Ivypaw returns to camp. Dovepaw tries to talk to her but all her sister wants to do is sleep. As she listens to her angry clanmates talk about the herbs they had to give away she feels guilty, knowing it is all her fault. Squirrelflight reminds her they are going to the Gathering and Dovepaw wonders if Tigerheart will be there. Lionblaze asks her what Ivypaw was doing at the border in the middle of the night and she assures him it had nothing to do with the Dark Forest. As they approach the island Dovepaw realizes something is wrong. WindClan is just standing there, not entering. She reaches out and hears ShadowClan talking about how no one would dare break the truce. In RiverClan, Willowshine is refusing to go to the Gathering and Mosspelt talks of hiding the kits and elders. Dovepaw tells Jayfeather and Lionblaze that the cats know of the Dark Forest. Jayfeather tells her they don't know and she counters that something has them scared. He says he knows, that he can sense it, and that the medicine cats must have passed on StarClan's message. Dovepaw asks why don't they and the answer is they don't want to cause a panic within their own clan. When everyone reaches the island the ThunderClan cats are confused why everyone is refusing to mingle. The Gathering starts. Mistystar and Onestar both speak, then Blackstar. He mentions the herbs that saved Littlecloud but not where they came from. When it is Firestar's turn he calls Blackstar out and accuses him of holding Ivypaw hostage in exchange for the herbs. Everyone is shocked and words quickly escalate between Blackstar and Firestar. Everyone looks to the moon, wondering if this is the darkness, but it is still shining bright. Mistystar breaks up the meeting and Onestar quickly follows her. ShadowClan leaves next and Dovepaw races after Tigerheart to speak with him. Upset, she accuses him of telling about Jayfeather's herb patch. He tells her he had to in order to save Littlecloud. She tells him Sandstorm might die now but he insists he had to place his clan first. Dovepaw asks even over her and he says no, but she tells him she doesn't believe him.
Ivypaw wakes up in the Dark Forest. Hawkfrost isn't there so she walks around. She overhears Tigerstar and Tigerheart talking and goes towards them, but as they talk she listens. She is upset to hear Tigerstar tell Tigerheart that his loyalty must be to the Dark Forest first. She is even more upset by the way he talks about ThunderClan. She realizes Tigerstar doesn't care about his birth clan and is just using her. Tigerstar tells Tigerheart that the final battle is coming, and it will be them against the four clans and their ancestors. Feeling stupid Ivypaw runs away. She tries to wake up but cannot. She runs into Mapleshade who tells her that Hawkfrost is busy and she is training her tonight. She lures Ivypaw out to the water and tries to drown her but Ivypaw gets away. She sneaks off and hears Dovepaw calling her. She wakes up and Dovepaw asks her for the truth about Tigerheart. Ivypaw admits that it is true and Dovepaw says that Tigerheart must never have loved her and was just using her. Ivypaw denies this and tells Dovepaw that Tigerstar tricked him just like he did to her. Dovepaw tells her not to say anything more until they get Lionblaze and Jayfeather. Confused why they have to get them she follows her sister and the four cats leave camp together. Ivypaw admits to the cats that she has been training in the Dark Forest and that Tigerstar is planning an attack on the clans. She vows never to return but Jayfeather points out to her that she might not have a choice. He also tells her that she needs to spy on the Dark Forest for them. Ivypaw doesn't wish to, wanting to just go back to being a regular apprentice. Lionblaze tells her it is a good plan but her choice. The brothers leave the sisters to talk it over. Dovepaw realizes she now has to tell her sister the truth and tells Ivypaw to go do something where Dovepaw cannot see or hear her. Confused, Ivypaw leaves, digs out a hole, then fills it in. When she returns Dovepaw told her what she did. She tells Ivypaw of the prophecy and how she can see and hear things far away. At first Ivypaw does not believe her but Dovepaw starts giving her more and more examples. Upset, Ivypaw blames her sister for everything. She tells her that if Dovepaw had just been honest with her she would never have gone to the Dark Forest. The sisters fight but make up. Dovepaw tells Ivypaw that she got her wish - she is now special too. Ivypaw admits that she wishes she was not and agrees to spy in the Dark Forest.
Done with his duties, Flametail goes out on the frozen lake with his friends. They play a game where they knock a stone around. Pinepaw shoots the stone out towards the center of the lake and Flametail races after it. The ice breaks and he goes under. It is dark and he cannot find his way out. He realizes he is drowning, just like in his vision. Suddenly Jayfeather is there trying to save him. Then a third cat, with bulging eyes, appears. Flametail wonders if this is a cat from StarClan that he has never meet. The third cat speaks, telling Jayfeather to let Flametail go, that it is his time and not Jayfeather's. Jayfeather lets go of Flametail and he sinks.
Ivypaw is out hunting for her clan. She hears cats playing on the frozen lake and wishes to join them, but feels she cannot until she repays her clan for the herbs they traded for her. She goes back to camp and sees Jayfeather is wet and Leafpool is fussing over him. Firestar calls a clan meeting, announces that Flametail had drowned and Jayfeather tried, unsuccessfully, to save him. That night she and Dovepaw settle into their nests. She wakes in the Dark Forest and finds Tigerstar. He asks after Tigerheart and she tells him of Flametail's death. Much to Ivypaw's dismay, Tigerstar's only response is that is one less cat. He takes her to a meeting where she looks around in shock at all the cats. When she comments on how many Tigerstar tells her it is enough to rival StarClan. Feeling uneasy she gladly sits with Hollowpaw, Antpelt, and Breezepelt since they are the only other clan cats she sees. Tigerstar gives a speech about attacking the clans and destroying the warrior code. She us horrified to see the clan cats with her are excited. Darkstripe taunts her, asking if she is ready or if she wants to run home. Brokenstar comes over and tells Ivypaw that he has a special mission for her. She hopes it is like an assessment and follows him. He leads her to a clearing where he has her practice some moves. Then Flametail arrives. He is confused and asks Ivypaw if she too fell through the ice. Brokenstar orders Ivypaw to kill Flametail. Ivypaw is horrified then is relieved to realize Flametail is already dead. She tells Brokenstar she cannot kill someone who is already dead. But Brokenstar tells her she can and that it is unimaginably painful when a cat loses the last echo of their life. Ivypaw refuses, causing Brokenstar to question her loyalty. She realizes if she doesn't do it then she will not leave the Dark Forest alive and no one will be able to warn the cats about what is coming. In her mind she asks StarClan to forgive her but before she can attack him Tigerheart attacks her to save his brother. She tries to catch Tigerheart's eye so she can explain but he doesn't look at her, only at Tigerstar and Brokenstar as he stands between them and his brother. Tigerstar tells Brokenstar he doesn't care about a medicine cat whose only use is to mix herbs, and that Ivypaw is loyal to the Dark Forest.
When it comes down to Tigerheart and Dovepaw I am feeling a bit torn. At first I felt Tigerheart was lying to Dovepaw abour his feelings for her, then I decided he was telling her the truth. Now, however, she feels betrayed and thinks Tigerheart was using her. But Ivypaw seems to think Tigerheart really does love her sister. So maybe he is redeemable after all. And he was eating up everything Tigerstar said to him when Ivypaw was spying on them, but he was willing to fight Tigerstar, Brokenstar, and Ivypaw to save his dead brother.
I was shocked by Flametail's death, but at least I know for sure now that he was always good. But the Dark Forest must have more then Ivypaw, Breezepelt, Tigerheart, Antpelt, and Hollowpaw. So I wonder who else they have swayed.
At least things are starting to come out in the open now. And maybe Tigerheart, if he can forgive Ivypaw for almost murdering his brother, can join the ThunderClan cats who know the truth and are trying to figure out how to stop it.
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