The forest was silent. At the edge of the border of trees, cats of all kinds gathered above the stone wall. They sat, staring with dark eyes into the forest. Eager and ready, they then looked at two cats coming from behind below them. They were shrouded in shadow, the color of their fur concealed. The two cats leaped to the top of the wall and scanned the other cats. The bigger one, a sharp clawed, sharp fanged tom with burly legs and orange eyes stood taller than the smaller and more sly tom next to him. They gazed slowly to the edge of the bushes and laid their eyes on the path in front of them.
The tall tom spoke deeply. "We shall finish this. We shall avenge Zon. We shall avenge Koth. The Broken Hearts will crush the Clan with our sheer prowess. They will be left to grovel at our paws and feel the pain we have been cursed to endure."
The sly tom yowled, "Kill all who stand in your way. No mercy. No surrender."
They proceeded to run into the trees, chuckling and clawing at the ground. The toms led the way, lowering their heads and growling in dark harmony, "Let the age of Broken Hearts reign, and the Dark Forest shall once again rise to destroy the clans forever."
Echopaw sensed something. In his sleep, he felt as though he was being watched. The twins? Dawnpaw? No, something different. Something evil.
He opened his eyes and looked out the den. The clan was asleep. The moon was finally out, a crescent in an opening in the clouds. The wind had picked up again and created a slight breeze that rolled across Echopaw's pelt.
The feeling he had didn't go away. There's something wrong. He stood up and peeked his head out of the tree. The Guests den was unmoving, as well as all the other dens. The bare trees whistled, and it sounded like they were shrieking. Is he dreaming?
"Echopaw!"
He didn't jump up this time, but only flinched a bit. He was too tired to jump. It was Terra. She had appeared behind him, wide eyes and fur bristled.
Terra cried out, "They're coming!"
Echopaw rubbed his eyes. "Who?"
"The Broken Hearts!"
His heart started to race. The Broken Hearts! At this time of night? Echopaw glanced at every corner of the camp, then back at Terra. "How do you know?"
"I can feel it. We have a special connection, one that I wish to remove. They can sense me and I can sense them. This is why I should have left earlier. They're using me to find you!"
"Calm down, Terra. Remember, without you, they would have found us anyways." The clan cats and guest were waking up, overhearing him and Terra. "I can feel it too. They're watching us. They're coming for us."
Terra buried her head into her paws.
Dovewing came out of the warriors' den, shaking her head. She called to Echopaw. "What's going on?"
Lionblaze came out next. "Echopaw, is something happening?"
Echopaw rushed to highstone, leaping to the top and standing above his clanmates. "The Broken Hearts are coming. We need to prepare."
Cinderheart and Dawnpaw came out of the medicine den. Cinderheart asked, "How do you know?"
"I feel their vengeance. Terra senses it too."
Harlem and the she-cat sisters came out next. Soon enough, all the cats were outside, sitting at the foot of highstone. Terra was hunched in the corner of the camp, looking all directions in fear.
Dovewing closed her eyes, focusing on her senses. "The Broken Hearts... They're... They're... Ah!" She fell back, breathing hard. "I-I can't use my powers. I can't use my powers to find them. They are somehow... shielding themselves."
Cinderheart gasped. "How can they even do that? They're just a bunch of loners, right?"
"No." Echopaw thought of something he saw before. What Terra talked about the commanders not acting themselves. "I think someone else is behind their power, controlling them." He returned to the danger at hand. "We must get ready to fight. Defend our camp from these outsiders."
The warriors scattered. Lionblaze yelled to Dovewing and Darkpaw, "You two, come with me to circle outside the camp. If they are truly attacking, we should be the first to know."
Darkpaw nodded. Dovewing recovered from her blowback and shook herself off as she followed Lionblaze. "Right!"
Cinderheart ran inside the medicine den. She called to Dawnpaw. "Help me find the healing herbs, Dawnpaw."
The Guests weren't that a bother. Harlem offered to help anywhere he could. Echopaw appreciated the offer, but he gave Harlem the job of protecting the other Guests, especially the kits. The she-cat sisters agreed to take care of the kits as well.
Terra was able to drum up the courage to see if she could do anything. "Echopaw, I can try to talk to my brothers to stop. Please let me talk to them one more time. If anything goes wrong, I'll come right back."
Echopaw could understand her wishes, but... "Terra, I can't let you do that. If you meet with them, you might not come back alive. If they find out you're a friend to us, I have no idea what they'll do to you."
"Give me a chance. There are some cats I know who are nicer than the others. The ones that didn't completely understand what it meant to be a Broken Heart, like me."
He closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he spoke. "I'm sorry. No. Wait for them here. If a fight breaks out, you can try to persuade your friends in combat. If they are really caring, then they should listen."
Terra seemed both disappointed and satisfied. "Okay."
"Thanks."
As she dashed away toward the Guest den, Echopaw spotted Splashpaw and Squirrelflight near the warriors den, having an argument. Echopaw listened closer to what they were fighting about.
Splashpaw was growling. "Squirrelflight, stay here and I'll protect you."
Squirrelflight twitched her whiskers in disapproval. "I'm a full grown warrior. I don't need protection. I can fight all of those loners."
"No, you'll be taken and killed. I can't let that happen!"
"Splashpaw, don't worry. I'll be fine."
"No you won't!"
Echopaw rushed in before it got physical. "Stop Splashpaw." His eyes were steady on her. "Listen to Squirrelflight. She can handle herself."
"But you said she would die," She cried aloud.
"Not today. And she won't be taken. Believe in her. The last thing she needs is you distracting her." He turned to Squirrelflight. "You can join my team to fight. Splashpaw, you can help me too if you want."
Splashpaw was wordless. She stormed off back to the apprentices' den.
Squirrelflight sighed. "You really did break her heart."
Echopaw groaned a bit. "I didn't mean to. How about you? How are you taking the news?"
"I'm used to being told, 'you may die.' Haven't you heard all my stories? They're filled with near-death experiences, from the old forest's destruction to the battle with the Dark Forest." She smiled. "I'm a hero, just like my father. And I know if I were to ever die, I would go out fighting, just like he did."
She wasn't afraid of death? Wow. Echopaw was impressed. Well, she was the daughter of Firestar. Maybe he should have more faith as well. "That's good. I'd hate for you to feel depressed."
"And what about you?" She stepped closer. "Are you scared to die?"
Was he scared of death? Echopaw couldn't find an answer. "I don't know. Yes, maybe. What gives you the courage to be that brave?"
"StarClan." Squirrelflight smiled. "They are always watching over us, even in times where we can't communicate or feel lost, they're there. Even now, Firestar is watching us. I can just feel him cheering us on. Do you have anyone in StarClan that you think cheers for you?"
He thought back. "Yeah... Now that I think of it, Ferncloud is rooting for me."
"Ferncloud? I haven't seen her in a long time." Squirrelflight went silent for a moment. Then, she appeared happy again. "If she's cheering for you, then you have nothing to worry about."
"And all the leaders are counting on me. Pinestar, Bluestar, Crookedstar, Leopardstar, Nightstar, Tallstar... Everyone..." Echopaw realized that the responsibility shouldn't be taken negatively. It's not pressure, it's motivation. "Thanks Squirrelflight. I feel much better."
"You're welcome." She padded off to try to fetch Splashpaw from her grief.
Suddenly, the bushes at the entrance to camp rustled. The surprise jolted Echopaw as he crouched and unsheathed his claws.
"Echopaw! Echopaw!" Dovewing ran into camp.
Echopaw calmed. "What's wrong?"
"The Broken Hearts are here! They're just outside the camp! Darkpaw and Lionblaze are trying to stall them. We need to get ready!"
"How many are there?"
"At least ten, with two commanders."
Echopaw turned around and yelled. "Ariel, Gena. Protect those kits! Harlem and Terra, hold up the rear of the camp! Squirrelflight, you're with me! Cinderheart and Dawnpaw, be ready to fight if need be, but keep those healing herbs ready! Dovewing, you're patrol will fight along with me and Squirrelflight."
"Okay!"
Echopaw sprinted to the middle of the clearing and climbed up highstone. On top, he looked around the camp. Harlem and Terra were ready, Dawnpaw was in the medicine den collecting herbs while Cinderheart guarded the entrance, and Dovewing patiently and cautiously waited near the entrance of the camp. Echopaw was ready to fight once more to save the thing he loved. StoneClan.
Then, as fast as a rabbit, Lionblaze and Darkpaw came swiftly through the bushes and twisted around. Lionblaze shouted, "Here they come!"
The moments that dragged on after were unbearable. At any second, cats of all sizes and shapes, ready to kill, would burst through into camp and attack. Echopaw stared at the entrance from atop highstone, the moon's glare soon being concealed behind the clouds once more. Slowly, the moon disappeared behind the clouds, and the bushes began to rumble.
"The clans shall be destroyed by the claws of the Broken Hearts!"
The shout rang through camp as the two commanders Dovewing spoke of entered the camp with numerous cats behind them. Their eyes were dark, teeth gritted with bloodlust, and claws flexed. One of the two was a huge tom with a smug grin.
The tom spoke up. "Our anger shall be sated with your deaths! We, the Broken Hearts, shall destroy StoneClan!"
Lionblaze froze. "That voice..."
"Broken Hearts... ATTACK!"
