One

It was chaos.

Shadows danced across the fields as screeches carried for what seemed like an eternity. Pelts moved together as one. The stench of blood, fear and death filled the air.

She watched on with horror as Clanmates fell around her. The bodies started piling up in a grizzly state. Her own body was covered in wounds after fighting off enemy after enemy. Even the Three couldn't fight off the dark spirits that invaded the living world. She couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut at the sight, suddenly aware that she was one of the lucky few to survive the wake of this battle.

This wasn't just the fear of war that quickly overwhelmed the Clans. It was savagery from the Dark Forest and the cats that fought alongside them. All the traitors had been killed in the process or fled the area. Her own sister fought alongside ThunderClan in a vein attempt to defend her Clanmates against the Dark Forest. They were a force to be reckoned with until numbers easily overwhelmed them.

She was lucky to slip away with the wounds that now marred her body. Pain racked through her as she tried pushing those images away. Pain from losing her Clanmates, her family and everything she ever cared about. She knew she couldn't bring them back even if she tried. They were all gone as far as she could tell. Eventually the pain turned into a bitter wail of agony with the weight of everything she lost.

A sudden noise caught her attention. Her ears flattened with alarm at the thought of fighting off another Dark Forest cat. The few cats that survived the battle had already fled the area, but she knew the odds of facing others would be high. There had been other survivors from the other Clans. She could hear them in the distance. Still, her fur stood on end as a cat emerged from the undergrowth. Her ears roared with blood as a pair of amber eyes met hers.

"D-Dovewing?"

Her heart nearly skipped a beat at the sound of Tigerheart's voice. It took a few seconds for her to register the fact that he approached her. The feeling of his muzzle brushing against hers provided little comfort. Yet it was oddly reassuring to know that he survived. She let out a sigh of relief when he sat down beside her, looking equally mangled from the battle.

"Tigerheart… I thought for sure that you were planning on fighting alongside Tigerstar," she deadpanned with a knowing look.

She knew that he trained alongside her sister in the Dark Forest. Ivypool used to tell her horror stories of what their time in the Dark Forest was like. Her sister was rarely open when it came to that topic. It was only until they started getting along again that Ivypool became more vocal. Only then did Ivypool see how wrong it was to fight alongside the Dark Forest. Of course, by that time it was too late.

"I changed my mind at the last minute," he admitted. Guilt swept across his face as he looked down at his paws shamefully. "When I saw what Tigerstar and his allies were doing to the kits and the elders, I had to fight back. I couldn't let him get away with what they were doing… so I killed him. Hawkfrost managed to get away though along with other warriors."

A shiver of rage swept through her at the mention of Hawkfrost. Another cat that tore her sister apart in more ways than one. Hawkfrost had been Ivypool's mentor in the Dark Forest. Hawkfrost was the one who convinced Ivypool to train with them and learn how to kill mercilessly. She often thought of how her sister could have been saved if they got to her in time.

"None of this was meant to happen," she muttered crossly. She was vaguely aware of his tongue gliding smoothly against her fur. Nothing could have prepared her for the sudden rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "Lionblaze and Jayfeather were supposed to survive. We were supposed to win this fight."

"Something tells me that no one could have predicted this outcome," Tigerheart meowed thoughtfully. Dovewing glanced at him warily as he sat up a little straighter. "At least we're alive… and I know there are other survives out there."

She agreed with him fullheartedly at that. Though that didn't stop her heart from sinking when she thought of how this mess could have been avoided.

"I can hear someone nearby," she whispered at the faint sound of groaning.

Tigerheart's ears pricked forward with alarm as she pinpointed the source of the noise directly behind them. She turned in time to see a mangled looking tortoiseshell shape collapsed with exhaustion and blood loss. Guilt stabbed her in the chest as Tigerheart reached the shape, eyes widening with shock when he recognized who the cat was.

"Olivenose…"

Carefully he pressed his muzzle to her fur, though it was so heavily wounded that it was mostly covered in blood.

"Tigerheart?" the she-cat croaked in surprise.

"I'm here," he mewed after sitting down beside her. Dovewing watched the scene with a heavy heart. She suddenly felt like an intruder watching an incredibly intimate scene. "I'm sorry we couldn't find you sooner."

The she-cat weakly lifted her head after realizing they weren't alone. Dovewing's fur bristled with shame at the sight.

"The fact that you're here in the first place makes it better," Olivenose rasped. Tigerheart bowed his head when she let out a sputtering cough. Blood soaked the grass beside her, and it took Dovewing a split second to register that she was bleeding from the inside. "I'm not going to make it, but at least I know a ShadowClan warrior survived."

"No!" Tigerheart exclaimed in alarm. "We can't be the only survivors!"

Dovewing could only watch with horror as the light faded from the she-cat's eyes. She saw death far too many times within the last few days. Between the battle and everything else, she didn't think the situation could get any worse. Hearing Tigerheart's wail only confirmed her worst fears. She sank to the ground and felt the world spin around her.

It doesn't have to be this way, a voice told her. The Clans have not fallen… there is still hope.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the voice continued whispering such thoughts. She doubted the other survivors would see it that way. If they were willing to cooperate, it would mean merging all four Clans into one. It would mean learning how to tolerate one another and quash generations of instinct and tradition. She wasn't even sure if that was possible. There wasn't any point in making such a suggestion now. This wasn't the time or place to do so.

For now she kept those thoughts private. She would wait for the right time to bring it up.

…

Golden rays of sunlight brought out the true destruction of last night's battle.

Dovewing blinked a few times against the harsh light as wariness crept through her. She was exhausted after suffering from nightmares revolving around the battle. Between that and her constant need to check her surroundings, sleep evaded her for most of the night. She kept vigil when she thought Tigerheart wasn't looking. She knew he needed sleep just as much as she did, and her hearing abilities hadn't disappeared along with the battle. So she kept guard and watched for signs of approaching danger. Tigerheart hadn't left Olivenose's side after her death. He was the sole survivor of ShadowClan.

A shiver swept through her at the prospect of what might happen if she was the last survivor of ThunderClan. She could hear Hollyleaf in the distance. She knew the molly survived the battle with heavy wounds herself. She let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her paws, thinking back to what that voice told her.

Is it possible for the Clans to merge into one? she wondered.

She wasn't sure if the Clans could work together as one. When the battle first began, the Clans were targeted in their camps. They were incredibly vulnerable to an attack, which was why the fight ended so brutally. She doubted things would have gone differently if the Clans weren't so divided at the time.

"You should get some sleep." She flinched at the sound of Tigerheart's voice. Her thoughts were so preoccupied that she hadn't noticed his approach until then. "You've been awake all night."

"I don't think I can sleep even if I tried," she admitted guiltily. Tigerheart looked at her thoughtfully as she let out another heavy sigh. "All I can think about is how things could have gone differently if the Clans worked as one. Maybe this wouldn't have ended in tragedy."

Maybe Ivypool would still be alive.

Tigerheart stared at her for a few heartbeats. He seemed to contemplate over the idea of letting the Clans merge into one. It was obvious that the notion had been there before. When they were younger and foolishly in love, she thought of how much easier their lives would have been if the Clans were one unified Clan. He must have thought the same thing, because something flickered across those amber eyes.

"Maybe… though something tells me that it would have never worked out," he reminded her. "The older cats would have hated working together; they've always been sticklers for tradition."

She couldn't help but shake her head in amusement at the prospect. It was the first time in moons she could feel amused over anything. She imagined the number of complaints that would follow. The elders would have had a fit over the prospect of living together in the same den. Either way, it was best not to dwell on what could have been.

"Olivenose deserves a proper burial at the very least," she pointed out.

That was something Tigerheart agreed with fullheartedly.

They worked together in carefully moving the body to an area that Olivenose would have preferred. While it was incredibly awkward and silent throughout the process, Dovewing felt oddly at peace working alongside Tigerheart. She realized with a start how comfortable she was around him. So much so that their pelts touched every now and then as they covered the burial into a fresh mound.

The sun was high in the sky by the time they finished. A combination of hunger, exhaustion and blood loss was starting to creep over her. Dovewing hardly had the strength to continue while Tigerheart found a couple of mice. She watched him curiously as he dropped a mouse at her mud covered paws.

"Eat," he ordered once he sat down beside her. "We'll need our strength if we want to keep going on."

Dovewing eyed the mouse warily before taking a tentative bite out of it. Her stomach twisted with guilt when she realized that the last meal she had was with her family. Birchfall and Whitewing had been sitting with her at the time, along with Ivypool. It was only then that the shock of what happened crawled through her. Tigerheart must have sensed the grief threatening to overwhelm her, because he wrapped his body around hers when she broke down with a wail.

"They're gone!" she cried out. "Every single one of them!"

She never had the chance to tell them how much she loved them. She never had the chance to say goodbye or to properly grieve over them. She felt even guiltier knowing that Tigerheart had also lost his family, and he was sitting there helping her cope with her loss.

"We've all lost cats we cared about," he whispered in agreement. While it wasn't comforting like she hoped, it was oddly reassuring to hear his voice and to feel his warmth wrap around her. "It's going to hurt… and it probably won't get better anytime soon. But at least we're not alone." It took a few seconds for her to register what he meant by that. She realized with a start that he was right. As much as she hated to admit it, they had each other in this time of darkness. She let out a shuddering breath once the overwhelming emotions dissipated. "Can you hear anyone else around us?"

Her ears pricked forward at the prospect of listening for any other survivors. She could hear Hollyleaf in the distance along with a couple of RiverClan cats. Her heart sank when she realized that no cat from WindClan survived.

"I hear Hollyleaf… I think she's somewhere near the moors," she replied after a few moments of tense silence. "And I can hear Mothwing, so she survived." She paused for a heartbeat as Tigerheart seemed to understand the weight of what she realized. "WindClan is gone. I can't hear or sense anyone else."

Tigerheart's fur bristled at the thought of an entire Clan disappearing. She always knew it was a possibility, especially with this battle raging on. WindClan lived out in the open. Unlike the other Clans, they had been entirely exposed to the elements and the full brunt of the battle. If any cat managed to survive, they likely fled the area entirely out of fear of what they might find.

"Then we start looking for Hollyleaf and Mothwing," he decided after giving her response some thought. "At least Mothwing is a medicine cat. She might have some herbs to help with our other problems."

She didn't need to be told twice what he meant by that. There weren't any herbs for grief as far as she was concerned.

They padded side-by-side in silence once the sun began to set. Tigerheart's fur brushed alongside hers to provide what little comfort he could. She was grateful for the notion. It wasn't as if she did anything to deserve it. She felt guilty enough knowing that she managed to survive with just a few injuries, while everyone else died or suffered horrifying deaths.

Eventually they made their way to the moors where Hollyleaf had been hiding. To Dovewing's surprise, she spotted the black molly resting in the sun. Though she hadn't missed the fact that Hollyleaf's paws were also coated with a thick layer of mud. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when she realized what that meant. She shared a knowing look with Tigerheart, dreading the moment they confronted each other.

"Maybe it's best if I stay here," he suddenly whispered. "She might mistake me for Tigerstar."

Her ears flattened at the prospect of that traitor surviving.

"I'll be right back," she reassured him, brushing her muzzle against his.

She took a deep breath as they reluctantly parted ways. Tigerheart sat down in the undergrowth nearby, signaling that he wouldn't be far away. Dovewing cast him another glance before carefully approaching Hollyleaf. The molly looked exhausted when she reached her. Her eyes were half-closed as she soaked in the sunlight.

"Who goes there?"

Dovewing stopped in her tracks when Hollyleaf's eyes snapped wide open with alarm. It only took a split second for Dovewing to register the fact that her scent had changed. She probably smelled like a combination of blood, ThunderClan and ShadowClan thanks to her time with Tigerheart. Her fur bristled with embarrassment when Hollyleaf finally looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"It's me, Dovewing," she declared herself while forcing herself to relax. She knew Hollyleaf wouldn't flat-out attack her in that position, but that didn't stop her from being cautious. "I know I probably don't smell that great, but I needed to see if there were any survivors."

The black molly eyed her warily for a few heartbeats before dipping her head in understanding. Relief swept through Dovewing the moment Hollyleaf relaxed, though she didn't drop her guard.

"I'm afraid that everyone else got killed in the battle," she deadpanned. Dovewing watched the black molly warily as Hollyleaf finally stood up. Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw the wound along Hollyleaf's front leg. It was still bleeding heavily in spite of being covered in mud. "I looked for any bodies that might be exposed to the crows… I'm not going to let them become victims of crowfood."

"You've been out here for two days now," Dovewing murmured after closing the distance between them. Hollyleaf finally relaxed fully when their muzzles touched. "I'm so sorry… for everything."

Out of everyone that survived, Hollyleaf had also suffered the worst blow. She lost so much more than everyone else. She only just returned to the Clans, only to lose everything to the Dark Forest. Dovewing's claws unsheathed at the prospect of what might happen if the Dark Forest decided to return again. She knew they wouldn't stand a chance, especially in their current condition.

"None of this was your fault," the older molly reminded her with a pointed look. "The only thing that matters is making sure that the Clans are preserved, along with the warrior code."

Unease crawled through Dovewing when she heard Tigerheart shift behind her.

"Hollyleaf, I think it might be best for the Clans to merge into one," she meowed thoughtfully. Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes suspiciously when Dovewing pointed out the thoughts nagging at the back of her mind. "I know it seems like an impossible task, but none of us will survive if we carry on like this. We need to learn how to work together as one."

"You sound a lot like my brother when he was younger," Hollyleaf shook her head in annoyance. "He felt the same way when he had a crush on a WindClan apprentice. Stupid furball kept sneaking out of camp to meet with her until I knocked some sense into his thick skull. But under today's conditions, I think you may be right."

Dovewing wasn't sure how to respond when she realized what Hollyleaf was implying. She always remembered the tension that went on between Lionblaze and Heathertail. Things didn't get any better when Breezepelt was involved. Of all the cats that fought alongside the Dark Forest, Breezepelt's betrayal hit the Clans the hardest.

"Tigerheart of ShadowClan survived… I can hear Mothwing in the distance, along with another RiverClan cat," she explained once she had Hollyleaf on her side. It was a relief to know that someone else agreed with her idea. As crazy as it sounded, maybe there was a chance that the Clans could get along if they worked together as one. "I'm not sure how open they'll be to the idea, but three against two is better than one."

Hollyleaf looked at her thoughtfully before glancing in the direction where Tigerheart had been hiding. She knew it would take time for them to get used to one another. She was also well aware of how much Tigerheart looked like Tigerstar. That would only make things worse to those who survived the battle against the Dark Forest. She hoped that she knew what she was getting herself into, because something told her this would only get worse before it got better.

AN: Over ten years ago, the author originally wrote this story as a way to release the plot bunnies running wild in her mind. Over ten years later, the author realized how poorly written the story was back than. So, she decided to rewrite the story. There have been major changes to this story, such as character development and hopefully the style of said story. It's going to be faster-paced, and hopefully the plot will make more sense now that I've figured out where I want to go with said story. Needless to say, reviews are welcome, as well as criticism. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, so feel free to let me know if there's any mistakes that I've made.