Whoo, 2.658 words in total! :) Somewhat long for my recent few chapters.

I probably won't post after this for a little while. ;-; I'll need some time to work up some inspiration plus school starts next week, so... yeah, I'll have work and stuff to do for that. But I might get some time to write over my vacay, so there's a chance I might post something before the weekend after next. Knowing me, probably not, though. xD (I'm kinda lazy if you didn't already know that)

QLKwriter: *sings* For the first time in forever... Sorry, you got that song stuck in my head. xD I've never been to Virginia Beach but I've heard it's really crowded because like everyone in the area goes there. When I went to the beach as a kid I generally went to more southern beaches like the Outer Banks and Florida. I've always liked body boarding on waves, but it's not so fun when the waves are tiny and you don't go anywhere.

ShadowHawk540: Mossystar's kind of paranoid about being attacked by the trio's Clans all at once because they're so obviously allied and she's got no Clans to back her up if she needs help. Then here comes SkyClan and she jumps at her chance to secure an ally. So if she now loses them she'd be back in her tough spot from before. So kind of unrealistic, but paranoid all the same. :) It's not so much a secret, but I don't think I've mentioned it too many times, so I'm not too surprised you didn't pick up on it. I'll probably try to make that clearer in chapters to come.

EmilyOwl1: Brightkit sounds so cute! *squees* Did you know that a character called Brightspirit was actually mentioned in the canon books? She was based off of a Warriors fan who died in a tornado or something and she briefly spoke to Jayfeather (I didn't put in a spoiler because you said earlier you'd read The Last Hope, so I figured you knew Jay's warrior name). But yeah, Brightkit could probably have that same name as Brightspirit was a really small character. :)

Willowdream of ForestClan: I'm thinking about starting posting actual photos on my DA, so I might try to put some Bahamas pictures up if you want. ^^ A few years back my family went to Italy and man, those taxi drivers! ^^; Yeah, I'll be sure to watch out for them! I'm excited to go swimming there, but as my hotel has like a gazillion pools and is right next to the ocean, I figure I'll probably be sick of water by the time I get back next Tuesday.

Rockstar's POV

As Mossystar and Ripplefur left the camp, I had to stop and stare after them. What were the other Clans' views on alliances? Had I gotten it all wrong? SkyClan had, after all, lived by itself for seasons. Had we forgotten the meaning of allies? Was, perhaps, Mossystar mentally raging at us for not knowing what being allies meant?

I sighed, turning away from the entrance, or at least the main thoroughfare out of camp. Cats could literally walk right through any of the camp "walls" at any point in time. This was such a stupid camp. It wasn't even a real camp. I missed the gorge.

"Rockstar?" I glanced up to see Frecklewish, eyes shining in worry, framed by a graying muzzle and face. She was getting on in years. We all were.

"What?" I asked wearily.

"I think you handled that situation well," she meowed. I looked up, startled. "I spoke with our ancestors last night," she confessed. "They told me our alliances would be tested before I slept again." She gazed toward the entrance. "I guess that was the test."

No sooner had those words left her lips than I heard a rustling amongst the branches at the edge of camp. I bounded toward the sound, scanning the foliage. SkyClan cats knew where the entrance was. Who was trying to get into camp here?

Three cats pushed through the foliage. I recognized one immediately—it was Sootstar. I groaned to myself; why did every single leader around the lake have to come to my camp in the same day? Mossystar, fine, but Mossystar and Sootstar? That was getting a bit extreme!

"Rockstar, we have an announcement to make," Sootstar proclaimed.

"You just made one," I muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, please continue."

Sootstar eyed me suspiciously but did as I asked. "All five Clans will be meeting at an emergency Gathering tonight on the island," he meowed. "This meeting is called due to an incident occurring on ThunderClan territory that I think all Clans need to address."

I blinked. But Mossystar was going to the Moonpool tonight! How would that work out? "Er… couldn't it wait until tomorrow night?" I asked uncertainly.

"Why?"

I bit my lip. Something told me I shouldn't tell Sootstar about Mossystar's recent visit. If he didn't already know, he wasn't about to find out. "SkyClan matters," I said curtly, hoping my voice didn't convey the uncertainty I felt.

Sootstar held my gaze for a heartbeat or two, then dipped his head. "Very well," he meowed. "I suppose it is too much to ask of the other Clans to gather tonight. Tomorrow it is, then." He shot me a hard stare. "But tomorrow at the very latest. I assure you, this is news of extreme importance."

I dipped my head. "Tomorrow," I promised.

Nodding once, Sootstar turned and, flicking his tail at his Clanmates, made to exit. Just as he was about to exit the camp again, though, he turned and looked back over his shoulder. "Would you let Rainstar know?"

I blinked, startled. "Don't you want to tell him yourself? It'd give you just another opportunity to see your precious brother," I added sarcastically.

Sootstar narrowed his eyes. "Clan before blood," he growled. "I won't let my siblings distract me from my own Clan. I can't afford to let them down."

Dipping my head once again, I didn't reply, unsure of what to say. After a few heartbeats, I murmured, "I'll let him know if I run into one of his patrols. If tomorrow comes without any contact I'll visit his camp personally."

Nodding his thanks, Sootstar leaped out through his makeshift entrance, his two Clanmates following him.

I took a deep breath. If Cinderstar waltzed into camp right now I was going to claw someone. I needed to focus on getting my Clan back together again.

I stood at the top of the pebbly beach, watching as WindClan crossed the bridge ahead. The last couple apprentices had just stepped onto the tree. It was almost time to go.

Glancing back at my Clan, I glanced over who I'd decided to bring. There were Mintfur and Frecklewish, obviously, as well as Bouncefire, Rabbitleap, Plumwillow, Sandyleg, Harrypaw, and Firepaw. A good amount of cats, all hopefully mature enough to deal with whatever was coming. Glancing ahead, I saw the bridge was clear. So, lifting my tail, I bounded down the beach to cross the lake.

As I pushed my way through the foliage on the other side, I caught the scents of all four other Clans. I gritted my teeth. Of course SkyClan was late. SkyClan, the new Clan, the Clan that needed a good impression above all the others, was late. Great.

"Rockstar!" Mossystar hurried to greet us. She glanced at me, then bit her lip and looked away, unsure of herself.

I padded over to her. "Are you still interested in being our ally?" I asked in a low voice.

"Yes," she meowed, straightening. I marveled at how strong she looked, even as confused and lost as she must feel. She truly was a remarkable leader, probably the most qualified out of all of us. I was glad she was still interested in allying her Clan with mine, even after what had happened yesterday. Giving her a quick smile, I bounded back to my Clan just in time to lead them forward into the clearing like a proper leader should.

Sootstar waited impatiently on the Great Tree, Cinderstar beside him. I clawed my way effortlessly up the tree, followed by Rainstar, who to my surprise perched on a branch directly below mine. I hadn't known a WindClan cat could be such a good climber.

"Let all the Clans gather!" Sootstar yowled as Mossystar settled onto the lowest branch, her webbed paws unsuited for the rough bark. Below, all five Clans padded closer together, forming one mass of fur. Peering down through the crisscrossing sticks of a branch, I saw the Clans mixing together. Or at least, all the Clans but SkyClan.

"Many of you might have questions about why I called this urgent Gathering," Sootstar began, pacing on his branch. Cinderstar hung on tightly with her claws to avoid being bounced off. "Well, here's why. Two sunrises ago, one of my patrols found a giant pile of crowfood on our territory."

Gasps emanated from below. I myself stared at him, confused. Wasn't prey exceptionally scarce this Leafbare? How could any cat get their paws on such a large amount of prey? And why, for StarClan's sake, wouldn't they just eat it?

"We have yet to discover the culprit. I'm afraid the rotting stench overpowered any cat-scent there may have been. However," he hesitated, staring down into the lake of cats, "if any cat, any Clan here had anything to do with this, take note. They will be caught, and they will be punished most severely. In doing this, you have caused much suffering and even possible deaths." He glared at the cats. "Was it really worth it?"

Silence followed his words. My mind reeled—did Sootstar really think another Clan had something to do with this? Did he, perhaps, think SkyClan had done this?

"Quit accusing us!"

A voice rang out from below. I searched the crowd of upturned faces, expecting to see one of his Clanmates' narrowed eyes glaring up at us. Instead, I realized it was a WindClan cat.

"Blossomstep," Rainstar called, standing up, "Sootstar didn't mean to accuse any particular Clan. He just meant in general."

"Yeah, right," scoffed another. This time it really was a SkyClan cat.

I glared down at Harrypaw. "Open your mouth again and you'll find yourself cleaning Tinycloud's nest for the next moon."

But other voices were speaking out too, adding to the clamor. The Gathering was dissolving. I saw a shadow drifting across the ground and glanced up to see a pale cloud drifting slowly across the moon. StarClan doesn't like unrest at Gatherings, I thought. I guess this would qualify as unrest at Gatherings.

"It could have been a rogue!" I called, leaping to my paws.

"Why accuse the other Clans?" Mossystar demanded, glaring at Sootstar. "It causes this! We should be working together!"

"Would Ashthorn have wanted us to fight like this?" Cinderstar hissed, her voice barely audible over the tumult from below. I quickly clawed my way across the tree to a spot nearer to them, cursing the lack of cloaking, leafy branches. At least my darker pelt might blend in with the sky. I wasn't sure if Cinderstar and Sootstar would want me eavesdropping. But maybe this was my chance to learn what, exactly, was the past of these cats.

"Ashthorn?" Sootstar asked quietly. Through a tangle of twigs I saw his eyes darken. "You would bring up Ashthorn now? What has he got to do with this? He's dead. His time is over. It's our time to rule, and we will rule without him!"

"Oh, Sootstar, this is stupid!" Cinderstar exclaimed, not troubling to keep her voice down anymore. "He's our father. We should have a good relationship with him like we do Lightwing. What did he ever do to require this, this treatment lasting seasons? Sootstar, this isn't like you to hold grudges like this!"

"You must have mixed me up with Rainstar," Sootstar growled, turning away. "That soft tom wouldn't be able to hold a proper grudge, much less lead his Clan without the aid of his senior warriors. Honestly, I bet he runs to them to solve his every problem."

Cinderstar lashed out at him. "Cut it out!" she hissed. "Where's my brother? What have you done with him?"

"It's over, Cinderstar. Us? The trio? It's gone. We're solitary leaders now, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. We can't depend on each other anymore." He turned away from Cinderstar. Edging along my branch, I saw tears trickle out of the corners of his eyes. What was going on?

Cinderstar reached out a paw, hesitated, then placed it back on the cold, damp branch without speaking. She turned and shimmied down the tree trunk. "ShadowClan is leaving!" she called.

"So is RiverClan!" Mossystar shot one last fiery glare at Sootstar, then leaped down into the snow.

"WindClan! To me!" Rainstar cast one last look back at his brother before lifting his tail and following the other two Clans to the barrier of bushes.

I bounded down the tree trunk a little ways before calling to my own Clan. As I headed for the line to the tree-bridge back to the mainland, I turned and gazed back at Sootstar. He still sat unmoving in the tree, head bowed. I wondered if he regretted his outburst. Still, maybe it was for the best. The littermates needed to split up before they could ally themselves properly again.

The shadowy figures of four cats slipped away from their respective Clans, stalking through the thick foliage toward the far side of the island. They waited for the Clans to leave before speaking in low, hurried whispers.

"The fifth Clan. Who would have thought?" the cat from WindClan rumbled.

The ShadowClan representative snorted. "Not me."

The ThunderClan cat nudged her with her shoulder. "Quit messing around! We have limited time before our Clanmates realize we're gone!" She turned to the RiverClan she-cat. "Have you been able to steal your Clan's prey efficiently?"

RiverClan nodded. "They never suspected a thing," she purred.

"And you?" ThunderClan turned to ShadowClan.

"Yes," ShadowClan replied meekly, apparently humbled from her earlier scolding.

"Good," ThunderClan said, satisfied. "However, I do have bad news. Sootstar discovered the pile of prey. It is now in our territory since we've expanded and I haven't been able to get away to move it since."

Hisses of dismay came from the other three cats. "I would have helped, but SkyClan's in the way," WindClan complained. "I helped you catch that prey in the first place."

"Exactly," ThunderClan growled, twitching her tail. "It is why we need a SkyClan representative. They might be able to help us out, bring down SkyClan too. It is unfortunate we don't know them too well, though. We don't know who would accept our offer and who would run to Rockstar."

"I met a cat tonight," ShadowClan ventured. "He seemed all right at first but I saw something—a quick glance toward another cat, maybe his brother. It was almost as if he were jealous of him."

WindClan looked thoughtful. "I might have seen that cat too," he said. "I didn't talk to him though. Did you get a name?"

ShadowClan shook her head. "But I know what he looks like," she promised. "Tomorrow night we can initiate him, perhaps. We will all sleep deeply after our late-night Gathering tonight."

RiverClan grinned. "I would offer to help him out, but I'm across the lake. I would, however, be willing to begin the next part of our plan."

"Not yet," ThunderClan warned. "We need to wait for our leader's signal. He will let us know when. Plus, we need to get that SkyClan cat into our group."

ShadowClan and WindClan nodded ascent. "I would be willing to train the new recruit," WindClan offered. "My territory is directly next to his."

ThunderClan nodded. "Good, good. It might be difficult for me to have extra time to relay our plans and move the fresh-kill."

"Do we still need to move it?" ShadowClan asked, confused. "They know it's there."

"But if we want to confuse them still more," ThunderClan meowed slyly, "what then? What if all the prey is magically moved in one night?"

"And then they think it's the Dark Forest and the Dark Forest alone," RiverClan chipped in, her voice rising slightly from excitement. "Genius."

"I still don't get—" ShadowClan began, but ThunderClan cut her off.

"They won't suspect their own Clanmates are turning on them," she hissed. "Don't you see? They'll try to get their Clans to come together instead of looking out for traitors. They'll turn a blind eye to our every move. Then, when we finally reveal ourselves to them, they'll finally piece it together in their dumb minds, but by then it will be too late. Those idiots will never see it coming." She laughed.

"Time to go, I think," WindClan meowed, glancing at the sky. "I'll be missed." He dashed off around the edge of the clearing, tail whisking out of sight amongst the brambles.

"Yeah, I'd better go too," RiverClan meowed with an exaggerated sigh. "I've got a long walk back home."

"Same here," ShadowClan muttered. "Coming?"

"Yeah," ThunderClan meowed. "But… just a moment." She paused while the other two followed WindClan out around the bushes, as if waiting for something. Or someone.

A fifth cat pushed his way out of the bushes, his pelt translucent against the dark leaves behind him. ThunderClan turned, a smile curving across her muzzle. "Leader," she purred, dipping her head. "You heard it all?"

"I did indeed," he meowed. "You did well leading that conversation. I'm glad the cat with the most leadership is in ThunderClan. With Sootstar." Even in the dark, ThunderClan could see his lip curling.

"When will our plan be enacted?" she asked.

"When the Clans go to war against each other," Leader replied smoothly.

"But that could take a long time!" ThunderClan protested, biting her lip. "Shouldn't it be sooner?"

Leader tilted his head. "Perhaps," he murmured. "If the Clans do not go to war within the next half moon, we will put our plan into action regardless. It has to be soon or you four will be discovered soon."

"Five, soon enough," ThunderClan grinned. "Do you approve of our choice?"

"That tom is indeed… troubled," Leader agreed. "He will make a fine recruit." He smirked, teeth poking out from beneath his lip. "The Clans had better watch out. I'm coming back."

Sootstar's getting violent! And there's a secret meeting...

AOTD: I think islands are cool as long as you can still get off. I like beaches as long as there are large (ish) waves and I don't get a sunburn. You could say I have mixed feelings about them. :) But I'm excited for my trip!

QOTD: Who do you think the SkyClan recruit is?