The Broken Code: Fallen Spirits

by Bilbz

After the events of The Broken Code: Veil of Shadows, the impostor is still a prisioner in the Thunderclan camp. What the clan cats don't know is that despite the body of Bramblestar being a prisioner, the spirit of the impostor is free and is taking control over ghosts of other cats around the lake. No one, living or dead, is safe from the impostor's twisted plans for the clans.

18. I'll remember you, Finchpaw

So...yeah.

Took a long time to write the chapter (again) but hey, one has to wait for good things.

Besides, I had to do major, and I mean MAJOR changes to the first chapters to make them make sense character-wise and this-chapter-wise. I HIGHLY recommend reading back through two specific ones:

Not a glorious end, Lionblaze (100% Important to better understand the events that take place here).

Don't you dare to die now, Jayfeather (Not that important but I made changes to the way that Finchpaw talks and acts to better fit her character in this chapter).

Also, I updated ch. 5-7 to have both better dialogues and improved character establishment (Especially Needleclaw's way of acting and talking, jeez her first appearance was way too "energic").

If you don't want to go back, know that Lionblaze was affected by some strange mix of herbs to leave the camp rather than just walk away bc he felt like it.

Once again, I will apologize for taking so long, but I absolutely had to take my sweet time here because the chapter speaks of very sensitive stuff that I wanted to show and deal with in my story. I don't believe that I'm the right person to speak of these topics but I do believe that maybe I can help someone out there that might read this and feel related to poor Finchpaw. Not being remembered is much more impactful to her than what you would have expected. I bet that you didn't expect her to have a chapter, or that you may have even forgotten that she existed.

With that, I wish you all a great day, and I will try to make the next chapter (which is a thousand times less complicated) take not so long to write.

Btw, we are only two chapters away from the ending, the moment where this ends. I cannot believe this, but I'm geniuenly scared. Don't believe me? Here's me smashing my keyboard in fear.

CLKJDFSUIGD;TBWOTUORMVEUBYOI WJEAHBY4H ETPWEIBYTWE PUI WSTHUWEIUADNFDJ UWU GYWEY U YUEYG F

Anyways, time to see what exactly Finchpaw has to add to this story...

---

"Do I really have to do this?"

Cinderheart looked back at the apprentice, twitching her whiskers in surprise for her hesitation. Finchpaw looked away, embarrassed by her own comment, but still reluctant to grab any piece of prey from the fresh-kill pile.

"All cats need to be fed, Finchpaw'' Cinderheart said, and the apprentice could see how she casted a glance at the nursery with narrowed eyes, "Even prisoners…"

Finchpaw followed her mentor's gaze, feeling a pang of sadness in her chest as she looked at the den that had given shelter to so many litters and queens. The morning sunlight bathed the brambles that coated the walls of the nursery, with tiny dots of light being reflected on the many thorns that protected the den.

The only thing that betrayed the peaceful appearance of the nursery were the two warriors that stood on opposite sides of its entrance, who occasionally looked back into the den with nervous glances.

Finchpaw knew what they were looking at, as it made her feel even more terrified of having to enter that den. She looked back at Cinderheart with pleading eyes.

"Can't any other apprentice do it?" The young she-cat begged, "Or maybe Lionblaze or Thornclaw."

"Thornclaw is out on patrol, and Lionblaze is…" Cinderheart sighed, briefly looking back at the warrior's den, "Our deputy now, he's too busy to do apprentice duties. Every other apprentice is out of camp."

Of course they are.

"But, what if he attacks me?" Finchpaw blurted out, "I can't fight him by myself!"

Cinderheart narrowed her eyes, "Finchpaw, you just have to leave some prey in the nursery, you don't even have to be near him."

But I'm still in the same place as him.

The young she-cat shuddered as she remembered the fake leader of Thunderclan, and how he had forced her into exile. Just because she was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, Bramblestar's impostor had called her out in front of the entire clan, screaming at her as if she was as vicious and horrible as the old Tigerstar.

And I just have to be the one to feed him, don't I?

The tortoiseshell she-cat resigned to grab a mouse with her jaws, knowing that Cinderheart would not let her escape her task as an apprentice. In her hurry, she grabbed a fat sparrow instead. However, she didn't change the piece of prey for a scrawnier one, as she didn't want her mentor to see her revolving the entire fresh-kill pile like a little kit.

She turned around and, led by Cinderheart, began to make her way into the nursery where Bramblestar's impostor was being kept prisoner. The apprentice walked close to her mentor, trying hard to not make her own pelt brush against Cinderheart's grey fur by accident. She heard her mentor speak to another cat on her left.

"Hey Eaglewing."

"Oh, hi Cinderheart" The ginger warrior replied, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Good enough. How about you? I heard you shifting in your nest."

"It was nothing, just some belly ache" The ginger warrior replied quickly. Finchpaw could not see her, as Eaglewing was on Cinderheart's left and she herself was standing on the other side. Even if she could have seen her, the apprentice couldn't really talk with prey in her jaw, and she knew that she didn't have anything interesting to say to Eaglewing either.

Cinderheart took a while to answer, but she said "Well, try to get as much sleep as you can. You are going to need it when they arrive."

Finchpaw looked at Cinderheart with confusion.

Who is she talking about?"

Eaglewing seemed to understand who Cinderheart was referring to, since she gasped slightly, "How did you know?"

"Doesn't matter, just go and tell Snaptooth, he'll fall flat on the ground when he hears about it. Although you might want to check in with Alderheart first."

"And, you think that I'm…?"

Eaglewing's voice trailed off, but Cinderheart nodded slowly.

"Congratulations" She mewed.

"Cinderheart, thank you so much!" The ginger she-cat replied excitedly before walking past Finchpaw's mentor. In doing so, she noticed that the young apprentice had been right beside the grey-tabby she-cat during the entire conversation.

Eaglewing took a few heartbeats to say something to her, a brief moment of silence that Finchpaw had gotten used to after so many cats had shared it when speaking to her.

Will she get it wrong or forget it?

"Oh, hi there" Eaglewing said quickly.

"Hi" She briefly replied.

She forgot it.

Trying to avoid an awkward silence, Finchpaw said "Cngrtltions…"

She paused, since Eaglewing gave her a confused look. The sparrow was still hanging from Finchpaw's teeth, and the words coming out of her mouth sounded muffled. The apprentice didn't continue, instead looking away in embarrassment.

You don't even know what they were talking about, mouse-brain!

Eaglewing awkwardly turned around and walked away, probably headed in the direction of Snaptooth for whatever reason. The tortoiseshell she-cat sighed heavily, which earned her a worried look from her mentor.

Fortunately, Cinderheart didn't mention anything about that short conversation. Finchpaw didn't need her mentor to speak to know what she was thinking, and she didn't need to hear it again.

"Maybe you should speak to more cats, Finchpaw. I'm sure they'll like you."

She pushed forwards in the direction of the nursery, feeling her fur beginning to prickle nervously. Inside that den was the cat that had tried to destroy Thunderclan by pretending to be its leader, the impostor that had punished and exiled so many warriors. That tom was someone that Finchpaw would rather like to see on the opposite side of the lake.

Plumstone and Leafshade were guarding the entrance, and they both gave Cinderheart a brief yet respectful dip of their heads. Finchpaw couldn't help but to feel a pang of bitter admiration towards her mentor, since she was such a confident and skilled warrior, respected by the whole clan.

Will I ever get to be like that?

Plumstone's voice caught the apprentice's attention, "I assume that you two are not here to replace us, right?"

"And you are right, Finchpaw is here to feed him" Cinderheart answered, moving to one side to let the apprentice stand alone in front of the two warriors. Leafshade glanced at the fat piece of prey that Finchpaw was carrying, narrowing her eyes.

"To be honest, I would like to let that fox-heart starve" She said with a low growl.

"Wouldn't we all?" Plumstone replied as he sighed, "But, as long as he is using Bramblestar's body, I don't think we have any other option."

"According to Squirrelflight, at least."

The warriors gave way for Finchpaw to enter the nursery. In a dark corner, the apprentice could see the shape of a brown tabby lying on the stone-cold ground. The sight gave her a shiver, and not even the faint scent of milk and kits coming from the nursery was enough to calm her down. She looked at Cinderheart with pleading eyes.

"Could you… come with me?" She asked, which caused the sparrow to fall from her jaws into the ground. Finchpaw crouched down to pick it back up, but she plucked a few feathers out of the bird by accident. She loudly coughed them out of her mouth under the amused look of the two older warriors.

When seeing that, Cinderheart twitched her whiskers in surprise, which made Finchpaw's pelt feel hot with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to say that" She quickly apologized with an almost-trembling mew as she began to walk forwards, feeling Plumstone, Leafshade and Cinderheart's gazes fixed on her, "I can do this alone, I'm sorry."

Cinderheart opened her jaws to speak, but before she could say anything, her eyes fell on Lionblaze, who was walking out of the warrior's den with his head lowered and looking tired. The grey-tabby she-cat gave her apprentice an apologetic look before heading in the direction of her mate, leaving Finchpaw to enter the nursery alone.

The tortoiseshell apprentice walked into the den with quiet steps, praying to Starclan that the prisoner would not wake up. She held the sparrow between her teeth tightly, not wanting it to fall to the ground with a loud noise, and held her own breath the closer she got to Bramblestar's impostor.

When she was merely a few whiskers away from him, she lowered her head and gently placed the mouse on the ground. She looked up, expecting to see the tabby glare at her with his terrifying amber eyes, but thankfully they were still closed. The apprentice noticed that Bramblestar's chest was not moving up and down, and she couldn't feel his breathing even when being so close to his face. It was almost as if he was dead.

She was backing away slowly, when she noticed another strange thing. The nests of the nursery were littered with dead leaves and torn bedding, having been destroyed by that impostor after being made prisoner. She couldn't help but to feel sorry for Daisy, the kind and caring queen that had helped so many mothers, as her nest was lying shredded on the stone ground.

In her distraction, the apprentice had not noticed that the tabby behind her back had slowly stood up. He looked at the tortoiseshell she-cat for a few heartbeats, his amber eyes narrowed. With deadly silence, he walked around the distracted apprentice and placed himself between the entrance of the den and her.

Suddenly, the she-cat felt a voice behind her back, "Finchpaw."

Her pelt shot up and she turned around, coming face to face with the cat that was using Bramblestar's body. She looked at the entrance behind him and panic overwhelmed her as she realized that she was trapped.

How did he even get there?!

The she-cat tried to back away, but she scrambled and tripped on the torn bedding under her her, there were only the sturdy walls of the nursery, and there was no tight spot or hole that she could squeeze through.

She wanted to scream, to call for help, but her voice failed her, and all that could come out of it was a short whimper.

The tabby didn't react to that pitiful sound, he simply stood in front of Finchpaw. To the apprentice's surprise, he gave her a wise look, as if he was still the real Bramblestar instead of some twisted impostor. He slowly opened his jaws to speak once again, his voice sounding soothing and friendly.

"You've got a pretty name…"

(...)

The full moon's light bathed the entirety of the forest, making the leaves and pebbles on the ground glimmer with a pale glow. They almost looked as if they were trying to replicate the countless stars in the night sky, but failed by a long stretch. Through the delicately lightened forest, a tortoiseshell apprentice walked forwards with heavy steps, ignoring the silent beauty around her as she saw herself getting closer to the Thunderclan border on the distance.

Finchpaw had always liked the forest, especially when walking through it alone. Something about the feeling of being far from every other cat in the lake brought a huge relief to her. Out in the forest, the only eyes that could see her were the ones of the birds and mices. Being Finchpaw didn't matter, because it meant nothing. She could just lie flat on the ground and she would still be as part of the forest as any tree, bush or patch of grass that surrounded her.

I could just disappear, and the forest would be the only one to know...

Finchpaw was aware that every cat in all five of the clans was scared of that night, but she knew that she had no reason to fear. Squirrelflight wanted her to stay in camp, she wouldn't have to be at the gathering where the real danger would await her clanmates. Instead, she had to be prepared for an attack which would never arrive.

Pawsteps could be heard behind the tortoiseshell apprentice, hurrying to reach her side. Finchpaw tasted the air and felt the scent of Alderheart, whose breath was tired as he bounded towards the she-cat. With a sigh, she turned her head around to look back at the dark-ginger tom. He was a few tail-lengths away from her, holding a small bundle of herbs between his jaws. Alderheart stopped on his track when he noticed that the apprentice's eyes were fixed on him.

"Finchpaw…" He said with uncertainty in his mew as he looked at the she-cat in the eyes, "You… ran away."

"I'm sorry" Finchpaw mumbled without thinking.

"No, It's fine" He replied quickly, beginning to walk towards Thunderclan territory.

Both cats moved forwards, taking in the sounds of the gentle swaying of the leaves moved by the soft breeze coming from the lake. Finchpaw avoided the tom's eyes, not wanting to say anything about why she had stormed out of the Safecamp.

"Thanks for helping me today" Alderheart said.

The apprentice nodded, remaining silent.

"Hey, Finchpaw" Alderheart hurried his steps to stand in front of the she-cat, "I mean it."

"I know" She replied curtly as she brushed past the medicine cat, who followed shortly after.

"I'm glad that Ivypool is recovering" Alderheart continued, "Her injury could have been permanent, but she got lucky."

Finchpaw lowered her head, knowing that it was her fault that her clanmates had almost died in that Thunderpath outside of clan territory. Ivypool had pressured her into blurting out everything that she had done, and as much as Finchpaw had wanted to help with her actions, the older warrior changed everything by saving Snaptooth and Stormcloud.

It wasn't meant to be that way.

"Some cats said that Bristlefrost and her got into a fight, but they seemed to be better before we left" The medicine cat paused for a heartbeat, and the she-cat could hear him take a deep breath, "It's good to talk about the things that bother us."

The apprentice saw, from the corner of her eye, that Alderheart's head had turned around and his eyes looked at her with compassion, "And I want to help you with them."

"N-no, I'm fine" Finchpaw quickly answered, "There's nothing bothering me."

"Finchpaw, you just screamed at Bristlefrost because she got your name confused" The tom reasoned.

"So I told her to forget it, because it doesn't seem to matter to her anyways" She replied, her pelt growing hotter as her steps became shorter and shorter, "In fact, I'm sure it doesn't matter to anyone."

"Finchpaw, don't say those things about yourself."

"Why not?" Finchpaw's paws came to a halt and she looked at Alderheart with her eyes narrowed, "It's not like someone is going to bother listening."

"I'm doing that" Alderheart said, but when he saw the anger in Finchpaw's eyes he quickly corrected himself, "I-I mean that I want to listen to what you say. I care about you."

"That's just because Sparkpelt is your sister" The apprentice replied, "If we weren't kin you wouldn't even know who I am."

The tom was taken aback by that comment, and his mew grew anxious as he said "That's not true-"

"Then why are you trying to make me feel better?" She asked.

"Because I know how it feels, Finchpaw" He answered suddenly, "I know what it's like to think that everything that you do is wrong, and that you can't face it, and that you are not enough and just…"

The tom sighed, looking down at the ground for a long moment. He then took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"I know it's hard, but telling yourself that you can't fix it, that nobody can help you fix it, is just wrong."

He took a step forward and gently brushed his tail on the apprentice's shoulder to reassure her from something that he didn't understand. Finchpaw avoided looking at his eyes, because she knew that she would feel guilt.

He's trying to help you, yet you still lie to him.

"I used to think that I could never become a medicine cat. Jayfeather was tough with me, and Leafpool wasn't always there to calm him down" Alderheart explained slowly, "But Sparkpelt helped me, and I understood that I could be a medicine cat, as hard as it would be. Even Jayfeather was nice to me after that."

For a moment, Finchpaw looked back at Alderheart. The tom's gaze was sincere, gentle on its attempt to help the apprentice. Yet, the she-cat still felt that nagging guilt that she had felt, but now it was mixed with a familiar anger.

At least your kin was there when you needed it.

Finchpaw took a step back, flinching away from the Alderheart's reassuring words. Before the tom could say anything, Finchpaw opened her jaws and felt a low growl coming out of her throat.

"Lucky you, Alderheart" She muttered as she turned around and ran in the direction of the Thunderclan border. The further she lost herself in-between the trees and bushes in that massive and silent forest, the better. If only for a moment, she wanted the wind that she felt on her pelt to carry her away bit by bit, like the leaves being blown off a pile.

She wanted to disappear in that forest, since she knew that nobody would look for her.

(...)

The apprentice stood still, fear and confusion mixed in her throat as she looked at the tabby in front of her with frightened eyes. He was looking at her as if he was a wise elder or an old friend, not the ruthless impostor of Thunderclan's leader.

The tom was blocking her only way out, and she was sure that if she tried to call for help then that tabby could easily pin her to the ground and break her spine with his large body.

Despite how intimidated she felt by the tom, what he had said was what confused her the most. Startled by the way that he had complimented her name, she could barely mumble a reply.

"My father chose it."

The impostor looked at her with such intensity that it made Finchpaw shiver, and she pressed herself harder against the nursery's wall behind her. After a few endless heartbeats, the tom nodded slowly.

"Larksong named you well."

The apprentice opened her eyes wide and her breath was cut short.

How does he know his name?

Finchpaw opened her jaws to speak and, without realizing, her body stopped trembling, "You… knew my father?"

"I've encountered his spirit in Starclan" He explained, "The black tom that died of a sickness that no herb could cure, right next to his first and only litter..."

Finchpaw lowered her head, already knowing that painful story by heart. Although, to her dismay, the only parts that she remembered to live through were the ones that were filled with misery.

A brief memory flashed through her mind. The memory of her brother and herself crying out for Sparkpelt as she left them behind to walk through the forest. Finchpaw now knew that her mother had needed that time alone, but when she was a kit it had felt as if Sparkpelt was abandoning her forever. She remembered a single thought that occupied her younger mind.

"Is she going to see my father?"

She never even got to see Larksong's eyes or pelt, and Finchpaw couldn't remember anything about him as hard as she tried. The mere heartbeats that they had both spent together were not enough to fill the lifetime that the tom should have gotten to share with Finchpaw and her brother.

And Flickerkit… I wonder how he would have looked.

As she was distracted in her own thoughts, the tabby had taken a step closer to her.

"Larksong said something to me, Finchpaw" He mewed slowly.

The apprentice raised her head, looking back at the amber eyes of the tom. Those eyes were Bramblestar's, but the cat controlling them wasn't the real leader of Thunderclan. She remembered how the tabby had lost a life buried in a pile of snow of the cruel leaf-bare that had troubled the clans a few moons ago. Someone had told her that that moment could have been when the impostor took control of Bramblestar's body.

If he had to die, then a spirit must have been the one to take over the body. Could he belong to Starclan?

"What did he say?" Finchpaw asked.

The tom moved to one side slowly, giving Finchpaw a chance to escape the nursery. The apprentice, however, remained in place. Her desire to know the answer was stronger than her instinct to get away from the tabby.

"He told me that there is a way for the spirits of Starclan to reach the living world, once they break away from their silence."

The tabby sat down, like a tired elder after telling a long and melancholic story to a little kit. Looking down at Finchpaw with his amber gaze, he added "And I was sent here to do it."

(...)

The apprentice sat down on the flat rocks that littered a corner of the Thunderclan camp. The lack of sunlight made the stones feel cold against her paws, but she didn't feel any chilling sensations spread out to her body. It was just in her paws, and only her paws. They felt the coldness as if they were the only part of her body that was still there, and the rest was just lost.

Or maybe her paws were the only thing that were holding her in place, the only thing that served as a way to prove that she wasn't a ghost silently looming over the clan cats. The only part that could ever prove that she was there.

Maybe I am a ghost, maybe I died like Flickerkit, and Flamepaw is the only one that survived.

She gave a quick glance at her brother, who was looking straight at the entrance to the Thunderclan camp, the one that led into the forest, into the gathering that so many cats feared. Even if Finchpaw had tried, she couldn't share the scared glances, nervous whispers and expectant unsheathing of claws from her clanmates. To her own surprise, she wasn't terrified or even afraid.

Tonight, everything will be over.

Finchpaw looked up at the night sky, seeing that the full moon had begun to make the slow descent that came past its zenith. If the gathering had ended, her clanmates would have arrived already. None of them could be heard approaching, but no yowls had come from the forest either. It was just silence, broken only by the breathings of the expectant warriors.

The scrambling of paws beside her indicated Finchpaw that one of those cats had gotten closer to her without her noticing. At first she had refused to look at that cat, whoever it was, by turning her head to the other side to pretend to be interested in the elder's den, or whatever else her vision had encountered. However, when the young voice of an apprentice spoke to her, Finchpaw believed that the elder's den was the worst thing that she could have been looking at.

"It's very quiet without Graystripe here, don't you think so?"

Baypaw?

Finchpaw, realizing that the tom was also looking at the elder's den, gave him a slow and almost imperceptible nod, without saying a word. The tom didn't respond either, instead letting himself take in the scents of the hollow with gentle breaths, which were almost like a breeze of its own. A breeze which quieted all the other breaths from all the other cats, or at least that's how Finchpaw could feel it in those moments of silence.

The golden-and-white tom gave Finchpaw a long look with penetrating green eyes, and the she-cat could feel her own heart start to beat faster. What was he looking at? Was he looking at her pelt? At her body? Her eyes?

Whichever it was, he was looking at her, he could see her and she could see him as well. She felt everything except for Baypaw's eyes disappear in an instant, and she was only a few whiskers from those eyes that had once seemed so far from her. She opened her mouth but no word came out, instead she felt as if an entire mouse was rattling its way down her throat, not letting her speak.

Before they could say anything, Flamepaw suddenly appeared beside his sister, "Hey, can I talk to you?"

The she-cat blinked and everything around her came back as Baypaw's gaze stopped resting on her. The tom looked at Flamepaw and then back at Finchpaw.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He said with a friendly mew. "I'll leave you alone then, Flingpaw."

Finchpaw felt her breath stop, failing her completely. Baypaw had not been looking at her. He had been looking at Flingpaw, Flinchpaw, that weird apprentice, that she-cat that nobody cared to remember, that nobody that didn't exist.

Flamepaw's voice came to her like a distant and annoying bird singing at sunrise with a screechy voice, "So, do you think that Flywhisker-"

"Who cares?" She muttered. "She probably doesn't even know your name."

Her brother looked at her, and then in the direction where Baypaw had left. "I mean, I couldn't blame her for getting it wrong if you I never talked to her in the first place."

He's right, you know? He at least gets Flywhisker to know that he exists.

"Shut up." She mumbled as she climbed down from the rocks that she had been standing on, leaving Flamepaw sitting alone.

Suddenly, the voices and pawsteps of many Thunderclan warriors could be heard approaching the camp. Every cat in the hollow raised their heads as they saw the dark-ginger fur of Squirrelflight emerge from the entrance to their camp.

(...)

"Finchpaw, are you sure that you want to stay in camp?" Cinderheart asked her, "Flamepaw can take care of the elders."

Finchpaw nodded, which gained her an uncertain look from her mentor. Cinderheart then lowered her head to be right beside her apprentice's ear.

"I thought that maybe you would want to go" She whispered slowly, "Myrtlepaw is out train-hunting, so it would only be you and Baypaw in the hollow."

Just us?

For a moment, Finchpaw's eyes widened. Just for a moment, she imagined herself training right beside the golden-and-white tom as the sun slowly gave way to the approaching night, and then running around the forest together, away from the eyes of mentors, parents and clanmates. For a single heartbeat, her pelt felt warm and her head light, as the simple idea of being close to Baypaw was enough to make her heart beat faster.

Then, a more familiar feeling of uncertainty came to her. She remembered the last time that Baypaw and her had spoken, or rather, the last time that she had tried to say something to him. The only thing that had managed to come out of her mouth was some mumble that not even she could understand, and then she quickly walked away with her tail between her legs. If the two were to train together, she would probably find a way to do something wrong, or don't know what to say, or maybe speak too much, say too much and have the tom give her weird looks.

"He will pay attention to you, every cat here will."

She couldn't prevent herself from sighing heavily.

It was so easy when we were kits.

Finchpaw looked up at Cinderheart, "I have to rid Cloudtail of some ticks" She quickly mumbled.

"Finchpaw…" Cinderheart was not able to finish her sentence before her apprentice walked away in the direction of the medicine den. The tortoiseshell she-cat did not turn around to look at her mentor, as she did not want to worsen the bitter feeling nagging at her stomach.

She only glanced back when she reached the medicine den, and she saw that Cinderheart had turned around and walked away in the direction of the warrior's den. Finchpaw was surprised to feel a more aggressive feeling when seeing her mentor walk away, instead of the expected feeling of guilt.

"She doesn't understand what you are going through, yet she pretends to know what to do about it."

Finchpaw peered inside the medicine den, which was thankfully empty. She hurried inside and headed towards the back of the den, where she could spot a few leaves wrapped in small bundles. As carefully as she could, the apprentice pulled each bundle of herbs out of its corner and placed them in front of her.

Good-smelling, hairy leaves, and leaves with spiky purple flowers.

She rolled open one of the bundles, finding it filled with small seeds which accidently scattered on the den's floor. Finchpaw tried to place the seeds back in their position with her paws, but she had no clue on how to roll the bundles once again so she resigned to opening another one.

The second one had berries, which were also spilled and mixed with the seeds on the ground. Growing ever more nervous, Finchpaw opened a third one. This one had leaves, at least, but none of them had flowers and no particularly good scent, so she bluntly rolled the bundle back.

On her fourth attempt, the apprentice managed to open a bundle with leaves that had pointed and purple-colored flowers. With a relieved sigh, she set some of them aside and tried to look for the other herb that she needed. She suddenly twitched her whiskers when she catched a very strong scent, one that was also surprisingly pleasant to smell. She followed the herb fragrance until her eyes rested on a fifth bundle.

She quickly opened it and saw a bunch of leaves in it. They looked like normal leaves that could be from any bush or plant, but the delicious smell coming from the herb was enough to make them stand out. Finchpaw stayed still for a few heartbeats, feeling the soothing scent from the leaves make its way down her nose into her lungs and body, which received the smell with relief and relaxation.

"Watch out for that herb, it can be dangerously pleasant to smell."

Finchpaw shook her head and, holding her breath, lowered her head to grab as many as those leaves as she could carry in her mouth, taking a few of the other purple-flowered herbs that she had been asked to grab.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her, "Who's there?"

She froze as she heard Alderheart approaching her.

"Finchpaw? Is that you?"

The apprentice quickly placed the herbs back on the ground as she answered, "I'm sorry, I-I needed some bedding for the elders, but you weren't here and they needed it now b-but I didn't know where to find it and..."

She looked at the herbs scattered on the ground, and she saw that Alderheart had also noticed her mess. The ginger tom, however, walked past the scattered leaves and berries to head to the back of the den. After a few heartbeats, he emerged with a bundle of rolled bracken and gave Finchpaw a comprehensive look as he lowered the dry bedding in front of her.

"We always keep it behind the herbs" He glanced at the leaves and seeds on the ground without any hint of annoyance in his eyes, "Don't worry about that mess, just ask me first if you need anything next time."

Finchpaw lowered her head slowly. As she was about to grab the bracken, she catched the scent of the leaves that she was supposed to be carrying. Noticing that Alderheart was distracted as he tried to organize the herbs once again, the apprentice quickly snatched the leaves from the ground.

She gave Alderheart a quick nod as she headed away from the medicine den. She quickly glanced around the camp, for once relieved that no cat was looking at her direction, and headed in the direction of the nursery.

At the entrance, Shellfur and Mousewhisker were standing guard. Shellfur gave Finchpaw a quick glance, his eyes seeming to go past her as if she was a ghost. The apprentice looked away from those eyes.

"Cinderheart told me to fix the bedding" She mumbled, realizing that she had no good excuse for suddenly deciding to enter the nursery.

The tom shrugged, "Sure."

Just like that? Do they not even care?

She looked at Mousewhisker, whose gaze was lost on the highledge. The grey-and-white tom hadn't even glanced at her.

Finchpaw sighed and headed into the nursery. Inside, a brown tabby was calmly waiting for her, his amber eyes pleased to see the apprentice approaching. The she-cat dropped the bracken on the ground and pushed it aside to show the small leaves that she had been asked to bring to him.

"Are these the ones?"

The tabby gave the herbs a long look and he briefly scented the leaves. He nodded, "These are just what I will need. They can help my spirit get stronger."

"And… will that be enough to free Starclan from its silence?" Finchpaw asked with a doubtful mew.

The tom narrowed his eyes, "It's a long process, Finchpaw, but this will be useful for now."

Finchpaw nodded slowly, feeling calmer despite the disappointment that the tom's word brought to her.

"Don't be worried" The impostor mewed, "You will see Larksong again in time, I promise."

Seeing that the apprentice did not answer, the tom added "You are not the only cat that misses her lost parent in Starclan, Finchpaw."

The apprentice twitched her whiskers, "Someone else does?"

"Indeed, and I need you to tell him something" The tabby mewed slowly.

"Who is it?"

The tom looked past Finchpaw into the Thunderclan camp, his amber eyes meticulously watching over all of the warriors. His eyes rested on one of them, and with a quick twitch of his right ear, the tabby said "I need you to talk to Jayfeather."

(...)

Cats rushed out of dens or from the places that they had been sitting down to greet their clanmates that had returned from the gathering. Relieved and confused mews mixed in as cats saw their kin safe but saw their grave expressions and nervous twitches of their ears.

Finchpaw sat alone with her shoulders lowered, not wanting to follow Flamepaw as he rushed towards the returning warriors. The young tom lost himself in the crowd of cats, and Finchpaw could only ask herself one question.

What do I do now?

As she kept looking, Finchpaw saw Squirrelflight emerge from the group of warriors and head straight for the highledge. The Thunderclan deputy climbed the short path that led to the stone from which leaders had called meetings for as long as the apprentice could remember.

That's where Firestar once used to stand, and also Bramblestar. Now Squirrelflight is there. Those leaders are all part of your kin…

"Let all cats old enough to…" Squirrelflight hesitated for a heartbeat, "Every cat, come here now!"

All of the warriors in Thunderclan were already out of their dens looking at the dark-ginger she-cat, some sharing quick glances of fearful curiosity at their clanmates.

"Cats of Thunderclan" Squirrelflight began, taking a deep breath that was not enough to prevent her voice from sounding heavy, "We battle at dawn."

The cats that had stayed in camp shared shocked mews. One of them, Mousewhisker, raised his voice to be heard over the other warriors, "I don't understand. What happened?"

"Neither Windclan or Riverclan were convinced by what we had to say" Squirrelflight explained, "They still think we are the enemy. The ghosts almost managed to attack, but Rootspring was able to make them fade away like I had planned."

"And that still didn't work?" Another voice asked, "Did they still think that they were spirits from Starclan?"

"These ghosts are stronger now. I managed to prevent the impostor from attacking us with them, but only for tonight. They are expecting us at dawn in Windclan territory, where we'll have to fight. It's either then when all of us are together, or waiting until the impostor decides to attack each clan one by one."

More doubtful and scared mews spread between the cats like a contagious sickness, infecting every cat with fear. Flipclaw was the first to raise his head.

"And… we're doing that?" He asked, gaining him a mix of both scornfull and approving glances from his clanmates. The positive glances were enough to convince the tom to continue speaking, "We would be running into a bloodshed!"

Squirrelflight didn't answer, which caused more warriors to express their concerns.

"With Riverclan and Windclan on his side, I think the impostor has as many cats as Shadowclan, Skyclan and Thunderclan do" Cherryfall reasoned, "It's not going to be easy to defeat him."

"Don't forget about the fact that every loss that we have is one more cat that joins the ghosts" Her brother, Molewhisker, added.

Every cat stayed silent, as they were probably imagining the fate that could fall to any one of them if they were to die in that battle. No cat there wanted to be murdered only to be forced to come back and join the side of their enemy.

"We could… retreat?" Flipclaw asked out loud, "We could all run away with the weaker cats in Safecamp and save ourselves."

"And what about the spirits of your clanmates, Flipclaw?" Squirrelflight asked the young tom, "Are you going to let them be controlled for all eternity?"

The tom lowered his head, but many of the cats seemed to consider his words. Whitewing had opened her jaws to speak when her head turned around in the direction of the camp's entrance.

"Someone's coming!" She hissed, which caused every cat's back fur to prickle nervously.

The ghosts won't attack tonight, why are they scared?

Two cats emerged from the entrance with great speed. One was a dark-grey she-cat and the other one was another she-cat, this one with a black and white pelt. They looked at all the gathered cats with brief uncertainty for a few moments in which Fernsong's voice could be heard.

"Thriftear!" He said with relief as he rushed to his daughter's side. He gave a quick glance at the other warrior and then toward the entrance. He then looked back at Thriftear, "Where's Bristlefrost?"

The she-cat gave her father a quick rub on his shoulder before turning her head towards the Thunderclan deputy that had remained standing on the highledge, "Squirrelflight, we know how to free Starclan from the place they are trapped in."

Every cat looked at Thriftear in disbelief. Finchpaw could feel her own breath gap slightly, since she knew that what the dark-grey she-cat had to say was something that she had to pay careful attention to.

"Tell me every detail you can about her plan."

"Well then… How do we do it?" Squirrelflight asked, her mew startled by the sudden revelation that Thriftear had given her.

"Shadowsight had a dream, and he said that a warrior from Starclan told him what he had to do" Thriftear explained, her mew quick and almost out of breath from the excitement of the news, "He spoke with a cat named Dustpelt."

Many of the senior warriors opened their eyes wide, recalling the name of that tom and probably remembering him from their younger days. Finchpaw had no clue on who that tom was, but the name felt familiar to her, probably because of an old story that someone would have told her when she was a kit.

It must have been from one of Sorrelstripe's, Sparkpelt never told me stories...

"And what did Dustpelt say?" Squirrelflight asked.

"He said that Shadowsight had to go to the Dark Forest, and from there he could reach the endless moor, where Starclan has been imprisoned."

"Bristlefrost and Rootspring had to go with them" The she-cat that had arrived with Thriftear added, "They are meant to help him somehow."

Fernsong looked at Thirftear with fear in his eyes, "Bristlefrost is in the Dark Forest?"

"She'll be fine" The black and white warrior said reassuringly, "I'm more worried for us, to be honest."

Her comment left every other warrior in silence, silently agreeing with the young she-cat.

"I can't do this" A voice confessed, making every cat turn around to look at a cream-colored queen, "I can't fight my kits, not when they are… like this."

Cats shared murmurs of agreement between each other, no one wishing to force the old queen to harm her kin.

"How are we even supposed to fight them?" Flywhisker asked out loud, "If we harm them too much, their spirits might fade away forever, and if we don't fight hard enough, we'll all die."

Squirrelflight narrowed her gaze, "Thriftear, did Shadowsight say how long it would take to free Starclan?"

"Dustpelt told him that he had to do it tonight" The dark-grey she-cat explained.

"Do you think that they'll be able to free them by sunrise?"

Both young she-cats shared a hesitant glance at each other. The Thunderclan warrior nodded, and the other she-cat took a step forward.

"Shadowsight must know what he is doing, and I trust Rootspring with my life" She said, "Besides, if there's someone that can lead those two mouse-brains and free Starclan, that is definitely Bristlefrost."

A few cats shared critical murmurs when hearing Bristlefrost's name, as she had been one of the closest allies of the impostor before he had been discovered. Even then, Finchpaw could see how that Skyclan warrior and many others respected the Thunderclan she-cat despite her mistake.

They might forgive you as well.

Squirrelflight looked back at her clanmates, "Then we don't have to kill any cat. As long as we are able to maintain our position until Starclan arrives, we'll make it."

"So we are rabbits trying to fend off foxes?" Flipclaw asked the she-cat..

"More like mices with broken legs" Shellfur commented, which earned him and the other tom glares from their clanmates.

"We are warriors trying to save everything that we ever lived and fought for" Squirrelflight said with a hint of anger in her mew, "And we either fight and free every one of those spirits or risk any of them escaping the lake when Starclan starts to free the others. If any of you is not willing to hurt our clanmates, go to the old Skyclan camp immediately."

Daisy took slow steps forward, her head raised despite her actions that could be considered the ones of a coward. The queen seemed to be alone, until a tortoiseshell warrior emerged from the crowd of warriors and sat beside the queen with her shoulders lowered.

Her brother, Bumblestripe, looked at her with surprise, "Blossomfall?"

She hesitated before answering "If I hurt Stemleaf, I'll never forgive myself, and neither will Thornclaw."

The tortoiseshell looked at Snaptooth for a few long heartbeats, "And I can't fight my daughter, or her kits. I'm sorry…"

One last cat took heavy steps forwards, this one a young tom that surprised many of the Thunderclan warriors. Baypaw stood beside the other two she-cats, but he didn't give any explanations. Finchpaw couldn't help but to feel relief by knowing that he would not be harmed by the spirits at dawn.

But why is he afraid to fight?

No one else took any steps forward. Seeing this, Squirrelflight addressed the warriors with a decisive mew, "Every cat here, try to get as much rest as you can. Thriftear and Needleclaw, you two stay here as well. Baypaw, do you think that you can tell Skyclan of our plans before you go into the old camp?"

The tom nodded, "Sure thing, Squirrelflight."

"Good. Blossomfall, you go and warn Shadowclan."

Both cats made their way to the entrance of the camp, followed shortly after by Daisy's hurried pawsteps. The cats looked at them until the last tail disappeared in the thorn barrier that led to the forest. After watching the three cats leave the hollow, Needleclaw took a tentative step forward to speak to the Thunderclan deputy.

"I can't stay here tonight, Squirrelflight. I have to lead Violetshine to the Safecamp as well." She explained before lowering her shoulders as if they were very tired. "She's still not recovered."

"We could also warn Leafstar. She would believe another Skyclan cat over a Thunderclan apprentice." Thirftear also took a much quicker step forward to stand beside the black and white warrior.

"You are going with her?" Squirrelflight asked.

Thriftear hesitated, but then she looked at her Skyclan friend with longing. She nodded as she focused her gaze back on Squirrelflight. "We don't know who can attack us."

"Fine, but wait here for a moment." The deputy answered with a short flick of her fluffy squirrel-like tail. "I have one more thing to say to all of you."

Every cat raised their heads with expectancy. The younger cats twitched their tails and pricked their ears as they expected their deputy to encourage them to battle the spirits, so that they could prove themselves as true warriors, fighting against the hardest enemy that they could ever fight. Meanwhile, the older warriors seemed to have their eyes lost in past memories, probably remembering the time in which Firestar had lead them against the Dark Forest. This battle was not too dissimilar from The Great Battle, as they were fighting spirits and corrupted minds. So many of the warriors could have very well been wondering if the cost that Firestar had to pay to save his clan in that battle would be shared by his daughter, who now stood tall on the highledge where the legendary leader of Thunderclan had once stood.

"This enemy is not like any other one that we have ever fought," She said, "No training could have ever prepared us for a fight against our own friends and kin. I haven't been chosen by Starclan, but I have tried everything I could to save as many lives as possible.

She closed her eyes and sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, I have failed you."

Before any cat could respond to that, the she-cat continued speaking, "Lives were lost because I was not ready to face an attack, and I didn't manage to show the truth to Windclan or Riverclan."

"Squirrelflight, it wasn't your fault" Alderheart said, "There was nothing else we could have done."

The deputy raised her tail to silence her son, "I failed you all because Bramblestar is our true leader, and he is the one that should be standing here instead of me."

She lowered her gaze and added, "I'm not going to lie, I am afraid, just as afraid as any of you."

The cats looked at each other with uncertainty. Squirrelflight was the only leader they had left, she couldn't be afraid to fight. If that she-cat was not sure that they would win, what hope did any of them have? And if she was fearful of the impostor and his spirits, how could they possibly defeat him?

"I am afraid of what will happen at dawn" Squirrelflight continued, "Because I don't want that day to be the one in which the warrior code was lost forever. And I don't want any warrior to be lost, as impossible as it might be."

Every cat lowered their heads, knowing that many of them would probably die in that battle. Even being a warrior doesn't stop a cat from fearing death, with or without having another cat take control of them.

"But I will fight" Squirrelflight added with a mew that grew stronger with each word, "I will fight until my last breath because I am a warrior, and that's what a warrior is meant to do. If there is a chance, however small and however risky it is, to save the five clans then I will fight as many battles as I have to."

Raising her head to look at the stars, she said, "And if there's a way to free every spirit from that fox-heart, then I will do whatever it takes. I will fight for all of them."

The warriors stayed silent, none knowing what to say or what to do in that moment. Suddenly, one voice could be heard coming from the crowd, which belonged to a grey-tabby she-cat that was raising her head with determination.

"For Lionblaze" Cinderheart said.

Poppyfrost, who was sitting beside her, nodded and added "For Berrynose."

Spotfur looked at the two she-cats for a long moment. She then turned her head in the direction of the entrance of the camp, from where Blossomfall had left. The grey-and-white tabby took a deep breath and narrowed her gaze, "For Stemleaf."

Cats began to raise their head and name the cats that they had lost, the ones that had been taken away from them within heartbeats, and the ones that had been turned into mindless servants of the most horrible enemy that the clans had ever faced. In that moment, every cat's mournings and cries turned into a single voice, a voice that appeared quiet and sad at first, but that with each cat that joined the tone hardened and became stronger than any kind of pain that any of those warriors were going through.

"For Brightheart and Cloudtail. For Myrtlepaw. For Leafshade. For Honeyfur. For Eaglewing, Heronkit, Sunkit and Rosekit. For Rosepetal. For Tree."

Finchpaw saw as each cat shared that moment of grief with each other. Stormcloud and Snaptooth recited the names of their lost mates, with one staying silent with respect to let the other add the names of his three kits. Lilyheart held her head up, saying so many names that the apprentice wondered just how many of her kin was still alive. Whitewing was narrowing her gaze and unsheathing her claws slightly, with Brichfall placing his tail on her shoulder. Even the Skyclan warrior that had arrived earlier seemed to be remembering someone that she had lost, her tail intertwined with the one of Thriftear as the dark-grey warrior rested her head against her to bring her comfort.

The apprentice felt a cold feeling on her own heart. She couldn't bring herself to name her father, so she closed her eyes and imagined a black tom gently licking her head, both of them safe in the nursery.

All of this is for Larksong.

When Finchpaw opened her eyes, she saw Squirrelfight looking down at her warriors one more time.

"For Bramblestar" The dark-ginger warrior said, "And for the many others that we will free at dawn."

She took a deep breath to let her mew relax and added "Rest now, all of you, and may Starclan be with us in the battle."

Cats nodded and began to disperse towards their own dens with hurried steps, all wanting to be ready for the battle that was coming. Finchpaw sat alone, unsure of where to go, when she suddenly felt a soft and cold breeze behind her back, one that no other cat reacted to. The wind behind her began to make strange sounds that drowned the mews of the other Thunderclan cats, but none of them raised their voices to be heard over it.

The apprentice turned her head around and saw that, from the top of the cliff formed by the camp's hollow, a shadow was looking down over her. From that distance, Finchpaw could not tell who it was, but she could see a pair of grey and darkened eyes on that cat's face, focused on her as if she was a mouse.

The sound of wind began to resemble the mew of a cat, a voice that made the tortoiseshell she-cat shiver due to the coldness that surrounded her and only her.

"Finchpaw…" The wind whispered to the apprentice, "Come to me…"

She lowered her head and took a deep breath, hesitant to leave the hollow. She looked around at the other clan cats, all going to their own dens. Should she warn them of the spirit that was watching over her?

"I could tell everyone, everything."

Finchpaw shook her head and walked in the direction of the nursery, where the hidden path that led out of the camp was located. She didn't look back at her clanmates, at Squirrelflight, at Alderheart, Sparkpelt or Flamepaw anymore. She didn't want them to see her betray them. Although, at the bottom of her heart, she knew that none of them would cast a glance at her. If she left the camp and disappeared into the forest, no one would know that Finchpaw had left.

From the bottom of the hollow, a grey-tabby tom managed to stop thinking about his deceased brother and turned his head around, sensing that something, apart from all the things that were already happening in the forest, was wrong. Had he been able to see, he would have spotted a tortoiseshell tail disappearing into the bushes at the top of the cliff, followed by a spirit with dark-grey eyes.

(...)

Finchpaw saw a shrew standing alone in the distance, scrambling its tiny claws again the roots of a tree. With deadly silence she approached the tiny creature, ready to leap at it at any moment.

The shrew didn't turn around, which confused the apprentice. Her stalking was still far from being good, yet the tiny creature did not even hear her. Was it ignoring her as well? The thought brough anger to the she-cat.

Stop being so paranoid, you mouse-brain!

But suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves came from behind the apprentice. The shrew hurried away and in the blink of an eye it was gone.

Oh come on!

She turned around with an annoyed expression, only to come face to face with a black and skinny tom that had a pair of grey and emotionless eyes. Finchpaw felt her back fur bristle with a mix of fear and anger.

"Finchpaw" He said, although the apprentice knew that the black tom was not the one that was speaking, but rather the impostor that had pretended to be Bramblestar, whose body had escaped the Thunderclan camp when he attacked with his spirits, "I apologize for taking so long to speak with you."

She took a step back, "You used me!" She breathed out.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You told me to tell Jayfeather to leave the camp!" Her voice was a squeal, "You said that it would make him feel better, but you tried to kill him!"

"Finchpaw, you don't understand" The spirit said calmly.

"You are murdering cats and using them, you lied to me!"

"Silence!" The spirit hissed as it got closer to the apprentice, standing only a whisker away from her. Finchpaw could feel her own breath suddenly stopping when having the ghost so close to her. Would it hurt her? Would it turn her into a mindless spirit?

"Don't hurt me…" She said with a trembling mew, "Please…"

"Oh Finchpaw, I'm not going to hurt you" He said slowly, almost sounding friendly, as he placed his tail under her chin to lift her head up. She looked at those grey eyes, seeing only darkness within them. She closed her own eyes to push that vision away from her.

"Jayfeather didn't tell you the full story" The spirit explained, "He wanted to be with Leafpool, so he jumped into the lake himself. When he learned what it would cost, he refused and lied."

"What would it cost?" Finchpaw asked in confusion.

"To free Starclan, I need these spirits under my command" The impostor explained, "But once your ancestors are free, I will stop controlling your deceased clanmates."

Finchpaw didn't answer, since she knew what that cat was capable of. She had seen how Eaglewing and Myrtlepaw were thrown down from a cliff with their necks sliced open. Surely they wouldn't have wanted to die, since Myrtlepaw was young and Eaglewing was carrying kits.

"But… Why did you kill them?" She asked, "Why the other leaders and why Lionblaze?"

"Because, as much as I hate it, I need more warriors to be strong."

That makes no sense.

"Do you not want to see Larksong?" The black tom asked slowly.

"Yes…" She mumbled.

"Then you must help me."

The apprentice's heart began to beat faster than the one of a terrified mouse, "What if you told Squirrelflight? She could understand, a-and maybe we could find a way to not kill anyone..."

"You know she wouldn't believe me. After failing to save Starclan by punishing code-breakers, the only option I have is to control spirits."

"We can't just murder them!"

"It is the only way" He answered.

"Then I… I can't do this!" She yelled, imagining Jayfeather standing in front of her with a dark-grey glare, "I don't want to kill anyone!"

"Oh, Finchpaw… You have already caused the death of a cat."

"What…?" She asked with a mew that was as loud as a whisper.

"Those herbs that you gave me weren't meant for me, I gave them to Lionblaze. Why else do you think that he left the camp so suddenly? The herb mix dazed him and made him leave the forest where he met his demise."

Finchpaw felt that she couldn't breathe. She didn't want to believe that, but the wicked grin that the ghost in front of her was making only served to confirm her fears. He had used the herbs to kill Lionblaze, she had caused his death.

You're a murderer.

"I… but..." She mumbled, her head not allowing her to think of anything to say, "I didn't…"

Her throat felt dry and she could feel the entire forest spinning around her. The grey eyes of the ghost were focused on her, and the black tom was still showing its white teeth with a grin.

"Not only did Jayfeather almost die because of you, but you killed one of your clanmates, your own deputy. What is everyone going to think of you now?"

They would never forgive me.

The tom narrowed his dark eyes, "Besides, if you were to tell the truth about why he died, do you really think that anybody would believe that it was just an accident, Finchpaw?"

The apprentice didn't answer, instead she lowered her head. The impostor continued speaking as he looked down at the defeated Finchpaw in front of him.

"Is there anybody that even cares for you?" He asked, "If you were to die in this very same spot, do you think that anybody would bother looking for you?"

Only the forest would know...

"Then why don't you kill me already?" She asked with a mutter, feeling a cold mix of anger and sorrow in her heart. Those words had been stuck in her mind for a long time, but she had never said them out loud. Saying them felt strange, they didn't make her feel scared but neither did they make her feel happy. The words just felt empty and dry in her mouth.

Sure, she would become a mindless soul, but at least she wouldn't have to live with knowing that she had killed another cat. Her mind could just forget it, as if it had never happened.

"Because I want them to forgive you" He answered, "To remember you as the apprentice that saved Starclan from its silence. Being almost invisible to the clan is what makes you so important to me."

Finchpaw didn't know how to react to that. The idea of being remembered had been something that she had always desired, and so was seeing Larksong again. Telling the impostor how to escape the camp and bringing herbs to him was one thing, but being the reason that Jayfeather almost died or that Lionblaze was indeed dead was a very different one.

"I don't want to help you" She said slowly.

"It would be a shame if Larksong were to meet you as a ghost."

At least I'll still be with him once this cat finds a path to Starclan.

"I don't care" She answered, placing her paw over the black tom's and raising it to be right next to her throat, "You're not gonna let me go, so do it already..."

You deserve it, for being nothing but nuisance to every cat that ever bothered to care for you.

The tom looked at her with deep intensity in his storm-like eyes, before placing his black paw back on the ground.

"I already told you that I won't hurt you, Finchpaw" He said calmly, "You don't deserve to die like that. No, I still need your help."

The apprentice blinked a few times, realizing what she had said to that impostor. She felt scared of herself for a heartbeat, fearful of the words that she had spoken. Where did they come from? Why had she placed the tom's claws against her neck?

Did I want that to happen?

Finchpaw stumbled back, her plet clinging to the bushes that were behind her. "I told you I won't kill anyone."

"I could tell everyone, everything" The tom threatened while stepping closer to the trapper apprentice, "Every cat in the clan would look down on you and remember you as a murderer. Or, you can help me free Starclan, and you would be the apprentice that saved them all. You would become as legendary as Firestar himself."

Finchpaw didn't know why, but she felt her head slowly nodding in agreement. It was strange, as her mind was buzzing with so many thoughts that it made thinking impossible, but she still agreed to do what the impostor wanted.

What other option did she have? To tell the truth and be banished from the lake? A part of her wanted to agree, since a single and tiny semblant of hope was still implanted in her head. Maybe everyone could forgive her, or never know what she did.

And she wanted to see Larksong, by Starclan she wanted him back and maybe, just maybe, the impostor would let her have the few heartbeats that she had always wanted with her father.

"You don't even have to kill anyone, you just have to bring a few cats to me."

"Bring whom?" Finchpaw asked while still looking away, feeling as if the words came out of her mouth without her even thinking about saying them.

"Snaptooth and Stormcloud miss their mates and kits, and I regret the pain that I brought those two toms" He explained, the obvious lies leaving his mouth like hurried flies, "I want to let them see Eaglewing and Honeyfur, and to give them a choice."

"What choice?"

"To join me and their mates as spirits, or to live without them. For that to happen, I need you to lead them to where I want them to be."

(...)

Finchpaw walked away from the Thunderclan camp with her head lowered. Besides her, the spirit of the skinny tom paced slowly with his grey eyes lost in the distance. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, seeing his black fur unruffled by the forest's cold breeze.

"How was that tom called?" She asked the spirit.

He briefly looked back at her, before turning his head towards the path in front of him, "His name was Spiresight."

Finchpaw also stopped looking at the spirit, although the image of him was still in her head. It was strange how a ghost like that tom could forget everything about his past life, or at least ignore it, and surrender all of his being to the cat that commanded him.

"How does that work?" She asked out loud.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean..." Finchpaw quickly said. "How can you control spirits like that? Why do they let you command them?"

"Spirits that have not reached Starclan are like lost travelers," He explained with a monotone voice. "They need something to lead them on their path to their ancestors. Their minds are ready to listen to anyone that might guide them."

"And… you'll be the one to do that?"

"I'll help them reach Starclan, and they will help me do it."

Finchpaw took a breath before asking, "Do you really have to fight at dawn?"

"I tried my best to prevent it, but a battle is the only thing that Squirrelflight wants."

He was the one that caused all the deaths that came to the clans, of course he could have prevented it. You know you could run away right now and just forget about him?

She quickly imagined Baypaw's eyes glaring at her with hate, followed by Sparkpelt, Flamepaw, Alderheart, Jayfeather and Squirrelflight, and behind them every single cat in the clans. Not a single one would look at her in the eyes again.

It's either this or having all of them know the truth.

"Finchpaw, tell me Squirrelflight's plan, all of it."

The apprentice doubted for a moment, but she still told the impostor everything that she had heard at the clan meeting. The tom listened to her in silence as he continued his path, with Finchpaw following behind.

As soon as she finished, the impostor shook his head with a short chuckle, "Oh, Dustpelt was smart, I'll give him that. Shadowsight wouldn't have stood a chance if I had known of this earlier."

"You knew that this would happen?"

"I only knew two things, that a Shadowclan medicine cat had something to do with Dustpelt's plan, and that three cats were meant to free Starclan soon."

"Are those three cats Shadowsight, Rootspring and Bristlefrost?"

The spirit didn't reply, instead he began mumbling to himself, "One meant to free them, one to give strength to the others, and one to open the path…"

He repeated that strange phrase for a while before looking back at the apprentice, "I'll take care of them myself, the cats guarding the moor's entry have proven to be as competent as a new-born kit. Well, anyways, thank you for telling me all of this, Finchpaw. It's a pleasant surprise that you, out of all the other cats that are or were my allies, are the most reliable one."

Did he... Mean that as an insult?

Making an effort to ignore that thought, Finchpaw instead told the spirit "They said that they wanted to free Starclan from that place... Isn't that what you wanted to do?"

The ghost left Finchpaw's question unnanswered as he picked up his pace, but the she-cat didn't try to ask it again, instead following the black tom in front of her with hurried steps.

Judging by the increasing dispersion of trees and other vegetation in front of her, Finchpaw realized that she was getting close to the edge of the Thunderclan forest. They reached a point where the trees began to grow shorter and the stars in the night sky became more visible over their heads. Both cats stood on the border marked by the scents of the last patrol, looking at the empty land in front of them. Finchpaw couldn't help but to be hesitant to step any further, knowing that beyond that land there could be foxes and badgers hunting with the help from the darkness of that night.

The spirit looked back at her, "Just a few fox-lengths from here, there's a place where you can hide until the battle is over."

"Can't I just sleep on a tree?" She said while looking back at the forest that she had always lived in.

"Unless you want to get carried away by an owl, I recommend you don't. Come on," He ordered while stepping forwards.

She took a deep breath and followed the tom through the long patches of grass that reached her belly fur. Every few heartbeats, she looked back expecting to see a predator trying to hunt her down, or to hear the screech of an owl as it made its rapid descent on her. Thankfully for her, no creature was near, so she kept following the ghost.

He turned to the left, where the grass became shorter and a few groups of bushes that grew beside a small hill could be seen. The tom passed by them quickly to stand beside a dark hole, which Finchpaw realized was a small cave that had been dug up on the side of the hill.

"This path leads to the underground tunnels in Thunderclan and Windclan territory" He explained, "I've been hiding inside ever since I escaped your camp."

"Wasn't there a closer entrance?" Finchpaw asked while looking around nervously.

"All other entries in Thunderclan were sealed off by Firestar long ago" The tom answered, "All except for one that is so narrow that not even you would fit there."

Finchpaw stood still as she tried to peer into the cave in front of her, still unable to see anything. The spirit was waiting right next to the entrance, but the apprentice stayed in her place a few tail-lengths away, also glancing at the bushes to her side in case that something lurked in the shadows.

Suddenly, she heard an angered voice behind her.

"Just what in Starclan's name do you think that you're doing?"

What…?

Finchpaw turned around to see Sparkpelt standing a few tail-lengths away from her, the green gaze from her mother glaring right at her own eyes. Behind her, Alderheart and Jayfeather were hurrying to approach the orange warrior.

"She's here!" Sparkpelt said to the other two cats, and when they stood beside her she glared at Jayfeather as she added "I told you she went this way."

"I wasn't expecting her to just walk out of clan territory for no reason" He answered bitterly.

"W-what are you doing here?" Finchpaw mumbled, surprised to realize that she had been followed.

"Finchpaw, what are you doing here?" Alderheart asked her as he took deep breaths to recover from his run, "Why did you leave the camp alone? The ghosts could have found you!"

"I can assure you that she is safe, Alderheart" The black tom's spirit said, still standing in the shadows casted by the hill.

Both Alderheart and Sparkpelt managed to see the spirit behind Finchpaw, and both of their pelts bristled when they realized that it was one of the impostor's servants. Jayfeather, unable to see or scent the spirit, bared his teeth.

"Where is that flea-pelt?" He asked with a growl.

"Dead ahead, behind Finchpaw," Sparkpelt answered while placing her tail on Jayfeather's shoulder to indicate the direction he had to face. The blind tom flinched back from her touch, but Sparkpelt simply grunted and looked back at her daughter. "Did he chase you all the way over here?"

Finchpaw lowered her head, not wanting to answer.

What do I do now?

Seeing that the apprentice wasn't speaking, the spirit decided to explain things himself.

"She was following me, Sparkpelt."

"Shut up, I don't want to hear a single lie coming out of your mouth ever again" The she-cat answered, "The ones at the gathering were more than enough."

"Then you'll be happy to know that I'm not lying this time" He answered calmly.

"No, that can't be true" Alderheart said while looking at Finchpaw, "Right?"

The apprentice, once again, lowered her gaze.

"Finchpaw, whatever you were trying to do by following him, it's not worth the risk" Sparkpelt said, "Let's get you out of here."

The young she-cat did not move, causing the spirit behind her to chuckle.

"Sparkpelt, you don't seem to get it. I was guiding her here."

Even without looking at the three cats, Finchpaw could hear surprised murmurs coming out of their mouths after hearing what she had done. Jayfeather was the one to speak before any other could find the right words to say in that moment.

"Just what did this flea-pelt tell you?" He asked.

"He… said that-"

"Finchpaw, do not trust whatever he said," Sparkpelt interrupted her.

"But he-"

"He is lying!" Her mother growled.

Finchpaw looked back at Sparkpelt's emerald eyes and took a deep breath, "He promised to let me see Larksong, that he'll be back from Starclan!"

The flame-colored she-cat blinked in surprise. For a short moment, she seemed to be lost in her memories, remembering the mate that she had lost. It lasted a few heartbeats, as she shook her head and narrowed her green gaze.

"That's impossible" She said, not even considering her daughter's words.

Without realizing, Finchpaw's fur began to bristle, "There has to be a way for him to be back!"

"He is dead, Finchpaw. I hate that as much as you do, but there is nothing I can do about it now."

"It's easy for you to say that!" Finchpaw spat, which caused her mother to take a startled step back, "You at least got to be with him!"

"We tried to keep him alive, but we just couldn't." Alderheart stepped in to try to calm the two she-cats, all while the mindless ghost behind the apprentice watched the angered cats with an expression that struggled to resemble happiness with its emotionless gaze.

"You could have tried a little harder!" Finchpaw said without even thinking of her words, "He still died too soon! A-and I felt all alone, and that no cat would care for me-"

"I raised and cared for you ever since you were born!" Sparkpelt answered back with anger in her mew.

Finchpaw felt her legs trembling, overwhelmed by her mother's anger and weak against her commanding voice. In her desperation, it seemed as if words began rushing out of her mouth in the hopes of making everyone undertsand what she couldn't explain. "But you left me and Flamepaw alone for so long! And you acted as if Larksong never existed!"

She lowered her head, which felt surprisingly heavy after screaming out those words, and added "You made me feel like I didn't exist to you either, and that seeing me only made you feel worse... You say that you understand me, everyone pretends to understand... Do you know what it's like to feel like not a single cat cares about you?"

Alderheart quietly gasped at Finchpaw's words, and Sparkpelt had to take a deep breath to make her gaze look stern, to make herself looked confident despite the fear that she would be feeling at that moment. "I came back, because I realized that you two needed me. Do you know who told me to care for you?"

Finchpaw didn't answer, but Sparkpelt didn't wait for her to do it.

"Larksong spoke to Squirrelflight, and he told her that he wanted me to be happy and move on, over anything else."

Finchpaw was the one to raised her head in surprise this time, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What point was there in telling you about your father if it would only serve to make you feel worse about his death?" Sparkpelt asked her, "I wanted to tell you when you were older, when you could understand."

The apprentice looked at the spirit of the skinny black tom behind her, "Did he tell you that?"

"He did not" The ghost confessed, "But you still want to see him, right?"

Finchpaw nodded, but it felt as if she was forcing her head to do so. She wanted Larksong, she wanted him so badly but still, she could feel herself hesitating. The apprentice looked back at Alderheart, Sparkpelt and Jayfeather. They had followed her all the way out of clan territory thinking that she was in danger, risking getting attacked by wandering predators or spirits.

She was about to take a step towards them, when a thought took over her head.

They would never forgive you if they knew the truth.

She then took a step back, which caused Sparkpelt to cry out her name again.

"Finchpaw please!" She begged, "Don't go with him!"

At least she'll care for you when you are gone.

Seeing that her daughter didn't listen to her, the warrior growled at the ghost as she began walking towards him with her back fur bristled, "I won't let you take her!"

"I think you would, after hearing what she did" The ghost made a short pause, "What she did to Ivypool and… Lionblaze."

Finchpaw turned around to look at the spirit, feeling panic growing within her. He wasn't meant to say that, not to them. Sparkpelt stopped on his tracks.

"What does he mean by that?" She asked her daughter.

"It's nothing, he's lying!" Finchpaw blurted out, "I didn't do anything, I didn't-"

Jayfeather's voice suddenly interrupted the apprentice, "What did he mean with that?!" He asked with his teeth grinned.

"I swear I didn't mean to-"

"She stole herbs from your den, Jayfeather" The spirit explained, "Herbs that Lionblaze unwillingly consumed. That's why he left the camp, and why I knew that he would do so."

Alderheart looked at Finchpaw with wide eyes, "You... spilled the herbs on purpose?"

Even though she tried to close her eyes, there was no way for the apprentice to escape the three pairs of eyes that were fixed on her, and the hundreds of horrible thoughts that those cats would have of her.

Jayfeather's voice ringed on Finchpaw's ears as he asked a single question with a growl, "Why?"

You want to be forgiven? Speak for once you mouse-brain!

"I didn't know that he would use them on Lionblaze..." She answered.

"Why did you bring the herbs to this fox-heart in the first place?" Jayfeather asked with a louder mew.

"He told me that he needed them to reach Starclan and free it from its silence."

"You meant to tell me that you believed that this cat would help Starclan after all of what he has done?"

"I didn't know that any of this would happen!"

"You should have told us" Alderheart said with a shocked expression as he looked at the apprentice, "Why did you hide this from us?"

Finchpaw looked at the ground, "Because I didn't want you to know. I didn't want to hurt Lionblaze, I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I did and now he's dead."

"Well… it's too late to lament about it now!" Jayfeather spat, angered by knowing what and whom had caused the death of his brother.

You are a murderer. Nothing less, nothing more. They'll never want you back now.

She turned around and saw the grey eyes of the spirits, who looked back at her without expressing anything. No empathy or care towards her, but no hate either.

"Follow me" He said, "And you will see Larksong."

"Finchpaw, please" Alderheart said, "We can solve this, this is not the right way. Don't leave everyone behind."

"Everyone left me behind" Finchpaw said out loud without thinking. She had to squint her eyes when something from the ground shinned brightly against the moonlight, "Nobody cares for me, or my name, or who I am."

"I do" Alderheart pleaded, "We came all this way for you."

"I already told you, Alderheart" She answered, stopping on her tracks a few pawsteps away from the spirit in front of her, "If we weren't kin you wouldn't even know my name."

"But I know it" Jayfeather suddenly said, walking past Alderheart and Sparkpelt, who were still unsure if they should approach the apprentice. The blind tom, however, stood with his head held high.

Of course you know it, they've been saying it ever since they got here.

Finchpaw looked back at him without saying a word. Sensing her reluctance to speak, Jayfeather continued.

"I'm going to be honest with you, when you came into my den to speak to me I had no idea who you were, and I did not care at all" He said without blinking, without hesitating for a single heartbeat, "And you were nothing but an annoying apprentice to me."

Finchpaw looked at the tom's blind eyes, despite knowing that he could not see her doing it.

"What...?"

"I did not care for you" He repeated sincerely.

The apprentice didn't know how to react. She certainly wasn't glad with Jayfeather's words but she couldn't feel anger either. She just felt confused by his sudden honesty.

"But then you spoke to me" The medicine cat said, "You saw that something was wrong with me and you tried your best to help me. That was when I remembered who you were."

He took a breath and, with a reluctant mew, added "That was when I cared for you."

You did…?

The ghost behind Finchpaw spoke to the medicine cat, "But, Jayfeather, I asked her to do it, so that you would be alone in the forest. Those words were all lies."

The tortoiseshell warrior felt a cold sensation in her chest, like shattered ice piercing through her heart. She quickly turned her head and saw Jayfeather doubting, his head lowering slightly as he thought of what he had heard. Now, Finchpaw was sure that her fate was sealed. The tom would begin insulting her for what she did, probably regretting ever bothering to remember her.

Jayfeather, however, shook his head and rested his blind gaze on Finchpaw, "Did you know about Lionblaze, or what his spirit would try to do?"

"N-no" Finchpaw replied.

"And… were the things that you told me lies? Did you really hear Sparkpelt mourning every night for your father?"

The apprentice nodded as she looked at her mother. Her emerald eyes were shrouded in sorrow for her, for Larksong, for Flamepaw, for Flickerkit, for everyone that she had lost and for everyone that were forced to move on when they weren't ready. Alderheart, beside her, had been placing his tail on his sister's shoulder ever since she had learned the truth about her daughter, and he was looking at Finchpaw with an expression that only showed empathy.

Were their eyes always like this?

"I still miss Leafpool" Jayfeather confessed, despite him narrowing his gaze and trying to sound calm, "And what you told me was something that I needed to hear."

"Even Jayfeather was nice to me."

"I'll remember you, Finchpaw" He said, "Because you were the one to speak to me, even though I didn't want to hear a word from you."

She lowered her gaze, feeling overwhelmed in a different way than how she had ever felt.

"But… I'm not a legend like Firestar, or as noble as Bramblestar. I'm not brave like Squirrelflight, and…" She looked back at her mother, who seemed to not find words to respond to what her daughter was saying, "I'm not strong… I'm nobody."

"You want to be remembered?" Jayfeather asked her, "Then just be there for the ones that need you, it's not something that you should be thinking about too hard. As long as you make some flea-bag feel better then he'll remember you as a friend."

Alderheart took a step forward, encouraged by his former mentor's words, "But, if you go with this spirit, everyone will see you as a traitor."

"Warriors will bare their teeth and kits will hide when they hear your name" Jayfeather said slowly, "Is that what you really want?"

"No..." Was all that Finchpaw could answer.

Sparkpelt approached the apprentice slowly, until she stood only a whisker away from Finchpaw.

"Please, I don't want to lose you as well" The warrior said, her head approaching her daughter's.

I…

Without thinking, Finchpaw could feel herself moving forwards and pressing her head against her mother's chest as if she was a small kit. Memories of the day that she decided to come back flooded her mind, and she remembered the one time that she didn not think that Sparkpelt would ever leave her side again.

The warrior pressed her head against her daughter's short body, purring uncontrollably. She opened her emerald eyes and looked down at Finchpaw.

"Larksong always thought that your name would be the prettiest one" She said slowly.

For a moment, Finchpaw thought that she and Sparkpelt were the only two cats that existed. She forgot about everything else, except for an image that had been left in her mind. She imagined that, beside her mother, a black tom was standing tall, pressing his nose against Sparkpelt's shoulder and looking down at Finchpaw with eyes that she had never managed to see.

In a heartbeat, she was back outside of clan territory, besides Jayfeather and Alderheart, and standing a few tail-lengths away from the mindless spirit controlled by the impostor. The skinny black tom opened his jaws to speak with a voice that belonged to another cat.

"I'll eat my words then" He said, "I seem to be terrible at picking allies."

"Get out of here" Jayfeather spat, "Save the insults for the battle."

"Insults, mockings, truths, you decide how to call them."

Finchpaw looked back at the ghostly tom, feeling confused as to why she had ever trusted him the first time he spoke to her. In doing so, she was forced to squint her eyes again as an object on the ground glimmered with the moon's light. She looked down to see what looked like a thin line of hair a few pawsteps away from her, all dirtied up and almost completely covered by the grass. The strip continued to form a circle, with one part leading into the bushes on her right.

What is this, some kind of twoleg thing?

Jayfeather was still talking to the ghost, taking angered steps towards him.

"Is that all that you can do right? Lying, deceiving and mocking?"

"They have all worked wonders, ask Lionblaze."

The blind tom bared his teeth and growled, seeming like he was about to rip that spirit's throat out. Finchpaw noticed how the ghost focused his gaze on the ground, looking at the dirty line of hair a few whiskers away from Jayfeather.

Alderheart noticed the strip of long hair on the ground as well, but his eyes widened with fear.

"Fox-trap!" He called out, jumping away from the strip's range.

Sparkpelt instinctively tried to grab Finchpaw by the scruff to pull her away, but the apprentice had seen how Jayfeather could not notice the trap of the ground and he could not stop his step towards the strip of twoleg string. She remembered the guilt that she had felt when she thought that Jayfeather had drowned in the lake because of her, and how she had thought that she would have been responsable for causing his death.

She saw two blind-blue eyes, looking upwards but lost and hollow, dead...

All because of you.

Pulling away from her mother's grasp, Finchpaw leaped at the blind tom to push him away from the strip of hair. She managed to land on Jayfeather, but in doing so her paw landed right on the twoleg stuff. With a sudden snap, she felt a great pressure pulling her right paw against her neck and a burning sensation on her throat. She fell to the ground, her paws scrambling as she could feel herself trapped.

"Finchpaw!" Sparkpelt cried out, running up to her daughter and trying to break the strip of twoleg stuff with her teeth, which only earned her a cut on her lips. Alderheart rushed to her side and began looking around for anything to help the apprentice.

"Look for cobwebs" He told his sister, and when she didn't react he screamed, "Now!"

Sparkpelt began to look around the bushes while Jayfeather got up on his paws, recovered from the surprise of having been pushed aside by Finchpaw. He placed his paws on the apprentice's neck and glanced at Alderheart with his blind eyes.

"I'll take care, find the stick that the trap's attached to!" He ordered.

Finchpaw looked around, feeling every part of her body trembling in absolute terror. She could feel something making her fur wet, her own blood, and she could feel that twoleg thing applying painful pressure around her neck and right paw. She could also feel a much more pressing pain right on her throat, which made it hard for her to breath. Everything else felt like a horrible nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.

I don't want to die, please I don't want to die!

She managed to catch a glimpse of the ghost that had led her to that place. He was giving her a wicked grin, which in a few heartbeats faded away from her sight. Realization hit her like a boulder falling from a cliff. The impostor had taken her there, because he knew about the trap, and he wanted her to die far from the clans so that no cat could find her.

No one would have known.

At that moment, Finchpaw wanted to speak to Sparkpelt, to Alderheart, to Jayfather. She wanted to see Flamepaw again and she wanted to get a glimpse of Baypaw's beautiful eyes. Within heartbeats, she felt like all of that had been taken away from her, and that she did not even have enough time to be with all of them. While trembling and bleeding out on the grass, Finchpaw could only think of one phrase.

"I'll remember you, Finchpaw."

Even though she did not want to let go, she felt that all of her body was pulling her into sleep. She saw herself beside Larksong, resting against a body that she couldn't remember and hearing a voice that she had only heard in her dreams.

You did well, my dearest. I'm proud of you.

Finchpaw let herself close her eyes, invited by Larksong's soothing voice. She could hear other voices coming from a faraway distance, but still loud enough for her to understand.

"Not a word of this to Squirrelflight," A tom said.

"You're not dying yet," Another voice added. "I won't let you…"

The apprentice took a deep breath, and then she imagined herself falling from the tallest tree in the forest, everything darkening around her as the ground was patiently waiting for her to reach it. Slowy but surely, she was getting closer and closer to the end of her descent. She didn't want to land, she didn't want her body to become part of the forest, she didn't want to dissapear. Not anymore.

So she closed her eyes and spoke to Larksong, whom she couldn't see but she could feel around her. If only for a heartbeat, she felt him near her, closer than he had ever been.

Will I ever see you?

One day, Finchpaw, but not today...

---

When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around,

Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?

(Waving Through a Window, Dear Evan Hansen)