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Description
                                                                      Preface

Goldie looked up from licking her front paw, ear ears twitching to the sounds in the forest around her.  She placed her paw back on the ground and stood up and looked around, trying to pinpoint the main sound that had disturbed her washing.  She took a few steps forward, her paws silent on the soft, green grass.  A strange scent from behind suddenly filled her nose and she quickly turned around, and came face to face with a large golden cat with abnormally thick fur around his face and head.  She jumped a bit, her claws extending out of instinct.

The golden cat's eyes softened as he looked at Goldie.  He sat down on the grass and curled his long tail over his front paws.  He nodded to Goldie.  "Fear not kit.  I am not here to harm you," he meowed softly.

Goldie relaxed her muscles a bit but kept her claws extended.  "Then what are you here for?  And who are you?" she mewed in reply.

The golden cat kept his bright green eyes on the small gold kit in front of him.  "My name is Lionheart, and I am here to tell you it is time for you  to come home."

Goldie retracted her claws fully and gave the large golden cat a quizzical look.  "Home?"  She turned her head and looked at the Housefolk nest on the other side of the fence.  This had been her home since she was born.  "But this is my home."

Lionheart chuckled softly.  "Yes kit, this is were you were born, but it is not your home.  You're home is in the forest with our clan."

Goldie's ears twitched with curiosity at the mention of the forest.  For as long as she could remember, she'd always been drawn to the trees on the other side of her Housefolk's fence.  She'd always felt like it was calling to her somehow.  "Our clan?  What do you mean?"

Lionheart looked back at the forest then back at Goldie.  "In the forest are cats.  Cats who live wild and free, outside the reign of the Twolegs.  In the forest outside your Twoleg nest, there are four clans that have lived together for generations, though they haven't always lived in this forest.  I once belonged to the clan known as Thunderclan," meowed Lionheart in explanation.

Goldie sat down, her tail swaying over the grass.  She leaned slightly and peered into the trees behind Lionheart.  "But what's that got to do with me?  I've seen the cats from these clans, but I'm a kittypet, not a wild cat."

Lionheart chuckled once more.  "Haven't you ever wondered why you have been so drawn to the forest, small one?  The blood of Thunderclan runs through your veins.  My blood runs through your veins.  You are my descendant, my great-great granddaughter.  Thunderclan has need of all its members, and its time the one who was lost returned to her rightful place."  As he spoke, his fur started to gain a blueish tinge and seemed to sparkle with the very stars themselves.

Goldie was mystified by Lionheart's words as she watched his fur take on the colors of the night sky.  "But wait, you said that you once belonged to Thunderclan..."

Lionheart nodded, his eyes filling with what seemed to be sadness.  "Yes, though sadly, many many moons ago I joined the ranks of Starclan, cats who have lost their lives and now live among the stars."  After he said this, he got to his paws and placed his muzzled on Goldie's head.  "I have been watching over you, small one, and I shall continue to do so, but you must make a choice...your clan needs you..."

Goldie looked up Lionheart in astonishment.  "You're dead?"

Lionheart turned and started walking towards the forest.  He stopped at the first tree and turned to look back at Goldie.  "Remember, small one, a tender heart can bring peace to a troubled world."  With those words, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Goldie stared at the place were Lionheart had disappeared, and watched as the forest disappeared as well.  She looked back at her Housefolk's nest and discovered that it, along with the fence, and even the grass under her paws was now nothing more than an empty darkness.  In the distance, she saw the silhouette of a cat.  She couldn't tell who it was, or even what color it was.  In the dead silence, barely above a whisper, she heard the words, "Fire once saved the clan...this time fire shall destroy it..."  As those words faded into the silence, everything, including Goldie's own paw's in front of her nose faded into nothing...

Description
                                                                      Preface

Goldie looked up from licking her front paw, ear ears twitching to the sounds in the forest around her.  She placed her paw back on the ground and stood up and looked around, trying to pinpoint the main sound that had disturbed her washing.  She took a few steps forward, her paws silent on the soft, green grass.  A strange scent from behind suddenly filled her nose and she quickly turned around, and came face to face with a large golden cat with abnormally thick fur around his face and head.  She jumped a bit, her claws extending out of instinct.

The golden cat's eyes softened as he looked at Goldie.  He sat down on the grass and curled his long tail over his front paws.  He nodded to Goldie.  "Fear not kit.  I am not here to harm you," he meowed softly.

Goldie relaxed her muscles a bit but kept her claws extended.  "Then what are you here for?  And who are you?" she mewed in reply.

The golden cat kept his bright green eyes on the small gold kit in front of him.  "My name is Lionheart, and I am here to tell you it is time for you  to come home."

Goldie retracted her claws fully and gave the large golden cat a quizzical look.  "Home?"  She turned her head and looked at the Housefolk nest on the other side of the fence.  This had been her home since she was born.  "But this is my home."

Lionheart chuckled softly.  "Yes kit, this is were you were born, but it is not your home.  You're home is in the forest with our clan."

Goldie's ears twitched with curiosity at the mention of the forest.  For as long as she could remember, she'd always been drawn to the trees on the other side of her Housefolk's fence.  She'd always felt like it was calling to her somehow.  "Our clan?  What do you mean?"

Lionheart looked back at the forest then back at Goldie.  "In the forest are cats.  Cats who live wild and free, outside the reign of the Twolegs.  In the forest outside your Twoleg nest, there are four clans that have lived together for generations, though they haven't always lived in this forest.  I once belonged to the clan known as Thunderclan," meowed Lionheart in explanation.

Goldie sat down, her tail swaying over the grass.  She leaned slightly and peered into the trees behind Lionheart.  "But what's that got to do with me?  I've seen the cats from these clans, but I'm a kittypet, not a wild cat."

Lionheart chuckled once more.  "Haven't you ever wondered why you have been so drawn to the forest, small one?  The blood of Thunderclan runs through your veins.  My blood runs through your veins.  You are my descendant, my great-great granddaughter.  Thunderclan has need of all its members, and its time the one who was lost returned to her rightful place."  As he spoke, his fur started to gain a blueish tinge and seemed to sparkle with the very stars themselves.

Goldie was mystified by Lionheart's words as she watched his fur take on the colors of the night sky.  "But wait, you said that you once belonged to Thunderclan..."

Lionheart nodded, his eyes filling with what seemed to be sadness.  "Yes, though sadly, many many moons ago I joined the ranks of Starclan, cats who have lost their lives and now live among the stars."  After he said this, he got to his paws and placed his muzzled on Goldie's head.  "I have been watching over you, small one, and I shall continue to do so, but you must make a choice...your clan needs you..."

Goldie looked up Lionheart in astonishment.  "You're dead?"

Lionheart turned and started walking towards the forest.  He stopped at the first tree and turned to look back at Goldie.  "Remember, small one, a tender heart can bring peace to a troubled world."  With those words, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Goldie stared at the place were Lionheart had disappeared, and watched as the forest disappeared as well.  She looked back at her Housefolk's nest and discovered that it, along with the fence, and even the grass under her paws was now nothing more than an empty darkness.  In the distance, she saw the silhouette of a cat.  She couldn't tell who it was, or even what color it was.  In the dead silence, barely above a whisper, she heard the words, "Fire once saved the clan...this time fire shall destroy it..."  As those words faded into the silence, everything, including Goldie's own paw's in front of her nose faded into nothing...