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Golden ribbons of light flowed across the crimson painted sky. It seemed to reflect in the gently rolling landscapes, except there was one difference.

It was covered in blood. The red substance and bits of shimmering fur littered the ground. Everything was still. Then a shadow flickered near the base of a hill. A sleek form slipped out of the gloom creeping up the mound, glancing around in disbelief.

The cat's bright bengal pelt bristled as her paws swept the ground. A faint glow surrounded her form, but otherwise her eyes were shaded and stance hunched. "Oh StarClan," she murmured, gazing around wistfully at her blood-soaked surroundings. "What have we come to?"

"Martineye."

The bengal's gaze darkened as she whipped her head around to face the speaker. His bright yellow eyes and smoky tabby pelt melted into the fog encroaching on the land. "Driftdeer." She glowered at him. "What are you doing here? As a medicine cat, you should be at the healer quarters. It's not like you can do anything to heal the cats - they're already dead. How many?" She curled her claws into the tufty grass, unaware of even unsheathing them in the first place.

"The numbers aren't important," Driftdeer meowed flatly, his musical voice somewhat dampened. "StarClan shouldn't be fighting. We're the honoured ancestors of the Clans."

"I don't feel so honoured when we've been blocked from ValleyClan. FallowClan isn't listening to us, but it's better than completely being muted." Martineye heaved a sigh, her gaze traveling once more across the land. "The land won't heal," she whispered, fury flickering across her gaze. "It's been scorched by hate, beaten by the many claws of betrayal. In StarClan it isn't supposed to be claws at each other's throats. This isn't the StarClan I know."

Driftdeer's reply caught in his throat as he gazed around the large expanse of bloodied grass. "I'm afraid StarClan might never heal. So many have died a second time, fading away. We aren't supposed to do this to each other!" The healer crouched down, his claws digging into the grassy earth.

A gentle breeze brushed the battlefield, but Martineye drew back as the wind wafted the scent of blood and icy death towards her. Driftdeer winced and flicked his tail-tip towards a nearby forest. The leafy tops of the trees were rustling, and the sound unnerved Martineye.

"You're just paranoid after the battle," Driftdeer observed quietly. "It's safe. I'm not sure if StarClan will battle again, but for now everyone is recovering." He led the way, striding confidently, though his eyes flicked to the sides of the well-trodden path as of searching for an enemy.

Deciding not to comment on this, Martineye stayed close behind him, her whiskers twitching worriedly. The scent of the earth masked the death clogging her lungs, and she took deeper breaths, her steps planted more firmly. The tree trunks were large and towered over them, bright green leaves cascading down them.

"So," Driftdeer started nervously, his fur bristling as he stepped on an exceptionally crackly leaf.

"So . . . ?" the bengal growled, her ears flattened against her head as a mouse scrambled out of the nearby bushes and scampered across the ground. Her mouth watered - but now was not the time to hunt.

"So, what will we do about StarClan? It's either unite or stay apart and fight." The tomcat shook out his short grey pelt and sighed. "I hear they are putting out borders. StarClan shouldn't have borders."

Martineye nodded her agreement, silent, thinking. "But why did it happen?" she started carefully. "I just don't understand how this could have happened."

"That, I'm not sure of. We could ask one of the higher-ups, I'm sure they'll tell us something at least," he suggested, sliding out his claws as the shadows deeper into the forest contorted as they passed.

Martineye wrinkled her nose, her golden shoulder-fur bristling as she contemplated the idea. "When has Endless Echo ever cared about telling us anything. She and Meaningful Light only keep to themselves and like to watch us struggle." Her lips pulled back into a snarl, the words sprouting from her frustration. "When have they showed any sign of wanting us to stop?"

A wispy glow surrounded them as Martineye finished, and they watched in utter bewilderment as it formed into a sleek cat with a sweeping tail and fluffed up ears.

"Meaningful Light is dead." The spirit gave a chuckle that chilled Martineye's body. Driftdeer paled under the bright moonlight streaming through the trees. Something was wrong.

Moonlight? Martineye looked around. It was just sunrise.

"Oh," purred the spirit in a falsely warm voice. "It seems you've travelled through dimensions without realizing."

"Dimensions?" Driftdeer hissed. "Not possible." His grey fur bushed up but Martineye shook her head and nodded at the bright moon. "No. No. No. No."

Her heart pounding and her breathing shallow, Martineye meowed weakly, "Driftdeer. Please don't tell me that we walked in the left path. Path by sunrise, dimension at moonrise, for where you put your paws, left behind is your home. We've made a big mistake, you mouse-brain."

Driftdeer gasped as an idea dawned on him. "If this is a different spirit dimension, does that not mean a different life dimension?" He stared absentmindedly at the spirit, who gave a chuckle of mirth. "We could convince ValleyClan to believe in StarClan and this might all be avoided."

The spirit tilted his head backwards, and the voice cane again, ghostly yet so solid. "My dear Lost, who ever said this was a past dimension?"

Martineye felt the world collapse. Her ears were stuffed with falling skies, the clouds making her brain fuzzy and then -

Everything went black as night.

An escape.