She shuddered, warily looking around her. I'm not going to get anything done by just sitting here... she thought, getting up. Dawnsky was still disheveled by her terrifying dream she had last night. She now remembered the prophecy that she had been given by heart, though she still had no clue what it meant.

She walked outside, feeling the cold morning mist surround her. There was a new layer of snow from last night's flurry, and there was no sign of it melting anytime soon. The leaf bare sun hardly shed its weak rays of light in the dense, shadowy pine forest. The camp was oddly quiet for some reason, and she padded around uncomfortably.

Dawnsky narrowed her eyes; something was different this morning, and she could feel it. She took a scrawny mouse from the fresh kill pile and sat down to eat by Longfang and Firefur.

"Hey Dawnsky," mewed Firefur, who was picking at his small thrush.

"Hey, is everything okay?" She asked with worry in her ice blue eyes.

"Yeah, I guess." He looked hesitant, "I don't know, I just feel like something bad is bound to happen. I know it sounds stupid but...."

Longfang looked up from staring at the ground, "No, I feel that way too! I don't know what it is, but it just feels weird in camp."

"Woah, I thought I was the only one who noticed that..." Dawnsky let out a breath, but then tensed again. Why is everything so weird?

"Hey guys, have you seen Nightstar lately?" Came Willowfur's voice from behind the group.

Firefur squinted his eyes in thought, "Actually I haven't seen him this morning. Are you sure he's not in his den?"

"That's where he usually is..." grumbled Longfang.

"No, no he went on a walk this morning and I haven't seen him since." Willowfur mewed in a worried tone.

"Maybe he stopped to hunt!" Firefur suggested.

Dawnsky and Longfang looked at each other, and then burst out laughing, "Yeah, right! He hasn't done any work since he became leader!" Longfang purred in amusement.

"Please, this is serious!" Willowfur pleaded, "What if he got hurt? Or worse? I'm sorry, I just have a really bad feeling."

Dawnsky, Firefur, and Longfang all had the same creeped out look on their faces, "So you feel weird, too?" Dawnsky asked. What is happening?

"I mean, I guess you could say that. But anyways, do you have any ideas?" Willowfur asked, looking strained.

"Er sorry, but-" Firefur started.

"Dawnsky! Does anybody know where Dawnsky is?" A voice echoed behind them.

They all turned their heads around and Dawnsky saw it was Firepaw, now Firestorm. She had just came through the entrance of camp, and her eyes were wide and stricken with fear. She looked as if all of the dark forest cats had just come to attack her at once.

"I'm right here," Dawnsky mewed, a questioning look on her face.

She padded over stiffly and cleared her throat, "Uh... uh.. well,"

"What's wrong, Firestorm?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing!" She mewed quickly. Dawnsky could tell she was lying.

"It's okay, you can tell me."

She looked like she was having a hard time deciding whether she should tell Dawnsky or not, "Uh, Nightstar needs you to uh talk to him. He is by the Sea Clan border, but you must come as soon as possible." She stared past Dawnsky, and flinched when she finished.

She exchanged confused glances with Firefur, Longfang, and Willowfur and then looked back at Firestorm, "Um, okay then. Does he really need me to come all the way to the lake?"

"Yes. And he needs you to come quickly." She saw some emotion flicker in her eye. Was that guilt?

"Well, I guess if he needs me. At least we know he's okay." She got to her paws and followed Firestorm, who was hurrying out to camp.

"May Star Clan light your path." Mewed Willowfur.

Why did she say that? It's not like I'm going on a journey. "Er, thanks?" She mewed, moving quickly through the thorn tunnel to try and catch up with Firestorm.

She trodded as quick as she could through the deep snow. Her paws were already numb, and the snow melted to freezing water on her fur. She shook it off and continued onwards. As they neared the border, she began to scent something familiar.

She tensed up, parting her jaws to take in the smell. Something's wrong... she sniffed, and then gasped. Blood! But that wasn't what I smelled... what is that smell?!

When Firestorm realized she wasn't being followed, she turned her head around, "Come on!"

Dawnsky stepped back, "I'm not so sure about-"

"Please! Nightstar needs you!" She begged.

She shook her head, "Okay..." she pushed through the dense undergrowth and caught another whiff of the scent. With dread, she recognized what it was. She cringed, Oh no... not Bear...

She parted the bracken that blocked her view and gasped. There on the lake shore, she saw Bear and another cat standing over the body of Nightstar. She wanted to run away scream for help, but she couldn't just leave the leader laying there. Is he dead?

"Hello, Dawnsky." Bear growled, "Did you miss me?"

"Bear!" She hissed, running up to Nightstar, "What did you do to him?!"

"Oh, he's not dead," he smirked, looking at the other cat, "not yet anyways..."

She moved up closer and saw that he was barely conscious. Wounds covered his body, and his breaths were shallow. He let out a low moan.

"Why did you do this?!" She cried.

"I didn't do it, he did." Bear smiled at the younger, but much bigger cat, who flexed his blood covered claws, "I would like you to meet someone... Patch, meet Dawnsky, your mother. Dawnsky meet Patch, your son that you abandoned."

Dawnsky gasped, "Patch! Oh Patch, you don't even know how much I've missed you!" She tried to run up to him, but Patch let out a threatening hiss. She stepped back, confused.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Bear snarled, "You and Patch definitely aren't on good terms since you inflicted so much pain on him and Sky. He will not hesitate to kill you."

"Wait, what?!" Dawnsky took a long look at her son, and wanted so badly to come up to him and apologize to him for everything she had to do. He was very large for his age, and he towered over Dawnsky. He was very muscular and had broad shoulders like Bear, but he had Dawnsky's black and white pelt and her piercing blue eyes.

Bear looked over at Firestorm, who was trembling and looking very confused, "Thank you. You may leave now." He smiled. The small she cat shot an apologetic glance at Dawnsky, and then bounded off.

"What do you want, Bear?!" She cried.

"Oh it's simple, really." He narrowed his amber eyes, "All I want is revenge. And there's only two ways for that to happen."

"You want revenge?! But you took my kits from me! You stole everything from me!" She hissed.

"No, you stole everything from me!" Bear spat, "You took every ounce of happiness from me and just threw it away like it was nothing."

"Can we just get to the point?" Complained Patch, who was examining his unusually long front claws that were already covered in Nightstar's blood.

Dawnsky looked confused, "What is the point?"

"Oh yes! Sorry, I got a little of topic there... well anyways, you have two options in order for me to get my revenge."

"What are the two options?" She asked, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

"One is that I kill Nightstar, and of course, let you live. And two is that I kill you and let him live. It's your choice!" He mewed in a positive tone.

Dawnsky's chest tightened. I can't just let him have what he wants! I have to escape somehow... she frantically scanned her surroundings, but could find no escape. If she fought, Bear would kill her easily. If she ran, they would both catch her and kill Nightstar. Maybe I can convince Patch to let me go. He is my son after all!

"Patch, please! Don't do this, I'm your mother!" She begged.

Patch narrowed his eyes, "You will never be my mother." He growled.

Dawnsky muffled a gasp. Her eyes clouded with grief, and she put her head down in sadness. Her chest tightened even more, "So I guess I have to make a decision then..." she croaked, the words catching in her throat.

Nightstar moaned in pain, and she looked down at him. He's already in pain... wouldn't it help him to just get him out of his misery now? She struggled with her thoughts, and he's a terrible leader. He may lead Ice Clan astray later on. Wouldn't it be better for the clan to have a different leader? I don't want to die! I don't want Bear to kill me! What if Patch kills me?! Oh Star Clan what do I do?!

The two toms waited for her answer. Dawnsky was on the verge of crying out in agony, but she held it in, "If... if I chose for you to kill Nightstar, would you let me have a second chance with you?" She mewed to her son.

They exchanged glances, and Patch nodded, "Sure, I guess."

"And would you leave me and Ice Clan alone from now on?" She asked Bear.

Bear smirked, "Whatever you say."

"Then I choose-" make the right decision, no matter what the consequence, she heard her father's voice in her mind, "I choose-" she winced and clenched her jaws.

Bear and Patch sat side by side, Patch clawed the grass with his thorn sharp claws.

She closed her eyes, make the right decision, no matter the consequences, "Kill me instead." She let out a shaky breath. Maybe I will finally be at peace in Star Clan.

Bear exchanged a somewhat surprised glance with Patch, "Are you sure about this, Dawnsky?" Bear asked.

"Of course I'm not sure!" She snapped, "I would much rather live. But I have to serve my clan..."

"Ha! I always knew your stupid clan would be the death of you!" He sneered, "Just think, if you had stayed with me instead of rejoining your dumb clan, none of this would have ever happened."

"I-"

"You're choosing your clan over your own son. What a terrible mother you are!" He scoffed, "Patch, why don't you remind your mother of what terrible things she did to you?"

Patch narrowed his eyes, walking towards her, "First, you tried to throw my sister off a cliff. Then you tried to drown me. Then, on top of all that, you left me before I had a chance to open my eyes! Now it's my turn to get revenge on you."

Dawnsky's eyes widened, and she stepped back in shock as her large son came closer and closer, "Those are all lies!" She cried.

Bear snickered and whispered to Dawnsky, "Just think: if you had chosen to live, maybe Patch would have known the truth.... but it's too late now." He then turned his head to Patch, "Patch, you know what to do."

Dawnsky gasped, her breath quickening. She began to walk backwards until she felt slippery ice beneath her paws. She took her eyes off her son that was advancing towards her and realized that she was no longer on the snow covered bank anymore, but on the frozen lake itself. She looked back up at Patch, and stepped foward, but suddenly the ice beneath her paws began to crack, spreading all around her. Oh no...

Patch got into the fighting position, and unsheathed his claws as he prepared to jump.

Dawnsky's heart was pumping loudly in her chest and fear for her son filled her eyes, "Patch no! If you jump, then-" she cried, trying to warn him. But the pupils in his blue eyes were little slits, and he didn't seem to hear her. He is like Bear!

"Goodbye, mother." He snarled leaping on her with his claws extended.

Patch brought down all of his weight on her at once, and immediately she fell back hard against the ice. It shattered with the impact of both cats, and the broken shards of ice sliced into her back before she plunged into the deep lake water with Patch on top of her. Patch, no! Please don't drown too!

She clenched her jaw in pain as she sank deeper into the water. She frantically flailed her paws about, but she had no clue which way was up or down. The blood from the wound on her back made the water even more dark and murky then it already was, and she could barely even see the dark figure of her son making his way out of the hole in the ice.

She held her breath for as long as she could, but her lungs screamed for air. How do I get out of here?! Oh Star Clan, what do I do?! She couldn't hold it in anymore, and she tried to take in a breath, but only water came in. She choked and coughed, trying to breath, but only freezing water filled her lungs. She coughed and sputtered as more and more water filled her mouth and nose. The ice water stung her eyes, and her back was throbbing.

Suddenly, she saw visions as her whole life flashed before her eyes. She watched as her mother left Dawnsky and her sisters as kits, she saw herself as an apprentice meeting Bear for the first time, and then every night after that. She saw Moonstar's death and herself running away with Bear. She could see her kits, and Bear cruelly taking them away from her. She watched as she went back to Ice Clan and tried to prove herself loyal again, and lastly she saw herself and Patch plunging into the ice. And it all went by in a mere second. She opened her eyes again, and a sudden calm swept over her.

At least I was loyal at the end... she stopped flailing and let herself sink, and that was what I was supposed to do, right? She ceased fighting against the water and let go, I am through here. I may be dying, but that's okay. I served my clan till the end. I'm finally done.

As she closed her eyes and started to slip into unconsciousness, she felt something grab her scruff and pull her up. She squinted her eyes, Oakfoot, is that you? She smiled and shut her eyes, I guess I'll be going to Star Clan after all. She let the darkness take her, and she drifted off into oblivion.

***

She woke up with a start, but in an unfamiliar place. She was in a lush green forest, and she could smell the scent of fresh prey everywhere. Am I really in Star Clan? She looked around the woods, and suddenly two starry figures appeared in front of her.

It was her father and sister, like usual, and she ran up to them happily. She touched noses with them both and rubbed against her father, who smiled, "I'm so proud of you, Dawnsky!"

"I am too!" Speckledpath purred, touching her tail to her shoulder.

"I know it was really hard to make that decision," Oakfoot mewed, "but you did it."

"Oh, you don't even know how happy I am to be done with that life and here with you!" Dawnsky mewed happily.

Speckledpath and Oakfoot exchanged confused glances, "What do you mean? You're not dead." Speckledpath mewed.

"Wait, what?!" She gasped, "But I thought... I thought I-"

"No, your life is far from over." Oakfoot chuckled.

"But, I'm.... I don't see...." she stammered, "I just drowned!"

"No you didn't, you're just unconscious." Oakfoot mewed.

"But how?!" She complained, "There was no way that I could have brought myself up to shore."

"You didn't. Somebody else did. An old 'friend' of yours."

"What?! Who?" Dawnsky asked.

"You'll find out soon enough, but before you wake, I must congratulate you." Oakfoot mewed.

"Congratulate me?"

"Yes. You don't realize this, but you just did something that no other cat has been able to do." Oakfoot smiled proudly.

"What?" Dawnsky asked.

"You are the only cat who was able to overcome Shadowstripe's curse and beat him at his own game." When he saw the confused look on Dawnsky's face, he explained, "Ever since Shadowstripe was killed, he had haunted a cat from each generation of your family until they went insane. He thought for sure that you would snap quickly, but you pulled through! Dawnsky, you don't realize the importance of the decision you made today. If you had chosen otherwise, the events that would've happened afterwards actually would have driven you to insanity, and he would have ultimately destroyed you."

Dawnsky let his words sink in, "Wow... I never knew..." she whispered.

"You did really great today, Dawnsky." Speckledpath praised her.

"Now Dawnsky, if you continue to be loyal to your clan, you will never have to suffer the consequence of Shadowstripe's curse." Oakfoot mewed, "I will continue to visit you and guide you, but now you must go on with your life."

She nodded, "Thank you for everything."

"Goodbye Dawnsky," he purred, "remember that I will always be here to guide you."

She watched as the whole world around her began to fade away. She closed her eyes and fell back into unconsciousness.

((Woo! That was really long. XD sorry about that. Anywho.... I am going to have to add one more chapter (hehe sorry, but don't worry it will be a short one) and so that would mean 2 MORE CHAPTERS!!! :0000 and I will try to post the next one like right after this one, soooo yeah. Hope you enjoyed! And sorry again for the longness.))