The morning sun had begun to rise, and Mossheart yawned as he awoke. He planned on playing with his kits today, just like he had been doing for the past few weeks. They were nearly two moons now, growing very fast. Mousestripe's kits were to be due any day, and Mossheart was relieved that his kits would have playmates soon.

            As for Tawnyheart, she had become a warrior, her daughter, Sandpaw, taking over the position as medicine cat apprentice. He had hoped she would do well.

            Tinykit's vision had not declined, and he assumed she would only be colorblind, never fully blind. This brought him joy, making up for the guilt he felt with Tawnyheart.

            As he got up, he stretched and yawned, relaxed as a light snow fell over the camp. His kits had enjoyed playing in the snow, and he knew they would be even more excited when new-leaf came.

            Just as Mossheart was about to pad out the den, an ear-damaging scream came from the nursery. He assumed it was Mousestripe, ready to give birth, but something was different about this scream. It was as if a cat was about to kill another cat.

            Curious, Mossheart stood up, padding outside. He found Fernbranch with the kits, shaking in fear.

            "What? What's going on?" Mossheart asked.

            Fernbranch hid the kits behind her and pointed to the nursery. All the other queens and kits had exited, and inside was the screaming Mousestripe. Her nest was a bloody mess, and she let out another scream.

            Suddenly, Mossheart noticed a cat appear. She had silver-blue fur, white teeth as sharp as claws, and her eyes seemed to glow red. "It is complete now," the she-cat whispered.

            "Moonstar," Fernbranch whispered. Mossheart suddenly remembered the tales he had heard of the she-cat who had attempted to overthrow the clans.

            No cat even dared to move. It all felt wrong. Smokestar and Reedtail rushed in, hearing the terrifying scream.

            As a white and black tom was born, Mossheart watched in horror as his white and black fur began to shimmer and change into silver-blue fur like Moonstar's, and his eyes turned a bright green.

            "YES!" Moonstar yowled. Smokestar had his claws unsheathed, ready to attack, though it seemed Moonstar did not care.

            "I thought she was dead," Mossheart whispered to Fernbranch.

            "She is. She's a Dark Forest cat now," Fernbranch replied, the kits still hiding behind her.

            "Perhaps you should take the kits out of here," Mossheart told her.

            "No, we won't leave you," Fernbranch replied.

            Mousestripe let out a scream again as a brown tabby tom was born, though his pelt began to shimmer and change, just like the last tom.

            "STOP!" Smokestar hissed, leaping at Moonstar. She laughed, slitting his throat with a simple slight. Smokestar fell to the floor in pain.

            "Smokestar!" Mossheart yelped. He moved, only to be pulled back by Fernbranch.

            "Father," Mousestripe gasped, a tear sliding down her eye.

            "Good luck," he whispered. His eyes looked unseeing at Mossheart, and suddenly, a sickening thought spread throughout him. Smokestar wasn't waking up. He had just lost his last life.

            Mousestripe let out one last yowl as a white and ginger she-cat born. Mossheart waited for the kit's fur to change, but instead, her fur began to glow.

            "WHAT?!" Moonstar hissed, squinting as the light stung her eyes.

            Mossheart began to squint too as the she-cat's light grew even brighter. Moonstar turned to Mousestripe, hissing. Reedtail stood by her in fear as well.

            "WHY, YOU LITTLE—" Moonstar leapt, about to slit Mousestripe's throat. Reedtail stepped in the way, his throat being slit instead of Mousestripe's. Mossheart felt like collapsing as he saw his friend fall the ground. It was as if all his memories with Reedtail flashed before him. He had remembered seeing him in the nursery with Fernbranch, going hunting, patrols...Now, it was gone.

            Moonstar yowled as the light from the she-cat caused her to vanish. Now gone, Reedtail turned to Mousestripe. "I love you," he whispered.

            "I love you too," Mousestripe replied.

            Mossheart shuddered at the two dead bodies that would not wake in the den. He shuddered at the blood that coated the walls, the bloody toms whose eyes did no longer shine red like Moonstar's. Patches of fur had been missing from them, and the she-cat slept soundly.

            "I'm confused. What happened?" Mossheart turned to Fernbranch.

            "Awhile ago, Mousestripe had a terrible dream. Moonstar threatened to curse her kits in order to take over the clans again. She would've been successful if the she-cat had not been born to send her away. I believe the curse has been lifted from the toms, though their fur color will not change back," Fernbranch sighed.

            Mossheart watched as Cloudfur rushed in. "No!" he yelped, looking at his brother's dead body. "I guess I'm leader now," he sighed.

            As the bodies were moved, Mossheart stood by the den with Cloudfur watching as she named her kits. She pointed to the tom missing fur on his tail and paw. "This will be Graykit," she said.

            She turned to the other tom whose thigh and patches of his pelt were missing fur. "This will be Stormkit," she said.

            Mossheart watched as she turned to the white and ginger she-cat. "This will be Shinykit," she whispered. Cloudfur locked eyes with Mousestripe, and he spoke.

            "Shinykit may have vanished Moonstar for now, but she'll return."

            Mousestripe nodded, and Mossheart suddenly noticed the fear inside of her. "I know."

            As the nursery was cleaned and the kits moved inside, Mossheart helped bury Smokestar and Reedtail's body. He sat by both their graves, knowing he would be sitting vigil for them at night.

            Cloudfur's yowl made Mossheart turn his head, and he looked, seeing the tom on the rock. "CATS OF SNOWCLAN!" Cloudfur yowled. "It is unfortunate that Smokestar has lost his last life, and it is unfortunate we've lost a great warrior too. As your new leader, I will be going with Spottedmask tonight to receive my nine lives. It is at this time, though, that I choose deputy. Thornfrost," Cloudfur said, turning to the golden-brown tom. "I would like you to be deputy. You are not the most perfect cat in this clan, but cats make mistakes, and a great leader learns from his mistakes."

            "Thank you, Cloudfur," Thornfrost said, dipping his head.

            Mossheart remembered hearing Fernbranch talking about him getting too close with Tawnyheart, the medicine cat, and now that he knew that Tawnyheart had even given birth to his kits, it was a surprise Cloudfur had chosen him.

            As Cloudfur left with Spottedmask and Sandpaw, Mossheart turned to the two graves. He first looked at Smokestar's, sighing.

            "Smokestar, you were the best mentor any cat could have," he whispered. "Despite your flaws, you were a great father, and you were a father-figure to me. I hope you're happy with your family. Tell my mother I miss her," he whispered.

            He looked at Reedtail's grave now. "Reedtail, you were my best friend. I remember being so pleased when you became mates with Mousestripe and when you found out she was expecting kits. I knew you'd be a great father. I guess now you'll never know," Mossheart whispered. "And I guess you know the truth now," Mossheart turned, seeing Thornfrost lick Mousestripe's cheek. Apparently they had secretly been mates for a few sunrises, and now that Reedtail has dead, they were now mates in public. "Your kits will be proud you died for them," he whispered.

            He stood up, joining Fernbranch and the kits.

            "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

            Mossheart sighed, looking down. "No, it was their time to die. I hope they're happy in StarClan," he said, gazing up into the sky.