The moon was high in the inky night sky by the time Petalbreeze allowed for them to rest. After they had left Violetstar, the party's spirits were troubled as they slowly digested their leader's words and the fate that lay before them in the depths of CreviceClan territory. Petalbreeze was determined to make it there as fast as possible, allowing for few rest stops and focusing only on pounding the earth beneath her paws as she ran.

So when they at last reached a reasonable distance somewhat between the two Clans and waited for Petalbreeze to survey the area with careful expertise and then give the okay, Hareleap wasted no time before collapsing in the grass gratefully. All around him the other MeadowClan warriors were doing the same. For a few moments he listened to some of them talking with each other, mostly discussing about what was to come, but soon he tuned them out and shifted to look the other way.

Crickets were chirping merrily and the cool grass encircling him swayed slightly with a gentle breeze. They were still in MeadowClan territory, but the dark forests and rocky cliffs of CreviceClan loomed frighteningly near. Hareleap gazed quietly at the night sky spread out like a map before him. A single fluffy cloud drifted lazily towards the moon, passing just under its shimmering light.

It was so peaceful. Surrounded by such a beautiful scene it would be easy to forget why he was here, and the horrors that he had lived through. But his mind was anything but calm. There was so much to fret over, so much to look back on and cringe. All day he had been trying to control his emotions, but they kept spilling over like a swollen river that was about to burst.

Remembering the last time he had gazed at the sky, Hareleap looked up and tried to find the friendly, twinkling star he had noticed last time. He was unable to find it again, but he got the feeling that it was still there somewhere, watching over him.

Was that you, Thornpaw? He pondered. Suddenly he was taken aback by a strong feeling of remorse. He hadn't allowed himself to think of his other sister in a while. Quivering with emotion, he stretched out a single paw as if trying to touch the band of stars before him. He missed her terribly. Despite being so innocent and shy, she had been abused constantly in her life. The only smiles or encouragements she ever received were from Fishsplash and him. He thought of his fellow MeadowClan Clanmates, and wished she could have experienced their kindness and mercy. But briefly she had known Petalbreeze, and she had seen the meadow he lay in now. At least she had known these few shreds of the better life that lay outside of CreviceClan.

Dropping his paw, Hareleap realized he was lonely. For most of his life he had lived alongside his two sisters. They were a happy, trusting family, and did their best back in CreviceClan to protect each other from the constant horrors of everyday life. Losing Thornpaw had been difficult enough. But now Fishsplash was gone too, and the ache inside of him to see them both again was a painful burden that weighed on him heavily. He could only hope that he hadn't lost Fishplash forever. There was still a chance…

"Hey." A pair of silver paws suddenly appeared in his field of vision, and he looked up to see Petalbreeze gazing somberly down at him. She wore a small smile, but her eyes were troubled as she silently filled the space beside him. "How are you holding up?"

Hareleap fidgeted, unsure how to respond. "I don't know."

Petalbreeze was gazing steadily at him, making him uncomfortable. "Your sister is a great cat," she meowed suddenly, skipping the vague questions and going straight for the heart. "I'm going to get her back for you, okay?"

A small shiver of warmth spread through him as he received her words. He managed to meet her gaze. "Thank you."

They grew quiet, letting the crickets do the talking for them. But Hareleap didn't mind; their small exchange was all that he needed. Just having her next to him and knowing that she was determined to help was enough. Her confidence leaked into him like medicine, reassuring him. They would save her; they had to. With Petalbreeze at his side, he felt that nothing could stop them. Not even Snowstar, although the mere thought of her brought forth a spark of fear.

The moon began to lower itself down into the horizon. Looking around, Hareleap saw that all the others were trying to catch some sleep before Petalbreeze got them going again. Lowering his head on his paws, he closed his eyes and attempted to do the same.

With Petalbreeze at his side, he realized, he didn't feel quite as lonely, either.

...

"Wake up! We've got to move!" Petalbreeze's commanding voice rudely tore Hareleap from what must have been a light doze as he struggled to rise. The moon had vanished from the sky; in its place stretched the beams of the sun, just beginning to ascend.

Petalbreeze made sure that they wasted no time in regrouping and setting back out. In mere moments they were off again, sprinting through the grass with renewed energy and fueled by a raw, fiery determination. The sun rose and beat down on their backs, reminding them of the inescapable passage of time.

Hareleap flew alongside the others, panting but unwilling to show any signs of weakness. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help it any longer. What were they doing with her? The mere thought of it caused him to push harder and pound his paws with even more force into the earth. But, why had they taken her? What was the point to all of it? The questions raged within his heart, burning and aching and lacking answers.

Despite their rapid pace, by the time the exhausted and grim party of MeadowClan warriors finally arrived outside the glooming forest of CreviceClan territory, the sun had finished its passage in the sky and was just beginning to sink back down. They took a moment to recover their breath before Petalbreeze gathered them all together into a close circle and, eyes aglow with spirit, began discussing their plan of action.

"So, first of all, without a doubt, Snowstar knows we're coming. If what Hareleap says is true, and Fishsplash has been taken here, then they'll be expecting us to come after her, of course. Snowstar is crafty; she's defeated us before and if we don't do this right then it will happen again today for sure."

Here she grasped a nearby twig in her jaws and traced a rough outline of the area in the dirt, marking the CreviceClan camp and their current position with loose circles.

"We're going to do this and we're going to do it right," she repeated, gazing out at all of them. "They know we're coming but they don't know exactly when. There's a chance that we can surprise them here and we've got to use this to our advantage. I've been thinking and I might have a way that we can do this. It's simple, but it should work…"

By the time the moon resurfaced, the now heavily detailed sketch in the dirt was implanted in all of their minds, and an elaborate attack plan had been formed. The evening was cool and misty, darkening the already sinister forest that lay just a few steps away. They all lined up, ready to play their parts and face the savage CreviceClan once and for all.

Hareleap stood alongside the others, but with the light fog settling around them he felt as though he stood alone. He shivered. While he appreciated Petalbreeze's confidence at a time when he needed it the most, it wasn't enough to ease his state of mind. Rather, in that brief moment that seemed like an eternity, just before they entered the territory of his home Clan, his mind was whirring furiously.

This was it. Here he was, backed by members of MeadowClan, about to enter the place that he had suffered in for most of his days, with the life of his sister in jeopardy. Looking out at those ebony trees stretching on endlessly before his eyes brought forth a familiar wave of deep-rooted terror. Then he thought of the white face that dwelled not far ahead, and that sly, cruel grin, and he suddenly wanted to run away and forget the whole expedition.

Planting his paws in the dirt, he grit his teeth and with some effort managed to shove his panic to the side. He thought of Petalbreeze and let her confidence seep back into his bones. He was here to save his sister; there was no time for cowardice now. Every second he wasted meant more time for them do as they pleased with her, and with that thought crowding out all the others in his mind, he nodded to the others and leapt forward with them, plunging into the depths of CreviceClan territory.

Instantly the atmosphere grew tense. "Split up; take your positions," Petalbreeze whispered down the line, bounding forward to play her role.

He had gone only a few steps when Hareleap was seized suddenly by an uncontrollable, instinctive feeling that something was wrong. Leaves crinkled off to the left; a black form moved amongst the shadows. He tried to give a shout, to move, to follow along with the plan, but dread trapped him like a claw, choking him and preventing him from action. The tall, menacing trees around him brought forth not just the memories of his time underneath their shadows, but the emotions as well.

"Let's go!" cried Petalbreeze's voice from far away. Suddenly more alert, Hareleap realized the others had gone ahead. Shaking the reluctance from his tired legs, he dashed forward to meet them, hurrying when he saw with a shiver of fear more figures darting all around him, quick and silent as the night and definitely not from MeadowClan.

Drawing forth one great raggedy breath, he started to cry, "Petalbre-", but he was quickly cut off when a paw shot from the darkness behind him with the speed of a rattlesnake and knocked him hard on the head.

He sputtered and, stunned, could do nothing as shadows lifted themselves out from the trees and revealed themselves to be cats, dripping heavily with black, oozing mud and hatred. A force behind him shoved him roughly to the ground, causing him to cry out in agony when he landed on his bad leg. With hazy, glazed eyes he watched the masters quickly dispatch the rest of the group just ahead, although he distinctively remembered hearing Petalbreeze's screams of refusal and then pain as they forced her to submit. He realized dimly that they had been there all along, blending in with the shadows and listening, always listening…

Dark shapes blurred together before his eyes, and before long his agony softened as unconsciousness took its hold. Cackling laughs echoed throughout the forest, directed at the warriors of MeadowClan lying in the dirt, defeated in a matter of moments.

...

Immediately upon witnessing their defeat, a small figure leaped out from the bushes and raced away, kicking up leaves into the air in her haste. Her chest heaved with exhaustion from having just run long and hard, but newfound fear at the scene she had just left drove her on.

She couldn't stand just waiting around and watching them go to what just might now be their deaths. Even though she should have stayed behind, she couldn't help but sneak out after them. The suspense was too strong, and besides; CreviceClan had ruined her. Endless sadness and pain had tormented her after what they had done. Now was her chance to shine; she could feel it in her heart. Someone had to tell, to announce the dreadful news. If she played the role of the messenger and sent the word home, then perhaps there could be a chance of rescuing them.

The wind whirled around her, catching her fur and tearing at her eyes. She squeezed them shut, tears stinging her cheeks as she remembered how they fell, defeated and hopeless. I'll save you! she cried in her mind, stumbling with exhaustion but not allowing herself to falter. But I couldn't save my brother…

The next day, the moon revealed with its gaze a tiny and shivering form on the verge of consciousness, padding softly on bleeding paws. Fernleaf, who couldn't sleep due to her anxious state of mind, left her post by Violetstar's side and rushed outside to catch the young apprentice's head as she fell to the ground.

"MeadowClan was…defeated," rasped Mistpaw, and then she let herself go.

I return with more sudden sneak attacks, more fade-outs, and more cliffhangers! How great is that?