"Surely you've heard about it?" Cinder asked.

     "I..." Wildflower's voice left, leaving her staring at the mythical she-cat, her hazel eyes waiting for a response. 

     Fallen Heroes. From what I heard they're infamous for committing a sin against the tribe. There are five of them as of now. One killed an Alpha and betas, another for stealing herbs and giving them to Imperfects, another for teaching Imperfects our battle strategies, another for kidnapping kits, and then the last for attempting to kill the top beta. Wildflower stared at Cinder, unable to place a paw on the she-cat's name. "You're a Fallen Hero?"

     "Fallen Hero?!" Heather screeched, suddenly on alert. "Where?!" Heather's eyes scanned the den top to bottom, sticking close to Wildflower. 

     The last healer in the den, Oak, sprang up, fur was rising and his eyes searching for a hidden cat. River and Ash had recently returned and they stopped in their tracks, dropping the herbs they carried as they stared at Wildflower with horror. They stumbled away and ran without a second word.

     "Now you've done it," Cinder hissed, stepping closer to Wildflower, lifting a paw as if to smack her. 

     "There's a Fallen Hero here?" Oak questioned, slowly making his way to the exit, his fur tingling. "I'll get Origanum!"

     "No!" Wildflower said. "Sorry... I just... had a strange dream..."

     "You're a horrible liar," Cinder commented.

     "You were awake," Heather pointed out. "Were you dreaming with your eyes open?"

     "Uh..." Wildflower shuffled her paws, trying to block out Cinder's annoying snickering and giggling as the figure pranced around the den like a kit. "I was daydreaming."

     "About?" Oak pressed.

     "Horrible cover-up," Cinder remarked, returning to her side. "I'd stop talking if I were you. It'll only dig your grave faster."

     "Are you ever kind?" Wildflower demanded at the she-cat.

     "Of course I am!" she hissed, sounding offended.

     "Who are you talking to?" Oak asked. "There isn't anyone else in this room, is there?"

     "Go ahead," Cinder urged her quietly. "Mention me. Say my name."

     "Why?"

     "Why what...?" Heather questioned, fear lingering in her voice as she stepped backwards, going for the exit. Oak shuffled out of the way, leaving the den yet looked over the brown she-cat's shoulder at the scouter.

     "You aren't going to get anywhere else without mentioning my name, okay? Just tell them! I'm dead anyway!" Cinder snapped, lashing her tail. "I would tell them if I could but I can only talk to you, so that's my setback, all right?!"

     "Cinder---"

     "Cinder?!" Heather gasped, shrieked, turning tail immediately and almost knocking Oak over. The top healer stumbled but moved out of the way just as the she-cat ran out screaming, causing a panic to spread amongst the tribe. His eyes planted on the spot where Cinder stood, seeing nothing except an open space. Wildflower scrambled on her paws, her stomach yowling at the sudden movement.

     "Acorn..." Cinder mumbled once again.

     "Who is she?" Wildflower asked, pointing her striped tail at Cinder. Oak was making his way out of the room, her question going unanswered. The healer bolted out of the room later as if it were on fire. Angered, she stood glaring at Cinder, who began to groom herself.

     Then Heather poked her head back in, the look of a terrified kit on her face. Once again, Wildflower repeated her question and the healer's jaw dropped.

     "Are you joking?" Heather questioned. "Maybe you did hit your head too hard on a rock."

     "What's with these rules?" Cinder growled.

     "It's the tribe," Wildflower answered, not taking her eyes off Heather. "She says something about you being Acorn's daughter. What's that about?"

     Heather's eyes flashed with hate. Her fur bristled and her lips curled into an angered snarl. "Do not speak of his name! He was never my father! Never!" She turned her head away, scoffing. Wildflower could detect a hint of murder in her words as her claws slid out. 

     "What...?" Both Cinder and Wildflower said at the same time. The scouter snapped her head to the spirit and the she-cat waved her paw innocently.

     "I don't see what goes on here in the living world anymore. I prefer the afterlife," she claimed.

     "What is wrong with the living world?! At least you would what happened between the two!" Wildflower fired back, looking at Heather to Cinder. 

     "Don't talk to her! If Cinder's in this den, that means she's an Imperfect! Do not let her touch you!" 

     "I'm dead..." Cinder muttered. "I can't touch her and nobody can touch me." To test her word, Wildflower reached out a paw and just had seen with Heather and Maple, her paw went through her chest. 

     "What did I just say!?" Heather shouted, barging into the den and blindly took ahold of Wildflower's pelt, throwing the two of them out. "Don't let her go near you, either! I don't know if imperfection is a disease! Especially when it comes to a Fallen Hero!"

     "I can walk by myself!" Wildflower protested, struggling to breathe. Cinder walked out of the den patiently, watching the panic spread through the camp like wildfire with a smirk.

     "Cinder?!" Origanum screeched, throwing herself off the highrock and landing squarely on her feet. Not a second later, she bolted toward the den and entered, flying past the spirit. Wildflower spotted Cinder's face freeze, confliction flickering through her. The she-cat did nothing as the cries of the Alpha filled the silent camp of eager eyes and ears. 

     "Cinder?" Dandelion said, padding up to Wildflower. She jumped in surprise at her mother's unexpected arrival, followed by Blaze and Maple. "Cinder's here?"

     "More importantly, you can see her?" Maple added, doubt lingering in her every word. Wildflower nodded. "Do you have some kind of superpowers?"

     Endless Stars no.

     "She was right beside Origanum in the last battle, too." Blaze looked over at the healers' den. The golden Alpha didn't leave, continuing to search the empty den for the cat. "Who is she? Besides a Fallen Hero?"

     Dandelion's eyes darkened. "A Fallen Hero is never to be spoken of! They're a disgrace to the tribe---"

     "Aren't all Imperfects disgraces?" Wildflower pointed out.

     Her mother didn't approve of the comment. Dandelion muttered something under her breath but Wildflower's ears couldn't pick up the soft-spoken words. 

     The tribe's attention wandered to the family, suspicion surrounding them. Wildflower noticed Storm look away the moment her eyes swept across her and warriors like Spring and Ivy pretended to stare at the sky. 

     Eyes locked onto them like they were fresh kill. Their ears pricked up, waiting to pick up anything they possibly could. Eyes of all different colors pinning themselves onto them, keeping them under a spotlight. Wildflower lowered her head, trying to hide.

     "Anyway, Cinder is one of them," Dandelion answered softly.

     Obviously. "What exactly did she do?"

     "She attempted to murder the top beta, Spider," Dandelion hissed. "Spider was the Alpha before Origanum."

     "Why did she want to kill him?"

     "What do you think?" Maple growled. "She wanted to become Alpha even though she wasn't a beta."

     "Wasn't a beta?" Wildflower echoed. She was really that stubborn to kill? Skipping the Beta's Tryout and fighting her way up to the top beta... Why didn't she just do that and go through the Alpha's Trial? 

     "Because the Alpha's Trial results in death if you fail and the Beta's Tryout is only open to cats who have the experience or have good standings in the Alpha's eyes," her mind whispered. "Shouldn't you know this by now?!" 

     "Yeah, I wasn't a beta," Cinder said, appearing behind her. Wildflower jumped about ten feet in the air, fur spiking out. Her family split, avoiding her as the scouter landed, eyes wide as she spotted the Fallen Hero. 

     "What's wrong?" Blaze demanded.

     "Something scare you?" Dandelion questioned, eyeing the tribe.

     "C-Cinder..."

     "Where?" Maple said, turning around. Wildflower pointed in front of her and the guardian stepped close to the spot, hissing. Cinder didn't move and watched the calico with uninterested eyes, saying nothing. Seeing nothing, despite their noses were inches apart, the calico frowned. "Are you joking around?"

     "Why would I joke about something like this?" Wildflower pressed.

     "Just continue," Blaze growled, eyeing the spot where Wildflower directed. Dandelion seemed dazed for a second. Wildflower turned around to face her. Cats around them gathered, acting like kits when it was storytime. Origanum poked her head out of the den and then noticed every cat gathering around that particular area.

     Not wanting to be left out, she raced over, squeezing through cats to get into the front. Cinder's ears pricked up at the sound of incoming pawsteps and then looked up just as the Alpha burst through, the two she-cats standing inches apart. Her jaw fell open and her eyes shook, threatening to spill. Origanum's side heaved, narrowing her eyes at the spirit, telling Wildflower that she couldn't see the spirit.

     Wildflower looked at Maple for the rest of the story. 

     Maple's voice trailed off and the guardian snapped herself back to the present. "From what I know, Cinder wanted to become Alpha herself and then failed. She was killed by some cat. I don't know much about the details."

     A cat in the crowd raised their tail, catching on. Maple twirled her tail, letting them speak "I heard she's still alive!"

     Another cat raised their tail. Maple gave them permission to speak as well, keeping her eyes on the silent Alpha. "No, she's long dead! I saw her get eaten by a fox!"

     "No, it was a wolf that got her!"

     "I hear she's stalking down kits now!"

     "No, she's long gone in the Tribe of Never-Ending Shadows!"

     "I think I saw her spirit float around this camp once or twice..."

     "She's dead now, she was killed moons ago!"

     "No, she could've slipped away!"

     "She's an Imperfect! That can't happen!"

     "She's a Fallen Hero! Get the facts straight!"

     Origanum said nothing as different opinions rose around her. She continued to stare into a blank space where Cinder's spirit sat, the two she-cats watching each other without saying a thing. Wildflower narrowed her eyes, catching glimpses of the Alpha forming words with her quivering lips, whatever she was saying getting drowned out by another cat. She thought the two looked like sisters, but their pelts said otherwise. 

     Unsure whether it was a smart move or not, she settled on a choice. "She's right in front of Origanum."

     Cats turned their gleaming eyes towards the Alpha. Cinder still didn't move but forced a weak smile out to the golden she-cat. To Wildflower's shock, Origanum reached a shaking paw out and circled around the space, eyes seeking for an invisible figure. The she-cat gave up and dropped her tail on the ground, to which the spirit of the brown she-cat curled her own tail around. 

     "Cinder..." Origanum whispered.

     Turning to Wildflower, Cinder looked at her sadly, keeping her grip on Origanum's tail. "Do you really like it here?" She asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

     "Of course," Wildflower said. Cats gasped and looked at each other, trying to contain their judgments. "Why do you ask?"

     "You'll never see me again, for one thing---"

     "Then are you just one of those cats from the stories I heard from the guardians that supposedly comes down and delivers some prophetic words to a 'chosen one'?" Wildflower blurted out, unimpressed. The tribe turned towards the guardians nearby, who looked down in shame.

     "Well, there are rumors about there being other tribes, but in a faraway land..." Cinder snickered. Wildflower blinked at the Fallen Hero. "You don't need to worry about them."

     Sure, but who knows if I'll need to worry about it affecting our tribe, she thought. "Can you explain what happened?"

     "What is there to explain? Doesn't knowing that I'm a Fallen Hero give you enough information?" Cinder titled her head to the side.

     "Wildflower," Origanum spoke, her voice emotionless. The tribe froze up but didn't speak out, eager to see what happened next. The Alpha turned her harden expression to Wildflower, revealing nothing. 

     Then she grinned, washing away the stoic expression. "You sure make this tribe interesting!" 

     The tribe let out a collective sigh of relief. Origanum glanced around her, ceasing the sigh in a matter of seconds. The Alpha shrugged and returned her bright gaze to Wildflower. Behind her, the scouter noticed a beta collapse, seeming to have held their breath too long.

     Dandelion leaned over to her, whispering a few words into her ear. "You really are lucky, aren't you?"

     "Anyway, if you want to know, come to my den!" Origanum looked at the rest of the tribe with a grin. "The rest of you, can go back to your duties, got it?"

     "Yes, Origanum," the tribe replied in sync.

     Wildflower turned to Cinder, who was grinning at her. The grin sent chills down her spine. Her friendly eyes had turned into an evil grin like what she had seen Lark's eyes do anytime she played a prank. The scouter's senses began to turn on, waving red flags before her green eyes.

     "Thanks for listening to me, I promise, this will be the last time you'll see me," Cinder reassured. "I wanted you to know, but since you've interacted with me, you'll start to become more like me." 

     Wildflower's heart stopped dead.

     "W-w---" Wildflower didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before Cinder began to fade away, giving one last sorrowful look at Origanum.

     "You'll become an Imperfect."