AN: Hello again! I managed to release this chapter quicker than the last, thankfully! I am trying, really! It's just that all technology (And I'm beginning to think life in general) hates me...

Now, to answer some Guest reviews.

Yes, I will address the fact that Firestar and Scourge are related at some point. It's too enticing of an opportunity to not mention. And no need to worry; I am not going to change the couple of Scourge and Cinderpelt for this story. I might have one of these characters in a different pairing for a future story, but Encounter's main couple is pretty much set in stone. No need to panic.

Please review!

More Revelations

Inspired By Erin Hunter's Warriors

Gatherings, I decided, are still a huge waste of time. It didn't matter how many times you attended them; they just never got any better. Granted, this was only my second time attending one (Once more being mandatory, to my distaste) but as far as I could tell there was no improvement.

In fact, there didn't even seem to be that much of a difference compared to the last one I went to. Like then cats from other Clans eyed me with fear and suspicion, giving me a wide berth as if I were about to leap for their throats. Also like then I remained near the medicine cats, where at least Cinderpelt was willing to talk to me in between discussing herbs and new patients that they had recently treated. The only change that seemed to occur was that the ThunderClan apprentices kept strutting over to me, greeting me, and strutting back to a group of apprentices from the other Clans. As far as I could tell it was a new way of bragging about their greatness by showing that I wouldn't kill them for breathing the same air as me.

Oh, how tempting it is to just jump up and start yowling threats at the next apprentice to come over here… I sighed inaudibly. Of course, I wouldn't even be here if Firestar hadn't forced me to with his mouse-brained claims that it was tradition for apprentices to go to the first Gathering following their apprenticeship in order to show off their new status. It's not as if I even want to be an apprentice. It was join the Clans and participate in their ridiculous classification system or die and disappear into nothingness. Not much of a choice. I paused in my sulking as my gaze found Cinderpelt, Though, I suppose, some aspects of my new life have made it bearable.

I was spared from having any more thoughts on the matter or dealing with another apprentice's attempt at a bravery test when the Gathering was finally called into order. Tallstar started with WindClan's report once everyone had fallen silent, claiming (As every Clan did just for the sake of posturing) that prey was bountiful and all was well. He mentioned briefly that dogs had been loosed upon their territory for a day but no harm had come of it.

Blackstar spoke after him, ears pricked smugly and tail raised pompously as he declared similar news, though without that of the dogs and with a mention of two new warriors being made. I instantly flattened my ears against the deafening echoing sound of all four Clans chanting the new warriors' name around the clearing. Do they really need to yowl so enthusiastically? My sour internal question was quickly forgotten once I saw how happy Cinderpelt seemed as she caterwauled just as unreservedly as the rest of the gathered cats.

After the cheering had finally died down Firestar stepped forward on The Great Rock, freshly groomed pelt rippling like a brand of fire under the full moon. His head was held high and his posture was one that spoke of both pride and a demand for respect. His gaze swept across the Clans and he dipped his head once in greeting towards them all.

"Now that I have returned from my journey-"

"To StarClan knows where," Blackstar muttered, being promptly ignored as Firestar continued.

"- I am able to resume my duties as Clan leader. I am pleased to say that all is well in ThunderClan. Prey is plentiful, Sandstorm is expecting my kits," there was a small round of congratulations from the assembled cats before he continued, "and we have one new apprentice." His gaze locked on my lounging form, to my distaste, and he purred, "It is my pleasure to announce ThunderClan's newest apprentice, Scourge."

Murmurs of concern and uncertainty spread through the gathered Clans at Firestar's last announcement, Blackstar's eyes narrowing, "You mean Scourgepaw, don't you?"

"No, I mean Scourge." Gasps met the ginger tom's statement, "He has requested to keep that name for now and I deemed it acceptable."

"How is that acceptable?" ShadowClan's leader practically screeched, "His rejection of a proper Clan name is a rejection of the Clans themselves!"

Firestar's expression went hard, though he responded calmly, "Scourge's transition into the Clans has been a long and difficult one, and his reluctance to change what he has held on to for so long is understandable. He hasn't just had the name Scourge for a few moons; he has had it for many seasons." I couldn't help but question internally, Did he just call me old? Clearly ignorant to my thoughts ThunderClan's leader narrowed surprisingly chilly green eyes at the other leaders and stated firmly, "For now, his name shall remain as it is."

The other Clan leaders grudgingly accepted the fiery ginger tom's decision, ears flicking back in agitation at being forced to stand down on the topic. After a moment more of displeased silence Leopardstar gave her report at last, albeit with a sulkiness that wasn't usually in her tone.

"Prey has been abundant in RiverClan despite how early we are in new-leaf. We also," the she-cat's meow instantly took on a note of smugness, "have two new apprentices to welcome into our Clan. Mothpaw is apprenticed to Mudfur as our new medicine cat in training," I noticed for the first time the new young she-cat who stood among the medicine cats, her beautiful golden tabby pelt shining from being freshly groomed and her amber eyes glowing with pride, "and her brother, Hawkpaw, is to be trained as a warrior."

Mildly irked by the loud chanting of their names that they received as opposed to my silent response from the Clans, I sat up slightly and craned my neck to see the tom that had been mentioned. Once my gaze landed on Hawkpaw I stiffened, inhaling sharply.

The tom himself was fairly unremarkable. He was a broad-shouldered dark brown tom, young enough to still have a more kit-like musculature but old enough to show the beginnings of lean muscle that showed promise of a fierce fighter in the future. But his face… from his whiskered muzzle to his eye shape he looked disgustingly similar to Bramblepaw and, by extension, Tigerstar.

There's no way, I internally hissed as I dug my claws into the soil beneath my paws, Tigerstar couldn't have…

Before my denial could reach any further the young tom turned his attention away from the cat he was sitting beside and swung his head so his eyes stopped to fixate unmistakably on me. His blue gaze was positively chilling, devoid of any emotion but contempt as he raked his eyes skeptically over my small form.

When he finally returned his attention to his Clan mate all I could feel was cold dread settling heavily in the pit of my stomach.

~oOo~

I turned at Scourge's sudden intake of breath, noticing with no small amount of concern that his claws had dug into the dirt at his paws and he looked as if he were about to be ill. My medicine cat instincts instantly started tingling and I looked him over, noting that his pupils had thinned and his breathing had become heavy and ragged in what looked like the beginnings of a panic attack.

"Scourge? Are you all right?"

He flinched at my meow, glancing towards me as he gave a hushed reply, "No."

Without bothering to elaborate he stood and stalked away, leaving me to stumble after him as the Clan leaders' announcements came to a close. As quickly as I could with my hurt leg I loped after the black tom, meowing in concern, "What's wrong? Are you going to be sick? Is something you ate earlier not agreeing with you?"

My response was a single jerky shake of his head.

He came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the gathered Clan cats, just out of hearing range from them. I stopped once I was within a tail-length from him and gratefully sat on my haunches with my leg stretched out. Scourge suddenly spun to face me, his tail whipping with unrestrained distress as his jaw worked furiously in what seemed to be rage.

Tentatively, I ducked my head slightly to meet his gaze as I asked in soothing voice I typically reserved for kits who were ill for their first time, "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's that new RiverClan apprentice. Hawkpaw," he spat, making my eyes widen in surprise, "He is Tigerstar's kit. As is his sister, undoubtedly."

My gray ears shot straight up in alarm at the statement, "What? How can you know? None of us heard of him ever taking a mate other than Goldenflower, and he despised most kittypets, loners, and rogues with a passion."

"I don't know how and I don't know who." His pale eyes narrowed and took on a chilling glint, "I just know that those apprentices are his progeny." His tail lashed as a snarl rose in his throat, his eyes meeting mine seriously, "Cinderpelt, I am warning you right now to stay away from that... tom."

I blinked, ears going back in concern as I hesitantly asked, "W… why?"

"Because I looked in his eyes and I saw exactly what I saw in Tigerstar's when I met him. Ambition, hatred, and no form of mercy. He had cold, impassionate eyes and I have no doubt that he would kill without a second thought if he felt it would benefit him in some way."

"But-"

"No buts." I was startled at his stern growl, "I know that, as a medicine cat, you can't avoid him completely without seeming suspicious, but I need you to agree to be wary of him." He swallowed roughly before whispering, "Please."

I was taken aback by his genuinely concerned tone, which was so different from his usual sarcasm. After a moment more of consideration I softly sighed and dipped my head, "Very well. I'll be careful." I hesitated, gazing questioningly at him before asking, "Should we warn anyone else?"

"No. They wouldn't believe it." He seemed to relax minutely after I had agreed to his plea, even managing to force himself to sit, "After all, anyone can be blind to something obvious if they truly want to be."

"We shouldn't even tell Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw?"

"Them least of all." His fur slowly flattened as he shook his head, "How do you think they'd react to the news that they have two new siblings that they had never heard of before? Not well."

"You can't know that." I protested automatically.

"Perhaps not," he acknowledged, "but what are their options if we tell them? They can do nothing and fret over the issue- causing themselves to suffer unnecessarily in the process- or they can act on it and reach out to them- hostile or friendly; doesn't matter- and cause a whole new mess of problems. Mothpaw and Hawkpaw might not even know who their father is themselves."

"I… guess that's true."

Scourge narrowed his eyes, "And if they do know who their father is, then they most likely don't want to talk about it. I certainly wouldn't feel chatty if my father was Tigerstar."

I reluctantly dipped my head, "I see your point."

"Good. So we don't tell anyone about this. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

~oOo~

I felt dead on my paws by the time we finally returned to camp, the events of the night taking an obvious toll on me. I had felt ill when I had first found out that Tigerstar had procreated once in order to have Bramblepaw and his sister, but now that I knew he had done so twice? It was a miracle I wasn't retching all over ThunderClan camp.

And his newest spawn, I resisted the urge to curl my lip at the thought of Hawkpaw, He's bad news. If left unchecked he might become as bad as his father. But, I flexed my claws almost instinctively at my next thought, if I killed Tigerstar then I could do the same to his son…

Forcing myself from my dark contemplations I dipped my head in farewell to Cinderpelt and veered instantly towards the apprentice's den, eager to just collapse in my nest and put the day behind me. Once I found my nest I flopped into it with a grunt, shifting briefly to get comfortable. My eyelids drooped shut, What's one of the things that Cinderpelt is always telling me? Oh, right, I mused, 'Think positive thoughts'.

Because I went to the Gathering I don't have to patrol in the morning.

A soft snort escaped me and I slid from my consciousness into what should have been a comfortably dreamless sleep… only it wasn't.

In an instant I was no longer curled in my cozy nest in the apprentices' den. I wasn't even in ThunderClan anymore. My pale blue eyes snapped open and I jumped up, bristling and sliding my claws from their sheaths as my gaze darted around wildly to take in my new surroundings. The ground was marshy and cold, the thick expanse of dark trees surrounding me having grown to dizzying heights only to seem to rot from the inside. The atmosphere of the location was wholly dark and unpleasant, the very air seeming to purposely seep through my pelt to chill my bones.

Marshy ground, dark forest, unpleasant atmosphere… For a moment my eyes narrowed in thought, I'm not in ShadowClan territory, am I?

After a brief debate at the possibility I dismissed the idea, No, that's not it. I'm still sleeping, so… I must be dreaming. I glanced around my surroundings, my nose wrinkling in distaste, Strange dream. I don't remember eating anything that could have brought this on.

Before I could get any further in my musings a voice I had hoped to never have to hear again rung through the stifling silence of the forest, "Hello, Scourge. Imagine seeing you here."

My heart leapt to my throat at the painfully familiar growling timbre that had haunted my dreams since I was a kit, its sound still cruel and mocking. I whipped around, the pitch black fur around my neck and spine rising as I dropped into a defensive crouch. My lips peeled back to bare my glistening white teeth even as I struggled to shove down my growing panic as my pale blue eyes confirmed what I had heard.

Standing before me was a large scarred tabby tom with startlingly large front claws and fierce amber eyes. He held his head high with an arrogant tilt and a confident posture that would've made a lesser cat retreat instantaneously. A sneer dominated his features and his tail swished lazily through the air.

Tigerstar. And he hadn't changed at all.

"Nothing to say?" His eyes narrowed, practically burning with light in the shadows, "That's a first."

This is a nightmare, I mentally hissed, It has to be a nightmare.

I dug my claws into the marshy earth beneath my paws and forced a growl to leave my throat, "You."

Tigerstar gave a soft snarl, "You know my name, rogue. Use it." His gaze sharpened into a glare as he slid from the shadows, slowly beginning to pace around my small form as he hissed lowly in contemplation, "Truly, though, it is a shock to see you here. After that fool Firestar killed you I thought I'd never have to see you again. Alas, I have none of the luck."

"Funny," I forced myself to meow smoothly, following his menacing figure with only my eyes as he circled in a way eerily similar to how one would stalk prey, "I thought the same thing when I killed you."

"Life is never as you want it to be," A look of cold amusement crossed his muzzle, "And neither is death, as you can see."

"Indeed."

The larger tom flashed his fangs with a low chuckle as he continued, "For you even more than I, perhaps. Not only did you die before you could even conquer the Clans, but then you were offered a second chance by the very afterlife you scorned so violently. That must have stung that sensitive pride of yours, Scourge."

"I don't remember you defeating the Clans either, Tigerstar." I sneered mockingly, "Actually, you didn't even have the chance to battle, did you? That's right, you were killed nine times over by one blow, weren't you?" ShadowClan's previous leader snarled warningly and I fought my rising urge to pelt away from him, instead continuing condescendingly, "Sorry, did I sting your sensitive pride, Tigerstar?"

He lunged towards me with a yowl of rage that echoed in the shadowed forest. I sprung to the side in hopes of evading him, almost escaping before he twisted mid-lunge just enough to rake his thick claws down my flank. I bit back a snarl of pain and faltered just enough in my landing for him to spin on his paws and grip my shoulders before shoving me harshly to the ground. I was pinned beneath the tabby and snarled insults at him as I struggled uselessly against his weight. He dug his claws into my flesh deep enough to make blood well around them.

Tigerstar lowered his muzzle until he was barely a whisker's length from throat and hissed menacingly, "I did not bring you here for your petty retorts!"

"Then enlighten me, fox-heart!" I choked, my throat dry from pain and my rapidly spiking terror, "What do you want from me?"

I barely finished my question before one of his paws slammed into my cheek, unsheathed claws causing blood to well from the wounds as my ears rang with pain from the force of the hit. Tigerstar rumbled threateningly from deep in his throat, "The next time you refer to me in such a way you lose your tongue! And as for what I want," he sneered down at me, "Tell me what you're doing in ThunderClan! How did you trick them into letting you join their ranks after what you did? Did you simper and beg like a fool for their forgiveness?"

For a moment I could only stare before a single laugh of disbelief escaped me, "You brought me here to ask how I got into ThunderClan?" I loosed another coolly amused meow, "Not only do you talk more than Bluestar, but you're a complete idiot." Tigerstar's lips peeled back from his teeth in a way that made it clear he was ten seconds away from ripping my throat out. I curled my lip mocking up at him, "I thought you would've known that StarClan arranged for it, at the very least."

"They did what!?" He positively roared with rage at my announcement, his claws digging deeper into my shoulders and making me hiss in pain, "How dare Bluestar do this after-"

Tigerstar cut himself off in order to snarl incoherently into the sky in frustration.

I forced myself to chuckle as I surreptitiously shifted my back legs to a more advantageous position beneath his belly, "It must be horrible to be out of the loop. Not that I would know."

His gaze focused on me once more as he demanded with a growl, "How have you not attacked ThunderClan yet?" I stiffened in surprise at his fierce question, "You're in the prime position with that mouse-brain Firestar in charge. Don't tell me that dying has killed your ambition as well?"

"My ambitions are my own concerns," I snarled, "Now get off!"

With as much strength as I could muster I kicked my hind legs into his stomach, heaving him off balance enough for me to wriggle out from his grasp and scramble to a stand. I spun to face him and immediately dropped into a more favorable crouch for battle, my shoulders stinging from my new scratches and the patches of fur that I had lost in the hurried escape.

My cold blue eyes locked onto his burning amber ones, expecting to find rage there. Instead he looked amused as he watched me, his low meow mocking and arrogant once more.

"Already so determined to return to ThunderClan," his eyes narrowed, "So eager to forget that the one who murdered you rules that very Clan. Go, run on back to the other fools who live under Firestar. I won't even try to kill you when you do." He threw his head back and laughed, "After all, what's the point in killing a pathetic cat who doesn't even have any purpose?"

His laughter echoed and multiplied as other shadowed cats began to step out from the trees, their eyes glowing eerily in the darker depths of the forest. The sound of their mirth was almost deafening as shadows crept closer, crawling up my legs and sucking the air from my lungs.

A shriek rose in my throat and I flinched violently, eyes suddenly jerking open. I was once more in my nest, panting and shaking as my heart thudded rapidly in my chest like it was about to burst. My claws dug into my bedding and the scent of my fear filled the apprentice's den.

It was just a nightmare, I mentally hissed, Nothing more. Only a bad dream. He's dead. He can't hurt me. It was only a bad dream. Then the sharp tang of blood hit my nose and my panicked gaze slid down to my shoulders, seeing even in the dim lighting the blood that steadily oozed from where Tigerstar had dug his claws.

Nightmares didn't make you bleed.

AN: Here is my parting question for this chapter: Which Clan mate do you enjoy seeing Scourge hang out with the most?

(I love him hanging out with Ashfur. There's just something about the naturally cynical Scourge and (At least currently) mostly optimistic Ashfur exchanging sarcastic comments that makes me laugh.)