The star dust path was ever winding. Sometimes the stranger took the long way, even if it only took a leap to reach a higher platform. Other times, he seemed to sail through the air, riding the light of the stars. All the while, I just hung there by my scruff. My neck was beginning to ache from holding me up, but I didn't complain. How could I?

White light leaked down, dripping from above. It came down in huge globs, from pieces of transparent still attached to the sky. As it fell, it sparkled and evaporated into the air. Only now had I noticed how far we had climbed, and the faint outline of the gorge walls was forming again.

"How does no one see the world above?" I whispered to the stranger, maybe even more myself. He climbed the path upward, avoiding the transparent shards sticking out in all places. He stepped gingerly over some pieces, and walks carefully across the hidden floor. His presence unlike Dracma and myself; did not put stress on the floor.

The cat continued to stay silent and continued to walk. With each step forward a change began to form. The dark foul smelling mist above us seemed to be thinning. The tom took a pause, and then without warning leaped up. I yelped in surprise, being swung around as he tore through the air, and landed softly on a ledge. A pause, then another leap to a higher platform. Another, then another. The mist cleared, the smell faded, and the walls seemed to glow just a bit brighter for us. With one final leap the tom climbed to a ledge, nearly at the top. He rolled his shoulders flexing his muscles, and then leaned down. He gently set me at his paws and took a step back. I looked up.

In comparison to me, he was the size of a dog, perhaps the size of a mastiff. He reminded me of Eclipse- in the sense of how he stood, how he was. Tall, broad shoulders with rippling muscles. His short white fur clung to his body, illuminating. Only his chest and underbelly sprouted long fluffy fur just as well kept as the rest of it. Pure as the color itself. I took a quick glance up to look him in the eye. To my relief, I was greeted with a warm smile. His golden eyes where the same shade of Eclipse pelt and they too seemed to be radiating their own light.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Does it matter?" he answered back. His voice was firm but loving, like a father telling their child right from wrong. His tail flicked once, and he sat down before me. Even with the sandy dirt covered walls and ledge, not even a speck of dust seemed to touch him.

"Well, yes." I started, looking him over. I noticed what seemed like a string, a small black fading in and out of my sight, hiding amongst his fur. I took a small breath tearing my eyes away from it and then added "I would like to know who saved me."

"I'll be whatever you like me to be." He answered again with that warm smile. I narrowed my eyes slightly. I tilted my head and asked "You sound just like Eclipse, are you related to him?"

"No," He paused, thinking it over. "No I'm not, I have no kin of importance to you."

"Then who are you?" I asked again. He blinked slowly, drawing back just a bit. He smiled with a laugh and repeated "Whoever you like, Felidaestar." I huffed and then my mind began to ponder on the ideas. It seemed to be more a question then an answer.

"Should I know?"

"It won't matter if you do or don't." He answered truthfully. I nodded slightly and looked up the gorge wall. I thought I could detect sounds, voices. I wasn't sure. I could see stars far above, small ones distant in the galaxy. The sight of them only made the situation of where I was even harder to understand. "What happened to Dracma?" I called without looking away from the sky.

"Gone, do not worry my dear. You have won." The tom answered gently. He stood up and I looked to him. He seemed to become transparent in himself. From the center outward he was beginning to fade. I stood up as well, and only then did the pain of my hind leg come rushing back. It felt like someone had stuck their claws deep inside me and had them broken off. I winced, huffing.

"What about the Forbidden Forest?" I asked and then swiftly added "They do not know he is dead! They could keep on fighting forever-"

He raised his tail to silence me. He took a single step forward, covering the distance between us easily. He leaned forward and pressed his soft nose and mouth against my head. He pulled back in the slightest.

"You have won." He repeated still in his gentle manner. He then quietly added with "What is, is what it must be." I perked my ears, and looked up to him. There was a glimmer, but he was gone. Everything in his existence had disappeared, vanished. No scent, no echo, not even a whisker. And the strangest part of it all, is once he had vanished I could not recall his image. Almost as if he had completely vanished from my mind. The only thing that remained was a warm feeling, and his everlasting words. A truth to hold.

I looked up to the sandy stone wall, and began my journey. With a half-hearted leap I gripped the stone with my claws. I was uneven I grabbing, as many of the dog teeth I had used to line my claws had chipped or where gone completely. For the time being though, they held and let me pull myself up. I gripped with both arms, and my good leg was used to push up. My injured just hung limp like a rag doll limb. I grunted with each heave. The top was just a few feet away, but it felt like hell to me. I was almost certain my white stranger would not come to my rescue once again if I fell.

Another step, another heave.

I could hear voices echoing- arguing above. Solitaire's voice rang out the highest, she seemed to be pinning blame on Tigerstar. The tabby's voice was too rough for me to make out, but it didn't take a lot to figure it was a rage filled slur aimed back at the two cats. Scourge's voice was drowned out by both, but I could hear his shady meows breaking through.

I flipped my paw over the side, scrabbling for any hold.

"Help!" I called, feeling my shoulders shaking, I tightened my grip. There was a sudden silence, then a rush of paw steps. The first to reach me was Scourge. His paw flipped over and landed on my arm. He dug his claws into my fur, trying to pull me up.

"Felidaestar!" he gasped astonished, excited and overall relieved. He leaned far down as he could, but retreated quickly as Tigerstar's large frame pushed him aside. The tabby leaned down and grasped my collar in his teeth. Roughly he jerked back, pulling me up. In that instant, Solitaire and Scourge both caught hold of either my shoulder or scruff, and the three hauled me to the hard, solid ground above. I collapsed into a heap, panting and shaking.

Scourge quickly curled up beside me, his warmth radiating over me. He furiously licked my cheek, his tongue traveling downward to my shoulder and over my wounds. Solitaire squat in front of me, disbelief written all over her face. Tigerstar himself even seemed surprised on the fact that I came back up from oblivion.

"Where is Dracma?" Tigerstar growled. His amber eyes gleamed and looked to the edge, perhaps he half expected the dark tom to leap out and attack. I shook my head in the slightest and lied back "Dead. He fell out of the sky." It was not a total lie, Dracma was dead to begin with and he did fall. But playing the role of defeat is what he will be for now. We had won, and that's all anyone needed to know.

"We have to go then." Solitaire said, her voice urgent. "The former Dark Forest has joined the fight, but the clans are still outnumbered. Felidaestar they will be slaughtered- on both sides if we do not stop the war."

I nodded, standing up. Scourge provided me his shoulder to lean on. "Your right." I agreed and started to limp forward the fastest that I could manage. It was a rough pace that Scourge could easily keep up with. Solitaire let out a worried soft mew at the pace, but kept with us.

"For Starclan sake!" Tigerstar muttered. He ducked down under me and I yowled in shock as I was lifted off my feet, now on the tabby's back. I dug my claws in lightly to his broad shoulders. He didn't wince, just take off in a quick bound.

"Careful!" Scourge hissed bounding after the tabby and myself. Solitaire blinked once, then broke from her surprised glance. We took off, running through the dark woods and towards the echoing cries of war.

….

We reached the ridge overlooking a good portion of the battle. Tigerstar came to a stop, skidding to a halt. I peered over him looking down at the battle below. To my horror, it was like a sequence of a nightmare that plagued me long ago.

The ground was soaked in crimson. Not even the moon could match to the intensity of its red. Tired and worn battle cries echoed through the forest and bounced off the trees. There were blurs of fur colliding, fangs and claws clashing. Some Warriors limped off to the bushes where they could hide, or rest a moment before they bounded back in battle. Somewhere far below, I heard the wail of a mentor crying over his fallen apprentice.

"STOP!" I screamed loud as able, only one third of the heads turned. There was a slight pause, then the Forbidden Forest cats rushed forward. My voice was nowhere near loud enough to-

"Is he dead?"

I was nearly thrown off Tigerstar as the tabby and my two other companions spun around. Before us Bloodstep stood, her eyes hallow and empty. I could not tell if blood covered her pelt or not, but all the same she seemed to be wheezing. She snarled just a bit, but in our silence she relaxed in the slightest. Her face hardened into a serious expression. She stood, silent for a moment. Then without another word she leaped away from the mound. Her quick bounds caused blood to splash up behind her.

"Dracma is fallen!" she wailed aloud. She bounded through battles soaring over her own fighters. She landed somewhere in the middle. She called out once more, her voice was a mixture of so many emotions I could not describe.

"Dracma has fallen!" She repeated, her voice echoing. Like a snowball effect, rolling. Her voice took on many echoes.

"He's what?"

"He can't be!"

"Dracma is dead!"

"Lionclan! Push forward!" I screamed out from the mound. Lionclan never had to make another claw mark. When the wave of Warriors leaped to their paws, a shift in the tide formed. Forbidden Forest- the band of dead cats called out retreats and fled. In all directions, mass of dark rotting pelts squirmed and dispersed through the trees. Only a single collection, the ones most loyal to Dracma stood firm. They held together, and where pushed together in a single mass surrounded by Lionclan.

I slid down from Tigerstar's shoulders, and limped my way down the mound. There was snarling, hateful words being tossed about. But as I approached the crowd parted. I caught prideful gleams and triumphant yowls as I passed. Somewhere in the many faces I found Onestar. Blood oozed down from a large gash above his left eye, and his ear was nearly torn to shreads. But all the same, he too smiled with pride. Once I broke the very last row of Warriors, I stood facing a group of roughly 30 cats. The size of a clan without a leader.

"Who is in charge of you now?" I called. I looked to Bloodstep, expecting her to step forward but she held still. There was a movement, a shift in the lines. I caught glimpse of Twisterfang sulking in the back, her mouth and neck matted with thick soaking blood. Whitefur and Blackpelt darted around the side, hiding among pelts. A pause, and finally Firepaw stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

"Should have known." I said with a huff. He narrowed his eyes and I lifted my head once more. "You have lost." I declared. A roar of cheers filled the air from my clanmates.

"Yes." he answered with a low growl.

"You surrender?" I asked. A pause, and he nodded.

"Then go."

He lowered his head in surprise, and the cheering cut off. Everyone seemed to be surprised, gleaming eyes watched with anticipation.

"A Warrior does not need to kill to win battles." I said softly. "That is our Code." There was a shift behind me, Warriors closing ranks, standing tall and proud. Firepaw looked to me, he hesitated before answering.

"Forbidden Forest… fall back."

The ring split open, and as soon as the last Warrior moved out of the way, the dark mass of the dead darted forward. They ran tightly in one line, the twins leading the retreat. Behind them Bloodstep followed quietly, but as soon as they hit the brush she darted off, breaking away from the group. She paused in her running and glanced back at me. There was a silence between us, and nothing needed to be said. She turned, and bounded swiftly away fading into the dark. Twisterfang ran next to Firepaw, the two being the last to retreat, glancing back to throw hateful glares with every leap and bound. And then they too, faded to darkness.

"Lionclan!" I called out loud and turned to everyone. Heads twisted around and ears perked. I smiled, and then with great pride called out "Collect your clans, say your goodbyes. It is time for us to return home, and become four clans once more," I paused looking to a cluster of Starclan cats. Many were unknown to me, but I could make out some well-known few; Bluestar, Yellowfang, Firestar and Brambleclaw were the first to meet my gaze.

"And our ancestors return to their rightful skies." I added. The mass split apart slowly. To the left I saw two Shadowclan Warriors help a wounded Windclan move to his deputy. A glance to the right and I saw Riverclan Warrior praise one of my own apprentices.

Even the Dark Forest and Starclan were at peace, a silent, thin peace. But peace nevertheless. I turned, and limped over to Lionblaze. My fearless deputy was covered in blood, but only a few scratches covered him.

"Collect our fallen." I said softy to him and added once more "Lead us home. I must stay a moment longer to speak with all our ancestors."

"Alright."

It was all he said, I knew there would be much to talk about when we all arrived home, but for now only short words could be given as there were many wounded to help home. I looked back, glancing around for familiar faces.

Scourge moved amongst his Guard, the beaten and battered bunch that they were. Many had sustained wounds, some looked clean. I suspected more then anything that they had died at least once, and returned from the circle of stones. I would leave my mate to control his clan for the time being.

"Felidaestar."

I turned to the sound of my name being called. There was a brisk movement as collection cats quickly padded over to me. Eclipse was in the lead of them. He smiled to me, and then spoke in his loud knowing voice "Well done."

"Couldn't have done it without you." I said honestly, and purred lightly as he approached. He rested the top of his head on mine briefly, exchanging a purr back. He took a paw step back and then spoke.

"I am afraid I cannot stay to see you off, or to help return your loved ones home. I have overstayed my time, and there is much to do elsewhere." I only nodded in response, and answered back "Perhaps we will have more time to speak in my dreams."

He nodded with a calm, kind smile and turned away. The golden tom bounded out, heading in the opposite direction of the army of the dead. He never looked back as he disappeared among the trees. Where to he went, I would never know.

Next in the group to approach me was a female she-cat that's name escaped me. Her fur was matted and ragged, but she was a large calico. Her eyes shown of amber, and next to her a white tom half curled up behind in her shadow. His yellow eyes gleamed, and avoided my eye-contact. I detected no stars in their pelts, thus they must have been Dark Forest.

"And what will happen now?" The older she-cat rasped in a gruff voice. Her breath stunk of crowfood but for the sake of avoiding an argument I withheld retreating back a few paces. Behind her a collection of cats that's names I could not add too gathered, all Dark Forest. All without a place.

"Mapleshade." I heard Brokenstar's voice echo out as he bounded too us, right beside him was Nightmare. She had twigs and dirt entwined with her messy black fur. Her crimson eyes beamed with excitement and authority all the same.

"We'll take over the Forbidden Forest." She answered and looked to me. She then added "We have a whole new sky to explore, and can keep watch for the return of any of those flea-bags." I smiled and nodded to her.

"Try to avoid clashes with Scourge, okay?" I asked and Nightmare flashed her Cheshire cat like grin. She licked her paw drawing it over her face.

"Me? Fighting with Tiny over there? What on earth gave you such an idea?"

I cuffed her gently over the ear and smirked. Without a word of warning, we both leaned forward and touched noses, then pulled back. To my surprise, Nightmare's eyes took a serious look to them.

"Felidaestar…. I think we should close-"

"Felidaestar!" Flamewing cut Nightmare off as the she-cat flew overhead. She landed briskly and folded her wings in. She raised her head, and tail flickered back and forth. Her star covered pelt glimmered, the blood on it fading away.

"Starclan is leaving to return home. I wanted to say goodbye." She said with a pant, and looked to Nightmare and I. There was a pause between us all, a long silent pause. We were all so close now, but in a few moments there would be a life's worth of a journey between us. I smiled the best I could, forcing myself not to shed any tears.

"It was an honor." I spoke quietly. Nightmare only replied with a nod and a smirk. Flamewing purred and rubbed her head up against my shoulder. I purred back. Behind me I could hear the clans shifting away into the darkness, it was time to go home.

"You two don't be strangers." I said with a nervous laugh. Quickly I added "Visit me in my dreams, whenever you like." The two nodded, and there was not another word. Flamewing slowly turned and took off into the sky, her wings gleaming like morning rays. Nightmare's tail flicked, and she turned. Her mass of "clanmates" were already retreating into the darkness of their new home.

I looked around for Scourge, Tigerstar and Solitaire. To my dismay, they were nowhere to be seen. Bloodclan was gone, returned to their newly claimed forest. Tigerstar had most likely gone off on his own, where too, I had no guesses. And Solitaire?... Who knows.

"Mother!" I turned, seeing Wolfpelt and Nightfeather standing together. They were at the end of the clan, ears perked and smiles on their faces. I purred loudly and stood, limping over to my kits.

"Let's go home."