do you ever think about that stupid starclan life thing that only gets brought up like twice in the book series where when a leader loses a life some of their soul just gets kinda...shaved off to go join starclan, I have so many questions about this like how and what and why
I'm pretty sure it comes up like once in the first arc when firestar first dies and then jayfeather sees firestars not ghost on a starclan trip once in fading echoes, and I don't know if it's ever been said again, but like look at this quote, it's been driving me bonkers for over a decade on what is going ON with this system. I don't even fully know if it appears outside of those two books and I think like maybe secrets of the clans, maybe
Like I can only assume since it's displayed as very pale and barely more then mist they didn't graft like, nine souls onto firestar, so it has to be his original soul right? Just with bits shaved off? It's eldritch as hell and confuses the fuck out of me on how it works and yet yellowfang is so casual all
Another familiar pelt caught his eye. Frighteningly familiar. Blazing ginger fur, large pricked ears, emerald gaze—the slender tom weaved through the bushes ahead. He seemed paler than the other cats, almost invisible. And yet he was there.
“Firestar?” Jayfeather breathed.
“Not quite,” Yellowfang mewed gently. “Five of his lives are here, but he won’t be able to hear or speak until his ninth life has joined us.”
Jayfeather watched the ghostly cat disappear behind an oak. Could Firestar feel his lives ebbing away? No. He shook off the thought. How could he stay such a strong leader if he did?
like...what??? No one ever talks about this, probably because of how little it ever comes into play, but HUH?? why did they bring it back after the first arc to do nothing with it beyond scare the pelt off of jayfeather???? It's so eldritch! I have questions!
What about evil leaders?? Was there just a misty brokenstar wandering the dark forest or do they get to stay in starclan until the final life because it's just plain irresponsible to let a basically unresponsive and on autopilot cat into hell?
What happens if you kill this like, soul slice??? Does it have an impact on the living cat? Does literally losing bits of your soul have an impact on the living cat? Like if eight of your nine lives are in Starclan that's gotta be like, really weird right??? If they do start out in the dark forest for evil what if they stopped doing evil? Do they remember anything?
Are they aware at all? Will the dead leader gain these starclan memories on death? Why can't they hear, I can kind of understand speak but why can they do everything else but hear? Does the soul splice knowing whats happening back in the clans, because like, the soul splice doesn't react at all to yellowfang or jayfeather so does the soul splice even have memories? Can they fight back? Do they try and find other ways to communicate? its kinda really fucked up!
I know no one talks about it because its both stupid and never relevant but I can't be the only one just like, fixated on this detail right? Like what are you talking about Why does a piece of their soul need to leave with each life, you're just healing the wounds or disease, why can't they just...keep it? Until the final death?
Though incredibly funny au potential for where due to how the lives supposedly work ashfur only possesses 1/9th of bramblestar because he's lame and hasn't died yet before this so there's only a small bit of soul room
I just need to know I'm not alone in thinking that this is like, horrifically eldritch right? potentially even somewhat i have no mouth and i must scream for the version of them in starclan especially if evil leaders do end up in the dark forest from the very start???