"Their memories do not only live on, but we live and fight for them ourselves."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It had been a full seven moons since the victory that carved a new path for the rebels. They had finally defeated Archangel and his cunning followers, allowing them to take back their camp and their title as 'EchoClan'. Though the battle was victorious, it came with many honorable sacrifices. Every new beginning had to start from an end at first in order to work; whether an end to a civilization or a fellow Clanmate.

EchoClan had begun to flourish automatically though, especially under the rule of their new leader, Cloverstar. The caring she-cat provided a promising leadership to her Clan that would help them all rise to their paws again. At first maintaining her new role and keeping watch over her two new kits was as if boulders were constantly landing heavily onto her shoulders. With the help of her Clanmates though, Cloverstar was able to stabilize herself and fulfill her promise of being a true leader to EchoClan.

One cat who served as a true help to Cloverstar was the intelligent, loyal Birdcry. Though the she-cat had suffered gravely from the loss of her mate during the war, it had made her stronger and more loyal to her Clan. She would risk every inch of her pelt for her Clan and that was the very reason why Cloverstar selected the she-cat as her noble deputy. Together, Birdcry and Cloverstar served and protected the Clan well, and built EchoClan back from the ruins it had crumbled to before their stunning victory moons ago.

The Clan was flourishing and along with that, all of the members were growing and developing as well. The medicine cat positions were finally stable, with Peonyflight and her apprentice, Lilypetal. Slap instead had moved on to be a caretaker of the kits and helping out in the Nursery. He had also adopted the lone kits of Hollowstorm's, who were named Adderkit and Viperkit, named after snake's in memory of Slap's mate. The two siblings were now senior apprentices, Slap always keeping a watch over them.

Meanwhile, new apprentices, kits, and even warriors had been announced into the Clan. Eveningfawn had finally birthed to her and Breezestorm's kit, Honeykit, who was now known as Honeypaw, a wild apprentice who also tended to annoy and pester Splashsky, her mentor. Honeypaw was an entertaining friend though to two other new, male apprentices: Otterpaw and Irispaw. The two apprentices were the sons of Cloverstar's, but their reputation in the Clan to be known as royal and patient was shaded over by the fact that they always ventured out and happened to always drop into other cats' business.

Angelpaw was also now known as Angelbark, his suffix in honor of his father, Chirpbark. At his side at his warrior ceremony was also Wasppaw and Flowpaw, who were now known as Waspfang and Flowleap. Harepaw had also become a warrior, now known as Harespring, Hailpaw also becoming Hailstorm at her side. Though her hind legs used to be crippled, they eventually healed. The she-cat went on to become a magnificent warrior, but she still could only manage to walk with a slight limp.

The newest of the warriors, who were recently proclaimed to new as the rank, were Pinefoot, Icebite, Sandstep, and Brightfire. Swanheart's kits were true warriors and their family was finally complete again when Sunshadow, Swanheart's mate who disappeared before the war, finally returned two moons before their warrior ceremony. Though Swanheart never left Sunshadow's side now, paranoid that something could occur and tear him away from her again, she was finally able to speak her mate's name without her voice cracking from sorrow.

Everything was serene and joyful once again amongst EchoClan camp. The camp always buzzed with excitment, new news of how apprentice training is coming along or what areas the prey tend to hunt at specific times of day.

As for EchoClan's past enemies, most were never to be seen again. Hollowstorm, who was held prisoner in the rebellion's camp, was ended mercilessly by Birdcry herself after the war ended to proclaim a completed vengeance for all those they lost. A lot of the former cats who used to bow down at Archangel's paws had disappeared or lost their last breath to a raging fight that the EchoClanner's waged to end their enemies once and for all.

They were free from the grasp of terror that once used to suffocate and choke the Clan cats.

Moons had passed and Cloverstar found herself at peace once again. She could finally scan her gaze over EchoClan camp again and refer to it as home. She no longer apprehended any dangers that lurked amongst them, such as immense predators or raging storms, because she knew for a fact that her Clan had the strength to defeat every barricade that lay in their path. Cloverstar had a prodigious pride in her Clan's achievements and was immensely honored to be respected and worshipped as their leader.

Her family had finally pieced back together. Even though they had lost several members, they grew together and supported one another, becoming stronger along the way. EchoClan was finally back to being the cheerful, vivacious Clan they once were long ago.

Cloverstar watched as the Clan buzzed with activity, apprentices preparing for a day of training with their mentors and warriors conversing with one another. A vivid smile rose onto the she-cat's visage as her gaze landed on Irispaw and Otterpaw, her kits who had just recently became apprentices. Since they had yet to recieve their tour of the Clan territory, their mentors, Swiftspeck and Breezestorm, were finally ready to take them out for their tour. Cloverstar couldn't help but to chuckle lightly in amusement at her sons' showcase of pure excitement.

Cloverstar's ears twitched at the soft sound of paws treading against the earth and approaching her. Her head turned to eye her admirable deputy, Birdcry, who was now standing at her side and gazing at Irispaw and Otterpaw.

"Those little balls of fur are dreadfully excited to see the territory where they may scare away prey or get chased by fox kits knowing their terrible choices," Birdcry snickered.

Cloverstar purred softly and shook her head. "They may not have the brightest ideas right now, but I'm sure they will grow and learn as time comes." The she-cat then paused for a moment before gazing back at her deputy. "Do you mind if I accompany their little tour of the territory? I'm sorry, but I have to admit I am just as excited for this as they are and I-"

"Go on ahead! It doesn't bother me at all! Have fun and enjoy the tour with your kits!" Birdcry answered in a amiable tone, nudging Cloverstar's shoulder. "I don't mind watching over camp at all while you are gone!"

Cloverstar brushed her tail over Birdcry's shoulder and dipped her head to her deputy to show her appreciation. The leader then turned and bounded towards Irispaw and Otterpaw, who spotted their mom and glanced her way with wide, vivid smiles plastered onto their faces.

Otterpaw was a brown tom with white markings, his eyes a blue that resembled the pure sky at sunhigh. He oddly also portrayed Cloverstar's lost son, Quailchaser, whom she had lost during the war moons ago. Irispaw mainly resembled his father, yet his pelt took on a darker tone that almost resembled the night sky. They both greeted their mother with gentle purrs as she approached, Swiftspeck and Breezestorm also sharing a polite greeting with their leader.

I hope you don't mind me coming along on the tour," Cloverstar commented with a twitch of her ears.

Swiftspeck shook his head lightly as Breezestorm purred a reply. "We don't mind at all!"

Cloverstar nodded to the two toms before taking lead of the group. Swiftspeck stayed close to Irispaw, his apprentice, who tended to be extremely obedient and quiet whenever his mother was around. Meanwhile, Otterpaw was stubborn and continued to try and walk ahead, Breezestorm snapping at the young tom. Otterpaw would snap back at his mentor, his tone icy and his words harsh.

To Cloverstar, it reminded her of the mentor and apprentice relationship Breezestorm used to share with Quailchaser. The two were always at one another's throats, despite the fact they were half-brothers. Breezestorm was always harsh on Quailchaser, usually pushing him towards the edge. Breezestorm though had changed, and instead was easy to Otterpaw. Though Otterpaw would always snap back, he remained serene and stable, sometimes though taking deep breaths to control his anger. Cloverstar wondered if the death of Quailchaser was what effected Breezestorm into changing so much, most likely believing his strict training never helped Quailchaser so the tom was never able to defend himself against Archangel on that terrifying day.

A shiver ran down Cloverstar's spine at the memory, but she continued padding on. Once they exited the camp, they were greeted automatically by the looming figures of trees towering over them. Birds sang a gentle melody in the distance and the scent of prey made Cloverstar's nose twitch. A breeze blew through the forest, shaking the branches and baring them of their leaves. Leaves of varieties of colors fluttered to the earth, crunching under their paws as they padded on. Cloverstar shut her eyes and enjoyed the warm rays of sunlight and the breeze that rattled her pelt for a moment before leading the patrol all.

"The colors during these moons are truly appealing to the eyes, aren't they? Enjoy them, but don't get distracted once you start hunting! This is the last season before leafbare, and prey must be stocked well before then," Cloverstar stated with a gaze at the apprentices.

Irispaw and Otterpaw barely listened, awed by the sights and colors. They giggled silently to one another, Otterpaw flicking leaves off the ground with a paw and flinging them at his brother. Before Irispaw could do so, Swiftspeck nudged Irispaw's shoulder causing the young tom to freeze in his tracks.

"Now you, listen carefully to Cloverstar. She may have some important information that may keep you from getting your ears cut off in the future!" Swiftspeck advised with a light chuckle.

Otterpaw snorted in annoyance but Irispaw nodded in obedience to his mentor. The two apprentices kept their gazes locked on Cloverstar Cloverpool as she moved through the forest.

"There isn't much important sights within our ancient territory that our camp lies on, but trust me we will get to the interesting sights in our newer territory soon," Cloverstar explained as she went on. "In these parts, you will find a few ponds by the border, and a lake closer to the edge of the territory. Be careful around there though, for recently Twolegs have been crafting roads of dark rocks into the earth and then slitting through the bases of trees to create themselves some dens. We also have a few rivers by the small meadow to the far edge of our territory. That's only our former territory though, you should wait until you set your paws upon our new territory."

Otterpaw hastened his pace, scrambling up to his mother's side with his eyes brimming with curiousity. "Isn't the new territory the land where Dimstar led the rebels? Our father himself led the glorious rebels there into war! We finally own the territory now? Why did it take so long? Why didn't we stay at the rebel camp?"

Cloverstar snickered lightly at Otterpaw's interest in EchoClan history and why certain things were done. "Yes, the new territory is once the land that belonged to us as rebels before we became EchoClan again," Cloverstar answered. "Although the camp there was stable and safe, there is only one place us EchoClanners call home, and that is this camp and territory that we spent moons on fighting for. Besides, the old rebellion camp now serves as a honorable burial sight for those who sacrificed their lives for their Clan. Also, it took us so long to claim the rebel territory as part of our territory now because we had to make sure it was safe. We never had explored the territory thoroughly before and once we discovered it was safe, we finally decided to name the territory as ours."

"So how about we see that territory now?" Swiftspeck suggested after taking a moment to stretch his limbs.

Cloverpool nodded curtly to the black and white tom. The she-cat turned and headed off in a different direction, her tail swaying to and fro behind her. Swiftspeck and Breezestorm keep a close eye on their apprentices as they began to pass through the deepest part of the forest, bearing what used to be the border between the rebels and Archangel's malicious followers.

The leader's fur rose along her spine as she spotted the lake closest to the border. Her eyes grew as large as a full moon as her mind pulled back the memory of which Flamepetal finally spoke up about the murder of Chirpbark. He was murdered grusomely by Spark, his blood washing into the lake by where his body was found.

Horror surged through Cloverstar but she snapped back to reality when Breezestorm erupted with a hiss. She turned slightly to eye Breezestorm snapping at Otterpaw, who had attempted to swat a wasp that was flying by peacefully.

"Leave the wasp alone!" Breezestorm growled, Otterpaw flashing his mentor an annoyed glare.

"What's so bad about taking down one wasp? It could sting an innocent cat!" Otterpaw snapped icily back at his mentor.

Though Breezestorm was the one to snap at Otterpaw, Swiftspeck seemed the most angered over the situation. The black and white tom stepped forward instead, yet his voice was calm with a small crack edged to it. "The wasps are divine, holy creatures amongst this territory. They will be respected in the name of one of our best leaders," Swiftspeck serenely answered, Otterpaw backing away with a huff.

Cloverstar remained silent, her eyes scanning over to eye the wasp. It was following in the same direction as the breeze, it's speed slow and it seemed careless of the cats below it. The she-cats heart thumped against her ribcage at a fast pace as she remembered the dreadful day Waspstar's final breath was torn away instantly by Archangel without hesitation nor regret. Most of EchoClan witnessed his death right before their very own eyes, a sight none of them were ever prepared to lay their eyes on.

"Cloverstar?"

The she-cat blinked and locked her gaze on Irispaw, who stared up at his dazed, horrified mother with a wide, worried expression. She lifted a faint smile onto her face as if to notify Irispaw that she was fine and then she turned to make her way across what used to be the border.

Her steps became slow as she padded through the new territory that treaded upon her darkest of memories. A nervous lump formed in her throat and leaves crunched under her paws. Cloverstar's gaze became glossy, as if soaked with fresh water or drenched in a coat of honey. She could hear the faint voices of the mentors explaining the Irispaw and Otterpaw about the hunting and where it happens upon this new territory. Soon enough, their voices began to drain out and all Cloverstar focused on was the waves.

They pounded against the shore of the prodigious river that stood before them. The current was rough and quickly paced, roaring and thundering as if a thunderstorm was passing by. Cloverstar's breath had been drained from her body in one gasp and her legs began to tremble lightly in terror as she approached the river. She gathered all of her strength though and inhaled a sharp intake of breath before turning to the cats who followed her to inform them of the river.

"This is the Dim River," Cloverstar announced, emphasizing the word 'dim' to as if it was the most important word to ever have been spoken. She sighed lightly and bowed her head, her eyelids squeezing together as her muzzle pointed down towards the river. "This was the exact river your father, Dimstar, sunk into the abyss of when saving Pinekit from the treacherous claws of Spark. He risked his life for one kit, but that still made him one of the greatest hero's to life. Not only because of his sacrifice which rid him of every life he had, but for his loyalty to us and his leadership as he led us into a war a lot of our members didn't make it out of. He was a great leader, father...and mate."

Silence rippled over the group as Cloverpool remained still as if she had transformed into a form of solid stone. A shiver pulsed down her spine as the soft pelts of her kits brushed up against each side of her, embracing their mother to comfort her. Her eyes snapped open and she admired her kits worry over her, though she noticed the spiral of grief forming in her kits eyes as they glanced down at the river.

Their eyes watched the river as if their father was still there drowning, yet slowly fading away from their perspective.

Though...they had never seen their father before.

"All of you should get back to camp," Cloverstar suddenly spoke up as Irispaw and Otterpaw pulled away from her. Both parted their jaws to protest but Cloverstar was quick to shake her head and speak up again. "I'll be fine, I just need to clear my head alone for a moment."

No word was spoken after Cloverstar spoke. Instead, Swiftspeck and Breezestorm dipped their heads respectfully to their leader and led their apprentices away back towards camp. The only noises to be heard were the roaring thunders of the river pounding aagainst the shore and the faint whispers shared occasionally between Cloverstar's kits before they faded into the distance.

Cloverstar lifted herself to her paws with a sigh as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were gone. With a twitch of her ears, the she-cat slid away deeper into the territory once claimed under the name of the rebels. Her movements became swifter as she moved slyly through the forest, advancing towards a sight that began to appear ahead of her. Memories began to drown her thoughts as she stepped out of the forest and stood in the entrance of the cabe system.

The camp that they once called home that now served as a burial ground for those lost.

The she-cat stepped upon the cold earth that she once used to tread her paws across every day. Her steps were light and cautiously placed as she approached the center of the old camp. Tufts of moss and fur were still scattered across the barren camp and the scent of her Clan was faint, yet still burned in her nostrils. She inhaled the scent in one massive breath and then exhaled lightly as she sat in the center of the camp, wrapping her tail around her paws.

A chilling sensation flooded over her as she stared ahead into the shadows of the cavern. Once in those shadows, a monster with claws sprayed with the blood of his enemies had pinned down and murdered a precious cat to Cloverstar, whom she would risk her whole life for. But on that agonizing day, Cloverstar could do nothing but watch with sorrow stinging her heart as her own son was murdered mercilessly by Archangel himself.

Cloverstar forbid the memory from her current thoughts at the moment. She only had one task to tend to right now, and it wasn't only the succeed for the pleasure of her own wants, but for her Clan's. She shut her eyes and lifted her muzzle to the ceiling of the former camp, her breathing slow and her heart rate slowing as well. Her only task that was extremely important to her at that moment was to make her Clan happy.

Cloverstar had witnessed the frowns that spread across her Clanmates' faces whenever the topic of the war or the mention of a fallen kinmate rung through their mind. None of them had seen their fallen friends and kin since the day of their departure with life and their embrace of SpiritClan. Though the war had been won, the Clan would never be successfully joyful without a sighting of their fallen kin and friends.

The words slipped lightly off the edge of Cloverstar's tongue, as if she knew SpiritClan was upon her and listening carefully. Her wish echoed through the cave, emphasized and loud though spoken extremely softly and barely audible. A smile lifted onto her visage as her jaws shut and her wish was completed. Her eyes never opened though for a moment and she instead bathed in the joy and wondrous thoughts of how she would awaken the next morning to find her Clan.

They wouldn't be sorrowful, nor would they be busy and tired due to tending to an immense amount of duties, but they would be filled with utter joy. Their eyes would light up with an overwhelming sense of joy and would shine as vivid as the sun on a clear day. Their paws would tingle as if the earth shook lightly beneath them and their words would be spoken loudly with a voice that shook from their shock and overload of happiness. They would all finally have a flickering flame of hope and faith light up inside of them again.

For they would finally see their lost loved one's in their dreams tonight and EchoClan could finally and officially be whole again....