all." It was quiet for a few moments before Rosestar replied.

"Very well," Rosestar muttered, hoping she'd have more time. "Tell Sharpstar that I am thinking about it, and thank him again for the offer. Such a clever cat, he is. He's the reason that monster is gone, and the reason I'm sane again. WindClan is no longer threatened." Rosestar looked to Blackpelt with suspicion, waiting for a reply to a question she never said aloud.

"No, WindClan will not be threatened any longer," Blackpelt agreed, a fear in her voice. "Rainfur and Sweetpaw have left and have not been scented since. May I ask, however, if you have decided about Sharpstar's offer?" Rosestar sighed, hoping that her deputy wouldn't ask. She knew she had to answer, though. It was a very important matter.

"I have not decided, but I have been thinking about it," Rosestar told the tall black she-cat. "WindClan is my prized possession, with purity greater than any Clan has ever known. To have it combined with that loner-filled waste-land would be very wasteful." Blackpelt sat down before nodding.

"Sharpstar has killed Yelloweye, the kit of the loners we found just a few seasons ago," Blackpelt reminded Rosestar. "He has also made Frostpaw work harder, refusing to let Snowdrift give him his full medicine cat name. Sweetpaw is nowhere to be found, and Robinwing's kits are to be executed as soon as they are born, according to Sharpstar."

"They better be!" Rosestar spat, hissing with anger. "How dare Ravenstar keep such a monster within his Clan! At least Sharpstar has sense. With Robinwing's kits being the offspring of that monster, they must be killed. Otherwise I will not agree to his deal." Blackpelt dipped her head with respect.

"You are remembering our part of the deal, aren't you?" asked the brave deputy. "We will finally have twice the territory we used to have, and we'll be able to prove our strength to RiverClan and ShadowClan. We will also have all rights on the queens, giving us power over all of the kits, including Robinwing's." Rosestar sighed.

"But remember, though, that we won't have any say over our own Warriors," Rosestar reminded Blackpelt. "Sharpstar will lead them, making me unable to control my own Clan."

"Rosestar, he is stronger than you are," Blackpelt reminded the moody leader. "With only one life, you need to step down and let him lead this Clan. Sharpstar is the best leader I have come to know, and with him leading our pure Clan, we can be sure that he will make it stronger." Rosestar nodded, giving another sigh.

"You are right, Blackpelt," Rosestar told her, a smile on her face. "I am lucky to have a deputy as good as you." With that, Blackpelt dipped her head in respect before leaving the den. Rosestar stayed, her thoughts coming to overwhelm her.

I must decide within a half moon,  Rosestar thought. It's so difficult! And with all the bad things that could happen. . .I must remember, though, with Sharpstar's lead that monster will never return! Yes, that would be good, but what about my Warriors?

I can't decide too quickly though, for Harestar told me to be sure of myself. Oh Harestar. . .what am I going to do? You led this Clan as if it were as easy as playing, but how did you do it? And how did you know about the offer? Why are you telling me to be smart about my decision? You would jump at an offer like this, doing anything to make you're Clan strong. Why are you telling me to be smart about this? It's as if you're telling me it's a trap. But why would it be? Sharpstar is my hero! I don't like him as much as you, of course. Oh, Harestar. . .I wish you were here. ..

Cloudstreak

"Cloudstreak!" called the familiar voice of Reedfeather. "Can you take care of Duskkit and the others for me? I need to see Wolfheart!"

"Sure!" Cloudstreak called back as she ran toward the nursery. Duskkit and his siblings were now four-and-half-moons old, nearly ready to become apprentices. It was exciting to watch them play, and it was fun to swim in the memories that she always seemed to get.

As she walked into the nursery, she was greeted by five wonderful kits. They all pinned her down, each of them nipping at a certain spot on her body. Their small paws tickled her stomach, making her giggle and thrash in their grip. It was quite refreshing from a full day of patrols.

"Stop! Stop!" Cloudstreak pleaded, still giggling in between words. "That tickles!" The five kits got off quickly, each of them giving small growls in warning, though it was just for play.

"We did it!" Foxkit announced, excitement in his voice. "We defeated a full grown Warrior! We can now become Warriors!" Cloudstreak sat up as they stepped off of her, laughing a bit as she saw the five healthy kits talking to each other.

"Let's go tell Reedfeather!" Snowkit, the pure white she-cat, said. Her long fluffy fur still made her look like cotton, and though she was teased about it all the time, she remained strong, giving an insult back at anyone who would say otherwise.

"No way!" Mosskit yelled. "She would just tell us to be careful!  Booooringgggg!  We should tell Smokepaw, Maplepaw, and Oakpaw! They'd know how to make us Warriors!"

"They  just  became apprentices last half-moon," hissed Nightkit, his sleek black fur standing out against the lighter coloured cats. "How would  they  know how to make us Warriors?"

"Hey, here's an idea!" said Foxkit, looking as if he thought his siblings were stupid. "Why don't we go tell Bravestar? He's the one who makes everyone Warriors! He'll make us one for sure!"

"What about Wolfheart?" asked Duskkit, using a soft voice. "He's deputy, and our father. I'll bet he'd understand." Duskkit's bright blue eyes were filled with lots of emotions, though most of all, he just looked tired. Ever since the day he met Rainfur, he always looked like that.

The five kits looked at the small golden kit, all of them looking as if they'd seen a ghost. Nightkit looked disgusted that Duskkit would even bring up the subject, and Snowkit looked as if she were going to burst into tears. Foxkit and Mosskit shared shocked stares, and Duskkit looked as if he just wanted to run away.

"Duskkit, why would you of all cats bring that up?" asked Nightkit, narrowing his eyes with anger. "You were the one that found out about our 'problem', and you're the one who made Wolfheart dislike us so much. I thought we agreed to never bring Wolfheart up again!" Duskkit's tail was tucked as his brother got higher and higher, looking angrier and angrier.

"I—I—" Duskkit was at a loss for words, looking as if he were remembering too many things at once. "I just thought—"

"Thought what, that our father would magically like us again?" Nightkit hissed. "When hedgehogs fly, Duskkit! Wolfheart will never like us, and I don't even want to know why. I can't believe you brought him up on such a good day!"

"Nightkit, that's enough!" Cloudstreak hissed, making the tall black tom shrink a bit. "You know better than to say things like that, and it's even worse to say it to your own brother! You have to remember what he's gone through!" Nightkit rolled his eyes.

"He saw a few nightmares, so what? We all have them," Nightkit growled. "He's just too scared to admit that he's afraid of a little fox."

"It's not the fox!" Duskkit cried. "It was Rainfur. . .he was such a nice cat, and then when that scar was scratched, it was if he'd suddenly turned into a monster. It was terrifying! If you'd seen it, you would still be scared too!" Nightkit just shrugged and walked away.

"Come on, guys," Nightkit muttered. "Let's get away from this stupid scaredy-cat." The other three walked away, leaving Cloudstreak and Duskkit alone. It was quiet, leaving them both with their thoughts.

It was horrible seeing Duskkit so sad. When he was younger, he was determined to do anything to do everything. He was such a brave little kit, proof of how great he was going to be, even if he was so small. After Rainfur showed him those memories, though, Duskkit just couldn't sleep. It was horrible.

"Duskkit, I—"

"Leave me alone!" Duskkit hissed as small tears streamed down his eye. "I don't need your help!"

"Duskkit, don't you dare interrupt me when I'm talking to you!" Cloudstreak hissed, making the small golden kit look at her. The kit lowered its head, making Cloudstreak nod. "Good, now would you like to hear my part in the nightmare you keep having?" Duskkit tilted his head with confusion, making Cloudstreak smile.

"You were there?" he asked. "I knew that some cats were there, but I never knew you were." Cloudstreak nodded.

"Yes, I was there," Cloudstreak replied, smiling to the curious kit. "I was fighting the fox before Rainfur arrived with you and the others. He looked tired, and having met him before then, I was worried. He lead the fox into den, foolishly trapping himself. He fought bravely, but he wasn't strong enough. We couldn't attack—the fox had already wounded us enough to nearly take us all out. Then the fox bit Rainfur's scar, and that was when Rainfur went insane. He started talking like Rainfur wasn't there, as if he were someone else taking over Rainfur's body. It was terrifying, and after the battle ended, I didn't ever want to see Rainfur again." Duskkit was leaning forward now, hanging on her every word.

"So what happened?" asked Duskkit. "Did you talk to him again?" Cloudstreak nodded.

"I didn't know what had happened, and so I just hoped that it was the scar's fault that Rainfur acted like that," Cloudstreak explained. "I slept by him that night, and when he woke the next morning, I found his eyes clouded with emotion. I couldn't read him, of course. No one can. However, he was back to normal, making me happier than an apprentice when its Warrior ceremony is being completed."

"So what's the point of this story again?" asked Duskkit.

Cloudstreak sighed before saying, "Rainfur isn't the monster you're afraid of, Duskkit, and I am sure that by now, he's managed to control it. You don't need to be scared. You just need to be brave for your sisters and brothers. Do you understand?" Duskkit nodded, standing proudly.

"I'm gonna be the best Warrior RiverClan has ever seen!" Duskkit announced, making Cloudstreak smile. "I'm going to make sure they regret exiling Rainfur, for if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive!"

"Alright," said Cloudstreak, standing up as she realised that she'd helped the small golden kit. "Now let's go find those trouble-makers of siblings you have." Duskkit nodded before darting off, making Cloudstreak smile wider.

Nightstar

"Nightstar, ThunderClan have been giving us even more trouble," said Thistleclaw, the ShadowClan deputy. "We can't risk a war with so many experienced Warriors on their side. Sharpstar is up to something, and we can't just wait around for some dream cat until that happens. Four of our patrols have already had to drive ThunderClan cats out—we can't just do nothing!"

"Thistleclaw, I share your concern," Nightstar told the black tom. "However, I just have a feeling. A strong one. And then with StarClan's dream. . .I just don't want to get into a war, but at the same time, I want to wait for the cat. He might be of some use to us."

"And how exactly do you know that it's a tom?" asked Thistleclaw. "This cat could be anyone, which is my main point."

"Thistleclaw, I already told you," Nightstar growled, getting a bit annoyed. "There was a fire, and then smoke. I was choking, and then I saw blood, making me afraid. The camp was on fire, and there were dead bodies everywhere. Then the smoke formed a cat, one with a star on its left shoulder. Lightning struck, and then everything went back to normal. Then the cat said 'the stars will help you, but you must let the exiled return' and then it started raining. It's Rainfur, and you know it. This cat is going to come back, and since I offered it to him, I am pretty sure he will return."

"As this may be true, how long are you going to wait?" asked Thistleclaw. "Nightstar, things are getting bad, and Sharpstar is getting more ambitious by the day. We need to stand up and fight. If we're desperate enough, we could just make the Odd One an apprentice. We could train him to be a fighter, just like he says his siblings were. He has it in him, and if we just train him to know our ways, we could—"

"No," Nightstar growled. "This cat is a loner, and an odd one at that, hence his name. I don't want him to be an apprentice yet. I want to know his past, so he won't just end up like Rainfur." Thistleclaw tilted his head, clearly confused.

"What do you mean?" asked Thistleclaw. "What does Rainfur's monster have to do with his past?"

"Haven't you noticed?" asked Nightstar. "Rainfur's power is triggered when he remembered something. I-I know it's crazy, but the Odd One reminds me of Rainfur. This cat. . . he just keeps talking about strange stuff that has to do with Twolegs, and also, he has a sorrowed expression on his face. They're just too similar, and with that, I shall not endanger my Clan until Rainfur returns."

"And how do you know he'll return to ShadowClan?" asked Thistleclaw. "Why not RiverClan? He could also just stay a loner."

"I gave him the option before he left," Nightstar answered. "Also, he would want a life he's accustomed to, and a loner is not one of them. If he knows what Sharpstar is planning to do with his kits, he'll want to stay close to ThunderClan, so that he can watch their movements." Thistleclaw continued to look at Nightstar before standing up and dipping his head respectively.

"If you truly believe this is the best to do, than I shall trust you," said Thistleclaw. "Just keep in mind that you did agree to exile him, and that Rainfur would want revenge if he was smart." Nightstar nodded and watched his deputy left, sighing with frustration.

There was too much going on. The Odd One's presence, the safety of his Clan, ThunderClan's change, Rainfur's exile, and even prey. Nightstar loved being a leader, but at times he just wished he could be a regular Warrior again, and live in peace without a care in the world.

Indeed, the safety of his Clan was at stake. With Sharpstar wanting to combine the Clans and kill any non-Clan-born cat, ShadowClan was not safe. Sharpstar would start a war and destroy them, leaving their territory bare and easy for them to take. Luckily for them, though, RiverClan was being nicer than usual, leaving them safe on that side.

The prey, which had not completely come back since the fire, was very weak. Every Clan was striving for more prey, and at the last gathering, ThunderClan had demanded more territory from ShadowClan and WindClan, who both refused. It was going to end in war if the prey didn't return, and that was not what Nightstar wanted.

The Odd one was scaring many cats, who were also thinking that he acted too much like Rainfur. The tom had long dark brown fur with midnight blue eyes. He had white splotches, and one that looked like a crescent moon. When they had found the cat, he was wobbling on his feet, crying 'I was supposed to be dead'. He was also mumbling, saying things that no one understood. It was strange, and that was the reason Nightstar could not make him an apprentice. Not until Rainfur had arrived.

Yes, that is what I must do,  thought Nightstar. I must wait until Rainfur returns, saving the shadows from the night.

Chapter 24
"Rainfur, what happened to you?" asked Robinwing, her voice barely audible. "What have you become?" Rainfur looked to her, his eyes showing more pain now. His legs were weak and his body was starved. His head lowered as she asked this, a small tear running down his cheek.

He remembered getting all of the information at once. He remembered seeing Sharpstar beat his friends. He remembered seeing Sharpstar give that offer to Rosestar. He remembered seeing Sharpstar kill Yelloweye. He remembered seeing everything. Jactur was saddened as he saw them as well, feeling Rainfur's pain.

"Robinwing, I haven't changed, I promise," Rainfur murmured, the pain beating down on him. "I just need time to think. Death has taken its toll on me once again, leaving me with no choice. I was clueless as to what was going on, but once I knew, there was something that needed to be done. I've come back, but not just to see you like I promised. I won't leave again. I know it's my fault, same as everything else, but I promise you, I will fix my mistake."

"Rainfur, what are you talking about?" asked Robinwing, looking very shocked that he'd changed so much. "Nothing was your fault!"

"You're wrong," Rainfur muttered in a monotone voice. He couldn't do anything, for he was trying too hard to keep his emotions hidden. "Everything was my fault. If I hadn't left you with Sharpstar—no, he doesn't deserve such a name. If I hadn't left you with  Sharpfang, none of this would've happened. If I hadn't killed Ravenstar, Sharpfang would never have the power to leave the Clan in destruction. I just made the simple mistake of letting Jactur go, leaving everything like it is. I'm sorry."

"Who's Jactur?" asked Robinwing, not really confused. She seemed like she knew the answer, but she just didn't want it to be true.

"The monster, the demon, the ghost of my memories," Rainfur muttered, his eyes darkening even more. "I gave him a name, and he in turn trained me. I'm ready to kill Sharpfang now. With Jactur's power at my control, I will be able to kill him once and for all. If the Clans still hate me, then so be it. As long as you and our kits are safe."

"You trained with the monster?" Robinwing asked, gasping as she did so. "Rainfur, you must be mouse-brained! He'll kill you, now that he knows your weaknesses! He'll destroy you from the inside!"

"No he won't!" Rainfur yelled, his voice booming throughout the forest. "He's helped me! He knows me! He  is  me! If it weren't for Jactur, I wouldn't be here. If it weren't for Jactur, I wouldn't know what Sharpfang has done to you. If it weren't for Jactur, I'd be dead, and if it weren't for Jactur, I would be a scrawny, pathetic weakling just ready to be killed. He's helped me move on from my brother's death by training me. I have his speed, his strength, and his intelligence. And, most importantly, I have his trust. We are one now, and I am friends with him. I'll forever be in debt to him."

Aw, thanks,  said Jactur, seeming to enjoy the sad moment.

Please be quiet,  Rainfur whispered. It's hard enough as it is.

Alright, but don't take too long. Jactur said. I still have a few more things I want to show you.

"You  have  changed!" said Robinwing, standing up with fear. "I can't believe you've given yourself up to the monster just because you remembered your brother's death. I can't believe you've given up!"

"I haven't!" Rainfur yelled, his eyes narrowing. "I have combined myself with him, making me stronger and much smarter! I know what it means to trust again, and if you want proof that I have not given up, I shall show you."

Rainfur then concentrated all of his power and all of his will on letting Jactur help him. He felt his friend connect with him, and he felt the strength and speed join in with his body. After this, he looked into Robinwing's eyes, aware that his eyes were now a dark blue, and the colouring had changed on his coat. Robinwing's eyes widened with fear, shock, and hope, backing up as she realised that she might be in trouble.

"Do not be afraid," Rainfur whispered to his mate. "I am still me, only with another part. You see, back when I was a ThunderClan cat, I was only one part of myself. What I didn't know, though, was that I needed the other part to survive. It turns out that the missing part was Jactur, and with him I have grown. I am taller than you now, and I am stronger and smarter than I was before. I am fully me now, and I shall use that knowledge to kill Sharpfang for you and all of the other Clans. I promise you, I will not rest until that monster has been destroyed." Robinwing looked speechless, and as she searched for words, Jactur popped in again.

Isn't it ironic that at one point, that's what you called me? Asked Jactur. I find that funny, and a bit sad at the same time. I can't annoy you as much anymore.

You're annoying me right now,  Rainfur hissed. I thought we agreed no commentary until I get to ShadowClan. What happened to that?

Eh, I sorta can't keep my thoughts to myself, since they just pop up,  Jactur murmured. I'll try harder though, but please hurry up! You're taking  so  long!

I'll hurry, just please let me finish this on a good note,  Rainfur whispered.

Okay,  was all Jactur said before it was quiet once again.

"Robinwing's scent is this way!" Rainfur suddenly heard a cat say. "Come on! Sharpstar will be angry if she's dead!" Rainfur growled lowly before switching back to his normal state and looking to his mate.

"We shall meet again, my sweet," Rainfur whispered to his mate. "And do not worry, those cats won't be able to scent me. Good-bye, Robinwing." Rainfur then ran away, happy to finally be home.

A certain pride was growing within him, filling him with confidence. He was going to kill Sharpfang, even if the cat was his mentor. He was going to kill Sharpfang, even if the cat was nice to him before. He was going to kill Sharpfang, even if it cost him his life. Sharpfang was the enemy, one that would  not  get away.

"Rainfur!" Sweetclaw's voice brought him out of his thoughts, making him stop and smile at the young she-cat. "I was so worried! I thought those stupid ThunderClan cats had gotten you."

"Almost, but I was too fast," Rainfur answered her.

"So did you see Robinwing?" asked Sweetclaw, looking very curiously.

"Surprisingly, yes. She's a bit confused, but she'll know by the next gathering when we've joined ShadowClan. Speaking of which, we need to get a move on, or it'll be midnight before we get to their camp." Sweetclaw nodded before standing and following him.

"Do you think they'll accept us?" asked Sweetclaw, an edge of cheerfulness in her voice that made Rainfur smile warmly.

"If I remember what Jactur showed me correctly, ShadowClan is in a really tight spot," Rainfur told the younger Warrior. "Nightstar wants me badly, but I don't think his deputy agrees. Also, I think that his Clan isn't really happy about his decision. When I get there, though, I'm sure we'll be accepted. Once they learn I've controlled this power, they'll accept us before you can say 'mouse'."

"Good," said Sweetclaw. "Otherwise, we'll have to continue being loners, and that isn't fun at all." Rainfur chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"Don't worry, Sweetclaw," said Rainfur. "Soon you'll be back with your family, and I will be with my kits. Just you wait."

¤¤¤

By the time Rainfur and Sweetclaw walked onto ShadowClan territory, it was sunhigh. Or at least that's what Rainfur thought it was. With the dark clouds looming over head, he didn't really know for sure. The rain wasn't helping either, for it just made it harder to continue on.

Rainfur paused a bit, trying to decide whether to continue on or wait for a patrol. He knew that waiting for a patrol would be the smart thing to do, but then again, he and Sweetclaw needed to get out of the rain. Rainfur didn't want to start a fight, though, and after being in ThunderClan for so long, he knew that ShadowClan always wanted to start one.

A sudden yowl of pain caught Rainfur's attention and made up his mind quickly. He ran forward, the rain beating down on his fur like insects stinging his skin. Sweetclaw ran beside Rainfur, though she looked tired. He reminded himself that he was much faster than the younger she-cat, having trained with Jactur. With that, he slowed down to a speed that she could keep up with, making her smile at him.

"How ironic," said Rainfur, "It starts raining when I finally return." Sweetclaw chuckled at this.

"Too bad StarClan didn't make a prophecy about it," said Sweetclaw. "Rain will fall when Rain returns." Rainfur laughed at this.

Rainfur ran while keeping an eye out for the cat. With the pouring rain and freezing cold wind he couldn't scent a thing. He'd have to rely on his ears which were now finding many interesting sounds that didn't belong in a normal day. His heart raced as his mind jumped to conclusions on what could be happening, but then his anger rose as he realised just who he'd be fighting.

Rainfur suddenly saw several dark figures in the distance, all of them moving quickly toward each other. They were fighting, but Rainfur knew that it wasn't ThunderClan and ShadowClan. The weak scent that he did catch was the same as Shadow's. He growled with anger again, though there was a bit of disappointment. He was hoping to see Sharpstar, but either way he was going to fight.

Rainfur leaped as he finally got to the battle, hissing at the first cat he could find. It was a dark tabby tom, and as soon as he saw Rainfur, he yowled loudly, alerting all of the other cats before he was shut up by Rainfur's claws.

The rogues stopped fighting, immediately turning to see the cat who had yowled. ShadowClan was confused, but they took that moment to recover as Rainfur continued to fight the rouge.

"Stop! Stop!" squealed the rogue, thrashing around in Rainfur's grip. "I give up! I surrender!" Rainfur hissed with frustration before sinking his teeth into the tom's neck, making it yowl in agony. The rogue still tried to struggle, but Rainfur was using his new-found strength. The rogue didn't have a chance.

Rainfur held onto the tom roughly, killing it by the second. Blood squirted into his mouth, making Rainfur flinch slightly. He still held on, though, determined to show the rogues that were now surrounding him what he could do.

Just before the rogue would have died, Rainfur let go of his neck. The tom's eyes were filled with fear and shock, but Rainfur didn't want to kill him. He may have been trained that way, but he was not going to live by those rules. Not yet, anyway.

"Leave before I finish you off," growled Rainfur darkly, his eyes emotionless. The rogue beneath him squirmed out before sprinting away, leaving Rainfur to look around at the rogues in which had surrounded him.

"So you have returned," said Shadow, the rogue right in front of him. "Sharpstar will not be pleased, but if I kill you, he might be. . ." Rainfur tilted his head, the rain filling the short silence.

"Why is there uncertainty in your voice?" asked Rainfur, his voice still dark. The rogues seemed weary of him, but also very shocked. "I am no different from when I left, just aware of everything around me." Shadow's ears lowered, baring his teeth a little.

"I am not afraid!" Shadow hissed, his eyes narrowed. "After you killed my brother, I have been quite happy actually! I thank you for saving Sharpstar the trouble, but I shall still kill you. I shall kill you and end this." Rainfur stood still, emotionless aside from the hint of anger that flashed through his eyes.

"I know everything, Shadow," Rainfur muttered. "I know about your deal with Sharpstar, I know that you were sent to kill Ravenstar. I know that you had a horrible life, and I know how you feel about it. Why can't you just forgive and forget?"

"My brother hated me, and I hated him!" Shadow hissed, his tail lashing. "I shall kill you and receive my reward from Sharpstar! I shall win and bring my family honor!"

"Before you attack, Shadow, I would like to ask you something," Rainfur murmured, his heart racing. He kept his fear hidden, just like Jactur had taught him. However, he'd never used his power in a fight before. Rainfur just wished it would go right.

"Oh yeah?" asked Shadow, growling loudly. "And what's that?"

"How likely is it that you'll live now that I've learned how to control the power that your cats fear?" asked Rainfur. Shadow's eyes widened with shock before he was knocked down by Rainfur, his breath leaving him. Rainfur sighed as he bent down and bit Shadow's neck, the life leaving Shadow quickly.

Shadow lay still for a few moments, leaving Rainfur confused. However, it didn't stay like that for long. The black tom slashed his claws toward Rainfur's chest, though he was too quick. Rainfur dodged Shadow's attack with ease, but had to let go to avoid it.

Shadow stood, his yellow eyes narrowed with true insanity. Rainfur stood and waited for the dark tom to attack, calling upon his training as he did.

I remember this idiot,  said Jactur. Please kill him. He's quite annoying.

With your training, I most likely will,  Rainfur replied. Thanks by the way. I feel much stronger, and much better when I'm fighting.

Don't worry about it,  said Jactur. I'm just happy I don't ever have to remember those memories of yours. I guess we both win, don't we?

Guess so,  said Rainfur before leaping to the side, avoiding Shadow's attack. I just hope the second stage of our power won't spiral out of control. ..

Nah, it won't,  Jactur promised, smirking it sounded like. We won't have to use it soon, and by then, you'll have mastered the first stage.

Rainfur didn't reply. He was too busy leaping away, getting away from Shadow once again. Rainfur kept evading Shadows attacks, watching as the dark tom grew more and more exhausted.

"You weakling!" Shadow spat. "Are you going to fight, or are you just going to run away? Sharpstar was right! You aren't a Warrior at all! You're just a loner and you always will be! You're pathetic!" Shadow lunged, his teeth bared. Rainfur used his reflexes to dodge and evade the attack, leaving Shadow to hiss with frustration.

"I am no weakling," Rainfur muttered. "But Sharpstar—I mean fang—was right on one thing. I'm not a Warrior. I am a loner. I always will be one at heart, but what's so bad about pretending? It's the only way I'll end your lives, so why not?" Shadow hissed, lunging toward Rainfur, his teeth missing the grey-and-white tom by just inches.

"What happened to those memories of yours?" Shadow demanded. "How on earth did you learn to control that power? It's impossible! Sharpstar told us so! StarClan made the mistake of leading you here and giving you that demon, and then—and then you were cursed with it!"

"You see, there's where you are wrong," Rainfur growled, his eyes expressionless. "Sharpstar doesn't know me, or Jactur. He doesn't know how we are tied, and he doesn't know that StarClan didn't just lead me here. Sharpstar knows nothing about me, and though he was once my mentor, I do not count him as one." Shadow scoffed before lunging again, his claws unsheathed. Rainfur dodged again, this time leaving Shadow with a gash on his flank.

"Oh, so you believe that Thorntail was a better mentor?" asked Shadow. "As if! That she-cat has broken the Warrior code, and is just plain pathetic!" Rainfur tilted his head, clearly confused.

"What is the Warrior code to you?" asked Rainfur, his muscles tensed and ready to move. "I thought rogues never believed in the stars."

"It doesn't matter!" Shadow hissed, his tail lashing. "Oh, and by the way, that mentor you love so much, is dead. She broke the Warrior code. She made half-Clan kits, and has been punished because of it! How's that for stupid? Never underestimate Sharpstar! He is the strongest! The fastest! He will kill you! Oh, but not before he kills your kits. I know he'll make you watch. He'll make you plead and beg. He'll make you weak!" Rainfur yowled with fury before lunging toward Shadow, his eyes narrowed with anger.

Rainfur's claws unsheathed and sunk into Shadow's skin, making the black tom cry out in agony. He raked his claws down Shadow's belly, making him caterwaul in pain. After this, Rainfur leaned down so that only Shadow could hear him.

"My kits won't die," said Rainfur darkly. "Robinwing will live, no matter what I have to do to save her. Might I add, before you die, that Thorntail was not the only other mentor I've had aside from Sharpstar? Remember the monster that was within me? Remember the power of my cursed scar? Remember the several deaths you had to clean up, just because you made the mistake of scratching my scar?" Rainfur watched as Shadow's eyes grew wider, the fear feeding on Rainfur's anger. He gripped tightly, making Shadow whimpered.

"I thought you would remember," said Rainfur. "His name, one that I gave him, is Jactur. It means sacrifice, something I've come to know over the past eight seasons. Jactur lives within me, training me. I've come to know his power, his strength, and his intelligence. I am stronger, I am faster, and I am smarter. So next time you want to make me angry, please remember this." Shadow seemed relieved, probably thinking that Rainfur would let him go.

Rainfur stood up straighter, though not once did he let go of Shadow even the slightest. The black tom beneath him looked at Rainfur, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Y-you're going to let me go now, aren't you?" asked Shadow, his voice showing his fear. "You're going to let me flee, right? I don't want to fight you! I don't want to kill you! Let me go!"

"Why should I?" asked Rainfur, his eyes filling with darkness. "You killed Snowstorm. You nearly killed my first mentor. You have scarred my life forever, and yet you expect me to leave you in peace?" Shadow's eyes grew wide as Rainfur gripped tighter.

"No! Please! No! I'll leave you alone! I promise! Please! Plea—" Shadow was cut off as Rainfur slit his throat, his stomach lurching as he saw the light leave Shadow's eyes. Rainfur stepped off of Shadow, feeling as sick as he could as he turned to the cats watching him.

"For those of you wishing to fight me, please keep in mind that I've changed," Rainfur announced. "Unless any of you rogues want to end like Shadow, please leave." The rogues then backed away quickly, soon running back to ThunderClan.

ShadowClan cats were the only ones left, and each of them were quiet. Rainfur stared at Nightstar, his heart beating quickly as he waited for someone to do something. The rain was now coming down harder as the wind blew faster, and each cat but Nightstar and Rainfur flinched as a long streak of lightning flickered through the sky, thunder clashing after it.

"Is there a reason you've returned, Rainfur?" asked Nightstar, his eyes looking hopeful.

"I wish to join your Clan," Rainfur replied.

Chapter 25
"I wish to join your Clan," Rainfur replied, leaving the ShadowClan Warriors around him to whisper and murmur amongst themselves. "I wish to help you in your fight against ThunderClan." Nightstar seemed excited, but he was hiding it.

"Why do you want to fight against ThunderClan?" asked Nightstar. "I know they have exiled you, but—"

"I am not here for revenge," Rainfur hissed. "If I were, ShadowClan wouldn't exist at this moment. I have come to kill Sharpstar." Nightstar tilted his head in curiosity.

"And why is that?" asked the noble leader. "He's done nothing yet."

"Nothing that you know of, at least," Rainfur muttered, his eyes narrowed darkly. "I know everything that has been going on at ThunderClan. The beatings, the pain, and the deaths. I know everything. He plans to execute my kits, just because I am the father. He plans to kill Robinwing, my mate, as well. I want him stopped. I want him killed before something bad happens. Now that I have the power to do it, I will."

"And why do you need to join my Clan to do so?" asked Nightstar.

"I don't need to, but I want to," Rainfur told the elder leader. "I remember the last day I was here. I remember your welcome, and I wish to take the offer. If it's still available, that is." Nightstar sighed as he looked to his Warriors. All of them looked uncertain, but Nightstar made the final decision.

"I will let you join my Clan," said Nightstar. "However, before I announce it to the rest of ShadowClan, I must talk to my senior Warriors. They knew better than I do sometimes, especially when hope is guiding me." Rainfur nodded in understanding before sitting down and watching as Nightstar gathered his senior Warriors, talking to them quietly.

Sweetclaw walked up to him with a bit of worry in her eyes, making Rainfur a bit uncomfortable. However, she puffed out her chest and gathered her courage, sitting next to him with bravery.

Sweetclaw was like Rainfur's apprentice. He'd taught her so many things, and she listened so well. Sweetclaw had grown very smart since her trip to Daniel's house, and had even become a better Warrior. This relationship was one that Rainfur was proud to have.

"You know, there's nothing to be afraid of," said Rainfur, still keeping watch on Nightstar and his Warriors. "I'm still the same boring cat you claimed as your brother eight moons ago."

"I'm not afraid," Sweetclaw snapped, a determined look in her eye. "I am just worried that Nightstar won't accept us."

"You aren't worried at all, Sweetclaw," Rainfur murmured. "I can see it in your eyes that you're afraid. Please don't be. It'll keep me sane for just a little while longer."

"I'm just not used to seeing you so. . .so dark. . ." Sweetclaw murmured, looking at her paws. "You're like a mentor to me now, but when I see you like that, it's so scary. . . it just reminds me of when Jactur was out of control. . ."

"It won't happen again, I promise," Rainfur soothed. "Jactur is nicer now, and he doesn't want to kill. He's just a new friend that has actually taken the time to train me to my needs." Sweetclaw sighed, looking up to him with her blue eyes.

"How am I supposed to know that?" asked Sweetclaw. "I've never even met him." Rainfur sighed, dropping the subject quickly. He didn't want to talk about it, but he didn't want Sweetclaw to be afraid either.

You know you can actually show me to people, right? Asked Jactur, sounding quite bored.

No! I didn't! Rainfur hissed. How?

Well, there's two ways, actually,  said Jactur. The first one, the easiest, is to just let me take control completely and merely talk to the people you want me to talk to. Of course, our scar would glow and our eyes would be dark blue, so I'd suggest doing it privately if you so ever wish. The second way is to actually bring them into our mind. When they're asleep is when they're the best to get. Just make sure to tell them that it isn't just a dream.

You're telling me this now? asked Rainfur.

You never seemed to have interest in it, so I never told you,  said Jactur simply. You see, with me, you must ask before I give.

Right,  said Rainfur. So I was supposed to  ask  before I gave you a name? Jactur stayed quiet after that, but luckily for Rainfur, Nightstar was done talking to his Warriors.

Rainfur stood as Nightstar walked over to him, flanked by four other Warriors. He stood tall, hoping to give a confident effect. It was quiet for only a few moments before Nightstar spoke.

"My Warriors want you to prove that the monster within you has been demolished," Nightstar told him, a frown on his face. Rainfur shook his head.

"It has not been  demolished ," Rainfur told them. "However, I have learned to control it so that, even if my scar  is  scratched, I won't go mouse-brained. I'll give you proof, just be patient. This takes time, as I have not mastered it yet."

Rainfur concentrated hard, asking Jactur for his physical traits. They came after a few moments, leaving Rainfur's coat opposite coloured and his eyes dark blue as well as his scar a light yellow. The cats around him gasped with fear as he opened his eyes, leaving them all shocked and scared. However, he sat there, waiting for a question.

"How do we know you aren't the monster who killed Ravenstar?" asked a cat behind Nightstar.

"Would you really like to know?" asked Rainfur. The cats around him murmured and whispered, but he knew the final answer. He sighed before letting Jactur have the ability to talk to the cats around him.

"Ask Jactur, the one you called a monster, any question you'd like," Rainfur told them, his expressionless eyes turning to Nightstar. "He'll answer when I'm in this state." It was quiet for a few moments. No one wanted to know what Ravenstar's murder was like. No one was brave enough to ask.

"Why did you kill Ravenstar?" asked Nightstar, his voice showing weakness, though Rainfur knew he was trying to hide it.

"Well, first of all, I wasn't exactly controlled at that point, which you can blame Rainfur for," Jactur responded, his voice still demonic, though somehow a bit less intimidating. "Second, he was about spill some very important information to Rainfur. This information would not have been good for him to hear at that moment, and is still not good for him or you cats." Nightstar growled lowly.

"You talk as if you're a normal cat," said Nightstar.

"Well I am, really," Jactur responded. "I mean, think about it. I am the monster of Rainfur's memories. So, whatever memory Rainfur just happens to have in his head, I will be like that. Right now, he is thinking of absolutely nothing, so I will do what I please."

"So why aren't you making him go insane?" asked Nightstar, pushing it a bit too far. Jactur hissed slightly, a bit annoyed it seemed like.

"Okay, look, I'm not just some murderer," Jactur growled. "I'm as good and clean as Rainfur, but because he hadn't realised what I was, he didn't know how to connect with me. When he finally gave me the name 'Jactur', I trained him. Now he is as fast, as smart, and as strong as you saw me the night I killed Ravenstar."

Everyone suddenly became very tense and worried. They were alert now, as if waiting for Rainfur to attack them at any moment. This isn't going as well as I'd hoped.

"Well of course not," Jactur hissed. "these moue-brains can't tell a seed from a bird. I mean, don't you think that, if Rainfur actually wanted to kill you, that he'd have killed you already? I know you heard him—he wants to join your Clan. He wants to help you kill that jerk of a leader so that you and your sorry butts can live free again. Get the picture? He trained with me, gave me a name, and even forgot about his brothers just so he could come over here and kill that demon that has threatened his family. You guys must have the brain of a poppy seed if you think that Rainfur here is going to kill you."

Silence.

The rain continued to poor down, leaving the ground beneath them muddy and sticky. The thunder was the only other thing to be heard, following the light blue lighting in the sky. Everyone was shocked at how much sense that Jactur made, making Rainfur quite proud.

There was murmuring behind Nightstar, but Rainfur knew that the wise leader had already made up his mind. He was happy that Nightstar was one of the wisest leaders, for Rainfur would need this wisdom in the final battle, something that was approaching them quickly.

"Your strength shall come in handy when we are ready to attack ThunderClan," Nightstar told him. "You shall be welcomed as a full Warrior of ShadowClan, and no one shall treat you differently. You are our only hope, Rainfur. I pray to StarClan that you know what you're doing." Rainfur dipped his head respectively before watching as Nightstar led his Clan toward their camp.

Rainfur trailed behind the Clan, knowing that it would be better to start off as just a normal new Warrior, who almost always stayed behind the group. Sweetclaw was right there with him, a joyful smile on her face.

"I'm not afraid anymore, Rainfur," said Sweetclaw cheerfully. "Jactur is really you, and he actually defended you. Any friend of yours is mine. I trust him now." Rainfur nodded, finally noticing that he had turned back into his normal self with lightning blue eyes and a flesh coloured scar.

At least now Rainfur was somewhere close to home. All he needed to now was gain authority in ShadowClan before finally planning out a battle, something he wasn't looking forward to.

¤¤¤

By the time they arrived at ShadowClan's camp, it was nearly nightfall. Nightstar had ordered everyone to bring the wounded and dead, if there were any. It seemed ShadowClan was doing fine on its own when the rogues attacked, but Rainfur was still glad he got to kill Shadow. It was like revenge for Ravenstar almost, but it also satisfied Rainfur's need to use his power, something he'd been feeling for a while.

When Rainfur made his way into their camp, he heard several gasps and whispers. They all looked at him with uncertainty, and the fear in their eyes was unmistakable. Rainfur's stomach lurched, the feeling of being exiled once again returning.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" hissed a young she-cat from the front of the crowd. "Sharpstar, Nightstar, Bravestar  and  Rosestar exiled you! You don't belong in this forest!" Rainfur's eyes narrowed, baring his teeth a little.

"Nightstar has let me join for reasons of his own," Rainfur hissed, making the young Warrior cower a bit. "If you want to know why I'm here, talk to him." Rainfur then turned around and followed Nightstar, knowing perfectly well that the noble leader was going to gather a Clan meeting.

"Rainfur!" Nightstar called, making him go faster. When he stood in front of the ShadowClan leader, he tilted his head with confusion.

"Do you think you could prove to everyone that you're insanity is controlled?" asked Nightstar, a worried look in his eye. "I can do some stuff, but I can't prove to them that you're safe. All of them remember that fire, and they won't forget it. I doubt any of the cats in this forest will."

"I don't expect them to," Rainfur muttered, making Nightstar a bit confused. "I don't care if they don't like me, only that they accept me as someone else to help in the battle against Sharpstar. Rosestar and her Clan won't agree, but Bravestar and his Clan will. They know me well, having met me several times over." Nightstar nodded, a warm smile on his face.

"You've answered more than a few questions that I've had," he told Rainfur before jumping onto the Highrock. He had just noticed that everyone was already gathered, and that they were still yelling out accusations against Rainfur.

"Quiet!" hissed Nightstar, his eyes narrowed. When the last cat grew silent, the noble leader began. "I know that you disagree with Rainfur's presence, but it must be done. He's the only way we can get to Sharpstar, and end this war against ownership toward the territory."

"How can he help us?" yelled a black tom from below.

"Yeah!" Another tom agreed. "The only thing he can do is kill us! He'll go mouse-brained and then kill us all before getting to Sharpstar!" Nightstar hissed in warning, his tail flicking in annoyance.

"Rainfur has told me that he has learned to control the insanity you saw a half moon ago," Nightstar told them, making whispers begin. "He's told me that he now has the strength to kill Sharpstar. Rainfur, if you wouldn't mind. . ." Rainfur nodded before standing and looking at the others.

He concentrated once again and showed them his dark blue eyes and glowing yellow scar. Everyone gasped and took a few steps back, each of them thinking that Rainfur was going to attack at any moment. He hissed, unable to hide his anger.

"That. . .that doesn't prove anything!" yelled a she-cat, probably a queen.

"What do you mean?" asked Rainfur, looking quite angry. "This was how you saw me last time, but I had already killed by that point. I'm perfectly fine at the moment though, so what else do I have to prove?"

"How do we know you aren't just faking it?" asked another she-cat, her amber eyes narrowed. "How do we know you're not holding back?" Rainfur hissed, baring his teeth once again.

He ran up to her, making her gasp in shock as she lost him. Rainfur gave a small hiss, alerting her. She turned around, her eyes as wide as the silver moon.

"I am as quick as a cheetah," said Rainfur, surprising her again. He quickly unbalanced her and held her there, and though she tried to struggle, it was barely noticeable. "I have the strength of a fox." Rainfur then got off of her, surprising everyone. He looked back to her after she stood up, a bit of worry in his eyes. "I have the intelligent of the Stars above us, and yet I don't kill you. Don't you think that's proof? Doesn't that tell you right then and there that I am safe enough to live in the Warriors den? I didn't come here to kill you, I came here to destroy that monster leading my home Clan. I will leave as soon as I do, for that is the only revenge I want."

"Why is it that you want to kill Sharpstar?" asked a strong looking tom that was standing near the shocked. He looked quite mad, but Rainfur didn't care.

"As my past mentor, he wasn't that nice to me, but I just thought he was grumpy," Rainfur hissed. "But no, he was using me. At any possible moment he could, he was going to try and kill me. I stood in the way of his leadership, and I therefore needed to be killed. Those rogues that attacked you were called out by Sharpstar, leading me to believe that this has been going on further than either you and I can guess. He has betrayed me. He has betrayed this Forest.

"That isn't all of it though," Rainfur continued. "I know what he has done to my Clan-mates. He killed Yelloweye just because he wasn't Clan born. He has treated my mate as if she were a prisoner, and my kits. . .my kits are to be executed the moment they are born. All because I, an insane, yet powerful loner, is their father. I want revenge, and I want it now. He's done too much to me for forgiveness. He had a chance to right his mistakes, but he didn't, and he will pay. I know what he has done to ShadowClan, and I will fix that. I will destroy that monster, and I will bring the light back into this forest, even if I am to be exiled afterwards. This is my home, and the last thing I want to do is see it destroyed by a traitor."

Silence.

No one spoke. They were too shocked by what they were hearing, and surprised at how much anger Rainfur had. His tail was lashing with anger, his teeth were bared, and the fury flashed through his eyes like a flame. He knew he must have looked scary, which was probably another reason no one said anything, but he didn't care.

Whoa there, Rainy,  Jactur told him. Don't want to kill someone, do you?

I do in fact want to kill someone, but he's not here right now, so thank you,  Rainfur murmured. I'll calm down now.

Good, I was getting worried there,  said Jactur.

One more thing,  said Rainfur.

What? asked Jactur curiously.

Don't ever call me Rainy again, or I will physically go inside my mind and kill you,  Rainfur warned, making Jactur quiet. Rainfur smirked as he returned to his normal state with lightning blue eyes and a black scar.

"I think Rainfur has proven his belonging," Nightstar told his Clan, getting their attention. "Let him sleep in—"

"Thistleclaw is dead!" a small apprentice suddenly yelled as she rushed into camp, wide-eyes and filled with shock. The Clan gasped as they looked over at her, very confused.

"What do you mean?" asked Nightstar, standing with worry in his eyes.

"The rogues! They attacked us!" the slim she-cat told them. "H-he took me out for some training since I asked and neither of us were injured. We were doing fine until—until they attacked! It was so quick, and when they left they told me something about revenge and I—I didn't know what to do. I—"

"Why would revenge have anything to do with it?" asked Nightstar.

"I—I don't know!" the she-cat whimpered. "He just said that because we killed their leader, they killed ours. They left so quickly. . .I didn't know what to do. . .they were so fast. . ." Nightstar looked to his senior Warriors.

"Pineshade, Snakeheart, and Blackpetal, please go and re-mark the borders," Nightstar ordered. "Scorchspot and Tinyear, please come with me to find Thistleclaw's body and bring it back to camp. Featherpaw," said Nightstar, looking to the small she-cat that was still breathing heavily at the camp entrance. "Are you well enough to lead them?" Featherpaw nodded before leading the two young Warriors, leaving the rest of the Clan to panic.

Nightstar jumped off of the Highrock, looking a little shaken. Rainfur looked at him, trying to find out what the leader was thinking about. However, he just ended up asking.

"Are you okay?" asked Rainfur curiously. "Is there a reason you don't look saddened over Thistleclaw's death?" Nightstar shook his head.

"I'm fine, just hiding the worry," Nightstar murmured. "Thistleclaw was my deputy, and with him gone, how am I going to make the right choices?"

"Just trust yourself," Rainfur said warmly, giving a soothing smile. "You can't rely on anyone but yourself sometimes. Trust me, I'm a loner." Nightstar smiled in response before running off and joining his patrol, calming the Clan down a bit. Rainfur stood right there, his mind thinking much more than he was used to.

Thistleclaw is dead, and he was the deputy of ShadowClan,  Rainfur thought. Nightstar only has three lives left if I remember, and if that's the case, we're screwed. He can't just pick any random Warrior to become his deputy. If he does, ShadowClan is no better off than becoming rogues.

You know, you make things  way  too completing,  Jactur commented. I mean really, do you think a cat as old as Nighty over there will choose someone less than worthy to lead his Clan?

I guess not,  Rainfur murmured. And what's with all the name calling?

I don't know,  said Jactur truthfully. Must just be the mood I'm in. Strange.

"Who are you?" someone asked behind him. Rainfur turned around to see a very strange cat, someone he knew by the name of 'the Odd One'.

This tom was only six moons old, barely. He had long chocolate brown fur that put a bit of elegance to him. He also had white splotches, one that even looked like a crescent moon on his left shoulder. He had pine coloured green eyes that were narrowed confusingly at Rainfur.

"Er, Rainfur," Rainfur replied. "What's your name?" the small tom sighed.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I mean, I had a name, but then I sorta forgot it. Now everyone just calls me the Odd One because I talk about strange things. It's not  my  fault I know so much about Twolegs. By the way, you look vaguely familiar. . ."

"Hmm, that's strange," said Rainfur. "I came from the Twoleg place as well, and that's sorta why I'm so well known. Maybe you saw me a little while back? Like I said, I came from a Twoleg place."

"Maybe. . ." the Odd One whispered. "Are you that cat everyone keeps talking about? The one who got exiled for killing a leader?" Rainfur shrugged.

"More or less," he answered. "Let's just say I've controlled that will to kill, and is just visiting long enough to kill Sharpstar. That's it." The Odd One shrugged before walking away, looking quite tired. Rainfur, however, stood there, watching the small kit.

Impossible. . . Rainfur thought, his eyes wide.

Apparently not,  Jactur hissed. Now focus! If you lose your mind again you might not be able to control it, and then we're in for some trouble. ..

I know, I know,  Rainfur replied, looking away. It's just that. . .well, you saw.

Yeah, I did, and frankly, I think you're wrong,  Jactur growled. Now can we get on with it?

Rainfur rolled his eyes before finding out that Nightstar had returned with that cat called Scorchspot dragging Thistleclaw's body gently into the heart of camp. A ginger she-cat shrieked with grief, running up to her dead mate.

"What's wrong with daddy?" asked a small brown tom. It was a kit, and behind it was a dark ginger she-kit, and behind that was a dark brown tabby tom. All of them went over to see Thistleclaw.

"Mamma? Why is he sleeping?" asked the small ginger she-cat. "Why won't he wake up?"

"I'm sorry, sweethearts. . ." the ginger she-cat, who was obviously their mother, cried. "Your father. . .he won't be waking up. He has to move, you see. . . h-he has to g-go to the stars."

"But why?" cried the small tabby tom. "Why can't he stay here with us? Doesn't he love us?"

"Of course he does, Tigerkit," their mother whimpered. "B-but StarClan is calling him. . . h-he must go. . ."

"But—"

"No buts, Mudkit," an older queen muttered. "Now all three of you must come here. Leave your mother alone, for she needs to be with your father for a few more minutes."

"Can't we just—"

"Go, Cloverkit," ordered the queen. "Or shall I call the Odd One?" The kits eyes widened before running back into the nursery, making the elder queen smirk with accomplishment.

"Thistleclaw was a noble Warrior, and a wonderful deputy," Nightstar called from the highrock. Everyone looked up to him, just now aware that he was up there. "However, as moonhigh approaches, I must choose a cat to fill his place."

Everyone was quiet as they waited for the answer, even Rainfur. He wanted to know if Nightstar was making a reasonable choice. He wanted to make sure that Nightstar wasn't being a mouse-brain.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirit of Thistleclaw may hear and approve my choice," Nightstar called. "The new deputy of ShadowClan will be Rainfur."

Chapter 26
"The new deputy of ShadowClan will be Rainfur."

Rainfur's eyes grew wide, and he stood there with shock as ShadowClan called out in protest. They all refused, and Rainfur actually agreed. He wasn't ready to be deputy yet—not only was he only eleven moons old, he hadn't even become a mentor!

"You must be joking!" a young tom yelled.

"That's outrageous!" a she-cat hissed.

"You can't do this!" yowled an elder Warrior. "He isn't experienced! He's only eleven moons old!"

"I understand that this is sudden and mouse-brained," Nightstar told them, standing tall. "However, I feel that it needs to happen, only for now. He is smart, as I have figured out, and he is strong, as you have all seen. He may become a loner after the fight, and if that is the case, then I'll let him go and choose another deputy. It's as simple as that."

"It's not that easy, Nightstar," growled the elder Warrior. "I've been in this Clan many moons, and not once have I seen such a foolish act. Have you no common sense? He has not yet even had an apprentice! How will StarClan react?"

"He trained me!" Sweetclaw suddenly yelled. "It may have been only a moon, but he trained me to know the ways of the Twolegs, and many other life lessons!"

"Did he teach you how hunt?" asked the elder Warrior, narrowing his eyes. "Did he teach you how to fight, or to even understand the Warrior code?" Sweetclaw shook her head, but she wasn't afraid. She was furious.

"No, but he did give me a Warrior name," Sweetclaw growled. "Sweetclaw is my new name." The elder Warrior snorted with laughter.

"Oh, so did he pretend to be Rainstar of ThunderClan?" the elder Warrior hissed. "He may have given you a name, but officially, you are still an apprentice." Sweetclaw growled lowly for warning.

"That isn't true," Sweetclaw hissed. "StarClan told him that they approved, and I saw it. If you want proof, go ask them." The elder Warrior growled.

"Don't talk about our Warrior ancestors that way!" the elder Warrior hissed. "If you claim yourself a Warrior, then you must act like one!" Sweetclaw hissed.

"Snakeheart, Sweetclaw  is  actually a Warrior," Nightstar interrupted. "StarClan told me, just a half-moon ago, actually." Snakeheart, the elder Warrior, tilting his head with confusion.

"What are you saying?" asked Snakeheart. Rainfur was surprised as well, for he was looking at the noble leader in confusion.

"Days ago, Shadowstar himself told me," Nightstar explained, sitting on the Highrock with a proud expression. It was hiding something else, but he wasn't lying. Nightstar was telling the truth. "He told me that Rainfur had given Sweetclaw a name, and they approved." Snakeheart narrowed his eyes with irritation, his tail lashing.

"Fine, Sweetclaw is a Warrior," Snakeheart hissed. "That still doesn't prove to anyone that Rainfur is supposed to be your new deputy."

"Actually, StarClan sent me a dream about that as well," Nightstar told him. "Our Clan was dying, and I was the only one left, the only thing I could see was fire. A smokey figure emerged from a pool of water, and then everything was normal. Do you call that proof? StarClan told me Rainfur was going to return, and according to that dream, he will help us all."

"Is  that  why you want to appoint him deputy?" asked Snakeheart. "Are you mouse-brained? Rainfur may save the Clans, but he doesn't need to be deputy to do it!"

"Where's the rule against it?" asked Nightstar his eyes narrowed. Rainfur could tell the noble leader was getting irritated, but usually a leader would control his emotions a bit better than this. Were Snakeheart and Nightstar related?

"He hasn't had an apprentice!" Snakeheart pointed out. "The Warrior code clearly states—"

"We will give the Odd One an apprentice name and let Rainfur train him," Nightstar growled. "It's been done before, and as Sweetclaw said, Rainfur taught her well. Is there anything wrong now?" Snakeheart wanted to find an excuse, but he couldn't, leaving Rainfur shocked. Not once in his life did he think to be deputy, let alone one in ShadowClan.

"Right then," said Nightstar proudly, turning his attention to the rest of the Clan. "For today, Snakeheart will take over the deputy duties to let Rainfur settle in and bond with his new apprentice. Tomorrow, however, will be the day you will listen to him, understood?" There were murmurs of agreement before Nightstar nodded in dismissal while jumping off of the Highrock.

Rainfur sat there, shocked yet somehow grateful. This would move the trusting process along with ShadowClan, and the sooner he did that the sooner they'd be able to attack ThunderClan with—hopefully—RiverClan at their side. For once in his life, he was getting lucky.

Well this'll be interesting,  said Jactur. You've never really ordered a whole group of cats around before.

Yeah, and I was hoping I'd never have to,  Rainfur hissed. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

"Rainfur," said Nightstar, walking up to him. "I know that it is unfair not to give the Odd One a normal ceremony, but unfortunately, I don't have the time. I want you to name him, to give you some bonding time. The faster you trust each other, the faster training will be."

"You want me to  name  him?" asked Rainfur, clearly surprised.

"It's not that hard," Nightstar told him before running off toward his den. Rainfur rolled his eyes before turning around, finding the Odd One right behind him.

"Er, hi," Rainfur murmured.

"What ridiculous name are you going to give me now?" asked the Odd One, his green eyes narrowed. Rainfur shrugged.

"I hadn't really thought of anything," said Rainfur truthfully. "I named Sweetclaw, but it wasn't as hard. I guess I named Duskkit. . .I don't know, maybe he was easier for some reason."

"So, are you going to name me or not?" the Odd One snapped. "It seems you don't have all year, with being the new deputy." Rainfur narrowed his eyes, his ears pinning back to his head.

"Would you like to be called Oddpaw?" Rainfur hissed, making the Odd One roll his eyes. Rainfur thought seriously after that, trying to remember his realization. He also remembered that he was going to be training this apprentice, so he had to name him something. . .unique.

Dirtpaw? Maybe, but it sounds like a medicine cat name. Treepaw? I've never heard that before, but I guess it could work. Emeraldpaw? Wait, cats won't know what that is. Plus, it sounds too girly. What about Brownpaw? Nah, too boring. Flamepaw? He's not orange though. . .Rubblepaw? Nope. He's not grey. Why is this so hard?

Rainfur thought for several moments before deciding on Treepaw, only he was disappointed that he couldn't find anything better. He thought it only signified his chocolate brown coat, not the white part or his eyes. Then he thought of storms remembering that it could be any colour, really. A storm could be white, as well as brown when it tears up the ground.

Stormpaw didn't sound like a bad name, actually, and it fit the tom's personality perfectly. Storms were things that quenched fire, in Rainfur's point of view, and really, the Odd One was keeping ShadowClan from exiling him again. Plus, he seemed to have a sharp attitude—which could signify the fierceness of a storm.

"Would Stormpaw be a good name?" asked Rainfur. At first the Odd One narrowed his dark green eyes with anger, but then he thought about it. After a few moments, he shrugged.

"I guess it's better than 'The Odd One'. . ." the small apprentice muttered, making Rainfur smile.

"Good," said Rainfur. "You don't have to do anything today, mainly because they let me get the day off. However, tomorrow, be prepared to get up early. I still need to organize patrols let alone find out where the territory is. You'll be with me in the dawn patrol, understood?" Stormpaw just walked off, giving nothing in response.

Rainfur watched him leave before rolling his eyes and making his way toward the medicine den. He had a few wounds that had scabbed over, and he wanted to make sure that they weren't infected. Usually he knew, but at the moment, his head was too full to recognize such things.

When Rainfur entered the den, he found that it was much larger than the ThunderClan medicine den. He would know, having had many injuries due to Jactur. The den seemed empty, leaving him disappointed again.

Just come back later,  Jactur hissed. I'm bored!

Go get a life,  Rainfur muttered, turning around.

I can't! I'm stuck in here with boring ol' you! Jactur pointed out. Can't you just explore or something? It'll help you with your hunting!

I need to stay here and rest,  Rainfur growled. We'll explore tomorrow, I promise.

But can't you just—

"No!" Rainfur hissed aloud, unaware that he was getting angry. As he yelled this, a high pitched gasp was heard behind him, making him turn around. In front of Rainfur was a cowering little ginger she-cat, one who looked small for her age.

"Are you here to hurt me?" asked the she-cat.

"What? No!" Rainfur insisted, looking worried. "I was just—uh. . .nothing. It was nothing. I just came in here to get checked over. You see. . .I've been on the run for quite some time now, and with training and returning here without letting out my full ability is quite hard—"

"Full ability?" asked the she-cat, looking more curious than afraid now. "Do you mean you can be stronger than you showed us? Maybe even faster?"

"That's what I'm thinking," Rainfur replied, trying to figure out the she-cat. She was scared, and now she looked curious. Did she know something he didn't?

After a few moments of silence, the small she-cat stood up and walked around him, looking at his scabbed wounds. She looked very curious as to how he got them, but she never said a word. She just looked.

"Er—what's your name?" asked Rainfur, feeling uncomfortable with her just looking at him.

"Poppyheart," she answered smoothly. "I'm very surprised you asked, actually. Nobody really likes me." Rainfur faced her before sitting down, his head tilted to the side with curiosity.

"Mind my asking, but do you know why?" asked Rainfur. Poppyheart nodded.

"Nobody knows where I came from," she replied, her head lowered. "I was six moons old when I arrived, and I was beaten and broken. I could hardly move, and I felt ready to die." Rainfur rolled his eyes.

"I know the feeling," he replied sourly. Poppyheart tilted her head.

"You do?" she asked curiously.

"Long story," said Rainfur simply. "Continue with yours first."

"Well, after I came, Nightstar told me I could stay, seeing as I didn't remember anything but the pain," Poppyheart explained, her head low. "Ever since then, I've stayed in this den, just waiting to heal physically, and mentally as well. I never did, and because I learned so much while I was in here, I became the new medicine cat after the other died. Nobody has really accepted me, though I have had a few friends."

"Well that sounds familiar," Rainfur muttered. "Though I guess my outcome was a bit better, wasn't it?" Poppyheart looked at him with a confused look in her eye, as if she were surprised.

"You experienced the same as me?" asked Poppyheart. "How could that be? You couldn't have been in that much pain and—"

"That wasn't the point of what I just said," Rainfur interrupted her. "Just don't worry about it, and move on. Who cares if everyone distrusts you? Find the few cats who don't and stick with them. It'll help in the end." It was quiet as Poppyheart tried to figure out what he meant. Rainfur left silently, smiling at his wisdom. Something had definitely changed when he accepted Jactur as himself, but he was still himself.

Chapter 27
"Psst," whispered a distant voice, all while Rainfur felt a nudge on his shoulder. "Psst!"

"What?" asked Rainfur, opening his eyes. After adjusting his sight to the light, he sat up, quite confused. At first, he had no idea where he was, but then he remembered the day before. He was deputy, and he had a duty to perform.

"Sorry I had to wake you so early," Poppyheart murmured, sitting next to him. "I was noticing the senior Warriors wake, and I know they want to see if you'll get up just as early." Rainfur nodded in response, knowing full well that the elder Warriors would test him.

"Yeah, I know," Rainfur sighed. "I just hope I don't screw up."

With that final word, Rainfur stood and walked out of the medicine den. He'd decided to sleep there after receiving some nasty glares from the Warriors who stated that he did not belong in their den. Feeling quite capable of moving, Rainfur listened to them. They had every right to hate him, so for now, he would listen to them.

As Rainfur made his appearance, the four elder Warriors glared at him, seeming to find something wrong. It was before dawn, and they expected him to be up? After reminding himself once again that he was a deputy now, he gave a respectful bow to the Warriors before reaching the fresh-kill pile.

He wolfed down a mouse quickly, knowing that he would be yelled at if he took more than his share. Rainfur told his hungry stomach that he would hunt later, but for now, he had patrols to set up. This was going to be one of the hardest parts, having no idea who was who.

As expected, the other Warriors woke up early as well. They were all eagerly awaiting Rainfur's orders as they crowded him, trying to test him again. They wanted to know how he did under pressure, which was quite alright to Rainfur.

At first he shied away, but then he reminded himself that he needed to be strong for Robinwing and his kits. Rainfur stood tall, seeming to challenge any cat who tested him. They all took two steps back before awaiting their orders, making Rainfur smile.

"This is going to be hard since I don't your names," Rainfur wondered aloud. "Don't worry, though. I'll manage without the introductions." A small apprentice suddenly jumped up to him, looking curious. He was around eight moons old, and quite tiny for his age.

"How are you going to do that?" the apprentice asked, his amber eyes looking at Rainfur with curiosity. "You need to know the names and the cats to know who to call out for the patrols." Rainfur smiled.

"What is your name, young one?" asked Rainfur.

"We have no time for introductions!" hissed Snakeheart, his eyes flaring with anger. "You said that yourself." Rainfur looked to the elder Warrior, still smiling.

"This apprentice asked me a question, and I shall answer it," said Rainfur simply. "He is young, and needs to understand things like organizing patrols, for a cat like him might actually need to know these things in the future. The introduction is polite, something I hope all of you have learned by now."

A few cats murmured, but none of them said a word. They were trying to figure Rainfur out, and to do that they needed to stay silent. Rainfur smiled as he realised how much intelligence he'd gained from giving Jactur a name, something he wouldn't ever regret.

"My name is Sunpaw," the dark ginger tom replied. "Can you answer my question now?" Rainfur raised his eyebrows at the apprentice, quite surprised that he was talking like that.

"Ah, patients, young Sunpaw," Rainfur murmured, cursing at himself for sounding like an elder. "That is one thing a Warrior must master before gaining his full name. Now, to answer your question, I will need your full attention." Sunpaw tilted his head with surprise as Rainfur walked over to a massive looking tom, one that looked like he could fight several cats at once.

"We are at war right now, Sunpaw," said Rainfur, looking quite serious now. "That means that the patrols near the ThunderClan border must be strong. Like this tom here," Rainfur said, flicking his tail toward the cat he was near. "However, strength only gets a cat so far. For instance, if a cat were to use its strength against another strong cat that is equal to him, they would be fighting for a long time. So, filling a ThunderClan border patrol with strong cats may not be such a great idea." Sunpaw seemed to be following, his eyes wide with amazement.

"With this information, I know that I must choose a cat thinner and quicker, such as Snakeheart," Rainfur continued. "Having those two cats alone will be powerful enough to take on ThunderClan Warriors. I must keep in mind, however, that there may be several cats on the ThunderClan patrol they meet, and thus they would be dead in seconds. I must add four more cats that are either very strong and very fast, or the equal in both disciplines. This is a large number of cats on a patrol, but with a fight just waiting to happen, it's best to create large patrols."

"What if it was a RiverClan border patrol?" asked Sunpaw curiously, engrossed in the conversation.

"That would be different," Rainfur told him. "You see, I'm hoping RiverClan will help us in this war, but I am not yet sure. Because of this, I will first make sure I send out only four cats. That is a low enough number to show them that it is not a threat, yet a high enough number to show them that we are not weak. If I equal the strength and speed, I will create a perfect patrol, therefore urging RiverClan to join us as they know we are strong and loyal to the Warrior code."

"Wow!" said Sunpaw. "Clans can tell that much from patrols? That's amazing! I thought Deputies were just second in command, but now I feel they are very smart! Thanks for telling me, Rainfur!"

"You're welcome," said Rainfur, chuckling slightly. "Now, I've got to organize more patrols. Can you wake up Stormpaw for me, though? I'm putting him on the dawn patrol with me." Sunpaw bobbed his up and down before bouncing off, leaving Rainfur to finish.

Rainfur continued creating patrols, making enough hunting and border patrols for the day, feeling quite proud of himself when he finished. Stormpaw had joined him around seven minutes after Sunpaw went to go wake him, leaving Rainfur to look at him when he got the time.

"I see you're awake," said Rainfur. "Ready to get a look of the territory?"

"No," Stormpaw muttered. "I hate this place. I didn't even have a choice to live here." Rainfur tilted his head in curiosity.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Rainfur. "They didn't take you prisoner or anything. Nightstar wouldn't do that to a kit your size." Stormpaw scoffed.

"I was found somewhere near the ThunderClan border by a large patrol," Stormpaw hissed. "They took me in, got me healthy, and then refused to let me be an apprentice or even give me a name. I was just a cat to them, just another mouth to feed. They're idiots, in my opinion. This whole operation is."

"You remind Nightstar of me," Rainfur growled, narrowing his eye. "With the damage I caused within the Clans, he didn't want to take his chances. Now that I've trained the chaos within me, he knows it's safe to make you an apprentice." Rainfur growled, making Stormpaw rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and don't you ever talk about how stupid these cats are," Rainfur hissed. "They are smarter than you will ever be thus you keep acting like this. I have become much smarter and much more aware of myself since I've come to the Clans."

"What are you talking about?" asked Stormpaw, looking confused and angry.

"I was depressed and lonely when I came to the Clans," Rainfur growled. "When I made friends and allowed myself to open up to others, I became aware of why I need to live. I was ready to die, and I was supposed to, but because I've found love, I will stay." Stormpaw rolled his eyes.

"As if you know what it's like to be ready to die!" Stormpaw hissed. "If it weren't for these stupid Clan cats, I'd be dead, which is where I wanted to be in the first place!" Rainfur growled with anger before realizing how loud they were getting. Luckily for them, there was no cat around to hear them.

"Before thinking that you're the cat who's in the most pain, try and find out more about me," Rainfur hissed. "Look around you before just assuming that you are the one who needs sympathy. It may help erase the brat you are." Stormpaw narrowed his eyes in fury, clearly challenging Rainfur. After turning around, Rainfur flicked his tail toward the dawn patrol that was almost leaving.

"Let's go before they leave us," Rainfur growled. "Or do you want to stay here and continue to be the Odd One?" Rainfur heard the bratty apprentice follow him, smirking as he did.

Rainfur smiled to his patrol before nodding to the patrol leader to start. He had told the tom that he wasn't going to lead the patrol because he had no idea where he was going. The patrol leader, who Rainfur still didn't know the name of, had agreed and was now walking toward the camp entrance.

As they walked into ShadowClan territory, Rainfur noticed Stormpaw fall to the back while he, Rainfur, was pushed to the front. A brown and white she-cat fell beside him, smiling widely.

"I thought the explanation to Sunpaw was quite interesting," the she-cat said happily. "Where did you learn all that stuff? Did that monster really teach you that?" Rainfur nodded.

"His name is Jactur," Rainfur reminded her.

"Oh, right," said the she-cat. "Speaking of names, my name is Tawnyfoot. Cats call me hyper-active and crazy, but that's just me."

"You certainly brighten up the mood," Rainfur mused. "So who else is on this patrol?" Tawnyfoot gasped with happiness as he asked the question.

"Well, the patrol leader is Treeleg," said Tawnyfoot, flicking her tail to the light brown tabby tom in front of them. "I think he's a big meany. He hates Poppyheart, Stormpaw, and you because you're not Clan born. I don't like him much, but he's a good fighter. I also believe he's a few moons younger than Snakeheart and Nightstar, but I could be wrong."

"Are they brothers?" asked Rainfur.

"Yep," Tawnyfoot replied.

"That would explain Nightstar's anger yesterday," Rainfur told her, feeling good about knowing such good information.

"Yeah, those two are always bickering," said Tawnyfoot. "Anyways, the she-cat behind us is Cinderpelt. She's the most loyal cat you could meet, though in some ways, she's pretty scary. She doesn't trust many cats, so a glare is what you'll get from her at best. Then there's Stormpaw, you and myself. Did I miss anyone?" Rainfur shook his head.

"I'm really sorry about Thistleclaw," Rainfur murmured. Tawnyfoot lowered her head a bit before shrugging.

"It's not that big a deal," said Tawnyfoot, the happy glint in her eye gone. "I mean, cats die every day, and they're still with us, just in StarClan. We're in a war, and we don't have time to mourn over our lost ones."

"That was very bravely put," said Rainfur kindly, lighting up her face again.

The patrol walked toward the border that belonged to no one on the other side. Rainfur had hoped to keep his return a secret from all of the Clans until the gathering that was going to happen the next day. It would be safer, especially with orders to kill him on sight from Sharpstar.

"Wait!" hissed Treeleg, making the patrol stop. "Twolegs are near! Quick! Hide!" As the other patrol members hid behind a nearby bush, Rainfur followed with confusion. They were scared of Twolegs?

"Stormpaw! Get over here!" Treefoot hissed, watching as the brown and white apprentice just stood there, looking very confused as to why they were hiding.

"But why?" asked Stormpaw. "Those stupid kids won't hurt us at all as long as we're careful. They're too busy playing with their dog." Everyone in the patrol aside from Rainfur narrowed their eyes with confusion.

"Kids?" asked Cinderpelt. "What are those animals?"

"Another word for Twoleg kit," Rainfur hissed, eying Stormpaw. "Now get over here. I'm sure they won't hurt us, but we must take caution." Stormpaw walked over and hid with them, knowing what Rainfur had said was basically a kind way of saying,  play along before I make you clean out the elders den for a moon.

Rainfur and the others watched carefully as the Twolegs talked outside their tents, barbequing and playing with each other in the summer air. It was something Rainfur remembered doing a lot with Daniel and Alfie when he was younger.

"Why are their nests so small?" asked Tawnyfoot. "I thought they lived in huge nests that had several rooms and were taller than the mountains!"

"Those 'nests' are called tents, mouse-brain," Stormpaw growled. "And they're just temporary. They'll leave after summer is over." Rainfur quickly nipped Stormpaw's neck, making the small apprentice hiss with fury.

"Shut up," Rainfur hissed lowly, too small for the others to hear.

"Tents? That's an odd name for a den," Tawnyfoot wondered aloud. "I wonder how they move the den. It's so huge! And what's summer?"

"Another word for green-leaf," Rainfur muttered. "Now can we get moving? The Twolegs aren't going anywhere, and we need to keep moving before one of those dogs scents us."

Too late.

A small brown puppy was coming over, straying from its owners as it followed the scent of cats. It was coming closer and closer to the bush, and though it was small for dog, it was too big for a cat to handle. Rainfur quickly tried to figure out how to scare it. Puppies were naturally interested in everything, but if that something attacked it, they would soak up the information like a sponge and never go to that bush again.

As soon as Rainfur made up a plan, however, Stormpaw stepped out of the bush and padded over to the dog, making everyone on the patrol gasp.

"Stormpaw, what are you doing?" Tawnyfoot called after him.

"Stormpaw, get over here this moment!" Treeleg hissed.

"StarClan, that apprentice is going to get himself killed," Cinderpelt muttered.

"Don't worry, he knows what he's doing," Rainfur growled, getting their attention. "Like me, he's had experience with dogs of all sizes, as well as with Twolegs, which is why he knows so much. This particular dog is young, and will be easy to scare. However, he's planning something else, I can see it in his eyes."

Stormpaw was looking the dog in the eye as it bounded up to him, its tongue out and its tail wagging. As it reached Stormpaw, it tilted its head in confusion, probably thinking, 'that's a strange looking dog.' Stormpaw gave a play bow, looking straight to the dog. The dog barked loudly, also going into a play bow.

Stormpaw jumped to the side, and the puppy followed. Stormpaw jumped to the other side, and the puppy mimicked the move. This went on for a few more minutes before Treeleg had had enough.

"I'm going to go get the mouse-brain before he kills himself," Treefoot hissed. "Nightstar wouldn't be happy if his apprentice got killed by a young dog." Rainfur hissed in warning, dragging the impatient tom back.

"Just wait," Rainfur growled. "He's doing something good. The puppy is barking loudly, getting its Twoleg's attention. See look, they're calling it." Treeleg was quiet as he listened to the small family call for its puppy, who licked Stormpaw once before running back up the hill to its owners.

Stormpaw walked back, slimy and slobbery from the puppy's lick. He did not look happy, but the rest of the patrol still sniggered and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Stormpaw snapped. "I'd like to see you all try and stand up to a dog twice as big as yourselves!" Rainfur smiled at Stormpaw, quite proud of his apprentice.

"Good job, Stormpaw," Rainfur told him. "You managed to use your extra intelligence to get the Twoleg's attention. Good thinking." Stormpaw just glared at Rainfur before looking away.

The rest of the patrol went quickly and quietly like Rainfur had wanted. He memorized his surroundings, trying to do his best to look like he had authority, not like a kit. This didn't exactly work, though, because he was so interested in everything around him. ShadowClan was the only territory he hadn't figured out.

By the time they'd returned to camp, the rest of the Clan was waiting. They seemed curious as to how it went, knowing very well that Twolegs were near the territory they went by.

"Any news?" asked Nightstar, padding over with a look of pride on his face. Rainfur shook his head.

"Nothing very important," Rainfur responded. "We had a bit of trouble with a dog that had wondered off, but thanks to Stormpaw, no one was hurt. The Twolegs seem to be keeping out of the territory, and no rogues or loners were scented." Nightstar nodded.

"Looks like your apprentice is smarter than I originally thought," Nightstar told him. "Great work. I announced the gathering patrol just a few moments ago. You and Stormpaw are joining us tonight, along with Cinderpelt, Tawnyfoot, Snakeheart, Stripeclaw, Scorchspot, Sweetclaw, Poppyheart, Featherpaw, and Runningpaw. You might want to rest until then." Rainfur nodded.

"I shall do so," said Rainfur before turning around. He walked toward Sweetclaw, who seemed to be playing with Mudkit, Cloverkit, and Tigerkit. He sat and watched, smiling as he saw Sweetclaw trying to teach them the hunting crouch.

"You see, that's all you have to do," Sweetclaw was saying, crouching low to the ground. "If you do it correctly, you'll be the best hunters in the Clan!"

"We'll be as good as daddy!" Mudkit exclaimed. The other two agreed before they found Rainfur sitting there. Their faces lit up as they bounded over to him, their small bodies quite fast for their age.

"Hey, you're that new cat, aren't you?" asked Mudkit, his small brown body standing at Rainfur's feet. "Rainfur, wasn't it?"

"Of course, mouse-brain," Cloverkit teased, standing by his brother. "What else would he be called, Waterleg?"

"Hey, it fits!" Mudkit pointed out. "Anyway, will you come train with us? I remember you telling the others that you're faster and stronger than Sharpstar! Can you teach us?" Rainfur looked at them in surprise, quite shocked that they knew about Sharpstar.

"Er—"

"Please?" asked Cloverkit, looking quite hopeful. "We want to become very strong so that when we become apprentice, we can kill those flee-bags that killed daddy!"

"Revenge isn't something kits as young as you should have," Rainfur murmured. "Think of it this way, if I show you some moves, you'll be learning so that you can fight ThunderClan and destroy the threat to ShadowClan, okay?" The kits nodded in understanding before Rainfur stood up, ready to show them something he'd just recently learned.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do," Rainfur told them. "Cloverkit is going to be behind me, Mudkit is going to be in front of me, and Tigerkit, you'll surprise me, okay?" The kits nodded before getting in their places, ready for instructions.

"Now I'll attack Mudkit, and you guys will defend him, okay?" asked Rainfur. He saw quick nods of agreement before he crouched low to the ground and lunging playfully toward Mudkit.

After a few moments, Cloverkit and Tigerkit were on top of him. Cloverkit was near his shoulders while Tigerkit was on his hindquarters. Rainfur fell as if he were over-powered, but accidentally made Cloverkit slip. She gasped, shock overcoming her as her hind legs slid off the side of Rainfur. Her claws instinctively unsheathed, digging into Rainfur's skin.

"Ow!" Rainfur hissed loudly, reaching back and grabbing Cloverkit's scruff. He set her down before sitting up, making Tigerkit slip off. Rainfur quickly reached over and licked his wound, realizing a bit too late that it was his scar in which was scratched.

The adult cats that had gathered to watch the kits play all gasped with fear, standing up—ready to attack. Rainfur just looked at them, smiling widely. They all looked shocked as he just sat there, and as they relaxed, Rainfur noticed the admiration in their eyes.

"Told you I was safe," said Rainfur, grinning. "As long as I know it's going to happen, I can prevent my change. Even if I can't prevent it, nothing bad will happen. Never again should you worry about meeting the insanity I once had." The cats around him whispered to each other, looking very shocked and relieved.

"Thank you for showing us that move, Rainfur!" said Tigerkit. "That was awesome!"

"Yeah, that was so cool!" Mudkit agreed.

"Sorry I scratched you," Cloverkit whispered her head lowered.

"It's okay," Rainfur told her, smiling again. "Just remember that cats always fall on all four feet, so you didn't have to worry about staying on." Cloverkit looked up to him, smiling warmly. The three kits ran off into the nursery then, jumping up and down with excitement.

I wonder if that's what my kits are going to be like. . . Rainfur thought.

Rainfur walked beside Nightstar uncomfortably. Even when he was in ThunderClan, he usually stayed to the back and let everyone else lead. Now, however he was pushed to the front because he was the deputy. It was strange, and it felt very odd.

The cats behind him were both excited, yet worried, and Rainfur knew exactly why. This would be the first time in a long time they'd be going to see a Clan gathering, seeing as the other one was cancelled because of the great fire. For that, they were excited, especially those who had friends from other Clans.

They were worried, however, because they knew how the Clans would react with Rainfur's return. ShadowClan would be disgraced, but if they were thinking correctly, they would know that eventually, they would be thanking ShadowClan for letting Rainfur back.

"I'm not going to mention Stormpaw as a new arrival," Nightstar was saying. "I don't want Sharpstar knowing that I've let a loner into my Clan, having already let you in. I will, however, announce Stormpaw as an apprentice, for he needs the thrill of being cheered for. This will be before I explain your arrival, of course."

"I understand," said Rainfur. "But don't you think they'll be too interested in me to care about a new apprentice?"

"Indeed," Nightstar replied. "I don't really mind though, and I don't think Stormpaw does either. He doesn't really care about being an apprentice, does he?" Rainfur shook his head.

"No, and I'm hoping to figure out why before we go to war with ThunderClan," Rainfur told his leader. "I have a feeling I already know, but I don't want to take my chances. If he is who I think he is, however, I'll be able to straighten him out when the time comes."

"Such brave words from such a young tom," Nightstar mused, smiling widely. "I have chosen wisely." Rainfur dipped his head in respect before noticing that they were close to the gathering place.

It was so odd going this way. He'd always gone past WindClan territory to get to the Gathering place, and yet now they were going through RiverClan.

Rainfur's life flashed before him, remembering the first time he saw Wolfheart and Thorntail together. It continued on as he remembered telling RiverClan about Thorntail's pregnancy, and then bringing the kits here. Remembering Duskkit, however, just made him lower his head. That was another cat he owed something to.

When they reached the fallen tree, Rainfur was hesitant. At first he decided to be the last to go, but then another cat nudged him, reminding him that he was deputy, and he deserved to go first.

With a leap that seemed to last forever, Rainfur was on the fallen log, smiling as he remembered crossing with Robinwing and Shadowflame. Oh what he'd give to see those two again. Oh what he'd give to know that they were safe. Oh what he'd give to make sure that the leader beating them was killed.

After padding across the fallen log, he jumped onto the tiny island. Rainfur waited for the other cats to come, surrounding himself so that the other Clans wouldn't notice him. The ShadowClan cats just shrugged it off and continued, but soon they went off to talk to the RiverClan cats.

As Rainfur got a larger look at the island, he found that WindClan and ThunderClan were talking with each other, yet they glared at any ShadowClan or RiverClan cat that went by. This would mean that Rosestar probably accepted Sharpstar's offer, leaving him to growl in frustration.

"Rainfur?" asked a familiar voice beside him. "I-is that you?" Rainfur turned to see Cloudstreak, a young friend of his. Rainfur smiled as he saw her, forgetting about everything else.

"It's me, Cloudstreak," Rainfur told her. "It's been awhile now, hasn't it?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Cloustreak, her eyes wide with fear and shock. "I—I thought you—you w-were exiled!"

"ShadowClan took me in," Rainfur told her. "You'll probably hear the rest later." Seeing her clouded with so much emotion saddened Rainfur, making him lower his head.

"Cloudstreak!" the familiar voice of Swiftheart called.

"I—I gotta go. . ." Cloudstreak murmured after a moment of silence. After she ran off to her brother, Rainfur smiled again. Seeing a childhood friend like that seemed to make him a bit happier, reminding him that this was all worth something.

"Rainfur! You're back!" called Reedfeather from a few feet away. He hunkered, hoping no one noticed. "I can't believe it! You smell like ShadowClan. . .is that where you've been staying?"

"I, er, can't explain," Rainfur told her. "I'm sure Nightstar will tell you. Anyway, how are the kits doing? Why are you here? Don't the kits need you?"

"They're with a new queen of ours," Reedfeather told him, smiling widely. "I wanted to come see how everyone was doing with your exile, but it seems I came for another reason now. Thorntail's kits are doing quite fine. Snowkit's become quite the little sweetheart, as long as you don't call her a ball of cotton. Nightkit's become more of a bully, but I'm hoping his mentor will train him out of it. I was worried about Duskkit, but it seems he's gotten over his fear of you." As Reedfeather finished, Rainfur felt his stomach lurch. The memory of Duskkit's scared whimpers had come to his head, but he pushed them away with effort.

"I'm glad they're okay," said Rainfur. "I actually—"

A sudden yowl caught his attention, and then he found out that Bravestar was calling the Clan gathering. He quickly looked over to Reedfeather before lowering his head.

"Sorry, I need to go," Rainfur murmured before padding over to the other deputies.

Once Rainfur came into the moonlight without any cat in front of him, everyone gasped with shock, happiness or fear. As he sat by the roots where the other deputies were, he found three scorching glares sent at him.

The first was from Wolfheart, the RiverClan deputy. He looked both angry and sad that Rainfur had returned, and with a warning look from Wolfheart, Rainfur took a few steps back. This was not how he remembered the brave RiverClan deputy, but then again, no one seemed to be the same with a war brewing.

The second glare was from Falconclaw—WindClan's deputy—who Rainfur wasn't surprised about. Not only had he nearly killed that tom, he'd killed seven lives of his mother, which was Rosestar. Rainfur knew that if any cat wanted revenge on him, it would be Falconclaw.

The fourth cat who glared at him, the one that surprised Rainfur the most, was Tigerpelt, ThunderClan's new deputy. He was a nice cat when Rainfur had first met him, but at the moment he looked very angry and aggressive. There was also something within him that Rainfur knew had changed, leaving him afraid. If Sharpstar could change that single cat, how many others were now as evil as that poor excuse for a leader?

"RiverClan prey has returned, and the fish are well again after the poisoning," Bravestar told the Clans as he stood up to speak. "I am pleased to announce that we have had no trouble with the sudden rogue attacks like WindClan and ShadowClan, and that my Clan is strong. A Warrior of ours, Dewdrop, has now announced that she is expecting kits soon, with Swiftheart as the father. Aside from that, there is no more news."

Sharpstar stood up next, leaving Rainfur to bite his tongue and dig his claws into the ground to keep from climbing up the tree and pushing Sharpstar off. His anger was boiling, and Rainfur could tell that Sharpstar's was as well.

"ThunderClan is thriving!" Sharpstar announced happily. "Our prey has returned, our kits are strong and healthy, and our medicine cats have healed any wound that we've come across. I am pleased to announce that Grassfur has had her kits, who have been named Lillykit and Cottonkit." Sharpstar smirked before continuing.

"On another I shall announce that I have given an offer to Rosestar, leader of WindClan," Sharpstar continued. "The offer is basically a deal to combine both of our Clans to make everything simpler and purer." There were murmurs everywhere, but Sharpstar did not stop. "If she accepts, I will become the new leader of both Clans, being both stronger and having more lives. I will have control over the Warriors, while she has control over the queens and kits. We will choose one deputy over the two of them, and we will combine the territories and land. The queens will live at her camp, and the Warriors will at mine. We will still have all four of our medicine cats, though hers will specialize in helping mothers kit, while mine will specialize in battle wounds. It is a simple offer that will help both our Clans." Sharpstar sat down and looked to Rosestar eagerly.

Rosestar stood up then, giving a sharp glare to Rainfur before saying, "WindClan is doing fine after the rogues attacks, and everything along both borders have been staying on their side. Bramblepaw and Willowpaw have finally received their Warrior names: Brambletail and Willowbreeze." Rosestar paused before glancing at Sharpstar, as if a little uncomfortable about something.

"I am also pleased to announce that WindClan has accepted Sharpstar's offer." Loud yells of protest followed her answer, but she just shook her head. "I want this for my Clan, and for StarClan. They need to see that just one Clan isn't as bad as it seems." Rosestar sat down after that, looking back to Rainfur.

Nightstar was the last cat to stand up, and though he looked quite proud, he was hiding an emotion in which was probably worry.

"ShadowClan's prey has returned, leaving us ready for leaf-fall's far away threat," Nightstar began. "We have a new apprentice, Stormpaw, who has already begun training." Though it was only for a moment, Nightstar stopped to let the younger cats cheer for Stormpaw, who looked quite annoyed.

"Though we've had a rogue band attack us, there were no serious wounds," Nightstar continued. "While the attack as going on, Rainfur, the cat we exiled a moon ago, returned. At first, we were afraid, having seen what he can do, but after he explained a few things to us, I let him join my Clan." As Nightstar paused, the murmurs, whispers, and protest began.

"Are you mouse-brain?" asked Rosestar. "He's a murderer! He killed Ravenstar! How could you let him join your Clan like that?" Rainfur growled lowly, his eyes narrowed. How could anyone agree with that? They knew it wasn't his fault, they just needed someone to blame.

"After giving me proof, I've learned that he's actually controlled that will to kill," Nightstar replied, sitting up confidently. "After the battle, I learned that my deputy, Thistleclaw, died when some rogues attacked him and his apprentice. His body was brought back as I tried to decide who I'd name deputy."

"So what, you just pick the strongest cat you could?" asked Rosestar. "You're mouse-brain! Rainfur is not fit to be a deputy! He's never had an apprentice, and he's a murderer! He's killed before!" Rainfur hissed again, feeling his fur bristling. He was getting sick and tired of being called a murderer, especially by Rosestar.

"I have given Stormpaw to Rainfur," Nightstar hissed, narrowing his eyes. "And I believe my decision was wise on my behalf, and I shall not believe otherwise."

"You're taking too much of a risk, Nightstar," Sharpstar murmured, glaring at Rainfur. "If his scar is scratched, he will kill again, and who's to say it'll be your own Clan?"

You're just trying to get everyone else to agree with you,  Rainfur thought bitterly, his tail twitching.

"I have to agree," said Bravestar, looking as if he didn't know whose side to choose. "How could you risk something like that happen? He may be strong, but he's still not under control."

Didn't Nightstar just tell you that I was okay now? Rainfur thought.

"He's under control!" Nightstar yelled, getting irritated. "He told me himself!"

"And where's your proof?" asked Rosestar. "He's still got his scar! He'll kill us all! That monster is just a problem waiting to happen, one that is blood-thirsty and only wants revenge for what we rightfully did to him!"

Say one more thing, just one more,  Rainfur thought furiously. I will show you what Jactur is  really  like.

Oooh, this sounds interesting,  Jactur mused.

Stay tuned,  Rainfur thought to his friend. If she says one more thing about you being a killer, I'm going to-

"It wasn't him!" Nightstar hissed. "He had someone controlling him, you know that. But he's controlled that part of him now! He's fine, and he'll be the strongest cat you've ever come to know."

"Oh, so is that what you're saying now?" asked Rosestar, raising her eyebrows. "Fine then, if that's what you want. Either way, that part of him should be killed, for it does not deserve to live in this forest. It killed me just for the fun of it, that little—"

"Would you like your proof, Rosestar?" hissed Rainfur, making everyone look at him. His coat had turned an opposite colour, and his eyes were now a dark blue. His scar was glowing a brilliant yellow, and with one look, everyone gasped and backed away quickly.

"Get away!" Rosestar screamed to her Clan.

"No, stay," Rainfur demanded. "I'm still me, and I won't kill any of you. I'm not here for revenge, and just because I was out of control when I left, does not mean I am now. I made some stupid mistakes, but I've come back to make them right!"

"You're. . .You're faking it!" Rosestar hissed. "You're going to kill us all."

Rainfur's eyes narrowed. He was furious, more than he'd ever been. They treated him as if he were from the Dark Forest. They talked about Jactur as if he were a demon. They didn't even think about the fact that he could control himself. They were the mouse-brains, and they would soon see.

"Jactur, I think we have a little lesson to teach this mouse-brain of a leader," Rainfur growled. The cats around him were looking at him as if he were a ghost, thinking that he was going to lunge at them at any second.

" You know what? I think that is a very good idea,"  Jactur responded, his demonic voice echoing throughout the island, leaving everyone to scream. "Shall I do the honours?"

"Go on ahead," said Rainfur, his eyes pinned on Rosestar, who looked as if she were going to fall off the tree with fright. "Tell them of who we are."

With a loud swoosh, ten blades showed up in the sky, fire connecting them. It looked like a star, just like last time, and it flickered with strength and beauty.

"Do not retreat," said Rainfur, turning to the Clan cats. "I am not going to kill you. I am going to explain to you of what I am, and what I can do." The cats still seemed scared, but they were at least a bit curious now.

Five starry figures showed up at the points of the stars. Thunderstar was at the top right point, and Shadowstar was at the top left point. Windstar was at the bottom left point, and Riverstar was at the bottom right. At the very top stood Cheetahfur, her eyes glaring at any cat who stared at her.

"The wish of a normal life," said Rainfur, flicking his tail to Thunderstar. "To be brave and let my emotions go, leaving me to forget about my past, and move on. For this, I thank the wish that Thunderstar, the first leader of ThunderClan, gave me." The cats around him were murmuring in curiosity now, recognizing the three other cats above.

"The wish of a family," Rainfur continued, flicking his tail to Riverstar. "To be honest, kind, and freely accept those who try to comfort me. For this, I thank the wish that Riverstar, the first leader of RiverClan, gave me." Now the cats were feeling safer as they realizing that Rainfur's insanity had something to with StarClan, meaning that it probably wasn't all that bad.

"The wish of loyalty," Rainfur started again, flicking his tail to WindClan. "To not shy away from the thought of being protected, as well as the thought of blaming myself for a death I did not commit. For this, I thank the wish that Windstar, the first leader of WindClan, gave me." Rosestar gasped in shock, her eyes wide with surprise. Rainfur smirked. He had accomplished what he'd wanted.

"The wish of justice," said Rainfur, flicking his tail to Shadowstar, while at the same time looking to Rosestar, Bravestar, Nightstar, and Sharpstar. "To sort out what my mind has made a mess of, to let fate carry me to where it wanted me to go, and let me take over from there. For this, I thank the wish that Shadowstar, the first leader of ShadowClan, gave me." The cats were quiet now, trying to figure out who the last cat was.

"The wish of another life," Rainfur continued, flicking his tail to Cheetahfur. "To be normal, to be free, and to live with the depression and guilt. For this, I thank the wish that Cheetahfur gave me. Once a Warrior of ThunderClan, now the bravest cat I shall ever know." Rainfur looked back to the leaders now, narrowing his eyes tightly.

"These cats gave away everything to lead me to these Clans," Rainfur hissed. "They are of StarClan, and to me, they were giving me a second chance. I trust these cats, and I shall forever. For that, you cannot say that I am not a Warrior." Rainfur paused a bit before continuing.

"Cheetahfur, the one who has explained everything to me, was the one who wanted me cured the most," said Rainfur. "She wanted me to have a life free of pain, and free of the memories that would haunt me forever. While she was trying to get rid of these memories, however, something went wrong. They rebelled against her, and then she let go of them as they retreated back into my mind.

"Since then, the thing you call my insanity, has lived within me," Rainfur hissed. "It was always there, but never appeared until my scar was scratched. The memories were brought up, and then I went insane. That's at least how it started out.

"The insanity grew, and with Sharpstar secretly training me to control it, it grew even faster," Rainfur continued. "With every time my scar was scratched, it became more like a living thing, and eventually, it was just another cat trapped in my mind.

"At first I found it even worse than the first time my scar had been scratched, but then he started talking to me," said Rainfur. "He kept telling me things I had no idea existed, like the fact that he and I were the same.

"After the fire that I'm sure you all remember, he told me to give him a name, resulting in trust and then combing our minds together. At first I refused, but just a half-moon ago, the memories came to me, and I wasn't in my right mind. I gave the thing a name, in which he is now called Jactur.

"He let me know what was going on back here, and what horrible things could go wrong. I listened, getting angrier each time I noticed a problem. After this, he trained the anger, and made it strength and speed."

Rainfur ran over to the nearest cat he could find within seconds, making everyone gasp. He then leaped all the way back to where he'd been with the strength in his legs showing greatly.

"He helped me, and now I've returned to set things right," Rainfur hissed. "After giving him a name, I have found a connection with him. Like my brother, he knows all that I do, and now that he has trained me for his needs, he will help me defeat the danger I know is lurking in every shadow.

"Is that the proof you wanted, Rosestar?" asked Rainfur. "The proof of how StarClan was the one that brought me here, and thought I hate to admit it, StarClan is the reason eight lives of yours are gone. Is that the proof you wanted, Sharpstar, that I am as strong as I seem, and to kill me, you'll need a lot more than a stupid cat willing to die for something as stupid as revenge? Is that the proof you wanted, Bravestar, that I am no longer a threat to any Clan, and with my strength, I will be able to defeat anyone I come across? I have proven my belonging, and I don't want to hear another word about it."

It was quiet for what seemed like hours. No one spoke, they just thought about what they just heard. Rosestar remained shocked, Sharpstar remained surprised, get angry, Bravestar remained humble looking, and Nightstar was now showing his pride.

"You—you're lying!" Rosestar hissed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "There is no way StarClan would be the one to blame for bringing that monster into this Clan! It's impossible!"

" Rainfur speaks the truth,"  Shadowstar, Riverstar, Windstar, Thunderstar, and Cheetahfur echoed. " It was our wish that he be brought here, and it was I, Cheetahfur, who made the mistake of trying to help a dying cat."

"But—no! That's impossible!" Rosestar screamed, her eyes wide. "StarClan would never doom my Clan like that!"

" We are not the ones responsible of the defeat of your Clan, Rosestar,"  the StarClan leaders echoed. " It is the one who makes the decisions that has to make the mistakes, and therefore has to pay the price."

"No!" Rosestar screamed.

" Rainfur will stay. The Saviour will save us. Let blood be split unnecessarily, let death take the lives of many, but fear the name of the sorrowed soul. Fear the strength of the stars. Fear the growth of the sky. The Saviour is coming. The martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the martyr. . .the pariah. . .the shadow. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . . the unwanted. . .the unloved. . .the unprotected. . .the unwanted. . ."

The StarClan cats vanished, and Rainfur gasped aloud as he realised how tense he was. He relaxed, panting heavily. Letting Jactur do that took a toll on him and as his legs were shaking, he looked up to Nightstar, begging him to leave the gathering patrol out. Nightstar nodded before jumping down the tree, landing right beside Rainfur.

"You did something very brave," was all Nightstar said before leading ShadowClan out of the gathering place.

Chapter 28
In the days that followed the Gathering, Rainfur went on like normal. He'd take Stormpaw out once a day to either train him to hunt or to fight, and then he would go on his own patrol. When Rainfur went on a patrol, it was normally over by the Twolegs or RiverClan, and though he sometimes went to the ThunderClan border, it was mainly just at night. The Clan agreed to keep Rainfur safe, having now accepted that he was their way out of the nightmare they were in.

Stormpaw continued to be his annoying bratty self, always making comments about how stupid cats were and about how he wanted to go back home. Rainfur wanted desperately to ask where his home was and why he wanted to die, but he knew also that Stormpaw needed time to settle into the Clan.

It had been nearly a half moon since the gathering, and since then RiverClan had been getting very curious. They would always ask how ThunderClan was doing, and afterward tell them of how WindClan was doing. Rainfur knew that they wanted to be protected, but he wasn't sure if Nightstar  wanted  to protect them. That would be something to ask if ThunderClan got a bit stronger.

At the moment, Rainfur was cautiously walking with Snakeheart and a few others toward the ThunderClan border. He had made himself go, and though he scented a ThunderClan patrol coming closer, he didn't stop. Rainfur wasn't going to let Sharpstar see the fear that he had clawing at his skin like ants in his nest.

By the time they reached the border it was nearly moonhigh. Rainfur hated the night patrols, but with ThunderClan teasing and taunting them every time they saw each other, it had to be done. It was necessary and safe.

When they were half-way through marking the border, five dark figures showed up in the distance. They were coming toward the ShadowClan patrol, and once everyone noticed, they tensed, ready for a fight.

"Aw, the scaredy little ShadowClan cats afraid that we're going to crush them?" sneered a cold voice. The dark figure that it belonged to was a dark ginger tom, whom Rainfur knew as Tigerpelt. "I guess not. They've got Rainy on their patrol so they don't need to be worried at all."

Hey, that's my nickname for you! Jactur hissed. Name-stealer!

"Step down, Tigerpelt," the familiar voice of Springfur, ironically Tigerpelt's mate, murmured. "We cannot risk a fight. Sharpstar doesn't want one yet." Tigerpelt rolled his eyes.

"I'd still like to see these flea-bags cross our border," Tigerpelt teased. "They would then feel the power of Sharpstar's lead!"

"Shut up!" hissed the familiar voice of Falconclaw. "I may not be deputy anymore, but I am still older than you!"

"So it's true then?" asked Rainfur, his eyes narrowed. "WindClan is now ThunderClan?"

"Of course!" Tigerpelt growled. "Why else would we be this strong?" Rainfur's fur bristled, his claws urging to unsheathe.

"Don't start a fight, Rainfur," Snakeheart hissed then, getting his attention. "We have enough to worry about as it is." Rainfur relaxed after giving the slender Warrior a long glare.

Rainfur let his mind wander. He let himself look at the cats in the large patrol. Springfur, Bluepaw and Lionpaw's mother. Tigerpelt, once a great Warrior, now an annoying deputy. Falconclaw, the cat who wanted revenge on him most. Silvershine, another WindClan cat whom he once killed, but then brought back to life. Then, the last cat Rainfur had wanted to see, Flamepelt, his kithood friend.

When Rainfur saw Flamepelt, his fury doubled. The ginger tom had many wounds and scars throughout his pelt, and his eyes were dull with exhaustion. Sharpstar must have beaten Flamepelt, and this made Rainfur want to kill the current ThunderClan leader even more.

"This is the first time in a long time I've caught you on a patrol, Rainy," Tigerpelt growled. "What's the matter? Too embarrassed to show your face?" Rainfur growled lowly for warning before calming himself down. There was no need for a fight.

"I've been busy with my apprentice," Rainfur lied. "Stormpaw is growing tremendously strong. I hope you get to see one day. You know, after we change ThunderClan back to the way it was."

"You want to change it back to that pathetic loner and rogue filled Clan it was?" asked Tigerpelt in a taunting voice. "That would be just like you." Rainfur narrowed his eyes a bit before looking to Flamepelt. The other cats also seemed to notice, though it was Bluepaw who said something at last.

"You haven't said anything at all," Bluepaw squeaked. "You've just been staring at Rainfur. Were you two friends?" Flamepelt opened his mouth to answer, but Tigerpelt said something first.

"He's a newbie," Tigerpelt hissed, glaring at the young tom. "After Shadowflame announced that she's expecting his kits, he's been a bit rebellious. Sharpstar got through to him though. Now he's just quiet. That answer your question, pipsqueak?" Bluepaw gave a high-pitched growl before standing proudly.

Rainfur sighed. He knew Flamepelt and Shadowflame had loved each other, and he knew that they would eventually be mates, but at this time? It had to be the worst time to expect kits. The worst. Flamepelt was not going to have a happy several moons if he kept rebelling against Sharpstar, but it seemed that he'd gotten past that. Now the young ginger tom looked defeated.

Rainfur suddenly got an idea. However, how would he tell Flamepelt of it? He was probably always surrounded by Sharpstar's followers from what it sounded like. Rainfur quickly thought of something that he hoped Flamepelt would catch onto.

"Well then, I hope he listens to Sharpstar," said Rainfur, looking at Tigerpelt though aiming it at Flamepelt. "He can be vicious when he wants to be."

"And why would you care?" hissed Tigerpelt, his amber eyes narrowed tightly.

"He  was  once my Clan-mate," Rainfur growled, keeping himself calm no matter how much he wanted to kill the arrogant deputy. "So were you, but I guess you've basically disowned me now." Tigerpelt's tail lashed, but the strong tom kept himself from crossing the border.

"So what?" Tigerpelt hissed. "Did you two take sunhigh walks or something? Pathetic! You must have been worthless when you were a Warrior."

"I quite enjoyed those walks with Flamepelt and his sister," Rainfur murmured. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing, only that it seemed to be helping. Flamepelt was thinking about something, and he was trying to arrange Rainfur's words into the secret code.

"Rainfur, what are you talking about?" asked Snakeheart, looking very confused. "Are you  trying  to start a fight?"

"Of course not," Rainfur hissed back to his fellow Warrior. "I'm just telling Flamepelt to listen to Sharpstar, and maybe even gain his trust. Maybe if he did that, his sister would be safe."

"Wait," said Flamepelt, suddenly talking. "How did you know that Amberstorm was in danger?" Everyone looked to him with confusion, but he did not want to answer that question.

"I have my ways," Rainfur muttered. "I know many things, in fact. If I were to tell you about them, you would think I were from StarClan." Tigerpelt's tail suddenly twitched with irritation.

"You're just trying to scare us!" Tigerpelt hissed, his head held higher. "Come on, let's leave before our brains rot by being next to such mouse-brained cats!" The ThunderClan patrol left rather quickly, and Rainfur could tell that Flamepelt had caught what he needed to know. The young ginger tom kept looking back to Rainfur, his eyes wide.

"What did you do?" hissed Snakeheart. "You started a worthless conversation!"

"It wasn't worthless," Rainfur growled, turning back toward his Warriors. "I was trying to tell Flamepelt to be a spy without actually telling the cats around him."

"Oh really?" asked Snakeheart. "And why would we need a spy?"

"We need to know when Sharpstar is planning to drive out ShadowClan," Rainfur told the elder Warrior. "When we know, we'll attack before that happens. You know Sharpstar is planning something, he just needs the numbers to do it. I have a feeling he's trying to make RiverClan join his 'Clan' even as we speak." Snakeheart looked to Rainfur suspiciously.

"Okay, fine, we need a spy," said Snakeheart. "But why Flamepelt?"

"I know that I can trust him," said Rainfur simply. "His sister, Amberstorm, is important to him. I could blackmail him if he tries to do anything mouse-brained." The cats on the patrol tilted their heads with confusion.

"What's blackmail?" asked Snakeheart. Rainfur rolled his eyes, forgetting once again that cats were a bit dumber than humans.

"It basically means to trick," Rainfur explained. "If you do this, I'll do this to such and such, got it?"

"Oh," said Snakeheart.

"Anyways, I think Flamepelt understood what I was trying to send to him," Rainfur thought aloud. "When I told Tigerpelt that Flamepelt should listen to Sharpstar, I was telling him to be careful. Sharpstar has nine lives and can do some nasty things." Snakeheart and the others nodded, very curious now.

"When I told him that he was once my Clan-mate, I was telling him that I still cared for him and I still considered him my friend," Rainfur continued. "When I told him that I enjoyed our walks at sunhigh, I was not only telling Flamepelt to meet me at the border, I was tricking Tigerpelt into thinking that Flamepelt would want to take walks during sunhigh, not moonhigh, the time I  want  to meet with Flamepelt." Sunpaw nodded, a grin on his face.

"When I told him that I just wanted his sister to be safe, I was really letting him know that if he did what I told him, I would ensure his sister's safety." Rainfur paused, but unfortunately, did not get to continue.

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Snakeheart. "Amberstorm lives in ThunderClan!"

"Just because I do not share her den does not mean I can't make sure she's safe," Rainfur growled. "I want Flamepelt to get Sharpstar's trust, and with that trust, Amberstorm will not be hurt because Sharpstar will like Flamepelt too much." Snakeheart sighed with irritation, but didn't argue.

"Then, when I told him that I knew many things, I was creating a curiosity and a question that he would want answered," Rainfur continued. "He is curious, and that means he will want to come back so that I can answer any question he has. We will be talking about much more than what I know, of course."

"And you planned all that?" asked Sunpaw, amazement filling his eyes.

"As much as I would love to say 'yes', Sunpaw, no," Rainfur replied, an embarrassed look on his face. "I started the conversation, but I had no idea where it would lead. It just happened to go exactly how I wanted it." Sunpaw and the rest were quiet for a few moments before Rainfur sighed.

"Well, I think we've done as much damage as we can here," he muttered. "Let's go back to camp. I've got a hunting patrol to get to before anything nasty happens." Rainfur led the rest of the patrol out, smiling widely. Now all that needed to happen was Flamepelt agreeing to his offer, and though it seemed difficult, Rainfur had a good feeling that Flamepelt would accept for the greater good.

¤¤¤

The Saviour! He's come!

The Saviour needs guidance!

The Saviour needs the truth!

"Who is he?" Rainfur wondered aloud as he stood in the complete darkness. He'd been listening to the voices for hours, but it was just the same thing over and over again. Who on earth was it?

Suddenly, the darkness faded. The voices were no longer heard. In front of was Cheetahfur, oddly enough, and she seemed to be watching something.

As Rainfur looked around, he gasped with shock. They were in his Twoleg backyard! He remembered the brown fencing, the tall green grass, the basketball court, and even the black picnic table that was near the court. It was so familiar, yet in some ways, it didn't feel like home anymore.

Rainfur had to stare and wonder as Matthew walked over, led by Daniel as he played basketball. Matthew sat down, the sad, emotionless expression on his face. Rainfur couldn't believe it—when was this? It was must have been around two months before his death—but why? Rainfur looked back to Cheetahfur, who had continued to watch his human self with interest.

"Cheetahfur! What's going on?" Rainfur asked, a worried look in his eye.

Cheetahfur didn't answer.

"Cheetahfur? Why are you ignoring me?" asked Rainfur, a confused look in his eye as he walked over to the beautiful StarClan cat. "Cheetahfur, can you hear me? Hello? Are you—" Rainfur stopped short as he literally walked through her. Was she a ghost? Well, of course she was, but usually she was like any other cat. She seemed real now, yet he could still walk through her.

I must be back in time,  Rainfur thought. So  Cheetahfur  was  the cat who was stalking me all those years. This seems to be on a different occasion, though. ..

A pale tom suddenly started talking to her, and by Cheetahfur's expression, she knew who he was. His name was Tigerfang, and from what Rainfur saw, he was also a StarClan cat. He figured that he might as well listen to the conversation thus he understand why he was here.

"I'm only interested in the bigger one," Cheetahfur was saying. "He's just. . .strange. Unlike anything I've ever seen before." Cheetahfur looked very curious as to what the reason was, and Rainfur found himself putting his head low. Of course she would wonder why, and of course she wouldn't understand.

"Why do you say that?" asked Tigerfang, looking very suspicious. "They're all the same, aren't they?"

"No!" Cheetahfur snapped. "They're almost never alike. This one, though, is just too different. It's as strange as snow in Greenleaf..." Tigerfang seemed shocked at this, leaving Rainfur curious as to why he was surprised.

"Are you sure?" asked Tigerfang. Cheetahfur looked confused now, same as Rainfur.

"Yes," she replied. "Why?"

"Don't you know that a new prophecy has been made? Talking about, the 'strange one'?" asked Tigerfang. Cheetahfur's eyes widened. Rainfur knew she must have remembered it, though until Tigerfang reminded her, she probably hadn't even thought of it.

The scene changed again. Now Rainfur was in a very healthy forest, and once again Cheetahfur was walking beside him. Just like last time, however, she took no notice of him.

When she walked into a dark looking den, Rainfur followed. Cheetahfur looked nervous, as if she were in trouble, but Rainfur didn't really care to find out more. He was too interested in the other cats within the den.

There were four others, and instantly Rainfur knew who they were: Thunderstar, Riverstar, Windstar, and Shadowstar. Now Rainfur was really confused. Why would they want to speak to Cheetahfur? Hadn't they already decided to make him a cat?

"Cheetahfur," said Thunderstar then. "We are aware that you have been visiting a Twoleg once every moon. Is this rumour true?" Cheetahfur, cringing at the loud booming voice, lowered her head a little. Rainfur could tell she had no idea what she was in the den for, and this made her uncomfortable. Rainfur was curious as well.

"Y-yes, that's true," said Cheetahfur. Her voice was wavering, and she seemed a bit scared, but as Thunderstar stood up, he smiled, leaving her to tilt her head in confusion.

"Then we must ask you what you have learned," said Thunderstar. "I, for one, am curious." Cheetahfur looked up to the noble ThunderClan leader in astonishment. Her eyes were wide with shock and surprise, unable to believe that they were asking  her  of what she knew.

"B-but why?" asked Cheetahfur. "I don't understand."

"It's okay," said Riverstar, smiling warmly. "We aren't mad, just curious as to why you have been watching this Twoleg. We have been doing the same, but we still don't understand. What's so interesting about him that has caught your attention?" Cheetahfur still looked shocked, but after a few moments, she gulped. Rainfur just sat there, frozen. What was happening? What was this dream telling him?

"Well, the first day I saw the Twoleg it seemed upset," Cheetahfur explained. "I don't know for sure, but after watching other Twolegs, I noticed that it was depressed. I watched the Twoleg a lot after that, realizing that it seemed to be pushing the depression away. Then it started protecting this little Twoleg, one that is younger than it. The Twoleg seems happy now, but I can see past it. The Twoleg is just—strange."

Silence.

The four powerful leaders were thinking about what she said, calculating the information that was given to them. It was a very strange sight to see them all thinking like that, but Rainfur had much more to worry about. After several heart-beats, Thunderstar looked up to her.

"I am assuming you've heard of the prophecy," said Thunderstar. "So, let's get to the main point. Are you sure that he is strange, even if he were a cat?" Cheetahfur nodded.

"Yes," she responded. "It's like the Twoleg is wasting its life away, trying to forget the reason it's so sad. I've never seen anything like it."

"Then our decision is final," said Thunderstar. "Cheetahfur, we are going to turn this Twoleg into a cat."

The scene changed once again, but this time Rainfur returned to the darkness. He sighed as he thought of what just happened, the dream he'd just had. What was the point of it? What was StarClan trying to tell him?

From what Rainfur had gathered, Cheetahfur had taken interest in him since he was. . .nine. Then, when he started protecting Daniel, Cheetahfur had gotten even more curious. After that, the four leaders were trying to figure him out, but ended up asking Cheetahfur for an explanation. When she gave it to them, they decided to make him into a cat to reclaim his life.

Most of that information was stuff he already knew.

There was something that kept popping up though. It was the prophecy, talking about the Unexpected killing the Unexpected and the 'Strange One' being apart of it all.

All I need to do is figure out that prophecy.

"You are smart, Rainfur, but you are missing the clear picture," said the familiar voice of Cheetahfur. Rainfur looked up to see her starry figure ahead of him.

"What do you mean?" asked Rainfur curiously.

"I cannot tell you," Cheetahfur answered. "StarClan forbade me. It would hurt you to know anyway, and I know I must let you find out on your own. I am surprised you have not already found it out actually."

"I'm just confused," Rainfur muttered. "There are two prophecies—the one made before I was turned into a cat, and the one that Frostpaw received from you a few moons ago. Which one should I look to?"

"Both prophecies should be put aside right now, but both prophecies should also be looked into," Cheetahfur replied. "One talks of what will happen in just a few moons, the other talks of what will happen seasons into the future."

"Gee, that helps," Rainfur muttered.

"It wasn't supposed to!" Cheetahfur hissed. "Just think about what you've seen tonight. You will find the answer right in front of you."

Everything faded as soon as she finished, leaving Rainfur to gasp as he woke. Carefully sitting up, he made sure no one was awake. If anyone saw him leave, they'd ask him why, and that would be something he could answer, but would rather not.

After making sure all of the Warriors were asleep, Rainfur stood and quietly walked over the sleeping bodies of cats. He hoped he hadn't slept in, though by how dark it was outside, he doubted it.

When Rainfur made it out of the Warriors' den, he sighed with relief. It was nearly moonhigh, giving him enough time to go find Flamepelt near the ThunderClan border. Rainfur only glanced up to the moon again before running out of camp and toward the border.

By the time Rainfur reached the border, it was a little past moonhigh. It was cooler than usual, though there was a warm breeze. Rainfur could feel the energy in the air, leaving him to hope that a thunderstorm was not on its way. After what happened last time, the cats around this forest would be scared to death when it happened again.

Flamepelt was not far off from where he had ended up. Rainfur just quickly followed the scent and soon found Flamepelt sitting there with a very confused and worried look on his face.

"What took you so long?" he asked. "You know how long it took me away from the ThunderClan camp?"

"I have an idea," Rainfur answered. "I'm sorry I'm late—I slept in by accident. Anyway, would you like to know why I asked you to come tonight?" Flamepelt nodded.

"Yes, I would," Flamepelt hissed irritably. "I've gone through too much for you to just leave when you've finally come back." Rainfur narrowed his eyes a bit before answering the young tom.

"Before I tell you what I want you to do, I shall tell you what you will get if you agree to my offer," Rainfur told Flamepelt. "If you do what I ask, your sister will be safe. If you do as I ask, you will be helping not only the good in your Clan, but the good in the other Clans as well. If you do as I ask, you will be doing a favour to StarClan, to me and the Saviour. Do you understand?" Flamepelt nodded, looking very curious as to what he was supposed to do. Rainfur paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"Flamepelt, will you be a spy for me?"

Silence.

Flamepelt looked as though he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes were wide, and he was frozen. Rainfur's head was low, knowing right then that Flamepelt would not accept.

"Y-you want me to be a. . .to be a spy?" asked Flamepelt, still shocked. "Why?"

"I need one badly," Rainfur replied. "I need to know what Sharpstar's planning, and when he is going to use it against ShadowClan and RiverClan."

"Nobody but Tigerpelt, Rosestar, Falconclaw and the medicine cats know about that!" Flamepelt claimed. "None of the other Warriors know—Sharpstar doesn't trust them!"

"Well, gain his trust, and learn his secrets," Rainfur muttered. "Just do anything to get information that will help me plan to invade ThunderClan and take back what was rightfully Ravenstar's." Flamepelt looked at him with surprise for a few moments before sighing.

"You know how risky this is, right?" asked Flamepelt, looking at his paws.

"Of course I do, but that's why I chose you to do it," Rainfur replied. "Come on, Flamepelt. I need you. If you gain Sharpstar's trust, your sister will be safe, remember?" Flamepelt looked up to Rainfur, his eyes clouded with emotion.

"If I'm caught, I'll be executed." said Flamepelt "No one will be left to care for Amberstorm, and then I'll kill myself again in StarClan. You know this right? If Sharpstar finds out, he'll make me die a very painful death, and I don't want Amberstorm to see me like that. . .I don't want her to go through the pain—"

"She won't," Rainfur growled. "Life isn't about 'what if's'. Life isn't about 'what could happen'. Life isn't about other cats. Life is about living, and doing the best you can until it is your time to leave. Life is about making mistakes, learning from them, and then forgetting them. Life is about learning, trusting, and just doing what you were born to do. So what if you fail? You tried, and that's all that matters. Even if you do fail, I promise you that Amberstorm will not be hurt. I will kill that idiot before he can do anything to her, I swear to it." Flamepelt smiled at that before dipping his head respectively.

"If it is that important to you, I will do as you say," Flamepelt told him. "Just like old times, right? You get in trouble, and I end up having to help you." Rainfur smiled.

"Just like old times." he said.

Chapter 29
"Good job, Sunpaw," said Treeleg, smiling slightly. "Your strength is going to get you far. Just remember that you must use your speed. When going against a strong cat, you'll need strength to get ahead of him." Sunpaw nodded, smiling widely.

"Okay, Stormpaw, it's your turn now," said Rainfur, standing up a bit proud. Stormpaw sighed a bit before standing up and walking into the clearing. With a small look of disappointment, Rainfur stood up and made his way to Stormpaw, who he'd be battling. For training, of course.

Stormpaw looked bored, which was an expression the annoying tom had on his face a lot. Rainfur narrowed his eyes a bit before crouching into a fighting position, ready to 'attack'. Stormpaw mimicked this, leaving Rainfur to growl lowly with warning. His apprentice did this on purpose, and he knew it.

Rainfur lunged, keeping his claws sheathed, just in case he got a bit too carried away. Stormpaw noticed this, smirking a bit. Rainfur was confused, but that seemed to be the plan. Stormpaw had slid underneath him, leaving him to gasp in surprise.

Stormpaw unbalanced Rainfur by jumping up. The brown and white apprentice quickly got out of the way before Rainfur fell.

He's faster than you are,  said Jactur, sounding amused. You know,  before  I trained you.

He is? Rainfur asked, looking very curious. That's odd.

However, Rainfur couldn't say any more than that. Like usual, his body got excited when it was doing something that had to do with fighting. Now that it was on the ground, though, it had a different effect. It was making Rainfur angry, something that he just pushed away. It was getting a bit harder though.

"You're quick," said Rainfur, a bit of strain in his voice. "But are you strong?" He lunged for Stormpaw, leaving the small apprentice shocked. Rainfur had caught him off-guard, which was precisely what he'd wanted. Soon, Rainfur had Stormpaw pinned, pushing only half of his weight onto him. If he used all of his strength, Stormpaw would probably get hurt.

Stormpaw struggled underneath Rainfur's weight, but not once showed any sign of strength. This was strange itself, but the fact that his eye colour seemed to lighten frightened Rainfur.

There's something within Stormpaw,  said Jactur suddenly, sounding shocked. Just like you and I, except it's like an opposite. The power that's coming from Stormpaw was not created from the bad side of him, but the good side.

Are you saying Stormpaw  is  the same thing as me? Rainfur asked, keeping Stormpaw down.

I'm still not sure of he's human or not,  Jactur muttered. However, StarClan has meddled with him. I have no idea how they'd make that power though. It's so confusing.

How do you even know what's within him? Rainfur asked, very curious now.

It's like a magnet,  Jactur responded. Whatever's in him is pulling me toward it. It's like whatever created that is basically the same thing that created me or something like that. Opposites attract, I guess.

Stormpaw just keeps getting weirder and weirder,  said Rainfur. Do you think he knows of the power?

Nope,  said Jactur. Stormpaw is oblivious. The power still seems to be at its early stages, and it won't move for a while unless we find a way to trigger it.

Would it be best to keep it from growing like you did? Rainfur asked curiously.

It's hard to tell,  Jactur responded. To be truthful, I think it would be better to make it grow. Like I said, this power seems to be opposite from me, meaning that instead of it being crazy and insane, it will be strong and kind. So, like Heaven and Hell.

Or StarClan and the Dark Forest,  Rainfur muttered. Well, at least I know what to look forward to.

Rainfur let Stormpaw go after that by stepping off of the small apprentice. Sunpaw and Treeleg looked a bit surprised, as did Stormpaw, but Rainfur was used to being stared at, so this didn't bother him.

"You need to use your strength, as it helps you climb, jump, and even swim," Rainfur told Stormpaw. "Intelligence and speed helps when you are trying to be stealthy, but you seem to be all speed and no strength. You must balance it out in order to become stronger."

"Why?" asked Stormpaw. "If you think about it, speed is most important. In hunting, you could catch anything. With intelligence, I don't need to use my strength, because I could just think of a plan to go around the problem. In fighting, if I use both my speed and my intelligence, I'll be able to beat anybody." Rainfur growled lowly for warning.

"But if you meet someone with strength, you won't stand a chance," said Rainfur, disagreeing completely. Stormpaw only said those things to make him look stupid. "Which is what I showed you."

"I have my intelligence," Stormpaw growled back, smirking. "I know how to tell a fast cat from a strong cat, so I'll just avoid those who look like they can overpower me."

"Avoiding a fight is running away from it," Rainfur told him. "One day of your life, you will need to fight a strong cat, and if you do not have the strength, you will die. Don't overestimate yourself on your intelligence, either, for that will prove to be your weakness one of these days." Stormpaw rolled his eyes before letting Featherpaw and Blackpetal train.

Rainfur was looking at Stormpaw the whole time. Not only was the brown and white apprentice getting more and more annoying, he was also challenging Rainfur. It was now turning into a battle between who had the worst life, which wasn't going to turn out well. He didn't want to blurt out that he was previously a human, or that he was previously just as irritating.

Then there was the problem of Stormpaw's power. It was no doubt going to be just the same as Jactur, though in a way, probably better. After all, if it was the opposite of Jactur, then it would no doubt stop the killing, which may or may not be a good thing.

This apprentice  is  strange,  Rainfur thought. No wonder they called him the Odd One. To think he'll be another cat whom they think has a gift—or curse, though probably a gift after seeing me—from StarClan. He's too bratty to be a Prophecy cat.

Rainfur's eyes suddenly widened. Stormpaw couldn't be the prophecy cat, could he? He was just a mere apprentice, and not to mention the fact he was a loner. He also had a power, one that resembled Rainfur's. StarClan wouldn't pick Stormpaw, would they?

It would make sense if they did,  Rainfur thought. The Odd One and 'the Strange One' sound similar, and he is Unexpected. Plus, look at the moon on his shoulder. Still, with all this, why would they choose Stormpaw? I really need to figure out the second Prophecy, but what was the first one again?

Oh yeah, 'Blood will be shed as the ashes fall, with memories lost and some forgotten, evil shall over-power even the strongest of the Clans. We wait for the Saviour, and pray that we will be saved'. I have no idea what this means, but if I put Stormpaw in here, it might.

'Blood will be shed as the ashes fall'. . .Well, obviously, war is going to break out, but what does ashes have to do anything? It probably means a cat, but it couldn't be Stormpaw. See, right there. The prophecy cat can't be Stormpaw. This makes no sense. How am I supposed to find out the Saviour and or prophecy cat by just this prophecy alone? Rainfur sighed, thinking to himself as he watched Featherpaw and Blackpetal train. There was just not enough information for him to figure it out.

I guess I'll just have to wait.

¤¤¤

Rainfur led Stormpaw and the rest of his patrol against the RiverClan border, marking it as they went. It was oddly quiet, and the dark grey clouds up above didn't make it any better. They usually met a RiverClan patrol at this time, and it wasn't like he was leading a night patrol—it was sunhigh!

There was something else as well, though. In the distance, there was yowling, but Rainfur couldn't hear it clearly, so it could just be celebrating. But, somewhere within him, he knew something back was happening across RiverClan's territory.

"Are you going to stare off into RiverClan's territory forever?" Stormpaw hissed. "We're getting left behind!" Rainfur looked to his apprentice and narrowed his eyes, warning Stormpaw to stay quiet. The apprentice never listened of course, but that didn't matter.

"There's something wrong over there," Rainfur muttered. "Something that I feel I need to know about. I just can pinpoint it, and it's really irritating me."

"I know what you mean," said Stormpaw, looking off into the distance as well. "It's a very odd feeling, isn't it? I just wonder why the other patrol members don't see it." Rainfur looked to his apprentice in confusion, very curious as to why Stormpaw could sense it.

"You can feel it?" asked Rainfur. "I thought it was just my power that allowed me to sense it. I always seemed to know when a fight was going to happen." Stormpaw shrugged.

"I'm a bit. . .different," Stormpaw muttered. "Lately I've been feeling some pull to you, and it's just strange. I don't know what it is, or how it happened, but I have a feeling I don't want to know." Rainfur smiled a bit.

"I noticed the connection as well," he told his apprentice. "I don't think you need to worry about it, though if it gets worse, we might need to figure it out." Stormpaw gave a small smile before noticing something in the distance. Rainfur looked where his apprentice was looking before gasping slightly.

A dark figure, one that Rainfur knew as Cloudstreak by scent, was running over to them. She looked very scared, and there was blood all over her. Rainfur's heart quickly began beating faster, and he could feel Jactur stir within him.

"Tawnyfoot! Scorchspot! Sweetclaw! Featherpaw!" Rainfur called to the other patrol members. "Get over here!" He then turned to Cloudstreak, who was gasping with fear as well as trying to regain her breath. She looked very tired, leaving Rainfur to hiss with frustration.

"Cloudstreak, what happened?" asked Rainfur, hoping she'd answer. "It's okay, you're safe. Now, what happened?"

"WindClan. . .Attack. . ." she gasped. "Bravestar. . .Life. . .Gone. . .Death. . .Kits. . ." Rainfur hissed again before looking to Featherpaw and Stormpaw.

"One of you has to go and tell Nightstar, now!" Rainfur ordered.

"You're mouse-brain!" Scorchspot hissed. "Why should we help them? They're RiverClan!" Rainfur gave a sharp glare to the young Warrior, making Scorchspot take a step back.

"WindClan and ThunderClan have combined each other to give Sharpstar more strength, and the moment they're trying to gain control of RiverClan," Rainfur hissed. "If they do, we don't have a chance. Plus, they're the only Clan we have left. Other than that, we're alone. I don't care if Nightstar disagrees either. I just need back up." Rainfur turned to Tawnyfoot, smiling a bit as he did.

"Could you get Cloudstreak into a safe place?" he asked. "She needs to rest."

"I need to fight!" Cloudstreak protested.

"No, you don't," Rainfur growled, looked down to her. "If you do, you'll die, and how would Thunderheart react?" Cloudstreak's eyes widened for just a moment before standing up and letting Tawnyfoot support her.

"Scorchspot, Sweetclaw, and Stormpaw, follow me," said Rainfur, turning to the others. "We've got to be quick, because these will be WindClan  and  ThunderClan Warriors." The three cats nodded before Rainfur sprinted past the border and through RiverClan territory.

It was quiet as they ran, but that's what Rainfur wanted. The yowls and screams were getting louder, and the sense of knowing something was wrong grew stronger. He was close to the danger, he knew it, but something in his mind told him to stay away.

Stormpaw looked uncomfortable as well, his eyes suddenly narrowing with determination, though unhappiness lay beneath. This made Rainfur even more determined to live through the battle ahead.

When they got to the battle scene, Rainfur found it worse than he'd imagined. It wasn't at camp like he'd thought. No, instead, it was a full out battle against the two Clans. Every Warrior and apprentice from each Clan seemed to be there, and they were all fighting for their lives.

"Keep a low profile if you can," Rainfur ordered his patrol. "Do not go for any challenge you can't take until the other ShadowClan Warriors show up, understood?" The three cats behind him murmured in agreement before they launched into battle.

Rainfur took on an easy tom, battling him swiftly. The tom seemed to be oblivious of who he was fighting, but when he figured it out, he ran, leaving Rainfur to sigh. He was hoping for a  real  fight.

Rainfur quickly jumped on another cat, though this one was a she-cat, and she seemed to already know who he was. Not that he cared, though. All he wanted was the fighting to stop.

The black she-cat jumped onto him, her eyes narrowed tightly. This cat was familiar, and Rainfur knew it, but he had no time to think about it. The she-cat had him pinned, but she was not the master of strength. Her strength was speed, and Rainfur decided he would use that to his advantage.

Rainfur used some of his strength to push her off of him, sending her to stumble backwards. He stood up quickly, knowing full well that the she-cat would be up quickly.

She wasn't. She just stood there, staring at him with her sharp amber eyes. It was as if she was studying him, trying to make out what he was doing. It was strange, and Rainfur wanted to know why.

"Why aren't you using your full strength against me?" asked the black she-cat. "I know you can do better—I've seen it. I've seen you fight full out, and now that you've controlled that power, I bet you can do even better than Rosestar." Rainfur gasped as he figured out who it was.

Blackpelt, the first deputy he'd met. Blackpelt, the WindClan deputy at one time. Blackpelt, the cat he  killed. Blackpelt, the cat he thought to be dead.

"B-Blackpelt?" asked Rainfur, his eyes widened with shock. "I thought I killed you! How can you be alive?"

"You didn't kill me!" Blackpelt hissed, her eyes narrowing even tighter. "You only wounded me. I pretended to be dead so that you wouldn't actually kill me. I've been in hiding, recovering from your near-fatal attack. I gave up my deputy position so that when the time came for you to return, you wouldn't know I was alive." Rainfur tilted his head in confusion.

"Why?" Rainfur asked. "What did I have against you?"

"Nothing," said Blackpelt. "Yet." She lunged toward him, her claws unsheathed and her teeth bared. Rainfur tried to evade the attack, but she had caught him off-guard. Blackpelt used more strength to pin him this time, more than he could ever imagine her having.

"Let's see how strong you are now," Blackpelt spat, raking her claws across his shoulder, leaving his scar bloody. Rainfur hissed to keep himself from yowling in agony, but quickly used this time to kick Blackpelt off of him. She hissed in fury as she was kicked, leaving Rainfur just enough time to roll away.

Something was happening, something bad. He could feel something draining out of him, like energy after a long day. It was through his scar, which had suddenly turned a grey colour that nobody seemed to notice. Rainfur was confused, but also scared. Why was it doing this?

Jactur! What are you doing? Rainfur asked, looking at the ground with wide eyes. This is just wrong! It's so strange feeling—what's happening?

It's Stormpaw's power! said Jactur, just as surprised as Rainfur. It's been triggered by the irritation of your scar!

What do you mean? Rainfur asked. How could that happen?

I was triggered when your scar was scratched, and now that Stormpaw has his power, it's triggered by that as well! Jactur responded.

My scar has been scratched before, though, and Stormpaw never showed any signs of having powers,  Rainfur interrupted. Why is it different now?

Stormpaw's power has just now become stable enough to be used,  Jactur told him. He hasn't always had it like you did. It must have been something recent that created the power.

Rainfur hissed with frustration, looking over to his apprentice. Unsurprisingly, Stormpaw wasn't the same. His eyes were white, or at least a very light grey, and the moon on his shoulder had become full, just like at the gatherings. Something was happening to Stormpaw that wasn't normal.

Rainfur ran over to his apprentice on instinct, trying his best to avoid the battles in his way. He could hear the rest of ShadowClan join the battle, leaving the WindClan cats to be a bit more distracted, which was good. His eyes were glued on Stormpaw, who had now began screaming with fear.

Rainfur got to Stormpaw quickly blocking him from the view of the other cats. To know that Stormpaw was going through the same thing he had was torture, and he felt a need to help the younger tom. It was as if it were his duty.

"Stormpaw, what's happening?" asked Rainfur, pretending not to know.

"He's dead. . .He's gone. . .I'm alone. . ." Stormpaw murmured, his voice wavering as he stared at the ground. Rainfur knew that the small tom was reliving his worst memory, the memory that probably created the power that was growing within him.

"Everything is okay," Rainfur soothed. "Just fight it, make the memory retreat—"

"He's gone!" Stormpaw yelled before jumping out of Rainfur's protection. The small tom ran into the battle again, making Rainfur stand up with fear. He had no idea what Stormpaw was capable of, and he had no intention of finding out.

Rainfur sprinted after Stormpaw, but as Jactur had said, the brown apprentice was quick. He soon found himself in the middle of the battle, having no clue where Stormpaw was. His fear was rising, and even more as heard a cat scream.

Rainfur ran toward the she-cat who'd screamed, finding out seconds later that it had been Rosestar. His heart lurched as he saw Stormpaw on top of the elder leader, his eyes narrowed with determination. Knowing all too well what would happen, Rainfur ran over to the scene and pushed Stormpaw off of Rosestar.

His apprentice hissed in frustration as he did that, but Rainfur didn't care. He was too busy trying to keep Stormpaw still, but with the power leaking out of him, it was hard. Stormpaw was no longer the same cat, and Rainfur knew this, but it was heart-breaking to know that he was once like this.

"Stormpaw, stop," Rainfur demanded quietly. "This isn't like you. This is nothing like you. Stop."

"But it's her fault!" Stormpaw screamed. "She's guilty! She's attacked innocent cats before!"

"Rosestar has made mistakes, but we all have," Rainfur growled. "Snap out of it! You weren't supposed to end up like me!" Stormpaw seemed surprised at this, but quicker than Rainfur could have caught it, Stormpaw kicked his stomach, forcing him to step off.

The small apprentice lunged toward Rosestar again, though this time Rainfur was ready. He got between Rosestar and Stormpaw, forcing the young tom to stop. He narrowed his eyes at Rainfur, his fury building up even higher.

There wasn't insanity in the tom's eyes like Rainfur. There wasn't the desire to kill or hurt. Instead there was justice. There was the determination to hurt the ones who deserved it. It was quite amazing, and very different from what Rainfur had looked like.

"She's done wrong!" Stormpaw hissed. "She's deserves to be punished!"

"No, Stormpaw," Rainfur growled lowly. "I have taken care of Rosestar, so she deserves no more punishment. No one here deserves it, so just lay off. If you want to hurt anybody tonight, you'll have to get past me."

Stormpaw hissed with frustration again before lunging toward Rainfur, leaving him to use his strength to counter Stormpaw's. There was an unimaginable amount of force brought into the fight, but both Stormpaw and Rainfur didn't care. They were different, and that force didn't hurt them at all.

Stormpaw let off first, falling to the ground before getting right back up again, though this time just glaring at Rainfur. There seemed to be a sense of knowing in the apprentice's eyes now, as if Stormpaw had just realised all that had gone wrong in Rainfur's life. It was scary.

"Murderer. . ." Stormpaw suddenly murmured. "I can't believe I've never saw that. . .killer. . .You must die!" The small apprentice lunged toward Rainfur, but he quickly evaded the attack.

Jactur, can you tell me anything about this power? Rainfur asked curiously. It's so odd, so strange. . .It's as if instead of wanting to kill, it wants to save. ..

That's exactly what it is,  Jactur responded. It wants justice, but in a sick kind of way. Anyone who has hurt or killed any cat is basically a killer to this power, but I'd bet if Stormpaw learned how to control it, it would see justice from the right perspective.

Well this is going to be fun,  Rainfur muttered. He probably thinks I should die a very slow death considering all the things I've done.

Yeah, my advice would be to stop him quickly,  said Jactur.

I'm on it,  Rainfur responded, lunging toward Stormpaw again. The small apprentice evaded the attack easily, but Rainfur knew that it was going to happen so he already had a leg out to trip Stormpaw. He did fall, leaving Rainfur to pin his apprentice down and bite down hard on his shoulder.

Tell me when to stop,  Rainfur told Jactur. I don't want to kill him.

What do I look like, a medicine cat? Jactur asked.

Just do what I said,  Rainfur growled.

Fine,  Jactur muttered. Now would be a good time.

Rainfur let go, noticing Stormpaw's still body. He stood up and stepped off his apprentice, noticing that the battle was long over. They were no longer fighting, but instead looking to Rainfur and Stormpaw, their eyes wide.

"Who. . ." said Rosestar, drifting off as she stared wide-eyed at Stormpaw's sleeping body. " What  is that?"

"This is Stormpaw, the new apprentice," Rainfur murmured. "He's strange, and a little angry when it comes to cats who've made a few mistakes like yourself."

"How dare you—"

"Don't even try to deny it, Rosestar," Rainfur growled, his eyes narrowed. "You've made mistakes. We all have. Anyway, Stormpaw is a bit. . .vicious when it comes to what cats deserve, which is why he didn't become an apprentice until the gathering. Nightstar didn't trust him."

"It seems you still made a mistake," Rosestar hissed.

"No, we didn't," Rainfur growled. "Stormpaw was fine until he saw you. We're training it out of him, don't worry. This won't be the last time you see him." Rosestar scoffed before looking to Bravestar, whom Rainfur just then noticed was near him.

"We will meet again, and next time, ShadowClan won't be around to save your tails," Rosestar spat before leading her Warriors out of WindClan territory. Rainfur looked over to Bravestar, smiling widely.

"Sorry to intrude, but I heard from Cloudstreak that you needed a bit of help," said Rainfur, almost cheerfully.

"Thank you for helping, Rainfur," said Bravestar, a warm smile on his face. "We wouldn't have made it without you." Rainfur dipped his head respectively before turning, finding that Nightstar had already started heading back toward ShadowClan territory.

Rainfur quickly grabbed Stormpaw by the scruff of his neck, pulling him back toward ShadowClan camp. There were no serious wounds on Rainfur nor Stormpaw, so he felt confident that they would both be okay.

¤¤¤

"What on earth happened out there, Rainfur?" asked Nightstar furiously. "Stormpaw seemed fine, and then all of a sudden, he was acting like you before you got control over the insanity. What happened?" Rainfur lowered his head in defeat.

Nightstar was angry when he'd called Rainfur to his den, but now he was furious. It was as if just remembering the battle reminded the elder leader that he had not one but to crazy toms in his Clans.

"I'm not exactly sure, Nightstar," Rainfur lied. "Stormpaw is, as I will now admit, the same thing I was. He is different though. He won't kill those that haven't done any bad things in their life, so—"

"He's exactly like you?" asked Nightstar, shocked, though still angry. "Are you mouse-brain? Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

"He's my apprentice!" Rainfur hissed, his ears pinned down to his head. "Not to mention the fact that I know he can be saved. As long as I teach him, he won't be a problem." Nightstar growled lowly in frustration.

"But he's going to kill someone one the way," Nightstar growled. "I know you're good, Rainfur, but you can't control something like that."

"Watch me," Rainfur hissed. Nightstar stood higher, showing his dominance. Rainfur just sighed, shaking his head. "Look, my point is I won't kill anybody that doesn't deserve it. Stormpaw hasn't done anything yet, and with some training, he'll be able to control it as much as I can."

"What about the other Clans?" asked Nightstar. "What will they think?" Rainfur shrugged.

"WindClan's under the impression we've got a crazy tom who just wants to kill everybody, and I'm sure Rosestar has told Sharpstar by now so that makes both WindClan and ThunderClan," Rainfur told Nightstar. "RiverClan will understand if we're allies, but even if we're not, I'm sure Bravestar knows full well that I won't let anything hurt him or his Clan."

"You want to ally with RiverClan?" asked Nightstar, looking quite confused.

"Why not?" asked Rainfur. "Both ShadowClan and RiverClan are in a tight spot with both WindClan and ThunderClan combined. If we ally with RiverClan, both of us will get stronger. It's the smart thing to do, but only if Bravestar agrees. After what Stormpaw did, however, I'm not quite sure Bravestar will agree to the alliance. He does owe us a favour for saving his Clan today though." As Rainfur finished Nightstar looked at him as though he'd just blurted out the secret of being a human. An odd sight to see, really.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Nightstar after a few moments of silence. "How can we make allies with RiverClan, control Stormpaw, and get ready for a war all at the same time? You must be mouse-brained!"

"I'm not mouse-brained, just too efficient I guess," Rainfur muttered. "Besides, how hard could it be? The alliance will further our knowledge into WindClan's movements as well as let me know when Robinwing will have her kits. You know she's due any day now, and I don't want the kits executed. It's good to know when she's near." Nightstar narrowed his eyes tighter, as if trying to find out where Rainfur was getting at.

"I will be able to control Stormpaw well enough to keep him a secret from the other Clans," Rainfur continued. "His power is still weaker than mine at the moment, and as long as it grows like mine did, it won't be a problem. The only thing I need to work on is our relationship with each other, seeing as he hates me and I'm not really fond of him." Nightstar seemed to be catching on, leaving Rainfur to smile.

"The war is something that will happen on any normal day," Rainfur told the noble leader. "It will be a surprise, though we already knew it was coming. We need to get ready for it, but really, I think we're strong enough as it is. With RiverClan on our side, we'll be even stronger." Nightstar was quiet again, though this time he seemed to be calmer.

"I see your point, Rainfur," said Nightstar as he smiled with relief. "StarClan, am I glad I chose you as my deputy. You may leave now, and make sure you're there when Stormpaw awakes. I have a feeling he'll want to ask a lot of questions." Rainfur dipped his head in respect before leaving, happier than he'd been all day.

As Rainfur walked out of the den, he felt a slight flare of pain in his shoulder. It had been hurting since Blackpelt had scratched it, and it had only made his head ache worse. Rainfur wondered absently if it had to do with the connection he had with Stormpaw, and if it would always be like this.

Guess I'll just have to wait and see,  Rainfur thought.

Chapter 30
Rainfur quickly assigned cats to patrols as he waited anxiously for Stormpaw to awake. With the new-found power, Stormpaw would either be scared to death or very confused, both of which required Rainfur to be there for him. He  was  Stormpaw's mentor after all.

There was something else on Rainfur's mind. It was something that continued to be pointed out to him, and though he would love to say it's true, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Rainfur knew that if he told himself that he knew who Stormpaw was, a false hope would build that would break once again, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Rainfur sighed as he realised how true it was though. He and Stormpaw were similar, if not totally alike. The apprentice was different in personality and looks, maybe, but other than that, they were the same. They both had a shadowy past, and they both were whispered about. They were both loners, once and upon Stormpaw's awakening power, now they would be deadly.

With all of this evidence, Rainfur still didn't want to raise his hopes. Stormpaw would be the one to admit who he was, not some cats who had no idea what was going on. It was just how it was going to be. And until that day, he had to wait, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Rainfur!" Poppyheart called from the medicine cat den. "Stormpaw is waking up!" Rainfur's heart lurched as he heard this. After quickly finishing his job, he darted over to the medicine den, feeling quite excited.

Rainfur quickly sat next to Poppyheart with a worried look in his eye. He had no idea how Stormpaw was doing, seeing as Poppyheart refused to tell him anything but, 'be patient'. Rainfur just really wanted to see Stormpaw up and well again, so that they could train on something other than the normal battle or hunting techniques.

Stormpaw's small body moved suddenly, and almost too soon was the apprentice sitting up, his eyes wide with fear. He looked very scared, not to mention sad at the same time. Rainfur felt sorry for him, but he didn't want to say anything just yet.

"W-what h-happened?" asked Stormpaw, his eyes wide as two whole moons. Poppyheart hissed in warning, getting the small tom's attention.

"You just got into a little fight," Poppyheart growled. "You need to rest here for a few days before you can continue training. Just try not to over-exhaust yourself, will you? I spent nearly a day fixing the wounds that you got, and with you squirming about like a squirrel it was quite hard." Rainfur smiled a bit before looking over to the young medicine cat.

"Would you mind leaving so that I can talk to Stormpaw?" asked Rainfur. "It's about, er—you know—what happened." Poppyheart glared at him for a few moments before shrugging.

"Just make sure you don't hurt him in the process," Poppyheart growled. "I'm sure you of all cats are aware of how tired he is right now." With that, she left, leaving Rainfur and Stormpaw alone. At first, it was just silence as Stormpaw looked to his paws and Rainfur waited for the many questions he was certain Stormpaw was thinking of.

"What really happened?" asked Stormpaw. Rainfur hesitated in answering, not really knowing how to answer the question he was given. Stormpaw hissed in fury at his slow response. "I know you know, Rainfur. What happened? I wasn't me! I wasn't thinking correctly. . .How could I go after a leader like that? She could have finished me easily! Then when you showed up I. . .I s-saw what happened to you, and what you'd done, and I just felt the need to kill you. It wasn't right!"

"Slow down, Stormpaw," Rainfur soothed. "I know what happened, and to be truthful, no one blames you. Since they know that I can train you out of it, they know that they will be safe. You and I just need to be careful, alright?"

"It can't be that simple!" Stormpaw hissed, standing up quickly. "I wanted kill you! I wanted  torture  you! How could they forgive me that easily? How are they not even the slightest bit afraid?" Rainfur sighed, realizing that it was going to be a bit harder than he'd expected to explain.

"Stormpaw, they  are  afraid," Rainfur growled. "They know what you can do, having seen me once before. They know what could happen if you lose control again. However, I've convinced them that I can train you out of it, just like I trained myself." Stormpaw shook his head, looking very scared and confused.

"But I nearly killed a leader!" Stormpaw reminded him. "I nearly took her last life! It's wrong! How could you train me? How do you know you can get that—that  monster  side out of me?" Rainfur narrowed his eyes, making Stormpaw lower his head a little.

"There you go again, thinking you've got it worse," said Rainfur bitterly. "Have you even attempted to ask the elders what happened to me?" Stormpaw shook his head, his eyes growing a bit wider.

"How could you have it worse than me?" asked Stormpaw, making Rainfur's anger rise. "I nearly killed someone!"

"Have you ever wondered how Rosestar lost her first eight lives in the first place?" Rainfur hissed, making Stormpaw's eyes widen twice as much. "Have you even wondered why all of these cats hated the fact that I was becoming deputy, or why the fear in their eyes have still not vanished?"

"No. . ." Stormpaw murmured. "That's impossible! How could you have taken all of Rosestar's lives at once?"

" I  didn't," Rainfur growled. "Jactur did."

"Who?" asked Stormpaw. "I thought he was just your excuse as to why you were insane." Rainfur shrugged.

"That's more true than you could ever know," said Rainfur. "Look, my point is that I've killed at least eight times if you're including all of Rosestar's lives. Aside from those lives I've killed at least eight more times, not counting the rogues that started the whole elevation in the first place. You are  not  the one who needs sympathy. If you don't want my training, fine, I won't give it to you. If you decide that you want my training and will think before you act, then come see me and we will sort your power's differences and similarities before beginning training, understood? I will not train a lonely cry-baby who thinks he should get all the attention. They're just a waste of time to me." With that, Rainfur left the den, unable to look at his apprentice at the moment.

As he stomped out of the den, he found that the dawn patrol had returned. Rainfur walked over to them, waiting for the news. They had gone by the ThunderClan border, and he was anxious to see what was going on over there. He'd only seen Flamepelt a few times since their first meeting, and he wanted to know if the young ginger tom had succeeded on getting into Sharpstar's inner circle.

"Any news?" asked Rainfur.

"There hasn't been any activity on or around the border aside from the scent that you showed us," Blackpetal, the head of that patrol, told him. "It's been going on for a few days—do you know why?"

"Flamepelt is a spy, but because of what's happened, I haven't been meeting him," Rainfur explained. "If he's this restless, he must have some important information. With that in mind, I will meet him tonight. Thank you, Blackpetal." She dipped her head in response before heading toward the fresh-kill pile, leaving him to think alone.

It sounded like Flamepelt had news, but if it was Robinwing's kits he would have already heard from RiverClan. So, either Flamepelt had figured out how to get Sharpstar's trust, or the battle was happening soon, which would be bad. . .or good. If Stormpaw's power was based on justice, then Sharpstar would be dead in an instant.

Rainfur sighed again before noticing an unfamiliar scent drawing near. When he realised who it was, he froze. It was RiverClan, surprisingly, and Bravestar was among them along with Wolfheart, Silverdew, Mysticpaw, and only a few Warriors. Rainfur knew it wasn't an invasion, but then what was it?

Bravestar entered ShadowClan's camp, followed by the other RiverClan cats. ShadowClan gave hostile hisses and glares as they entered, basically warning the other Clan not to do anything stupid. Rainfur knew it was much more than that though.

Bravestar led his Warriors toward Rainfur, making him catch his breath. Nightstar was sleeping, for he'd just been on a moonhigh patrol. This meant that Rainfur was going to have to deal with the RiverClan cats, only he had no idea what he was doing.

"Where is Nightstar?" Bravestar asked, sort of like an order. Rainfur flicked his tail to the leaders' den.

"He's sleeping," Rainfur muttered. "After the battle, worrying about Stormpaw, ThunderClan and WindClan as well as going on a moonhigh patrol last night, he deserved it. He'll wake soon if his nose is good enough." Rainfur didn't notice Wolfheart's sharp glare that seemed to have much more meaning to it that he could have imagined.

"I'm sorry to hear that the battle made it harder for your Clan," said Bravestar apologetically. "I will forever be in your debt. There is actually something I would like to discuss, but if Nightstar is asleep it can wait." Rainfur shook his head.

"If it is this important, I will wake him," Rainfur responded. "He'll want to hear what you have to say." Rainfur stood and started walking toward the leaders' den before Bravestar called out to him.

"How's your apprentice doing, anyway?" Bravestar asked. That was basically a nice way of saying, 'is he going to be a big problem like you were?' Rainfur made himself calm down before replying.

"He woke up just before you arrived," Rainfur replied. "He's agreed to let me train him even harder, to reach the goal I had to." Rainfur left before Bravestar could respond. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was talk about his brat of an apprentice.

When Rainfur entered the leaders' den, he wasn't exactly excited about waking Nightstar. There had been a certain awkwardness between them for whatever reason, but it wasn't only that. Nightstar kept asking him about Stormpaw, and though Rainfur would love to answer, he just couldn't. Not even now that his apprentice was awake.

"Nightstar," Rainfur murmured, nudging the elder leader with his paw. "Nightstar, wake up. Bravestar has come." In an instant, Nightstar was sitting up straight, looking quite exhausted yet able to comprehend what was going on.

"He's here?" asked Nightstar, making Rainfur nod. With a sigh, the noble leader nodded and stood. "I guess we both saw it coming anyway. Tell him to meet me here. This is the quietest place to talk." Rainfur nodded before dipping his head in respect. He walked out of the den after that.

When Rainfur reached Bravestar, he found that most of ShadowClan had come out to see what was going on. It was strange to see the two Clans so hostile after just defending each other a few days ago. Rainfur figured that it was normal now that both ThunderClan and WindClan had turned against them.

With one swift movement, Rainfur told Bravestar to lead his group into the leaders' den, and Bravestar nodded in response. For some reason, Rainfur was afraid. There was just something in his stomach telling him that this wasn't the right decision.

Ignoring the fear, Rainfur led Bravestar and his Warriors into the leaders' den, feeling quite low as he did. Wolfheart continued to remind him that he was only a new deputy, and the medicine cats knew more than him.

Rainfur sat by Nightstar just as Bravestar sat down in front of them. Wolfheart and Silverdew sat next to Bravestar while Mysticpaw and the Warriors sat next to those two. It was as if it was all planned, which worried Rainfur.

A few moments later Poppyheart, Blackpetal and Treeleg entered the leaders' den, as if knowing that they would be needed at the meeting. Being the elder Warriors and medicine cat, Rainfur felt that he was actually quite relieved that they showed up.

"I heard you wished to speak with me," Nightstar started, his head held high as if trying to challenge Bravestar. "It must be important. After all, you did leave your Clan to do so." Bravestar growled slightly.

"I have left my stronger Warriors so that they can protect RiverClan's camp," Bravestar explained. "WindClan have also laid off us since your apprentice's little stunt the other day, so I feel that my Clan is safe. . .for now." Nightstar tilted his head in confusion, though Rainfur already knew what Bravestar was talking about.

"What do you mean?" asked Nightstar curiously. "WindClan has no control over its Warriors—"

"But Sharpstar does," Bravestar growled. "Face it, Nightstar. Getting Rosestar to agree to that offer was merely a way to get control of her Warriors. Now that he's done that he'll try anything to get control of RiverClan, and then ShadowClan. I think he's trying to find a way to kill Rainfur first."

"Fat chance of that happening," Rainfur muttered. "He's been trying to kill me since he knew what I could do. I think he thought himself smart when he exiled me, and now he's furious that I've returned. I'm just a solid obstacle in the way, and I won't move unless I'm shattered." The leaders barely even listened to him, but that didn't matter.

"Does that have anything to do with why you're here, Bravestar?" asked Nightstar irritably. "I'm getting a bit. . .impatient." Bravestar growled a bit in warning before nodding.

"I'm here to ask to ally with your Clan," Bravestar told him. "I've been cautious, but now that I've seen what Sharpstar can do, I want to take action. If I don't, my Clan will not last long, and neither will I. I have lived a long time, but with that time came the consequence of losing lives. My wisdom may give me enough strength to live through the war, but I must think of the worst." Rainfur was actually surprised that Bravestar admitted that he lost a lot of lives already, but then, Bravestar never told them how  many  he lost.

"With that concern, I wish to become an ally with you and your Clan, to create a stronger resistance," Bravestar continued. "Allying with Rainfur alone would be enough, but to have another Clan as back-up would let me sleep a little more at night."

"How am I to be certain that you're not just doing this to save your Clan and let  us  do the fighting?" asked Nightstar. "How would I know that this isn't just a scam?"

"We want to kill Sharpstar as much as you do," Wolfheart hissed. "He's a mean, abusive leader that should not have gained his nine lives." Silverdew growled in warning after he finished.

"StarClan didn't know of what they were getting themselves into," Silverdew hissed. "At the time Sharpstar hadn't done anything wrong. They regret it now, though."

"Especially the four leaders," Rainfur muttered, mostly to himself. However, the whole den heard. Of course.

"How would you know?" asked Silverdew. "You aren't a medicine cat."

"Yeah, but if you remember right, I do have ties with StarClan," Rainfur hissed, his eyes narrowed. "Cheetahfur mostly."

"Watch your mouth," Silverdew hissed. "StarClan is not something to be taken lightly."

"I would know," Rainfur growled, basically challenging Silverdew. In all reality, he did probably know more than any of the medicine cats in the den. In all reality, he was the strongest as well. The only problem was the fact that he was in no position to challenge anyone, which was his weakness.

"Be quiet, Rainfur," Nightstar hissed. "You know better than to talk back to your elders." Rainfur narrowed his eyes a bit before looking away. It wasn't worth the fight. Nightstar looked over to Bravestar after that, waiting for the wise tom to continue.

"Is there anything else you would like to add to your statement?" asked Nightstar. "It is my wish we ally as well, but there seems to be a problem." Bravestar nodded, a bit of worry in his eye.

"It has come to my attention that Rainfur's apprentice, Stormpaw, has a similar. . .power to the one that destroyed Ravenstar," said Bravestar. "I am wondering how you are dealing with it."

I did not  destroy  Ravenstar, I just merely killed him,  said Jactur, sounding quite pleased with himself. It was his fault for losing all of his lives at that time anyway.

"Stormpaw's power is similar to Rainfur's, though with having a cat who's already been through it all, I have a feeling you don't need to worry about getting killed," Nightstar replied. "Rainfur has already agreed to train him, so as long as he agrees, we should be fine."

"It's a bit more difficult than that, Nightstar," Rainfur said then, his head lowering as the noble leader's eyes turned to him. "Stormpaw is in shock, and he hasn't yet realised our powers are similar. We talked just a few moments ago, and I gave him the option of training with me, though I'm uncertain whether he will accept it or not."

"What are you getting at?" asked a RiverClan Warrior whom Rainfur knew slightly well. It was Stonefur, Cloudstreak and Thunderheart's mother. "Why can't it be as simple as training?"

"It's not just training for strength and speed, but more of trust and reliability," Rainfur explained, trying to keep himself calm. "At the moment, my relationship with my apprentice isn't all that great, and to train I need his attention. He will not give that to me unless he trusts me, so to put it short, unless he shapes up I can't do a darn thing."

"But what if he—you know. . .does  that  again?" asked a younger RiverClan Warrior, one whom he didn't know.

"Fortunately for you, as long as I pay attention, he won't hurt anyone," Rainfur replied. "From what I've figured out, his power is based off justice anyway."

"So what you're saying is that Stormpaw will only kill those who have killed?" asked the Warrior.

"No, what I'm saying is that if he met Sharpstar, he would probably go for the kill, but if he met a kit, he would probably leave it alone," Rainfur told her. "At the moment, if you have done something as simple as lying about the fact that you took twice your share of fresh-kill, he will kill you. If I train him, he will be able to distinguish good from evil, and use his power against them."

"But you feel that you cannot train him without having a decent relationship with each other, am I correct?" asked Nightstar. Rainfur nodded obediently.

"Well, make sure you work on that," Nightstar ordered before looking back to Bravestar. "If there aren't any more matters you would like to discuss, I think we should formally announce our allegiance tomorrow night at the gathering place during the quarter moon's height." Bravestar nodded, smiling a bit.

"That is a splendid idea, and I would be happy to attend it with my Clan." Then, after dipping his head respectively to Nightstar, he stood up and led his Clan out of the den. Nightstar, Rainfur, and the rest of the ShadowClan cats in the den followed.

When they were all in camp, there were many curious glances. Sweetclaw especially, though she seemed to understand what was going on. Rainfur hoped and pleaded that Stormpaw would be asleep, because at the moment he still didn't feel like bumping into the small apprentice.

Bravestar left quickly, but Rainfur could understand why. He'd been away from his Clan for over an hour, and anything could have happened in that time. However, Rainfur had a feeling there was another reason.

"ShadowClan, I have some important news to share with you," Nightstar began, finding no need to call the Clan out seeing as they were already gathered. "As you just saw, Bravestar and his Clan have visited us. Not just out of the blue, though." There were anxious and excited murmured, and Rainfur found himself looking into the eyes of Stormpaw, who had unfortunately joined the crowd.

"Bravestar wishes to ally with us, and out of wisdom and intelligence, I have accepted," Nightstar continued, standing tall and proud just like a leader should. "On the quarter moon we shall  all  travel to the gathering place and formally ally ShadowClan with RiverClan under the stars where StarClan can see us clearly. Nothing will change from the past, but there will be a better relationship with the RiverClan cats, as they are going to keep us in knowledge of WindClan's movements. I wish not to vote on this, because it has already been accepted." With a nod, Nightstar dismissed the Clan meeting and retired to his den.

Rainfur stood at the base of the Highrock, staring off. It wasn't because he hadn't had enough sleep, but more like he wasn't really thinking straight. There was so much going on, and yet through all that, he was supposed to keep it organized? That was unlikely.

¤¤¤

Rainfur listened to the rain sprinkle down, leaving nothing but small wet spots on his coat. The ground was soggy, but soft, and the dirt felt cool beneath his paws. The wind didn't blow but instead stayed quiet. It was as if the night was to be quiet, and though it was nice, Rainfur's senses were still alert. There is always a calm before the storm, as someone once said.

Though he could not see the moon, he guessed it was around moon-high, which was perfect timing. Rainfur was to meet Flamepelt, who of all times chose that night to meet him. Rainfur was still exhausted, and he still had many things going through his head.

Rainfur found the border quickly and sat down, avoiding putting his tail in a puddle as he did so. He hoped that Flamepelt would come quickly, for the cold air and rain was making him shiver already, and darker clouds were coming. Though it was nearly leaf-fall, it was still green-leaf, and because of that, there would probably be a thunderstorm arriving soon.

In the distance Rainfur spotted a ginger figure, making him smile with relief. As Flamepelt drew closer, Rainfur found that he looked a bit healthier, and much more fit. This raised his hopes, but he didn't raise them too high, for he knew what it meant to be disappointed.

"Anything new?" asked Rainfur.

"What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?" asked Flamepelt, making Rainfur's heart sink. Had Robinwing had her kits? Were they executed? Did Amberstorm die? Did Sharpstar find out about Flamepelt being a spy? Did. . .did that monster find out about Stormpaw?

"Give me the bad news first I guess," Rainfur replied, making Flamepelt nod.

"Robinwing's kits are going to be late," Flamepelt told him. "And though that's a good thing for us, it's bad for her according to Snowdrift. Apparently the kits are too small and need to stay within her womb a bit longer. However, the longer they stay, the more Robinwing has to work, and the weaker she'll be." Rainfur's eyes widened.

"Can't Snowdrift do anything about it?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Flamepelt replied. "Robinwing is fighting though and everyone who is joining the resistance is trying to find ways to help her. Don't worry, Rainfur. Trust us." Rainfur nodded, though he still worried.

"And the good news?" asked Rainfur.

"Sharpstar has trusted me enough to tell me this," Flamepelt replied. "He has told me many plans of his, but none of them are important yet. However, I think that he is going to trust me completely by leaf-fall at the latest." Rainfur smiled and nodded.

"Good work, Flamepelt," Rainfur told him. "Did he say anything about Stormpaw?"

"No," said Flamepelt, shaking his head a bit. "He doesn't suspect a thing. He just mumbles about how you made Stormpaw just as crazy as you were."

"Good," said Rainfur, letting out a sigh of relief. There was a moments silence before Flamepelt spoke again.

"What is Stormpaw really?" asked Flamepelt. "ThunderClan has been wondering." Rainfur paused. There was a slight moment when he thought of lying to Flamepelt, but then reality reminded him that he had to tell his friends the truth or it would come back and bite him in the butt. However, could he trust the other Clan cats to keep their mouths shut?

"He's—er—complicating," Rainfur told the young ginger tom. "He is in some ways like me, but in others, totally different. The power he has is based off justice, something mine was never about. However, the power doesn't seem to know what evil truly is yet, so I have given Stormpaw the option to train with me."

"Has he accepted?" asked Flamepelt.

"No," said Rainfur, shaking his head. "And I doubt he will. Stormpaw's just. . . frustrating, you know what I mean? He's bratty and thinks he's got it rough. If only he knew what  I've  gone through."

"Can't you show him like you did Duskkit?" asked Flamepelt. Rainfur sighed, shaking his head at first. Then he thought of something that was out of the ordinary.

"Actually, I think I can show him, just not the same way as Duskkit. . ." Rainfur murmured. "Thanks, Flamepelt, for reminding me of what I can do."

"No problem," Flamepelt said, smiling proudly. "I better go—dawn is approaching." Rainfur nodded in understanding before walking away, listening to Flamepelt's paw steps as he did the same.

Rainfur returned to camp quietly, and when he met the cats guarding the entrance he nodded to them. Around the time that Flamepelt had agreed to be a spy, Rainfur had explained to the older Warriors that he was going to be leaving and coming back late at night for some time, and they seemed to understand.

When Rainfur made it into the Warriors den, he fell asleep quickly, mostly because it was for a reason. He concentrated solely on retreating to his mind, and when that happened, he found that he was in complete darkness. For Rainfur, this was good. His emotions were being pushed away, leaving him with full rein to do what he wanted.

"Hey, Rainy," said Jactur, walking up to him. Rainfur smiled, no longer freaked out when seeing his new friend. "What'ya doin' here? I almost never get to see you anymore. Got a plan?"

"Yeah, but I'll need your help," Rainfur replied. "Do you know how to get Stormpaw in here?" Jactur shook his head.

"No, but we can go to him," Jactur responded, smiling with amusement. "All we need to do is enter his dreams. It won't be that hard, seeing as he's dreaming of you at the moment." Rainfur nodded, quite happy that it was going to be easy.

"What do I have to do?" asked Rainfur.

"Just try to imagine Stormpaw sleeping in the medicine den, and then try to match his breathing," Jactur replied. "Very simple if you do it right."

Rainfur nodded again before closing his eyes, trying to imagine the medicine den in his head. After doing that, he added Stormpaw in the picture, and soon matched his breathing. It was easier than he'd previously thought, and soon he was in the middle of Stormpaw's dream.

It was quite odd, if Rainfur was seeing correctly, but it made sense. He was on a bridge, one that looked very high. Cars were passing him quickly, and the road seemed to be a major one. The only thing wrong was the human in front of him. The familiar one.

It was Daniel.

Rainfur's heart-beat doubled as he watched his little brother pull out his phone and talk to his father. The conversation went just as the TV had put it, and when it ended, Rainfur wanted badly to help his brother, but then he reminded himself that it was only a dream.

Daniel turned around, then, and he didn't seem to notice Rainfur. Instead he walked right passed him, and onto the road. The driver of the car didn't see Daniel, and in one moment, it hit the ten-year-old boy.

The scene changed to complete darkness. In a few minutes, Rainfur could see a light, and in front of that light was Daniel. When the light faded, Rainfur found Cheetahfur sitting there, just like she had with him. This was all too similar, and all too painful to watch.

This time, it wasn't the four leaders who had shown up. Instead, it was Ravenstar, the previous leader of ThunderClan, Jayflight, the previous deputy of ThunderClan, and a few others Rainfur didn't know. They were important though, and of course Rainfur couldn't stay long enough to find who they were.

When the scene changed again, Rainfur found that he was looking at a younger Stormpaw. After that, it went back to complete darkness, all expect for Rainfur, Jactur—who Rainfur never knew was there—and Stormpaw, who stared at them with wide eyes.

"W-what are you doing here?" Stormpaw demanded, standing up quickly. "What did you see?" Rainfur's eyes were also wide as he figured out just what was going on.

"You  can't  be—"

"What did you see?" Stormpaw screamed, interrupting Rainfur. "That dream was about—er—my Twoleg! Yeah, that's right, my Twoleg!"

"Da—Stormpaw, I know what's going on," Rainfur told him. "I know what's happened to you."

"No you don't!" Stormpaw hissed, his shock suddenly turning into anger. "You haven't lost a brother! You haven't had it be your fault! You haven't even gone from a human to a cat!" Rainfur's eyes narrowed tightly as he found that Stormpaw was still just as annoying.

"You wanna bet?" asked Rainfur. Before Stormpaw got to answer, Rainfur moved. He searched through Stormpaw's memories, not even caring to find out if it was hurting his apprentice or not. He was too angry.

Rainfur took every memory of him and Alfie that he could, though it was limited due to to the fact that Daniel was barely four at the time. Or was it three? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that Stormpaw had to see this.

After taking the memories he threw them to Stormpaw, noticing only too late that he'd hurt his own apprentice. Rainfur ignored the fact at that moment, knowing that it would only be worse if he didn't continue.

Rainfur looked through his own memories after that, grabbing the few he still had of Alfie's death. He then gave them to Stormpaw, who gasped in horror.

After this, Rainfur grabbed every memory he could of him and Daniel together, and then he threw them at Stormpaw, who screamed at that moment. Then, he showed the memory of how he died. Rainfur cringed at the mental pain  he  was now receiving, but ignored that too. He needed to do this in order for Stormpaw to understand.

Rainfur took the memory of meeting Cheetahfur and the others, threw that at Stormpaw, and then picked a few others of him being insane with Jactur. After this, he showed Stormpaw the memories of him reaching his previous home as a human, and then showed how he figured out how Daniel died.

After that, he stopped, watching as Stormpaw looked through the memories. It would be hours until he got through them all, but if that was what it took, he would wait. Rainfur was too tired to really move anyway.

Around a half-hour later, Stormpaw's eyes blinked several times before looking to Rainfur with his eyes wide in shock. There was a few moments of silence before anyone spoke.

"M-Matthew?" asked Stormpaw, his voice shaky. "You're really alive?" Rainfur nodded.

"It's hard to believe  you  are," he said. "Do you know how hard it was to know that you died because I did? Daniel, I lived my human life killing myself as I remembered Alfie's death. When I heard about you, I was nearly back to square one."

"I-I'm so sorry," Stormpaw whispered. "If I'd have known, I wouldn't have treated you so badly."

"I know, Stormpaw," Rainfur soothed. "But that wasn't the point of showing you those memories. You may have had a crappy life, but you're still not as bad as I was. I didn't have someone willing to train me, to get the monster out of my head. I didn't have someone willing to understand me, to know what I was going through. I didn't have the privacy and normalness that you do. I was stared at and feared above all things, all because Cheetahfur made a small mistake.

"You, Stormpaw, are different," Rainfur continued. "You have me. I will train the monster out of you, and I will understand you. I know what you're going through, and I know how to fix it. Just listen to me, and show some respect. That's all I'm asking." Stormpaw nodded obediently.

"I promise, Matthew," Stormpaw whispered.

"I'm Rainfur, remember?" Rainfur reminded the small tom. "I'm no longer Matthew, and you're no longer Daniel. Plus, if you call me Matthew around the other cats, they'll start calling you 'the Odd One' again." Stormpaw nodded in understanding before everything faded, leaving Rainfur to wake with a start.

He sighed before realizing it was dawn already, and so he stood up and made his way out of the Warriors den. It seemed many cats were already up, and when Rainfur saw Nightstar upon the Highrock, he knew instantly that the noble leader had called a Clan meeting just a few moments ago.

Glancing over to the apprentice's den, he found Stormpaw walking out quietly, a happy smile upon his face. Rainfur was happy as well, but who could blame him? He'd just found out that his little brother was alive and right in front of him.

After joining the crowd of cats, Nightstar started, looking very excited. It was as if it was a new beginning, as there was a new hope to guide everyone's spirits.

"The day has come at last," Nightstar announced, sitting tall and proud. "The quarter moon has only half-a-day to rise, in which we shall all go to the gathering place and announce our allegiance to RiverClan! Kits may stay if they or their mothers wish, but everyone else must come. Who would want to miss such a happy evening anyways?

"There are a few things I must attend to before I confirm when we will go. Rainfur," said Nightstar, looking to him. "Stormpaw has agreed to train with you, correct?" Rainfur nodded.

"Yes he has," Rainfur lied, having never really asked Stormpaw straight. Though he knew if he asked his apprentice the answer would be 'yes' anyways. "We begin training specially tomorrow. Today is too big a day to begin." Nightstar nodded in understanding.

"Then we shall leave just before the moon rises!" Nightstar announced, leaving everyone else to cheer with him. The Clan meeting was then dismissed, leaving Rainfur to comfortably walk over to Stormpaw.

"I'm assuming you do promise to behave now," said Rainfur. "Or are you still going to be a brat?" Stormpaw smirked and stood tall.

"As if!" Stormpaw hissed. "Brats are just a waste of time!" Rainfur smiled.

"That is good to hear," Rainfur murmured. "Now, as I said to Nightstar, we won't begin training until RiverClan's allegiance has been confirmed. I have to warn you though, this training will be difficult. It took me several moons to prefect."

"It'll take me half the time if I'm with you," Stormpaw pointed out. "Besides, Jactur himself said that I'm faster than you."

"How do you know that?" Rainfur demanded, though he wasn't really angry. Stormpaw just pranced away, a smirk still on his face.

"He told me last night." said Stormpaw. Rainfur rolled his eyes before joining his apprentice for breakfast.

Chapter 31
Rainfur walked quickly beside Nightstar, his eyes and ears alert as they crossed the RiverClan border. Though it was a warm night, and everything seemed quiet, there was something that told Rainfur that he needed to be careful. Plus, they were going onto another Clan’s territory, and that might have been a trick.

Behind him, anxious squeals of kits and young apprentices were heard. Even Stormpaw looked happy to be going to the quarter moon alliance gathering. It was, of course, the first time anyone had done anything like this, so the elder Warriors were still cautious of how StarClan would react.

Rainfur wasn’t afraid. StarClan would respect the decision, and with both Sharpstar and Rosestar combined, why couldn’t Bravestar and Nightstar do the same? Aside from that, there was the fact that they needed to begin a war, and fighting separately would be stupid.

“Hey, Rainfur,” said Stormpaw, prancing up to him. “Is anything weird going to happen? I heard from the other apprentices that something always happens when you go to gatherings.” Rainfur smiled, happy that Stormpaw was finally learning about him instead of just whining.

“I’m not quite sure,” said Rainfur. “This gathering isn’t something I’ve seen before. Judging by everyone’s excitement, they haven’t either.”

“Really?” asked Stormpaw. “That’s so cool! Do you think Jactur’s going to like it?” Rainfur shrugged.

“He doesn’t like anything I do,” said Rainfur, smirking as Jactur hissed lowly to him.

“Do you think I’ll have someone like Jactur someday?” asked Stormpaw, looking quite curious.

“Most likely,” Rainfur replied. “We have a long way before then, though.” Stormpaw smiled, but before he could ask another question, they reached the gathering place.

It was all very interesting, the way the sky was lit up by the moon, and something else just made the air feel softer. Rainfur also noticed the kindness in the air as he crossed the log, as if they were no longer separate Clans, but just another family joining the ceremony.

The kits took off as soon as they reached the ground. They went over to where the elders were gathered, along with the RiverClan kits. The apprentices all tried to compete with each other while the medicine cats greeted each other once again. Bravestar and Nightstar watched from a corner while the Warriors just spread out.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur found himself following Mudkit, Cloverkit, and Tigerkit toward the elders, curious as to what kind of stories the elder cats were telling the young kits.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Come join us, Rainfur,” called the raspy voice of Greypelt, one of ShadowClan’s elders. “We were just about to tell the youngsters a story. You may join us if you wish.” Rainfur smiled before sitting by a familiar fluffy she-kit, who looked at him with wide-eyes.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Hey, I know you!” declared a small ginger kit. “You’re Rainfur, aren’t you?” Rainfur nodded in response, though he didn’t know who the kit is.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’m Foxkit!” the kit replied, looking quite excited. “My sister is Mosskit over there.” A small grey she-cat blushed softly as he looked to her, knowing she was Mosskit. Now Rainfur knew them. They were the kits of Reedfeather, the one who nursed Snowkit, Duskkit, and Nightkit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">That would mean the fluffy cottonball next to him was Snowkit, and Rainfur suddenly realised how pretty she’d gotten. They must have been close to becoming apprentices, for they were nearly as big as Stormpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Nightkit sat furthest away from him, looking quite amazed as he saw Rainfur. He was taller and longer than Snowkit, and he looked quite powerful.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Duskkit, who looked very frightened, sat in the middle of the line of kits, looking up to Rainfur with fear in his eyes. Like last time, he didn’t blame the golden kit. After all, Duskkit was the youngest cat to know his secrets, which were very frightening to a kit his age.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur stared at the small tom, realizing just how small he was. He was definitely the runt, but even then, Duskkit looked strong. It was as if he’d already started his training, but Rainfur knew better. Bravestar was not that cruel.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You must be the three that Rainfur saved!” Mudkit, who sat by Foxkit, announced. “I’m Mudkit!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’m Cloverkit,” said Cloverkit, blushing slightly as all eyes turned to her.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’m Tigerkit, named after the best tom in the forest!” Tigerkit announced.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Tigerstar?” asked Foxkit, looking very confused.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No, mouse-brain,” Tigerkit growled. “Tigerpelt!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Who was named after Tigerstar,” Greypelt chuckled. “I do see a pattern here. Now, what would you kits like to know about?” All of the kits looked to the ShadowClan elder, their eyes full of excitement as they got ready to be told a story.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I want to know about that Cheetahfur cat!” said Tigerkit. “I heard Rainfur talked about her last gathering! Did you know about her?” The elders were quiet for a few moments before an elder she-cat spoke up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I knew her,” said the elder. “Very curious was this she-cat. She always loved to see new things, and was quite curious as to why the Clans were separated so much. I met her back when I was a Warrior. A friend of mine was her mentor. Such a cute kit she was, and with no brothers and sisters, you’d think she was spoiled.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Was she?” asked Mosskit, engrossed in the story.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Oh no, Cheetahfur was very, very kind,” the elder continued. “So gentle, you’d think she was a medicine cat. But no, for some reason StarClan sent her another path. When growing up, I found she wasn’t all that strong, but she had a good heart. Very smart too, and she was happy.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What happened?” asked Mudkit, leaning forward with excitement.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“She fell in love,” the elder replied. “Very soon, in fact. She was still merely ten moons old when she saw him first. The tom was a small loner, just a moon older than she. He’d come begging for a home, and Cloudstar, the leader at the time, refused. Cheetahfur, however, disagreed. In her mind, this tom needed to be helped, but no matter how she told the noble leader, Sandstar refused.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Cheetahfur then went behind the Clan’s back and helped this tom grow stronger. He’d come from ShadowClan’s direction, and he was a bit beaten up. So she healed him, and hunted for him and fought for him. The dark tom soon grew stronger, and by the time Cheetahfur was fifteen moons old, he was ready to make his second appearance.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“The next time the tom showed himself to Cloudstar, he was strong, and he was fit to be a Warrior. Cheetahfur had been teaching him the ways of the Warrior code, and even how to fight properly. Cloudstar couldn’t refuse, and soon the tom was just a regular cat in ThunderClan.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“That’s a boring story!” Nightkit suddenly blurted out.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Well I’m not quite finished,” the elder growled before continuing. “As you could all see coming, Cheetahfur and this tom, who was now a full Warrior along with her, declared each other mates. They were very cute, the two of them. When I saw them at gatherings, it reminded me of how much StarClan was watching over us.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Soon, as you could imagine, they had kits,” the elder continued. “Just two, though one died of greencough at an early age. The kit that remained seemed determined to show his belonging to the Clan, since everyone looked down upon his half-Clan bloodlines. He did his best, but it wasn’t enough.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“One day, the kit thought it would be a good idea to hunt on his own, though he was only barely an apprentice. The kit didn’t know that there was a loose fox in the area though. He met the fox, and his mother, Cheetahfur, was the only one who seemed to notice his disappearance. Worried for her lost kit, she went to search for it. When she found him, she was shocked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Before the fox could attack her kit, she attacked it, though it was stronger. You see, she hadn’t really fought for over three moons, so her legs weren’t used to the movement. It was only seconds until the fox killed her, and it took half a day for anyone to notice Cheetahfur’s disappearance. When they found the body, they knew what had happened. The father of the kit, the loner, scolded the kit for many moons, and many others looked down upon him even more.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“The father of the kit became deputy not long after that, and without further notice, leader. Cloudstar had died killing the fox that had killed Cheetahfur, and so the father of the kit lived on. The kit has become a strong Warrior.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What was the father’s name?” asked Cloverkit curiously. The elder lowered her head a bit before replying.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Ravenstar,” the elder responded. Rainfur’s eyes widened. Ravenstar and Cheetahfur were mates? They had kits? Why didn’t he hear of this? Why hadn’t anybody told him?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Who was the kit’s name?” asked Rainfur, though it was more an order. The elder looked at him, her eyes narrowed as if she didn’t like his tone. She answered though.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“At the moment he goes by the name of Sharpstar,” the elder replied. Rainfur looked down to his paws to hide his emotions.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">This was wrong. So wrong. Sharpstar is Cheetahfur and Ravenstar’s kit. Did this mean Sharpstar hated loners because he was one himself? Or was it because his father was? Maybe it was because it was the fact that he was only half-Clan born and that was when everyone hated him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Why hadn’t Cheetahfur told him?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">A yowl from the oak tree made Rainfur jump back to reality. He looked up to see that Bravestar and Nightstar were gathering the cats. He made his way over to where Wolfheart was, and waited for the others to gather.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Welcome, ShadowClan!” Bravestar announced, looking quite happy.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You as well, RiverClan!” Nightstar called.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We are gathered here today to declare our allegiance to one another,” said Bravestar. “I, Bravestar, leader of RiverClan, ask StarClan to grant us permission to ally my Clan and I to ShadowClan for further protection of the Warrior code and the Warriors of both of our Clans.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I, Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan, ask StarClan to grant us permission to ally my Clan and I to ShadowClan for further protection of the Warrior code and the Warriors of both of our Clans.” said Nightstar ceremoniously. Four figures showed up in front of them, looking straight to the leaders.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We accept your decision, Nightstar and Bravestar, leaders of River and Shadow,” said the main StarClan cat, though the others echoed. “Let your Clans pass the borders in peace, though do not take prey from the other’s territory unless given permission by the Clan leader. May your Clans help each other through the battles that are to come, and let them become friends to strengthen the bond. Until the alliance is formally departed shall these rules lay.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The StarClan cats vanished afterword, but that wasn’t all. Rainfur felt something leave his side, as if Wolfheart had gotten up, but he hadn’t. When Rainfur looked to his left, he found that Jactur, strangely enough, was beside him. It was so odd that he nearly jumped out of his skin.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What in StarClan’s name are you doing here?” asked Rainfur, making Wolfheart turn his head. The brave RiverClan deputy just gasped and backed away as he saw Jactur.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I have absolutely no idea what just happened, but I honestly don’t care,” said Jactur, smiling as he looked around the gathering place. “This is awesome! I can go where ever I want as long as it’s in this island! Sweet!” Jactur suddenly stood up and walked around, seeming to attract a few she-cats attention.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur rolled his eyes before trying to find Duskkit. He still needed to apologize to the small tom, and he wanted to do it before they left.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur found the young tom along next to a bramble bush, and he looked very fearful as well as regretful. It was strange, but Rainfur didn’t care. Duskkit felt like a little brother to him, and at the moment he had it in his mind that he needed to comfort the golden tom.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You wouldn’t mind if I sat here, would you?” asked Rainfur curiously. Duskkit nodded, though still looked at his paws. He had a feeling the small kit had no idea who was sitting next to him, but that would soon change. A few moments of silence passed, all of which Rainfur listened to the small kit sob.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Duskkit, why are you crying?” asked Rainfur, trying to get Duskkit to tell him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I-I saw Rainfur today,” said Duskkit, refusing to look away from the ground. “Just a moon ago when he returned I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t be afraid. He was the cat who saved me after all, so why should I? But then I saw him today and I just. . .froze up I guess.” Rainfur shrugged, though he knew Duskkit could not see him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Maybe you’re not ready to trust him just yet,” Rainfur told him, having a hard time trying to act as if he were someone else. “Maybe you just need time to realize he’s not as bad as he seems.” Duskkit just sighed, acting like Stormpaw in a way.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“How will I ever learn how to trust him?” asked Duskkit. “After seeing all of those memories. . .I just can’t forget them. They were just so. . .vivid.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“The memories you saw were scary,” Rainfur told the young tom. “But if they were frightening to you, how scary do you think they were to him?” Duskkit paused, as if trying to think of how to respond to the answer.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I. . .I never thought of it that way,” Duskkit murmured.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I knew somebody who thought he had a bad life,” said Rainfur, hoping he didn’t sound too much like an elder. “The tom found out later that someone else had an even worse past. Point is, if you think you are in the worst situation ever, just try and remember that there’s probably somebody worse off.” Rainfur stood up after that, noticing Jactur talking to a few RiverClan she-cats.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Just as he got two tail-lengths away from Duskkit, the golden tom looked up, gasping as he realised that he had been talking to his fear all along. Rainfur smiled as he noticed the golden tom realize that he didn’t need to be afraid.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Two cats in three days, Rainfur thought to himself. I think that’s a record.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The next few days for ShadowClan were crazy. They had seen RiverClan cats give normal reports every five or so hours, the same with ShadowClan to RiverClan. There was so much commotion, so many things going on, and so many unfamiliar faces going around that Rainfur had no time to take Stormpaw out for a training session.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Today, however, Rainfur had left Treeleg in charge so that he could take his apprentice training. Besides, it was the fact that Stormpaw agreed to the training that the RiverClan cats were there anyway. He had a right to take a rest and train his apprentice in the way of his power.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw was walking beside him at the moment, and Rainfur noticed the fear growing in his eyes. It was unmistakable, leaving Rainfur to wonder if the training was such a good idea, but then he just remembered that he had to do it for Stormpaw’s sake.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">They reached a fairly large clearing where Rainfur turned around to face Stormpaw, who looked steady and alert, though somewhat shaken. By the end of the day, Stormpaw would probably be okay, though.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“First things first,” Rainfur said. “What exactly happened when you went crazy? How did you know Rosestar had done all those things?” Stormpaw shrugged before sitting down.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I don’t know,” Stormpaw muttered truthfully. “I just saw it. I saw her attack you, try and kill you, and when I turned to you, I saw everything. Well, I didn’t get through it. I only saw that rogue leader’s death and then I freaked out. I think I saw a few more, but it was just. . .foggy.” Rainfur sat there, staring at his apprentice.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“. . .Okay, well that’s. . .different,” Rainfur murmured. “If you can see their sins, then that would mean fully controlled you could tell who’s guilty and who’s not. . .” Stormpaw tilted his head curiously.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What do you mean?” asked Stormpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Well, let’s say Sharpstar had succeeded in killing me, but no one knew about it,” Rainfur told his apprentice. “You would be able to know instantly that it was him if you saw him, and then you would bring Justice on him. That part of your power is good, but the only bad part is that you will attack anyone who’s only done a simple thing as lying. When you’re controlled, you won’t really want to murder anybody. You’ll have the urge, but only with people who have killed. See what I mean?”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I guess so,” said Stormpaw, looking very interested. “So what do we do?”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We train,” Rainfur murmured. “Your power is triggered when my scar is scratched, so we’ll force you into that frame of mind. I can control you easily enough, so I’ll just keep doing it. What this is doing is making that small disease within you grow. When it grows large enough, you’ll be able to hear his voice. I’ll explain the rest when we get to that point, okay?” Stormpaw nodded, and so they began.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">They trained until sunhigh, but nothing seemed to be happening. Of course, Rainfur knew that when he was training, the same thing happened. Still, something seemed to be different.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">While walking, Rainfur swung by the ThunderClan border to see what was happening. Something in his mind told him that he needed to see if the border patrol was there yet.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw followed with a tired look in his eye, and Rainfur made sure to keep and ear out for him. The last thing he needed was to forget about his apprentice being right there.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">When Rainfur reached the ThunderClan border, he found that everything was quiet. A bit too quiet. Something was wrong, and somewhere in his head, he knew he had to stay there and wait for something.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Then Rainfur saw him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Flamepelt was running full speed toward him with a shocked look in his eye. When the ginger tom reached the border, he wasted no time in telling Rainfur of what was wrong.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Sharpstar has planned an attack!” Flamepelt yelled, his eyes wide. “Not just on ShadowClan, but on RiverClan as well! He plans to weaken you before the war begins!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Flamepelt, the war has already begun,” Rainfur hissed before turning to Stormpaw. “Go find the nearest RiverClan cat and tell them of what is happening, and whatever you do, don’t fight anybody, do you understand?” Stormpaw narrowed his eyes.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I can fight, Rainfur! Just let me!” Stormpaw hissed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No!” Rainfur growled. “You’re not strong enough yet. I won’t fight either, so just meet me back at ShadowClan camp, understood?” Stormtail’s tail lashed at this.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“But—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Just go!” Rainfur hissed. Stormpaw paused for a few moments before taking off toward RiverClan.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Flamepelt, try to do the best you can on acting like you really want to kill us,” Rainfur ordered. “You need to let Sharpstar believe that you hate us, and that will get his attention, understood?” Flamepelt nodded before Rainfur turned tail and rushed to ShadowClan camp.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">By the time Rainfur reached camp, Nightstar was already aware of what was going on. He was lining up his Warriors, and quickly. When the noble leader caught sight of Rainfur, he looked very relieved. Rainfur made his way over to Nightstar quickly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur! It’s so wonderful to see you’re okay,” Nightstar said. “I need you to lead the battle patrol over to—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Nightstar, I can’t fight,” Rainfur interrupted. “I understand that I am important, but unfortunately, it’s impossible. If they even attempt to scratch my shoulder, Stormpaw will go crazy. I can’t risk that—we’ve only had a few days of training after all.” Nightstar looked worried then.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, you’re the deputy,” Nightstar pointed out. “You can’t just stay out of the fight! They’ll think you’re weak, and then Sharpstar will—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I don’t give a darn what Sharpstar or any of his little minions think,” Rainfur hissed, narrowing his eyes. “With RiverClan helping us, we should do fine. After all, Sharpstar has yet to figure out we’ve allied with them. What would you rather have, one less Warrior to help fight or an insane lunatic able to finish off everyone in this camp?” Nightstar narrowed his eyes a bit, but calmed down. The noble leader seemed to be getting the point now.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What would you suggest we do?” asked Nightstar.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Fight in sections, but if you lose headway, don’t worry,” Rainfur said. “Remember, we still have RiverClan. Don’t hesitate to help them either, because they may be our last hope in the end. Also, as I’m sure you’re planning, keep ThunderClan and WindClan out of both camps. Stormpaw and I will be hiding here, but if we’re found, it may be the end.” Nightstar nodded before continuing to bark out commands. At this time, Rainfur rushed over to Stormpaw, who was sitting with frustration in his eyes near the high rock.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I should be helping,” Stormpaw muttered, glaring at Rainfur as he sat down next to his apprentice. “I should be out there fighting!” Rainfur smiled, but shook his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I want you to gain control of the monster within you without going through the pain of killing,” Rainfur whispered. “You must do as I say, or you’ll die.” Stormpaw just looked away, but Rainfur knew that the small apprentice understood.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Hmm, let’s pass the time in a fun way, shall we?” said Rainfur, making Stormpaw look up to him with confusion in his eyes. “Strength and intelligence isn’t all Jactur is for.” Stormpaw now tilted his head, but as he did this, Rainfur just lay down, and so Stormpaw did the same, but cautiously.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Do you remember when you were younger?” asked Rainfur. “You were around seven years old, and you brought Waffles home from the street?” Stormpaw smiled.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I remember that,” said Stormpaw, looking at Rainfur with happiness now. “I remember how angry dad was, but you persuaded him to let me keep it.” Rainfur nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I knew how sad you were when dad told me to send it to the pound, and so I convinced him to let you keep Waffles.” Rainfur said. “That old dog taught you so much.” Stormpaw nodded, closing his eyes to imagine it. When Stormpaw smiled, Rainfur knew then that it was time to take action.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">You ready, Jactur? Rainfur asked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I can’t believe you’re making me do this, Jactur muttered. You’re using my power to put bratty asleep. You’re using my power to send the idiot the most beautiful, and powerful dreams. What a waste of power.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Would you rather not use it at all? Rainfur asked. Jactur muttered something he didn’t catch, but soon Rainfur could feel Jactur doing his job.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw was asleep within seconds, and by the smile on his face and the slight twitching in his right foreleg, Rainfur could tell that he would be like that for a long time. This just allowed Rainfur to listen carefully to the war ahead.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The sounds of yowls full of agony and caterwauls filled with triumph made Rainfur’s body tense. The war outside was going to be bloody, and the fact that he could not participate made him frustrated. However, he forced himself to stay there for Stormpaw’s sake.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">He’s the only brother I have left, so I need to stay here for him, Rainfur told himself.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">There was movement suddenly. Rainfur’s ears grew alert, as did his eyes. He scanned the camp, but no living thing was there. The movement was as small as if it had been a kit that had moved, but Rainfur knew better. Someone was there, and his sense of smell was confirming it.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Hello, Rainy” said a familiar voice. “Protectin’ ol’ crazy over there? Well that’s too bad. Seems like we’ll have to kill the both of you.” Rainfur whipped his head around to find that there were three cats heading for him, all of them having an evil grin on their face. Their leader was unmistakable by scent, sight, and sound.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It was Tigerpelt.

Chapter 32
<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur glared at the ThunderClan deputy as he stood, knowing who sent Tigerpelt and what the tom was planning to do. Rainfur's heart kept calm under order, but he could feel the urge to attack growing, and he knew the urge would soon burst uncontrollably.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It wasn't the power with Rainfur that created the urge, nor was it the fact he needed to protect Stormpaw. It was because he knew Tigerpelt, and he wanted to help the misguided tom greatly. The only problem was now wasn't the time to do it, and so he wanted to attack him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The other two cats, whom Rainfur knew as Talontooth and Falconclaw, stood silently as Tigerpelt smiled wickedly at Rainfur. Talontooth. Father of kits who were probably around two moons old. This made Rainfur curious as to who's side Talontooth was on.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I know why you're here, Tigerpelt," Rainfur said. "Why? If you kill me, how would that help you?"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I am deputy! If I kill you, Sharpstar will reward me!" Tigerpelt said, standing quite proudly. "If I kill you, he will trust me beyond all else!" Rainfur shook his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Sharpstar won't care," Rainfur told the tabby tom. "Sharpstar only wants you to kill me so he doesn't have to do it. He's afraid that if he kills, StarClan will take his lives. Tigerpelt, Sharpstar trusts no one. He's not like Ravenstar." Tigerpelt scoffed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Is this your sorry excuse to save yourself?" asked Tigerpelt, scoffing loudly. "You know what? I overestimated you. You are worthless, Rainfur. The only thing you ever did was kill. I guess I should thank you for that, though, because if it wasn't for your exile, I wouldn't be deputy." Rainfur's tail lashed irritably.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Tigerpelt, listen," Rainfur growled. "It doesn't need to be this way. What about your kits? What about your family? What about Softstreak? They need you, but not as a murderer. They need you as you, the strong tom I remember." Tigerpelt's eyes narrowed, anger flashing through his is in an instant.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"You don't know what they need," Tigerpelt hissed. "And what about your kits? You're leading a war, Rainfur, and you think that your kits are safe? They're as good as dead, and they haven't even been born yet!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"That was Sharpstar's decision, and it had nothing to do with me," Rainfur growled. "You, Tigerpelt, need to find out what's more important for you. Being deputy, or having family?"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I don't need mentoring from you, Rainfur," Tigerpelt hissed, getting into a fighting position.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur lunged first, a bit too fast for Tigerpelt. However, Talontooth and Falconclaw were on him first, holding him down as Tigerpelt stood up, smiling evilly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Sneaky, Rainfur, but you forgot that you're outnumbered," Tigerpelt spat. "Not so smart anymore are you?" Rainfur hissed with fury, struggling to hurt the tom that was irritating him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Rainy, you aren't getting free," Tigerpelt hissed. "And, unfortunately for you, Sharpstar told us to make you die a very painful death. I must do what my leader says, shouldn't I?" Rainfur tried to move his body, but it wouldn't. He was being pushed into the ground, leaving his muscles sorer and sorer.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Tigerpelt's claws unsheathed and he quickly raked them down Rainfur's belly. Rainfur gave a small grunt, but bit his tongue to keep himself from doing anything else. He didn't want to sound weak. He refused.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Eh, Rainfur? Jactur asked, sounding a bit worried. Do you need my help?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I've got it! Rainfur snapped. I can do this on my own!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Geez, I was just asking, Jactur muttered.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Hmm? That didn't hurt? Well then, lets try something else. . ." said Tigerpelt, bringing up his claws and then slashing them across Rainfur's face. He struggled more, but Rainfur still wasn't let free. His face was stinging and his stomach was burning, but he was determined not to make a sound.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"How strong you are," Tigerpelt taunted. "I used to salute you on that, Rainfur. I used to love the fact that you were determined not to show the pain. In this situation, however, hiding it will actually be bad for you. I'm not giving up until you scream." Then, without thinking apparently, Tigerpelt sunk his claws into both of Rainfur's shoulders and raked them down his flacks.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur gasped with fear when he realised his scar had been scratched. His eyes immediately turned to Stormpaw, who had woken up, and looked just as insane as last time.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Stormpaw. . ." he whispered, leaving Tigerpelt to look up from Rainfur and over to the waking apprentice. The tabby tom didn't seem to understand that Stormpaw wasn't just crazy though because all he did was smirk.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw rose from his spot, staring absently at the ground as if he was soulless. His starry eyes were wide with shock it seemed, and the white moon on his shoulder had turned full. There was no doubt in Rainfur's mind now that Stormpaw had given into his power.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Get off of me!" Rainfur hissed as he felt the energy drain from him. "He's not just crazy. I need to help him!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"As if we'd do that," Tigerpelt sneered. "Your apprentice is merely crazy, and with that I shall kill him."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He's too strong for you!" Rainfur screamed. "He'll kill you within seconds!" Tigerpelt got into a fighting position, smirking as Stormpaw looked at him. That was when Rainfur could hear what his apprentice was mumbling.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Killer. . .murderer. . .liar. . ." was what Stormpaw was muttering. "Weak. . .coward. . .killer. . ." Before Tigerpelt could react, Stormpaw lunged, his speed matchable to Rainfur's. Tigerpelt was crushed as Stormpaw pushed the tabby tom to the ground, and the shock in Tigerpelt's eyes were unmistakable.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Killer. . .murderer. . .liar. . ." Stormpaw mumbled, unsheathing his claws and sinking them into Tigerpelt's skin. "Die. . .coward. . .murderer. . ." Tigerpelt was struggling, his paws flailing in all directions, trying to get the unbelievable strength off of him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw didn't even flinch when Tigerpelt's teeth sunk into his leg, but Rainfur did. Stormpaw was his brother. Stormpaw was Daniel. Rainfur needed to save him before he had to witness the death again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur, we need to help him! Rainfur screamed inside his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">How? Jactur asked. We're already the highest we've ever been—Stormpaw helped you with that. So unless we up our game and push ourselves in to the Second Power, we're not going to able to—wait. . .Rainfur, I know what you're thinking, but we can't—

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">We must! Rainfur hissed. I need to save Stormpaw! Jactur was quite for a few moments before sighing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Fine, but be careful, Jactur hissed. You aren't exactly ready for this, alright? Our body will probably be exhausted, and I probably won't be able to get back in.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Okay, just do it! Rainfur hissed as Stormpaw sunk his teeth into Tigerpelt's neck. He mustn't kill anybody or—

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I know, I know, Jactur muttered. Ready?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Ready, was the only thing Rainfur said before a strong pressure of wind pushed both Talontooth and Falconclaw back, leaving Rainfur to stand. A figure beside him sighed, and Rainfur smiled as he realised as it was Jactur. He wasn't starry like usual though, he was a pure cat.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"If I hadn't been walking away just a days ago, I would have found this weird," Jactur muttered as he stretched out his body. Falconclaw and Talontooth stood up with shocked expressions on their face.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"What do we do?" asked Rainfur quickly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Go save Stormy and I'll take care of Idiot one and Idiot two, understood?" asked Jactur, making Rainfur smile with amusement. Jactur always found a way to make Rainfur happier.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur then ran for Stormpaw, taking the small apprentice off the ThunderClan deputy. Rainfur held down Stormpaw with all of his strength, though kept an ear out for Tigerpelt as the tom stood up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Run!" Rainfur hissed to Tigerpelt. "Run, or I will let Stormpaw kill you!" Tigerpelt quickly snapped out of his daze before lunging to Rainfur, surprising both him and Stormpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur prepared for the worst as Tigerpelt pinned him down. Teeth sank in his neck as exhaustion suddenly overcame him, and as blood pooled around him, he hoped absently that Jactur wasn't dying.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Suddenly, the weight was taken off of him. Rainfur looked up to find both Stormpaw and Falconclaw ripping Tigerpelt away from him, and in the blurs that Rainfur caught, he found that Falconclaw was actually trying to help him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Rainfur, run!" Falconclaw hissed, but before Rainfur could do so, Talontooth sent a near-fatal blow to Falconclaw's back, leaving the golden tom to fall. Rainfur gasped before realizing what he needed to do. He lunged at Tigerpelt, pushing the ThunderClan deputy off of Stormpaw, who looked as if he were a ghost.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur hissed to Tigerpelt before turning around and pinning his apprentice down. He bit Stormpaw's shoulder quickly making the small tom fade into unconsciousness. Rainfur stepped off his apprentice, a single tear falling from his cheek.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">He hurt his own brother. He hurt Daniel. He hurt his own apprentice. He hurt Stormpaw. Rainfur knew it was for a reason, but he still did it. StarClan did this to them. Why? Why couldn't they just be dead? Why couldn't they just live together in the afterlife? Why couldn't they just be normal cats, if they just had to live? Why?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Cats were now filing in from the camp entrance, all of them either only a bit wounded or perfectly fine. Their faces darkened as they saw the three ThunderClan cats near Stormpaw and Rainfur. Nightstar kept his cats back, knowing full well what Stormpaw had just gone through.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Stay back!" Nightstar hissed to a curious apprentice. Was it Featherpaw? Runningpaw? Rainfur couldn't tell. His vision was too blurred to know for sure. The voices were the only thing that let him know what was going on.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It was then that Rainfur fell, unable to hide his exhaustion. Someone was being held down, for Rainfur could hear the tom struggle. It wasn't Jactur, though, which make Rainfur give a sigh of relief.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Nightstar!" Jactur suddenly hissed. "Both Rainfur and Stormpaw are fine! Falconclaw is innocent!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"What about you?" asked Nightstar with a worried tone.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I can't do anything!" Jactur yelled irritably. "Just help Falconclaw!" Rainfur heard movement, but then the struggling stopped. There was running, though that sound was gone in seconds. Rainfur guessed Tigerpelt and Talontooth left. Falconclaw, however, wasn't as lucky.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"How is Falconclaw innocent?" Nightstar demanded, sounding quite tired.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He helped get Rainfur free," Jactur explained. "He helped in attempting to fight Tigerpelt." Rainfur heard small gasps, as if someone was trying to get up but unfortunately couldn't.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Poppyheart, can you heal him?" asked Nightstar as Rainfur heard the rush of another cat. There was a long silence before a small sigh.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I'm sorry Nightstar," came Poppyheart's voice. "They gave a large wound. He'll die within moments."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"It's okay, Poppyheart," Nightstar murmured. "Let him be delivered to StarClan for what he has done today."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Sharpstar. . ." gasped Falconclaw, sounding as if he were in extreme pain. "He knows. . .something. . .He plans. . .to. . .attack. . .again. . .two moons. . .He knows. . ."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"What?" Jactur asked, sounding as if he was catching onto something. "What does he know?" There was silence aside from Falconclaw's gasping for air. Then Jactur hissed loudly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I'm gonna kill that son of a—"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Jactur, what happened?" asked Nightstar. Jactur just hissed louder. "What does—"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I'm surprised StarClan even let that idiot become a leader!" Jactur hissed, sounding as if he were going to kill somebody if they were close enough. "That—that—demon should know his limits!" Jactur sounded crazy, but before Rainfur could understand why, he noticed Falconclaw was quiet.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He is dead," said Poppyheart.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Nightstar, I must leave," said Jactur, sounding more demonic than usual. "Rainfur needs me. A word of advice when your Clan has been destroyed? Remember the words, 'we pray for the Saviour'." Rainfur suddenly felt the other half of him unite with the other, making him smile slowly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I'm not going to know, am I? Rainfur asked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">No, said Jactur before Rainfur's fuzzy mind shut off at last.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The next few days weren't really slow for Rainfur. Sure, he was awake, and he knew it, but he didn't really care. There was too much going on in his head, too much to think about. The days just passed away, and though he could feel Stormpaw stirring beside him every few moments, he didn't want to get up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur could help but try to figure out what Jactur knew. What was going to end ShadowClan? Jactur's voice kept ringing in his head, 'when your Clan has been destroyed'. What did Sharpstar know that could change everything? What was there to know?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">A part of Rainfur wanted to just give in. He wanted to safely just hand over the Clan to Sharpstar, so no one could get hurt. Rainfur just wanted everything to be settled, so he could just lie down and sleep, for he was tired of fighting. He was tired of resisting.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Not many cats were wounded in the battle, though from what it sounded like RiverClan got the full blow. Many RiverClan cats showed up with blood pouring from their wounds, each of them gasping with shock as they realised Rainfur and Stormpaw were both in the medicine den.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It was around the third day that Stormpaw finally woke fully, and when he did Poppyheart sent him out because his wounds were limited. Rainfur's, however, were a bit worse. Not to mention the mental and physical exhaustion. Stormpaw kept returning, of course, to talk to Rainfur as if he believed that's what would wake him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Why couldn't it be that simple? Rainfur wanted to just forget about the battle and just move on. Of course, that wasn't the case. He was forced to live with it, and though usually it would have been good for him, it was just making him even more exhausted at the moment.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Poppyheart," the voice of Nightstar suddenly sounded in Rainfur's ears. "Is he—?"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He's fine, Nightstar," Poppyheart told the anxious leader calmly. "I'm actually quite sure that he's been awake for some time. However, he's exhausted. Whatever happened must have tired him out, and with all that went on that I'm sure he heard about, he is not going to be quite happy when he finally does get up." Nightstar sighed at this, as if really frustrated.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I know," Nightstar murmured. "I need him, though. If ThunderClan is going attack again, I'm wondering if we should attack first. I need his opinion first, however, because he always seems to know what's going on." Rainfur sighed a bit, but not loud enough for the other two to hear.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Invading ThunderClan would be a good idea, but they would still be out numbered. The battle would last long, but ShadowClan and RiverClan would be the two who would fail. Unless. ..

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur quickly sat up, making Nightstar and Poppyheart look to him with surprised expressions. He didn't really let them have a chance to say anything because he was too busy trying to create a plan.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"If you want to invade ThunderClan, you're going to need to be stealthy about it," Rainfur muttered. "I've heard from Flamepelt that there are cats who are on our side, and I'm only assuming it's the same with WindClan. This would mean we just need to get word out that we'll be attacking, and then the cats on our side will join as soon as we invade. We'll outnumber them then, but if we are truly to succeed, it would be best if the cats going to WindClan could reach Robinwing. If we have her, than it would signify the war. We wouldn't need to if I get to Sharpstar, in which I'll kill him."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He's got nine lives, Rainfur," Nightstar pointed out. "Unless you pulled the stunt you did yesterday there is no way you could do that." Rainfur's eyes narrowed in warning.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I took Rosestar's lives didn't I?" asked Rainfur, making Nightstar growl a bit. "She'll be easy to pick off, by the way. Either you or Bravestar will be able to do that. That's one less leader we need to kill."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Rainfur, when are you thinking we'll do this?" asked Nightstar.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Within the next three days," Rainfur answered simply.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Your wounds have barely recovered!" Poppyheart pointed out. "You can't fight a leader with nine lives when you've just healed!" Rainfur sighed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Well when else would we be able to do it?" asked Rainfur. "You know very well Sharpstar is planning another attack once his Warriors are healed. He knows we're weak, and he'll attack now. We can't afford that, so why not surprise him by invading first?"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"You know what you're saying, don't you Rainfur?" asked Nightstar. "You're going to risk everyone just to win the war. That isn't like you." Rainfur sighed again, getting very irritated.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I just found out that ShadowClan is going to get obliterated, and if we don't act now, that may come true," Rainfur hissed. "How else do you think I'd act?"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Jactur didn't tell you what Sharpstar knows?" asked Nightstar, his eyes wide.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"He can't," Rainfur muttered. "Apparently whatever power he used forbids him to tell anyone of the information he got. Hasn't spoken to me since, and it's worrying me." Rainfur couldn't hide the anger in his voice. Why was Jactur ignoring him? Why was Jactur just leaving him on his own?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">After a few moments of silence, Nightstar sighed before saying, "If that is what you truly think is best for our Clan, I will send a patrol out to meet up with Flamepelt. You will stay here and rest, focusing on healing before the final battle."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Tell only Bravestar of our invasion," Rainfur muttered, looking away from the noble leader. "Someone from ShadowClan or RiverClan tipped Sharpstar off about the fact that I was staying at camp. They knew." Nightstar left without answering after that, and Poppyheart tended to his healing wounds.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur just sat there, looking at the floor of the den. Maybe Nightstar was right. Maybe he was risking everything/ Something just angered him enough not to care. Sharpstar was hurting cats. Sharpstar was torturing them. He wanted Robinwing out of there. He wanted Robinwing to be free.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur sat near the fresh-kill pile, having a mental conversation with it. He wanted to eat, but he wasn't hungry. He knew he should, but he didn't feel like it. He was just too lost to eat, but Poppyheart kept insisting. ..

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur sighed before standing and walking away, trying hard to reach Jactur. He never called. The knowledge of something that big was probably what was keeping Jactur so quiet. Still, the idiot's normal comments on Rainfur's gloominess were absent from the air, making Rainfur depressed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Am I really alone? Rainfur asked himself. Am I really going to fight this on my own after having you as a partner for over six moons? No answer. Not even a sound. Rainfur sighed, but was brought back to reality when Tigerkit, Cloverkit, and Mudkit ran in front of him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Rainfur! You're awake!" said Cloverkit excitedly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Yay!" said Mudkit happily, bouncing up and down.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Finally!" said Tigerkit. "It's been so boring over here!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Come on! Teach us something!" said Cloverkit, making Rainfur shake his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I-I can't," he murmured. "I'm not well enough yet." The kits all gave disappointed looks before Cloverkit bounced up again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Well then tell us a story!" she said. "I bet you know loads!" The other two kits bobbed their heads with excitement, as if agreeing with her completely which was odd for them.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I, um. . ." Rainfur drifted, not really knowing what to say. Though he would love to spend time with the kits, he was really not in the mood to tell a story. But the kits looked excited, so he rolled his eyes and led them to the front of the apprentices' den where they settled themselves as he tried to choose a story to tell them.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"So what kind of story do you want me to tell?" asked Rainfur curiously.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"And exciting one!" Tigerkit said immediately.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"No! I want one with love!" Cloverkit interrupted.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"But I want a meaningful story!" said Mudkit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"How about all three?" asked Rainfur, instantly making the kits interested. Rainfur smiled before quickly picking a story that he thought would be perfect.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I'm assuming you know about the rogues that haunted the Clans before I was exiled from ThunderClan?" asked Rainfur. As the kits nodded, Rainfur continued. "Well, there were these two kits. Bluekit and Lionkit were their names, and they were very good kits, but one day they decided to leave right after we'd finished fighting a battle to go look for the rogues. They wanted to get revenge on the death of Jayflight, a previous deputy of ThunderClan." Rainfur watched as the kits became very still, listening to his every word.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Sweetclaw—Sweetpaw at the time—had been there when they found the body, so I asked her to take us to where it was. Since the kits had left when the scent was fresh, I figured they'd been using their sense of smell to follow the trail to where Jayflight was killed in hopes of finding the rogues. Robinwing, Flamepelt, and Amberstorm, who were all still apprentices during that time, listened as well, insisting that they help me. I let them.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"After Sweetclaw told us, we rushed over to the kits. They were far from camp, and by the time we found them, it was nearly moonhigh. It wasn't that easy to catch them, though, because they went into an underground tunnel. I went after them, because at the time I was really small for my age. When I reached them, I knew instantly that it was the rogues hide-out."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"The rogues hid underground?" asked Cloverkit, amazement in her eyes. "No wonder ThunderClan couldn't find them!" Rainfur nodded, smiling at the small she-kit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Robinwing, Flamepelt and Amberstorm joined me later, and that was when the fight broke out. I was their target, of course, because I'd killed a lot of their friends. Well, Jactur did, since I hadn't quite controlled him yet. Anyways, the rogue leader, Shadow, wanted to hurt me badly. And so he did. He sent Venom—a cat with venomous claws—to scratch me. I didn't know what it did, so I didn't care. All I knew was that they were trying to kill Robinwing in front of me, and I didn't like it."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"So, on instinct, I let a cat scratch me. Jactur took over, and then we soon made it out. I met Robinwing and the others—who had the kits—later. They had escaped when everyone was worried about getting killed, so we got separated. Anyway, Robinwing was the only one who knew I wasn't Rainfur. I mean, I knew who they were and stuff, but I didn't know whether to attack or not. See, the venom was breaking the connection Jactur and I had at the time—which wasn't really strong back in the day—and I wasn't exactly feeling good.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Then I saw Venom and instantly lunged. I killed him quickly, but after that I couldn't do anything. The venom was burning painfully within me, and when I fell I could barely understand what was going on. Robinwing and Flamepelt helped me half way to camp where we met Thorntail and Grassfur. I remember a few others, but I wasn't really paying attention.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Next thing I know I'm at ThunderClan's camp. In the middle of it actually. Snowdrift was trying his best to save me, but the venom was too strong. That was when Robinwing confessed she loved me. It was so sweet. She told me that it wasn't supposed to end this way, because it was supposed to end with me and her becoming elders together after becoming Warriors, declaring each other mates, having kits, and living. I told her that she was wrong about one thing. I was already in love with her. She asked me a question. It was, 'If I asked you to become mates with me, would you?'. I nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Before long, Jactur saved me, and then I was well again a few days later. It was an amazing night, and the night that changed my life."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Aw!" Cloverkit said, her eyes glittering with tears. "Robinwing is so sweet! No wonder you had kits together."

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"I know! Those little guys are going to be the luckiest bundles of fur that ever walked—or crawled, in their case—in the whole forest having a father like you!" said Mudkit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Too bad she's in WindClan," Tigerkit muttered, though then stood proudly. "Rainfur, I promise that when I become an apprentice, I'll work hard to learn to fight off those mangy flea-pelts they call WindClan and ThunderClan Warriors. We'll get Robinwing back for you!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"Yeah!" said Cloverkit, also standing up proudly. "We'll do our best!"

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">"We'll be the best apprentices ever for your kits!" said Mudkit. "We'll get your mate back!" Rainfur smiled, but couldn't do anything else. How could he? The kits were all so determined, just like he was. All for Robinwing and his kits.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Was that how he was supposed to be? Rainfur sighed a bit. His heart knew that he needed to fight, but his mind was shocked on the realization of why he had to defeat Sharpstar. It was to protect Robinwing. It was always because of that. Now the only thing Rainfur could think of was why he forgot about that.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">But that wasn't it. Another reason he was fighting was because of his kits. Though still unborn, they were depending on him. Without his help they would die. Without his help, they wouldn't live for more than a few seconds. That was his reason to fight. For them.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">And who would have thought that the kits in front of him now had helped him realise that?

Chapter 33
<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur was still confined to camp, but now he didn’t care. The war was coming, and he needed his strength. He knew now that there was a reason he was supposed to be strong. For his kits. For Robinwing. For everyone.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Flamepelt had already been informed of the invasion apparently, and he had told them that he knew Silvershine from WindClan. She was a spy for RiverClan it seemed, so they were well informed. Flamepelt had returned the favour by telling them that Sharpstar had been planning to attack the day after they finally would. This meant they needed to work quickly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudkit, Tigerkit and Cloverkit were at first refused their apprentice ceremonies because Nightstar did not want apprentices that young in the war. However, Rainfur had intervened and told Nightstar that they deserved to be apprentices because their hearts were as strong as Featherpaw’s and Runningpaw’s. Hesitantly, Nightstar finally gave in and held the ceremony just a day ago.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Right now, the apprentices were training with their new mentors. Tigerpaw had gotten Tawnyfoot, Cloverpaw had gotten Cinderpelt and Mudpaw had gotten Spottedfur. Rainfur knew that they would be in the patrol in which would save Robinwing, and that was exactly where he wanted them. After all, they were the ones who’d been determined to save her.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Featherpaw and Runningpaw had also gotten their Warrior names at last. It was now Featherflight and Runningclaw, and boy were they proud of themselves. Just annoyingly so, nothing big.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Now that Stormpaw understood exactly what would happen if they were to fight, he was a little shy on being put in a battle patrol, but Rainfur insisted. Stormpaw needed to be close to him if something did go wrong, so it was only fair that Stormpaw went with him. This would be trouble if his scar was scratched, but they had trained loads. Rainfur just hoped that Stormpaw’s other half would show up soon.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">So, in Rainfur’s mind, everything was okay. The battle patrols were set, the plan was simply to have three battle patrols filled with RiverClan and ShadowClan cats in each territory waiting to fight WindClan and ThunderClan. The three battle patrols attacking WindClan would try and kill Rosestar while also sneaking Robinwing out as well as keeping the regular Warriors down all at the same time. The three battle patrols in ThunderClan would be trying to keep everyone away from Rainfur and Sharpstar. It was simple, strong, and not impossible. It was perfect.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Something still seemed wrong though. What about Jactur? Rainfur needed him to fight Sharpstar, but if the tom wasn’t present, he was useless against a leader with nine lives. Rainfur hadn’t heard him at all since Jactur had figured that little life-or-death detail, and he was beginning to become really worried.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, Flamepelt has confirmed the resistances awareness of the planned invasion,” a she-cat suddenly said to him, bringing Rainfur out of his thoughts. He looked up and nodded to the patrol leader.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Thank you,” said Rainfur. “Report to Nightstar before returning to your duties please.” The she-cat dipped her head respectively before walking away, leaving Rainfur in peace again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It’s either tomorrow or the day after, Rainfur thought to himself. I’ll have my kits. I’ll have Robinwing. I can’t believe it. After seven moons. ..

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, there has been report from Silvershine,” a tom told him as he walked up. “Those who can be trusted in WindClan know of the planned invasion. They are waiting patiently.” Rainfur nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What about Robinwing?” asked Rainfur anxiously.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“She’s doing fine according to Silvershine,” the tom reported. “She knows of what we plan to do. Silvershine has made sure she’s ready to move.” Rainfur nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Thank you,” he told the tom. “I’ll report it to Nightstar.” The tom dipped his head before disappearing. It was at that moment that Sweetclaw of all cats walked up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Are you okay?” she asked him. Rainfur sighed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’m stressed,” Rainfur murmured. “Robinwing is finally coming home, we’re going to start a full out war with the other two Clans, and I’m going to take out Sharpstar alone.” Sweetclaw smiled.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“It’s always you who worries about everything, isn’t it?” asked Sweetclaw, confusing him a bit. “Just leave it to Nightstar. All you need to think about is fighting Sharpstar.” Rainfur smiled to her.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Thanks, Sweetclaw,” he gave her a small lick on the cheek before he saw Nightstar on the Highrock calling a Clan meeting. Rainfur took the deputies position as Sweetclaw joined the crowd of cats forming beneath the Highrock.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“As you all know, we are planning an invasion into ThunderClan’s camp,” Nightstar announced. “I have explained this to Rainfur, but it’s high time I explain everything to you.” There was a moment of silence before Nightstar continued.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“There will be six battle patrols,” said Nightstar. “Three going into WindClan territory, the other three going into ThunderClan territory. The patrols entering WindClan territory has two priorities: kill Rosestar, though please leave that to Bravestar, and get Robinwing out. The patrols going into ThunderClan are going to take down as many cats as they can while Rainfur kills Sharpstar.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“The first patrol entering WindClan territory is going to be as followed: Cinderpelt, Stonefur, Leopardsclaw, Spottedfur, Treeleg and Cloverpaw. The second will consist of Scorchspot, Mudpaw, Smokepaw, Jayfrost, Whitestream, and Pineshade. The third patrol will have Snakeheart, Nightclaw, Maplepaw, Wolfheart, Flamecloud, Stripeclaw, and Pebblestorm.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“The first patrol entering ThunderClan territory is going to consist of Rainfur, Otternose, Oakpaw, Puddlefoot, Thunderheart, Tinyear, Stormpaw, and Cloudstreak. The second, Redfur, Dewdrop, Bluefeather, Sunpaw, Swiftfeather, Featherflight and Sparrowbreeze. The third and final patrol will be Dawnstripe, Lightwing, Softheart, Pikefur, Ashbreeze, Splashpaw and Brightpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We have not decided a time, but it will happen today, tomorrow, or the day after,” Nightstar finished. “Be ready to fight to the death.” Nightstar dismissed the Clan in which started murmuring to each other. Rainfur stood alertly as Nightstar walked up to him, a grave look on his face.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Have you any idea when yet?” asked Nightstar. Rainfur shook his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We need to recover from the recent attack before fighting again,” Rainfur replied. “We are nearly there.” Nightstar nodded again before talking with a few of his senior Warriors. Rainfur sighed once again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It seemed like everyone was depending on him now. Nightstar, RiverClan, ShadowClan. . .everyone. Rainfur couldn’t think of what would happen if he failed. No. He wouldn’t fail. He couldn’t.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Jactur!” Rainfur yelled into the darkness of his mind. “Jactur, I need you!” No answer. Really? How could Jactur ignore him like this? The battle could be at any moment!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Jactur, we’ve planned an invasion!” Rainfur called. “I need your help to defeat Sharpstar! Without you, I’m done for!” Still no answer. What did Rainfur need to say?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Jactur, I don’t care how depressed, angry, or insane you are!” Rainfur yelled irritably. “Get your tail over here before I do it for you!” Finally, Jactur’s starry figure showed up before him, yawning.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Geez, Rainy,” said Jactur. “I was just sleeping. . .”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“For two whole days?” asked Rainfur, making Jactur shrug. “Look, we need to—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I know, I know,” Jactur hissed. “We need to defeat Sharpstar. Just because I’ve been sleeping doesn’t mean I haven’t been paying attention. I’ve just been. . .thinking I guess.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“About what?” Rainfur hissed, getting really frustrated. “About what Sharpstar knows? How can it be that important? It won’t matter anyway. We’re killing him soon.” Jactur’s eyes narrowed with anger, making Rainfur take a step back.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, what he knows will make all the difference in the world,” Jactur hissed. “I don’t like it that I can’t tell you, but I can give you advice.” Rainfur tilted his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What?” Rainfur asked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Don’t give Sharpstar a second to think,” Jactur told him. “Kill the demon before he has a chance to do anything.” Rainfur sighed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Gee, that helps,” Rainfur muttered, his eyes narrowed. “I thought that’s what we were going to do anyways.” Jactur hissed loudly, his claws unsheathing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You’re missing the point!” Jactur hissed. “If you let him think” — Jactur put particular emphasis on the word think—“for just one second he will kill both of us. You need to keep his mind busy, so that he can't remember what he can do. Just remember that, okay?” Before Rainfur could say anything, everything faded away until he flicked his eyes open to the Warriors’ den.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur sighed. Why couldn’t Jactur have told him more? Now he had nothing. At least he knew Jactur was there, though. Rainfur felt better because of that.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Feeling no need to go back to sleep, Rainfur stood up and walked through the Warriors den and out to camp where he saw a familiar apprentice standing near the nursery. He smiled before making his way over to Stormpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Nightmares?” asked Rainfur curiously as he sat near his little brother. Stormpaw was staring at the stars, a strange look on his face.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No, just dreams,” Stormpaw murmured. “We were humans. Alfie, you, and I. We were all together. No one died, and we were just in paradise. We were free to do what we wanted when wanted how we wanted. It was so different, but so. . .wonderful.” Rainfur nodded as he looked to the stars.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Yes, that does sound wonderful,” said Rainfur. “However, where we are now isn’t that bad either. We’re going to fight for what we want, and we’re together. We may not be paradise, but Alfie is still with us, you know. Just. . .distant.” Stormpaw looked over to him, smiling warmly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Has Jactur returned?” asked Stormpaw after looking back to the stars. Rainfur nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Yes, but he’s stressed though,” Rainfur replied. “Whatever he knows must be horrible.” Rainfur didn’t say anymore. He was still mad at Jactur, no matter how many cats said otherwise.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You’re okay, right?” asked Stormpaw, looking over to him again. “About having to kill Sharpstar?” Rainfur shrugged, not really caring one way or the other.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“It would be nice too—” Rainfur began, but didn’t finish. Something was going on. Something bad. He looked to his little brother, finding that he too, was looking shocked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">There was a feeling of urgency. As if they suddenly needed to run somewhere. Rainfur had no idea what it was, but it wasn’t new to him. This was the same thing he felt when they met with Cloudstreak. The same thing he felt when the last battle happened. The same thing he felt when a war was about to happen.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Without saying a word, both Stormpaw and Rainfur darted out of camp and over to where they felt the danger. He couldn’t tell where he was going, only that it was toward RiverClan territory. What had gone wrong? What was going on?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur ran until he saw the gleaming eyes of Treeleg, making him stop immediately. Stormpaw did the same as they waited for the fellow ShadowClan tom to join them. Rainfur’s feet were itching to follow the danger that was still further away, but he forced himself to stay put. Treeleg knew something.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur!” said Treeleg. “Silvershine has come to see me! It’s Robinwing! She’s in labor!” Rainfur’s eyes widened as his body froze in one spot. His kits were being born. Sharpstar was not yet preoccupied. They would die.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The war needed to happen. That would keep Sharpstar busy while Robinwing would be taken somewhere safer. That would help them. They needed to go. They needed to buy some time to move Robinwing. They needed to do that now.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Inform Bravestar,” Rainfur growled to Treeleg. “Tell him that the war must begin! Send the planned Warriors over to our camp and we’ll do the same. Hurry!” Rainfur took off toward ShadowClan after that. He wasn’t even paying attention to Stormpaw, who still had no idea what was going on. He didn’t have the time. His mate was in danger.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">When Rainfur made it to camp, he gave the loudest yowl he could make, leaving every single Warrior to wake. Nightstar saw Rainfur and quickly ran over to him, having a good idea of what was going on.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Nightstar, we need to begin the war,” Rainfur growled. “Robinwing’s in labour, and I cannot let her kits be killed. I—” Nightstar stopped him by flicking his tail.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I know what must be done, Rainfur,” Nightstar said warmly before turning to his waking Warriors. “Rainfur’s mate has come to labour. The war must begin immediately. Those who are going to WindClan, be aware that you must move quickly. You may leave to join your patrols.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The camp then turned into complete and utter chaos. The patrols were being assembled, those who needed to reach WindClan were trying to leave, all while the RiverClan cats showed up, their shocked faces unmistakable. Thunderheart was first to reach him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You planned an invasion?” the RiverClan tom hissed. “Are you crazy? And why didn’t Bravestar say something earlier?” Rainfur sighed, his body literally shaking as he tried hard to calm himself down.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“There’s a spy in RiverClan,” Rainfur murmured. “I don’t know who it is, but I couldn’t risk finding out. Bravestar kept this all to himself, but now that Robinwing is in labour, he had to tell you. StarClan, why can’t everyone go faster?” Rainfur was really scared. One screw up and this plan could all go wrong. Everything would be for nothing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, calm down,” said Swiftheart. “We’re all going to do fine. RiverClan camp is just as crazy as this, but we’ll manage, okay?” Rainfur nodded, but he couldn’t say anything. His mind was in too much shock and worry for anything to come out right.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur! We need Stormpaw!” Tinyear called to him. “We can’t start without him!” Rainfur looked over to Tinyear with a confused look.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You can’t find him?” Rainfur asked. Tinyear shook her head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We’ve looked everywhere!” Tinyear called to him. “Don’t you know where he is?” Rainfur’s eyes widened. Where did Stormpaw go? Where could he be? Could he risk looking for his apprentice right now?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur?” asked Tinyear. Rainfur sighed and shook out the thoughts in his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’ll go look for—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur!” screamed the familiar voice of Sunpaw. “Something’s wrong with Stormpaw!” Rainfur’s eyes snapped over to were he’d heard his name being called. Sunpaw was dragging in a limp Stormpaw from the camp entrance.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw’s eyes were starry, but everything else was normal. His eyes were wide, though, leaving Rainfur to stand in shock. Stormpaw wasn’t presently there, but Stormpaw’s power was definitely not in control either. This couldn’t be happening.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No,” Rainfur whispered as the chaos temporarily stopped. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” Rainfur ran over to his apprentice, his heart beating quickly. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when the war was so close.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Stormpaw, snap out of it!” Rainfur hissed. “What happened Stormpaw? Stormpaw, answer me!” Panic had taken over Rainfur. His mind was too full of thoughts, and too full of worry to think straightly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“It’s. . .happening. . .” Stormpaw whispered, his eyes widened. “What. . .do. . .we do. . .now?”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Stormpaw, this isn’t what happened to me!” Rainfur cried. “This is too new to me! I don’t know what to do. . .I don’t know what to do. . .” Rainfur stared at his apprentice, feeling as if he were going crazy.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Robinwing’s in labor. We need to save her.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw’s power is taking over. I need to find out why.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I need to save Robinwing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I need to kill Sharpstar.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I need to help Stormpaw.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Robinwing’s my mate!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Sharpstar is your enemy!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Stormpaw is your apprentice!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I don’t know whats going on!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I need to fight!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">I need to know!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur screamed. He didn’t know what to do. Stormpaw was in trouble. He needed help now. But so did Robinwing. So did everyone else around him who was now waiting for Rainfur to join the patrol. He needed to go. But he needed to save Robinwing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur, you need to pull yourself together! Jactur hissed. Save Stormy and I’ll take care of Sharpstar until you’re done.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">No! I can’t! Can I? This doesn’t make any sense! Rainfur thought. He felt like crying. Everything was falling. Everything was crashing down. Everything was going wrong. Nothing was right. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at Stormpaw’s shivering body.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Help. . .me. . .” Stormpaw murmured, making Rainfur shake even faster. Why couldn’t everything be normal? Why couldn’t everything be going as planned?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur, we need to go on,” Nightstar said. Or was it Swiftheart? Tinyear maybe? StarClan, this was confusing. Why couldn’t everything be usual? Why was he fighting again? Why was he living? Why couldn’t he just die? It would end the confusion. It would end the worry. It would end everything. He would be peaceful.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We’ll be strong for Robinwing, Rainfur!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We’ll be the best apprentice’s ever for her!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We’ll train our hardest to learn to fight for her!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Yeah that’s right. . .Robinwing needed him. . .but that didn’t help anything. If Rainfur left to help Robinwing, Stormpaw would kill them. Everyone.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Everyone. . .I need to save everyone. . .but I need to save Robinwing. . .but what about Stormpaw?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Robinwing. Stormpaw. Sweetclaw. Tigerpaw, Cloverpaw, and Mudpaw. His kits. Thorntail. WindClan. ShadowClan. ThunderClan. RiverClan. They needed him. They needed him now. Crying wasn’t going to solve anything. Being weak wasn’t going to help anyone. He needed to be strong. He needed to fight.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur stood up, unsheathing his claws. He looked at his apprentice with determination filling his empty blue eyes. He knew what he had to do. He knew what Stormpaw was going through.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Jactur will accompany you all,” Rainfur murmured, hoping they could hear him. “I will be back once I help Stormpaw. Be alert. He may break at any moment.” Without another word, Rainfur brought up his right paw and slashed a large wound on his scar, making his appearance change again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur willed his power to leak into Stormpaw, and as he did he closed his eyes and imagined the scene around him. With a lot of effort, he matched the breathing of his apprentice. Then he left his body to Jactur, entering Stormpaw’s messy mind.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">It was dark, just like his own, but there were many memories playing. Most of them were of Rainfur, but there were some of Rosestar and some of even Nightstar. They were memories of the evil that Stormpaw had seen. Rainfur sighed before noticing a cowering figure in the middle of it all.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Killer. . .murderer. . .he must pay. . .they must all pay. . .” the figure murmured. He looked like Stormpaw, but when the power was in control. The moon on his shoulder was full and his dull eyes were starry as if from StarClan. Just as Rainfur had thought. “Sinner. . .hater. . .killer. . .murd—” the figure stopped and looked up, narrowing his eyes at Rainfur.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Murderer. . .you must pay. . .” the figure murmured. “Killer. . .sinne—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Shut up,” Rainfur hissed, his eyes narrowed. “Do something important like answer me. Why on earth did you take over Stormpaw’s body? I wasn’t feeding you the energy!” The figure tilted his head, his eyes still ghost-like. This was looking more and more like a horror movie to Rainfur at the moment.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Blood. . .I needed blood,” the figure murmured. “Your blood. . .spilled over the floor. .You must pay. . .it was the only way to get you here. . .” Rainfur hissed in frustration.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Why can’t you just ask for a name like Jactur did?” Rainfur asked, hoping to get a straight answer. The figure just shook his head slowly, still acting as a ghost.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“We are. . . different. . .” the figure murmured, pointing out the obvious. “I don’t need a name. . .for the trust. . .I need justice. . .I need your blood. . .” Rainfur took a step back as the figure stood, walking zombie-like over to him. “I need you. . .dead. . .your blood. . .on my tongue. . .”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What are you, a Vampire?” Rainfur muttered, still backing up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I need your blood. . .to set justice. . .I need it. . .now!” the figure ran toward him. It was too fast for Rainfur to see, and as the figure lunged, he held his breath and prepared for the worst.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur stood there for a few moments, trying to figure out if Rainfur made it. When he felt a bit of pressure on his shoulder, he smirked. The idiot did actually follow a plan correctly for once in his entire life.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur then turned to the Clan cats, the smirk still on his face as he saw Stormpaw getting up with wide eyes. No doubt Stormy would be wondering what just happened and how he suddenly got control. That would all be explained later, but at the moment, Jactur knew what he had to do.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur’s dealing with a larger issue at the moment,” Jactur told the stupid Clan cats. “I’ll take his place until he returns. Anyone have any questions?” Everyone was quite, shocked at the sight in front of him. Jactur sighed in frustration. Didn’t any of them remember that they were in a hurry?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“W-what happened?” asked Stormpaw, finally finding out how to stand without falling. Jactur looked over to the small apprentice before shrugging.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainy is saving you,” Jactur replied. “He’s in your mind right now, keeping the power under control so that you can fight and everyone here will be safe.” Jactur turned to the Clan cats after that. “I thought we needed to be somewhere. Did our date with ThunderClan get cancelled?”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Right,” Nightstar murmured, looking very confused before turning to the RiverClan and ShadowClan Warriors. “Form groups according to your patrols! Quickly before Sharpstar has knowledge of what’s going on!” The camp then continued its chaotic behaviour as Jactur joined the first group of cats.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur’s going to be okay, right?” asked a pretty black and white she-cat beside him. Jactur thought he remembered her name being Cloudstreak, so he just went with that.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Depends on how powerful Stormpaw really is,” Jactur murmured. “However, I think he will live. He knows what he must do now.” And with that, Jactur turned to his patrol and smirked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Let’s go kick some ThunderClan butts!” Jactur yelled before the other cats joined in with their battle cries.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Let’s get ‘em!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Let’s fight!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rip them to shreds!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rid them of their sins!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur smiled with satisfaction before turning and leading the first patrol out of ShadowClan’s camp. This was it. The day he would kill Sharpstar for what he’s done. The day he would kill Sharpstar for his sins and murders. The day he would end everything.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">As Jactur tried to pace himself with the other cats so that he didn’t just dart away, he noticed that the sun was just then rising. It was signalling a new day. It was showing the others of the hope that they needed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Good, Jactur thought as he looked ahead of him once more. At least I know they’ll fight harder.

Chapter 34
<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">Mudpaw

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudpaw shook with fear as the chaos around him finally started to become sorted. The first patrol going into WindClan was quite large, but there were also two apprentices. The RiverClan cats were all so confused, but Bravestar kept them in line.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Wait, which patrol am I on?” a random tom asked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Third, no. . maybe it was second. . .” another cat answered.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Mama I want to go!” squealed the familiar voice of Nightkit. “I am a good fighter! I could help them!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No, Nightkit,” murmured Reedfeather. “You must stay here.”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">There were so many cats going in so many directions. Nothing could explain the number of colours of pelts or eyes or whiskers that passed Mudpaw, making him shake faster and faster with each cat that went by. It was just so confusing, and though he kept his siblings and family in mind, he wasn’t exactly thinking correctly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Cinderpelt!” yelled a ShadowClan tom. “Rainfur—or at least I think it was him—has entered ThunderClan territory with his patrol. We must leave immediately if we are to be on time!”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Cinderpelt, the leader of the patrol, suddenly yowled loudly to get her patrol’s attention. The cats on the patrol went quiet, leaving her to nod silently to herself before taking off out of camp, the others murmuring but running after her. Mudpaw barely kept up, but he managed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The cats around him shared grave faces, probably accepting the fact that this might be the last time they see this side of the forest. Mudpaw shivered as he thought of what might happen if he didn’t make it back. Tigerpaw wouldn’t be that sad probably, but Dawnstripe-his mother-and Cloverpaw would be bawling. He could just picture them crying over his dead body, giving their last good-byes.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudpaw ran as fast as he could with the patrol heading into WindClan territory. His heart was beating quickly as he felt the feeling of battle beneath his paws. Mudpaw wasn’t really happy at all, because even though he wanted to save Robinwing like he’d promised, he was scared. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t know how.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudpaw gave a surprised squeak as he felt the squishy moor beneath his paws. He hadn’t felt anything like this before, and with everything going on, his body was becoming exhausted and overwhelmed rapidly. His eyes frantically looked around, trying to find any sign of WindClan cats.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">An older apprentice whose name Mudpaw learned was Smokepaw, ran beside him with a determined look in the young tom’s eyes. How could this apprentice be so determined? How could he be so fearless while Mudpaw was literally shaking his way toward WindClan’s camp?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudpaw suddenly tripped, tumbling backward as he watched the patrol speed off without him. Mudpaw’s head lowered as he stood but he didn’t continue to follow the cats. He couldn’t. Mudpaw was clueless when it came to fighting, and he was too scared. How did he even expect to become a Warrior?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Mudpaw looked to the soft ground, small white tears finding their way down his cheeks. He was shaking, crying, and scared. This was not how he thought being an apprentice would be like. This was not what he had in mind. He thought it would mean respect and fame, but no cat or even kit was even caring that he’d fallen behind.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Tigerpaw was probably fighting perfectly, taking down a strong Warrior that was moons older than he was. Cloverpaw was probably outsmarting everybody, sprinting around them as they tried to hook their claws through her small ginger body. But he, poor little Mudpaw, was crying in the middle of enemy territory, awaiting his pathetic death of sadness and depression.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Mudpaw, why have you stopped?” a curious voice asked. “We need to keep going.” Mudpaw didn’t look up, but he could already tell the tom was Smokepaw of RiverClan. Mudpaw sighed. Smokepaw was probably just going to laugh at him if he responded.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Come on, we need to go,” Smokepaw urged, nudging Mudpaw a bit. The small brown apprentice didn’t move.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No.” Mudpaw hissed loudly. “I’m not going.” Smokepaw sat by him then, his warm fur stopping Mudpaw’s shivering.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Well why not?” asked Smokepaw, his voice warm and soothing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’m too scared,” Mudpaw hissed irritably. “I’d rather die here than by a Warrior. I don’t deserve to be thought of as a scary apprentice. I don’t even know how to fight.” Smokepaw was quiet for a few moments before sighing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I heard from the other Warriors that Rainfur himself asked that you become an apprentice,” Smokepaw murmured quietly. “Is this true?” Mudpaw nodded weakly, having no idea what Smokepaw was trying to say.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“That’s a big achievement, you know,” Smokepaw said. “Rainfur is one of the strongest cats in this forest, and to have him tell your leader to make you an apprentice is a huge deal.” Mudpaw looked up to the silver apprentice, tilting his head lightly with curiosity.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Really?” Mudpaw asked, his confidence growing a bit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Oh yeah,” Smokepaw continued, smiling warmly. “I remember when I first met him. We were naming the kits he’d saved moons ago. He was such a strong cat, and I knew that from that day on that I wanted to fight beside him.” Mudpaw was now really confused.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Aren’t you sad that you can’t now that you’ve been assigned to one of the WindClan patrols?” asked Mudpaw curiosity. Smokepaw shrugged, his careless looking expression confusing Mudpaw even more.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“It’s just not my time,” Smokepaw murmured. “Anyway, you’re lucky to be an apprentice right now, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be here. You have a job, remember? You need to save Robinwing with me. That way when Rainfur returns from battle we can both accept his praise together.” Mudpaw nodded, his eyes widening with excitement as Smokepaw pointed out his reason to fight.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“That’s right,” Mudpaw said, excitement burning in his eyes. “I wanted to become an apprentice because I wanted to save Robinwing for Rainfur.” The small apprentice jumped to his feet and stood proudly in front of Smokepaw. “Smokepaw, I’ll make sure that you get to meet Rainfur again by helping you escort Robinwing back to her mate.” Smokepaw smiled before chuckling.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Well we better hurry then,” said Smokepaw. “At this rate, the patrol will already have saved her.” Mudpaw nodded before sprinting off, Smokepaw running beside him. Now he knew what he was fighting for. Now he knew what he had to do. The fear no longer came to him because now he knew that no matter what happened, he was going to be bring back Robinwing, alive.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">Jactur

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur screeched loudly as he ran into ThunderClan’s camp. The cats behind him joined in, finding a cat to battle with. Most of ThunderClan, however, didn’t resist their invasion. They helped.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur immediately took on a black tom, the fury in his belly growing as he remembered exactly who his enemy was. He killed the tom quickly by slitting his throat, not even caring if the cat was a fellow ThunderClan. He dismissed the fact that the tom also might have been a cat Rainfur might have wanted alive. Jactur didn’t care, though. Rainy wasn’t here to control his emotions, so he was too enraged to notice such things.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The war around Jactur was hectic. Everyone was fighting, some were hiding, and most were screaming. Whether that be in agony, triumph, fear or determination was for them to decide. It was so chilling, and the feeling of anger was the only thing Jactur could make of it.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">His eyes scanned the camp for Sharpstar. The demon was bound to show up sometime, probably thinking he had it easy because he was under the impression that Rainfur led the patrol into the invasion. Now he’ll get the surprise of his life, Jactur thought. I would love to read his final thought. Oh how I can’t wait.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Jactur suddenly heard movement behind him. He turned on his hind legs before unsheathing his claws and slashing a large gash on the tom’s face. It was after the tom backed away that Jactur found it was Tigerpelt. He grinned wickedly as he thought of how much he could do to the tom who hurt Rainfur.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Finally come out to play, Rainfur?” asked a cold voice that made Jactur’s fury boil. “I was beginning to think that you were just going to let your Clan die off.” Jactur turned, his tail lashing with anger as he faced his enemy. His eyes narrowed as he remembered exactly what he was there for. Jactur growled loudly as he faced the large form of Sharpstar.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Oh? So you think that your little trick will scare me?” asked Sharpstar, his eyes showing no fear. “I have nine lives, Rainfur. You are the least of my worries.” Jactur hissed again, lunging forward with his long claws unsheathed, ready to scrape their way to blood.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Sharpstar’s eyes widened a bit as he evaded the attack, a spot of his fur gone as Jactur landed on the ground. His dark blue eyes were narrowed tightly as he turned to face Sharpstar again. Jactur smiled as he saw the bit of fear in the evil leader’s eyes. He fed on it, letting his anger and excitement get the best of him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You’ve gotten stronger, Rainfur,” Sharpstar murmured. “I’m—”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I am not Rainfur, you idiot,” Jactur growled, positioning himself so that he could lunge of Sharpstar showed any signs of attacking. “I’m Jactur, mouse-brain. Think it’s a trick now? No, you don’t. I can see the fear in your eyes.” Sharpstar’s whiskers flicked, the fear growing a bit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I fear no one,” Sharpstar growled, his evil eyes gleaming as he smirked. Jactur hissed with anger as the fear vanished from Sharpstar’s eyes. “I don’t fear one who has the largest weakness in history.” Jactur hissed again before lunging. Sharpstar dodged the attack again, that annoying smirk still plastered on his face.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Are you talking about the weakness StarClan told you about?” Jactur hissed. Sharpstar chuckled a bit, enjoying his opponent’s discomfort.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Why of course,” Sharpstar sneered. “Oh how innocent they thought I was. Now I shall use that information they gave me. I shall kill you, and therefore kill Rainfur. Isn’t my plan well thought out?” Jactur yowled in fury before jumping in Sharpstar’s direction. In a quick movement, Jactur had dug his claws into the horrible leader’s skin.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“That information wasn’t yours to know!” Jactur spat, his fur bristling as he bared his teeth at Sharpstar. “And to think you became leader because of that knowledge!” Sharpstar narrowed his eyes, finally getting serious as he realised his competition.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“StarClan are nothing but fools,” Sharpstar hissed. “Weren’t we taught when we were younger that they could see everything? Didn’t they say that for every lie we spoke, StarClan would remember? And yet, they couldn’t even see my true intentions. They just idiotically let me became the leader of ThunderClan.” Jactur smirked at this.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“There are two things wrong with what you just said,” Jactur muttered. “One, I wasn’t here when Rainfur was taught this and two, we both believe in things like God, not StarClan. Sorry mouse-brain, but Rainfur isn’t exactly your typical Clan cat.” Sharpstar’s tail lashed with anger before he lunged toward Jactur, who just smirked again as he evaded the attack.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Besides, aren’t you scared of losing your Clan?” asked Jactur. “You do realize that WindClan is also being attacked at this time, and that Robinwing is in labour?” Sharpstar hissed, his amber eyes narrowing tightly as Jactur’s crazy smirk widened.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Rainfur chose this invasion because of that, didn’t he?” Sharpstar growled. “Fox-dung! I should have been smarter than that!” Sharpstar lunged again, but Jactur just leaped elegantly out of the way. When he landed, he faced Sharpstar with proud eyes.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Yep, and Sharpstar, there’s one more thing I want to ask you,” Jactur said, the insanity within him flaring. The tabby tom whipped around to face Jactur, his amber eyes showing irritation and frustration. Oh how Jactur loved annoying his enemies.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What?” Sharpstar asked, his voice ringing throughout the Clan’s camp. Jactur just jumped from his spot and landed on top of the idiotic leader. He sank his teeth in the back of Sharpstar’s neck, making him yowl with agony. Jactur hissed with delight as he avoided Sharpstar’s claws and leaped off of the large leader.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Can you tell me what you thought when you found out your mother was helping your enemy?” asked Jactur, making Sharpstar hiss with anger. Jactur continued smirking, trying to find more and more ways to torture Sharpstar mentally.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“That’s none of your concern!” Sharpstar hissed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Now you know how it feels,” Jactur snapped back, scowling at the leader in front of him. “You stole something that only Rainfur and I were supposed to know about. Anyways, I didn’t hear your answer. How did it feel when everyone looked down upon you? When they all thought that you were the son of a rogue who had no business knowing the Warrior code?” Sharpstar hissed, his eyes showing his confusion. Jactur could see the anger and frustration. These were memories that Sharpstar didn’t want brought up again. Excellent.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“No!” Sharpstar screamed.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Oh yes,” Jactur growled. “You remember. They all thought it was your fault. It was your fault that Ravenstar existed. It was your fault that your mother betrayed them. It was your fault Cloudstar let Ravenstar into ThunderClan. It was your fault that your mother fought the fox. It was your fault that she died.” Sharpstar attacked with his claws flailing in mid-air, trying to scratch Jactur again.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You don’t know the half of it!” Sharpstar hissed. “You will die for those words, Jactur. You and your partner will die for your murders, and I will rule these Clans. I will show them who the real Warrior is. I will show them that it was their fault for sticking their noses up when they looked at me. It was their fault!” As Sharpstar lunged, Jactur smirked.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The game has begun.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">¤¤¤

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;text-align:center;">Rainfur

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur bit his tongue as teeth entered the side of his neck, daring himself to scream as the cat above him powerfully pinned him down. His unsheathed claws mercilessly tried to find skin to scratch, but it was exhausting to even try to move. The tom on top of him was just too strong.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Finally, the teeth in his neck retracted, and the tom on top of him licked his lips as his ghost-like eyes stared into the fearful eyes of Rainfur. The power within him no longer helped against this spirit cat. In fact, how he was fighting right now, he figured that since Jactur wasn’t here, he wasn’t even fighting to his full strength. Not that he could if he wanted to.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“So wonderful. . .” the cat on him murmured. “So delicious. . .oh how I love it. . .The justice. . .” Rainfur hissed lowly, his eyes showing his panic. What if he died? Jactur would be alone. That couldn’t happen. Not when he was fighting Sharpstar. What if this—this thing—took over Stormpaw? The whole forest would be as good as dead. What if he was stuck in Stormpaw’s head? Jactur would never forgive him. This couldn’t be happening!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You want to fight. . .do you?” asked the brown and white tom. “Oh yes. . .I see your soul. . .You want to win. . .You want to kill me. . .” Rainfur narrowed his eyes, the blue orbs looking straight into the cold starry eyes above him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I don’t kill anymore,” Rainfur growled, showing his teeth to the smaller cat. “I just want you to see sense. I want you to receive a name. I want you to become tame like Jactur.” The cat above him just grinned, and something told Rainfur that he did not want to hear what was coming.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Little pawn. . .” said the tom absently. “I do not need a name. . .no, no. . .I already have. . .one. I don’t need. . .your little brother. . .to name me. . .I have. . .named. . .myself.” Rainfur hissed, struggling even harder as he thought of Stormpaw. This is for him. This is for him. This is for him, Rainfur repeated in his head.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Impossible!” Rainfur yowled. “You cannot have a name! You wouldn’t be similar to Jactur of you had a name!” The tom just shook his head, as if trying to ignore a small kit.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Oh but I do,” the cat muttered. “The name you will now fear. . . .The name you will remember. . .in your last dying breath. . .My name is. . .Matar. . .”

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Matar. . .to kill. . . Rainfur thought, closing his eyes as he tried to calmed himself, though he still remained scowling. Now what? He couldn’t make this cat see sense if he didn’t even know how he would be able to get along with Stormpaw. It was impossible. So what now?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“What do I have do to get you to accept Stormpaw as your partner?” Rainfur murmured, no longer struggling as Matar stood upon him. The brown and white tom tilted his head in confusion, as if he didn’t understand what Rainfur had just said. As if he’d said it in a different language.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">For a few moments, the tom just stared into Rainfur’s eyes. It was as if he’d brought up a meaningful memory, one that made Matar think. At first Rainfur thought this was a bad thing, but as Matar stepped off of him, he found it was probably a good thing.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The brown and white tom walked toward the memories playing around them, staring at nothing in particular. His eyes were clouded with emotion, and Rainfur suddenly felt sorry for the tom. He was curious, however, of what Matar was thinking of. Maybe the moment he was created, Rainfur thought. But when was that?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur tried to get up, but unfortunately, an invincible force kept him down. He sighed in frustration, but still struggled. The force kept getting tighter and tighter, so eventually he stopped. All the while, Matar kept quiet, watching the scenes around him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">In pure curiosity, Rainfur looked closer to the memories being played. The first one that caught his attention was the first time Jactur took over. The time when Rainfur realised his scar meant something. The memory was fuzzy, as if there was a bad connection. There might have been for all Rainfur knew. Jactur and Stormpaw could have been separated, so the memories weren’t being easily found.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The next memory Rainfur saw were the rogues. They were angry, but fearful. It was one of the first times he saw them, when Snowstorm was killed. It was so strange seeing himself so defenseless. So scared. So angry. So different. It made him wonder what  had happened since then.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Another memory came to view and that one was another of Sharpstar. It was when he became Rainfur’s mentor, and though he hadn’t caught it before, Rainfur could now see the anger in his mentor’s eyes. Sharpstar must have really been frustrated to have Rainfur as his apprentice.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">More and more came, and each one of them were of Rainfur’s enemies. The Fire Stars. Sharpstar. Shadow. The rogues. Sharpstar. The loners in the city. Carlisle at one point. The list went on and on. It was all so strange, but Rainfur knew these memories were picked for a reason.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“Many want you dead. . .oh yes. . .many. . .” Matar said then. “None of them have succeeded. . .No. . .” Rainfur narrowed his eyes in confusion. Matar wanted to see who wanted him dead? But why? What did that tell the stupid tom? What did that gain him?

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Suddenly the memories changed their theme. At the moment, Rainfur was watching himself when he was human, fighting after a few bullies had tried to pick on him. It was when he was twelve, but age didn’t matter. He fought back and at first Rainfur wondered why. When he was younger, he didn’t really fight anybody. He just let them beat him up.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Now, however, he was seriously injuring the teenager bullies. There were small specks of blood on him, but none of it was his. The anger in his blue eyes meant that he was definitely fighting for something that he really wanted, but what? Rainfur searched for the reason, and at the end of the memory, he found it. In the corner of the ally where the fight took place, a small shocked boy sat with a frightened expression. The boy was unmistakably Daniel.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The next memory was of his fight with Sharpstar again. The one that was supposed to be training, but ended up being real. Rainfur had to force himself to watch as Jactur’s insanity took over. He forced himself to watch the fear in everyone’s eyes. The memory finally stopped when Robinwing asked what had really happened to him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The next time he fought was with the rogues again, when he first met Shadow. The memory was too fast for Rainfur to follow. It was as if it was a TV screen in fast forward, leaving everything blurred. Matar, however, seemed to follow it effortlessly.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">More and more memories passed, all of them of his endless battles. With the rogues, with the loners in the city, with Sharpstar, with Shadow, with the leaders, with Rosestar, and anyone else he’d come across. Remembering his fights made him remember how much Matar must have hated him. Of why Matar must want to kill him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“You are strong. . .I have seen this. . .but that wasn’t my full power. . .” Matar murmured, not even looking back to face Rainfur. “I wonder. . .if you fought me. . .if you could win. . .?” Rainfur’s eyes widened. Fight the power without his own? That was impossible! Without Jactur he was just a normal cat! Jactur was the only reason he was alive!

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Matar turned around and looked to Rainfur with his ghost-like eyes. There was silence as Rainfur’s body instinctively tensed with anticipation that a battle was near. Matar, however, didn’t look as if he was going to attack. Instead, the brown and white tom looked as if he was deciding something.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“To answer your. . .question. . .I am more developed and mature. . .than Jactur. . .” Matar murmured. “I don’t need trust. . .No, no. . .I need justice. . .However. . .I am curious. . .Your fighting skills are. . .interesting. . .and I am wondering. . .if they are different. . .without. . .Jactur.” Rainfur narrowed his eyes in confusion, though when he went through what Matar said a few times, he understood.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“So you want me to fight you?” he asked, though he was pretty sure that he knew the answer. Matar nodded, confirming what Rainfur thought. Well this would just be brilliant. He was going to die in his brother’s mind. Matar just looked at him.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“If you die. . .you won’t return. . .to Jactur,” Matar murmured. “But if you live. . .succeed to weaken me. . .and show me your. . .determination. . .I will get my justice. . .and then your brother. . .shall become partners. . .with me. Is it a deal. . .?” Rainfur looked into the ghost-like eyes of his opponent, trying to decide.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">If he chose to fight, he would probably end up dying, in which case he’d be leaving Sharpstar up to Jactur and basically giving Stormpaw to Matar. What a wonderful way to die: knowing you failed entirely, and that everyone will hate you later.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">However, if Rainfur refused, Matar would probably kill him. Instantly. So I honestly don’t have a choice, Rainfur thought. Fun.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">“I’ll fight you,” Rainfur murmured. “For Stormpaw’s sake at least.” Matar didn’t smirk or grin or laugh demonically like Jactur would have done. Instead, he remained staring absently at Rainfur, as if returning to the ghost he really was.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">The pressure holding Rainfur down finally vanished, leaving him to sigh with relief. The pressure had kept his breathing down to a minimum, and now he could move. Feeling trapped like that wasn’t very reassuring in Rainfur’s mind.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Rainfur stood up, his claws unsheathing quickly as he saw that Matar was already in a fighting position. The brown and white tom just merely stared at him, and as they silently waited for the other to attack, Rainfur could see the pleasure in Matar’s ghost-like eyes. The tom was clearly enjoying this.

<p style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Georgia,TimesNewRoman,verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;line-height:24.4799995422363px;">Let’s see how much he’ll enjoy this when he loses, Rainfur thought before lunging.