~Chapter 25~

Cold gusts of wind flew past the burning trees and plants. Embers that had died out long ago twirled in the whirlwind. The moon was little more than a claw mark in the sky, though its light seemed brighter then before. Its eerie light seemed to bleech the life out of everything around Cinderstar.

She turned and everywhere she looked, dead material plastered the ground. What is this place? she wondered with a shiver. It was definitely not StarClan, of that, she knew.

Suddenly, she caught sight of an object running towards her. Cinderstar let out a yowl of surprise when it hit her at full force. She felt a terrible pain lance through her leg, and she let out a cry that seemed to echo around the trees.

StarClan what's happening to me? she thought as she desperately looked around through wild, scared eyes. Her heart pounded faster when the pain burned towards her chest. The acrid tang of badger flooded her jaws, and then, she heard the great bellow of the beast.

"No, Cinderpelt!" Cinderstar recognized Sorreltail's voice. It was much younger, but she could also tell it was cracked with grief.

Then it hit her like a rock. Cinderstar realized that she was seeing Cinderpelt's memories. But she couldn't understand why, and she couldn't understand why it felt so real. It felt as though she had lived through this.

"Welcome, Cinderkit." This time it was Leafpool's voice Cinderstar heard. She felt a strange warmth spread through her. The scent of milk and herbs seeped through the air, and Cinderstar guessed that she was in the nursery. But why couldn't she see?

"No, Cinderpaw!" Hollyleaf's cry echoed around Cinderstar. She felt another searingpain in her leg; the same leg where the pain had struck before. She heard mews of distraught and Brackenfur's gentle, soothing voice as he tried to calm her mother down.

"She's Cinderpelt, isn't she?" Jayfeather suddenly meowed. Cinderstar felt another strange feeling. One that was like a flicker of light, maybe even love.

"Yes Jayfeather, she is," Leafpool replied in a grim but almost happy voice.

Suddenly the images flickered before Cinderstar's eyes. Images of Hollyheart, of Lynxclaw, of Lionblaze. She saw Snakeclaw in one of them, but it was very faint. She also saw Moonpaw, Runningmoon and Mouseflight among those images. Then, they stopped.

Replacing the images, was a startlingly familiar dark gray face. Cinderstar realized that the cat had the same features as her: Dark gray fur, blue eyes, and an energetic feel. Cinderstar realized that it was Cinderpelt she was staring at.

As quickly as they had come, the images faded. Cinderstar found herself back at the Telling Pool, and she was crouching before StarClan. Yellowfang was there, along with Bluestar.

"You have been chosen to follow another path," Bluestar meowed. "You have been chosen to follow the path, of a warrior." The ThunderClan leader and Yellowfang exchanged a knowing glance and suddenly Cinderstar was thrown into a vast, wide open space of earth.

"Cinderstar, wake up!" The gray tabby groaned when a paw prodded her side.

She opened her eyes and found that she was back in the nest. Whitewing was looking at her; the white queen's eyes were filled with concern. When Cinderstar followed her gaze, she saw that the makeshift nest she had made was now shredded into tiny pieces. Straw and hay lay on the sidelines, where Thornclaw had been sleeping, and the deputy was grunting as he washed the mess off his pelt.

I'm Cinderpelt! Cinderstar thought as she shakily padded towards her Clan. But how, and why? Why did StarClan choose me?

Questions buzzed in her mind. Questions that would most likely never be answered. Brackenfur had told her that his sister, Cinderpelt, had been killed by a badger. But before that, the medicine cat had been a warrior apprentice.

Sadly, Tigerstar had laid a trap for her, and Cinderpelt's leg, and dream of becoming a warrior had been destroyed. Sorreltail said that she named Cinderstar after Cinderpelt because the medicine cat sacrificed herself to give Sorreltail time for her birth. Than, Cinderstar remembered injuring her own leg. She had broken it in the same place Cinderpelt broke shattered her leg. Was it really possible that she was Cinderpelt?

"Are you okay?" Thornclaw asked when he was finished grooming his fur. His eyes were filled with the same concern as Whitewing.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. Though as enthusiastic as she tried to sound, she felt like a great weight was placed on her shoulders. "Shall we go?" she called when the rest of the Clans had been roused.

Frizzle was waiting crossly at the entrance. She knew how much he wanted them gone, so the sooner they left, the better. When Dawnstar, Weaselstar and Reedstar nodded in reply, the four Clans set off once more on their journey towards the new territory.

The stars were gleaming brightly in the night sky when they finally reached the edge of Twolegplace. Cinderstar felt a strange wave of relief to be out of that place, and when they muttered their goodbyes to Frizzle, they continued to travel through the forest.

Eventually they reached a large clearing, where large boulders surrounded the trees. Cinderstar noticed that there were four boulders that were bigger then the others, and suddenly she remembered this from her very first dream.

We've made it, she thought happily. And when she looked at the rest of the Clans, they agreed with her.