(a/n: Thunderstar's Echo and Shadowstar's Life aren't canon. Also, the word "Tribe" has been changed to "Clowder.")

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(...)

Clear Sky couldn't remember a time he was more nervous.

Well, that was a lie.

He'd been terribly nervous when they were trying to kill a convocation of eagles back in the mountains and he'd lost sight of Bright Stream. He'd been terribly nervous after Storm left his group. He'd been terribly nervous when Moon Shadow got wounded in a fire. He'd been terribly nervous when Storm and other starry cats descended on them from above and his former mate started chewing him out.

And when One Eye came to the forest and took his cats hostage… and when Star Flower was taken by Slash… and when Tiny Branch was bleeding out without help in sight….

...Clowder of Endless Hunting, had he ever felt secure in his life?

"Clear Sky," came a light voice, snapping Clear Sky back to reality and the task at paw.

"Uh," Clear Sky sounded, lifting his head up to look at the rich brown she-cat rather than his paws, "Yes?"

Acorn Fur let out a athss of laughter. "You're worried about meeting a ThunderClan patrol, aren't you?"

Clear Sky looked in front of him. They were in a large clearing, and in front of them was an old beech stump that he used to hold meetings on. Right past the stump started Thunder's- Thunderstar's?- territory.

Stars, that was another thing he was nervous about. But he couldn't tell Acorn Fur that.

"No!" he lied, "It's just that…" he took a step back, away from the medicine cat. "Do I really have to go? I might not even get lives! Everyone knows all the awful things I've done, what if they refuse me? Besides. I'm getting older anyway, I don't need eight more lives. What if we sent…"

He glanced at his paws again, eyes going wide. No other SkyClan cat was completely innocent. He blinked.

"Sparrow Fur!" he burst out, "What if we sent her instead?"

Acorn Fur blinked, surprised, then shook her head. "I'll drag you to the Moonstone if I have to, Clear Sky."

Clear Sky sighed, defeated. "Fine…" he said, tail drooping and dragging across the forest floor. "Do we have to go into ThunderClan territory, though? There's a field on the far border," he explained, pointing with his muzzle to the right.

Acorn Fur shrugged and nodded, tapping her nose to the taller cat's chin. Taking that as the go-ahead, Clear Sky turned and led the both of them that way. After several, several pawsteps, the two passed a beech tree, leaves ginger with leaf-fall, and emerged into the field. About a half-tree-length away sat a yellow house with a strange, silver, holy fence that jingled with every breeze. Acorn Fur watched it carefully, wide-eyed.

Clear Sky paid her no mind, instead pricking his ears. The wind was coming from the west, their scents would be blown into the Twolegplace down the hill rather than into ThunderClan territory. Flicking his ears, Clear Sky went on.

Star Flower had shown him this place and the city beyond the hill. She told him that that was where she and her mother and siblings had lived. Where One Eye used to reign, too, before he took interest in the forest.

When they reached the dry, torn-up soil marked with strange orange trees and Acorn Fur gained her bearings on where they were again. She took a step down into the strange ditch, flicking her white tail-tip for Clear Sky to follow. He tried his hardest for the swallow clawing at his stomach not to fly again- though the disgusting wet ash scent the place had wasn't helping his situation.

"Hey," Clear Sky mewed, right in the middle of the path. Acorn Fur pricked her ears and turned back to look at him, confused. "You think we can walk this path there?"

"Cloud Spots told me there are huge yellow monsters a ways down," Acorn Fur informed, flattening her ears to her head, her hackles aising, "They're as big as trees and a hundred times as wide. And they're loud as a thousand thunderstorms."

Clear Sky pricked his ears and looked to either side of the path. All was silent save for a few crickets, cicadas, and breezes ruffling leaves.

"...sounds like they're sleeping," he said.

Acorn Fur pricked her ears and listened herself. "...I suppose you're right."

Clear Sky nodded to himself, letting Acorn Fur lead him down the path rather than into ShadowClan's territory. He and Shadowstar had never gotten on well.

He figured it started back in the mountains, after Owl Feather, Shadowstar's mother, died and her father, Jagged Lightning, starting growing close to Quiet Rain, Clear Sky's own mother. He couldn't blame her- he meant, he never had two parents, but he figured that, if he did, he would be destroyed if they started pursuing someone else once their first mate died.

Quiet Rain loved Shadowstar and Moon Shadow, but Clear Sky always read it as Quiet Rain being a caregiver rather than step-motherly. He'd heard so much about how his mother never took another mate… but had everyone just been oblivious, aside from Shadowstar? The she-cat always was much smarter than he was.

Leaving her group with her brother, the only kin she had, didn't help much either, he supposed. Then when Moon Shadow died…

Clear Sky loved Moon Shadow. He really did. But he couldn't imagine the pain that came with seeing your last known kin die in front of you.

Acorn Fur cowered close to the ground, weaving around the huge yellow monsters. Clear Sky followed in her form and pawsteps, though couldn't help looking around curiously. Stars, Twolegs and their strange contraptions.

They made it out of the strange yellow monsters and onto what used to be the WindClan-ShadowClan border. The path was on a hill, and each side was in a gully. Last he had seen, the Twolegs had dug out a big hole underneath their path. Inwardly, Clear Sky thought it was hilarious the Twolegs were egging on a war, but outwardly, he knew it was one of those storm drains Star Flower spoke about.

Were the storm drains what inspired Shattered Ice and Windstar to go into rabbit burrows and dig their own paths? Clear Sky hoped. That would be funny.

"Here it is," Acorn Fur announced, stepping off the path and into a clearing. Boulders littered the place, though it was down off a hill from the path that Twolegs paid it no mind. Forward, a few rocky steps led up into an outcrop and a wide, pitch-black hole.

Clear Sky felt a rock in his stomach- or maybe that was the swallow again. On one paw, he still remembered the mountains and the cave that the Clowder of Rushing Water lived. On the other, he'd been in the forest so long he didn't know if rocks could comfort him.

Acorn Fur turned and smiled at her leader. Clear Sky didn't notice immediately, but once he did, he nodded. After the silent exchange, Acorn Fur hopped forward and onto the first rock before looking back at the tom to make sure he was following. He did, slowly, cautiously.

The two stepped up another and another, until they were several tail-lengths up and the large hole sat in front of them. Acorn Fur brushed her white tailtip over Clear Sky's nose, prompting a sneeze from the tom. Acorn Fur giggled.

"Sorry," she mewed, Clear Sky sniffed in response. "It's dark," she went on, "And it gets quite thin. I don't want you to lose me."

Clear Sky nodded and dipped his head, letting Acorn Fur place her tailtip onto the bridge of his muzzle.

"Are you ready to receive your lives?" she asked.

"Stars, no," Clear Sky admitted, "But I'm already here."

Acorn Fur laughed and stepped forward, leading Clear Sky onward. As promised, the tunnel twisted and turned, pressed in on their whiskers and brushed the tips of their ears. Terrifying as it was, light finally greeted them.

"Quickly, now," Acorn Fur commanded, "Very, very bright once moonhigh hits."

She then curled up beside the stone, pressing her nose to the base. Clear Sky followed and sat, defiantly. Soon enough, blackness overtook his vision and complete silence overtook his hearing.

Then came a buzzing. Quiet at first, just a noise his brain would make when no sound was there. Then it grew louder… and louder… and louder until it was as loud as a thunderstorm, right beside his ears. Clear Sky tried to reach his paws up, but as he lifted his feet, he didn't feel anything under him. He quickly put them back down and tried to dig his claws into the nothingness he sat on. He shut his eyes back tightly. He knew StarClan would refuse him, he knew it.

Then, slowly, the buzzing faded out and was replaced by the sound of running water. He slowly fluttered open his eyes. There sat a creek the same teal as his eyes, but everywhere else was white- but not white with snow, just- colorless.

Looking up from the river, Clear Sky saw a small, dark brown tabby cat. Her eyes were pure white, too, even lacking pupils.

"F-Fluttering Bird?" Clear Sky whispered.

"Have you achieved all that you hoped for?" Fluttering Bird mewed. Clear Sky flattened his ears, unable to think of a response. Fluttering Bird nodded and clawed at the white ground beneath them.

Her claws turned into thick black ravines, coming together and coming toward Clear Sky. He tried to stand, but his paws felt tied in place. The cracks came closer, dipping under his front paws. He stumbled in, trying to back out as he stared down into darkness.

The hole stopped moving and Clear Sky was stuck, claws unsheathed on any surface he could hold onto. His hind paws went numb, but he still couldn't move them to climb out. Fluttering Bird hopped over the creek, expressionless. With her claws sheathed, she smacked Clear Sky's hindquarters. He tumbled over himself and lost his grip on the wall as a yowl spilled out of his mouth. Suddenly, he was falling.

All around him scenes flashed: Leaving Quiet Rain in the Clowder's cave, sobbing. Taking several cats from Shadowstar. Exiling Jackdaw's Cry and hobbling out of camp on his broken leg. Exiling Frost and Thunder. Hitting Falling Feather over the head as they led them out.

Killing Misty, trying to kill her kits. Taking out said orphaned kits climbing, where they could've broken their necks. Killing Rainswept Flower, nearly killing Gray Wing.

Clear Sky felt a sob choke out of his throat and he closed his eyes tight and covered his eyes with his paws. He kicked, trying to flip himself over, to no avail. Suddenly, warmth touched his arms. Fluttering Bird pulled his paws off. Her cold, sightless white gaze softened and she smiled, before her body was blown away like a fallen leaf.

Clear Sky flailed and kicked again, turning himself over. Below him, a circle was coming closer. It was like the color of a twilight sky, but lighter. Not as white as it had been above the hole, but a pale purple. When Clear Sky reached it, he collapsed and slumped. He ached. He felt a paw on his shoulders and a wetness on his ears.

"Clear Sky!" Acorn Fur commanded, "Come on, you've been asleep long enough."

Clear Sky blinked his eyes open, body still tense as he feared the ground would disappear again. Acorn Fur touched her nose to his forehead, which made Clear Sky feel a bit safer. He raised his head and looked at the row of starry-furred cats in front of him: all in living color, all with colored eyes, all with pupils. Clear Sky managed to heave himself up and dip his head to the cats, turning to face them.

"Hello, Clear Sky," came a soft, high-pitched voice, "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

Clear Sky glanced around at the cats, though couldn't place who was speaking. He let out a breath and nodded, flexing his shoulders and standing taller. A small, dark brown tabby cat stepped forward first. She was short, much shorter than Acorn Fur, almost as if she hadn't fully developed. Her eyes were yellow, flecked with kit-blue. She bared a big, toothy grin.

"Forget about me?" she asked, voice the same as the greeter's. Clear Sky suddenly felt his heart swell and a raspy purr come out of his throat.

"Fluttering Bird? Is that you?"

"You better believe it," she snapped back.

She started to strain up, but Clear Sky lowered his head to let her touch him easier. He closed his eyes as she started to speak.

"With this life, she started, "I give you compassion. Use it well to take care of your clanmates."

A scene unfolded in front of him. Cold, cold mountains an a huge pit in numb, growling stomach. Snowflakes pelted down and wind buffeted either side of him. Clear Sky shivered and lashed his tail as cold set in. Suddenly he fell, cold, so freezing cold, and blackness overcame him.

Next up came Quiet Rain, who gave him forgiveness and made him feel like his chest was collapsing in on itself. Then was Gray Wing, who gave his brother a loving hug before giving him confidence and again, making his chest shrivel up. Next was Bright Stream, who gave him courage and tore his spine straight out of his body.

Then was Moon Shadow, who's voice was on the edge of a sob the entire ceremony. He gave Clear Sky happiness. His life was warm, but he couldn't tell if that was from Shadowstar crying over his dead body or the fire still clinging to his pelt. Next was Petal, who gave healing, again subjecting Clear Sky to lung torture. Then came Micah, who looked as if he held no grudge against the tom whatsoever. He gave cool-headedness, and made Clear Sky feel as if one of those yellow monsters was running right over him.

Sheathing his claws into the ground and trying his hardest to stay standing and not roll the pain off, Clear Sky panted. Once the pain ebbed and he could open his eyes, he looked to Acorn Fur- who looked traumatized. Then he heard clumsy pawsteps and shushes. Five bundles came tumbling from between Bright Stream and Quiet Rain. The biggest- oh, stars, that's Tiny Branch…- ducked under Bright Stream's paw as the other four stepped to Clear Sky. He crouched down for them.

"Hi!" announced the biggest, her pelt dappled in gray, cream and white. "I bet you don't know us!"

"I don't," Clear Sky mewed, voice light in amusement.

"I'm Hurricane!" the kit announced.

A smaller kit without the cream patches spoke next, "And I'm Cloudburst! We're yours and Storm's kits!"

"Ohhh," Clear Sky purred, reaching to bundle them under his chin, still purring. The sisters giggled before they pried their father's paw off and stepped back.

The next kit to speak was smaller, and a dark-and-white tabby. "I'm Bright Moon," he announced, then pointed to a small pale she-kit, "And this is my sister, Little River!"

"We're yours and Bright Stream's," Little River explained.

Clear Sky felt his heart swell. He hadn't thought his and Bright Stream's kits would be living lives in StarClan! He reached for them as well, purring with them, too. They backed up and Hurricane was the one to speak.

"With this life we give you mentoring," she announced, "Use it well to defend your clan."

The weight of a thousand boulders cracked down his spine and back. Sharp, so sharp, so heavy. That was the most painful yet. Once the pain ebbed and Clear Sky could crack open his eyes, he licked each of the kitten's heads.

"I love you all so much," he mewed, nudging Little River to send them all back to Tiny Branch.

Lastly came a she-cat, a gray tabby with cream patches, just as tall as Clear Sky was- fine, taller by two kittensteps.

"Greetings," she mewed.

"Storm…" Clear Sky responded, lovingly.

"This is it, isn't it?" Storm asked, "Are you happy with yourself? With everything you've done? I've been watching you very closely, you know."

Clear Sky sighed, "I regret every cat I've ever harmed," he admitted, "And I wish I was better at talking from the heart than the head to find the words to forgive them. I am happy where I am. I am happy with my clan and family. I'm not very proud of the decisions I made to get here."

Storm frowned, thinking. It was several heartbeats later, really, when she responded; but to Clear Sky it felt like days. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Then," she mewed, glancing around at the gathered cats, "With everyone's blessing," she turned back to Clear Sky, "I give you your final life."

She took a deep breath before speaking.

"I give you the life of forgiveness. You know better than most what hatred and fear can do to a cat. You know better than most what can come from holding a grudge. Use it well to lead your clan."

The pain of every life came crashing back to him, nearly knocking him off his feet. Spine getting torn and spine getting crushed and suffocating and freezing and he couldn't breathe oh stars was he dying right here? It faded after several, several excruciating heartbeats, and he managed to look back up at Storm, smiling smugly above him in the way only Storm could. Clear Sky gave a small smile himself.

"Your old life is no more," Storm announced, "You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you true guardianship of SkyClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, and honor your ancestors and lessons you've learned. Live each life with pride and dignity. I hail you by your new name, founder of SkyClan: Skystar."

"Skystar!" called the starry cats, "Skystar! Skystar! Skystar!"