"This is it." Sunstar declared, voice low. "It would seem that our final confrontation with Willowstar becomes closer each day; and after the raid...who knows how long it will be until he strikes." Sunstar was familiar with the way Willowstar worked, and knew that tom would normally try to draw things out for as long as possible, but now that DarkClan had chosen to make a bold move against their enemies, Sunstar was sure that Willowstar would act out in his rage soon enough.

The clearing remained a passive quiet as the clan listened with a mix of both worried and unreadable expressions. Lostheart in particular felt an overwhelming sense of dread; confrontation was not always a good thing, especially when it involved ruthless cats like Willowstar. There was no way it could end well for DarkClan.

"-And when they do," Sunstar growled, "We'll be ready." Vibrant green eyes darkened as Sunstar analyzed the faces of his clanmates, letting out a small sound of satisfaction as he thought of finally being able to see his brother; that is, if Willowstar chose to show his face. The tom never appeared at any of their battles, and when he did, he stayed in the back far from any actual fighting. Sunstar could feel the tiniest furs of his pelt beginning to bristle in anger. Willowstar always let others do the dirty work for him; did the tom think he was too good for them?

Sunstar would make sure Willowstar finally faced him- he would make sure the other leader finally recognized him if it was the last thing he did. The golden tom did not care to be ignored, and Willowstar's increased distancing of himself angered him greatly. Even as kits the other never seemed to confide in him, in anything!

Sunstar blinked at his last thought, and inwardly felt a small twinge of regret. That wasn't entirely true, Willowpaw did try to talk to him, but he never listened...But this wasn't Willowpaw, not anymore.

"We can't fight them."

Sunstar's gaze snapped up at the sound of the voice, and immediately he focused on the speaker. Lostheart's voice may have been quiet, but for this moment she had chosen to try and speak up as best she could. Seeing that she had Sunstar's, and the clan's attention, Lostheart took a breath inwardly and tried to ignore all the stares now burning into her pelt.

"Sunstar," she meowed, meeting the leader's hard, green gaze with her own mismatched eyes. "We have to leave."

Sunstar's eyes visibly widened at the suggestion, and immediate whispers and movement broke out amongst the small group of cats. Thistleprick and Raggedear exchanged glances while Amberpaw looked up to Raggedear for some sort of answer. Browneyes became passive as he heard the statement, his head falling slightly as earthen eyes met the ground they so much resembled. However, everyone gave Lostheart their attention, willing to listen to the she-cat's words.

"We can find someplace safe, someplace where we can live in peace." Lostheart's voice quieted slightly, "My mother left once, and she told me about the world beyond our forest-so much larger and open than our own. There has to be a place out there for us, somewhere we can forget about this and live happily. Though I may not know much about the world outside our home; Raggedear, Thistleprick, and Moonfur do. I know it sounds extreme, but...I think it would be for the best."

Lostheart could see that her words evoked a strong response from Sunstar as she could see the rapid mixture of emotions in his gaze as his eyes darted around the clearing, brow creasing angrily. "You think that will do anything?!" he hissed. "Willowstar will follow us to the ends of the earth if he has to! Don't you see?!" Sunstar had unsheathed his claws and was now bristling in anger. "This is DarkClan's home! Just as it has been for over hundreds-generations of cats ever since Xander created our clan! We belong here, and we are not going to give it up. DarkClan has never given up when the clan's way of life was challenged before and several times over; and we are not going to do it now!"

Wetpaw and a few of the other apprentices seemed to shrink back by Sunstar's harsh words, and looked to their mentors with questioning gazes, gazes to which they could only receive impassive looks in return. "For the remainder of this moon, training will increase ten-fold! Those of you without apprentices will do the hunting and patrolling; and no cat shall bother me during this time." Sunstar finished definitely, glaring at the cats surrounding him.

Once the golden tom had gone, the clearing remained silent, each cat fully taking in his words. Lostheart bit back her tongue and glanced up at the dull, gray sky blankly; she needed to think. Without a single word to the other cats, Lostheart padded away to the tree tunnel, leaving the others to watch in a kind of dull curiosity.

Darkpelt straightened up after a moment, choosing to take control of the situation. "You heard Sunstar." he meowed, "Everyone go do what you need to." Roseclaw spared the large tom an unconvinced glance, but she padded away with Mintpaw, Wetpaw, and Raggedear toward the medicine cat den nonetheless.

Lostheart sighed and allowed herself to slump down as she looked up at the nearly full moon covered in shadow. What could they possibly do? The frustration and helplessness she felt was overwhelming; why couldn't anything ever be simple?

There wasn't much she actually could do now that Sunstar made his decision. She knew leaving their home would be a hard thing to do, but it was the only way. The stars of Silverpelt glimmered slightly in her dull eye, and she found herself wondering what Ivyfoot and Silentshadow would tell her.

Thinking back on what Sunstar had said, the idea of Willowstar pursuing them troubled her greatly; the tom had vowed to destroy their clan, but would he really go that far? Thinking of Willowstar, Pineneedle, Eagleclaw, and the other TreeClan cats made her feel strange, and for some odd reason, she almost pitied them.

The way TreeClan looked up to Willowstar was incredibly disturbing; and each time she saw the way they looked up to their leader with such reverence, such awe, Lostheart had to suppress a slight chill. Ever since she was young, Lostheart had noticed the way TreeClan regarded their leader; and it was almost as if he was some sort of deity in their eyes. The question was why? Had Willowstar really brainwashed them so much?

She didn't know what Sunstar could possibly be thinking. Taking on TreeClan alone was a death sentence, let alone the whole of LightClan as well. Still, Sunstar was their leader and they had to obey him...

It was already the night before the Gathering, and Darkpelt was returning from a late night patrol. Training had indeed been harsh over the previous sunrises, but it was all necessary for what was to come. Darkpelt's white fur seemed to glow lightly in the moonlight as he wound himself around the thick trees and brush of DarkClan's territory, blue eyes shimmering in the light. However, just as the tom moved to take another step, his ear twitched at a nearby sound and he found himself growing interested in the oddity of it.

The likelihood that it was actually prey was very low, but Darkpelt had kept his suspicions for a while.. Walking as carefully and silently as he could, Darkpelt followed the source of the noise and was not at all surprised by what he found.

"Thistleprick."

The calico tom's violet eyes widened upon seeing Darkpelt emerge from the brush. "Darkpelt!" he stammered in surprise. Quickly the tom pulled a grin and laughed slightly, "What're you doing out here at this time of night, eh?"

Darkpelt's eyes narrowed slightly as he said nothing in response, Thistleprick's smile faltered for a moment and the tom looked away awkwardly.

"You're a coward." Darkpelt stated impassively.

Thistleprick's ears turned back in shame at the word, and instead of meeting Darkpelt's eye, his gaze remained fixed at the tom's large, flecked paws. What bothered him the most was that Darkpelt hardly even seemed surprised to see him at all, almost as if he had been expecting it.

Darkpelt stood patiently, waiting for Thistleprick to face him. In all honesty he had been expecting this for a while now; ever since he first fought the tom he had seen the fear in his eyes and how quick he was to try and get out of a situation, when the Thistleprick first learned about TreeClan, and also before they had gone into TreeClan territory to find Amberpaw he had seen it. He had seen it all along and now his suspicions had been confirmed. Thistleprick was a coward, and now he was trying to avoid the inevitable fight that was to come.

"You're...not going to stop me?" Thistleprick questioned, a hint of surprise evident in his voice. Of all cats, he would have imagined that Darkpelt would be the one to... Thistleprick shifted a bit in an effort to lessen the enormous amount of guilt that was amassing inside of him. It was true, he had been thinking of running off, but he hadn't gone just yet, he couldn't will himself to.

"I'm sorry, okay." Thistleprick managed. "I just- I don't want to die. Raggedear and I, we've already been through enough to last us a century, we don't need this."

"And what about us?" Darkpelt responded impassively. "Are you so easily able to leave us behind?" The tom snorted and turned away slightly. "I should have known. No, I won't stop you. DarkClan doesn't need the likes of another traitor in our clan; a cat who deserts their friends deserves no place in our clan." 'Or what's left of it."

Darkpelt turned away from Thistleprick completely and began to pad away, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at the other tom.

"Wait." Thistleprick said quickly, causing Darkpelt to pause mid-step, yet he still refrained from turning around completely. Thistleprick, glad to have the tom's attention, let out a small sigh. "Look, I'm not the fighting type." he began. "Raggedear has always been the fighter of the two of us; I've never really been that good at anything now that I think about it."

"That shouldn't matter." Darkpelt replied. "Contrary to popular belief, a warrior isn't measured by the amount of their strength."

Thistleprick blinked at this as Darkpelt turned to meet his violet gaze with midnight blue eyes. "Its about honor and courage, doing what is right to protect the cats you care about. A rogue like you wouldn't understand the sort of ties in a clan."

Thistleprick fell silent at this, but replied only moments later. "Why are you all so intent on taking down Willowstar when you could just leave like Lostheart said?"

"This is our home, we will not be scared off so easily. Willowstar believes he can take whatever he wants." Darkpelt growled, already obscure eyes darkening. "He thinks himself so much better and superior to other cats that he can do whatever he likes. The world is not his to control, and soon, he will be knocked off that high pedestal of his."

Thistleprick said nothing, a small look of shame still evident on his face. Darkpelt let out a small mirthless laugh and turned away from him. "Willowstar killed my father, and if it wasn't for an attack he had launched previously on our territory, my mother might be alive as well." Thick claws bug their way into the ground as Darkpelt recalled the memories. "I'll make him pay. You can do whatever you like; its rather selfish of you to act without thinking of the clan, especially if you believe this will have no effect on them, but I won't stop you."

Thistleprick didn't even know how to respond. He had never realized...

"This land and my brother are all I have left now, something I would hope you could understand. He's the only family I have left, and I won't let Willowstar take any more from us." Darkpelt finished a bit more quietly. Then, without another word he padded away toward the shadowy brush ahead, white pelt standing out strongly against the harsh shadows.

As he continued forward, his ear twitched at the sound of soft pawsteps following him. Darkpelt glanced to his side, a light shadow of surprise on his face. Thistleprick gave an awkward sort of grin, "So," he meowed, "You admit we're friends then?"

The air was rife with tension as Sunstar made his way to the front of the large group of cats. Every cat had the same question on their minds: What would happen? Would Willowstar do or say anything at the Gathering? Although they were all relatively anxious, the night of a Gathering was a night of truce, a thought which helped relieve some of the stress.

However, no one chose to say a word, and instead each cat appeared to be wrapped up in their own thoughts as Sunstar led them out through the tree tunnel. Greysight let the warm breeze ruffle her fur as she looked blankly up through the canopy of the trees to where she knew dark storm clouds were forming. She was eager to fight as always should the need arise, but remembering all her dreams and the warnings Mosspelt had given her, she couldn't help the small amount of fear that existed in the deep recesses of her mind.

Lostheart continued at the back of the group, also taking notice of the dark storm clouds that surrounded the full moon overhead. All her life, Willowstar and TreeClan had always been around, and according to Sunstar, they had always been the cause of DarkClan's problems.

She remembered a long time ago when Ivyfoot had told her that Willowstar had once been a DarkClan cat, Sunstar's brother. Thinking about it, she couldn't help feeling sorry for the golden tom that now led their group. He really had been through a lot in his life, probably even more than she knew about.

Thistleprick walked in step with Raggedear, Darkpelt, and Browneyes ahead of the black she-cat; a look of worry on his face. He believed he had made the right choice, and Darkpelt was right. It was time for him to stop being a coward, especially if it meant protecting cats he cared about. He glanced to Raggedear and Moonfur by his side and let himself smile a bit. This clan; it really had such an effect on them, and maybe that was a good thing. These cats, they were different, and Thistleprick was glad they had found them.

Darkpelt's face was locked in a stern gaze as he followed behind Sunstar; beside him, Browneyes gave his brother a warm glance meant to help soothe the tom. Darkpelt glanced at him briefly and gave a slight recognition to his actions, allowing Browneyes to nod in return. Browneyes knew his brother had a lot of anger, and he wanted him to be careful.

Ever since they were young, Darkpelt had aspired to live up to Shadestar's legacy. He remembered when he had woken up and heard the news, he had seen Darkpelt sitting alone outside the nursery and padded up to him. That was when Darkpelt told him and the two young toms sat in silence watching as the rest of the clan grieved over the loss of their father; and Willowstar was to blame.

Still, he wished Darkpelt would realize that revenge wasn't everything. Sometimes it was simply better to let things go, or did Darkpelt not realize what he had because he was so blinded by the idea of vengeance?

Whatever the case, Browneyes would always be there to support and protect his brother. He had made a promise to Blizzardpelt and he intended to keep it. Darkpelt was all he had left of a family, and in return he was the only family Darkpelt had left. They needed to stick together, and also to protect the cats most important to them. Browneyes nodded affirmatively in his mind; he wouldn't let any harm come to them.

Sunstar's eyes narrowed darkly as they came to the peak of the hill looking down on Fourtrees while the wind blew his fur around him. There was much that would need to be addressed at this Gathering, and he had not forgotten about seeing Brisingstar in TreeClan's camp. Whatever Willowstar would try to pull, he would be ready for it and he did not doubt there would be something.

Willowstar needed to be defeated, and he would not cower away like last time. He had grown since then. His brother was definitely a threat, but growing up he had always been one step ahead, he had always been the stronger one, and he would make sure this pattern continued at the end. Willowstar would not get the better of him.

Thinking of Shadestar, Sunstar's fur began to bristle in rage. He remembered how easily Willowstar had thrown him aside, like he was nothing. Shadestar was their leader, his mentor. Willowstar had been and still was on a pointless conquest for power, and even Sunstar had to admit his brother had become a formidable opponent, one that he never could have imagined when they were younger.

Willowstar had an unnatural ability, one that allowed him to steal the lives of other cats. Just how many cats' lives had the tom stolen? The very thought left a dark knot in the golden tom's stomach, but he pressed on nonetheless, hurrying down the side of his hill with his small clan following behind him.

The large, wide leaves of the four trees rustled lightly in the warm breeze as DarkClan approached the small ring. Sunstar himself was surprised to see the clearing completely empty, DarkClan had never been the first to arrive at a Gathering before. The clan seemed to be sharing in his thoughts as well as they took their seats in the soft grass, looking amongst each other a bit anxiously.

"Hmph. It would seem that we are the first to arrive tonight, and we shall wait for the others as is customary-" The golden tom stopped abruptly as he caught sight of movement outside the clearing, catching the attention of his clan. Lostheart and the others turned to follow his gaze, remaining silent as the large mass of cats approached.

Sunstar's eyes widened slightly as the group entered the clearing with Willowstar at its head and Morningstar and Brisingstar at either one of his sides. Moonfur sat beside Lostheart with her own shocked expression; and as she looked amongst the large group of cats behind Willowstar, she was easily able to pick out Hawkmask, OceanClan's deputy. The she-cat seemed to meet her gaze for a second, but promptly looked away.

Lostheart was also able to pick out several of the unusual, wavy pelts of the OceanClan cats. Amongst the group she could already recognize Foamstep, Dunefur, and Clamtooth; the warriors she, Thistleprick, and Browneyes had met when they went to ask OceanClan for their assistance.

Willowstar led the group into the clearing and headed toward the great rock without even giving the DarkClan cats so much as a passing glance. Sunstar watched in disbelief as the tom leapt onto the Great Rock; his thick, wild fur blowing in the wind. Brisingstar and Morningstar both moved mutedly up behind him, making sure to stay around two tail lengths back from the TreeClan leader.

Sunstar's gaze immediately drifted to Brisingstar and he felt his blood run cold. The OceanClan leader looked utterly defeated and refrained from even looking up at the crowd. Dark shadows were cast under his normally vibrant blue eyes, and the tom suddenly appeared weaker and more frail than usual. Sunstar could feel his paws almost beginning to shake beneath him at the sight of the two leaders behind Willowstar, but he stood tall and hardened his eyes into a furious gaze from where he stood below the Great rock.

"Willowstar!" he yowled. "What have you done?!"

Willowstar grinned as yellow eyes flashed dangerously in the moonlight, the wind giving him an even more threatening form than usual. "OceanClan is part of TreeClan now."

A large wave of fear immediately washed over DarkClan, but Sunstar refused to submit. "Impossible!" Sunstar hissed, causing Brisingstar to dull even more. "StarClan has always decreed that there be four clans, I may have been more forgiving the first time, but this is unacceptable! One clan leader cannot rule over three clans! Willowstar, why are you doing this?!"

Willowstar's eyes shut thoughtfully for a moment as he let a smirk break out across his face. After letting out a small chuckle, the tom's acerbic eyes opened once more. "I am the supreme ruler, Sunstar. StarClan, I am greater than StarClan! The time has come for DarkClan's destruction, your destruction! I will allow you to return to your camp, but if you refuse to meet us at the TreeClan border for battle, then we will enter your territory and destroy your home ourselves." he finished darkly, locking gazes with Sunstar.

Sunstar said nothing and remained where he stood with his clan. The moon hung brightly overhead, giving no indication of StarClan's presence.

"So be it."