Hollyleaf tore through the tunnels, letting sheer muscle memory guide her along the familiar paths. Her mind was racing, and she couldn't stop and explain the whole thing to Breezepelt.

Ever since you found out you're part of some great prophecy. Dovepaw was part of a prophecy. Her prophecy. How was this possible? She supposed Dovepaw and Ivypaw were kin of Cloudtail, who was kin of Firestar. But she was supposed to be the third cat in the prophecy, not this… random apprentice.

I have these powers for a reason. Hollyleaf had never found her powers. Lionblaze was undefeatable in battle, Jayfeather could read minds and… interact with StarClan in some special way she had never understood. But Hollyleaf, even when she was convinced she was a part of the prophecy, had never discovered what her power was. She had always thought she would figure it out eventually. Or maybe that her power was her intelligence. But she could see now that she had never had a power. Not in the way that Dovepaw apparently did. Based on her conversations with her sister it seemed like she had heightened hearing and sight? Or maybe something more complicated than that. But either way, both cats seemed sure that Dovepaw did have a power, and that she was the third cat in the prophecy.

You spend all your time with Lionblaze and Jayfeather talking about how special the three of you are. And worst of all, as if it wasn't enough to hear she had been replaced by the prophecy, Dovepaw had also replaced her as her brother's companion. The three of you… She and her brothers had been the three. They had been littermates. They had done everything together, from hunting foxes as kits to journeying to the mountains to meeting with Sol. They were her brothers. And now it turned out they had replaced her with Dovepaw, just like that?

Suddenly, her eyes were flooded by daylight and she realized she had arrived at an exit to the forest. The forest floor was covered in a deep snow, and a cold breeze pulled at her fur. It had been an unusually cold leafbare. She hesitated for a moment at the edge of the cave before stepping out into the snow, and during that hesitation, Breezepelt managed to catch up with her.

"Hollyleaf!" he yowled after her. He sounded annoyed. Sighing, she stopped and turned back to him. He was faster than her, anyway. If she didn't stop and tell him to leave now he would catch her soon enough.

"Just leave me alone," she hissed, hoping the anger in her voice would convince him to listen.

"No," he meowed stubbornly. "No, I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened that got you so upset. You froze up on me there. I deserve an explanation." She had been happy that Breezepelt was starting to care more about her and her feelings, but now it was nothing but a nuisance.

"You wouldn't understand," she replied. "It's… it's too complicated."

"Dovepaw said something about a prophecy," Breezepelt meowed. "She mentioned your brothers. Is that what this is about? Did you know about this prophecy?"

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong, but he had pretty much guessed right. She sighed again. Might as well just tell him at this point. They had kept the prophecy a secret for so long, believing only the three of them could know, but since it clearly didn't even concern her anymore, what was the harm in telling her only companion?

"There was a prophecy," she confirmed. "It was given to Firestar, many moons before I was born, but Jayfeather saw it in his dreams. 'There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.' So, kin of Firestar's kin. We assumed it had to be about us. The three of us. And then over time, Jayfeather and Lionblaze discovered their powers, and I figured… well I figured I would learn mine eventually. But it never came." She stopped to take a breath. Was Breezepelt following any of this? He looked thoughtful.

"So, wait. You're saying Jayfeather and Lionblaze have powers? Like special StarClan powers?" he asked.

"Yes," she meowed. "Lionblaze is unbeatable in battle, and Jayfeather has… some sort of special connection with StarClan. And he can read minds. But they didn't discover those powers at the same time, so I figured mine would come later, but then I came down here and…" she trailed off, seeing Breezepelt looked like he had stopped paying attention halfway through what she was saying. He looked strangely livid.

"Wait, Lionblaze is undefeatable in battle?" he demanded. She could see where this was going.

"Yes," she confirmed, holding back a sigh. "At least, as far as we could tell."

"That's not fair!" he exclaimed indignantly. "So that means, all those times we fought, I never even had a chance. He was cheating, using his special StarClan powers to beat me. I could have been better than him if he-" Breezepelt broke off suddenly, bringing himself back to the conversation at hand. "Sorry," he meowed. "Sorry, I know that's not the main point of what you were saying. Carry on."

She could have been annoyed at him finding a way to make this news about himself, but it was a bit refreshing. Breezepelt couldn't help but be Breezepelt. It was almost comforting to know at least he hadn't changed, even though it felt like her whole world had.

"Anyway, even when I came down here, I still thought…" She felt almost silly saying it now. She had really believed she was still fated by StarClan to save her Clan, even after she had broken the warrior code and left ThunderClan behind? She should have known that wouldn't happen. "I still thought the prophecy was about me," she admitted softly.

The prophecy had been the only thing still tying her to ThunderClan. It had been the only reason she could still go back. Despite what she had done, surely her Clan would have to let her return if she had been chosen by StarClan to save them, right?

It had been the only thing still tying her to her brothers. A reminder that even though they were apart, they would still always be connected. They were the three. They would always have each other.

Now, that was gone. Her Clan, and her brothers, didn't need her. They had Dovepaw now. Perfect, powerful little Dovepaw.

"I'm… sorry that happened to you," Breezepelt meowed, looking a bit awkward. "You were right. I can't understand what that must feel like. But… I'm here for you. To support you or whatever. Like if you ever want to talk about it." Hollyleaf smiled.

"Thank you, Breezepelt. That means a lot," she meowed. It really did mean a lot. Breezepelt was always clearly uncomfortable talking about feelings, whether they were his own or someone else's. She reminded him a bit of Jayfeather in that way. Her brother could read other cats' emotions, and yet somehow still seemed to be incapable of understanding them. The fact that Brezeepelt was even trying to empathize counted for a lot.

"Do you… do you want to show me that squirrel-hunting move again?" he offered. She smiled at his attempt to distract her.

"Sure," she meowed. "Let's go find a good tree to climb."

Despite Breezepelt's best attempts to distract her, Dovepaw's words rang through her mind for the entire day. By the time night fell, she was exhausted both physically and emotionally.

"Are you ready to go back down and get to sleep?" Breezepelt asked. Hollyleaf hesitated. Being out in the forest this late had made her realize how much she had missed it. And with the news she had received today, she felt like part of her needed to spend the night in the forest. As if that would bring her closer to her Clanmates again somehow.

"I'm actually going to stay the night out here," she decided.

Breezepelt shrugged. "Okay. Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked.

"I'd like to be alone for a bit," she meowed. "Thank you, though. For everything. I'll come find you in the morning, okay?"

He hesitated as if he was going to try to argue, but after a moment he nodded. "Okay. Sleep well." He padded off towards the entrance to the tunnels, and Hollyleaf set to work finding herself a place to sleep. She was a bit worried about being too cold to sleep, but she was able to find a sheltered spot beside a tree. Curling up in a ball, she steadied her breathing, and before long, the comforting sounds of the forest lulled her to sleep.

She awoke in a dark, cold forest. This wasn't ThunderClan territory- ThunderClan's territory was full of life. Wherever you were, you were surrounded by lush greenery, the sound of birds and insects chirping, and the smell of prey on the breeze. The forest she was in now felt… lifeless.

Trees rose up all around her, trunks bare and pale as bone. The grass at her feet was dead and brittle. Above them, the sky hung starless and dark. There was no moon either, but yet somehow she could still make out her surroundings. An eerie light glowed through the trees, illuminating the cold mist that hung all around her.

The forest was also completely silent. There was no prey underfoot, there were no insects, and there were no cats. She couldn't smell any prey-scent either. She was alone, in a more complete way than she ever had been, even more alone than when she had first arrived in the tunnels. It was as if every single living thing but her had vanished.

She must be dreaming, she realized. But that realization in and of itself was strange- Hollyleaf never knew she was dreaming until she had awoken. No matter how absurd and unrealistic her dreams were, they always felt utterly real until she woke up and realized that of course she wasn't really hunting flying mice.

Hollyleaf frowned. This place didn't look like anywhere she had ever been before. Why was she here? Was this some sort of dream from StarClan? But given what she had learned that day, there would be no reason for StarClan to be interested in her.

She shivered. A cold breeze blew over her, shaking the leaves on the trees and making the fur on her neck stand up straight. This couldn't be StarClan. StarClan was supposed to be a beautiful, happy place. This place was just… eerie.

She had just decided this whole experience must just be her brain playing tricks on her and resolved to wake herself up when she heard footsteps padding towards her. She froze. As disturbing as the silence was, this was somehow even worse. She couldn't shake the urgent feeling in her mind that whoever lived here, she didn't want to meet. It's just a dream, she told herself. No one can hurt me here. So she steadied her shaking legs and stood her ground.

After a moment, two shapes emerged from the gloom. The shapes formed themselves into the bodies of two large cats. Though it was hard to make out color in the hazy light, they both appeared to be dark tabbies, not unlike her father Brambleclaw. The slightly smaller of the two had a white underbelly, while the other was so dark he almost faded into the trees. The way they moved was unsettling. The only sound they made was the gentle placement of their paws, and they said nothing until they came to a stop in front of her.

"Hello, Hollyleaf," meowed the larger cat smoothly. "How are you today?" How does he know my name? she wondered. I've never met him before.

"Who are you?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice even. She knew they couldn't harm her in her sleep, but something about them was still deeply unnerving.

"We are cats who came before you," meowed the other cat, smiling. He didn't have the kind of smile that put her at ease. "I was in RiverClan, and he was in your own Clan. ThunderClan."

Hollyleaf gasped. Suddenly, it had hit her who these cats were and why they resembled Brambleclaw so much. One of them she didn't know much about, but the other was the source of many stories passed down by Clan elders. Every kit had heard tales about his evil deeds, and about all the cats he had murdered and countless more he had wanted to murder.

"You're Tigerstar and Hawkfrost," she guessed. The larger cat- Tigerstar, she supposed- raised an eyebrow.

"Very good," he meowed, sounding surprised. "How did you figure that out?"

"RiverClan and ThunderClan," she meowed. "ThunderClan wasn't the Clan you died in, but it's where you were born. And you both look practically identical to my- to Brambleclaw." And your pelts practically have evil dripping off of them, she added privately.

"Well, you're right. You're very clever," meowed Tigerstar complimentarily. "And yes, ShadowClan may be the Clan that welcomed me as their leader, but my heart will always lie with ThunderClan. They just… weren't ready for my ideas at the time. But now, I will do anything for them." Right. That's why you rallied rogues to fight against them, she thought.

"Why did you bring me here? And what is this place?" she asked, looking around again. There was no way this was StarClan. StarClan couldn't be this… dismal.

"This is where cats who haven't lived StarClan's ideas of a perfect life go when they die," explained Tigerstar. "Most cats go to StarClan. But those weak-minded fools don't accept anyone who didn't live the exact lives they think are right. Cats are sent here instead for daring to want to create a better world, or for breaking the warrior code to do what they know is right, or for any number of other crimes. Such as… killing their own Clanmates in cold blood." On the last line, Tigerstar looked directly at her, his cold amber eyes seeming to pierce directly through her pelt into her heart.

"No!" she exclaimed. "No, I am not like you. I killed Ashfur to protect my Clan. He tried to murder my brothers and me! If I hadn't done something, he would have tried again. He would have hurt someone. He was an evil cat, and he had to die." Over the past few moons, she had become more convinced of that fact than ever.

"Hmm," meowed Tigerstar thoughtfully. "But then, if he's so evil… then why is he in StarClan? He's not here with us, I can tell you that for sure. Apparently they decided he's good enough to join their ranks, despite everything he did wrong. If StarClan is truly just, how could they allow that?" Hollyleaf paused. Was this true? Tigerstar could just be lying to win her trust. But if it was… StarClan had decided someone like Ashfur was a good cat. Even after he tried to murder innocent cats! How could they possibly think that was okay?

Tigerstar apparently picked up on her hesitation, because he continued on. "Look, I know you've been told horrible stories about me. And some of them are true. But Firestar hated me, and he controls ThunderClan. Don't you think it's possible the stories you've been told are just his version of events? I'm really not as bad as he claims I am. I only ever wanted to help the Clans. And I want to help you now."

Against her better judgment, she took the bait. "What do you mean, you want to help me?" she asked.

Tigerstar smiled. "We're working on training cats from all the Clans in the types of battle techniques their Clan leaders would never be bold enough to let them learn. We've only approached the best warriors, the ones who truly care about doing the right thing, regardless of what they're ordered to do. We believe we can create a better world for all cats- a world where brave cats like you aren't cast out just for doing what needs to be done. Hollyleaf, you are one of the strongest cats I've ever seen. I've been watching you, since you were a young apprentice. You've dedicated your entire life to becoming the greatest warrior you could be, so you could best serve your Clan. We can help you do that. Help you live up to your full potential, and become the warrior you were always meant to be."

Hollyleaf quivered at his words. She had dedicated her entire life to her Clan. And it had never been enough. But why does he care about that? "Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "It can't just be because you want a 'better world' for the Clans."

Tigerstar nodded acquiescently. "You're right. That is one thing we want, but also… StarClan has committed too many wrongs. They have wronged us, by casting us out, and they have wronged all of you, by caring more about such outdated rules than about what is actually right. Now, things are even worse. StarClan is fracturing. They are each telling their own former Clans to stand alone. They want war between all the Clans! Such a thing would be disastrous. We have to unite the Clans, to protect them, even if that means going to war with StarClan."

She frowned. "War with StarClan? What does that even mean? Aren't they already dead?"

"Just because a cat is dead, that doesn't mean they can't die again," purred Hawkfrost, rejoining the conversation. "When a cat dies, they go to StarClan or come here. But once they are killed again, they're gone for good. They can meddle in the living world, turning Clan against Clan, no longer."

Tigerstar and Hawkfrost sounded truly earnest about their cause. Of course, it made sense that they would hate StarClan, since they had refused to let them in and sent them to this horrible place instead. But did it really make sense to unite the Clans? Once upon a time, Hollyleaf would have said absolutely not. The warrior code said there had always been four Clans, and they weren't meant to mix. But her time in the tunnels with Breezepelt had started to convince her otherwise. He was her kin, and her closest friend, even though they were born in different Clans. If they each went back to their respective Clans, their friendship would be forbidden. Was that really right?

Hollyleaf was still suspicious. "When you were alive, you tried to murder half-Clan cats," she pointed out, facing Tigerstar. "Why would you want to help me now? I'm half-Clan." She hated saying the words. She didn't want to be half-Clan. She had never been loyal to any Clan but ThunderClan, regardless of who her parents were. But the Tigerstar of the stories she had heard wouldn't care about her loyalty, only about her mixed blood.

Tigerstar sighed. "I did hate half-Clan cats. In my misguided quest to do what was right, I believed half-Clan cats shouldn't exist, because their birth went against the warrior code. The code was all-important to me. But since then, I have realized the code isn't always right. You know what that feels like, don't you, Hollyleaf? Surely you must understand a cat's mind can change." It was as if he had seen into her mind. She had felt the same way about the code. She had believed a cat following the code could do no wrong. But now, she saw good cats could break the code and bad cats could follow it their whole lives. Did this make her like Tigerstar?

Hawkfrost spoke again. "Look, Hollyleaf, I know you don't trust us. But we only want to help you. We want to help you help your Clan. If you train with us, you will be the strongest, most brilliant warrior we have had the privilege of training. Just think of the warrior we can make you!"

"If you want me to join you so badly, why are you just approaching me now?" she asked.

"We can only contact you while you're asleep, and we have no reach in the tunnels," explained Hawkfrost. "Believe me, we've tried."

Hollyleaf hesitated. She loved her Clan. She wanted nothing more than to serve ThunderClan, even though she had left it. Until today, she had believed she would be able to do that through the prophecy. But now those hopes were gone. She was nothing but an ordinary cat. An ordinary cat with nothing special to offer her Clan.

But here, a possibility stretched out before her. A plan was taking shape in her mind. An opportunity for her to help her Clanmates, maybe to help all of the Clans, was being presented; all she had to do was seize it.

So she turned to Tigerstar, smiling. "Okay," she meowed decisively. "Train me."