The forest was dark and dreary, devoid of all light, shadowed in permanent darkness, looming over the head of the cats and sapping them of all joy and hope.

  A blue gray she-cat with a torn ear leapt onto a tall boulder, long legs easily clearing the jump. Slowly, with a fractured light in her dark blue eyes, she surveyed the dim clearing. They would all die soon, she knew. They would all be destroyed by StarClan.

  StarClan...Glaring at the rolling hills in the distance with hatred, the battle-scarred she-cat curled her lip. It seemed too much like a joke, a cruel taunt. Paradise was so close, so alluringly close, just a few fields away... But she knew, she knew that they would never reach it. They were destined to stay here, this dark gloomy torture forever.

  The she-cat smirked and slowly drew her tongue over her blood-matted paw. Would they rather live in a place where prey and territory was plentiful, but be confined by their tight rules? Or here, where they were hollow, hungry and full of rage, but free...?

  She gazed over the hills and nature into the distant blue sky of StarClan. StarClan, who had cursed them all. StarClan, who had used them and left them to suffer in eternity.

  Why was she here again?the she-cat mused to herself, pondering. All she had done was kill the tom who had tried to kill her kits. She bared her fangs in a snarl. How could she have ever loved him? He, who promised to love her forever?

  But he did. He left her heartbroken and shattered with grief. How could he, after she had bore him a fine kit?

  Pain washed over her as she recalled the day her former mate had tried to kill her kit. Wavekit, her little kit. The tom had left her right after Wavekit was born. Instead, he chose another-Pineflower.

  Yes, she would make Cedarpelt and Pineflower suffer, all right. They, the wrongly accused ones, would finally have their revenge...

  The Chosen One had come. The Chosen One was destined to end their curse for once and for all, or join the cats who had deserted the Dark Forest and destroy them, their names only haunting the back of their minds, a name used to scare little kits.

   It was time.

  She lifted her head and licked her bloodstained muzzle."Let all cats gather!"she yowled, her voice echoing throughout the forest.

  Slowly, cats filed into the small clearing.Some were small and wiry;some were big and muscular, but they all shared they same expression:confusion.

  "What is this meeting for?"an amber-eyed brown tom meowed."Why have you summoned us?"

  The she-cat swung her head to look at the tom."Impatience,,"she hissed."Is not advised to be used on me...If you value your head, of course."

  She laughed insanely as a look of horror flitted across his face. She nodded in satisfaction and raised her tail commandingly. "Watch, my friends, and see the young savior over there."

  All the cats looked down at the clans,and nodded in unison.

  "The one with the black pelt and dark amber eyes?"the same tom meowed. "Yes,I see her. What about her?Her special destiny? We all know that, fox-heart!"

  The she-cat glared at him. "That was the second time you have spoken out of line today, you worthless piece of mouse dung. If only you were not on our side, I would have killed you long ago. But now, I believe it is time to rid our forest of your bile!"

  With a yowl of fury, the she-cat bunched up her muscles and flung herself at the tom, bowling him over. The tussle was only for a short while, but soon, the blue-gray she-cat stood triumphantly over his fallen body. As the cats watched on in fear, his body began to flicker and fade, until he was gone forever.

  "We shall continue now,"the she-cat hissed testily. The cats under her leadership nodded mutely, muttering sounds of,"Yes" and "Of course".

  "She will be our doom!"the she-cat yowled,her voice loud and piercing all of a sudden. Everyone started unsheathing their claws and digging them into the dirt, eyes widening.

  "She will be the cause of her destruction,"the she-cat continued,eyes flaming with blue fire."She will be our bane.But...there is a slim chance...she will be our savior."

  A cat from the back called out,"Forgive my interruption, Great One, but...how?"

  "If we reach her first,"the she-cat hissed."If we do,we might get her on our side."

  "That is a slim chance,"the cat hissed disbelievingly.

  "Let me finish!"the she-cat snapped,irritated and full of rage. "Or do you wish to be the second casualty?"

  The cat backed away in fear.

  "I thought so,"the she-cat snapped, disgust evident in her voice. "Back to business. If we get her on our side,she shall be our savior. If she does not join forces with us...she will be our bane."

  "Never!"a golden she-cat rasped."She will not be our bane!Not if I can help it!"

  The she-cat on the tree stared at the golden she-cat."I appreciate your determination,"she hissed."Stay after this meeting concludes.Now,"she called,raising her voice,"This gathering is over."

  The two she-cats stayed behind and watched as the cats padded away.After the last cat disappeared,the golden she-cat turned to the other she-cat and mewed,"What did you wish to see me about?"

   The blue gray she-cat narrowed her eyes."Well,"she purred."There's a tiny job I want you to do for me..."