I have A Light in the Mist! [Spoiler Thread]

Poor Rootspring. :c Though, Smokehaze doesn't look like she faded away. She looks like she's still there.

This is so sad! I do think there will be a twist in ASC with Bristle though.

Everything surrounding her death is just odd. Not only does her spirit disappear, but so does her body next to the moonpool as she is sleeping.

It's also suspicious just how many times she is mentioned to be “gone.” it just all feels like a red herring to me, especially since we don't know how the dark forest truly works.

Its confirmed a million times in this book that she will never, ever return

Shadowsight wakes up and opens his eyes to see that the battle is over. He sees the StarClan and living cats look all excited, but still feels an emptiness in his chest. He realizes Bristlefrost is missing. He sees Violetshine’s and Stemleaf’s horror-stricken face and sees Rootspring’s muzzle pressed against the ground. His mouth growing dry, he knows he no longer has to ask and that the dark water had claimed her.

He asks Stemleaf what happened, who replies that Ashfur tried to kill him but Bristlefrost pushed and killed Ashfur and saved Shadowsight but she fell in too. Shadowsight feels dizzy and remembers Ashfur’s words about being no help to the Clans and being a liability, realizing that Ashfur was right.

Spiresight thanks Shadowsight for saving him, but Shadowsight tells him that he does not feel like a hero right now. Leafpool announces that they are done here and leads the way back into the long grass. The spirit cats follow, the rest of the patrol trailing behind. Grasytripe needs Firestar to help him up and is seen limping.

Violetshine has to nudge Rootspring to his paws and steer him. Shadowsight wants to go to him and apologize as she died saving him, but realizes he couldn’t push his own pain on Rootspring as he already had enough to carry on his own.

Maggottail asks if Leafpool wants them to follow, Silverhawk doubts it. Juniperclaw tells them they should at least say bye to them and thank them. He asks Shadowsight to come with them. Juniperclaw tells him he should ask Willowshine to look at his wounds. Juniperclaw lets the other Dark Forest cats go ahead of him before guiding Shadowsight after them. Shadowsight notes that Juniperclaw must still feel responsible for him as he died saving him. He tells Juniperclaw that he never got a chance to thank him for saving him as a kit and wished he could have the chance to thank Bristlefrost too. Juniperclaw says it is the least he could do to make up for what he did to SkyClan, looking ashamed after Shadowsight asks him if he means poisoning the fresh-kill pile. He says he did it because he thought it would end the arguments between the Clans but was actually a cowardly thing to do and he brought shame on his Clanmates.

Shadowsight knows how Juniperclaw is feeling, given how Ashfur used him and ShadowClan would as a result be remembered as the Clan who let Ashfur return to the living.

The patrol jump over the now-ditch where the pushed-down tree still lay and water used to be. Leafpool leads them to the forest. Shadowsight wonders if he really belongs with this patrol. The landscape that’s surrounds him suddenly feels empty and discolored. He realizes it is not the Dark Forest that changed, but himself. Juniperclaw asks him if he is coming but Shadowsight says he doesn’t belong with them. Juniperclaw tells him not to blame himself and that he risked his life to protect the cats he loved, the same decision as Bristlefrost made. He tells him that Ashfur would have found another way to harm the Clans if Shadowsight hadn’t listened to him and that it was seeing into the shadows that was the reason for Ashfur’s defeat, and not the reason for causing trouble.

Shadowsight asks him if he can see into the shadows because he belongs in them. When Juniperclaw asks him what he is talking about, he tells him that he doesn’t belong in the lake anymore and Ashfur changed him – that he and Ashfur are a part of each other and he feels like Ashfur emptied him out. He says he belongs in the darkness Ashfur created. Juniperclaw angrily calls him a fool and pins him down, telling him he must never think that way and the Dark Forest is getting to his head. Juniperclaw asserts that without Shadowsight, Ashfur could never have been defeated, and that even if he did harm the Clans in some way, he needs to go back to the lake and spend every day making up for what he did. Juniperclaw says he would give anything to have another chance.

Shadowsight says he thought Ashfur’s death would bring relief but he feels only emptiness. Juniperclaw says that is the feeling the Dark Forest gives to all cats and he has to struggle with that feeling every day, but once Shadowsight leaves, the feeling will fade.

Spiresight tells him the shadows are dispersing. The light in the path that was once a barrier was now so bright Shadowsight has to screw up his eyes. He pads closer and sees a long tunnel.

Leafpool says that before Ashfur, only StarClan cats had a path to travel to the Dark Forest but after Ashfur dug the tunnel there is a new connection that allows the Dark Forest to travel to StarClan and its too late to block it. Firestar notes they cant keep the tunnel unguarded as they need to avoid another Ashfur-like incident, Onestar agrees with him [whaaaaaaat?]. Maggottail and Silverhawk tell them they have been in the Dark Forest so long they aren’t interested in going to StarClan. Juniperclaw adds on to his sentence by saying …”unless we are invited of course”, showing that he was hoping to earn a place in StarClan. Firestar and Onestar exchange glances.

Leafpool looks at Shadowsight and asks him how he feels, they discuss his connection with Ashfur. Shadowsight tells her that its almost like he misses Ashfur, Leafpool says he doesn’t and that’s a feeling of absence, not loss and the emptiness will heal. She says he has fulfilled his destiny. She tells him that his Clan will only need him as a healer – he will never again have a connection with StarClan. He never did – his connection was with shadow, not light, and when Ashfur disappeared, he took the connection with him. He will never be able to share with StarClan again. Leafpool says that the part of his life seeing into the shadows is over and he can begin anew.

She lifts his tail from his flank and he feels a massive weight lifting. He realizes he has fulfilled his destiny. He realizes he is free. Spiresight says that the shadows are gone. Shadowsight thanks him and notes that the guardian cat had always belonged in StarClan and hopes that both of them would now walk in the light.

So it feels like Shadowsight could have kept a connection to Starclan if not for Ashfur. That said, I like how understanding and gentle Leafpool is in this scene - where she pretty much explains he doesn't need Starclan to be a good healer.

I really like Shadowsight. And I really feel for him

Rootspring stares blankly at the light in the tunnel. He feels no joy that the barrier is gone, as Bristlefrost is dead and would never see what she had died for.

Grasytripe asks Firestar if he is allowed through, who responds that living cats are not normally allowed through, but he will make an exception. The entire Clan patrol has earned a chance to see StarClan. Juniperclaw pads forward, his eyes full of hope. Firestar tells him that Dark Forest cats are forbidden from entering StarClan. Juniperclaw defends being a noble warrior and honoring StarClan, and Firestar accepts that since he fought bravely they will make an exception, but warned that after seeing StarClan, the Dark Forest would be harder to bear. Juniperclaw eagerly stares at the tunnel and cant wait to see it despite his warning, and knows that he must stay in the Dark Forest and only wants to see StarClan once. The memory of StarClan would make staying in the Dark Forest easier to bear for him.

The other Dark Forest cats reject Firestar’s offer for them to see StarClan, saying it would be worse to see what they are missing and want to go home. Silverhawk thanks Firestar for their help and apologizes about Bristlefrost’s fate.

They follow Leafpool to StarClan, Rootspring hesitating as he is worried Bristlefrost wont be there. Violetshine and Juniperclaw encourage him to come. The Clan patrol looks around StarClan with eagerness and wonder. Grasytripe reunites with Millie and Briarlight, much to Silverstream’s jealousy, telling Feathertail to leave them in peace. Feathertail, however, is looking at Crowfeather standing close to Leafpool, with an annoyed expression. Pebbleshine and Violetshine reunite. Leafpool and Crowfeather warmly talk close together.

Rootspring is in disappointment as he cant find Bristlefrost, Firestar is sympathetic and tells him she is gone forever, apologizing. After grieving some more, he decides to grieve later, blinking back tears, and joins the Clan patrol. Leafpool shows them how they communicate with the living world.

Mistystar angrily asks Gray Wing why they let Ashfur in StarClan. Skystar defends him and says they were all to blame, Gray Wing saying they decided to give Ashfur another chance, much to Crowfeather and Juniperclaw’s anger. Onestar defends the StarClan cats, Firestar admitting sometimes they are wrong.

Rootspring asks if it is possible to change their decision once its been made and says Snowtuft saved his life and sacrificed himself to save them from Ashfur. StarClan says cats are judged by what they did in their lifetime and it is no use being sorry afterwards.

Rootspring suggest that the warrior code should be changed as everyone must have broken it. Firestar says no system is perfect and they try to be as fair as they can be, Onestar saying they consider not whether they broke it, but why. Graystripe, Leafpool, Crowfeather and Violetshine all support Rootspring on changing the code. Violetshine suggests to choose and focus on the rules that are most important. Gray Wing sharply replies they cant just pick and choose which parts of they code they like.

Rootpsring notes that Ashfur used the code to harm them, Leafpool adding on about while some rules are vital for well-being of the Clans, others are just gestures of respect. Rootspring says the code isn’t about rules, its about not being selfish. Firesta agrees, but looks at Juniperclaw and says that a Clan strengthened by deceit/dishonesty and takes advantage of a weaker Clan, is not truly strong and only the weak cheat.

Leafpool says the warrior code is like a living thing and needs to change and grow. She says that they don’t need to change it – they need to reorder it.

Graystripe says that defending ALL the Clans should be first, Firestar nods ands continues with, “each Clan still has the right to be proud and independent.”. Needletail then says a honorable warrior does not need to kill to win battles. Silverstream offers that elders and kits are to be fed first. Onestar saying a Gathering of peace needs to be held every moon, Redtail saying not warrior may neglect a kit in danger. They continue reordering the code, and Skystar asks if the boundaries rule comes last now. Gray Wing admits it should have come last all along., Skystar conceding. After Shadowsight brings it up, temleaf pointing out Ashfur’s reign, Firestar says there must be a way to challenge a leader and the Clans should think about it and come up with a plan to get rid of a bad leader. Mistystar tells them they will start discussing it at the next moon.

Crowfeather points out there is no clear rule about relationships between cats from different Clans. Mistystar rejects a possible rule for this, but Rootspring defends him by stating he loved Bristlefrost and would have joined ThunderClan if he and Bristlefrost returned safely. Mistystar sympathizes with him but says that different Clan-relationships would undermine every Clan. Rootspring and Stemleaf argue. They decide to have the living cats have 3 moons to decide on a method to allow cats to switch Clans.

Skystar smells evil and suggests that some cat should guard it at all times for their entire life. Juniperclaw happily volunteers.

Graystripe suddenly lurches and the grass below him glistens with blood. Silverstream fetches moss, Shadowisght saying it should hold until he gets home. Graystripe says its okay and that he has lived a long life. Firestar tells him he is welcome in StarClan whenever he arrives and hopes he will be the last warrior he ever sees and that he is his best friend. Grasytripe tells him he always did talk like a sloppy old kittypet.

Yikes the butchering of Gray Wing, Firestar, Silverstream and Feathertail is so off...

I mean, apparently Feathertail is the only one holding onto FeatherCrow.

The scene of Leafpool and Crowfeather make it VERY clear that they plan to be together in Starclan...especially given he defends cross clan relationships with Rootspring

That makes two of us crying!

Did anybody ever find out what the “You can’t say No just because I’m your [kin]” quote was? I was curious to know the context