Recently, I was thinking about what Tigerstar's nine lives would be. So, to satisfy my thoughts, I made up my own version of what they would be. I know this has been done before, but this is my version of it. So here we go!
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
Tigerclaw sat outside the medicine den, his tail lashing impatiently. He had joined ShadowClan yesterday, in hopes to become a leader for at least a Clan. He was disappointed his plot to kill Bluestar had been foiled by that stupid, arrogant, mouse-brained kittypet of a warrior, Fireheart, but he supposed he could get his revenge and destroy ThunderClan via ShadowClan.
One problem. He'd have to wait a little bit. ShadowClan was in no shape to fight because of their issue with rats. And he couldn't take over WindClan, Tallstar was probably still clinging on to several lives. Nor RiverClan, because they had a new leader, Leopardstar. And as far as he was concerned, there wasn't any other leaders who would prevent her from getting her nine lives, like Nightpelt. The so-called leader didn't have nine lives, because Brokenstar had still been alive when he'd gotten his nine lives and StarClan had rejected him. Finally, they'd done something that could benefit him!
Runningnose came down the tunnel. "Well, I've done all I can." he said, looking distressed. "Nightstar is dead!" his voice rose in a wail.
The ShadowClan camp broke out into turmoil and mews of protest rang out.
"Dead? How so?"
"Didn't he get nine lives with StarClan?"
"Is the Carrionplace disease so vicious that it took all of his lives at once?"
"Is that even possible?"
"I don't know." Runningnose mewed. "I don't know. Perhaps StarClan needed him too soon for our liking."
Tigerstar knew the story (he'd forced Runningnose to tell him when he'd arrived), but kept quiet. Apparently, this was a secret to keep from ShadowClan. He didn't mind. He could keep a secret- some better than others- but he could keep one.
Then the big question arose. "Who will be our leader now?" asked a queen, keeping her only surviving kit of the litter close to her side.
Runningnose looked around. Tigerclaw lashed his tail more rapidly. He knew this would be his moment. "I believe my omen meant for Tigerclaw to be leader."
Turmoil again.
"But he just joined!"
"He's ThunderClan!"
"How do we know we won't just turn into a branch of ThunderClan? Those arrogant flea-bags would do anything for more power!"
"I will not turn ShadowClan into a branch of ThunderClan. I was cast out from ThunderClan because Bluestar didn't like my opinions. But I promise you, I will make ShadowClan greater and stronger. I will help you recover from your illness, and we will be the greatest Clan in the forest!" Tigerstar's voice raised as he went along, so that when he said the "greatest Clan in the forest" part, he was basically yowling.
The ShadowClan cats looked around at each other.
"Hm..."
Suddenly, yowls of approval rang out.
Runningnose looked up at the sky. "There's still time to go tonight. Are you ready, Tigerclaw?"
"Yes." he mewed immediately.
"Let's go!" he bounded across camp and out into their territory.
It took the rest of the day to get to Mothermouth. Tigerclaw was tired but feeling ready for his nine lives ceremony. Then he stopped right in front of the tunnel to the Moonstone, fear raising the fur on his spine. Because of what he's done- killing Redtail and Runningwind, threatening to kill Ravenpaw, trying to kill Bluestar, and getting rogues to attack the camp, would StarClan accept him?
"Tigerclaw, you have to go down the tunnel to get to Moonstone! And hurry, the moon's already lit it!" Runningnose urged him.
"I know that, mouse-brain! I've been here before!" he remembered his apprentice journey with Thistleclaw, when he brought Darkstripe, and when he went with Bluestar, Ravenpaw, Graystripe, and Fireheart. This was his fourth time coming.
He darted down the tunnel, moving swiftly as he prayed StarClan would accept him. He then saw the light that came from the glowing stone. "Ah, the Moonstone." he sighed to himself.
"Touch your nose to the stone." Runningnose instructed him.
Tigerclaw obeyed, eyes wide. Immediately, he fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes, he was in darkness. Floating on nothing. He began to panic. So StarClan wouldn't accept him! He wouldn't become leader! Then, faint dots of light began moving towards him and he moved down to the ground, a hillside dotted with flowers. Stars swirled and turned into cats. Cats from StarClan! Cats who would give him his nine lives! He was accepted!
"Welcome, Tigerstar. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" his mother, Leopardfoot, asked him.
"Never a better time." he replied calmly.
Leopardfoot nodded, and the cat who would give him his first life stepped up.
His sister, Mistkit. Mistkit dipped her head to Tigerclaw, who must have towered above her, as she was so tiny. "With this life I give you compassion. Use it to care for your Clanmates."
A wave of pain slammed Tigerstar so hard that he felt like he was going to be lifted off his paws. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. So perhaps they were finding a way to punish him! But when the pain left, it left a pleasant, warm feeling. So perhaps it was just part of the ceremony.
Then Nightkit, his other sister who had died while she was a kit, padded up. "With this life I give you kindness. Use it for your Clanmates and those who need it."
Tigerstar felt a ray of heat hitting him, and his heart felt as though it was melting. He grimaced. Not what he was looking for.
Lionheart, his old friend, came up next, and touched his nose to Tigerclaw's. "With this life I give you wisdom. Use it so that you may help your Clan with any problem brought to you."
A surge of pain coursed through Tigerclaw again. Then it melted into a relaxing, cool sensation.
Nightstar padded up. "With this life I give you patience. Use it with the young and old of your Clan, and anyone who may need it.
Tigerstar shut his eyes, expecting pain, but it never came. He simply had a pleasant, relaxed feeling. He felt slow, like he couldn't operate fully.
Adderfang came up next and touched his nose to Tigerclaw's. "With this life, I give you courage. Use it to defend your Clan."
Energy surged through Tigerclaw, and he fought the urge to take off running, because he felt as though his Clan was in trouble and he was needed.
Next came Stormtail. "With your sixth life, I give you the ability to use strength wisely. Use your strength against those who need it, but not the ones who are already suffering."
Pain shot through Tigerclaw, worse than before. So he supposed that that's what the suffering Stormtail was talking about.
Next came Robinwing. "With this life, I give you thoughtfulness. Use it to consider other's feelings of others before you act."
Tigerclaw got another wave of pain, but he gritted his teeth and got through it.
Leopardfoot came up next. "With this life, I give you the ability to love, like a mother's love for their kits."
Energy surged through Tigerclaw, as though he had kits to protect at that very moment. He had kits in ThunderClan, Bramblekit and Tawnykit. This made him think. He should probably try to get them to join ThunderClan.
Last came his father, Pinestar.
"But you're a kittypet!" growled Tigerclaw. "How did you get into StarClan?"
"I didn't stop believing in StarClan, so I got to go here. I was a Clan cat at heart."
"You still died a kittypet." Tigerclaw hissed.
Pinestar shook his head and got on with it. "With your final life, I give you loyalty, something I never had properly." he touched Tigerclaw's nose and he felt stiff, like he couldn't move. He guessed that it could be symbolic, like he couldn't move from his Clan.
"I wish you well, Tigerstar." Pinestar dipped his head and StarClan cheered. "Tigerstar! Tigerstar!"
Suddenly, the starry cats disappeared and Tigerstar plummeted into a dingy, damp forest. The Dark Forest.
"Congratulations, Tigerstar." a voice rang out from behind a tree.
Tigerstar looked around. "Who's there?"
A spiky-furred tom padded out from behind the tree. "Me."
"Thistleclaw!" Tigerstar greeted his mentor with bared teeth.
"Well done becoming leader. Now, how do you plan on destroying ThunderClan?" Thistleclaw hissed.
"Get my warriors to attack them." Tigerstar nodded.
"You can try, but they're still recovering. You need something bigger and more vicious than a pawful of weak cats. Bring the rogues that you banded with during the period you weren't in a Clan into ShadowClan. Fight with them. And, worse comes to worse, you use something else. Something big. Something stupid. Animals with big tongues and oafish paws."
Tigerstar immediately understood what he meant. "You want me to attack with dogs?"
"Oh, precisely." Thistleclaw purred. "That would lead to a few kills, as long as you've got dogs with big amounts of brutality."
"Great. I hope to find some." Tigerstar nodded. "This will be ThunderClan's destruction, and I can take my rightful place back as leader of ThunderClan!"
"I always hoped he would follow in his father's footsteps and become a leader, but for ThunderClan, and not to destroy everyone!" Leopardfoot paced around the meadow, distressed. "How are the Clans supposed to survive his tyranny? Even ThunderClan will be destroyed, and he was raised there! He has friends there!"
"Leopardfoot!" Swiftbreeze darted after her daughter. "Calm down! Spottedleaf has a prophecy that, I believe, means that there will be something to prevent Tigerstar from doing too much damage!"
"What? Where is Spottedleaf? I must speak to her!" Leopardfoot's eyes were wide.
"On Warm-Rocks, I think. She was sharing a mouse with Redtail."
Leopardfoot dipped her head in thanks and darted off. "Spottedleaf!" she called as she reached Warm-Rocks.
Spottedleaf looked up from her meal, Redtail resting beside her. "Yes, Leopardfoot?"
"Swiftbreeze told me you had a prophecy about Tigerstar? That something would occur to prevent too much destruction?" Leopardfoot asked anxiously.
"Yes." Spottedleaf took a deep breath. "The one who is to rescue one Clan is attempting destroy another. But because of an accident and a grudge from many moons ago, he will make a move that merely is the destruction of his own life."