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| - I stare out into the horizon. My eyes travel along the familiar dens of the poor section. The lush, green forests of what was the Beauty catches my gaze. The two are still so distinguished that I can't help but wince a little bit. I hope Amberfrost has managed to keep the Clan together. My eyes wander to the dark gray she-cat sitting next to me. Her eyes are wide with awe and I watch as her gaze examines the entire Main camp. The size of it has never ceased to amaze me, especially since I've never seen it from up here before. Her tail is curled in eagerness and I can tell that she wants to race down there and see for herself what FireClan is like. A small purr rumbles in my chest and she glances over. The dark blue of her eyes catches the sunlight and I smile at her beauty. I lean forward and touch my nose to her, causing her to purr too. I'm glad she's here with me. I'm nervous. I don't know what to expect from FireClan. The last time I was here, Amberfrost and I had just taken down the Beauty System. Enemies were in the territory still but I hadn't wanted to stay. I wanted to explore for myself what was beyond my home. Memories threaten to overwhelm me but I push them down. There will be a time where I can delve in the memories of my past. But for now, I must face the present. "Let's go," Shade whispers quietly, "We'll have to head down sooner or later." "I know," I murmur as I slowly stand, my eyes wandering over the lands I had known so well. "It's just so weird to be returning now." We travel down there together. I intertwine my tail with Shade's and take a deep breath before following her down. ~ There are cats bustling everywhere. It's surprising to know that so many well-fed cats are living in the modified poor sections. Most of the cats I don't recognize. I stop abruptly at an old den of mine. I can feel tears prick my eyes but I blink them away. "What's wrong?" Shade asks as she rests her head on my shoulder. I choke on my breath, remembering the moments held within this den. "I used to live here," is all I can manage. Shade nods understandingly, and I remember that she used to live on the far side of ThunderClan before heading to live on the island with her sister (after her return). "Brownhare," a voice calls and I turn slightly to see a familiar white she-cat weaving her way through the crowd, "I thought you'd never return!" Shade's eyes widen slightly and I greet the she-cat with a nod. "Snowflare," I murmur, "it's been awhile." Her blue eyes are as bright and radiant as ever. "Lionclaw will be so thrilled," she purrs. Her eyes soften a bit, "and of course, Amberfrost." I swallow at her name. Shade tenses a bit and I curl my tail around her in a protective manner. Snowflare sees my gesture and her eyes widen slightly but thankfully she says nothing. Her eyes wander past me to my old home. Her eyes cloud with sadness but she turns. "I'll take you to see Amberfrost." I thank her and we head towards the Beauty section. (I can't seem to erase these old terms from my mind.) "Is Amberfrost the leader of FireClan?" "Something like that," Snowflare calls over her shoulder, "though we don't really have a Clan. It's more like allies and enemies." I grimace at that and Shade stays quiet. I know she's buzzing with questions but I don't want to answer them yet. Shade sense my discomfort and keeps her mouth shut as she follows us through the crowds. "Here we are," Snowflare is grinning now, "Amberfrost, I'm back!" "Come in!" A voice so familiar startles me. She doesn't sound much older than she had been when I had been here with her. "Come on," Snowflare says quietly when she sees me frozen, "She'll want to see you after so long." With that, she pushes her way through and I gulp before following. Amberfrost is talking to a pair of cats and she looks up to greet Snowflare. "Hey, how was-" She pauses in astonishment when her eyes land on me. She stands instantly and excuses herself from the conversation. "Brownhare," she breathes out, "you're back." I nod tensely and I know that Shade is trying to melt into the background. But Amberfrost is as sharp as ever and her eyes travel to Shade. "Who is this?" She tilts her head in a curious way, but I can hear the slight twinge of jealousy in her voice. "Shade," the dark gray she-cat introduces herself, "I'm Shade." Amberfrost lets out a quiet sigh when she turns back to me. "I'm guessing you found who you were looking for?" she asks. I blink when I remember our last conversation together. "Well, it's fine. I'm glad you found her, Brownhare." Snowflare looks sympathetic and I stand there, stunned as Amberfrost returns to her conversation. "Let's go to the side dens," the white she-cat decides, "the rest of our friends are there too." I go along with her. Shade follows in a silent manner and I know I'll have some explaining to do when we find peace and quiet. I had never really explained my past in FireClan. We are greeted with exuberant yowls and purrs as I reunite with my old friends. "Brownhare," Lionclaw grins, "I can't believe you're back."
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