Chapter 1
The dark grey tom strolled across this new stretch of land to his mate, Shade. Shade was a black she-cat and when they were kitty-pets, they lived together and they loved each other very much.
"How's the prey running?" asked Shade, and she looked at him affectionately as he meowed,
"Not so good, and I don't know if cats trust me to lead them against these wild cat clans."
He was very serious, though the gleam of amusement in Shade's eyes made him melt into a mrrow of laughter. He was very happy to have her there, though life in the land of mystery made him upset, and their effort to teach their young was very much in vain, he was grateful for what he had.
"Night, have you ever thought of doing the same thing the other cats are doing?" she asked, "You know, making a Clan?"
Night was shocked at this proposal, of course, it would be sensible saying that he was a part of the clans, so cats from other places would be intimidated and stay away. Though he wasn't sure he knew the laws of the clans, and he didn't really know their function.
"Well, not really," he admitted "I just don't really know what they do. If I did, then I would tell them and they probably wouldn't be so nasty to us." Night knew they have had battles before, and every time the clans won, except for the most recent time. Suddenly he felt a pang of exhaustion, and said,
"I really just need a good night's sleep." He opened his jaw to emit a huge yawn and then meowed, "I'll sleep on it and see what I think in the morning, and maybe we could talk to the clans and learn their ways." Shade meowed in agreement and set up a makeshift bed beside him and they both drifted into sleep.
Soon enough he opened his eyes only to be in front of a huge clearing, bright like the stars, with plenty of cats. Some of the cats' smell he recognized as the clans he lived next to and he almost said something, but it was like his jaw was glued shut.
He watched as eight of the cats in the clearing stepped forward and looked at him expectantly. Two of them were orange tabbies, one a she-cat and one a tom. The other two were very wiry toms and had big ears and long tails, and the two after that were very different. One was a blue-gray she-cat with icy blue eyes and the other was a flame colored tom with green eyes like emeralds. The others were both toms, and one was a brown tabby with a ragged, matted pelt and a scar on his right flank. The next was a cream colored tom with huge black paws and it looked as if he couldn't sheathe his back claws. The blue-gray she-cat stepped forward and looked at him smoothly.
"We are the cats of StarClan, the warrior ancestors of the clans you live beside." She meowed, "My name is Bluestar, and I am a former leader of ThunderClan. My cats have battled you and scorned you, but that will be no longer. I am here to tell you that you will become a clan, NightClan." Night was very taken aback by this and suddenly he was able to speak.
"What?" He meowed his surprise. "Who are you?" Bluestar stepped forward, not answering his question, but explained what would happen.
She taught him everything about the warrior code: the rituals, the traditions, and what it meant to be a warrior.
"It is time you will wake up and then tell your clanmates this plan. You must go to the Moonpool, the place for sharing tongues with us and receive the name Nightstar and then receive your nine lives, tomorrow. I know this is a lot, but you must trust us, this is the only way to protect the ones you love." She backed away and finished up the dream with, "You will meet with the clans in about four sunrises, but don't worry, we have warned them about you and they will meet in peace on the island over the lake. There is a log to take you there, and you must continue this meeting in peace every full moon, and you are to share the news and progress of your clan with the other leaders. I believe that is enough for now."
Suddenly they all faded and drifted away. Night woke with a start. No, he thought, I have to do this. Tomorrow I will be known as Nightstar, the leader of NightClan.
Night woke up and prodded Shade on the shoulder. He needed her help if he was going to get the whole of the cats in the new land together so he could tell them about his dream. Shade woke up and yawned until her jaw trembled. Night explained what he needed to do, everything about the warrior code, the Moonpool, his nine lives, and what to do about being the new clan in the forest: NightClan.
"I don't know if this is a good idea," she meowed, "but I will help. I know it will help all of the rest of us from being torn apart by those savages. How ironic? We are becoming one to!" Even though what she said was dark, she had a spark of mischief in her eyes. Night suddenly felt a burst of pride, for he would be the new leader of a clan, and the clan was named after him! No, he thought, I have to think about the best for my new clan, not for my interests.
"So you'll help me round them up?" he meowed, "And help me with what I need?" Shade only nodded in agreement and then they set off.
It was a few hours before they all got together, and Night figured it would be best to address them from a large rock with a fallen log on the side, and some ferns growing around the back so any cat could enter as if in a den. Everyone looked at him expectantly and some even looked annoyed.
"All cats," he meowed at last, "I am here to tell you about a dream I had last night. I was taken into the world of StarClan, the warrior ancestors of the clans around us. In the dream one of the leaders of the clans told me that we will form a clan." He was expecting protestant yowls and caterwauls, but frank interest came from the crowd below him.
"What's all this about StarClan?" said a small tabby tom with a short stubby tail, and yellow eyes. "Are we going to believe or mistrust them?" He was not hostile, just interested and he even seemed to know the point of this.
"We are going to trust them and I believe they are telling the truth about how we don't stand a chance if we don't unite against them and become a clan of our own," meowed Night, "and I know how we can. Our clan will be called NightClan and we will be the warriors of the night. Cunning and keen with plenty of our sharp fighting skills, and, today at sunhigh, I will travel to the Moonpool. That is the place where warriors get to share tongues with StarClan and the leaders of new clans get to have nine lives to live long. StarClan will show me the way." He was satisfied when murmurs of agreement broke out among the crowd.
"Let's start with the herb cat." He said and he was suddenly unsure of his power to lead his new clan. He shook off the feeling and meowed, "I need to choose a medicine cat, you know, a cat to learn about herbs and help heal the sick and the injured. To learn these abilities, they must come to the Moonpool with me and get their powers from StarClan."
Night looked among the cats for volunteers, and suddenly a small orange tabby with a battle-scarred muzzle looked up and said she would. Night looked at her and completely understood. She was not a battling cat and she was always gentle and looked for ways out of fights.
"Right." he meowed. Night knew he must choose a deputy who was experienced and and was going to be a good next-leader. His gaze fell on a big muscular dark grey colored tabby tom with broad shoulders and a wound in his right shoulder. He knew this tom well by the name of Storm, and they were pretty good friends. "By the powers of StarClan," he was reciting the ritual for naming a new deputy of a clan. "I say this in front of the warrior ancestors so they may hear and approve my choice. Storm will be the new deputy of NightClan. I give him his warrior name, Stormheart." Stormheart was surrounded by congratulating mews and then Night said after the silence had died down,
"Now I will give a few other warrior names." He chose about four warriors plus the medicine cat to give their full name. "I say these words before the powers of StarClan so they can approve my choice of this name." Night looked at Shade and she was bursting with pride. "Shade, you will be known as Shadepelt from now until you join StarClan." Shadepelt was surrounded the same with mews of happiness and the sound of cats calling her new name. "I also say before StarClan the new names of these three cats. I hope that they will serve us loyally as full members of the clan. Soot, Dropsy and Spots, you will be known as from this point on as Sootwhisker, Rainclaw, and Spottedfur." Night stepped down and let his cats congratulate them and said while he was in the grass
"When Mouse gets her powers of a medicine cat, she will need a full name. Mouse, you will be known as Mousepelt, the new medicine cat of NightClan." He walked to her and thanked her for volunteering to be a medicine cat.
When everyone was done with congratulating the new warriors and medicine cats, Night took Mousepelt and he told the clan to stay under Stormheart's control. He was going to the Moonpool to receive his nine lives from StarClan. This is it, he told himself, I am going to receive the gift of StarClan.
It was a long walk into the ThunderClan territory, and Night felt very nervous about it. Trespassing in an enemy territory? What would become of him and Mousepelt? He tried not to think about it, but it kept creeping in his mind like a pack of snakes. Somehow in the back of his mind he knew where to go, and he didn't even doubt it.
Soon enough, without speaking he made it to the Moonpool and he knew he was there because of the indentions in the rock floor surrounding a still, shining water with the reflection of the moon in it. The indentions must have been from ancient cats here before, and it gave him a sense of security.
"Is this it?" Mousepelt asked, "The Moonpool?" Night nodded and Mousepelt asked one more question.
"What are we supposed to do?" She meowed, "Wade in it?" Night let out an amused mrrow of laughter and said:
"No." he licked his paw and drew it over his ears a few times to try to think. Suddenly he remembered. "We are supposed to lie down beside it and dip our muzzles in it and we will fall asleep." Mousepelt just nodded and went first. She did what he had said and she suddenly fell into a deep slumber. Night was a bit nervous, but he did as he was supposed to. Night dipped his nose into the still water and suddenly blackness surrounded him.
He woke in a starry clearing and there were hundreds, of thousands of cats infront of him. There were the eight he remembered from the first time here, and plenty of other cats. The blue-gray she cat called Bluestar was the first to rise and start talking.
"Welcome to the gathering place of StarClan." Bluestar meowed. "We are here to give you the nine lives of a full leader, thus accepting the name Nightstar." Bluestar padded toward him and touched her muzzle to his forehead.
"With this life," she meowed, "I give you ambition. Use it to protect your clan and do it justice."
Night felt a ripping spasm go through him and he almost collapsed. This was not what he was expecting and he had to clench his teeth to not yowl his pain aloud.
The fiery tabby tom beside her rose and padded toward him. Oh no, he thought, they are going to do this nine times! Will I ever get through this night? The tabby touched his muzzle to his forehead as Bluestar had done.
"I am Firestar. With this life," he meowed, "I give you confidence. Use it well to lead your clan through thick and thin."
Suddenly, Night felt a surge of pain again and it was replaced at the end with a calm feeling like water being stilled. Finally it began to ebb away and the cat beside Firestar was padding towards him. He was an elderly dark brown tom with a scar on his flank and his muzzle was white with age. He had a matted pelt which was very thick and ragged.
"My name is Raggedstar." He rasped. "With this life, I give you fierceness, use it to protect your clan like a father protects his kits. " Night was expecting this jolt and he felt the worst pain he had felt in ages. Like cats were ripping their claws down his body and he almost lashed out as if he was in battle.
The cat beside where Raggedstar sat was very big and muscular. He had a creamy flowing coat with huge black paws. He recognized this cat from the first time he dreamt. He padded over and rested his muzzle on his forehead.
"I am Blackstar." He said, "I give you with this life, strength. Use it to be protective and fight off anything that opposes you."
Night wasn't surprised when the jolt of pain went through his body and almost yowled aloud. When it began to ebb, he thought he couldn't take anymore and reminded himself, only five more. This time a wiry cat with black patches on his white pelt and a scarred muzzle came towards him. He had big, tall ears with a very long tail and he guessed this cat was from Windclan because you would need that very long tail to run fast. The elderly tom rested his muzzle on his head and gave him his next life.
"I am Tallstar." He said with a slightly raspy voice. "With this life, I give you tireless energy. Use it to run to your clans needs and be of great service to your clan." Night wasn't expecting this joyousness of running through midair. He felt as if he was the fastest cat in the world.
Another cat beside Tallstar got up and strolled to him. He was a light brown tabby with a white chest and a torn ear. He came up to him and rested his muzzle on his head.
"I am Onestar." He meowed, "With this life I give you happiness. Use it to be in the best of moods and be optimistic in the greatest times of trouble." Night felt as if he would explode with joy. This life was definitely his favorite, but as it ebbed away, it was replaced with great sadness.
The cat sitting a little farther from Onestar was an old tom with a twisted jaw and a scar on his left eye. He was a dark ginger tabby with a light pink muzzle with which he rested on Night's head.
"I am Crookedstar." He rasped. "With this life I give you the ability of speech. Use it to speak out against what you think is wrong, and use it to speak for what you think is right."
He didn't know what this life would bring. It was a mixture of happiness and the deepest depression. When it ebbed he was happy to think only two more lives next. The spotted cat beside Crookedstar was a light ginger tabby she-cat with darker ginger flecks among her pelt. Her right eye had a scar and she looked very serious.
"I am Leopardstar." She said, almost so loud that he had to flick his ears. "With this life, I give you justice. Use it to understand the cats of your clan and make right choices." He felt another jolt of pain, similar to the first one he had felt. He was relieved when it ebbed and he wondered, Who will give me my ninth life?
Suddenly, a pretty silver tabby she-cat appeared in front of him. He thought that she looked familiar to him, when suddenly it struck him. Rain! She was the tabby he first fell in love with and she died getting hit by a monster.
"Remember me?" She asked him.
"How could I forget?" he said, "I don't know how I ever found love after your death."
"I'm glad you did." She mewed. "I bet you are wondering why I am in StarClan. Remember what I told you about the heavenly warriors in the sky? I always believed, even though you thought it was mouse-brained." There was no hostility in her voice, just genuine love.
"I love you." She whispered. "Which is why with this life, I give you the gift of love. Use it to give your full affection to your clan and the others you love." He felt a calming peace and he was suddenly wrapped in darkness. He tried calling out, then opened his eyes and realized where he was. Mousepelt was pacing beside him and she said,
"Thank StarClan!" She meowed, "I thought you were half dead! Did it work? Did you receive nine lives and the name Nightstar?" He nodded and she then let out an exasperated sigh. This is it. He thought. I am Nightstar, the leader of NightClan.