"I thought you might say that," said Mistleheart wistfully. "Is it really that bad?"

"I'm afraid so." Badgerfleck shook her head. "We'll have to wait and see."

Mistleheart sat down by Silver's nest. "I want to stay here," she declared boldly.

"Oh, no you don't!" Badgerfleck knocked her to her paws. "You are vital to help this Clan survive! They need you out there!"

She paused. "No," she decided.

"Yes," Badgerfleck meowed.

"NO!"

"Y-E-S. YES!" Badgerfleck shoved her rudely out of the den. Mistleheart glumly poked at a beetle scurrying past.

"Well, fine then mouse-brain," She finally muttered. "I'm going-"

"To Starstone?" A cat interrupted. A orange and red splashed she-cat with brilliant emerald eyes prodded her.

"Emberdawn." huffed Mistleheart.

"Starstone?" she prompted.

"Yes, alright. That's where," Mistleheart admitted.

"So you-"

"Bye-bye. I'll be going now!" Announced Mistleheart. She bounded off to the sandy lakeshore. When she got to the pebble sprayed strip that led out to Indigo Island she sprinted across to the rock peaks in the center of the lake.

She looked around the land mass and spotted the small entrance to the tunnel. Mistleheart jumped in and padded through the cold, wet passage. Soon she had reached the cave. The delicate silver fern shimmered translucently in the pale sunlight. Mistleheart carefully slid around the StarClan symbol, gazing up at the dimly lit ceiling of the sacred Starstone. A sliver of stream danced through the underwater cavern, reflecting beams of light from above.

She heard light pawsteps behind her, and spun around. She found herself gazing into dazzling green eyes.

"Emberdawn?" She exclaimed.

"I have come to give you a message,"

"Go on," Mistleheart instructed.

"Sit down, press your paw to the fern." Emberdawn said calmly.

"And?"

But there was no reply. She sighed as she spotted a red tipped tail slip around the bend.

"Oh well." Mistleheart followed Emberdawn's orders and touched the tip of her front left paw to the shimmering fern. Immediately the ground disappeared beneath her paws. The world went black, lit only by a faint silver glow.

The light grew brighter until it illuminated the whole area, revealing to Mistleheart a spacious woodland filled with streams and rocks, and full of birdsong and chattering creatures. A pitch black she-cat with one orange paw darted past, stars in her fur. She didn't notice Mistleheart at first, then did a double-take and padded back over.

"Mistleheart! You finally came!" the she-cat said joyfully. "I am the warrior Peachfoot."

"Is this StarClan?" she asked skeptically.

Peachfoot rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

"Yes?" Mistleheart conceded.

"Correct,"

"Why am I here?" Mistleheart wondered.

"I need to tell you something." Peachfoot answered. There was a flash of orange and red from behind the bushes.

"Fox!" she yelped.

"No, it's probably just Foxfire." The StarClan cat responded. "Anyway, you have successfully founded StreamClan, which is perfect."

"Yes, but things aren't going to well right now," Mistleheart pointed out.

"There is a simple way to solve that. You need a leader." Peachfoot said fixedly.

"Oh, Ravenfoot? Want me to get him?" she asked.

"No," Peachfoot shook her head. "Try again."

"Feathersong? Dawnspots? Treebranch?" Mistleheart fired off.

"You really don't know, do you." Peachfoot said.

"Um, nope." she admitted.

"It's you, silly!" exclaimed Peachfoot.

Mistleheart jumped. "What? You're joking."

"No, I'm not. You will be StreamClan's leader."

"It's way too big of a responsibility!" Mistleheart said hesitantly.

"Well, you're gonna have to manage."

"I-I can't do this!" she protested.

"You are doing this. Do you accept the duties of a leader?" Peachfoot continued.

"What?"

"Do you accept the duties of a leader?" she asked again.

"I-well, I- you see," stuttered Mistleheart.

"Do you or do you not?" Peachfoot growled.

"Um, fine. Ya, I do." Mistleheart said.

Peachfoot brightened up. "Ah, great. HEY!" she called. "Come on, guys!"

Eight cats padded into the clearing and sat side by side in line. A small cat sat down beside Mistleheart. She was gray with white speckles and paws. Mistleheart yelped. "Are you dead, Pebblepaw?"

"No, silly. I just fell asleep and woke up here," she explained. Mistleheart tried to calm her rapidly-beating heart.

"That is so good to know…"

"So why exactly am I in StarClan?" Pebblepaw asked.

"Um, I'm becoming StreamClan's leader."

"Now?"

"Right now."

The first cat stepped forward. He touched noses to Mistleheart, who squirmed in nervousness. Pebblepaw shifted tensely from paw to paw.

He was Quickstep. Tabbyheart's mate and Hopekit's father. "Mistleheart, I give you a life for hope." Quickstep meowed quietly.

Everything went dark and pain seared at Mistleheart from the inside and out, but all of a sudden she felt the impulse to keep going. To keep walking towards a light in the blackness.

All of a sudden Quickstep was gone, and another cat had taken his place. A sandy tabby with a slender build stepped up. "I, Duststar, former leader of BriarClan, give you a life for determination." The she-cat said. She felt another searing pain but refused to cry out.

Duststar backed away. Peachfoot pressed her nose into Mistleheart's. "I give you a life for bravery and courage." The same pain returned, and it felt like millions of fierce warriors were attacking her. But she didn't budge.

Peachfoot walked back and gave Mistleheart a small nod. "My name is Badgerfur. I give you a life for compassion," A black and gray she-cat meowed. An overwhelming sense of love doused her. She blinked open her eyes.

A orange tabby tom was gazing into her eyes with his electric green ones. "I have traveled far to reach you here, Mistleheart. I am Firestar of the distant ThunderClan. I give you a life for sacrifice."

Mistleheart gritted her teeth against the next wave.

"Grasspaw," a tiny brown tabby introduced himself. "I give you a life for honesty," he meowed.

The next cat was a salt and pepper she-cat. "Call me Skystone." she said. "I give you a life for curiosity. Always follow your heart." An impulse to travel farther than the world could offer and look in every nook and cranny along the way washed over her.

"My name is Bluecloud," said a blue-gray she-cat. "I give you a life for wisdom."

The ninth and final cat touched noses with her. "My name is Flamecloud." she said calmly. "My sister is Flamewhisker. She was named after me…" she trailed off. "I grant you a life for mentoring. Use it wisely."

After withstanding the final shock, she whispered. "Thank you."

Pebblepaw licked her behind the ear and began to chant. "Mistlestar, Mistlestar!"

The nine StarClan cats followed her lead.

"Mistlestar!"