No. This couldn't be happening! Tigerstar was supposed to be in the Place of No Stars, not standing in the real world! Actually, he was supposed to be dead!

It's got to be my imagination! This has to!

Flamepaw shook her head, then looked up. Tigerstar was gone.

Flamepaw's heart was beating in her chest loudly. She was sure that even Riverclan could hear it.

It must have been my imagination then.

Shadowheart began walking towards her. She creeped deeper into the ferns, not making a sound. Finally, he was gone.

If it wasn't Tigerstar, then who was it?

Pawsteps sounded behind Flamepaw. She jumped around. It was Snowstorm. She let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing?" Flamepaw meowed quietly.

Snowstorm flicked his wars, "Looking for you."

Flamepaw looked down at her paws. She suddenly felt bad for storming off like she did.

"You know, I like you." Snowstorm meowed, his voice kind.

Flamepaw tilted her head, "What are you talking about?"

Snowstorm answered, "You said that everyone hated you. I don't. And neither does the clan."

"Sharppaw does."

Snowstorm sighed, then mewed, "She's just upset. Her apprenticeship got delayed, then her mother died. Also, she got most of the blame when you got attacked by the badger when you were a kit."

Flamepaw widened her eyes,"Really?"

Snowstorm nodded, "Yes, she did. She felt horrible, you know."

Flamepaw looked up through the trees, maybe Sharppaw wasn't as bad as she thought.

. . . . .

Flamepaw padded into camp, with Snowstorm beside her.

"Go get yourself something from the freshkill pile. You must be exhausted." Snowstorm meowed.

Flamepaw nodded then grabbed a shrew. She joined the other apprentices. Badgerpaw and Lillypaw were sharing a vole.

Lillypaw looked up," Oh, hey Flamepaw!"

Flamepaw sat her shrew down, "Hey. How is it being Dappleleaf's apprentice?"

"Oh, it's wonderful! I love learning about the herbs. Oh, and I like helping the cats too!" Lillypaw replied excitedly.

Badgerpaw leaned over, "Seems boring to me."

Flamepaw flicked him with her tail. She did agree though. Being stuck in a cramped den with sick cats all day did seem boring.

Flamepaw took a bite out of her shrew. The flavors danced on her tongue. It tasted so good!

The camp entrance rustled. Flamepaw saw that it was Shadowheart.

Her encounter with him and the anonymous cat was still fresh on Flamepaw's mind. There was definitely another cat there, but who was it?

"You look like your trying to figure out something important. What's wrong?" Lillypaw asked.

Flamepaw realized that both littermates were staring at her.

"Oh uh, nothing. I was just thinking of how to do this battle move that Blackfrost taught me." Flamepaw quickly lied.

If anyone knew what she had seen, they would think that she was crazy. I even think that I'm crazy!

Flamepaw pushed her shrew in front of Badgerpaw. She had lost her appetite.

"I'm going to my nest." Flamepaw announced to them.

Badgerpaw shot her a questioning look, then dug into the shrew.

Flamepaw padded in to the apprentice den. Her nest looked so warm and comfy.

She plopped down into it. She let out a sigh.

Hopefully, I'm about to get some answers.

. . . . . . .

Flamepaw coughed. She felt like she was being engulfed in smoke. She opened her eyes. She was!

Fire blazed all around her, making it hard to breath. The heat was intensifying, Flamepaw's fur felt like it was being scorched.

I've got to get out of here!

Flamepaw stared at the scene. She felt like the fire was closing in on her. She was surrounded.

Starclan help me now!

Flamepaw darted through a gap in the flames. Heat scorched her whiskers and she felt sparks burning her skin.

All of a sudden, it felt like Flamepaw was dropping. She landed with a splash.

Water!

Immediately, the burning sensation on her skin ceased. A cool feeling of water soothed her.

Flamepaw went limp and let the water carry her. Wait, it wasn't carrying her, it was trying to drown her!

Flamepaw fought to swim to the surface. Water filled her lungs and streamed in her eyes and nose. The depths of the water was never ending!

Flamepaw stopped struggling. At least I'll be with Greycloud now.

She felt the presence of her mother near her. "Don't give up! You must keep fighting!"

Flamepaw didn't know if the small voice was her imagination or not, but she finally fought her way to the surface.

She gasped for air.

Suddenly, the scene changed.

Flamepaw was sitting on starry grounds. Starclan...

A handsome ginger tom, with a pelt like fire, padded near her.

"Who are you?" Flamepaw breathed.

The tom dipped his head, "I am Firestar. I was leader after-"

"Bluestar," Flamepaw finished. "I've heard a lot about you."

Firestar was the cat who defeated Tigerstar, well sort of.

Firestar flicked his ears, then mewed, "Beware, the mightiest flame can be destroyed by water."

Flamepaw tilted her head.

Firestar continued, "You are the flame, Flamepaw. Who is the water?"

Flamepaw opened her mouth to ask a question, but everything faded away, leaving Flamepaw alone.

Flamepaw closed her eyes, and gave way to the dizzying darkness.