Starlight shone through willow trees that hung over the river, their long sad stems brushing against each other and whispering secrets. The river glittered and danced as water sprayed up into the air and crashed back down, creating ripples as it flowed through the soft grass that was broken only by trees and flowers. Everything held a tint of light, although it was night. A full moon watched from the sky.
The willows flitted back and forth peacefully, riding the gentle summer's breeze. Behind them was pure darkness.
Not many cats knew what lay within the darkness. Cats from the Dark Forest had long been banished from its depths, and it had been seasons since their dark eyes glittered with evil through the willows. Since that fateful battle that none dare to speak of, only four cats dared to enter what was previously known as the Place of No Stars.
Ever since they had entered, the willows had been silent. But on this night, they suddenly gave their signal. Their branches, which were still and peaceful, now thrashed as if a hurricane were thrust upon the land. The wind picked up speed, and threw the willow's flowery branches into disarray. The dancing river was now churning with chaos. The trees shook in worry and the grass flattened itself to the wind.
Something was approaching from the Darkness.
From within the Darkness, the cats that were approaching could see the hunting grounds they had left seasons before, and where they had traveled for two moons to return to. On the horizon, they could see a light rising, as if the sun were coming to greet them. But instead of the sun, it was stars. Cats, long dead, with starlight twinkling on their fur. Hundred of them came, and sat at the edge of the forest, waiting in anticipation and fear.
It had been a long time since their four Clanmates had entered the forest. They doubted they would ever come back. The cats approaching were most likely strangers, a danger to themselves.
The wind was still screaming its warning, shaking the earth to its core. Then, as suddenly as it began, everything fell still.
The cats held their breath. There wasn't a sound.
Then, from the Darkness, emerged four figures. They were cats, and their eyes twinkled with apprehension. At the bank of the river they stopped, and the cats of StarClan stared at the newcomers.
Finally one of the Four stood. "We ask permission to enter your hunting grounds!" He called, muscles rippling under his white fur.
No cat spoke, until a white she-cat pushed her way through the ranks of StarClan. "Whitestorm!" She cried, crossing the river in a single bound and tackling the tom.
A silver she-cat stepped forward. "Snowfur!" She hissed. "Get back here now!"
Snowfur backed away from her kit, happiness shining in her eyes. "Why, Bluestar?" She murmured, still pressed against Whitestorm. "My son is home, and he is safe."
A hearty ginger tom stepped up next to Bluestar. "And why did he leave in the first place?" He pointed out. "He abandoned us. How can you be sure he comes back with peaceful intentions?"
Snowfur bristled, and her lip curled back. "How dare you accuse him, Oakheart?" She growled. "Don't tell me that you've never gone against the will of StarClan!"
Before Oakheart could respond, another of the four cats stepped forward. Her fur was long and golden, and she flicked her short ears. "It's all right, Snowfur. StarClan have every right to be angry."
A small RiverClan cat slipped through the crowd of StarClan cats and looked into her old mentor's eyes. "How could you just leave, Mothwing?" She asked softly. "We needed you."
Whitestorm shook his head. "We had no choice." He meowed. "You had obviously given up all hope of saving the Clans."
A ginger tom with white paws bristled. "We didn't give up!" He snapped.
"It's pretty obvious you weren't doing enough!" The third cat, a white tom with black paws, growled. "You started the Clans, Thunder, you'd think that you would be able to save them!"
Snarls broke out over the entire clearing. The fourth cat stepped forward. "Silence!" He snapped. "We all have the same goal! All we want is to restore the four Clans, but we can't if we all fight amoung ourselves."
After another tense moment, claws were sheathed and fur lay flat once more. "What you say is true, Barkface." One cat meowed. "But that doesn't explain why you left."
Whitestorm sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws. "In the Pool of Stars, we saw four cats. They are the ones who will restart the four Clans."
Murmurings broke out throughout the cats of StarClan. "Who are they?" Bluestar asked, her eyes wide.
Blackstar flicked his tail. "Come." He instructed.
The four cats hopped over the border between StarClan and the Dark Forest, overcome with feelings of home. After them, the rest of StarClan followed, filled with apprehensive hope.
It had been seasons since warriors had lived at the lake where the four Clans had once resided. A leaf-bare had come to the lake, and it lasted much longer than much any leaf-bare a cat had seen before. The early frost killed herbs and prey, and soon hunger and sickness took most of the lives of warriors, apprentices, elders, kits and medicine cats all alike. One Clan leader, Rowanstar, even lost all of his nine lives from hunger, refusing to eat while his Clan went hungry. By the time Newleaf arrived, there weren't enough warriors on the entire lake to fill the den of one Clan. The few that survived found their way into the homes of twolegs, and lived the rest of their lives as kittypets, with no desire to rebuild the Clans they had lost. In the end, the Black Leaf Bare killed the forest, the cats, and the Warrior Code itself.
StarClan had worked for moons to rebuild their lost Clans. But in the end, their attempts were futile until all attempts were abandoned, as if by a silent message. It was only until four cats had gone missing, Whitestorm of ThunderClan, Blackstar of ShadowClan, Mothwing of RiverClan and Barkface of WindClan that the issues were resurfaced.
Now they led all of StarClan to the Pool of Stars. When every cat surrounded the Pool, Whitestorm looked into the Pool, his eyes large, and reflecting the millions of stars that shone inside. "Pool of Stars," He whispered. "We ask you to allow us to view into the world of the living, and see the warriors of now."
Usually when this prophecy was uttered, nothing happened. No warriors remained around the lake. Now, though, the Pool rippled, and the stars swirled until four cats could be seen making their way across WindClan territory, their faces set with determination. Exhaustion prickled their paws, and their head hung low, suffering from their long journey. Even when they slept, their dreams were filled with teaching from their mentors.
But they made their way to the Moonpool, and slowly bent down to drink from the pool.
"Do we let them in?" A cat whispered.
Whitestorm ignored the cat. "We ask you to open the gateway." He said softly.
Slowly, a figure appeared in the clearing. A slate colored tom blinked up at the cats, his blue eyes wide. "StarClan?" He whispered.
Whitestorm stepped forward. "Welcome, Fearless." He meowed. "You and your friends have come far."
Fearless looked around, his eyes shining with awe. "I can't believe we've made it." He muttered, half to himself.
The white StarClan cat raised his head. "This tom has been trained in the way of the Warrior Code. Not only had he proven himself as a warrior, I believe his deserves the name and lives of a Clan leader."
The cats of StarClan pressed their heads together, discussing quietly. Finally, five cats came forward. "We are willing to give this cat lives." They said.
Whitestorm nodded. "Fearless, do you give up your life of a loner? And in its place do you promise to live the way of the Warrior Code? Will you give your life to defend and honor your Clan, and the Warrior Code?"
Fearless crouched, looking up at Whitestorm. The awe faded from his eyes, that was replaced by a determined resolve. "I do." He said solemnly.
Whitestorm flicked his tail. "Then we will begin this ceremony, but differently than usual. We will give you your nine lives, then your name." He stepped forward and touched his nose to the tom's. "With this life I give you knowledge. Use it to guide your Clan, and yourself, in times of trouble." Fearless cringed, and Whitestorm drew back.
Blackstar appeared in his place. "With this life I give you honor. Use it to become a leader all cats can trust, and look to for their troubles." He gave the cat his life, sympathy flooding through him as he remembered the pain of receiving his nine lives. Then he withdrew to let the next cat in.
Mothwing skipped forward, her eyes bright with excitement. "This is the first step, Fearless." She whispered, before touching her nose to his. "With this life I give you faith." Her eyes glowed, as if these words meant more than she was letting on. "Use it to guide your spirit when you have nothing left." She quickly gave the tom his life, which was soothing rather than painful, before stepping back.
Barkface limped forward. "Well done," He muttered, pressing his nose to Fearless's. "With this life I give you loyalty. Remember that you need loyalty to your Clan, but to yourself as well." He felt the life draining to the tom, and he withdrew.
The next tom's fur blazed with fire, and his green eyes glowed. Firestar stooped down. "With this life I give you leadership. Use it to lead ThunderClan to the great Clan it once was." He gave the tom his life, then went to stand with the other cats.
A blue she-cat prowled forward with the pride of a member of LeopardClan. Bluestar looked down at the tom, hoping the trust she was placing in him was due. "With this life I give you mentoring." She meowed. "Use it to teach the rest of the world the Code that has been lost."
After Bluestar, a light, golden tom stepped forward. Sunstar dipped his head. "With this life I give you courage." His muzzle twisted into a grin. "You've shown a great amount already. You will know how to use it."
Pinestar flicked Sunstar's shoulder in greeting with his tail as he took the tom's place. "With this life I give you patience. StarClan knows you'll need it." He gave the tom his life.
Finally, a ginger tom with white paws stepped forward. "Welcome, Fearless." He meowed. "I am Thunder, first ever leader of ThunderClan. Thank you for restoring my Clan." He pressed his nose to the gray tom's. "With this life I give you love. Love your Clan, because they are all you'll have after this." He set Fearless with a hard stare before sharing his life.
As one, the nine cats stood. Whitestorm opened his mouth to speak, but the voices of all nine cats could be heard. "Your old life is no more. In view of StarClan, we hail you by your new name. Welcome, Bravestar."
All the cats of StarClan took up the call, and Bravestar stood, brimming with pride until he faded away.
In his place was a silver tabby. She looked around, her amber eyes shining with disbelief. "We did it?" She asked softly, before seeing Blackstar. "We did it!" She purred.
Blackstar flicked his tail towards the she-cat. "Yes, you did." He smiled. "And now your time has come to become leader of ShadowClan."
The she-cat looked up in alarm. "Lead ShadowClan?" She echoed. "Blackstar…I think you're mistaken." She stammered. "I'm ready to give my life in service to my Clan, but I don't think I could lead it."
For a moment all was silent, before a cat stepped forward. "A noble statement." He meowed. "I am Raggedstar, old leader of ShadowClan." He looked at Blackstar. "I believe this cat will make a great warrior of ShadowClan." Raggedstar stated.
Unhappiness shone in Blackstar's eyes. He clearly wanted her to become leader, but he knew StarClan's faith in these cats was shaky, so he couldn't defy their wishes. "All right." He meowed, turning back to the silver she-cat. "Bay, do you promise to give up your old life as a rogue? And replace it with the Warrior Code?"
Bay nodded. "I do." She meowed.
Blackstar began to speak the ceremonious words, repeated countless times for an innumerable amount of warriors. "I, Blackstar, previous leader of ShadowClan, call upon StarClan to lay witness to this cat. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Bay, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," She said again, determination sparkling in her eyes.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known as Baysweet. We honor your determination and valor in recreating ShadowClan, and I welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."
Like for Bravestar, the rest of StarClan took up the call, as Baysweet faded and a new cat appeared.
This cat was a pale brown cat, and when she looked around there was less awe in her eyes than the other cats. She said nothing, just dipping her head to Barkface as the old tom came forward. "Welcome, my apprentice." He meowed. "Okay, let's get on with it. We've been waiting a long time with this." He nodded to the small cat. "I, Barkface, previous medicine cat of WindClan, call upon StarClan to bear witness to this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Moon, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"
Moon looked up, and she spoke softly, but with a calm resolve. "I do."
Barkface gave her a sharp nod of approval. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Moon, from this moment forward you will be known as Moonriver. We honor your cunning and compassion, and welcome you as a full medicine cat of WindClan."
"Moonriver! Moonriver!" The rest of StarClan greeted the new medicine cat, and she faded.
The final cat appeared, and Mothwing made her way to the front of the group of cats. This she-cat was black, and her blue eyes had blazes of purple through them. She glanced up at Mothwing, anticipation in her eyes.
"We've finally done it," Mothwing purred. "I'm proud of you."
Violet nosed Mothwing's shoulder affectionately. "Thank you for giving me a new life." She said.
Mothwing flicked her tail. "It was nothing." She took a deep breath and went on. "I, Mothwing, previous medicine cat of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Violet, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"
Violet nodded excitedly. "I do!"
Mothwing purred. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Violet, from this moment forward you will be known as-"
Violet stood up. "Wait," She said softly. Soft hisses and growls erupted from the crowd, but Violet ignored them. "I'd like to be known as Ultraviolet, in memory of my mother."
Mothwing hesitated. "It's not really a warrior name…" She glanced at Violet's hopeful face and sighed. "All right. From this moment forward you will be known as Ultraviolet. We honor your bravery and skill, and welcome you as a full medicine cat of RiverClan."
As the rest of StarClan chanted her name, the four cats returned to the lake, and StarClan rejoiced. The four Clans of the forest were saved.
"You celebrate too soon." A raspy voice called over the sounds of cheering cats.
Quickly, the cheers faded away into alarmed snarls and hisses. The kits of StarClan were herded away, and the warriors advanced on the stranger, their warrior blood pumping.
"Stop!"
The cats in the clearing froze before backing away from the stranger. Shadow ran to the front of the group, her tail held high with welcome. "Seal!" She cried happily.
The strange tom took a step back, his dark blue eyes glittering. His deep silver pelt blended into the stone of the river shore he stood on. "Shadow," He meowed curtly.
The black she-cat stopped, looking both hurt and embarrassed to be seen not only reacting so excitedly to the stranger, but to be rejected by him as well. "Don't pull that, Seal." She growled. "You know I had to leave-"
"You never had to leave your family." Seal retorted. "It's not my fault you're too foolish to stop and see the signs for what they were!"
Shadow flicked her ears. "What nonsense are you talking about now, brother? The stars called to me. I had to go meet River, Thunder, Wind and Sky. We had to start the original five Clans!"
Seal shook his head. "You're mistaken. You've all been mistaken, all this time!" No cat said anything, just staring at him disbelievingly. "If these were the five original Clans, then why isn't Sky here with you now?"
Again, no cat responded. Finally Thunder pushed forward. "Our later generations were forced to drive them out. It was fate. The twolegs left SkyClan no choice but to leave."
"And that is where you're wrong." Seal whispered, his eyes gleaming. Slowly he stepped to the side, and Sky padded forward.
The four original Clan leaders let out both cries of disbelief and joy. "You're here!" River meowed, shocked.
Sky glanced at the four cats, his tail brushing over the ground. "Yes, I am." He meowed coolly. "I was forced here after you drove us out."
"What do you mean you were forced here?" Wind asked. "You haven't been in StarClan."
Sky shook his head. "I didn't mean StarClan. I meant MoonClan."
Seal and Sky had expected a shocked silence, but instead the cats of StarClan began wailing their alarm.
"MoonClan?"
"There's no such thing!"
"Who are you, and where do you really come from?"
"Do you come to attack, as the Dark Forest did?"
This last cry nearly sent the cats of StarClan into a frenzy of panic. Instinct made them unsheathe their claws, and many retreated to the safety of the guardian willows.
Seal bared his teeth into a sneer. "Call yourselves warriors! Are these the cats you lead, Shadow? Was this worth leaving your entire family and destiny for?"
Shadow thrust forward until she was nose to nose with her brother. "No cat invited you here." She growled deep in her throat. "My destiny always laid here. There must be four Clans, as there were four oaks in the forest, and there are four seasons."
"I agree." Sky said softly. "But ShadowClan was never meant to be the fourth Clan. SkyClan, not ShadowClan, were meant to walk underneath and among the stars."
"Then where was ShadowClan meant to be?" Shadow retorted.
Seal sat down. "They were meant to walk in the light of the moon, along with the other three Sea Clans."
"And what are Sea Clans?" Thunder called from where he was, with the other cats of StarClan.
"The Sea Clans," Seal meowed. "Are the four Clans that live by the sea. In the beginning, they were meant to be CoralClan, SealClan, ShadowClan and WaterClan. But then you left." He spat angrily. "The Sea Clans were reduced to three, while the Forest Clans had five. You're right. Fate did bring the twolegs to destroy Clan territory, but it always meant to be ShadowClan's territory destroyed, not SkyClan's. In the end, SkyClan joined the Sea Clans and ShadowClan remained a Forest, and later Lake Clan."
Shadow shook her head. "I don't believe it." She meowed.
Sky brushed her muzzle with his tail. "Believe it." He replied. "This is how it is."
For a moment no cat said anything as they processed the new information. Then Whitestorm came forward. "So why are you telling us this?" He asked.
Seal let out a sad sigh. "It has been a long time since you've had Clans on the lake. You forget how often prophecies spelling doom come." He let out a humorless laugh. "MoonClan received a prophecy. The water of the Sea and of the Lake shall meet and fall into a pool of blood."
Whitestorm shuddered. "So our Clans will fight? Are we spelled to doom so soon after being revived?"
Sky shrugged. "We do not know. But we of MoonClan are not cruel. So we came to warn you. And now we must leave." Without warning, he and Seal turned and fled over the rise of a hill where the moon shone brightly, and disappeared over the top.
"Seal, wait!" Shadow raced after her brother, desperate to find him. When she reached the top of the hill, however, she looked down onto only more rolling hills. Her brother was gone.
Whitestorm, Mothwing, Barkface and Blackstar all looked at each other. "Well," Barkface rasped. "What do we tell our new Clans?"
Whitestorm sat with his head bowed and ears flat, eyes squeezed shut as if he had no desire to believe the dangers that had already befallen his Clan. Finally, he looked up, a determined glint in his eye. "Nothing." He meowed. "We shall tell them nothing."
A/N: For those of you who know me, I know what you're thinking. "No author's note?" Well…SURPRISE!
I am back! And I'm restarting my old story, StarClan's Power. For those of you who were reading it, this one is different. I tried so hard to write about Violet, Bay, Fearless and Moon's non-Clan life before I wrote more about the Clans, but that got so boring. So, I decided to move on.
Just a quick note: All the stuff that happened with SkyClan being wiped out totally, and then being rebuilt by Firestar? Never happened. Instead, SkyClan joined up with the Sea Clans: CoralClan, SealClan and WaterClan. These were four siblings (Along with Shadow) who were chosen to build the Sea Clans. Then Shadow left, and threw everything out of whack. That's why ShadowClan has always stuck to marshy territory, because in the end they knew they belonged in the water.
Another note, sorry the ceremonies were kind of rushed and dull. I hate ceremonies. They're long and repetitive. So yes. My bad.
I hate it when people beg for reviews, so I have a better idea.
DON'T REVIEW! (And now you feel the impulse to review, just to defy me. Meanies)