Nightpaw traveled through the thick snow, constantly giving himself a quick groom to hide Blossompaw's scent. Nightpaw had continued to meet the red-eyed SkyClan apprentice. The snow did not stop them from sneaking out of camp at night.

It had been more than a moon since the first time they met at night. Nightpaw introduced Sunpaw to Blossompaw at the second gathering. Soon Sunpaw went to the other apprentices, leaving Nightpaw and Blossompaw to talk.

Nightpaw arrived at the ThunderClan camp. He slid between rocks, making sure that Adderblaze, who was guarding the camp, didn't notice him.

He shook water out of his pelt in front of the apprentices' den. Nightpaw quietly slipped in, and curled up into his nest.

~

"Wake up!" Skypaw meowed in Nightpaw's ear. "Bushpaw's coughing loudly."

Nightpaw blinked awake.

The patchy apprentice coughed. "I'm-" Bushpaw coughed again. "-fine."

Skypaw shook her head. "You're not. Go see Dappleleaf."

Bushpaw's tail droopped. "I'm supposed to do my assessment today." He meowed sadly between coughs.

"You're in no shape to do your assessment." Skypaw meowed firmly.

Nightpaw may not have listened to a five-moons-old kit, but Bushpaw groaned and paddled to the medicine den.

~

"Bushpaw and Rubblespots caught greencough." Nightpaw heard Volepaw meow. Volepaw was officially a medicine cat apprentice.

Nightpaw came back from a hunting patrol. The prey was scarce in leaf-bare. Nightpaw managed to catch a vole. He dropped the vole at the fresh-kill pile.

Branchpaw picked the best fresh-kill in the pile, Nightpaw's vole, and took it for himself. Nightpaw glared at him from a distance, his nose wrinkled in disgust. So selfish. The elders haven't ate yet.

Nightpaw stared at the dead vole. He concentrated on it. He wanted it to move out of Branchpaw's reach. Move.

The mouse flew out of Branchpaw's grasp, landing in front of Nightpaw. Nightpaw gasped. He hadn't expected that to work. It wasn't possible.

He dug his claw hard into his own forelegs. This must be another dream. Nightpaw thought. But it wasn't. And Branchpaw was not happy with him.

"Why are you eating before the elders ate?" Branchpaw snarled, walking over. "Isn't that breaking the code?"

Nightpaw's eyes widened at him. "You're the one who took the bite!"

"Then why is it at your paws?" Branchpaw asked.

"B-Because..." Nightpaw knew that there was nothing he could meow. If he mewed, "I stared at the mouse and then it flew over to me." No one would believe him. He noticed that some cats were staring at him now.

"I thought you would know better." Stromflight meowed, disappointment edging his mew. Nightpaw's heart filled with hatred. He was angry that Branchpaw had trickled him, that his clan would never believe him. He was angry at the mouse for flying across the clearing, angry at himself for willing it to move.

He wanted to tear the brown tabby into pieces. Nightpaw knew that he could do that. That's when Nightpaw realized that he have unbelievable powers. He could will the brick walls of the camp to collapse. He could burn his enemies with blue fire. He is stronger than anyone at camp.

But Nightpaw could not bring himself to do that. He turned and stomped back into his den. I would get exiled if I kill someone. Nightpaw thought. Not that there would be a leader to exile me, because I would've killed everyone.

He buried his head inside his nest. I wish Blossompaw was here. A part of his mind thought. But why?

~

Nightpaw woke up in a clearing. Where am I?

He looked around. It was nighttime. There were cats around him, chatting and meowing to each other.

Three great oaks surrounded the clearing. Their branches hung glowing globes. Wow. Nightpaw reached forward to touch one.

"Nightpaw!" A sandy she-cat with purple stripes tapped him with her tail. "The gathering is beginning! Listen up!"

Nightpaw turned around and saw three cats sitting on a branch in a distance. This is a gathering? Nightpaw looked up and saw a full moon. Why is the moon full? It wasn't even close to full last night.

Nightpaw looked around, puzzled. Then he realized that he doesn't know any of the cats. "Who are you?" Nightpaw asked.

"This isn't a time for jokes!" The sandy she-cat growled.

"What did you say?" Nightpaw couldn't hear her properly.

A black apprentice whipped around and snarled at him. "Stop that." Nightpaw almost jumped when he saw her violet eyes.

Great! Nightpaw thought. I'm stuck in this strange place with cats that I don't know!

But the cats around him seemed to know him.

Suddenly, one of the cats on the branch yowled, "Let the gathering begin!" Nightpaw guessed that he was a leader of some sort. "Posionstar, would you like to start?"

A cat next to him spoke. He assumed that he was Posionstar. "Prey is running well in our clan."

Clan? Nightpaw looked around. What kind of clan is this? It can't be the clans around the lake.

"Is that all?" A white she-cat asked next to Posionstar. Blossompaw! Nightpaw recognized her face and her eyes. But she seemed older, like a senior warrior.

"Blossompaw!" Nightpaw yowled at her. Hopefully she can explain what's going on.

The white she-cat who looked like Blossompaw turned at him and stared, puzzled. Nightpaw dashed forward, but the sandy she-cat held her back, biting his tail.

"What are you doing?" The sand-coloured she-cat growled.

"Get off me!" Nightpaw screamed. He turned to the white she-cat with pinkish eyes. "Blossompaw!" He begged. "Please tell me what's going on!"

"What are you saying?" The white she-cat glared at him, but Nightpaw only found sadness in her eyes.

"Please!"

The white she-cat which Nightpaw thought was Blossompaw turned to Posionstar and meowed, "What is wrong with your apprentice?"

Posionstar looked horrified. "Nightpaw, what are you doing?"

"PLEASE!" Nightpaw screamed. He shook the white she-cat lightly. "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"WAKE UP!" Sunpaw's voice sounded into into his ear. Sunpaw! Nightpaw turned at her direction. No one was there. He blinked a few times, and the dream dissolved into nothing.