I hope everyone had good holidays and a happy new year! And I certainly hope you didn't freak out about the end of the world. I forgot to update in the midst of all the shenanigans that go on during this time, along with other stuff in my life. Like reading Halo and Mass Effect stuff and the new DLC for ME: 3. Sorry for such the late update, people.

Ideas I like so far for the next story: Cloudstar (SkyClan), Cloudtail, Swiftpaw, Tigerstar

One-shot opportunities still stand, please remind me if you were supposed to get one from me and you didn't. Take note that if you don't give constraints, I will write how I like and that isn't always a good thing depending on if I make it angst filled or not.

By the way, you may use my characters in your stories if you wish, just credit them to me, since they are mine.

Also, I think I'm going to be upping the rating of this story to T, especially after this chapter. You'll understand why.

1 separating lines goes here and there too 1

Brokenpaw almost let his jaw drop to the ground.

I don't think I understand you.

Dawnstar's specter like form swished her tail a bit and blinked into her partner's gaze.

"It is hard to understand. I will say that I'm from the future, if that makes any sense to you."

I-I need to think about this.

Breaking away from the grey she cat, Brokenpaw leapt into a sprint towards the shallow puddles that littered ShadowClan's territory. He splashed through a few, only to stop and look at the reflection of himself in the low light of the still lingering storm. The tabby tom stared back into the amber eyes of his reflection. The reflection scowled or smiled back at him with the change of expressions amusingly for the apprentice.

I'm me. But who is Dawnstar and how'd she even get in this time?

Brokenpaw asked himself questions, but received no answers. Silence of the wind and rain drenched clouds only responded with the sounds of nature. Looking closer at the puddle and his own face, the tabby apprentice noticed a shadowy cloud forming behind his ears.

Panicked, Brokenpaw jerked his head around, but found not eerie cloud, only thin air. Startled, the tom looked back into the pool of water. The cloud floated and flickered behind him once more. The tabby apprentice swiped out at the water with his paw's unsheathed, leaving colorful trails across the puddle. When the water settled down, the cloud still lingered in the image. Then, much to Brokenpaw's surprise, the cloud molded itself into a greyish silvery shape. The silhouette of a cat hung over Brokenpaw's shoulder like a tree branch draped over him. The scent wafting from the form familiarly tingled Brokenpaw's nose.

"Dawnstar," Brokenpaw stated out loud. But the cat cloud shook its "head" in response.

"No, not her." It meowed in a tom's voice.

"You really think you should be listening to Dawnstar? You shouldn't."

Brokenpaw gazed further into the water surround his paws with certainty in his gaze.

"She hasn't done anything bad. She was the leader of a clan and made it to StarClan." Brokenpaw countered. He felt some loyalty to the cat he "shared" a life with. Dawnstar had been kind to the tabby apprentice and protected him from her brother in the Dark Forest. Why shouldn't he listen to her?

The cat cloud shifted itself, revealing its full form. A cat with a silvery grey pelt and ginger splotches emerged from the foggy mass. Brokenpaw's eyes widened with fear when he recognized the shadowy tom.

"Thunderstorm!"

The grey and ginger tom smirked, curling his lips into an intimidating snarl.

"That's right, kit. It's me." Thunderstorm said evenly, despite his facial expressions. Edging closer to Brokenpaw, the Dark Forest warrior swept his matted tail over the tabby tom. Brokenpaw resisted the urge to flinch away from Thunderstorm's approach.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I can make sure you don't end up like the Star's stories say about you."

Unable to speak, Brokenpaw stepped back, but found himself falling into Thunderstorm's flank.

"Where are you going? I only wanted to talk to you." Thunderstorm said with hurt dripping like acid from his mouth.

"Ok, about what?" Brokenpaw mewed. He was frightened of the grey tom, but he didn't want his fear to show.

I don't want to look scared in front of him. What if he attacks me?

"I want to talk about you," Thunderstorm said with a smile. But Brokenpaw couldn't find any warmth in the tom.

"I want to help you stay away from your bad side, if you know what I mean."

Brokenpaw stood still, holding in the shudders that threatened to make their way down his spine.

"There's not need to listen to my sister; especially after what she did to me." Thunderstorm rasped, pure venom like anger rising in his words. Brokenpaw blinked.

"Curious about her? Well, she took everything in my life from me. She stole my parents, my reputation among all the clans and even StarClan's favor." Thunderstorm hissed through gritted teeth. Brokenpaw was not trying desperately hard to resist the urges to flinch away from the anger cat. In his anger, Thunderstorm flicked his muzzle towards the sky and yowled to it.

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME IN HER PLACE! I WAS JUST AS GOOD AS HER, I WAS BETTER! SHE STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME! IT'S HER FAULT I'M DAMNED IN THIS STUPID FOREST. SHE KILLED ME WHEN I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP THE CLAN. BECAUSE OF HER, NO ONE UNDERSTOOD ME."

Brokenpaw's mental block broke down after Thunderstorm finished his rant. The tabby tom shook and shrank to the ground, eyes wide with fear. With a growl that sent a few birds out of the trees, Thunderstorm turned his gaze towards the shivering apprentice. His lips curled in a snarl with his eyes blazing like a burning bush.

"You- you're one of her supporters. You rejected me too," Thunderstorm said in a half growl half sob, "Why?"

Brokenpaw just stared in astonishment. This dark hearted warrior from the Dark Forest was crying! Hope fluttered in his chest as he stood up onto his paws. But then, Thunderstorm rushed at him!

"You're just like her! Don't you see it!? You are Dawnstar! You're the very image of everything I hate!"

Brokenpaw was roughly shoved to the ground. His back hit the forest floor with a hard thack! He let out a startled cry and shut his eyes like a terrified kit.

"I'll make sure you'll never live to see that glorious little future you were promised, just like I never saw mine!" Thunderstorm nearly yowled in his victim's face. Brokenpaw squinted to see his tormentor's face. Horrified, the tabby noticed a wide grin. But the grin had no warmth, only ice; ice that Brokenpaw could feel slicing through his mind like a claw. The feeling soon faded when hot pain exploded from his belly. Thunderstorm had gashed it open and a sickly, red stream tricked from the open wound. Thunderstorm continued his assault, laughing maniacally to the sky. Brokenpaw whimpered as his sides, face and throat were slashed.

I need to get help!

Then, with all the strength he could muster, Brokenpaw gave out a yowl.

"Dawnstar!"