Chapter 4

Whitestorm and Firestar watched them from a higher rock.

"I guess he still having trouble fitting in." Whitestorm meowed

"You think?" Firestar replied, glancing at the older cat.

" Scourge reminds me of a young ginger cat who had also some trouble with Longtail's humour." Whitestorm purred

"Oh! Your right!" Firestar replies, with a chuckle, "I almost forgot."

"Well,-" Whitestorm meowed pointing at Scourge and Longtail, "Are you just going to ignore them?"

"Right. I better put an end to this." Firestar meowed, leaping to the ground.

"Enough!" Firestar meowed sternly. Scourge and Longtail backed off. Cinderpelt hurried over to Longtail looking at his bleeding ear.

"Why didn't you stop him? You are Scourge's mentor after all." Firestar meowed to Graystripe

"Um, yah, I guess you're right." Graystripe meowed. "Just look at you. You're behaving like animals!" Graystripe meowed to Longtail and Scourge, "I can't take you anywhere! You loose points for this. Big time!" Graystripe meowed to Scourge.

"Look what he had done to my ear! You have to banish him for that!" Longtail meowed.

"Hey Firestar, remember when you ripped off his other ear? Ah, back in the good old days, eh?" Graystripe meowed.

"Excuse me?... OUCH!" Longtail meowed irritably

"You will be alright. It's not that bad." Cinderpelt meowed.

"It's not that bad?! NOT THAT BAD?! It's my ear! I decide how bad it is!"

"There is nothing easier then fooling a fool." Scourge meowed, recently slipped away from graystripe, Suddenly he noticed Cinderpelt sitting beneath a tree, he sighed an padded over to her. "Don't think it is for your sake. I'm only here because I'm bored and I have nothing better to do." Scourge meowed quickly, but Cinderpelt didn't reply. "Do you want me to go?" Scourge asked.

"No... It- it's just that... It's just that not being able to fight with everyone else makes me feel lonley sometimes..."

"Is that so?" Scourge paused. "How pathetic."

"You could at least pretend that you care." Cinderpelt meowed, slightly annoyed.

"Oh? How about I show you how I took care about cats like you back in Bloodclan?" Scourge meowed menacingly.

"What do you mean?" Cinderpelt questioned. Scourge attacks Cinderpelt. They roll down a small hill were Scourge nails Cinderpelt down to the ground, one paw menacingly hung above her throat. Firestar, Graystripe and Dustpelt dashed over to them as fast as they could but wouldn't make it in time.

"What's gotten into you?! Let go of me!" Cinderpelt meowed, as Scourge raises his paw. His claws glinting threatening above Cinderpelt.

What's with her eyes? She isn't afraid of me? It's not hatred either... She just seems to be puzzled. What is this? Scourge wondered.

Cinderpelt bumped her healthy leg into Scourge's stomach and stood up, grinning. "You left yourself wide open!" Cinderpelt meowed.

"I guess I did." He paused. "It won't happen again though. So you better start training if you wanna beat me."

Firestar, Graystripe and Dustpelt, who had stopped at the top of the hill, look confusingly at Cinderpelt and Scourge.

"I think he's finally going nuts." Dustpelt meowed.

"Short trip if you ask me." Graystripe meowed.

"What did just happened?" Firestar meowed.

"I think this was his way of saying sorry" Graystripe meowed.

Scourge turns to leave, "Wait!" Cinderpelt meowed. Scourge looks back at her but she just stares at him.

"Have I got something on my face?"

"You're such a jerk." Cinderpelt meowed, smiling happily. She called me a jerk, again, Scourge thought. Graystripe attacks Scourge, but he dodges him.

"Moron! You're trying to sneak up on me? Not in a million moons!" Scourge mocked.

"You are so grounded, apprentice!" Graystripe meowed. Cinderpelt chuckled.

Scourge awoke to a angry Graystripe.

"What's the big idea of waking me up so early? Had a nightmare, furball?"

"Don't you call me a furball!" Scourge meowed, a little angry now himself.

"What you gonna do? Watch this! Furball! Furball! Furball!" Graystripe taunted, as Firestar padded up, "I see you're at each other's throats again." He meowed. Scourge sits up and slightly bows his head in Firestar's direction.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Firestar?" Scourge meowed politely

"Are you kidding me?! Why can't you be that respectful to me for a change?" Graystripe meowed in surprise and annoyance.

"Scourge, I would like to show you our territory." Firestar meowed.

"Have you gone crazy?! He literally killed you! Remember?" Graystripe meowed.

"Just the two of us are going?" Scourge asked, still ignoring Graystripe.

"Would that be a problem for you?" Firestar replied in a friendly voice.

"A problem? Why, of course not." Scourge meowed.

"See that evil reddish glimmer in his eyes?! That's the color of bloodthirsty revenge that he is planning in this very moment!" Graystripe meowed.

"Don't be ridiculous. His eyes are blue." Firestar meowed.

"Yes, my eyes are blue, Graystripe." Scourge replied to Graystripe with a smirk.

"I swear, you drive me to catnip." Graystripe replied.

"Have a little faith in me." Scourge meowed to graystripe.

"I will." Firestar replied to Scourge, who looked surprised at Firestar. Firestar then gave him a honest smile.

"Oh c'mon! You can't be serious!" Graystripe continued.

"I am." Firestar replied

"You're going there? you're really gonna go there! Well, it was nice knowing you then!"

"Let's go." Firestar meowed.

"I'll come with you!" Graystripe meowed, leaping to his paws.

"No, you won't." Firestar replied firmly.

"What is with you?!" Graystripe meowed in frustration.

"I want to give Scourge a fair chance to prove himself." Firestar meowed before turning to scourge. "If you really want to join us then you have to show us, that we can trust you as well as we will show you that we trust you." Scourge nods his head slightly

"Let's get going." Firestar meowed, and they padded out of camp and into the forest.

"Where exactly are we going?" Scourge asked.

"It doesn't matter, just follow me." Firestar replied. Scourge was unfamiliar with the territory, but by the slant of the land they were headed up. Suddenly Tigerstar broke into his thoughts, he almost sounded afraid, almost. Kill him! now is perfect, Kill him now! No, not yet. Scourge thought. You dare defy me? Ok I'll do it myself.

"Firestar r-run..." Was all Scourge could choke out before Tigerstar took control. Scourge stumbled wobbly, looking at his paws

"Scourge?" Firestar meowed.

"Sorry, Scourge isn't home right now." Scourge replied looking up.

"Your eye's... They're red!" Firestar meowed, backing away.

"Yes, I noticed." Scourge replied. "It's been awhile Firestar, ever since I lost my lives to this mangeball."

"Tigerstar?" Firestar questioned.

"Yes." Scourge replied, leaping at Firestar. Dustpelt came out of nowhere and leaped on Scourge, and the battle commenced. As this went on Scourge felt like a prisoner in his own head, he could only watch as his body shredded his attackers. They wouldn't last much longer, he had to stop this. Suddenly Scourge realized that Tigerclaw's hold was weakening, he was tiring out. Scourge just hoped that Tigerstar didn't shred them before he lost control. Scourge had dustpelt pinned to the ground and was going for the killing blow when Tigerstar lost control. Scourge flopped to the side, his eyes returned to blue.

"I'm d-done." was all he could say before he blacked out.

Chapter 5

Scourge awoke on a big flat rock, he lifted his head to see Firestar sitting beside him, Dustpelt sat off to the side.

"You're awake, good It's time." Firestar meowed gathering his paws.

"Don't you have questions." Scourge asked, confused at why he was still breathing.

"Yes, but you'll answer them later." Firestar meowed. "Come." Firestar padded into the darkness and didn't reappear.

"Guess I'm suppose to follow him." Scourge meowed.

"Yes, and don't try anything, I'm not afraid to shred you" Dustpelt replied, menacingly.

"Whatever Scourge replied." he then followed Firestar into the cave, soon Scourge had lost all sense of direction. And had no Idea how long he'd been traveling when he burst into an open cavern, and mere seconds after he entered a brilliant white light erupted into the cavern from the stone in the middle.

"The moonstone." Firestar meowed. "First test, do you believe?"

"In what?" Scourge asked

"Starclan." Firestar replied, leading Scourge over to the rock. "Lay down here and touch your nose to the rock." Firestar instructed before following his own advice. Scourge laid down beside the rock and touched his nose to it, a sudden feeling of cold crept over him, and he fell into darkness. Do I believe Scourge wondered, he thought about Firestar's nine lives, where'd he get them, Starclan he says. Could that be true he wondered, Suddenly Scourge realized he had no Idea what could have given Firestar his nine lives, then he realized something else. . . he believed!

Scourge stood up in a grassy field and looked around, Firestar sat off to the side.

"Wondered if you'd make it." He replied

"Yah yah, whatever, So what now." Scourge meowed sarcastically.

"I never knew you had a brother Firestar." A voice called

"Bluestar, I don't know what you mean." Firestar replied

"You and Scourges souls share similarities only seen in half-brothers." Bluestar meowed. "You're half-brothers, share the same father."

"No way!" Firestar meowed. I had already begun to like Firestar, and now I find out he's my half brother, Why can't I stop finding reasons not to kill this cat Scourge mentally kicked himself.

"I know why you are here Firestar." Bluestar meowed, "And I cannot help you without input from you." She continued turning to scourge. "Your thoughts and intentions are hidden from me by an unknown source."

"What do you want to know?" Scourge asked, his guard up.

"I think now is the time for those questions." Firestar meowed. "How is Tigerstar able to control you?" Ooh that's a big one Scourge thought.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know that he has a piece of my soul." Scourge meowed, " and he's using it to gain control for short periods of time, but on the night of the full moon, He plans to take full control." They don't need to know about the deal he thought.

"I'm sorry Firestar, your thoughts betray your concern, but Starclan cannot sever the connection, not tonight." Bluestar meowed. "Our connection to your world is strongest on the full moon, Try again then, then we might be able to help." she began to pad away, and another cat strode into the open.

"Spottedleaf!" Firestar meowed in excitement, before dashing over and brushing muzzles with her.

"Spottedleaf I miss you every day." Firestar meowed

"You have a mate, Firestar, you-" she broke off. "Firestar, I just wanted to say, be careful and good luck." after those words she began to fade. Scourge awoke in the cavern, the rock had ceased its brilliant glow. Firestar gathered his paws beneath him

"You're in love with two cats, one dead, one alive." Scourge meowed, Accusingly. "Is that very noble?"

"I'm in love that is true, but i'm with only one." Firestar replied, "let us go, you have passed the first and second test."

"Is there more?" Scourge asked.

"Yes, soon you'll meet a test that will make or break you." Firestar meowed, seriously, "Until then I'd relax, you've earned it." Firestar then padded out of the cavern, and Scourge dashed after him. Scourge caught up as they exited the tunnel.

"Did we really have the same dream, are we really brothers?" Scourge asked, still a little skeptical about this Starclan.

"Yes." Firestar meowed.

"Brothers?" Dustpelt meowed, padding up, "What??"

"Keep this information silent." Firestar ordered, "I'm not ready to release it, and I don't want any rumors."

"Whatever you say Firestar." Dustpelt replied, as he followed them. Scourge was lost in thought as the rocks, leaves, trees, and twoleg places passed around him. They passed several thunderpaths without much trouble and Scourge finally came out of his thoughts at the edge of windclan territory.

"We should pass through quickly, I'm not ready for the other clans to know about you." Firestar meowed, sniffing the air. "We're clear for now, let's go!" Firestar, Scourge, and Dustpelt dashed forward, the moor past quickly, Firestar had chosen the quickest route. Soon they were leaping a stream into Thunderclan territory. Firestar and Dustpelt relaxed, Scourge realized they'd been on edge throughout Windclan territory and beyond. They were standing in the hollow that the battle that Scourge had died in took place. "This is Four trees," Firestar meowed, "We have Clan gatherings every full moon here."

"You guys are so original." Scourge meowed, sarcastically. They continued the journey passing several other landmarks that Firestar pointed out, Snake rocks, owl tree, training hollow. They were padding towards the entrance of the camp when Graystripe appeared.

"What happened?" Graystripe meowed, eyeing the scratches and cuts that were new on Friestar, Dustpelt, and Scourge.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Firstar meowed

"Scourge at-" Dustpelt began

"I said nothing." Firestar cut him off. "Nothing at all."

"Ok Firestar." Dustpelt meowed, irritably, he pushed past graystripe and entered the camp. Graystripe looked unconvinced at Firestar.

"Ok," Firestar sighed, "I'll explain later, just don't start any rumors." Graystripe then followed them into camp.

"You're a pretty crappy leader." Scourge meowed, You crumble to the will of your individuals to easily." He then padded off to Cinderpelt's den, suddenly acutely aware of his scratches.

"What happened to you!" Cinderpelt meowed in alarm, dashing over to scourge, "I just cleaned you up!" she scolded.

"I fought Firestar and Dustpelt, I almost killed them." He meowed.

"Why?" Cinderpelt meowed, in confusion.

"Long story, told it once already, ask Firestar." Scourge meowed flopping down.

"I'll do that." Cinderpelt meowed, grabbing some herbs from her store and beginning to rub them on scratches. "I hope you didn't blow it." She meowed pawing him some seeds "Take these, they'll help with pain and sleep." Scourge lapped up the seeds and was happy to notice the stings slowly disappearing, but soon he felt groggy

"You can stay in here tonight," she meowed, leading him to a nest, "I'll talk to Firestar tomorrow." Scourge soon fell asleep.

Scourge awoke in the dark forest, how am I here again, he wondered was it all a dream? Suddenly he felt claws slash across his neck, blood flowed down his side as Tigerstar appeared. "Never interfere with my work again," Tigerstar meowed viciously, "I had them, they were dead!" Scourge tried to reply, but found he could only cough blood! "You went to the moonstone," Tigerstar continued, "What did you find?"

"Nothing," Scourge found he could reply, "I never made it in."

"Good." Tigerstar replied "anyway, I should send you home, if Cinderpelt is to save you." Scourge wondered if he'd failed as Tigerstar faded away. Scourge awoke to realize his wound was still there, flowing the thick red liquid as he scrambled out of the bloodstained nest.

"Cinder-" Was all he could manage before he collapsed, coughing blood, and darkness claimed his vision before Cinderpelt appeared.