Chapter 9
The air smelled of frost and starlight, and all around Foxtail was darkness. He shivered, chilled to the bone as his energy seemed to seep out of him. Where is StarClan? He couldn't move, and could hardly breathe. Just as panic was beginning to consume him, he opened his eyes.
All around him glimmered the starry pelt of his warrior ancestors. He spotted more familiar faces than he cared to count, and countless others that had come and gone long before his time.
"Welcome, Foxtail." The voice sounded like one and many at the same time. "Are you ready to begin your new life?"
"I am," Foxtail rasped. I hope. Nine cats seemed to melt out of the surrounding warriors. Of those nine, one padded slowly towards him. The red warrior's heart leapt into his throat as the pretty tortoiseshell approached.
"I am Spottedleaf," she murmured. Her tone was soft and soothing. "I was the medicine cat before Yellowfang."
"Hailfall's told me about you," Foxtail stared at her in wonder.
Her amber eyes burned as she leaned down to touch her nose to the top of his head. "With this life, I give you faith. May you use it to push forward, even when you can see nothing but darkness. There is always starlight on the other side." A jolt of pain ripped through Foxtail's body, setting his blood to flame and burning him slowly from the inside out. He understood as the medicine cat stepped back into the ranks. It was the burning resolution of Hailfall's faith—in StarClan and in him.
Trembling, Foxtail looked up again to see Graystripe approaching. His father's best friend looked as cheery as ever, his wide paws kicking up stardust as he approached. "With this life, I give you pride. Use it well in care of your Clan—always hold your head high." As he touched his nose to Foxtail's head he added softly, "We're all proud of you, Foxtail." This life was more painful than the first, full of the blistering fury of a warrior defending his Clan.
I won't survive this. Foxtail could hardly bear to look up as the next cat approached. He immediately regretted it. "Whitethroat," he choked out. The black ShadowClan warrior bowed his head and touched his nose to Foxtail's head.
"With this life, I give you judgement. Use it to always do what you believe to be right." This life came with a different pain; that of regret. Sorrow rushed through Foxtail, pricking at his chest and lungs with every breath.
"Whitethroat," he tried again as the warrior stepped back. "I'm so sorry, I…"
But the black warrior shook his head. In his eyes was calm acceptance. "There's nothing to apologize for."
Ferncloud took his place. "With this life," she purred, touching his head gently, "I give you love and protection. Use it to defend the kits of your Clan as if they were your own." The most painful yet, Ferncloud's life left Foxtail gasping for breath, his entire body shivering with the force of it. Will I ever love someone as much as you love Dustpelt…? He hadn't voiced the question, but the playful look the dappled queen threw over her shoulder made Foxtail pelt burn in embarrassment. Is that a yes…?
A pang of longing struck the red warrior as the next cat approached. He remembered moons of training sessions in a heart-beat, and a scratchy purr escaped his throat.
"Dustpelt."
His mentor's eyes glowed as he bent his head. "With this life I give you mentoring. Use it to guide your young apprentices and senior warriors alike." Dustpelt's life was deceptively warm, full of the happiness of mentorship and the carefree joy that filled their training sessions. "I couldn't have asked for a better apprentice."
"I couldn't have asked for a better mentor," Foxtail countered. "I owe you more than any cat."
Foxtail didn't recognize the next cat to stand before him, but he knew who he was. "You're Oakheart, aren't you?"
The reddish-brown tom dipped his head. "I know Hailfall told you all about me."
"Yes," Foxtail took a deep breath. "Thank you for saving him."
The StarClan warrior's amber eyes flashed, and he bent to touch Foxtail's head. "With this life, I give you humor. Use it to sharpen your tongue and make the dark time a little brighter."
Oakheart's life crashed over him like a wave of icy water, chilling him to the bone and leaving him without the strength to lift his head. Still, his chin rose as he saw Yellowfang padding towards him.
"With this life I give you compassion," the old medicine cat growled. Her eyes burned as fiercely as ever into Foxtail's. "Use it to care for the sick and elderly, and any others who need your help." The pain that accompanied her life was as sharp as the medicine cat's tongue. It sparked and sizzled in his ears and paws long after she had stepped away.
Foxtail's breath caught in his throat as Cindercloud approached him. Her eyes were bright with mischief, her tail-tip twitching playfully. "With this life," she announced clearly, "I give you patience. Use it to better think things through and make clear decisions." As the smoldering pain of her life ebbed, the gray queen added, "Some of the best things in life are worth waiting for."
She means us, he realized somberly. Hailfall and I…
"Foxtail." The red warrior blinked up, his heart aching as his gaze met his father's. "With this life, I give you courage and wisdom and honor." Already the fire of this life was burning in his veins. "Use them well to lead your Clan through whatever trials you may face."
As the pain ebbed, Foxtail was left with hardly a whisper of breath, his claws gripping the starry ground in a desperate attempt to survive.
"I hail you by your new name," Firestar continued, his green eyes shining. "Foxstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you guardianship of MoonClan. 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."
As with a warrior receiving their new name, the ranks of StarClan began cheering. "Foxstar! Foxstar! Foxstar!"
"Go now," his father rasped his tongue over his ear. "Your destiny is waiting."
Foxstar woke with a start. He felt as weak as a neworn, and his legs shook as he tried to stand. Silently, Hailfall offered his shoulder. Together, they passed under the waterfall and into the quiet of the last moments of night.
"How did it go?" Hailfall's eyes shone as if he already knew the answer.
"Well," Foxstar croaked.
Hailfall blinked sympathetically. "Get some water, we can talk more on the way home."
Home. Foxstar looked up from the pool he was drinking out of, towards the setting moon. He was eager to get back—to curl up in his nest and sleep. But he knew things wouldn't be so easy from now on.
"Did things go well for you, too?" Littlecloud's bright meow stirred Foxstar into a standing position again.
"Yes," he answered, his voice coming back to him. "And you?"
Stormfur tilted his chin up proudly. "Stormstar," he affirmed.
Foxstar touched his muzzle to the gray warrior's. "Congratulations," he murmured.
"You, too."
They were still for a moment, the Foxstar stepped back. "See you at the Gathering?"
"SunClan will be here." With that, Stormstar beckoned Littlecloud and the two set up a sloping trail, heading towards the forest.
"Let's go," Foxstar meowed. "We've got a lot to do."
They made it back shortly before sunhigh, and Foxstar was glad to see the camp was busy. Without wasting a moment, he bound across the clearing and took a perch on the cottonwood's roots.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"
His cats gathered quickly, excitement crackling between them.
"How did it go?" Feathertail called from just outside the nursery.
"I was accepted by StarClan," Foxstar announced warmly. "And my first act as leader will be to name four apprentices." He beckoned Sandstorm's litter forward, as well as Whitetail's surviving kit.
"Tumblekit," he began, addressing the black and white tom. "From this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Tumblepaw. Crowflight, you will mentor Tumblepaw. Pass on all of your strength and wit." The pair touched nosed, and Foxtail motioned Honeykit forward.
"From this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Honeypaw. Smokepelt, Cedarheart was your mentor, and I trust you'll pass on all you learned from him to this young apprentice." He met Adderkit's eyes next.
"From this moment, until you have earned you warrior name, you will be known as Adderpaw. Cedarheart, you are more than ready for your second apprentice. Pass on all of your skill and loyalty to this apprentice."
Foxstar leapt from the roots of the tree to stand before Gorsekit as Cedarheart led Adderpaw aside. "From this moment, until you have earned you warrior name, you will be known as Gorsepaw. It is the will of our ancestors that no cat can become deputy—and thus leader—without having mentored an apprentice. I will mentor Gorsepaw myself." The pale tabby's eyes stretched wide as he touched noses with his new mentor.
"And finally," Foxstar's dark blue gaze swept around the Clan. "I have until moonhigh, but the decision was made long before I left yesterday. The deputy of MoonClan will be Cedarheart."
Cedarheart's eyes shot wide with surprise. Feathertail pressed against her mate, and soon the cheers were taken up. "Gorsepaw! Tumblepaw! Adderpaw! Honeypaw! Cedarheart!"
Cedarheart shouldered his way to Foxtail's side. "I'll do my best," he rumbled, dipping his head graciously.
Foxstar purred. "I know. So will I."
I promise.