Author's Notes: FRETFULLY SORRY FOR THE HORRIBLY LONG WAIT! It won't happen again... Sorry about that T^T I can't even begin to really apologize for a gap that huge, but at least I have the chapter now, right? Right? Well, anyway, it was your continued messages that kept me going! I can't express how happy it makes me to see that people out there really do like my writing! So review this chapter XD

In other news, you know that I asked how old you thought I was at the end of the last chapter (just out of curiosity!). One person thought I was around 21-23! That made me happy. s0 u rly th1nk im a gud rit3r? Anyway, most of you got it right. When I began writing this story, asked that question, and started work on the long-awaited Chapter 11, I was 14. Now, however, I'm 15. It's, uh, it's been a while...

Lastly, it would seem that I have a superfan. Her name is Isuza, and I've received a few messages from her asking me to finish the chapter, as well as a message from her friend asking me to finish the chapter so Isuza will quit being annoying :P Now, that's not to say that I didn't get messages from other people...I just got more from her than what the average person wrote (which was 1, haha).

Anyway, here's the next chapter! This caused me physical pain to get finished, so I hope you like it. THIS IS FOR YOU, ISUZA (and all the rest of you out there, too!). As always, read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still own neither Warriors nor The Legend of Zelda. ...But wouldn't it be so awesome if I did?

Chapter 11: A Gathering Gone Awry

It was that hour between the day and night, when the light was pure and warm. Twilight. Normally, the very thought of an orange sky would send a small tremor down Link's spine, but this twilight was just as it was the day before, clean and natural. It wasn't provoked by a shadow, pushed onto an unwilling world by an evil king. And, as Link gazed at the soft glow of the sky, he had to admit that Midna was right. The twilight was beautiful, in its own way. For a moment, as he looked at the serene forest, he felt perfectly content.

"Link?" Firestar's voice called. The golden tom looked up to see the leader coming towards him. "Good, there you are. I hope you haven't tired yourself out too much today, because I've decided you'll be coming to the Gathering tonight."

"Me?" Link asked, startled. "But that's a thing for Clan cats!"

"Exactly. No one other than a Clan cat is going." With that, Firestar walked off, leaving Link no opportunity to protest.

Only Clan cats are going, Link thought to himself. I'm going... His eyes suddenly widened. Does he mean that he thinks of me as a part of the Clan? No, no, I can't...I'm not. I've grown too comfortable here in the forest...I forgot that I don't belong in it. I don't belong here.

"Your first Gathering! How exciting!" Link's thoughts were disrupted by Hollyleaf's bright voice, and he turned to his side to see her green eyes sparkling.

"Er, yeah," Link replied awkwardly.

"Link's going to the Gathering?" It was Lionblaze, who walked up to join them. "That's great!" It seemed to Link that the burly tom was genuinely happy for him.

That felt kind of nice.

The full moon shone down on the lake and the traveling cats, setting both in a tinge of silver radiance. The water shimmered in the dimness, its every wave reflecting a fragment of the moonlight. The air was peaceful, if a little chilly. The leaves on the ground, scattered about bare trees, were a reminder that snow would come soon.

Eventually, the ThunderClan cats approached a huge fallen tree, bridging the gap between the marsh and a small island. Link remembered Millie telling him about it not long after he first arrived. Then, he had been viewing it from the top of a hill. Now, however, it seemed much bigger. There would be cats from every Clan here, and he was uncomfortably aware that several of them would probably recognize him.

Nothing I can do about it now, he thought, tail twitching slightly with unease.

Another group of cats was already heading across the tree-bridge, who Link identified as WindClan by the familiar scent of moors and rabbits. The warriors began to travel along the narrow trunk, until there were only a few cats left to cross. One young apprentice, a dark gray tabby, was a little reluctant to follow. She had climbed up near the roots of the tree, and was staring down the tapering trunk with wide eyes.

"I-I can't, Willowclaw," she stuttered, "I'm too scared!"

"Don't be afraid," a gray she-cat who must've been Willowclaw soothed. She stood farther down on the tree, and was looking back with calm green eyes. "Just grip the bark with your claws. You'll be alright."

The apprentice took a hesitant step forward, gaping at the tree before her and the water below her. She slowly made her way to the middle, the remaining few WindClan warriors a couple of feet behind. She began to place another paw down, unaware of the slick patch of moss that was clinging to the trunk. Her paw slipped, and with a shriek, she lost her footing.

"Swallowpaw!" Willowclaw and the other warriors exclaimed. The cat that was closest to her tried to reach out, but it was too late. The apprentice, Swallowpaw, plummeted into the water with a splash!

Both the ThunderClan and WindClan warriors stood frozen with horror as Swallowpaw flailed in the water.

Can none of them swim? Link thought frustratedly.

Without thinking, he ran to the edge of the bank and jumped into the lake.

"What are you doing?" many voices demanded. Some sounded angry, while some sounded utterly terrified.

Swallowpaw's head vanished under the dark surface only a few yards before Link, but the water still moved with her desperate kicking.

"You mousebrain!" Link heard the distinct voice of Lionblaze yowl. It was at that moment that Link took a deep breath and dove below the surface.

"LINK!" Hollyleaf screeched, but her voice sounded muffled.

The water was dark, so it was hard for Link to see the drowning apprentice. He didn't need to see her though, because her movements and yowls shook the water. He quickly located her and grabbed her scruff in his teeth. With a powerful kick, he surged upward. Air filled his lungs as both their heads broke the surface, and he pulled her through the water as fast as he could to the shore.

The WindClan warriors rushed to the bank, while the ThunderClan warriors backed off to make room. Swallowpaw coughed and spluttered, spewing out lakewater onto the marsh. She staggered to her paws, and Willowclaw ran up to her side to support her.

"Thank StarClan!" the she-cat breathed. Then she turned to Link. "You saved my apprentice's life," she mewed with a nod. "You have my gratitude."

"It was nothing, really," Link answered, his ears growing hot.

"Nothing?" asked Willowclaw, astonished. "You swam like a RiverClan cat! You even went under the water!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Willowclaw," Swallowpaw mewed in a weak voice, "I don't want to go to the Gathering."

"You don't have to," Willowclaw answered. "We can go back to camp together. Come on, lean on me." She guided her apprentice away, while the remaining WindClan warriors made their way to the island.

"I'll tell Onestar that you won't be attending," one of them mewed with a nod. Willowclaw flicked her tail in acknowledgment, and left with Swallowpaw.

All the eyes of the ThunderClan cats were on Link.

"That was incredible," someone meowed. A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. Firestar looked on with his vibrant green eyes, an indiscernible expression on his face. Then, without further hesitation, he jumped up onto the bridge and began to lead his warriors across.

"Link." The tom looked up to find Hollyleaf glaring at him, her emerald eyes hard but wide. Her statement had sounded hollow, as if she were trying to hide her emotions.

Then, she got pretty emotional.

Whap! Link felt her paw hit him right on the side of his head. Her claws were sheathed, but the blow still sent sparks shooting in front of his eyes as it made contact with his face.

"Ow, hey! What in the world was that for?" he demanded.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she meowed. "You could've drowned, you mousebrain!" Her words were harsh, but there was a frightened tone to them.

"I was perfectly safe the whole time," Link countered with a frown. "I know how to swim."

"What were you thinking?" Hollyleaf mewed.

"Oh, I don't know, something along the lines of 'Oh my gosh! That cat is going to drown! Why is everybody just standing around? I need to do something!'" He set his jaw, frustrated.

"Hmmph!" Hollyleaf turned around with her nose in the air, and joined the line of cats waiting for their turns to cross.

"Don't mind her," Jayfeather mewed. He came up from behind and stepped up to Link's side. "She was just worried, that's all. I mean, you jumped into the water. Your head went under. For all we knew, you could've been drowning too. She'll get over it, though."

To Link, it seemed that Jayfeather's voice was strangely neutral. Maybe he was hiding his emotions as well. However, Link could only follow the rest of the Clan cats to the island.

I think I just got the cat equivalent of a slap across the face, he thought with disbelief. He shook his head.

Link looked around him with wide eyes. This place looked so big! Huge pine trees rose up all around a massive clearing, where tons of Clan cats were talking and sharing tongues. Firestar jumped up onto a tall branch; he was the last leader to climb into the trees at head of the clearing.

"What kept you, ThunderClan?" one of the leaders asked. She had a spotted pelt, almost like a leopard's. Her voice was a little sour, rather than curious.

"One of WindClan's apprentices fell into the lake," Firestar answered, turning to look at the cat who must have been the leader of WindClan. "She-"

"What?" the WindClan leader exclaimed. "Who was it? Why did no one tell me?"

"I was getting to that," Firestar mewed. "One of my cats jumped into the water and saved her."

There was a stunned silence from the leaders and warriors.

Don't say my name, Link thought. Don't say my name, please don't say my name...

"Link."

Dammit.

Link raised his head, ears pressed flat against it. Though his pelt was still wet and sopping, he felt a scorching heat burn through it. Why was attention always called to him? The gathered cats instantly broke into murmurs, each wondering about the strange outsider who had supposedly risked his life for a Clan cat.

"Hey," Link heard a voice near him hiss, "that's the loner we chased off our territory!" He looked wide-eyed at a ginger tom with white paws. "Is Firestar saying that that poor excuse for a cat joined ThunderClan?"

"Shut up, Weaselfur," Link heard Lionblaze retort from somewhere nearby. "If Link weren't in ThunderClan, Swallowpaw wouldn't be in WindClan!" Lionblaze, who was sitting a little in front of Link, turned around and sat next to him. Link nodded his thanks, and Lionblaze flicked his ears in reply.

"Link dove under the water to save Swallowpaw," Firestar continued. The chatter abruptly died down at the shocking remark. "She and her mentor returned to camp." There was a pause before the leader of WindClan spoke again.

"Thank you, Link."

"...Was nothing," Link managed to mumble, twitching his tail in discomfort.

"Now then," Firestar spoke up, "before anything else is discussed, there is something important that all the Clans must hear. If—"

"What's so important that you have to disrupt the order of the Gathering?" a white cat with black paws mewed skeptically. Firestar narrowed his eyes in frustration at being interrupted for the second time in the meeting.

"It's a matter of life and death," Firestar replied with a slight edge to his tone.

"Fine then," the other tom returned, "proceed." The leader was mature enough to not roll his eyes, but Link got the feeling that he was doing it on the inside.

"Thank you," Firestar almost grumbled. Then, speaking to all the cats below, "It is crucial that all warriors listen to this. If any cat is turned into a spirit before their time by the forces of shadow, they must—"

"Turned into a spirit?" the leopard-spotted cat scoffed. "Firestar, have you got bees in your brain?"

"Can I please convey a complete thought without being disrupted?" Firestar snapped. However, a pungent scent had just begun to creep its way over to the gathered cats. Murmurs of disgust rippled throughout the warriors.

"What is that stench?" a she-cat near Link asked, her nose scrunched up with distaste.

"Smells worse than ShadowClan," another joked.

"Say that to my face!" spat a third voice.

Link, however, recognized the smell immediately.

"Firestar," he called urgently, "they're coming."

"Right," the ThunderClan leader answered with a nod. He stood up on his branch and yowled to the gathered warriors. "Listen! Don't be alarmed, but everyone must evacuate as quickly as possible."

"What's the problem, Firestar?" the WindClan leader meowed quickly. Anxious murmurs began to spread within the Clan cats.

"Shadow cats. I'm sorry, Onestar, I'll have to explain later, but everyone needs to leave now."

Firestar jumped down from the tree and gathered his warriors together with a flick of his tail. ThunderClan began to make back for the bridge. Onestar remained on his branch, a troubled look on his face. Then, deciding, he too hopped to the ground and joined his warriors.

"Of all the mousebrained..." the black-footed leader began.

Suddenly, the bushes near the exit began to shake violently.

Not good, not good! Link thought. He tried to push his way through the throng of panicked, bustling cats to the front, but he wound up squashed between numerous colored pelts.

Then, many simultaneous startled and terrified yowls split the air.

"What are those things?"

"Get back!"

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Link screeched as loudly as possible over the shrieking of horrified cats. "Let me through!"

"No! It's got—augh!"

"Where did they go?"

"Great StarClan, what's happening?"

"Let me through!" Link yowled again.

At that moment, the Gathering exploded into chaos.

Back at the ShadowClan camp, the night passed slowly and undisturbed. A certain she-cat stared frustratedly at the branches above her, wishing at the same time for sleep to come and something to distract her from resting. Something. Anything. This was boring. Giving up trying to get some shut-eye, she got up quietly and left the den. Once out, she partook in a luxurious stretch, yawning widely. A small fraction of her wished she could have gone with the other cats to their gathering event. At least it would have been something to do.

Wait a minute, she thought, what's keeping me here anyway? I can't believe I actually started to follow those dumb cat rules! I know, I'll just slip into shadow form and see what all the fuss is about.

There was one cat keeping watch that night, but he was outside of the camp and wouldn't see what she was about to do. Shutting her eyes, she willed her power to take effect. The shift from substance to shadow was a little slower this time thanks to her cat form, but within moments she opened her eyes once more.

Everything around her looked like a different shade of pale gray, the only exception being the other shadows. Like splotches of light, they sparkled with the true colors of the surroundings, or what the colors would have been if it were daylight out. She sighed contentedly; she always felt a kind of tranquility while connected with the shadows.

Abruptly, the tranquility ceased.

She could sense it, a dark magic of twilight at work. Many shadow beings were simultaneously created somewhere on the other side of the lake.

Wait, isn't that where the cats are supposed to meet? Uh-oh. This isn't good...

Shadow beings had been known to transform other creatures into their kind. If those beings attacked the meeting and were able to change all of those cats...

Traveling at the fastest shadow speed, she zipped across the shadows of the waves on the lake. She would be there within seconds, but would she be quick enough?

"Rrrgh!"

Link launched an attack at the nearest shadow monster. These creatures were different from the shadow cats, and even larger. He remembered with discomfort the last time he had fought the shadow cats. There had been only two of them then, and he had barely won. Not only that; the other shadow cats could be touched by normal warriors. But these new beings, they were much more fierce, and there were so many of them... Currently, Link struggled to keep up the fight. Within the first few minutes of battling, he had already acquired a few minor scratches. Cats were vanishing left and right, and he hadn't even downed a single monster.

He yelped as claws connected with his shoulder. He spun around, only to be nearly bowled over by a charging beast. Silently, he wished that he could turn into a wolf and use the powers that Midna offered him.

A force field could come in handy right about now! he thought as he slashed at the face of a shadow cat.

As if on cue, a black circle, fringed with crackling orange energy, spread out over a part of the ground. The beasts that were standing on it found themselves coated with orange magic. Then, quick as a flash, a dark form darted at each affected monster in turn. They fell to the ground, dead.

Midna! Link thought. She came! Now, if I can keep her from killing me while I try to talk to her, that would be wonderful... A way to return me to my Hylian form could come in handy right about now! He paused. No? I didn't think so.

As Midna's magic worked on the monsters in the clearing, Link fought his way to the entrance. Any cats that hadn't been transformed had since then fled, though a few of the spirits still lingered, confused. Link knew that would have to help them later, but now he had to focus on the task at hand. He sprang into the air, landing on the back of an unsuspecting shadow beast and killing it with a swift bite to the neck. He jumped off as it fell, not wasting a moment to fight more shadow cats.

Eventually, the number of enemies began to dwindle. Link paused to catch his breath, which came in long, ragged gasps. A gash ran down his side, though he wasn't sure if it was serious or not. He looked at the ground beneath his paws, which was stained with his blood. A screech from behind made him turn around quickly; the action made him slightly dizzy. He watched as Minda's magic disposed of all but two shadow monsters.

Two left, Link thought with relief. This battle's almost won!

Tired and sore, he began making his way over to the last of the enemies, which he was sure would be dead by the time he got there. He watched as they lunged at a certain black and white she-cat; she avoided them with ease. At the sound of Link's approach, and she looked at him as if she just noticed his presence for the first time. As her amber gaze fell on his form, her eyes narrowed into slits. Angry slits. Then, almost instantly, they turned smug.

"Behind you," she said with a malicious grin.

Link didn't even have time to turn around before the beast crashed its paws down on his back.

Searing pain rushed through him as he collided with the ground, the weight of the monster crushing him. He tried to call out, but a choking, strangled gasp was all that left his lungs.

"How does it feel," a light, yet syrupy voice asked him, "to have your life ripped away?"

Link struggled to speak, but failed again. Blackness hovered at the edges of his vision. He felt the monster draw back its paw, and though he was certain that it was to deliver the final blow, he seized that one chance.

"Minda!" he called desperately. "It's me!"

Darkness swallowed his sight in an instant, and he knew no more.

Post-Notes: YAAHOOO~! I finally finished that godforsaken chapter! Sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but I assure you, the next chapter will come much sooner than this one did! I'm just glad that I got through it! -does the happy dance-

Anyway, be sure to leave a nice review! Lots of reviews make me write more. You want that, don't you? XD

Well, see you in Chapter 12!

-Your good buddy,

Player4