Moons had passed since Thunderclan, Riverclan, Shadowclan, and Windclan were destroyed. Not a single cat from one of the clans was still roaming the earth, searching for a new place to call home. Starclan had almost given up on finding new cats to continue living through the warrior code.
Almost.
An explosion in a medical lab near a rural suburb caused poisonous gas to leak into the air. The gas killed every living organism in and around Applesburg National Park, except for vegetation and any small animal. Humans, horses, bears were all dead. The area was sealed off and isolated from society. Little did the people know the gas had long disappeared and the small animals were still in there, trying to survive.
Every cat in the area had suffered a mutation from the gas leak. Their faces were much rounder, whiskers much longer, fur much thinner. But the most astonishing mutation of all: they had grown a pair of wings.
Starclan saw this as their opportunity to try and rebuild the clans. They visited the five wisest cats in their dreams and hoped that they would listen to what they had to say.
I felt the hard stone under my pads. This is not my usual soft grass bedding. My eyes shot open. After they had adjusted to the dark, I could see the grey stone walls surrounding me, leaving a large gap behind my extremely long tail.
The cave. I was dreaming of the cave again.
"I do not understand." I murmured, my soft voice echoing against the walls, "I have had this dream night after night. What does it mean?"
"We are here to explain it to you." I spun around, almost jabbing my eye with the tip of my left wing. Four cats sat in front of me, their eyes round and hopeful. Although, they were not normal.
"Where are your wings?" I asked them, examining their small faces and short whiskers.
The flaming red tom let out a purr of amusement, "We do not have any. We lived many moons ago, before the air turned black and everything changed."
"We are part of the four clans of the lake." A golden she-cat spoke, gesturing to the others with her tail.
I nodded, both confused and ecstatic, "My mother used to tell me stories about you. She told me that one of her littermates had stayed with the clans. He told her that your way of living was extremely difficult, yet he had tremendous respect for you."
A giant white tom dipped his head, "That is kind of him to say."
"Do you know of his name?" The last cat spoke, his eyes lighting up, "Do you know if he is still alive?"
"Please, Onestar, that was moons ago! Our visitor is long gone by now." The white tom retorted, "Besides, there is no time for catching up. We are here for a reason."
Disappointment flashed in Onestar's eyes, but only for a moment, then he licked his chest before lifting his head. "I am Onestar, former leader of Windclan."
"I am Leopardstar, former leader of Riverclan." The she-cat lifted her head proudly.
"I am Blackstar," The giant tom's powerful voice made me shiver, "Former leader of Shadowclan."
"And I am Firestar, former leader of Thunderclan." The red tom spoke softly, as if it pained him to speak of the old times.
I knew their names. I knew everything about their clans, the warrior code, Starclan, everything. Since I was a kit, my mother told me stories of them, but I had never thought I would meet one of the great warriors, even just in a dream.
I blinked a few times, realizing they were waiting to hear my name. "I am Oneblaze. My mother gave me the name of a warrior; I hope you are not upset by it. It is an honour to meet you."
"Flattered, not upset." Leopardstar purred, "Tell me, Oneblaze, do you know why you are here?"
I shook my head slowly, "No. I have been having dreams of this cave for moons but I cannot figure out a reason for being here."
"We need your help." Firestar curled his tail around his front paws. "But it is a lot to ask you for."
"I will do anything." I dipped my head.
"You must help us rebuild the clans." Blackstar informed me, "The world cannot be without the warrior code. You must find cats that are willing to join your clan."
"M-My clan?" I stammered, frozen to the stone-cold ground.
"Yes. You will lead a clan." Onestar looked hopefully towards me, "Four other cats of your same age, 91 moons, have already been spoken to by us."
"And they all accepted the challenge." Leopardstar padded towards me, "Oneblaze, how would you feel about starting and leading your own clan?"
"I… I am only a she-cat! And I am getting old…" I started to say.
"I am too a she-cat!" Leopardstar exclaimed.
"And she was a great leader." Firestar added. Leopardstar turned around and blinked her thanks at him before receding back to join the line.
Me? Lead a clan? Pride welled inside of me. I had always dreamed of leading my own clan, but I had never thought it would become a realistic opportunity.
"I-I think I can do it." My voice came out shaking along with my legs and tail.
"I know it is scary," Firestar blinked at me, "But Starclan has complete faith in you."
"But you must not give up." Even Blackstar sounded as though he were desperate. "You must promise to uphold the warrior code and care for your clanmates as though they were your own kin."
I nodded, "I will not let you down." I would not disappoint them. I would not fail Starclan.
"Must we explain the warrior code to you?" Firestar asked me.
"Or do you already know it?" Onestar twitched his whiskers hopefully.
"I could not forget it if I tried." I couldn't stop the purr from rising in my throat.
"She will do great things." Leopardstar meowed to her companions, "I can feel it."
Blackstar turned his icy gaze to look at me, "One more thing. Your clan will not be a clan anymore. It will be called a tribe."
"A tribe?" My nose wrinkled up at the thought of making such a change. They were always clans. How could you change such a thing?
"Is that a problem?" Onestar asked.
"Not at all." I mewed without a moment's hesitation. "I just thought-"
"Don't think, just listen." Leopardstar silenced me by raising her tail.
"We wanted to make some sort of a change so that our lives wouldn't be exactly the same." Firestar explained, "We thought this was also a great way to honour our friends in the mountains."
The four former leaders exchanged mournful glances before turning their attention back to me.
"The mountains?" I tilted my head to the side; my mother had never told me anything about mountain cats. When none of the others replied I spoke up again, "Where will my cl… tribe live? And what about boundaries? A camp? What will we do about food? I know how to hunt. My sister, Quietsnow, and I have been hunting for years, but will I have to teach it to everyone else? Fighting! How-?"
"Silence!" Blackstar's growl cut off my question. "We have no time for this!"
"Blackstar is right. We cannot give you all of the answers, Oneblaze. You will have to figure the rest out on your own."
"Will Starclan not be with me?" I mewed desperately. Are they even with me now?
"Of course they will!" Leopardstar purred, "They... us... We cannot tell you everything. How will you become a wise leader if we do not let you lead?"
I dipped my head, trying to understand. "Alright."
"Tomorrow, when the sun it at its highest, you must meet with the other new tribe leaders at the place where the ground is made of stone and the rocks climb two fox lengths into the sky."
"Are you ready for your tribe name?" Firestar asked, his eyes staring intently into mine.
I couldn't avert my gaze. "Yes."
"Alright, then." Onestar stepped forwards. "Do you promise to live through and uphold the ways of the warrior code?"
I lifted my chin and straightened out my paws. "I do."
"Then I, Onestar." Onestar placed his tail tip on my left shoulder.
"And I, Firestar." Firestar stepped forward and placed his tail tip on my right shoulder.
"And I, Blackstar." Blackstar stepped forward and placed his tail tip on my front left paw.
"And I, Leopardstar." Leopardstar stepped forward and placed her tail tip on my front right paw.
I closed my eyes.
"Give you your tribe name, Onestar." They all said at the same time. A jolt shot through my body, from the tip of my ears to the tip of my tail, leaving me panting, and feeling more alive than I ever have in my life.
"We believe in you." The words whispered sent shivers down my spine, echoing in my head.
When I opened my eyes, the leaders and the cave had disappeared, leaving me staring into a pair of concerned blue eyes.
"Oneblaze! Oneblaze!" My sister, Quietsnow, mewed worriedly down at me. "You're awake! I thought you had died. Can you hear me? Oneblaze?"
"Onestar." I meowed happily, "My name is Onestar."