WOW I had a sudden influx of reviews this time! :D I want to thank ifsmith for favorite-ing and following this fanfic, and also for all your helpful reviews!

Ifsmith: I've always wondered if cats could cry, but now I don't really care if they can't, cha feel? It's not that important to the story, in my opinion. It expresses more emotion. (': Also, during Willowbreeze's kitting, let's just say that Grasswave and Pebblepaw were a bit more concerned getting the loner kits to her belly before they starved WITHOUT her noticing than they were about knowing when the kits were coming. As for how they knew that the scent belonged to rogues, I think it's safe to say that it's easy to decipher between loners and rogues by the content of the smell, you know what I mean? Rogues probably smell more rotten and bloody. But then again, I'm not a cat so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. Oh yeah, new apprentices don't say the warrior code oath thing, do they? ^^; Oops…I guess they kind of adopted it. I also guess that Goosefeather and Grasswave are pretty similar, but to be honest, I had to look up what happened to Goosefeather just now because I didn't even remember! I didn't mean to make them so similar…sorry, Erin Hunter! Thank you SO much for reviewing! (:

Chrssi: Really? That IS super creepy…great minds think alike! (; Thanks for reviewing!

Nayeli Kigaliss: Yeah, well I tried. ^^ I think they'll figure it out pretty quickly. The prophecy isn't going to be hugely important anyways. Thanks!

Sorry for the huge long beginning notes! Here's the chapter!

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CHAPTER TWENTY

Something jabbed Nightpaw in the side. She cracked open her eyes and glanced around. Hawkpaw was twitching in his sleep, moving his limbs as though he were running. Great StarClan, it's the middle of the night! She thought gruffly as she inched away from him and tucked her nose under her paw.

Immediately she was whisked away into her nightmares.

Nightpaw glanced around, feeling her pelt prickle with unease. Where am I? The sound of waves lapping over the pebbles calmed her. I'm at the lake again. She glanced up at the sky, remembering her last dream in which there were no stars or moon, and sighed in relief. The moon was about three-quarters of the way full, and the stars glittered like morning dew in the sunlight. Nightpaw purred, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws. Now this is a pleasant dream.

The surface of the lake began to ripple, looking like a sleek black pelt ruffling in the breeze. Nightpaw narrowed her eyes, trying to see beyond the darkness of the waters. What was disturbing it? It wasn't the wind; the air was completely still. Was it a fish? Perhaps a leaf landed on the surface?

Nightpaw yelped when a pair of yellow eyes blinked up at her from under the water. She reached out a forepaw and jabbed the water where the eyes were. Nothing. The lake was empty, and the glowing yellow eyes disappeared.

A gust of cool wind blasted Nightpaw, making her stumble backwards. She crouched, squinting, as an enormous light flashed in front of her. It was a cat, a glowing cat, hovering above the lake.

Nightpaw felt herself trembling. "Are…are you from StarClan?" Her voice was barely audible over the roaring wind. Something that she noticed, though, was that the surface of the lake was undisturbed. The trees were creaking and the reeds were swaying, but the lake was completely still.

"Yes, little one," the cat spoke. "I've come with a message for you. Among you are three who do not belong. When the sharpest claws unsheathe once again, the birds will betray, the darkness will protect, and the waters will heal."

Nightpaw's mind reeled. Was StarClan giving her a prophecy? She was just a warrior apprentice! "Why are you telling me this?"

The cat didn't answer her question. "There is something coming, something so powerful that not even the four Clans can match its might. It is willing to do anything to get what it wants, even kill." The cat parted the waters, revealing the lake bottom. Lying there in the muddy sand was a small unmoving kit.

Nightpaw felt horror creep into her throat. The thing that was coming was even willing to murder a kit? Toss it into the lake?

The cat began to fade. "Keep this in mind, Nightpaw, as you watch events unfold in front of you." Then it was gone, disappearing into the sheet of black.

Nightpaw gazed at the spot where the body of the small kit had been. Who would commit such an atrocity? She gagged as the scent of rogue engulfed her senses, and was plunged into darkness.

"Ouch! Nightpaw, get off me!"

The sound of someone hissing awoke her. She lifted her head groggily to see Hawkpaw glaring at her. Yawning, she rose to her paws and stretched. "Oh, sorry, Hawkpaw."

"I was having a great dream," Hawkpaw mumbled.

Nightpaw rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, it's not like you've never woken me up with your kicking before."

Hawkpaw froze. "What do you mean, kicking?"

"Take last night, for example." Nightpaw swiped her tongue over her paw a few times. "You jabbed me in the side with your twitching limbs."

"Did I?"

"Yes. What are you dreaming about?"

Hawkpaw growled. "I'm doing important stuff, okay?"

"Important stuff?" Nightpaw was now officially suspicious of her brother. "What kind of 'important stuff' can you accomplish while sleeping?"

"None of your business!" Hawkpaw curled into a tight ball. "I'm going back to sleep."

Grunting in frustration, Nightpaw pushed her way out of the apprentices' den. It was already dawn and cats were milling about the clearing. Oakfoot was sharing a sparrow with his sister Larchwing, and waved his tail when he saw Nightpaw emerge from her den. "Grab something to eat, because we're doing some joint battle training today with Hawkpaw and Shadepaw!"

Nightpaw glanced around for someone to share her fresh-kill with. Shadepaw was already heading into the apprentices' den with a mouse, probably to share with Hawkpaw. Streampaw was still asleep, having attended the half-moon meeting the previous night. Emberpaw and Blazepaw were sharing a scrawny rabbit near the warriors' den.

"Nightpaw!"

She turned to see Stormpaw bounding over to her, and smiled at him. "What to share some fresh-kill with me?"

Stormpaw nodded. "That sounds great! What do you want?"

Nightpaw shrugged as she padded over to the small fresh-kill pile. "There's not much of a selection." She grabbed the best-looking piece of prey, a vole, and headed to their usual spot out of the snow.

"Stormpaw, make sure that the elders have been fed before you eat!" Larchwing called to her apprentice. Stormpaw sighed and looked at Nightpaw. "Let's give this and another piece of prey to the elders first."

Nightpaw nodded, waiting as Stormpaw grabbed another piece, and headed into the elders' den. After delivering the prey, they grabbed a scrawny shrew from the pile and began to share it.

"You won't have to deal with that for much longer," Nightpaw assured him as she wolfed down her small portion.

Stormpaw nodded. "Larchwing said I haven't got much longer until my final assessment."

"That's so exciting!" Nightpaw purred, curling her tail in delight. She frowned when she noticed Stormpaw staring at his paws solemnly. "What is it?"

"It's just…" Stormpaw sighed. "Fogpaw should be getting ready to earn his warrior name, too."

Nightpaw's heart wrenched in sympathy for the tom. "It'll be okay. He's much happier up in StarClan, I bet. I wish Smokestar had given Fogpaw his warrior name as he went."

"Me, too." Stormpaw quickly finished eating. "Well, I've got battle training today with Blazepaw and Emberpaw. That ought to be interesting."

"Nightpaw!" Oakfoot was calling her from the entrance to the thorn tunnel. "We're about to leave! Could you fetch Hawkpaw and Shadepaw, please?"

Nightpaw rose to her paws. "I'll see you later, Stormpaw!" She dashed into the apprentices' den, where Shadepaw and Hawkpaw were sharing tongues. "We're leaving for joint battle training now."

Shadepaw leapt to her paws. "Great! This is going to be fun!"

Nightpaw twitched her whiskers as she followed her eager sister to the thorn tunnel where Oakfoot, Brackenclaw, and Robinwing stood, Hawkpaw at her heels.

When they arrived at the training hollow, Oakfoot and Robinwing sat down in front of the apprentices while Brackenclaw explained to them what they were to be doing. "Today we're going to work on fighting in pairs. This can be a bit tricky, but it's important to think similarly when using this technique." He turned to the other two warriors. "I'm going to be the opponent, and you two will battle against me."

At first Nightpaw was alert, watching in awe as Oakfoot and Robinwing battled Brackenclaw perfectly in sync. It almost looked effortless as they pummeled the powerful deputy into the snow. But she shivered as a cold breeze carried the sound of a whisper to her ears. She glanced around; who was that? Both Hawkpaw and Shadepaw were on her left, and the whisper had been in her right ear. Were they playing a joke on her? No, they were both watching the mock fight intently, their eyes wide and ears directed forward.

Nightpaw tried to turn her attention back to the fight, but the whispers were growing louder. She twitched her ears. It's just the wind. No cat is here with you.

"Forgiveness is for the weak! Revenge is for the strong!" the voices were chanting. They were growing louder, louder, like a yowling in her ear, louder than the loudest crack of thunder—

Nightpaw screeched and batted at her ears, crouching down and squeezing her eyes shut.

Oakfoot bounded over to her. "Nightpaw, what's wrong?"

The voices vanished. Nightpaw opened her eyes; Oakfoot was standing above her, his expression full of concern. Brackenclaw and Robinwing were looking on as well, while Hawkpaw and Shadepaw were doubled over laughing.

"Um…" Nightpaw stammered, "I-I think I had a bug in my ear, and…"

"Is it out now?" Oakfoot glanced into her ear. Nightpaw nodded and leapt to her paws. "Sorry for interrupting."

"What is wrong with you?" Hawkpaw snickered. Shadepaw regained her breath from her fit of laughter. "You're such a mousebrain!"

Nightpaw tried to smile and brush it off, but she couldn't. Where were those voices coming from, and why had they chosen her?

xxx

On the way back to camp, Nightpaw noticed something strange going on with Hawkpaw. His fur was on end, his ice-blue eyes wide, and he was constantly glancing around. Every little sound made him jump.

"What's wrong with you?" Nightpaw whispered to him. He stared at a bush nearby. "Did you see that? There was a cat's tail…"

Nightpaw looked, but saw nothing. "I don't see anything—"

"It disappeared into the bush!" Hawkpaw veered to the left and leapt into the bush, hissing.

"Hawkpaw, get out of the bush!" Brackenclaw ordered. "Unless you're hunting, which I highly doubt, you need to stay with us."

Hawkpaw returned from the bush, his fur tangled with dry leaves, twigs, and snow, and sulked back to the group.

Inside the camp, Nightpaw spotted Streampaw sitting alone near the apprentices' den, grooming herself. She padded over to her and flopped down, sighing.

"Hey, Nightpaw," Streampaw greeted dully. "Is something wrong?"

Nightpaw knew she could confide in her sister. "The strangest thing happened to me today during training. This may sound crazy, but…I heard this whisper in my ear, but no cat was there. It kept getting louder and chanting the same thing over and over again. Something about revenge for the strong."

Streampaw raised her eyebrows. "Something strange happened to me, too." She glanced at her flank. "Today Pebblefur was giving me a lesson in his den. No cat was around. And then I suddenly smelled the rogue scent, and felt claws scratch my flank. But there was nothing there."

"Did you tell Pebblefur what happened?" Nightpaw asked. "He'd probably try to figure it out if you told him."

Streampaw shook her head. "I was nervous he would think I'm crazy. There's no mark on my flank, either." She sighed. "Do you remember when we were having the same dreams?"

Nightpaw nodded. "I still have them."

"Me, too. What do you think all this means, Nightpaw?"

"I…" Nightpaw was at a loss for words. She remembered her dream the previous night in which she'd received a prophecy. What if all this had to do with it? She didn't want to be special or part of a prophecy. She just wanted to live a normal life in ThunderClan! What if she had a special power, like the Great Three? She could only pray it wasn't true. "I don't know, Streampaw. I really don't know what this means."

But she did, and she couldn't deny it.

xxx

OOO. Okay guys, I suddenly came up with an AWESOME idea. It's really intricate. It calls for a lot of detail work and looking at everything from every angle to make sure I don't mess up. If I use this idea, the books could get really…messy. Packed with a lot of stuff, you know what I mean? It might get confusing, and the last thing I want is for this story to be confusing. But the idea is so awesome. I needed an explanation for some aspect of this story: why are the rogues after the Clans, and also, why are they after Night, Stream, and Hawk? I had no idea what to use. Then it hit me, and it's bizarre to say the least. Basically, if I use this idea, I could either make it super amazing or it could crash and burn.

So my question for YOU guys is: what do you want to see? Would you rather have me use a very intricate, eventful plot that might just confuse the crap out of you? Or would you rather have me think of something else that might be less interesting but will be easy to understand and write about? I know as an author I really do have to take risks, so I'm leaning more towards, YES, use the idea. What do you guys think? Help me out here! Well anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and have a great day! (: