A white tom with barely visible grey stripes waited patiently in an eerily green and shadowed forest. Four or five other cats sat near him, roughly. He hadn't bothered to count recently but he knew they had lost more than half of the eleven they had had last time he counted. The second a cat strayed from the group, he or she was lost, most likely forever. If you wanted company here, you had to stay by your companion's side all the time. Most wandered alone for all eternity, never encountering another soul. He alone, who was the first to walk this forest, knew how to navigate it. Cats usually went mad. Even in the group all of his current companions looked uneasy. The place disturbed them, as it should. It was supposed to. It was made for that.

A tortoiseshell she-cat who was particularly shaky stood as if she were going to run from every shadow. A ginger tom who was putting on a brave front hissed a warning. "Sit down! Brokentail thought he'd wander off for a bit too, but we haven't seen or heard from him in days have we? We stick together or we wander alone here!" The white tom didn't acknowledge this exchange. He was far too focused on something else to worry about who stayed or left. Tonight his dreams would be fulfilled. He would finally be able to accomplish the power he had always wanted. But it all depended on his visitor arriving.

The tortoiseshell shook her head in frustration. "I told you already Paledawn," she growled at the white tom, "Scourge killed Firestar, not the other way around. How could a dead cat kill the one who defeated him in life?" Her fur was bristling in anger.

Paledawn was one of a few names the tom went by. Those in his group who had once belonged to Clans in life called him Palestar, since he was their leader. He didn't pay much attention to what they called him, it wasn't important. He glared at the she-cat. "That was but a single life," he informed her with thin patience "StarClan has more powers than you know, rogue. Firestar has eight lives remaining. Quiet now, Firestar has killed him. Scourge is on his way to join us."

As he spoke a hazy image began to form in front of him. It soon took on the clear shape of a small black cat lying unmoving on its side. Paledawn ungracefully raked a claw down the cats side. Its eyes opened in shock as it leaped up and shouted "I killed you!" As it looked around and realized it was no longer in the great battle, the cat's angry disposition vanished. Instead he took on the defensive. He was suddenly away from his comrades and faced by six strangers. To top it off he was in a forest he had never seen before, and one that was indescribably creepy.

"Scourge," the tortoiseshell gasped. She hastily lowered herself to the ground in submission to her former leader. "Forgive me," she begged, "I didn't think it was possible… I was quick to take on a new leader." She sounded ashamed, but she had no intention of reversing her decision. To be lost in this forest was unthinkable, and Paledawn had much more power here anyway.

Seeing a familiar face seemed to calm Scourge quite a bit. He looked over those facing him, assessed them. After deciding they meant no further harm he turned to lick his new wound, only to find it wasn't there. "so it's true then," he muttered, "I am dead."

Paledawn smiled shortly. "Greetings Scourge, and welcome to the dark forest," he mewed. "This is where all murderous, treacherous, blood-thirsty, or power-lusting cats serve their sentence for all eternity after death. It is also my domain and the territory of what will now be DeathClan. We will be the opposing force of StarClan and the warrior code. I am will be the leader, Paledawn. Though I will exist forever and no cat shall ever take my place, I still know that to function properly a clan must have a deputy. I offer you that position Scourge. Consider quickly and join, or face eternity alone and powerless." That was important. Scourge couldn't bear to be powerless.

Scourge fixed an icy gaze on Paledawn. "Deputy?" he mrowed with amusement. "What makes you think I'll accept less than leader? I've lead BloodClan effectively for quite some time now, quite a large number. I'm not used to anything less because I'm not less. Every cat alive knew not to mess with me, or they'd be killed." Scourge smiled in self-confidence.

Paledawn growled quietly, losing patience. "Although apparently not every cat with nine lives," he retorted. He noticed Scourge's expression fall. "and so not every cat dead. Physical strength has no power here. We have no flesh to tear, no ability to inflict wounds. Your lack of wisdom of the Clan's history and of their beliefs make you considerably less valuable. StarClan hold much power in the world of the dead, as do the Tribe of Endless Hunting, the ancestors of SkyClan, and others far away. Not knowing the gaps in their power, how to combat those you cannot physically fight. That is what cripples you here Scourge. Even alive, you're ignorance of Firestar's lives defeated you. Lesson one, a leader is always weakest after losing a life. I know you can adapt, and you have a mind that can help our cause once you do. We will chose cats to follow in our footsteps, and the Clans will bow to the shadows instead of the stars!"

Scourge was beginning to look very uneasy. He missed his earthly body. His strength, his tooth-claws, his battle skills. To give all of that up, replacing it with something he was just beginning to believe, much less understand. Alone he would be utterly lost and powerless. As a deputy he would have more influence than any other cat in the Clan. Paledawn was clearly interested in his ideas. Maybe this was the right way to go. And things didn't have to stay this way. When he had learned enough…

"Alright Paledawn," Scourge replied simply "I accept."