The ebony warrior didn't understand, he didn't want to understand. Something was changing deep within him, but he couldn't tell what it was. His thoughts were constantly battling with one another, constantly forming questions about where his loyalties lie, about what's right and wrong, who he really is. It kept him up at night, tossing and turning in his nest, the voices, constant voices, they yelled, and they sang, they shamed, and they honored. It was nerve wracking, brain wracking, he couldn't tell up from down, his thoughts and morals were jumbled and beginning to disappear, and that's what terrified him the most. What if they completely evaporated, and left him behind with a bare meadow? Left him with no sense of direction, left him with nothing. His optics wavered with confusion, hurt, anger, yet they still seemed empty, he lost his sense of self, his sense of being. Although he was struggling internally, he kept his gaze with the deceased tom as best he could. Everytime he looked at the former warrior he felt an acute pain of guilt, and he knew that he had no right to try and weasel his way out of it, he had no right to make up excuses, he was brought to his ancestors territory for a reason, he bumped into Waterstreak for a reason. His destiny was playing out, it's path was becoming more visible the more he talked to the deceased tom, the more he saw his steady gaze, the more he saw the seriousness in the toms orbs. Maybe this was why Starclan summoned him here, to help him find his way, help him figure out how to protect his clanmates from himself. For the first time in a long time he felt hope flicker in his heart, it was small and barely noticeable, but that was all he needed to know that he was making the right decision, that he was beginning to walk the right path.

The deputy bit his lip and listened as the former mentor began to speak, as he began to forgive the ink colored toms horrid deeds. At the silver toms command he lifted his head once more and gazed into the star filled optics, his own almost matching with the drops of salty tears that littered the lapis orbs. The moment the word 'mistakes' he let out a choked sob and almost swung his head down, almost. He was so ashamed of himself, he had killed one of the clans most loyal warriors, one of his clans most precious toms, his own bretheren. Did he truly deserve this from his ancestors? Why did they favor him so much? Why did they let him live after he washed this toms blood off his paws, as he tried to scrub the blight off his soul. Why was he still here, why did they reward him, why did they let him live a happy life, fall in love, make friends, see his siblings, why? The tears flowed freely down his cheeks and gently fell upon the starry ground with a light drip, drop, drip, the rhythmic beat matched that of his own heart, his own breathing. It slowed as the older tom continued, and his words left Fallenstream stunned, awestruck. Why was he being forgiven? Why? His tears hit the ground at a faster beat as the warrior finished his statement "How could you forgive me? I ripped your dreams right out from under your paws." He choked out, his heavy head swung low, a sign of submission and guilt. He sat himself down heavily, the dust kicked up from underneath him, for a moment all of his worries subsided as he watched the flecks of particles float off, and he realized, it wasn't dust, it was stardust. Something within his soul became bubbly and light, but only for a moment before it flickered out once more. His focus was ripped back into the current situation, although deep down, he wished that it didn't.

Fallenstream shook his head " I cant be fixed, I know that, but I just want to be mended, just enough to ensure my clanmates safety from me." he stated, his head slowly lifted. "You know just as much as I do how dangerous I can be." he added softly, his optics flickered with regret and sorrow. He let out a shaky sigh and held his gaze with Waterstreak, trying his hardest to seem professional, after all, the deceased warrior had placed his hope on his shoulders. "You have to, not that you want to, but I understand that, I-I" he begun, before his words were replaced with another sob, how pathetic was he right now? He had the audacity to ask Waterstreak, the very tom he killed, for help, how horrible was he? "It didn't help, my soul still feels dirty, blighted, and my mind is still a storm within. I still cant tell what my own morals are!" he spat "What if I hurt another clanmate? What if I drown another innocent?" he asked, desperation clung on his words. And then it dawned on the deputy, if cats in the Dark forest could attack others in their dreams....wasn't starclan the same? He looked up at the silver warrior in front of him, uncertainty danced in his lapis hues, but hope flickered deep within once more "Promise me something." he began "Kill me if I think of such horrid thoughts, kill me, please, Waterstreak you're the only one I can turn to, I don't want to hurt those I hold so dear." he pleaded, he didn't care about the way he looked, or the way he sounded, all that mattered was that Riverclan was safe from a murderer, from someone who could only hurt them. But was he thinking this way because he was a high rank, or was it because his morals were different from others, that he thought differently from those around him?

The gray tabby so gaze remained cool as he watched the deputy slowly break down. He watched him, hold back the tears, acceot the tears, sob. He watched it, and in a way, it was satisfactory for him, seeing this side, so full of grief and remorse for his actions. Fallenstream, though he had murdered him, seemed ready to change, to try for the better. Fallenstream, with his new rank seemed to come to light of his past mistakes, and Waterstreak was just glad he saw them. He had seen so many who had done worse and had failed to realize what bad they had done. Fallenstream couldn't have been completely evil, because he was willing to change now. Waterstreak knew that the thought of killing was something that could cross a mind in an instant. There were many times that he had wished to kill Acornprick out of anger. But he hadn't. The only difference was that Fallenstream had acted in that urge. Waterstreak wasn't mad at him though.

He gave the deputy a soft smile. He wanted Fallenstream to truly see that he shouldn't have to live in grief that he had killed him. "I can forgive you, because I see enough of you in me that I want you to go on." He told the warrior calmly. His voice was soft, gentle, and encouraging. None of it was anger. Waterstreak knew that if he was here, then he was here for a reason. And it seemed like that reason was because his past was coming back to haunt him. Fallenstream seemed to want to change it, to be forgiven for it, to change it. And that was good for the makings of a leader. "I forgive you because I want to help my Clan. You are my Clan, your are a leader of my Clan, and I want to help you succeed."

At the cats next words, Waterstreak just listened. For a moment he didn't know how to respond. Yes, he knew very well the dangers that Fallenstream could be, he had experienced the worst first handed. He took a moment, thinking over his words. "Broken things can be made new, Fallenstream." He started, his voice low. Then getting a bit louder he continued. "Yes, you can be mended, healed. And I will assist you in that. Because t let me tell you this. You are concerned about hurting a Clanmates like you did to me. That I understand." He took a deep breath before moving on. "That is a first step in changing. The very fact you fear yourself is good. It means you are going to be more cautious. Don't let yourself be influenced easily. Learn your morals, stick fast to them. You have the great qualities of a leader Fallenstream. You admit you are scared of yourself, and that is good. But don't let it be your downfall, crippling yourself to doing nothing because you're afraid. Instead let it jumpstart you, into doing more good and giving you less time to worry about what you might do." Waterstreak stepped closer to the tom cat, who looked and felt so broken and grieved. He was standing close to him, not at a distance anymore. "And...I hate to break this to you, but because of this, you're always going to feel that dirty spot on your soul. It won't go away. The only thing you can do with it, is let it be a re,index to not let you do it again." Waterstreak watched him, sadness in his eyes. He was hurting for Fallenstream. It was the hurt you feel for someone when you can almost physically see the pain written on their pelt. And he felt bad. "Fallenstream, if your guard your heart and your mind, you shouldn't have to worry about doing something like that again. And trust me, I'll be there if you ever act upon it again. I promise you that, I won't let it happen to another."