I literally sat on my ass for so long writing this today. My hand literally got a cramp afterwards. I'm literally saying literally way too much. Hi.

Recap: Ashfoot announces to WindClan that Onestar has disappeared, and she worries that he went back to the ThunderClan camp to challenge the rogues. She decides to go after him, along with Crowfeather, Nightfall, and Ross. Earlier in the night, Dire stands at the burial grounds near the band's camp, thinking about Nightfall and her exile and Scarlet's death. Mourn approaches him, telling him that he knows his sister didn't kill Scarlet. Later, the four cats get to WindClan's camp, where Nightfall and Ross talk. He tells her that he really cares about her, and that there's something he's done that he's been afraid to tell her about, but she'll learn soon. The four cats continue into the woods and enter the ThunderClan slash rogue camp.

So, this is the second-to-last chapter. I'm not gonna say much at the end, but, yeah. Tell me what you think, or not, either way. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. (: I'm so tired I'm going to bed once this is up.

Chapter 36

Butterflies

We could hear voices inside, loud and riled up. Something was going on. And then, one voice stuck out to us- it was Onestar. He was in there, right then. And he was alive. All four of us heard him, but we said nothing to each other.

Ashfoot looked at the three of us quickly before giving a brief nod. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the small opening, slipping into camp. Crowfeather, body still and tail sticking up, rigidly followed after her. Ross and I looked at each other, and he quickly pressed his muzzle to mine before he nodded. I stepped through the entrance, and he followed right behind.

All of us stopped the moment we were inside, right at the top of the stony slope. I swallowed, beginning to feel slightly dizzy. Through the darkness, I tried to figure out what was going on- and then, my eyes were drawn to the center of the camp. Cats were crowded together, situated in a circle around two cats. I squinted, trying to tell who-

"Onestar and Dire," whispered Ross into my ear. My eyes widened as I watched. What was going on?

"I'm surprised you came all this way by yourself," Dire was saying, tail lashing, a small smirk on his face. "What did your Clan do, abandon you? But honestly, what did you plan to achieve, here?"

"Release the prisoners," the WindClanner demanded in a low voice. "What use do you have for them, anyway?"

"I don't have one," Dire responded smoothly. "Which is why I planned to kill them."

"No!" came a sudden blood-curdling scream, and I flinched, wincing as I looked over at Crowfeather. He'd been the one who'd yelled out, and his eyes were now wide as he looked frantically around.

All eyes rose up to us, and I swear my heart stopped. I could tell that at first, no one recognized us, but then, one by one, eyes began to widen as they began to realize who I was.

"Nightfall," breathed a voice. "Is that you?" I looked down, letting out a small gasp when I saw Mourn looking up at me from the crowd, his eyes huge in disbelief. Beside him stood Sapphire and Badger, who were both looking at me wordlessly, and the silver she-cat's mouth was agape.

"Mourn," I whispered, taking a small step forward, but I was quickly interrupted.

"You're back, I see," Dire commented without much interest, whiskers twitching. "That wasn't long at all."

"Ashfoot, Crowfeather," Onestar said, stepping forward. "What's going on? Did you follow me here? Why are those two with you?"

Cats all around were immediately beginning to chatter feverishly, half of them staring and hissing at me and asking each other what on Earth I was doing here and the other half demanding just who these two newcomers were. Dire narrowed his eyes and lashed his tail, his gaze setting on his brother.

"Ross, I see you're back, too," he said evenly, though there was a hint of growl in his voice. "How curious it is that it takes you a day longer to return than Vivi and Ruby, and when you do come back, you have the traitor with you."

"Tawnypelt," I breathed, scanning the clearing. "What did you do to Tawnypelt?"

The chuckled quietly, shaking his head softly. "Don't worry, she's fine. For now." He then began to move through the throng of cats until he reached the foot of the Highledge and swiftly trotted up to the top. Straightening himself out, he sat down, where he could look over the whole band.

Onestar, still standing at the bottom in the midst of the rogues, narrowed his eyes, ears flattened against his head.

"How dare you stand there," he hissed, fur fluffed out. "The Highledge is meant for ThunderClan leaders."

"Well, then," Dire replied nonchalantly, "it's a good thing I changed that." His whiskers twitched, a small, smug smile on his face as he looked around. "Maxwell, bring the prisoners out here. All of them." For some reason, the moment he finished saying that, he looked up at me, his amber eyes glowing intensely. "I don't know why you decided to come back, Nightfall, or what you plan to do. But first, I thought that you could say hello to your Clan friends, one last time."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I growled slowly, though his words made me wary. Dire just smirked at me, saying nothing.

A moment later, I looked down to see as, one by one, each cat was brought out- Whitepaw, Cloudtail, Leafpool, Tawnypelt... and Thornclaw. The apprentice was being carried on Maxwell's back, still unconscious but still alive. Her father followed directly behind her, and his eyes didn't leave her. The medicine cat's head was held high, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the rogues around her. Tawnypelt presented herself in a similar manner, but when she looked up to see us, she paused, blinking in surprise. And when Thornclaw emerged from the den, he hung is head slightly before lifting his gaze to look at me. I opened my mouth slightly, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked away, lowering his head. I frowned.

Beside me, I saw that Crowfeather's tail was sticking up into the air, and he suddenly started stumbling forwards, his eyes wide. Ashfoot quickly noticed and tried to hold him back; "Crowfeather, what are you-" But he broke away from her and staggered down the steep, rocky slope, pushing past the confused cats in the crowd. I stared at him, not quite sure what to do, or what he was doing, but within three seconds, I understood.

He ran up to the prisoners, who were looking at him with disbelief, as if they'd seen a ghost. But when one cat in particular, Leafpool, saw him, she looked as if she would faint.

"Leafpool," he breathed, walking up to her and pressing his muzzle to hers as he lay his tail on her back. The medicine cat pulled away, gazing at him with huge amber eyes, her chin trembling slightly.

"Crowfeather?" she whispered, and a second later, she buried her face into his fur, oblivious, if only for a few moments, of everything around them. Everyone was watching, slightly astonished, before Dire suddenly growled, "Enough. Pull him away."

As if on cue, Ruby and Ember stepped forward, pulling Crowfeather away from the she-cat and pushing him back a few taillengths. Leafpool stayed where she was, but she stared at him, ears flattened and eyes shining with emotion.

"Onestar, we have to go," Ashfoot suddenly growled from where the three of us stood at the top of the slope. "We came to bring you back."

"Ah, but you can't leave, yet," meowed the dark brown tabby atop the Highledge. "Don't you have anything to say to your Clanmates?"

Ashfoot narrowed her eyes, keeping her gaze set with Dire's, neither of them moving or looking away. After a moment, the band leader snorted softly, lashing his tail.

"Enough. I've waited too long for this. Ruby, Ember, get rid of them. Quickly."

After he said those words, everything went by so slowly and so quickly at the same time. Before I could even move, before anyone could even move, the two she-cats stepped forward, suddenly knocking Thornclaw to the ground, but not before swatting him across the face and sending tiny drops of blood falling to the stone. Frozen, and feeling as though I was trapped in time, I watched as Tawnypelt snarled, leaping towards them. Cloudtail stumbled backwards and stood over his daughter, who had been placed onto the stone. Leafpool and Crowfeather stood there, watching, eyes wide. And it wasn't until Thornclaw slowly lifted his head, his eyes locking with mine, that I finally came back to Earth and realized what was going on.

I didn't even know, at that point, what Ashfoot and Ross, who had been standing beside me, were doing. I could only see Thornclaw as Ruby pushed his head against the stone with her paw, and I found that I was suddenly running forward, skidding down the steep slope towards the middle of the throng where they were. All of a sudden, cats were everywhere, all around me, as I immersed myself into the group. I looked around; I couldn't see clearly, and panic grasped at me as I tried to get to Thornclaw. I heard yowls and hisses and snarls and the voices of Onestar, Ashfoot, and Tawnypelt, among many rogues. I thought that I faintly could hear Ross calling out to me from the top of the slope, but I don't know what he was saying.

There was such a commotion that I couldn't quite tell what was going on. But I did know that rogues were hissing and yelling obscured words at me as they held me back, and a second later, I felt as I was shoved to the ground, hitting hard against the rock. I winced, opening my eyes and seeing cats all around me, hearing their shouts, and among them: Thornclaw's cries. I felt a paw at my neck, and another against my shoulder, keeping me pinned there. I felt dizzy and sick. Tawnypelt was snarling and shouting at them to stop, but I think that they'd managed to hold her back, too, along with the other prisoners. I heard Onestar shouting at a rogue- it sounded like they were fighting. I heard Leafpool's voice, too, soft but frantic- though I couldn't make out her words.

Clenching my teeth together, I writhed beneath whoever it was that was keeping me at the ground, but their firm on me was strong and I couldn't manage any sort of attack from where I was. But a second later, I heard a low growl, and I recognized Tin's voice. Someone else was talking to him, and then, the tom let out a sharp yelp, and I felt his grip on me loosen. I quickly rolled out of under him and leaped to my paws, my head pounding. I saw blood slowly trickle from Tin's right shoulder- it was a fresh wound. And when I looked over, I saw his sister standing there, lips pulled back and ears flattened, silver fur blowing in a soft breeze and eyes glistening in the darkness.

"Sapphire," I breathed, regaining my balance.

"Stay away from her," she was growling, and Tin's fur fluffed out, agitated.

"Why are you defending her?" he spat, eyes narrowed. "When will you see that she's a traitor?"

"Shut up," Sapphire hissed, and I was slightly surprised by her aggression, especially towards her own brother. She said nothing more to him. Running up to me, she quickly whispered, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, a bit shaken. "Thanks," I murmured. She gave me a small, strained smile, quickly pressing her muzzle to mine before nodding, eyes glowing.

I pushed my way forward, and I think that now everyone was so occupied with the fighting that they paid me little mind. Sapphire stayed at my side, and I looked around, standing as tall as I could as I tried to see what was going on.

Two seconds later, me and Sapphire pushed between Maxwell and Vivi, who didn't even look at us- their eyes were glued to what was happening right in front of them.

Cats were holding back Leafpool and Crowfeather in the crowd, who could do nothing but watch, their pelts just barely brushing. Tawnypelt was snarling and yelling at Ember and Ruby, but Thomas and Pine, a large orange tabby tom, had pinned her to the ground. Cloudtail had remained with his daughter, but several cats stood beside him to make sure he wouldn't move. I couldn't even see Onestar. He must have been deeper in the crowd, possibly fighting one or two others.

And on the ground lay Thornclaw as Ruby and Ember continued to hit him and bite him and lash their flexed claws out at him. He looked beaten and pathetic, dark streaks of blood dripping down his pelt and onto the rock beneath him. He wasn't even fighting back. He was just lying there, wincing as the two she-cats struck him again and again. He lifted his eyes to look at me, and in those eyes I could see utter pain. In fact, his eyes looked just like they had when I'd found him in that fox trap months earlier. I remember I'd fought the urge to roll my eyes, back then. Who would be stupid enough to wind up in a fox trap? Only, his eyes were now shining more intensely, and this time, I actually felt something as he looked at me almost pleadingly.

I knew that the moment I'd seen what they were doing to him, I should have ran forward and fought like hell to keep him alive. What they were doing was cruel, and what was worse, they were making everyone- including the other prisoners- watch. But I just stood there, hearing his yowls as flashbacks surged through my mind. When I'd first met him, I wouldn't have cared what would happen to him. And now, even though I knew he must have hated me for lying to him about Brackenfur's death, I couldn't stand seeing him like this.

So I took a rigid step forward, and another, and as my front paw hung suspended in the air, the second before I was going to flex my claws and prepare to fight for this cat and tell him again that I was sorry, Ruby leaned over, and in one quick motion, she wrapped her jaws around his neck and bit.

There was a terrible cry, and as this terrible cry filled the air, everyone around him fell silent. Completely silent. It lasted for a few moments, Thornclaw's voice growing quieter and quieter until it was gone. He was still looking at me the second before he closed his eyes, laying motionless and bloodied on the dark stone.

Ruby took a step back, nearly expressionless. Nobody spoke. My heart was pounding, and I actually found that it was hard to breathe. I just stood there, staring at his body, any signs of movement and life having disappeared.

He was dead.

I shook my head slightly, not knowing what to do. After a few seconds of shock, I suddenly felt rage and hatred boiling inside of me, and I slowly lifted my head to Dire, who stood at the top of the Highledge, amber eyes gleaming in the darkness that was beginning to fade. When our eyes met, his lips gradually formed into a smirk. And that did it.

Practically blind, I let out a loud yowl and began to run forward, diving back into the crowd. I was blatantly aware that some rogues were trying to hold me back, but I furiously lashed my claws out at anyone who came near. Leaping forward, I managed to get to the foot of the Highledge, and I raced up the steep stone, claws scraping against the rock as I struggled not to fall.

I didn't even know what I was doing, but honestly I didn't care. When I got to the top, I didn't stop for one minute. I flung myself at the cat who was facing me, and since I don't think even he was expecting it, I managed to quickly knock him over to the ground. He hissed and tried to recoil, but I pinned him down, putting one paw right at his throat as I stood over him.

I lifted my head, panting, as I looked out at the crowd. Everyone was staring at me, jaws hanging open and eyes wide with pure shock. I swallowed, trying not to let my limbs shake. It was so different to stand up here, feeling like you had power over everyone. I spotted Ross, still standing at the top of the slope opposite me.

"Nobody move," I breathed as I looked around, my heart racing and my eyes narrowed. "And nobody touch any of the Clan cats. I swear to StarClan, I'll kill him."

Dire looked up at me with these words, eyes narrowed to slits, but at the same time, he looked, somehow, amused.

"You couldn't," he whispered to me, grinning slightly. "Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to kill me. What about Ross? What would he think if you were to kill his brother..."

"Shut up," I snarled, leaning over to hiss in his ear, "You're going to tell them the truth about Scarlet's death. You're going to tell them that it wasn't me who killed her, and that you knowingly and willingly exiled an innocent cat. If you don't, I swear, I will kill you. And if you think I'm not serious, then let me tell you that this is the most serious I've ever been about anything in my life."

He snorted softly, and a second later, he began to chuckle. I felt a pang of fury, but at the same time, it made me worried.

"Very well," he murmured. Then, from where he still lay, pressed against the rock, he called out, "Attention, everyone! Nightfall here would like me to tell you all the truth about Scarlet's death. And since it would appear that I'm being threatened with my life, here, I suppose it's time to tell you." I stared out at the crowd, actually surprised about how smoothly this was going. He was actually going to tell them that I was innocent, that it was he who killed her. But then again, this was Dire we were talking about. Nothing was so simple with him.

I heard the group begin to murmur to each other in confusion, and a smile came to the leader's face.

"But perhaps I'm not the right cat to tell you all. If you would all turn to Ross, your deputy, then I'm sure he'd be happy to explain." I blinked several times as heads turned curiously in the other direction, and everyone stared up at the black and white tom who stood alone. I looked at him, wondering what was going on. He caught my gaze, and gazed at me for half a second before quickly turning away.

"Well?" rasped Dire from beneath my grasp. "Time to tell everyone the truth, Ross."

The deputy looked around at all the faces that were watching him, waiting. He actually looked... scared. And weak. Taking in a deep breath, I gazed at him as he closed his eyes, quietly murmuring...

"I killed her."

Before the crowd could even react, I quickly called out, "Ross, stop. When will you ever stop protecting your brother? You know the truth, just as well as I do. And I don't know what's stopping you anymore." I shook my head; "Ross, just-"

"No," he growled, looking up at me. "It's true. I... I killed Scarlet."

Everyone was silent. They all looked at him, completely shocked and stupefied. No one said anything until Dire, with a grin, smoothly said, "...And there you have it."

"No," I murmured, shaking my head. "It's a lie. You can't believe him." Looking around wildly at the confused crowd, I quickly explained, "When I went to the Moonpool, StarClan showed me something. They put me in the body of Scarlet, letting me see what she was seeing just moments before she died. Dire was the only one there, not Ross. I swear over my mother's body that it was Dire who killed Scarlet. StarClan doesn't lie."

"You're wrong," Ross told me evenly, tail lashing. He hesitated, his eyes now resting on his brother. "...I suppose there's something I've been keeping from you, Dire," he said. The leader blinked, looking at him silently. The deputy continued. "...The evening before Nightfall was exiled, I went to the Moonpool. And I saw StarClan." I stared at him as he spoke; what was he talking about?

"...I talked to them," he continued quietly. "To the ThunderClan cats that we'd killed. To Firestar. And... we made a deal. I told them that if they were to show Nightfall a false illusion of Dire killing Scarlet, then I would swear to protect the prisoners... I suppose I broke my promise." He shook his head, looking down. "I didn't want her to find out that I'd killed her. Even if it was you that had ordered me to do it." He looked at me and Dire, blinking very slowly. "Nightfall, this is what I was talking to you about before we came here. About something I did that I couldn't tell you. But there it is. That's the truth."

I could hear silence pounding through my eyes, and without even realizing it, I loosened my grip on the rogue beneath me, freeing him. I could tell that even he was shocked as he slowly got to his paws and stood beside me.

"...So it was you, then?" I asked quietly, feeling as though I'd just been run over by a truck. "You let Dire exile me, from my friends and my brother, even though it was you that had killed her?" My voice was shaking, as were my legs. I couldn't see straight. So it was a lie? All of it was a lie? StarClan's vision, everything? I didn't even know what to do, or what to think. I just stood there, looking down at my paws, practically oblivious to anything else going on around me.

Beside me, I could hear as Dire let out a loud snarl.

"So I see that even my own deputy- my own brother- has turned against me. And after everything I've done for you. Chose you for the mission, gave you power- and this is the thanks I get?"

"You can't do anything to me," Ross replied quietly. "You no longer have complete control over me. Nothing you do will hurt me anymore."

"Is that so?" Dire murmured, claws scraping against the stone.

There was silence for about three seconds before I suddenly felt a weight shove into me, and I let out a loud gasp as the rock beneath my paws disappeared. My eyes wide, I felt, for a moment, as time once again had slowed down, and I felt myself suspended in the air, staring up at the sky- at the hundreds of stars and thin clouds and dark blue as night slowly made its way for dawn. And I saw Dire's face as he watched me from the top of the ledge, eyes glowing, face devoid of emotion.

And then, I hit the ground with a thud. Pain shot up my spine and throughout my entire body as it absorbed the impact with the hard stone beneath me. It was the most intense pain I'd ever felt in my life, but despite this, I didn't cry out, or scream, or anything. I just lay there, my eyes huge and mouth wide open as my limbs screeched with agony. Had I broken any bones? Probably. I couldn't tell.

I heard voices around me, yelling and shouting as they came closer. I didn't know what any of them were saying. I was just laying on my side, my back away from everyone as I stared at the foot of the Highledge. But even then, my vision was beginning to blur. Was that blood I felt beneath me? I didn't know. I still don't.

"...Oh, God," I heard someone say as everyone began to crowd around me. I think it was Sapphire. "Nightfall? Nightfall! Are you alright? God, Nightfall... Nightfall!" I felt someone touch me, pressing a paw against certain places on my body- I think it was Leafpool, maybe. And I saw a flash of white- was that Cloudtail?

No. It was Mourn. I could see his one black paw in front of me. He leaned over, lowering his head to my level as he stared at me. I looked at him, but I didn't say anything. I couldn't, even if I'd wanted to. My head was spinning, and I couldn't even think straight. He was speaking to me, but I couldn't quite fit the words together to make a cohesive sentence. Something about Schala's last words, and taking me to the moors. I think that's what he was saying, anyway. I saw Badger, pressed up against him as she looked at me with horror. Others were there, too, rogues who I hardly knew as well as Clan cats. I heard a deep voice yelling- was it Ross?

A few moments later, the black and white tom pushed aside Mourn and Badger, and for a second, I saw his amber eyes gaze at me, and the excruciating pain I felt went away, if only for a second. I heard him saying something about him being sorry, that it was his fault that all of this even happened in the first place. But at that point, everything around me was already beginning to fade, and quickly. My vision was going, and so was my hearing. But I do remember very clearly one thing that Ross told me as he sat beside me.

"I love..."

And that was the last thing I heard him say.

Suddenly, the world around me began to change. The commotion going on around me grew fainter and fainter until I heard nothing but silence, and the sharp lines that defined Ross's features grew more and more blurred until I couldn't even recognize him anymore. White was washing over me, and I didn't realize it then, but the pain that had been pulsing through my body was disappearing.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in grass, long and golden. Confused, I shakily heaved myself to my paws and looked around, stunned. I was in a field, a beautiful field that went out as far as the eye could see. There was a thin layer of mist in the air, and the sun was only just rising, sending a gorgeous red and orange and yellow light over everything. Flowers of white and purple bloomed everywhere.

I quietly lifted my head. There, in the distance, stood a single figure, illuminating brilliantly in the new sun. She had a pelt of silvery blue as it waved beautifully in the breeze, a kind aura about her as she looked at me, smiling.

Schala?

It was only when I took a step forward that suddenly, all around me, millions of butterflies flew up from the grass. They were of every hue of the rainbow, all of them dancing and floating through the air, light as a feather, swarming around me, surrounding me in a sea of color. It... was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Reds, golds, blues, greens, whites, mingling together in this perfect harmony. I watched them for what felt like years, hypnotized by their movements as they performed something like a ritual.

I felt happy, all of a sudden, and I lifted my head to the sky, seeing them fly overheard like a flock of birds, free, casting silhouettes against the almost cloudless sky.

...I smiled.

Stay tuned for the finale...

Till next time,

Pearls