Hi guys, sorry this is so late. I got kinda side-tracked by school for a while. I don't like this chapter very much-it's not as good as it could be. But it will be more important later on. And by later on, I mean...never mind. You'll figure it out. Plz enjoy! R&R for the love of God!

Chapter Ten

Larger and larger slabs of rock began to tumble down from the roof of the cave as the cats ran towards the sounds of a great battle. The ground underneath them shook with the mighty forces at work. A low rumbling sound that came from behind them kept Skyeyes from letting herself fall behind. Every part of her body ached. She just wanted to curl up and sleep for the rest of her life—not matter how short a time that may be. She looked back at Rowanheart every few minutest to be sure he wouldn't disappear. Prophecy or not, she doubted she'd be able to reach the exit if Rowanheart wasn't with her. Nightstorm led them blindly through rolling corridors that seemed to stretch on forever. Skyeyes had never run so far or so fast in her life. Just when she thought she was going to collapse from sheer exhaustion, Nightstorm's pelt was suddenly lit by a soft glow in the distance. The cats slowed to a jog and began trotting towards the source. The closer they got, the louder the howls and sounds of gnashing teeth grew. Skyeyes trembled. Were they meant to lay eyes on such a powerful war?

Then they were there, whether they deserved to be or not. Nightstorm burst into a clearing full to bursting with cats of all shapes and colors. Skyeyes felt fear rising in her. She wasn't afraid of the battle itself anymore. She was scared of the fact that she couldn't tell the StarClan cats from the Dark Forest cats. They fanned out in every crack and corner and were wrestling like LionClan warriors. To their left, a silver tabby sank its teeth into a black figure. To their right, two tabbies pinned a white cat onto the ground by his shoulders. He writhed and tried to free himself, but they had an iron grip on him. Skyeyes averted her gaze when a cry of pure agony echoed off the unforgiving walls. She felt Rowanheart moving closer to her until he shielded her completely. She understood. These Dark Forest warriors could turn their attention to the survivors at any moment. Nightstorm yelled something, but her voice was drowned out by a deep gutteral yowl for attention. The cats froze around them. Skyeyes ducked down to get a better look. She felt every hair on her pelt prickle as a tom stepped up from the crowd.

Macabre, she thought, shivering. He's hideous.

The tom in question had little to no pelt at all. He had a thick hide of something like snake skin instead that gleamed as he moved. He was nearly twice the size of the assembled cats. Skyeyes hide herself as he slowly turned his head to scan the crowd. He had eyes that were narrowed and glowing red. They luckily passed right over the survivors and found their target in a small group of cats stepping up from what seemed to be the StarClan side of the warriors.

He faced them with a sly grin. He sized them all up with a flick of his long, whip-like tail. Skyeyes flinched when she saw that the end of his tail had a pair of eyes. As she watched, it flicked out a forked tongue.

His tail is a snake! She thought suddenly. She pressed her ears against her head.

"Well, well, well," Macabre purred in a voice like snake's hiss. "Look who it is. The mighty StarClan cats have returned from their exile. Did you enjoy watching our exploits in your dearly beloved forest?"

The Dark Forest cats let out cries of encouragement as a black-and-white she-cat with legs like the branches of a tree stepped up to meet him. Though he towered over her, she drew herself up to look fierce.

"We've come back to claim what's ours," she snarled. "And we're willing to fight to the death for it!"

"Fight?" cried a cat in somewhere in the crowd. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time we came to blows?"

The Dark Forest cats laughed and whistled as the she-cat lashed her tail about in fury. "We've come back to claim what's ours," she repeated. "I don't care whether you're standing in our way or not. You will be pushed aside. StarClan are not going to give up until the forest is ours again."

"That's a pretty bold statement coming from you," chuckled Macabre. The snake behind him turned slightly to face her, and it swayed back and forth. Skyeyes saw the she-cat go rigid. "Are you so sure that you can make such a claim so blatantly in front of me?"

"Don't fall for it, Sky!" a huge ginger tom hissed as he moved to her side. "Don't look at him! It's just a trick!"

The she-cat named Sky shivered violently before she shook her head to clear her mind. She took a step back towards the group. "That won't work on me, Macabre," she hissed. "I'm stronger now."

"Oh? And what about them?" He gestured to the rest of the cats with his snake tail. "Have your warriors gotten any more loyal? Last time I checked, about half of them were working for me."

"Check again!" snapped a longhaired silver tom. "Our warriors are ours again!"

He was answered by yowls of agreement from the StarClan cats around them. Skyeyes saw that Rowanheart and Nightstorm were yowling too. The cave seemed to shake with their voices until all at once they died down. Skyeyes felt a smile on her lips. They were strong. They could win.

If only Macabre could look the least bit impressed. He just gave a smirk and flicked his tail. "For now," he purred. "But our power is greater than you know."

"Don't you dare underestimate us!" hissed a wiry brown she-cat. She walked right up to Macabre and shoved her nose in his face. The cats stiffened around them, but she held firm. "Your own actions have been your downfall! Killing off the Clans' warriors has only brought them to our side! We are three times as many as we were when we last fought! We outnumber and outmatch you! Step down, Macabre! Step down without a fight, and we'll let you crawl back to your rat hole unscathed!"

Macabre smirked. He stepped forward and shoved the she-cat back into the other four cats. The silver tom and a longhaired black she-cat lunged forward and hissed and snapped at him, keeping him at bay. "Bite me," he sneered.

The brown she-cat shoved the two warriors aside. "Gladly!" she screeched as she threw herself at him. She clawed him across the face and sank her teeth into his shoulder. He reared up to throw her, and the two longhaired cats hit him low. The ginger tom and black-and-white she-cat joined the fray with loud cries like cracks of thunder. Macabre fell back and was swallowed up by a writhing mass of cats as the other warriors saw this as their chance to rejoin the fight. Nightstorm hissed loudly and dodged as two cats barreled into them. They were too preoccupied with battling one another that they didn't even notice the only three cats in the clearing with heartbeats. Nightstorm began to sneak along the cave wall, beckoning for them to follow. Rowanheart shoved Skyeyes ahead of him, and they made slow progress trying to get away. They were only fox-lengths from the exit when a familiar white tom crashed into Nightstorm. She spat crossly and began slashing at him.

"Stop, stop!" he cried as he tried to block her blows. "It's me! It's Sleetfur!"

"Sleetfur?" Nightstorm echoed. She lowered her paws. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? I'm fighting." He narrowed his eyes. "You guys can't be here! You have to leave! If Macabre found out—if anyone found out—you'd—"

"We get it," growled Rowanheart. "We were leaving until you so rudely interrupted our escape."

"Escape?" chuckled Sleetfur. "It's not exactly subtle."

"Not anymore!" snapped Nightstorm. "You clutz! They've spotted us!"

Skyeyes gasped and looked over. Sure enough, there were six cats charging towards them with their fangs and claws bared. The first two tackled Sleetfur before he even had the chance to cry out. Skyeyes whipped her head about, and three were on Rowanheart in an instant. He screeched in fury as they pushed him into the dust. They each took one of his limbs and began pulling him in different directions as he screamed and screamed in pain. Nightstorm struggled under a massive ginger she-cat that laughed as she clawed and tore at Nightstorm's throat. Blood began to pour down her neck and bubbled up from her throat. Skyeyes pressed herself harder and harder against the cave wall and hoped they hadn't seen her. She was seconds from running when Rowanheart's bloodied face turned towards her.

"Help us!" he shouted. "Help!"

Skyeyes felt something click in her.

My turn now, someone whispered.

All of a sudden, she had zero control of her limbs. They moved of their own accord and lunged forward. She attacked the cat atop Nightstorm first. She dug her claws into her shoulders and tore her off of the ShadowClan she-cat with a war cry. Skyeyes shuddered when she heard the hollowing sound coming out of her own mouth. The ginger she-cat recovered and went for Skyeyes' throat, but before she even got closer enough to touch her, Skyeyes felt her claws tearing through flesh, and blood erupted into the air. It rained down on her back. Skyeyes turned and gasped as she saw the she-cat lying dead on the cave floor. She stole a glance at her feet. They were soaked in blood.

How had she done that? She'd never learned those moves. She wasn't that strong. This was...impossible.

Before Skyeyes could stop herself—or even wonder how dead cats were able to die again—she was going after the next batch of enemies. The three cats that had a hold of Rowanheart released him when she slashed through the ear of the first. The tom spun around to face her with a mouthful of long, yellowed teeth staring her straight in the face. Skyeyes felt fear streaming through her, but she advanced regardless, dodging his bite and slashing right through his flank. She cut deep, and blood poured out of him as he toppled over onto his side, screaming. She didn't spare an instant. She went for the next cat with her claws outstretched and ready for more action. The cat's eyes grew wide as she advanced, and Skyeyes saw the sheer horror in them as her claws sliced right through the skin on the cat's face. It shrieked in agony and began to stagger back. But Skyeyes wasn't done. She leapt forward and sliced right through the cat's neck. It hit the ground with a thud behind her. Skyeyes tried to resist this strange influence, but it led her astray again. The third cat came down on her with a screech. It bowled her over onto her back, and Skyeyes began kicking furiously against its underbelly. Blood showered her paws as the cat screamed and went limp. Skyeyes kicked its body off of her and got to her feet.

Panting hard, she tossed her head about until she locked eyes with the two cats that pinned Sleetfur to the ground. They were absolutely still in complete horror.

"Go," I gruff voice snarled from within her. She didn't sound like herself.

She wasn't herself.

"Go crying back to your master," she snarled. "Unless you'd like to end up like your friends."

The cats didn't hesitate: they turned tail and fled into the main battle. Their fear scent lingered in their wake. Skyeyes heard her breathing get louder and louder. She was panicking. What on earth had happened to her? Who was she? How had she done those terrible things?

Why did the voice sound so familiar?

Her friends got to their feet slowly. They were all staring at her in disbelief. Skyeyes opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped. Whose voice would come out of her mouth? Her own?

A soft chuckling hit her ears. I know when I'm not wanted, a voice she recognized as Elmwhisker whispered from beside her. She felt all the air rush out of her lungs, and though she couldn't raise her head, she saw something gray move out of her line of sight.

A moment passed during which Skyeyes couldn't move a muscle. Then she breathed in deeply, and everything came flooding back to her. She fell back onto her haunches, coughing and sputtering.

"Skyeyes, that was amazing!" exclaimed Sleetfur. "I've never been so afraid of any she-cat in my life!" He smirked and turned to Nightstorm. "Well, except for you."

"I'm so glad to see you too, moorland trash," grumbled Nightstorm. She sounded rough, but there was a smile on her face "Speaking of trash, have you seen Wolfpelt by chance?"

Sleetfur shook his head. "No." He frowned deeply. "Did he die?"

"Just recently, actually," murmured Rowanheart as he got up. He dragged himself over. Skyeyes saw the pain etched into his face. "I think they tore something," he grunted. "I don't know if I can run."

"You have to!" hissed Sleetfur. "Get out of here before they attack again! Hurry!" He ran a bit ahead of them. "Come on! I'll clear the path for you! Hurry!" They weren't far from the exit, so it didn't take them long to get there. They met no opposition along the way. Sleetfur skidded to a halt. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "This is as far as I can go. Thunder and the others only brought us down so that we could fight. I can't go with you."

"No, they should be doing this on their own."

The cats whipped around to see a stunning yellow-haired tom standing before them. He had cloudy, almost white eyes that seemed to smile at them from a handsome face. He had a long, fluffy tail like a squirrel that he curled in amusement. "Hello," he purred. "My name is—"

"Hollowstar," Nightstorm breathed. "You're Hollowstar, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yes. If you say that, that means you must know my story."

"Every cat in ShadowClan does," she replied. "You're a legend."

"No, I'm factual," he chuckled. "I'm come to see you lot off. Don't worry about us—we've got stronger, better warriors this time than we did last. As Wind said, the Dark Forest's mission is also their greatest mistake. In killing off cats from the Clans each year, they have provided us with an army capable of taking them on again for control of the forest." Hollowstar turned to Sleetfur. "You'd better get back there," he said. "I saw that Cloudberry needed some help."

Sleetfur nodded. "Yes, Hollowstar." He turned to the survivors and dipped his head. "Go in peace," he said. "StarClan will always be with you." He lifted his head and smiled. "We promise."

With that, the white tom bounded back into the fight, and Hollowstar turned his murky eyes back on them. "I hate to inform you that he's very right about you three," he said. "You'll have to leave now. It's too dangerous to have you so close to Macabre. It's all the leaders can do just to keep him at bay." He turned back to the fight, but Nightstorm stopped him.

"Wait, sir," she mumbled. "I want to stay here."

"What?" exclaimed Rowanheart. "What are you saying?"

"We need you!" Skyeyes added. "Please!"

Nightstorm smirked. "You don't need me. Look at me."

Skyeyes looked closer and saw what her fur had been hiding all this time. Nightstorm was absolutely covered in blood. She tucked her injured paw up against her chest as she stood under their scrutiny. Skyeyes saw the puddle of blood beneath her. Her body was battered and badly mangled, but her eyes still shone.

"Oh, Nightstorm," she mumbled. "It's worse than I thought."

"I'm cold," the black she-cat admitted. "I-I don't think I've ever been so numb. I don't want to run anymore. I know that I can't. But I can fight. I want to stay here and fight until my dying breath and beyond." She turned to meet Hollowstar's eyes. "Please, allow me to stay."

Hollowstar dipped his head. "I would be honored to have such a skilled warrior beside me," he replied. He flicked his feather-like tail. "Come. We ShadowClan warriors have a lot of work to do. It's time to undo the injustice that I brought upon the forest."

He turned away, and Nightstorm followed him. "No, no Nightstorm, please!" Skyeyes shouted. "No, please!"

"Keep her safe, Rowanheart," she meowed over her shoulder. "I'm trusting you."

Rowanheart brushed against Skyeyes softly. "I will."

"Don't leave us!" Skyeyes shouted after her.

Nightstorm stopped. She gave Skyeyes an exhausted smile. She looked ready to keel over already, and yet she held herself so highly, as if she were a new warrior just itching to fight. "Skyeyes," she whispered. "I'm going to be with my children. Please, don't stop me." The black she-cat dipped her head to them before she picked up the pace. She started out at a jog then shifted quickly into an all out run. By the time she reached the first cat, Nightstorm was blazing like a warrior of LeopardClan with her tail streaming out behind her. She gave a war cry and leapt high into the air. Skyeyes tried to follow her as she landed, but she lost her black pelt in the crowd.

She felt Rowanheart grab her tail and begin to drag her back. "No! I won't leave her!"

"We have to go!" Rowanheart hissed through her fur. "We can't stop her! You know that!"

Skyeyes dug her claws into the ground and watched Nightstorm be engulfed in the battle. The second her friend disappeared, Skyeyes lost hope. Her legs went numb. She had no strength left to struggle. Rowanheart began to drag her back as tears tumbled down her cheeks. The cave bent to the right, and Rowanheart dragged her out of view of the battle. They went on a ways with Rowanheart pushing her along until he stopped. She could still hear the sounds of fighting in the distance.

"Okay," Rowanheart panted. "We're clear." He came around to her front and looked her in the eyes. "Skyeyes?" he mumbled. "Are you still with me?"

When she stared him in the face, she felt heat burning through her. Rowanheart was the only one left. Rowanheart had promised from the beginning he would be with her. He promised from the beginning he would stay with her. Her whole body felt cold, and looking at him made her warm inside. She wanted to be closer to him.

She did just that.

Skyeyes shut her eyes leaned her head against his neck. She felt him purring through her cheek and rubbed gently into him. She leaned her whole body against him until he held her entire weight. All her life, she'd had to be strong for her mother. Dawnpaw had been the whiner. She complained about everything until Skyeyes, trying to be the good daughter, kept her every feeling to herself. That is, until she met Sandstone. At first he was just a good friend on which she could rely. She didn't notice as he slowly inched his way closer and closer to her until she needed him every day. She needed to spend time with him.

Deep down, she knew Rowanheart wasn't Sandstone. He hadn't been there for her every day of her life. He'd never staid awake with her to listen to her grievances or gone out of his way to make her smile. But Rowanheart had protected her. He had sworn to stay by her side through all the perils of the Dark Forest. Skyeyes felt a new emotion stirring in her. It wasn't love. It couldn't be love. She could never love anyone more than she loved Sandstone, but Sandstone wasn't around at the moment, was he?

"Skyeyes?" Rowanheart whispered. His breath tickled her ear. "W-What are you doing?"

With a sigh, Skyeyes stepped away from him. She felt her face flush in embarrassment. "Never mind," she whispered. She turned her back to him with a flick of her ear. She walked a few paces before she realized he wasn't following. "Rowanheart?" she meowed over her shoulder. "What are doing just standing there? We have to go."

Rowanheart stood still for another heartbeat. Then he shook himself into the present and made slow progress towards her. I will never understand she-cats, he thought, smirking to himself.

---

"Can anyone see anything yet?"

"No. It's still black as night out here."

A soft purr sounded off to Longstar's right. He turned his head, foolishly forgetting that even if he looked in the direction of the sound, he wouldn't see its maker. "Listen to you whining like that," chuckled Dognose. "You're complaining about not being able to see. It's night. What is there to see out here anyway? Can't you just enjoy the darkness for a bit? It's unlikely that your eyes will catch anything in the tunnel that my ears miss. Just relax."

"That's easy for you to say," grumbled Cinderstar to Longstar's left. "I can't believe this nonsense! I can't even see my nose!"

"And what would you want to see your nose for?" purred Dognose. "Though I've never laid eyes on it, I'm sure it's nothing to sniff at."

The gathered leaders and medicine cats purred at the tom's joke. Hours ago, when the chosen cats entered the cave, a cloud covered the moon, engulfing the forest in complete darkness. They'd been sitting in the dark for hours now, and some of the leaders were starting to get antsy. Longstar smelt fear scent coming from Copperstar. He'd never pegged the red-brown SkyClan leader as a coward, but then again, he didn't know him well. He heard a low growling from Cinderstar, which he understood. He'd only just become a father. He wasted no time in bragging about his mate's litter of three--two toms and a she-cat. In fact, until just a few moments ago, he'd been talking about them non-stop. Longstar understood his desire to get back to his mate, but acting like a grump wasn't going to make the night go any faster. The medicine cats had kept a relative cool during the confusion. He heard Mousepelt trying to silence Cinderstar several times. Dognose, of course, was there as a voice of reason. Darkness wasn't exactly new to him. Leopardclaw hung close to Longstar like a bur. Longstar moved his tail slightly and felt it brush against Leopardclaw's pelt.

"Yes?" Leopardclaw asked.

"Nothing," Longstar mumbled. "I just wanted to be sure you were still there."

Leopardclaw chuckled. "Where am I gonna go in this condition?"

Longstar tried to reply, but a serious of loud coughs raked his body. His breath was stolen from him for several moments before he finally sucked in much needed oxygen. His lungs felt wrung out, and his chest ached. Something sat on his tongue, and when Longstar swallowed, he recognized the taste. Blood, he thought. I'm getting worse. Unknown to the rest of the Clan and even t0 Leopardclaw, Longstar had been battling an illness that threatened to steal his life right out from under him. The day he began deputy, he collapsed, his lungs having closed up. Rubblefur urged him to retire, but, being a stubborn young tom, Longstar refused. Reluctantly, the patchy tom told him about a possible cure that may keep him alive for a bit longer. It consisted of cat mint, borage, and a few other plants he'd forgotten the names to now. He only knew what they looked and smelled like. Rubblefur told him that day that he had maybe two or three Selections left. His reply was, "That's plenty." Ever since then, Longstar has been making the cure for himself secretly, in the hopes that he can live at least some semblance of the life he always dreamed of. He knew now that his time was running out.

"Are you okay?" Leopardclaw asked. "You didn't catch a cold, did you?"

Longstar faked a laugh. "Me? Never. You know me. I'm healthy as a horse."

A dying horse, he thought dryly.

"It feels like this night is stretching on for ages," murmured Featherstar. She was the furthest away, and Longstar strained to hear her. He heard the guilt in her voice. She knew, as they all knew, that Sleetfur would certainly perish within the cave. He didn't have the heart for it. Longstar tried to conjure up images of the other selected cats. He found it difficult to imagine them after blind for so long. He pictured the burly, long-legged SkyClan tom with a thick gray pelt. What was his name? Coyote something? Dog something? No, that wasn't it. There was that ShadowClan she-cat. She was ornery as ever and black as night. Nightstorm, he thought, proud of himself for remembering. And Rowanheart is the last. He thought of the ginger tom with a frown. He'd heard nothing but good things about Rowanheart. Rumor has it that he'd been in line to become deputy, but he'd refused in order to spend more time with his younger sister. Now what was her name? Troutpaw? Minnowpaw? No, that was another apprentice. Longstar rolled his eyes. He wasn't any more than eight Selections, and yet here he was, losing his mind like an elder.

"Dognose, can you hear anything?"

"Still impatient, Cinderstar?"

"Yes, of course I am! I want this terrible night to be over already! The darkness only makes things worse!"

"Calm down, Cinderstar," purred Lightningstar. "This is all part of the prophecy."

"No it's not," hissed Cinderstar.

"Maybe not the prophecy you've heard," replied Dognose. "But she's right. In ShadowClan, there's another part of the prophecy that describes the moment in which this 'dawn' will break. 'Those who sat in darkness saw a great light. And upon those that sat in the shadow of death there came a bright Dawn.'"

Longstar bit his lip. The other leaders still didn't know about the switch. They were believing so readily in something false. He shuffled his feet, though no one could see him in the darkness. He felt Leopardclaw's tail tip graze his shoulder. "Maybe now is the best time to tell them," the medicine cat whispered.

"I've never heard that part of the prophecy," grumbled Cinderstar. "I'll bet you made it up. It sure makes ShadowClan feel better, doesn't it? Since you lot are sitting in darkness all the time?"

Lightningstar let out a low hiss. "Father or not," she spat, "you have no right to judge my Clan. Or to accuse us of heresy!"

"Longstar," Leopardclaw whispered, "the truth? Are you going to tell them?"

He gave a heavy sigh. "Shh," he replied. "Not now."

"I never knew there were different versions of the prophecy," mumbled Cinderstar.

"There's a different one in SkyClan as well," said Nettlewhisker. "On the reckoning day, a bright Dawn will rise and fade, and the Sky's tears will wash away all remnants of the curse."

"That's wordy," replied Cinderstar. "It doesn't sound much like ours."

"Oh?" Lightningstar said. "And what does the noble prophecy of RiverClan sound like?"

"On the fated day, a Dawn will shatter the curse, and a cloudy Sky will flood the land with the love of StarClan. Salvation will pour down from the heavens and flow through the forest like a river."

"Don't you think it's weird," mumbled Copperstar, "that even though we may have heard the same prophecy in the beginning, we've all ended up with different versions of the same truth?"

"I think we've all been told the versions we want to hear," murmured Mousepelt in a hushed voice. She always sounded like she was whispering. "For example, ShadowClan have heard the version about the darkness, which may make them 'feel better' as you so eloquently put, Cinderstar. And we in RiverClan have been told a version that has a flood, rain, and a river flowing. That's more our...'style'. Since we've all been told different prophecies, we may have different ideas of who the cat is supposed to be. Many of them seem to be highlighting the 'dawn' as the important figure. But what if it's the 'sky' instead?" She purred beautifully. "Or I may just be crazy. I like to make things out of nothing."

Longstar swallowed loudly. "Anytime now, Longstar," Leopardclaw hissed in his ear. "Don't you think they deserve to know?"

"No, you bring up a good point," said Lightningstar. "The way the prophecy was worded, I always thought the cat would come from ShadowClan. You know, because of the part about those sitting in darkness."

"I always thought it would be a cat from RiverClan," said Cinderstar. "Because of the bit with the rain and flood and all that."

"But she was born in ThunderClan," whispered Dognose. "Dawnstorm wasn't what I expected, but not because she wasn't from ShadowClan. I always imagined a strong, skilled warrior, one that seemed to have been chosen by StarClan from birth. While Dawnstorm is...attractive in her personality, she isn't...she isn't the fighter I thought she'd be."

"That's how StarClan works, I guess," said Lightningstar. "There's an old ShadowClan saying: you don't always get what you want. It's almost a motto for us. StarClan don't always humor those fantasies that we keep, nor do they always let us hold onto the things we hold dear. Everything is subject to change. Everything is fleeting. You've got one life, so why not throw it away for something you believe in? That's why we're so eager to die as long as we go down fighting."

"Longstar!" Leopardclaw hissed, and this time, it was loud enough for the other leaders to hear. "For StarClan's sake, tell the truth! I can't stand it anymore!"

Longstar curled into himself. "Longstar?" muttered Featherstar. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Have you been holding out on us?" growled Cinderstar.

"N-No!" cried Longstar. "I just...I...I was afraid. I had to make a choice for my Clan. What I chose was...was different than what StarClan may have intended."

"Well, spit it out then!" said Copperstar.

"Okay!" hissed Longstar. "Here's the truth!" He paused and drew himself up. "Dawnstorm is not--"

"Shh!" Dognose exclaimed suddenly. "I hear something!"

The leaders fell silent as a low humming blew through them. Longstar felt relief welling up in his chest. "What is that?" murmured Lightningstar.

"It's Aspenfur," he replied. "She's here to talk to us."

Longstar gasped as a warm essence wove in between him and Leopardclaw. Aspenfur's spirit flew all around them for several moments, during which the beautiful sound of her humming calmed Longstar until he forgot all about the darkness and all about his shame over his choice. Then, all at once, she vanished.

"What did she say?" whispered Featherstar.

"She had a message," Dognose said. He sighed. "Nightstorm is dead."

HA! Bet you didn't see that coming! Or maybe you did...since I've been hinting towards it basically the whole story...Well anyway, plz R&R! Your comments will be used to bring Wolfpelt back to life! And I will SERIOUSLY admire the person that can guess what I'm alluding to in the last bit with the leaders. It's a book. It's a book you've probably read, or maybe you haven't, but you've heard of it for sure. The person who does will...uh...get a prize? I dunno, haha. Here's a good one: I'll comment on every chapter of ONE story of the person that guesses! And you have to explain why it applies to this book. If you can't explain it, I'll just leave one comment on one of your stories. Happy guessing!