Hello and welcome to anyone checking in. That one "mini" story I mentioned at the end of Aspen Claws? Well, I found the file. It is rushed, it is trash, and definitely not a thing I'm proud of. And I'm gonna share it. Here it is, Night's Downfall, in its entire unedited glory.

Night and Aspen's stories were planned to be in the River's Shadow universe, and Night was, for some reason, originally a Clan cat (Aspen mentions it at the end of the story). And I let him return in RS as a Dark Forest cat. Because why not?

Man, it's going to be so satisfying to post something on FF.n again... even if it's just this.

Night's Downfall

"Listen.. I..I'll be gone for a while. This will be our last night together for a few moons." Aw.

"Oh.. okay.." Aspen, whose belly was heavy with kits, started, looking shocked. "W-well, w-when you come back, there will be strong young kits waiting for you!" No questions. Just let him leave.

Night nodded and pretended to yawn. "It's getting late. We should sleep." Aspen, who looked distraught, nodded. The two curled up next to each other in a nest of moss and heather. Night waited until Aspen was asleep and he slipped out of the den. Not even another paragraph of him thinking about y'know being an asshole? He didn't even wait for Aspen to wake up to say bye. smh

He turned to the hills and approached the underground tunnels and dove inside. A few extra paragraphs describing the territory would have been nice...

"Hello, Night!"

"Glad you're okay, Night." no you aren't.

Fearful voices sounded from a massive tunnel he was passing by. I'm glad I have a big force, they do anything I want them to, He thought. Even I don't know what Night did or does to make his cats fear him.

As Night approached the Ruler's den, he was stopped by a pale grey tabby tom.

"Night, you're back!" The tabby mewed.

"I sure am, Fang. Listen, I have a plan for my, 'mate'. In two moons, I'd like you to assign three Followers to take care of her kits.. And take one of them that seems worthy enough to live with us." and they'd know which one was worthy how? Also, Night confirmed to make other cats do his dirty work.

Fang nodded and went up the tunnels to the Followers' den. and that's all for this part! how riveting

...

Two moons after, Night had the information he seeked for. so Aspen never knew they were spying on her? He has grammar please chosen one of the three kits Aspen has. A sturdy dark blue-grey she-kit. There was a tom, but he was too thinly built to be any use. who cares just take all of them

The three cats sent to get the kits were Ice, Branch and Brick. They arrived back from their seize, Ice's paws stained with blood and in Brick's jaws a limp dark grey body. Brick dropped the kit at Night's paws.

"What's your name, kit?" Night snapped. She is your kit. Don't snap at her.

"S..Shadow.." The kit whimpered. Night picked up the trembling body of Shadow and trotted to the Mothers' den. So Night took Shadow when she was old enough to talk? Why not when they'd barely remember who their mother was?

"Kas?" Night muttered.

"Yes, Night?"

"Take care of this kit. We found Shadow alone in the forest." Night mewed.

"Y..yes, Night." The brown pointed she-cat stammered in surprise. Night smiled, then stalked back to his den.

...

"May all my Followers gather under the Tooth Stones!" oh my god TOOTH STONES Night boomed. His cats appeared out of thin air! and sat under the ledge Night stood on.

"We have a new trainee to assign!" Shadow stood beside Night. "From now on, you will train to become a worthy and strong Follower. Ash, you are to train this cat. I will let all of you go to sleep now." did Night begin the ceremony at midnight, since he's telling the cats to sleep? His name checks out. Also, that went by quick

He leaped from the ledge with timid Shadow trailing behind. Shadow reluctantly touched noses with the big grey tom and went to sit with Cloud and Freeze.

Night beckoned Fang and his strongest Followers, Crash, Brick, Ice, Branch, Storm, and Zig, to his den. Zig. Zig is a strong Follower. A cat called Zig.

"I have finalised the plan. We will attack the Clans in patrols of six, picking off as many warriors as we can without getting caught. When the Clans are weak, we will steal their kits. After that, we will attack each Clan one by one until they are gone!" Night purred.

"What if that fails?" Ice questioned. Someone has a brain.

Night shot him a glare and replied, "If we fail to pick off the Clans, we will leave the Clans for a few moons. We will attack when they least expect it." Ice nodded.

"Now, Fang, get some cats to battle train tomorrow. Storm and Crash, do it with our Trainees. Tell Ash to bring Shadow along, too." The cats he named nodded and Night went to check out the Followers' den. He nodded to the cats who were awake.

"Is everything okay, Night?" A brown she-cat named Sky mewed.

"Yes." Night muttered. What is with that cat and asking questions? don't ask me, past self, because idk either

"Oh.. okay." Sky murmured.

"I'd like some of you to go hunting tomorrow. Who is willing?" Night mewed.

"I will go. So will Koa, Red, Leaf, and Heather." Star offered. Night nodded.

"Good. Go along." He mewed. Night yawned and he realised he needed sleep for tomorrow's planning. Night went outside and into the Healer's den.

"Pale?" He murmured.

"Hi, Night. What do you need?"

"I'd like something to make me fall asleep." Pale nodded and brought out some tiny black seeds.

"Take these poppy seeds. They will make you tired," Pale mewed.

Night licked up the delicious poppy seeds and trudged to his den. He collapsed onto his nest and drifted to sleep. Couldn't he just... try and sleep without taking the sleep drugs

...

"Intruder!"

Night jumped awake at the words. It was morning. He sprinted to the large hollowed out area in the tunnels and stopped to see the intruder. Red and Leaf stood beside a she-cat. She had a familiar black-and-silver coat with dark blue eyes.. Aspen! Night hid his surprise and slowly approached the pretty she-cat. oh wow what a predicament!

"Who are you, and what are you doing in the tunnels?" He demanded.

The annoyance gleaming in her eyes didn't appear as Night expected and she answered with a fearful gaze, "My name is Aspen.. And I..I want to join the Legion."

Night kept his gaze neutral and he looked at the other cats on the hunting patrol. Koa and Heather had prey laden in their jaws. At least they brought prey back.. He thought.

"I.." Aspen stammered.

"Why did you come to the Legion?" Night boomed. Aspen flinched. This is not the Aspen I knew..

"M..my kits were stolen long ago and I was too weak to hunt anymore.. And I tried to find a patrol because I heard of the Legion from a traveller.. And now I'm here."

Strange.. Did she get soft from losing her precious kits? "You may stay." Night mewed. "But you are to have two guards until the next moon." gee, my mate that I left is suddenly coming to join my group ? definitely not suspicious!

Aspen's eyes gleamed with relief. "T..thank you!" She purred.

Shadow was sitting near Cloud, her dark blue eyes wide. She remembers her mother.. Night hissed under his breath. I should've taken her earlier. That should have been obvious. Night, you're an idiot. The cats departed, leaving Aspen in the middle, looking bewildered and confused.

"Come with me to my den." Night muttered. Aspen quickly nodded and Night went to assign two cats to guard Aspen - Ice and Red. Night sat in his den and beckoned the guards to sit outside.

"Now, Aspen." The dark grey tom mewed. "Why didn't you leave the territory before you joined the Legion?" Aspen flinched.

"T..there was prey.. And my cave was still there for me to sleep in.. But I later fell sick and I couldn't hunt for a while." Aspen stammered. She's lying.. She looks way too well-fed to have been sick, and she still looks strong. She obviously has no bad intentions here. Night nodded.

"Where are your kits?"

Aspen stiffened and she whimpered. "Three cats attacked me in my den.. and.. t..they killed two of my kits and stole one of them.."

Night put on a look of sympathy. "You poor thing." He mewed silkily. Aspen nodded and the next question surprised him;

"Why did you leave me?" why is it surprising? If you left someone who loved you and you didn't give a reason, they would want to ask.

Night blinked and he mewed, "I was simply leaving for your own good. Suuure you did. You may leave now." Aspen nodded sadly and trailed out of the den. Light was waiting outside.

"What happened in there?" She demanded to Night.

"None of your business." Night snapped. "Now, clean my bedding and get me a piece of prey." He muttered to his servant. Light nodded and dashed off.

...

A moon passed. Branch and Brick were killed by an unknown sickness, and Kas' kit Snow died too. Unknown sicknesses are the worst, aren't they? Aspen had proved her worth and she showed she was an excellent hunter.

Night had ordered her to go out to catch three pieces of prey for an assessment assessment? huh? why? with Ice and Red still guarding her. Aspen was still timid and soft, and her battle training hadn't been able to harden her spirit again.

A while after Aspen had left, a screech sounded at the cave entrance. Aspen stood there, bloodied and battered. "We were attacked by a fox! Red and Ice are dead!" The black-and-silver cat howled. and it apparently didn't kill me!

Night stiffened and he went to sniff Aspen's fur. A fox had attacked them. She reeked of fox, it was sour and burned the back of his throat.

"How did you avoid the fox?" Pale mewed as she tended to Aspen's injuries.

"I tried to fight it off, but the fox was targeting Ice and Red." Aspen whimpered. Aspen was taken away and the cats went silent. Two strong followers had been killed.

"We will have a vigil for our fallen." Night announced. The Followers who were close to the two toms gathered together around the mangled bodies and the cats soon fell asleep.

...

"Hey, Light," Leaf mewed. "Come on a hunting patrol with me and Aspen." The pale cream she-cat nodded and dashed off. Aspen had healed after a few days and she started to get a little livelier. That fox encounter didn't shake her as much as Night thought. The patrol of four bounded off and Night was free to plan for his attack on GladeClan, PeakClan, CascadeClan and BreezeClan.

Those cats stole six of my Followers, He thought as he remembered Leopard, Gold, Soft, Beige, Paint, and Bella who abandoned the Legion to join the Clans.

Night had discovered four of the Follower's new names, Leopard taking the name Mothshine, Beige becoming Leaftail, Paint being Battlecry, and Bella was renamed to Duskfur. I forgot Aspen/Night's story was placed in the River's Shadow universe. It was dumb so I'm glad I let the two stories go lmao

Night strolled outside to go on a little walk to think about his plans for the four Clans. Just casual walk. Nothing else.

"No! Light!" A voice called. Star's voice. "Leave her alone! What did she do to-"

The voice cut off with a screech. Night sprinted towards the voices and stopped at the scene. Star was caught in a battle with a mottled brown tom, while Aspen and Leaf stood nearby, frozen with shock and bearing scratches. if they were only bearing scratches... then go and help lol

Light lay nearby. Her battered cream body was laced with many wounds and her face frozen with a frightened look. Night flinched for a second but he then leaped after the tom and sliced at him.

The tom howled and he dashed away. That was way to anticlimactic and past me should be ashamed. "Light!" Aspen whimpered and she dropped beside the body.

"She's.. dead." Leaf gasped. Night trotted over and nosed his servant.

She wouldn't have survived with those injuries, anyway. Aspen had disappeared. Typical, Night thought. "Let's go. Aspen seems to have gone already." Star and Leaf nodded, eyes dull and they slowly picked up Light's body.

The group of three returned to the Tunnels with several gasps from the crowd and they sat vigil with yet another dead cat. In the morning, Aspen came back, with a rabbit and sparrow in her jaws. Her scratches seemed to have healed already. They healed unaturally fast.

"I..I had to stay in my old cave for that night. I knew you were probably having a v..vigil for Light so I didn't want to disturb you." Aspen explained briskly. Night flicked his ears. Reasonable. Then why did she leave early if she didn't want to come late to a vigil?

"A..also, can I ask you something to save you time?" The swirled black-and-silver cat mewed.

Night nodded. "Go ahead."

Aspen paused. "C..can I be your servant?"

Night blinked. He expected something else. Nah, she was obviously going to ask if they could be mates again.

"Fine. A servant is to fetch prey, guard me, and fix up my bedding for me." Aspen nodded quickly. That does save me some time..

...

Two moons have passed. Aspen never changed her actions and she kept on proving her loyalty over and over again countless times. Night trusted her now.

"Night, can I see you in your den? In private?" Aspen came up to Night, tail twitching. Night nodded and beckoned Aspen to meet him in his den. I wonder what's going to happen? Is this past me's attempt on foreshadowing?

"Okay. I'd like to ask you a few questions." Aspen mewed. What is she trying to say? "First off," Aspen purred. She manoeuvred Night forwards to the back of the cave.

"Why did you take my little Shadow?" The question, yet again, took Night by surprise. You took her kit, damnit, you should have expected her to ask earlier!

"I..I needed more cats!" Night hissed. Aspen flinched, but she drove Night into the corner of the den. Just shove her back instead of letting her do that?

"Second, did you realise the reason why I stank of fox, a little too much then what I would have if I had met a fox?" Night flattened his ears. What are you playing at?

Aspen smiled, a toothy grin set with satisfaction. "Well, let's just say.. It wasn't a fox who killed Red and Ice." Confusion went through Night.

"Then what killed them?" Oh, I don't know, Night! Think about it for a second.

Aspen's eyes gleamed. This wasn't the new Aspen. It was the old Aspen, now. The she-cat's next reply sent shock bolting through Night.

"It was me. I murdered your little minions. Damn. All I'm thinking about now is Night ruling an army of Minions. It just took a little bit of convincing to pretend I had been broken because of my murdered kits. I rolled into some fox dung and attacked the stupid cats."

Aspen said kits with a snarl. Night flinched. Aspen's timidness was a trick all along. She was the same as always. But fuelled by revenge and coldness. Revenge is probably the main drive behind like a quarter of evil cats. Just kill him already, Aspen.

"I.." Night stammered.

"Oh, wait. Remember Light, too? And Branch, and Brick?" Night nodded.

"I killed them, too. That brown tom who murdered Light was my ally. Promised Tangle prey and shelter if he killed your servant. does that mean that tom was also in Night's territory? Why didn't he do anything about that? Branch, Brick and Snow? Soaked my claws in deathberries and gave them a small scratch each. Poisons them quickly." Aspen laughed. I think I got that deathberry wound idea from another story... it doesn't seem very affective. Remind me to never use that murder method again. I don't plan to. Also, Snow was a kit... so she killed a harmless kit? And didn't feel any remorse despite her kits having a similar demise?

"I killed Branch, Brick and Ice because.. Oh, I bet you can guess?" She purred. Night shook his head. "They were the ones who killed my kits." Night froze with understanding. Just end him already. Could have said "I killed your cats"and finished it like that.

Aspen had come for revenge on her dead kits. No way? Night grinned back.

"Shame. You won't get them back, no matter what, little kitty." He purred. don't have to be a jerk about it, though.Aspen crouched, her eyes glazing and filling with tears. She shook, and shook. guess you could say she's shook

"They..they.." She whispered. Night smiled and he closed his eyes in satisfaction of the sobbing that's just being sadistic. He then felt a blow on his side and he was knocked onto his side. What? that's a "syke you thought" moment right there. He opened his eyes to see Aspen's deep blue eyes. They weren't gleaming anymore. They were dark. Shadowed with mixtures of grief. Anger. Sorrow. They weren't bright as they were the times he had spent with her. They were black pools of nothing. we get it, past me, she is very pissed about her kits but that's a bit excessive

Aspen smiled. "You were always the stupid one who fell for my traps. I may have fallen for yours, but I was young. And stupid." And it had only been a few like moons since the kits' deaths happened? How were you any younger? The beautiful dark blue eyes were slitted with glee as she pressed Night's muzzle into the damp ground of the den.

"My plan all along was to kill you. Listen to me, Night," Aspen's voice was unnaturally soft. "You never deserved to be a father. Or to be a leader, either." Aspen hissed. I never did anything directly! I won't let you kill me! Well, fight back, you idiot

Aspen stared into Night's amber eyes. Her twin blue pools glinted with malice and she planted a paw onto his neck and head and brought her head down to his throat. At least struggle, Night :(

"Remember me from the Dark Forest, Nightpaw." Night stopped struggling as she used Night's old Clan name. She knew? Nope, it was just a hunch!

Night couldn't get an answer as Aspen dug her sharp teeth into his neck. He was already being sent into a endless nightmare. A nightmare he will never wake from. oh man the edge. also, she's just going to leave his body? She's not gonna get questioned that he suddenly died?

This wasn't painful to reread at all. Did you know I had to do the proper spacing for each paragraph to make it readable? That was even less fun.

I hope to post more on this site soon lol