Hey, everyone.
I'm so sorry for not updating any sooner. I had to deal with writer's block (again :P ) but I'm back at I hope you guys like this chapter.

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Redpaw pads though the forest behind Mistyleg, his gaze flitting about as he glances each way.

His dreams that he's been having focus around him being in the forest and a cat — or multiple cats, he believes — are watching him at a distance from the undergrowth. Each time he wakes up, he simply becomes more and more confused about the meaning behind his dreams.

He's so pulled into his thoughts that he jumps when his mentor places her fluffy gray tail on his back.

"Thank StarClan! It took so long to get your attention." Mistyleg continues to pad forward and her ears flick when Redpaw doesn't move from where he had stopped.

"Redpaw, are you alright?" The warrior pads up and sits down in front of him.

The apprentice nods. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You seem a bit in your head."

Redpaw huffs. "I'm that obvious, I guess."

Mistyleg sits down. "What's wrong?"

The ginger apprentice sighs. "I've been having these weird dreams when I'm sleeping and I don't know what to do."

The gray she-cat curls her tail around her paws. "Can you tell me what your dreams are about?"

Redpaw sighs. "I would, but I want to figure it out on my own."

His mentor sighs. "Alright. I won't force you." She gets up and beckons for him to follow with her plumy dark gray tail. "But you know you can always talk to the medicine cats when you feel ready to."

The young ginger tom follows Mistyleg towards the training hollow, the rest of the walk an awkward silence.

—~=+O+=~—

Lightcloud sighs and limps towards the prey pile, grabbing a young squirrel and limping over to lay in a patch of fading sunlight over near the warriors' den.

"May I join you?"

The white tom drops his meal and cranes his head up to see a petite white she-cat, her pelt scattered with gray tabby patches. "Uh... Sure, I guess."

The she-cat dips her head and settles down next to him, biting into her meal, a pheasant — a rare catch for ThunderClan. "How are you doing? With, well, you know ..."

"My leg?" Lightcloud's ears pull back against his head and he has to hold a hiss back. "It's fine."

"I-I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to make you angry." The she-cat turns away, resting her head on her paws.

He sighs and shakes his head. "No. I'm sorry. StarClan knows that I was acting like a mouse-brain." He hangs his head.

He lifts his head slightly when her paw rests on top of his.

"I didn't know you would lash out like that. I shouldn't have asked about your leg, as it's probably something the Clan pities you for."

Lightcloud releases a hiss he'd been suppressing. "They all pity me because of my injured leg. And I don't like it." He lashes his tail in frustration. "I hear them talk about me all the time, as if I'll never be able to care for the needs of the Clan. Not like I used to, anyways."

The she-cat — Raincloud, he recalls — smiles. "Then you have to show them that you aren't like they see you. Use StarClan's strength to be that kind, loyal warrior the Clan truly knows you as."

The longhaired white tom nods, but the look on his face becomes confused. "How in StarClan's name did you become as wise as a medicine cat?"

Raincloud shrugs. "I can see that you have a kind heart by how well you treat the others in the Clan, as well as your determination to get through the dark time you're in."

Lightcloud chuckles. "Are you sure you hadn't thought about becoming a medicine cat when you were still an apprentice?"

The she-cat swallows her mouthful. "I did think about it briefly, but I then remembered how much I'd been dreaming of becoming a warrior."

"If you were to get a second chance in life, would you take the chance to become a medicine cat?"

Raincloud sighs and shrugs. "It would be if that's the choice StarClan encouraged me to take." She nudges him playfully. "But then I wouldn't be such a great warrior now, would I?"

Lightcloud's ear flicks when the wind blows against it. "I suppose you do have a point."

His companion giggles. "Besides, why would I ever want to become a medicine cat when I have such a great friend?"

The two cats chuckle and finish their meals in comfortable silence.

"Lightcloud?"

"Yes, Raincloud?"

What do you think happened to the rogues that attacked when you...?"

The white tom shakes his head. "Only StarClan knows where they went." He gets to his paws and grabs the remains of his meal to bury the bones. "But I do know that I have to return to my duties as a warrior as quickly as Smallflame and Pinetooth will let me so I can dutifully help my Clan chase those rabbit-brained fox-hearts away."

Raincloud dips her head. "That's a promise you must keep to StarClan." She steps forward until she's a half a taillength away. "And I'll help you get there."

Lightcloud dips his head in thanks and turns, hopping away towards the medicine den.

—~=+O+=~—

Redpaw pads towards the prey pile and grabs a skinny squirrel, padding over to sit in front of the apprentice' den.

Leaffall had only just begun and prey was already becoming scarce.

The ginger apprentice settles down to eat and is joined by his friend Tigerpaw.

"Mind if I sit with you, Redpaw?"

The younger tom shakes his head and Tigerpaw settles down next to him.

"How's your apprenticeship going?" Redpaw glances at the dark tabby as he waits for his friend to answer.

"It's going good." The older apprentice licks his paw to wash his ear and cleans it a few times before continuing. "Rainbird says that I'm ready to take my assessment."

Redpaw dips his head. "Well, may StarClan guide you." He takes another bite. "I've heard from some of the older warriors that leaffall and leafbare are the hardest times to do warrior assessments because of how scarce prey is."

Tigerpaw nods. "I'm hoping that StarClan helps me to do whatever Featherstar has planned for my assessment."

The ginger apprentice chuckles and licks his jaws, having finished his last few bites. "You had better let me know how it goes."

His friend dips his head. "By the will of StarClan." He turns and pads into the apprentice' den, leaving Redpaw to ponder over the tabby tom's last words.

"By the will of StarClan, huh?" He gets to his paws and pads over into the medicine den clearing. "Smallflame? Pinetooth?"

The older medicine cat appears from within the den, shaking dry leaves from his pelt. "Yes, Redpaw? What is it?"

The apprentice sighs. "I came to you because I've been having dreams. I believe that they're from StarClan."

Smallflame's eyes widen. "Come with me, young apprentice." He turns and pads back inside the medicine den, beckoning for Redpaw to follow.

—~=+O+=~—

Featherstar and Cinderfrost have joined the medicine cats and Redpaw in the medicine den.

"You said you were directly spoken to by StarClan, Redpaw." Featherstar turns to the apprentice. "What exactly did you hear?"

The young ginger tabby tom sighs. "I heard a cat from StarClan say 'Rise up, descendant of Firestar... Your journey has only just begun...'. And then that's when I realized that it was StarClan."

The Clan leader turns to the medicine cats. "Perhaps there's more to the prophecy that we originally believed."

Smallflame dips his head. "You speak wisely. We might have found the cat that the prophecy speaks of."

During this, Redpaw is just sitting in silence, glancing between his Clan leader and the medicine cats in complete confusion.

Pinetooth notices the apprentice's confusion. "We should tell Redpaw. He should know what the prophecies really mean."

Featherstar dips her head. "Of course." She turns to the young apprentice, who's still fully confused.

"Redpaw, before you were kitted, Cinderfrost and I received a prophecy: 'The fire will unite and save the Clans once again. Five will become one. But an old enemy will rise from the ashes. Beware of the blood in the forest.'"

Redpaw nods. I remember you sharing this with the Clan. You believe that BloodClan will come back."

"And that a ginger cat will lead all five Clans in battle and win against BloodClan."

The apprentice turns to face Smallflame. "But what are you telling me this for?"

"We believe that StarClan has chosen you as that cat who will save us."

If looks could kill, all the older cats would have died from Redpaw's glare.

"You mean to tell me that I'm part of this prophecy to destroy BloodClan?" He shakes the dust from his pelt. "That is so full of mousedung and I want no part in it."

Featherstar dips her head. "It's understandable that you don't want that. But give it time." Her tailtip flicks the mossy ground. "Why don't you go see if the elders need anything to eat?"

Redpaw dips his head and backs out of the medicine den and his pawsteps fade away.

Featherstar's shoulders drop and she lets her head fall. "Are we certain he's the one?"

"He certainly isn't interested in any part of the prophecy," Cinderfrost points out.

"We have to trust that StarClan chose the right cat." Smallflame rises to his paws, his tail held up. "The future of the Clans depends upon who StarClan chooses."

—~=+O+=~—

Redpaw pads out of the medicine den and heads towards the apprentices' den after checking on the elders, but a voice makes him stop.

"Hey, Redpaw!"

Mistyleg trots up to him, her tail twitching in excitement. "Would you like to go and train with me? Emberdust and Patchpaw will be coming, too."

The apprentice sighs. "Alright." He lifts his head and forces his tail up so it doesn't drag on the ground.

"Thank StarClan! Well, come on!" His mentor trots ahead and Redpaw follows her and the others towards the training hollow.