Starlight sprinted into the woods, followed closely by Tigerstar. She could feel herself getting slower as she neared the lake, while Tigerstar was increasing speed. A log loomed up in front of her and she couldn't move out of the way fast enough. Talon-like claws pinned her tail to the ground, and Starlight was trapped beneath Tigerstar like a mouse.
"Stop!" she cried. "You don't have to do this!"
"I have no intention of killing you." Tigerstar growled, releasing her tail. Starlight sprang to the side, not turning her back on the tabby tom, but not running either. She did slowly back away, but she collided with another cat.
Starlight whipped around to see a white tom with black paws staring down at her with a devilish smile.
"Blackstar" shouted Starlight, while Tigerstar yowled, "Gotcha!"
"There's no way you could get away that easily," said Blackstar, "That wouldn't be any fun at all!"
"Leave her alone!" a familiar sounding voice yowled.
"Jayfeather!" Starlight said. The silver tom growled, turning his sightless eyes toward Blackstar, then to Tigerstar, unnervingly knowing where they were standing. "What's happening? How can Tigerstar be here? He was killed by Firestar!"
"All of the cats in the Dark Forest joined life forces. There is one cat keeping them all alive, but I don't know who yet. If the chosen cat dies, they all go!" Jayfeather hurriedly explained.
The words "chosen cat" echoed through Starlight's head. Chosen cat, chosen cat, chosen…. Voices in Starlight's mind whispered the words over and over, and it became clear to Starlight what she had to do. She started to sprint towards the Dark warriors, taking them by surprise. In a moment of uncertainty, Blackstar lashed out a paw, raking it across Starlight's muzzle.
"You mouse-brain!' Tigerstar hissed, chasing Blackstar away from the place they had previously occupied.
Starlight fell to the ground; blood was coming from the wound on her throat. Jayfeather yowled at the other toms, and hurled himself across the space that separated him from them, but they had already vanished into the woods.
"Starlight, no!" Jayfeather yowled, knowing that there was no time to go back to camp, let alone find the right herbs to treat her before she died.
"Don't worry, Jayfeather." Starlight choked out. "I was the chosen cat. They will all leave once I die." She gasped one final time before her lashing tail grew still and her paws went limp.
Starlight was dead.