“Maybe you are like the shadow covering the sun, and one day you will cover the stars in the sky, so that the cats see you instead of StarClan.”

Hollypaw gasped. “Does that mean we’ll be dead?”

Sol shook his head. “Of course not,” he meowed. “You’ll just be more powerful than your warrior ancestors. The light will return, just like the sun came back, but it will be your light, and yours to control.”

Our light?

Jaypaw looked like a startled mouse, his tail sticking straight out behind him.

“B-but if we control the light…” Hollypaw searched for the words to describe the fear rising inside her. Nothing made sense right now. It was all upside down. “If we control the light…”

Sol leaned forward, as though willing her to speak.

“What about the warrior code?” she mewed at last. “How will it fit in?”

“However you want it to,” Sol meowed simply. “You will have the power to destroy the code, or preserve it. It’s up to you.”

Destroy the code!

Hollypaw felt dizzy. “We can’t be more powerful than the code,” she whispered.

Jaypaw padded in front of her. “Sol.” He looked up at the tom. “You must come back with us.” His mew was urgent. “We need you to be our mentor.”

“Me?” Sol paused for a moment to wrap his tail neatly over his paws. “You don’t need me. The prophecy will take care of itself.” He made it sound like the simplest thing in the world.

“But you know so much more than the others,” Jaypaw insisted. “You knew the sun was going to vanish. You must be able to help us.”

“But I can’t possibly live in your territory,” Sol pointed out. “Firestar would never allow it.”

Lionpaw stepped forward, eyes shining. “You could live just outside it, though.” A bat fluttered above them. “We could build you a den and visit you every day and bring food.”

Hollypaw was still swimming against the tide of fear lapping at her. More powerful than the code! She felt Jaypaw nudging her.

“You want him to come, don’t you?” he mewed.

She heard herself answer. “W-won’t it be hard to keep up with our apprentice duties?” Her common sense worked her tongue while her mind still reeled. What might this stranger show them? They had learned nearly everything their mentors had to teach, yet there was room for so much more. And if they were really destined to be more powerful than the warrior code, they were going to need much greater guidance.

“Please come!” Jaypaw begged.

Sol glanced at the Twoleg nest, wrinkling his nose. “Very well.”

Hollypaw stared at him in surprise. How had he changed his mind so quickly? “Really?” She gasped, relief flooding her.

Sol nodded. “How can I ignore the prophecy? You have asked for my help to walk your true path.”

Jaypaw bounced onto the stone trail. “Let’s go!”