Shrewpaw felt like he was underwater. Gentle blue light surrounded his small body on all sides; it stretched on and on like the trees in the forest before the destruction. Even though he knew he was dead, his mind felt at peace. He almost felt like floating forever.

The former ThunderClan apprentice shut his eyes, trying to feel sad or upset about what he was leaving behind. No more hunting, no more training, no more Squirrelpaw… His last bit of rational thought then faded, and the now dead apprentice released his final tie to the world of the living.

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"Dear Shrewpaw, it is time for you to wake up."

Shrewpaw moaned in protest. His mind was racing like a startled squirrel in a futile attempt to keep the apprentice from remembering the trauma of dying. But that only lasted a few moments, and Shrewpaw quickly found himself jumping up in shock.

"There was a Twoleg, and-" He was shaking with fear.

"Relax, young one. Everything is all right now. You are safe with StarClan." The tortoiseshell she-cat who spoke before ran her tail across Shrewpaw's back. "I am Spottedleaf. I was ThunderClan's medicine cat when your father was still an apprentice." Shrewpaw was about to speak again, but she cut him off. "No, you mustn't speak. I was sent to take you to StarClan's camp. Come with me."

While Shrewpaw trailed behind the dead medicine cat, he took the time to survey his surroundings. He had woken up near a small pool of crystal colored water. The area was dark; it was shadowed by thick trees on all sides. A sandy path stretched out in front of the dead ThunderClan cats, which was also covered.

They emerged from the darkness, and padded into a swampy woodland. Shrewpaw heard the distant croaking of frogs, shuddering at the memory of ShadowClan eating the animals. Then again, he thought, they do have webbed paws. Shrewpaw was relieved when they stepped out of the swamp and onto a moor. The strong scent of rabbit normally would've made him hungry, especially while ThunderClan was starving. That wasn't the case here, though. Why eat when you can't starve?

"StarClan territory is laid out so every cat can hunt to suit their talents while they were still alive," explained Spottedleaf. "The hunting grounds are in a circle around the StarClan camp. Obviously we just came from ShadowClan territory. That's where the Meeting Pool is at."

"Meeting Pool?" Shrewpaw echoed.

"That's where newly dead cats are awakened by a StarClan cat and are taken to the camp." Spottedleaf dipped her head to a small WindClan cat who was carrying a rabbit. Shrewpaw couldn't explain it, but somehow he knew the cat was Gorsepaw. Perhaps that was part of being dead. You know every cat and how they were killed.

"That doesn't make sense." They then entered RiverClan territory. There was a fallen tree that lead to a forest covered island surrounded by water. Spottedleaf went around the fishing cats and led the newcomer to ThunderClan's woods. "I was taken to that blue place by Hollykit and Larchkit. Where did they go?"

"Your sisters and brothers could not follow you to the Severing Waters. That is a place where recently deceased cats go and cut their last shred of life that remains in the living world. Since Hollykit and Larchkit are already gone, they went back to the camp while I went to wake you up."

Shrewpaw remained silent, trying to absorb all he had been told. He leaped over fallen trees and dodged around bushes while running behind Spottedleaf. He knew now that he could run forever in this new place. The thoughts of what he could now do excited him, but he couldn't help but wish that he was still alive and was training with Thornclaw or talking to Squirrelpaw.

"Why is Redtail hunting? We don't need to eat, right? It's not like we can die again." Shrewpaw saw the small red tom pounce on a squirrel then carry his prey across a nearby fallen tree.

Spottedleaf didn't answer right away. She led Shrewpaw over to the tree that Redtail walked across, but stopped before crossing. "Each time a clan cat kills a piece of prey, its soul comes to StarClan and becomes our prey. I guess you could call it our linking prey. By eating what was once in the clan's territory, we keep our ties with the living world. That's how StarClan can receive prophecies. We dream at night about what is to come, then drink out of the Sending Pool in RiverClan's territory and give signs to the living world."

Shrewpaw frowned. "So our prey lives to help cats? Sounds like a bad life."

"Not necessarily," replied Spottedleaf. "When we eat the prey, its soul gets sent back to the living world and it gets reborn. Call it their circle of life." She started crossing the bridge without waiting for Shrewpaw to follow.

"Circle of life… I've heard of that before. Didn't Simbastar of LionClan drive out the evil Scarclaw?"

Spottedleaf laughed. "Something like that." She paused, letting Shrewpaw catch up to her. "Here we are. Shrewpaw, welcome to StarClan's camp!"

I hope that wasn't too much to absorb. If you're confused, tell me in a review, and I'll try to explain it in a PM.