A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I was suffering from a fit of writer's block which made this chapter a real pain to type up. Even now I'm not happy with how it turned, but I'll let you be the judge for that. Anyway thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, and let me know what you think of this one.

Chapter 2: A Confrontational Meeting

Catastrophic chaos brings devastating ruin, Murderous rage leads to complete annihilation, and Nefarious nightmares howl hauntingly with the dying screams of the fallen.

"Help me! Help, it hurts!" screamed the dying she-cat as blood pooled from her body. "Help me please, I don't want to die! Cloudstorm, please do something!"

I watched in shocked, helpless to do anything but watch. She screamed hysterically in pain and I could only gaze into her fear stricken eyes as she cried. She was dying right in front of me and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. She was calling my name, pleading, crying out in desperation for me to do something to save her, but I could only watch in horror. My mind couldn't comprehend what was happening; it was too much to handle.

Her blood began to stain the forest floor red, and I barely even registered that my paws were beginning to get soaked in it. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be. I swore to protect her. I told her the night I declared my loved that I would forever protect and keep her safe from harm. I swore it! But why now when she needed me most I was unable to do a thing but watch in a horrified trance.

I could see the life began to drain from her eyes. She was losing the will to keep fighting, I could tell. The pain was too intense. I crouched by her side and licked her face in vain desperately trying to draw a response. I wanted her to say something. Anything, anything to keep her with here with me! She suddenly gazed at me with an expression clouded by pain and whispered the words that would forever haunt my nightmares.

"Cloudstorm….pl-plea-se….Cloudstorm, please kill me."

Darkness swarmed around me in a suffocating cloud of death. I gagged, beginning to panic as the darkness restricted my windpipe from any kind of exhalation. It was smothering me in a deadly embrace and I flailed wildly trying to escape. It was like a never ending abyss of nightmares that swarmed around my body, tormenting me before suddenly lifting.

I awoke with a start, yowling loudly. My chest heaved heavily and my heart beat at a wildly erratic pace as the all too familiar feeling of terror washed over me. I glanced around uncertainly at the strange forest I found myself in before realizing where I was. I shook my head wearily, taking a deep breath and trying to relax as best I could until my fur finally lay flat.

I was a bit disoriented from the sudden scene shift, but I was positive from one glance up at the pale almost sickly sky above that I now resided in the Dark Forest. For a moment I was bit confused as to why I was currently in the Place of No Stars, but a sudden flashback made me remember I had purposefully fallen asleep to come here.

And that's when the nightmare started.

A shiver ran down my spine as the dying scream of my mate echoed throughout my head. I had originally just intended to fall asleep to wake up in the Dark Forest, but it seemed my mind had fallen prey to a nightmare before id achieved that. Having the memories of what happened forever implanted in my mind was bad enough, but being forced to relive it after all this time was simply pure torture.

Glancing around, my eyes immediately became accustomed to the familiar sights that were the Dark Forest. The forest seemed lifeless, draped in a blanket of darkness that seemed to cover the entire area. Trees towered high above me with low hanging gnarled branches that had the uncanny resemblance to that of the sharp talons of a large predatory bird swooping down to capture its prey. While the air itself had this odd almost stale, musky odor of rotten wood that seemed to reek throughout the entire forest.

The Place of No Stars truly was a god forsaken land. Now more than ever I realized just how much more rage and hatred these cats held for StarClan than I did. To be forever trapped in a place of such desolate and depressing surroundings was any cat's own living nightmare.

Taking a quick scan around, I found myself standing in a clump of bracken with dead grey fronds arching over my head. On closer inspection to the side of me I discovered a narrow path that wound through the undergrowth. I wasn't exactly that familiar with the Dark Forest's territory like I would've been with ThunderClan's, but I had a hunch that this path would take me to where I needed to go.

I bent down and clasped my jaws around the tiny bundle of cobwebs that lay at my paws, and then started on my way. I traveled through the forest, the only sounds of life my paw-pads hitting softly against the path floor. The forest seemed more dead and decrepit than its usual creepy luster of indefinable dark shapes rustling back and forth around the place. It was a bit strange that I hadn't come across at least one of the Dark Forest cats, but I had to remind myself that majority of them preferred to stay alone in their own solitude.

That path led on sloping through several clumps of bracken and tall weeds of grass with me having to stop every now and again as the ground at my paws began to sink unexpectantily. There were various hazards of death throughout this place, but none I wasn't able to handle alone. Finally I came to a stop at a dense part of the forest that was overrun with wild overgrowth of thorn-bushes, bracken, and large overhanging trees. This place seemed to be the heart of the Dark Forest, but as I cast my eyes over the surrounding area I saw something that shouldn't be here.

A dark pool lay in the very center of the overgrowth, rippling slightly with a small pop of which splattered up something resembling black goo. I scrunched my nose in disgust as the water let off a rank scent of crowfood, and took a hesitant step back. I wasn't sure what that pool was, but it was currently giving off a dark aura of sorts that didn't bode well for a cat still of the living.

I was just about to turn to go when a dark shape suddenly engulfed the entire view of my sight. I took a startled step back only to blink in surprise as I found myself staring face to face with the cool blue eyes that belonged to Icefrost.

"I see you found your way here fine enough." He observed with a cold stare.

"No thanks to you," I said with a low growl, depositing the bundle of cobwebs to his paws.

"Don't sound so bitter, Cloudstorm," he said. "You got here in one piece, and what's more you managed to successfully acquire Leafbreeze's heart. Now we can begin with stage two of our plan."

"Yes and what exactly does that entail?" I asked. "You weren't very sociable earlier when I asked why you needed Leafbreeze's heart, and now I want answers."

"Yes, I suppose I owe you that much," he relented. "There was a bigger reason behind you taking Leafbreeze's heart besides just antagonizing StarClan, Cloudstorm. Something so insidious and innovative that I'm not sure you'd actually believe me."

"Why don't you just try me then?" I told him, beginning to become fed up with waiting for his big reveal.

However, much too my charging though, Icefrost didn't answer my question. Instead, the grey and black stripped tom slowly stalked towards the dark pool that lay several tail-lengths away from us. From my position farther away it seemed to be that Icefrost was peering down into the murky waters below. How any cat could see even their own reflection in that pool was beyond me, but Icefrost seemed to be staring almost hungrily at an image only he could see. I was almost tempted to ask what it was he was staring so intently at when he suddenly spoke.

"Taking a cat's heart before the final stage of death stops them from passing on to the afterlife."

"What?" I asked startled.

"Don't seem so surprise, Cloudstorm," Icefrost told me, still peering into the pools murky waters. "It's really a magnificent piece of work, I tell you. Leafbreeze, as we speak, is currently trapped in a middle plain of existence between StarClan and the Dark Forest. As long as we have possession of her heart she'll stay there. But what's more is having control of her heart gives you complete and utter control of her soul."

"Her soul?"

"Yes." Icefrost chuckled darkly. "Isn't it ingenious, Cloudstorm? You have there at your paws the power to take control of her otherworldly body and use it for our own gains. As a being of neither StarClan nor the Dark Forest she can travel between both plains without resistance. If you so choose to do so right now, you could summon her here."

He turned to face me, revealing the sight of his cool blue eyes which glittered manically in the darkness. It was at this sight that I realized for the first time just how truly insane and egomaniacal Icefrost was. I looked down at the bundle of cobwebs that concealed Leafbreeze's still beating heart and thought of this mad revelation of his. Icefrost may have exceeded the extreme line that separated the sane from the mad, but I wasn't going to be the one to judge the cat who was making my revenge just the all more real by the second. If using Leafbreeze's heart to control her soul was going to help us take down StarClan, well, then I was all for it.

"Tell me then, Icefrost. What is it you plan to do with Leafbreeze's soul exactly?"

For a moment the dark cat seemed to smile. "Why spoil the surprise now, Cloudstorm? I think its better that you just sit back and enjoy how the next upcoming events unfold."

I frowned immediately. "If I wanted to be kept in the dark about everything that's going on, then I'd have just stayed a pawn under StarClan's paw. I'm tired of you sidestepping the issue, Icefrost, now talk!"

I'd had enough with being left out of the loop of Icefrost's master scheme. I had my own goals to accomplish in this alliance also, and if he expected me to continue working with him any longer than he'd better start talking and fast.

The dark tom eyed me with an amused expression and then shook his head. "Impatient as always, I see, Cloudstorm. Fine then, I suppose it's due time you knew exactly what's about to commence in the coming moon. I've developed a well devised scheme that will involve us in using Leafbreeze to-"

Icefrost suddenly stopped speaking, his ears perking up sharply. Without a word he turned back to the dark pool and stared intently into the dark waters, a slight growl emitting from his mouth.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's a disturbance in the force," he growled.

I blinked slowly unsure what to say. "What are you talk-"

"We have visitors," he cut me off. "I was expecting them to show up a little later on, but I suppose that its better we get this over with now. Come!" He ordered, flicking his tail to follow before heading off in a different direction. "Its due time we had a meeting with the opposition before we start clawing each other's fur out."

Without another word Icefrost headed off into the woods immediately being swallowed up by the darkness. My insides were gnawing in anticipation for me to ask him exactly who was coming here, but past experience already told me that Icefrost wasn't likely to give away answers that would spoil his little surprises. With a resigned sigh I bent down to grab the heart and headed off in the direction Icefrost disappeared.

Traveling off the path, I followed Icefrost's retreating frame through the mess of forest canopy. We walked in silence until we finally came to a stop at what appeared to be the edge of the forest. I looked around baffled for a moment. There was nothing in front of us, but some sixth sense of mine told me that if I were to take a step forward I'd find myself in another plain. Deciding to test the theory out I take a step forward and suddenly felt something repel my body backwards. Blinking in surprise, I turned to Icefrost for confirmation.

"What is it?"

"The boundary."

Before I could ask him what he meant the air in front of us suddenly began to shift and shimmer, then in a dazzling flash of light two sparkling cats emerged from thin air. I wasn't sure what to make of the two arrivals before I noticed the familiar sparkle of what appeared to be stars in their pelts, and that unmistakable look of seeming wiser beyond your own years. It was all the evidence I needed to know that I was currently in the presence of two members of StarClan.

For several minutes neither side said a word, as we both sat there sizing each other up. I glanced at the two StarClan cats across from us, and a suddenly jolt of shock ran through my body as I recognized them both. My heart skipped a beat, and I dropped the bundle of cobwebs at the sight of tall brown tabby tom who stared back at me with a pair of sharp, silver piercing eyes that I swore could see right through my soul. What was he doing here?

So shocked at the arrival of the tom I almost forgot about his companion, who, upon viewing the bright ginger she-cat my blood suddenly turn cold before flaring up in uncontrollable rage and hate. I couldn't believe she actually had the ego to come here.

"Well, well look whose decided to grace our bleak little home with their presence," Icefrost said with a dip of the head. "Brightstar," he said to the she-cat, "Hawkgaze," to the tom. "Welcome to the Dark Forest. I'm sorry we didn't have time to set you up a more regal and proper greeting of arrival, but you arrived sooner than I would've liked."

"Take your leave, Icefrost," Brightstar hissed venomously. "We're only here for one murderous cat tonight." She turned towards me and my anger immediately surge at the look of smugness on her face. "StarClan requests your presence for the part you've played in tonight's travesty, Cloudstorm."

"I suppose you volunteered to come here, huh?" I hissed. "I bet it gives you the ultimate pleasure to ruin my life again doesn't it, Brightstar? Yes, I know that's why you're here, but what about you?" I asked turning to Hawkgaze."What are you doing here?"

He returned my gaze, his face neutral. "I could ask you the same thing, but after what I've seen tonight all I want to know is why?"

WHY

That word was like an angry thorn in the side to me now. I've asked the same thing for many moons now, and I still don't have an answer. Why did this happen? Why couldn't I do a thing save her? Why did StarClan just sit there and do nothing as I watched her suffer? Yes, why indeed?

"It wouldn't make a bit of difference if I told you," I said. "You're with THEM, and that alone already corrupts your judgment."

He frowned, not getting the response he wanted. "You're not helping me here, Cloudstorm."

"I told you already," I said. "There's nothing I could say that would change what StarClan's already made their mind up about. And truthfully I don't care."

Hawkgaze glared angrily at me for my lack of cooperation. He had to know that StarClan had already made its mind up about how to deal with me the same way I'd already made my mind up to destroy them. Hawkgaze knew this, I could tell he did, but remembering me as the cat he'd watched grow up as a kit wouldn't let him fully accept the truth like I'd already done when I killed Leafbreeze.

"I'm trying to help you here, Cloudstorm," he growled in frustration. "You committed the ultimate crime tonight that has StarClan yowling for your pelt. Unless you help me understand what your leading motivation was of what you and those other cats did I won't be able to save you from StarClan's wrath."

"It's no use, Hawkgaze," I said, trying to make him understand. "There's nothing you can do for me."

He opened his mouth ready to argue when Brightstar suddenly cut in. "Enough, Hawkgaze," she said firmly. "StarClan agreed to allow you one chance to see if his soul was redeemable, and that time has passed. The cat you watched over as a kit is gone." Turning back to glare at me and Icefrost, she said in a forced tone of calmness. "My, my, look how the mighty have fallen. I never expected you to take exile gracefully, but I'm appalled at what you've become."

"And what's that, Brightstar?" I snarled. "An outcast? A cat that refuses to no longer stand by and let StarClan have free reign over the lives of other Clan cats? A cat you realize can't be controlled? A cat you know can't be stopped? Or is it a cat whose wrath you have come to fear?"

"I only see a cat that has no idea what he's just invoked," Brightstar mewed coldly. "Tonight, you committed the ultimate sin of murdering a medicine cat. And what's more you've managed to corrupt several other cats, including ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice, into helping you. If that wasn't enough you then go on to defile the body of Leafbreeze, and take her heart! This is unforgivable, and I want you to know that StarClan seeks retribution!"

"Good, because that's exactly what we want," Icefrost spoke, snapping everyone's attention to him.

Brightstar blinked in surprise, momentarily speechless from the remark. "You want StarClan to attack you?" she asked puzzled.

"Why, yes," Icefrost stated calmly. "I thought it only natural that you should be ready for battle seeing as the Dark Forest has officially declared war on StarClan."

Brightstar and Hawkgaze's eyes widened in shock before Brightstar gave a yowl of outrage. "You're declaring war on us? For what reason! StarClan has done nothing to the cats of the Dark Forest."

"I beg to differ," Icefrost said, motioning to the bleak area around us. "StarClan imprisoned us here on this lifeless cold rock of darkness to rot away for all eternity."

"That has nothing to do with StarClan," Hawkgaze argued. "The cats of the Dark Forest have only their selves to blame for being here. They sought to murder, deceive, and attempt to corrupt Clan life. That's why cats like you are here now."

"You really think that?" Icefrost inquired coolly. "I say you're wrong, Hawkgaze. There are countless cats here that have wrongly been accused and branded as traitors and other such things here. We cats of the Dark Forest know this to be true, but Cloudstorm here is a classic example of that wronging."

"Cloudstorm is nothing more than a murdering code breaker who's had far too many chances," Brightstar snarled spitefully.

I growled wanting to claw that cocky look of superiority right off her face. I made motioning to move forward, but a look from Icefrost made me halt.

"This is what I'm talking about," Icefrost said, shaking his head. "You cats get to StarClan and all of a sudden you get it into your heads that having sparkling fur makes you gods. The cats of the Dark Forest are here to remedy that falsehood and remove StarClan's influence away from the Clans. StarClan's time as head matriarch of the Clans is coming to an end, and a new generation of cats who plan to improve Clan life for the better starts here led by Cloudstorm and his radical views for change."

"What?" Hawkgaze said, looking at me in unconcealed shock. "Cloudstorm, what's he mean? What are you planning?"

The pained expression in his eyes was too much to bear. I truly felt sorry for the hard truth he was hearing. Hawkgaze had never done anything to hurt me in the slightest, but change was coming to this world and it involved StarClan being eradicated from existence.

"I've aligned myself with the Dark Forest to bring the fall of StarClan," I spoke coldly, focusing the intensity of my words towards Brightstar especially. "Six moons ago I had the ultimate crime committed against me as StarClan created a prophecy that foretold the death of my mate who'd done nothing but only ever lovingly support her Clan."

"So, it all comes together then," Brightstar spoke silently, her words harsh as the burning sun in the desert. "You killed Leafbreeze as a form of revenge for something that you were warned would happen because of your actions?"

I watched as her lip curled up in disgust at me, and my mind raged a violent war inside my head to slaughter her. 'Something that you were warned would happen because of your actions?' I didn't know whether to scream in rage at her apparent ego or her narrow minded logic. Way to contradict yourself huh, Brightstar. I wasn't the one who created the prophecy. My mate once told me how StarClan works with prophecies. When foresight into something that could affect a Clan, StarClan creates a prophecy they hope will get the cats it entails to decipher and make come true.

Come True

That's the interesting part about it. I've found out in some instances that prophecies don't always come true alone. There are stories that elders tend to not mention of when a prophecy made by StarClan didn't come true concerning the cats of it. When StarClan realizes that the prophecy won't come true, well that's when they decide to intervene.

Imagine if a prophecy was made that claimed the extermination of an entire Clan by next full moon. StarClan could and can twist the flow of events that were meant to happen to what they want to happen. It was because of things like this being known to have happened that I know StarClan didn't want me to be happy upon my own freewill. If they so wished it they could have changed the meaning or completely wipe the prophecy from existence. But no they had to prove a point. They needed a cat to take the fall in their little scheme to prove breaking Clan law is punishable by exile or death; and my mate and me were the examples.

I wanted to tell Brightstar this. Even Hawkgaze should know. They should know that I'm on to their little game of deception, but before I had the chance to answer the question, Icefrost beat me to it.

"No." his cold monotone voice echoed around us. "No, Cloudstorm killing Leafbreeze wasn't for revenge. It was for gain."

"What are you talking about? Brightstar asked.

Icefrost smirked, motioning to me to slide the bundle of cobwebs to his paws."It's quite simple actually, Brightstar," he said. "While StarClan, as the rash mousebrains that you are, immediately sent you two here to threaten Cloudstorm you seem to have forgotten a couple if not one crucial detail. Tell me," he said, a cold grin gracing his face. "Have you managed to find Leafbreeze's spirit yet?"

Brightstar gasped in shock. "Wait how do you even kno-" suddenly it dawned on her, as she and Hawkgaze exchanged looks of disbelief.

"What have you done with her?" Hawkgaze demanded angrily.

"You mouse dung, fox hearted, piece of bile!" the she-cat suddenly roared. "You coward, I should shred your worthless pelt for this! What have you done with her?" she snarled.

"Calm yourself, Brightstar," Hawkgaze said, eyeing Icefrost angrily. "We aren't here to fight, you know that very well." Turning towards us with a glare that didn't fully conceal his own silent rage, he said. "If you wish to keep your tongue Icefrost I suggest you tell us what you've done with Leafbreeze."

"You want to see Leafbreeze?" he said, motioning for me to place the heart. With the wide eyes of Brightstar and her companion watching, I deposited Leafbreeze's heart at Icefrost paw who then placed a paw on top of it. "Well here she is."

Suddenly a pounding thumping sounded out into the air, and we all stared wide eyed as Leafbreeze's heart began to suddenly shake and pound loudly. Suddenly in a materializing light of tiny dots, Leafbreeze appeared hovering in midair before us.

The she-cat blinked her eyes several times while glancing around seeming confused with her new surroundings. When she caught sight of Brightstar she opened her mouth to say something, but instead of words her speech immediately turned into an ear piercing scream. Icefrost, grinning maniacally had a claw grip on her heart and squeezed several times on it much to the shock of Brightstar and Hawkgaze.

"I think that'll do," he said and in a flash of light Leafbreeze vanished.

Brightstar and Hawkgaze lay there, pelts ruffled, and eyes wide in shock at what they'd just witnessed. I had to admit that I myself hadn't expected Icefrost to do that, but I couldn't help be enjoy the satisfying results it had on Brightstar.

"You fox-hearted coward," Brightstar yowled. "Release her!"

"Why, because you demand it? As I remember StarClan doesn't have any say here in the Dark Forest, Brightstar. In another life I may have been your loyal deputy, but now I don't feel much obliged to follow your orders."

Brightstar barred her fangs snarling angrily. "I see your time in the Dark Forest hasn't changed much about your behavior, Icefrost. You're still the same sadistic power hunger manipulating cat that I banished from my Clan all those many moons ago." She suddenly looked back and forth between me and Icefrost and then snorted loudly before turning to address Hawkgaze. "Look at them. Two disgraced former deputies, one an alleged avenger for justice driven by hate, and the other a murdering psychopath driven by need for conquest. Tell me Hawkgaze, how do you expect to talk any sense to Cloudstorm when he's being pulled along by the strings of Icefrost's manipulation?"

My anger suddenly sparked at this. "Are you calling me a puppet?"

"Not so much a puppet as being led along like a helpless kit!" she retorted.

I snarled, unsheathing my claws and took a menacing step towards the starry cat. I had waited long enough to enact my revenge on StarClan, and I'd start it with her. Before I could get closer however, I found my path blocked by Icefrost.

"Out of the way!" I snarled. "I've exhausted all my restraint just being in the presence of this pompous old fool, and now I'm going to do what I've waited and craved to do for six moons now."

All I could see was rage. Rage for Brightstar, rage for StarClan, and rage for everything they'd put me through. My heart raced as my muscles tensed in anticipation at the chance to finally shed the blood of a StarClan cat. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to kill Brightstar, but I was only too willingly to find out.

"Sound mind, Cloudstorm," Icefrost told me in a soothing tone. "You aren't quite ready for those kinds of actions just yet. Keep your wits about yourself. There are other ways to hurt these cats without physical confrontation."

I wasn't keen on listening to him right now. To me everything I craved at the moment was within my grasp if he'd just get out of my way. I didn't want to let the opportunity of attacking Brightstar pass me by, but the intensity of Icefrost's glare killed that flare of resistance.

I sheathed my claws, resigning myself to glaring hatefully at Brightstar. I can't describe the immense hatred that brewed in my heart at the sight of her. If it were any other StarClan cat besides her, I probably wouldn't be so anxious to attack, but she was the one. The one who started this entire thing. The one who first prophesized what would be my mate's demise. The one cat that above all others I'd sworn to kill. And here she was mere tail-lengths away from my claws and I couldn't touch her.

"You better have something big planned," I snarled threateningly at Icefrost. "I want them brought bowing before my paws. I want them to know who their better is before I annihilate them, but most importantly I WANT her head!"

"Listen to him, Hawkgaze," Brightstar spoke in disgust, returning my glare full blast. "Listen how he talks about destroying us. I'm sorry, but the cat you once knew is gone. The only thing left is this empty shell of pure rage and violence that's resigned himself to sentencing medicine cats to horrible fates. By my count that makes two tonight."

I nearly launched at her, ready to assault her entire body until she was nothing more than a bloody mess of fur and bones. I spat and snarled cursing her name wishing for nothing more than her death. She actually had the nerve to make jibes about my mate! My mate who she herself prophesized to me in my dreams was going to die because of my alleged treachery. I wanted her dead now. I craved nothing more than that reality.

"You dare talk about her? I spat in rage. "After everything you've done to her! After everything you've done to me! You don't deserve to have the name of Star, Brightstar. You don't even deserve to have the privilege of residing inside of StarClan's territory. You're a menace, a fraud, but most of all a coward."

"Coward, Cloudstorm? She asked, her tone dangerous. "Really? Is that what you've convinced yourself to believe?"

"Believe?" I said with a snort of disbelief. "I know that you're a coward, Brightstar. You, and every other cat of StarClan who hid away while you let my mate suffer, while you let Leafbreeze suffer, but most importantly while you sat back and watched me suffer. My lost of Clan, my lost of position, and lost of my mate. And because of what you've done not only to me, but countless other cats, I'm going to topple StarClan. I'm going to show you that those glittering stars in your pelt don't mean anything. I'm going to show you why I've declared my life to being, as you put it, an avenger of justice."

"Don't try to use what happened to her as the reasoning behind her madness, Cloudstorm!" Brightstar growled. "You knew full well of the consequences that would befall the two of you if you insisted on continuing your forbidden affair, but did you listen?"

"You still had no right!" I roared. "I don't care if it was wrong. I loved her and her you had no right to take her away from me!"

Brightstar eyed me coolly; her hate for me was just as blatant as mine was for her. "There's no chance for him, Hawkgaze," she said, turning to him. "He won't listen to reason, just like the first time when I tried to warn him, he wouldn't listen even then. He's crossed over a line that even he can't bring himself back from."

"It seems so," he warily agreed, eyeing me with face of mixed emotion. "So, this is the path you've chosen for yourself then, Cloudstorm?"

I nodded, a small twinge of regret in my heart. "I'm sorry father, truly I am, but StarClan must fall."

His piercing silver eyes clouded over with pain. He had finally come to realize and accept the truth of what have become of his son. With a side glance to Brightstar, Hawkgaze dipped his head towards me in a sign of grudging respect.

"And you must realize," he said, "That as a member of StarClan I must do everything within my power to stop you?"

It was a spoken statement of things to come. The gauntlet had been thrown down and I wasn't backing up an inch. StarClan would fall. Even if I had to die to make that dream become a reality, it would be done.

"Next time we meet it'll be as enemies. Ready your forces," I told the both of them. "I've coming for you with the might of the Dark Forest behind me, and I won't rest till you've been destroyed."

Brightstar gave a snort of contempt as she and Hawkgaze turned to go. "You don't have a chance," she snarled viciously. "If you think having your mate stripped from you and being exiled has been torture Cloudstorm, well then you're in for a hellacious time. You dare wage war against your warrior ancestor? You've just invoked a wrath that's so powerful that there won't be a place, either the forest or your dreams, which can escape it."

I smiled despite myself. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me hiding, Brightstar. I'm bringing the fight straight to you in the heart of StarClan. And there won't be a cat, mortal or dead, that can save you from my wrath."

Brightstar merely flicked her tail in reply and vanished over the boundary. Hawkgaze came to a stop of the edge almost as if he were hesitating. He through a final glance in my direction, and murmured something before then vanishing too.

I stood still watching the vast air of nothing before me, digesting what I'd just overheard.

"Come, Cloudstorm," Icefrost said, turning to exit back into the forest. "We have a war to plan for."

I took one last glance at the unseeable boundary that separated StarClan from the Dark Forest before leaning down to grab Leafbreeze's heart and follow Icefrost. Hawkgaze's final message rang ominously through my head, but I shook myself of the thoughts it created and focused on following Icefrost. I had a war to plan for and worry about something that may or may not have been a prophecy wasn't important now.

Strangely enough though, I couldn't help but give an involuntary shiver as his message rang one final time through my head.

"In the end you will suffer the most. The end has begun and your soul is that much closer to oblivion."