I'm back! Thank you to morsemadison532 and JustCurios for the reviews before I went on break.

Anyway, here's a filler chapter to start the story off again before we get into the actual events. (Well, the Gathering is canon).

TC cats are about to take action for once too.

The starry sky blazed around the full moon. Fire Heart stood at the top of the hollow leading down to Fourtrees. Figures moved around the clearing.

Skystar signaled for the SkyClan patrol to race down into the hollow. Fire Heart followed, feeling uneasy as Raven Hope followed. This would be his first Gathering, but since it was open knowledge he was alive, Skystar thought there was no point in hiding him or Cinder Flower. The gray she-cat hadn't come tonight though.

And besides he's come a long way from the nervous apprentice he once was. I should know he can protect himself.

Still Fire Heart stuck close to him. Raven Hope gave him a smile although he shuffled nervously as he spotted a group of ThunderClan cats.

Fire Heart noticed Graystripe was one of those cats and the big cat perked up at the sight of them. He casually slipped away from his clanmates and joined the two SkyClan toms.

"Hi, Raven Hope!" He purred, touching noses with the black tom. "I never expected you to come to a Gathering again." He gave Fire Heart a polite nod which the ginger tom returned.

Remembering Thunder and Gray Wing's warnings to the patrols, he asked, "have your patrols spotted any signs of dogs?" He asked. If they were still there both forest Clans could be in danger, even if they were settled in ThunderClan right now.

"Yes," Graystripe meowed, whiskers twitching worriedly. "Nobody goes out alone anymore. Or barely unless necessary."

And what's Thistlestar doing? Fire Heart kept that question to himself.

Instead he looked around and noticed RiverClan had yet to arrive. He spotted Tallstar and Shadowstar sitting under the Great Rock. Thistlestar walked straight past them, but by the way his head was low, Fire Heart could tell it was more out of not feeling well rather than rudeness.

He tried to ignore the spark of hope he felt. If Thistlestar was getting weak then ThunderClan wouldn't be a threat anymore.

But Tigerclaw will take over and he's just as bloodthirsty…unless he dies before.

Tallstar leaned close to Shadowstar to say something, and the black she-cat shrugged. Fire Heart didn't need to know what they must be thinking. They had noticed the ThunderClan leader's attitude too.

"Fire Heart!" He turned to see Gorse Fur, Reed, and Minnow coming over. "It's good to see you."

"You too," Fire Heart purred, happy to see his WindClan friends.

"I heard Slate left to live with you all in SkyClan," Minnow meowed.

"Yes," Fire Heart meowed. "She's doing well and is happy."

"That's good to hear," Reed meowed. "I just assumed she actually loved the moor, but hey everyone changes."

"The meeting should start soon," Gorse Fur spoke up. "But RiverClan's still not here."

He'd hardly spoken before bushes stirred on the other side of the clearing. A group of RiverClan warriors appeared, headed by Leopardfur, who held her head up proudly.

"Where's Crookedstar?" Gorse Fur wondered.

"I heard he's ill," Fire Heart said.

Leopardfur headed straight for the Great Rock. She nodded to the other leaders. The group of warriors were distracted from the leaders as Shattered Ice appeared with a brown and ginger tom, a gray tabby tom, and a pale gray she-cat. Night brought up the rear.

"Shattered Ice!" Gorse Fur exclaimed. "It's great to see you, you grumpywhiskers!"

The gray and white tom rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, you too, worm!" He nodded at the apprentices. "Fire Heart, recognize them?"

Fire Heart stared at the three cats narrowed eyes before he realized. "Ah, these are the kits you and Dappled Pelt saved from the floods."

"Yeah, that seemed so long ago, huh?" Shattered Ice rumbled. "Fun adventure."

"I'm Robinpaw," the ginger and brown tom exclaimed. "This is our first Gathering. This is Dawnpaw and Woodpaw." He nodded to each of his littermates, who seemed more shy than him.

"It's nice to meet y'all."

Raven Hope and Graystripe were still talking nearby, Reed and Minnow were laughing with Night over something. Gorse Fur just stood quietly beside Fire Heart, Shattered Ice and the apprentices.

"River Ripple is the new deputy, like I predicted."

"Oh, then that must mean Crookedstar is dead," Fire Heart murmured.

"Yes, he was a kind leader," Gorse Fur murmured.

Fireheart was silent for a moment in respect for the leader whose Clan he had helped in the floods and in return had helped them against ShadowClan's aggressiveness and during the fire. He felt anxious too. Leopardstar would be a strong leader. Good for RiverClan, but not so much for SkyClan.

She was fierce and one of the cats who wouldn't go out of her way to be nice to him and his friends. Plus, Shattered Ice had told him of her closeness with Tigerclaw. Anyone associating with Thistlestar and Tigerclaw on their own accord couldn't be good news.

"She's already started to reorganize the Clan," Shattered Ice whispered to Fire Heart and Gorse Fur as the apprentices started their own conversation, ignoring the older cats. "Supervising the apprentice training, ordering more patrols…"

Gorse Fur snorted. "She'll make a good leader."

"Yes, it takes a special kind of bossiness to be great at it."

The three toms snickered then quieted as a yowl sounded from the top of the Great Rock. The friends turned to see all four leaders on the Great Rock. Thistlestar had distanced himself by staying in the back. Once the clearing had fallen silent, Leopardstar stepped forward first.

"Crookedstar has joined StarClan," she announced. "He was a noble leader and will be remembered for moons to come. I am leader of RiverClan now, and River Ripple is my deputy."

"Congratulations," Shadowstar mewed politely.

"Crookedstar will be missed," Tallstar added. "Hopefully, RiverClan will continue to thrive under their new leader."

"I'm sure you'll do great," Skystar said plainly as if he didn't care. Fire Heart felt sympathy for his leader. It hadn't even been a moon since his mother had passed.

Leopardstar thanked them and looked expectantly to Thistlestar, but the ThunderClan leader was gazing at his paws, eyes dark. It's creeped Fire Heart out.

Next, Shadowstar stepped forward. "ShadowClan welcomes a new warrior into our ranks. Sun Shadow, my nephew, from the tribe."

Fire Heart spotted him. A black tom with ginger patches, shuffling his paws nervously beside Blackfoot as cats turned to get a look at him, curiously.

I bet that's a better exception he's gotten than when the other tribe cats first arrived.

Tallstar went next but Fire Heart kept his attention on the shifting gray and white form behind him. When Tallstar finished Thistlestar stepped forward and stared down at the crowd silently, his eye twitching.

"Okaaay…." Night muttered.

Thistlestar shook himself and made his report, random boring stuff about prey running well. Fire Heart realized he had not mentioned the dogs. Probably doesn't want to look weak in front of us.

As Thistlestar spoke, Fire Heart noticed him glaring into the crowd. Confused and scared, the ginger tom followed his gaze–and to his surprise he found his gaze on his own clanmates.

He first glared at Bluefur then her kits, Mousefur, Brindleface and even his own son, Whitestorm.

"What in the Stars was that about?" Shattered Ice asked as Thistlestar finished and the leaders hopped off the Great Rock.

"It's like those cats maybe stood up against him for once and he's angry at them now," Fire Heart muttered, only guessing.

But the way Graystripe's yellow eyes flashed with fear and the way his tail twitched and he shuffled his paws, proved he might be right.

"Come on," Raven Hope murmured, nervously eyeing Thistlestar.

The two SkyClan warriors bid their friends goodbye and raced off to their own clanmates.

The sun was rising over the twoleg buildings as Fern crouched atop a roof. She took a deep breath of the fresh air, stretching. She had spent all night there, not telling her sister or Gray Wing where she was going.

It seemed her bad spying habits were coming back and into use for once. She had been itching to hide and watch like she had been doing since she was a five moon old kit. And now she was overlooking BloodClan's camp to check up on the friends she had left behind and see what Slash and his side-kick were up to.

The littermates, Scraps and Gremlin were on guard at the entrance. Dawn and Juniper were watching Pine and Drizzle play in the trash with some BloodClan kits. Beetle and Snake -Slash's ally- had just returned with prey. Despite the supposed peaceful scene, Fern could scent tension in the air.

She looked around for Willow, Frog, and Violet, but they must have been on a scouting patrol. Or a hunting patrol in one of the Clan's territories. Fern hoped they wouldn't get caught.

"Slash!" Fern tensed as BloodClan's leader appeared with his right-paw cats on either side of him. He looked angry.

"Yes?" The brown tom questioned.

"Since you and your warriors have failed to bring Fern and Beech back-" Fern tensed ready to bolt back to camp if they were in danger. "-then we will have to go with our next plan before they spill too much."

Slash dropped his head to hide his sneer as he was shamed for failing. Ha! Fern thought triumphantly.

She held her breath and waited. The BloodClan leader then yowled;

"It's time we attacked!"

She ran.

Willowpelt woke up feeling anxious as she always had nowadays. The night before the Gathering, Bluefur had gotten into an argument with Thistlestar about getting rid of the dogs. Thistlestar had accused her of trying to take over. Mousefur, Brindleface, Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Mossflower and even her mate, Whitestorm had joined in, arguing with him.

The argument had dwindled… for now. But Willowpelt noticed the leader keeping a close eye on the cats who had argued with him now.

She wrapped her tail tighter around her kits, pulling Rainkit closer, but she couldn't go back to sleep. It was almost dawn, but not quite.

Suddenly, the den entrance rustled and Brindleface stepped in. She looked around at the other queens. Goldenflower was sleeping with her kits but Speckletail's nest was empty.

Willowpelt felt grief well up in her again as she remembered the old she-cat's broken expression after Snowkit had been taken away. She had moved to the elder's den with her mate, Smallear, but rarely strayed from his side.

Willowpelt glanced at her friend as she padded closer and whispered, "we're gonna go to SkyClan."

Willowpelt gasped before she quieted herself. "Who's we? And you're gonna leave for SkyClan?! But you're ThunderClan!"

"No," Brindleface meowed. "I meant me and some others are going to talk to Skystar. We want his help to get rid of the dogs. Thistlestar's lost his mind."

"But… what if you get caught? And Skystar won't want to help you."

"We'll convince him. We can't go on like this," Brindleface hissed in annoyance.

"Fine. But why tell me?"

"I just wanted you to know… and promise you won't tell?"

"You're crazy… but I won't say a word," Willowpelt sighed.

"Thank you." Brindleface smiled. "I'm taking Fernpaw with me. And Mistyfoot is bringing Cricketleaf."

"But what about Darkstripe? He's her mentor."

"I've told him we're going on an early hunt," Brindleface meowed, eyes dark at the mention of Willowpelt's oldest son.

The gray queen felt hurt again as she recalled how much her oldest had changed. He hadn't even visited her or looked at his new siblings.

And even worse, her friend and mate were risking their lives to get help.

But she had to cover for them. So she took a deep breath and whispered, "Good luck."

Fire Heart pushed his way back into camp, heart beating at the thought of seeing Raven Hope again. His mate –yes his mate!– was crouched outside the warriors den, purring as the sun warmed his pelt.

Last night after the Gathering, Fire Heart had requested they take a walk and the ginger tom had finally gathered up the courage to ask Raven Hope to be his official mate. And he had said yes! It had been hard to get sleep after that and the events of the Gathering. So Fire Heart had bade his mate goodnight and walked through the woods of his home all night.

Now the sun rose as he settled beside Raven Hope, brushing muzzles with him and purring.

Both toms jumped when Fern suddenly rushed into the camp, yowling, "They're coming! THE ROGUES ARE COMING!"

The cats already awake and quietly laying around the clearing leaped to their paws, fur bristling while the rest burst out of their dens, looking around wildly.

Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes charged out of the apprentice's den. The two littermates were the size of warriors now, expected to be warriors any day now, but it had been held up with all the problems Skystar had to deal with right now.

Younger Birch and Alder raced after the two and from the warriors den, Slate and Beech appeared. The latter exchanged a fearful look with her sister before the two nodded at each other determinedly.

Fire Heart scrambled to his paws as Skystar and Gray Wing appeared. They could just hear pounding pawsteps in the distance.

"Everybody in the trees!" Skystar immediately yowled and they all climbed the nearest trees without question. Cloud Spots, Acorn Fur and Snowkit even managed to get themselves in a tree near the medicine den just to stay out of the way.

"On my signal," Skystar hissed nearby. "We jump them and take them out! Don't hold back!"

Fire Heart was between Raven Hope and Cinder Flower. He tensed as a group of cats poured into SkyClan camp. Like last time, some had collars with teeth while others didn't.

Fire Heart looked to his leader and watched as Skystar dropped his pale gray tail. Fire Heart immediately jumped off his tree and twisted so that he landed squarely on a gray she-cat's back. She had a collar.

BloodClanner then.

The she-cat screeched in surprise and all around him, Fire Heart could see cats falling as his clanmates brought them to the ground.

"Squirrels!" A rogue spat nearby. "Always hiding in trees, you forest cats!"

"It's what keeps us alive!" Sparrow Fur growled as she crashed into him and pummeled him with her hindlegs.

Fire Heart had the gray she-cat on the run and turned back once she vanished out of camp. Fighting was thick all around. Why won't these rogues leave us alone? He spotted a mottled gray tom climbing the tree where the medicine cats and Snowkit hid in.

Just as the tom reached out to snap his jaws, Snowkit reached out and lashed at his muzzle, hissing in fear. The tom reared back in surprise and fell to the ground.

Fire Heart smiled and turned in the other direction. The rogues seemed to have it in for Skystar and Gray Wing for some reason because the pair of gray brothers were under a whole mass of invaders.

Fire Heart looked to see Hawk Swoop on one side and Jackdaw's Cry on his other. His heart pounded and he nodded. They fight as one.

He rushed forward, bowling over many cats. Hawk Swoop leaped over a tumbling pair and Jackdaw's Cry slipped under the legs of another. The trio reached Skystar and helped him to his paws before turning to Gray Wing's aide.

But Slate had appeared and pulled a cat off her mate, leaving Gray Wing to fight off the other.

Fire Heart glanced back to thank his old friends before he paused, realizing they'd disappeared.

His heart ached and he'd never forgive himself for the times he'd forgotten their past together.

Fire Heart fought harshly to defend his home, lashing out at random rogues while shoving them in the direction of the camp exit. Around him, the rest of the Clan fought just as hard. Even old Pink Eyes was chasing the two big black and white brothers he always saw, who looked just like the loner, Barley.

Suddenly, Fire Heart spotted a white pelt flash through the fray, clawing at some rogues. Three blue shapes joined him and when he focused he recognized Bluefur, Whitestorm and their kin. He also spotted Brindleface, Graystripe and even the apprentice, Fernpaw.

What the–?

A rogue grabbed at him and he jumped backwards, hissing at the cat.

"Need a paw?" Graystripe had appeared and slammed his paws down on the rogue's head, sending him reeling away. Fire Heart thanked his old apprenticehood friend, knowing now wasn't the time to question why he was here.

Soon the battle died down with a gray tabby she-cat in the rear. She turned for a moment, looking at them with desperation in her amber eyes before she disappeared.

Fire Heart blinked. It was the look ThunderClan cats always gave him during battles.

He sighed deeply and turned to Graystripe.

Whitestorm had already approached Skystar and Gray Wing while Brindleface and Cricketleaf went around, checking on the others. Bluefur and Mistyfoot stood silent to the side with Fernpaw hovering behind them, anxiety in her green eyes.

Thunder padded towards them and exclaimed, "you helped us! Thank you." He dipped his head. Bluefur smiled and nodded at him. Obviously the two had a mutual respect for each other.

Skystar listened to Whitestorm with narrowed eyes before his expression softened and changed to surprise. Beside him Gray Wing smiled.

Skystar leaped onto the Flat Boulder and summoned the Clan. Cloud Spots and Acorn Fur went around treating wounds and even Snowkit followed, rolling bundles of herbs.

Fernpaw gasped when she spotted the tom-kit and caught the other ThunderClanners attention.

Brindleface had been talking with Raven Hope and Cinder Flower but whipped around eyes wide.

"What… Snowkit, you're okay!" Brindleface rushed to him and licked him over the ears. Whitestorm gaped and Mistyfoot exchanged a look with Graystripe.

"We thought the… the hawk took you away!"

"We saved him," Skystar meowed. "We were fortunately up in the trees around the time the hawk passed with him and brought it down."

Brindleface's eyes glistened and she turned to him. "Thank you! But… we need your help with something else. Just know all of us here regret the past. We would have never done any of those actions of our own accord."

"And more cats would be here with us, buuut… it would look suspicious if more of us had come," Graystripe added.

Skystar and Gray Wing exchanged a look as Bluefur stepped forward and meowed;

"We need to work together to take down Thistlestar."

Yeah, I'm not good at writing relationships, so sorry for the abrupt start of RavenFire. Once again this was mostly a filler because the Gathering scene alone would have been a pretty short chapter.

Reviews are appreciated.