Runningfox awoke, darkness clouding his thoughts as he yawned and got up. The trees drooped, the leaves brushing against the blood stained ground as the flowers lay wilted and dead.

This wasn't StarClan at all. Runningfox had remembered he had died when he was drowned. The tom could almost taste the salty water, and he could make out waves lapping at his pelt.

The silver tabby tom shook away the thought. He then recognized the drab pelt of Pebblestar.

Skidding towards him, Runningfox sped up, finally reaching the former leader, who was creeping around the gloomy shrubs, which lay in the forest, faint blood marks splattered on the brown leaves.

Runningfox opened his mouth to speak, but Pebblestar beat him to it. The retired leader's teeth were stained with fresh blood that reeked of death.

"Hello, Runningfox. Welcome to The Place Of No Stars. You were an evil cat, so you are now here." Pebblestar meowed.

Runningfox gasped. "Surprised? I don't get why you are, you drowned 5 loner kits in your lifetime." The gray tom grumbled, a deep growl following. "I know, but this is my punishment? I can't believe this!" The skinny silver tabby tom muttered.

Squeaks of panic and whimpers of helplessness roared in Runningfox's mind, and all his other thoughts vanished as he fought to get the kit mewls and squeaks out of his head.

Runningfox thought it would be the end of his pain when he died, but no, it had only begun for him. Everything was different.

The plants were lifeless and sad, the cats were blood stained and evil, and the floors of the Dark Forest were splattered with cat blood. Nothing moved, other than cats, which stalked around the grounds and fought with each other. Would anything ever be the same?

"Well anyways, you might want to meet the other cats that prowl around here." Pebblestar swatted Runningfox with his claws.

Runningfox snapped out of his thoughts, and nodded his head briefly before Pebblestar began to bound towards 5 cats, which were creeping towards eachother.

"I would hate to stop you when you're trying to attack each other, however, a new cat has joined our boundaries. This is Runningfox." Pebblestar sat down, and his ragged pelt lay flat.

The cats paused, and glared at Pebblestar before stopping the session. The cats sat down, and one licked their lips swiftly. Pebblestar got up and began to name the cats. "He's Meadowbranch, she's Hollypounce, she's Spiderfang, he's Swallowfoot, and she's Squirrelstep." Another cat was pouncing around, and Pebblestar turned his head.

"He's Emberwhisper, oh, he's Redwillow, she's Flowerblaze, our founder, he's Echofur, she's Splashstorm, and he's Ripplewillow." Pebblestar then stalked off, but mewed something over his shoulder. "Don't expect every cat to be so chit chatty to you anymore though. We cats don't fight together."

Pebblestar's tail tip disappeared into the shadows, and Runningfox was left alone. The other cats were gone, and he decided to nap for a bit. Runningfox padded towards a gloomy tree, and sat down underneath it's dying leaves. The silver tabby closed his eyes, shifted his weight, and fell asleep.

A brighter forest surrounded him. Runningfox couldn't believe he was dreaming, now that he was dead. Starry cats surrounded him. However, one cat was padding towards him, the cat's head held high.

"You have done too many wrong things. You do not deserve to be a StarClan cat. This is your punishment... Runningfox." Runningfox let out a whimper as the cats vanished, becoming stars that glistened in the moonlight as they flew upwards into the moon.

This was his punishment, and he could not change it.

Author's Notes

This is my first story, and I hope you like it! If you have critism for me, then please make sure you aren't just screaming at me! I greatly appreciate real critism, so please give me some to help me improve! :)