Still don't review...anyway, here we GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Echopaw."

The voice said her name again.

Echopaw spun around quickly, and lost her balance.

"Echopaw."

"Stop--stop it!" Echopaw stammered. "Go away!"

"Do you want me to?"

A cat stepped out into the light. It was a dark brown tabby tom, with the same cruel amber eyes that Silverkit's blue ones had changed into. He looked exactly like Brambleclaw, except for the eyes. Brambleclaw's were soft and kind. This cat's were hard and...evil.

"Are you...are you Tigerstar?" Echopaw whispered.

Tigerstar cocked his head. "Maybe."

"Yes, you are." Echopaw's voice quavered.

Tigerstar's evil eyes twirled with cunning. "Yes, I am. I have a little friend for you to meet."

An all-too-familiar form melted out of the shadows.

"Flameheart?" Echopaw's voice was even shakier now. "Flameheart, why are you here?"

"Because." Flameheart's blue eyes were like ice. "Tigerstar summoned me. And when Tigerstar summons, no one dares to disobey."

"Flameheart..." Echopaw stood in disbelief. "Flameheart, this isn't you." Echopaw looked straight into his eyes. She tried to go as deep as she could. There. She could see past his mask of submission. He was still fully conscious of himself, and he was trying to urge Echopaw to escape.

"Flameheart has been meeting with me almost every night now," Tigerstar meowed proudly. "Only Flameheart has the courage. Dawnlight defied me, just like her mother, Tawnypelt. And Tigerheart has set up a barrier around his mind, and he blocks me out. And of course, there were my fake grandkits. Lionblaze has shut me out also, Jayfeather I didn't bother with. He's blind, he can't take over the Clans. And then there was Hollyleaf." At this, a look of triumph entered Tigerstar's eyes. "Yes, Hollyleaf. Other than Hawkfrost, she has been my greatest success. And she didn't even meet with me in dreams. I worked my way into her mind. I controlled her. I made her kill Ashfur. I was afraid that if the secret got out, she would be shunned. But then I realized how the secret could work to my advantage. It would destroy Squirrelflight and Leafpool, the wretched daughters of Firestar. That, in turn, would destroy Firestar. So I made Hollyleaf tell all the Clans the secret. Then I tried to kill Leafpool, but I let her go when I saw the torture she was in." At this, Tigerstar's gaze hardened even more, and he meowed angrily, "But Hollyleaf retaliated. She realized the wrong she did, and she broke free of me. But she knew she wouldn't be able to do it for long. So she killed herself. And now, Flameheart must be my heir."

Echopaw was just stunned. All she could think of to say was, "You sure talk a lot, don't you?"

Tigerstar shook his head. "That doesn't matter. But Echopaw, join me. You can join me, and you can rule over the Clans."

"I don't want to rule the Clans," Echopaw meowed strongly. "I just want to heal them."

Tigerstar smirked. "Fine. Have it your way. But I'll have you know that I have already taken your sister, Dapplepaw, and I've nearly got your brother Snowpaw. And Silverkit joined me long ago. After he died, he gave up StarClan to join me. StarClan took him away from life before he could become a warrior, which was the only thing he ever wanted." Tigerstar paused, and mischief danced in his eyes. "Because he knew the secret."

"Secret?" Echopaw was curious now. "What secret?"

"You shall know..." Tigerstar and Flameheart started to fade. "You shall know..."

"How will I know?" Echopaw begged. "Tell me!"

"You shall know...if you join me."

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Echopaw awoke at the side of the Moonpool. Mothwing was shaking her. "Echopaw!" she hissed.

"W-what?" Echopaw meowed groggily.

"Echopaw." Mothwing looked relieved. Then her gaze turned serious. "You weren't dreaming of StarClan, were you." It wasn't a question.

"No," Echopaw mewed, almost inaudibly.

"You were screeching so loudly that if the others hadn't been in StarClan-induced sleeps, they would have woken easily. I wouldn't be surprised if even WindClan heard you."

"Sorry," Echopaw whispered.

Mothwing shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"Wait..." Echopaw just realized. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Mothwing looked embarrassed. "Well, I'll tell you a secret. But you have to swear not to tell anyone. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Okay...well, I don't believe in StarClan."

Echopaw gaped at her. "What? How can you be a medicine cat and not believe in StarClan?"

"Apparently, StarClan don't think it's too bad, because they told Leafpool I could still be a medicine cat. Well, Leafpool's opinion is good enough for me."

"But Leafpool...she broke the warrior code," Echopaw stuttered.

Mothwing's look turned hard. "Yes, she did. But she did it for love. Is love a bad thing?"

Soon the other medicine cats woke, and they all split up. As Echopaw padded back to the ThunderClan camp beside Jayfeather, the words still rang in her head.

Is love a bad thing?

Yep...still don't review.