Self Preservation at its Finest

by captaineko

Silverpaw is a young apprentice with a goal in mind: to become the next ShadowClan leader. Hazelpaw has the footsteps of his father to follow, but would much rather be lazy. StarClan has foreseen the fall of the clans, and intend to do anything to stop it. Even if that means switching the souls of two cats. (SYOC open when noted)

1. To Preserve

A tall cat paced in a clearing beside a pool filled with a colourless liquid. Her pelt was littered in stars and only grew worse with each step as she managed to pick up more and more stars as she went. Each star was naught more but a shimmer in her brown fur, but with enough of them she was glowing bright enough to replace the sun. A few faded cats had gathered and were staring at her, but their presence was dim enough for the StarClan cat not to notice. Unlike the onlookers her tabby fur was vivid and bright and her eyes sparkled with light as well as a bit of terror. She was the ShadowClan leader who went by the name Willowstar, and was certainly unhappy with the way StarClan was doing things.

"Only four! There's only four of us to handle this! What are the Ancestors thinking!" she muttered.

Willowstar was too deep in her ramblings to notice a cat who was approaching, and jumped once another voice reached her ears.

"My my, you would think the eldest ShadowClan member of StarClan would not be so skittish," a smooth voice spoke.

Willowstar turned to face the newcomer. Her green eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice; she recognized it well.

"Ancestors, of course you were chosen to be the representative of RiverClan," Willowstar said eyeing the form of the new arrival.

The cat was covered in shining silver fur which shone with specks of stars and she laughed in a way that could only be described as a small giggle. She was petite, thin and Willowstar still had a hard time believing that she did not break the code to take on a mate. The cat in question happened to be one Minnowpool; a very kind and very considerate medicine cat who Willowstar had the pleasure of sharing her existence, in and out of StarClan, with.

"Miss me Willowstar? It's been moons since we last spoke hasn't it?" Minnowpool purred. She moved to sit in front of the pool and gave a flick of her tail towards Willowstar. She dipped a paw in the liquid, a few ripples cascaded over the emptiness. A brief picture of RiverClan's camp passed over with the waves before vanishing.

"I don't suppose you've changed over this last generation. Started caring about the clans perhaps?" Willowstar said as she went to sit next to the medicine cat. She made sure the keep a tail's distance so she would not shed blood in front of the Looking Pool.

"Oh of course not tree-brain! I'm simply excited to see what will happen. Will the clans finally die off or will they survive. Thrilling stuff really." Minnowpool said with a shrill of glee.

Willowstar was about to voice her disgust when a cough brought their attention to the third cat who managed to join them without either noticing. "Thymestar, you as well?" Willowstar said looking at the large ThunderClan leader.

He huffed in response and gazed down at the pool. Thymestar was a very average leader; if nothing else. He was large and a good fighter with a grey pelt. Although one thing Willowstar was looking forward too was his genuine kindness and concern for all cats regardless of the clans. Something that would surely balance out Minnowpool. While glaring at the silver medicine cat, Willowstar happened to notice the fourth and final cat approaching. He was small and extremely thin. The leader would have missed his black pelt completely if it was not for the two white ears atop his head.

"Webbednose, you little fish-fur you! Have you been hunting properly, you look like you have half-starved to death!" Minnowpool greeted the arrival with a happy giggle.

Webbednose only glared at the medicine cat, clearly not appreciating the joke about his painful death, and looked at pool.

"So we have WIllowstar, Thymestar, and her. Decent group. Although I wish Stormstar could have made it. Much better voice for RiverClan, I'd say, shame he faded a few moons back." Webbednose spoke without looking up.

"His soul has already been tied to another kit I hear?" Willowstar muttered.

"Indeed, Minnowpool here has put him into a RiverClan tom-kit," Webbednose said as she shot a glare at the medicine cat. "Couldn't wait to get rid of him could you."

Minnowpool tilted her head and gave a quick smile. After the small talk was over the four spend a quiet moment for the former RiverClan leader. No living cat would think that you could die even in StarClan, but a cat who fades from the memories of the living loses every part of who they once were. They become nothing but a blank soul.

Willowstar finally broke the silence as they had very little time to figure out what to do.

"Sharp claws will strike the clans, leaving blood in their wake. The only way to survive is with a silver wind's lead and support from the trees in the shadows," she recited the echoed words they all knew well. The founders of the four clans were only whispers to StarClan cats. They gave prophecies and it was up to the rest of StarClan to figure it out.

Webbednose glanced at the tabby she-cat and then down at the pool. He dipped a paw in showing a image of three small sleeping kits nestled beside a larger orange cat. Each kit had a similar brown pelt which was decorated in darker brown and black stripes. He then twirled it around in a circle to make the pool fade into two separate pictures. On the right there was one of the small brown kits from earlier but in a closer view. While the left held a light grey she-kit with her legs spread out on top of her darker grey littlermate. The warrior then drew a claw from one kit to the other.

"It's clear we needed to get Silverkit in WindClan and Hazelkit in ShadowClan." Webbednose added, "We all agree on this correct?"

The other three nodded in silence and Thymestar spoke up next, "What about switching them. Send a hawk to carry them to the other clan. They're only kits, they won't remember much." He hit the pool and made it fade into a large brown bird carrying a small silver kit.

Willowstar nodded quickly. She did not have her own plan, but she had come to the realization that there was no other option than to forcibly switch the two.

"To risky," Webbednose muttered. "If we do that and their parents find out, there's no way to control what happens."

"Well what else do we do! We can't just switch their personalities!" Thymestar growled and glared at the black tom.

Webbednose drew his mouth into a hiss, but was cut off by Minnowpool.

"Yes we can," she said with a smirk.

"What?" the three others said in unison.

"We already give half the clan cats their souls, and we take all of them away. Who says we can't just take, make the switch and put them back?"

Minnowpool was met with silence until Thymestar spoke up, "I don't see why not."

"Why not? No cat has done that before, we could kill both of them!" Willowstar hissed.

"So we try it out." Minnowpool's smile widened. "Let's switch a ThunderClanner and a RiverClanner and see what happens."

"That sounds reasonable," Webbednose said and was followed by a silent nod by Willowstar.

"Reasonable! You are risking my descendants for an experiment! How can I allow this!" Thymestar spoke in a quickly ignited rage. He got to his paws and stepped away from the pool. Minnowpool quickly stood up and sauntered after the ThunderClan leader.

"You are outnumbered three to four, dear herb-heart, can you really argue? Something has to be done." Minnowpool purred with a soft smile.

A few heartbeats passed, with Thymestar eyeing each cat. Minnowpool was leaning towards him with a devious grin, Webbednose was staring at him in silence and Willowstar was looking away and at the pool. He breathed in and then out and then sighed,

"Fine, but I will choose which ThunderClan cat's life we are ruining."

"As will I for RiverClan,"

Allegiances

WindClan

Leader: BADGERSTAR white tom with black feet and grey eyes

Deputy: BERRYBRANCH small tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: ASPENBERRY Bluish-black she-cat with sky blue eyes

Apprentice: PINEPAW brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

MOUSEROAR light brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Palepaw)

HAWKFLIGHT dark brown tom with copper eyes (Apprentice: Bearpaw)

SANDROSE pale orange and thin tabby she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice: Hazelpaw)

ADDERFUR dark grey tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Poisonpaw)

FLAMEBREEZE ginger tom with dark paws, dark ears, a dark muzzle and amber eyes (Apprentice: Rookpaw)

REBERRY large reddish brown mottled tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Hawkpaw)

LOCHSHADE short frost point tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Lizardpaw)

VINEFIRE brown tabby tom with white paws and brown eyes (Apprentice: Shortpaw)

MOORRUNNER lithe light brown tabby tom with golden eyes

BRIGHTPELT large white she-cat with bright ginger patches and leaf green eyes

RAVENWISH small black tom with hints of pale orange fur and golden eyes

BRAMBLEWHISKER dark brown tabby she-cat with dark cream stripes and golden eyes

FEATHEREAR pale grey and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

GREYSNOW pale grey she-cat with a white underbelly, white paws and green eyes

Apprentices:

PALEPAW light brown she-cat with green eyes

HAZELPAW light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

SHORTPAW unusually short, slender frost point tom with blue eyes

ROOKPAW dusty brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes and a crooked tail

HAWKPAW sleek mottled brown she-cat with black ears, black paws, amber eyes and a fluffy black tail

LIZARDPAW brown-grey tom with black splotches, one green eye and one amber eye

BEARPAW sturdy orange-tan tom with black paws, a black stomach, a black muzzle, black ears and dim blue eyes

POISONPAW sleek tan tom with black spots and vibrant blue eyes

Queens Kits:

SKYFLIGHT bluish-silver and white tabby she-cat with sky blue eyes (Nursing Flamebreeze's kits: BREEZEKIT grey tom with dark paws, dark ears, a dark muzzle and amber eyes, VIOLETKIT dark bluish-silver tabby she-cat, BRIGHTKIT bright ginger and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes)

HEATHERHEART light brown tabby she-cat with large green eyes (Nursing Redberry's kits: FENNETKIT fluffy light brown tabby she-kit with amber eyes, VIXENKIT large light brown tabby with a dark stripe along her back and amber eyes)

Elders:

WILDJAW tall tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

ShadowClan

Leader: SMOKEDSTAR dark grey, almost black, tom with dark amber eyes

Deputy: TALLSTORM black and white tom with an abnormally long tail and blue eyes

Medicine Cat: SNOWDAISY white she-cat with brown and black patches

Apprentice: WATERPAW dark bluish-grey she-cat with yellow eyes

Warriors:

THAWWEDBRIAR light grey tabby she-cat with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Vixenpaw)

NEWTLEAP greyish brown tom with amber eyes

CEDARSTORM brown tabby tom with a white tail and hazel eyes (Apprentice: Silverpaw)

MARSHILY white she-cat with brown patches (Apprentice: Ashpaw)

FALLENSHADOW solid black tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Beechpaw)

FROSTCLAW white tom with frosty blue eyes and tufted ears

SCORCHFLAME ginger tom with white chest, white paws and blazing amber eyes

IVYHEART slender black she-cat with long fur and pretty golden eyes (Apprentice: Fallowpaw)

FUZZYCLOUD black tom with spiky fur and cold amber eyes (Apprentice: Nightpaw)

BRAMBLESONG brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

FAIRSUN white she-cat with yellow splotches and hazel eyes (Apprentice: Whitepaw)

FROGLEAP white she-cat with brown splotches and hazel eyes

FERRETSTREAM grey and white tom with yellow eyes

Apprentices:

SILVERPAW light grey tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

ASHPAW dark grey tabby tom with light, almost white, blue eyes

VIXENPAW slender, lithe, dark ginger, tabby she-cat with a white underbelly, white paws, white tail tip, black ear tips and green eyes

NIGHTPAW black tom with white paws and green eyes

FALLOWPAW very light ginger tom with white spots on his back

BEECHPAW light brown she-cat with blue eyes and a tan belly

WHITEPAW white she-cat with ginger spots and amber eyes

Queens Kits:

TORNCLAW golden she-cat with green eyes (Expecting kits)

SKYFEATHER light grey she-cat with white paws and blue eyes (Nursing Fallenshadow's kits: DUSKKIT cream furred tabby she-cat with green eyes, HOLLYKIT solid black she-cat with blue eyes, YARROWKIT white tom with golden splotches and green eyes, WOODKIT brown tabby tom with striking blue eyes)

Elders:

TINYSTONE light grey and white she-cat with yellowish-green eyes

VOLEWHISKER black tom with amber eyes

RiverClan

Leader: FOXSTAR reddish brown tom with black paws, black ears, a black tail-tip and amber eyes

Deputy: WILLOWHEART grey tabby she-cat with sky blue eyes

Medicine Cat: MUDPOOL solid dark brown she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: BUMBLEPAW grey tabby tom with a black stripe down his back and green eyes

Warriors:

SHELLSTONE greyish white tom with golden eyes

PIKECLAW brown tom with thick black tabby stripes and amber eyes

SUNDAPPLE small short-legged white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Stormpaw)

SOFTBITE bluish silver tabby she-cat with dark brown eyes

SORRELFLAME brown she-cat with hazel eyes

OTTERTOOTH light grey tabby tom with green eyes

LEOPARDHEART golden tabby she-cat with golden eyes (Apprentice: Blossompaw)

LEAFCLAW brown, white, black and grey mottled tabby she-cat with light green eyes and unusually sharp claws

HICKORYTUFT large reddish-brown tom with blue eyes (Apprentice:Creekpaw)

GOURSELEG fluffy light brown tom with stripes and amber eyes (Apprentice: Icepaw)

RABBITFOOT light brown tabby tom with pale green eyes

Apprentices:

CREEKPAW bluish black tom with brown eyes

BLOSSOMPAW pale brown she-cat with copper eyes

STORMPAW large stormy grey tom with dark blue eyes

ICEPAW pure white tom with icy blue eyes

Queens Kits:

OTTERDROP black she-cat with grey paws and icy blue eyes (Nursing Foxstar's kit: STORMKIT reddish brown she-cat with grey tail tip and icy blue eyes)

JUNIPERSNOW light ginger and white she-cat with bright green eyes (Adopted: RAINKIT black tom with amber eyes)

ROSEDAPPLE red and brown dappled she-cat with hazel eyes (Nursing Rabbitfoot's kits: NETTLEKIT spiky furred tortoiseshell she-cat with hazel eyes, QUAILKIT brown tom with hints of black and green eyes, RIPPLEKIT reddish-brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes)

Elders:

HERONCRY small, short-legged brown she-cat with black specks, a short tail and amber eyes

REEDSTORM stocky black tom with amber eyes

ThunderClan

Leader: SEEDSTAR brown she-cat with darker brown spots, darker paws and amber eyes

Deputy: MALLOWFOOT white tom with pale green eyes

Medicine Cat: RUSSETFEATHER unusually long furred dark red she-cat with yellowish orange eyes

Warriors:

GORSEWATER dark grey tom with white paws and icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Jaypaw)

VIXENWILLOW dappled ginger she-cat with one copper eye and one hazel eye

WILDHEART sleek white tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Robinpaw)

RUNNINGMIST white tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

FIREFUR vibrant ginger tom with brown eyes (Apprentice: Ashenpaw)

THISTLENOSE grey and white tom with green eyes and a scarred muzzle (Apprentice: Owlpaw)

COPPERCLAW reddish-brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Flightpaw)

SWIFTPELT large silver furred she-cat with stunning blue eyes and a scar down her flank

MOUSESTRIPE grey tom with one brown ear, one brown paw and green eyes

BRAMBLETAIL dark brown tabby tom with a black tail and amber eyes (Apprentice: Foxpaw)

ROBINFLIGHT red-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

SOFTWING grey she-cat with very soft fur and blue eyes

OAKFOOT brown tabby tom with black paws and amber eyes

LILYTAIL dark brown-and-white tabby she-cat with pale green eyes (Apprentice: Ravenpaw)

Apprentices:

FOXPAW dark ginger tom with amber eyes

FLIGHTPAW solid dark grey she-cat with icy-blue eyes

OWLPAW dark brown tom with darker brown spots, paws and amber eyes

ASHENPAW light grey she-cat with dark stripes, belly and blue eyes

ROBINPAW pale red tom with golden eyes

RAVENPAW solid black she-cat with golden eyes

JAYPAW pale greyish-blue tom with yellow eyes

Queens Kits:

COTTON white she-cat with black patches and dark green eyes (Nursing: LAVENDERKIT dark blue she-cat with blue eyes, APPLEKIT white tom with green eyes, WALNUTKIT white and black tom with blue eyes, HEATHERKIT light greyish blue she-cat with dark green eyes)

CHERRYHEART ginger she-cat with white paws and green eyes (Adopted: DAWNKIT ginger she-cat with a white belly and dark golden eyes, GREYKIT grey and white tom with green eyes)

Elders:

REDHEART reddish-brown she-cat with darker paws, darker speckles, one amber eye and one green eye