"Come on!" Orion mewed, sliding under a low fence. Buzzardpaw followed suit, Eagleheart reluctantly behind him. The rogues hold meetings? I didn't know that!

"What do rogues need to hold meetings for anyways?" Eagleheart grunted, his voice low.

"I'd like to know as well." Buzzardpaw added, trying to keep pace with the tom in front of him.

Orion continued to run, dashing under another fence. "I'll explain when we get there, just come on!"

Without another word, the three toms raced under another fence, the yowls sounding louder. Buzzardpaw flinched as something dashed past him, calming slightly as he realized it was only his brother. His alarm rose once more as Eagleheart barreled into Orion, knocking him onto his side.

Orion winced, pinned by the other tom. "What was that for?"

"How do I know that you aren't leading us into a trap?" Eagleheart growled, his face only a whisker length from Orion's.

"Why would I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know," the ShadowClan warrior started, "it's not like you're taking us to a group of hostile, brutish rogues or anything. We're two clan cats. You may have been keeping up this 'nice cat' ruse, but, I'm sure the rest of your kind wouldn't be as friendly. Why else would you want us to follow you with such urgency?"

"Because I don't want to miss the meeting, dummy!" Eagleheart snarled at the last word, but Orion ignored it. "A meeting has not been held since before I was born, so this will be my first one. They're really rare, so of course I would want to get there as soon as possible! Besides, you two are looking for clues, right? The opportunity has just presented itself!"

Eagleheart reluctantly stepped off of the tom, still looking unconvinced. "How do you expect us to get close enough to gather information then? If they see us, Buzzardpaw and I will be crowfood."

Orion rose to his paws, shaking the dust from his pelt. "Easy. We hide in plain sight." Before the warrior could ask any more questions, Orion trotted off, his tail held high in the air. With a growl of distrust Eagleheart fell in beside his brother, his golden eyes narrowed.

"Trust him, Eagleheart," Buzzardpaw mewed, shouldering his brother kindly, "Orion wouldn't intentionally lead us into trouble."

"It sure seems like he is." Eagleheart hummed.

Sighing, Buzzardpaw walked behind Orion, excitement buzzing through his veins. A rogue meeting sounds crazy! Eagleheart and I are going to gather so much information! As the three ducked under another fence, a question entered his mind. But what will we do with the information? It's not like we can tell any cat, we'll get in trouble! Buzzardpaw was unable to think of an answer as Orion had lowered his tail, his body now low to the ground. Following his movements, Buzzardpaw slunk behind the tom, the rogue's plumy tail tickling his nose. Hiding in the shadows of a tall tree, the three emerged into a large clearing, a massive red barn looming above them. That's the tallest barn, it makes sense that they would hold meetings here. The clearing was completely empty, eerie pale moonlight lighting it. Lifting his head, Buzzardpaw noticed three cats on top of the barn's roof, the heads lifted to the sky as they caterwauled the meeting call.

"Over here." Orion whispered, having walked ahead. He was standing next to a tall haystack, its base wide enough to fit all three toms. "We'll hide inside this."

As Buzzardpaw stepped closer, he noticed Eagleheart tense next to him. "What?"

"What… what is that thing?" The warrior mewed, his nose wrinkled. "I saw a lot of it in the barn, but I wasn't interested enough to ask."

"It's a haystack."

Eagleheart huffed, lifting his head defiantly. "I don't trust it."

Letting out a quiet chuckle, Orion turned to the tom in disbelief. "What, are you scared? It's not going to bite you." The tom suddenly tensed, his ears pricked. "Come on, they're here! Get in now."

"But-"

"Get in! It's just yellow grass." Without another word, the rogue dove into the haystack, its length trembling from the action. Eagleheart opened his mouth to protest but Buzzardpaw nudged him in, following behind. The haystack was surprisingly hollow on the inside, giving the cats room to settle down without the weight of the stack bearing on their backs. Buzzardpaw wiggled next to Orion, who was pawing at the hay.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"Making little windows for us to look out of." Orion's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "We can't just stick our heads through, they'll see us."

"Can I help?" Buzzardpaw mewed excitedly, flinching as a stalk of hay poked him in the eye.

"Nope," Orion mewed, frowning, "I have to do it. If you dig too deep, the entire stack will come crashing down." Not wanting to risk being caught, Buzzardpaw stepped back so Orion could dig himself and Eagleheart a hole to peep through. As the tom stepped back, Buzzardpaw stuck his face through, surprised to see outside into the clearing. Orion's great! Eagleheart settled in beside him, mumbling about how stupid everything was.

Hearing a steady thrumming sound, Buzzardpaw looked towards the opposite side of the clearing to see a mass of cats pour into the area, a few tough looking cats flanking them. Once every cat was seated, the muscular cats took a seat at the entrance of the barn, blocking the view inside. "Those are the soldiers." Orion whispered into his ear. After a few moments of silence, an old, frail, brown tabby tom staggered into the clearing, his eyes glassy. He sat down in front of the soldiers, facing the crowd. A skinny but lean hairless tom sat down next to him, his pitch black eyes unreadable. He's… ugly.

"I have returned from my journey," the brown tom croaked, his voice weak, " and I've called this meeting to discuss our future, and the dangers that lurk ahead. The spirits have spoken with me, the peace within our home is being threatened by a familiar stranger." Buzzardpaw tilted his head in confusion. Spirits? Do these cats believe in StarClan? And what is a 'familiar stranger'? He glanced to Orion for answers, but the tom stared forward, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Councilman Sage," an orange tom from the crowd interrupted, "I do hate to interrupt, but the spirits haven't spoken to you in seasons. What would prompt them to do so now?"

Sage bowed his head, swallowing audibly. "A storm is coming. I spoke with Brook herself in the rapids this morning. Our connection with the spirits has been severed due to an anomaly, I was lucky to spend only a few heartbeats with the queen. Something disruptive has happened in the spirit realm and I believe it has broken through to our own."

Too confused to keep up, Buzzardpaw gently nudged Orion, getting his attention. "What's all this talk about spirits?"

Orion continued to stare forward, his ears perked as Sage continued to ramble. "The cats here believe in the nine spirits: Brook, the Queen of Water, Pyro, the King of Fire, Zephyr, the Prince of the Wind, Gaia, the Princess of the Earth, Luna, the Goddess of the Moon, Sol, the God of the Sun, Abyss, the Demon of Nightmares, Lyte, the Angel of Dreams, and Shade, the divide between of Life and Death. Each spirit has a domain in the afterlife. Every cat is believed to have a connection with one of the spirits and will reside in that domain when they die."

Eagleheart scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And you believe in that nonsense?"

Orion shrugged. "Not me, it's just religious mumbo jumbo. The cats here seem to cling to these beliefs though, some even say they've seen the spirits before."

Buzzardpaw hummed, turning his attention back to the group of cats in front of him. The cats here have a strange religion, that's for sure. It's so complicated! He frowned as the sky went dark, a large cloud covering the moon. Sage was still speaking, his silhouette barely visible in the darkness. "The end times are coming, our connections with the spirits must be stronger than ever."

"And if they aren't strong enough?" A voice questioned.

"Then we all perish." The old tom choked out. The clearing became eerily silent, sending chills up Buzzardpaw's spine. These cats are rogues, but I still feel bad for them! Whatever is coming their way must be horrible.

"The spirits haven't spoken with us," a shaky voice mewed, "even you said you could only connect with them for a few heartbeats. What do you suggest we do?"

"We forget them." A husky voice responded. Buzzardpaw looked around, trying to locate who it could belong to. He noticed Orion tense beside him, his whiskers twitching. "The spirits have forsaken us, they abandoned us when we needed them the most."

"Who said that?" Sage mewed, his voice angry. Buzzardpaw could see his legs trembling. "Who dares to disrespect the spirits?"

"I do." The voice mewed, closer now. Buzzardpaw frowned as a tom close to the haystack shuffled backward, blocking his view of the newcomer. "It's nice to see you again, Sage."

The old tom gasped quietly. "It can't be..."

"But it is." The mysterious tom grunted. Buzzardpaw strained his eyes, trying his hardest to make out the hulking figure in the darkness. "You may put your fears to rest. Your endless nights are no more, for your Sun has returned."

"I told you to never come back!" The ferocity in Sage's voice made Buzzardpaw flinch. "You were banished, why have you returned?"

The hidden tom let out a raspy chuckle. "Why wouldn't I come back? This is my home."

The cats within the group began to murmur, their voices heavy with confusion. "Who are you?" A voice called from further back.

"It's a shame you all dont remember me," the tom mewed, sounding hurt, "but it's to be expected, as your leader here tried his hardest to be sure you've forgotten. I am Sun, and I am here to take my position as your leader."

The tom blocking Buzzardpaw's view scoffed. "As if! Sage is head of the council, not you!"

"He may be the leader now, but did he earn that position fairly? No, he took leadership of the group from my father, and as my father's chosen son, it is my birthright to lead."

"That's allowed," she-cat's voice called, sounding angry, "a cat is allowed to challenge the head of the council. Your father must have lost the fight, get over it!"

Sun clicked his tongue. "Ah, but that wasn't the case, was it Sage?" Sage remained quiet, his ears pinned to his head. "My father was a respected leader for a long time, until he was chased out by a group of scoundrels led by Sage. Sage did not claim the position honorably, he stole it."

"I've had enough of this!" Sage hissed, his voice cracking. "Your father was unwanted, any kin of his is unwanted as well."

"Any kin?" Sun growled, his voice menacing. "That cannot be the case, as a few of my brothers and sisters live here peacefully. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say that you're being discriminatory, Sage." Sun stepped closer, his massive frame towering over the elder. Squinting hard, Buzzardpaw grunted as the tom's ragged frame remained hidden in the deep darkness.

Letting out a weak cough, Sage raised his voice, his quivering body barely visible. "Any wise tom that cares for his cats would be discriminatory towards the likes of you, Sun. There's an evil inside of you, just like your father. You were banished, you must leave! If you do not leave now, I will order the soldiers to force you out."

"If they listen to you, that is," Sun mewed chillingly. The tom turned his massive head towards the cats seated in front of the barn, his shining amber eyes suddenly visible in the dim light. "Why don't we let them decide? Soldiers, who is more fit to lead?"

After a moment of silence, the soldiers answered in unison. "You are, sir."

"Whose commands would you like to follow?" Sun continued.

"Yours, sir."

Letting out a deep purr, Sun turned back to Sage, his head lifted triumphantly. "And who will you be forcing out tonight?"

The soldiers looked between each other, their eyes cold and certain. "Sage, sir."

Sage let out a choking sound, his body trembling harder. "What are you doing? I'm your leader, I'm the head of the council!"

"Not anymore." Sun responded, sounding disinterested.

"What about you all?" Sage wailed, turning to the crowd. "Are you going to sit here and let this happen?"

The group was quiet, a few hushed whispers muttered here and there. Finally, a hesitant voice spoke. "Is what he said true, Sage? Did you really lead a group of rogues to chase out the previous leader?"

"I did, but it was for the well being of the group! I will admit, I did have a group of cats chase Sun's father out, but it was for a good reason." Sage's mew was desperate now, his green eyes wide. "Cats were dying left and right! He wasn't fit to lead! The spirits told me… I had to…"

The group went silent again. "How come I don't remember any of this, Sage?" An old tom-cat mewed, his voice raspy. "We're brothers. Why cant I recall any of it?"

"Because Sage conspired with Lyte to have your memories wiped." Sun hissed, sounding impatient. "Sage was so jealous of my father's impact, he worked with the angel of dreams to remove any reminder of him. He's a manipulative liar, he's fooled you all."

Buzzardpaw frowned, his whiskers twitching. That's crazy talk! Are the spirits these cats worship actually capable of that? Before he could laugh it off, he glanced at Orion, who had an unreadable look on his face. The apprentice's frown deepened. Does Orion know about this? Is Sun telling the truth?

"Is it true, Sage?" Another voice called. The question was answered with telling silence, and the quiet clearing immediately erupted into enraged yowls.

"You lied to us! We trusted you!"

"You shouldnt be head of the council!"

"Traitor!"

Eagleheart lashed his tail, growing in annoyance. "Do these fools really believe this nonsense? This cat is obviously lying!" Buzzardpaw couldn't agree with his brother as his attention was on Orion, who was glaring at the old tom in the clearing. Orion seems to believe it.

"That seems to settle it." Sun spoke above the angry group, his voice triumphant. "You may take your leave now, Sage."

Sage growled lowly, the raspy sound rattling his entire body. "No! I am the head of the council, I was chosen by Lyte herself!" The clouds parted slightly, the new light illuminating the fear in the tom's eyes. "You're all making a mistake! He only wants to bring war, he'll be the end of you all!"

The group was quiet for a few heartbeats, the tension thick and heavy. A small, old, brown spotted she-cat stepped forward, her head hung in sadness. "You've betrayed us, Sage. As your littermate, I want to take your side, but it's unfair to the group. You must step down."

Sage let out a choked mew of anguish, touching his head to hers. "Fern, please believe me. I've spoken with Lyte, she told me that Sun would return, and he would only wage war on the clans. Think about your daughter, your grandkit, they're in danger!" Buzzardpaw's ears perked. Some of these cats have clan kin?

Before Fern could answer, Pitch stepped forward, his pelt barely visible in the dimming light. "I thought you said you couldn't speak with the spirits, and could only contact Brook for a few heartbeats? Now you say you've spoken with Lyte?" The tom scoffed, his unsheathed claws piercing the sand below. "You dare to use the spirits to slander and tell lies about my brother?"

"They aren't lies," Sage hissed, completely invisible due to the darkened sky, "it's the truth! A blind cat could see that something is wrong with this tom, I don't know how you all dont! After all these seasons, you'd think-"

"I've had enough of this," Sun interrupted, his voice low and threatening, "and I've had enough of you, Sage. If you do not wish to step down from your position, then you leave me no choice. I challenge you to a duel Sage, right here, right now."

"No, I refuse! I-" the old tom's voice cut off abruptly, a small thud on the ground sounding after. Buzzardpaw bit his lip as he heard scuffling, the pitch black night making it impossible to see. Suddenly, the clouds opened completely, the moon bathing the clearing with an eerie silver glow. His eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness, Buzzardpaw felt his heart stop as he noticed a frail, brown pelt lying on the ground, completely motionless. He's dead… The apprentice was broken from his thoughts as he heard a wail come from the front of the crowd, Fern rushing forward and burying her nose into her brother's pelt.

"It's unfortunate it had to end this way," Sun's voice called, nowhere to be seen, "but alas, this is how tradition goes. I'm sorry for your loss, Fern." Pricking his ears, Buzzardpaw realized the voice was coming from on top of the barn. "But, life goes on, and I am now the head of the council."

"You didn't have to kill him!" A tom's voice called, sounding angry.

"He was just an old tom!" Another voice added.

"He could have left peacefully! He could have-"

"Enough!" Sun howled, his booming voice stunning every cat into silence. "What's done is done, the old bastard is dead now." Buzzardpaw flinched at the hostility in the tom's voice, flattening his ears. "I am the head of the council now, whether you like it or not. If you feel like you can do a better job at leading, challenge me now. However, I must warn you. My patience has worn thin, so I cannot ensure that you'll have a peaceful death like your friend Sage here. Now, who wishes to fight me?" The tom was answered with silence, which he responded to with a satisfied 'hmph'. "As I thought," he continued. "Tonight, we enter a new era, one where we extend our territory past the boundaries of the barn. We've boosted our ranks greatly, and we're running out of space for our new mouths."

As he said this, a few cats led by Pitch padded young outside of the barn, their eyes wide and unsure. Buzzardpaw noticed Eagleheart staring intently at one of the new cats, his golden eyes wide in disbelief. Confused, Buzzardpaw pinpointed who he was looking at; a gray tom with dark amber eyes. The tom was much smaller than the other soldiers and looked relatively young, his eyes the size of moons. Buzzardpaw could see the cat's body trembling from where he hid, making him frown in sympathy. That poor tom, he looks like he could be an apprentice. Eagleheart mumbled something next to him, but Buzzardpaw couldn't decipher what his brother had said.

"We will take the territory that currently belongs to the clans," Sun continued, his voice turning into a low growl as he said 'clans', "and make it our own. We outnumber them two to one, they don't stand a chance against us."

"Why would we attack the clans," a tom called out, "when we've lived peacefully beside them for such a long time? Why would you want to disrupt that?"

A scraping sound could be heard from on top of the barn, which Buzzardpaw figured was Sun raking his claws down the wooden roof. "I will admit, I do have a few old scores with the clans, scores that will be settled soon." Old scores? How does Sun have a connection to the clans? "As the head of the council, my personal affairs are now the affairs of the entire group, so it's only right that you all help me."

"So you just want to use us for your personal gain!" Another tom yowled, sounding angry.

"No, no, that's the complete opposite of what I want to do. We are family now, and as your leader, your best interests are always my top priority."

Eagleheart scoffed. "Could he at least try to sound genuine?"

"Sending us into a potential war is in our best interests?" A she-cat protested.

"You all had no problem attacking WindClan." Sun responded.

"That's because we were forced!" Another cat countered.

"We didn't have a choice!"

"They attacked us first!" Buzzardpaw's ears perked at this. WindClan would never attack the rogues for no reason! What is this cat talking about? Eagleheart next to him seemed confused as well, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You just want to use us for your own gain!"

"You don't truly care for us!"

"You're evil!" The clearing was now an outrage of angry yowls, each cat shouting their anger over the other.

"Enough!" Sun yowled, his booming voice sending the group into a stunned silence. "Your chance of getting rid of me passed when you allowed me to kill Sage. You traitorous fools did nothing to stop me, and now you're angry? No! You've made your nest, and you have to lay in it. I am the leader now, so I make the decisions." The tom took in a few audible breathes, fighting to keep himself calm.

"What do sorry numbskulls like you have to live for anyway?" Pitch added, his eyes narrowed. "You should be grateful that he's decided to use you for his plans and not flay you all like the pieces of crowfood like you are."

"Now now, Pitch," Sun mewed, sounding calmer now, "we don't want to send the wrong message." His demeanor changes so quickly, its like he's a different cat! "Yes, things are going to be much different from now on, but I promise that it's in your best interests. I do not see you as pawns to use to achieve my goals, I see you as allies, groupmates. I lived with once before, we were, and still are, family, and families do what is best for everyone."

A burly gray tom stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "You keep repeating yourself, but aren't giving any explanations. How is fighting the clans in our best interests?"

"You'll see once we win the war."

"But we want answers now!" A brown she-cat countered, her tail lashing angrily. "If you expect us to help you, we need to know the reason why."

Pitch stalked closer to her, his face only inches from hers. "You don't need to know anything," he hissed, "besides the fact that you will fight, and you will submit to Sun. He is the leader now, he makes the decisions."

"Not all of them!" A black tom retorted, standing between Pitch and the seething she-cat. "The council can veto his actions if they feel they're unjust, he doesn't have the power he thinks he has!"

"Is that so?" Sun mewed from atop the barn, sounding amused. "Why don't we conduct a little experiment then? Council, rise." Each of the cats standing in front of the barn rose to their feet, Pitch returning to the spot he was in before. "If you feel that we should not attack the clans, sit." No cat moved. "If you feel like attacking the clans would be beneficial, raise your tail." One by one, each cat in line raised their tail, glaring coldly at the black tom in front of them. "That settles it then, you may sit."

The tom was silent for a moment, finally breaking it with a sharp yowl. "You'll never make me fight, I refuse!"

"Then you'll die with the wetreched clan cats!" Sun shouted, louder. "I am going to bring us to victory, and this is how you treat me? You should be grateful, you should be bowing at my feet!" The tom's voice was venomous and haunting, making Buzzardpaw bristle. "After all these seasons, I've kept you all in mind, knowing that I could improve your livelihood. I'm not asking you to worship me, I'm simply asking that you comply with my demands so we can have a better future. Is that so wrong?"

"Its wrong when your ulterior motives are so obvious, Sun." The black tom spat back. "You don't want to help us, we can all see it."

The hidden tom was quiet, the sound of the whistling wind keeping the clearing from complete silence. "I'm not sure if you've noticed Dusk, but you don't have much of a choice anymore. I am your ruler, I am your god. You may say that I'm evil, but I am truly benevolent, you must earn my good nature." The tom's calm mew slowly transitioned to a growl. "I have no 'ulterior motives', after the clans are gone, you will all live prosperous lives full of prey and happiness, I will simply be the catalyst. I am securing your futures, so therefore you owe me the present."

"We owe you nothing!"

"If you wish to continue to live within the walls of this barn, you owe me everything." Sun hissed back, his claws audibly scraping the wooden roof he sat on. "You think I'm cruel? Fine, I don't have to prove myself to you, but I will, just this one time. I will give you all a taste of my kind heartedness. If you do not wish to remain with us, speak up now and you may leave. I must note however, if you leave, the barn is no longer your home. You must find elsewhere to live. If you're found within radius of our territory, you will be eliminated. Now, Dusk, why don't you take my generous offer?"

Dusk unsheathed his claws, lifting his head proudly. "I'm leaving. I'll never serve you, Sun." A skinny black she-cat next to him tried to silence him, but the tom continued to stare confidently at the leader.

The hidden leader hummed, the deep rumbling sound echoing around the silent area. "Very well then, Dusk. It is unfortunate, but I wish you well."

The scrawny tom pushed his way through the crowd, slipping under the broken fence. Turning back to the soldiers sitting in front of the barn, Buzzardpaw noticed a sandy colored tom with black ears slip away from the others, slinking under the fence as well. Buzzardpaw's heart dropped as he realized what was happening. It's a trap! That tom shouldn't have left! Surely enough, a few heartbeats later, a bloodcurdling screech could be heard from afar, sending a wave of fear down the apprentice's spine. Eagleheart tensed beside him, registering what happened as well. Buzzardpaw glanced at the she-cat the tom was sitting next to, her yellow eyes wide with shock and grief.

A chilling chuckle from Sun made Buzzardpaw's pelt prickle in apprehension. "Unfortunately, he couldn't exit the territory quick enough. Does anyone else wish to leave? Maybe you'll be faster than your friend was." The tom was answered with silence. "Noir? Do you wish to leave like your brother did? You're quite agile, you might get lucky." The she-cat continued to stare at her paws in silence, a single tear dropping from her eye. "Good choice. Now that I am the leader, new rules will be implemented. You will refer to me as sir, as I am the authority here and I deserve respect. You all will not be allowed to eat until the soldiers and I have eaten. You are not allowed to hunt, the soldiers will take care of this for you. If you are found eating before being told or hunting, you will be punished." The sandy colored soldier from before had rejoined the others, his massive paws red with fresh blood. "Contacting the spirits is not allowed. They have proven that they care for us no longer, so we should not care for them. Cats that are unable to fight will be trained to be medics, if they do not do well, they will be exiled." Buzzardpaw gasped. This tom is crazy! "Every cat will wake at dawn to train. If you do exceptionally well in training, you just might earn the honor of joining the Renaissance to train to become a true soldier of the Brigade. Soldiers of the Brigade are the cats closest to me, and therefore receive the most benefits."

"What if we-"

"I wasn't finished!" Sun screeched, making Buzzardpaw flinch in surprise. The leader took a deep breath, fighting to become calm again. "All pregnancies will be regulated and monitored by our medics. After you give birth and the kittens are weaned, your strongest kit will be taken into the Renaissance, the rest you may keep. Sp-"

"Excuse me, sir," A quiet voice interrupted. Buzzardpaw's heart began to race as he saw a small ginger she-cat lift her head, her body shaking. Two small kits were seated by her paws, their eyes unseen as they hid their faces in their mother's pelt. "But what exactly happens to the kits that are taken in? Are they…" She paused, her body trembling violently, "Are they killed? A few soldiers took my kit, Birch, a moon ago. Do you know anything about this? Is he-"

"You want to know if he's still alive?" Sun interrupted, sounding annoyed. "He is. Pitch, retrieve Snatch for me." The black tom disappeared into the barn behind him, shortly reappearing with an orange kit in tow. The tom looked around four moons old, his belly plump and his pelt glossy. The she-cat that had spoken before raced forward to greet her son, but was thrown backwards by a fawn colored she-cat. The kit looked confused for a moment but didn't say anything, sitting next to Pitch. "As you can see, young Snatch is alive and well. After the kit is retrieved from their mother, their name is changed and they are indoctrinated to serve and protect the Renaissance. They will no longer have a connection with their mother and siblings, and thus should no longer be seen as family. Young Snatch will grow up to become a fine soldier of the Renaissance, and so will any other kits that are selected. Speaking of, I believe that there are more kits ready for this honorable selection. Maple," A tortoiseshell she-cat tensed as she heard her name, three kits in front of her. A dark gray tom sat next to her, his nostrils flaring. "How old are your kits?"

"A-a moon and a half, sir." Maple mewed, her wavering voice barely a whisper.

"Ah, they're well past the age of selection. Why wasn't I notified of this?"

"B-Because-"

"Because you're not taking our kit." The gray tom growled, standing to his paws.

"Oh really?" Sun purred, sounding amused. "And who's to say that I'm not?"

"I say so!" The tom bared his fangs at the unseen leader. Buzzardpaw tensed as he noticed a few of the soldiers rising to their paws, their claws unsheathed. Oh, why won't he just sit down? These cats are ruthless! "You dont scare me, Sun."

"It's sir to you." A black tom growled.

"Now now, Soot, he's right. I may not scare him," Sun mewed, "and that's alright, because that's not my goal. My goal is to ensure that everyone lives a happy life once this is all over, which can only happen if I boost my ranks. Stone, by denying us your kit, you're hindering our road to victory, and his chance at a better life. Is that what you really want?"

Stone growled, his tail lashing. "I want what's better for my kits, and that's to keep them away from you! You pretend like you're doing all of this killing and fighting for us, but in reality, it's just for your sick, twisted enjoyment! Lyte may have wiped the other's memories, but not mine. You're no better than your father, I will not allow you to complete his legacy of genocide!"

Sun remained quiet. I wish I could see his face, I don't know what's coming next! Buzzardpaw glanced at his brother, who started ahead intently. A quiet sound could be heard from on top of the barn, eventually growing louder and louder. Buzzardpaw realized that it was Sun laughing, the sound gritty and chilling. "You will not allow me? I didn't know that I needed your permission." The tom began to cackle again, louder this time. "When will you idiots realize that your wants do not matter? I am the one that makes the final choice, not you. Pitch, which kit looks the strongest?"

"The one in the middle, sir." A gray spotted tom sat between his mother's paws, his green eyes wide.

"And which one is the runt of the litter?"

Hesitating, Pitch confusedly mewed, "The one on the left, sir." A solid gray she kit trembled next to her father.

"Great. Take the runt and the largest and bring them forward."

Pitch moved to grab the kits but Stone leapt in the way, his teeth bared. "You will not touch my kits!" Unmoved, Pitch jostled the tom to the side, roughly snatching the two kits up. As they squealed and squirmed in the tom's jaws, Stone rose to his paws and prepared for another attack, but was forced back down by two other soldiers. "No, Leave them alone!"

Pitch placed the kits down on the ground, lifting his head to nod at his leader. "The kits sir."

Sun grunted, a quiet, unimpressed sound. "Thank you. Thorn? Stand next to the gray kit." A massive gray tom padded forward to stand next to the kit, her tiny body looking like a bug in comparison. Buzzardpaw's heart filled with dread as the soldier glared menacingly at the poor she-kit. StarClan, please don't let him hurt her. The group remained silent, wondering what Sun was going to order him to do next. After a few long moments, Maggot opened his mouth and made two rapid clicking sounds with his tongue. The soldiers around Thorn began to grin, their eyes gleaming evilly. Buzzardpaw watched in confusion, unsure of what was happening. Does he communicate with the clicking? Maggot clicked three more times, each one with a pause in between. Quicker than a bird, Thorn lifted his clawed paw high in the air and forcefully brought it down on the kit's head, making a sickening crunching sound. The soldier held his paw on the kit's body for a few more heartbeats, finally stepping back to reveal a large bloody pool covering the surrounding sand. Buzzardpaw's mouth gaped in complete shock. He… He crushed her!

Too terrified to move, Buzzardpaw was broken from his thoughts as Eagleheart began to squirm next to him, his golden eyes blazing with fury. The tom began to rise to his paws but Buzzardpaw yanked him back down. "Stop moving, you'll give us away!"

"That was a kit, Buzzardpaw!" Eagleheart hissed back. "He killed that kit!"

"Keep your voice down!" Orion hissed, his eyes wide. "Do you want us to be next?"

Eagleheart opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by an ear splitting screech. Stone had managed to get away from the soldiers and flung himself at Thorn, throwing him to the ground. The enraged tom tore and ripped at Thorn's belly, shortly wrenched off by Pitch and an orange she-cat. The two soldiers pinned Stone to the dust, struggling against his writhing body. Sun hummed from above, scraping his claws on the barn's roof. "Compliance is something we value. If you don't comply, you will be punished. Though, I must say Stone, you sure have put up a good fight. With careful guidance, you could potentially become a member of the Renaissance. What do you say?"

The gray tom bared his teeth, throwing the she-cat off of his head. "Never! I will never join the cats that killed my daughter! I'd rather die than help you with your sick, evil plan!"

Sun remained silent for a few moments. He then snickered quietly, sending a chill down Buzzardpaw's spine. "What a pleasant coincidence. Very well then." The tom finally growled, obviously struggling to remain calm. "Such a waste. You will now face the guillotine." The what?

*WARNING! THE NEXT SCENE IS GRAPHIC!*

Buzzardpaw watched as Pitch and Thorn grabbed Stone by the scruff, roughly throwing his body onto the odd looking piece of twoleg vine lying on the ground. Pitch pinned the Stone's head to the ground, forcing the tom's neck to lie directly onto the vine. Two identical cream toms with brown faces padded forward, each taking one of the ends of the vine into their jaws. The orange she-cat and Thorn joined them, grabbing the vine as well. The sandy colored tom and the broad shouldered gray tom also went to separate ends of the vine, making each side even with three cats on each end. The cats from one end then crossed over Stone's body, the cats on the other end following suit. Maggot stared into Stone's eyes, his skinny body tense. After what seemed like a moon, Maggot clicked his tongue once. All of the soldiers holding the vine began to pull, their muscles straining as they struggled to pull their side the furthest. Buzzardpaw's mouth gaped as he watched the vine begin cut into Stone's neck, a disgusting gurgling sound coming from his mouth. The soldiers tugged more and more, causing the vine to cut deeper and deeper. Feeling sick to his stomach, Buzzardpaw turned his head away, tears stinging his eyes. Eagleheart continued to watch in horror, his eyes the size of moons. Orion pressed his pelt into Buzzardpaw's, whimpering in fear. Finally, the sickening sound stopped, prompting Buzzardpaw to open his eyes. He began to turn his head, but was stopped by his brother.

"Don't look."

"But-"

"Buzzardpaw, PLEASE dont look." Eagleheart's eyes were wide and aghast, his body trembling violently.

Ignoring his plea, Buzzardpaw turned his head completely, immediately regretting his decision. The soldiers had let go of their end of the vine, its entire length splattered with blood. Their eyes were poisonous and sharp as they glared at the carnage before them. Pitch slowly stepped off of Stone's body, revealing a large bloody bone jutting from where his head should have been. A few mouse lengths away, Stone's decapitated head rested on the ground, his face contorted into an expression of indescribable horror. The tom's bulging eyes began to spurt blood, one of the green optics popping out of the skull completely. Giving the headless body one last look, Buzzardpaw turned away and vomited, narrowly missing getting it on himself. Eagleheart and Orion didn't seem to notice, too horrified to care.

*GRAPHIC SCENE END*

The group remained in stunned silence, not believing what they had just witnessed. A loud, choked cry came from Maple, the she-cat grieving her deceased mate. Sun finally spoke, his voice dark and malevolent. "Defiance is something that we despise. If you defy us, expect a similar fate." The tom made a tsk sound. "Though, it's such a shame, Stone would have made a perfect soldier. Now, Pitch, bring the kit closer."

Pitch prodded the gray spotted tom closer with his nose. The kit trembled violently, a small puddle of excrement at his paws. Buzzardpaw tensed, fearful for the small being.

"What's your name, kit?"

"Grass." The kitten mewed, barely audible.

Sun chuckled. "What a pathetic name, your parents must've hated you. You should be relieved that I'm removing them from your life. From now on, your name will be Skull, in remembrance of your father's mistake. You will learn to be a soldier and actually do something useful with your life." Buzzardpaw closed his eyes, his body trembling as a small breeze rattled the haystack they hid in. "I've spent enough time with you mongrels. This meeting is dismissed." After he said this, Maggot clicked his tongue once, making the soldiers form a straight line. The hairless tom then clicked his tongue thrice, making the soldiers form a loose circle around the group. Maggot clicked his tongue four times and the soldiers began to lead the group back to the general section, hissing and swatting at those that fell behind. Maggot retreated inside of the barn, roughly picking Skull up from the ground.

Buzzardpaw remained where he was, too stunned to speak. Eagleheart stared at Stone's body, his eyes wet with tears. Orion kept his head pressed into Buzzardpaw's shoulder, his body shaking.

"I'm too scared to look." The mottled tom rasped, his voice choked with tears. Buzzardpaw pulled him in closer with his tail. A dark cloud had covered the moon, filling the clearing with an eerie darkness. He glanced at his brother, who still remained silent.

"Eagleheart, we need to leave." Buzzardpaw's voice was scratchy and raw as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Not yet." Eagleheart whispered.

One of the soldiers had returned, their glowing yellow eyes the only thing visible. The soldier looked around the clearing then began to pace, inching threateningly close to the three's hiding spot. Buzzardpaw's eyes widened in alarm. "Eagleheart, we need to go, NOW." A revolting smell rose from Stone's discarded body, making him feel sick again.

Eagleheart remained still, his golden eyes intense and full of hatred. "No. I need to see who their leader is."

"For what?" Buzzardpaw hissed. The pacing soldier stopped in their tracks, their ears pointed in the direction of the haystack. Buzzardpaw gulped, anxiously prodding his brother in the side. "Eagleheart, we're going to get caught!"

Still unresponsive, Eagleheart continued to stare forwards, his whiskers twitching. A shadow moved, catching Buzzardpaw's attention. The shadow leapt from the top of the barn, staring at the pacing warrior. To Buzzardpaw's dismay, he couldn't make out any features of the cat, its presence gone as fast as it came. That's definitely Sun, but I can't tell what he looks like! Spotting their leader, the pacing tom retreated to the barn, Sun following behind. As the two cats padded deeper into the barn, the clouds suddenly lifted, allowing Buzzardpaw to catch sight of a black tail tip. Nothing else could be revealed however, and Buzzardpaw turned to his brother anxiously.

"There, Eagleheart, you saw."

Seeming discontent, Eagleheart slowly stood, his golden eyes still fixated on the barn. Slowly backing out of the haystack, the group raced away from the barns, finding themselves near the tunnels. Buzzardpaw panted, his mind whirling as he tried to process the events that happened moments ago. Orion stood beside him, still looking shooken. "I cant believe what just happened."

"Why can't you?" Eagleheart suddenly hissed, whipping around. "These cats are your kind, you should know what they're capable of."

Buzzardpaw turned to his brother, his eyebrows furrowed. "Eagleheart, that's not fair. Orion is nothing like those… monsters."

"Or is he?" Eagleheart protested, tail lashing. "He's related to these cats, it's in his blood."

Orion stepped closer to Eagleheart, his eyes narrowed. "Why are you mad at me? I'm just as shaken as you are! I didn't kill Sage, I didn't kill Stone, and I didnt kill that kit, Sun did!"

"You know him, don't you?"

"What?"

"You know who Sun is, don't you?"

Buzzardpaw flinched in shock at the accusation. "What? Eagleheart, you're just talking crazy now."

"Or am I?" The warrior questioned, his golden eyes glaring daggers at Orion. "You may have been watching the meeting Buzzardpaw, but I was watching your 'friend' here the entire time. I saw how you reacted when you heard his name, rogue. I saw how you reacted when Sage told the lie about the light cat or whatever. The point is, you know more than you're telling us, than you're telling me."

Orion bared his teeth, his body quivering in anger. "I don't owe you anything."

Eagleheart undefeated his claws, the black talons glinting in the moonlight. "You're right. Maybe I'll have to beat the answers out of you then!" The warrior leapt at Orion, immediately pinning the much smaller tom to the ground. Lifting his paw high in the air, the warrior was unable to land a harsh blow as he was hauled off of the rogue by his brother.

"Eagleheart, stop!" Buzzardpaw hissed, standing defensively over Orion's body. "He's not our enemy!"

Eagleheart turned on his brother, his eyes blazing with fury. "You keep saying that, but you can't prove it! How do you know that he's 'on our side'? How do you know that 'he's one of the good ones'? How do you know that he wont turn on you the second he gets the chance?"

"Because he's my friend!" Buzzardpaw snapped, his pelt bristiling in anger.

"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought." The apprentice winced at the hostility in his brother's voice, flattening his ears to his head. "He's a liar, Buzzardpaw, why can't you see that?"

"I haven't lied to you once!" Orion objected, pushing Buzzardpaw off of him. "You're playing detective with the wrong cat, mousebrain. I'm on your side!"

Eagleheart snarled, digging his claws into the soft dirt. "Insult me again and you won't have a tongue to clean your sorry pelt with!"

"Guys, stop it!" Buzzardpaw shouted, thrusting himself between the two angry toms. "We're all worked up, none of us were expecting what happened to happen tonight. We all need to get some rest, we don't need to take our frustrations out on each other. We have one common enemy, it's obvious that Sun is evil and needs to be dealt with. Let's all go to our nests and get some rest, StarClan knows we need it."

"Only StarClan could save this wretched place." Eagleheart growled.

"Whatever." Shaking the dust from his pelt, Orion turned around and began to stalk away. "Buzzardpaw, never bring him here ever again."

Eagleheart scoffed, turning towards the tunnel. "Trust me rogue, you better hope that we never meet again."

Watching the two toms angrily stomp away, Buzzardpaw let out a long sigh, feeling his throat grow tight. Why can't they just get along? We need to form as many bonds now more than ever! Slowly following behind his brother, Buzzardpaw saw the warrior at the mouth of the tunnel, his claws still unsheathed. Noticing his brother, Eagleheart padded deeper into the dark pit, only stopping as the apprentice called out to him. "What, Buzzardpaw?"

"What you did was uncalled for." Buzzardpaw mewed sternly, his eyes narrowed. "Orion's only trying to help, you shouldn't have attack-"

"What I should have done was wipe that smug grin off that foxheart's face!" Eagleheart hissed, whipping around to face his brother. It was impossible to see anything now, but the tom didn't care. "He's a liar, Buzzardpaw."

Buzzardpaw growled. "He hasn't lied to us!"

"He did! You were just as lost as I was when he was bringing us to the rogue gathering. With all the time you two have apparently spent together 'finding clues', wouldn't that have come up at least once?"

"But that's not a lie," the apprentice protested, "he just didn't tell me! It never came up in conversation, it's not like rogue gatherings are a common talking point!"

"Not telling the full truth is a lie, Buzzardpaw." Eagleheart sighed. "He's obviously hiding something, why don't you realize that? Why do you adamantly insist that he's a good cat, when he's not? If he's truly on our side, he would have given you any and all information about the rogues upfront, but instead, he waits until things conveniently pop up to tell you. Isn't that suspicious?"

Buzzardpaw shook his head. "No, it's not suspicious Eagleheart, because he's a normal cat! Normal cats don't want to think about secret rogue meetings or potential wars, they just want to think about normal cat stuff!"

Eagleheart scoffed. "Well, I'd think that it's kind of hard to think about 'normal cat stuff' when there's a group of rogues training to destroy the clans literally right next door! I'm not sure if you realized, Buzzardpaw, but Orion isn't living in a peaceful environment, things are extremely hostile here."

"And yet he's nice to us! That proves he's on the right side!"

"That proves that he's manipulative and sly."

Buzzardpaw groaned in frustration. He's so stubborn! "Look, Eagleheart. You've only known Orion for one day. I know it's been a rocky start, but next time we can-"

"No, Buzzardpaw," Eagleheart interrupted, "there won't be a next time, because I'm not coming back, and I suggest you don't either." He sighed once more, pressing his nose to his brother's cheek. "You and Orion may have got along well before, but things will be much different now. Now that Sun is in charge, don't expect Orion to be lounging around in his barn like he was before. He's going to train and fight like the others, train and fight to destroy us. You're just an apprentice, don't throw your life away now."

Buzzardpaw jerked back, his eyebrows furrowing. "So that's what this is about? You think I'm just a dumb, naive apprentice that cant handle myself?"

"I didn't say that-"

"You think that you're better than me because you became a warrior early, don't you?" Buzzardpaw narrowed his eyes. "Well you're not, Eagleheart, you're just being a coward."

"I'm not being a coward, I'm being smart about this!" the warrior hissed, quickly regaining his composure. "The rogues killed my mother, Buzzardpaw, they slaughtered her and threw her body away like it was nothing. They… they…" Eagleheart swallowed audibly to stop his voice from cracking. "They killed her, and they'll kill you too. Things may have been safe here before, but they aren't now, and I can't lose another one of my kin to the rogues, not ever again."

Immediately regretting snapping, Buzzardpaw pressed his head to his brother's, feeling a single tear drop down the tom's cheek. "I...I'm sorry, Eagleheart. I know this is hard, but maybe this is what we're supposed to do. We have a prophecy, remember? Maybe we're supposed to help the rogues in some way, maybe that's why I keep coming back"

Eagleheart's breath caught in his throat. "Help them? You think we should help the rogues?"

Hearing the rising anger in his brother's voice, Buzzardpaw nodded quickly. "Think about it! The previous leader, Sage, was talking about an anomaly affecting the rogues. They're in trouble too, just like us!"

"They are the trouble, Buzzardpaw!"

"No, wait! Sage also mentioned a great storm coming, so did the leaders! Don't you get it? Maybe the clans and the rogues are supposed to work together! Maybe we're-"

Eagleheart's voice was chillingly quiet, barely a whisper. "Are you genuinely suggesting that two coincidences that we and our enemy seem to share means that we're actually supposed to be allies? Are you actually suggesting that we work together with the same cats that killed my mother?"

"Eagleheart, that's not what I'm-"

"You are unbelievable." With that, the warrior stalked deeper down the tunnel, leaving Buzzardpaw in the dark, alone.

Author's Note:

Long time no see! Sorry for the extremely late update, I've started college so I'm much busier than I was over the summer.

The main antagonist enters center stage! What are Sun's motivations? What does he have against the clans? Are the spirits the rogues believe in real? Are Eagleheart's suspicions about Orion valid? These questions will be answered in future chapters, so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

~MeltingPopsicles