“Live your life to the fullest, kid.”

The words still ring in his mind, even now. But something is wrong. He keeps seeing a cat that looks so familiar in the edges of his blurring vision day by day, but now, he sees them more clearly than ever.

The brown fur, tabby markings, and the kind of terrifying look in her star-filled eyes… it’s Mudthrift. Auntie Mud, as he used to call her. He weakly looked up at her as she said one thing.

“It’s time to go.”

Vortexcurl was distraught. He hadn’t even lived, but he couldn’t process it before the starry cat grabbed him by the scruff and pulled his starry spirit out of his body.

“I’m… sorry. I’m sorry you had to go this way. We were family in a way. But…”

Mudthrift wandered over to Cinnamonpuddle, who was just starting to wake up.

“Momma’s ok. She’s strong. They won’t get her.”

“…They?”

“Our deaths weren’t accidents. Far from accidents.”

Cinnamonpuddle perked up, mumbling something about a strange smell. She pulled herself out of the nest and started sniffing around… before her eyes landed on a horrible sight.

Swashbuckler’s jaw was getting infected and Vortexcurl was unresponsive. She touched Vortexcurl’s shoulder. It felt cold. Too cold…

…

“SKUASHRIEK! CREVASSERISE!”

Vortexcurl couldn’t survive his broken back.

Swashbuckler’s broken jaw is getting infected…

Cinnamonpuddle’s lungs are no longer full of water.

(Mudthrift: A medium-furred striped light brown she-cat)

(Vortexcurl: A medium-furred white and striped orange tom (PC: Body Biter))

(Swashbucker: A short-furred mottled brown tom)

A rustle came from the bushes that the paw prints led to. Mudthrift unsheathed her claws, watching as piercing orange eyes revealed themselves, then a white and black cat. Mudthrift knew that with his sly smile as she looked down at her, he was not meant to be trusted. Was that collar of his… lined with teeth?

“Hmm… seems like we finally found the cats that want to kill the stars. You better watch where you’re going, kit. If you don’t turn back now and face the truth, then you’ll be dead.” The tom sneered at Mudthrift as he spoke.

Mudthrift snapped back “…Eskerstar already tried threats! I’m not falling for this again! Just tell me where your clan is so I can avoid it!”

“Esker…star? That coward doesn’t even have what it takes to be a leader! And we’re no clan, you should have learned that by now!”

Mudthrift really didn’t want to deal with this right now… she tackled the larger cat, trying to pin him down… but the larger cat just kicked her off of him.

“You know you gotta pin the back legs too… but why should I be even wasting my breath on a kittypet like you? You’re not one who can actually kill the stars… but we have plans for you since you want to defend them. You’re not gonna come back learning anything… if you even come back at all.”

Mudthrift got back onto her paws, ready to strike again, but before she could, another cat pinned HER down! Mudthrift tried to get her off, but she wasn’t budging…

“Hidden Potential, do you grant me permission?” The new cat said.

“You have my permission, Double Life. This cat is a threat and should not be kept alive.”

After hearing those words, Mudthrift felt a sharp pain in her neck as blood quickly poured out from a fresh claw-wound that this so-called Double Life inflicted. It felt like hours… days… weeks… but everything eventually drifted into silence as her vision went black…

Mudthrift was killed by a rogue ambush upon following suspicious paw prints on Lightclan’s territory.

(Mudthrift: A medium-furred striped light brown she-cat)

(“Hidden Potential”: A short-furred white and black tom wearing a rainbow collar with dog teeth)