Disclaimer. I don't own Warriors concept, characters, trademarks, etc.

Dawn came soft and secretly, escaping the cats' notice in their fury, despair, and grief. StarClan themselves were so busy watching their descendants vigilantly that they didn't notice the sudden change in their world, their lives. They didn't notice the creeping darkness that conquered the dawn's steady joy and promise and hope for a new day. They didn't see the shadow that crept through the trees, staring and watching the wolves and cats for a moment of weakness. And they didn't notice the silent horror that was threatening to overwhelm the ones they cared for.

Feathershine, Swift that Flies Through the Stars, Leafgaze, Darklight, Troutspirit, and Elmwind padded to the lake. The appointed guard wolves watched them at a distance, not wanting them to know that they were being followed.

The six arrived at the bank of the lake. Feathershine watched as they sat down, exactly like she saw them in her vision. The words of it came back to her, but this time a spirit seemed to be whispering them among the trees near the bank. . . . And yet Feathershine felt no fear. She knew, somehow, that the spirit was kindly and that it was Silverdrift, watching as her apprentice fulfilled the prophecy. Feathershine smiled slightly and half-recalled her vision. Suddenly, something felt horribly wrong. Something wasn't right. What was it . . .? She replayed the scene of the vision in her head, trying to remember as much of it as possible.

Then it hit her. In the vision, the four didn't know they were the four! And visions are always accurate, aren't they? Did I make a mistake? Are one of them fake . . .?

Feathershine moaned. How could it be? The swiftest of the Wind, that has to be Elmwind. The oddity of the Shadows, well, Darklight is obviously the one. The one with leaf-fall's eyes of Thunder, it can't not be Leafgaze. And the one with spirit of the River, that-! Her eyes became huge as she realized her mistake.

And suddenly, the mistake was clear. Feathershine turned to Troutspirit, who was watching her expectantly. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Troutspirit. You're not one of the four."

"I'm not? How?" Troutspirit hissed, his ears laying flat. "I made a mistake, Troutspirit. I didn't remember Silverdrift's words right. She'd said, 'the one with the support of its ancestors of the River', not 'the one with the support of its spirit of the River'. I thought that it meant that the one had the word spirit in their name. Silverdrift really meant me, Troutspirit! I have the support of my ancestors-StarClan-because I'm RiverClan's medicine cat. And the vision wasn't accurate because I altered fate." She watched her Clanmate as he took this in. "Then I suppose you don't need me anymore," he muttered, rising to his paws. Feathershine leaped up and pressed him down with her muzzle. "No. I do need you, Troutspirit. I need witnesses," she said firmly. "If you say so." But she could tell that he was relieved.

Feathershine lifted her head to the dawn sky, deciding to use her own words instead of the ones in the vision. "The four are here! I will present them to you, the spirits of the stars, ancestors of the wolves, and the noble founders of the Tribe! The one with the eyes of leaf-fall-Leafgaze!" she cried. She saw Swift the Tribe cat nudge the ThunderClan warrior with her nose. Leafgaze stood up, her beautiful speckled eyes raised to the sky. Words suddenly came to her. "I am here, and will represent my Clan of Thunder!" she yowled. Feathershine nodded slightly, approving. "The oddity of his Clan-Darklight!" The brightly colored ShadowClan warrior stood up and also raised his head to the sky. "I am here, and will represent my Clan of Shadow!" he cried. "The swiftest of the swift-Elmwind!" The new warrior did similar to the rest. "I am here, and will represent my Clan of Wind!" he yowled. Feathershine lifted her head proudly. "And I, the one with the support of my ancestors of the stars, will represent my Clan of River! Hear me, the ones of StarClan, of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and the Spirit pack! We are here-and we will join!"

A disturbance occurred in the air, a slight breeze. Five StarClan cats descended upon it. "I, Thunderstar, have heard their joining and further approve my support!" the largest of them yowled. "I, Shadowstar, have heard their joining and further approve my support!" the black one with the fluffiest pelt agreed. "I, Windstar, have heard their joining and further approve my support!" a she-cat that looked rather like Elmwind cried. "I, Riverstar, have heard their joining and further approve my support!" a well-built cat said. Feathershine blinked at her. Riverstar . . . she thought, lost for words. Then the last of the StarClan cats stepped forward. "And I, Skystar, have heard their joining and further approve my support! StarClan has spoken, and we have heard! StarClan has approved!" Another cat padded to the gathering of six, a cat whose muscles were more noticeable in his hind legs. "I am Cloudleap of SkyClan. I will become a further witness, like Swift that Flies Through the Stars and Troutspirit," he said, dipping his head to Feathershine. The others dipped their heads in return. Cloudleap sat down next to Troutspirit, watching the StarClan cats with a calm interest.

And suddenly, a cat materialized in front of them. Feathershine stared at it. "I am the first Stoneteller. And I have heard and further give my support as the founder of the Tribe of Rushing Water!" she yowled. Swift's eyes widened. "The first Stoneteller . . ." she murmured.

Before any of them could say anything else, six wolves also appeared. They all leaped back and hissed or snarled. "Do not worry. We are of the Spirit pack," one of them said. The one who spoke then lifted his head. "I, Yronous, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval!" he howled. A she-wolf stepped forward. "I, Darkmalice, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval!" she added. Another male wolf stepped forward. "I, Veraniss, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval!" Feathershine's breath came to her suddenly. The wolves are approving! she thought, surprised. "I, Shadowydanger, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval!" the she-wolf cried. "I, Koronan, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval!" he howled. The last wolf stepped forward. "And I, Nightfang, hear their words of joining, and give them further approval! The Spirit pack has spoken, and we have the word of all wolves!" she cried.

Time seemed to stand still. A sudden, single note of birdsong pierced the tensed air. Then another. Until the entire world seemed to be full of birds' song.

Then, all too soon, it halted.

"What's happening?" Darklight asked. The spirits seemed to be uneasy as well. "I don't know, but I don't like it," Feathershine muttered back. Shadowstar narrowed her eyes. "Something has gone wrong. This isn't supposed to happen. Someone's supposed to come and tell you how-"

Suddenly, four spirits appeared. One was of StarClan, one of the Tribe, one of the pack, and one last cat that no one recognized. They all seemed to share a sort of control over everything.

"Spiritlight," the StarClan cat said, dipping her head.

"Spirit of the Moon and Stars," the Tribe cat said, nodding.

"Spiranos," the wolf said, surveying the cats.

"Spirit," the anonymous cat said simply.

And the patrol of wolves who were yet still watching took off, filled with sudden fear at the very sight of Spiranos.