AN: Well, it's been a hot minute since I lasted updated this story. I know a lot has happened since the last update (COVID has been a real treat), and a lot of stuff going on around me has kept me away. It'll probably be a while until the next update, or it may be a short wait. Either way, I still have this story in mind, and I want to finish it eventually. So I'm glad to be posting at least one chapter this year, even if it isn't much.

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT

The sounds of waves lapping against the shore were oddly soothing as Reedriver trotted along the bank. Above him lay a blanket of stars and a clawmark of a moon. In spite of the faint light the moon provided, it was clearly cold. A shiver swept through him as the chills of leafbare became prominent.

He knew it was inevitable. The first snow had already fallen just a couple of days ago since he returned. Since that fateful day he tried putting the past behind him. Cats questioned where he went and why he was gone for so long. Minnowstar herself had been furious that he disappeared when the Clan needed him the most.

He couldn't explain to them what happened even if he wanted to. He knew they wouldn't understand what he and the others had been through during their journey. It all sounded fishbrained in the first place. He had a hard enough time believing himself; he doubted his Clanmates would believe him even if he told him that this journey was a waste of his time.

Time I could have spent earning the Clan's respect, he thought bitterly.

Now it seemed as though everyone looked at him with disdain, as though he was a traitor for leaving them. A small part of him couldn't blame them for feeling that way. To the Clan, loyalty was everything. His sudden departure, and a departure without warning at that, was uncalled for. He was lucky the only form of punishment he had was apprentice duty for the next moon.

Still… there was nothing he could do to stifle the embarrassment threatening to overwhelm him.

Larchwing and Hollycloud had taken full advantage of his punishment. Willowsong was indifferent to it all, but she certainly enabled their sisters. The more he thought about it, the angrier he was for letting this happen in the first place.

What sort of fishbrain am I for following these cats blindly? he wondered.

"The same kind who was destined to lead the Clan." Reedriver stopped in his tracks at the sound of an eerily similar voice. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he noticed the atmosphere around him suddenly changed. "You are denying yourself of a destiny that you were born into. It is time to let go of that silly dream and follow that destiny."

Reedriver curled his lip at whoever was speaking, but as he looked around, he saw nothing. His tail lashed in frustration as he whipped around to see if someone was playing a trick, but again, no one was around. He let out a hiss of annoyance as he finally glanced down at the water, only to find that the lapping waves suddenly stilled.

"StarClan, I must be going crazy," he muttered with a shake of his head.

He had dreams like this before. As a kit he always dismissed them as nothing more than a nightmare. Ashfang used to tell him that it was likely his imagination getting the better of him. Yet, now that he looked back at it, Reedriver realized with a start that those nightmares had a repetition to them.

"While I agree with that statement, I must add that you are in fact not going insane," the voice reassured him with a purr. Reedriver blinked a few times when he noticed that his reflection was speaking to him. This was what happened in his dreams, only that had been seasons ago. "I am tired of the fact that you continue to deny the destiny that was bestowed upon you, kit. You were chosen for this destiny to help guide the Clans."

"I never asked for any of that!" he snapped.

He wanted nothing more than for this dream to fade away into nothingness. He hated the fact that it was happening at all. There was no denying the appeal of going back to his old life, where he could work towards earning the Clan's respect. He wanted an ordinary life, one where he wouldn't have to worry about the weight of an entire Clan on his shoulders.

"Regardless of whether or not you asked for that destiny is out of your paws," his reflection reminded him. "If you do not accept your destiny soon, the Clans will fall into chaos. It is already happening at a rapid pace, much faster than we anticipated."

Unease crawled through Reedriver as he registered what his reflection was implying. He hadn't missed the tension within RiverClan. When he was finally given the chance to join a border patrol, he noticed how uneasy everyone was around the ShadowClan border. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't have the heart to ask what happened during his time away from the Clans.

He was ready to complain when the forest around him suddenly shifted. He blinked a few times as another stench hit his lungs, this one harsher than the tang of the mousebile he had been working with. His tongue curled in disgust as he noticed the lake flowing red with blood. Then, his disgust slowly changed into horror when he recognized bodies littering the area around him.

'Unless you accept your destiny, the lake will bath in blood. Four must become five, and the leaders of old will finally take their place.'

His mouth opened in the form of a soundless wail, until the feeling of something prodding his side jolted him.

"Fishbrain, your cries woke us all up," Larchwing complained.

Reedriver blinked a few times when he found himself back in the warrior's den. It took a few seconds for him to register that he was tearing at his nest. The other cats were staring at him as if he'd gone insane. Truthfully, he was beginning to wonder if that was the case.

Follow your destiny… you are a leader, not a follower…

That voice kept echoing in the back of his head. A shudder swept through him when he realized there was no escaping it. He looked around anxiously, hoping the others heard that voice as well. But everyone just continued looking back at him with those same expressions, clearly thinking the same thing.

"You've been getting worse since you returned," Ashfang put in. Reedriver couldn't help but duck his head in embarrassment. His mother just looked at him with renewed concern as he finally stood up, shaking bits of moss from his pelt. "I know the last couple of days have been hard for you… if you want to talk about it, you're more than welcome to."

"I'm fine, mother," he snapped, though he didn't have the heart to continue arguing with her as she trailed after him. "I don't know… I've had these dreams ever since I was a kit, and at first I thought it was just a silly nightmare. But…"

"But maybe there is more to those dreams," his mother finished for him. Reedriver held back a sigh of frustration as she licked him between the ears. "You were always an odd kit, but that is why you were my favorite. Your sisters will always hold a special place in my heart, but I am allowed to pick favorites."

Reedriver just stared at her incredulously. He'd always known that Ashfang held a soft spot for him. That was part of the reason Larchwing and Hollycloud always picked on him. While Willowsong rarely took part in their constant teasing, she certainly didn't help by enabling them.

"I just wish I knew what I needed to do," he muttered. "I never asked to have this… this 'destiny' thrown on my shoulders. I just want a normal life, and I want to be left alone."

His mother merely purred in amusement, "You sound just like your father. And with that, the only advice I can give you is to follow your heart, and your instincts."

He didn't know how to respond to that. Reedriver bowed his head, suddenly feeling ashamed that his mother was providing much needed comfort. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from allowing that luxury.

He knew now that this wasn't something that could be avoided. Whether he wanted to accept the future that was set out for him or not, he would have to follow that destiny. The Clans depended on the five of them getting together and figuring out what it took to prevent that bloodbath from occurring.

...

It was late by the time he reached the clearing where the others agreed to meet. A fresh blanket of snow had fallen to the ground just as Stormshadow predicted. Everyone worked hard that morning to prepare for leafbare. It wasn't easy with the threat of the lake freezing over, but at least they could resort to mice and voles if they needed to.

Reedriver sunk low to the grass as he thought of every excuse under the moon not to be there that night. He shivered from the snow brushing against his belly, hating the way it made him feel as those unwelcome thoughts crossed his mind.

The Clan would hate him for rebelling against them.

He would be seen as nothing more than a traitor for working with cats outside the Clan.

Worst still, he would be mocked by his sisters for agreeing with outsiders.

None of those accusations sounded appealing, but he knew this needed to happen. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of meeting with the others, especially after arguing so vehemently against their plan. The more he thought about it, the easier it was to remember why he hated this plan so much. It went against everything he believed in, and he knew nothing good would come out of it.

"I'm surprised you showed up."

Reedriver stiffened at the sound of Spruceleaf's voice. He blinked a few times when he saw the smaller frame of Birdpaw sitting beside her. Amusement swept across Birdpaw's face when she noticed how uncomfortable he suddenly was.

"It isn't as if I had another choice," he muttered crossly.

"You were dead-set against joining us for this meeting, so I'm assuming this means you've been having those dreams as well," Birdpaw pointed out. Reedriver shifted uncomfortably when she hit a little close to home. He looked down at the ground, suddenly aware of the fact that the dream from earlier was all-too-real. "I'm just glad you showed up at all, I was getting a little worried."

"How has SkyClan been since we got here?" he decided to change the uncomfortable topic.

"Not bad… Spruceleaf and Wildfire have been a huge help showing us around," Birdpaw replied with a shrug. Spruceleaf ducked her head in embarrassment, though it was clear she was pleased with Birdpaw's response. "I'm hoping we can figure out what to do about the fifth cat… we don't know who they are or if they're even part of the Clans."

"Or if there even is a fifth cat," he mumbled, though he knew that wasn't the case.

His reflection's words echoed in the back of his mind: 'Four must become five'.

They sat there in awkward silence for a few heartbeats before the sound of pawsteps caught their attention. Spruceleaf was immediately on edge before she recognized Flamestrike's scent.

Reedriver couldn't help but feel a stab of sympathy for her.

It wasn't as if she asked for the kind of life she and her family were living. They had been cast out of WindClan because their leader went insane. He couldn't imagine what sort of life that must be. But at least she wasn't alone, and she had the help of SkyClan for now. He knew they would need to do something regarding Icestar and his violent ways.

"I'm sorry I'm late… Petalstar almost caught me leaving and I had to come up with some kind of excuse," Flamestrike explained, sounding out of breath. The ginger tom stopped in his tracks when he spotted Reedriver standing awkwardly away from the she-cats. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't get your fur twisted in a knot," Reedriver rolled his eyes in exasperation, "It isn't as if I want to be here surrounded by you fishbrains."

Flamestrike's fur began to stand on end, but one warning look from Spruceleaf was all it took for him to try and calm down. Reedriver merely glared back at him, though he did his best not to stir any trouble.

"The prophecy is beginning to make sense the more I look at it," Spruceleaf admitted guiltily. "I had a dream where I kept seeing an old cat named Gorsefur. I realized that he recognized me as Wind."

"That sounds oddly specific," Flamestrike remarked. "But, Wind was one of the founders of the five Clans. If you are somehow related to her, or if you're even her reincarnation, then that might explain your strange dreams."

Spruceleaf hummed in agreement, flicking her tail thoughtfully. Reedriver tilted his head to one side in annoyance. He wasn't sure what to make of all of this. Birdpaw hadn't said a word since they met up, and Flamestrike sounded indifferent to it all. It seemed as though the ThunderClan cat was only following the others rather than taking his own lead.

"Well, I think it's a load of foxdung," he grumbled. "I'm not sure why I bothered agreeing to this."

"Reedriver, haven't you been having strange dreams lately?" Birdpaw suddenly asked.

He was ready to leave when her question caught him off guard. It took a few seconds for him to register that she was looking directly at him. Much like his reflection had done in his dream – he still couldn't figure out whether or not that was a dream or something else – she was doing the same thing.

"Yeah, I guess so," he muttered after shaking himself. "But it isn't as if it means anything."

"Look, these dreams are… connected, somehow," Birdpaw insisted. Reedriver's tail lashed irritably at the thought of their dreams being connected. The reflection that spoke back at him suddenly came rushing back in the form of words spoken just a couple of days ago. He knew Birdpaw was right. As annoyed as he was with the idea of being connected with these fishbrains, there had to be a reason behind those strange dreams. "Four must become five… and if we're the four cats they mentioned in our dreams-"

"That doesn't explain why there's only four of us," he snapped.

"The fifth cat has to be from ShadowClan," Spruceleaf meowed. All three of them looked at her in surprise. "Think about it – all four of us come from different Clans. Each of us is a reincarnation of a past leader. And if that is the case, then the last cat we're looking for is likely from ShadowClan."

"As strange as that sounds, it makes sense," Flamestrike murmured. "But if that's the case, then how in StarClan are we supposed to find a cat related to one this prophecy?"

He makes a fair point, Reedriver thought angrily. It isn't as if this cat is going to walk up to us right now and declare that they're involved in this nonsense.

Then another thought crossed his mind.

He remembered how ShadowClan reacted that one Gathering when Icestar announced Spruceleaf's banishment. Russetstar had been kind enough to accept the she-cat's warning, but that acceptance only went so far. He saw how some of the other ShadowClan cats reacted to Minnowstar's warning. One apprentice in particular stood out among the crowd. He never saw her before, even when they went on patrols. While it had been his first Gathering, he tried his best to remember the many faces he saw in his lifetime.

A cat who hungers for battle… something about her wasn't right.

"We can't spend the whole night figuring out who this cat is," Flamestrike suddenly cut through his thoughts.

"He's right," Spruceleaf let out a sigh after glancing at the rising moon. "Can we meet in a few moonrises? This way we can gather our thoughts and figure out where to go from there."

"I'm not sure if this was worth the trip," Reedriver grumbled.

His mind kept wandering back to that apprentice. He knew something about her was just… off. If he put two tails about it, he would have realized she wasn't technically a Clan cat. Still, he had no right to judge someone based on how they reacted at a Gathering. Considering the way his sisters treated him, he was far from the best cat to judge anyone.

"Whatever we decide to do, we need to make our choice soon," Birdpaw pointed out without regarding Reedriver's response. "I want to help if I can, even if I'm just an apprentice."

"Honestly, I'm surprised Emberstar hasn't named you a warrior yet," Spruceleaf put in with a purr. "Out of everyone I can think of, you deserve it the most."

Birdpaw ducked her head in embarrassment, though her eyes were glowing with pride at the older she-cat's praise.

Reedriver merely rolled his eyes at their conversation. The last thing he wanted was to be drawn into this mess, yet it seemed as though he had no choice.

Once it became clear the meeting was over, he wasted no time in parting ways with them. He was already halfway across the meadow when the sound of an alarm stopped him in his tracks. Reedriver stifled a growl of frustration and whipped around in time to see Spruceleaf trotting up to him. The light in her eyes was enough for his fur to stand on end, though he stood his ground just the same.

"Thank you for meeting up with us," she whispered after reaching him. "I know you're not particularly happy about this, but-"

"I'm not here to help you," he cut her off before she could finish whatever message she was about to give him, "I just want this stupid… whatever it is to stop bothering me in my sleep. I never wanted anything to do with this prophecy or the four of you for that matter!" Her face fell the moment he snapped at her. He knew he wasn't being fair. Spruceleaf wasn't the problem, though she certainly didn't help by acting like nothing was wrong with the world. "All I want is to be left alone and treated like everyone else, so please leave me out of this mess."

He added the last part with a sneer before turning back towards his own territory. The moment he put enough distance between himself and the others was when he felt a fresh stab of guilt. He hadn't meant for those words to come out so harshly, but he couldn't help himself. It was mostly true. He wanted to be left alone, and he wanted to live a normal life.

Why couldn't the others see that? More importantly, why was he suddenly thrown into this mess without any warning?

He knew whatever happened from there, his life would never be the same. Something told him he would regret meeting with the others, one way or another.

AN: This was also written well before the new series came out, and before Dawn of the Clans came out (I'm not even sure if that's the original title of the series XD), with that being said, this is probably going to be more of an AU than anything else. Figured I should add that here, and I'll be changing the summary as well to warn readers ahead of time.