"Eclipsecloud!" Eclipsecloud heard her clan's - her medicine cat calling her. "Yes, Mistsong?"
"We are near. Are you ready?" Eclipsecloud squeezed her eyes shut before whispering, "Yes."
"Then let's go."
The two cats arrived at the Moonpool and Mistsong whispered, "Now lick some water."
"Okay." Eclipsecloud lapped up some water and then lay down. She soon drifted off and woke in StarClan.
Mistsong was right beside Eclipsecloud, her pale gray pelt pressing against Eclipsecloud's black fur. "You'll soon be a leader as Eclipsestar, Eclipsecloud. Are you ready for this?"
Eclipsecloud looked uncertain but nodded. She felt unable to move but remembered Mistsong telling her on the journey here that it always happened; her old life was getting ripped away to get ready for the new one.
They waited for a tiny while until finally they heard the voice of a StarClan cat calling them. "Eclipsecloud, Mistsong." But it was not one cat's voice, nor two or three. It was all of StarClan, in one voice. "Welcome." The voice was soft and pure, but not too soft, nor too loud.
A gray tom, amber eyes, and a thick bushy tail stepped forward. The cat filled Eclipsecloud with joy. "Father!" She half shouted, but at the signal she lowered her voice. His eyes, though a gleaming yellow, were full of love and elation for his daughter. He touched his nose to the top of her head and mewed, "With this life I give you courage. Use it well in the battles you have yet to fight, words or claw and tooth." He stepped back and gave Eclipsecloud time to recover. She looked up and their eyes connected. No words had to be said, for they could pass it by with looks. Eclipsecloud's father, Ashstorm, stepped back.
In his place a ruffled, tangled, brown furred Tom came forward. He was well-bodied, and had strong haunches and great muscles. His eyes were a dull dame green with the faintest glimmer in them. "I am Mudflight. You won't recognize me, but I am your mother's mother's father's brother. Otherwise known as your great great uncle." Eclipsecloud dipped her head, but before she could reply he touched his nose to the top of her head and mewed, "With this life I give you honesty. Use it well when leading StormClan, young one, and remember. Just because you're leader, you'll still have to earn some of your cats' trust." Eclipsecloud stayed silent and dipped her head.
After him stepping back, two kits stepped forward. One was a ginger tom. His eyes were the exact image of Eclipsecloud's eyes. The ginger kit had darker stripes down his coat and stood proudly, his white chest puffed out. The other kit was like Ashstorm; A pale gray but the she-kit bad bright, curious, creative eyes. She had a broad smile full of happiness on her face as she too like her brother sat quietly.
Meanwhile Eclipsecloud was still recovering from her second life. She grimaced, but let out a purr at the sight of the two kits. The two kits said in unison, "Welcome, sister, to StarClan. We never expected to see you here, alive, especially in your nine-lives ceremony. But we never even could imagine the thought of having the honor of giving you a life. With this life we, Gingerkit and Birdkit, give you hope. Use it when you're thinking 'Things can't get worse' and instead think 'Things will get better.' Remember, Sis, always look on the bright side, not the dark side." This life filled Eclipsecloud with true hope, happiness, and the feeling nothing could get worse.
Another cat padded up, around the size of an apprentice. "Rainpaw!" Eclipsecloud burst out and then licked her chest fur. The white and black tom smiled lightly and with a bounce, out his nose to her head and mewed joyfully, "With this life I give you playfulness. Use it well when feeling bored or lonely." Eclipsecloud this time felt a rush of excitement, the joy of jumping around as a kit, play fighting as an apprentice, and still having fun with friends and when growing up.
The next cat was a large she-cat. She was a tortoiseshell with white stripes like lightning on her face and darker markings. She had patchy fur and sharp gleaming white teeth. Two kits, who were like a mini image of the she-cat, followed close behind. Eclipsecloud's eyes brightened at the sight of her, yet also drooped. It was her best friend, and the previous deputy, who had been killed in a battle between StormClan and ThornClan. Maplefire. She had mourned Maplefire day and night. Their eyes met, no words needed to be said. She, like the other cats, touched her nose to the top of Eclipsecloud's head. "With this life I give you loyalty to what's right." She mewed. "Use it well when guiding your clan through troubled times." This life wasn't as hard to take as the others were. Eclipsecloud winced a bit but managed to stay up unlike the other lives.
A black tom with golden-brown eyes, a white chest and white paws, stepped forward. Eclipsecloud gasped. It was Thistleleaf, Maplefire's brother. He was in ThornClan while Maplefire was in StormClan. It had all been a mistake, a rogue group broke in and stole the two kits from ThornClan. Thistleleaf, Thistlekit back then, got parted from Maplefire when he escaped and found his way to ThornClan. Maplefire also escaped and got found by a warrior named Raggedsky. She got raised in StormClan while he got raised in ThornClan. He died in the same battle Maplefire died in when protecting Maplefire from being killed. Thistleleaf mewed, "With this life I give you curiosity." He continued, "Use it well to discover all the mysteries you have yet to discover. "Thank you," Eclipsecloud whispered. The life gave her excitement, a passion to adventure, and of course, curiosity.
The seventh cat yet stepped out and in an instant Eclipsecloud knew who it was. Softfrost. Her mentor. She had saved StormClan from a fire, but had died saving Eclipsecloud, Eclipsepaw then. Eclipsecloud had gotten a new mentor, Dustfang, but still had missed Softfrost. The pale cream with light and dark brown patches and a white chest she-cat stepped forward. After touching her nose to Eclipsecloud's head, she whispered softly, "With this life I give you mentoring. Use it well to train the young cats of StormClan." Softfrost stepped back, her sea-blue eyes showing harmony, wisdom, and a bit of unknown amusement. "You were a great apprentice to train," she purred and disappeared into the still darkness, yet it was light.
The eighth was given to her by her mother, Hollybreeze; a sleek, well-bodied, black she-cat, the splitting image of Eclipsecloud. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled as she looked proudly at her daughter. Her sparkling green eyes showed love as she murmured, "With this life I give you protection. Use it well and protect your clan like a mother protecting her kit." As Hollybreeze disappeared, the soft whisper of, "I love you, Eclipsestar, and I always have and always will." The life Eclipsecloud's mother gave her filled her with more pain she could imagine; fighting, claws slash, teeth biting, claws digging into flesh, teeth tearing the tender bit of the ear. She staggered back and collapsed. Eclipsecloud scrambled up and thought,is this really how a mother would protect her kits? Eclipsecloud felt another surge of affection to her mother.
Finally a white she-cat with black stripes and ice-blue eyes which when she looked at you coldly, you'd think you are freezing, stepped forward. Icestar. Eclipsecloud's previous leader. Icestar's eyes looked kindly down at her as she too touched her nose to Eclipsecloud's head and mewed, "With this life I give you leadership. Use it well when leading your clan."
"T-Thank you," Eclipsecloud stuttered.
Icestar continued, "I hail you by your new name, Eclipsestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of StormClan. 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."
"Eclipsestar, Eclipsestar, Eclipsestar, Eclipsestar," The StarClan warriors chanted Eclipsestar's new name.
Suddenly she heard a hiss, "Eclipsestar, Eclipsestar over here!" She followed where the mystery voice was coming from and saw a small cat, barely over the size of an apprentice. The cat was a black-furred tom and dark eyes which Eclipsestar couldn't detect the real color. He led Eclipsestar to a clearing and looked around with his beady eyes. Eclipsestar followed his gaze and saw five other cats. The other leaders. What are they doing here? A low hiss broke her from her thoughts.
"Six cats, the six kits of StarClan will save the forest, with the power of the elements in their paws, the water, the fire, the shadow, the earth, the dark, and the air."
The black tom continued, "Don't tell a soul about this." He bounded off before they could say anything. The six leaders looked at each other and one said, "We will discuss this at the next gathering, but don't tell any cat, not even your medicine cat." They all agreed and than they faded from StarClan.
Eclipsestar and Mistsong woke and Mistsong mewed, ready to go back, Eclipsestar?" Eclipsestar nodded and the two cats headed back home.