Cinderpelt awoke. Her head throbbed, her vision blurred by the sight of those snapping jaws…
Starry warriors stood all around her. They were smiling.
"StarClan—I knew I'd come soon. Am I accepted?" Cinderpelt choked out.
"Well, we'll see, then, won't we?" Rasped a scruffy gray, old-looking she-cat with yellow eyes.
"Yellowfang!" Cinderpelt's joy at the sight of her old mentor flooded through her. "Oh, Yellowfang, it's so good to see you!"
"Imagine my surprise." Yellowfang grunted. But her eyes were glittering with happiness as well.
Cinderpelt laughed. "It's also good to hear your sarcastic comments."
"Oh? Well, you'll have to wait a little longer before you're accepted."
Cinderpelt's tail drooped. "What?"
The thought of being cast into the Dark Forest sent a shudder through her. Had she not earned a right to be among her fallen friends?
"You must go back!" A tortoiseshell she-cat trotted up, sounding excited.
"Go…back?" Cinderpelt stuttered. "But Spottedleaf—why?"
"You never got to fulfill your warrior destiny." A blue-gray female cat, her head raised and looking young as ever, padded up.
"Bluestar, you've been accepted!" Cinderpelt mewed happily.
She'd heard the news of Bluestar's love for the RiverClan warrior Oakheart, and was worried that she'd never been accepted for her betrayal to StarClan.
"But of course." Bluestar purred. Then it caught in the former leader's throat. "But as our fine Spottedleaf said, you cannot enter here."
"You mean I have to go…back? But…won't Leafpool be worried that I do not come to her in dreams?" Cinderpelt fretted.
"Of course she will," Yellowfang muttered irritably. "But that can be fixed. Don't worry," She added to her former apprentice, "you'll be seeing Leafpool again."
"But what about Firestar?" Cinderpelt murmured. "He'll be searching for me too."
"But you won't be here!" Snapped Yellowfang. "You'll be in his world, as Cinderkit."
Cinderpelt gasped. "Can't you all just grant me another life?"
"You're not a leader, Cinderpelt." Bluestar warned. "Be careful what you wish for. You always wanted to be a warrior, and here's your chance, hmm?"
"But I—" Cinderpelt stopped. She bowed her head. "I will go back as a kit." She raised her head. "But what will I look like? Will I remember anything?"
"Of your life before, no. Not in your waking world." A white tom strutted forward.
"Whitestorm." Cinderpelt greeted the white tom. Then she glanced at the other starry cats. "Can I go now?" Cinderpelt addressed them.
"Sure." Yellowfang mewed. "I'll even come with you," she added, "if you like."
"Thank you." Cinderpelt murmured.
* * * * * * *
In a flash, they were back in the ThunderClan nursery. No cat saw them, but the badgers were gone.
"Oh, Leafpool!" Cinderpelt spotted her former apprentice speaking with Crowfeather, the young warrior of WindClan she'd run away with.
"She'll move on. But don't worry, Cinderpelt, we'll make sure she knows about you." Yellowfang mewed beside Cinderpelt.
"Thank you, Yellowfang." Cinderpelt purred.
"Ah! New life. Always a pleasure." Yellowfang flicked her tail to the tiny bundles at Sorreltail's belly.
"A tortoiseshell…a honey-furred she-kit…" Cinderpelt counted the kits. Then she gasped. "….And me."
Sure enough, a tiny, fluffy gray bundle of a kit was mewing happily at Sorreltail's side.
"Indeed. And now, you must go from Cinderpelt—wise young medicine cat—to Cinderheart, young warrior of ThunderClan." Yellowfang whispered.
Then she was gone, and Cinderpelt found herself tumbling into blackness.
Three days later…
"Oomph!" Honeykit leapt onto Poppykit. "I've got you now, ShadowClan warrior!"
Poppykit squealed. "Oh, no you don't!" She kicked furiously at her sister.
Cinderkit twitched her ears. Why can't they keep quiet? How am I supposed to open my eyes today when they keep making so much noise?
"Cinderkit, Cinderkit!" Honeykit squeaked.
"Ssshh, Honeykit. She still hasn't opened her eyes." Sorreltail licked the top of Cinderkit's head.
"You mean we have to wait some more?" Poppykit trotted up.
"I'm afraid so." Sorreltail sighed.
Honeykit and Poppykit went back to playing.
Suddenly…
Sorreltail gasped as Cinderkit's big blue eyes fluttered open. "She's awake! Her eyes are open!"
Honeykit and Poppykit ran to see.
Cinderkit yawned. Somewhere deep inside her, Cinderpelt glowed as a memory, thinking, And now I make my transformation—Cinderpelt to Cinderheart.