Hey my amazing Readers! Im so sad the story is almost over…

But have no fear! I will begin another right after this one ends, (I will post the summery on the last chapter)

Want a hint at the new Warriors FanFic nao? Look up 'Venus the Cat' on Google images and there yaw go

For best effect, listen to 'Heart of Courage' by Two Steps From Hell (extended version)

It was strange, when she opened her eyes again, because she was expecting the usual starless sky and dead trees of the Darkforest, but she was greeted with the edge of where Starclan met the Dead forest. She was on the darker side, of course, but less than five tail lengths away was the beginning of lush grass and little yellow flowers. Emberwing could just barely catch the smell of plump prey and warm sunlight.

Too bad it may get destroyed tonight.

Soul prodded her a moment later. "Nice announcement, Emberwing," she smiled, but she looked scared, and Emberwing had to admit, so was she.

"Yeah, well, I'm Red here. Go gather the rest of the cats please; I'll go talk to Silverdust."

"Okay… good luck."

Emberwing nodded and padded farther into the forest, searching for the familiar clearing she normally appeared in, surprised by how close it was the edge, and she had never really known. She found the white leader hunched over Fawnleap, who was panting, splayed out on the bloody ground. Racing over, she was relieved to see that neither she-cat was injured, but she was nowhere near happy to see the dead Windclan leader.

"Red, just in time! I decided to just kill her now, and I was just playing with her until you got here."

"Yes, Silverdust," is all she said. She and Fawnleap had discussed this a while ago, back before her mind had become so corrupted.

Without looking at the glowing white she-cat, she yanked Fawnleap up by her scruff. The light brown she-cat's eyes were glazed over, as if she were already dead.

"Just do it," she whispered brokenly. Fawnleap sure was a good liar. A flash of memory passed over her vision, taking hold of her attention for a split moment.

"You know I'll have to kill you one way or another, Fawnleap," she had said. The leader just smiled.

"Do you know what happens to Starclan cats when they too get old? They Fade; they just disappear. All souls disappear, even though they outlast our bodies."

Emberwing looks at these same cat's eyes again. Fawnleap winks her eyes at her. Taking a deep breath Emberwing looks at this cat's throat, and latches her teeth onto the bottom of them.

"My soul is near that time, Red. Do not worry about me…"

"…But Fawnleap… I… I don't want to kill anyone!"

It is over in a moment.

The limp body of Fawnleap lies at her feet, eyes closed, and on her face, the smallest of smiles. Looking down at her neck, Emberwing notices something that made her gasp. The blood trickling from her neck was turning into… light. Like little dandelion fluffs, following one another into the sky. Then Fawnleap's very body turns into light, breaking apart like earth on top of a hill.

Emberwing watches with held back tears as the body of the Windclan leader finally vanishes into the darkness of the sky.

"Now you're officially a Darkforest cat, Red; you have just killed your first Starclan cat."

"You won't be killing me, little one. You are simply setting me free…"

She said nothing for a long moment, before looking at Silverdust. "What's the plan?"

*Line break*

Soul has gathered every cat she could. One is nowhere to be found, so there are a total of twelve cats, including herself and Soul, who are going to try and stop this.

Soul introduces two cats who she said would be her guards. She first gestures to a black tom with a white spot on his eye, then what she assumed to be his sister, since she was the opposite of him, with white fur with a black spot on her eye.

"This is Falter and Solo. They will make sure you don't die before you finish what you have to." both cats nod to her, and she nods back with a smile that doesn't really reach her eyes. As Soul leads her around to the other eight cats, the two siblings flank her sides with identical expressions of determination.

Rock, Sand, Claw, Bone, Jump, Death, Wolf, and Scarlet, the other cats who didn't want Starclan to end, were all either scared, determined, or both. They trained with each other, or spoke of battle plans. As much as Emberwing felt guilty for it, none of them would be fighting if she could help it. They were way too outnumbered, and she didn't want the death of any cats on her shoulders for… however long she had left to live.

As she called the cats over, she panicked by how they all looked at her with reliance. They were all relying on her to direct them into this mess that she had helped create.

"Everyone but Soul, Solo, and Falter will not be fighting. I want you to run into Starclan, and tell as many cats as you cant about the attack. Try and hide anyone you can. The whole point of this is to raise alarm and protect the cats of Starclan, you hear?"

Almost every cat looked relieved that they would not be fighting. They all murmured their agreements, and, after a final nod from Soul, bolted towards the edge of the Darkforest.

"I hope they will be okay," Soul whispered. The silver she-cat was pacing, looking at where the cats disappeared off to with a worried expression. Emberwing wasn't worried, though, she knew they would be out of harm's path. Now, she had to give Soul her task, one even Emberwing was too scared to do herself.

"Soul, I want you to stick close to Black. He wants me dead, and in the midst of battle is the perfect place to commit a murder. Don't attack unless he starts killing."

"Y-Yes, Red! Good luck, both you and you two, Solo and Falter!"

The three cats nodded, and Soul ran off in search of the dead Darkforest warrior. As if to confirm the sense of dread she felt, Silverdust's yowl rang through the maze of dead trees, receiving a response of eagerness from every other cat, including them three.

Fear weighed down her paws as she ran with the two siblings on her flanks towards the edge of the Darkforest. There, Silverdust sad on a rather large tree branch, looking down on the masses upon masses of cats gathered there.

One of the benefits of being second-in-command: She didn't have to push through any of the warriors to make her way to the base of the tree were Black and Fall were already gathered. She noticed Soul after another moment, watching him from the safety of another tree.

Now that she looked, there were twice as many dark warriors in the trees, flooding the clearing and even beyond with red.

"Now is the time to take back what should be ours!" Silverdust yowled. The noise in response was deafening, coming from both the ground and trees. Emberwing's eyes couldn't even see where the streams of Warriors stopped, there were that many.

"Now, let us go, and show Starclan just because we were trapped here, that we have not grown weak!"

If Emberwing hadn't been the high rank that she was, she would've been trampled the moment Silverdust's statement ended and cats pounded for the front line of attack, and in a moment all who were left were the cats who had been pounded into the ground by the stampede, Silverdust, and her three in command.

As if there was no hurry, Silverdust climbed down from the branch and gestured for Fall and Black to go on ahead, which they did with barely contained enthusiasm.

This was perfect! She was now alone with Silverdust; she could kill this she-cat now, and it would all be over. Starclan would probably now be prepared for the battle, and they wont be overtaken so quickly that even if the Silver she-cat died right now they would still loose.

Right behind Emberwing came Solo and Falter, having hanged back as not to get hurt in the mass of rushing cats. They stayed about ten fox-lengths away, keeping a close eye on Silverdust and herself.

Just as she was slpiing out her claws from their sheathes, a figure tackled her to the ground. She yowled in stunned surprise as she was held to the ground my claws and teeth.

"If you are planning to kill her, you will have to go through us first, Sister."

I know, I know, you guys hate me, blah blah. I may post a chapter early in the morning, or maybe even tonight, if I can… I know you guys are most likely biting your fingernails off by now…

I tried to use as many names as I could for the DF cats who opposed, but if I didn't use yours, im sawrry!

Im so excited about this story right now… and im sure you guys are, too! You know what? Im going to start on another chapter right nao!

Chao~

Ill see you in a couple of hours!

EmberaFall