Featherstar's POV

Featherstar froze. The new deputy of DarkClan slunk towards her. Doveflight, she thought to herself.

"What do you want with me?" she hissed.

"I just wanted to...talk." Crowstorm's gaze never wavered.

"About what?" Featherstar meowed.

"Just...things..." Finally, Crowstorm blinked. "You interest me, Featherstar. You're curious, you don't act like other she-cats..."

"Oh, so you're basically telling me that I now have a stalker," Featherstar meowed coolly. "Thanks for the information. Now, if you please, I've got a Clan waiting on me -"

"No!" Featherstar gasped as Crowstorm put his paw on her shoulder. A cool shock ran through her, running and piercing her heart. She reluctantly turned around and stared into those deep, amber eyes.

"Meet me here at moonhigh." he whispered. "I understand if you don't come." He whisked away, only leaving a crow's feather in his place.

Featherstar twisted and turned in her sleep. The memories of Crowstorm were haunting her, and the old nightmare about Snowsong's death was coming back again. Soon, she woke up.

Gasping, Featherstar felt several beads of sweat forming at her forehead. She staggered towards the small pool in her den and dunk her head into hit, drinking in several gulps.

A few moments later, she managed to calm herself down. Peering outside, Featherstar saw the moon shining brightly in the sky.

Meet me here at moonhigh. I understand if you don't come.

And suddenly, she was up on her paws. She didn't know what made her do it, but she was doing it anyways. Featherstar nodded to Emberblaze, who was on guard.

"I'm doing a little hunting," she told the young warrior before slipping past him.

She set off into a brisk pace, trotting on the forest floor, listening to the owls hooting. It hadn't been long when long, towering trees appeared out of nowhere, signifying the Island.

Featherstar confidently padded on top of the log bridge. This is easy, she thought. What harm can it be? Its so easy to just appear here and have a...talk...

Suddenly, she felt her paw slip, and then the other. Featherstar managed to swallow her scream as she plummeted down into the churning waters below.

Featherstar coughed when she returned to consciousness. The strange taste of salt water was all over in her mouth. The first thing that came to view was a jet black head.

"Crowstorm," she meowed weakly.

"You're awake!" The tom breathed. "I was waiting for you and I was about to leave - I didn't expect you to come. Suddenly, I heard this big splash and saw you floating in the river."

"Thank...you..." Featherstar was soon shaken by a fit of coughing.

Crowstorm's eyes soon were filled with alarm. "Are you okay? Can you manage the walk home?"

"I'm...fine." she mewed as she struggled to stand up. Featherstar managed to stay on four feet for two seconds when she collapsed again.

"Here," Crowstorm meowed. "Lean on my shoulder." As reluctant as she was, Featherstar did lean on her shoulder. She would rather do this than go unconscious once more.

When they finally entered camp, she heard many gasps of surprise.

"Its Featherstar!" Quailpaw, a new apprentice, gasped.

"With Crowstorm, the deputy of DarkClan!" Kestrelpaw, her brother, trilled on.

Cloudfall immediately rushed to her side. "Are you okay?" he mewed, not meeting Crowstorm's eyes.

"Yeah." Featherstar replied feebly. "I was hunting when I slipped into the water."

He let out a chuckle. "Here, let's get you to the medicine den." Cloudfall looked at Crowstorm's feet.

"Thank you for bringing back Featherstar." he meowed curtly. "You may go now."

For some reason, Featherstar felt more warmed when Crowstorm had asked her if she was alright, and she felt very sad when she watched him go.

Snowsong's POV

"Tsk, tsk, Darkstar, always late on schedule."

"What?" I prick my ears in alarm.

"I was only kidding," Verity teases lightly. "There's no such thing as a schedule. Though you do have to go check on Rosestar at sunhigh."

My face has suddenly split into a wide grin. And suddenly, I'm a little attracted to Verity...

What? I shriek in my mind. What - Verity? Anyone but Verity!

Remember your sacrifices, a voice I don't recognize hisses in the back of my mind. Remember what you did just to get here!

Suddenly, I'm in the DarkClan camp. But it seems...different. No apprentice den, no elder's den, no thorn barrier...its almost like its not the DarkClan camp.

But I'm fairly certain it is.

A jet black warrior shoulders his way out of the warriors den and stretches into a yawn. His biceps are pretty impressive, bulging like huge, heavy rocks. His fur is ragged, but his eyes are fiercer than ever.

"Darkpelt!" I flinch when I hear the name, it feels like ice is coursing through my veins. The warrior flicks his ear towards a dark brown tabby tom. "Invasions from Sunclaw and Icefeather are expected soon. What shall we do?"

"Let them come," Darkpelt replies tiredly. "Better fight them."

The tom dips his head. "Is there anything else that I can do?"

"Begin building a thorn barrier - and if you can, build two more dnes. We need to shelter the wounded. Poppyfern's den is getting too crowded with the weak."

The tom dips his head once more and then whisks away.

"Darkpelt?" A sweet and soothing voice comes out of nowhere. Darkpelt's ears flatten and his eyes are soon filled with happiness.

I hold my breath when an extremely beautiful she-cat steps into view, her slender body poised, her green eyes warm.

"Yes, Snowsong?" I freeze, staring at the exact replica of me with the same name.

"Are you going out to battle again?" Her beautiful ears flatten.

"Er, yes, so, my dear," Darkpelt replies. Seeing Snowsong's expression fall, he quickly adds, "You know its best for the Clan. We need to stay on the contract."

What contract? I think as Snowsong dips her head and walks away. Soon the scene shifts, and I'm brought to a small hollow.

A younger Darkpelt is in the middle of the hollow, his pelt trembling. His pelt is even more ragged, and he seems exhausted.

Surrounding him are Icefeather and Sunclaw.

"What do you mean?" Sunclaw bellows.

"I...I wanted to join your circle." Darkpelt mews.

"Right now is not the best time," Icefeather replies. "We are at war."

"Which is the perfect time," Darkpelt counters. "We can join the war."

Sunclaw laid down his piercing eyes onto Darkpelt's. "What do you mean?" he repeats, this time with more curiosity.

Taking a deep breath, Darkpelt meows, "I want you to pretend that we were always part of ElementClan. I want you to pretend that we are part of this rebellion. I want you to pretend that we are certainly not foreigners, and that we were always...'border buddies'."

"And in payment?" Icefeather mews.

"You can...you can have any warrior you want and...and do anything you want with them." Darkpelt mews. "You each can also have a quarter of our prey - my Clan is fully stocked."

Sunclaw, seemingly amused, looks at Icefeather. "It's a deal." They both mew.

"Also, I already have a warrior in mind," Sunclaw murmurs. "I will get this warrior...after the war?"

"Yes." Darkpelt is nodding. "The day after the war, meet me outside the forest, near the river at twilight."

"Fair enough." Sunclaw mews. "I will tell you which warrior I want in the Gatherings. I suppose we still have those, don't we, Icefeather?"

Nodding, the sleek white she-cat meows, "I will also tell you which warrior I want. I doubt that I will want any. But, I won't say no to free fresh-kill."

With that, the scene zooms out, and suddenly I am back at my den with Verity.

"Darkstar, are you okay? You zoned out for a bit." Verity's eyes are deep with worry.

"N-no its fine," I meow. "Really," I add when she's staring at me with disbelief.

Once she leaves, I take in what I just saw.

So DarkClan...really wasn't part of ElementClan at all? If not...

Who are they?