Those ginger and white patches. That scrawny yet sleek form. His sharp green eyes standing out against his transparent pelt, sparking fear into the dozens of cats around him. Truly, he was something to behold. WindClan, RiverClan, ThunderClan, and ShadowClan were often an odds but the past few sunrises, they shared a fear and an anger. Now all that anger was done, shaken away by a new sense of awe and humbling terror.

The phantom tom stood before the tree bridge, glaring down four clans of warriors with a sterling gaze. Just moments ago, the warriors were snarling and yowling for blood but now they cowered behind each other and their gazes flicked around nervously. The ginger and white tom drew himself up, squaring his shoulders regally, and glared them down until they slowly began creeping back.

It wasn't natural. Ghosts didn't belong among the living and the warriors knew it. It was different and new. It was in a cat's nature to fear the different and new. So, they curled in on themselves like kits and trembled.

All except Hollyleaf. To her, transparent fur and a ghostly frame wasn't something to be afraid of. To her, it meant comfort and safety.

"Fallen Leaves," she called happily and bounded across the island. She thrust her muzzle against his neck in greeting and purred and he headbutted her affectionately in greeting. Warmth flooded over her. Hollyleaf hadn't realized how much she missed him. She was so used to being around him that his absence felt foreign and strange.

"Hollyleaf," he murmured before lifting his gaze and glaring at the clans. Tenderness shifted into cold, unfeeling ice. Hollyleaf knew it wasn't directed at her but she had to admit Fallen Leaves could be intimidating when he wanted to be. "You bring shame to your ancestors."

The clans, dozens upon dozens of warriors, remained completely silent. The wind picked up ever so slightly, sending leaves scattering across the barren earth they stood on, yet no one so much as sneezed. The world seemed to still as the clans tried to figure out how to respond to the presence of something so spiritual before them.

Slowly, four forms slid off the great oaks and slipped through the masses of cats. Four leaders slunk across the sacred land and stood before their clanmates to face the newcomer.

"Who are you?" Onestar whispered, eyes wide. "Are you from StarClan?"

Fallen Leaves snorted and shook his head. "I'm much older than StarClan. I'm the guardian of this lake and I've watched you four clans since you arrived. I have to say I'm disappointed."

"You've been here that long?" Mistystar echoed. "Why come out now?"

Fallen Leaves shook out his fur. "Jayfeather is my friend. My oldest friend. I know exactly what kind of cat he is and I respect him deeply. I know exactly how much the clans mean to the three. Each one of them is willing to lay down their lives for you and the stars gave them the power to use that will to do something good and what do you do? You respond with hate and tear them down. You do not deserve StarClan's light."

Blackstar flattened his ears and peeled his lip back. "The clans live to honor StarClan and StarClan exists to protect us."

Fallen Leaves looked bored. "Is that right though? StarClan and the four clans below… Your destinies are interwoven. You share the same light. If this is what clan cats do with their gift from the stars, maybe StarClan doesn't deserve their power. You certainly don't deserve their protection."

Blackstar hissed. "What gives you the right-"

"My apologies," Fallen Leaves said and it sounded like he meant it. "I'm many generations old. My thoughts tend to wander. The three have the power of the stars in their paws. They are greater than StarClan and they live to serve the lake clans and StarClan both. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say you deserve the fate you've brought upon yourself."

"What?"

"Did you ever stop to think why the three are so powerful?" Firestar asked, sounding tired. "They have their powers to protect us. What do you think we're supposed to do now that they're gone?"

Mistystar, Onestar, and Blackstar fell silent and shuffled their paws.

"StarClan will-" Mistystar began but she was cut off by Hollyleaf.

"StarClan let you drive away Dovewing and my brothers like a bunch of mousebrains!" Hollyleaf spat, unable to keep quiet any longer. "We're on our own now."

Cinderheart couldn't help but stare at Fallen Leaves as the four clans trickled off the island and began returning to their respective territories. She knew the whole reason the clans turned against the three was that they were different and they didn't understand them but she couldn't help feel uneasy around Fallen Leaves. Because, come on, a ghost? She could understand spirits but they always stayed in Silverpelt. Having one down here, acting like any other cat, was just… weird.

But Hollyleaf looked so happy walking beside him. She acted like having a ghost for a companion was normal and Cinderheart trusted her friend's judgement. It would take time but she could learn. Cats with transparent pelts could one day become normal for her. If the clans' recent actions taught her anything, it was the value in open mindedness.

Still, it was odd and she stared. She got so caught up in doing so that she didn't see Berrynose approach her.

"Hey, Cinderheart," Berrynose called, startling Cinderheart out of her fur.

"Berrynose!" she yelped before flattening her fur. What an embarrassing thing to be so surprised by. "I, uh, what's up?"

Berrynose ducked his head in a very uncharacteristic manner. "I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Cinderheart reeled back, blinking in surprise. "You… You wanted to say sorry?"

Berrynose nodded, looking guilty. "The stuff that ghost cat said got me thinking… And then I talked to Brambleclaw and I realized how much of a foxheart I've been."

"A foxheart?" Cinderheart echoed, not believing her ears. "Berrynose, I don't think a single cat in any of the clans would call you a foxheart. A mousebrain, maybe, but a foxheart…"

Berrynose chuckled but there was no humor in it. "Cats don't need to say it for it to be true. A lot of the clan has acted pretty foxhearted lately."

"Well, I can't argue but still, what brought this on?"

The pair came to a stop, breaking off from the clan to talk. Berrynose seemed to sink in on himself with even more shame. "What Fallen Leaves said… He said he was Jayfeather's friend."

Cinderheart tilted her head, prompting him to keep going. That was an odd thing to fixate on but whatever worked. Berrynose could use some humility. All the warriors could but she was a bit surprised that he of all cats was the first to show guilt or regret regarding his actions.

"I think... When the medicine cats said that Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing had the power of the stars in their paws, we all kind of forgot they're cats," Berrynose admitted, still refusing to meet Cinderheart's eye. "I mean, I guess the other clans kind of have an excuse because of clan rivalries and all but ThunderClan… We know them. Fallen Leaves talked about Jayfeather like he had so much faith in them. I grew up with Lionblaze and Jayfeather. I know I can be a prickly thornbush sometimes but I'd like to think I can call them friends, even if we butt heads more than most cats. Yet it was some ghost cat who stood with them instead of me. I guess… I didn't realize those cats I was chasing were my clanmates. I feel so… so… so…"

"Ashamed?"

"I was going to say foxhearted but yeah. Ashamed," Berrynose sighed. His body seemed to relax with the breath, like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. "I can't believe we were so blinded like that. I know it's too late but can you forgive me? I don't… I don't want to lose any more of my friends."

Cinderheart's gaze softened. She never liked Berrynose much but he was right about them being old friends. They'd been apprentices together. She'd be lying if she said she'd be happy without his support. "It may take awhile but I think I can, Berrynose."

The tom looked relieved. "Thank you, Cinderheart."

"Do you know if any of the others… y'know…"

Berrynose shrugged. "I know Brambleclaw, Leafpool, and Squirrelflight didn't join in the chase. And Briarlight, obviously. She told me she misses Jayfeather when I stopped by Jayf- er, her den the other day for some dock leaves. They were close, I think. Maybe she'd get along with that ghost cat."

"Fallen Leaves? Is he staying with ThunderClan?"

Berrynose shrugged again. "I don't know. Can't really say no, can we? And I think a lot of the clan is happy to have Hollyleaf back. I don't think she'd stay if we drove him away."

"Maybe you should talk to him," Cinderheart suggested. "He seems like a level-headed cat and it's clear to me you value your friendship with the three so I don't think he'd bite your head off if you wanted to talk through your feelings with him."

"I don't need to talk through my feelings." Berrynose scowled like the old, sharp-tongued warrior Cinderheart was used to. He paused. "But maybe you're right. I'll try to get to know him a bit better. I don't think the clan likes him much but being afraid of cats who are different is what got us into this mess, right?"

"Right," Cinderheart said, a smile forming on her face.

Berrynose smiled back and turned to return to the clan with a flick of his stumpy tail. Cinderheart couldn't help but let a small flash of hope worm its way into her heart. If Berrynose could redeem himself, maybe the rest of the clan could too.

Ivypool was exhausted by the time she returned to camp. Why? She did not know. The high of adrenaline from the day was wearing off and she was realizing how emotionally drained she was. And still, the day was not over.

It was well past sunhigh when the clan returned to camp but not quite sunset yet. The clan was still active and there were still duties to be done. The warriors had been out all day so the fresh-kill pile was empty and the clan's kits and elders' bellies were rumbling. No matter how high emotions were running, patrols still had to go out.

The sun had already sunk by the time she finally had a chance to settle down at the fresh-kill pile with a vole but she couldn't say it was a relief. Her tired paws were still itching to move or at least get out of camp. This place, it didn't quite feel like home.

Hollyleaf, whoever she was, was talking with Cinderheart by the elder's den and, surprisingly, Berrynose was sharing tongues with Fallen Leaves near the apprentices' den but the rest of the clan was humming with something Ivypool couldn't identify. It made her tail curl. It didn't feel right but even as she looked around her clanmates, she couldn't get any more of an idea of what it was.

Her eyes eventually fell on Whitewing and Birchfall. They were staring at her. Ivypool felt a flash of anger in her chest. Whitewing's gaze was soft and Birchfall's eyes were concerned. A surge of energy overtook her muscles and she rose to her paws. What right did they have looking at her so caringly after Dovewing-

She didn't want to think about it. Turning away, she picked up her fresh-kill and padded away to find somewhere to eat away from the clan's prying eyes.

"Is anyone sitting here?" Ivypool asked, coming to a stop in front of the medicine den. She'd never eaten over here. Hopefully Briarlight would provide good company.

Briarlight shook her head. "No but you're welcome to."

"Thanks, Briarlight," Ivypool said with a breath of relief and settled down beside the other she-cat to eat.

"You look tired," Briarlight commented after the two took a few bites of their respective pieces of prey. "You've been on your paws all day."

"I could say the same about you."

Briarlight chuckled but there was no humor in it. "I never thought I'd be ThunderClan's medicine cat. I feel like Cinderheart, that medicine cat my father used to tell me about. I'm not meant to be a medicine cat and neither was she."

Ivypool felt a flash of sympathy. She hadn't given Briarlight's situation too much thought but she realized that out of all of their clanmates, Briarlight was probably in the worst situation. "How are you handling the change?"

Briarlight sighed and looked down at her paws. "The den's quiet without Jayfeather. He was always a quiet cat but it feels so… lonely without him."

"I you ever need a helping paw, just yowl and I could come over," Ivypool offered before she could catch herself but Briarlight's smile made the offer worth it.

"Thank you, Ivypool," Briarlight said softly. "The clans are changing. I fear we'll all need as much help as we can get."

Author's Note: I binge watched nearly two seasons of The Lion Guard (it's a kids show and I'm way too old to be watching it but I need some light stuff rn) while writing this and you can tell that I toned down the angst with Berrynose and was just like 'lol friendship.' Someone asked to see the POV of another cat, specifically Brambleclaw but I already had some Berrynose planned. I know everyone hates him and I personally don't like him all that much but he's a really fun character to write.

Edit 3/23/2021: Minor changes made. Partial AN removed.