Fireslash hung his head in disappointment. Not every cat can go to the Gathering, he reminded himself. But the senior warrior was especially looking forward to this one. Darkstar had chosen more apprentices this time, which was unusual for him, but it didn't matter nonetheless.

The cool nighttime breeze only supported the dread that he was feeling, through the soft moonlight in the clear black sky. Shadowfur gave him a farewell nod as she was the last cat to disappear behind the bramble entrance.

He sulked all the way to the warrior den, where Quickslash was pretending to sleep. Fireslash didn't lie down, he just sat in his nest and began washing himself with his paws.

There was a small snort from Quickslash; Fireslash didn't pay it any mind and kept washing himself. He closed his eyes and started to think about the journey to gathering. It would be slightly cold, with a nice breeze that would calm his stiff face. They would move with silence, and silenced, the DarkClan cats would-

"So you didn't go," Quickslash's annoying meow broke his thoughts. Fireslash had to keep his jaw clenched to stay quiet, and just kept washing his face. Although, normally it was refreshing, this was forced, and his fur began rubbing the wrong way. Soon, it started to become unpleasant. Fireslash kept acting like he was washing himself, trying to think of something else to do that might keep him mind off the Gathering. Hunting….talking….. a little walking- something hit his face that made him whip towards Quickslash in a reflexive look of enragement. Quickslash put on a smirk with one eye open, "Oops." Fireslash stood up and snapped his mouth open and closed to keep himself from saying something and snarled. Quickslash just closed his eye and acted like he was sleeping.

Angry and frustrated, he left the den, tail lashing. There was only one warrior, Lightray, just lying around the camp, as if she was sunning. Curious, he walked over to her.

"Lightray, what are you doing?" She flinched when he started the sentence, and woke.

"Wha-?" she looked at him. He just stared at her. Then she looked angry, "I was absorbing some night!" That was a really strange thing to say.

"What?" he asked puzzled. She stood up, and got right in his face.

"You disturbed me! Now I have to wait until tomorrow!" she turned around and walked away before he could say anything. That was really weird. He had never seen Lightray do that before. Now, confused and angry, he just blindly walked from the sheltered camp. He just kept walking, subconsciously aware that the light from the full moon was growing duller and duller, and that the air had become unnaturally colder. Angry thoughts made him ignore all that, however.

Lightray was angry with me?! How dare she? I was only asking a question! And then they drifted to Quickslash: I'm going to kill him. Fireslash began to think of ways on how to do it.

Suddenly, something of a frozen lightning feeling shot up his spine, making all his fur stand on its end. Startled, he whipped around wondering where he was.

Darkness was all around him, with dark grey tree trunks with transparent black leaves with the Moon trying to break through. His pelt cracked of being watched. I know exactly where I am.

He had accidentally strayed to the "Empty Side" the territory. Fireslash took some cover in a dark bush, making him feel a little better about the watching feeling. There was silence all around in the woods. Leaves and trees whipped up in the air from the wind, having him hear only that noise. No crickets or owls stirred.

Silence.

So Fireslash stayed frozen, just watching the forest around him. It was his home, and yet no cat ever wanted to be here.

"Hello," a voice came from behind him. Fireslash hissed and snarled at the same time as he whipped around, claws reflexively coming out at the same time.

A small cat, about the size of an apprentice was standing there, a perfect silhouette shape in the moonlight, with black leaves swishing behind him in the wind. Two golden shining eyes stared back at him as wind made Fireslash shiver.

"W-w-who aaare you..? His mood changed from anger to fear. The cat's head turned to Fireslash's right, as if looked at something, and then looked back at him.

"You came back," he said in a very odd voice. Fireslash didn't say anything, just stayed frozen. This has got to be Shadowpaw. But Shadowpaw's voice didn't sound like that.

The cat's head seem to lean in closer, to take a look at him. He sniffed for a second.

"Oh, I don't know you at all. Do you know the Darkness?" Fireslash's heart nearly stopped, and the senior warrior forgot to breathe.

"The Darknesssssssss?" he almost lost control of the phrase, "I know hhh-him," he shuddered. Farther in the distance, a smaller silhouette of another cat, walked within view.

"Who's that?" he asked. The new cat stared at him from nearly worlds away and then slowly walked out of view. The first cat he was talking to turned his head, and then turned back, obviously missing the opportunity.

"Probably one of my friends," he responded calmly, and before Fireslash could say anything else, "My name is Fallen. I have forgotten. I have been forgotten. Tell the Darkness that we are ready for him." Again, Fireslash didn't have a time to react. A loud snapping of wood from his right caught his attention. He whipped again, taking a deep breath of fresh, cool air. There was a weird view of a tree canopy rushing towards him. He stood, frozen in fear, not registering that a tree was about to fall on top of him.

Something hard and solid made the world around him rush, and made his mind move from a frozen coffin, to a chaotic battlefield. What's going- he hit the floor, before he could finish the thought.

"What are you doing here?" Darkstar's angry voice pierced his skull. Fireslash shook himself off and stood up, looking for his leader.

The forest was silent and dark with the wind shaking the leaves.

Terrified, Fireslash raced back in the direction of the camp.

He burst through the entrance screaming a silent call of terror. Only Sharpflower was in the camp, and staring at him like he had grown a second head. He stopped for a second.

She spoke first:

"Where you….. just at the empty side?" she asked, eyes flashed with fear. What? How could she know that? He just nodded slowly like he was insane. The fear came across Sharpflower's whole face.

"You met Fallen?" she asked again, worried; Fireslash nodded again, not able to speak. She walked towards him, "I need to talk to you."