Nine Lives (challenge)
It was dark in here. Very dark. Thistletooth stumbled blindly on through the tunnel, trusting his slowly fading memories to guide him. Where? The Moonstone. Featherstar had died, leaving him with the running of the clan. And now… he had had to leave Reedtail, his deputy, behind to care for the clan. And now he felt lost. Lost in this mousebrained tunnel and bereft of company, though he supposed he was supposed to. Abruptly Thistletooth tripped and nearly fell, heaving himself back to his feet. He opened his eyes and—the Moonstone stood before him, pale in the darkness. As he drooped into the small cavern, the clouds cleared and the moon shone in, filling the stone with unimaginable brilliance. Thistletooth carefully crouched beside it and delicately touched the Moonstone with his nose.
He was wrapped in a silvery light, crouched in a semicircle of cats. One, he counted, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Some of the faces he recognized, some he did not. One, Rosepaw, who had died of greencough three moons earlier. Two, a strong, sturdily-built calico with eyes that spoke of sadness. Three, Ravenflight, his mentor, who had died in a battle less than a moon after Thistletooth had become a warrior. Four was Snowbreeze, a pale cream-colored queen that had died at a badger's swipe when he had been an apprentice. Five was… a tabby kit with amber eyes and one ear that had been ripped to shreds. Six, a small black she-cat with a bushy tail and striking green eyes. Seven and eight were Featherstar and her brother Stonepelt. They had died together protecting the clan. Lastly was—yellow eyes to match his own glared up at Thistletooth.
"Leafpaw?" he whispered to his sister.
"Thistletooth. It's been a while. I'm pleased you still remember me." A smile flashed her sharp teeth quickly in the starlight.
"When you died… Featherstar gave you a warrior name." Thistletooth whispered, gazing dazedly at her.
"Did she?"
"Leafclaw."
Leafpaw turned away a moment, a gesture of quickly suppressed grief. "Leafclaw," she repeated softly. "I- thank you, brother. Leafclaw." Leafpaw glanced at her own paw. "I like it."
"We should begin," spoke Ravenflight's soft, gentle voice. "Rosepaw?"
The grey apprentice stepped forward. "Thistletooth. You've been hurting yourself too much over the greencough. You couldn't have stopped the lives it took, even if the catmint plant had managed to survive. With this life, I give you the wisdom of when to yield." The life hit Thistletooth like a blow to the gut, seeming to stab his insides. "You are not a coward." Rosepaw stepped back.
The calico stepped forward. "My name is Rainfur," he introduced himself, bowing his head slightly. "I was once a… guardian of this forest, and paid for it in blood and tears. With this life I give you the stubbornness never to stop while you still have a chance, to let you seal over the wounds of the moment, both emotional and physical."
Thistletooth felt an abrupt tug which neatly dizzied him, making him stagger back.
"Are you ready, Thistletooth?" Ravenflight asked, smiling slightly.
"Yes." He gritted his teeth and looked up at his former mentor.
"Good." Ravenflight gently gave his nose a bump. "With this life I give you the skill of teaching, that your clan may learn from you and you from them."
The life embraced him in a warm sensation, feeling almost as if it were peeling away his eyelids at the same time.
Snowbreeze stepped forward. "With this life I give you love, never to hurt and never to bind, but to protect, protect with your last life and forever."
Thistletooth, who had been expecting something more akin to the last, felt a fire burn in his heart as the life enveloped him.
The kit walked forward, measuring him with those strange amber eyes. "My name is Amberfall. The second time I lived, it wasn't long enough to take a name, so I remain Amberfall. With this life, I give you the courage to stand up for what you know is right. Even if it means you fail."
Next, the she-cat stepped forward. "My name is Foxstar. I was once a leader of this clan, and my death was by fire," she said. "With this life, I give you the foresight to plan ahead, beyond your own passing when it comes to that."
Thistletooth felt a coldness seep into his head as the life took effect.
Featherstar stepped forward. "Thistletooth. I have to second Rosepaw. My death was not your fault, either. My death was frankly inevitable. Tell Russetheart that for me, would you?"
"I promise."
"Than with this life, I give you the dubious gift of logic. Pure, cold, logic, to keep your clan alive when all else fails and nothing is clear. Use it well."
Thistletooth felt a blow to his heart, a cold icicle of pain. Stonepelt stepped forward, grey eyes half-closed. "With this life I give you loyalty, from littermate to littermate or lover to lover. All your clan shall be your littermate and you will protect them with anything and everything you have."
A heat tingled from Thistletooth's tailtip to his tufted ears as Featherstar's brother touched him. Finally, Leafclaw stepped forward.
"And with this life," she spoke, voice showing little emotion, "I give you faith. Hope will always be there, somewhere. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Faith and hope and trust."
At last, Ravenflight stepped forward again. "And now you must go back to your clan. From this moment on, Thistletooth, you shall be known as Thistlestar. Use your gifts well."