Foreword

There is a breach in the Dark Forest, menacing not only the waking world but also StarClan itself. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight must set out on a dangerous quest to seal it away once and for all.

This story is set immediately after Sunset, following the canon of the New Prophecy. One of the things why I wanted to write this is because I considered Sunset's ending too abrupt, with lots of unanswered questions (that aren't cleared up even in PO3). Most importantly: why was Tigerstar the first and only cat from the Dark Forest who could walk in other cats' dreams? Is it a special power - and if yes, does it run in the family? What will Tigerstar and Hawkfrost do after their plan failed? Also, what will the Clan's attitude be towards Brambleclaw after he wanted to kill Firestar?

Furthermore, I wanted to do some justice to the Bramble x Squirrel pairing, as they are my favourites, but in the series they appear sort of a tragic couple (in NP, they hurt each other a lot, and the focus is on him being caught up in the schemes of his father; in PO3, they are forced to live a constant lie, and they eventually break up for good). The story is actually written from Brambleclaw's POV (except some short sections, like the Prologue – these are in italic text).

Originally I intended this work to be a kind of 'super edition' covering the events between series 2 and 3; however, I later departed from the canon, reshaping the story to match my taste. So do not be surprised if you see some contradictions with PO3 (someone dying who shouldn't, something happening that shouldn't, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight having kits) – these are intentional. I never liked the PO3 so I can't care less - for me, Warriors ends with the New Prophecy.

For a list of characters, check the Allegiances in Sunset. The story is divided into two parts: Chapters 1-12 take place by the lake (Brambleclaw learns what must he do, and some loose ends from NP are tied up), and Chapters 13-? present the journey and quest itself.

Any kind of constructive criticism is appreciated. If you read the story, please take a few seconds to send reviews or comments. It cannot be stressed enough how important is for an author to get feedback on their work.

Author's note

Most importantly, my first language is not English, so there might be grammar or style errors, and completing a chapter might take more time than it should. Apologies in anticipation, and feel free to suggest corrections, improvements and new ideas.

Disclaimer

This work is fan fiction. It is not commissioned or authorized by the original creators or publishers of the Warriors series. It is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Alike 3.0 License (CC-BY-NC-SA).