Author's Note: You have no idea how many false starts this chapter had.

There was just something unsettling about this place. Tigerheart couldn't pinpoint what it was but the Dark Forest just made his fur stiffen and a chill dance up his spine. He was a brave warrior and he'd grown used to the dark, dry trees and the ominous wind's howls but tonight was different. It took him awhile to realize it. It didn't make sense yet it did so much when he figured it out.

Tigerheart was alone in the Dark Forest tonight.

No faded pelts of long dead villains. No warm flanks of friends and allies. Just Tigerheart, the wind, and the trees.

Somewhat surprisingly, he was afraid. No, maybe afraid was too strong of a word. Tigerheart wasn't good at matching words to feelings. He experienced feelings and felt them strongly but he rarely felt the need to match words to them. He could express them just fine without them. But right now, he wished he was better at it. He'd like to know if he was afraid or not.

Why was he afraid? He didn't know. He knew he should be the opposite of afraid right now. No Dark Forest cats meant no battle training, no dark influence. No clan cats meant no facades, no lies. Alone, he should feel safer. More relaxed. But he didn't. He wasn't sure why.

He was okay with being alone, right? In the waking world, he could… No. He was rarely alone. Always with his clanmates or kin. The only time he was ever really alone was when he was making dirt or going off to visit Dovewing. Did he have a problem with being alone? Or was it just the forest?

There was safety in numbers. It was a comfort to have others at his side in such a dark place. Flanks at his side to block the wind, voices to distract him from the noises, bright eyes to capture his attention instead of the shadows… Now that he was thinking about it, others were a huge comfort. Maybe it was the Dark Forest, not a need to be around others. He couldn't tell.

He missed Dovewing. Ivypool, she reminded him of her in this horrid place but she was no replacement. He wanted the she-cat he loved. Why hadn't he gone with her? Maybe if he'd run away, he'd have escaped their clutches. Surely they couldn't reach him outside of clan territory, right? Right? Or would it be worse? Would they be angry? Would Jayfeather and Lionblaze have been dragged in as well? Or Dovewing?

Probably not. If what the medicine cats said was true, those three were powerful. They could protect him. Fox dung, why hadn't he gone with them? He was no danger to them… But he couldn't. Couldn't risk it, couldn't leave his kin, couldn't find the courage. He was a mouseheart, wasn't he? Probably.

He let out a long, ragged breath then stiffened. That was loud. Had someone heard that? His heart screamed in hope yet his paws trembled in fear. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he decide? Was he really this indecisive? Was he not bold, did he have no confidence? He was supposed to be a warrior.

Was that why the Dark Forest picked him? He was the kin of Tigerstar but so was Dawnpelt and Flametail. He wished no harm on his littermates but the fact that the Dark Forest chose him… That meant something. Was he weaker than them? That his paws needed more guidance? That he was easier to influence? Was he weaker of heart? It certainly felt like it.

Unease twinged in his belly as he glanced around the clearing. Dry leaves rustled ever so slightly in the breeze. The sharp scent of broken bark wafted through the air. The shadows were flickering in the dim light ever so slightly. Was there something out there? The scene was eerie and he felt eyes on his pelt yet he felt so alone. So, so alone.

Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Is this okay?"

"You need us to slow down?"

"Don't worry, you two. You're doing just fine."

Berrynose shifted his paws a bit, trying to get a firmer stance. He craned his neck ever so slightly, seeing his clanmates far ahead, but made no effort to speed up due to the weight on his back. With Jayfeather gone, Briarlight was ThunderClan's medicine cat and that meant she had to go to the gathering.

At sundown, Berrynose and Fallen Leaves hoist the younger she-cat onto their shoulders and set off for the island. It was dark by now and Berrynose's muscles ached but he felt good. They were almost there and his heart glowed with pride and comradery.

Crossing the tree bridge was a struggle but Berrynose and Fallen Leaves managed it. Or rather, they put Briarlight down and kept a careful eye on her as she dragged herself across. Her presence warranted a number of surprised murmurs but glares from Berrynose and Fallen Leaves warded them off.

"Do you want to sit with the other medicine cats?" Fallen Leaves murmured in Briarlight's ear.

Briarlight shook her head. "Can we just stay by the bridge?"

Fallen Leaves nodded. "Of course."

"Either of you see Ivypool, Hollyleaf, Cinderheart, or Poppyfrost?" Berrynose asked, rolling a stiff shoulder as he peered over the gathered cats heads. They were a bit late so the warriors had already slipped into the crowd but not late enough to have lost them entirely. It would've been nice to have at least one of the she-cats around.

"Let the gathering begin!" Firestar yowled, sounding tired. He glanced at the other leaders. There was no anger in his gaze. If he was upset, he was doing a good job of hiding it. "I suppose for the sake of normalcy each clan should share its news?"

Mistystar, Blackstar, and Onestar looked a tad bit unsettled but nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Prey is running well in ShadowClan," Blackstar spoke up.

"And RiverClan."

"WindClan as well."

"The same goes for ThunderClan."

Silence stretched thinly. If his tail was long enough, Berrynose would have buried his nose in it. This was so awkward. Were they really going to ignore what had transpired last moon? That felt wrong. Disrespectful, almost. Had the clans learned from their lesson? He didn't think so.

Mistystar cleared her throat and turned to the medicine cats. "Have you heard anything from StarClan?"

Berrynose didn't know if any of the medicine cats opened their mouths to speak because he was too far to see but a voice interrupted them before anyone could speak. "If it's okay, we'd like to say something."

Berrynose craned his neck again, looking for the source of the voice. To his surprise, his eyes fell on a trio of cats standing near the front of the clan. Was that Ivypool? And Tigerheart and Harespring? He didn't know Ivypool knew them.

Mistystar, the only leader without a warrior in the group, eyed them suspiciously. Harespring dipped his head respectfully before speaking. "The Dark Forest is coming."

Confusion whirled in Berrynose's mind as the clans broke into questions and murmurs. Tigerheart yowled abruptly, silencing them.

"Tigerheart, what are you doing?" Rowanclaw hissed. If Berrynose recalled correctly, he was the ShadowClan deputy and Tigerheart's father. He looked angry. "Stop embarrassing yourself."

"No," Tigerheart said firmly, squaring his shoulders defiantly. "The clans need to hear this."

"The three exist to protect the clans," Ivypool spoke, raising her voice. "You know this and I'm sure you've wondered what we need protection from."

"The Dark Forest is the Place of No Stars," Harespring continued, turning to face the assembled cats. "The place the most evil of clan cats go when they die. And they want revenge on the clans."

"They prey on cats in their dreams!" Tigerheart yowled, voice ringing with strength. For a heartbeat, Berrynose was humbled but he pushed down the feelings evoked by his voice to focus on his words. "Tigerstar, Brokenstar, Hawkfrost, Mapleshade- I'm sure you recognize these names. These are the Dark Forest's leaders. They target your clanmates and train them, tricking them into partnership for the day they attack."

"The three were the only ones with hope of defending us," Ivypool went on. Her face twisted, bitter. "StarClan has abandoned us. When the Dark Forest attacks, the clans are dead."

As expected, the gathered broke into yowls of rage and confusion.

"How do you know?"

"Are you with them?"

"Which cats are aligned against us?"

"Is there anything to do?"

"Oh StarClan!"

"How dare you disrespect our ancestors! They'll protect us."

"Destroy the clans? Nothing is that strong."

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

"StarClan, I don't want to die."

"Have the medicine cats heard anything?"

"We brought this upon ourselves, mousebrains!"

The final voice cut through the clearing, silencing everyone and surprising Berrynose before he realized it was him. He wanted to duck his head or slap his tail over his mouth but his hackles were rising and he was rising to his paws.

"We turned on our friends. We're the ones who drove the three away. StarClan gave us away to protect ourselves," Berrynose said, voice carrying across the island, "and we made dirt in their fresh-kill and turned away. Whatever happens to us, we deserve it."

Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Berrynose, Briarlight, and Fallen Leaves left quickly. Whether it be from Berrynose's bold moment or just the need to get Briarlight home without a crowd rushing them, Fallen Leaves didn't know but he was grateful for the excuse. The gathering… it made his blood boil.

He was a ghost. There was no denying it. He couldn't explain it but he just felt more attuned to some things. Supernatural power or generations of experience, it didn't matter because the end result was the same. He sensed such raw and genuine fear among the clan cats at the mention of the Dark Forest. He of all cats understood fear and how terrible it could be but for some reason, he felt no sympathy. Just anger.

Berrynose was right. The clan cats had brought their fate upon themselves. They pushed away their star-given saviors and now they were going to die. It was terrible and, really, no cat deserved to die at the claws of their worst ancestors but Fallen Leaves just couldn't bring himself to care. And it horrified him.

He was dead. He knew just how precious life was. And he was angry? Berrynose was a bit extreme saying these cats deserved their fate. No living creature really deserved such a cruel end but his words still rang with truth.

These weren't his cats but did they deserve to die? Definitely not. But why was he so apathetic? Had all his seasons of solitude eroded his morality? Or was his loyalty to Jayfeather just searing the softer parts of his nature?

Conflicting thoughts and emotions raged in his chest like the fiercest of storms. He wasn't quite confused but he was uneasy and maybe a tad bit afraid of himself. Something didn't feel right and the fact he was concerned over that and not the issue itself worried him.

"Hey you three," a voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts. Fallen Leaves had jerked up to see Hollyleaf, Ivypool, and Cinderheart hurrying over. At the sight of his dark furred friend, Fallen Leaves' storming heart immediately calmed. The storm wasn't over by a longshot but at least Hollyleaf was here and that was enough to pull his thoughts together.

"Didn't expect you of all cats to speak up like that," Cinderheart commented, nodding to Berrynose.

The creamy tom purred, eyes sparking. "Me neither. I'm surprised I did."

"Want Cinderheart and I to help with Briarlight?" Hollyleaf offered.

Briarlight stuck her tongue out. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

Berrynose made a show of ignoring her, humor glinting in his eye. "Would you? My shoulders are killing me after lugging around this log."

Briarlight playfully cuffed him over the ear, earning a ragged laugh from the older warrior. Fallen Leaves felt a smile tug at his lips at their antics. This was friendship at its finest.

Hollyleaf, Briarlight, Cinderheart, and Berrynose bickered a bit more before flicking their tails and trailing off. It was in that moment Fallen Leaves realized they intentionally left him with Ivypool. Turning to the silvery tabby, Fallen Leaves asked, "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ivypool shrugged and waved her tail loosely. "Not really. You already know about all this Dark Forest stuff. But Berrynose is right, you know."

"About what?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do."

Fallen Leaves let out a long sigh. "I suspect the same."

"But we're not going to give up. Right?"

A soft purr rumbled in Fallen Leaves's throat. "Of course. Even if these cats made a mistake, some things are just worth fighting for."

Author's Note: I don't really know what I'm doing. My outline is really vague so all the characters are just being dramatic and whatnot.

Edit 8/23/2020: Removed an AN about what I did while taking a break from this story (ie. come out and do some art).

Edit 4/5/2021: Added a bit, fixed some mistakes.