The light wind drifting over the moor promised warmer weather. Flowerbelly breathed deeply, savouring in the gentle night breeze. It helped calm her nerves for what was to come.
"Everything is so peaceful now," she murmured quietly to Robinsong, who was padding along beside her.
The Windclan medicine cat's eyes flicked across the hills as if she didn't really believe that the danger had passed. "We're lucky the Moonpool is close enough that we're not forced to travel through another Clan's territory," she mewed. "I bet they wouldn't hesitate to ambush us."
Flowerbelly stifled a growl of exasperation. It was Robinsong's duty to be compassionate to all, even another Clan, and yet she continued to treat them with distrust. "Less than a moon ago the Clans united to defeat the monster," Flowerbelly said patiently. "I doubt they would go to all that trouble winning back our territory only to attack us now."
"You can't put anything past them," the red-brown she-cat replied. "When you receive your nine lives tonight you'll have to accept that."
Anxiety stiffened Flowerbelly's steps at the mention of her ceremony. "Marshstar still remains missing," she pointed out. "What if he's still alive somewhere and Starclan is angry with us for not searching further?" Her eyes widened. "What if they don't grant me my nine lives?"
Robinsong cut her deputy a glance. "It was your decision to give up the search. Windclan can't go any longer without a leader."
Flowerbelly shut her eyes tight. "I know," she meowed. "I just hope I'm not being too rash here."
"Marshstar would want his Clan going strong," Robinsong insisted. "He trusted your judgment as deputy and knew you would be the next great leader of Windclan. He had faith in you. It's about time you have faith in yourself."
Flowerbelly blinked in surprise. The medicine cat was usually so broody and stoic. Such unflinching support was strange to her ears. Nonetheless, Robinsong's words encouraged her.
The black-and-white she-cat lifted her head to take in the blanket of stars in the sky. They seemed to glow especially bright, and Flowerbelly wondered if Starclan were eagerly anticipating her ceremony. "Do you think I'll see Marshstar tonight?" she asked.
Robinsong grew thoughtful. "Maybe. But don't be deterred if you don't. Every ceremony is different."
They drifted into a comfortable silence after that. Eventually the ground underpaw became steeper as the two cats made their way up to the ridge overlooking the pool. When they reached the top, Flowerbelly stared in awe at the beautifully clear water. The moon and stars rippled and blurred in the pool's reflection. The soft trickling of the stream was like an echoing song in her ears. The air was cool and refreshing as it brushed through her fur.
She'd been to the Moonpool once before, when Marshstar wanted advice from Starclan last Leafbare, but it still took her breath away.
Robinsong led the way silently, as was the tradition. They climbed down into the hollow and sat side by side at the water's edge. The Clan medicine cat signaled with her tail for Flowerbelly to lap from the pool.
This was it.
Flowerbelly crouched and dipped her head until her nose grazed the surface. Gentle ripples spread from her touch. Stretching her muzzle, she drew her tongue over the water. It was colder than ice and somehow tasted like the sky. Blackness encircled the Windclan deputy's vision as Starclan took hold of her dreams.
...
Flowerbelly opened her eyes to learn that she was at the center of the Gathering Island clearing. The Great Tree rose up from the ground, appearing to be much higher than in the waking world. The topmost branches seemed to scratch a path through Silverpelt.
Flowerbelly blinked. The stars were trembling before her eyes. No, they're changing!
They swirled and danced merrily. A path spiraled down from the sky itself as the cats of Starclan glided over it and into the clearing. They began to take on shapes both familiar and unfamiliar as they settled before Flowerbelly. They shimmered and glowed, making it hard for her to focus completely on one shape. But she found it impossible to look away.
Their pelts were like cold flame, and they smelled fresh and sharp to Flowerbelly's nose. She stood rigid as they surrounded her. She lifted her head to show that she was not afraid, that she was proud to stand here tonight. It was then that she spotted a line of familiar faces mere tail-lengths away.
"Rowanstripe!" she couldn't help calling. Her long-lost mate blinked at her warmly, but he didn't reply. At his side was a very small cat, a cat Flowerbelly would have recognized anywhere.
Sedgekit! Her throat was too tight with emotion to speak. She had no idea what words she would say to her son that could possibly explain the sorrow and regret for his wasted life. Last she'd seen the tiny kit, he'd been skinny and weak with hardship. Now his light brown tabby fur gleamed with starshine and his blue eyes glowed with wisdom.
Unable to bear it any longer, Flowerbelly tore her gaze away from her dead family. She took in the other cats before her, each figure warming her heart and breaking it at the same time.
Marshstar wasn't with them.
Before she could ask for him, a single voice spoke to her soul. Remarkably, the words rang with the timber of her loved ones as if they'd all contributed a piece of their spirits to the voice.
"Welcome, Flowerbelly," they said. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"
Flowerbelly swallowed, forcing her voice not to tremble. "I am."
A young gray tabby tom stood and gracefully approached her. Flowerbelly gasped when she recognized Driftpaw, an old friend who had trained alongside her many seasons ago before dying of an infected fox bite.
"We've had quite a few adventures together, haven't we?" she purred haltingly as he stretched forward to touch his muzzle between her ears. What she wasn't expecting was the white-hot blaze that licked through her body. She wanted to writhe and shriek, but some otherworldly power forced her to remain still.
"With this life I give you youth," Driftpaw declared. "Use it well to understand the dreams of your little warriors, and to face every challenge with hopeful energy."
The burning sensation faded, leaving Flowerbelly panting. Driftpaw's eyes danced as he returned to his place among Starclan.
Will every life be like that? She wondered despairingly. Then she shook her head. Her Clan depended on her.This pain will bring with it the strength to protect my Clan! Give as much of it to me as you can!
She blinked as another cat approached her, this time a silver tabby she-cat. It was Streamfur, a Shadowclan warrior Flowerbelly had befriended at previous Gatherings. A few moons ago Streamfur had died when an old tree fell. Flowerbelly still grieved for this cat as if a stone weighed in her heart.
Streamfur leaned forward to rest her nose on the top of the deputy's head and Flowerbelly tensed, prepared for the worst. "With this life I give you friendship," the Shadowclan cat purred. "Use it well to find allies even in the darkest of places."
Once again Flowerbelly trembled under the searing pain that was both gentle and fierce. She unwittingly thought of all her Clan mates and knew with certainty that she would die for every single one of them.
Streamfur backed away and left Flowerbelly alone in the unearthly clearing once more. Before the deputy could recover, another cat made its way towards her. She blinked in surprise when she realized it was Thornstar. The brown tom had been Windclan leader back when Flowerbelly had been a kit and Marshstar had been Marshfur. The former leader gazed at her proudly and stooped to press against her head.
"With this life I give you wisdom," he rumbled. "Use it well to guide your Clan mates and to know what path is greatest."
This life was just as searing as the first two, but Flowerbelly was ready and willing to drink in every bit of agony. As she watched Thornstar return to his place, another cat stepped forward. Her russet pelt sprinkled with stars as she stopped in front of Flowerbelly, whose eyes widened incredulously.
"Redfern!" she rasped.
The mystery of this she-cat's death was still ongoing. Before he disappeared, Marshstar had believed that a Thunderclan warrior was responsible. At this point the likely culprit was the beast that had preyed on the Clan cats. Still, Flowerbelly wanted to know the truth.
"What happened to you?" she begged, desperate for some closure.
Redfern blinked sagely. "Look for fire. It forms the darkest of shadows."
Before Flowerbelly could ask what the warrior meant, Redfern raised her voice as she bushed against the deputy's head. "With this life I give you patience. You will need it in the moons to come. Preserve your Clan and all its warriors."
The pain was intense, but it was somehow lighter than the others. It wasn't easy, but it was manageable. With that, the Starclan warrior returned to her shimmering Clan mates.
The next life-giver didn't surprise Flowerbelly. It was Blackear, who had once been an elder of Windclan. Flowerbelly had always been drawn to this addled old tom throughout her life. He'd been lighthearted and funny, and he'd always made time for her. They'd had a wondrous friendship until he'd died peacefully one clear night. Flowerbelly missed him dearly, but his time had come, and she would always cherish their time together.
His eyes sparkled with the same familiar light they'd had in life. Both cats didn't need to share words. Their unspoken connection said it all. "With this life I give you happiness. Use it well to brighten up your life, and the life of those around you." His rasping purr filled her ears. "You deserve it."
This life wasn't painful at all. It was bright and warming. Every part of her being seemed to shine with bliss and hope, rejuvenating her in time for the next four lives. Flowerbelly watched Blackear go with the same bittersweet feelings she'd experienced when she'd found his cold body curled up comfortably in his nest.
Another tom emerged from the line, and Flowerbelly purred when she realized he was the former Windclan deputy, Cloudspots. The gray tom had been her best friend for many seasons, and even when he was chosen as deputy, they'd worked together to lead their Clan.
Then the border dispute with Riverclan happened. Cloudspots, who'd been dying of his injuries, asked Flowerbelly to watch over his kits. Overcome with grief, she'd promised him she would. Her old friend was never far from her mind, especially when she gazed upon Frostpaw and Hawkpaw.
Cloudspots regarded her warmly as he dipped his head to touch between her ears. "With this life I give you courage. Use it well in defending your Clan." After the pain faded, he said, "Thank you for watching over my kits. I can't think of any cat more worthy to be called leader than you."
Too overcome with emotion to speak, Flowerbelly bowed her head low as he padded away. Another cat was too impatient to wait for Cloudspots to settle back among his Clan mates, and he jumped up to walk briskly over to Flowerbelly. Even though she recognized his black-and-white pelt right away, she'd know who he was just from his confident stride alone.
"Badgerfang," was all she said. Her brother licked his lips as he strutted up to her. He'd been the most arrogant and proud tom in all of Windclan, but Flowerbelly knew he'd been the best brother in all the world.
"Hey there, sister," he meowed cheerfully, as if he'd just returned from a border patrol. "Look how far you've come!"
She shrugged. "You're not the only one who's too stubborn for his own good."
He purred with amusement. "That's my she-cat." He stooped to touch her head with his nose. "With this life I give you confidence," he meowed clearly. "You will need it when doubt haunts your thoughts."
Flowerbelly eagerly drank his life in. She'd always admired Badgerfang's hard head and she wanted a part of her brother with her always. Every single worry in her mind ebbed away as a burning certainty and clarity scorched through her body. She felt incredibly light as her doubts weighed less on her shoulders. They didn't disappear entirely, but she was positive that she could overcome them.
"Thank you," she murmured as her brother left her. She braced herself, knowing what was to come with her two remaining lives.
And she was right. Sedgekit got to his paws and hopped up to her. How can he be so small, yet his eyes so bright? She wondered sadly.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Flowerbelly whispered to him when he met her eyes. They were deep pools of compassion and wisdom, no longer a kit's eyes.
"Don't blame yourself," he mewed kindly. "Guilt weighs too heavily on your spirit."
She blinked rapidly, desperate to memorize every hair on his pelt so that she would always remember this moment. "I can't help it."
He stared at her for many heartbeats. "Maybe I can." He lifted his nose and she had to dip her head so he could touch the right spot. "With this life I give you faith. Use it well so that when we see each other again, guilt won't come between us."
This life came with both happiness and sorrow. It washed over her like a great wave, blasting her with memories both young and old. When Sedgekit retreated, she felt more at peace than ever before. Flowerbelly knew that everything would be alright.
"Until we see each other again," she murmured after him. He didn't look back.
When Rowanstripe broke off from the starry ancestors, Flowerbelly padded forward to meet him. They both stared at each other as if they were both starving, and the sight of their mate was the only thing that could save them.
Rowanstripe's green eyes shone with love, pride, regret, and so many other feelings that Flowerbelly couldn't make sense of. She had a feeling that her eyes reflected the same emotions.
"You've come so far and endured so much," the golden tom meowed. "Some would say that you have lost everything, but Starclan knows that isn't true." He gently nuzzled her cheek and she purred deeply. "You have gained something few cats ever even get to experience. You have the support and fellowship of your Clan, and that is more precious than water."
Flowerbelly leaned back to gaze deep into Rowanstripe's eyes. "I don't know how I did all this without you," she mewed.
He drew his tongue over her cheek. "You didn't," he whispered in her ear. "Because I never left."
He then lifted his muzzle until it rested one last time between her ears. "With this life I give you love. Remember that we are always with you, and that your Clan cherishes you. Love them, love every cat, and most importantly, love yourself."
There was pain in the life Rowanstripe gave her, but Flowerbelly also felt the strength of all her loved ones pulse beneath her fur. It was a glorious sensation that she would take with her forever.
Rowanstripe took many paces back and declared, "I hail you by your new name, Flowerstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and Starclan grants you the guardianship of Windclan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."
"Flowerstar! Flowerstar! Flowerstar!"
Flowerstar watched with wonder as the cats of Starclan chanted her new name. Badgerfang's caterwaul boomed loudest in the clearing. Driftpaw and Streamfur leaped for joy. Cloudspots, Redfern, and Blackear crowed along, their voices clearer than the Moonpool. Thornstar continued the chant as Sedgekit clambered onto his back for a better view. Rowanstripe didn't yowl as he stood a fox-length in front of her, but his glowing eyes said it all.
Pride bloomed deep within Flowerstar's chest and she lifted her head to the sky. It had been a long journey, but she'd become leader of Windclan. She was their protector and mentor. With the lives of these nine cats she would thrive. There was no place she'd rather be.
I am Flowerstar, leader of Windclan, and I am coming home!