In the thousand-full fields of StarClan, it is not unheard of for a cat to slip away. With old memories bearing down on their shoulders and the endless time stretching ahead of them, there are times when a past leader needs to compromise her thoughts.

Bluestar, the once great leader of Thunderclan, was one of these cats. For once in a thousand moons, things were at peace in the forest. Firestar was safe at home, and from what she knew, his troubles were far from unmanageable.

All was peaceful in the forest. The same could not be said for the former leaders mind. Looking around, the blue-gray she-cat got to her paws and began padding. She kept a swift pace, not stopping to catch her breath or rest. Thunder cackled in her mind, but her pace was strong.

Oakheart...
...Redtail...
...Tigerclaw....

Her heart felt as though it was in her throat, and a heavy cloud of depression settled over her mind.

Oakheart...I loved you...
Redtail...I believed in you...
Tigerstar... Tigerstar.

She ran like wind. Her young body raced over endless fields, through bramble-less bushes and waterless streams. She ran and ran until finally she could go no further. Her glowing blue body shuddered to a halt and she collapsed near a small stream. Her eyes stared forward, looking deep into her own reflection.

Memories raced through her mind like wind through grass, triggering small reactions not big enough to matter but small enough to sting.

One memory though dug deep into her mind and clouded her vision.

"Oakheart, Please hurry. Make them warm, keep them safe..."

"Bluefur, the little one, she wont make it..."

"No! She is strong! She can make it! Just take her with you! Please..."

"No Bluefur. Let her go, let her make her way to Starclan."

"Mosskit..."

Now the blue-gray she cat stared out into the moving waters. Her eyes were laden with a deep hurt, far to heavy to go unnoticed.

"...Bluestar?"

The voice came from behind her. It was a toms voice, heavy and strong. Bluestar recognized it instantly. "Oak...Oakheart."

She turned slowly, trying to hide the pain in her eyes and give the tom she loved a brave glance.

"Bluestar...What is wrong?"

The queen wished that she could tell Oakheart of her pain. Of her misery and her failure. But she knew it would only make her seem weak. And even in front of Oakheart, her one love, she could not let down her guard. "N-nothing Oakheart, nothing important. Is there something you needed me for?"

The dark bracken tom nodded his head.

"There has been a summoning request for you. There are some queens in the Great Nest who wish to speak with you."

The Great nest. The den where all the lost souls of dead kits were brought to thrive. Each cold lonely kit was paired with a queen who had lost her own life, and together they could be happy.

Of all the places in StarClan, it was the one place Bluestar did not want to see.

"Are you sure its important, Oakheart?"

"Of the utmost. From what I am told, they need a decision made that only you can make."

Bluestar nodded vainly. She did not know what the cats that tended to those kits would need, but at the moment she didn't care at all.

"Let us go then."

Depending on the view of the cats entering the Great Nest, it could be either a warm loving place where stress could be calmed and hope restored, Or a cold sullen den full of dead wailing kits and queens suffering in loss. It takes only a short thought to imagine Bluestar's own mind.

Although there was a fair amount of purring and laughter in the Great Nest, the only sound entering Bluestar's mind was the crying out of queens who had suffered the ultimate loss. A sound all too familiar to the blue-gray queen.

She kept her head down as she padded along, trying not to meet the eyes of the queens or their caretakers. The only thing that kept her from turning and bolting back into the safety of the star-forest was the strength of the tom beside her.

After a short time, the pair halted at a small clearing amidst the small litters of kits and their 'mothers'. Two cats sat there. Both were she cats, and both held themselves with a deep pride. They were identical, both light brown with darker brown tabby markings. A white star was branded on each or their foreheads, and both their eyes gleamed a shining yellow.

"Welcome, Bluestar." They chimed together. They moved with seamless grace and padded slowly towards her. They nodded together and twitched their tails, beckoning her forward.

She nodded, and did so.

The two of them moved forward, sitting on opposite sides of a large tree stump.

"Bluestar. You were a great and noble leader, and in your leadership you learned much about each of your warriors. Today, We are here to present you with one of your greatest."

On the stump, a shape began to glitter. Ginger, but not full. Pale, with darker orange tabby stripes. For a moment, eyes glittered, green as leaves.

"Sandstorm." Bluestar muttered.

The she cat appeared to be sleeping, but her body was as still as stone. Only her lower flank moved. It expanded slightly, as though she was taking a deep breath, but she did not exhale. The she-cat was pregnant. Despite her mourning feelings, she could not help but hide the pride and excitement on her face. "Sandstorm. And - and Firestar?"

They nodded.

"That is wonderful. But why have you brought me here? What is it that you want?"

Within moments, the entire clearing was bathed in a slivery moonlight. Only Sandstorms warm ginger pelt remained un-silver.

"There is a ritual, Bluestar. Ancient as the sky itself. For every cat, there is another who they respected. Who they loved, trusted, and placed all their faith in. That cat is you, Bluestar."

Bluestar was baffled.

"But...really? Are you sure? There is Whitestrom...And Firestar..."

The cats shook their heads. "No Bluestar, that cat is you."

Bluestar nodded. "What does Sandstorm need from me?"

"It is your task, Bluestar, to decide on her litter."

Bluestar did not need to voice her confusion, for it was apparent on her face. The cats nodded.

"Here in the Great Nursery, we receive many kits. Wits who, if all was perfect, would have grown to be great cats. Strong powerful leaders, Caring, wise medicine cats, or warriors of the greatest faith. But things do not always go well, and when the claw of fate takes one of these lives, they do not go unnoticed."

Bluestar, still baffled, nodded.

"When a queen is pregnant, we want to use these souls. It was not their fate to grow as StarClan warriors, and it never will be. But we need a cat who the queen would trust. Who would know the queen, her personality, her strength, and her ability to handle the kits she would bare. That cat is you, Bluestar." Finally, the blue-gray cat understood.

"We will present these kits to you Bluestar. it is your choose as to which one of them will grace Sandstorms belly. Think carefully. If you make a foolish decision, the spirit of a great warrior will just be wasted." Bluestar blinked in agreement, and within moments, a row of six ginger kits were in front of her.

Each was a deep redish orange with short tabby coats, between one quarter and one moon old.

Bluestar sniffed each one, and found that it was oddly easy to choose the first kit. She wanted a cat with spunk and attitude like Sandstorm, but great brave qualities like her father. It was if one of the kits, muscular with one white paw, was repeating these qualities. She pointed with her nose.

"This one. I can see...or smell...greatness in her pelt."

The two tabbies did not question her decision, only nodded curtly and lifted the kit by its nape and tail. They placed the kit gently near Sandstorms belly and touched their noses to both the kits and Sandstorms forehead. With a bright flash, the kit was gone.

"Make another decision, Bluestar. But this will be your last. Sandstorm is only strong enough for two."

Bluestar nodded again, and went again to the kits. But this time, no kit called out. She looked them over again and again, but no kit made her nearly as certain.

"I...I can not choose another. The kit is not here."

The two tabbies nodded, but did nothing.

"This happens sometimes, Bluestar. it is up to you now, to choose the kit."

"Out of every kit in Starclan?"

"Only you can know..."

Within one blink, bluestar found herself in a field. All around her, kits lay motionless. they seemed fine, but it made Bluestar heart clench.

"I..I must find a kit. I must find another...another kit." Repeating this to herself, she added along the endless field, stopping every once in a while to sniff.

It felt like moons before Bluestar caught a scent that made her gasp. it was a sweet scent, gentle ad laden with kit-down. but under that she could smell more. The scent of herself, the scent of Oakheart, And the smell of bitter frosty winds.

"Mosskit!"

Bluestar launched herself towards the kit, who lay as motionless as the others. it did not respond to its name, and did not make a sound as Bluestar covered it in licks.

"Mosskit! My child...My love..."

But before she could fully engage herself in her kit, she felt a tingling sensation in her paws. She could feel a gentle love, a brave spirit, and a great, strong cat.

Bluestar looked at her kit, astonished.

"It's...it's you, isnt it? You are the one who is destined for Sandstorm arent you?" There was laughter in her voice, but also sorrow.

"Heh, you think you can just go off an be a hero for Thunderclan, now that I'm gone? Ha! Well...well..." She stared at the motionless lump of her brown tabby kit.

"Mosskit. I'm...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't care for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be your mother, I'm sorry I led you to your death. I'm sorry I cared more for my clan then my kits, and I'm sorry you paid the ultimate price.

Mosskit, I'm so so sorry."

The words she spoke were not planned words, but came deep from inside her. And it felt as if each word she spoke was like a stone being removed from her tail.

Faced with the decision, she knew she had no choice. This kit, Mosskit, whoever she would be, had a great destiny in ThunderClan.

And she would not stop it.