The Fall of the Four

A/N: I haven't written in this fandom for a while... Hopefully the writing isn't too bad. Because I haven't updated in a while, this chapter's longer than most.

Chapter 11

Under the leafy cover of their territory, the cats of ThunderClan were busy preparing for another long night. It was a full moon, and they had to be prepared in case something happened at the Gathering. Some of the cats would have preferred it to be canceled altogether, but they knew that would break the ancient traditions. They were determined to stick together and make it through.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather padded into the camp, jaws full of prey and herbs, just as the last rays of the sun faded from the blue sky. It would be time to leave, soon. A few cats were still out in the open, but they were occupied. The camp seemed so empty.

"Are you going to the Gathering tonight?" Lionblaze asked his brother quietly, after depositing his prey on the pile. He faced Jayfeather with worry in his eyes.

"No," Jayfeather answered around a mouthful of leaves, his tone equally soft. "I have work to do in the den. But you're going, aren't you?"

Lionblaze nodded hesitantly. "Bramblestar chose me yesterday. I think he picked me because he was afraid that something might happen, like the previous times…" His mew trailed off, and his gaze wandered to the just-rising moon.

"You're the deputy," Jayfeather pointed out. "You have to go."

Lionblaze flicked an ear. "That too. But mainly, I think it was that he wanted a good fighter."

The blind cat put his nose to Lionblaze's ear, and warned, "Be careful tonight, Lionblaze. I have a bad feeling something will happen again." Then he turned around and headed into the medicine cat den, head bowed low and tail trailing on the ground.

Lionblaze watched him leave, and then entered the warriors' den. He would need sleep, both to rest and escape from his feelings.

His claws raked the moss until it was soft and comfortable, and as his eyes closed, he fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

It felt like only moments later when Bramblestar stuck his dark brown head in and hissed, "Lionblaze. Wake up; we're leaving now."

The golden cat blinked a couple times, and then slowly followed his leader. Icecloud, Dustpelt, and Cloudtail were waiting for them, sitting by the entrance to the camp. The white she-cat looked nervous, but tried not to show it.

"You're only taking three warriors?" he asked, surprised. He'd expect Bramblestar to take more cats along. There was safety in numbers, after all.

"I don't want to endanger anyone else," his leader explained, leaning in close. "We need to attend, but I don't have to risk the safety of too many cats." Louder, he called, "Let's go."

In single file, they trotted after him, racing briskly across the forest floor. Their paws raced, but Lionblaze's mind was even faster, thoughts flying around his head.

Leaves, trees, and plants flew past them in a blur of verdant hues, and Lionblaze's mind returned to what Jayfeather had said that afternoon. Be careful tonight, Lionblaze. I have a bad feeling something will happen again. The night Firestar had been killed, Jayfeather had said those same words. Was his blind brother able to predict these happenings?

What if someone really did die tonight?

Fueled with worry, the large cat leaped past Dustpelt, who had overtaken him, and fell into step beside Bramblestar. His leader turned to him questioningly.

"I talked to Jayfeather this afternoon," he began, looking at his leader out of the corner of his eye.

"What did he think?" asked Bramblestar, in a tone that said he already knew. Perhaps he just wanted to hear it out loud and confirm his thoughts.

Still, Lionblaze's next words came out in a rush. "He thinks something bad will happen again." He kept his eyes forward, not wanting to meet the gaze of his leader. There were too many questions in those amber depths.

Bramblestar nodded, his pace never faltering. "That's what I thought. But, considering the past few Gatherings, that's to be expected, isn't it?" He took a breath. "However, we must still go, and hope for the best."

"At least we must warn the other Clans," Lionblaze argued. They leaped over a large fallen tree, wrapped in shadows. The other cats followed them, silent.

The dark tabby tom was quiet. "Yes," he mewed finally. "We will do that."

Lionblaze waited for Bramblestar to say more, but the leader was quiet. He allowed himself to fall behind, so he could be alone with his thoughts again.

They'd covered a good amount of territory, and the tree-bridge was just ahead. However, the view of the fallen tree was blocked by the dark silhouettes of many cats milling around. A few he recognized, but some he didn't.

Bramblestar came to a halt, and his warriors followed quickly. "What's happening?" he demanded to the closest cat, Petalfur.

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "We can't go on the tree-bridge, for some reason. Our leader told us to stay back."

"Are all the Clans here?" Lionblaze asked, coming up to stand beside his leader.

"Not WindClan," she answered. Her gaze darted around the cats, picking out the leaders of RiverClan and ShadowClan. They were also accompanied by their leaders, but the warriors were spread out all over the place.

"I'm going to see what's happen," he told Bramblestar, asking for permission. Something seemed wrong, and he had to figure out what it was, before anyone got hurt.

A refusal formed in Bramblestar's mind, but he decided to chance it. Lionblaze was one of the strongest fighters. If anyone could survive unscathed, it would be the powerful golden warrior. "Alright. Don't take any risks, though. We need you."

Without answering, he disappeared into the throng of cats. There were so many, and some of them he didn't even recognize. ThunderClan had only brought five cats, and WindClan hadn't arrived yet. Could ShadowClan and RiverClan really be that large?

But none tried to stop him, and Lionblaze didn't want to stop either, so he continued on, pushing past all the cats. They smelled different, too. He sensed that something was really wrong.

When he finally emerged from the mass of felines, he gasped audibly.

Framed by the moonlight and standing on the tree-bridge, green eyes bright and tail raised high in the air, was his lost sister, Hollyleaf. She looked healthy, not like a cat who once disappeared in the tunnels. But her eyes had changed. They were still green, but lacked the warmth and playfulness that she used to have. Now they were cold and darker. She wasn't the Hollyleaf he knew.

"Hello, brother," she purred, slipping closer to him.

He snarled in response. All he could say was, "You've joined the Dark Forest, haven't you? And they sent you kill the leaders!"

Her voice was silky and smooth. "Oh no, Lionblaze. That wasn't me. However, I will be killing tonight." She hissed with glee.

Then she lunged straight at him, claws unsheathed and eyes glittering with a whirlwind of emotions.