Hey everyone! I'm happy to return for another story, one that has been an idea in the back of my head for years now. See, you know how Warrior cats speak of their ancestors- the great LionClan, TigerClan, and LeopardClan? I decided- well, what about legends from that period of time? So I took the idea of ancient Clans, and changed it, so instead, there are four old Clans: LightningClan, the lions; WaterClan, the tigers; DakrClan; the panthers; and finally SwiftClan, the cheetahs. It is set many, many seasons ago, in a jungle before humans invaded. I know that all these great felines probably don't live in jungles together, and that it's not exactly non-fiction, but heck, who cares? :) Also, this first chapter takes place after the fire in Rising Storm, and sometime before A Dangerous Path begins.

So I hope you guys enjoy it. If you're an old reader, an old friend, then I welcome you back. If you're a new reader I hooked in, then welcome, and I ask you to check out some of my other Warriors stories on my profile. Thank you, I'm really nervous about starting a brand new story... it's been so long since I started one :P

So thanks, and remember: REVIEW!!! Even if you hate it, I love reviews... well, wait, that didn't make sense... haha but you get my point.

Disclaimer: Erin Hunter owns all rights to Warriors!!

The heat ran in the river, whispered into the trees, bounded along with the warriors as they tread across their camp.

It was greenleaf, and a hot one at that. It stifled the air greedily, making sure heat was painted everywhere and all the coolness squeezed from the sky.

In the ThunderClan camp, past the hard-working warriors and sleeping elders and nursing queens, lay two kits. One was on his back, head upside-down, and the other was flopped out next to her brother, her tortoiseshell fur glowing under the hot rays of the blazing sun.

"There's nothing to do, Bramblekit," the tortoiseshell kit sighed.

Her brother, slightly stronger-looking, with luminous amber eyes and a dark tabby pelt, just yawned and shook himself, flopping back around so he lay down the right way. "I know. And this heat's killing me."

Their mother, Goldenflower, was currently out getting some water on a strip of moss, to bring back to the nursery. But Bramblekit and his sister, Tawnykit, were in no mood to stay in the shadowy, stuffy nursery. They were getting too big for the nursery, in any case. Soon they'd be apprentices, and on hot days like this, would actually have something to do. They watched enviously as warriors and apprentices of all shapes and sizes hurriedly worked. They weren't bored.

"What should we do?" Tawnykit yawned.

Bramblekit fumbled with his paws, sighing and sitting up. He stretched his strong little spine, tabby pelt shivering. "Go find somebody to play with?"

Tawnykit's eyes lit up. "Yeah!"

Bramblekit scoffed. "I was kidding, but whatever. Let's get out of here."

Tawnykit blinked, shrugged, and got up, padding after her brother as they walked off from the nursery.

"You two," came a voice. Bramblekit froze, and Tawnykit bumped into him as their heads flicked up. A tall, bracken-colored warrior with curious eyes gazed down at them.

"Hello, Brackenfur," they meowed in unison.

Brackenfur frowned thoughtfully. "What are you doing out of the nursery?"

"We're bored! Can't we have something to do?" Bramblekit begged.

The tom sighed and shook himself. His long, dark shadow fell across the kits. "I suppose... Cinderpelt may need help sorting herbs, but I don't think kits are old enough to do that."

"Kits!" Tawnykit echoed fiercely. "We're practically six moons old now!"

Brackenfur chuckled quietly. "Well, fine. Go to Cinderpelt, plead your case. Hopefully she'll have something for you to do." With a sweep of his tail, the young warrior was gone.

"Cinderpelt, I guess?" Bramblekit offered, peering at his sister.

Tawnykit flicked her ears, touching her little tail to her brother's flank in agreement. "Cinderpelt."

They scrambled across the busy, sun-baked clearing and eagerly ducked into Cinderpelt's medicine-den, where it was cool and damp. They welcomed the shade, and their eyes glowed in the darkness as they tasted the air.

"She's not here," Tawnykit said, disappointed.

Bramblekit's eyes gleamed. "But her herbs are." He turned to his sister, whiskers twitching.

Tawnykit's eyes widened. "Well... maybe it couldn't hurt... if we just play a little..."

"A little," Bramblekit agreed, hopping up and letting out a mewl of delight as he kicked some berries across the dark floor, tossing it back and forth. They got down leaves and herbs and laughed, giggling as they played. It was the most fun the kits had had all day.

"What are you doing?" came the sharp meow.

Instantly, brother and sister froze as they stared around to see a she-cat with swirling eyes and ash-colored fur stepping into her den. "My herbs," she growled, gaze flicking around at them. Nothing was ruined, but there was a certainly a big mess to clean up.

Tawnykit sat down on her little haunches, eyes lowered, ears flat in shame. But Bramblekit stared defiantly at Cinderpelt, amber eyes shining. "We didn't wreck anything. We're just playing!"

"But a medicine-cat den is no place for play," Cinderpelt told them, harsh yet patient. She sighed, looking around, and finally meowed, "You two need to get out. I'll have to clean this up." She shook her head and bent down to start cleaning.

Bramblekit suddenly felt a pang, and he looked around, beginning to wish he'd never messed with Cinderpelt's herbs. "I- I'm sorry," he blurted, not liking how the apology felt on his tongue, yet knowing it would help, somehow. Tawnykit murmured the same.

Cinderpelt limped aside and blinked at them. "I'm just glad no one ate anything dangerous. But mark my words, kits, if you ever mess up my storage again, I'll have your tails off!" she playfully hissed, nudging them sharply from her den. The kits giggled and tumbled out, tails waving.

The sun instantly hit them, sucking away any cool shadows left in their pelts. Bramblekit and Tawnykit shook themselves and got up.

"Why don't you two go ask the elders for a story? Hopefully you can't make any messes that way," Cinderpelt loudly suggested from the shadows of her den.

"That's a good idea!" Tawnykit mewed, ears pricked, glancing at her brother.

"We should have thought of that sooner," Bramblekit meowed as he took off with his sister across the busy clearing, to the old, fallen log where the elders slept.

As the two curious kits padded up to the log, they could still smell the ashes and see the ugly, black marks left by the fire that had raged through their camp just half a moon ago. Evidence of it lived freely in the camp, but
they had just grown to accept it. Bramblekit shivered away from the memories of that terrible fire.

"One-Eye? Smallear? Dappletail?" Tawnykit mewed respectfully, peering into the log.

There, a pale gray she-cat was bundled against a gray tom with small ears, and a once-pretty tortoiseshell was sitting next to him, watching at the kits came near.

"Hello, young ones," Smallear rumbled, shaking his old head as he pricked his small ears.

"Good morning," the kits politely replied, tails curling.

"It's hot today, isn't it?" Dappletail murmured, glancing at the sun, a far-away golden disk in the sky.

"Very hot. Hot enough to get too kits in trouble," One-Eye croaked, gazing at the kits in amusement through her one good eye. "We heard Cinderpelt hissing across the clearing."

Bramblekit and Tawnykit exchanged glances. "Er, yeah," Tawnykit admitted. "But she told us to stay out of trouble, and ask you for a story. If you're okay with that, of course," she added quickly. But there was no denying the hope in her eyes.

Smallear twitched his whiskers, and One-Eye chuckled. "Of course we'll tell you a story," Dappletail purred, eyes sparkling.

Bramblekit exchanged an excited look with his sister as they lay down neatly, waiting impatiently for the elders to chose what story to tell.

"Shall we tell them one about Firestar as an apprentice?" Smallear chuckled, voice rough.

"Or perhaps an even older one?" Dappletail suggested, curling the tip of her tail around her paws.

One-Eye glanced at them, flicking an ear, and croaked, "No. No, I know which one to tell. It's a legend, really, told so many times before..."

Smallear's eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah, I know which you speak of. The legend of the great times of the Clans, when our ancestors were mighty, large cats."

"The days of LightningClan," Dappletail added, eyes swirling as she smiled at the kits. "I doubt these two have heard it before."

"We haven't," Bramblekit said eagerly. Tawnykit's ears pricked expectantly.

One-Eye chuckled, and looked across at Smallear. "Very well, then. Now, it started many seasons past, before the days of ThunderClan and before Twoleggeds found the forest, in a golden time when our ancestors
thrived in the dangerous jungle..."