Title: Foxstar's Lives
Challenge: New Leader
Word Count: 1,091
Foxtail crept into the Moon Tree clearing, his medicine cat Rainlight following slowly. In awe Foxtail turned a circle, taking in the shiny bluish moss and soft grass in a single glance. It was hard to focus on it, though. Almondstar's sudden death of blackcough had taken the beloved leader overnight, and Foxtail, as deputy, was receiving his nine lives.
"Are you ready?" Rainlight asked. Foxtail nodded and lay down in the prepared nests. The gray she-cat laid down next to him, and the stars swirled around them until they were in a clearing made of air. Then he was jerked into a void.
Cold. Bitter cold. Emotions. Love. Hate. Regret. Anger. Revenge. Pride. Triumph. My old life is being taken away, Foxtail realized, and it scared him. Suddenly he could hear Rainlight again.
Foxtail stumbled to his paws and tried to avoid looking down through the clouds beneath them. A tom stepped forward. "Welcome to StarClan, Foxtail. Are you ready?" Foxtail nodded quickly.
A golden she-cat stepped forward. "Shineflower!" Foxtail exclaimed, leaping forward. His paws wouldn't move, and he was shushed by his mother.
"Oh, dear Foxtail," Shineflower began, her pelt sparkling with stars, "I never thought you would become leader. But you are so strong and brave, so I guess I should have. For this life I give you foresight, so you can see the skills and talents of your Clanmates clearly." She touched her nose to Foxtail's, and a bright light appeared behind Foxtail's eyes. Pain and warmth spread through his entire body, and cats' silhouettes appeared, each one giving a different glow. Then the life shut off, and he was standing back in front of his mother.
Another cat stepped up, his russet fur tousled playfully. He and Shineflower twined tails. "I am Russetclaw, your father," the tom said. "I'm sorry I never got to meet you and your sister, for I died in battle before you were born. For this life I give you patience, so you can always wait for your Clanmates to make the right decisions." Foxtail eagerly touched noses with his father and recoiled as the pain and annoyance at having to wait were drained out of him. It left his pelt and it burned like flames, and Foxtail was left gasping in front of Russetclaw.
"My turn!" A cute golden tabby she-kit bounced in front of Foxtail. "I'm Flowerkit. I'm your sister, but I died minutes after I was born, so you probably don't remember. With this life I give you the gift of mentoring and helping the young cats, for they are the ones who will shape the Clan when you are gone." She reached up to touch noses with him, and Foxtail was transported to when he was an apprentice, and the excitement he felt. Hunting, training, fighting. The triumph he felt becoming a warrior. Flowerkit gradually reappeared after what felt like lifetimes.
His family turned to leave. "Wait!" Foxtail breathed. Russetclaw turned to face him.
"We will watch over you," he said. Then the three cats were swallowed up in the crowd.
Too quickly, another cat stalked before him. "I am Treebreeze, the medicine cat for the leader before Almondstar," the she-cat stated calmly. "With this life I give you the appreciation of medicine cats, for they are the ones who heal." Foxtail was suddenly in the DuskClan camp, watching in a matter of heartbeats Treebreeze's life. A gentle kit. Dedicated apprentice. Full medicine cat. Dreams of StarClan, good and bad, spiraled in front of his vision. "Remember what we do," Treebreeze reminded before disappearing.
"Remember me?"
The sweet voice jerked Foxtail to the core. "Willowheart! I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I'm sorry! You shouldn't have died! It should have been me!"
"My love, my fate was laid out by the stars long before we were born. With this life I give you love." Warmth spread through him like sunlight on a cold day. He could feel the love and regret emanating from Willowheart as he shared her last breaths, last thoughts. "Goodbye." Willowheart's voice was swept away by a stray breeze, and she was gone.
In her place was an irritable looking she-cat with gnarled fur. "Huh. Not too impressive," the she-cat judged. "Better in my day. With this life I give you respect for the elders and their decisions, for they have survived longer than you." Their noses collided painfully, and Foxtail thought he had heard her snort in amusement. A bolt like lightning shook Foxtail and he remembered listening to elders' tales in his kithood. The she-cat chuckled and padded away.
"I am Flowerflight, former deputy of DuskClan. I died to a fox. Ironic, isn't it?" Foxtail looked at the she-cat in front of him, puzzled. "I give you a life for trust. Trust your Clanmates, for they are loyal and always will be." Confusion and betrayal swirled through Foxtail, ending in a warm jolt. Flowerflight disappeared.
A sleek gray tom stepped up, tossing his head. His vibrant amber eyes glittered. "I am Duskstar, founder of DuskClan," the tom said haughtily. "I give you this life for pride in your Clan, for they are the most cunning in all the forest. DuskClan will always prevail." Pain flared through Foxtail's limbs, rooting him to the spot. Light burst behind his eyes and then he was back in front of Duskstar.
"It's an honor," Foxtail breathed. Duskstar dipped his head and faded back to the mass of cats. Foxtail glanced around, wondering who would give him his last life.
"Foxtail!" a familiar voice called. Foxtail started, his gaze trying to identify where the sound was coming from.
"Almondstar?" he asked, finally spotting her through the crowd. The tabby nodded, drawing her tail around her paws.
"With this final life I give you fair judgement." Almondstar's eyes clouded. "Hopefully you make better decisions in life than I did." Foxtail tried to ask what decisions those were, but she had already touched noses with him before stepping back. Yowls, voices, chants, protests echoed around him and he felt a pressure upon his mind, the pressure to do the right thing. But the pressure eased, Almondstar appearing back in front of him. Stillness fell.
A breeze ruffled the cats' fur. Rainlight breathed in from beside him. Almondstar led the chant, calling, "Foxstar! Foxstar! Foxstar!" The stars shimmered, and then Foxstar was back at the Moon Tree. He stretched, flicking his white tipped tail.
"Come on, Rainlight," Foxstar called. "DuskClan needs their leader, and I must be there to lead them."
Whew! That was a long one. I'm sorry for not updating anything lately, I had a major exam. But it's over now, and back to normal schedule! (Hopefully XD)
-Jade
