Darkstorm felt light, light as a feather. She could just drift off... Forget this life... But she couldn't. She had a responsibility that she wouldn't abandon.

"You?" Cloudstorm snarled. "You?"

"Yes," Arrowheart mewed, flexing his bloodstained claws. "Me."

"You're the killer," Darkstorm whispered. "You're the killer." Her voice cracked. "Did you ever love me, or was that just a trick? I... How could you do this?" she demanded. The only way she could survive was if she was angry now, just angry. She felt like Fernstar must have once; realizing that you could only live if you were angry.

"Always,"

"I don't know you!" Darkstorm screeched. "And you don't know me!"

"You're right, you don't know me."

"What..."

"Who am I?" Arrowheart demanded. "Who am I, really?"

"You're Arrowh- you know what. you're not! I won't believe it! Arrowheart isn't evil! Arrowheart isn't the apprentice!" The tom narrowed his eyes and turned around. Darkstorm flinched and ran after him.

"What?"

"Are you really Arrowheart?" her voice steady, she looked him in the eyes. "Are you really?" He blinked.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're not. Why did you kill them?" she demanded. "Why?"

She glanced around them, the trees so similar to the ones where she and Arrowheart used to meet. Was it an omen? Could Arrowheart really be... evil?

"They had to die." Arrowheart, or whoever this tom was, sat down. "It was simple; they hurt me, I hurt them."

"How did anyone hurt you?"

"Coralfall was supposed to be the one to die next. The last death, the most painful," He narrowed his blue eyes and continued. "She helped Fernstar. How could she?" Darkstorm stepped back, dirt crunching under her paws. What did he mean? "I didn't want anything! They killed me, with no reason whatsoever! And Sparrownose should have died, too, he forgave the flea-pelt!"

"Wha-"

"You want to know?" he asked steadily. "You want to know what really happened?" Darkstorm gritted her teeth. She did want to know, and she wanted to know who this was, but was she really ready to listen to a killer? She flattened her ears, thinking quickly. This can't be Arrowheart... Arrowheart was alive the last time I saw him, and the last time I saw him Fernstar was dead. He's not dead, either. I need to know- I need to know who I'm dealing with.

Darkstorm nodded. This cat didn't seem like he would suddenly strike; and anyways, her claws were unsheathed and she was high on alert. Her clan could wait.

"I was an apprentice..." the tom sighed and went on, "in ShadowClan." Not Arrowheart! Wait... An apprentice... In ShadowClan? That doesn't add up...

"My mother told me I was a pawful." He snorted. "And that when I became a warrior I was arrogant. But everyone else liked me. Everyone else. And then StarClan visited me, and told me to do crazy things. They told me to jump into the lake and not try to swim. I did. A RiverClan she-cat saved me. We fell in love." He paused. 

"Her name was Goldenpelt. StarClan kept visiting me. They told me to tell the clans that they weren't watching over them... That they wanted us to die." Their eyes met. "I told the clans, who wanted to throw me out. Kitestar, our leader then, didn't agree- neither did the rest of ShadowClan. Again, they liked me. I was kind, and I put the clans before myself." His claws tightened. "Then StarClan told me to give up Goldenpelt. They said that I couldn't tell her why, and otherwise, they would kill her. I was so frightened. I obeyed. They killed her anyways... They killed her two moons after she had our kits.

"StarClan is evil!" he roared. "Fernleaf plotted to kill me! And the rest of ShadowClan did nothing! And then she became Fernstar. Coralstar thought that I had killed Goldenpelt, and helped your past leader kill me. My mother, Laptail, was devastated. She caught greencough and was too sad too fight it afterwards. She had a painful death. Redcough. Most cats don't get to the final stage."

"But Laptail was Thinfur's mother!" Darkstorm objected. "And you aren't Thinfur!"

"I'm not. I'm his brother. I'm the first one- the first of my name. I'm Shadeflight."

Darkstorm screeched.

"No, you aren't! Thinfur didn't have a brother! He didn't!"

"He did." Shadeflight's gaze softened. "You're not his kit, and you aren't Rabbitear's. You're mine." 

The world spun around Darkstorm. She tumbled. 

I'm his daughter.

I'm a killer's son.

I'm Thinfur's killer's son.

My kin is evil.

She was dimly aware as Shadeflight, her brother Shadeflight, rushed towards her through the brambles and shouted at their father. He has to know... The first Shadeflight blinked and wrapped his tail around himself, murmuring something like 'After, come back with her' and 'she'll want to know what happened' and 'she'll want to know how'. Darkstorm felt a cat grab her by the scruff as she faded away... Murmur something about the smell of dizziness... She began to fade away.

...

"No cat is brave enough to go near him, after he killed half of us," Shadeflight explained slowly. "You really want to see him again?"

"You have to come," Darkstorm added. Shadeflight looked at her skeptically. 

"If he attacks us I'm running, not protecting you."

Darkstorm snorted and they walked towards the small clearing where Shadeflight was sitting. 

"You're here," he said flatly. "Does your brother know?" Darkstorm glanced at Shadeflight.

"He's Shadeflight," she mewed slowly. Shadeflight's ears twitched, registering what she had said.

"Our father," he mewed slowly. "I know."

"How?" Darkstorm asked right away. How?

"StarClan told me someone with my name was related to me. They weren't very secretive."

"When?"

"The sun-high before we left the clans," Shadeflight replied. Darkstorm wasn't even that amazed; StarClan seemed to have an interest in her and her littermate. But how... Why...

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, feeling hurt. Shadeflight pawed at the earth.

"I thought you wouldn't want to know," he explained blankly. Darkstorm glanced at their father.

"What happened after that? How are you here, with us? Did GhostClan accept you?" He nodded and glanced at the sky.

"StarClan tricked me. They made Fernstar and Coralfall kill me," he growled. "I would rather spend all eternity down here than up there with those fox-hearts." Shadeflight and Darkstorm exchanged a glance, and the young leader tucked it away for later.

"And then?"

"I visited Thinfur, still a ghost... I'll always be a ghost, because of StarClan. I begged him to take care of my two kits... His and Rabbitear's had just been born, but they died when Rabbitear was bringing them to ShadowClan. A fox attacked them. She fought as hard as she could, but... She was weakened from giving birth.

"Thinfur said yes. He said that they would have to grow up as his, and I agreed. I knew I would tell you two sometime. He was a good father, wasn't he." This was more of a statement than a question, but Darkstorm felt the need to nod. "Good. He chose my name for Shadeflight- Shadekit. That was kind of him."

"Why did you kill him? Why did you kill anyone?" Shadeflight and Darkstorm blurted simultaneously.

"Shellstripe was Coralfall's friend- anything to make Coralfall devastated, I will do that- anything. Fishkit and Finkit were Coralfall's kits- even harsher for her." His eyes glittered. "Beechleap was a medicine cat that knew I was innocent. I didn't have a medicine cat at the time, so I told him. I was there when he died. No, I didn't help him. If he wanted help, he should've helped me."

Everything's connected...

"Amberflight was forcing Comfreytail away from you, my kit," Shadeflight continued, nodding at his son.  "You liked her as a friend, but she loved you. You loved Comfreytail. I follow you when you travel, you know. Again, I wasn't helping her after she tried to steal your love. You love a different cat.

"Hardclaw was in the way. I tried to kill Yowltail-" Yowltail? I'll have to warn her! "-but he saw me, so I killed him instead. Badgerleap didn't do anything when I was killed. She yowled for them to stop, but she did nothing. She deserved to die."

"You hurt Orangetail, too!" Darkstorm screeched. "I know what it's like with only one parent that you know- and know I'm just realizing I knew none!"

"Orangetail doesn't deserve the pain of having no one. She doesn't. But you've already taken her kin from her!" Darkstorm's littermate spat.

"Grassfang also did nothing. Like Badgerleap, he just stood by."

"Why did you kill Thinfur?" Darkstorm snarled, fur bristling. "Your littermate?"

"He broke his promise. He said he would keep you two safe and loved."

"We were loved, and we were safe!" Darkstorm objected.

"Arrowheart wants to find you, but he can't. The clans think he's evil. They found him after he fought some rogues and thought he killed one of you, and now they're holding him. If you don't return by the next moon, they'll kill him. Does that hurt you? Yes, it does. Thinfur should have kept Arrowheart with him so that they were both safe.

"And you were loved? How is that right? You grew up with scorn and cats against you because you didn't know who your mother was. And did you feel loved, Shadeflight, when Fernstar named you after me? No, and that's alright- you didn't know the real story. StarClan is the one we should beware."

"Why would we listen to a killer?" Darkstorm snapped.

"You've listened to me so far. You trust me, of course you do- I'm your kin." Darkstorm stepped back as Shadeflight did the opposite. Their father looked at them and walked away.

"I'll be back once you decide to go with me or not. Help me get revenge."

"Look, I don't want to help him kill others, but he's our father," Shadeflight mewed.

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm not going. If you do, you're evil."

"Darkstorm. I have a life, too, you know. I can decide for myself, without my seeing littermate make choices for me. You think it's all you, do you? Well, it's not! There's also me!" his mew grew desperate. "I'm going with him."

"What about me? What about Comfreytail? You're leaving us behind!"

"Well, you're leaving me and our kin behind." Shadeflight scowled. "Look, everything points to him."

"You believe him? StarClan isn't against us! As a medicine cat, you should know that!" She gazed around at the pines and grass and dirt. They were arguing over something so big, too big, and if they didn't agree on something...

They would be split apart.

Their past would mean nothing.

Their blood and their being littermates and their growing up together...

Would mean nothing.

"Don't go," she pleaded. "Please." Shadeflight's tail twitched. "You're leaving me," she mewed as he walked away. He glanced back, one last time.

"You're leaving me."