Demonclaw waited on the edge of ThunderClan territory. He pricked his ears, straining them. He had gotten a message to Dawnpaw through her mother, Duskpelt. It was the day before the Final Battle, and Demonclaw wished Dawnpaw could hurry up so he could get on with the training program.

"There you are," Demonclaw spun around to see Dawnpaw's ginger pelt.

"Dawnpaw," he forced the words out.

"What is it? What do you want?" Dawnpaw didn't meet his eyes.

"We should talk," he mewed curtly.

"Yeah, we should," Demonclaw flinched, surprised that Dawnpaw had agreed.

"I'm sorry," Dawnpaw blurted. "I should've stayed loyal to you! I remember how much you did for me, stealing the food and catmint just for me."

"Yeah," Demonclaw muttered. "I was exiled for you. I lost an eye for you, remember?" he shoved his right eye into her face.

Dawnpaw winced. "Look, I'm sorry for loving Foxclaw. But did you have to kill him?"

"I did." Demonclaw growled. "No one, Dawnpaw, no one is disloyal to me. I should kill you right now!"

"No! Don't!" Dawnpaw backed away, fear on her face.

Was he joking? Did he actually want to kill his first love?

"I was kidding," Demonclaw said eventually.

"Good," Dawnpaw relaxed. "I want to be mates again," she murmured.

"I do too," He admitted, then uncomfortably thought of Spark.

Her words rang in his mind.

You think you're cool, Demonclaw, but honestly, you're just cruel and sometimes a bully.

Demonclaw slashed his claws on the ground, gouging deep marks in the mud.

I don't want my kits to grow up under the influence of a cruel father.

Another mark for another word.

Like father, like son.

Demonclaw opened his eyes to see Dawnpaw curled up beside him. He relaxed, but the words taunted him.

Now I can understand why your mother left Tigerstar.

Furious once more, he continued raking the mud.

I regret mating with you.

Demonclaw barely noticed the mud he was throwing on Dawnpaw, who let a small mew of protest.

I feel bad for the little kits in my belly, for they'll have to grow up without a father.

"YEOOOW!" Demonclaw roared.

You shouldn't have killed her. Spark whispered in his mind.

I'm sorry, Leaf, Demonclaw thought while licking Dawnpaw's fur clean of the mud. Dawnpaw reached up and without thinking, Demonclaw touched noses with her.

"Are you feeling better?" Dawnpaw looked up at him.

"I'm so confused, Dawnpaw!" Demonclaw yowled. "I loved you, but we were separated, and now I don't love you like before anymore!"

Dawnpaw wore an expression of hurt as she listened.

"I feel like you're my sister, not my mate! I loved Leaf, but she's dead now, and how did she die? At my claws!"

Dawnpaw nuzzled him comfortingly. "It'll be okay," she whispered in his ear.

"Then came Spark..." Demonclaw stopped. "She has my kits. But we're not mates anymore. And why? Because I ruined it, again!"

Dawnpaw glanced anxiously at the sun. It was almost dawn, and they had met at dusk.

"I have to go," she licked his cheek. "We're confined to camp until the Final Battle tomorrow,"

Demonclaw froze. He'd forgotten the battle was tomorrow! "Same," he agreed. He slunk away, leaving Dawnpaw gazing after him. His mind was in torment. Demonclaw felt so tortured.

Who do I choose? Dawnpaw, Leaf, or Spark? StarClan, help me. It was the first time that Demonclaw had called upon StarClan to help him. Forlornly, he walked the long way through the territories back to the Dark Forest. He curled up in his nest, desperately trying not to think about the empty space in him that Spark usually filled as well as the empty space in the nest.

Demonclaw slipped into a dream. Snapping open his eyes, he was in a vast meadow filled with rabbits and mice. He licked his lips, about to pounce, when movement caught his eye. A blue-gray she-cat was next to him, alongside a flat faced gray she-cat.

"Hello, Demonclaw," the blue-gray she-cat mewed. "I am Bluestar, and you are in StarClan. We have heard your plea for help."

Demonclaw hissed, lashing his tail. "StarClan's for fools!"

"Well, this is real, believe it or not," the flat faced she-cat growled. "So, bees for brains, don't be as much use as a dead fox, and listen to us here," she rolled her eyes.

"You're crazier than a fox in a fit!" Demonclaw exclaimed.

"I'm Yellowfang," the she-cat continued as if he hadn't spoke, "And we're here to talk to you about a prophecy that was given to us at your birth."

"Just listen up, please." Bluestar said imploringly.

"When hedgehogs will fly!" Demonclaw muttered but fell silent.

"The demon flies free with the help of an echo." Bluestar quoted.

"You're talking about me? Thistles and thorns." Demonclaw cursed. Suddenly, he turned around to see Echoflight walking towards them.

"Ah, Echoflight, you're here!" Bluestar greeted his sister.

"What's he doing here?" Echoflight growled.

"Just listen!" Yellowfang yowled. "There is a prophecy concerning you two, and if you both die tomorrow, who'll know about this prophecy? So, stop being a pain in the tail and shut up!"

Demonclaw shut up. So did Echoflight.

"The demon flies free with the help of an echo," Yellowfang repeated. "Both of you have a special destiny."

"What is it?" Echoflight asked.

"I don't know." Bluestar mewed.

"You DON'T know?" Demonclaw raged.

This was useless. I knew I shouldn't have stayed, he thought. Closing his eyes, he opened them again to see the Dark Forest again. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Let all cats old enough to kill an enemy gather here!" Tigerstar's voice sounded far away. Demonclaw got to his feet and staggered over to him, taking his place beneath the Tigereye as deputy.

"Patrol one will be led by Darkstripe. Patrol two will be led by Demonclaw. Three and four will be led by Hawkfrost and Mapleshade respectively. I don't care who goes in which patrol, but I'm going to be leading patrol five at the Gathering Island." Tigerstar growled. "Demonclaw's patrol is going to ThunderClan, Darkstripe's WindClan, Hawkfrost's RiverClan and Mapleshade's ShadowClan."

Demonclaw agreed eagerly and rounded up the RevengeClan members. "Looks like you all are in my patrol," he mewed.

Nettle nodded respectfully to him while Claw dipped his head. My first recruits, Demonclaw's mind sang. Spark looked away when he looked at her and his ears folded against his head guiltily. He still remembered his meeting with Dawnpaw.

"Let's go, then!" he yowled and his patrol followed him out of the Dark Forest into ThunderClan territory.