Featherstar's POV

Featherstar slowly trudged through the marsh.

It had been several hours after she had been woken up by Snowsong, who seemed close to tears.

Featherstar thought it was best not to mention it. As they walked through the marsh, Snowsong suddenly froze.

"What's up?" Featherstar asked. Snowsong pricked her ears.

"We're here." she whispered. Featherstar turned around and saw a wide gaping hole. Inside were several moss nests. It didn't seem so grand and important to her.

Snowsong froze up once more. "And...and Claire is very close."

Featherstar felt her insides freeze up as well. "THE Claire Cassidy?"

Snowsong nodded.

"W-well, what are we going to do?" Featherstar meowed.

Snowsong was silent for some time.

"I...I have to go do something," Snowsong murmured.

Sure." Featherstar meowed. "I'll just...guard the Cave of Evaluate?"

Snowsong nodded once more. "Try to hold off Claire Cassidy's forces. I'll try to be back by the time Claire reaches here."

And she was off, leaving Featherstar alone.

Featherstar's eyes were wide. She snapped her head frantically from side to side.

Where's Snowsong? she wondered as she felt a cool breeze snap at her skin.

Featherstar had promised Snowsong that she would protect the Cave of Evaluate while Snowsong went to do...something.

The winds were getting stronger and whipping at Featherstar's pelt. She duck her head and winced as the wind sliced at her pelt; attacking her.

She knew that Claire Cassidy and her dark forces were approaching. She just hoped that Snowsong would arrive in time...

There was a twig snap, and Featherstar whipped around. There was a deep, low growl and the last thing she saw was a splash of red.

Snowsong's POV

I carefully pad throughout the Prisoner Meadows, pausing to taste the air.

A sharp wind hits me, slicing through my pelt. I shiver and wince, gazing around the Meadows.

The once healthy, green grass is now flat and trodden down. The once blooming flowers are now dead, rotten, withered.

These meadows once glowed with beauty. But then Claire Cassidy came, destroying every single thing that symbolized happiness, healthiness, and love.

Usually you would think - these are the Prisoner Meadows. This is where you torture the evil cats too evil for the Dark Forest. This place is going to be ugly.

But this is StarClan. Everywhere blossoms with beauty. It symbolizes good, and wards off the evil.

But beauty and good weren't enough to shoo away Claire Cassidy, who is now trampling down every beautiful thing in nature because of me.

Which is another good reason why I should just release her, and disappear.

But I first must stop her from reaching the Cave of Evaluate. Sure, it might save me. Then I would just seem selfish and a hypocrite after all I've just said about me disappearing.

If Claire reaches the Cave, the Council will lose their power. Soon, StarClan will die.

It will wither. Just like that dead flower right next to me.

After Featherstar and I (hopefully) succeed in preventing Claire from absorbing the power that the Cave contains, then I will be ready to release her, and let the laws of death hold.

Because I've been cheating death all along.

The reincarnations.

The cord that both Claire, Darkstar, and I share.

The kind, brave cats like Cedarstrike who decided to save me and give me another chance.

As much as I'm grateful that he did that, I have to say that it was a mistake.

I, Snowsong, did not deserve to live, what, four times?

But never mind that now. I have work to do.

"Larkflight," I hiss. "Can you hear me?"

I see a dark blur whoosh by me and I sigh.

"Larkflight, its me, Snowsong. No, not...not the first one. The second one. The one that you kind of killed?"

The dark blur stops. It turns and faces me. I almost cry out as I see what Claire has done.

The once almost pretty face of Larkflight is now plain ugly.

Her eyelids are sagging, her eyes are wide and jet black - not their usual amber. Her skin seems tight, and it looks like as though it is clinging to her face, desperate to hold on.

"Larkflight...what...what...?"

"Happened?" Larkflight snarls, approaching me. "Its you that happened! She ripped through the Prisoner Meadows as I was receiving my lightning punishment, courtesy of Darkstar,"

My heart feels a twinge of guilt as she continues talking.

"Everything turned...dark. The sky turned grey. Rosestar was already running. She looked behind me and said, 'Come on! What are you waiting for? She'll give us revenge against the Council that shunned us here into the Meadows, facing torture everyday!'" Larkflight's breath is rattling. "Rosestar...she looked must worse than me. The whites of her eyes were gone. The fur on her tail, they were gone..." Larkflight stops breathing for a second, looking as though she may pass out.

"Whoa!" I rush over to my former enemy, catching her as she falls. "Its okay. Larkflight, its alright. I won't hurt you."

"You already did," Larkflight chokes out. "Stealing Hawktalon from me...was the worst thing you did."

"No, you stole him from me." I accuse.

Larkflight does everything she can to shake her head. "When...Hawktalon and I were both three moons old, we were best friends. But then you came along. You destroyed everything in my life. I'm not sure if you remember this, but you looked up at him and said, "Wow, you're much older than I am!"" Larkflight breathes in heavily. "Then you started following him...and he forgot I even existed."

My eyes are wide. "Larkflight...I'm...I'm so sor-"

"Don't apologize," Larkflight hisses, her black eyes glazed. "Don't. I already know you're sorry. Now, just tell me...what you wanted with me."

"I...I wanted to see if you could help me releasing Snowsong's spirit. After all, you are experienced in magic."

She's already shaking her head. "No...you must figure that out yourself. But...I will come with you. If you need some magic to help defeat her forces, I'll do it." She struggles to walk up.

I smile. "C'mon. Let's go, then."