A/N: Okay, yes, I know I have way too many fanfictions as it is, but I've been wanting to write about this for a while and after browsing the five pages of Guardians of Ga'Hoole stories, I just couldn't keep this idea at bay any longer. And, I'm warning you now, there is another Ga'Hoole story coming and I don't think it'll be as good. However, having five pages of stories and very few stories that I want to read makes me want to go write a story that I'd be willing to read again. Hopefully others will want to read my stories as I write them. And I AM working on my other stories; I've just kinda hit a brick wall with them. (cry)

This story idea may be one of the most common among the stories of the Guardians, (I've seen at least three,) but rest assured, I'm doing this MY way and I don't think I'm really coping anything anyone else has done. I'm taking what I can off the brief passage in Book 8: The Outcast about how Soren and Pelli met and got together. I wanted more details so I've made them the best I can.

Disclaimer: I don't own and I will never own The Guardians of Ga'Hoole. The beautifully written world of owls is property of Kathryn Lasky. I DO however own all fifteen of the books. (grin)

Chapter 1: A Meeting Amid the Flames

There had been fires in Ambala before, but never had the Barn Owl, Pellimore, seen one so close to her tree. Pellimore, or Pelli as some of her closer friends called her, had moved to Ambala from the Forest of Tyto shortly after news that the Pure Ones were trying to press young Barn Owls like herself into joining the diminished forces. In the few moon cycles that Pelli had been in the forest, she found herself friends with a Spotted Owl who lived a few trees over named Hortense. Then again, almost everyone who hatched in Ambala was named Hortense, boy or girl.

Speaking of which, her friend had just flown by her hollow.

"Hortense! What's going on?" Pelli called out, poking her head out of the tree.

The Spotted Owl turned back and lighted down on a branch outside the hollow. "Can't you see it Pelli?" she asked, rather panicked. "The fire! It's too close! We've got to get out of here!"

Pelli blinked. "But isn't there a river down that way? We should be safe-"

"Fires can jump rivers Pelli! I'm not sticking around to get my gizzard grilled! You shouldn't either!" Hortense said, her dark brown eyes glistening with worry for her friend.

Pelli shook her head. "Well until it jumps the river, I don't intend to leave this hollow. I've worked hard to make it fit for living in and I won't leave it unless I have no other choice." She said stubbornly.

Hortense appeared to grow slimmer as she wilfed before her friend. "Just . . . promise me you'll be careful Pelli. Remember, there's other hollows out there . . . but there's only one of you Pelli . . . I don't want to come back and find that you're not . . . that you're . . ." the words got stuck in the owl's gizzard and she yarped up a small pellet in her distress.

Pelli's eyes softened and she stepped out onto the branch right in front of her hollow then hopped to the branch where her friend was perched. Gently sticking her beak into Hortense's spotted feathers, she began to preen the other to help ease the owl's worry. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself." She said, straightening to smile at her friend.

Hortense nodded. "You're right. You're tough enough to give the legendary Twilight of the Great Tree a run for his money." She said with a hiccupy giggle.

"Hardly . . . I'm no fighter . . . but thanks." She said and waved off her friend as the other fled the fire.

000

At the Great Tree, the colliering and search and rescue chaws lifted off towards the forest of Ambala. A forest fire had been reported and the two chaws headed towards the flames for two different purposes. The colliers were supposed to search for coals, bonk or otherwise, to bring back to the Great Tree for Bubo's forge.

Soren flew with Martin and Otulissa flanking him on either side and Ruby flew behind him, completing the formation. They had all been together almost since they had first started and were a part of what was famously known at the Tree as the Chaw of Chaws. Also from the Chaw of Chaws were Twilight, Digger, Eglantine, and Primrose who were in the search and rescue chaw.

This was supposed to be a typical flight with no surprises, but as they flew over the Sea of Hoolemere towards the flames, Soren's gizzard was grinding in an odd way.

The day before he had one of his starsight dreams about a Barn Owl he had never seen before caught in the fire. However, he had forgotten the dream when he woke up and could not recall a single detail of it. And though Soren couldn't remember anything of his dream, his gizzard was telling him that this fire contained something that wasn't the same as any other fire run he'd been on.

000

Pelli was starting to regret not joining Hortense as the Spotted Owl fled. Other owls were now flying away, bringing news that the fire had jumped the river. Among some of the owls that passed her hallow were Barn Owls with battle claws. Pure Ones . . . Pelli thought, wilfing as she hid in her hollow. She had left her family in the forest of Tyto because of the Pure Ones and now . . . it seemed the dratted birds who flew almost as loudly as a wet-pooper were now scouring the ones fleeing the fire for potential recruits. Well Pelli would die before she'd ever join the Pure Ones.

And with the fire creeping ever closer, it seemed as though she'd fulfill that promise.

000

Soren had finished bringing a coal to Bubo and was headed back to his post with Martin, Otulissa, and Ruby when he spotted a tree with a hollow, declared empty by search and rescue, go up in flames, suddenly his dream came back to him. There was an OWL in the fire!

With a quick, "I gotta go," to Otulissa, or was it Martin? He wasn't paying attention, Soren flew off, expertly navigating the flames to where he hoped he could find that Barn Owl before she burned to death.

000

Pelli was trying to keep an even head even as flames licked the trees far too close to her own. Daring to stick her head out of the hollow, she quickly scanned the area for any sight or sound of the Pure Ones before she flew out of her hollow, heart and gizzard heavy as she left the place she had made for herself in the forest. A sudden roar that had her closing her ear-slits caused her to look back with wide eyes as her tree went up in flames. She didn't know it but she had just witnessed a 'crowning'. All she knew was that she was extremely lucky to have gotten out when she did.

It was then that she got a good look around and realized that flames were surrounding her and there was hardly anything green left. The flames were so loud she was tempted to keep her ear-slits closed.

No . . . There may be more Pure Ones around . . . I need all my senses right now.

At first, the roar of the flames around her was all she could hear. However, as she grew used to the sound of the flames something else caught her attention and she turned her head completely around before her gizzard lurched and her eyes widened as she saw a Barn Owl flying towards her.

Racdrops! They've found me! Well I won't go without a fight!

Puffing herself up, she turned around and flew straight towards the other owl, the flames around her seeming to fuel her to take down the Pure One. Take him down or die trying.

000

Soren couldn't help but feel relief when he saw the owl from his dream flying and apparently without a burn yet. However, relief soon turned to shock as she turned and charged right at him. It was only a quick maneuver on his part that kept him from getting a nasty gash along his chest from the female.

"What in Glaux's name are you doing?" he shouted, flying after her, knowing that at any point she could get seriously hurt. He doubted that she had any experience flying through fires before.

Pelli turned around and glared at the Barn Owl. What was she doing? She sure as Hagsmire wasn't going to go with him! She wouldn't be a Pure One! He couldn't make her!

"I'm never going to join you! Stay away from me!"

"Are you yoicks? The fire's spreading and without help you won't be able to get out alive!"

"I'd rather die than join the Pure Ones!"

Soren's eyes widened. Of course! Why hadn't he considered that before? Being a Barn Owl nowadays meant you had to prove you weren't with the horrid group called the Pure Ones. It was hard to believe that his brother had been the leader of the vile owls, but he also was the one who had pushed Soren out of the nest as a chick.

"I'm not with the Pure Ones!" He said, trying to fly a bit closer to the spitfire owl and had to quickly dodge the swipe of a talon.

Not with the Pure Ones? Yeah right. Pelli wouldn't be taken in so easily.

"I'd like to see you prove it!" Pelli then turned tail and quickly tried to flee.

Soren was right on her tail. "Will you wait?" he called, trying to help the other and finding it difficult with her stubborn attitude. He hated resorting to violence, but it seemed that she wasn't going to let him prove himself unless he made her listen.

Pelli fought beak and talon against the other as he forced her to the ground, pinning her so that she couldn't fly away.

Soren was glad when her struggles quieted after the first few lines of the Fire Cycle and he released her, stepping back and giving her back the space he had intruded upon.

Pelli was quite glad this owl had forced her to the ground now. It was almost as though she was spellbound, hearing words she had learned by heart . . . It felt like she had gone yeep. Once finished, she smirked a little bit and looked around them. Surrounded by flames, he had chosen to win her trust by reciting from the Fire Cycle.

"Quite an appropriate choice, considering the situation we're in." she said, nearly churring in the rush of relief that he wasn't a Pure One.

At that moment, quite a few trees around them exploded into flame and the two owls lifted off. Pelli didn't need to be told to follow the other. She knew he'd lead her to safety and not into the talons of the Pure Ones.

As the two owls flew together out of the flame drenched forest to where the search and rescue chaw was waiting; both owls developed a strong sense of respect for each other. Otulissa reprimanded Soren for flying off so suddenly and without reason while Pelli was introduced to Barran and informed about the Great Tree.

The Great Tree! Pellimore thought excitedly, her gizzard twitching joyfully. I'm going to the Great Tree!

To Be Continued . . .

A/N: I'm not stopping there! I'm thinking this thing might be 3 to 5 chapters long. Feedback will be greatly appreciated and I welcome constructive criticism. Flames, however, will be used to toast Pure Ones and will likely help put up a brick wall in my writing creativity. I'm really just glad to be writing again. (grin) Hope you enjoyed!