RainClan's Beginning

6/18 - I typed a ton, then the page wouldn't save... erg... but oh well! Anyway, there's a poll on my profile for what Tiffany's warrior name should be, so please vote! Also, suggestions for Daniel are very welcome.

5/26 - ARG! The format messed up! AGAIN!

5/23 - Finally, I have returned from my vacation! Time to get writing again!

5/7 - Fixed typo in title =) -Raven

5/7 - And, 5 days after learning about apostrophes, I notice the gaping grammical error in my title. *facepalm*

5/2 - I finally learned how to use an apostrophe correctly! Wow, I feel stupid just typing that.

4/25 - Arg, format difficulties... On the bright side, I'm up to 15 chapters!

Hello! My name is Sparrowfeather, and this is my story, 'RainClans' Beginning'. I will be updating in small chunks, about one or two sentences per update, so it's not too pressing for me to write an entire chapter every time I think I know what should happen next. Of course, this will result in irrelevent parts and and a much too long story. Anyway, this story is about an OC Clan of mine, RainClan, and how it was formed. Enjoy!

Prolouge
A rouge wearily padded through the twolegplace. Rain fell in buckets, splashing down onto his steely-blue pelt and covering the ground with water. The loner didn't think he could go much farther. He was hungry and weak. Suddenly, the loner collapsed onto the ground and his world went black.

The loner opened one eye. He was in a bright forest, full of cats with stars on their pelts. A blue she-cat stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice, as if this was completely normal.

"Hello. My name is Bluestar." The loner looked around in confusion.

"Where am I?"

"You are in StarClan, where all the dead Clan cats go." The loner blinked.

"What's a Clan cat?"

"Any cat that lives in the Clans, which is a group of cats."

"Oh." There was silence for a moment. "Why am I here?" Bluestar smiled.

"You're almost dead."

"Almost dead?" Questioned the tom, "If dead cats come here, why am I here if I'm almost dead?" Bluestar smiled again.

"Because we can save you from dying." The other starry cats nodded. "In fact, we can save you from dying 8 times, well, 7 if you count this one." The tom stared at her.

"That's impossible!"

"And yet, here we are, offering it to you." The tom thought. Maybe this Bluestar was a little crazy, just listen to her name, but maybe she was telling the truth. However, it did seem impossible...

"Can you do it, then?"

"Only if you agree to do something for us. Start a new Clan." The tom blinked. Make his own group of cats? To be able to come back to life again? 7 times? Sounded fair to him. And even if it was impossible and he couldn't come back to life, these cats wouldn't get their Clan.

"Sounds fair to me." Bluestar smiled.

"Good." Then she took a step back and said, "I give you this life for courage, so that you will never be afraid to do what is right." She then lay her muzzle on the toms forehead and a searing pain tore though him. The others were the same. A life for love, speed, strength, honesty, intelligence, honor, faith, and loyalty. When they were done, the tom lay on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Now," Spoke Bluestar. "What is your name?"

"R-r-rain." Gasped out the tom.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, you will now be known as Rainstar!" The newly named Rainstar closed his eyes and promptly died. Moments later, he opened his eyes again and saw that he was alive. "I'm alive." Rainstar stated in wonder.

"Of course you are. You had 9 lives left! Now you're on your eighth. Go back to the twolegplace now, and start forming RainClan!" The words had barely came out of her mouth before Rainstar snapped his eyes open down at the twolegplace.

Chapter 1
Rainstar looked down at himself. Yes, he was still alive. And he felt better! Much better. "I cant believe it!" He whispered. "She was telling the truth." Then a thought struck him. Bluestar and the rest of, um, SkyClan-no, wait StarClan, yes, StarClan, gave me 9 lives, so now I have make a Clan, like I told them that I would. Rainstar pondered this. He didn't know any other cats in this place. Well, only a rouge who didn't like him much, or probably anyone. So, where would the cats for RainClan come from?

Just then, he heard an angry meow nearby. Rainstar looked up towards the sky in question, then shrugged and went to see what it was.

Behind a pile of twoleg trash, Rainstar saw two cats fighting. One was a small brown tom who was clearly being beaten. The other was a large black she-cat. Now, Rainstar had never been one for fighting. In fact, the only experience he had ever had with fighting was being beaten up by other rouges and play-fighting with his siblings. But Rainstar did know one thing. He walked towards the two cats and said,

"Stop." The black she-cat turned to face him.

"Or what?" She hissed.

"Or I'll fight you." Rainstar answered calmly. The she-cat looked amused.

"So you came to stop us from fighting by fighting? That doesn't sound quite right." Rainstar thought for a moment.

''She's right! That kind of defeats the purpose.'' Out of the corner of his eye, Rainstar spied the brown tom sneaking away. He smiled and then spoke. "Why were you fighting, anyway?" The she-cat hissed and answered,

"That pile of fox-dung stole my prey! It was the first piece I'd caught this- Hey, where is he?!" The she-cat looked around angrily, bristling. "He's gone!" She hissed in anger. Rainstar suppressed a smile.

"Oh, that's a shame." The she-cat sighed in response.

"I guess I'll have to go catch something else. Goodbye." She padded off, tail and head drooping. Rainstar watched her leave, a small pang of sympathy for the she-cat echoing in his chest, He shook his head and walked over to the pile of twoleg trash where he had seen the brown tom.

"Hey!" He called. "The other cat is gone now!" There was a rustling noise and a yellow eye blinked up at Rainstar from beneath the twoleg trash. The tom stood up and shook himself, flinging bits of trash through the air.

"Thanks. Mara's never been very nice to me."

"Mara?" Rainstar cocked his head.

"That black cat."

"Ah."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Rainstar. You?"

"Rainstar? What kind of a name is that?" The tom looked like he was trying not to laugh. In return, Rainstar tried not to attack him. Then his relaxed and shrugged.

"I used to just be Rain, but then these weird cats came to me and gave me 9 lives and changed my name to Rainstar." The tom was clearly confused.

"That's weird... Do you really have 9 lives?"

"Yep! Well, only 8 now."

"Why did you get those lives?"

"Well, those cats wanted me to make a group of cats called a Clan. Mine was supposed to be RainClan."

"RainClan and Rainstar! Hey, can I join?" Rainstar blinked. He had only talked to this tom for a few heartbeats and he wanted to join the Clan? This may be easier than I thought. He thought with a smile.

"Sure! What's your name?"

"Brownie." Rainstar smiled again.

"Well, welcome to RainClan, Brownie."

Chapter 2
"Rainstar."

"Can we talk later, Brownie? I'm tired." Rainstar rolled over.

"No." The voice wasn't Brownie's. Rainstar looked up from where he lay. Bluestar was standing over him, along with two other starry cats.

"Oh. Hello, Bluestar. I thought you were Brownie. Who is, by the way, the first member of the Clan you wanted me to make." He added with a hint of pride.

"We are aware of this." Bluestar replied in her calm voice.

"How?" Rainstar asked. Bluestar smiled.

"Well, how do you think we found you?" Rainstar thought about this before casting the thought aside.

"Why did you call me back up here? Am I going to get 9 more lives?"

"No!" Bluestar sounded shocked. "We can't do that!"

"Well, no need to get your fur all ruffled." Rainstar snorted, amused at her shock. "Then why did you call me here?"

"Because there are a few things you need to learn before you can lead a Clan." Replied a gray tom with a crooked jaw that was sitting beside Bluestar. Rainstar perked up his ears, curiousity pricked.

"Okay. Like what?"

"Well, fighting for one thing."

"Ah. Well-hey, how did you know about that?!" The gray tom snorted in laughter.

"It was apparent as soon as I first saw you. And, if I had any doubts, your confrontation with that black she-cat - Mara, I believe her name is, cleared them." Rainstar looked down in embarrasment.

"Crookedstar!" A long-tailed black and white tom mewed. "Though it may be clear to you, fighting is not always the answer!"

"Well, fighting is often the best way to go!" Crookedstar replied indignantly.

"Name one time."

"When Scourge attacked the forest, for one. None of your non-fighting talks could have gone very far then, Tallstar!"

"Well, of course we had to fight then! However, there are several situations where fighting is not the best idea." The two toms continued to argue while Rainstar watched. At first, he was shocked, but the shock soon turned to amusement. They kept at it for a while until Crookedstar unsheathed his claws and Bluestar yowled the two

"Alright then, do you remember why we are here?"

"Of course. Right. Ready, Rainstar?" Tallstar turned away from Crookedstar and faced Rainstar.

"Ready for what?"

"Your warrior training, of course!" Laughed Tallstar. "Do you think we'll let you lead a Clan without that?"

"My what?" Bluestar stepped forward.

"Your warrior training. You must be trained in the ways of the Clans before you may lead one. Actually," Bluestar threw a glance at the two other leaders behind her. "I think that all you have to do is learn to stay alive."

"You mean, learn how to fight and hunt and such?" Rainstar felt a thrill of exitement. He felt it once more when Bluestar nodded and smiled.

.....................................................................................................................................................

"No! To the left! You dodge to the left!" Rainstar hissed in frustration as Crookedstar corrected him for the umpteenth time. He had been trying to learn all day - well, night - but it seemed fighting was not something that could be learned in a night.

"Now then Crookedstar." Bluestar lay her tail on the gray tom's shoulder. "Give the apprentice a break." Rainstar opened his mouth to ask what an apprentice was, but, sensing another fight, closed it.

"Don't be telling me what to do, Bluestar! I'm your elder!" Crookedstar hissed.

"Well that doesn't mean I can't tell you things!" Bluestar yowled in return. They then launched into a furious argument.

"Even leaders squabble sometimes." Mewed an amused Tallstar.

"From you three, I would think that's all you ever do!" Replied an even more amused Rainstar. After watching the two argue, which was now about who's mother was prettier, for a little while, Tallstar spoke again.

"Perhaps we could do some training while those two figure out the differences between RiverClanners and ThunderClanners, shall we?"

"Sure! Wait. Two questions." Tallstar nodded, urging Rainstar on. "What's RiverClan and ThunderClan?"

"RiverClan and ThunderClan were two of the first four Clans, along with ShadowClan and my Clan, WindClan. Bluestar was a ThunderClan cat, and Crookedstar was RiverClan."

"And now you're all StarClan?"

"Yes. And your other question?" Rainstar still didn't understand how this whole 'Clan' thing worked, but he asked his second question anyway.

"Can we not train fighting?" Tallstar laughed.

"I think that can be arranged."

Chapter 3
"Hey! Rainstar! Rainstar! Wake up!" A voice echoed in Rainstar's ears.

"Erg." Rainstar groaned and rolled over. He felt so tired... "Ow!" A weight fell on him belly, knocking the wind out of Rainstar. He instictively shot up and headbutted his attacker. The other cat gave a meow of suprise and fell over. Rainstar wasted no time and pinned the brown tom.

"Hey! Get off!" The tom protested. Wait - brown - tom?

"Brownie?" Rainstar blinked and his eyesight became clear. His 'attacker' was Brownie. "Opps. Sorry." Bluestar, Crookedstar, and Tallstar must've been good teachers. He thought as he stepped off Brownie.

"What was that for?" The brown tom indignantly mewed.

"Um..." Rainstar thought for a moment. Then he told Brownie everything that had happened last night with StarClan. "And, while we're on the topic of attacking others for no good reason, why did you jump on me?"

"Well..." Brownie shuffled his paws. "That was how I always woke my siblings." Siblings? Rainstar wondered. I wonder where they are now?

"Okay then. Hey, what do you think we should do next?"

"I don't know." There was a silence in the hole that they had decided to nest in.

"Do you know any places where there are other cats? Like, a lot?"

"Yes! Sure! Well, there's, er, um, errr..." Brownie looked embarrassed. Then his face brightened. "Oh! There's BloodClan!"

"BloodClan? What's that?" ''BloodClan? Another Clan? There's more? I wonder how many there are?''

"Well, it's this group that lives a little bit away from here. It's supposed to be very big. But... that's all I know." Rainstar thought about this for a little. BloodClan seemed to be a Clan, so the cats who lived in it probably didn't want to leave. But, on the same note, it was a Clan, and if he was also leading a Clan, then the BloodClanners should be welcoming to other Clan cats... ''At least, I hope. Bluestar, Crookedstar, and Tallstar didn't seem very welcoming to each other, but were welcoming enough to me...'' The more Rainstar thought about this, the more decided he became. Finally, when Brownie's tap on the shoulder brought him back to attention, his mind was made up.

"Do you know the way?" Brownie thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yep!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Brownie smiled and bounded off, Rainstar close behind.

.....................................................................................................................................................

The allies were long and narrow, filled with the vile stench of twoleg rubbish and the squeaking of rats the size of kits. Red eyes glinted down at the two toms from shadowy corners, and the patches of light were few and far apart. Rainstar shivered.

"Is this really where BloodClan lives?" He asked the brown tom, who was carefully walking ahead.

"I don't know." Replied Brownie. "I just know they live in allies somewhere in this area." He shivered. "I don't know why anyone would want to live here, though."

"I agree." They walked in silence for a little bit longer before the path sharply turned and was flooded in light.

"Wow." Brownie meowed. "I bet they live here." Rainstar agreed.

"Now all we have to do is find their leader." Brownie mutely nodded. Just then, some voices echoed down the alley that they had walked.

"... be happy."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Let them stay?"

"You didn't have to do that though!" The voices came closer. Acting on instinct, Rainstar dodged behind a pile a twoleg rubbish, a fairly confused Brownie behind him, just as the owners of the voices came into the light. Peaking over the top of the pile, Rainstar saw them. They were two cats, a tom and a she-cat. The tom was a dark tabby tom, and the she-cat was a creamy white color. But the two cats did have something in common. They were both covered in scars and... was that...? Rainstar gasped and pulled his head behind the twoleg rubbish.

It was blood.

Chapter 4
"What is it?" Asked Brownie. Rainstar slapped his tail over Brownie's mouth in return. The other cats continued.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Oh, nevermind. Still, what will you tell Striker?"

"I don't know."

"Think of something then! We need to report back to Striker with our finds soon."

"Then you have good timing." A new voice, deeper than the others, spoke. Rainstar risked another look. The largest tom he had ever seen had approached the two others, surrounded by various others. They seemed to be guarding the large tom.

"St-st-striker! Reporting back!" Stuttered the tom.

"Well? What do you have?" Striker regarded the tom and the she-cat with a mix of curiousity and amusement.

"We discovered a family living together." The she-cat returned his gaze.

"And what did you do about it?"

"I killed the father." She replied with the hint of a smile. Striker's amused gaze was replaced with a frown.

"Ah. Was there anyone around, so you could make that a lesson rather than a random killing?"

"No." The she-cat began to waver. "Well, there was the mother and the kits..."

"Hm." Striker looked up at the sky, contemplating. Then he looked back at the she-cat. "You are one of my best guards, Scratch. I would not like to kill you for something like this." Scratch began to tremble.

"B-b-but, they were breaking one of your rules! I had to!" Striker ignored Scratch.

"It would be a shame. But I'm afraid I must." Scratch gasped.

"B-b-but-"

"Ice? Would you?" A white cat stepped forward from around Striker.

"Gladly." He stepped towards Scratch, but before he could attack, the tom spoke.

"Wait. She should not die." Striker turned towards the dark tabby tom.

"Oh? Why is that, Hiss?"

"Because we have also discovered another group who openly defy you - and BloodClan." Rainstar gasped again. Brownie looked at him quizzicly. 'BloodClan' he mouthed. Brownie jumped in surprise.

"Well, in that case, your life will be spared, Scratch." Rainstar could hear Scratch release her breath. "If you take a group of a few guards and go and deal with those who defy BloodClan."

"Yes Striker." Footsteps came towards the pile of twoleg rubbish. Rainstar flattened himself against it. The footsteps paused for a moment, then continued on. Rainstar relaxed and poked his head out from behind the twoleg rubbish again. Striker was walking in the opposite direction, the guards walking with them. Scratch had wandered off into the alley that they had came out of.

"What was going on?" Asked Brownie.

"We found BloodClan." Stated Rainstar, slightly dazed. ''So this is what a Clan is? A wild bunch of cats who obey the leader and are killed if they don't?''

"Cool! What do you want to do now?" Brownie didn't seem to understand. About the Clans.

"We found a Clan. And this is what a Clan is." Rainstar repeated.

"Um... I know?"

"This is what a Clan is."

"Are you alright, Rainstar?"

"No. I think I need to lie down." Rainstar and Brownie dug a small hole in the twoleg rubbish and Rainstar lay down. He closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Chapter 5
When Rainstar opened his eyes again, he saw exactly who he had expected to.

"Bluestar. Crookedstar. Tallstar." He mewed civilly. He wasn't feeling friendly right then, but it seemed that leaders, even when already dead, are always tough.

"We know what you saw." Bluestar quietly replied.

"Good. Then - then - " Rainstar didn't know why he said what he did, but it summed up everything he was thinking. "I don't want to lead a Clan anymore!" The three StarClan cats shared a glance.

"I thought something like this would happen. You see, Rainstar, BloodClan is not a true Clan."

"It's not? Then what is it?" Crookedstar spoke this time.

"Perhaps we'd better show you."

Blood was the first thing that Rainstar saw in the misty reflection of the pool. Next, there was the the pelts of fighting cats, all colors of fur flying the the air. They all looked as if they were yowling their heads off, but no sound could be heard.

"Why can't I hear anything?" Rainstar asked Bluestar.

"Memories act strangely in the Dreampool." The Dreampool was the pool that Rainstar was looking in. Tallstar had explained it to him. Rainstar looked in again. The Dreampool was now showing three cats - a small black tom with a red collar, stuck with teeth. A dark tabby tom, amber eyes glinting with menace. And a tom with a pelt the color of flame, watching the other two in amazement.

"The black one is Scourge, the brown one is Tigerstar, and the ginger one is Firestar." Crookedstar told him. Rainstar nodded and continued watching. Tigerstar and Scourge were fighting. Scourge sliced Tigerstar's stomach - again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. The last time, when Tigerstar didn't move, Firestar attacked Scourge and killed him quickly. Then the image faded. Rainstar looked up in amazement.

"What was that?"

"That was the great battle between BloodClan and the four Clans of the forest."

"And... why did you show me this?"

"Scourge was the leader of BloodClan. Tigerstar was the leader of ShadowClan. And Firestar was the leader of ThunderClan."

"...and?"

"Well, you saw how the leaders of the Clans got along? Scourge killed Tigerstar, then Firestar killed Scourge."

"...and?"

"I told you we'd need another example." Crookedstar whispered to Bluestar. Bluestar sighed.

"Right. Let's try the direct method - BloodClan is not a Clan, never was, never will be." Rainstar just stared at her. Tallstar sighed.

"Well, you don't have to lead a Clan if you don't want to." Rainstar sighed.

"I don't want to." Tallstar bowed his head.

"Then, farewell, Rainstar."

"Uh, bye." Rainstar turned around and headed towards the other side of the clearing.

"Wait!" Crookedstar called. "I thought of something else." Rainstar turned around and looked quizzicly at Crookedstar. "Did you notice how all of us have a 'star' after our names?" Rainstar thought for a moment. ''Bluestar, Crookedstar, Tallstar, Firestar, Tigerstar... Rainstar. He's right!''

"You're right! But what does that have to do with BloodClan?" Crookedstar smiled.

"Did you also notice how Scourge and Striker don't?" Rainstar thought for a moment, then smiled.

"You're right!" Then, Rainstar turned to Bluestar. "I changed my mind. I will lead RainClan." Bluestar smiled quietly and Rainstar found himself back in the twolegplace once more.

Chapter 6
When Rainstar awoke, Brownie sat next to him.

"Oh, good, you're up!" He spoke with strained happiness, as if he was forcing himself to sound happy.

"Hi, Brownie. I've got some news about BloodClan."

"Really?" The brown tom looked genuinely suprised. "I do too!"

"You go first."

"Right. Well, I was snooping around while you were sleeping, and I found out that a she-cat by the name of Scratch was going around and trying to recruit others to fight another group who will not follow their rules."

"Interesting."

"And what was your news?"

"Well, BloodClan is nothing like RainClan or StarClan." Brownie blinked.

"Yes, I figured that."

"Oh." There was silence for a little. Then Brownie coughed and said something that he had been waiting to say the entire conversation.

"I think that we should go help them." Rainstar leapt to his feet and immeditly growled back.

"There is no way that I am helping those vicious, kit-killing, bloody, group of unstructared rouges known as BloodClan!" Brownie reeled back, startled by Rainstar's sudden outburst. Then he gave a shaky laugh.

"Don't worry, I'm not talking about helping BloodClan."

"Really?" Rainstar let the fur on his back fall flat and his snarl faded.

"Those others!"

"Do you know where they live?"

"Yep!" Brownie was regaining the sparkle in his eye.

"...well?" Rainstar cocked his head. Brownie smiled. And the two raced off again.

................................................................................................

"I have to say, I wasn't excepting this." Rainstar was looking at a mound of twoleg trash. There was a hole in the side, which was being guarded by another guard, who was unmistakably not BloodClan.

"What were you expecting?" Brownie asked.

"I don't know. Something, I don't know, more rebellious looking." Then he smiled. "Well, I suppose when you live in this... stuff," He indicated the twoleg trash. "There isn't much to pick from."

"Coming?" Brownie was already walking towards the guard.

"Hey! Wait up!" Rainstar chased after him. The guard turned to look at the two RainClan cats with a steely, unflinching eye. Rainstar gulped. A nervous glance at Brownie showed that he felt the same. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, so Rainstar spoke instead.

"Can we see your leader?" He asked nervously.

"Depends. Are you able to? I don't know." The guard replied seriously. Rainstar shared a glance with Brownie. Then, the guard smiled.

"Hey, it's fine with me. You two don't look very threatening, so you don't seem like you'd be a danger to him. Just head on in." Rainstar sniffed indignantly at the 'not very dangerous' part, but Brownie just looked relieved and went in.

The inside looked almost exactly the way Rainstar had thought it would. The walls were made out of twoleg trash, and so was the ceiling, but the floor was covered in scraps of the softer twoleg bedding. Other cats wandered around inside, some of them casting wary glances at the RainClan cats. Brownie shrunk back at their gazes, but Rainstar kept his head high and walked to the far end, where a white and ginger she-cat was laughing with some others.

"Excuse me?" Rainstar mewed.

"You are excused. What is it?" The she-cat replied. Are all of these cats like this? He wondered.

"Can we see your leader? And please, don't say 'I don't know.' " The she-cat smiled.

"Eagle was on guard duty, huh? Yeah, he's the big brown one over there." Rainstar dipped his head in thanks and padded over to the woody-brown tom the she-cat had indicated. When the leader noticed them, he turned and spoke before either of the RainClan cats could.

"Hello. What are you doing here?" He asked. Rainstar gulped again and dipped his head. His tone was friendly, but his narrowed eyes gave away what the leader was really thinking.

"Hello. My name is Rainstar, and this is Brownie." Rainstar decided against telling him about RainClan, on account of it was a Clan.

"And my name is Oak. Nice to meet you."

"We have come with a warning for you about BloodClan." Rainstar continued.

"Oh?" Oak looked curious and slightly angry.

"They are planning an attack soon. It will be lead by a white she-cat by the name of Scratch. She is, at this time, looking for others to join her in the attack."

"They like to attack at night, and if the leader is hurt or killed, then none of the others care." Brownie added.

Oak dipped his head, now looking thoughtful. "Thank you for this." Rainstar waited. "You two are welcome to spend the night here, if you wish."

"Thank you." As Rainstar and Brownie walked off to make their nests for the night, Rainstar turned to Brownie and asked,

"So, did this work out the way you were hoping?" Brownie smiled.

"Even better."

Chapter 7
Rainstar yawned and stretched. "Good morning..." He opened his eyes. "Bluestar, Crookedstar, and Tallstar." Rainstar dipped his head, and Bluestar returned it.

"We are proud of RainClan." Bluestar mewed.

"Why?" Asked Rainstar with a cocked head.

"You helped some that you didn't have to, even though it could cause danger to yourself."

"Could?" Snorted Crookedstar. Tallstar snapped his tail over the other leaders' mouth.

"Oh, well, um..." Rainstar shuffled his paws, embarrassed.

"That is an important quality of leadership." Tallstar said.

"But, anyway, your training needs to continue." Bluestar interjected.

"Hunting or fighting?" Asked Rainstar. The three leaders shared a glance.

"Fighting. You'll need it most."

Rainstar groaned.

.................................................................................................................

"Meh. Go'way. I'm practicing my advanced leaps." Rainstar complained as a restless paw prodded his side. "Brownie..."

"Oh, come on, Rainstar!"

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up." Rainstar yawned and pulled himself to his feet. "How is it that you're always up so early?" Brownie shrugged modestly.

"It's something you learn." Rainstar shrugged back.

"Okay then. What are we going to do now?"

"We could go look around a bit. Talk to the others. Maybe one of them could join RainClan?"

"Okay. Why not?" Brownie padded off towards the tom that had been guarding when they arrived. Rainstar watched him quickly start a conversation, and soon they were going off to see something. Rainstar smiled.

"Hello!" A cheery voice came from behind Rainstar.

"Ahh!" He jumped and whirled around to see the ginger and white she-cat that had shown them Oak. She giggled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's just fine, I wasn't expecting a voice to suddenly materilze behind me and scare my fur off." Rainstar smiled, and the she-cat giggled again. "I'm Rainstar. Who are you?"

"Rainstar... What an unusual name. A star made of rain?" She paused, imagining it. Rainstar thought for a moment. A star made out of rain... "It would probably be light blue, and shine like a star does." She continued.

"Like my pelt!" Rainstar exclaimed, looking at himself. Why haven't I seen this before?

"Yeah. Except I don't think it shines." The she-cat purred in amusement. "My name is Peppermint, by the way!"

"Hello, Peppermint." Rainstar dipped his head. Peppermint dipped hers. "What does a peppermint look like?"

"It's a green leaf. I'll show you!" Peppermint stood up and lead him out of the mound.

Peppermint was exactly what Peppermint had said. A green leaf. "Why are you named after that?" Asked Rainstar. "I mean, you don't look like a leaf... No offence." He added quickly. Peppermint purred in amusement.

"Smell it." Rainstar blinked in confusion, but leaned down and sniffed.

"Mm. It smells great!" He exclaimed. Minty, but sweet.

"See?"

"So, you're minty but sweet?"

"No, you silly fluffball!" Peppermint laughed and batted Rainstar's ears playfully. "My parents liked that smell, so, why not?"

"Well, for one - " Rainstar began.

"Hey!" Peppermint protested.

"I was kidding!" Peppermint purred in amusement and Rainstar pulled a crooked smile. Peppermint lifted her nose to the air.

"I smell... oh!" She turned to face a large black she-cat coming towards the two. "Hey Mara!" Mara? Not that Mara? Rainstar looked at the she-cat. The large build, the black pelt, the amber eyes... Yep, it was her. The one who was fighting Brownie. Rainstar wondered if Mara knew him, too. He shuttered.

"Hello Peppermint." Mara greeted the she-cat.

"Hey Mara! This is my new friend, Rainstar. Rainstar, this is my friend Mara." Peppermint introduced. Rainstar dipped his head to the she-cat. After a moments pause, she did too.

"It's nice to meet you, Mara." Rainstar choked out, hoping that he didn't sound too nervous. Peppermint gave him a sideways glance, but Mara didn't seem to have noticed it.

"Pleasure, I'm sure." She replied politely. After a moments pause, Mara spoke again. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Oh, I'm showing Rainstar peppermint!" Peppermint replied.

"But haven't you already- oh, right." Mara saw the plant they were standing nearby. Peppermint purred in amusement, and Rainstar cracked a small smile.

"And what are you doing out here?" Asked Rainstar.

"Walking." She replied.

"Why?"

"You're noisy, aren't you?" Mara's eyes narrowed, as if she was trying to remember something that had just slipped her grasp.

"Oh, don't mind him!" Peppermint cut in. "He's new. Oak said he could stay." Mara's face relaxed.

"Oh?"

"Me and my friend brought some information about BloodClan. Which is not a proper Clan, by the way." Rainstar replied.

"A what?" Peppermint asked, confused.

"Er..." Rainstar trailed off, embarrased. ''Of course they don't know what a Clan is! Stupid! stupid!'' Thankfully, Eagle came by just about then.

"Hey Mara! Hey Peppermint! Hey new guy!" He called.

"Oh, hi, Eagle." Mewed Mara meekly and looked down at her paws.

"Me and my new friend were just going to climb on the top of the den! Want to come along?" Eagle offered.

"Thanks, Eagle, but-" Peppermint started.

"Oh, I'd love to!" Mara interrupted and ran towards Eagle. Rainstar purred.

"Everybody likes Eagle, huh?"

"Yep! He's pretty well-liked." Peppermint replied. "So, what is a Clan?"

"Erm..." Rainstar looked down at his paws.

"Oh, come on! I know BloodClan isn't one. Even though it has 'Clan' in it." Peppermint presisted.

"Alright then, you win." Rainstar sighed. "Even though I'm not to sure myself." Peppermint sat down in response. Rainstar smiled and sat down, also.

"Well... it's like this." He explained everything that had happened, from the mysterious 9 lives to his arguing teachers to the mystical Dreampool to finding her and Oak. Peppermint was a wonderful auidence, listening politely and adding comments when they were approprite. When he finished, Peppermint sat, looking thoughtful.

"It's rather hard to believe." She finally said.

"I would hardly believe it myself, if it wasn't for the skills I learned." Rainstar replied and smiled. Peppermint stood up, still thoughtful.

"Well..." She mewed.

"I know." Rainstar stood up, too. "It sounds so ridiculous that I seem like I must be half-insane. If not completely." Peppermint turned to him and smiled.

"I'd think you must be, Rainstar, if the rest of our conversation wasn't perfectly normal."

"And how do you know insane cats don't normally speak normally?" Rainstar asked. Peppermint laughed.

"Come on, let's go." She started walking back to the den, Rainstar right behind her. Once they had gotten inside, Peppermint turned to him and meowed, "Tell me that part about Bluestar, Crookedstar, and Tallstar again. They're so funny when they argue!" Rainstar nodded and, with a slight smile, began to retell his starry mentors' arguements. Peppermint, though she seemed to not believe him, olviously enjoyed his story and insisted he tell it to her other friends, who were although not as good an audience as Peppermint, liked it too.

At the end of the day, when Rainstar settled into his nest, he turned to the cat lying in the nest next to him.

"Peppermint?" He asked.

"Mmm?" She replied.

"Am I still insane?" Rainstar wondered.

"Yes. Now go to sleep." Peppermint mumbled. Rainstar smiled and obeyed.

Chapter 8
"Rainstar." Bluestar said.

"Yes?" Rainstar replied.

"Your allies need you now. You should wake them."

"And prepare for the coming battle." Crookedstar added.

"Wait... what?" Asked a confused Rainstar. One second we're were training fighting, and then this whole weird... thingy comes. Battle? Allies? What?

"Good luck, Rainstar!" Tallstar mewed.

"You'll need it." Mumbled Crookedstar.

"Crookedstar! Please!" Tallstar hissed.

"Yeah, well, he will!" Crookedstar replied. Bluestar shook her head and sighed as the two toms began arguing again.

"Rainstar, they're coming. Soon. Prepare yourself." Rainstar nodded, even though he didn't really understand. Bluestar smiled. "Good. Now, you shall wake."

Rainstar's eyes flew open down in his nest.

"Well, that was odd..." He mumbled. Bluestar's words echoed through his head. They're coming... battle... Rainstar jolted up. "BloodClan!" He practicly yowled. From beside him, Peppermint grumbled in her sleep. ''Allies... yes. Peppermint is my ally. I should 'wake my allies', as Bluestar said.''

"Peppermint!" Rainstar shook her vigorously.

"Rainstar?" Peppermint asked sleepily.

"Bluestar... um, BloodClan is coming! You have to wake up!" Rainstar shouted. A few others around the den began to stir.

"Rainstar, it's the middle of the night. You're going to wake up everyone else." Peppermint mewed.

"They should wake up, too, then! BloodClan's coming!" He yowled. More were beginning to wake up now.

"Rainstar," Peppermint rolled over and looked Rainstar right in the eye. Her amber eyes pierced straight into his blue ones. Rainstar felt his ears starting to turn red. "You. Are. Crazy. Now let me go back to sleep."

"But..." Rainstar began. He couldn't finish, because right then Brownie came racing in, breathless and with a terrified look in his eyes.

"BLOODCLAN IS ATTACKING!" He yowled. Rainstar ran over to the second RainClan member.

"Brownie! What! Where! How!"

"Me and Eagle," He gasped for breath, "Sitting on top of the den," Gasp, gasp, "Saw something coming," Gasp, "I went to look," Gasp, "BloodClan!" He finished. Oak strode up to Brownie.

"Are you sure?" He asked, staring down at Brownie.

"Yes." Brownie collapsed onto the ground. Oak whipped around to face the rouges.

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" He yowled. The reaction was instantanious. Sleepers jolted up like they were waking from a nightmare, kits bristled and pretended to attack imaginary foes to be shooed away by worried mothers, every single cat in the den ran around like crazy. Within moments everyone was deathly silent. Sensing something bad was going to happen, Rainstar grabbed Brownie's scruff and pulled him into the shadows. The whole den had the an of anticipation.

"Attack!" Yowled the white she-cat Rainstar remembered as Scratch and rushed in, followed by a company of BloodClan cats. In the time he had the time to react, Rainstar guessed about twenty BloodClan cats. As soon as Scratch was in his range, Oak jumped on her, claw outstretched.

"Attack!" He yowled. Instantly all the rouges came rushing out of their places.

The whole den was a whirling mass of fur and claws. Rainstar tried to stay in the shadows and out of the way.

"How did I get myself into this mess?" He sighed after seeing a BloodClan cat run yowling outside as quickly as it could. A nearby BloodClan cat turned to face Rainstar after shaking away a determined rouge. Rainstar shrunk down, ears laid back.

"Stay away!" He hissed. The BloodClan tom laughed.

"Like fun I will." He replied and launched himself at Rainstar. Rainstar jumped back in surprise. The BloodClan tom missed, but Rainstar smacked his head into the wall.

"Ow..." The world spun. Rainstar saw a spinning image of a dark tabby tom flying at him. He slammed into Rainstar, knocking him to the ground and raking his claws across his side. Stunned, Rainstar got up, staggered to one side, and tripped over Brownie. The tabby tom laughed again.

"You are an unskilled fool. A fool of a rouge." He taunted. Burning with embarrassment, Rainstar got up and shook his head. The laughing BloodClan member came into focus. Rainstar jumped at him. The tabby tom stopped mid-laugh and toppled backwards. Rainstar, remembering a move that his mentors had taught him, ducked under the unbalanced tom and pushed upwards. The BloodClan cat fell to the ground. Rainstar pinned him to the ground and, from practice, slashed at his neck.

Blood welled up from the wound. The angry look in the BloodClan tom's eyes faded away, and was replaced by a glassy look. Rainstar stepped off the tabby and looked at him in shock. ''I... killed him. I killed a cat!''

"I... I... I..." Rainstar stuttered. He felt something coming up in his stomach. Rainstar ran as fast as he could over to the side of the den and puked his insides out.

Chapter 9
Rainstar spat on the ground, trying to her the horrible taste out of his mouth, as he walked back to the body of the dark tabby tom. When he looked at the body again, he felt the throw-up coming up again. Rainstar saw Scratch look over at the body from where she was fighting. Her mouth dropped open and she ran over to the tom's still body.

"Hiss! No!" She cried. Rainstar looked down at the tom. Hiss? A memory of hiding behind a pile of twoleg trash with Brownie, watching a white she-cat and a dark tabby tom talk to the leader of BloodClan. ''That's Hiss? Hiss saved Scratch's life!'' Scratch seemed to remember that, too, because the look she gave Rainstar was pure hatred.

"You monster!" She yowled. "I swear, I'll get you for this if it takes all my life!" Scratch glared at him, the pure anger burning an image into his mind forever. She whipped around and ran out of the mound of twoleg trash.

Rainstar looked around, sides heaving. It was clear that BloodClan had lost. Plus Hiss, about 15 of the cats who had charged in had died. When Scratch ran off, the last few gave one more menencing hiss and followed their leader away from the rouges. A bloody and scarred Oak called for someone to inventory the dead rouges and for someone to inventory the dead BloodClan cats. Rainstar tuned out what was happening in other places and turned to his friend.

"Hey, Brownie?" He gently called. Brownie groaned.

"Rainstar?" He asked weakly.

"Yes?"

"Am I alive?"

"I'm fairly certain you are. At least, I hope so. Because if you're dead, then I am too, and I really hope I'm not dead." Brownie cracked a smile.

"I figure you're alive."

"Great." Rainstar purred. "Can you stand."

"I think so... I'm getting better by the heartbeat." Brownie started to pick himself off the ground, but collapsed. He tried again, this time succeding and leaned against the wall.

"Great job. Do you need more rest?" Rainstar asked.

"I think so." Brownie replied.

"Okay then, I'm going to go find Peppermint." Rainstar turned and walked off. He heard Brownie behind him ask who Peppermint was, but Rainstar kept on going. He would find out soon enough. Rainstar searched through the cats, hoping to find that friendly orange and white pelt.

"Peppermint?" He called. "Peppermint!" After running around the den once, calling for Peppermint, a voice answered his call.

"Over here! Hey, Minty, someone wants you." Rainstar couldn't figure out who it was, but came towards the voice anyway. It turned out that it belonged to Eagle, who was sitting in front of Peppermint.

"Eagle!" Eagle turned to look at Rainstar and smiled.

"Heeyyy, it's the tom who didn't know if he could stand the walk to Oak!"

"Yeah, I'm Rainstar. Brownie's my friend."

"Oh, Brownie." Eagle bowed his head. "He was a brave little mouse." Rainstar stared, then shrugged and walked over to Peppermint.

"Hey, Peppermint. It's your insane friend." Peppermint looked up at Rainstar with smiling eyes.

"It's good to see you, Rainstar." She croaked out.

"Good to see you living, too." Rainstar looked at Peppermint and gasped slightly. She had quite a few scratches, all oozing blood.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'll live. You?" Rainstar looked himself over. The only wound he had were the gashes left behind when Hiss scratched his side.

"Barely wounded. You look like you could use some rest, though." Peppermint nodded and closed her eyes. Eagle, who had been listening, spoke then.

"Hey, Rainstar, do you need anything treated?"

"No." Rainstar replied. "What happened?"

"What happened where?" Asked Eagle. Rainstar nodded towards Peppermint.

"Oh, that." Eagle gave the she-cat a wistful look, then leaned close to his ear and whispered.

"She can't fight."

"Oh." The numerous scratches on Peppermint's pelt jumped out even more starkly now. "Then why was she attacked?"

"Who knows?" Shrugged Eagle. "BloodClan members just don't care, I suppose."

"All cats able to stand on their legs, please gather for a meeting!" Called Oak from a pile of twoleg rubbish at the side of the den. Rainstar looked at Oak curiously. Eagle bumped him in the side and meowed,

"Come on, Rainstar, we'd better go."

Chapter 10
Oak was standing on top of the pile of twoleg rubbish, surrounded by the majority of the rouges.

"As you all know," he said, "BloodClan has stopped threatening us and started doing something about those threats." There was an uneasy murmuring between the rouges. "We fought the off. We killed most of them. And we won." The rouges yowled in approval. Oak waited until they settled down. "But that was only this time. BloodClan is large, and they are strong. We lost many good cats, also." Oak looked towards an area with many bodies lying in pools of blood. Silence blanketed the room, a muted silence as the rouges waited for Oak to speak. "We must prepare ourselves for the inevitable second attack." There was another uneasy murmuring.

"Is there any other option?" Asked someone from the crowd. Oak sighed.

"We can sacrifce our freedom and give into BloodClan's rules or we can give up our home and move. There is no other option."

"Or we can go with Rainstar." Peppermint had stood up and had walked behind Eagle and Rainstar. Rainstar stared at Peppermint. ''What does she mean, 'go with Rainstar'? ''He thought.

Oak seemed to have been thinking the same thing, because he asked, "What do you mean?"

Peppermint looked Oak in the eye and replied, "I mean, I'm going with Rainstar." Eagle gasped.

"Minty! Not in your condition!"

Peppermint turned to look at Eagle. "Yes, Eagle. It's either stay here and get even worse, or," Peppermint shuttered. "die." Eagle looked at her for a second, then gave a pained smile.

"Then I'm going too." This time, Peppermint was the one to stare.

"B-b-but..." She stuttered.

"No buts, Peppermint, I'm staying with you. Family sticks together." Eagle moved to stand next to Peppermint.

"Then I'm going too." Mara stepped out of the crowd, eyes on Peppermint and Eagle, and walked over to stand next to Eagle. Rainstar watched all this with shock. ''They're all coming with me? But where?'' Oak looked down at the three.

"Anyone else?" He asked. There was no response. "Good. Prepare yourself for the next attack. This meeting is finished." He mewed and jumped down.

Peppermint, Eagle, and Mara turned to look at Rainstar.

"So, what now?" Asked Eagle.

"Erm... one second." Rainstar replied and ran over to where he had left Brownie. "Brownie!" Brownie looked out at Rainstar from the shadows.

"Hey, Rainstar. Good job!" Brownie walked over to Rainstar, completely recovered.

"Good job about what?" Asked a confused Rainstar.

"Getting Eagle and those she-cats to join RainClan, of course!" Brownie laughed.

"...join RainClan? Yeah, join RainClan." Rainstar smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Brownie laughed again. "Come on, I need to meet that she-cat." He padded off towards the three rouges. Rainstar followed. They had walked halfway there, Rainstar realized something that made him stop cold. "Brownie! Stop!" He commanded. "Why?" asked Brownie, but still stopped.

"Er... there's something you should know about one of those she-cats..." Rainstar mewed slowly.

"What is it?" Asked Brownie.

"One's Mara." Rainstar stated simply. Brownie jumped, then looked around wildly.

"Relax, she's over there." Rainstar flicked his tail towards the three, who were waiting patiently. Brownie sighed and let out a deep breath of relief.

"Phew! You know, I ran into her eariler, but she barely noticed I was there." Brownie said. Rainstar nodded.

"So, how are you going to get over there?"

"Um, I don't know. Can I hide behind you?" Brownie asked. Rainstar shrugged.

"I don't care one way or another. Sounds good to me!" He stepped in front of Brownie and the two went over to meet the three new RainClan members.

When they reached them, Eagle asked,

"Who's your friend hiding behind there?" Brownie peeked out of Rainstar's shadow nervously, then pulled his head back in.

"Um..." Rainstar glanced over at Mara. She wasn't currently watching them. "Brownie." Eagle's jaw dropped.

"B-b-brownie? But he's dead!" Brownie stepped out.

"No I'm not." Eagle stared at Brownie, then started purring.

"You tricky little mouse! You lived!"

"And it wasn't easy, either." Brownie purred. Peppermint was watching the two with smiling eyes.

"So this is Brownie?" Rainstar nodded.

"The one and only!"

"Brownie?" Mara whipped her head around, hearing her enemies name for the first time. She saw Brownie talking to Eagle and hissed, tail lashing. "Brownie!" Brownie turned to look at the she-cat, and backed up into Eagle.

"Mara!" He squeaked. Mara hissed.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah." Eagle stepped in between Mara and Brownie, looking strangely at them both. Mara's tail dropped and she looked down at her paws. "What is going on here?" Neither replied. Finally, Rainstar said,

"They're, um, kinda enemies." The two others looked between Brownie and Mara.

"Oh no." Sighed Peppermint.

"This is going to be a problem." Eagle muttered. He stepped back, raising the fur on the the enemies backs, but they didn't make any move towards each other.

"So, what do we do now, leader?" Asked Peppermint cheerfully, trying to lift the mood.

"Well..." Rainstar thought. "We should probably rest here for the night, then we can go in the morning." The other two nodded, Brownie and Mara too absorbed in their own struggles to notice.

"That'll work." Eagle cast a glance towards Peppermint's bloodstained pelt. "We will need the rest."

"Alright then, I'll meet you outside the den at sunhigh." Rainstar mewed and they headed off towards their nests for the night.

Chapter 11
Rainstar watched the entrance to the rouge's den feverishly. It was sunhigh, and Eagle and Peppermint hadn't come out yet. Mara and Brownie were standing on either sides of the entrance, Brownie next to Rainstar.

"Where are they?" Grumbled Rainstar.

"I don't know." Brownie replied.

"Well, they'd better come soon." As if on cue, the two appeared in the entrance.

"I'd call that soon, wouldn't you?" Brownie laughed. Rainstar smiled.

"Ready?" He asked his Clan.

"I thought you'd never ask." Eagle joked.

"Well, should we go now?" Rainstar mewed.

"Right away, leader!" Peppermint purred and they set off. Exactly where wasn't quite clear, but Rainstar decided that it would be best if they went away from where he and Brownie had seen Striker last. The memory leader of BloodClan sent shivers down Rainstar's back. They walked on, exchanging friendly conversation and talking about where - and what - they might find.

"My favorite food is sparrow. I get it from my mother, Fluff." Peppermint purred.

"I get my preference from experience: a big, fat, juicy mouse." Eagle licked his lips. Brownie nodded and smiled.

"I agree with you completely." Rainstar smiled. The three got along so well! The only cat who wasn't occupied talking was Mara, who was marching straight ahead silently, a determined expression set on her face.

"I love a good goldfish." Rainstar added. He glanced around. The area had changed from the twoleg rubbish and tall gray nests of BloodClan. Now, there was smaller white twoleg nests around, surrounded by bushes and sweet, bright flowers. Rainstar looked at all this in wonder. Twolegs make these nests, too?

"Mmm... All this talk of food is making me hungry!" Brownie mewed.

"Yum. Do you think we could stop?" Wondered Peppermint.

"Well, we should ask the leader, shouldn't we? Rainstar?" Rainstar wasn't paying attention. "Rainstar!" Eagle shouted.

"Hmm? What?" He turned to look at the other four.

"We were wondering if we could stop to eat." Peppermint explained.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Rainstar agreed. "Let's find a good place to rest first."

"How about over there?" Suggested Brownie. He flicked his tail towards one of the twoleg nests.

"Inside a twoleg nest?" Rainstar exclaimed, looking at the nests. He was pointing towards a nest that was a pleasant shade of light blue. There were flowers surrounding the nest, and plenty of bushes and even a large tree around it. It was a nice place, for a twoleg nest, but staying there?

"No, of course not! In the little nest!" Brownie replied, smiling slightly. It was a small twoleg nest, like a mini version of the large one. I wonder what the twolegs use it for? Wondered Rainstar. After all, it looks like they could barely fit inside... Brownie, Peppermint, and Eagle were already walking towards the nest. Mara was still on the path, looking at the other three with unreadable eyes.

"Come on, fluffball!" Called Peppermint.

"Coming!" Rainstar called back and ran after them.

Chapter 12
Inside the little twoleg nest, it was cool and shady, but by the door it was as bright and sunny as outside. Rainstar smiled and settled down in a spot by the door as Mara stepped over him and went over to lie down in the back corner.

"Hey, there's something back here!" Complained Brownie and pulled out a red twoleg object. It was circular, with a small dip in the middle and some water in the dip.

"It looks just like a little pond!" Exclaimed Peppermint.

"Oh, look, water." Rainstar walked over and took a drink. Brownie cringed.

"Why did you drink that? You don't know what it could be!" He asked.

"Well, I was thirsty." Rainstar leaned down and took another drink. "And it seems a lot like water to me."

"Oh, I want some!" Exclaimed Peppermint again and lapped up some. "Eagle, come and look at this!" Eagle stood up and walked over to the twoleg object.

"I've seen one of those before..." Eagle wrinkled up his forehead, like he was thinking hard. "It's a bowl."

"A bowl." Repeated Brownie. "Yes, a bowl. Twolegs put food and water in them for their kittypets." Eagle exclaimed. "Nothing to be afraid of." Rainstar said to Brownie and licked his lips.

"I was never worried!" Brownie exclaimed, trying to save face.

"Yes you were!" Peppermint joined the conversation.

"No I-" Eagle inturrupted Brownie. "Let's get some rest before we debate this, shall we?" "Good idea, Eagle." Rainstar purred, amused. Brownie and Peppermint nodded, Brownie relieved, Peppermint slightly smiling, and they went back to their place. Rainstar left, too, and he had just gotten settled down when Brownie mewed again. "There's something else back here!" Rainstar, sighed, stood up and walked over to Brownie again. "Where is it?" Wondered Rainstar. "Right there." Brownie pointed a claw towards a white shape on the back side.

"What is it?" Rainstar asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you drag it up to the light?" Suggested Peppermint from where she was lying next to Brownie.

"Okay." Brownie bit the object and walked up to the light. "It's a bone!" He gasped. "A big bone." Rainstar ran over to the bone.

"It is! What is that doing there?"

"I don't know, but I'm putting it back." Brownie shivered. He put it back in the shadowed side of the den. Peppermint, who had been watching this nervously, spoke up.

"I don't think I want to stay here anymore..." She stood up and headed towards the door. She was about to exit when a large creature blocked the entrance, growling angrily.

"Dog!" Peppermint yowled.

Chapter 13
Rainstar bristled angrily and stepped in front of Peppermint. I have a lot better chance of surviving this than she does. He thought, while at the same time thinking how heroicly stupid he was being. Eagle's fur brushed Rainstar's lightly as the white and golden tom stepped up beside Rainstar. In the corner of his eye, Rainstar could see a black pelt beside Eagle.

"Run!" Rainstar whipped around his head and hissed at Peppermint. Peppermint didn't move. "I said, run!" Rainstar hissed again and rammed Peppermint to the back of the den. When he turned his head back around, the dog stuck it's head inside the den. Rainstar jumped backwards, then scratched the black nose. The dog barked and jumped backwards. This was what Eagle and Mara had been waiting for. They jumped at the dog, clawing and biting. The dog swerved this way and that, trying to shake off the two trained fighters, flinging his paws everywhere. One of the paws hit Rainstar square on the side of the head, sending him back to where Peppermint and Brownie were cowering. It took less then a second for Rainstar to decide what to do.

"I'll protect you." He said and sat down to watch Eagle and Mara fight the dog. Peppermint smiled and rolled her eyes.

"My hero." But, she made no move to make him go back into the fight.

The fight raged on. Rainstar watched, impressed, as Eagle and Mara darted around the larger, but clumsier, dog, swiping then moving away before it could hit. But the cats were taking some hits too, and getting tired.

"Hey, does it look like to you that the dog is getting closer?" Brownie asked, slightly nervous. Rainstar looked at the dog. It did look bigger... He stood up and hissed.

"Stay away!" He hissed and leapt at the dog, claws outstretched. The dog growled and lashed it's paw out.

"Brownie!" Mewed Peppermint, horrified. Rainstar twisted his head around to see Brownie, smacked against the back of the nest and bleeding out of his side. Rainstar dropped to the ground and darted over to Brownie's side.

"Not another battle, eh?" Rainstar joked quietly. Brownie looked up and smiled painfully.

"Another one spend lying on my side." He meowed.

A pained yowl from Mara brought Rainstar back to the battle. He turned back around, every hair on his pelt raised. Mara had slammed against the wall, but was soon back up and charging towards the dog. Eagle was fighting will all his might.

''Wow. That's determination.'' Rainstar thought, impressed. He jumped at the dog again, aiming for it's face. The battle raged on, the dog taking hits and sometimes hitting one of the cats hard, the cats fighting back fiercely, and the non-fighters hoping not to get hit again. Even though Peppermint took a few minor hits. Rainstar staggered backwards. He was tired and bleeding, and by the looks of them, Eagle and Mara weren't doing much better. Rainstar took a deep breath and was about to charge forward again when a call came from behind the dog.

"Aieeeeee!" The dog yelped and turned tail, displaying a large scratch down his backside.

The thing that has caused the scratch stood in the entrance, smiling slightly. It - no, she - was a cat. Her paws, what Rainstar could see of her underbelly, and her chin was white, and everything else was black.

"Hello." She mewed, still smiling. Rainstar stepped forward. He didn't know who this she-cat was, but he had saved his life (and the life of his friends), so she should at the very least get a thank you.

"Hello. My name is Rainstar, and these are my friends. Thank you for driving away that dog." He dipped his head.

"It's not that hard, you just have to know just the right place." The she-cat replied. Her smile dropped and turned into a frown.

"You don't look very well."

"We'd been fighting for a while." Rainstar admitted.

"I might be able to help. Can they walk?"

"Certainly." Eagle spoke up at last. Mara, beside him, nodded and Peppermint agreed too.

"I think so." Brownie picked himself up and stood on wobbly feet. Eagle stood on one side of him, to help support if he should fall down. The she-cat frowned again.

"He needs help." She walked over to Brownie and stood on his other side.

"You three, head outside and find a soft place to lie down."

"You know best." Rainstar shrugged and headed out the door. Peppermint and Mara followed, and the three found a shady tree on the other side of a large white board between the nest and a patch of trees. After a little bit, Eagle, Brownie, and the she-cat came over to the three. Brownie collapsed on the ground, Eagle following his lead.

"So, what'll we need, what'll we need..." The black and white cat thought intently, skipping from foot to foot. "Ah ha! That, for sure."

"Excuse me?" Rainstar asked.

"Maybe that, no..." The she-cat thought out loud. "Hmm? What?" She finally noticed. Rainstar smiled in relief.

"What's your name?"

"Alice. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment..." Alice ran off in another direction and disappered from view. Rainstar smiled again. There was something about this she-cat that made him feel older, more mature, like she was a kit. He would ask her about RainClan. Definatly.

Chapter 14
Alice came charging back with a mouthful of spiderwebs.

"What do you need those for?" Rainstar asked curiously. He had seen cobwebs before, but what other use could they have other than for spiders to live in?

"I'm going to use them to help heal!" Alice exclaimed. She sat down next to Eagle and began pushing the spiderwebs onto his wounds. Rainstar turned his head to watch with curiousity and confusion.

"How do spiderwebs help healing?" He asked again. Alice continued putting spiderwebs on. "Alice?"

"Hmm? Oh, spiderwebs. They close the wound." The she-cat responded like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Shame that that's all it does, though."

"Why's that?" Brownie mewed from where he was listening.

"Because it gets infected so easily." Alice replied without looking up.

"I might be able to help." Mara spoke for the first time with Alice. Alice looked up. Mara's amber eyes were regarding Alice's yellow-green ones with interest. Alice was looking the same.

"How?" Alice simply replied.

"Goldenrod. Or horsetail." Mara mewed back. Alice held her gaze a moment longer before dropping back to Eagle.

"What does goldenrod look like?" She asked while putting cobwebs on the last of Eagle's wounds. She's right, Rainstar thought. It does help close the wound. Less and less blood was pouring out, but the webs were attaining a deep reddish tint.

"Yellow flowers, long stems, branches everywhere. Bring we some and I'll tell you if it works." Mara mewed back. Alice patted the spiderwebs on the last of Eagle's scratches, then looked up and smiled.

"Sure." She left. Rainstar turned to look at Eagle.

"Is it working?" He asked.

"It still hurts." Eagle grimiced. "But I'm not bleeding as much, that must be good."

"Must be." Rainstar agreed. There was brief silence. "Are you okay, Brownie?" He asked.

"Well, I'm alive, if that's what you mean." Brownie replied. Everyone except for Mara laughed.

"Great, It'd be tragic if you died. We'd have to bury you. I hate digging!" Peppermint replied and laughed.

"Minty!" Eagle replied with fake shock. "You're only allowed to hate digging when Brownie is already dead!" Laughed echoed around again.

"I found some yellow flowered, long stemed plants." Mumbled a voice as if it was full of something. Rainstar looked up at Alice and saw her mouth stuffed with what looked like three different kind of flowers. Alice dropped them next to Mara.

"This one." Mara pointed at one of the plants, a branch with yellow flowers jutting out all over the place.

"Okay then." Alice picked up a plant and walked towards the nearest cat, Peppermint. She tore off one of the flowers, put it on the scratch and was about to put a cobweb on when Mara shot up.

"No, no, no, no, no!" She tore off the cobweb and removed the flower. "You have to do this." Mara leaned down and bit the flower.

"What is she doing?" Rainstar asked Eagle quietly.

"I don't know." Eagle whispered back. "But I trust her with it." Mara spat out the flower. It was chewed to a paste. Alice sniffed the flower-smash.

"And what do you do with this?" She asked curiously. Mara didn't answer. Instead, she dabbed her paw into the paste and rubbed it into one of the gashes that the dog had torn open.

"Ow!" Peppermint protested. "That stings!" Rainstar felt a sudden rush to get to her, but shooed the feeling away quickly.

"Good." Mara replied and added some more.

"How is that good?" Asked Alice.

"Because then you know it's working." The black she-cat grabbed another flower in her mouth and began chewing. Alice looked at Mara and smiled.

"Okay then." She pushed some cowebs onto the gash. The two worked together in this way for a while. Rainstar began to lose interest, so he turned to Eagle. Brownie was on the other side of Peppermint, Alice, and Mara, and Rainstar didn't want to disturb them.

"Does she do this often?" He asked.

"Who, Mara?" Eagle replied. Rainstar nodded. "No, not really. But I have to say, for a group like us, it's going to be really useful."

Rainstar was completely certain that this would be true.

Chapter 15
Not long after, Rainstar and Eagle had started a conversation.

"Do you have a lot of those healing plants around where you lived?" Rainstar asked curiously. Eagle nodded.

"Yep. Some of us knew how to use them, and some of those taught others how. Only a few, though. A lot of us never bothered. Like me." Eagle looked up at the sky and smiled, reliving old memories. Rainstar wondered why others never bothered to learn. Surely, it must be useful and not that difficult, right?

"Sounds nice." Was all he said, though.

"Yeah, it was. We learned fighting and hunting like that, too."

"The plant users taught everyone everything?" Rainstar asked, confused. Were they the ones that taught everyone?

"No, the ones who knew fighting and hunting taught that." Eagle explained.

"Oh, right." Rainstar mewed. ''That makes sense. What you know, you teach to others.'' Eagle started speaking again, back in his memories.

"We all taught each other. My parents taught me. They were the best teachers in the world."

"Your parents..." Rainstar said. His parents...

"And brothers, and sisters, and aunts, and uncles, and friends, and friends of friends... There was always someone there." The white and golden tom smiled.

"Always there..." Rainstar felt a slight ache in his chest.

"Me, my mom, my dad, and my sister. That was our family. We were very close."

"Mm-hm."

"And then... Fluff died." Eagle's voice grew mournful and he turned around to face Rainstar. "Snake couldn't take the pain. As I said, we were all very close. He jumped headfirst into the next battle with BloodClan, and was killed." Eagle was silent, eyes brimming with sadness. Rainstar felt sorry for Eagle. For a family to be so close, and then to be torn away from one another... That was worse than his.

"But enough about me." Eagle said suddenly, cheering up. "What about your family?"

Rainstar rolled over so his back was facing Eagle. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But I -" Eagle started.

"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Rainstar hissed. Eagle was silent.

"Okay then. What brought you to BloodClan in the first place, then?" Rainstar flipped himself back arund to face Eagle, thankful they were off the painful topic of families. He began telling the story from when he first met StarClan all the way up to when they first set off away from BloodClan. Eagle laughed as soon as he was done.

"What a wonderful dream. Dreams make us believe the oddest of things, don't they?"

"StarClan is real!" Rainstar protested. I have a feeling that I'm going to hear this kind of thing a lot...

"In your dreams, everything seems real." Eagle smiled. "Once I had a funny dream." He began telling a story of flying hedgehogs, ducks, and a random clump of dirt that spoke. Rainstar laughed throughout the tale.

About the time Eagle was done telling his story, Alice and Mara walked over to him.

"We finished Brownie, Peppermint, and Mara already!" Alice said happily.

"Your turn." Mara mewed and smiled.

"Okay then." Rainstar gulped and rolled so that could see his wounds. "I hope this won't hurt."

"Of course it will." Mara replied. "Just brace yourself." She began chewing up some of the yellow flowers. Alice smiled.

"Don't worry. It'll just sting. A little. Well, maybe a lot. But it could be a little. Just, don't worry!"

"Thank you, Alice. That really made me feel better." Rainstar gritted his teeth and prepared himself. A stinging pain rushed through his body.

"OW!" Rainstar jumped up and away from the herbs.

"Come back here!" Alice purred, amused.

"But it hurts!" Rainstar protested, edging backwards.

"And you have to get back here, so we can heal you!" Alice giggled.

"But why?"

"Because if you don't, it swells up, hurts a ton, it smells bad, and you get sick. Oh, and you bleed half to death." Mara recited with a gleam of a smile.

"Okay, fine. You win." Rainstar grumbled and reluctantly lay back down.

"Excellent." The two she-cats began applying herbs. By the time they were done, Rainstar was wondering how bad swelling up and getting sick could be.

"Are you done yet?" He asked forlornly, looking over his cobwebby pelt.

"Yes. Now, you should rest." Alice mewed gently.

Rainstar was more than happy to oblige.

Chapter 16
Much later that day, when the sun was going down and the moon could just be seen peeking over the twoleg nests, RainClan and their helper were relaxing in the patchy shade provided by the tree, eating some various prey that Rainstar, Mara, Eagle, and Alice had managed to find.

"So, where are you going?" Alice asked curiously after a bite of robin. Rainstar glanced around at the rest of his Clan. Brownie shrugged, so Rainstar looked back at Alice and replied truthfully.

"We don't quite know yet."

"Ah, is that so?" The she-cat replied politely.

"Yep! We're going to go look for others to join us on our journey. That's our main goal for right now." Brownie explained.

"What journey?" Peppermint and Brownie were happy to answer that question, and promptly did. Oh no, Thought Rainstar. Now she's going to think I'm insane, too!

"So, you five are setting off on a dangerous journey to who-knows-where without a clue as to where your going or anything of the sort because of a dream your leader had while very, very tired?" Alice, like Peppermint and Eagle had, seemed amused by this.

"That's about accurate." Brownie replied and took a bite of his mouse. He had been pleased to get a mouse, which Eagle remembered was his favorite food. (Eagle got a mouse, too.)

"You must have a fun life." Alice replied and yawned. "Look, the sun is going down, and you're still hurt. I think you should spend the night here."

"Sounds good." Eagle mewed, but then looked at Rainstar. Rainstar smiled.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't."

.....................................................................................................................................................................................

"Instinct." Crookedstar mewed, pacing around. "That is what gives us our raw, natural abilities to hunt and fight. That is what protected you, told you what to do during the fight with the dog." Rainstar nodded respectfully. They were going through fighting for the third night in a row, and he didn't like at any more than he had in the beginning. Even if he did have more respect for it. Rainstar let his gaze drift around the clearing. Bluestar and Tallstar were sharing a rabbit over to one side. The forest was starry as usual, as long with the sky. Rainstar found himself wondering if the forest went on forever.

"Are you listening to me?" Crookedstar snapped.

"Hmm? Yes. Yes!" Rainstar replied quickly. Crookedstar growled slightly and turned around. Then he whipped around, sending his paw towards the other leader's ears. Rainstar saw it coming and ducked.

"See? Instinct." Crookedstar mewed, satisfied.

"So, if we can do things on instinct, why do I need training?" Rainstar asked hopefully. Maybe I don't need to!

"Because it's only raw. It needs to be trained more, as you've seen." Crookedstar explained. "Now attack me." They spend the rest of the night training fighting, to Rainstar's dismay, Bluestar's amusement, Tallstar's sympathy, and Crookedstar's satisfaction.

Chapter 17
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Alice purred as Rainstar dragged himself onto four feet. "Good morning, Alice." Rainstar yawned widely and looked around. "Where's Eagle and Peppermint?" Brownie was sleeping deeply in his nest, and Mara was sitting near a pile of plants. "Out hunting." Alice purred and flicked her tail off in a direction. "Okay, thanks. How's Brownie?" Rainstar walked over to the sleeping tom. "Getting better!" Alice mewed cheerfully. "He should be ready to go by sunhigh." "Great!" Rainstar purred and gazed down at Brownie. He was looking better, and the cobwebs on his wounds were white and clean. "What happened to the cobwebs?" "We changed them." Alice explained. "That's why they're that color." Rainstar nodded. "Okay." Alice returned to Mara and the two began talking. Brownie remained asleep. Finally, Rainstar heaved himself up and headed towards where Alice had directed. "I'm going hunting." He announced. The others nodded and Rainstar walked on. Before long, he came across Peppermint and Eagle, hunting in a patch of trees. "Found anything yet, Minty?" Eagle was shouting as Rainstar walked into the area. "Just a blackbird." Peppermint called back. "Hello!" Rainstar called to the two. Eagle jolted his head up, tense, before relaxing and laughing. "Oh, hi Rainstar. You frightened me!" Rainstar purred in amusement. "Well, at least I don't now." He bounded over. "Coming to help?" Peppermint asked, padding over with a bird. Rainstar nodded. "Great, we'll need some food before we get on the road again." "On the road again, right." Rainstar mewed back. He thought for a moment of Alice, who would be a great help along the way, but shook his head to clear the thought away. "Bring your prey here when you catch some!" Peppermint called to Rainstar while she slunk away into the underbrush. "Yep, good luck." Eagle said and went off in his own direction. Rainstar headed towards the densest patch and dropped into the hunter's crouch, like he had been taught. Before long the scent of a small furry creature hit his nose and he stalked towards the source. It was a brown squirrel, innocently nibbling away at a nut. Rainstar carefully crept forward and leapt for the squirrel. He landed squarely on top of it and bit down on it's neck, feeling warm blood run into his mouth. He caught a robin and a mouse before deciding that that was enough. Rainstar picked up the prey and walked out to the pile that Peppermint had indicated. There were two pieces already on the pile. One more and we can feed the Clan and Alice! Rainstar thought happily and settled down to wait for Eagle and Peppermint. When they arrived, there was a total of nine pieces of prey. "That seems like enough." Rainstar mewed. "Then we'll take it back." Eagle replied and smiled. Peppermint smiled at Rainstar. He felt warmth flooding through his body and smiled back. "Come on!" Eagle called and Rainstar quickly grabbed some nearby prey. The three walked back to where they had been resting and dropped the prey in a pile.

"Great, you got some food!" Alice exclaimed happily. Her eyes shone with a light that, despite her seemingly always cheerful attitude, hadn't been there before. Mara was smiling brightly, too. ''They must be very happy. ''Rainstar observed and picked up a squirrel for himself and a mouse for Brownie. He padded over to his friend and shook him gently. "Brownie. Wake up, Brownie." Brownie groaned slightly and rolled over. Rainstar grabbed the mouse in his teeth and waved it over his face. "Mmm... mouse." Brownie mumbled and opened his eyes. "Here, I got one for you." Rainstar dropped the mouse in front of Brownie and settled down to eat the squirrel. After they were finished, Alice stood up and cleared her throat. All heads turned to her expectantly. "When you first came here, I have to admit, I thought you were weird, brave, and a bit insane. I still think the last part." Alice glanced at Rainstar. Rainstar's ears turned red but he looked back at her and Alice kept on talking. "Now, I may not believe in SunClan or whatever it's called, and I may think that adding -star to the end of the leader's name is a humiliating way of making them as the leader, and I may think that half of this is the insane word of a crazy tom..." Alice took a breath and RainClan leaned forward, Rainstar ignorant of the fact Alice had just insulted him twice in a row. "But it sounds like you've had adventures - or you are going to have adventures, so I think it's about time for us to get on their way towards the next one."

Chapter 18
Rainstar leaned back, confused. So, Alice was kicking them out? But why? While Rainstar was struggling to figure it out, Mara stood up and bumped Alice happily with her muzzle.

"I'm glad you're coming."

"It'll be useful, having you around." Eagle mewed, smiling.

"Yeah, someone needs to help Brownie." Peppermint teased.

"Hey!" Brownie protested.

"It sounds like fun, all these adventures, and there's no way you're leaving me behind!" Alice purred and bumped Mara back.

"Well, I guess you're right, Alice, we'd better get going." Rainstar sighed and heaved himself to his feet.

"Right! Should I bring the herbs, or leave them?" Alice asked happily.

"Brrrr... what?" Rainstar asked. Brownie smiled slightly and leaned over.

"She's joining RainClan, too." He whispered. Rainstar's ears turned red again.

"Right. Well, bring... what you think will be most useful and you can't find anywhere else." Alice nodded.

"Okay, then we leave at sunhigh, that's about when Brownie'll be good." This time, it was Brownie's ears which turned red and he mumbled something. Rainstar purred.

"No need to worry, sunhigh will be perfect."

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Rainstar waited in the center of the clearing.

"It's like the first place all over again!" Brownie purred, waiting for the others.

"Yeah, except Mara isn't here." Rainstar purred back. There was silence, not an uneasy one, but still silence.

"Do you think we'll get that lucky with every cat we run into?" Rainstar asked.

"Lucky?" Brownie clearly didn't understand.

"Everyone that we've met so far had joined RainClan." Rainstar explained. "That seems lucky to me."

"Not as much as you might think." Brownie stood up and stretched. "Oh, look there's Alice and Eagle, back from herb collecting." He bounded over to them before Rainstar could ask what he meant. "Hey, what did you get?" Brownie asked.

"Horsetail, chevil, and juniper berries, mainly." Alice listed. "The rest I think we can find on the road."

"Oh." Brownie looked blankly at the plants.

"Peppermint and Mara are off - nevermind, here they come!" On cue, Peppermint and Mara padded into sight.

"Well, then..." Rainstar looked around at the band of cats once they had all arrived. "I guess the only thing to say is... full steam ahead!"

Chapter 19
So, the six started their trek. There was a cheerful mood around them, ever more cheerful than before, for Mara had lost her stony mask and was chatting away with Alice. There was a pleasant breeze blowing, ruffling fur and moving leaves, and the sun shone brightly down. RainClan had just alighted upon their favorite topic, where they were going to end up, when there was a suprised yowl from behind them.

Rainstar turned around to see a sheepish Peppermint slink out of a bush.

"Hey, what was that for?" A disembodied voice mewed indignantly.

"Sorry." Peppermint replied, tail down. "I thought you were prey."

"Can't you tell the difference between prey scent and cat scent?" The owner of the voice stepped out of the voice. She was a chubby brown tabby she-cat with greenish-yellow eyes.

"My name is Tiffany." The tabby mewed, sitting down heavily. "And who are all you?"

"We're RainClan." Rainstar mewed, smiling.

"Huh?" Tiffany blinked, confused. Eagle, shaking his head slightly but smiling all the same, spoke.

"I'm Eagle, the ginger and white one is Peppermint, the black she-cat is Mara, the black and white she-cat is Alice, the brown tom is Brownie, and the blue-gray tom is our leader, Rainstar." Tiffany nodded.

"And you all call yourselves 'RainClan'?" RainClan mewed confirmation.

"So, where're you going?" Brownie shrugged.

"Who knows?" "But it's going to be fun! We're going to have adventures!" Alice injected brightly.

"Adventures, huh?" Tiffany thought for a moment, eyes closed. Then she suddenly snapped open her eyes and said,

"I'm coming." Everyone stared at Tiffany for a moment. Then, Rainstar opened his mouth.

"Does this mean that you're joining RainClan, too?" Tiffany smiled.

"Yep, leader. Of course, if that's okay with you..." She looked worriedly up at Rainstar.

"Yeah, I mean, of course it's fine..." Rainstar stuttered. Just then a tom came over to them.

"Hello sweetie!" Tiffany turned quickly to the tom, eyes dreamy.

"My little mouse, how I've missed you!" The tom said romantically, looking just like Tiffany.

"Oh great..." Mara grumbled quietly.

The two spent a while licking each other and mumbling words of adoration. Rainstar sat politely, waiting for them to finish. Mara and Alice, however, were not as polite and began whispering to each other. After a while, Brownie gave up, too, and started talking to Eagle. Peppermint scooted over to Rainstar.

"Well, this is rather annoying." She whispered. Rainstar turned his head slightly and whispered back.

"Yeah. Is this what being in love is like?" Peppermint shuttered, her fur brushing Rainstar's pelt. Rainstar shivered slightly, smiling. ''Why do I feel so happy? Is it something in the air? ''He wondered.

"I hope not..." Peppermint mewed, but she was smiling, too. Rainstar coughed quietly.

"Oh, right!" Tiffany stopped and turned to RainClan. "Daniel, fluffytail, this is RainClan. I joined them." "You what?!" Daniel stared at Tiffany.

"But why, rose blossom?"

"Because they're going to have adventures!" Tiffany's eyes grew dreamy and she looked out at nothing.

"Oh. Well, then, I'm coming, too!" Daniel proclaimed.

"What?!" Mara hissed. "You can't!" Everyone turned to look at the black she-cat.

"Be polite, Mara!" Alice hissed quietly and nudged her friend.

"But they can't!"

"And why not?" Eagle asked quietly. Mara looked up at Eagle, then promptly looked down at her feet.

"Well... um..." She stuttered, faltering under Eagle's gaze. "Because it could be dangerous!" The she-cat finally proclaimed. Rainstar turned his gaze to Tiffany and Daniel.

"Is that okay with you two?" Rainstar mewed, trying to take charge.

"Oh, yes, quite!" Tiffany announced. Daniel dipped his head.

"Then you can join." Rainstar announced, then glanced at Mara. Her face went up in a sneer for a moment, then dropped it and dipped her head. And, by an unspoken command, all eight turned back to the road and began the trail again.

Chapter 20
By the time the sun set Rainstar was regretting his choice to allow Daniel and Tiffany to join RainClan. He had been walking next to the lovebirds all day, and had recently discovered that you can only hear 'oh, how I love you my little bumblebee' so many times before it gets really annoying.

Finally, Rainstar couldn't take it anymore.

"Let's find a place to rest. It's sundown, and we'll need it." The others agreed.

"I thought you'd never ask." Mewed Brownie jokingly and sat down with a thump.

"But where?" Asked Alice.

"Um..." Rainstar glanced around. They were still around twoleg nests, but they were much larger and looked more ornate.

"How about over there?" Suggested Eagle, flicking his tail towards an alley between two nests.

"Where in there?" Rainstar couldn't see anything in the alley, save a couple hulking brown shapes.

"In here." Eagle replied and poked his nose into one of the brown shapes. "It's a box." He explained, turning to RainClan.

"But what does it do?" Asked Alice plainly. Eagle smiled.

"Nothing much. It's like a den."

"I'm going in." Peppermint mewed and did so. Rainstar padded over to the 'box'. He pushed the side carefully. It swung back at him and Rainstar jumped back, only to see the wall swing back towards inside the box and eventually settle back where it started. Eagle laughed.

"Like this." He pushed on the wall, and when it swung inside and he followed.

"Oh." Ears burning red, Rainstar copied Eagle and found himself in darkness. He blinked, and soon had adjusted to it. The rest of the Clan came in after him, and they all settled down.

"Nice box." Brownie mewed, pushing on one of the other walls lightly. Eagle smiled and yawned.

"Just what'll do for RainClan." There were a few more mews, but soon, everyone had fallen prey to sleep.

......................................................................................

Rainstars' eyes blinked open and he looked around, expecting to see Bluestar, Tallstar, and Crookedstar. Instead he saw the familiar pelts of his Clanmates, sleeping peacefully. '''Why didn't StarClan call me? Is something wrong?''' He worried. After a bit he stopped, realizing that worrying wouldn't help.

"I guess I should just try to sleep, then." Rainstar mewed out loud and settled his head on his paws. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. The breaths of his Clanmates, the quiet whistle of the wind, and the drum of raindrops on the top of the box. Eventually Rainstar yawned and gave up. Maybe I'll go outside, then.

Outside a sheet of rain pattered on the ground. Rainstar, used to rain, looked back at the box. It was darker than before, and rain was running off the top. He climbed on top of a nearby stone and, just for fun, stepped onto the roof of a nearby box. As soon as his paw touched it the roof collapsed. He pulled his paw back, staring wide-eyed at the box. He glanced back at the one they were sleeping under.

"Eh oh." Rainstar mewed. If this box was like their box, then it was going to collapse if any more weight was put on it. He didn't quite know about the rest of the cats, but he, for one, found water being dumped on his head along with bits of... whatever the boxes were made of dumped on his head while he was sleeping.

"Wake up!" He called to RainClan. "The roof is collapsing!" Peppermint yawned mightly and raised her head.

"Is this another warning from StarClan?"

"No, I saw one of the others fall down!" Rainstar shook his head vigorously.

"Uh huh. And does that mean that-" Peppermint was cut off by a splashing sound from outside. She stood up, yawned, and walked outside. Within heartbeats she was helping Rainstar wake up the others.

"The roof is falling down!" Before long, everyone was awake and outside. Just in time for the roof to actually fall down.

"Phew, that was close." Peppermint sighed. "But where'll we sleep now?"

"Um, well, let's look." Rainstar suggested.

"Good idea!" Eagle agreed. "Alice, Mara, and I will go that way to look." He signaled down the path.

"Peppermint and Brownie, can you go that way?" Rainstar flicked his tail in a different direction.

"Sure!" Brownie meowed.

"Great, and I'll go this way!" The searchers has just about disbanded when Daniel spoke up.

"But what about us?" He asked.

"You two can stay here, where we meet." Rainstar decided. The two nodded and Rainstar started down his path, on the hunt for a suitable den.

Chapter 21
Rainstar broke into a steady run, stopping occasionally at promising trees and holes. The rain had started falling harder, and, Rainstar assumed, must be getting really annoying for the rest of the Clan. He was just about to head back when a certain twoleg nest caught his eye. It was large, larger than the others, and was surrounded by short grass and mysteriously tidy bushes. But it wasn't the nest that had caught his eye, it was the she-cat. She had her back to the path, and had long, elegant white fur. ''Maybe she knows a place to sleep. ''Rainstar hoped.

"Hello!" Rainstar called to the she-cat. There was no response through the rain. "Hello!" He called again, louder. The she-cat's head turned to face him.

"Hello, then." She mewed softly. Rainstar padded over to where she was sitting and jumped up.

"My friends and I are stuck in the rain. We were wondering if you knew any place to spend the night." The she-cat looked at him through blue eyes.

"Well, I sleep with my housefolk." She mewed.

"Oh. Do you think we..." Rainstar trailed off, because the she-cat was shaking her head.

"Oh no. It could never do. You're too dirty. The housefolk dislike dirtiness."

"Is there any other place you know of, then?" He asked despretely. The white cat looked at him again, then nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you could sleep below."

"Below? Where's that?"

"Down below." The she-cat answered simply and flicked her tail leisurely off the side of the wood she was sitting on. Rainstar, who was still wet, jumped down.

"On the ground?" He asked, confused.

"No, no, no. Below." She flicked her tail towards Rainstar again. He blinked and looked down to keep the rain out of his eyes. Then he saw what the she-cat was talking about. Beneath the wood was a large, grassy space enclosed by more wood and protected from the rain.

"Oh. It looks comfy. Could we stay?"

"Yes, yes." The she-cat mewed in her slow, quiet way. Rainstar, relieved, dipped his head.

"Thank you very much."

................................................................................................................................................................

"Over here?" Peppermint asked. "Are we going inside a twoleg nest?"

"No, below." Rainstar said as the eight swiftly approached the place where the she-cat had been. The she-cat, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Below?" Brownie inquired.

"Yes, below." Rainstar repeated and ducked down under the wood.

"Oh, this looks lovely!" Tiffany gasped. "Don't you think, sweet honey?"

"Charming!" Daniel agreed. The two settled down next to each other. Brownie chose a nest near the back, and Eagle slept right in front of the entrance. Mara and Alice slept in the middle, next to each other. Peppermint joined the other she-cats, but closer to Eagle, so Rainstar made his nest by Brownie.

"What a day, huh?" Rainstar yawned.

"No kidding!" Brownie replied. They looked at each other, smiled, and then laughed.

Chapter 22
Rainstar staggered backwards, panting. Crookedstar was fighting again. He braced himself for another attack, but instead, Tallstar stepped forward.

"You have made significant progress." Rainstar blinked.

"Oh, um, thanks." Bluestar purred.

"If you continue on the path that you're on now, then RainClan will become a strong and powerful Clan. But you must remember this..." The air was growing misty, so Rainstar had to strain his ears to hear Crookedstar's words.

"Stay with your Clan. You must stay with them."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rainstar asked, but he was awake before the leaders could answer.

Back down on the ground, Rainstar rolled over and stood up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Brownie purred from next to him.

"Good morning to you, too, Brownie. Why are you still in your nest?"

"I didn't want to leave. It's still raining out there. Eagle and Peppermint left to catch some prey, and so I've been stuck here."

"Thanks." Rainstar mewed and poked his nose out the exit. Brownie was right, it was still raining. He stepped out and jumped up onto the wooden thing, looking for the she-cat who apparently lived there. She wasn't there, so Rainstar jumped up onto a nearby twoleg object to look around. He looked around, but there was no fluffy white pelt. He turned around, just to see, and saw - nothing. There was a hole into the twoleg nest! Rainstar stepped towards it, meaning to go through, but something stopped him. Something hard. Rainstar stepped backwards, head throbbing.

"What's was that?" He exclaimed and looked at the hole. He could still see inside, so Rainstar reached out a paw. It hit something hard. He sighed. Whatever this is, it doesn't want me to come in. So instead, he just looked. It was a strange place, full of so many weird things that Rainstar almost missed it when the she-cat walked in.

"Oh, there you are!" He mewed happily. The she-cat looked around slowly, confused. "Hello? Can you hear me? I'm up here, behind the mysterious barrier!" The white head finally turned up the Rainstar. She smiled and left the area. "Oh, well, I guess if I'm being annoying..." Rainstar jumped down and sat on the wood, waiting for Eagle and Peppermint to return so they could get on the move.

"Hello." Came a semi-familiar soft voice. Rainstar jumped and turned around to find himself accidently bumping noses with the kittypet. Backing up and ears turning pink, Rainstar mewed.

"Oh, um, hi, um..."

"Arabella." The white cat mewed.

"Arabella. My name is Rainstar." The she-cat - Arabella - smiled slightly.

"Rainstar. What an unusual name."

"Unusual good or unusual bad?" Rainstar asked, keeping his bristles down.

"Unusual good." Arabella confirmed. "There are so many boring names, like Rain and Star, that seeing them put together is quite refreshing."

"Oh, then..." Rainstar felt his ears turning red. Again. In an effort to change the topic, Arabella mewed.

"Who's your friends you mentioned?"

"Well, Brownie, Peppermint, Eagle, Mara, Alice, Tiffany, and Daniel. We call ourselves RainClan."

"Wow, that's a lot!" Arabella looked impressed. "Where're you all going?"

"We don't know."

"Then why?"

"Because we need a place to stay."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." There was a silence.

"Would you like to meet the rest of RainClan?" Rainstar offered. Arabella smiled.

"I would like that very much."

Chapter 23
At first Arabella hadn't wanted to come down under, but when Rainstar offered to find some stones so she didn't have to step on the mud, she smiled and said that as long as she kept her feet out of too much dirt, it should be fine. So they - carefully - went down under.

"Well, it certainly is dirty down here." Was Arabella's first comment.

"Who's this, Rainstar?" Brownie asked, standing up.

"This is Arabella. She owns this twoleg nest." Rainstar explained.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Arabella." Brownie dipped his head. Arabella gave a small, short nod in return and then turned to Rainstar.

"Can you introduce me to your... friends?" She looked around over the closely wound together Tiffany and Daniel, the acting-like-kits Mara and Alice, and the dirty Brownie.

"Those two are Daniel and Tiffany. The mainly black she-cat over there is Mara, and the one with more white is Alice. Brownie's, well, Brownie." Rainstar pointed around.

"...enchanted." Arabella mewed.

"Would you like to sit down?" Brownie said, in an effort to be polite.

"No thank you." Arabella declined. Eagle and Peppermint walked in then, loading with prey.

"We got food!" Peppermint announced.

"Fresh from the forest." Eagle smiled. "And who's this?"

"This is Arabella, she owns the twoleg nest." Rainstar repeated.

"Nice to meet you, Arabella. My name is Eagle, and this is Peppermint." Eagle dipped his head, Peppermint right behind. Arabella didn't.

"You eat... that?" She asked, repulsed.

"Yes. Want some?" Offered Rainstar, plucking a crow from Peppermint and settling down. What's wrong? He wondered.

"But that's horrible!" She screeched. Everyone jumped at the yowl. Rainstar dropped the crow and tilted his head.

"Well then, what do you eat?" He asked.

"Mainly fish paste, but sometimes pellets if the twolegs run out."

"What's that?" Eagle asked.

"Fish paste, which tastes like fish, but it doesn't have bones or scales or any of those nasty things, and pellets, which are little brown balls that taste like, well, it depends. Mainly meat." Arabella mewed.

"You mean you eat little brown balls?" Alice asked, partly in amazement, party in disgust.

"She speaks!" Eagle purred quietly.

"Yes, I do." Arabella replied. "I think my housefolk want me. I'll be going now." She picked her way carefully out of the space.

"Well, she's an interesting kittypet." Eagle mewed, sitting down with a mouse.

"Is she going to come along, too?" Brownie asked.

"She doesn't really seem like the type." Commented Alice, taking her own prey.

"How's that?" Rainstar asked, curious.

"Well, you saw the way she looked at the prey, and as for her aversion to dirt..."

"I guess you're right..." Rainstar bit into his crow, thinking about Arabella. ''Alice is right, she isn't quite the type to come on a journey, but she seems nice enough. I guess that anyone can try, right?''

"So, some rain, huh?" Peppermint said.

"Huh? Yeah, it's raining pretty hard, isn't it?"

"We won't be able to go anywhere until it stops, either." Peppermint mewed.

"Why?"

"Well, do you want to walk in it?" And then, they both laughed.

Chapter 24
A bit before sundown, Rainstar jumped headed up to the wood, hoping to find Arabella. There was no white pelt in sight, so he found the mysterious shield again and sat in front of it for a while. Still no Arabella, so Rainstar jumped down and -

"Ahh!" Arabella screeched.

"Oh! Sorry." Rainstar replied, stepping backwards quickly. He had accidently landed directly in front of Arabella, startling her into dropping what she had been carrying.

"It's okay." Arabella smiled. "I was just surprised."

"Good. What's that?" Rainstar extended a paw towards the thing that Arabella had brought.

"I'll tell you later. For now, follow me." Smiling, Arabella stooped down to pick up the thick metal hunk she had dropped. Then she walked over to the side of the nest and rounded the corner. Rainstar, following close behind, was surprised to see that the wood curved around the nest. But that wasn't the place. Arabella stepped behind an object and into a black pipe. Rainstar was familiar with these, he had seen several before, but hadn't expected Arabella, who disliked dirt, to step into one! He went in, too, and found that the pipe was angled upwards. ''Oh. That's why we're in a pipe.'' When the sunlight finally showed through the pipe, Rainstar gasped.

"We're on top of the nest!" He exclaimed, amazed.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" Rainstar looked. It was breathtaking. Even through the drizzle of rain that made everything harder to see, there was still a view of trees. Trees and trees and trees, spanning for as far as the eye could see. In the distance, there were some mountains - snow-capped, shining gray mountains. And as a final effect, the sun was setting, sending a halo of light over everything and coloring the skies with pinks and reds and purples.

"I don't think beautiful starts to describe it." He quietly mewed. Arabella purred.

"Glad you like it. Here, I brought some real food." She leaned down over the metal. Real food? Rainstar wondered. ''Versus what? Fake food? Is she going to... no, it can't... but it still might be... eat the metal?'' It wasn't. To Rainstar's amazement, she peeled back part of the metal. "Wow, what are you going to do with that?" Rainstar asked. Arabella purred and turned the metal towards him. To his continued amazement, the peeled off part of metal revealed a pink paste that smelled of fish.

"Eat it, of course!" Arabella purred and licked up some.

"Oh." Rainstar dipped his head and carefully touched his tongue to the paste. Arabella watched him, smiling.

"How is it?" She asked. Rainstar licked his lips thoughtfully.

"Once you get past the texture, it's actually pretty good." Was his verdict. Arabella purred, and took another careful mouthful.

So they sat there, sharing the fish paste and watching the sun go down. There was a friendly quiet around the area, broken only by the chirps of birds and wind through the trees. When the twoleg food was done, Rainstar contented himself to watching the sun. After a while he glanced at Arabella. She was looking at him in a special way, in a way that made him feel like hie was the only one in the world...

"Rainstar!" Brownie's call finally broke through.

"Oh." Rainstar looked down at his paws, ears red. "Well, I guess I'd better go now..."

"Okay then. Good night." Arabella mewed quietly, also looking at her paws. Rainstar stood up, stretched, then found his way to the pipe and walked down to RainClan.

"There you are!" Brownie said in relief, noticing Rainstar. "Where were you?"

"On top of the twoleg nest." He replied, smiling. Brownie's stared at him in disbelief.

"But how?"

"You can climb."

"Uh, okay. Anyway, everyone's looking for you! Come on, let's go tell them you're back."

..........................................................................................................................................................................................

Later that night, when everyone had been found and settled down, Rainstar smiled to himself behind the others quiet talk. The day had been one to remember.

Chapter 25
"Remember our warning." Bluestar mewed seriously.

"Huh?" Rainstar replied, confused, as the mist began to surround him.

"Stay with your Cla..." The voice was cut off as Rainstar blinked his eyes open. Stay with your Cla? He wondered and thought backwards. ''Last night Crookedstar said 'Stay with your Clan.' He probably meant that. But why would I not?'' He yawned and walked outside.

"Hey, leader!" Alice called, skipping over to him. "I think we can get going soon! Look, the rain's dried up!"

"Maybe." Rainstar yawned again. "If the rain's stopped." There was an amused purr from behind Rainstar.

"Oh, you fluffball." Peppermint laughed. "Open your eyes."

"They are - oh." Rainstar blinked and looked around. It wasn't raining, and the sun was already shining brightly.

"So, can we leave?" Alice asked.

"Is everyone ready?" Rainstar asked in reply. ''Not stay with my Clan? Ha!''

"Well, we have to wake up Brownie, Tiffany, and Daniel, and Mara and Eagle are out hunting, but after that, we're ready."

"Did someone say my name?" Brownie said sleepily, coming up to the conversation.

"Well, there's Brownie." Peppermint purred.

"Great, then we're almost ready to go!" Rainstar meowed. Eventually, the four missing came, they ate, and were prepared to go. A small noise came from behind Rainstar. He turned around to see Arabella standing on the wood, watching them.

"One moment, please." Rainstar padded over to Arabella and jumped onto the wood.

"Are you leaving now?" She asked, voice quieter than usual.

"Yes... I'm really sorry, because I'd really like to stay, but we have to go on, and-" Rainstar started explaining, but Arabella waved her tail over his mouth.

"I understand."

"Oh." There was a silence. "I wish that you could..." Arabella was shaking her head again.

"I could never."

"Oh." There was another silence. "I guess I should get going now..."

"You don't have to. You could stay here, with me."

"And the twolegs?"

"And the twolegs." Rainstar stopped and thought. ''I can't! But wait, I can, can't I? It's not like StarClan can make me. And... I really like it here.'' He looked at Arabella. The answer seemed obvious. The word 'yes' was on the tip of his tongue when Rainstar looked back at RainClan. Brownie, Peppermint, and Eagle were laughing, Mara and Alice were happy, and even when trapped their own little world, Daniel and Tiffany radiated happiness. The words of StarClan popped into Rainstar's head. ''Stay with your Clan. Maybe I...'' Just then, Peppermint looked over at him and smiled. The answer had changed.

"I-i-i'm very sorry, Arabella. I can't."

"Oh." Arabella looked down sadly.

"Rainstar! Are you coming?" Eagle called.

"I guess I have to go now." Rainstar sighed.

"Well... bye." Arabella looked up, and Rainstar felt as if he was the only one in the world. "Will I ever see you again?"

"I hope so."

"Okay." She looked down.

"Thank you... for everything." Rainstar jumped down and returned to RainClan. As they walked out the gate, Rainstar cast one, long, sad look back at the twoleg nest. Arabella had gone.

Chapter 26
More coming soon!