Author's Note: This is the beginning of the end of Deep Shadow. Things will start to pick up more, and WindClan's numbers will strengthen before cats start dying again. Someone will die in this chapter; the only hint is that it's a she-cat.

Fun Fact: ThunderClan are the antagonists because I was sick of them being such goody-goodies.

Shadepaw

Shadepaw awoke to Rabbitpaw nudging her. "Get up. Petalmask and Ravenflight are taking us hunting," the brown tabby meowed, flicking his tail. The excited glint in Rabbitpaw's eye told Shadepaw something else though; there was something exciting today, and apparently he was told to keep it a secret. Shadepaw didn't question it though. She got up, groomed her tangled fur, and trotted outside. The freshkill pile was starting to look more like a pile now, rather than three small pieces of prey.

WindClan was able to consume three meals a day again, and they looked stronger than they did just two days ago. Shadepaw shuddered as she remembered her discovery, and it was like the rain was drenching her fur all over again. She was dragging Hawkstar's limp form again. There was a pang in Shadepaw's chest, like they had an invisible connection unable to be broken. Whatever it was, Shadepaw felt especially pained by Hawkstar's death.

Rabbitpaw noticed Shadepaw tensing up, and he licked her ear to calm her. "Relax. Everything will be fine," he assured her. Shadepaw sighed, shrugging. She looked around for Ravenflight, and spotted him by the camp entrance. He was speaking with Petalmask and Froststar in hushed voices, eyes shifting around camp. Shadepaw tilted her head in confusion. Was something wrong?

Shadepaw padded up to Ravenflight, and the conversation stopped abruptly. Froststar quickly dipped her head to the warriors before hurrying off to her den. "What was that about?" Rabbitpaw meowed, narrowing his eyes. Ravenflight shrugged off the question and turned his attention to Shadepaw. "Where's your lazy sister?" he snarled. Shadepaw shrugged. "Maybe she's sleeping. But be careful when you wake her up. That's how I ended up with only one eye," she grumbled.

Ravenflight sighed in exasperation, and he turned to Petalmask. "Take the apprentices to the heart of the territory. I'll meet you there when I wake up Ivypaw," he ordered. Petalmask looked furious that she was being ordered around by a younger warrior, but she dipped her head to Ravenflight anyway. "Of course. Come on, Shadepaw and Rabbitpaw," she meowed. With a flick of her tail, Petalmask took off over the hills at breakneck speed.

Shadepaw struggled to keep up with her, the pain of her injured leg slowing her down. Blood rushed in her ears, and her heart pounded in her chest. The heart of the territory seemed so far away. By the time they reached the clearing, Shadepaw wished she could curl up in her nest again and sleep for moons. Rabbitpaw was out of breath, wheezing like an elder with greencough. Petalmask still kept a strong aura about her, but Shadepaw saw her eyelids drooping with fatigue.

"Let's catch a couple of rabbits while we wait for Ravenflight and Ivypaw. Do you smell any?" Petalmask asked. Rabbitpaw sniffed the air, and Shadepaw did the same. "There's a rabbit to the north, and a sparrow in the direction from which we came," Rabbitpaw reported. Petalmask nodded her approval.

"Good. Rabbitpaw goes after the sparrow, Shadepaw gets the rabbit."

Shadepaw nodded, padding towards the north. The scent of rabbit made her mouth water, and she dropped into a crouch. She could see the gray rabbit nibbling on some grass just mouselengths away. She steadied her shaking paws, and then she lunged at the rabbit. Before the rabbit could grunt, Shadepaw's claws had hooked it by the ear. She then delivered the killing bite and started back towards the clearing.

Shadepaw was just a foxlength from the clearing when she heard a screech. The gray tortoiseshell dropped her prey, whirled around and started dashing towards the source of the noise. The stench of blood and death tainted the air, and Shadepaw ran faster. By the time she reached Larkfrost, it was too late. She was writhing on the ground, foaming at the mouth and groaning.

Shadepaw padded up to Larkfrost, pressing her nose to the cream warrior's forehead. The gray tortoiseshell winced as scorching heat reached her face, and she pulled back. "What happened to you?" Shadepaw whispered. Larkfrost cast a mournful glance at Shadepaw, gasping for breath. "S-squirrel… bite."

Shadepaw could only watch in horror as Larkfrost let out one last breath before going limp. The gray tortoiseshell trembled as she grabbed the cream warrior by the scruff and started dragging her back to camp. When she returned, cats were panicking. Ravenflight dashed up to Shadepaw, growling. "Where have you b-"

The black tom stopped when he saw Larkfrost in Shadepaw's jaws. "What happened to her?" Ravenflight croaked. Shadepaw shrugged. "I found her with foam coming out of her mouth. She said something about a squirrel bite," she reported. Cloudwing shook her head. "Rabid squirrel," she grumbled.

"Nobody has been bitten by a rabid squirrel since Lightstar was overthrown," Fogheart commented, causing Amberpool to flinch. All Shadepaw knew of Lightstar was that she was a horrid leader, the successor of Gorsestar. She was just as bad as Meadowstar.

"Snowpaw and Cloudwing, prepare Larkfrost for her vigil. I have something important to do," Froststar meowed. She leapt up onto the Highledge, planting her paws firmly on the silver stone. Is she doing what I think she's doing? Shadepaw thought, gaping at her leader.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Froststar called. Most of the cats were already there, and those who weren't slowly walked out of their dens. Froststar waited for them to settle down before continuing. "I, Froststar, leader of WindClan, call our warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices; Shadepaw, Ivypaw and Rabbitpaw."

Shadepaw stepped up to the Highledge, beaming with pride. Despite her horrid discovery, she was finally experiencing the moment she'd been waiting for forever. "Shadepaw, Ivypaw, Rabbitpaw, you have trained hard in the ways of the warrior. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code even at the cost of your life?" Froststar asked. Ivypaw had an arrogant air about her as she meowed, "I do."

"I do," Rabbitpaw meowed, voice wavering a bit. Shadepaw tipped up her chin, eyes glittering. "I do!" she declared proudly. "Then I shall present you with your warrior names. Rabbitpaw, from this day forward you shall be known as Rabbitleap. StarClan honors your bravery and determination. Ivypaw, from this day on, you shall be known as Ivysplash. StarClan appreciates your boldness and spirit."

Froststar shifted her attention to Shadepaw, who resisted the urge to squeal. "Shadepaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Shadefeather. StarClan honors your kindness and loyalty. I now name all three of you full members of WindClan!" she yowled. The crowd screeched and howled with excitement.

"Rabbitleap! Ivysplash! Shadefeather!"

Ivysplash stuck her nose up in the air proudly, smirking as the crowd echoed her new name. Rabbitleap looked embarrassed but smiled anyway. Shadefeather could not explain her happiness, and she started bouncing like a little kit. After a while, the crowd dispersed and Ravenflight stalked up to Shadefeather. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you'd just be another ignorant apprentice. Now I see that you're intelligent and sweet, and despite how I treated you, I was proud to be your mentor."

Shadefeather smiled at Ravenflight, dipping her head to him. "Thank you. I was honored to be taught by you," she purred. Froststar leapt down from Highledge, smiling at the warriors. "Remember you have to sit silent vigil from moonhigh to dawn," she meowed, stalking into her den.

Shadefeather nodded, glancing up at the sky. It was still sunhigh. "I'm going to get some rest before the vigil tonight," Shadefeather told Rabbitleap. She wanted to rest up from all that running.

Snowpaw

The white she-cat was about to doze off right when Cloudwing thundered into the medicine den. "Snowpaw!" the old she-cat croaked. "I have urgent news!"

Snowpaw looked up at Cloudwing, tilting her head. "What is it?" she meowed. Cloudwing took a deep breath before speaking. "StarClan sent me a vision. The world was split in two, a light side and a dark side. A shadowed cat led us out of the dark and into the light. They also gave me a prophecy; 'A cat with a pelt as dark as night will lead the cats of air into neverending light.'"

Snowpaw's breath hitched. "What do you think it means?" she breathed. Cloudwing's eyes shiftened around the den, and then she leaned towards Snowpaw. "I think Ivysplash is the one of the prophecy," she murmured.

Snowpaw fainted.

Author's Note: Whee! Four pages. I feel so accomplished.

Why did Snowpaw faint? What's her secret? Why is Ivysplash being arrogant when Cloudwing thinks she's part of a prophecy? All will be explained in the next thirteen chapters of Deep Shadow, and then the story will end.

But don't worry; there will be a sequel to Deep Shadow. I don't know whether this will be a trilogy or not, but it will have two books.

Fun Fact: Shadefeather's original warrior name was Shaderose.