I don't want to return to the Clans, but I do anyway.

I stand in front of Shadowstar and Brindlestar with my friends and Flamewish.

I want to shut my eyes, so I do.

"But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like you've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Oh how am I gonna be an optimist about this?"

Brindlestar speaks first.

"I'm sorry to say, that your punishment is... to live as loners forever." she sighs.

Snowdrop gasps, Moonstone lets out a cry of despair, and Silversky whimpers. Mistblossom covers her ears with her paws.

Flamewish says nothing.

And I want to wake up.

But I can't.

I can't.

"I'm sorry, but you broke the Code, some of you betrayed AxliviaClan, and Flamewish betrayed me. You also cost a great leader for AxliviaClan. So, you will have to leave." Shadowstar looks almost sympathetically at Mistblossom, and then I remember she still is a Newbie. She hadn't even taken her Warrior assignment yet.

"Come on everybody." Cloverstream leads us away.

I look desperately back at the leaders of PexelClan and JetraClan.

But they don't look back.
___

"So, what now?" Snowdrop asks. We were lead to a remote part of the Ship Plains. It's dense with forest, and roses are all over the place. Scented, but scratchy.

"What now? What now?! This is all your fault! I could have gotten away with it, and you wouldn't be thrown out of the Clans! Also, I wouldn't be stuck with her!" Flamewish angrily glares at me.

I don't say anything. I don't want to. I don't have anything to say.

"You would have been caught anyway. Cloverstream and those other cats were watching us, remember?" Moonstone points out.

Flamewish looks like he's ready to claw her, but then his face softens.

"You're right." he sighs.

"Why did you attack Falconstar? What did AxliviaClan do to you?" Snowdrop asks kindly.

I can't believe they're actually being so nice after what Flamewish has done.

"Nothing that's your business." Flamewish snaps.

We decide to leave him alone.

Everyone sits in silence, with the exception of Mistblossom humming the song Happy, which isn't really appropriate for the situation. But I am grateful she's trying to lift our spirits and break tension.

"I don't see how I of all people could be thrown out. A great Warrior like me would be too much to lose." Darkflame says proudly. He's full of himself, but at least he's social.

"I just can't process. What will LukesseClan think?" Moonstone hangs her head.

"Yeah. I'm the same. And MagnugaardClan and JaidenClan." Silversky agrees. He has about the same number of Clans I do.

Then I remember all my old friends in my old Clans.

Dustshine.
Foxdapple.
Flashbreeze.
Ashbreeze.
Hazelspark.
Grassflight.
Willowstorm.
Firesong.
Frostfire.
Blissdawn.
Snaketalon.
Treepelt.
Sunspot.
Fireshimmer.
Silverpelt.

I am on the brink of tears.

But then I hear rustling.

A dark grey cat with a white star on her chest and black forepaw with deep blue eyes comes out.

"Emeraldshade!" Moonstone gasps and leaps towards the cat. Emeraldshade smells of LukesseClan and... a Clan I don't recognise?

"Moonstone! I heard what happened to you!" Emeraldshade smiles at her friend.

I am glad Moonstone still has someone behind her.

But... I don't think I do.

But then I notice Silversky stand up.

"I... I don't agree with this." he speaks. We all stare in shock. Did Silversky... just object to something?! His shyness levels are over 9000.

"I refuse to go down like this for something we didn't do." he continues. He has a stronger look in his violet-blue eyes. He wasn't going to take this.

None of us were.

"I agree with Silversky!" Mistblossom pipes.

"We are not going to be just pushed off like this without either a debate or a fight!" I grin.

"Yeah! That's the spirit! I actually came here to speak to you guys." Emeraldshade says, a sly smile on her face.

She leads us to a secret place in the forest. A few cats are playing about here.

"TrivorClan. A secret Clan." Emeraldshade nods.

"Nobody knows about it?!" Snowdrop gasps.

"Nope!" Emeraldshade laughs at our faces.

"Isn't this breaking the Code?" Silversky asks.

"Not if nobody knows about it." Emeraldshade explains.

"If you want, we could give you a bit of support until you can find a solution to your problem. We have prey to spare." as she says that, right on cue my stomach rumbles.

I didn't eat in a while.

"See? Now, we can't exactly make you TrivorClan since you're loners now-"

"Rogues." I correct, grinning. "Loners don't fight for their territory. Rogues do. And I wanna defend."

"But Duskspirit... what good is that?" Snowdrop asks curiously.

"Forget being outcasted. Take it as an opportunity. My dad always told me turn a bad situation to a good one." I nod.

"We're gonna embrace this until they listen to what we have to say." Mistblossom agrees.

"Exactly." I laugh.

But then I realise we're short a tom.

"Flamewish?" I see my brother walk away. I follow. He's younger than me by two years, yet in this world he's taller and looks older.

"Duskspirit, this is crazy. Also, you're the ones who didn't do anything. I killed Falconstar. I only realise now what a stupid idea that was." Flamewish sighs.

"Yeah, but you're still my brother. And I'll be here. I didn't support you before. I will now." I smile.

"Thanks, Eleanor." he says gratefully.

"You're welcome, Finn." I whisper his human name.