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Chapter Text

The gentle murmurs weren't enough to drown out the blood that roared in his ears as he stared into the boaring eyes of him.

Images of blood gushing out of the bone hill flashed, and another image flashed again, this time being when he had killed Redtail. The way he would glare with nothing but malice and the pure hunger to kill deeply haunted him, and it was only then that he realized that Fireheart was trying to snap him out of the trance.

Tigerstar was back.

"I can't believe it," Darkstripe breathed, his yellow eyes wide with what Ravenwing guessed was fear and shock. Longtail remained wordless, his ears pressed against his head as he stared up at the Great Rock.

The air hung heavy, as if StarClan themselves were holding their breath, as if they were waiting for what he would say.

Tigerclaw stood frozen, his deep amber gaze not leaving "Redtail" until the tom met his with a stare twice as powerful. Crookedstar and Tallstar exchanged glances before the Riverclan leader cleared his throat.

"Well then, the gathering has begun."

Before Tigerclaw could get a word out, Redtail stepped foward, the motion making Ravenwing's heart still, the memories still trickling in his mind like a stream.

"I am honored to stand up on this rock tonight," the tom began, and Ravenwing shivered as the words oozed into his mind. Tigerstar had always spoken like this, smooth like a snake.

"I stand before you as the new leader of Shadowclan. Nightstar died of a sickness that wiped out so many of my clan..."

Its not your clan, he wanted to scream, forcing his body to tense uncomfortably. You’re wearing the skin of someone good, and turning it into a mask for your lies.

"...I have received my nine lives after Starclan chose me as the next leader, and I will now be referred to as Redstar."

No no no no!

The word repeated in his mind like a fever dream. A silent prayer to a faith that was beginning to crumble beneath his paws. How could StarClan allow this? Were they blind? Or had they simply abandoned them all to the darkness?

Or worse—maybe StarClan didn’t know.

The thought chilled him more than the coldest wind. If they could grant him nine lives, then what did that say about their wisdom? About fate? About everything?

If StarClan didn’t see the truth, then who would? If they were watching, and still allowed this, what hope was there?

Tallstar dipped his head, the gray hairs on his muzzle flinging in the moonlight, a clear sign of his age. "Welcome, Redstar," he greeted respectfully, "I hope Starclan leads you through your leadership."

Crookedstar only grunted agreement, but nevertheless bowed his head. Ravenwing squirmed at the triumphant look that gleaned in Tigerstar's–or, as everyone knew him, Redstar's– eyes.

Tallstar's gaze then drifted to Tigerclaw, who had somehow contained his anger the entire time. "Where's Bluestar?" He questioned, his voice hoarse.

"She is unwell at the moment," Tigerclaw meowed, "but she should return by the next moon."

"Good," Crookedstar growled, "now let's actually start. Redstar, seeing as your the new leader, please go first."

Redstar responded with a courteous nod, and took another step foward. "As mentioned earlier, I stand here because of the will of Starclan. Nightstar was a noble leader, but he was old, and sadly did not have the strength to stand against the sickness. His deputy, Cinderfur, was lost as well."

Ravenwing grimaced; the sickness had been horrible, but was it necessary to have a cat in position of leader who was worse than any sickness, and could wipe out a clan faster?

Fireheart nudged him, "Poor Runningnose," he murmured into his ear, and when he looked over to where the medicine cats were gathered, he spotted the Shadowclan medicine cat sitting over with his shoulders hunched. Although Ravenwing couldn't see his face in the shadows, he could tell he was absolutely miserable.

"Starclan sent an omen to Shadowclan that promised that a  great leader would arise, one of strength and ambition," Redstar rambled, "I promise to become that leader as much as I possibly can."

Ravenwing’s faith cracked like ice under paw. If StarClan truly sent omens in Tigerstar’s favor… Then maybe StarClan is as broken as we are.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Runningnose shift uncomfortably at the mention of the omen. He squinted, had Starclan really wanted Tigerstar as leader?

"I have also found cats that are willing to fight for their new clan," Redstar meowed.

Found cats? 

Wait, Brokenstar's old allies! 

His fur began to rise along his spine, why was he  so keen to bring in dangerous cats?

Because he's dangerous, mouse brain! He needs cats who are like him!

"Is this a good choice?" Tallstar questioned, "Brokenstar's allies were cruel and bloodthirsty, just as he was. Is it wise to let them back into the clan?"

For him, its a good choice, for us, it will get most of us killed, he thought grimly, wondering what Redstar had to say now, although it felt wrong using that name for him, knowing who he truly was.

He tuned out the ramblings of Redstar, knowing it was mostly lies and broken promises. Tigerclaw sat stiffly up above, and when Ravenwing caught his eye, his former mentor offered an awkward smile.

He grinned back, and watched as his former mentor stepped foward, ready to speak. "Thunderclan accepts that Shadowclan has accepted your leadership," he began. "As rogues, your followers caused trouble for all Clans in the forest, so it is a pleasure to hear that they have their own clan again, and we trust that you will keep them bound to the warrior code."

"However, we will not tolerate any invasions into Thunderclan territory. In spite of the fire that scorched our forest, we still remain strong enough to drive out any potential invaders. We have no fear of Shadowclan."

Ravenwing joined in with Fireheart and Willowpelt as they yowled in agreement. But Redstar didn't look moved, and he knew why. The tom had been through the same gathering before, he had expected these words.

"Of course, Tigerclaw, Shadowclan has nothing but fear for you."

Thats another lie, he hissed to himself, don't believe him, Tigerclaw.

The rest of the Gathering droned on, and he had spent most of it glaring at Redstar, who sat and washed himself like nothing was wrong. 

But something was wrong. Redtail's body was being controlled by a bloodthirsty tyrant who wanted nothing but power and gain from the clans, and he had no doubt that he would do the same here.

Finally, it ended, and Tigerclaw bounded down the rock, not bothering to bid the other leaders goodbye.

He doesn't have to, they are all corrupted anyway.

"Lets go," was all he said, and Thunderclan streamed out of the clearing.

As Ravenwing left, he could feeling those eyes burning holes into his pelt, a silent reminder of the fate that hung over his head.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t just a return.

It was a reckoning.

It was a promise of his purpose.

ƎͶO⅃A ⋊⅃AW TOͶ ꙄƎOᗡ ƎH ᗡͶA—ͶIAᎮA Ꙅ⋊⅃AW ƎH

Chapter Text

By the time they were almost back to camp, the sky was already turning a light pink and orange, white clouds dusting the vast space. However, no one was taking time to look up, and silence was lingering like morning fog, heavy with fear

Ravenwing knew he couldn't blame anyone; it had been a surprise, even for him. Admittedly, he should of expected a stunt like this, especially since it happened in his past life, but that didn't lessen the shock for everyone else.

Finally, Graystripe, who had been nervously staring at his paws the entire time, spoke up, his voice cutting through the quiet.

"What do we do now?"

Tigerclaw halted, causing everyone to the do the same. He didn't turn around to face Graystripe, so Ravenwing could only see the hunched shoulders of his mentor. 

"I don't know," he admitted, his tone quiet, "but we can't let this get in the way of our progress. We have a lot in our paws right now, worrying shouldn't be one of them."

The words seemed to bring determination to the patrol, but Ravenwing had to suppress a shudder. Would they say the same when Tigerstar, or Redstar, would try to destroy everything they knew?

The walk continued on, and he felt relief flood through him when the entrance to camp came into view. He was about ready to burst back in, when a nose touched his flank, making a shiver run down his spine.

He looked over, surprised to meet Fireheart's bright green eyes. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, his tone hushed yet caring. He swallowed the lump in his throat; he would tell his mate the truth soon, but now was not the time.

"Yes, for now," he promised, ashamed to know that it was half hearted. Fireheart didn't tear his gaze away for a few heartbeats, but eventually he gave in, nodding. 

"Alright," he conceded, " but you know you can tell me anything, right?" His gaze was fixed hard on him, and he had to admit that his mate's kindness warmed his heart.

Ravenwing forced out a shaky purr, stopping himself from dumping every secret right then and there. "I know, and I promise I'll tell you if something is wrong, okay?"

Fireheart nodded reluctantantly, and together, they walked through the destroyed gorse tunnel. The morning brightness flashed into Ravenwing's eyes, making him flinch as Tigerclaw ordered for patrols to be set out.

"I need...Dustpelt, Ravenwing, Ashpaw, and Cloudpaw on a hunting patrol! Come back when you have caught more than three pieces of fresh kill!"

The hunting patrol with Dustpelt, Ashpaw, and Cloudpaw was uneventful so far, the only thing that they had caught so far being a few sustaniable mice. 

"I wonder when it will come back," Dustpelt meowed, and everyone knew what he meant; the forest would take forever to return to it's former state.

Ravenwing shrugged, sniffing around for something that wasn't ash. "A while, but I'm sure it won't stay this way forever, thats impossible," he explained, hiding the smile that etched its way onto his face when hope sparked in Ashpaw's greenish-blue eyes.

"Do you really think so?" Cloudpaw challenged, although Ravenwing knew it was more so for reassurance. He nodded, knowing that the young cats needed all the hope they could get. 

"Of course, as I said, nature is a cycle. Just like leafbare, when all of the plants die. That's just the seasons preparing for new leaf."

Cloudpaw dipped his head, returning back to hunting, his bright white pelt horribly noticable among all the blackened forest. 

He felt proud for being able to deliver an explanation to the apprentices, but he still felt as if he needed reassurance. Of course, Yellowfang was dead now, and Redtail soul was somewhere, meaning the only two cats that knew were somewhere he couldn't exactly reach. 

You could tell Fireheart, he chided to himself.

No, its not the right time. He's already worried about the clan, Bluestar, and me, knowing what I'm going through won't help. I can handle this on my own.

Are you sure about that? For moons you could barely figure out what you were here for.

No means no, now shut up.

Your literally telling yourself to shut up.

Yes, and I mean it.

"Ravenwing, are you going to hunt, or keep standing there like a mouse under a hawk?" Dustpelt snarled, the sound grating. Ravenwing met his littermate's amber eyes, finding that annoyance was deep into the depths.

I forgot I'm related to you, he realized to himself, maybe that's a good thing, though.

"Er, yes, sorry, " he apologized, turning tail on the tabby tom, ignoring the way that he could still feel his eyes on him. Apparently, since Sandstorm had left, Dustpelt had ceased his hate on cats that were different from him, and finally focused on being a good warrior.

Took him long enough, he thought as he wandered throughout the territory. A sparrow swooped through the burnt trees, causing him to direct his thoughts elsewhere.

When they got back, Tigerclaw was sitting in the clearing tiredly, his amber eyes dull. Dustpelt and the apprentices didn't comment on it, but worry eased its way under Ravenwing's pelt. Had something happened?

He dropped off the prey they had caught, lifting a robin from the pile and making his way over to Tigerclaw. The tabby obviously noticed him as he neared, scouting over for some extra space.

"Are you okay?" Ravenwing asked after a few heartbeats. 

Tigerclaw sighed, "Bluestar went crazy when I told her how Redta–well, Redstar, is leader of Shadowclan. I tried to calm her down, because I know she's been stressed from the fire and Yellowfang dying, but she started to lecture me on how I have to listen. As I left, she was muttering something about how Windclan was a traitorous clan."

Ravenwing flinched; Bluestar had done this in his past life, as he recalled Firestar informing him of her behavior before she died. 

"I don't know what to say about that," he meowed, and Tigerclaw nodded. 

"Of course, I don't know either."

Together, they watched as the sky grew darker with every second, the air turning warmer as well.

Somewhere in her den, Bluestar was still talking—low, furious words no one could make out, and he could imagine her blue eyes becoming more and more wild with each sentence.

And Ravenwing couldn’t help but feel that it would only get worse from there.

ƎMAͶ ЯO ꙄWAꟼ TUOHTIW Ꙅ⋊⅃AW ᎮͶIHTƎMOꙄ

Chapter Text

Ravenwing sniffed gingerly around Snakerocks, silently relieved to find that the scent if Thistleclaw was nowhere near. Ever since he had been exiled to Riverclan, and eventually returned back to Thunderclan, he hadn't caught a whiff of the Dark Forest tom.

Good, he shouldn't be setting one claw into our world.

It had been three days since the discovery of Redstar's newly approved leadership, and the entire clan had been extremely wary during the past three sunrises; they had every right.

Ravenwing was more disturbed by the fact that he hadn't recieved any dreams from Starclan or the spirit world, and every time he went to sleep, he was surprised to find himself praying that he would get some kind of sign.

"Whats this?" Whitestorm's question burst his thought bubble, snapping him back into reality. 

"Hm?" He turned around, wondering what Whitestorm had found. Worry eased its way into him. Perhaps he had scented Thistleclaw, or Redstar, or–

"I found...feathers?" 

Feathers?

He padded up to the tom, and found that he was indeed right. Pigeon feathers were scattered everywhere, the gray a sharp contrast to the destroyed earth. He sniffed at them, confusion coiling around his mind when there was no scent.

"Pigeon feathers...but pigeons are rare? Right?" He tilted his head questioningly as he met Whitestorm's concerned yellow gaze, the color reminding Ravenwing of the bright sun.

He dipped his head in confirmation. "Pigeons usually fly in from the Twolegplace, so it makes no sense that they'd be here, especially with–wait, do you smell that?" The tom raised his head, opening his mouth to scent the air.

Ravenwing did the same, and wrinkled his nose when an extremely foul smell hit his tongue. "It smells like dog and dog dirt around here," he meowed sourly, trying to block out the heavy stench.

Whitestorm growled uneasily, "Well, thats just great, first a fire, Redstar, and then dogs." Any cat could detect the frustration in the senior warrior's tone, and Ravenwing had to agree. There were too many problems at once, so it was reasonable to be irritated.

"Let's get back and report back to Tigerclaw," he suggested when the white tom didn't say anything for a few heartbeats. Whitestorm sighed, but nodded, and the pair made their way back home.

As they went back, Ravenwing couldn't help but feel as if he were forgetting an important event from his past.

"I'm sure it won't be a further issue," Tigerclaw meowed dismissively, his amber eyes shining with confidence. Ravenwing watched as Whitestorm's eyebrows confined to be furrowed, and the senior warrior shook his head in disagreement.

"I'm not so sure, it was somewhat recent, and I think we should be alert, especially with how vulnerable our camp is at the moment."

The large deputy shrugged, "of course, but on that note, we need help on reinforcing the gorse tunnel and the nursery, especially if there is the possible threat of a loose dog. Either way, I'm sure its locked up around now, and unless its scented more than once, I will stand my ground on the fact that's its not an issue."

Tigerclaw's amber eyes were still tired, and Ravenwing had guessed he was still worried about Bluestar, even though she had snapped at him three days ago. Then again, Ravenwing had barely seen his leader.

Whitestorm let out a defeated exhale, and dragged himself to a corner of the clearing where piles of briar and leaves were. Ravenwing looked at his former mentor, wanting to speak to him, but realized that he was still busy with barking orders.

He scrambled over to Whitestorm, carefully beginning to carry some of the thorns over to Mousefur and Longtail, who were on reinforcement duty. The pair were very good friends, from what Ravenwing could tell, and he watched as Mousefur made a joke that sent Longtail into a laughing fit. 

The she-cat noticed him, and she let out a sound of greeting. Longtail, however, who he was more acquainted with, thanks to Tigerclaw, happily meowed, "Hi Ravenwing!"

He dropped the bramble and smile lightly. "Hello, Longtail and Mousefur. How is the work coming along? Hopefully well?"

Mousefur was the first to respond, giving a half-hearted shrug. "It's going well," she confirmed.

"I think we should be working on the warriors' den, since everytime I wake up the sun practically blinds me, but apparently the gorse tunnel and nursery are more important." She ended the statement with a mocking tone.

Longtail let out a mrrow of amusement at his friend's antics, rolling his pale green eyes. "Well, obviously, especially since we don't know when new kits will come along, or if invaders will come through."

The two eventually dived into playful yet heated bickering, and Ravenwing took it as his sign to leave, sighing.

"Hey Ravenwing, we need you over here!"

He shook his head, bounding over to Tigerclaw. "What do you need?" He asked, readying himself as he spoke.

"I want you, Fireheart, and...Graystripe to patrol the Riverclan border, Longtail and Swiftpaw will be partially accompanying you three, but they will be patrolling the Shadowclan border."

As the mention, he immediately grinned; finally he could spend some time with his two best friends. Fireheart and Graystripe clearly thought the same, and as the left camp, Ravenwing pushed away his former worries so he could enjoy himself.

How long it would last was the real problem.

Redtail sighed as he wandered around some more. The distant land was just more and more snow, the ice surprisingly not numbing his paws. 

"When will I find my answer?" He yowled, the echo sending birds flying high into the cold air. He was met with an icy silence, and he watched with sorrow as snow continued to fall from the sky.

Regret formed in his belly as he forced himself to trudge through the growing piles of snow. 

What had he done?

ᗡƎIЯUᙠ YATꙄ ƎIᗡ OHW ⅃⅃A TOͶ

Chapter Text

The river flowed smoothly as Ravenwing sniffed at the scent markers, pleased to find that no Riverclanner had crossed. He lifted his head up from the charcoal colored ground, forcing himself not to look at the bright green grass on Riverclan's side. 

"All clear!" He shouted, although he didn't need to yell. Graystripe clearly thought the same, as he pinned his ears onto his head. 

"Yeesh, was that really necessary?"

"Just following standard patrol protocol," Ravenwing quipped back, something forming in the pit of his stomach, churning and churning until it wrapped around him completely.

I'm glad I can still enjoy time with the cats I love, he thought to himself as he caught up with Fireheart, who was washing his ears. When Ravenwing approached, he noticed the sparkle in Fireheart's eyes. 

I hope I have that sparkle visible too.

"Hey," Ravenwing greeted, trying to be somewhat casual. The flame colored tom rolled his eyes playfully as he drew another paw over a nicked ear. 

"Hey," he replied, but instead, it had more of a teasing tone. 

Before Ravenwing could respond, or even think of a response, a familiar voice cut through the mostly silent Thunderclan territory. 

"Hi Graystripe, Fireheart, and Ravenwing."

Ravenwing wheeled around instantly, delighted shock rippling through him as he was met with Sandstorm's coy smile. She looked much different, even if they hadn't seen each other for a few days. 

Oh yeah...I didn't see her last gathering! Well, I did, but barely, not to mention Graystripe was talking to her and Silverstream.

I wonder what that was about.

"Hello Sandstorm, " he greeted, padding over the short distance to meet his friend; Graystripe and Fireheart followed along.

He bumped heads with her, and once he drew back, he took in her somewhat new look. 

She was much more stocky now, small muscles visible through her glossy short pelt. He guessed that her fur had changed from being in the river constantly, and he was sure that if a kitty pet were to join the clan, she would instantly blend in with the Riverclan stereotype. 

"How's the clan going? No trouble, I hope?" Ravenwing asked, frowning slightly when she faltered at the question. 

She gave a half hearted shrug. "Everyone is talking about Redstar, and some cats have asked me 'isn't that your father?'. I don't know how to feel," she admitted, her expression crest fallen now.

"What he did to me and Ravenwing is something I can't forgive, even if I'm happy in Riverclan. And what he tried to do to Bluestar was even worse. He can't just become leader of Shadowclan and expect everything to go fine and dandy!"

But he can, and he has before, he thought grimly. 

Fireheart draped his tail across her hunched shoulders, his smile forced. "I'm sure if he tries anything, Riverclan and Silverstream will have your back. Not to mention, you have us!"

Graystripe nodded, "Starclan knows all, and I'm sure if they have a problem with it, they'll tell the medicine cats."

Ravenwing only hummed in agreement. He was glad his friend and mate had so much hope, but was it really true? Cinderpelt hadn't gotten a message from Starclan since Yellowfang died, and he hadn't had any weird dreams since his time in Riverclan.

Did Starclan even know what they were doing? It was clear that they most likely didn't, since they gave Redstar his nine lives without realizing that it was Tigerstar in literal possession of Redtail's body.

Ravenwing decided he needed to speak up, knowing that Sandstorm wouldn't be fully sure if he didnt say anything. "While it definitely interesting that Starclan sent him, I'm sure that everything is under control. Maybe ruling Shadowclan is enough power for him."

Knowing Tigerstar though and what he did last time...I just made the biggest lie in history.

Sandstorm let out a sigh, "thank you. Now, I must be going, but I hope I can see you all soon." With that, she turned her back on the three, hopping across the river with a practiced ease.

After some awkward silence, Fireheart shook his head fondly, "she's changed from a snobby apprentice to a okay warrior."

Graystripe immediately burst out into hearty laughter that shook his chest, Ravenwing couldn't help but do the same. 

It feels good to have fun without worrying about everything, he realized as they trudged back home. 

Fun only lasts so long, he reminded himself. 

Ravenwing lied contentedly in the clearing as Fireheart curled up beside him. The sun was slowly but surely setting in the distance, the remaining light flickering through the camp. 

Brightpaw, Cloudpaw, and Swiftpaw joked around with their piece of prey, until Mousefur grumpily told them off. Ashpaw and Fernpaw watched with curiousity, most likely surprised that the three apprentices would gladly get in trouble. 

Longtail and Darkstripe were sharing tongues near the elders' den, where One-eye was going off on a tangent about this battle over Sunningrocks. Tigerclaw sat beside her, intently listening. 

Whitestorm was chatting with Willowpelt as they watched over Goldenflower's kits; Bramblekit batted a mossball between him and Tawnykit, the two going wild as it rolled a few mouse lengths away. 

Everyone still finds ways to be happy, even when their worried about family, friends, and themselves, he pondered. If only they knew what I knew.

Then again...

He raised his head backwards, bump into Fireheart's neck; the tom didn't seem to notice.

Maybe its for the best I don't tell. 

What about when everyone gets hurt?

Everyone will be more hurt if I spill my secret. This is only for the protection of Thunderclan. Not to mention I was placed in this world for this reason. Its my purpose.

Do you ever think that you have a purpose outside of this? You felt so happy earlier today, maybe thats your purpose. Living. That's what everyone elses' purpose is. 

"–Ravenwing?"

He shook his head, "w–what?"

Fireheart narrowed his eyes in concern. "I've been calling your name for a bit. You seem kinda spaced out, everything alright?"

He nodded stiffly, "mhm, m'just tired from all the work I've done today. Tigerclaw really is putting us to the test." To staple the statement, he stretched out his paws. 

Fireheart didn't seem to buy it, but he nodded. "Okay...well, I was going to tell you that I'm ready to head off to sleep."

Ravenwing nodded, and stood up, feeling his body tense and then become loose. He followed Fireheart into the warriors' den, praying he would get some kind of sign tonight.

When he awoke, he was greeted by bright green grass and large mountains surrounding the moor he was in. Delight rippled underneath his pelt for a few seconds, but it was replaced by apprehension. 

"Hello?" He called out, the sound bouncing back. The vibration sent a loud ringing in his ears, and he shook his head, attempting stop his head from hurting. 

"Hi."

He jumped, feeling his fur spike up. "Who's there?" He snarled, knowing it couldn't be any of the spirit cats. They never talked so casually, especially like they personally grew up with him. 

Then, who could it be?

Off in the distance, or a few fox lengths away, he spotted a familiar black pelt, a bushy red tail high. 

"Redtail!" He exclaimed, dashing towards the former Thunderclan deputy. As he neared, he noticed that the tom had gray hairs around his muzzle, and his usually bright yellow eyes were dull and tired. 

"Ravenwing, hello," he slurred, touching his nose to Ravenwing's shoulder. He tensed, but did the same. When he pulled away, he searched Redtail's gaze. 

"How did you get here?"

"I've traveled from Starclan to this realm, since its my only chance to get my body back." At the mention, a shiver crawled down his spine, clearly hating the idea of his body being controlled by another cat. 

"I'm sorry for being so rushed last time we met. I was on a limited time, and I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. But never mind that," he meowed dismissively, waving his tail. "Follow me."

Ravenwing did just that, falling in behind the tom as he was led through the valley. They passed a bubbling stream, a rabbit burrow, and even an oddly shaped stone that looked like a cat. 

Finally, Redtail halted as Ravenwing was staring at everything in awe, causing him to bump into his rear. "What in Starclan's nam–oh wow."

His jaw gaped as he stared at an abnormally large sycamore tree. The trunk extended for fox lengths, and the branches were as long at Riverclans' river. The leaves swayed in a sudden light breeze, and Ravenwing struggled to see the top of the tree through the foliage. 

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Redtail commented, and he nodded.

"It's beautiful."

"Look closely," Redtail muttered, using his paw to point at the bark. Ravenwing squinted, and saw that odd shapes were carved into the bark, seeming to be some kind of message. 

"Do you know what it means?" Redtail asked, hope tainting his tone.

He shook his head, "Sorry, I don't, I've never seen anything like it." He peered closer at the cryptic message. "It's so odd," he murmured, pressing a paw to it.

With that, a flash of light burst throughout his mind, making his gasp in surprise. Words buzzed in his ears, until something, a sentence, made way. He found that he mouth had opened, as if he was being forced to say it. 

"One body, two souls — only one can remain. When stars blink out, the truth will be clawed free."

He was shoved back by some kind of mysterious force, leaving him gasping for air. Redtail stood, shocked yet pleased. 

"I knew it was wise to bring you here," he meowed, helping Ravenwing up; his legs were shaky, and he had to force himself to be still. 

"What does it mean?" He asked, even though he knew Redtail wouldn't have answer. Like he predicted, the former deputy shrugged, his gaze still fixed on the sycamore tree. 

"I'm sure its relevance will come to light soon," he promised, "now, its time for you to leave. The real world needs you."

"What about you?" Ravenwing protested, feeling his body wavering. 

The tom chuckled, although uncertainty was noticable in his motions. "I need to figure out my own stuff, but I'll continue to help you. Oh, and Ravenwing?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure Sandstorm is okay," he whispered, his eyes dropping to his paws.

An ache settled into Ravenwing; the tom clearly regretted his actions and missed his daughter. With a burning determination, he dipped his head. "Of course."

A hushed 'thank you' was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.

ƎUᗡ ꙄTI ᗡͶAMƎᗡ ͶOOꙄ ⅃⅃IW ᗡƎ⅃⅃IꟼꙄ T’ͶꙄAW TAHT ᗡOO⅃ᙠ ƎHT

Chapter Text

Warmth flooded through the roof of his mouth as he sunk his fangs into the mouse, relishing in the woodsy tang that sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. 

The morning was still fresh, with barely any of the warriors present in the sunlight kissed clearing. Only Tigerclaw, Mousefur, and Whitestorm were present, who seemed to be speaking of important matters. 

Ravenwing let out a sigh as he tore into more of the mouse, making a quick meal of it as he finished the last morsel. Licking his lips, he sat up and stretched, his limbs aching from sitting for so long.

His ears flicked as a breeze whoosed through the camp, carrying with it the faint scent of ash and something else. He shook it off, heaving himself slowly to his paws, though a strange weight still lingered in his chest.

Thoughts of his dream were practically taking up the space in his mind, ideas of what the prophecy could mean were buzzing loudly.

One body, two souls — only one can remain. When stars blink out, the truth will be clawed free... When the stars blink out? Does that mean Starclan? And "one body, two souls" must mean Redstar really being Tigerstar.

And yet, it still hardly made any sense. How was he supposed to use it to his benefit? How could he possibly –

"Ravenwing? A word with you, please?"

His gaze snapped up, met with Tigerclaw's amused amber eyes. He straightened his posture at the sight of his former mentor and deputy, nervously going over in head on what he could want. 

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you about Brightpaw's progress," Tigerclaw rumbled, "but I'm sure she's doing just fine with a cat that I mentored." Ravenwing chuckled at the joke, but a question lingered in his mind.

Isn't it the leader's job to ask warriors about their apprentices?

Bluestar's cold absence hadn't gone unnoticed by the clan, but he suspected everyone was to wary to even ask, instead resorting to whispering gossip.

"She's doing well," Ravenwing confirmed. "She's an excellent hunter, not to mention she's very aware of her surroundings, something that I'm often impressed on."

"Would you say that she's ready to receive her warrior name?"

Excitement tingled throughout him. "I believe that yes, she will be ready very soon, if not already prepared." He was proud of himself for using such professional language, not to mention the idea of his apprentice graduating made his chest swell.

He had wanted an apprentice since he had became a warrior, and when Brightpaw was assigned to him, he vowed to make her the best warrior in Thunderclan.

Now I can really leave my mark here!

Tigerclaw dipped his head, his focus thoughtful. "Good to know. If you don't mind, I will be taking Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, Cloudpaw, and Thornpaw out today to asses their skills while training them, so please busy yourself with camp rebuilding or hunting."

At those words, Tigerclaw turned away, heading off to the apprentices' den. Ravenwing felt an odd loneliness in his chest; he was used to being able to chat with Tigerclaw all the time, but now that he was deputy, it was more difficult.

He shook his head, deciding to ask Fireheart if he wanted to hunt.

"Watch out!"

The squeal made Ravenwing look over, prey hanging in his jaws. He had just returned from hunting with Fireheart, but the clan seemed to be as busy as ever.

Bramblekit was scrambling away from Tawnykit, almost crashing into Ravenwing and Fireheart in the process. The orange tabby tom sent him a look before fondly shaking his head and dropping his prey off.

Ravenwing did the same as his mate, settling in the shade beside him. "Tigerclaw's kits sure are rowdy," he commented, watching as Bramblekit tumbled over Snowkit. 

Fireheart nodded, "mhm, but they're real cute too. I can't get mad at them."

Ravenwing only hummed in agreement, narrowing his eyes as Snowkit barely played any notice as Bramblekit yowled in triumph; the small tabby had just successfully pinned down his sister. 

"Snowkit isn't really bothered by the noise," he meowed, making Fireheart crane over to see. 

"That's odd..." He murmured, quickly returning to washing himself. Ravenwing just nodded, deciding to shrug it off. 

"Hey Ravenwing!" 

Brightpaw padded over to him, an extra spring in her step. He purred in greeting, flicking his ears as flies swarmed them. 

"Hi Brightpaw, how did it go? Hopefully you went easy on Tigerclaw, knowing how tough to you are."

She rolled her eyes, but nodded. "It went really well. Tigerclaw even said that we might become warriors really soon!"

He attempted to remain calm, but he couldn't help smiling. "That's great!" He exclaimed, "now go hang out with your friends." He nodded towards Swiftpaw and the other apprentices; the black and white tom looked like he was waiting for her.

She grinned and scooped up a sparrow, padding over to the group. Swiftpaw's eyes lit up immediately, and he began to speak to her the second she sat down.

Ravenwing took it as a sign to relax, closing his eyes. The day was late, and he and Fireheart had hunted for a long time, leaving his paws sore and jaw aching from having to claim down on multiple pieces of prey.

The background noise began to fade, swirling and mixing into eachother until it became unintelligible.

Colors swirled until his vision became clear, and it took him a few heartbeats to fully process where he exactly was. 

Another dream! But, its not in any place I don't know, so its not Redtail trying to reach me.

Could it be...Starclan?

The camp seemed to be more reinforced, with the dens patched up and walls threaded with thorns. Glancing around, he spotted Fireheart and Graystripe. 

Curiousity got the best of him, especially since he usually didn't see the two in his dreams that oftem. He padded up to them, every step slow. It felt odd, since he was used to moving fast in dreams, but perhaps that was how Starclan induced dreams felt.

As he approached, he noticed how a look of fear was plastered upon their faces. Fireheart's eyes held horror, his fur spiked up in alarm, while Graystripe had his back raised, a snarl etched into his muzzle. 

Ravenwing pawed at them, and oddly enough, their bodies felt frozen, like they were stuck in place.

Suddenly, the sky bled red as a snarling sounded from outside camp. He whirled around, picking his ears as he listened for more. The sound became louder and louder with each slowed second, beginning to sound like thunder.

And, like lightning, dogs burst through bramble walls, fangs flashing and drool slipping down their mouths. Ravenwing stood frozen, paws rooted like stone, as his clanmates’ cries echoed. Fireheart’s scream was the loudest—then silence.

What terrified him was how despite the cries, Fireheart and Graystripe stood still, as if they were stuck there for eternity.

Blood soaked the earth as the dogs reigned terror among the camp, until their fangs sank into his neck with a flash of power. He screeched, but it came out slowed. 

As it faded out, on sentence remained clear among the screams.

Pack pack, kill kill, pack pack, kill kill.

He awoke, chest heaving rapidly as he glanced around wildly. Everything seemed the same, except for Fireheart's absence.

I'm sure he's okay... Probably just on a patrol.

He inhaled deeply, trying to regain his senses and process what had just happened. 

We scented dogs a few sunrises ago, but surely its not that much of a problem? Maybe it's me being paranoid.

But something about it didn't sit right with him, and in the back of his mind, he knew something was up, especially if there was the slight chance of it being a dream sent from Starclan. 

The medicine den came into view as he sat up and shook his pelt, and he knew what he had to do. 

I told Yellowfang, so its time to tell Cinderpelt.

Wasting no time, he headed off to the entrance of the herbal scenting den.

UOY MЯAW TOͶ ⅃⅃IW TI TUᙠ ,ƎꙄIЯ ⅃⅃IW ͶUꙄ ƎHT

Chapter Text

The medicine den, despite the large amounts of damage that was inflicted upon it, was still the way he remembered it, even if a little bit was destroyed. The herbal scent wafted into his nose as he entered, making his head spin.

"Hello?" He asked, wondering if Cinderpelt was maybe out stocking up on herbs. A pang was sent throughout him as he recalled Yellowfang constantly sending him out for errands. 

"Yes?" A voice replied, and gray fur emerged from the shadows of the strong smelling den. Pale blue-green eyes glittered in the late-day sun, and the young she-cat blinked as the light got in her way of her vision.

"It's me, Ravenwing, and I need to have a talk with you."

Cinderpelt only nodded, already beginning to organize some herbs into small, separate piles. Her paws worked neatly and skillfully, like she had been doing this since she had been born. 

Well, technically since she was an apprentice, so it's no surprise that she's good at what she does.

"What do you need?" She asked absent mindedly, now sorting what looked like lavender away from a spiky green plant.

"I've had a dream from Starclan."

At the words, she snapped a look at him, eyes widening with disbelief.

"Really? A dream?" She replied, excitement laced in the creases of her words. She used her tail to beckon him towards her, amd she whispered, "why didn't you say so earlier? Come with me."

She led him deeper into the den, where no one would have the chances of hearing their conversation. 

"Tell me all about it."

He took a deep breath, and began to lay out the dream. He told her how it felt slowed, the dogs, and what they said. With every word, he noticed that a realization seemed to be dawning upon her. 

"I had the same dream," she breathed, "well, not the exact same, but it included dogs, and this words..."

""Pack pack, kill kill", right?" 

She nodded, grimacing as she did so. "You see, I had a similar dream a few nights ago, but when I came to Fireheart about it, he dismissed them as paranoia, and then went off to hunt with you."

Guilt dropped like a stone into his belly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

She waved a paw, "its fine, really."

"But why Fireheart?" He asked, curiosity getting the best of him. He understood the two had a strong bond, but he couldn't fathom on why she would go to his mate rather than Bluestar. 

Actually... I see why.

Her reply mirrored his thoughts. "Well, Bluestar isn't the most stable at the moment, as we know, and while I trust Tigerclaw, I feel as if he wouldn't understand, not to mention he has a lot on his paws right now."

He hummed in agreement, before realizing he still had more to tell the young medicine cat. He let out an exhale, preparing himself for an even longer story that what he had told Yellowfang, especially since so much had happened since then.

"Cinderpelt, before you leave, there is one more thing you need to know. Something that Yellowfang knew."

The explanation had been lengthier than he had wanted it to be, and by the time he had finished, he felt out of breath.

Cinderpelt was shocked, like any cat would reasonably be, but what scared him was the way she sent him out, as if he had done something wrong. 

"I need to think, alone, please," she whispered, turning around so that she couldn't face him. It made him fearful, but he decided that she needed to process it all. 

And, as he left, he felt somewhat free, happy that at least one living cat knew.

You could have Fireheart as well, Ravenwing chided to himself, and he tried to push the thought away. Fireheart would know at his own pace.

And yet, the guilt was eating away at him like maggots on crowfood. Fireheart should've been the first cat to know, especially since Ravenwing knew he had his own prophecy as well. 

Wouldn't a loving and trustworthy mate confide to his lover?

Shaking away the coming headache, he noticed Tigerclaw stalking out of Bluestar's den, his tail treading on the dirt floor. A disappointed look was plastered upon his features, and Ravenwing let himself walk over to his former mentor, wondering what had happened now.

"What's wrong?" He asked, making the large tabby wince in surprise.

"Geez, kit, don't sneak up on an old cat like that," he chuckled, smoothing his ruffled fur with his tongue. But the way that a certain tiredness alarms Ravenwing, chills him to the bone, even. 

What did Bluestar do now?

Tigerclaw just lets out a long sigh, as if he was releasing all of the exhaustion that had rested on his shoulders. He shrugged, refusing to meet Ravenwing's worried gaze. 

"Bluestar is just being difficult about the apprentices, is all," he mumbled, a hint of vulnerability in the way he says it. Ravenwing's worries on increase at that, but he dips his head.

He'll be fine, he reassures himself, deciding to take a nap. 

He entered the warriors' den, lazily flopping into his and Fireheart's shared nest. He breathing slowed as he focused on the chirps of cicadas in the background, and slowly but surely, he fell into a comfortable rhythm of breathing.

But, just as he's ready to fall asleep, someone else crawled into the nest, and he didn't even have to open an eye too tell who it was. 

"Sorry," Fireheart purrs, resting his chin on Ravenwing's head. He doesn't complain, deciding to just drown out the thoughts of: You need to tell him, tell him now.

"It's okay," he mutters back, letting the darkness and Fireheart's purrs lull him to sleep.

UOY ƎᗡIꙄƎᙠ Ꙅ⋊⅃AW ƎƆЯUOꙄ A TUOHTIW WOᗡAHꙄ A

Chapter Text

Ravenwing's dreams were filled with thoughts of a darkened forest and eyes watching him from all directions, but nothing was too notable, much to his disappointment. 

When he had woken up, Fireheart had informed him that they would be escorting Cinderpelt to Highstones tonight for the Half-moon meeting that the medicine cats held.

The territory was still filled with an eerie mist as Fireheart and Ravenwing escorted Cinderpelt to the Moonstone, the warm midday sun warming their pelts. 

Cinderpelt breathed in the air, sighing happily. "This is so nice! I was starting to think I'd have to scent my way to Highstones, and I've only been there once, wuth Yellowfang."

Her worrying behavior from yesterday seemed to have dissipated, replaced by her usually bubbly personality. Ravenwing nodded, noticing how alike she was to Brightpaw. 

They do have the same mother, he mused.

As they reached fourtrees, Fireheart shook some out the moisture out of his pelt, to no avail. He huffed in annoyance, "must it be so Starclan damned humid?" He hissed irritatedly as Cinderpelt giggled.

Ravenwing shook his head fondly, brushing against his frustrated mate. "It's fine, and perhaps, it's going to be Leafbare before you know it, so enjoy the warmth while you can."

Fireheart clearly thought otherwise. "I'd rather be freezing my paws off than whatever this is!" But, his words had no bite to it, and there was a smirk forming on his lips, his green eyes gleaming with amusement.

Cinderpelt scoffed, "I didn't have you guys escort me for sudden flirting! Now, lets get moving!"

Ravenwing sighed, making an effort to catch up with the she-cat as the orange tabby tom growled. Whether it was in annoyance or in a playful matter was out of the question.

Suddenly, a different scent flowed into the clearing, and he opened his mouth to detect what it was. 

Shadowclan!

Sure enough, Runningnose and a small tom he didn't recognize headed down the slope, and the Thunderclan medicine cat's eyes lit up as she hurriedly met the two. 

"Who's the orange cat?" He asked his mate, noticing the way Fireheart suddenly looked down at his paws, almost nervously shuffling them. 

"Littlecloud," he muttered into his ear. "While you were gone, he and another cat named Whitethroat were found sleeping on our territory. Bluestar sent them away, but Cinderpelt still took care of them."

A saddened look came across the orange tom's face, and Ravenwing decided it was best not to prod any further. 

Maybe something happened to Whitethroat.

Cinderpelt was already heading off with the two, calling out a farewell before disappearing off too the moor. Fireheart hummed anxiously, "I hope Windclan doesn't try anything this time."

"This time?"

"I went with Bluestar and Redt–well, Redstar to Mothermouth while you were exiled, and Windclan chased us away."

Ravenwing pressed his ears against his head, "surely they wouldn't try that again?"

He shrugged, but he clearly was worried over the same thing. "I don't think so, but its also Half-moon for their medicine cat, so I'm sure they would understand, y'know?"

"I suppose."

"That's a pretty good squirrel!" Fireheart chirped, eyeing the fat squirrel that Ravenwing had just caught, licking his lips. 

He rolled his eyes at his mate's antics, using his paw to move it away from Fireheart's lowered muzzle. "Nuh uh, mister, this isn't for you, not to mention that's breaking the warrior code, and we don't want that, now do we?"

The flame colored tabby sighed dramatically, "I guess I'll starve to death." He let out a choked gasp, pretending to flop to the ground as if he were dead. 

Ravenwing couldn't help but laugh heartily, snatching up the squirrel and bidding towards the general direction that camp most likely was. Fireheart nodded, and together they made their way through the land.

The walk was extremely muted, the only thing filling the gap being the sound of birds and cicadas. The more still it seemed, the more his head spun, with words like "tell him" and "do it now!" swirling around like a storm.

He stealthily stole a look, his heart aching with guilt as Fireheart hummed happily, unbothered by what he probably assumed was a comfortable silence; his green eyes glinted in the setting sun, and his lips were curved slightly upwards. 

He looked away, shunning the thoughts away. 

He's way to content right now, I can't let him know.

He held back the sigh of relief as the camp entrance came into view, the sounds of chatter already apparent. 

Just as he was about to enter, the orange tabby brushed against him, pushing his nose into the crook of Ravenwing's neck. He froze at the feeling, already aware of the stifling guilt building up. 

"I'm glad we were able to spend time today, by the way," Fireheart mewed softly, as if he were a gossiping apprentice, exchanging secrets and rumors that were running throughout the clan.

Ravenwing nodded, his paws going numb. He let out a purr, satisfied with the way it rumbled through his mate's body. 

After a few moments, they finally entered through the gorse tunnel.

Redtail sighed as he watched Ravenwing disappear throughout the camp entrance, shaking his head before turning tail. 

He wandered through the territory, thankful that he was only a spirit as he passed a Shadowclan patrol. 

"It should be around here somewhere," he muttered, obviously to himself, his eyes searching for what he came here for. It was risky to come back to mortal ground, being a soul. How Thistleclaw was so comfortable with it, he'd never know.

At the thought of Thistleclaw, he felt his pelt bristle, trying to ignore the pull that he felt when the name came into mind.

He hadn't seen the ugly dark forest tom since the ritual, or, when Redtail's body became possessed by Tigerstar. He did, however, faintly remember seeing him slink away as he went numb. 

"Never mind that," he hissed, "now focus."

The sound of meowing filled his ears as a dip came into his sight, and he wasted no time by entering the shadowed camp. Instantly, he spotted Tigerstar, nausea as he realized these cats saw him as Redstar.

They didn't know that inside him, his soul was as dark as night, and from what Redtail had gathered,  he had been an awful and violet cat in his former universe.

And now, he was here. He was here and lounging on Shadowclan's highrock, his large red tail flicking at the occasional fly. Redtail hated every second, feeling as if he were staring into water but seeing an entirely different reflection.

You technically are.

He growled at himself, setting by a stump that lied dormant in the middle of the clearing. 

He would be here for a while.

ͶƎTꙄI⅃ T’ͶᗡIᗡ UOY TUᙠ ,ᗡƎͶЯAW ƎЯƎW UOY

Chapter Text

Opening one eye, he realized that wherever he was, and it was not the world he was used to. He opened his second eye, steadily rising to his paws as he glanced around anxiously, almost expecting someone to come out and attack him.

The area was much like a forest, except the bark was a dark gray, and the leaves were a muted white. As he inspected one of the trees, he accidentally brushed too hard against the trunk, causing a leaf to fall.

But instead of falling, he watched in a mix of amazement and caution as the leaf began to wither away; as the withering started to stop at the end of the stem, it went into flames, the red and orange a fair contrast against the dark colors.

"Odd," he muttered, shaking the tree again. Like before, the leaves floated, stood still in the thick air, withered, and then caught on fire.

What is this place?

Casting one more glance over his shoulder at the tree, he headed off, wandering through the mysterious forest. 

Despite the lack of color, Ravenwing could tell that it was indeed not the Dark Forest, as the wretched place was filled to the brim with horrible cats and muck. He shivered at the thought, deciding to move on from the topic.

He had been exploring the terrain for a while when he noticed something – a flash of fur. In fact, he swore that it was orange...

He narrowed his eyes, and gasped when he saw none other than his beloved mate, Fireheart, and someone else. He stealthily moved throughout the treeline, curiousity getting the absolute best of him.

He knew that Fireheart was involved in a prophecy in this world, just as he had been in his past life, but Ravenwing wasn't sure on how drastic or relevant it was.

Perhaps this was his answer?

As he came closer, he took in the other cat's features. A tortoiseshell pelt, bright yellow eyes, a sweet and flower induced scent...

Oh my Starclan! It's Spottedleaf!

He hadn't seen the she-cat since he was an apprentice, watching her burial as Fireheart, or, Firepaw, buried his nose into his pelt. The memory sent a pang through his heart, but he had a bigger question in mind.

Why was she visiting Fireheart?

Preening his ears, he picked up in on the conversation, holding his breath in anticipation.

"Spottedleaf!" Fireheart wailed, searching the she-cat with his eyes, his breathing ragged. Ravenwing was about to jump out on instinct and comfort the tom, but something kept him rooted.

The former medicine cat just stared back blankly, not uttering a single word as Fireheart pleaded with her. "Please, Spottedleaf! Help me! Why are you here? Why am I here?"

The more agitated he grew, the more Ravenwing realized the forest was wavering, as if the illusion relied on the orange tabby's stability. 

The ground shook beneath his paws, and with one last look at his mate, he took off running, not wanting to risk being seen due to the sudden movements below him. 

But, as he ran, it only worsened, until the sound of waves crashing came into earshot. 

Why does water always have to get involved?

Before he could even check behind him, he was swept off of his paws by a rushing current. He fought against the waves as they went over his head, but it was to no avail, despite his training in swimming from his time in Riverclan.

With his head underwater, he closed his eyes and let himself go along with the flow.

"Ravenwing, can you get your mate to stop shuffling? It's making quite the racket!"

Dustpelt's sharp voice cut through the grogginess he was experiencing, and realized the grumpy tom was right, as Fireheart was indeed squirming in their shared nest.

Before he could respond, Graystripe cut in. "Oh hush, don't act like you're not making noise either." Ravenwing couldn't see his best friend, but he could already imagine him rolling his eyes.

He nosed Fireheart, wincing when his mate's eyes flew open; his pupils were small slits, and when he caught sight of Ravenwing, he let out a small sigh, barely noticeable.

But Ravenwing noticed, because that was his job.

"Finally, the great warrior is awake,"  Dustpelt sneered, rising up from his nest and stretching. Ravenwing watched as the tom exited the den, most likely to be assigned a patrol or go hunting.

Shaking his head with disappointment, he turned to Fireheart, tilting his head to one side. 

"You okay?"

He knew the question was hollow, and he already knew the actual reason why, but that didn't mean he wanted his mate to think he didn't care.

"I'm fine," the flame colored tom responded, sitting up and giving his chest a couple licks, smoothing down his ruffled fur. "Let's go hunt."

The day was bright, despite the chill of Leaf-fall that lingered, reminding every clan cat of the coming season. 

Much to Ravenwing's joy, ferns and grass were gradually making their way back, the sprouts of green sending shivers of delight down his spine. And yet, before they knew it, it would be snowing and all the foliage would disappear.

The faint smell of pine wafted into his senses, and he realized that Fireheart was leading him towards Tallpines. From what he had heard, that was where the fire had initially started, and most of the patrols stayed away. Not to mention it was near Treecutplace, which swarmed with Twolegs.

As they came closer, he took in the heavy and thick scent. The pine trees were still damaged, trunks splotchy with black. Some trees were fallen over, leaning against other barely stable trees. It hurt to look at it all, quite frankly.

"Is this really a good idea?" He asked his companion, nothing that the chirping of birds had abruptly stopped, as if even birds hated the sight of the half-burned trees.

When Fireheart didn't reply, he was about to ask him a second time when a small tabby-and-white shape nervously stepped over and under the trees. When he squinted, he spotted a pink collar around their neck, and realized this was a kittypet.

But by the way his mate gasped with surprise, he guessed this was none other that Princess, Fireheart's kittypet sister. He knew the tom was close with her, especially since she was Cloudpaw's mother, but he wasn't sure if they saw each other that often.

The kittypet quickly raced up to her brother, nuzzling him before pulling away; Ravenwing noticed that her eyes were the same shade of green, except they were rounder. 

Well, everything is rounder when it comes to kittypets, he thought, an itch of envy crawling under his pelt.

Fireheart couldn't even get a word out before she blurted out her words. "Oh Fireheart! I'm so glad! When I saw the fire, I was convinced you and Cloudpaw were dead!" The worried outburst was reasonable, and he watched the siblings stare at eachother for a few heartbeats.

"Well...I'm okay now," Fireheart meowed awkwardly, giving his sister a quick lick across her cheek, before stepping back. "And Cloudpaw is fine too."

Princess nodded, and only then she seemed to noticed Ravenwing. "Oh, who is this? Is it one of your friends?"

Ravenwing gave the tom a glance, surprised that his mate hadn't informed his sister that they were a couple. Fireheart cleared his throat, pressing into Ravenwing's side.

"Er...Princess, meet Ravenwing, my mate, Ravenwing, meet Princess, my sister."

The silence was painfully obvious before the she-cat's eyes lit up with glee, and before he knew it, she was nuzzling him. 

"This is just wonderful! I'm so glad you found yourself a mate," Princess purred after she pulled away from Ravenwing. But then, she paused. "But how will you two ever have kits?"

The flame colored tom opened his mouth to explain, but he was instantly interrupted. "Nevermind that! I'm just glad!"

Ravenwing was about to say something, but the roar of a Twoleg monster interrupted him, sending a foul smell across the area. He wrinkled his nose, and realized that the monster would be coming their way. 

"Hide!" He shouted over the noise, and just as he predicted, the monster burst out of the trees, bouncing along the fitted track. Fireheart pressed against him as the two of them crouched against a tree trunk.

Princess still was sitting, eyes somehow rounder with curiosity as she merely stared. 

Ravenwing rolled his eyes at the she-cat, hissing at her. "Get down!" 

She looked confused, but did so, and the trio watched as the monster stopped. The roaring and rumbling ceased, and a part of the monster was cracked open, like an opening. Three twolegs then hopped out of its belly. 

Fireheart flattened himself further as Ravenwing watched, narrowing his eyes. He stole a quick glance with his mate before continuing to oversee everything. 

The twolegs were way to close to home, and while he knew that it was best to take off running, he couldn't risk leaving Fireheart behind on purpose. Not to mention he was curious on what they were doing.

The patrol of twolegs spread out among the burned trees, yowling and hissing at eachother. One of them stomped their hind paws down, sending clouds of leftover ash throughout the area.

"What are they even doing?" Fireheart murmured.

Ravenwing shrugged, not having an answer himself, unfortunately.

"Do you know?" His mate asked Princess, who shrugged.

"I understand some of it, but its nothing close to what my Housefolk say. I think they are looking for something, see?"

They turned their attention back, and saw one of the twolegs was using a stick to poke at the ground, as if inspecting every mark. Another was using their forepaws to cup their face, making a loud howling noise.

They all winced as the twolegs jumped into the monster, causing it to jerk into motion. It then disappeared into the trees.

Ravenwing was the first to stand, shaking his pelt of the excess dust and ash. "Well," he meowed, "thank Starclan thats over!"

The other two nodded in agreement, and Fireheart growled as he stared into the trees. "I don't like it," he grumbled.

"I don't either," he agreed, brushing against the tom, "but we can't do much about it, and not to mention we have no idea what their doing in the first place. I'm sure we can tell Tigerclaw about it." He pressed his muzzle into his fur.

"Yes, but that's what I don't like! We don't know what their doing, and I've never seen anything like it! Usually twolegs bring their kits or their dogs, but instead they all had blue pelts and were going crazy!"

Ravenwing shrugged, not knowing what else to say. He knew his mate was stressed, especially from the dream, and he also felt frazzled by the odd behavior. But at the same time, he knew if he fed into it, it would only agitate him some more.

Instead, he turned to Princess, who was just silently staring. 

"I'm sorry, but we really must be heading back."

Together, they turned their backs on the charred forest, the setting sun glinting through the trees and shining on their glossy pelts.

TOЯ ꙄƎIT⅃AYO⅃ ᗡ⅃O ,ꙄTOOЯ ƎHT HTAƎͶƎᙠ

Chapter Text

As they cut across the corner of Tallpines, Ravenwing noticed how silent Fireheart was, shifting his weight onto his paws in an uncomfortable manner as they walked. 

In the back of his mind, he knew it was most likely the twolegs he was worried about, and he couldn't blame him. The behavior was strange, and the idea that the twolegs were calling for something was even more strange. 

What are they looking for?

Sneaking another glance at Fireheart, he realized how distant his eyes seemed, staring off into the distance. 

"Fireheart? How do you feel about following the Riverclan border up towards Fourtrees?"

"Hm? Oh, I don't care."

He gave a curt nod, and steered the orange tom to stay on the same path, as he had began to stray away for a few heartbeats. 

Just as they neared Sunningrocks, Fireheart halted suddenly, lifting his head and opening his mouth to taste the air. "Do you smell that?" He asked, turning his gaze to Ravenwing.

He copied his mate's motions, and was hit with the scent of fish, but this time, there was something more familiar and nostalgic...

Wait–

He quickly trotted over to Sunningrocks, and just as he had suspected, Sandstorm sat on the highest rock, her long tail flicking and her eyes closed. The midday sun seemed to be doing wonders for her, as she happily soaked in the warmth. 

But, she also immediately caught onto his scent, and she creased an eye open, before scrambling down the rock. Ravenwing noticed her movements were slowed, and wondered if the prey in Riverclan was fattening her up.

"Ravenwing, Fireheart!" She greeted, touching his nose in greeting, "I was hoping to catch you!" Fireheart, who had just caught up, only stared awkwardky, most likely because he wasn't as close to Sandstorm as Ravenwing was. 

Ravenwing rolled his eyes, "you're lucky that a patrol didn't catch you, or else you'd be crow food." Despite the teasing, he was very glad to see Sandstorm, as he had missed his old friend.

His time in Riverclan had definitely made him closer to the she-cat, and sometimes, he wished he could still hang out with her as much as he pleased. But, he was loyal to Thunderclan and his mate, so he stayed with the occasional gathering.

"What do you need?" He asked her, watching as she began to wash her face.

"Well," she paused inbetween her washing, "it isn't exactly a huge problem, but I felt as if you deserved to know, since it was weird for me as well."

Fireheart leaned in, "well? Spit it out."

Letting out a huff at the pressure, she straightened her posture. "Crookedstar had a visitor yesterday," she told them, "and it was Redstar."

Immediately, he felt his fur raise, and Fireheart narrowed his green eyes. 

"What did he want?" Ravenwing pressed, unable to use the stammer in his tone. They had every right to be afraid of Redstar, but he was afraid of Tigerstar.

She shrugged, "No one knows, but what we all do know is that Crookedstar is very weak at the moment. The whole clan knows he's on his last life, its just common knowledge at this point! And Redstar barely spoke with him, but he had a long talk with Leopardfur."

At the name, Ravenwing's interest piqued. The Riverclan deputy was very ambitious and strong, and he had found himself fighting with her in a battle many moons ago. Not to mention she had an odd resentment towards Thunderclan.

Sandstorm continued, "and well, I was really interested too, since I haven't seen my father in a while, and I was suspicious. So, I overheard Redstar saying something about coming to our camp again."

"Odd," Fireheart muttered, anxiously clawing at the ground.

Ravenwing's attention drifted elsewhere as Fireheart and Sandstorm went back and forth about the reason Redstar was visiting. 

"Fireheart!" A cat called, and they all turned to see Mistyfoot lifting herself out the the river, her fur dripping with water. She shook herself slightly, spraying the water all directions. 

"Fireheart, have you seen Graypool anywhere?" She asked, out of breath, as if she had been running around all over to find the elder. 

She probably has.

"Graypool?" The flame colored tom echoed, thinking for a moments before shaking his head, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Sorry, I haven't seen her at all. But what would she be doing here?"

"I don't know." Mistyfoot padded up to them, anxiety shining in her blue eyes. Oddly enough, they reminded him of Bluestar.

"I couldn't find her in camp, and she's so weak and confused these days that I'm afraid she's wandered off without having an idea of where she is or what she's doing."

"She won't be here," Sandstorm objected, "if she's weak, then she's too weak to swim the river."

"Then where is she?" Mistyfoot's voice began to sound more like a wail. "I've looked everywhere possible. Plus, the river is low right now, so its not too hard for her to swim across."

Ravenwing thought quickly. If Graypool was able to cross the river into Thunderclan territory, she might still be in the area. But she would need to be found soon, especially since a Thunderclan patrol finding her would mean bad news.

"Okay, " he meowed, pushing all of his anxiety down to his paws. "I'll follow the border up to Fourtrees. Fireheart, I need you to go back to camp–" 

Fireheart nodded, already readying himself to run back to camp. 

"–and tell our clanmates about the situation. Warn them not to attack Graypool if they see her wandering around territory."

Fireheart nodded, "okay, seems simple enough. I'll see you back home?" The answer to the question was obvious, but Ravenwing suspected his mate was still on edge of losing him since his exile. 

"Or course," he promised, butting heads with his mate and watching his dash off into the forest. 

Mistyfoot let out an exhale of relief. "Okay, lets do this. Ravenwing, if you find her, you have my permission to cross the Riverclan border so you can bring her back."

Ravenwing just dipped his head in thanks, grateful that he wouldn't get torn to shreds if he crossed the border.

"Come on Mistyfoot," Sandstorm meowed, determination in her tone. "I'll swim back with you. We can check the camp again."

"Thanks, Sandstorm," Mistyfoot mewed, pressing her nose into Sandstorm's short pelt briefly before they simultaneously bounded into the river, the splash causing water to wash up onto the bank.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he headed towards Fourtrees.

He wasn't too far from Fourtrees when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a gray cat limping slowly over the twoleg bridge, which crossed the river on the route that Riverclan took on the way to gatherings.

Graypool?

Graypool!

He was ready to alert her, but noticed that the old cat had crossed the bridge, and was now dangerously close to the edge of the river. If he called out she might get spooked and accidentally slip.

Sighing, he stealthily slipped down the slope, easily hiding himself between rocks and bushes so that she wouldn't spot him. 

Much to his relief, he watched as she feebly heading up the slope into Fourtrees. Her claws scraped weakly at the rocks and Ravenwing wondered why she was going there in the first place. Did she think there was a gathering?

He was ready to try and call back to her, but once again, he restrained himself and slipped into the shelter of another rock. Another cat had appeared, making their way from the direction of Fourtrees.

When he squinted, he made out the lean, black, orange, and sand colored shape, paired with a large bushy, red tail.

Fear zapped him like lightning, glueing him to his place as he realized it was Redstar. Peering from behind the rock, he watched as Redstar spotted Graypool and quickly changed his direction towards her. 

Graypool reared back in shock, making her fall due to unbalance. However, she somehow carried herself back to her paws, her ears flattened against her head as Redstar mewed something to her.

He slinked fowards, curious and anxious on what he had to say.

"Don't pretend you don't know me," Graypool hissed, "You're Oakheart." Her voice was shaky, and her legs were trembling as Redstar stared down at her condescendingly. There was a certain glint in Redstar's eyes that made Ravenwing somewhat nauseous.

Memories flashed all at once at the name, and he vividly remembered the tom getting crushed by rocks in his past life. He knew the same fate happened in this universe, but sadly he had no recollection of it since around that time, he hadn't even entered this universe yet.

"I haven't seen you in moons," Graypool rasped, "where in Starclan's name have you been hiding yourself?"

Redstar smirked, and Ravenwing's blood ran cold, his veins freezing. Tigerstar obviously had done this in the past, and now he was here to reenact it all over again, this time as Redstar.

"Here and there..."

"You could've at least come to visit me," she scolded. "Don't you want to see how those kits are doing?"

His smirk grew wider, his eyes shining with something Ravenwing couldn't understand. "What kits?"

Graypool let out a rusty laugh, her entire body wracking at the motion. "What kits, he says! As if you don't know! The two Thunderclan kits that you asked me to take in all those moons ago."

Ravenwing tasked to himself, suddenly remembering something that he suspected was very important.

Stonefur and Mistyfoot are halfclan! And Bluestar is their mother!

Mentally, he scratched himself for forgetting something like that, especially as it had to do with his own leader.

You damn mouse brain! 

"When?" Redstar asked, leaning toward so that he was now looming over the smaller cat. His frame cast a slightly darkened shadow upon her, and it was only then that Ravenwing realized how much bigger Redstar was than the frail elder.

"Seasons ago," she replied, sounding puzzled. "Don't tell me you have forgotten... But then again, Oakheart would never forget such a thing."  She staggered toward him, only taking a couple steps before gasping.

"You're not Oakheart!" She exclaimed.

"Never mind all that," Redstar mewed, his voice as soothing as honey. "You can still tell me about it. What Thunderclan kits? Who was their real mother?"

Graypool narrowed her blurred eyes, caution evident in the way she moved. "They were beautiful kits, and now they are beautiful and fine warriors."

Redstar let out a growl, one that Ravenwing decided showed that beneath all that fur, he was still Tigerstar using someone as a skin disguise, using it to hide his true self.

But if he has already been through this, what's the point of having her say it aloud? He already knows the truth. 

"Tell me who, you piece of crow food!" He snapped, shoving his muzzle towards hers. She stumbled back, her eyes widened in surprise as she tripped over another rock. She then rolled down, barely trying to regain her balance. 

He watched on horror as she landed her head against one of the rocks, not enough to cause a largely visible open wound,  but enough to kill her due to the force of hitting the rock. Her paws shook slightly before she stilled, not moving. 

Redstar didn't even bother to check on her, bounding away to what Ravenwing presumed was Shadowclan territory. Once he was sure the leader was gone, he went over to the motionless she-cat, hanging his head in sorrow. 

He inspected her, finding that there was indeed a small trickle of blood that ran down her head and onto her nose bridge, and blood was already beginning to slip out of her nose. Her pale green eyes stared right back at him, and he shook his head. 

"May Starclan offer you a better path," he murmured, leaning down and touching his nose to her fur. He was saddened to find that it already ran cold, meaning her body was so weak that the minute she was injured, she gave up and died.

Voices interrupted his mourning, and he watched as Mistyfoot and Sandstorm ran up to him. 

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, knowing that he couldn't tell the whole truth to the pair of she-cats. "I saw her climbing up the slope, but she slipped and fell before I could even stop her."

Mistyfoot let out a wail as she collapsed and buried her nose into Graypool's fur, trying to inhale the last of her scent. Sandstorm's eyes glazed over with sadness for her lost clanmate, and she rested her tail along his shoulders.

"It's okay," she muttered, and Mistyfoot nodded.

"It's not your fault," the gray she-cat agreed, sorrow at the edges of her words. "It was bound to happen soon." With that, she stood, but not before bending her head to touch Graypool's body once more. 

"Come on, let's take her back to camp so she can have a real vigil," Sandstorm whispered. Mistyfoot whimpered sadly, and half-heartedly grabbed her foster mother's scruff. Sandstorm took whole of the rest of the elders body, and together the two cats carried her down the slope. 

Ravenwing looked away, not being able to bear the sight anymore. 

With a sigh, he returned to camp, his heart sinking even deeper with every step. Part of him cursed for not stepping in to help. Graypool didn't deserve to die in such a unjust way./p>

By the time he got back, Fireheart informed him of how Snowkit was deaf, and how Bluestar hadn't even seemed to care. Supposedly, Speckletail was also having a fot over the fact, and was in denial about her kit being deaf. Ravenwing wasn't surprised, since this had happened in his past life, but it still hurt to know his leader was surely but slowly deteriorating. 

Ravenwing decided to tell Fireheart about why Graypool had really died and what she had said. His mate had gone quiet for a few moments, before being called over for a late patrol. 

He sighed as he watched Fireheart's orange pelt disappear into the gorse tunnel with Whitestorm and Mousefur, feeling all the exhaustion of today come crashing down. 

I need sleep, he thought, stumbling into the warriors' den, not even bothering to eat, despite the fact he hadn't eaten all day, and how his stomach was practically screaming for food.

I can eat tomorrow, was his last thought as sleep washed over him.

ЯOTIAЯT ƎЯOM ƎͶO ЯOꟻ MOOЯ ꙄAH TꙄƎЯOꟻ ⋊ЯAᗡ ƎHT

Chapter Text

"Rabbit fur?"

Whitestorm's hushed mew made him and the two apprentices, Brightpaw and Swiftpaw, turn their attention to the majestic senior warrior, who's face was scrunched up in worry. 

Ravenwing trotted over, and felt his paws tingle when he was hit with a wave of dog scent. It was so strong that he considered taking a step back, but curiousity obviously had gotten the best of him. 

The patrol had been peacefully hunting around the Riverclan and Fourtrees border, but as usual, trouble always seemed to be biting at every clans' behind, like a wolf with it's prey; he shivered at the slight irony. 

Ravenwing bent his head to sniff at the rabbit scraps, recoiling when he realized dried blood and drool laced the short fur. "This is from yesterday," he noted, meeting Whitestorm's darkened gaze.

The tom nodded, while Swiftpaw and Brightpaw stood awkwardly a few mouse lengths away, unsure of how to react to the situation at paw. 

"Will the dogs attack camp?" Brightpaw asked, a quiver shaking her words as she spoke. 

He was scared to admit that he didn't actually have an answer to the question, and he shrugged meekly. 

"I'm not sure, but we need to be on alert, especially since it's so fresh." 

His apprentice suddenly got a fierce look of determination upon her face, and she nodded curtly. 

"Well," Whitestorm meowed, for the first time since he had found the rabbit scraps, "we should be getting back. We can then tell Tigerclaw and maybe even Bluestar about our concerns."

Ravenwing nodded, starting to feel uneasy. Bluestar, in his past life, had been unstable, according to Firestar, and it seemed like she was the same here. Except, he suspected Yellowfang's death had to be one of the contributing factors. 

Scooping up the rabbit Brightpaw had caught, he hurried to catch up with the already moving trio.

When they arrived back at camp, Tigerclaw was already have back from his own border patrol, talking to Mousefur in hushed whispers. When he spotter Whitestorm approaching him, he straightened, as if he was exchanging secret that no other cat should know. 

The senior warrior quickly informed the deputy of what they had found, and he watched as his former mentor's amber gaze hardened. Once Whitestorm was done, Tigerclaw sighed. 

"We found the same thing," he admitted, " More pigeon feathers and small scraps of fur, rabbit or squirrel, I'm not sure. I was hoping that when you mentioned dogs, it was just some twolegs, but it looks like this may be a new problem. "

As he drones on, Ravenwing felt as if he was missing something important from his past life, like an itch. He mentally shrugged it off.

I'll find out later, this is important right now. 

"–Ravenwing, come with me to report this to Bluestar."

He looked at Tigerclaw in surprise. He hadn't really spent time with his old friend, so he felt as if he had every right to be shocked. But the electricity of surprise wore off, and he nodded. 

"Okay," he agreed, flattening his fur, which had been ruffled from the patrol. "I'm ready when you are."

Whitestorm snorted. "You make it sound like you're prepared for a battle." 

Ravenwing was about to retort, but Tigerclaw mumbled under his breath, "it is a battle." Whitestorm didn't comment on it, but he watched as the warrior's yellow eyes glimmered with concern. 

"Let's go," Tigerclaw suggested, and Ravenwing sighed, bracing himself for the worst of Bluestar's behavior, or at least, what he had been warned of. 

The leader's den was just as he had remembered it, memories swarming his mind as he thought back to when Bluestar had told him he'd be getting an apprentice, or when she had assigned him, Fireheart, and Graystripe to retrieve Windclan.

However, now her nest was pushed to a far corner in the small den, and he realized how meek she appeared, the sunlight not reaching his fur. Her eyes had been shut, but as he and Tigerclaw approached, they quickly flew open, as if she was expecting danger. 

"Bluestar," Tigerclaw awkwardly rumbled, having to be hunched over while sitting down due to his large frame. "I have Ravenwing here."

"Who?"

What does she mean "who"? She knows me!

" Er...my old apprentice? The cat who got exiled from Thunderclan by Redsta–"

"What? He's back? What does he want now!"

"He came back some time ago," Tigerclaw explained.

"Yes yes! I know! I'm not as dumb as a rabbit! Now go on."

Tigerclaw's pelt spiked as he exchanged glances with Ravenwing. "Well, you see, from what Whitestorm and I's patrols have gathered, we believe that a dog may be loose in the forest."

He went on to describe what both patrols had found, and once he was done, Bluestar was silent for a few heartbeats before snapping her gaze to her deputy.

"Near Fourtrees? Where?"

"By the Riverclan border, according to Whitestorm and Ravenwing."

The grayish-blue leader let out an ugly snarl, her blue eyes icing over with anger; she unsheathed her claws, digging them into the soft soil. "Yes–I see it all!" She spat. "Windclan has been hunting on our territory!"

Ravenwing flinched back, not used to such explosive behavior from his leader. Sorrow made his heart ache as he realized that this was worse than he had believed it to be. 

Tigerclaw frowned. "I'm sorry Bluestar, but I don't understand –"

"Then you're a fool!" Her tail was puffed out, and her spine fur was the same, before she visibly relaxed. "No, never mind that, you're a loyal warrior, but of course it isn't your fault you don't understand the treachery of others." 

She mumbled to herself about something as Tigerclaw and Ravenwing stared, dumbfounded. 

"But Bluestar," Tigerclaw intervened, "everywhere we found the scraps of prey, dog was scented among them. The evidence is overwhelming."

"Mouse brain!" She hissed. "Dogs don't behave like that. They come here with their twolegs and then those twolegs take them away. Who has ever even heard of a dog roaming freely in the forest?"

"But that doesn't mean it can't happen," the large tabby meowed desperately, his shoulders tense. Ravenwing didn't know what to do, his mind swarming with anxiety. 

Is this really how she is now? Unable to think clearly?

The mere thought was horrible, and he swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, trying to tune out the escalating argument that was forming between leader and deputy. 

Bluestar stamped her paw on the ground, now standing. "No! Don't you remember how it was you who came to me after the gathering, and told me how Tallstar welcomed Redstar?"

"He barely acknowledged him!" Tigerclaw protested, frustration on the edges of his plea. But Bluestar wasn't bothered at all, continuing her rant. 

"Have you forgotten that Windclan warriors stopped me from going to the Moonstone, or how when Fireheart brought Cloudpaw home, they attacked them? It's clear that Windclan has never been grateful, even when Ravenwing and his friends brought them back!"

She thrust her muzzle towards him, and he winced. 

"Tallstar is clearly working with Starclan against me! He is working with them and Windclan to drive us out with the power of fear! He..." 

Her eyes were wild, and her voice quickly sank into a hacking fit, her body wracking with every wheeze. Tigerclaw's eyes widened, and he used his tail to beckon Ravenwing. 

"Bluestar, don't! I'm going to go get Cinderpelt!"

But just as they left the dark den, a loud scream sounded, and Ravenwing spun around, racing into the clearing; it had been mostly deserted, and he caught a glimpse of Goldenflower and Willowpelt ushering their kits into the nursery. 

But why? 

"Look out!" Fireheart screeched, and Ravenwing huddled himself into a corner of camp as he heard the flapping of heavy wings and saw the shadow of a hawk circling the camp. 

His eyes widened as he saw Snowkit teetering throughout the clearing, playing with a moss ball. He raced to help as Speckletail did the same, but it was too late as the hawk plunged, it's talons outstretched. 

Those talons quickly got ahold of Snowkit, and the clenched around the kit's body. Snowkit cried in terror, and Ravenwing felt his heart race. 

With all the power he could muster, he jumped, hooking a claw onto one of the hawk's wings. The creature screeched, but he fastened his grip on Snowkit. Ravenwing's body shook as the hawk beat it's wings, making him lose his grip. 

Luckily, he had only been lifted a few fox lengths off the ground, and while his whole body ached from the drop, it was forgotten as he stared hopelessly at the hawk, who had already flown off.

Brackenfur raced out of camp, Swiftpaw in hot pursuit. But it was too late, Snowkit was already gone. 

Fireheart, who he wasn't even aware of being by his side, worriedly checked him over, his green eyes wide in disbelief. "I can't believe you did that!" 

Graystripe, who had also suddenly appeared, nodded. "Too bad it didn't work out." 

Ravenwing could only nod in agreement, the shock beginning to settle in as Speckletail collapsed, throwing her head back and wailing. 

"My kit! Oh, my dear precious kit! Its my fault! That hawk should've taken me instead of him!"

Goldenflower emerged from the nursery, Tawnykit and Bramblekit peeking out from the entrance. Tigerclaw sniffed at them before nuzzling both, and Ravenwing guessed he was grateful they hadn't been taken away.

The clan formed a circle around the grieving queen, and Goldenflower pressed against her. "It's not your fault," he heard her whisper, and the whole clan murmured their own comforting words. 

Cinderpelt gave the she-cat swift licks across her ears, "come with me into my den, we'll look after after you."

But Speckletail shook her head. "No...he's gone and it's all my fault."

"No, it's not." 

Everyone turned their attention to Bluestar, who had began to pace around the clearing. 

"It's not your fault," she repeated, "whoever has heard of a hawk swooping down to take a kit? Especially with so many other cats around? This is clearly not a figment of nature. I cannot deny the truth any longer." 

She ceased her pacing, and whirled around to face her anxious clanmates. Her voice shook, vibrating with barely controlled rage. "Starclan is at war with Thunderclan!"

With that, she turned around again, leaving her clan to watch in horror as she was enveloped into the darkness of her den. 

ͶA⅃ƆЯATꙄ Yᙠ ᗡƎHƆUOTͶU ,ꙄƎͶIꟼ ƎHT HTAƎͶƎᙠ ƎI⅃ ⅃⅃IW ꙄƎͶOᙠ

Chapter Text

It had been two sunrises since Bluestar's outburst, and much to the entire clans' surprise, the leader had insisted on leading them to the gathering this time, much to Tigerclaw's silent dismay.

The stars above continued to shine brightly, as if encouraging the clan to push past their leader's insanity and havw faith. But, he wondered if anyone could even trust Starclan at the moment, especially since Bluestar herself said she didn't.

Shortly after Bluestar had retreated to her den, Tigerclaw had held his very own meeting, which Ravenwing suspected was just an excuse to reasure everyone. There, he had Cinderpelt confirm if the hawk was an omen, to which the young medicine denied.

Still, the clan was very wary, and hunting and border patrols would leave with an alert look and spiked fur, as if expecting themselves to be scooped up by a hawk. 

Bluestar raised her tail as they neared the hollow, not even glancing at them. With that, Ravenwing and his clanmates hurriedly raced into the clearing, pelts brushing. 

He looked around, watching as Bluestar stiffly climbed the Great Rock, not even bothering to greet Tallstar and Redstar, who were quietly chatting. 

She's not going to like that, especially since she already thinks Tallstar is her mortal enemy now, he thought, grimacing.

"Fireheart! Ravenwing!" 

Barely in here and we already have cats talking to us, Ravenwing thought to himself, flicking his ears as Onewhisker of Windclan approached. 

Beside him, a pale orange and white tabby stood, staring at Fireheart in awe. 

"Hi there," Onewhisker greeting, before nodding to the young cat beside him. "Do you remember who this is?" With that, he pushed the cat foward. "This is Morningflower's kit," he explained. "He's my apprentice now. Aren't they big now?"

Gorsepaw raised his head proudly as Fireheart recalled the story of having carried them across the Thunderpath when they had retrieved Windclan. However, Ravenwing was more interested in the sudden scent of Riverclan, glancing around for Sandstorm. 

Eventually, he picked out her pale tabby pelt, and he carefully waded through the crowd to catch up with her. 

"Sandstorm!" He shouted, and he watched as she whirled around in confusion, before finally spotting him. She shook her head in what he hoped was fondness before making her way over. 

"Hey Raven," she meowed, shouldering him playfully. "What's been going on with you." 

He flinched at the mention, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in worry. He let out a sigh, and explained to her about Bluestar's outburst, and how poor Snowkit had been carried away by the hawk. By the time he was done, Sandstorm's eyes were as large as acorns. 

"Damn...that's a lot," she nervously chuckled, before she took on a more serious expression, "you don't think she'll try anything tonight, do you?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but hey, what's been going on with your clan? Nothing as bad, I hope?"

"Not really, except for the fact that Leopardstar is leader now."

"Really?" To make sure she wasn't joking, he gazed up at the Great Rock, finding that Leopardfur, or, Leopardstar, was sitting beside Bluestar, her amber eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, Stonefur is the new deputy," she confirmed. "But, there is something I need to tell you, and its that Leopardstar is planning to take over Sunningrocks."

He snapped his gaze to her in surprise. "Why are you telling me this?" 

She shrugged, shuffling her paws. "I don't know," she admitted, "but knowing the state of your clan right now, I felt as if maybe you should know."

"Did you tell him yet?"

Sandstorm looked like she was about to jump out of her fur as she looked over her shoulder, meeting Silverstream's warm blue gaze. 

"No," she sighed. 

"Tell me what, exactly?" He asked, glancing between the two. 

"I'm expecting kits," Silverstream purred, sitting beside her mate. Ravenwing inwardly chuckled at how much Riverclan cats towered over his friend. 

"That's great!" He exclaimed, but felt confusion take over. "But...who surrogated for you?" 

"Graystripe," the two she-cats meowed simultaneously.

That's...surprising.

"How long?" 

"For around a moon now," Silverstream replied, beaming.

"Well, I hope it goes smoothly, " he meowed genuinely, thinking back to how Graystripe had lost Silverstream to kit-birth. 

Leopardstar, being the new leader, went on to introduce herself formally before announcing any news for her clan. She quickly told everycat that Graypool was dead, giving a small speech before taking a step back.

Ravenwing didn't miss the way that Redstar's lips curved into a smirk as Leopardstar recalled Graypool as a wonderful mother to Mistyfoot and Stonefur. 

He already knows from his past life, so what does he gain from that?

Bluestar was next, but as she stepped foward, he felt his spine fur raise. Her blue eyes held that icy look, and he could feel the crackling tension rise as she began to raise her voice above the chattering cats.

"Cats of all clans," she began, "I bring news of theft. Windclan warriors have been hunting in Thunder clan territory."

Ravenwing's heart lurched as Onewhisker rose to his paws, yelling, "Prove it then!"

At the words, Bluestar snarled. "I do have proof, for our patrols have found remains of rabbit scattered not far from here."

Tallstar growled, and he shouldered his way foward so that hewas face-to-face with the angry Thunderclan leader. "How is that proof?" The tom roared, "did you see any of my warriors? Did you–"

Redstar pushed himself inbetween the two leaders. "The gathering is supposed to be a time of  peace," he meowed smoothly, "if we continue this, Starclan will be angered."

Sandstorm pressed against Silverstream, obviously still hurt by the way her "father" was now, but Ravenwing knew the truth, and it was that it was Tigerstar. Tigerstar knew what to do, he had done this before, it was easier than ever for him to take over the clans.

But I'm not going to let that happen, he vowed, glaring up at the Great Rock. 

The way back home reminded Ravenwing of the time that Tigerclaw had led them back; that had been when Redstar announced himself as leader.

Fireheart was quiet, and Ravenwing could already guess why. Around the end of the gathering, Tallstar had told Bluestar that if a battle was what she wanted, a battle was what she'd get.

Obviously, none of Thunderclan wanted any fights, especially since they were all still recovering, but with the current state of their leader, anything could happen. 

He silently pressed against Fireheart, glancing around at his clanmates. Longtail was muttering something into Darkstripe's ear, but Ravenwing couldn't help but notice how distant the dark tabby seemed. 

Cloudpaw was staring at the ground angrily, his white fur puffed up; Willowpelt's tail dragged through the dirt; Whitestorm was in deeper in thought than usual, which was saying a lot.

By the time they had reached the gorse tunnel, everyone was already taking their way to their nests, flooding the warriors' den, with the exception of Cloudpaw, of course, who touched noses with his uncle and mentor, Fireheart, before going into his own den. 

Ravenwing followed Fireheart into their den, curling up in their shared nest like everyone else. 

"I really hope we don't go into war with Windclan," Longtail murmured, to which everyone muttered half-hearted agreements.

If there was any more talk, Ravenpaw didn't hear, as he slowly drifted off into slumber.

He found himself on a long stretch of moorland, and he realized it was Windclan territory. 

A Starclan dream... 

"Hello?" He called, disappointed when he found that he got no answer. 

He wandered around for a bit, before hearing soft voices. Ducking down into the turf, he raised his head nervously. 

Fireheart was talking to Spottedleaf, his green eyes pleading. "Please! Tell me how to stop the fight!"

The pretty tortoiseshell she-cat only stared at him with sympathy, before she slowly began to fade away. Ravenwing sighed as the light changed, becoming more dark. 

The sky crackled with thunder, dark clouds looming over the moorland. A voice then boomed: "This is what will happen if unnecessary blood is shed."

"But I need an answer!" Fireheart wailed, standing against the blustering wind that had started up. Ravenwing wanted to run over and help him, but for some reason, he stayed rooted to where he was, staring directly at the sky.

Does Starclan really have no answer?

"You look tired," Graystripe commented the next day, staring at Fireheart with concern. Ravenwing nodded, pulling at the strings of his sparrow as he ate. He wanted to mention the dream to his mate, but he still had yet to tell him about...well, everything.

"Just worried about everything, " Fireheart replied, taking a hearty bite out of his mouse. Graystripe nodded, before his gaze drifted to Tigerclaw. 

"He looks troubled."

At the mention of his former mentor, Ravenwing glanced over, wwatching as Tigerclaw stamped out of Bluestar's den. When he caught sight of the trio watching, he had expected the deputy to get mad, but instead, he cautiously approached them. 

Lowering his head, the deputy whispered, "How would you guys feel about a mission?"

Ravenwing exchanged looks with his friends. The last time all three of them had been on a mission together was when they had retrieved Windclan. But that had been ordered by Bluestar, and he had a sneaking suspicion this was one not ordered by her. 

"What for?" Graystripe asked, leaning foward. 

Tigerclaw smirked half-heartedly, his amber eyes fired by determination, "tag along and you'll see."

WO⅃⅃Oꟻ ⅃⅃IW HTAƎᗡ ᗡͶA — ЯƎᗡЯOᙠ ƎHT ꙄꙄOЯƆ ⅃⅃IW WOᗡAHꙄ A

Chapter Text

The growing bushes and clumps of  undergrowth had begun to be layered by bright colored leaves of yellow, orange, and red, making the sprouting plants a sharp contrast to the coming season of Leaffall.

Graystripe hissed as his paw got caught in a small thicket, and Ravenwing quickly clamped his teeth down carefully on the string of thorns, allowing his friend to become free of its grasp. 

"Thanks," the gray tom whispered, before they both darted over to catch up with Fireheart and Tigerclaw.

Tigerclaw's movements were rushed and fast, and the three were all having a hard time keeping up with the powerful deputy. When they thought he would go left, he went right, when they thought he would go up, he would go down.

Unsurprisingly, it was extremely tiring.

"Where are we going?" Fireheart questioned as they leapt over a rotting,  fallen down tree. 

Tigerclaw didn't even stop to answer, his gaze fixated elsewhere; Ravenwing had never seen his former mentor so focused, even when they had trained together in his apprentice days.

"You'll see," the deputy replied, suddenly halting and raising his head to tatse the air.

Fireheart exchanged unsure glances with them, and Ravenwing couldn't help but let the surge of defensiveness flow throughout him. His former mentor knew what he was doing.

Finally, Tigerclaw nodded. "This way," he mumbled, and as they were able to take in the area, they all collectively realized where they were. 

The smell of rabbit, the large moor up ahead...

The Windclan border!

Much to Ravenwing's relief, Fireheart didn't question it, and they crossed the border quietly, with the sun's final rays beaming off of their glossy pelts.

The Windclan camp was much better that Ravenwing had last seen it, with the blood droplets gone and covered by dust; the scratch marks were filled in, and the smell of fear was gone. 

Well, mostly, but it mainly lingered because Tigerclaw, Graystripe, Fireheart, and him were all in Tallstar's den. 

"So," Tallstar meowed thoughtfully, his eyes gleaming in the setting sun, "You're saying that a dog is loose in your territory, and to stop Bluestar from attacking my clan, you need a message?"

Tigerclaw nodded. "Yes, we need a cat to take the message that you would like to talk to Bluestar."

"Who would that be? I'm not willing to risk one of my warriors. Not to mention you're directly going behind your leader's back."

Silence gathered in the den, and the Windclan leader sighed defeatedly. "I'm sorry, but I can't send one of mine. Onewhisker, you better escort these four back to Fourtrees –"

Words seemed to storm inside of Ravenwing's head, and he suddenly remembered something, and that something could possibly help out, especially since it had worked in his past life.

"Wait!" He intervened just as Onewhisker was ready to lead them back. "I have an idea!"

"Go on," Tallstar urged.

"Well, many moons ago, I was exiled along with Sandstorm. Last time I talked with Bluestar, she didn't realize that I had come back. However, if I come into camp and convince her that I'm a loner and that you have a message for her, it might work."

Deadfoot, the Windclan deputy, furrowed his brows. "And if it doesn't?"

"We can figure that out later," Tigerclaw promised, "but this might work!"

Fireheart butted his head affectionately, and Graystripe grinned as Ravenwing felt his ears burned.

"Very well then. Deadfoot, escort them off our territory. Ravenwing, tell your leader that she should be expected to meet me at dawn at Fourtrees. Good luck, and may Starclan be with you."

Fireheart touched his nose gingerly, worry gleaming in his wide green eyes. "You sure you've got this?" 

Ravenwing nodded, "I'm sure, now get back to camp and tell everyone else before its too late." Tigerclaw dipped his head and ushered the two warriors with him, he had to look away as Fireheart cast a glance over his shoulder. 

I can do this, I did this before. 

He settled comfortably in a corner of the clearing, the scent of all clans still apparent. The smell made him somewhat less worried, and he imagined himself at the gathering, chatting with the cats he knew.

He also took the time to think about all that had happened. Last time he had to help Windclan was when he was a new warrior, and now the second time, he was a seasoned fighter and confident in what he was doing. 

Or was he? 

While he had managed to look determined, it never stopped his heart from thudding loud beneath his pelt, or how thoughts of doubt raced his head. 

It was normal, he wss sure, but he thought that after the many pep talks he given himself, whether on how he was different now, or how he wasn't scared, a new fear seemed to stack onto his others. 

If this is what I have to do now, what will I have to do in the future? What lengths will I have to go to stop Tigerstar?

At the name, guilt stabbed at him. He had done nothing to stop the soon-to-be tyrannical reign of the leader. 

But what can you do? You're in Thunderclan, and haven't even met with him personally yet, you just need to wait. Personally, you need to be worrying about telling Fireheart and you're friends about this before it escalates. 

No, not yet,  he thought, still procrastinating. Especially right now, when Thunderclan was on the brink of battle.

But you said that last time, except your excuse was that Thunderclan needed to recover from the fire.

He winced; he loathed how his inner consciousness was right most of the time, he had said that last time.

Fine, I'll tell him soon, but only when a ll of this is over. 

Good. 

Closing his eyes, he let himself drift off to sleep, hoping he'd wake up before dawn.

He yawned, and tiredly looked around, relieved to find that he still had some time to make it to Thunderclan. He quickly memorized what he was going to say, preparing himself for Bluestar's wild state. He still faintly remembered doing this, but he couldn't exactly place a paw on how it had gone down.

Oddly enough, he had no dreams, and he suspected it was because Starclan and the Spirit world in general had no business with it, just like how when Fireheart had seen Spottedleaf in his dreams, she couldn't tell him what to do.

The thought of Starclan having no idea on what to do frightened him slightly, and he shook his head, focusing on getting to camp. 

After trudging through the territory and making the long walk home, he was greeted by Ashpaw at the beginning of the gorse tunnel, who looked confused but serious. He guessed the young apprentice was assigned to greet him in some way. 

Just before the young gray tom could get a word in, Tigerclaw came in from behind him, nodding. "Ravenwing, hello. Come with me."

Anxiety poked at his heart, but he followed the deputy nevertheless, the feeling of being led into camp like a lost apprentice replacing the nervousness with embarrassment.

As they neared Bluestar's den, Tigerclaw halted, muttering a "stay here" before entering the den. He emerged a few heartbeats later. "Bluestar is ready to see you."

He dipped his head, and entered the den, meeting Bluestar's icy blue gaze. 

"So, you have a message, apparently from Windclan?"

He nodded, "yes, Bluestar."

She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer as her pupils dilated into small slits. "How can I trust a cat that was exiled and is a loner, at that?"

His fur bristled, and he forced it to become flat.

"I live with Barley now, the barn cat, and I can ensure you that you can trust me, especially as a former Thunderclan cat. My only job was to deliver this message."

She leaned back, still stiff but willing to listen. Her silence urged him to speak, and so he did.

"Tallstar wishes to speak to you at Fourtrees at dawn, he wants to have a peaceful talk about clan matters."

Her lips curled. "How can I trust him?"

"He seemed very willing to ease the tension between your two clans."

She hummed thoughtfully, "what time, did you say?"

"Dawn."

She stood adrubtly, shaking her fur. "Very well then. You must return to your land, but I will go. Thank you."

She left the den, and he scurried after her, sinking past her and into the warriors' den. Fireheart and Graystripe were waiting, their gazes curious and worried. 

"Did it work?" Graystripe asked.

"Yes," he breathed, "but now we need to hope that the talk goes well."

"Fireheart, Graystripe!" Tigerclaw called, "Bluestar would like you on a patrol to escort her to Fourtrees!"

Fireheart sent him an apologetic glance before washing his tongue over Ravenwing's ears before leaving with Graystripe. He closed his eyes, hoping to get some real sleep.

ƎЯƎW YƎHT ꙄA TOͶ TUᙠ ,⋊ЯAᗡ ƎHT MOЯꟻ ͶЯUTƎЯ ꙄWAꟼ ƎMOꙄ

Chapter Text

"You did what?"

Ravenwing stared at Fireheart in silent disbelief as the orange tom shuffled uncomfortably.

"I had to!" He insisted after several long heartbeats, "she would've been killed, I had to save her." There was this unknown guilt that shone in his wide green eyes, like he felt responsible for his leader's foolishness.

But Ravenwing couldn't help but feel baffled by it. What kind of move was that, telling Mistyfoot and Stonefur that Bluestar was their mother? 

He had peacefully resting in camp after stopping the Windclan attack when suddenly, Bluestar was announced missing. Fireheart and Tigerclaw rushed out to find her, and he had assumed that it would be fine, but hadn't expected this. 

The tension with Windclan had been bad enough, we don't need problems with the literal deputy of Riverclan and one of their strongest warriors!

Sighing, he already knew that he couldn't stay mad at his mate for long, but he still needed to clear his head. Brushing against Fireheart's side, he meowed, "I'll be out hunting, okay? Don't follow me."

He felt cruel, but Fireheart nodded, turning tail and trudging away to a different side of camp. He stared for a little bit longer before slipping out of camp through the gorse tunnel. 

Inwardly, Ravenwing realized that it had been a while since he had a walk all by himself, and he took the time to take in all the different colors of Leaffall. 

The sound of beating wings made him look over, and as he peered up a large sycamore tree, he spotted a robin. Crouching, he waited for it to swoop down from the branch, and once it did, he pounced. 

"Hey there."

He missed the bird by a single mouse length, causing him to have painful fall to the forest floor. Luckily, he was slightly cushioned by a small pile of leaves. He shook his head, before he assessed the real problem. 

" Redtail?"

He hadn't seen the former deputy for a while, and he was beginning to wonder when he would. It seemed like this was his answer. 

Redtail's form was somewhat like a Starclan cat's, almost see-through. Yet, his amber eyes still were as bright as they had been in life, and he still held his crooked smile. 

Ravenwing shook his pelt, pushing away the irritation that crawled into him. He had been hoping to be left alone. 

"Where have you been?" He questioned, and Redtail chuckled. "Always straight to the questions, huh?" The older tom shook his head fondly before his features creased into a serious look. 

"I've been in Shadowclan camp," he admitted, "Tigerstar is...interesting, to say the least. He leaves sometimes, comes back. It feels normal at times, but from what I've heard about him, I can't help but be on edge."

The mention if the dark leader still sent a shiver down Ravenwing's spine, no matter how many times he heard it. 

Redtail continued. "But, something that I've been noticing is that rabbits from the fresh kill pile have been going missing. First, I didn't think anything of it, but then I noticed that it was Tigerstar who was taking them. And when he leaves camp with them, he has no blood around his muzzle or anything, like he's not even eating them."

Ravenwing's blood seemed to freeze as he mulled over everything possible in his bed that had to do with this situation. But, everything seemed to go blank, and he shook his head sadly. 

"I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything that he could be doing." He felt useless, but Redtail nodded sympathetically. 

"It's okay," he meowed reassuringly, "I just wanted to let you know. But I need to get going, just in case I miss out on something important." Ravenwing watched as the transparent tom disappeared into the bushes, his red tail swishing to-and-fro.

He let out a sigh, sniffing the air for any sigh of remaining prey. He could detect some mouse, but it was faint, meaning it was most likely from yesterday. 

"Ravenwing?"

He whipped around, his heart sinking as he met Fireheart's shocked gaze. His eyebrows were furrowed together, and Ravenwing could only guess that he had heard some of the conversation, if not all of it.

"Hey?" He responded, wincing as Fireheart narrowed his eyes. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but was that Redstar?"

Panic rose in his chest, and he desperately fought for it not to show. "I...No! It was Redtail!" He blurted out, regret seeping in like water soaking moss immediately after. 

"Redtail?" Fireheart chuckled, although it sounded sour. "Redtail is Redstar. Don't think you can fool me." He took a heated step foward. "Are you conspiring against our clan with the Shadowclan leader?"

Ravenwing flattened his bristling fur, realizing that this was definitely the time to explain. 

"Lets go on a walk," he suggested. "I can explain!" He pleaded as Fireheart sent him a suspicious glare. 

Finally, his mate gave in, but he didn't let up on his glare, "you better have a good explanation for what I just saw and heard."

They neared the Owl Tree in perfectly stilled silence, and Ravenwing halted at the trunk, nervously sitting down. 

"So, how much did you hear?"

Fireheart rolled his eyes, huffing. The complete mIodd change from what Ravenwing was used too was unexpected, but he should've known that his mate would be somewhat miffed. 

"Just enough to know that you're going behind our clan's back!" He hissed. 

Ravenwing sighed, "okay, I need you to sit down so I can actually explain."

Fireheart sat down, but his fur was still ruffled as Ravenwing began the long story that increased every day. 

"Many moons ago, when we were apprentices, I wasn't even here, in this world, I mean. I was a loner named Ravenpaw, who lived in the barn with Barley. Shortly after I died, I was told by these spirits that I needed to save the world, and by the world, they mean our current universe."

"It took me time to adjust to everything here. For instance, in my past life, Tigerclaw had killed Redtail and was a horrible mentor, and you and Graypaw had helped me escape to the barn. But, here, Tigerclaw is perfectly fine. I guess that's why I'm needed here, because Tigerclaw is usually destined to be evil."

"Throughout my apprenticeship, I've experienced dreams, and those dreams have continued –"

"And," Fireheart interrupted, "you didn't think to tell me about this?"

"How could I?" Ravenwing meowed, "it took me forever to finally tell Yellowfang, and that was because she asked! It's my problem."

Fireheart's green gaze softened, and he meowed, "okay, go on."

"Well, you see, from what I know, Redtail was tricked into letting Tigerstar, who was from my universe and is insanely evil, posses his body. I think that was around when me and Sandstorm got exiled. Now, Redstar is actually Tigerstar, but Redtail, who I was talking to, is trying to find out how to get back."

He let put an exhale, and as Fireheart stepped towards him, he stopped his body from trembling. Wait, he had been trembling.

"I kinda want to be mad at you," Fireheart admitted, looking down at his paws before meeting Ravenwing's gaze again. "And I do think you need to stop keeping everything to yourself, but I'm also glad that you told me instead of continuing to be dishonest."

Ravenwing nodded meekly, for once letting himself present vulnerable. "I know," he whispered, the weight of his destiny still on his hunched shoulders, "I was going to tell you, but I didn't want you to worry about me, especially since its so much to take in, even for me."

The orange tabby let out a broken chuckle, "trust me, I get it, well, not really. I've been having dreams from Starclan too, but I didn't expect my mate's soul be from somewhere different."

He nodded, letting himself loose. "Yeah..."

Fireheart perked up for a moment. "Wait, so what was I like in your old universe?"

The walk back to home was filled with Ravenwing explaining everything, and him and Fireheart came to the agreement that anything like this shouldn't be a secret anymore. 

He couldn't help but feel like Fireheart had forgiven him too quickly, but then again, he suspected that there was still that ounce of kittypet in him, which most likely kept him from mauling everyone. 

As they entered the camp, Ravenwing found himself staring at Tigerclaw, who was talking to Longtail and Swiftpaw. The more they spoke, the more crestfallen Swiftpaw became, and the more Longtail appeared angry. 

Bluestar emerged from her den, already raising her voice. "All cats that can catch their own prey, come around for a clan meeting!"

Ravenwing winced; the words weren't exactly right, but he wasn't surprised, especially Bluestar's memory was foggy at the moment.

Your memory is bad too, so you can't be talking, he reprimanded himself. 

He sat next to Graystripe as Fireheart touched his nose and padded up to Cloudpaw, who held an excited look on his face. His heart dipped, and as he watched Brightpaw stalk out of the apprentices' den, it truly dawned upon him on what was happening. 

Cloudpaw was getting his warrior name. 

"Brightpaw," he called softly, and she visibly exhaled, making her way towards him. She sat down, her ears flattened against her head and her blueish-green eyes downcast. Ravenwing looked aroun, and made eye contact with Longtail, who gave a grim nod.

He nodded back, before touching Brightpaw's shoulders with a light flick of his tail. "It'll be okay," he promised, not exactly used to comforting his apprentice, since she was usually so bubbly. 

"Will it though?" She asked, finally meeting his gaze. His heart melted as he saw how disappointed she was, and he could only let out a shaky purr. 

"I'm sure. And if Bluestar doesn't see that, then I'll have to become leader and do it myself."

Much to his relief, she let out a chuckle, but it came out more like a broken sob. 

Cloudpaw strolled foward, unbothered by the apprentices' sad and angry stares as Bluestar began to speak. 

"Cloudpaw, you fought very well against Riverclan this morning, anfrom that, I have now decided that you are ready to take your place in Thunderclan as a warrior."

Cloudpaw lifted his chin, and for a moment, Ravenwing was brought back to when he had became a warrior. But, it was still somber, and he had to tear his gaze away. 

"I, Bluestar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He had trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him as warrior in return."

Ravenwing didn't miss the way her tone hardened at the mention of "ancestors," and he could only guess that her faith in Starclan had truly dissipated. 

"Cloudpaw," she went on, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Cloudpaw replied, his legs shaking but his voice confident. Brightpaw's eyes glazed over, and in the corner of his eyes, he noticed Swiftpaw facing the opposite direction. 

"Then, by the powers of...Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Cloudpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Cloudtail. Starclan honors your courage and independence, and we now welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."

She jumped down from Highrock, somehow still managing to land neatly as she bent down and rested her muzzle upon Cloudtail's head. In return, he gave her shoulder a lick. 

As she stepped back, only a few awkward chants sounded from the crowd, and Cloudtail's disappointment was evident. But, it got washed away once Brindleface, who had taken him in as a kit, came up and congratulated him. 

Brindleface was a much better mother to Ashpaw, Fernpaw, and Cloudtail, after Sandstorm left. He guessed that she had realized her mistakes, such as pushing Sandstorm to like Dustpelt, and was ready to be a better role model. However, he did wish that she would find a way to apologize to his Riverclan friend.

Ravenwing stood, ready to congratulate the new warrior. After all, his beloved mate had trained him, and he was some kind of uncle to the white tom. 

He didn't notice Brightpaw slip away into the apprentices' den. 

He didn't notice the way Swiftpaw ushered all the apprentices away. 

ƎTA⅃ OOT TUᙠ — MƎHT ƎƎꙄ UOY ƎЯOꟻƎᙠ MƎHT ⅃⅃ƎMꙄ ⅃⅃IW UOY

Chapter Text

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

The crickets chirped in the background, probably for the last time before Leaffall took over. The piling dead leaves crunched softly as they made their way through the eerily silent forest, and fireflies floated around. 

"Yes, this is obviously what we need to get our warrior names," Swiftpaw hissed, his shoulders slightly tense. His mew was taut, and his yellow eyes darted around nervously. 

Brightpaw only hummed in anxious agreement, feeling like she would jump at any sudden sound or movement. Doubt eased its way into her chest, but she then thought back to Cloudtail's ceremony, and how disappointed Ravenwing had been. 

He'll be so glad when I finally get my name! 

"Stop," Swiftpaw whispered, snapping her thoughts in half like a weak twig. She halted, letting her muscles tense as her friend warily looked from left to right, ears flicking at every faint sound.

"Nevermind," he murmured, "keep going." His eyes stayed sharp, scanning the shadows between the trees.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Wherever the dogs are now," he replied simply, "which I'm pretty sure is Snakerocks."

She nodded, deciding not to ask any more questions, focusing on the odd noises of the forest. She thought that she had been used to strange noises, such as owls hooting or foxes yipping, but at night, it was different. 

The air was more tense, like all the prey animals had an agreement to not interact when the sun was down. The only other living creature present was Swiftpaw, crickets, and her. 

When she strained her ears and angled them the right way, however, she could hear the soft bubbling of the river, and she let it comfort her, easing the tightness in her chest.

Chapter Text

Ravenwing tore into the mouse heartily, his teeth pulling at the strings as he ate. Beside him, Fireheart took small bites from a sparrow, and Graystripe was already finishing a rabbit. 

The morning air was crisp and clean, and for the first in what felt like moons, Ravenwing felt somewhat confident that it would be a good day. 

Despite yesterday's obvious tension Cloudtail being the only apprentice to become a warrior, everything else had gone toward smoothly. Of course, he was still irked by his leader's actions, but he knew that it meant he had to work even harder with Brightpaw. 

At the thought of Brightpaw, he fought a frown, not wanting his inner thoughts to seep into real life. The image of her glazed over blueish-green eyes flashed, and he let out a quiet sigh; his apprentice would need all the appreciation and reassurance she could possibly get. 

He stood, shaking his pelt despite there barely being any dust. Early morning training was the best way to get Brightpaw's spirits up. 

"Where are you going?" Fireheart asked, his tone unreadable. Ravenwing could only guess that after yesterday, when he finally revealed the truth, his mate was keen on not letting him out of his sight. 

"Off to wake up Brightpaw," he replied, "I want to get her as prepared as I can."

Graystripe nodded, understanding. The gray tom had trained Brackenfur, who had turned out to be a fine warrior, so he obviously understood Ravenwing's urgency on training, especially after Bluestar's delay. 

Something that looked like guilt flickered in Fireheart's round green gaze, and Ravenwing decided not to comment on it. It was natural for his mate to feel bad after only his apprentice became a warrior. 

He headed off to the apprentices' den, peeking his head into the dark den. Much to his surprise, Brightpaw's nest was empty, and that surprise was soon replaced by worry. 

Where could she possibly be? I didn't see her in the clearing!

At the same time, Longtail, Swiftpaw's mentor, did the same, and he watched as the lean warrior's features creased. 

"What on Windclan's green moor is going on?" Longtail muttered, most likely half to himself and half to Ravenwing. 

"I don't know...maybe we should ask Tigerclaw?"

The tabby nodded and he followed him into the clearing as they approached Tigerclaw, who was busy speaking to Fernpaw's mentor, Darkstripe. Beside him was Dustpelt, who was currently mentoring Ashpaw. 

Ravenwing noticed how his littermate had a look of rare concern, and as he and Longtail approached, Tigerclaw immediately turned his attention to them. 

"Ravenwing, Longtail," he acknowledged, "I was about to call you two over. Fernpaw?" Fernpaw, who he hadn't even noticed in the group, ears her way into the front of them. 

"Go on," Darkstripe urged, "tell them what happened." 

What does that mean? 

Fernpaw hesitated, but after Dustpelt gave her a reassuring nod, she let out an exhale, ready to talk. 

But about what? 

"It's... It's Swiftpaw," she mewed after a few heartbeats. "He was...really angry yesterday, after Cloudtail's ceremony. He kept on ranting about how Bluestar should've made him, Thornpaw, and Brightpaw warriors. He said that Bluestar would never make us warriors unless we did something special to get her attention."

Ravenwing's spine fur raised, and Longtail leaned in, intrigued and worried at the same time. 

"So he asked us to help him find out where the dogs were," she went on, every word causing her to shake.

"And what did the other apprentices think?" Tigerclaw asked, his voice gentle yet obviously cold in his own way. 

Fernpaw shook her head. "We want to be warriors, but me and Ashpaw aren't ready, and Thornpaw said it was ridiculous. In the end, Swiftpaw only managed to get Brightpaw to go along with him."

Ravenwing's world seemed to spin as he thought back to how disappointed Brightpaw really had been. Her own sadness mixed with Swiftpaw's reasonable rage was a bad mix. 

"When was this?" Tigerclaw demanded, his amber eyes boring into Fernpaw's gray pelt. She shuddered, and meowed, "I don't know – before dawn? It was early enough that the sun wasn't up."

"Damnit," Tigerclaw cursed under his breath, while Longtail visibly became more antsy. He couldn't blame the striped warrior, the dogs were a serious issue, and two young apprentices putting themselves in such danger was practically a death wish. 

"We need to find them," Ravenwing blurted out, feeling himself become desperate. He had to know his apprentice was okay. 

Tigerclaw nodded, telling Longtail to fetch some other warriors. Once the tabby was gone, he muttered something to Dustpelt and Darkstripe, but Ravenwing didn't hear. All he could think about was what an awful mentor he was for letting this happen. 

Determination burnee within him, and he took in a breath before exhaling. 

He would find Brightpaw if it was the last thing he did.

With Cloudtail and Tigerclaw right behind his rear and Longtail beside him, Ravenwing scanned the forest. The mix of scents wasn't helping, but he had a feeling that if they found their apprentices, it would become apparent. 

No Ravenwing, it's when, not if. 

Between Fireheart finding out about who he really was and now this, Ravenwing was pretty sure this was not the best few days. He wasn't saying that his mate knowing was a bad thing, but it was still stressful. 

Longtail halted for the tenth time since they had exited camp, raising his muzzle to the slightly gray sky and opening his mouth to taste the air. He then closed it, murmuring something about a false alarm. 

Ravenwing wasn't much better compared to the anxious mentor, except he found himself snapping his gaze to any direction that he heard sound from, and registering every scent, including his.

Tigerclaw sighed, and nudged the two. "Where was the most recent scenting of the dogs?" He asked, and Ravenwing perked up. 

"Snakerocks! Brightpaw was with me the last time me and Whitestorm found those scraps of prey. I think she told Swiftpaw after that, so maybe that's where they went!"

Tigerclaw offered a reassuring smile, "okay, then let's head over there."

The patrol quickly made their way over, pulling through the brush. The closer the came, the more things that he noticed. Small paw prints were etched into the soil, and the fresh scent of two apprentices became more clear. 

Longtail noticed as well, and he exchanged a hopeful glance with Ravenwing as they drew closer. 

That hope, however, was demolished as another foul scent mixed into the familiar ones. 

Dog. 

Tigerclaw, for the first time in moons, looked scared, something that was rare. He leaned down, whispering, "stay close," before taking the lead of the patrol. 

Terror coursed through his veins as once again, another scent filled the area. The undeniable scent of freshly spilled blood. The smooth and sand covered stones that were Snakerocks had barely came into view, but it already reeked of what any cat would say was a battlefield. 

"Oh no," Ravenwing fearfully muttered, wishing it was a bad dream, something that Starclan or the spirit world had sent as a warning. He wished he could just wake up and stop everything from happening. 

But this was very much real. 

In the middle of the clearing lay Swiftpaw and Brightpaw, blood pooling into the sand. Leaves were scattered, torn and dead. Scratch marks were etched into the flayed dirt, and Ravenwing launched himself into the clearing at once. 

Horror flooded his senses as his inspected his apprentice. Where her right eye was susposed to be was instead a large gash, a gaping hole where the eye would be. Every instinct in him screamed to flinch, to call it ugly, to recoil, but instead he focused on the important things.

He quickly ran a shaky paw over her flank, relief swarming his as he felt the slow rise and fall of her belly. Her pure white–and–ginger  fur was splattered with blood, but she could be saveable. 

She would make it out alive. 

Cloudtail nudged him, and he let the newest warrior look over his friend. Ravenwing padded over to Longtail, and he winced. Swiftpaw's throat had a large gash, one that should've killed the young tom, but somehow, he was still breathing. 

"We need to take them back," Longtail whispered, "they need to survive." Tigerclaw nodded, helping Longtail carry Swiftpaw. Ravenwing humbly returned to Cloudtail, lifting his injured apprentice onto the former kittypet's back. 

Ignoring how Brightpaw's fresh blood dripped from the wound on her face and down onto the ground, they headed back to camp. 

As they became farther and farther away from the stones, where it seemed like everything bad happened, words echoed in his head. 

Pack pack, kill kill, pack pack, kill kill. 

When they returned to camp, they were met with horrified gasps and cats turning away. He knew why, and it disgusted him. Instead of focusing on that two of their clanmates were horrifically injured, they decided that the way they looked. 

Ignoring the stares, he dutifully followed Cloudtail, Tigerclaw, and Longtail into the medicine den, where Cinderpelt was already preparing herbs. They carefully set Brightpaw and Swiftpaw into the empty nests, and the she-cat sniffed them. 

"Okay, Longtail and Ravenwing, you may stay but no asking me anything or bothering me, okay? This is a serious situation."

At the words, Cloudtail left, but not before glancing over his shoulder. Tigerclaw set his tail over Ravenwing's shoulders and whispered something into Longtail's ears before he left as well. 

Together, they watched as Cinderpelt worked on the injured cats. She carefully applied chewed up herbs to both of their wounds, and she then proceeded to wrap them with cobwebs and long leaves, salvaged from Greenleaf.

She turned to Ravenwing, her blueish-green eyes reminding him of Brightpaw's; He faintly remembered that the two were littermates. 

"Raven, I need you to use this moss to soak up as much water as you can. We need to clean these scratches." She dutifully handed him three large pieces of moss, and he quickly headed outside to the small stream that ran through the camp walls.

He soaked up the water, scrambling back into the den and giving them back to her. She dipped her head in thanks, and gently ran the moss over Brightpaw's injuries before doing the same to Swiftpaw.

What had been minutes turned into hours as the day dragged on, with him and Longtail never pausing to speak or close their eyes. It was worth it, he was sure of it, especially if it meant being there for his apprentice when she woke up. 

"Okay," Cinderpelt meowed, pausing to wash herself. Everyday she became more and more like Yellowfang. "Brightpaw's right eye is gone, meaning she will need help with getting used to it missing. I trust that she can become a warrior." 

"Swiftpaw's throat is damaged to the point that he may never be able to speak again. But, with your help, he might be able to make sounds and communicate through signals and drawings and continue to become a warrior."

Longtail didn't look bothered, rather relieved his apprentice would survive. Ravenwing felt that the feeling was mutual, and he was willing to help Brightpaw get back to her former state, no matter the costs.

"When will they wake up?" Longtail asked. 

Cinderpelt opened her mouth to speak, but just then, a shadow loomed at the entrance of the den, making everyone look over. Bluestar stood, her face unreadable as she stared down at the two filled nests. 

"Will they live?" She questioned, not dragging her gaze away. Ravenwing wondered if it hurt the leader to be in the same den her mate once accompanied, or to be in the presence of a cat who believed in Starclan. 

"They should," Cinderpelt replied confidently, not letting her leader get to her. "But that's up to Starclan."

"Without ever becoming warriors," Longtail muttered, founding at the thought. Ravenwing leaned into his friend, but he perked up when Bluestar shook her head. 

"No," she meowed, "there is this...ritual, luckily used very little, for when a dying apprentice is worthy of their warrior name."

Hope flared in Ravenwing's chest. Had his leader finally realized her mistakes? 

"Can you do it?" Longtail pleaded, and she dipped her head. 

"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have learned the warrior code, and have given up their lives in service of their own clan. Let Starclan receive them as warriors." 

Something changed in her gaze as she went on.

"Brightpaw shall be known as Lostface, and Swiftpaw shall be known as Hollowthroat. Now, everycat will know what Starclan has taken from us."

Ravenwing gasped, and Longtail gaped, before his fur bristled. "That's horrible and cruel!" He growled. "What if they live?"

"Then may their names be an everyday reminder of Starclan's cruelty," she snapped, turning tail and leaving. But, before she did so, she touched Lostface and Hollowthroats' foreheads. 

Lostface trembled, whispering "pack pack, kill kill," under her breath. Ravenwing quickly rested his tail along her flank, smoothing out her fur. Hollowthroat only stirred, his paws churning before drilling once again.

As he watched her leave, he glanced down at Lostface again. 

You'll always be Brightpaw to me, he promised his apprentice. 

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Chapter Text

As his nose touched Bramblepaw's, a familiar sting attacked his eyes, and as he pulled away, he blinked away the water that fought to release. Bramblepaw didn't comment on it, his amber eyes shining brightly. 

It had been exactly five sunrises since Lostface and Hollowthroat had been found at Snakerocks, too long for Ravenwing's liking. 

He pulled his stare away from Bramblepaw, spotting Tigerclaw and Goldenflower beaming brightly at the front of the crowd.Tawnypaw, who had been apprenticed to Brackenfur, was already chatting with her parents. 

"You can go catch up with her," he meowed to the young tabby, "then we can have our first patrol." Bramblepaw dipped his head before trotting over to his sister. 

Ravenwing felt as if he should've been more enthusiastic when Tigerclaw had informed him that he would have his former mentor's son as his very own apprentice, but in the back of his mind, he felt like he was betraying Lostface, as if he were replacing her. 

Shaking his head of the coming migraine, he padded over to Brackenfur, who was washing his coat of dust; the golden tabby had been working on camp repairs recently.

"So," he greeted, taking the golden tabby by surprise, "how do you feel? Excited to train a new apprentice?"

Brackenfur regained his composer and nodded, a light chuckled on the edge of his tone. "Yes, I'm a bit nervous though."

"I get that, I was too with Brightpaw...er, Lostface. But what you need to do is find confidence somewhere in you, or else the lack of confidence will show to everyone, including your apprentice."

Although Ravenwing thought it was bad advice, Brackenfur's brows furrowed seriously, and he hummed in agreement, fixating his gaze on the two new apprentices. He then turned back to Ravenwing, a twinkle in his eyes. 

"You want to take them out now? First impressions and all?"

He shrugged, ignoring the way his mind drifted off to training Lostface and their training sessions in the Sandy Hollow. "I don't see why not. I already promised Bramblepaw that we'd go out."

The young warrior obviously took it as a sign to alert the littermates, and he called out, "Bramblepaw! Tawnypaw!" At the mention of their names, the apprentices raced up to them, eyes shining. 

"We're leaving," Ravenwing informed them, watching as they exchanged excited glances; the motion brought him back to memories of when he had been in training. 

"We'll be looking at our borders, okay?" He meowed to Bramblepaw as they steadily walked to the gorse tunnel, side by side. The tabby nodded enthusiastically, not saying anything. 

Taking in a silent breath, Ravenwing looked at the medicine den, before leaving camp with his patrol of three. 

"So, is this the Shadowclan border?" Bramblepaw piped up, gazing curiously at the pavement. He nervously dabbed a paw at it, recouping at the odd texture. 

They had split up with Tawnypaw and Brackenfur, deciding it was a good idea to do separate tours, however, Ravenwing suspected it was because that it was best for himself to get used to the change of apprentices. 

I need to be a good mentor. For myself, Bramblepaw, and Lostface. 

"Yes," he replied, straightening his posture. "Monsters cross it sometimes, so you gotta be careful. We won't be crossing it today."

"When will we?"

"Mmmmmmaybe when we go to Mothermouth." He put on a playful look, rejoicing in the way Bramblepaw's eyes twinkled. The young tom already reminded him of Tigerclaw, and he wondered if his former mentor was like this as an apprentice. 

"What about Redstar?"

The name visibly sent a shiver down Ravenwing's spine, and Bramblepaw winced. 

"Sorry...I.."

"No, no, its okay," he meowed reassuringly, a bit embarrassed. "Redstar would get in trouble of he ever dared to cross our border."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Bramblepaw looked thoughtful as his eyes drifted back to the Thunderpath. "What was Redstar like?"

He should've suspected that his new apprentice would ask, but the question still gave him a sour taste on his tongue. Redstar was bad enough, and Tigerstar was worse. Not to mention the only cats who knew about it were Fireheart, Redtail, Cinderpelt, and Yellowfang. Two of those cats were dead, and two only knew recently. 

"Well...he was deputy of Thunderclan when I was an apprentice, so he was called Redtail–"

"When my dad mentored you, right?"

"Yes," he responded, a bit ruffled by the fact that he had been interrupted. "And when I became a warrior, he was still deputy. He was a good deputy, and no one ever suspected anything."

It was a lie, he had suspected everything, and even Yellowfang hadn't known the full extent to it. Guilt pooled in his belly for lying, but he continued. 

"Then he exiled me and Sandstorm, because Sandstorm was caught for being in love with Silverstream."

"But wasn't Redstar her dad? And why would he exile her for being in love?"

"Well...its against the warrior code, and he decided to enforce it."

"And why did you get exiled?" Bramblepaw raised a brow, and Ravenwing had to hold back a laugh. 

"I dont know, well, I do know. Its because I helped her keep it a secret. Because I couldn't stop my friend from being in love, and I would never betray my friends. Now, me and her went to Riverclan, but around maybe three moons after living there, a fire started in Thunderclan territory. I went to help, and that was when Redstar tried to leave Bluestar behind, and ran away."

"And now he's the leader of Shadowclan?" Bramblepaw exclaimed, exasperated. Ravenwing shared the sentiment. 

"Unfortunately, yes."

Bramblepaw was silent for a few moments, before puffing his chest out, the fluff bushing around his neck. "Then I'll protect Thunderclan from him!" He declared.

Ravenwing purred, all his worries of not liking his new apprentice melting away. "I'm sure you can, now, we need to get back to camp so we can eat. Then, if you're up to it tomorrow, we can look at our territory landmarks!"

Bramblepaw nodded, and as they padded back to camp through the piles of leaves, he suddenly meowed, "can we visit Lostface?"

The question took him surprise. He had intended to do so already, but he was afraid to mention his new apprentice to his former. "Er, sure." 

The young tabby hummed in response, occasionally stepping on a particularly crunchy looking leaf. 

Ravenwing could get used to this, for the sake of Lostface. 

After greeting his mate, he and Bramblepaw headed towards the medicine den, the musk of herbs already filling his senses before he even entered it. The light trace of blood also lingered, but as the days went by, it became less and less apparent. 

In their nests, Lostface was tracing a claw game with Hollowthroat. She quickly crossed an 'X' mark, making Hollowthroat frown. 

"I win!" She exclaimed jubilantly. Despite her injuries and the constant judging from her clanmates, she still found ways to have fun with her companion. 

As he entered the den, she quickly took notice, giving a weak smile. "Hey Ravenwing," she greeted, her one good eye showing signs of tired hope. "Is that...?"

He anxiously chuckled. "Yes, this is Bramblepaw. Bramblepaw, this is Lostface, my first apprentice, and this is Hollowthroat, Longtail's former apprentice." The words stung painfully, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. 

Bramblepaw gave a respectful dip of his head. "What are you guys doing?" He asked, taking notice of the game they were playing in the dirt. Hollowthroat cleared the drawings with a swipe of a paw, and then began to trace his claws in the dirt. 

He drew three thin lines, and then two similar thin lines across. Ravenwing and Bramblepaw watched as he proceeded to make an 'O' shape in one of the small squares. 

Lostface drew a 'X', and the two went back an forth until, finally, Hollowthroat made three 'O's in the same squares. Lostface then cursed under her breath. 

"That's cool!" Bramblepaw mewed gleefully. "Did you make it yourselves?"

The two young warriors nodded simultaneously. 

"What is it called?"

Lostface looked to her friend, and he shrugged. "We don't know yet," she answered, and Bramblepaw was about to say something, until Tigerclaw's voice called for him. 

He glanced around apologetically, "my bad. See you guys soon! Bye Ravenwing!" 

"Bye Bramblepaw."

They watched in partial amusement as the young tom hurried out of the den, and Lostface turned to him, a bittersweet tone laced in her words. 

"He seemed like a good kit," she meowed, causing guilt to jump him once again. 

"He is," he confirmed, his voice wavering, "but once you're better, we can all train together."

"I don't know if that'll ever happen," she whispered, "I heard Tigerclaw discussing on where to move me and Hollowthroat with Cinderpelt. Cinderpelt said maybe we could go to the elders' den, but we're not elders! We're warriors..."

Hollowthroat looked down at his paws, his yellow eyes unreadable. 

All they wanted was to get their warriors names. And they did, but at what cost?

Lostface continued. "It's nice right now. Cloudtail visits us, and me and Hollowthroat have our new game, and sometimes, it feels normal. Like we're average Thunderclan warriors. But then Cinderpelt has to change our wraps, and Tigerclaw keeps asking "what happened? Do you remember?" But I don't want to remember! I just want to be normal warrior!"

Hollowthroat leaned his muzzle foward, nudging his friend. She gave him a thankful look, taking a deep breath. 

"I know," Ravenwing admitted, "I wish that fate could've turned tail and left. But this is reality now, and you two need to show this clan that yes, despite your injuries, you can still pull through."

Hollowthroat tilted his head to the side, as if saying "how?"

"Well, look at Deadfoot! The Windclan deputy! He has a permanent paw injury, and I'm sure no cat in his clan thought he could even be a warrior, like you two. But, somewhere inside, he knew he could be. And when you two are clear, me and Longtail will help you find that part of you."

The promise was rooted. It had been rooted days ago when he and Longtail were shooed out of the den after the warrior ceremony. Lostface and Hollowthroat would become warriors, and Ravenwing had never felt so much determination in his lifetime. 

Well, actually –

"Thank you," Lostface murmured, her remaining eye dressing in gratefullness. Hollowthroat nodded in agreement. 

"There's no need to thank me," he vowed, beginning to leave, "just know that I keep my promises."

As he left, he thought back to how he had vowed to save the clan from Tigerstar, and he sighed. Saving two cats was hard enough, could he do the same for an entire crowd. 

Yes, yes I can. Because that's my purpose. My purpose is to help. And that's what I'll do.

ꟼƎƎ⅃Ꙅ ЯIƎHT ͶI ꙄЯOTIAЯT OT Ꙅ⅃⅃AƆ TꙄƎЯOꟻ ⋊ЯAᗡ ƎHT

Chapter Text

The indigo sky was dappled with white, shining and twinkling stars, and Silverpelt was more noticeable, the pale blue mixing beautifully with the darker hues. Cats shuffled out of the camp, worming their way through the gorse tunnel. 

"When will we be able to go?" Bramblepaw asked, his fur fluffed up after a particularly cold breeze. His amber eyes glowed in the coming darkness, and he didn't hide the fact that he was envious of the other cats. 

Tawnypaw was beside him, and had stopped her washing to listen to the conversation. 

Ravenwing sighed. "Well, you only became an apprentice a few sunrises ago, so that means you're not exactly ready to go yet." He had explained this multiple times, but he suspected that Bramblepaw had been too busy talking to Cloudtail at the time.

Bramblepaw just nodded, his gaze travelling to the gorse tunnel. "What do you think will happen?"

"Hm?"

"At the gathering."

He could only shrug, fear fizzing at his paws. Gatherings were highly unpredictable, and anything could happen. All he could do was pray to Starclan that Bluestar would remain somewhat sane. 

He mentally shuddered as he thought back to the disaster that had been the last gathering, and he sent one last prayer up to the sky. 

Tawnypaw finally prodded herself into the conversation, her voice soft, like she was telling a secret. "What do you think Redstar will do?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "but he's been peaceful for the last few moons." He was brought back to how Graypool had stumbled down and died, and he quickly waved the thought away. 

"Do you think he's a good leader?"

Before Ravenwing could even process an answer, Bramblepaw gasped. 

"How could you say that?" Bramblepaw grumbled. "Redstar is a horrible cat!"

Tawnypaw only shrugged. "Maybe he learned his lesson after the fire, and Starclan gave him nine lives, so he must be forgiven by them."

"But not by us!" Bramblepaw countered. "He's still a bad cat. And even if Starclan made him leader, that doesn't mean he's fit for it! Not to mention he tried to kill our leader!"

Tawnypaw hummed, unbothered by her brother's slight hostility. Ravenwing stared, wishing he could just tell her how Redstar was worse than any cat could imagine. 

Her dismissal of Redstar's actions was slightly disturbing, but he pushed it away. Soon enough she would understand the cruelty of the Shadowclan leader. 

A yawn cut his thoughts in half, and he looked down to see Bramblepaw's jaws closing. Glancing up at the sky, he realized how it had really darkened, and he nudged the young tabby. 

"Okay you two, we need to head to sleep so we can train tomorrow, okay?"

Bramblepaw rolled his eyes, but relented. Tawnypaw didn't even argue, obviously disappointed they had to return to their nests but compliant. He kept a steady eye on the two, making sure they were fully engulfed by the darkness of their den before he did the same. 

Once Bramblepaw's tail had disappeared, he headed over to the warriors' den, sighing happily as he flopped into his nest. Fireheart's scent was very evident, and he let it soothe him, despite the fact that the orange tom would be back soon. 

Taking one last deep breath, he let his mind drown in drowsiness. 

When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a harsh gust of wind, and once he recovered his stance, he realized that he was anywhere but his nest. 

Wait...this is the place Redtail had shown me! 

Except, it was covered in frost, an alarming difference in what he had seen last time. The flourishing green grass was iced over with speckles of white, and the air lingered. 

He thought back to last time, and recalled the tree that had been there. He quickly steadied himself, before racing in the direction that he had followed with Redtail. He passed the river, the oddly shaped rock, before reaching his destination. 

He let out a gasp; the sycamore tree was paled, the bark now a pale brown instead of the vibrancy it had formerly held. The claw marks were luckily still there, the same pattern as last time.

"Mortal."

He whirled around, looking around wildly until meeting the gaze of a...crow? The bird was standing on a branch, and it stared back at him with black, beady eyes, it's neck slightly lowered down, as if it were studying him. 

"Did you say that?" He asked.

"Yes," it croaked, hopping around and pecking the branch that it was on. "I suppose you're wondering what is going on?"

"Yes, I am," he meowed, the worst scenarios running throughout his mind. Somehow, he wasn't bothered by the fact that he was talking to prey, his thoughts more focused on the winter-like state that surrounded him. 

"Well, our universe is collapsing," it stated, like it was reporting what had happened on a patrol. 

"What do you mean?"

"That Tigerstar fellow has ruined the pattern of our realms by possessing Redtail's body. Since he has made your world more odd than it already is, it is ready to collapse."

"Collapse?" He didn't know if he wanted an answer, but then again, his curiosity and nervousness had won him over. 

"The fabric of reality will simply tear apart." When he gave the crow a confused look, it sighed. "A vortex will open up and diminish your existence. This means that you and your other mortals will perish, and your universe will no longer exist."

"What can I do?" He pleaded, the idea of it shaking him to the bone. He couldn't let anyone die like that, especially the cats he loved. 

I guess this means Tigerstar's takeover would be useless in the end.

"Get rid of the Tigerstar cat, and your world will continue to run smoothly. "

With that, the crow lifted its wings, flapping them wildly befire taking off. He watched as it soared off into the distance, leaving him and the tree alone. 

Before he could even mull over the new information, the ground beneath him began to shake; the rocks leapt from the spots that they had been rooted to; water from the river nearby somehow spilled over the bank. 

"What in Starclan's name–" He was thrown off balance, his head smacking against a large stone that hadn't been moved from the motion. He groaned, his vision growing spotty, before everything went completely black. 

When he awoke, he was met by Fireheart shuffling into the nest awkwardly, obviously trying to go to sleep after the gathering. Ravenwing sighed, moving over so his mate could fit in. 

Fireheart sent a quick lick over Ravenwing's ear as in 'thanks', before settling his chin comfortably on Ravenwing's shoulder. 

He closed his eyes, ignoring the way his head throbbed in the same spot that he had hit himself on the stone.

"I still don't think we should do it," Cloudtail hissed, his white fur ruffled and his pale blue eyes widened. "It's cruel, and that will just make them have less hope, and we can't have that."

Ravenwing looked to Tigerclaw, who huffed. Cloudtail was currently arguing against Lostface and Hollowthroat joining the elders' den. He wasn't for it either, but he wasn't as brave as Cloudtail to argue with the deputy. 

Currently, Lostface was in the elders' den, supposedly cleaning Speckletail's fur of ticks. Absentmindedly, he wondered if it was the best idea to discuss this directly outside of the den. 

Cloudtail has always been very headstrong, he reminded himself. I suppose that's the kittypet that's left in him. 

"It's the best option," Tigerclaw meowed assertively, although Cloudtail didn't even seem bothered by it. "Cinderpelt needs space to work, and they will have company."

Cloudtail opened his mouth to argue some more, but then, Fireheart emerged from the den. "They don't mind if they stay, " he informed the surrounding cats. "And they already have empty nests for them."

"Very well then," Tigerclaw decided, "I will go tell them ab–"

Suddenly, Longtail burst into the camp, his pale tabby fur a mess, and his green eyes wide. He hurriedly approached Tigerclaw, whispering something into his ear. Ravenwing watched as the deputy's face grew with dismay. 

After a while of just exchanged whispers, Tigerclaw turned to them, his face unreadable.

"Longtail, lead Cloudtail, Ravenwing, and Fireheart with you tomorrow at dawn."

Ravenwing exchanged a glance with his mate; what was happening?

"What about you?" Longtail asked, sounding curious on why the deputy wouldn't come. 

"I had a patrol with Brackenfur and Tawnypaw where I would've been demonstrating some moves," he explained, "but it seems that will have to be delayed. I will go with Whitestorm and Graystripe to accompany you as a back up patrol. Snakerocks isn't far, but leaving by dawn will be easier."

Ravenwing felt his skin crawl. 

Why is it always Snakerocks? 

His history with the adder infested rocks went a long way back, to meeting Thistleclaw, to the more recent events, such as Lostface and Hollowthroat's injuries. He wondered if they were cursed by the Darkforest in some sense. 

Now that I think of it, I haven't seen Thistleclaw in a while. 

"Okay," Longtail finally mewed, taking a breath to calm himself. "Tomorrow, at dawn, don't be late." He then stalked over to his mate, Darkstripe.

The crisp morning air of Leaffall lingered as Cloudtail dejectedly wandered out of the warriors' den. "I need to say goodbye to Brindleface!"

Longtail rolled his eyes. "This is more important! When we come back, or if we come back, you can tell her all about it." Ravenwing heard the tom mutter something about childish warriors under his breath. 

Tigerclaw, Graystripe, and Whitestorm were already getting ready to leave, waiting by the entrance of the gorse tunnel. Longtail sighed. "Let's go. We can't waste any time right now."

They all rushed out of camp, Whitestorm taking the rear and Tigerclaw flanking the right side of the group, his body stiff. Fireheart spoke up, breaking the icy silence. 

"So, what exactly is going on?"

"The dogs are living at Snakerocks," Longtail stated rather bluntly, "the entire pack." 

"How do you know?" Fireheart questioned, although there was a more fearful tone to his words. 

"Well, you know those caves? I was on a border patrol, on my way to coming up to them, when I see Redstar. He didn't see me, thank Starclan, but he wasn't alone. He was with that wretched idiot, Blackfoot. I watched them, and at first I thought they were going to steal prey because Redstar had a dead rabbit with him. But then Redstar threw it just outside of the cave entrance..."

He trailed off, leading to Cloudtail grumbling. 

"Well?" He prodded, "what happened next?" Ravenwing understood the urgency, especially since the dogs were the reason Lostface and Hollowthroat were in their current state. 

"Then this...I don't know how to describe it correctly, but it was the biggest dog I've ever seen. Those dogs that twolegs bring? Forget them. It was massive. And I only saw its front paws and head...and the teeth! They were as large as a branch!"

"It then snatched the rabbit and went back into the cave," he continued. "And soon, I heard barking and growling. The more I listened, the more it sounded like there were multiple dogs in the cave, fighting over the rabbit."

"And they were all chanting something...something like 'pack pack' and 'kill kill.'"

Ravenwing winced. He had a dream with those words a few days before the digs attacked Lostface and Hollowthroat. 

I can't believe I was so foolish to not understand what it meant!

"Hey, wait, Ravenwing, isn't that what you said that Lostface whispered after the naming ceremony with Bluestar?" 

He nodded, "yes. That means this has to be the same pack that attacked her and Hollowthroat. We need to lead them away somehow."

Before anyone else could say anything, they had already arrived. The scent of rabbit and blood hit him in strong waves, and he shook his head to clear his senses of the foul smell.

"What's that?" Graystripe muttered, diving into a clump of dead bracken. He emerged a heartbeat later, his voice strained. "You all need to see this."

They followed and found Graystripe crouched, a dead rabbit at his paws. Its throat was missing, a large and terrifying gap in its neck. Ravenwing shuddered, not expecting to see the inside of a rabbit's neck today. 

"They've been killing again," Longtail  stated grimly. 

"Then why didn't they eat it?" Ravenwing meowed out loud. Yes, the rabbit was heavily damaged, but it hadn't been actively eaten. However, as he sniffed it, he noticed something else. 

"There's Shadowclan scent here!" 

Tigerclaw opened his jaws, and closed them with a frown. "Redstar killed this rabbit, and left it here. Why?"

Suddenly, his amber eyes lit up with realization, and he turned to Cloudtail. "Go back the way we came," he instructed, his new taut. "You're looking for more dead rabbits. Should you find any, smell them, and tell me once you come back. Whitestorm, go with him just in case."

The two warrior dipped their heads and back tracked. Tigerclaw watched them, before turning to Graystripe. "Guard this rabbit. Fireheart, stay with him. Ravenwing, Longtail, come with me."

All together, they cautiously neared Snakerocks; Ravenwing felt his fur rising every heartbeat that passed.

"Where are the dogs?" Tigerclaw muttered. 

"In that cave." Longtail motioned his head over. "That's where I saw Redstar and Blackfoot leave the rabbit yesterday."

Ravenwing looked over to his former mentor, watching as his face scrunched up in confusion. 

Wait–

He glanced over at the rabbit outside the cave, and thought back to the rabbit that Graystripe and Fireheart were guarding. 

"Its a path," he murmured.

Longtail and Tigerclaw snapped their gazes to him. 

"What?" Tigerclaw asked. 

"It's a path. We have the rabbit outside the cave, and then the once that Graystripe just found, and now..."

"Whitestorm and Cloudtail will find one too," Tigerclaw answered for him. "This means we have a trail going back to camp."

"What do we do?" Longtail asked, his eyes stretched wide with unbridled fear. Ravenwing himself felt horror seeping it's way into his mind. 

If the dogs get to camp, everyone will die. Or be terribly injured. Redstar probably did this in the past too! He's really trying to destroy Thunderclan! 

"We break the trail," Tigerclaw meowed, quickly snatching the one that lay on the rock. They all ran back to Graystripe and Fireheart. 

Tigerclaw's jaws were full, so Ravenwing informed them. "Bring that rabbit. We need to warn the clan in time."

Graystripe's yellow eyes flickered in worry, and he scooped up the rabbit. They all headed back towards camp, before Whitestorm and Cloudtail warily slipped through the brush to catch up with them. 

"We found two more rabbits," Cloudtail reported, "they both reeked of Shadowclan and Redstar." 

"Then go get them," Fireheart spoke this time, explaining everything. 

"What will we do with them?" Whitestorm asked curiously.

Tigerclaw set down his rabbit. "We're going to dump them in a stream somewhere. Hopefully we can successfully break the trail." 

"What about the scent?" Whitestorm questioned, always the quick thinker. 

Tigerclaw shook his head. "Taking  the rabbits away is good enough, and hopefully the scent will stale quickly."

The more they moved to camp, the more rabbits they found. 

He's worked hard, Ravenwing thought. I wonder if he caught more than in the past. 

"We could leave them here," Graystripe suggested, his yellow eyes glittering with exhaustion. "The dogs could stop for a quick meal, which means we can slow them down."

"Okay, " Tigerclaw conceded, despite the facy that he had different plans. They all set their rabbits down, the heap scarily large. It was in the middle of the trail, a perfect spot to keep the dogs for even a short amount of time. 

Once they were at the top of the ravine, Tigerclaw turned around, ready to address them all. "We need to spread out. Make sure there's no more remaining pieces of prey." 

They raced down the ravine, exploring every corner of the area. Cloudtail drew ahead, and Ravenwing noticed that he had halted, looking down at something.  Before he could say anything, the tom let out an earsplitting yowl. 

"Why? No, no no!" Everyone looked over, and Fireheart rushed over to his nephew. Ravenwing followed close behind, standing on Cloudtail's opposite side.

"Why Fireheart? Why her?" The young tom was wailing now, and Fireheart pressed against the tom, seemingly unsure of what he should say. 

Tigerclaw was standing by Ravenwing now, his brows furrowed in grief. "Because Redstar doesn't need the pack to taste rabbit blood. Now, he needs cat blood." 

Cloudtail didn't say anything, burying his nose into his foster mother's fur. 

Brindleface's closed eyes didn't open.

ЯƎᙠMƎMƎЯ OT ⅃⅃I⋊ YƎHT .TAƎ OT ⅃⅃I⋊ TOͶ Oᗡ YƎHT

Chapter Text

Brindleface's memorial was short lived, with it ending as soon as it had started once Cloudtail finished his speech, with Ashpaw and Fernpaw huddling on both sides of the young warrior. 

Supposedly, the queen had decided to go out hunting earlier that morning, unsuspecting of the horrible fate that was Redstar that hung over every day like a hawk. 

Ravenwing thought back to when they had left at dawn, and how Cloudtail had practically begged to say goodbye to his foster mother. The more he thought about it, the more guilt pooled in his belly. 

The foul stench of dead prey, rotting cat, and pure fear had filled the entire camp, and Ravenwing was sure that it could be smelled from Riverclan's camp to Barley's barn. 

Cloudtail dragged his gaze away from the elders as they dragged Brindleface's limp body to the burial site, her fur collecting dirt. 

Tigerclaw bowed his head respectfully. The deputy had grown up with the now dead queen, and Ravenwing if he'd ever feel the same as he watched his own friends get dragged to their graves. 

Or will I be the one getting dragged?

The muscular tom heaved himself onto the Highrock, stepping to the front of the stone. 

"Cats of Thunderclan, as I'm sure you've heard by now, since news travels fast, we discovered that the dogs are residing in the caves at Snakerocks."

Shocked gasps erupted from the crowd, along with some suspicious glares. It was unbelievable, since it made no sense for dogs to actively live on their territory, but unfortunately it was true; Ravenwing wished that it wasn't. 

"We have also discovered that Redstar has been feeding the dogs, and has even gone so far as to try and lead them to camp. He used rabbits to make that trail, and at the end of the trail was none other than our beloved clanmate, Brindleface."

Cloudtail growled. "I'm going to absolutely demolish him and Shadowclan!"

Fireheart whispered something into the warrior's ear, but Cloudtail continued to hold a deep rumbling in his chest. 

Tigerclaw nodded, "I understand your anger. I'm angry too. But anger won't help us, it will only make us act out in foolish ways."

"So what do we do?" Argued Dustpelt, who was standing. 

The deputy faltered slightly, but kept his chin raised. "We must evacuate camp immediately. My patrol attempted to break the trail, but its most likely not enough. We must all leave, and soon."

"To where?" Dappletail, a beautiful tortoiseshell yet aged elder. Her foggy yellow eyes glittered with a mix of fear and determination, and Ravenwing suspected everyone felt the same. 

"Sunningrocks. When you are there, climb up the trees. The taller, the better. This means that if the dogs try following you, they'll give up once they lose track, except you will all be up the trees."

"And the pack?" Graystripe and Dustpelt meowed simultaneously, the two tom exchanging amused glances before returning their stares to Tigerclaw. 

Tigerclaw was at a loss for words, and Ravenwing thought to himself for a moment. It was clear that Redstar had done this before, so he knew what he was doing. 

If I'm correct, maybe he can't remember certain parts, like me, so it could be easy to trick him. But what did they do last time?

Like that, an idea flashed in his mind, and he exclaimed, "we lead them away!"

All of the cats turned to look at him, and he felt the tips of his ears go hot. 

"What? Do you have bees in your brain?" Dustpelt snarked. 

"Maybe," he replied, his voice wavering with nervousness, "but it could work. Redstar clearly wants the dogs to come to our camp, but maybe we can use that. When they come, we'll be waiting, and lead them to the gorge."

Tigerclaw nodded, a look of pride on his face. "This could work, but I need fast cats." He surveyed the crowd. "Runningwind, Mousefur, Longtail, Fireheart, and Ravenwing. The rest of you need to leave right now. Remember to help eachother, no one should get left behind."

Ashpaw and Fernpaw psuhed their way to the front of the highrock, meeting Tigerclaw's gaze. 

"We want to come," Fernpaw stated, "we want to avenge our mother." Ashpaw nodded, his blue eyes glittering with malice, which was most likely against the dogs and Redstar.

Ravenwing turned away, noticing Fireheart speaking to Cloudtail. When his mate spotted him, he sighed. 

"Ravenwing, tell Cloudtail that he doesn't need to go." No cat could miss the exasperated tone in Fireheart's words.

"I want to avenge Hollowthroat and Lostface," Cloudtail argued back, his fur puffing up in frustration. 

Ravenwing could understand the young tom's anger, but as Tigerclaw had said earlier, anger wouldn't be any help. Not to mention they needed cats to stick together. 

Laying his tail across Cloudtail's shoulders, he prepared himself. "Cloudtail," he began, "I know you want to help, but the best way you can help is by making sure Lostface and Hollowthroat get to Sunningrocks safely. Can you do that?"

Cloudtail opened his mouth to snap back, but he kept on pressing. "Can you do that? For Lostface? For Thunderclan?"

After a few heartbeats, Cloudta conceded, dipping his head. "Okay," he meowed, "I can do that." The former kittypet turned tail, heading towards the elders' den. 

Fireheart shook his head. "I'm surprised you got through his thick head."

Ravenwing shrugged. 

"Do you remember what happened to us in...y'know... The past?" Fireheart's voice was hushed now, and Ravenwing bristled. They hadn't really discussed his past since their small argument. 

"No," he admitted, "my memory is foggy. I think its because all of my old memories are getting replaced by new ones."

The orange tom hummed thoughtfully before stretching. "I just hope it goes well."

Tigerclaw's voice boomed, echoing and bouncing off the clan walls. Beside him was Bluestar, her frame small and frail compared to Tigerclaw's muscular form. 

"Cats of Thunderclan, we leave now!"

Everyone began to move towards the gorse tunnel, flowing in perfect sync. Ravenwing and the remaining warriors, with the new addition of Ashpaw and Fernpaw, who had wormed their way into helping, watched in silence. 

Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw rushed to their father, nuzzling him before returning to Goldenflower. The pretty she-cat gave them a fond look before calling to Tigerclaw, "be safe!"

Whitestorm walked beside Bluestar, who held a new glow in her usually dull eyes. The icy resilience that Ravenwing had grown up with was back, and she proudly made her way to the front of the group, as if leading them to a gathering. 

Cloudtail protectively stood inbetween Hollowthroat and Lostface, making sure they were both situated. Ravenwing caught Lostface's remaining eye, and she blinked slowly before leaving the camp with the rest of the clan. 

Once everyone was completely gone, Tigerclaw turned to them, unsheathing his claws. "Now, who's ready to get rid of some mangy dogs?"

ƎͶOͶ ꙄI YƆЯƎM ЯIƎHT TUᙠ ,YͶAM ƎЯA HTƎƎT ЯIƎHT

Chapter Text

Once they had left and finally reached the top of the ravine, Tigerclaw motioned to Fernpaw and Ashpaw. The young apprentices stiffened immediately, ready to receive orders. 

"You two must wait here," he instructed, "as soon as you see the dogs, run as fast as you can to the gorge. Runningwind will be next in line. When you see him, climb a tree, and once the dogs have picked up his trail and have gone, make your way to Sunningrocks."

Ashpaw rolled his shoulders, readying himself to run, and Fernpaw's pale green eyes blazed with a type of fury that only a kit could have for it's lost parent. 

"Remember," Tigerclaw chided, " don't panic. Try and keep your cool, and you'll do better. The clan will thank you for this in the future."

Fernpaw's lips formed a wavering smile, and Ashpaw dipped his head. With that, Tigerclaw led them away from the apprentices. Ravenwing fought the desperate urge to throw a look over his shoulder, and Fireheart nudged him. 

"It will be all right," he meowed reassuringly. 

"I hope," he whispered back. 

Once they were farther into the forest, Tigerclaw halted, gesturing to Runningwind. 

"Runningwind, you stand post here. You're the fastest cat in the clan, and I don't want the apprentices to tire themselves out by running to far. Not to mention you'll get a good head start."

"I've got this," Runningwind agreed, although Ravenwing wondered if it was to reassure himself. 

Tigerclaw's gaze flashed with approval, and something else...something Ravenwing couldn't decode. The large tom turned tail, leading them along the vast line that led up to the gorge. 

Eventually, the patrol had narrowed down to Tigerclaw, Fireheart, had himself, having just leftMousefur at her post a few fox lengths away. A wave of nervousness washed over him as he realized how small the patrol had become. 

"Will Mousefur be okay at the Riverclan border?" Fireheart asked anxiously, clearly worried about upsetting the clan. 

Tigerclaw kept his gaze fixated on the oath ahead of him, shrugging passively. "I'm confident that no Riverclan patrol will find her," he answered, leaving no room for any more questions. 

All three of them warily ventured some more into the territory, the smell of marsh and reed filling his nose. Nostalgia prickled at his pelt, sweeping him back to the memories of when he had lived in the clan for a short time. 

"Over here," Tigerclaw whispered, beckoning them over to a hollowed out area underneath a large rock. Fireheart went in, then Tigerclaw, and then himself. The scent of Riverclan was luckily faint, suggesting that a patrol had already passed by and had no reason to check in again. 

Tuning out the shallower breathing of his mate and former mentor, he let himself be consumed by his thoughts. 

Redstar was somewhere, somewhere he was hiding and somewhere he was waiting. The thought frightened him, especially since this was easy for the Shadowclan leader. 

Tigerstar had done this before. He was knew the words that every cat would speak at a gathering. He knew how they would react. 

But did he really?

Last time Ravenwing had checked, he was at the barn with Barley when this happened, and he was sure that Fireheart from the past had been under this rock alone.

Hope fluttered in his chest. The numbers were bigger this time. 

Maybe we have a chance. 

Maybe we can kill him once and for all. 

The sound of barking snapped him out of his thoughts, and he pricked his ears. The soujd grew more apparent until Mousefur streaked by, as fast as a hare on the moorland. 

However, with a tongue lolling at her heels, was the pack leader. He heard Fireheart gasp, and saw Tigerclaw's jaw drop open as they stared at it. It was huge, bigger than any dog he had seen twolegs handle; muscles rippled under its sleek black-and-brown pelt. 

"Stay here," Tigerclaw whispered, and the deputy sprang out from his place, looking both ways before sprinting. 

Ravenwing pressed into Fireheart, and the orange tom reciprocated, and together their breathing synced as the sound of barking echoed into the distance. Whether it comforted Ravenwing or not was a question he couldn't answer. 

"Wait, do you hear that?" Fireheart muttered, and he strained his ears. 

Sure enough, he heard the familiar chanting of "pack pack, kill kill."

He stood abruptly, ignoring the pain of smacking his head against the roof of the rock before meeting Fireheart's wide green eyes. 

"We need to help him," Ravenwing stated. He couldn't let his former mentor die. Not like this. 

Fireheart nodded, and they exited the hollow, clambering through the brush and following the heavy scent of Tigerclaw and dog. The stench made him dizzy, but he didn't let it faze him, powering through it all. 

But he stopped. 

On the smooth grass was Redstar looming over Tigerclaw. The tabby, despite being much larger than Redstar, was hunched, afraid. 

"Stay away from him!" Ravenwing snapped, not even thinking as he barrelled into the Shadowclan leader. Redstar snarled, clawing at his neck as they tumbled into eachother. The overwhelming urge to kill the tom overcame him, and he fastened his claws around Redstar's neck. 

But Ravenwing was able to overpower the tom; Redtail had always been scrawny, meaning Tigerstar was at a disadvantage since he was using his body. 

However, the sound of a triumphant howl distracted him, and he released his grip on the Shadowclan leader, unsheathing his claws for only a short heartbeat. 

Redstar used his hind legs to kick him off, sending Ravenwing rolling onto the turf. The kick was surprisingly powerful, and as he regained his senses, he felt Fireheart helping him up.

Once he creased his eyes open, he felt his paws go numb with pure fear as the pack leader stood over him and Fireheart, its hot breath airing into their faces. He shuddered when the scent of rabbit was mixed with the foul air. 

"This is it," Fireheart whispered, leaning into him with his ears pressed against his head. "Starclan help us!" His yowling was only met with the sound of heavy panting and the rushing of the river. 

Pity welled in his belly for his mate, and he pressed some more into Fireheart's soft fur, so much that a cat would probably think that they were stuck together. The pack leader's eyes burned into them, most likely glad that it would finally be able to eat its fill. 

Large teeth began to clamp around Ravenwing's side, and terror truly set in as he was slowly raised off the ground, his paws dangling as he let himself go limp. There was no point in fighting it, especially since that would only cause him more pain. 

I'm so sorry I failed, Ravenwing thought himself, urging the dog to already bite into him and end his misery. He had failed. He had defeated his own purpose. It was over for–

Suddenly, a chorus of yowls sounded, and he was dropped to the ground. Shaking his head, he stared in utter amazement as Bluestar had hurtled into the dog,  sending it skidding to the edge of the gorge. 

The dog began to whine, and its enormous paws dug into the soil, the dirt crumbling and falling into the water below. In a desperate attempt to get back onto the land, it clamped its teeth onto Bluestar's hind leg. 

Fireheart yowled in terror, and suddenly Tigerclaw raced over as Bluestar's muzzle was the last part of her that disappeared down with the pack leader. Flanking Tigerclaw were the other dogs, who outpaced him and also went down the edge. 

Tigerclaw stopped at the edge, sending a look at Ravenwing that he thought was defeat.

But just as he was about to comfort the deputy, Tigerclaw seemingly braced himself, his shoulders tensing before jumping down into the gorge. 

"No!" Ravenwing screeched, feeling as if his own legs were controlling him as he followed the deputy. He didn't hesitate, leaping off the edge with ease as his paws flailed uselessly from the lack of ground beneath them. 

Beneath him, he could see the pack leader struggling to swim, and he could only imagine how Tigerclaw would look. He crashed into the water, the current rapidly racing against him. 

"Tigerclaw? Tiger–" Water swept into his mouth, causing him to choke and cough. He tried to swim, remembering his lessons from Riverclan. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the muscular tabby, and he pushed himself over. 

"Tigerclaw!" He yowled, trying to grab the deputy's scruff. Tigerclaw was clearly unconscious, not responding to his name or the feeling of teeth clamping down on his scruff. 

I can save you, I can save you, I will save you. 

With the tom's scruff in his jaws, he fought against the current, his legs and paws growing tired from the energy he was putting into carrying his former mentor. Another wave lapped over him, and before he knew it, Tigerclaw had slipped out from his grasp. 

Panic seized him instantly, and he watched helplessly as Tigerclaw's body drifted down the river. 

He let the current take him, washing himself down with the flow. Once again, he was about to reach Tigerclaw, when another wave sent him downwards, forcing him from being above the surface to being under. 

He attempted to breach the surface, but another wave sent his down, the current too strong. His head barely grazed a rock on the sand floor, making him close his eyes on instinct. 

And that was when he found his own scruff being grasped. 

As he was raised above the surface, he blinked rapidly before looking to see who had grabbed him. Much to his surprise and relief, it was Sandstorm, before he realized that Tigerclaw had to be saved as well. 

"I–Tigerclaw! He needs help!" Was all he could could manage to say without sputtering. 

Sandstorm nodded, and she yowled to someone. Once she turned to him, the questions rushed into his head, the adrenaline having eased away. 

Where is Fireheart? Where is Bluestar? 

She easily swam with him in her jaws before releasing him, and he found that he could swim much easier now. He hauled himself onto thr nearby bank, water dripping from his fur. 

On the bank was Mistyfoot, and, much to his relief, Fireheart. However, they were crouched over someone. 

Bluestar! 

The Thunderclan leader's flank heaved, weak from the ammount of water she must've swallowed. Before he could even get a word in, Stonefur emerged from the river, carrying none other than Tigerclaw. 

Ravenwing inspected the deputy once he had been set onto the pebbles, relieved to find that he was still breathing. He dragged the tabby over a few fox lengths, knowing it was best to leave Fireheart and the two siblings alone with Bluestar. 

Pressing his paw to Tigerclaw's side, he applied pressure, watching with apprehension as the tom coughed. The deputy's eyes slowly opened, looking around before meeting Ravenwing's. 

"Hey," Tigerclaw breathed, and Ravenwing noticed that his breathing was quickening. 

"Hi," he replied, unsure of what to exactly say after everything.

"Where am I?" Tigerclaw murmurmed. Sandstorm was a few fox lengths away, watching silently with a darkened expression, as if she were awaiting something. 

"On Riverclan territory. Stonefur saved you. Once we get back–"

Tigerclaw chuckled weakly. "I won't be getting back."

Confusion numbed his brain. Did Tigerclaw want to stay with Riverclan for a short time? That would work, especially since they had a medicine cat and it was relatively close, but at the same time the clan might not be as welcoming. 

"Do you want me to take you to Mudfur?" He asked, readying himself to help Tigerclaw lean against him. 

Tigerclaw shook his head. "No, it's over for me, kit."

"What?"

"You know what I mean..." Tigerclaw coughed again, the sound wretched. 

"But...we saved you."

"Yes, but...I'm tired. Starclan is waiting for me." Tigerclaw sounded like he was explaining death to a kit for a the first time, and Ravenwing felt horror rush through him. 

"No...no, no, you can't die! You have a clan to lead! What about your kits?"

"Ravenwing, you've always been..." Another cough, this time harsher. "...Destined for something greater than me. Greater than anyone. I can just tell that the world has big plans for you. I'm just an average cat, and I always will be.  I did what I had to do, and now, it's your turn."

The frequent pauses in the tom's words only made everything worse, and he failed to swallow the worsening lump that was forming in his throat. 

Ravenwing dropped to a crouch, muzzle to muzzle with the deputy. "You've always been special to me."

"That means a lot, kit," Tigerclaw meowed, his amber eyes growing foggy; he coughed again, flinching as his body shook. Never did Ravenwing think he would see his former mentor in a state like this. 

He never wanted to. 

"I didn't think it would hurt this much..." He whispered, his breath shaky and his eyes flitting around like a nervous flame. And yet, much to Ravenwing's terror, Tigerclaw didn't seem  afraid, only surprised.

"I hope I did good," the tabby choked out, water spilling out from inbetween his lips. Whether he was talking to himself, Starclan, or Ravenwing was out of the question.

"You were the best," he answered, feeling his eyes water. Tigerclaw sighed as Ravenwing pressed his muzzle into his damp neck fur, seeking his heartbeat.  Ravenwing felt it quicken beneath his skin, before slowing. 

This can't be happening. 

The comforting thud thud turned to thump thump, before there was no more. 

"I'm sorry," Ravenwing whispered. 

ͶЯUOM ⅃⅃AHꙄ ꙄTIЯIꟼꙄ ƎHT ᗡͶA ,ƎᎮЯOᎮ ƎHT MOЯꟻ ꟼIЯᗡ ⅃⅃IW ᗡOO⅃ᙠ

Chapter Text

He felt cold, like his body was layered in thin sheets of ice, the edges crackling and easing into his pelt. His paws, or atleast where they were supposed to be, felt horribly numb, and he longed for the feeling to melt. 

But he also felt warm, like when he would rest in the camp hollow on a warm, Greenleaf day, watching as the clan bustled by with ease. And then, Ravenwing would approach him, and they would chat–

Ravenwing. 

Where was Ravenwing?

Like a Newleaf flood, memories rushed in, quickly filling the empty space in his head. For a few moments, it hurt, a large ache that made him feel like he was rocking back and forth, the nausea settling in. But eventually, everything smoothened out. 

Images of Bramblepaw, Tawnypaw, and Goldenflower soon accompanied Ravenwing's image, and something that felt like guilt swarmed in his belly, like angered bees. 

He was leaving his kits alone now, all alone in the dark scary world. Ravenwing would be dragging his body back into camp, or would it be Sunningrocks? Either way, his kits would be one of the first to see  him dead. 

He focused, and imagined the way that Tawnypaw nuzzled his neck, and how Bramblepaw had done the same, both pairs of eyes glimmering with admiration and worry. 

The more he focused, the more the images warped, until they became the sheer looks of horror and grief that would become plastered on his kits' faces. How could he do this to them, it was all his fault. He should've never ju–

"Tigerclaw."

His name.

"Tigerclaw, it is time to awaken."

He creased an eye open, and found that he was surrounded by a mass of pure nothingness. In front of him was...

"Pinestar?"

The russet tom winced slightly, obviously expecting to be addressed as 'dad' or maybe even 'father.' However, the former leader had never filled out that role, and by the time Tigerclaw was already a moon or two old, he had decided to throw away his life to Twolegplace and the soft life of a kittypet.

Pinestar cleared his throat, before slightly jutting out his chest and stiffening. A classic leader stance, Tigerclaw guessed. Another reason he had never viewed him as a father. 

"Is this Starclan?" Tigerclaw questioned, anxiety pricking at his paws. 

"Yes, except we are in the neutral area, where cats appear after they die. Of course, with the courtesy of being able to reminisce on old memories."

He glanced around. "Then where is Bluestar?" 

"She will be here shortly, but we have a different process for leaders. Now, please follow me."

He stood up, or at least, he tried too. His legs wobbled comically, mirroring the look of a newborn kit.

Once he had finally grasped his balance, he awkwardly strode over to stand beside his father, realizing how much bigger he was than the tom. 

Pinestar met his gaze, and gave a small smile, but it disappeared as soon as it had formed; he waved his tail, beckoning to follow. 

As they walked, side by side, small pricks of grass began to tickle Tigerclaw's paw pads, before he was soon sheltered by a large forest, the shade settling comfortably into his fur. 

"Is this?..."

"Thunderclan territory?" Pinestar let out a light chuckle, something Tigerclaw hadn't heard in many seasons. "No, but it is made specifically for our clan, hence the trees that you commonly find in our land."

Tigerclaw responded with a hum. 

They continued to walk for a while, until they neared a empty clearing. But, when Tigerclaw squinted, he realized it was all but empty; he let out a delighted gasp, rushing into the clearing. 

"Mom!" He exclaimed, crashing into Leopardfoot with the force of a thousand Lionclan warriors. The she-cat let out a bark of joyful laughter, reciprocating her son's strength as she nuzzled back. 

He backed away, letting her shake her pelt. She was exactly as he had remembered her, her graceful looks matching her fiery nature, except she was noticibly much younger looking, the gray hairs that speckled her pelt now gone. 

"Welcome," she greeted, a purr intercepting her words. She looked past Tigerclaw, nodding to Pinestar. "I'll take it from here now." Her amber gaze hardened as she spoke. 

Anycat would be able to detect the awkwardness that reeked from both of his parents, and he wondered how difficult it was to see your ex-mate, one that abandoned you to be a kittypet, to be exact. 

Pinestar dipped his head back, and disappeared into the foliage. 

Once his father had left, something dawned upon Tigerclaw. 

"Wait! Who will be the new leader? I had been the deputy, but if Bluestar and I are both..." He trailed off, and Leopardfoot's face darkened before replacing it with a more cheerful look. 

"The rest of Starclan will figure that out, but until then, how about we catch up with eachother over a piece of prey with your sisters? We have a lot to discuss."

The mention of his sisters made his chest ache terribly, and he purred. "I'd love too."

TЯAƎH ꙄꙄƎ⅃ЯATꙄ A ƎVAꙄ T’ͶOW ꙄƎVI⅃ ƎͶIͶ

Chapter Text

Mistyfoot and Stonefur slipped out of camp, leaving the clan alone with their dead leader and deputy. The Moonlight shone on the Riverclan warriors' sleek pelts, glossy from the drying water. 

The clan had angrily confronted Fireheart shortly after he led the two warriors in to grieve for Bluestar, leading him to reveal the truth of Bluestar's missing kits from all those moons ago. 

The clan was surprised, but the mix of fear, anger, and newfound grief had erased any signs of hatred, and siblings were able to grieve for the mother they never knew before leaving. 

Tigerclaw's body was sprawled on the dirt floor, the sight almost too unbearable for Ravenwing. He hated the way that his chest didn't rise and fall; he hated the way his eyes stayed closed; and he especially hated how the elders were preparing graves for for him and Bluestar. 

He buried his nose into the deputy's fur even more than he already had, attempting to make the way his eyes were watering. Beside him, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw were clinging together, grief obviously taking a hold of them. 

Goldenflower was sitting next to them, staring dully at her friend. They had never been mates, but it was obvious why she would grief the tom. He had been a lifelong friend. She had grown up with him, and was the father to her kits. There would forever be a Tigerclaw shaped hole in her heart from now on. 

Me too, Goldenflower, me too. 

Fireheart had sat beside him for a few moments to pay his respects to Tigerclaw before moving onto his leader. Ravenwing didn't have any contempt for him, of course. It was obvious why he was more shaken by Bluestar's death, seeing as she was a motherly figure in his mate's life.

But it didn't mean he felt any less hurt. 

But then again, everything at the moment hurt. The reality of Tigerclaw being dead hurt. The reality of Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw growing up without such an amazing father hurt. The reality of the clan moving on without such an amazing cat hurt. 

The feeling of fur pressing against his side made him look over in surprise, and he found that Lostface was staring back at him with her good eye, sympathy pooling in the depths of greenish-blue. 

Beside her, Hollowthroat was closing his eyes in respect, his ears flattened against his head. Gratitude for his former apprentice and her friend welled up inside him, and he offered a smile, the first since they had left camp to defeat the dogs. 

And look at us now...it worked, but at what cost? The clan is without a leader and deputy. 

"I'm sorry," Lostface whispered, pulling him sharply put of his musings. 

"About what?"

She shrugged, something that looked like guilt replacing the sympathy in her gaze. "I just feel bad, seeing that I helped the dogs by making them more violent."

He shook his head immediately. "No, no, no. It's not your fault, and it never will be your fault. Redstar is the one to blame, not you and Hollowthroat." At the mention of his name, the black-and-white tom opened an eye, nudging his friend in agreement. 

"I guess you're right," she conceded, relaxing her shoulders that he hadn't even realized were tense. 

"Of course he is."

Cloudtail, who had just been grieving Bluestar, was now wedging himself inbetween Hollowthroat and Lostface.

Hollowthroat surprisingly wasn't as irritated as Ravenwing had believed he would be, seeing as the young warrior had always annoyed him. But now, Hollowthroat gave a thin smile before closing his eyes again. 

Ravenwing concentrated his breathing, shutting his eyes closed and focusing on the light breeze that rushed throughout the camp. His attempt on peace was momentarily lived, however, as he was nudged. 

Goldenflower. 

"They want you to do a speech," she muttered into his ears. 

"Why me?" He asked in slight astonishment. Wouldn't a senior warrior know the tabby better?

She gave a sad chuckle, shaking her head lightly. "No. You knew him better than anyone else did."

When he sat up, he found that everycat was staring him, burning holes into his pelt with a force of expectancy that he could never match. He awkwardly cleared his throat, straightening his posture and curling his tail around his paws.

Oh Starclan...how do I do this?

"Tigerclaw...was my mentor, as I'm sure many of you know, meaning he passed many of his secrets and knowledge onto me, something I will forget be grateful for. From the beggining, he was supportive, and when he wasn't, he always made a point to lead me onto the right path without being cruel."

He took a deep breath. So far, so good.

"Even after I became a warrior, he never lost that bond with me, constantly asking me to share prey with him and his friends, or to accompany me on patrols. He was always looking out for me, even if I didn't need his help. And sometimes, I did, without even knowing it.

I...never expected this to happen. No one did. Nor did anyone want this to happen. I guess I forgot that no cat can live forever, even Tigerclaw. But something I won't forget is him. Oh Starclan, I could never. And I hope everycat shares that sentiment. Tigerclaw, despite not being here physically, will always be in our hearts.

Whether it be the way his kits grow up, to even the way we hunt, seeing as he passed some type of knowledge to us all, Tigerclaw will always be here in our hearts." 

He swallowed the growing lump in his throat, looking to his paws. A sudden cheering and agreeing meows erupted, before quieting. Whitestorm raised his tail, nodding towards Fireheart. 

"Your turn."

Fireheart nodded back, also clearing his throat. 

"Bluestar was a leader that no other leader can outbest. When I came into this clan, I was scorned, looked down upon, even. Could you blame anyone? I was a lowly kittypet with no experience with forest life and the cruelty that came along with it.

And yet, she never gave up on me. Redstar, once Redtail, had been my mentor, and while we often worked well together, there were times where we would have small spats, or disagreements. Bluestar always knew how to smoothen things out, and I have to admit, she felt more like a mentor than Redstar had."

I didn't know that, Ravenwing thought to himself. But then again, Redtail must've still been seeing Thistleclaw, so I guess that makes sense.

"After I became a warrior, I thought she would maybe stop. Why would she care? she had a whole clan. And yet, she always had that way. The way where she would make anycat feel special and...seen. Whether it was a small conversation to inviting you to eat with her and the other senior warriors.

I know that after the fire and Yellowfang's death, she spiraled. I don't blame her. I miss Yellowfang too. And obviously, Bluestar's grief only has became worse. I wish that I could've helped in some way. But that's not the point.

The point is that Bluestar showed everycat one important life lesson: always give everycat a chance. She gave me, a former kittypet a chance. She gave Yellowfang a chance, even when Brokenstar spread rumors about her. Bluestar was always giving everycat a chance, and I hope we can continue that."

Fireheart stopped, nervously easing his jaw back and forth,  and Ravenwing proudly joined in the cheers. Once again, they were silenced as Whitestorm stood. 

"Thank you, Ravenwing and Fireheart, for the wonderful speeches. Now, the elders will take Bluestar and Tigerclaws' bodies to their graves. Cinderpelt will say a quick prayer to send them over to Starclan with ease. Please to not disturb until you see them exit the area."

Ravenwing couldn't tear his gaze away as Smallear and One-eye lifted Tigerclaw's limp body, the deputy's head lolling to one side as he was dragged away. Dappletail and Speckletail followed suit with Bluestar. 

Everycat bowed their heads in respect as the bodies disappeared behind the bush wall that was protecting the graveyard. Cinderpelt, who had gone into the medicine den while the bodies were being dragged, emerged with herbs in her jaws that Ravenwing had never seen. 

Maybe they're special burial herbs? 

She hurried into the graveyard, leaving the clan in an icy silence. 

"So," Graystripe meowed, snapping the quiet in half. "What now? We don't have a leader or a deputy."

While someone might've viewed the question as obnoxious or rude, Ravenwing had to share his friend's confusion. What did they do now? Bluestar was dead, all nine lives wiped, and Tigerclaw was the same. 

Longtail nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And did we forget that a deputy usually has to be named by moonhigh?"

"Well," Darkstripe meowed, gently correcting his mate, "technically, since we will have to have a new leader, the deputy would have to be named on the day that the leader gets back from the ceremony."

"But who will be the new leader?" Mousefur echoed. 

"I will wait for a sign."

Heads turned, meeting Cinderpelt's unusually calm gaze. Somehow, the medicine cat seemed unbothered, her faith in Starclan enough to keep her relaxed. Ravenwing wished he was the same. 

"I will wait for a sign," she repeated. "Which means I must keep watch for anything that could signify a certain cat." As she spoke, she fixated her gaze on Ravenwing, and he felt his pelt prickle. 

"She's correct, Whitestorm rumbled. "Right now, we need to get to the basics. Mousefur and Longtail, take a few cats on a hunting patrol and keep watch for any sign of the dogs. Mentors, take out your apprentices if you must."

Ravenwing glanced over to where Bramblepaw was, and he sighed. The young tom could use getting from fresh air. 

But just as he was about to approach his apprentice, a tail brushed across his shoulders. He was met with bright green eyes, and he melted on the inside. 

"Give him time," Fireheart insisted, "we need some time together anyways."

Ravenwing hummed in agreement, licking his mate's ear in half-affection and half-comfort. They both needed it. 

The forest was littered with messy splashes of orange, yellow, and red. Of course it had been like this for atleast a moon or so, but it was only now that Ravenwing was taking it all in. 

Maybe Tigerclaw's death has made me realize that we should appreciate everything more, he thought, sneaking a quick glance at Fireheart. The orange tabby blended in perfectly with the new scenery. 

"Raven," Fireheart mewed after a few long heartbeats. 

"Yes?" The use of his nickname made worry prod at his chest; Fireheart rarely used his nickname. 

"I know we haven't really, properly talked it out, but...what is it like? Being from another..."

"Universe?" The word made a shudder wrack throughout his body. He wanted to atleast focus on his purpose later, but he guessed it was inevitable for it to be brought up.

"Yes," Fireheart replied, using the tone he reserved for small, meaningful talks. 

"I...its weird, I guess," he started. "For many moons, I pondered on my own purpose, on what I was supposed to do, what I was supposed to be. My time in Riverclan really helped."

"And what is your 'purpose'?" There was something hidden in the layers of the way Fireheart spoke, like he was afraid to ask a question like so. Or, was he afraid of the answer that would come along?

"My purpose is to stop the forces of evil in the world. Thats why I was placed here." The answer was eerily stale, like there was no meaning to it, the emptiness painfully clear. 

"And what happens once you fufill that?"

"I...don't know."

He watched as a red leaf fluttered down from a branch. It twirled and swirled until it landed faintly on the ground along with many other leaves. 

"Well," Fireheart murmured under his breath,  "I think your purpose is stupid."

"What?"

"You heard me, its stupid. I think your purpose is like any other cats', no matter what Starclan or your weird spirit cats say."

"And what is that?" The question was raw, and Ravenwing's heartstrings tugged at him with curiousity and maybe...longing; the longing for a purpose that wasn't solely to defeat evil. 

"To live, to love, to hate, to cry, to laugh, and eventually, to die. That is what everyone's purpose is. Isn't that amazing? The only difference is that we all live it out differently. Somecats choose to live a life of hatred, some choose to live a life of laughter.

I think that anyone can have the ability to do all six, and in my opinion, before I even knew about this whole...thing you have going on, I believed you have been doing that all along.

Raven, you don't need to have an important purpose to live life happily. I have never even pondered on my own, and I wish you could do the same, I really do."

Fireheart's green eyes were wide, letting Ravenwing read them easily. And despite the way the back of his mind whispered "he's lying. You'll never be like that," he could only see the utter truth within them. 

"Okay," he conceded, "I'll try." 

And like that, a weight of what had previously felt like a million stones was raised off of his shoulders. He couldn't help himself, and he wrapped himself into Fireheart, letting his mate's scent engulf him. 

"Can you promise me you'll continue to do the same?" He whispered, and Fireheart nodded.

"Of course."

They stayed like that for a bit, the sound of birds chirping and the breeze ruffling the trees and their leaves enough to lull him to sleep like a kit with it's own mother. 

"Ravenwing! Fireheart! Get back to camp! Its urgent!"

They broke up from their embrace instantly, like the way that someone would react to burning themselves. There was Graystripe, his fur sticking up in all places and his yellow eyes wide. 

The gray tom's face grew into a smirk. "Did I interrupt something here, or–"

Fireheart growled, his fur slightly bristling. "Just get on with it. Why must we get back?"

Graystripe shook his pelt, sending twigs and small pieces of leaves flying everywhere. "Cinderpelt has had a sign on who should be the new leader!"

Ravenwing shoved his way through the crowd, Fireheart and Graystripe on his heels. Finally, he reached a spot where they could sit in peace, and he quickly made himself as comfortable as he could be.

"I wonder who it could be?" Graystripe meowed. Something that felt a lot like dread eased into Ravenwing's chest. Whoever it was, it better be good, especially since they didn't need a Redstar number two. 

Then again, he was pretty sure that none other of his clanmates were like that. At least, not that he knew of. 

Cinderpelt, who wasssitting on the deputy's rock, surveyed the crowd before standing. She limped up the highrock, making her way to stand on the ledge; she nodded approvingly. 

"Cats of Thunderclan," she bellowed, making everyone quiet down. "I have found the sign!"

Found?

The senior warrior's head peeked out from within the leader's den, dipping his head. She bowed her head back, and Whitestorm padded out of the den with a bundle of moss. 

"Is that the sign?" Fireheart murmured. 

Graystripe shook his head. "No, it can't be. Maybe it's inside the moss? Like, wrapped inside to hide it from us?"

Ravenwing nodded. That made more sense. 

Whitestorm easily made his way onto the Highrock, towering over Cinderpelt. She turned around, beckoning him to drop the bundle. He carefully did so, and the whole entire  clan seemed to be holding their breaths as she unwrapped it. 

Whitestorm picked it up, but wasn't facing the crowd as Cinderpelt began to speak once again. 

"The sign was found in the leader's nest, meaning that the cat that it signifies will become the leader. Starclan has spoken. Whitestorm, will you present it?"

Whitestorm whirled around, and Ravenwing had to squint so he could fully see what it was. 

A...feather?

Confused murmurs rippled through the crowd like waves, questions and gossip being exchanged. 

"What on Windclan's green moors does that mean?" Graystripe exclaimed. Fireheart shushed him through gritted teeth, but the gray tom wasn't having any of that. 

"No, I won't hush! I don't understand!" 

Cinderpelt let out a yowl, her blue eyes and dark gray pelt resembling the look of Bluestar when she could begin a clan meeting. The resemblance caused an ache in his chest.

"Silence! I need to elaborate!"

Once everycat had settled down, she took a deep breath. 

"Today, I saw a raven circling over camp. It then swooped down, and went into the leader's den. When it had left, it left this feather behind. It was obviously a clear sign from Starclan."

"But who?" Brackenfur, who had been talking to Thornpaw, asked a bit too loudly. He then flattened his ears against his head in embarrassment, shrinking into his fur. 

Cinderpelt was clearly amused, and Ravenwing was reminded that the two were littermates, along with Lostface and Thornpaw. 

"Wonderful question, actually."

She looked over the gathered cats like she had before, before landing her gaze on...Fireheart?

But Fireheart was staring at him, and so was everyone else. 

"Ravenwing, you will be our next leader."

Graystripe let out a 'whoo hoo!' while surprised murmurs and meows arose. Ravenwing felt shock rippled under his skin, the feeling similar to when a bug would crawl across his pelt. 

I thought I just had a talk with Fireheart about my purpose didn't need to be important. Why me?

Fireheart grinned, though, and he pressed his pelt into Ravenwing's. "Congratulations, love!"

Ravenwing nodded, and Bramblepaw and Lostface raced up to him. 

"Congrats!" Lostface chirped. "You'll be great, I'm sure."

Bramblepaw, who's somber mood was still lingering, offered a crooked smile. The expression was so like Tigerclaw that he had to fight the urge to tear his gaze away. 

Cinderpelt slowly walked down the rock, raising her tail once more.

"Ravenwing and I will be heading to the Moonstone immediately since we are running short on time. You may wish him luck or prayers that the trip goes smoothly."

Like that, a chorus of jumbled words flowed from the cats, and he could only nod, too overwhelmed from the fact that he was supposed to be leader. 

Fireheart nuzzled him and Graystripe shouldered him as he caught up with Cinderpelt, following her into the medicine den. Once they were sheltered by the darkness, he was finally able to speak.

"Why me?"

She shrugged as she sorted through the stacks of herbs and plants, most likely looking for traveling herbs. "Ravenwing, this is obviously your destiny. And I have confidence in the fact that you will be a good leader. A great one, even."

But it doesn't feel right! Am I just a pawn for Starclan and the Spirit world?

She pushed a few herbs towards him. "Eat those. Please don't throw them up." There was a playful grimace on her face as she spoke.

He numbly leaned down and lapped the leaves up, already feeling the bitter taste enter his taste buds. He chewed them up as fast as he could, swallowing the pulp. It didn't lessen the taste any less, though. 

Once they were done, she led him outside, and to the gorse tunnel. He took a deep breath, drowning out all the whispers that echoed inside his camp, before he let himself get englufed by the tunnel.

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Chapter Text

The crisp air mixed with the smell of rotting leaves made an oddly soothing scent for Ravenwing as he followed Cinderpelt further into the territory. And yet, dozens of thoughts whirled in his head like a leaf storm. 

Becoming leader was definitely something he had never anticipated or expected, despite the fact that he had a feeling that his entire life had been leading up to this. 

But was he even fit for the role?

He had a lot on his paws, and he felt as if he hadn't even gotten enough time to actually grieve , with him and Fireheart being called back to camp immediately after they tried to have a moment together. 

He sighed shakily, just realizing that he was quivering. Whether it was from the growing cold or his nervousness was something he could focus on much later. 

Cinderpelt, who was being headstrong as usual, looked over her shoulder. 

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged half-heartedly. 

"I...don't know. Everything is feeling like it's going by too fast."

Her lips tugged into a frown, and she hummed thoughtfully. "I get that," she meowed. "But I'm sure after your ceremony, things will go by much slower. And then, you'll be complaining about that." 

The joking tone put him at ease, and he let himself relax. 

They made it past Fourtrees with ease, the decaying brush and thickets parting beneath their paws, aiding their swift travel. As they passed through the clearing, Ravenwing couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the Great Rock. 

I'm going to be up there soon. 

He couldn’t tell if the feeling in his chest was anxiety or excitement. 

“Hey, don’t fall behind! We need to get there before the moon rises!” Cinderpelt called, and Ravenwing’s ears burned with embarrassment as he scrambled to catch up. 

When he reached her side, she gave a huff of mock indignation, rolling her eyes with exaggerated drama. The motion reminded him of when she was still a young apprentice, and sometimes, he forgot she was a fully named medicine cat and not a whiny apprentice. 

“I thought warriors were supposed to be fast.”

“I am!” he shot back, puffing out his chest just a little. She didn't reply, only giving a grin before limping up the small slope and wriggling past the bushes. He followed suit, and once he was through, he was was immediately hit with a heavy force of wind. 

"How do Windclan cats deal with this?" Cinderpelt muttered under her breath, clearly miffed that her carefully groomed fur was now ruffled. He shared the statement, both on Windclan and the fur. 

She looked both ways before stepping acroos the heavily scented border; since Bluestar's past arguments with Windclan, the borders had noticeabley risen in scent. 

He meekly followed, feeling like a scared apprentice from all those moons ago, before the nonsense of his soul being placed here. 

The grass was also being affected by the new season, with the strands being mixes of dull green and brown, along with the edges frayed. As he took every step, he found that it was also softer. 

"What do you think you're doing here?"

The sudden voice made both him and Cinderpelt jump in surprise, and what was more shocking was that they weren't able to scent the incoming patrol. 

Maybe the grass is hiding it?

He quickly pushed the thought out his mind; he needed to focus on addressing the patrol before they got into an unreasonable fight. Scanning the cats, he noticed Mudclaw among them, and uncertainty arose along his pelt. 

Mudclaw was known for being a violent warrior. And, according to Graystripe, while Ravenwing was gone, Cloudpaw had decided to live his life as a kittypet for a moon. When Fireheart and Graystripe had gone to retrieve him, they had been attacked by Mudclaw and his apprentice for apparently no reason. 

"We're on our way to the Moonstone. Ravenwing is going to receive his nine lives," Cinderpelt replied coolly, obviously fighting to keep her fur flat. Tornear, who's back had been raised in contempt, relaxed, dipping his head. 

"I see. Good luck, and I'm sorry about Bluestar."

Cinderpelt was about to say something back, her jaws half open, when Mudclaw shouldered his way to the front of the patrol. 

"That's fox-dung!" He spat angrily. "Tigerclaw is the deputy!"

Ravenwing growled. Couldn't this rabbit brain put two and two together?

"Actually," he hissed, "Tigerclaw is dead, and I've been chosen as the new leader." Cinderpelt nodded, her eyes narrowing into a glare as she met Mudclaw's resistant gaze. 

The brown tabby faltered for a heartbeat, and Tornear sighed defeatedly, seemingly tired of his clanmate. Ravenwing couldn't blame him. He would hate living in Windclan if he had to deal with Mudclaw. 

"Nevermind him, go on. May Starclan be with you."

Ravenwing and Cinderpelt dipped their heads simultaneously, before heading towards the Thunderpelt. Even  after they were atleast five fox lengths away, Ravenwing could still feel Mudclaw's fiery glare. 

"Geez" Cinderpelt meowed once they were out of earshot, "that Mudclaw cat is a piece of work." 

He nodded stiffly in agreement. "Most Windclan cats are like that, with the exception of Tallstar and Onewhisker, I think."

"Mhm. They are all kitted with a burr in their pelts."

He chuckled, ready to counter with another joke when the foul stench of the Thunderpath burned into his nose, the smell reaching all the way into the top of his head. 

I don't think I'll ever get used to that, he thought sourly. 

Cinderpelt exhaled, nervousness evident in her expression. It was clear why, seeing as she had gained her permanent leg injury from getting hit by a monster. She looked both ways over ten times before nodding. 

"Okay, when I say go, we go, okay?"

He hummed in affirmation, readying himself to sprint across the smooth, black rocks. 

"...Go!"

The sudden exclaimation startled him, and he wasted no time in bolting across. The low, familiar rumble of a monster shook his ears, and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Cinderpelt was finw. 

Much to his relief, she was only a mouse length behind him, and they safely made it to the other side. 

He huffed, the desperate need to lap water overtaking him, and he found the nearest puddle. He quickly drank it up, ignoring the bitter taste of dirt and crushed rock. 

Cinderpelt stopped to catch her breath, the adrenaline from dashing across now running out. Her sides heaved, and she glanced up at him with a gleam in her eyes, reminding him that no matter what, her spirit was definitely never tired. 

"Now," she meowed once she had finally regained her breath, "who's ready to get their nine lives?"

The tunnels were horribly dark and cramped; his whiskers brushing against the smoothened sides every few heartbeats. In front of him, Cinderpelt had her head confidently raised. 

Thank Starclan I don't have to do this alone, or else I would most definitely be lost by now. 

The illuminating pulse from an upcoming cavern spilled onto the floor beneath him, and his breath got caught in his throat. This was it. 

He had never actually seen the Moonstone, the one time he had traveled as an apprentice leading him to sit outside of the entrance with Graystripe, or, Graypaw. It felt unreal how that had been so many moons ago. 

"We're here," Cinderpelt whispered, her energetic nature completely dissipated. Perhaps it was the strong energy from the power of Starclan, or the exhaustion finally catching up to her. 

In front of him, the large crystal shone brightly, causing him to screw his eyes shut from the radiance. But when he opened them and let himself get used to the brightness, he found that it was more beautiful then he had ever imagined. 

"Amazing, right?" The she-cat commented, not letting her gaze be dragged away. He could only nod numbly, too stunned by all of it. 

After a few more moments of silence, she nudged him, gesturing towards the stone. 

"All you need to do is lay down and press your nose to the stone while closing your eyes. Let yourself relax, and hopefully, you'll find yourself in the right place," she instructed. 

He anxiously stepped foward, crouching down and closing his eyes before showing his nose to the crystal. The dampness of his nose meeting with the crystal was an odd sensation, and he leaned into it. 

He relaxed some more, letting his shoulders become loose and his fur become less bristled than it already was. 

With a deep breath, he let himself be consumed by the never-ending darkness of sleep. 

For a few moments, it stayed dark, leading him to panic. 

Have I done something wrong? 

But, a sudden shove to his shoulder told him otherwise, and he warily opened his eyes. The response was natural instinct, since he was used to dreams full of woe and horror. 

Much to his relief, it was just Cinderpelt. 

"Is...this it?"

She nodded, beginning to glance around, clearly antsy and excited for Starclans' arrival. "Yes. Just stay where you are."

Like Starclan had heard her words, and maybe, they did, small stars began to form around him in a broken circle, the light absorbing into his and Cinderpelt's flanks. 

One by one, every star began to take shape. He watched in utter amazement as Yellowfang formed, then Spottedleaf, Redtail, who gave him a small smile, Lionheart, Snowkit, much to his surprise, a russet brown tom, along with a dark gray she-cat with a dappled pelt, who Bluestar proudly stood next to, and then...

Tigerclaw!

The large tabby was somehow more majestic and powerful looking than he had seemed when he was living. When Ravenwing squinted, he realized his scars were now a shade of amber, matching his eyes, and then noticed every cat was the same. 

Bluestar's shoulder scar was a pale blue, matching her blue-tinted gray pelt. The dark gray she-cat had small scratches with a striking green. The russet brown tom was the same, just with a darker shade.

Snowkit had scars on both sides, most likely from the hawk, colored a sky blue. Lionheart's scars were much less noticeable, with the yellow blending in with his long, golden fur. Redtail surprisingly had not many scars, only one across his shoulder, which was a pale yellow. 

Spottedleaf had a scar across her throat, a painful reminder of her death from Clawface. And Yellowfang was just littered in amber scrapes. 

"Welcome," the former medicine cat rumbled. Ravenwing noticed that Cinderpelt's eyes were glazed over, most likely overwhelmed by the sight of her former mentor. 

"This, as you can tell, is Starclan, where we will be giving you your nine lives. Are you ready?" 

"Yes," he confirmed, surprising himself by how steady his voice was. Yellowfang stepped foward, reaching her muzzle upwards so that she could touch his forehead with her nose. 

"I give you a life for challenge, so that you may learn that everyone needs a little challenging every now and then, whether it be a tyrant or a rowdy warrior. May you use this wisely."

As she pressed her nose to his head, he felt a sharp jolt traveled throughout his body. The image of "Redtail" exiling him flashed, followed by Tigerclaw leading him, Graystripe, nad Fireheart into Windclan territory. 

When she stepped back, Spottedleaf carefully followed. She waited until he recovered from the pain, chuckling lightly. She then pressed her nose on his head, but not harshly, the feeling barely registering in his head. 

"I give you a life for energy. Let it course through you and never run out, so that you can always keep up with your clan and take on problems without tiring."

Something that felt like fire welled inside his chest, feeling as if it were about to combust him from within at any moment. But, instead, it only filled him with resilience. 

As the former medicine she-cat began to step away, she whispered, "this life will only fuel you more, seeing as you have somehow always had it."

Redtail was up next, puffing out his chest and waving his tail. Cinderpelt visibly tensed before sighing, clearly not used to seeing the tom. Ravenwing was grateful that he had told her about the whole situation previously, or else it would've been awkward to explain. 

"Hello Ravenwing," he greeted. "I'm proud to see you now. I know everything is confusing at the moment, but I'm sure you'll pull through. Don't forget you always have help."

"Thank you."

"I give you a life for endurance. This is the life that carries you when your paws bleed, when your clan wavers, when your heart aches with doubt, with a power that even through the strongest storms, you will continue to stay rooted and calm."

Redtail leaned foward, and the pressure of his muzzle sent a ache throughout him. His muscles tensed suddenly, as if he were expecting the worse, before a sudden flood of calm flowed within him. 

He let put an exhale as Redtail stepped back. Redtail then muttered, “you are the rock they will lean on. Stand firm, no matter the storm.” The former deputy gave a reassuring smile, before falling back into the line. 

What does that mean?

" How many lives left?" He muttered to Cinderpelt, anticipation crawling under his skin. 

"Six," she mewed softly. 

Lionheart strutted fowards, his long fur waving slightly as he moved. When he reached Ravenwing, he towered over him, reminding him of how massive the warrior had been. And yet, despite his intimidating stance, Lionheart held the same soft smile. 

He lowered his muzzle, murmuring, "I give you a life for empathy, that you may look the enemy in the eyes and feel the smallest ounce of mercy. That you may look at a struggling clan and offer to help, even if they reject it. Empathy has never killed us, no matter what anyone else says."

He pressed his nose onto Ravenwing's forehead, and for a few heartbeats, nothing happened.But then, something blossomed from within. A warm, soft ache that flowed into his bloodstream, a softness he had never felt. It was wonderful.

He was still recovering from the feeling, his fur feeling tingly as Snowkit bounced foward. For a moment, Ravenwing wondered if the kit was still deaf, and Snowkit boomed. 

"I give you a life for fairness," he squeaked, "may you weigh every choice with an even heart and a clear mind, hoping for the best with everycat." Ravenwing bowed his head, allowing Snowkit to shove his small nose onto his head. 

A grounding stillness formed around him, and he felt unusually balanced, like he was on the center of the world. A sudden weight caused him to teter from side to side, before stilling once again. 

Does that represent me being fair for both sides? 

Snowkit bounced away, humming happily as he curled into Yellowfang's long pelt. Ravenwing didn't miss the way her features softened, and he was once again brought back to the memory of her confessing that Brokenstar was her son. 

She must have a soft spot for kits. 

The russet brown tom that he didn't recognize stumbled foward, regaining his stance before striding over with more confidence. 

"I am Pinestar," he introduced. "I was leader while Bluestar was a young warrior, and Tigerclaw's father, before I left to be a kittypet. Here, I will give you the life for innovation. There will be times when the old ways will fail you, when the path laid out by those before you crumbles beneath your paws. This life is for those moments. Let it sharpen your mind and free your spirit. Let it teach you to ask why and to dare to ask what if."

Without any warning, he touched his head, causing Ravenwing to shut his eyes.

A flame seemed to come to life within Ravenwing's head, along with a sudden urge to question everything. The curiosity made him sway, the feeling of following an unknown path tugging at his paws. 

When he opened his eyes, he found that Pinestar was already back in the line, with the dark gray she-cat already a rabbit length away from him. She blinked affectionately, the gesture reminding him of someone...

"I'm Leopardfoot. I am Tigerclaw's mother, and I'm honored to meet a cat like you. I've seen how you've led yourself through life, and all I can say is that I'm impressed."

Thats where its from! 

"Thank you," he breathed, "I'm glad I could meet you too."

She gave a faint purr, before whispering into his ears, "I give you the life for forgiveness. Not for others alone, but for yourself. There will be choices you regret. Cats you fail. Wounds you cause without meaning to. Find that everyone needs forgiveness, even yourself."

As she touched his head, a melting feeling arose from underneath his pelt, like ice thawing in the hot, Newleaf sun. All of the grudges he held against himself and others seemed to dissipate in the moment. 

The thought of it being his fault for Tigerclaw's death came and went, as if it were blown away by a strong force of wind. He breathed with ease, a weight he didn't know he had being lifted. 

When he opened his eyes, Leopardfoot dipped her head as if saying thanks.

She nodded to Tigerclaw, who grinned and bounded towards him. Ravenwing laughed happily as his former mentor shoved him playfully, not realizing how much he already missed it in such a short time. 

"Ravenwing, I'm so proud of you. I know that you know that, but after learning everything you've been through, I'm sure you need the reassurance more than ever now."

Surprise prickled at his paws before he realized that all of Starclan knew of what was going on by now, and he nodded. "Thank you, really."

Tigerclaw smiled again, before his expression darkened. "I give you a life for foresight. You will sense danger before it strikes, feel tension before it cracks, and see paths others are too afraid to name. It will guide you to listen deeper, to see beyond your own clan, and to lead not just for today, but for seasons yet to come."

When he pressed his damp nose to Ravenwing's head, an immediate chill ran down his spine, the hairs on his spine rising slightly. The feeling of eyes watching him from all directions surrounded him, and he fought to breath as the walls seemed to close in on him. 

A tail resting across his shoulder brought him back to reality, and Tigerclaw's stare lingered a bit longer, filled with concern and worry, before hurrying back into the line. 

Bluestar dipped her head respectfully to her former deputy before confidently striding over to Ravenwing, just as he had remembered her before she spiraled.

"Ravenwing," she began, her tone authoritive like it had been so long ago. It calmed him to see his leader at such peace now. 

"Throughout my life, I have never met such a unique and brave cat like you. Even if you don't realize it, your impact on your clan has been stretching on for moons, and it is only now that you can really staple that legacy. You have always been a leader, and that is why I'm giving you a life for reliability. 

A leader’s words must hold weight. A leader’s presence must feel like stone beneath shifting paws.

There will be times when chaos swirls around you, when fear takes root in your clanmates’ hearts.

Let them look to you, and know you will not falter. Show them that you are a cat that will get back up no matter the blow.

This life will steady your step when others stumble. It will remind you that trust is not earned by pride, but by constancy.

You may not always have the right answer. But if you show up again and again they will follow you through fire."

Without giving any room to talk, she leaned down and lightly touched the top of his head, the motion bringing him back to when he had become a warrior. 

The moment the nose touched his body, the life sank in slowly, not as a jolt, but as a weight. Not crushing, but anchoring. A low, steady pulse begins at the base of their spine, spreading outward like roots pressing into the earth. It was warm, not burning, but firm, the kind of warmth that comes from the sun-soaked side of stone or the center of a well-worn nest.

He took a large, deep breath, and knew that he was ready. 

When he opened his eyes, he found that all of the cats were in a more perfect line, with Bluestar still standing proud. 

"I hail you as Ravenstar now, " she bellowed, "your old life is no more, with a fresh future ahead of you. May you be led by your friends, family, and Starclan so that you may not fail and succumb to the forces of evil that surround us."

"Ravenstar! Ravenstar! Ravenstar! Ravenstar!" 

Cinderpelt and the Starclan cats chanted, so loud that it drowned out the sound of leaves swaying and a nearby stream rushing. 

"Remember, Ravenstar, beware of Redstar, and all he may do," Bluestar warned, her blue eyes unblinking. 

He dipped his head. "I will do my best to defeat him."

"And we will help," she promised, "trust me, we will help."

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔞𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔨𝔶 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔤𝔢𝔱𝔰 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔯, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢—𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔠𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔴𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤. ℑ𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔥𝔲𝔰𝔥, 𝔞 𝔯𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔣𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱, 𝔟𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔠𝔲𝔱𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔠𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔨, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔰𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔥𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔬𝔲𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔫 𝔴𝔞𝔯 𝔡𝔯𝔲𝔪𝔰.  𝔄 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔫𝔬 𝔱𝔦𝔱𝔩𝔢, 𝔫𝔬 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔢, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔫𝔬 𝔟𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔴𝔞𝔩𝔨 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔡𝔦𝔪𝔪𝔢𝔡, 𝔤𝔲𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔡 𝔬𝔫𝔩𝔶 𝔟𝔶 𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔱, 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔰, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔢𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔩𝔢𝔣𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔡. ℭ𝔞𝔱𝔰 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔪, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔬𝔴 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤—𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔬𝔴 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔬𝔴 𝔤𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔲𝔫𝔰𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔦𝔫 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫𝔰.  𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢 𝔰𝔦𝔤𝔫𝔰 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔨 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤: 𝔞 𝔭𝔬𝔬𝔩 𝔬𝔣 𝔣𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔰 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔞 𝔟𝔬𝔡𝔶, 𝔞 𝔳𝔬𝔦𝔠𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔬𝔣 𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔡, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔣 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔫𝔢𝔴 𝔯𝔬𝔬𝔱𝔰.  𝔉𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔯𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔫. 𝔇𝔬𝔲𝔟𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔫𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔥. 𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔨𝔶 𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔨 𝔦𝔫 𝔣𝔢𝔞𝔯, 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔴𝔞𝔩𝔨𝔰 𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔢. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔟𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔪 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰, 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤.

Chapter Text

Leaves crunched beneath his paws as he and Cinderpelt quietly made their way home. Somehow, the young medicine cat had convinced him not to even stop at Barley's barn to eat, and he found that he was regretting his decision.

"Quit looking like a hungry kit," Cinderpelt teased, her eyes full of energy despite the long journey. She also carried a light spring in her step. 

He guessed that he felt the same; he was just made leader, after all. 

Wow. Leader. That's crazy. 

It had felt just like yesterday when he had been reborn and was forced to relive a life he was unfamiliar with. How would his apprentice-self react to the news of him becoming the leader?

He sighed, a light breeze simultaneously ruffled his coat as he did so. Leaffall already being in session meant that eventually, the overwhelming doom of Leafbare would approach. 

The faint smell of cat wafted into his senses, and he glanced around wildly. Cinderpelt noticed as well, her spine fur prickling with tension and apprehension. 

One of the surrounding thickets rustled, and Ravenstar bristled. It could be anyone, Redstar, Thistleclaw, a rogue–

Graystripe burst through, mumbling a string of incoherent curses before meeting their alarmed gazes. He chuckled sheepishly, quickly picking out small twigs from his burly coat. 

"Graystripe, you oaf!" Cinderpelt snapped, although there was no real bite to it. She shook her fur before forcefully flattening it, clearly still not over the spark of fear that the warrior had ignited. 

"I know, I know," he sighed, before his gaze excitedly lit up. "Ravenwing! I mean, Ravenstar! Wow, that has a real ring to it, huh?" He circled Ravenstar, looking him up and down; Ravenstar ducked his head self-consciously. 

"I haven't changed," he insisted, "I'm still the cat you grew up with."

"Yes, but you're the leader now," Graystripe pointed out. 

Before he could retort, Mousefur and Runningwind emerged from the brush, exasperated looks on both of their faces. 

"Graystripe!" Mousefur snapped, mirroring Cinderpelt's reaction from a few moments ago. "You can't just wander off like that!"

Runningwind nodded in silent agreement, fixating a glare on Graystripe. The warrior noticeably shrank into himself, and he shrugged. Although Ravenstar suspected it wasn't enough to quench Mousefur's annoyance.

She respectfully bowed her head to him and Cinderpelt, before ushering Graystripe away, Runningwind following closely behind. The medicine cat sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, now, hopefully without any more interruptions, we can get home. You need to name a deputy, after all."

He nodded, a pang of anxiety flickering from within. He had completely forgotten about that! He blinked furiously, trying to ease away the coming frustration that made his eyes glaze over.

He could feel Cinderpelt's worried gaze on him, and he forced himself to regain control over his emotions. He could worry about that later. Right now, he had a clan to take care of. 

"Okay," he muttered, "let's get home."

By the time they arrived, half of the clan was present, and he felt all eyes dart to him the second he emerged from the gorse tunnel. Longtail whispered something into Darkstripe's ear, and Bramblepaw watched him with guarded curiosity. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Whitestorm sitting with a thoughtful expression, as if he were studying his every move. Anxiety pierced him like a thorn in his side. They had been so supportive when he had been chosen; what was the difference now?

Cinderpelt nudged him reassuringly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's okay," she promised, "they're just curious. I'm sure it's not every day they get to see their clanmate become leader in a short amount of time." 

"But what do I do?" 

"Just...be you. Part of being a leader is figuring everything out."

"That's not helpful," he hissed, letting a bit of his frustrations spill and seep out onto the campground. Guilt immediately swallowed him a heartbeat after for being so rude, but Cinderpelt was dismissive.

"Oh, I know, but I recommend you eat something before the deputy ceremony, since you look like you could devour a whole horse." With a wave of her tail, she snatched up a sparrow from the fresh kill pile before disappearing into her den. He let his shoulders fall; she was probably right. He did tend to get a bit irritable when he hadn't eaten something, and he couldn't exactly recall the last time he had done so. 

He trailed over to the pile, the scent telling him that it had been restocked recently. He sifted through it before coming upon a beautiful finch, the meat under its feathers clearly full and healthy. He lightly picked it up, but just as he was about to head over to his usual area where he ate, he reminded himself that he had to eat near the highrock now. He settled comfortably a few mouse lengths away from the rock, ignoring the silence. 

Graystripe's patrol from earlier arrived back at camp, and much to Ravenstar's surprise, Fireheart trailed behind them. When he spotted Ravenstar, he grinned, bounding up to him. Graystripe caught on, following the orange tabby. 

"So, you're the leader now, right? Nine lives and all?" Fireheart asked, searching Ravenstar's gaze for something he couldn't exactly understand. 

"Yes," he confirmed, and like that, a sudden eruption of cheers sounded from his clanmates. His previous annoyance seemed to dissipate, although he still found it weird that they were acting like he was about to combust any moment when he had gotten back. 

Whitestorm strolled up to him, a warm smile teasing at the corners of his lips. "Well, finish that finch, because it's almost time to name a new deputy."

He nodded, quickly gulping down his prey. As he did so, Fireheart washed his pelt, while Graystripe rambled on about how horses were something that Starclan sent to remind them that the Dark Forest exists. Ravenstar let out a contented sigh. Despite everything, his friend and mate were the same cats he knew. 

When he stepped into the leader's den, he was greeted with a new nest, the moss recently gathered, with small red flowers lining the edges. Whitestorm's scent faintly hung in the den. Gratitude took hold of him, and he reminded himself to thank the senior warrior. 

Now, who would be a good deputy?

Fireheart or Graystripe were obvious choices, since he had grown up with them and trusted them. But, then again, he didn't need favoritism getting in the way of his choices.

Whitestorm was a good idea, too. After all, he was very loyal, a senior warrior, and had an apprentice before. But, he was getting older, and while Ravenstar absentmindedly knew that experience was a good skill to have, he always noticed the way that the white tom's sides heaved when he barely ran, or how the frays of his fur were becoming gray. The senior warrior deserved peace. 

Well, that didn't exactly narrow anything down, unless...

Yes! I know exactly who!

A feeling of accomplishment washed through him. He had decided who would be deputy, and now all he needed to do was start the ceremony. 

What were the words, again?

"All cats that can hunt their fresh kill, gather under the Highrock for a clan meeting!" 

The way his voice echoed and bounced off the clan walls pleased him, and slowly but surely, cats began to emerge from their dens or arise from where they sat. 

Lostface, who had been quietly sitting with Hollowthroat, quickly jumped up, excitement apparent in her remaining eye. Hollowthroat shouldered her playfully, but followed her faithfully int the growing crowd, Cloudtail, who had not been far away, following. Darkstripe and Longtail emerged from the warriors' den, both cats stretching tiredly, obviously woken up from a nap. Bramblepaw raced Tawnypaw; Fireheart and Graystripe made their way to the front. 

Once he made sure everyone was present, he puffed out his chest, trying to resemble the look Bluestar had often taken on when she held meetings or ceremonies. He made sure he had fully memorized everything before beginning his speech. 

"I say these words before Starclan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors, and Tigerclaw, may hear and approve of my choice. ThunderClan's new deputy shall be..."

"Longtail."

Surprised murmurs rippled through the clan, and Longtail hesitantly waded through the crowd, with Darkstripe grinning proudly at his mate. 

"Do you accept?" He asked, staring down at the pale tabby. 

Longtail gulped, and never had Ravenstar seen the warrior so unsure. For a few heartbeats, he was worried that maybe he would decline, but Longtail dipped his head. 

"I do."

Chants of his name spewed from the crowd. Hollowthroat and Lostface exchanged gleeful glances before the white-and-black ran up to his former mentor and butted his shoulder playfully.

He pressed his head into his shoulder. His chest shuddered with effort. There was no sound, no comforting rumble. Just silence. But the intent was there. Darkstripe joined in, and soon everycat clustered around the newly named deputy. But he remembered that he wasn't exactly done with the meeting, and once the cheering died down, he raised his tail to get their attention. 

"There is one more thing I have to do. Hollowthroat, Lostface, please step forward."

He wasn't exactly sure how to phrase it. He had never done something like this. But he hated the way that Lostface flinched when someone called for her, or the way Hollowthroat averted eye contact when a clanmate tried to get his attention.

At first, he never knew if he could take away some of the remaining pain that their names brought, but now, he could. The words were still on his tongue, from when he had asked One-eye about it over a moon ago. It had been an impulse, and he hadn't expected the elder to answer, but ever since then, he had memorized them, ingraining them into the roots of his mind.

"Spirits of Starclan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the names from the cats you see before you, for it no longer stands for who they are. By my authority as clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I will give these cats new names."

The two friends glanced at eachother, pleasantly surprised. 

He hopped down from the rock, almost slipping as he did so. He approached the ginger-and-white she-cat first, now face to face. 

"From this moment on, she will be known as Brightheart, for the courage and growth she has harbored her entire journey as a young warrior." He pressed his nose to her head, and she licked his shoulder in response. He had to stop his legs from shaking from the happiness that rumbled inside him. 

He then went over to Longtail's former apprentice. He had thought hard about the name he would give him. 

"From this moment on, he will be known as Swiftspirit, for his sense of justice and compassion that he has strongly shown." He repeated the action, and Swiftspirit shakily leaned forward to lick his shoulder.

Ravenstar stepped back, surveying the clan. As he did so, chants of their new names started. 

"Brightheart! Swiftspirit! Brightheart! Swiftspirit! Brightheart! Swiftspirit! Brightheart!"

Longtail's pale green gaze was glazed over, and when Ravenstar caught it, the new deputy could only grin. Brightheart whispered a 'thank you,' and he purred, the first in a while.

This was his clan. 

He was their leader. 

And he knew that he would do anything to defend it. 

ꙄWOᗡAHꙄ ᗡ⅃O ᎮͶIЯᙠ ꙄЯƎᗡAƎ⅃ WƎͶ

Chapter Text

The air was thick with an uncomrtable muggyness, the damp mist clinging to his pelt like burrs as he traveled through Tallpines. The sky up above was spotted with a dreary gray, and he couldn't exactly tell whether it was for rain or snow. 

Close behind him, Bramblepaw trailed along, unusually quiet. His amber eyes were downcast, avoiding Ravenstar's gaze everytime he attempted to make eye contact.

While he knew his apprentice probably didn't want to make him worry, Ravenstar couldn't help the pang of anxiety that flashed throughout him as thoughts whirled within his mind. 

Over the past two sunrises, the clan had been hunting and cautiously patrolling the borders. Nothing had really changed, but now that Ravenstar was leader, he had a suspision that the clan was quietly waiting for what he would do about Redstar.

The sound of leaves crunching broke his line of thought, and he was pleased to find that it was only Bramblepaw, the young tom dropping to a hunters' crouch. 

Ravenstar remained silent, watching as Bramblepaw stalked something that he obviously hadn't seen. Bramblepaw tensed, visibly freezing, before pouncing and crashing into a nearby bush.

Ravenstar winced, expecting his apprentice to emerge completely empty-pawed, but, much to his astonishment, Bramblepaw towed himself out with a morning dove, the bird laying limp.

"Good job," he praised, looking over the catch. Ravenstar had seen and caught morning doves before, but in this time of year, it was rare. 

Bramblepaw lookd to his paws bashfully, though there was that flicker of pride that shined in his eyes. "Thank you," he meowed, still obviously trying to come off as modest. 

Ravenstar glanced around, pricking his ears. Much to his dissapointment, he couldn't detect any sounds of scuffling or movement. 

I'm sure its fine, the dove is very plump.

"Well," he sighed, "I guess we need to head back home now. It's going to be getting dark soon, anyways."

Bramblepaw nodded, and Ravenstar set the dove securely on the tabby's shoulders, knowing that he liked to talk on the way back home. He turned tail, and Bramblepaw scrambled to not fall behind. 

After a few heartbeats, Bramblepaw's voice nervously chimed in with the sounds of the trees creaking and brushing together as a gust of wind blew through, ruffling their pelts in the process. 

"What was training with my dad like?"

The question made Ravenstar halt. Was this why Bramblepaw had been oddly quiet today? Because he wanted to ask about his father? 

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he shufled his paws, "what was he like when  he taught you,  and when he was your friend?"

Ravenstar didn't need to ponder on his answer; Tigerclaw had always filled some aspect of his life, so it wasn't really hard to. 

"When he trained me, he joked around a bunch, always teasing the other mentors. You'd think that he was the apprentice!" He chuckled, a sad edge to it as he continued on. 

"But, when we were alone training, he always did what made me comfortable. If I wasn't ready to climb a tree, he didn't push, but instead demonstrated and encouraged me until I was ready. If I was unsure about a battle move, he would practice with me until I had felt like I mastered it.

I guess he never really stopped, even after I became a warrior. Even after the countless battles I had gone through, the pieces of prey I had caught, he always treated me as an apprentice, but not in a bad way. More so in a "I'm looking out for you" way."

Bramblepaw nodded, clearly in thought. 

"Was he like a father to you?"

Ravenstar was shocked that Bramblepaw would even ask, but he knew he couldn't really deny it. Tigerclaw had filled that father shaped hole in his heart that he had been carrying since his first life. 

 "Yes," he whispered, "I suppose he was. Truth be told, I didn't know what having a father was like until Tigerclaw came around."

Bramblepaw glanced off into the treeline wistfully, his amber gaze slightly clouding over. "I miss him."

"I know. And so do I."

As a comfortable silence tell upon them, Ravenstar noticed that everything was starting to become hazy, and was worried that maybe his vision was failing suddenly. But, a gasp from Bramblepaw proved him otherwise.

"What is this?" 

Ravenstar realized that the blurriness was from white flaks falling from the heavy clouds, and he watched as they fluttered down delicately. 

"This is snow," he meowed, watching in amusement as Bramblepaw's eyes widened with amazement.

"Watch this, Bramblepaw." He stuck out his tongue, whirling around in hopes of getting a flake. The young tabby quickly set down his dove, before he mirrored his actions, running around excitedly. 

"Is it true that it will get really deep?" Bramblepaw questioned shortly after he had finally caught a flake on his tongue. Ravenstar nodded, and Bramblepaw's eyes somehow got even wider, almost looking like an owl. "But how, they're all so little!"

"Yes, but there's dozens falling as we speak, or maybe even more. It all starts adding up eventually."

Bramblepaw let out a murmur of wonder as he began to run around, occasionally pouncing as he tried to get his paws on a few flakes. 

I would tell him that they melt instantly after touching your paws, but that would ruin his fun. And after everything he's been through so far, he needs it.

He sat down, curling his tail around his paws as he watched Bramblepaw happily play and the snow slowly start to cover their territory.

They had hurried home shortly after, realizing that the morning dove would begin to harden from the cold if they didn't bring it back. Bramblepaw ran into camp, with Ravenstar carrying the dove in his jaws. He set it down into the surprisingly well stocked fresh kill pile, nodding to his clanmates as they welcomed him back. 

Longtail was chatting with Mousefur and Darkstripe, and when he spotted Ravenstar, he dipped his head, but continued to talk to his friend and mate. Ravenstar was relieved that his deputy had nothing bad to report. 

He scanned the clearing, before spotting Graystripe and Fireheart huddling together, in a deep conversation. Ravenstar decided that he would join them later, but right now he was too hungry to at the moment. 

he shuffled throough the pile, before picking out a vole. He carried it over to to Highrock, leaping ontop and eating it there. He had found that he liked eating it there, rather than on the forest ground. 

He watched as Bramblepaw play-fought with Tawnypaw, Ashpaw, and Fernpaw, the apprentices happily laughing. 

Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Swiftspirit strolled into camp, Cloudtail talking to Swiftspirit as Brightheart followed along in the converstation. Swiftspirit and the clan had formulated signs and symbols that the tom would use so that he could communicate. 

Cinderpelt emerged from her den, scanning the clearing and padding over to the fresh kill pile. She scooped up the morning dove from earlier before slipping away. 

Ravenstar sighed contentedly. Despite the fact that hardship loomed over them, and that Redstar could strike any moment, he allowed himself to relax with his clan.

He closed his eyes, the sounds of his clanmates chatting and laughing melting into silence.

When he awoke, he let out a shaky breath as he realized he was once again, back by the sycamore tree. However, the worrying thing was that he had never directly appeared next to it. 

He scanned the tree, looking for any signs of something new. On further inspection, he noticed that ice had begun to frost over the bark, making it's way into the creases. 

He recalled what the crow had told him last time, about how he needed to defeat Tigerstar soon and fast, or else everything would collpase; his fur prickled with unease. 

Ravenstar looked the tree over some more, and found that on the back, there were some claw marks. he remembered the ones on the front, and he pressed his paw to them. 

Like last time, a jolt shook him as the words became jumbled in his head before it made out something understandable. 

"Bones will seep with blood as the mighty leader sights upon them, causing terror and despair."

Ravenstar shook his head, not fully grasping the words before he suddenly remembered something.

In his past life, he, Fireheart, and Graystripe had gone to Rivercan to save Graystripe's kits, Featherpaw and Stormpaw. he wondered if this would happen again. It would make sense, seeing as a moon or two ago, Silverstream had told him that they were expecting kits. 

"Does this mean that Tigerstar is willing to do it all over again?" He wondered out loud. Then, a prickle of fear rolled down his spine. "Or, maybe he will kill them this time!" 

Stonefur had died protecting the apprentices last time, but would that really stop Tigerstar? He had done this before, he knew what was to happen at this point. Determination surged through Ravenstar's paws. He had the power to stop it, and he would use that power wisely. 

Suddenly the ground began  to shake, cracks aligning underneath him. The cracks worsened, until the ground began to separate. He slipped, and fel into the abyss that the cracks had revealed.

He awoke with a jolt, looking around wildly. The clan was almost the same, with Longtail now sharing tongues with Darkstripe, and the apprentices in a circle talking. The noticeable difference was that a few warriors were missing, meaning they had headed off to bed or had been sent off to hunt.

Ravenstar let out a shaky exhale. That kind of stuff had always happened when the dream world decided it was time for him to leave, but it never failed to scare him.

He walked down the rock, not having enough energy to jump down. He nodded to Longtail, before entering his den underneath the highrock. Fireheart and him had conbined their nests so that they could still be together, and he curled up in the moss, deep in thought. 

He wished that he could talk to Sandstorm, but he was leader now, meaning he had to seek her out specifically, which was much harder. Especially if she and Silverstream were currently fussing over their kits. 

But, he couldn't let that happen to them, which meant that he would have to risk it while he was alone by Riverclan, and hopefully run into his friend. 

Ravenstar rolled his shouders uncomfortably, trying to ease the tension that had progressively built within them. Butt, all he could do was sit alone with his thoughts, watching through the vines that draped over the entrance as snow continued to fall.

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Chapter Text

The next morning, Ravenstar forced himself to leave his sleeping mate, slipping out of the den with quiet ease. The sun had barely risen, and snow covered the camp, glittering as small rays of sunlight began to peek through the trees that gaurded the tall camp walls. 

Much to his delighted surprise, Longtail was already up, staring into the distance and clearly in thought. As Ravenstar approached him, the snow beneath his paws crunched obnoxiously, and the pale tabby whirled around, alarmed. 

"Ravenstar," he hissed, his ears laying flat against his head, "you can't just sneak up like that!"

"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," he pointed out, failing at hiding his amusement. Longtail's whiskers twitched in partial annoyance, but there was no hatred. 

"Why are you up so early?" The deputy questioned. Ravenstar internally sighed. The pale tabby had always been straight to the point. 

"I'm off to hunt," he answered smoothly, praying silently to Starclan that the tom wouldn't see through the lie. He knew that as leader, it was expected of him too confide in his deputy at all times, but Longtail most likely would disapprove of him running off to talk to Sandstorm. 

Longtail nodded, looking up at the sky. "Well, you better hurry, since it looks like its going to snow some more."

"Of course." After he dipped his head, Longtail stared at him expectantly, and he his pelt flashed hot with embarrassment as he realized the deputy was waiting for his orders. As much as he had tried to become accustomed to being leader, commanding another cat around was something he definitely would struggle with for a while. 

"Oh, yes, make sure to organize as many patrols as you can. And tell Mousefur, if I'm not back by then, that I think Thornpaw is almost ready to become a warrior." Everything was made up on the spot, but Longtail hummed in agreement. 

"Okay. Be safe." 

"I will," he promised, turning tail and heading towards the gorse tunnel. 

He carefully slipped through the thick undergrowth as he made his way to the Riverclan border. With the sudden snowfall, navigating through the territory was made difficult, and Ravenstar's eyes were narrowed as flecks flew into his eyesight. 

He pricked his ears, hoping to hear the familiar bubble, but was met with an eerie silence instead. Dread filled him as he realized that the river must've been fully frozen through, and he hoped that Sandstorm and her family were eating well. 

A familiar dip came into sight, barely visible, but there. He hurried downwards, nearly slipping and rolling down due to the snow. 

Just as he suspected, the river was cased over with ice. Frost speckled on the edges, and the bank, usually crackling with the sound of pebbles, was now overlayed by white. 

He squinted, and was luckily able to spot the bridge, deciding to make his way over there. 

As he approached the bridge, memories began to whirl inside his head, like leaves caught in a gust of strong wind. He could still exactly remember where he stood before jumping off the edge to get Tigerclaw. 

I can't believe we stopped the dogs only a few sunrises ago! 

An instinctual fear washed over him, and he shoved it down. The dogs were gone, most of them dead or washed down to where the twolegs resided. They would never terrorize Thunderclan again. 

The sound of crunching in snow that wasn't him broke his thoughts, and he quickly hid behind a snow drift. In the whirling snowflakes, he could make out the shape of a cat. 

Maybe it is Sandstorm! 

But, as the cat continued to become more apparent, dread overflowed his senses as the colors of black and orange mixed into the pale snow. Redstar stopped, and Ravenstar pressed his belly into the ground, hoping the leader hadn't scented him. 

Much to his relief, Redstar only glanced around cautiously before continuing; the leader was heading directly to Riverclan's camp. 

Redstar soon disappeared, his shape blurred by the flurry that was hailing down from the sky. Ravenstar nervously stood, his legs wobbling as he did so, and he urged them to stop. 

And yet, seeing the Shadowclan leader had stirred something in him. Without Tigerclaw to remind him that atleast one of the tabbies was good, Ravenstar felt slightly like an apprentice again, when he had been bullied by the first Tigerclaw, or, Redstar.  

The fact that Redstar had been directly linked to both Tigerclaw and Bluestars' deaths wasn't making it any better, either. 

He sighed, beginning to feel miserable, and even worse, horribly cold. But, he refused to give up on his mission. Sandstorm needed to be warned. 

"But how can I do that? Clearly waiting around won't work," he muttered to himself, before glancing at the frozen river that was a few mouse lengths away. Like that, a spark went off in his mind, and he took a deep breath. 

The last time Ravenstar had seen somecat go on top of the frozen river, they had fallen in. 

And by that, he was thinking about Graystripe. The gray tom had foolishly attempted to catch a vole as he ate on the ice, not even bothering to wonder of maybe, just maybe, the reason the vole could be on the ice was because it was much less heavier than him. 

Of course, Graystripe didn't do that, and fell through. Much to their luck, Silverstream had been lurking around, most likely waiting to meet with Sandstorm, and retrieved the young warrior.

So, Ravenstar felt that it was justified for him to feel slightly nervous to even step paw on the ice. 

It's fine, he reassured himself, ignoring the images of Graystripe being carried away by the current. But, as he did so, he remembered himself being swept away as he attempted to rescue Tigerclaw. 

"Starclan damnit, just do it already!" He scolded himself. With that, he lightly put two front paws onto the ice, before eventually letting his hind legs do the same. The ice paled around the pressure of his paws, but it didn't crack. 

He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, and nervously began to make his away across the river. As he did so, the ice beneath him made an unsettling sound. It didn't crack, but it was clearly unhappy with him walking across. 

Just keep going, you're almost there. 

But the frozen water had other plans. A deafening crack split the air, and his heart seemed to halt. Blood roared in his ears, and panic surged through him as he bolted forward, the once solid surface crumbling into jagged shards beneath his paws.

With a final, desperate leap, he hurled himself onto the riverbank. He lay there, gasping, eyes wide as the water surged freely behind him. The ice he’d trusted was already either dissolving or shattered, being swept away by the slow yet quickening current. 

He gave his pelt a quick shake, though no snow clung to it, then turned toward the camp. The surrounding bushes, blanketed in snow, still offered little cover; their thin branches made it easy to see straight through them.

That goes for me too, he reminded himself. He lowered his body into a crouch, and began to circle around the camp in search for Sandstorm. 

He continued on, disappointment settling in his stomach as he went around for the second time, still not seeing his friend. However, as he passed by the leader's den once more, voices flowed freely into his ears. 

Curiosity and just the pure idea of being nosy got the best of him, and he leaned into one of the thickets, hoping to hear what Leopardstar and Redstar were talking about. 

"I just think it would be beneficial," Redstar meowed, his charismatic voice easily deceiving. Ravenstar knew why. The tom had persuaded Leopardstar before, hadn't he? 

There's nothing I can do about it, its fate at this point. Leopardstar will always agree with h–

"I said I'll think about it," she growled back, obviously exasperated.

Ravenstar felt a pleasant surprise ripple under his pelt. Perhaps there was hope! Through the branches and dull thorns, Ravenstar could spot Redstar's confident expression waver, and the Shadowclan leader huffed. 

"Very well then, but make sure to have a warrior or yourself tell me once you've decided." The she-cat only responded with a curt nod, and he watched as Redstar turned tail and left. 

Leopardstar went back into her den, and Ravenstar felt somewhat hopeful. Maybe Redstar wouldn't be able to convince the Riverclan leader in this universe!

"What are you doing here?"

He whirled around, being met with Sandstorm's unamused expression. The pale tabby sighed, and ushered him away with her tail, leading him over to a large thicket that they could hide behind. 

"Answer my question," she demanded once they were completely hidden. 

"I came to see you," he answered immediately, intimidated by the fierce expression that the former Thunderclan she-cat held. "For a message."

Her features softened slightly, but her gaze hardened. "A message?"

"Well, first, I want to know how you've been doing. Did Silverstream?" He remembered how Silverstream had died from kitting in his past life, and he prayed that Sandstorm didn't have to suffer through the same fate. 

Sandstorm nodded, a proud gleam sparking in her green eyes. "Two kits. Featherkit and Stormkit. They're wonderful." She subconsciously puffed out her chest. 

He purred, glad to hear that they were doing well. "That's good."

She nodded. "It is. But you said you had a message, correct?"

"Oh yes, right." He cleared his throat. "As you know, Redstar is up to no good, seeing as he led the dogs–"

"He did that?" Hidden in the shock of her tone was hurt, laced on the edges. Ravenstar guessed it was because that despite everything, she still partially thought of him as her father. 

Little does she know that Tigerstar is using her father's body as a skinsuit for his plans. 

"Er, yes, he did." Sandstorm bowed her head slightly, in thought, before nodding at him to continue. 

"Uhm, anyways, I'm worried that he may be planning to do something with Riverclan, and your family. I was eavesdropping, and heard him trying to convince Leopardstar to ally with him. I'm sure that its for no good."

Sandstorm raised a brow. "What are you saying? I know that he's up to no good regarding my clan, but what am I supposed to do? I could leave, but what good will  that do? Then, he'll just target Thunderclan again. I'm sorry, but I need to stay here."

"Alright, but just be careful, please," he begged, desperation getting the best of him. Sandstorm had become such a good friend of his since, well, she was an apprentice. He couldn't bear to let her or her family get hurt. 

"I'll try," she murmured, "now get back home. The snow will most likely get worse as it gets later. And make sure to use stepping stones."

"Okay. May Starclan be with you." He pressed his forehead to hers, before pulling away. As he headed towards the stones, he heard her mutter back.

"You too."

When he returned to camp, nothing was too out of the ordinary. However, he didn't miss the worried whispers from his clanmates. . He set down a sparrow and mouse he had caught along the way, setting them atop the pile.

Longtail spotted him quickly, rushing over with an urgency that made Ravenstar know something must've gone wrong while he was away. 

"Sorrelkit swallowed half of a death berry," the deputy informed him gravely, worry flashing in his green eyes as he spoke. The mention of the berries caused the hairs on the deputy's spine to raise. 

Ravenstar attempted to think of the kit, and then remembered the small tortishell she-kit he had seen batting a moss ball a few sunrises ago. Pity welled in his stomach, along with some guilt for being gone. Maybe if he had stayed, he could've stopped it. 

Deathberries were horrible in general, as well, with the ability to kill any animal if they swallowed them. 

"How did that happen?"

"She wandered off while Willowpelt wasn't looking, and Darkstripe caught her just in time when she swallowed the first one."

"Is she...?" The rest of the question was easy to understand, and Longtail shook his head. 

"No, but she's incredibly ill. Cinderpelt is with her right now." Ravenstar nodded, thanking his deputy before making his way over to the medicine den. 

As he entered, he was immediately given the sight that was Sorrelkit curled up in moss, with Cinderpelt chewing up a pulp and Whitestorm and Willowpelt watching their kit nervously. 

Cinderpelt looked up once she was done chewing, giving Ravenstar a hum of acknowledgement before opening Sorrelkit's mouth with her paw. She then fed some of the pulp to the kit, closing her mouth and watching the kit swallow. 

"She's in Starclan's paws now. We should just be grateful that Darkstripe caught her before she swallowed any more." Cinderpelt informed the worried parents. Whitestorm nervously glanced at Willowpelt, who was beginning to curl around the kit. 

"Should I watch the others, dear?" He whispered, and she nodded. The white tom licked his mate's ears before nuzzling Sorrelkit. He pushed pass Ravenstar, entering the clearing. 

Ravenstar awkwardly cleared his throat, causing Cinderpelt to look up from the herbs that she was rushing through, obviously looking for back ups in case her current remedy didn't work. 

"Hello Ravenstar," she greeted, before returning to her vigorous work, her eyes squinting. She let out a frustrated huff as she accidentally spilled a neat pile of leaves. 

"Willowpelt," he meowed, catching the queen's attention. "Do you know where the bush is? I want to dispose of it."

She shrugged helplessly, her gaze flitting around. "No, but Darkstripe does. He was the one who found her near it." She gave her kit a lick, causing Sorrelkit to stir slightly. 

"Thank you. Let me know if you need anything, and I hope Sorrelkit recovers quickly." He smiled awkwardly. Truthfully, he didn't know how to comfort the queen, but the purr she gave in response gave him enough knowledge to know she felt better.

He slipped out of the den, scanning the clearing for Darkstripe. Sure enough, the tom was wolfing down a squirrel with enough hunger to rival Tigerclan, with Fireheart watching in half amazement and disgust.  He glanced up as Ravenstar approached him. 

"Darkstripe, I need you to show me where the bush is so I can get rid of it. We don't need any more cats getting poisoned." 

"I'll join," Fireheart chirped, "we also don't need prey eating them, since an apprentice might just take the prey back without knowing that it ate the berries." 

Ravenstar nodded, pride washing over him in waves. His mate was so smart! 

Graystripe bounded across the clearing, sending snow skirting onto Darkstripe. The dark colored  tabby growled as Graystripe looked inbetween Ravenstar and Fireheart. 

"May I join?" 

Fireheart shot his friend an odd look. "How did you hear us? We're out of earshot."

Graystripe grinned widely. "I have powers."

Ravenstar rolled his eyes in amusement. "Yeah, and they're to have an endless stomach!"

Graystripe gave a fake offended gasp, and was about to playfully box Ravenstar's ears, when Darkstripe let out an obnoxiously loud sigh. 

"Lets be going now, before we freeze our paws off," he suggested lightly, trudging past them and heading towards the gorse tunnel. Ravenstar followed behind, with Graystripe and Fireheart flanking his side. 

Darkstripe led them over to the bush, and Ravenstar was horrified to know that it had been residing in their territory this whole time. Scarlet red berries dotted the fraying branches, and in the snow, a half chewed berry was evident, most likely from Sorrelkit spitting it out. 

"Thank you, Darkstripe, you may return back while we get rid of it," he informed the warrior. Darkstripe dipped his head before leaving. 

Together, they ripped the bush out of the ground, before plucking the berries off. They then buried them safely. 

"That should be good," he meowed, proud of getting rid of such a dangerous problem. 

Fireheart purred approvingly, but Graystripe was skeptical, his goofy mood from earlier depleted. 

"Don't you think its a bit weird that only Darkstripe found Sorrelkit?"

"What?" Fireheart and Ravenstar said simultaneously, looking at the gray tom in surprise. 

Graystripe shuffled his paws. "Well, I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but I swear that I saw Darkstripe go through the gorse tunnel before Sorrelkit went out of camp. I don't know, as I said, I'm probably just being weird about it..."

Fireheart hummed in consideration. "You have a point, I suppose. Maybe we should just keep an eye on Darkstripe for now?"

Ravenstar nodded in agreement, ignoring the way his heart swelled with anxiety at the thought of a new problem. "Definitely. But now, we should go eat."

Graystripe cheered happily, and Ravenstar raced after his friend and mate, laughing.

ᎮͶIͶЯAW A ꙄAW ᗡƎЯOͶᎮI ƎV’UOY ЯƎꟼꙄIHW YЯƎVƎ

Chapter Text

A comforting breeze blew through the remaining leaves of the forest, weaving into his fur as Ravenstar padded quietly behind Mousefur and her apprentice, Thornpaw.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the treetops, casting long, dappled shadows across the forest floor. It had been only a day since Sorrelkit had been poisoned, and though the memory still weighed heavily on everyone’s minds, there was some relief in knowing she was recovering quickly, thanks to Cinderpelt's attentive care. 

Thornpaw's movements were sharp, his shoulders tight with tension as he led the patrol toward the Thunderpath border. His tail tip twitched with apprehension, and his fur bristled at every rustle. 

Ravenstar watched him closely, understanding all too well what the young tom must be feeling. In his past life, he had always been jumpy when it came to tests. But, he couldn’t help but hope Thornpaw’s nervousness wouldn’t stop him from success. 

Mousefur, walking a few mouse lengths to the side, had been watching her apprentice the entire time, clearly also noticing Thornpaw's anxious behavior. 

After a short while, she let out a soft sigh, the sound barely audible over the gentle rustle of the trees. The noise caught Thornpaw’s attention immediately. His ears flicked back, and he turned his head sharply to look at her, his amber eyes rounded with doubt. 

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked quietly, glancing back at Ravenstar before returning his eyes to his mentor.

Mousefur shook her head at once. “No, Thornpaw. But you need to try and relax. If you stay this tense, you won’t be able to think clearly.”

Thornpaw nodded, obviously a little embarrassed, and let his shoulders ease, his fur settling as he took a deep breath. They continued walking in silence, the sounds of the forest growing louder around them.

When the patrol reached the edge of the Thunderpath, Ravenstar stepped up beside the young tabby and gestured with his tail toward the trees. 

“What do you smell?” he asked, letting the breeze ruffle his once perfectly groomed pelt. 

Thornpaw nodded, dipping his head in focus before raising it.  He opened his mouth, and Ravenstar watched as the young tom took in the nearby scents, clearly in deep concentration. He then closed his mouth and inhaled through his nose. 

“Fox,” he said after a moment. “But the scent is stale. And rabbit, but I think it might have strayed over from ShadowClan territory. There’s also finch, somewhere nearby.”

Ravenstar’s chest swelled with pride at the apprentice’s response. He was lucky to have cats in his clan like Thornpaw who had great talents like this. He glanced over to Mousefur. 

Mousefur’s eyes gleamed with approval, and her whiskers twitched in amusement as a poorly hidden smirk crept onto her face. 

But suddenly, Thornpaw, who had been circling the area so he could get more scents, halted, and he backtracked before his face scrunched up in clear confusion. 

“That’s strange,” he murmured, his eyebrows furrowed. 

Mousefur stepped forward, her tail already twitching with her signature impatience. “What is it?” she asked, glancing around warily. Ravenstar wondered if she was reminded of the dogs. 

"Well, its just, I can smell cats," Thornpaw meowed nervously, his lips becoming tugged down into a frown. Ravenstar felt his heart stutter at the words. Was Redstar around? Had he sent his own cats or Riverclan warriors? 

He opened his mouth, but what he originally had thought would be Shadowclan stench was actually crowfood and something undetectable. It was extremely foreign, and not what he was expecting at all. 

I've never scented a cat like that! 

"Odd," Mousefur whispered, as if she was suddenly worried that said cats would attack at any given moment. "What do you reckon?" 

Ravenstar shook his pelt uneasily. Truth was, he didn't exactly know either. And it scared him. With the rising issues regarding Redstar and maybe even Darkstripe, Ravenstar wasn't sure if he could handle something else. 

"I'm sure it was just a passing loner," he answered breezily, attempting to brush it off. "We should definitely be careful, but I'm sure its nothing too serious." 

Mousefur's eyes narrowed slightly in doubt, but she didn't complain otherwise. Ravenstar turned tail, feeling unsettled by the discovery. 

"Lets just get back, okay? It looks like we're about to have a new warrior today."

Thornpaw grinned, but as they headed back, his eyes still darted around occasionally, scanning the treeline from time to time. 

"Thornclaw! Thornclaw! Thornclaw!" 

The clan chanted loudly, their muzzles raised high as they praised the new warrior. Thornclaw looked away bashfully, somehow managing to still be humble. 

Ravenstar had to admit that he deeply admired the young tom's humility, and he continued to eagerly join in on the name chanting. 

However, out of th corner of his eye, he spotted darkstripe slipping out of camp, with Tawnypaw following shortly after. The she-cat warily looked over her shoulder, as if she was afraid of getting caught, before hurrying after him through the gorse tunnel. 

Ravenstar frowned, worry settling into his stomach once more. How many problems were threatening to arise? 

Maybe they're just going out hunting and didn't want to disturb the celebration, he told himself, trying to put his anxiety at ease. But, he couldn't help but suspect that it was deeper than that. 

A little while later, Darkstripe and Tawnypaw did come back, with prey in tow. But the nervous and apprehensive gleam in Tawnypaw's eyes told another story, along with Darkstripe's forced smile.

Ravenstar awoke in the dead of night, barely catching the sound of an owl screeching as he did so. He let out a soft groan of annoyance, knowing that it often took him forever to fall back asleep. 

Beside him, Fireheart snored and rolled onto his back, his paws churning as if he were in a battle, or maybe chasing a butterfly. It had to be one or the other. Ravenstar sighed out of fond jealousy. Atleast his mate could get some good sleep. 

I guess it's not a bad thing I woke up, because the stars are absolutely wonderful tonight. 

He lay there for awhile, making patterns and shapes within his mind as he stared up at silverpelt. There were many times that he someehow carved out the image of Tigerclaw's face, the similiar chaming smile there everytime. 

Tigerclaw, why can't you be leader instead of me? 

There were times Ravenstar wondered if he was even suited for the role, without his destiny and such. The past few days had come to him quite easily, but he suspected it was because it was what he had to deal with as a warrior. The actual challenge would come to him somehow. 

He rested his chin on his front paws, finally closing his eyes and letting the cool wind soothe him back to sleep. 

"Wake up!" 

Ravenstar jolted upwards, looking around wildly. He unsheathed his claws, readying himself for a potential intruder. However, he was only met with Redtail standing awkwardly at the entrance of his den. 

The former deputy's spirit was noticeable more transparent, the stars making up most of his lithe frame. Redtail shifted his weight uneasily, that is, if he even had weight, which Ravenstar doubted. 

"Why are you so see through?" Ravenstar hissed, trying his best not to wake up his mate. 

"I'm in a form that only you can see, and for a reason," Redtail whispered, waving his tail. "You need to see this, but follow only me, okay? We need to make it there before them."

Before them?

He didn't have time to question the ghost, quickly arising to his paws and running after Redtail, who had gotten a headstart. Redtail rushed through the gorse tunnel, and ravenstar got a glimpse of him looking both ways before darting left. 

It was certainly an odd route, but Ravenstar followed him either way, tearing through bushed and decaying bramble. Leaves flew out from behind him, and the remaining snow, which was sludgy now, made him almost slip more than once. 

Redtail finally halted, neatly falling into a crouch behind a large stump. Ravenstar heaved, his chest clenching and his stomach tighetening from all the running; he flopped beside Redtail, swallowing his saliva to help his drying throat. 

"You keep up well," Redtail commented, before sitting up straight and motioning his head in a direction. "Look."

Ravenstar peered over the stump, making sure his ears and tail were flattened. He squinted, before making out the blotchy shapes of two cats. He let his eyes get adjusted to the dark, and eventually he was able to make out who they were.

He let out a small gasp, as it was none other than Darkstripe and Tawnypaw, who were waiting patiently beside the Shadowclan tunnel. Tawnypaw turned to Darkstripe, saying something. Darkstripe only shrugged in response. 

The nex few seconds seemed like forever, before Tawnypaw straighted her posture, and darkstripe puffed out his chest proudly. Redstar waltzed out of the tunnel entrance, dipping his head to both cats. His stupid smug grin was plastered upon his features as per usual.

"Listen," Redtail muttered. 

Ravenstar pricked his ears foward, the pit in his belly from earlier already starting to form once again. 

"I'm so glad you've decided to join the stronger and superior clan," Redstar praised, flashing a toothy smile. Tawnypaw nodded. 

"It's really nothing," Darkstripe laughed. "Thunderclan is weak after the dog attacks, as I'm sure you know."

But you know that Redstar helped with that! Ravenstar wanted to yell out, but he opted to grit his teeth together in frustration, feeling his tail tip start to flick back and forth. Redtail slapped a paw down on it, somehow forcing it to stop despite being a spirit. Ravenstar didn't question it. 

"I hope getting out wasn't too hard," Redstar meowed charmingly, his bushy red tail curling neatly around his paws. 

Darkstripe shook his head. "No, it was quite easy, actually," he boasted, raising his muzzle, "Mousefur had gone off to the dirtplace when we escaped." Redstar nodded in approval.

"And what about your mate, Longtail, how is he doing?"

Redstar was clearly testing Darkstripe's sudden loyalty, and Ravenstar watched as the dark tabby's pride faltered for a few heartbeats, before he quickly regained it. 

"He's deputy now, he has everything he needs. He'll be fine without me. And if he really does care about me, then he'll join Shadowclan as well." 

"That would be wonderful," Redstar agreed, before fixating his gaze on Tawnypaw. Ravenstar felt a shiver run down his spine. In his past life, Tigerstar was Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw's father, jus like in this universe, but with Tigerclaw.  

"And what about you? You are leaving your brother, after all."

Tawnypaw looked to her paws before meeting Redstar's gaze. "Well, Bramblepaw will also be fine. the whole clan liks him better than me anyways, so I think it will be fine."

What? 

"What do you mean by that?" Redstar asked softly, a glint in his eyes. It was clear he would use this against her. 

"Well, Bramblepaw is more like Tigerclaw than me...and even the other day, while I was helping Smallear with a tick, he told me igerclaw was much better at it, and that Bramblepaw is good at it just like his father."

Ravenstar felt guilt churn in his stomach. Why didn't she tell him? He would've glady sorted everything out if she had. 

Tawnypaw sniffed, looking to the ground once more. Redstar cooed in fake sympathy, not that Darkstripe or Tawnypaw could notice, however. 

"That must be hard," he murmured, shaking his head. "I can promise you that it will be much, much better in Shadowclan. Now, shall we?"

Tawnypaw and Darkstripe stood up and followed Redstar into the tunnel. Tawnypaw threw a look over her shoulder like she had done  earlier before, when she and darkstripe had slipped away to go "hunting." She let out a deep breath before scurrying after the two toms. 

Ravenstar and Redtail watched in silence for a few moments, before Ravenstar turned to stare at Redtail. 

"What do I do now?"

Redtail shrugged. "You're teh leeader. I just figured you ought to know what happened to them."

"But, how will I tell the clan?"

"Just tell them."

"So you're syaing that I should just call a clan meeting, and be like, "hey everyone! Two of your clanmates betrayed us for our enemies! Sorry to Bramblepaw, Goldenflower, and Longtail especially!" ?"

"I mean, yeah. Would you rather that you lie to them and cause further distrust, or give the straight up truth?"

Ravenstar swallowed thickly, his throat dry again. His thoughts were whirling. Two of his clanmates, who were as important as everyone else, had just left. 

When I thought that I needed a challenge, I didn't think it would be this!

He shakily stood up, his bones aching from staying still for so long. "Very well then."

Redtail nodded, before bounding off and crossing the Thunderpath, most likely returning back to spy on Shadowclan. it was only then that it dawned upon Ravenstar that he had been forgetting something incredibly important. 

Bloodclan. 

The thought of the bloodthirsty rogues had completely slipped out of his mind, as he berely remembered anything from his past life now. Now he knew what Thornclaw might've scented. 

"Damnit," he cursed sourly. How could've he forgotten such crucial information? This meant that not only had Redstar already tried to convince Leopardstar to join him as an ally, it meant that he could've already been associated with Bloodclan for moons now, which was a possiblity, since he already knew what he was doing. 

With the new problem and current problem both lingering, he headed back home, the weight of a million stones upon his shoulders. 

ᗡ⅃ЯOW ᎮͶIYᗡ A ꟻO ᎮͶI⅃IƎƆ ƎHT ͶI ꙄƎ⅃OH ƎЯA YƎHT ,Y⋊Ꙅ ƎHT ͶI ꙄTHᎮI⅃ TOͶ ƎЯA ꙄЯATꙄ ƎHT

Chapter Text

By the time he had returned back to Shadowclan camp, the air had shifted and the breeze had lessened, essentially alerting Redtail that morning would be approaching very soon. 

He sighed, watching the camp entrance very carefully, waiting for Redstar and his two new friends to return. Sure enough, Redstar emerged into the camp, with Darkstripe passing after him and Tawnypaw following suit. 

Redtail wasn't sure when it had started, but Darkstripe had been meeting up with Redstar for a while now, always at the same time and talking about the same things. It was a shame, really, as Redtail had always viewed the tabby as a good friend. 

He wasn't exactly sure about Tawnypaw, though. Somewhere along the line, he suspected the poor apprentice managed to get roped into everything, and it all barrelled down into the current situation. 

"Here we are," Redstar announced, waving his tail. "Feel free to eat some prey and make yourself at home here." With that, the Shadowclan leader grabbed a sparrow from the pile and went to go eat alone. 

Darkstripe's eyes glittered with eagerness, and he quickly dug in, sifting through the pile until he came upon a rabbit. He licked his lips in anticipation, and snatched it up.

Redtail thought Tawnypaw would do the same, but there was a flash of uncertainty in her eyes that told otherwise. She clearly wasn't as confident as Darkstripe, and she timidly took a vole. She glanced around sheepishly, obviously not sure what to do.

"Tawnypaw, come over here!" Redstar beckoned, causing a spark of suspicion to flutter in Redtail's chest. It was custom for a leader to only eat with their deputy, or warriors they greatly trusted. Having an apprentice was breaking the odds.

Then again, everything that had been going on was breaking the odds.

The she-cat also looked surprised, but she padded over, the fur on her spine prickling slightly as she did so. Redtail watched as she nervously sat beside the leader, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably.

He sighed. This would certainly be a long day.

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" Goldenflower spat, her hackles raised in confused anger. Beside her, Bramblepaw looked down at his paws, his amber eyes giving away nothing. 

"I didn't know about it sooner!" Ravenstar protested, feeling himself grow frustrated. It wasn't exactly a lie, as he truly hadn't been aware of the affiliation Darkstripe and Tawnypaw had with Redstar. 

Goldenflower sputtered, before she completely gave up on speaking, resolving to just lashing her tail from side to side angrily. The rest of the clan could clearly feel the pure motherly rage seeping off of the she-cat, with most of the avoiding her fiery gaze. 

Longtail hadn't said anything, his green gaze clouded with something Ravenstar couldn't read. Whitestorm approached the deputy, pressing against his side in a form of comfort. Guilt wormed its way back into Ravenstar's heart; perhaps he should've kept a better eye on Tawnypaw and Darkstripe. 

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, with warriors breaking off into groups to talk amongst eachother or go hunt. Ravenstar let his shoulders drop, feeling defeated. Thunderclan had already gone through so much, with the dogs and constant death. Clanmates betraying others wasn't a good sign. 

"I won't forget this!" Goldenflower hissed, breaking him out of his thoughts. Before he could even respond, she whirled around, stalking off angrily into the nursery. Frostfur padded after her, casting an apologetic look at Ravenstar.

In the back of his mind, Ravenstar felt as if maybe he had truly failed. Everything had been going smoothly as a leader up until now, and with splotches of his past memories reminding him of a dangerous group of outsiders, it only seemed like it would progress into something way worse. 

What was the leader called again? He pondered. Was it...Scrooge? 

He exhaled, before scanning the area. He quickly caught Fireheart leaving camp with Graystripe, the orange tabby seemingly quiet. Ravenstar frowned; was his mate angry at him too? 

We did promise to not keep secrets from him. 

But technically we didn't know before. 

You could've told him about Redtail leading you to them. 

What help would that do? 

Ravenstar felt like screaming, however, he was Thunderclan's leader, meaning it was not exactly appropriate to do so. He gingerly leapt off the rock, refusing to meet Longtail's distant gaze, as he was afraid he wouldn't be able to bear the sight. 

If he wanted information on Scrooge or whatever his name was, there was one kittypet he knew he could somewhat rely on. 

The cold harshly nipped at his paws as he warily made his way to the Twolegplace. He rushed past Snakerocks, as the area had always made him incredibly anxious. 

Weird how everything went down from there after I saw Redtail that one time..

The fence came into view, with mushy snow pushed up against it. The stench of kittypet told Ravenstar that a cat had cleared out the snow on purpose. Ignoring that, he scrambled up the wood, his claws barely sinking in. 

Once he wad atop the fence, he looked around, hoping to spot the cat he was looking for. Sure enough, the Twoleg nest's odd opening that only Twolegs could maneuver swung open, and Princess raced out. 

Ravenstar waited until the Twolegs closed the contraption, and once he wasn't able to see them through the ice panes that they had installed, he jumped down, almost slipping and ruining his fall. 

Princess, who had begun to gracefully wash herself, flinched with sudden surprise, before slightly relaxing once she realized it was only him. 

"Oh, Ravenwing! Its so good to see you!" She exclaimed, slowly rising to her paws Ravenstar nodded curtly, unsure of how to go about everything with the she-cat. 

"Its Ravenstar now," he meowed, "and its nice to see you too." Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she butted her head against his shoulder softly. 

"Wow, so you're a leader now! How wonderful!" She said it with such enthusiasm that he didn't have the heart to tell her the tragic events that had transpired in order for him to get the role, and so he only offered a small smile.

"Er, yes. I actually came here to ask you about something important." 

Her eyes lit up with curiosity at once, and she leaned, already interested in something she didn't even know about yet. "Really? Please do tell," she meowed, a grin playing on her lips. 

He sighed. "Have you had any...strange cats roaming the area as of late?" 

At once, her expression faltered. "Why do you ask?" She then let out a dramatic gasp. "Have you been having trouble with them too?" She lowered her voice into a whisper as she spoke. 

"I guess you could say that. We scented them around the borders, and I was hoping you had some information on them." 

She winked. "Well, you're in luck, because I know lots about them. They call themselves Bloodclan, and are led by a cat named Scourge–" 

So I wasn't far off with the name!

"–who is a bloodthirsty tyrant. One of my friends had decided to go and venture off, claiming he could fight Scourge. I told him it was dumb, but he wouldn't listen. After that I never saw him again, and later on, someone from the city told me about what happened. " 

She shuddered, the movement wracking her body. 

"Apparently, Fritz, my friend, was killed by Scourge. The cat told me he watched as Fritz was torn apart, his throat slashed open and his head bleeding out from a horrible gash.  And all Scourge did was stare for a few moments and tell his cats to dispose of the body." 

She looked away, saddened by the thought of her friends death. Ravenstar could tell that Fritz was important to her, and he of all cats would understand what it felt like to lose a friend. Not to mention the death sounded horrible. 

"What else about Scourge?" He coaxed. 

She snapped out of her grief stricken haze, blinking a few times before humming thoughtfully. "Well," she began, "I know there was something about Bloodclan expanding?"

Panic grappled at his chest at once. "What? Expanding where?"

She shrugged. "Not an idea. All I know is that Scourge is pent up and tired of the city."

"What is the city?"

"Its a place where more housefolk live, except its bigger and has huge houses for multiple housefolk to live in. My housefolk take me there when I have to go to the vet."

"The vet?" 

"Hm, I think Fireheart called them the cutter?" She licked her paw, and drew it over her ears. 

"Oh. Well, surely there's enough land for Scourge to have, rather than expand, right?" 

"I guess, but its Scourge. He rules the alleyways and torments cats who don't listen to him. It would be like him to want to move. I just don't know where he would move if that's the case, you know?" 

"When did you hear about them moving?"

"Maybe a moon or two ago," she sighed, "I can't remember."

"How far away is this...city from here?"

"Not that far, I suppose. If you were to walk from the city to here, it wouldn't tale so long."

She continued to ramble about something, but Ravenstar wasn't listening. If that was the case, this meant that Bloodclan could already be lurking around their territory, watching and waiting for the right time to strike. And here he was, chatting with his mate's sister!

"So sorry, but I have to go," he explained frantically, already shaking his pelt. Princess stared at him with innocent disappointment. 

"That's too bad, you could've stayed for milk. The kind my housefolk get is delicious!" She licked her lips. 

"Well, hopefully another time!" He called over his shoulder, clambering up the fence, feeling adrenaline pump throughout his veins. His mind was racing, and all he could think about was how he was practically setting his clan up for disaster. 

"Okay! Say hi to Fireheart and Cloudpaw for me!" She yowled, her voice already drifting off into the distance as he raced off. He ignored the nausea that threatened to spill out as he thought about what Scourge had done to Fritz. 

Imagine if he does that to everyone else! 

As Ravenstar made his way to camp, he didn't notice the dog tooth that was caught in a thorn bush. 

ᎮͶIHTAƎЯᙠ ꙄI MƎHT ͶƎƎWTƎᙠ ꙄꙄƎͶ⋊ЯAᗡ ƎHT .ƎͶO Yᙠ ƎͶO TUO ᎮͶIOᎮ ƎЯA ꙄЯATꙄ ƎHT

Chapter Text

The bitter, leaf-bare wind clawed at Ravenstar's  pelt as he burst from the undergrowth and skidded to a halt at the top of the ravine. He silently prayed the ThunderClan camp below was as he had left it.

He pricked his ears, and was immediately greeted by sound. It was muffled at first, but the more he listened, the more he could make out mocking murmurs of unfamiliar voices.

His heart lurched into his throat. He was too late. He had failed. 

He snarled, and barreled down the ravine, tearing through the gorse tunnel. There, he was met with the sight of many cats, the image sending a terrible shudder throughout his frame. 

His clanmates were huddled around every den protectively, hairs raised and many of them hissing at the sudden intruders. 

His gaze swept the clearing, frantically searching for his mate, Fireheart. Much to his relief, he spotted the orange tabby standing in front of the nursery, with Frostfur and Speckletail huddling in the darkness of the den.

A massive tom loomed over Fireheart. Ravenstar could see from the black-and-white cat that he had worked hard, with his pelt sleek and haunches clearly filled with strength.

Before Ravenstar could quickly intervene, a cold, smooth voice cut through, causing him to meet a icy blue gaze. 

"So," the cat taunted, "this is the mighty leader I've been told about?" Ravenstar's breath hitched, his heart thumping so hard in his chest that he was afraid the tom could hear it. 

He quickly took in the rogue's shape. Scourge was impossibly small, a black tom so tiny he might have been mistaken for an apprentice. He most definitely wasn't what he had expected to be.

But his presence was a suffocating frost. His blue eyes were chips of frozen water, and around his neck was a collar studded with the teeth of dogs and cats. Ravenstar wondered if Fritz's own teeth were on there. 

He took in a shaky breath, the cold air hitting his tongue. "Yes, I am Ravenstar, and this is Thunderclan. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" 

There was really no point in even asking, as Ravenstar already knew about him, but the hope that he could possibly get bloodthirsty rogues and their leader away was still up in the air. 

"I am Scourge," he snarled, the tone so icy and bitter it sent Ravenstar's head into a spin. "And this," he waved his tail to motion at his cats, "is Bloodclan. We are here to take this forest for ourselves once and for all." 

"You are not welcome here, Scourge," Ravenstar growled, finding himself surprised at how his voice was unusually steady despite the overwhelming odds. "And you never will be. Now leave." 

Scourge took a single, deliberate step towards him, his blue eyes sparkled with malice and what looked like to be a hint of revenge. 

But for what?

"Why should I? Blood is everything. And the blood of your Clanmates will soak the earth if you defy me. I don't care how many cats I have to slaughter if it means to take control of what should've always been mine."

That was when Ravenstar moved. He didn't think, how could he in a situation like this? He acted, launching himself onto the leader. But Scourge was faster. A dizzying blur of black, he intercepted Ravenstar. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Ravenstar caught a terrifying glimpse of Scourge's reinforced claws, outstretched and gleaming in the afternoon sun.

The world exploded in white-hot pain.

Scourge's reinforced claws raked across Ravenstar's shoulder, but it was no ordinary wound. The dog teeth bit deep, tearing through muscle and scraping against bone.

A spray of crimson stained Ravenstar's dark fur, making his shoulder grow sticky with blood; he staggered with a grunt of agony. The gash was not just a cut, and from what he could feel, it was a shredding tear that only grew more painful every second. He cried out, before clamping his jaws shut and grinding his teeth together.

He gasped, forcing himself to stay upright as blood welled from the injury and dripped onto the half frozen ground. The coppery scent filled his nostrils. Through a haze of pain, he saw Fireheart tense, ready to jump to his aid, but a crowd of BloodClan warriors closed in, cutting him off.

Scourge looked down at his claws, now stained with Ravenstar's blood. "You see?" he said, his voice still uneasily soft. "This is the only language I speak. The language of blood. This is just the beginning." 

He used his tail to motion towards the large black-and-white tom.

"Bone, come here."

The warrior, Bone, sauntered over, not even paying Ravenstar a glance. Ravenstar watched with wide eyes as Scourge whispered something into his ears. 

His horror only grew as Bone nodded curtly, and headed towards Brightheart, who let out a gasp of shock. She flattened her ears against her head, closing her good eye as she awaited her death. 

Ravenstar held his breath as well, feeling the urge to rush over and help, but the pain in his should was too much, and after he attempted to even walk, he collapsed half-sided onto the ground. 

As Bone raised a hefty paw, claws unsheathed, Swiftspirit protectively moved in front of her, his lips curled into an intimidating snarl. Bone hesitated, and looked over his shoulder to meet Scourge's icy glare.  

"If it is death that this stupid fool wants, it is way he'll get," Scourge confirmed, his tail twitching irritability. "Get over with it." 

Brightheart cried out, desperate, and she pressed her head onto Swiftspirit's shoulder. The young warrior touched his nose to her head, and watched with sorrow as Cloudtail nudged her away. Ravenstar caught a glimpse of Longtail looking away as Bone bashed Swiftspirit's head onto the ground. 

Ravenstar could only watch in frozen horror as Bone used one paw to kept Swiftspirit's head on the ground, and then raised the other one. In a quick motion, Bone ripped open the young tom's healed scar. 

Blood pumped out immediately, spilling out and staining Swiftspirit's throat. While there was a small spark of hope that he could be healed, Ravenstar knew that Scourge would probably make sure he was dead. 

Sure enough, Bone applied more pressure onto the warrior, until Swiftspirit's yellow eyes rolled back, the life somehow visibly draining from them. Brightheart wailed, and Cloudtail let out what sounded like a broken sob.

"This is what I mean," Scourge hissed. "You have five sunrises to respond on whether you will let us take over, or resist. I would say the first option is better, unless you like seeing your "clanmates" ripped apart one by one."

"Where will you even stay during the meantime?" Ravenstar choked out.

"In a lovely clan's camp called Shadowclan. Now, Bloodclan, follow me." 

The rest of Thunderclan watched in barely concealed terror as Scourge left, with the rest of Bloodclan following close behind. Even after the last warrior left, everycat waited until the sound of cats rustling throughout the brush stopped. 

Finally, Ravenstar shakily attempted to rise fully to his paws, only for his to slump over. Before he could fully fall, Fireheart burst through the crowd, allowing Ravenstar to lean against him. 

Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Longtail circled around Swiftspirit, murmuring things that Ravenstar couldn't exactly make out. 

There was a tense few heartbeats of silence, before Mousefur broke through it. "What now?" She echoed, basically speaking what was on everyone's minds. Everyone craned over to stare at Ravenstar. 

He swallowed thickly, not sure himself. The events of today were completely unexpected, as he had only planned to ask Princess a few questions, not to come back to his clan being held at claw-point. 

"We...need to have a memorial, and–"

"And get you healed up," Fireheart intervened. 

"Yes, that too, and then I need to speak with Tallstar and Leopardstar. I'm not sure if they know what is going on. Once I get bandaged, I need a four warriors. Two to tell Tallstar to meet with me at Fourtrees around midnight, and same with Leopardstar." 

"Does this mean Redstar has known about Bloodclan all along?" Whitestorm thought out loud. 

"I think so," Longtail muttered. "And if that's the case, this will be a lot more difficult than we thought." 

It always has been, Ravenstar thought, though he didn't dare to say it. Its only now that its coming full throttle.