I've always wondered what happened at Tigerstar's Nine Lives ceremony. Was StarClan made at him? Here's whatI think happened.
Diclaimer-Warriors are owned and raised by Erin Hunter. Not me.
Tigerstar
Tigerclaw's fur bristled fearfully along his spine as he followedThe ShadowClan medicine cat's scent through the the narrow tunnel to the moonstone. He remembered the lst time he had been in this place : with that kittypet Fireheart and his fromer leader Bluestar. He had fled from the tunnel in fear that time. But now he had to make the whole journey through it. It was eaiser to do this time, beacsue he knew that when he was finished, he would have acheived the full power he had been plotting for since he was a young warrior.
He strained his eyes forward, hoping that they would reach the Moonstone soon, for he was unbearably cold. Runningnose came to a halt, and Tigerclaw recognized the pale shape of the stone seated before him. Just as he greddily lowered himself to the gound, monlight flooded the cavern through the hole in the it's roof, setting the illusion that the rock had been set aflame.
Tigerclaw took no time to marvel at it's amazing beautity;To but it bluntly, he had a clan to destroy. He crouched down like hte medicine cat and touched his nose to the Moonstone.
Tigerclaw felt immensly cold. What is taking so long? He wondered impatiently. He shifted his legs alittle: he felt they were falling asleep. His whiskers twitched with indignition. How much longer would he have to sit here before StarClan considered him worthy of their presence? A small but distastefull thought stirred in his mind, not for hte first time. WOuld he be able to achieve his ambition, even though he had killed cats and betrayed his birth clan to do it?
Tigerclaw felt no remorse for what he had done to ThunderClan, and if it stopped him from recieving his nine lives, that troop of flea-bitten bone sacks would pay.
Tigerclaw waited, and waited some more.It felt as though if it took any longer, he would be too old to lead by the time he got back! He felt as if dawn had come and gone. Giving up, the dark tabby had come to the admittion that StarClan would not speak with him. He prepared to get up, figureing he could flee from the ShadowClan medicne cat and make it to ThunderClan territory again by sundown.
When he leaped up from his crouch, he found he was not at all in the Moonstone cavern. He was in the hollow at FourTrees, all by himself. So StarClan have decided im worthy. Tigerclaw thought with satisfaction. And Why shouldn't they? HE bent his chin down to soften his dark tabby chest fur that had been ruffled with anxiety.
Now where are the ghost cats! He demanded in his head, growing impatient. No sooner had he thought it, had he noticed the star glowing very brightly jut above him. With a grunt he realized that they must be coming down towards him. Starry cat shapes formed around him, and Tigerclaw knew that every cat in StarClan would soon be seated before him, and soon it happened. THey burned of fire, but yet froze with ice. Starshine glittered in their eyes.
It didn't take him long to figure out something was wrong. No cat stepped forward to do anything, and the cats seemed to huddle together in groups, muttering. Some even glared at him with cold hostility in their eye.Tigerclaw felt anxiety fill his viens like cold blood, and bubble towards the surface of his his mouth. He could taste bile in his throat. Could he be attacked in a dream?
A dappled red cat stepped forward. Tigerclaw recognized his former deputy, Redtail, whom he had killed, hoping to be the red tom's replacement.Tigerclaw could do nothing more than stare, though he refused to lowed her his in their presense.
Suddenly, he felt as though a treebranch had fallen onto his body, forcing his neck down and pushing his big form into a crouch.
"How dare you pride yourself in front of StarClan," Redtail hissed. Tigerclaw said nothing in reply. A pale golden tabby bigger then Tigerclaw himself strode up to join Redtail.
"Tigerclaw," Lionheart greeted him, though he showed no sign of respect or friendlyness. "What gives you the right to come before StarClan and expect to recieve your nine lives after you ahve disgraced and eluded us for so long?"
Tigerclaw knew he should have thought this over. How could Ihave thought I'd get in with out an explanation? He thought, angry about himself.
"Starclan is not something you can join or recive gifts from with smooth talk, may I remind you, Tigerclaw," Lionheart meowed cooly, as though reading his mind. The other cats of StarClan assembled behind hte golen tabby yowled out as one voice in agreement.
He opened his jaws to speak.
"All I wanted was to become leader!" Tigerclaw justified himself. "I am a powerful, strong cat, and i can rebuild ShadowClan! I will be helping the weak,"
Some cats seemed to back down, and hope flared in Tigerclaw's chest. But at hte same time he noticed a small black tom's eye widen with anger and he stalked forward.
"Tigerclaw! How dare you assume you have the power to revive my clan! If i find you do anything at all to harm or bring a bad name to ShadowClan, you will pay," The black cat snarled. His eyes glinted angirly. "Unles we dont give you the power at all,"
"Nightstar," Tigerclaw meowed, still crouching. "I will bring honor and decency to ShadowClan! I swear it upon.." He strugled. Swear it upon what? StarClan seemed to notice his pause.
"Precicely!" Redtail spoke again. "Swear upon what? Not StarClan, for oyu ahve been disobeying us for moons now. NOt your former leader, for you attempted to kill her. Which reminds me, I think that young Fireheart deserves to be here much more than you deserve to be. He brought honor to ThunderClan, by ridding them of you."
Tigerclaw's heart smoldered with rage to hear that orange kittypet be praised in a time that was supposed to be his.
Thinking quickly,he mewed. "I am sorry to you, StarClan! I know I had forgotten you for a short time of my life, but i am ready to remember, and bring you back to my life! I will lead ShadowClan by the warrior code and by you. If, that is, you grant me the power of nine lives. I ask of you to please trust me again. I shall await your judgement," He finished speaking and looked around him.
Some cats seemed to believe, but others, he noticed, still looked troubled or angry. Lionheart had turned around and neared the other starry cats, as thoguht asking for opionons. He flicked his tail at his companion to join him, and Redtail followed.
After a few moments, a lean brown tom stepped forward. Tigerclaw recognized him as Runningwind, another clanmate he had killed.
"And what of ThunderClan!" Runningwind demanded. "If you are granted the gift of nine lives, how will you use it agaisnt my clan?"
Tigerclaw didn't know how to answer that, so he just averted his eyes to teh ground. He could feel Runningwind's satisfaction, and he looked up, almost ready to snarl a retort. But he noticed that Lionheart looked thoughtfull, and he held his tongue.
"Tigerclaw. I have spoken to the rest of StarClan. We have decided that we will grant you your nine lives. However, unlike other cats would be granted, we will present them to you in one, extended life. Redtail, will be the one to give it to you."
"Lionheart, I thank you and all of starclan for your forgiving choice," Tigerclaw mewed smoothly. I should have known Lionheart would not forget our old friendship. Tigerclaw thought. A deeper part of his mind put much more emphasis on the 'old'.
Redtail seemed to have calmed down, and he stopped down to touch his nose to Tigerclaw's. Tigerclaw winced when it reached him. It felt like the hottest fire but yet the coldest ice.
"With this extended life, I give you courage,compassion, loyalty, protection, mentoring, love,and all other elements of leadership. Use them well in defense of your clan. Teach the young to be wise, and bring honor back to your name," Redtail added the last part with feeling in his voice.
The life, or lives, coursed through Tigerclaw's viens. He had never known a pain and exhilaration as this. He felt as thought he would die as he recognized the dieing moments of cats he had killed, but felt restored by love and compassion. The life semed to flow through him for a season.
Finnaly, Redtail backed away, and the pain and exhilaration ebbing. The cats of StarClan stood up. But Lionheart wasn;t finished; he padded up to Tigerclaw.
"We hail you with your new name, Tigerstar,"
"Tigerstar! Tigerstar!" The starry StarClan cats called out, but Tigerstar recognized some reluctant voices.
Lionheart's voice lowered to a low hiss, and Tigerstar was taken aback by the golden tabby's rage.
"If you dare become the cat that I belive you are destined to be, expect the wrath of StarClan, old friend. I belive you can fight the prophecy, but if you show your weak side and fall to it, you will regret that you ever came here tonight, seeking the rank of a Clanleader. And if you make the wrong choices, do not be surprised when hte power is stripped from you in an unexpected blackness,"
Once he had finished speaking, The starry cats began to fade, and Tigerstar knew his dream ws over.
He awoke with a start, almost suprised to be back in the cavern of the moonstone. Runningnose was stirring too, and Tigerstar stood up, shaking the sleep out of each paw in turn. Runningnose nodded and made his way out of hte cavern, beginign the journey out of the mouthermouth. Tigerstar followed, feeling changed, eager to get back to his clan and start his leadership.
In StarClan, Lionheart paced restlessly. A tawny colored cat sat nearby, calming the golden tabby.
"Lionheart, why are you so uncertain. Yes, Tigerstar has been prophecised to do terrible things, but have faith, brother. He may come through with shining colors," Lionheart stopped his constant movement to gave at his friend.
"Yes, Tawnyspots, but Tigerstar's lack of awe tonight worried me. He will need to show more respect to StarClan is he expects their support,"
There was a pause as both starry cats stared around them.
"What do you belive will become of Tigerstar, Lionheart?" Tawnyspots asked quietly. The tawny cat waited for Lionheart's reply. The golden tabby's response was just to glance at him, devastation and a small glint of anger in his gaze.
Okay, there it is! Tigerstar thinks he's changed now, which is perhaps why he seems nice at the first Gathering or two. But we all know waht happens..
I was planning on keeping it a oneshot, but maybe i could make it a chapter thing, like books 5 and 6 of hte original series in Tigerstar POV. (but written in one story.. you know?) Tell me what you think! Which means review please!