Mistystar's Omen is a novella from the The Untold Stories collection that takes place during the events of Fading Echoes.
The story begins with Mistyfoot and Leopardstar sitting near the lake. The water has returned, but Leopardstar worries that the fish may not, and she's bitter about the deaths of Rippletail (who had been killed by beavers on his journey) and three of the Clan elders. Mistyfoot worries about Leopardstar, who has had an incurable illness for quite some time. Leopardstar ends up collapsing, and she is brought back to the camp. Mistyfoot and Mothwing can both tell that Leopardstar's in bad shape.
When Mothwing goes to fetch some herbs, Mistyfoot and Leopardstar speak. Leopardstar apologizes to Mistyfoot for her past actions: joining TigerClan and allowing Stonefur's death. She says Mistyfoot has had a hard life, since she lost three of her kits. Leopardstar is a bit regretful that she'd never had kits of her own, and she says that she would have been proud to call Mistyfoot her daughter. The two fall asleep, and Leopardstar is dead when Mistyfoot awakens. Mistyfoot feels that she's not ready to lead the Clan, especially since she's so old, but she calls a Clan meeting and announces Leopardstar's death. The Clan talks for a while, Mistyfoot decides that she will go to the Moonpool the following day after they hold vigil for Leopardstar. She decides that the best thing for the Clan right now will be to continue their duties, so she sends off some patrols. Willowshine offers to come to the Moonpool ("As it's your first time sharing tongues with our ancestors, I thought you'd like more company"), but Mistyfoot declines, thinking that Willowshine is overeager to prove herself as medicine cat.
That night, Mistyfoot names her deputy: Reedwhisker. There's a little bit of critisism since he's her son, but Mothwing assures her it's the right choice. The Clan says their goodbyes, including Mistyfoot, who uses a line that Graypool used to send them to sleep as kits: "May the sun warm your back and the fish leap into your paws." Stonefur appears behind her and wishes her well, and before he fades he warns her she'll need great courage. Mistyfoot is worried that this means that there's trouble coming for the Clan, and decides to leave for the Moonpool immediately.
Mothwing wishes Mistyfoot good luck before she falls asleep for the nine-lives ceremony. The first cat Mistyfoot sees in StarClan is Graypool, who gives her a life for loving each cat in her Clan as if they were her own kit. The second cat is Stonefur, who gives her a life for treating all cats equally. Mistyfoot's former apprentice Feathertail is the third cat; she gives her a life for accepting her duty. When Feathertail speaks of some things being beyond their control, Mistyfoot worries again for the future. She doesn't have much time to think about it, though, since Crookedstar is the next cat, giving her a life for wisdom and strength to carry the burden of leadership. The fifth life is given by Oakheart, a life with the courage to follow her heart. Bluestar gives her the sixth life: a life for doing what is right, however hard that may be. Mistyfoot tells her that she now understands that Bluestar only ever tried to do what was right. The seventh life is given by Silverstream - a life for finding happiness - and Rippletail gives her the eighth: a life for curiosity and learning what is beyond the next horizon. Mistyfoot looks around for the cat to give her ninth life, and hears a squeak at her paws: one of her lost kits, a little black tom named Perchkit, is there. He gives her a life for bravery. StarClan calls Mistyfoot by her leader name, and Mistystar's other lost kits - Pikepaw and Primrosepaw - greet her. Mistystar wakes up, and Mothwing asks if she's okay. Mistystar thinks back to her ceremony, and realizes Mothwing wasn't there. Mothwing explains that StarClan doesn't exist for her like they do for Mistystar, and Mistystar realizes that this means that, even though she's a medicine cat, Mothwing doesn't believe in StarClan. Mothwing explains that she can still heal her Clanmates, and that she simply believes differently.
The two leave the Moonpool in silence. They drop in on ThunderClan and WindClan on the way back in order to share their news. When they get home, Reedwhisker offers to pass along the news to ShadowClan, and Mistyfoot is glad she doesn't have to face Blackstar; he was the one who killed Stonefur, and she still feels the pain of his death every time she looks at him. Mistystar goes out alone with Willowshine the next morning and tells her that she knows. Willowshine insists that Mothwing is still a good mentor. Mistystar talks to Mothwing herself next. Mothwing is a bit upset that Mistystar questioned her apprentice, since she doesn't feel that her faith affects the way she teaches Willowshine. Mistystar points out that part of being a medicine cat is their relationship with StarClan, and that it was a lie to hide it from the Clan. She informs Mothwing that she can no longer consider herself a medicine cat, though she hasn't decided what to do with her just yet.
Over the next few days, the prey continues to be scarce from the drought, and Mistystar wonders if it's a punishment from StarClan for Mothwing's lack of faith. What little prey they've been able to find runs across the border into WindClan territory, nearly resulting in a fight. When Mistystar notices Mothwing sending Willowshine to the Moonpool at half-moon - and realizes that she'd been making similar exuses for moons - she makes up her mind, and tells Mothwing to retire within the next moon. The two continue to treat each other coldly. Mistystar notices that Hollowpaw and Rushpaw have been spending a lot of time away from the camp and not eating much, and hopes they're not getting into trouble.
The prey situation gradually improves. One day, Rushpaw and Hollowpaw get themselves cornered by dogs in a Twolegplace just outside the territory. Mistystar and a patrol save them, but Reedwhisker gets badly injured. The apprentices explain that they'd only been looking for kittypet food; they wanted to help the Clan by eating that and leaving prey for other cats. They take Reedwhisker back home, and Mistystar refuses to let Mothwing treat him because she's no longer a medicine cat. Naturally, the Clan is confused. Stonefur appears to Mistystar and tells her to trust her instincts; she knows in her heart that Mothwing should be helping. Mistystar notices a moth emerging from a cocoon and learning to fly on its own, and takes it as a sign from Stonefur that Mothwing should be medicine cat. She apologizes to Mothwing, who agrees to help Reedwhisker. Mistystar runs all the way to the Moonpool; she wishes to speak with Stonefur. Instead, she is visited by Mudfur, who reveals he'd known all along about Mothwing's lack of faith, but hadn't done anything because being a medicine cat is first and foremost about serving the Clan.
Mistystar is awakened by Mothwing standing behind her. Reedwhisker is going to be fine. Mistystar is surprised that Mothwing comes to the Moonpool for peace and to think, even though she doesn't believe in StarClan. Mothwing gives a short speech on how she believes in caring for her Clanmates. Mistystar is reminded again of the moth that learned to fly alone, and comments that she's learned a lot from it. The story ends with the two friends deciding to rest before heading home.
Tropes appearing in this novella:
- A Day in the Limelight: The only story from Mistystar's POV.
- "Down Here!" Shot: Mistystar is about to receive her ninth leader's life. She looks around and doesn't see anyone, and is confused because she knows she has one more life to get yet. She hears a squeak, looks down, and sees that the ninth cat is her son who died as a young kit.
- Internal Reveal: The readers have known for ages that Mothwing doesn't believe in StarClan, but it's a huge reveal to Mistystar and provides the main drama of the book.
- Killed Off for Real: Leopardstar loses her ninth life in this book.
- Like a Son to Me: Leopardstar mentions in her final words that Mistyfoot was like a daughter to her.
- Life Will Kill You: Leopardstar is an ambitious and occasionally antagonistic cat who first appears in the second book and is one of the more prominent RiverClan characters, especially after becoming its leader. She ends up living long (more than 10 years, which is amazing for the setting) and dying of diabetes (per the authors).
- Nepotism: Mistystar is criticized for choosing her own son as her deputy.
- Ruler Protagonist: The book focuses on Mistystar becoming RiverClan's leader, and quickly having to make decisions that may determine the future of her Clan: who her deputy should be, and whether Mothwing can continue serving as the Clan's medicine cat.
- Series Continuity Error:
- Pouncetail remembers living in the old forest and claims he misses Stonefur. Pouncetail first appeared as an apprentice in The Sight, so he would be too young for that.
- Mistyfoot tells Icewing, "You're allowed to rest as much as you want after journeying to the beavers' dam." Icewing did not travel to the beavers' dam in The Fourth Apprentice; Rippletail and Petalfur did.
- Spoiler Title: Mistystar's Omen reveals to readers who haven't read Fading Echoes that Mistyfoot becomes a leader.
