Starlight gasped into the fresh air of the StarClan hunting grounds. She felt like she had been underwater for the past few minutes. Then it dawned on her where she was and that she could not go back to her old life. Starlight looked around, sighing because she would miss everyone, but accepting she couldn't leave.

Starlight looked around and saw cats she knew. Bluestar, Yellowfang, a white she cat a little farther back, and behind them she saw a familiar grey and ginger face.

"Lakepool!" Starlight exclaimed. She bounded towards her sister and touched noses with her. Lakepool laughed in delight and threw herself at Starlight playfully. She momentarily forgot that she was in StarClan until Yellowfang interrupted.

"Nice to see your old friends again, I know, but we have to discuss something." Yellowfang snapped moodily in her old, raspy voice that sounded like she had been breathing smoke for the past century. Starlight and Redwing sat up guiltily. "Sorry."

"We can talk some other time" Redwing whispered in Starlight's ear.

"It is okay, Yellowfang. I know how it is to see old friends after so long." Bluestar purred, and looked back at the snowy queen, who laughed. "This is my sister, Snowfur."

"Nice to meet you." said Starlight politely.

"Nice to meet you too, young one." said Snowfur "I have heard much about you."

"Introductions aside, let's get back to the point. Did I stop the Dark Forest warriors from coming back?" asked Starlight, hopefully.

Bluestar hesitated, as if she wanted to answer the question but couldn't think of what to say. "Yes and no. You killed the cats in the Dark Forest once. They figured out a way to have nine lives there as well as in their previous lives. We think that there is a band of cats in StarClan, nine of them, who have been giving lives to the Dark Forest cats who were warriors in the battle with the Clans."

"So… that means Tigerstar has more lives than we expected?" Starlight asked.

"Yes. There are ways to kill cats easier if they have more than one life left. You have to poison them with something that will stay long enough to make them lose all of their lives." Yellowfang replied.

"Okay, then, what about me?" Starlight asked. "There is nothing I can do from StarClan to help the others."

"We can send you back, but at a cost. Redwing died, but Lakepool gave her life to send her back." Bluestar glanced at Lakepool, who shuffled her paws in embarrassment. "There has to be a cat that is willing to give their life to bring you back and lucky for you there is."

"Who is it?!" Starlight asked. The cats and the scenery started to fade. "Wait!"

"Have a nice life." Bluestar said faintly in a sad voice. Right before they disappeared, Starlight thought she saw another cat join them, a silver cat. Starlight felt the ground vanish underneath of her paws, and she felt like she was falling. Then it stopped and Starlight opened her eyes.