A/N: Gah, I thought I'd updated today when I got a review for last chapter...guess I forgot. Ah well. Enjoy chapter 4!!! (not like I get many readers. Oh well I'm satisfied with the few that do. Thanks to all!!!)

Lucifer was a loner whom Skyfeather found while on a hunting patrol with Stormstar through the woods. He claimed he was from a place called London, which was supposed to explain the funny way he talked. Skyfeather and Stormstar brought him back to the Clan, since they needed as much help as they could get to defeat the Twolegs.

Back when Skyfeather and Stormstar were in LightClan, Firestar and Bluestar appeared from StarClan. They were sent down to help the Clans go at war against the Twolegs, but no one quite knew how they were supposed to do that. Skyfeather thought that StarClan sent Lucifer to help them.

But when Lucifer showed a lack of understanding in the warrior code, Skyfeather began to doubt StarClan's intentions. Especially when she had the dream about Firestar talking to her. He told her not to listen to Lucifer. But now he was telling her to find him and tell him of the prophecy—she didn't even know what the prophecy was.

Lucifer eventually ran away from RainClan, apparently unable to cope with Skyfeather's taunting and punishments.

How am I supposed to find Lucifer in this mess of cats? Skyfeather asked herself silently. But, as she padded through the throng of cats with a new surge of energy, she scented the young loner.

What? she thought. What's Lucifer doing here? He shouldn't be here! It's a Gathering of Clan cats, not loners!

But Skyfeather was mistaken. As she padded around, she saw the black and white tom talking a laughing with Leafpatch, one of LightClan's most respected warriors.

Suddenly, rage and anger surged through Skyfeather's veins. She had an unruly hatred toward the betraying loner, and couldn't believe he'd even set whisker inside the Clans' territories.

Finding yet more energy, Skyfeather stormed up to the purring cat. When Lucifer saw her, he jumped and hid behind Leafpatch.

"Come out, Lucifer!" Skyfeather hissed. The last she saw of him was when she was chasing him out of RainClan's territory. She had never caught him, but she did scare him into never trespassing again.

Leafpatch backed away, revealing a trembling Lucifer.

Skyfeather immediately pounced on the tom, claws sheathed. She knew that the cats were supposed to remain peaceful during the Gatherings, or else StarClan would be angry with them.

"You're a mouse-brained furball, you know that?" Skyfeather hissed darkly into Lucifer's ear. "You're mouse-brained to even think of coming here."

"Skyfeather!"

Skyfeather looked up to see Leafpatch trying to shove her off of Lucifer. Skyfeather blindly let herself fall to the ground. "Leafpatch," she started, "this cat has betrayed RainClan. He has no right to be here."

"Yes, he does," Leafpatch meowed. "He's a member of LightClan."

When the LightClan warrior spoke these words, Skyfeather thought she was going to faint with shock and anger. "He's a member of LightClan?"

Lucifer got up and licked his ruffled fur disdainfully. "Yes," he mewed as-a-matter-of-factly. "And my name isn't Lucifer anymore. It's Whitepaw."

Skyfeather hissed, "I refuse to believe that you are an official member of a Clan."

Whitepaw shrugged. "Then that's your problem," he meowed. "But I'm an apprentice of LightClan now, and Stoneclaw is my mentor."

Skyfeather couldn't stifle her snort. "Stoneclaw?" she echoed. "He's a mentor? He can't even lift his own claws."

Whitepaw arched his back and hissed, "He's a great mentor."

Skyfeather nodded sarcastically. She opened her mouth to spit a comeback when she heard thunder roll slightly in the distance. When she looked up, she saw clouds threatening to cover the moon. One single star showed through them, and it was glinting orange.

Skyfeather lowered her hackles and sat down, calming herself. "I'm sorry, Whitepaw," she meowed reluctantly. "I will accept your apprenticeship."

Whitepaw nodded. "Thank you," he responded.

"Anyway," Skyfeather went on as the clouds rolled away from the moon and more stars showed, "I have to tell you of a prophecy that an ancient ThunderClan cat, Firestar, told me of. He wants me to tell you, and send you off to meet a cat with a black ending."

Whitepaw looked overwhelmed. "Wait, what?" he questioned, twitching his tail in frustration. "Start from the beginning."

Skyfeather nodded and told him of the dreams, and about the cat with a black ending.

After Whitepaw heard the whole story, he sat back and pondered what Skyfeather had told him.

Suddenly, just as Whitepaw opened his mouth to speak, a yowl sounded from the Great Rock. The cats looked up to see Longstar, LightClan's leader, standing on the highest part of the rock.

"Welcome, cats of LightClan, RainClan, and EmberClan," Longstar called out. "I will speak first, for LightClan." When no cat spoke, he continued. "I bring a new apprentice to this Gathering. He was a loner before he joined LightClan, but he seemed loyal enough"—Skyfeather snorted—"His name is Whitepaw."

Many of the surrounding warriors turned and greeted Whitepaw, Skyfeather not included. But many of the RainClan cats hissed in hostility.

"I also bring another apprentice, who is Clanborn," Longstar went on. "Her name is Cinderpaw."

Skyfeather looked around and saw a dappled, grey she-cat sitting beside Frostfur. Apparently, the two had already met.

Longstar went on about news on Dappletail's kits. Skyfeather chuckled to herself. Dappletail was an apprentice with Skyfeather when she was in LightClan, but the two had gone their separate ways when Skyfeather left with Stormstar and Firestar.

Next to speak was Stormstar. He stepped forward, and cast a brief glance at Skyfeather that said, I can't believe you're actually here. Skyfeather ignored him.

"RainClan has had a surplus of prey ever since newleaf started," Stormstar started. "Also, since leaf-bare has ended, Skyfeather is no longer RainClan's deputy. Sparrowstripe's punishment is over, and he has taken his position as deputy again.

"I also bring two new warriors with me to this Gathering," Stormstar went on. Skyfeather sat a little taller. Her apprentice had become a warrior, and she was rather proud of herself and Dustcloud.

"Please welcome Silverwing and Dustcloud." The cats around the clearing congratulated the two warriors briefly before returning their attention to the Great Rock. "I also have one more thing to say to Streamstar, and EmberClan."

The EmberClan cats shuffled around and murmured to themselves as Stormstar continued. "A former EmberClan warrior, Thistleclaw, was found in RainClan's territory. Streamstar, you said that this warrior has been taken by Twolegs and has been made a kittypet."

Streamstar nodded. "He was," he replied. "When we saw him, we instantly chased him out of EmberClan's territory. He has broken the warrior code."

"Ah, but he hasn't," Stormstar interjected. "He is here right now, sitting beside Sparrowstripe." Skyfeather watched Streamstar glance down at the former EmberClan warrior. "The warrior code states that a warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet. Thistleclaw never accepted it."

Streamstar seemed to digest Stormstar's words. "I see your point, Stormstar," he meowed eventually. "Thistleclaw, if you would like to rejoin EmberClan, you are always welcome."

Thistleclaw nodded solemnly, but remained silent, surprising Skyfeather.

Streamstar mentioned news of new kits and new warriors. The news flashed by, until he called out, "EmberClan is in grave danger."

The cats around the clearing broke out into murmuring while Skyfeather heard many paws shuffling through the grass.

"What's wrong, Streamstar?" Longstar asked the EmberClan leader.

"More and more Twolegs come into our territory and set up their makeshift nests," Streamstar explained. "They set one up right next to the EmberClan camp, and one Twoleg kit found us. It went running to its mother and father, but StarClan fortunately sent them away. We are very grateful for the cover, but more and more Twolegs come. We've seen many tree-eaters in our territory, and fear the destruction of EmberClan's territory."

The cats in the clearing all started calling out yowls of anger and fear. Skyfeather stood up and called out, "What if the tree-eaters and Twolegs find the other Clan camps?"

Leafpatch, standing beside her, yowled his agreement. "What if the Twolegs chase us out of our Clans, just like the ancient Clans of the forest we live in now?"

"Silence!"

The cats all stopped yowling and mewling in fear and grew silent, listening patiently to Streamstar's words.

"EmberClan is strong," he called out. "We will be able to survive. We simply need a place to stay that's bigger than the territory we have right now."

"RainClan has the biggest amount of territory," a voice cried out from the crowd. Skyfeather recognized Stoneclaw's voice. "They should share with both LightClan and EmberClan."

Many of the RainClan cats yowled their protests, but Skyfeather was not one of them. She agreed that RainClan had a vast amount of territory, and didn't deserve it all.

Determined, she stood up and howled above all the protests, "There is still a lot of forest behind RainClan's territory that we haven't marked, or even used." Almost to her surprise, the cats around the clearing stopped whining and listened intently, including the leaders. Skyfeather felt sudden pressure. "Um…" she stuttered. "If we did decide to share that territory, EmberClan would have to move completely, and Fourtrees would be much farther off."

Stormstar nodded. "It's already a hassle for RainClan to make it to Fourtrees. If anyone stays behind us, they might never make it to any of the Gatherings."

"Unless we choose a different spot to meet every full moon," a LightClan cat called out.

Caterwauls broke out among the cats in protest. They couldn't find another place to stay! That was absurd.

"It might be necessary with the conditions!" Stormstar called out, silencing the cats. "I'm sure StarClan would allow it. Look, there have been no clouds so far as a symbol of disagreement."

Streamstar nodded. "Longstar, you said that LightClan's territory was slowly growing smaller."

Longstar nodded. "We need a better place to stay, too." He paused and turned to Stormstar. "Stormstar, just how much forest is behind your territory?"

Stormstar sighed. "There's a lot, but we haven't patrolled it yet. There might be fox holes, or badger sets everywhere. RainClan will patrol the borders of our forest as soon as we can, and we will get back to you at the next Gathering."

The other leaders and warriors murmured their agreement, and the Gathering ended.

Skyfeather got to her paws and weaved through the cats, in search of Stormstar. But when she looked behind her, she saw that Whitepaw was following her.

"What?" she hissed.

"Skyfeather," Whitepaw started, "I know of this cat."

"What cat?" Skyfeather growled, until she realized what Whitepaw was talking about. "Oh! The cat with a black ending. What about it?"

"His name is Valley," Whitepaw explained. "He is a light cat with a black tail!"

Skyfeather started backward. My…my dream! she thought. A couple of moons ago, she'd had a dream of Whitepaw saying those exact words. Bluetail, Tawnyspot, and Dustcloud each said something to her as well in the dream, but so far, only Whitepaw's words had happened.

"A cat with a black tail?" Skyfeather echoed. "I never thought of it like that."

"The prophecy said, 'Find the cat with a black ending.' Right? Well, you know how StarClan twists the easiest phrases around to make them extremely difficult to decode? Maybe they mean a black tail by a black ending. Valley is the cat, Skyfeather. He lives in Diamond Pack far away beyond this forest. Maybe StarClan wants us to join the Packs and fight off the Twolegs."

Skyfeather raised her eyebrows. "Packs? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain everything later," Whitepaw replied. "I have to go now. Good-bye!"

Skyfeather mewed a good-bye before heading off to find Stormstar. Suddenly, Bluetail padded over to her and stopped her. "Skyfeather, may I talk to you?"

Skyfeather looked around nervously. She didn't want her Clan to leave without her. "Okay," she meowed, "but make it quick."

Bluetail was a member of RainClan, but she was staying LightClan to make sure they didn't fish or drink from the sugar river, which was RainClan's. She'd been monitoring LightClan for some time now, and Skyfeather rarely got to see her.

"Skyfeather," Bluetail started, "LightClan are following the conditions respectfully. I request to join RainClan once more."

Skyfeather felt like fainting again. Those words are exactly the words Bluetail said in Skyfeather's dream.

Skyfeather nodded. "Of course you may, Bluetail," she mewed. "Come on. It's time to go home."

A/N: Kinda long, but oh well...reviews!