Wow, these really are the chapters I've been waiting for.

I recommend skimming Sunstrike's Story once more in preparation for this chapter. That may have been a warning for the last one as well, but this one works very well. I am elated.

Chapter 26: The Cat Who Walks Alone

Birdfeather led the way into view of the camp, Skysong and Littlefalcon carrying Flamekit and Gingerkit with them. Hazeltail and Dustfur were on guard; seeing the sight, their conversation died out suddenly, and they both just stared.

"What…?"

"I bet you anything there's going to be a Clan meeting in a few minutes," said Birdfeather.

"Those kits…" Dustfur blinked blandly.

"Are Littlefalcon's," said Birdfeather without hesitation. Hazeltail gasped, looking around the woods for a mystery mother. "They're half-WindClan."

"No way." Hazeltail's jaw dropped, and Dustfur went stiff. "That can't be."

"We'll explain everything very soon," said Birdfeather. "I'll send someone to explain the meeting to you, if you'd like."

"You'd better," said Hazeltail. Thanking her, Birdfeather led them into camp. She had already alerted Mountainstone and Willowleaf to what was going on, so now it was just a matter of getting the rest of the Clan to not cause a whole uproar.

Which was easier said then done, for as they walked into camp and to the nursery, Birdfeather could feel the eyes of every cat on them. She didn't look at anyone until reaching the nursery.

"Birdfeather, hi," said Poppyfrost, stretching. Then, seeing Littlefalcon and Skysong with the kits, she stiffened. "What's this?"

"Poppyfrost, if we stopped giving you parsley, you'd still have milk, right?" asked Birdfeather. Do you think you could offer your milk to these kits?"

"What?" Poppyfrost's eyes went wide. "But who are they?"

Littlefalcon put Gingerkit down in a free nest, and the tiny cat mewled helplessly. She had been without a mother and milk for too long.

"They're mine," he said, his tail drooping. "Mine and Ivychase's."

"Of WindClan!"

"Yes." Littlefalcon took a deep breath. "I was hoping you could help us. This is Gingerkit, and that's Flamekit, and they need a foster mother."

"But my milk is drying up quickly…" murmured Poppyfrost.

"That's okay," said Birdfeather. She thought for a while. "I estimate that in less than a moon, you'll have company."

"Really?" That caught Skysong's attention.

"Certainly." Birdfeather smirked, waiting for her sister to react when she spoke next. "Honestly, between you, Willowleaf, and Snowfeather? Come a few seasons, the nursery will be full."

And she was promptly given what she wanted when Skysong turned in circles and mumbled something inaudible, her fur obviously heated as she fought to get rid of her embarrassment. The joke had lightened the mood enough, but Poppyfrost was still curious.

"Will Lionstar say it's okay for them to stay?" she mumbled.

"We hope so," said Littlefalcon. "Please, Poppyfrost."

"These kits need you," said Birdfeather. Poppyfrost watched Flamekit mewl and kick around, moving in the temporary nest and pawing Gingerkit in the cheek. Her eyes were somewhere else, in a land only mothers understood. Birdfeather felt a twinge of jealousy that she quickly banished. She was not going to fall prey to motherhood. That was a destiny she would pass up.

"Oh, alright," said Poppyfrost. She lay down and welcomed Gingerkit and Flamekit to her belly. "They're cute."

She was as enamored with the new kits as Littlefalcon was, which relieved Birdfeather. She was positive that any day now, Snowfeather would become Dustfur's mate for sure, and then Snowfeather could take over as the foster mother for these kits. But if Poppyfrost managed to produce more milk for them, this could work out easily.

When she led her siblings outside the den, the senior warriors were waiting. Jayfeather approached first, mouth full of herbs.

"They're okay," she tried to say, but Jayfeather waved his tail as if to say "I'll be the judge of that," and swept inside the nursery.

"What's going on here?" Cloudtail's eyes were colored their own shade of betrayal as he stared at Littlefalcon.

"I made a mistake and fell in love with Ivychase of WindClan," said Littlefalcon quietly. "But I have brought two of the kits to ThunderClan, so they can help our Clan succeed."

"Two of them?" Sorreltail's mew was more of a wail. "You separated the kits from their littermates and their mother?"

"Ivychase would not have it any other way."

"She's a foolish cat, then, and so are you!" Thornclaw lashed his tail, looking around for a solution. "Can we keep them?"

"Poppyfrost still has milk, and she'll produce more to nurse them."

"That's not what I was asking." Thornclaw's eyes flashed. "I mean, will WindClan come hunting for kits they believe are rightfully theirs?"

Littlefalcon swallowed. Birdfeather turned away, hating the way this discussion was going. She would have to step in.

"Those kits will be strong members of ThunderClan, and loyal warriors," she said, and her words wrapped around the senior warriors and settled in like their own thoughts. "They should be allowed to stay."

"You know, maybe we should give them a chance," said Squirrelflight softly. "They could be good warriors."

"ThunderClan is in need of more kits," said Cloudtail, nodding. "And who cares where they come from?"

"It'll be hard for them," said Sorreltail. "Having littermates in WindClan."

"It will make them even stronger," said Squirrelflight. Her bushy tail waved back and forth. "I'll defend you, Littlefalcon. I've been in one of these situations before, remember."

"You can count on me, too," said Cloudtail. "I'm disappointed in you, Littlefalcon. But these kits haven't done anything wrong."

"Thank you," said Littlefalcon, even as Sorreltail and Thornclaw exchanged a glance and grudgingly mewed their support. "Thank you!"

He turned to Birdfeather, beaming, and she smiled back. She felt a little guilty, honestly. The kits would have a hard time. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to separate them like this. It was like if Skysong and Littlefalcon had belonged to ThunderClan while Birdfeather, Mountainstone, and Willowleaf lived in WindClan, with Icecloud in WindClan, too. But this made Littlefalcon's eyes light up in a way she hadn't seen before, and something in her made her trust Littlefalcon when he said he believed something. And Littlefalcon would not do something unless he knew it would turn out alright in the end.

The senior warriors were already talking to Skysong and Littlefalcon about other details, like how it had gone in the storm, and what the other kits looked like. Jayfeather pushed out of the nursery, and Birdfeather decided to talk to him instead.

"They are fine," he said. "Hungry, but Poppyfrost can handle that."

"And we've got everything settled," said Birdfeather. "The senior warriors will defend Littlefalcon."

"Well, you handled that, didn't you?" Jayfeather blinked unseeingly at her. "But you're right. Their support should convince the rest of the Clan that it's going to be okay. And Lionstar will back you up, too."

"Should we call a Clan meeting?" said Birdfeather. Jayfeather nodded steadily.

"You seem exhausted," he noted.

"I am," said Birdfeather. "I haven't slept since before the thing with ShadowClan." As she spoke, her bones turned to rocks in her system, and it suddenly felt like she had never slept in her entire life. Jayfeather made a soft noise.

"Then get some sleep, mouse-brain." He glanced at Skysong. "You and Skysong both. Littlefalcon gets to suffer a little more."

"But the meeting?"

"Is just a meeting, and you won't be needed," said Jayfeather. "If you are, I'll come get you, but the Clan is frightened enough as it is that they'll just accept what Lionstar and the senior warriors say."

"That's not very nice."

"Neither am I." Birdfeather and Jayfeather smirked at each other. "Go on, Birdfeather. I'll handle this."

So she trudged back to the medicine den, her exhaustion setting in with each step. Not being needed for the first time in days was more than just an adrenaline letdown. Icecloud, who had been resting off her infection, looked up as Birdfeather entered.

"Ivychase just had her kits, didn't she?" said Icecloud. Birdfeather nodded, not even bothering to ask how she knew. "And Littlefalcon took two back?"

"Flamekit and Gingerkit."

"Flamekit?" Icecloud blinked twice. "And Gingerkit. I see." She slowly stood up, stretching her wound and wincing as she did so. "I bet I can't see them yet."

"It's probably not a good idea," said Birdfeather. "Until your fever is gone for more than just a day."

Icecloud nodded. She sighed and settled back into her nest.

"Gest some sleep, Birdfeather," she murmured. "You look wiped out."

"I feel it, too," said Birdfeather. There was a chill in her bones from the night before, too. She almost walked back right then. "How were Honeyleaf and Snowfeather?"

"Perfect warriors," said Icecloud. "Honeyleaf had a cough, but Jayfeather doesn't think it'll develop." Her whiskers twitched. "Stop being a good medicine cat and take care of yourself, too."

Smiling, Birdfeather left her mother and walked back to her nest, thinking of kits and the argument that would happen outside. Honestly, she was glad that Jayfeather had banished her. ThunderClan had just been told that they could Littlefalcon with everything, and he had broken the warrior code within a sunrise of his big speech. She didn't know if it was something an entire Clan could forgive – but they wouldn't take it out on the kits. They had been through enough as a Clan to know how to forgive and love each other no matter what. Birdfeather tucked her tail over her nose and hoped that she would have one peaceful sleep, without Rushfire or Old StarClan or anything else.

She opened her eyes and found herself in a place she had been before, once to her memory but countless more than that in the space that her mind forgot once she woke. A shiver ran up Birdfeather's spine as she looked around. It was a swirling world of grey and white, that circled and spun in a tunnel around her. She was the only spot of color in the entire field.

The last time Birdfeather had remembered a dream in this place to the next morning, Rushfire had died in it. She didn't want to see that. Birdfeather closed her eyes, trying to focus enough to wake up, but when she peeked open again, she was still standing in the grey and white world.

"What is this place, anyways?" She spoke to no one in particularly, hoping that maybe there were other cats that were lost here. When nothing happened, Birdfeather turned around, but the world looked the exact same from every direction. So, aimlessly, she began to walk. Her paws brushed over opaque white-and-grey, like she was walking on the backs of a thousand spirit cats that kept blurring together in white and grey. Sighing, Birdfeather continued walking.

For a while, nothing changed. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a color other than white and grey: black. A black cat was walking alone in the grey-and-white space. Gasping, Birdfeather realized that this dream was always the same, no matter how many times she forgot it in the morning. She would run after the black cat, but she would never be able to catch it. Only once had it ever changed, only once had she ever remembered the dream – when she had jumped into a hole after the black cat, and Rushfire had been impaled, and Yellowfang had told her to stay away from him. She shivered, but her paws were still moving.

Birdfeather took a deep breath, wanting more desperately than ever to catch the black cat. So she flexed her muscles and then broke into a sprint, racing through the swirling world of white and grey in a hope that when she ran, the cat could be in her reach. This dream meant something, or there'd be no reason for her to have it. She raced forwards, but the cat seemed ever farther away with each pawstep. She could make out the cat's form. It was a tom. He looked familiar. Breathing fast, Birdfeather dropped into a walk for a few moments. And remarkably, in those few moments, she found herself closing the distance.

Awestruck, Birdfeather proceeded with caution, but sure enough, the gap between her and the black cat was closing.

"Excuse me!" called Birdfeather. In her previous dreams, the cat hadn't looked at her. But this time, his ears perked up. "Excuse me!"

The cat turned around. Birdfeather frowned the familiar face.

"Hailstorm?" she said.

"Who?" And as Birdfeather walked a little closer, she realized that something was different. The black cat's eyes were amber. Hailstorm's eyes were blue. "Who are you?"

"Birdfeather," said Birdfeather, swallowing. "I'm the medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan."

The black cat's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her heart pounding between her ears, Birdfeather thought she understood. She could hardly believe who she was meeting, here in a strange recurring dream in a grey-and-white swirling world.

"You're Breezepelt," she said slowly. "Aren't you?"

"How do you know that?" said Breezepelt. His claws slid out, and Birdfeather took a step back.

"I just guessed," she said.

"How can you be ThunderClan's medicine cat apprentice?" said Breezepelt, lashing his tail. "There isn't one. Jayfeather is medicine cat of ThunderClan."

"And I'm his apprentice," said Birdfeather. Breezepelt shook his head.

"Listen, you," he said. "I saw Jayfeather the last time I turned around, and he didn't have an apprentice."

"But I'm here," said Birdfeather, frowning. "You are the same Breezepelt, right?"

"What does that mean?" snapped Breezepelt. Birdfeather hesitated.

"I, um…know Jaystrike and Hailstorm," she said, but the unfamiliar names just made Breezepelt angrier. "Your kits?"

"My…?" Then Breezepelt sat down. "With Sunstrike."

"Yes." Birdfeather smiled as the realization crashed over Breezepelt. The cat's expression changed so quickly from anger to awe to happiness and back to awe and then to confusion.

"How long have I been walking here?" he murmured. "I came here when I died and then…started walking."

"A lot has happened since then," said Birdfeather. She wasn't sure where to begin, but Breezepelt had already moved on.

"My kits are warriors?" His ears had perked up. "And Sunstrike is safe?"

Birdfeather nodded, and Breezepelt smiled. His grin looked unused, like he hadn't been happy enough to smile in a long time.

"Tell me about them," he demanded. Birdfeather nodded.

"Well, Hailstorm looks a lot like you," she said. "That's…I thought you were Hailstorm for a minute. He's a good warrior. A good fighter. He, um…" She paused. "He helped my brother a few days ago. My brother had kits with this WindClan she-cat, and Hailstorm said he'd pretend to be the father of the kits, but…it didn't turn out that way."

Breezepelt looked a little puzzled by her reply, so she decided that it was best to switch topics.

"And Jaystrike is Kestrelflight's apprentice," she said. "She's a good friend of mine." Her heart hurt as she said the words, remembering how Jaystrike had turned on her and called her a traitor and a murderer. "She's really cheerful, and she really loves WindClan. Everyone loves her, too."

"That's good," said Breezepelt. "She's like her mother."

"Yeah," said Birdfeather. "And they all seem happy. Safe. Listen, do you know where we are?"

"I thought this was the path to StarClan," said Breezepelt. "Maybe a part of the Dark Forest I hadn't gone to. I'm probably headed there, after all. Although…" He thought, putting together the pieces.

"I don't think this is anywhere like that," said Birdfeather. She sat down.

"Oh, no." Breezepelt opened his eyes wider. "Have you made any deals with a cat named Mapleshade?"

"Mapleshade!" Birdfeather's fur stood on edge. She had heard all about Mapleshade. She shook her head hurriedly. "What do you have to do with her?"

"I made a deal with her," said Breezepelt. "She first made a deal with Sunstrike. She wanted Sunstrike to play some sort of game with a ThunderClan cat, Ivypool. It had to do with keeping me alive. But I went to Mapleshade and promised to take the bargain in Sunstrike's place, if she would let Sunstrike and the kits stay out of any sort of…stuff."

"Stuff like prophetic stuff," Birdfeather said. "Well, she's kept up her end of the deal." She narrowed her eyes, looking around the weird world in between worlds. "What was your end?"

"Mapleshade doesn't want to die," said Breezepelt.

"But she's already dead."

"I guess disappear would be a better word for it." The black tom shrugged. "She seems to be convinced that she'll burn out of existence." He rolled his eyes, but a word had caught Birdfeather's attention.

"She'll…burn?"

"Something like that." Breezepelt nodded, tilting his head to the side. "It didn't make much sense, but it doesn't matter to me if I disappear or not. She had already figured out how to make either Ivypool or Sunstrike disappear instead of her, so I just took their place."

"Burn," repeated Birdfeather. "Burn how?"

"I'd guess in fire?" said Breezepelt.

"Why?"

"It was all crazy talk. I don't know." Breezepelt shrugged.

"Try to remember?" The black cat looked at her in confusion, but Birdfeather suddenly needed to know. Any mention of fire usually meant her.

"She said that someday, StarClan would be covered up in this…this darkness," said Breezepelt, waving his tail as he tried to describe his memories. "Like they would become the Dark Forest, and the Dark Forest would be eternal darkness that would corrupt every soul. Then there would be something that would come and…set it on fire, and everything touched by the darkness would burn in it.

Her heart started to pound in Birdfeather's ears as she recognized the words. Fire will quench eternal darkness.

"Does that mean anything?" Breezepelt blinked at her. "Birdfeather, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Birdfeather stared at her paws. She could imagine this world going up in flames, the white and grey turning orange and red under her paws. She could imagine the Dark Forest going up in flames, too, and StarClan burning along with it, because the border was going to fall, and nothing could separate the two places from one another.

"Are you alright?" Breezepelt's voice was gruff, like he didn't actually care about her well being, but was spooked nonetheless. Birdfeather nodded. It suddenly made sense why Old StarClan hated her so much, why they were so afraid of her.

Willowleaf was supposed to destroy the world, but Birdfeather's job was to destroy the Dark Forest. And with it, she was supposed to engulf every last member of Old StarClan in fire and make them burn forever.

Mwahahaha. I do hope it makes sense now why all the StarClan and Dark Forest cats are like freaking terrified of Birdfeather...

Unless she's wrong, of course, or she comes up with some way to best her fate and figure it all out!

Reviews very appreciated! Love you all 3

~Elsi