A/N: To address Aroeheart's questions: "Shipping" is short for "Relationshipping" – usually referring to a relation or pairing in the romantic sense. I've strayed somewhat away from that in many of my chapters, though. I just needed a list of topics to tackle to give myself something to do for a while and the Warriors Wish fansite's list of "shippings" gave me that. And… since Brightheart is, to the best of my knowledge, still alive in Omen of the Stars, it's just her blacking out. I like to imagine that little Fernpaw battled her way over and dragged her away and out of danger, over to Cinderpelt. (:

Oh, and I had to have rewritten this chapter at least fourteen times. Every time I decided on a certain scene I was going to take on and started writing it, I got about halfway through the tale and decided it was either too cheesy or too unrealistic/uncharacteristic for Fireheart/Silverstream/both of them. This chapter, though, I feel is… reasonable.

Celestialshipping

Fireheart x Silverstream

Silverstream curled the tip of her tail up as it quivered. Her small, slender silver body looked out of place compared to the stocky, light brown tabby tom walking next to her. Turning to look at him, she meowed, her words careful and deliberate, "Are we certain he will come tonight, father? Perhaps he will need to rest another night after… such a stressful time."

"Perhaps he needs to, but he cannot afford to," the brown tabby growled in return. "If Fireheart is to be a leader, he must recognize that his own needs will not always come first."

Silverstream flicked an ear. "Could that not be said of every warrior?"

"It could," Crookedstar meowed fairly. "But the actions of a leader will always affect his Clan more than the actions of any one warrior ever could."

The silver tabby narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, but did not respond.

Soon, the flattened reeds beneath them, worn down by the paws of countless cats, thinned and gave way to grassland. Silverstream glanced around wonderingly as they continued on. All around them, flickers of movement and flashes of different colored pelts caught her attention. None, though, seemed to be traveling in the direction she and her father were traveling. The other cats' scents were strong, but fleeting, fading away almost instantly as Silverstream passed where the other cats had walked.

Her whiskers twitched as, finally, a thick, layered scent, drifted toward her from ahead, blowing in on the headwind. Though ThunderClan's territorial scent was the most pungent, the smells of the other three Clans were also present. She could just begin to spot the four great oaks of Fourtrees when the grass opened to a flat, open patch of ground where many cats, their paled fur shining with cold fire, rested.

"Welcome," meowed a reddish-brown tom as she and Crookedstar joined the group. The tom dipped his head to her father before turning to look at her. "I was not expecting to see you here. Not after Fireheart tried to stop…"

Silverstream's green eyes gleamed defensively and she lashed her tail once.Her words seemed forced as she meowed diplomatically, "I have an interest in any cat that is bound to lead his Clan, just like you, Oakheart, and just like every other cat here."

Oakheart narrowed his eyes. "I see."

A loud yowl from a gray cat with WindClan scent blocked Silverstream's response and silenced every other cat. The silver tabby shot the reddish-brown tom another angry look before shifting into position. The gathered cats all stood and moved into a large circle, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Though she did not recognize every cat, across from her, Silverstream saw several familiar faces: most notably was Bluestar, at the center of a group of ThunderClan warriors she remembered seeing while on patrol.

As Silverstream watched, a yellow tabby stepped out from behind Bluestar and, nodding thanks to the gray WindClan cat, meowed loudly, "The time has come for a new leader to rise." The tabby paused and looked to Bluestar. "Is Fireheart the cat you have decided should succeed you?"

"Yes, Sunstar," meowed the blue-gray cat. "Fireheart is a fine, loyal cat. With the support of StarClan, I know he will become a great leader."

Sunstar lowered his head, showing his acceptance. Several other cats, mostly ThunderClan murmured their agreement, but from another part of the circle, the gray WindClan she-cat meowed, "But will all of StarClan accept him when he was once…?"

Though the gray she-cat's words trailed off before she finished, it could not have been clearer to the other cats what she had meant. A low, growling mumble rose from many cats and Silverstream saw both raised hackles and flattened ears in equal measure. Her claws unsheathed and scratched the ground as she felt her own fur rise uneasily at the tension in the clearing.

"Fireheart has proved himself to his Clanmates – and to us – more than most other cats," Sunstar meowed to the gray she-cat. "To imply that the past he gave up when he was little more than a kit makes him less of a warrior today is narrow-minded, Heatherstar."

Silverstream's fur flattened again as she realized that most cats seemed agreeable with Sunstar's response. She sheathed her claws and relaxed her muscles. Though she had not always seen eye to eye with the flame-colored tom, she had never seen him as anything but a warrior. She and Fireheart had both been young when they had first met but, even then, she had recognized the courage, careful honesty, and determination that would come to define him. Fireheart had always had a very clear sense of right and wrong. Even if he was often a pain, Silverstream thought with a half-irritated, half-amused sniff, I have to give him that.

"Fireheart has been good to his Clan, I am sure," meowed a ragged black tom. Silverstream looked over to see Nightstar among a few other ShadowClan cats. "And we should not forget that he has been good to the other Clans as well."

Silverstream's ears twitched as, beside her, Crookedstar meowed, "Was it not Fireheart that helped to drive Brokenstar out of ShadowClan, freeing them from his deadly reign?"

Nightstar nodded slowly as Bluestar stepped forward. The she-cat's hard blue gaze bore into Crookedstar's as she meowed, "And I do recall he once offered to hunt for RiverClan when they were starving for prey." Her eyes gleamed dangerously when Crookedstar flattened his ears. "RiverClan might not have survived those floods without that help."

"And Fireheart was one of the cats who brought WindClan home," Nightstar meowed, glancing nervously over at the WindClan cats. It had been his own Clan, under Brokenstar's leadership, that had chased them out of their own territory. The black tom seemed unsure that he had been forgiven, but when the WindClan cats looked back at him, there was no resentment in their eyes; Heatherstar only nodded curtly to him.

"One might consider his regard for the welfare of rival Clans to be… unusual," meowed a light brown tabby tom beside Heatherstar. "His willingness to disregard the warrior code for the sake of enemy Clans could be seen as foolishness."

"Or it could be that Fireheart possesses a rare level of compassion," Bluestar meowed, her blue eyes flashing a warning. "Fireheart has always had the wellbeing of every cat in mind. That should be seen as a strength, not a weakness, Reedfeather."

The brown tabby, Reedfeather, lowered his head angrily, but did not argue.

"Is it decided then?" meowed Sunstar, addressing every cat. "Does Fireheart have the approval of StarClan as the next leader of ThunderClan?"

Most cats meowed their approval, some nodding slowly, others raising their voices enthusiastically. Silverstream noted that there were a few cats, scattered among three of the Clans, that stayed silent; the only Clan where every cat was yowling their approval was ThunderClan. The silver tabby bristled indignantly, wondering how those silent cats could be so shortsighted. Perhaps they believe that their Clan is better than the others in some way, she thought, her eyes burning like green fire.

In her relationship with Graystripe, Silverstream had come to realize that the "other" Clans were really not so different from her own; the same rituals, traditions, and values she had grown up with were practiced in other Clans just the same. In a similar manner, she had also come to see the necessity of having four Clans. One Clan alone would not be a Clan anymore if it did not have borders or rivalries; it would be nothing more than a group of cats, vulnerable to outsiders with no potential allies, struggling to survive. Silverstream knew that Fireheart, as a cat without any inborn prejudices against rival Clans, would be much more apt to realize this necessary connection between the Clans; this forethought and rare way of thinking would distinguish him as a cat worthy of such a significant place in the forest. She nodded, mostly to herself, and raised her voice, calling out her approval.

"Very well," meowed Sunstar, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of cats. "Nine cats will need to give Fireheart his new lives."

"I will," meowed Bluestar, dipping her head respectfully to Sunstar as she stepped in front of him. "He was my apprentice, as well as my deputy. I know he has looked to me for guidance before, and I know he will be looking for it now."

Sunstar nodded and another cat, a large golden tom, came forward. "I was also a mentor to young Fireheart. I will give him a second life."

"And I will give him a third, Lionheart," meowed a smaller, patched tom with a ginger tail as he stalked up beside the golden tom.

"He has never met you, Redtail," meowed Lionheart, surprise mingling with respect in his voice.

"But he has brought justice to Tigerstar for my death," meowed the tortoiseshell solemnly, ducking his head. "It is the least I can do to give him a life in return."

"I will give him a life, as well," growled a lean light brown tabby. A dark, pained look came over the tom's face as he meowed, "He will need strength and energy to battle that piece of fox dung, Tigerstar."

"Peace, Runningwind," mewed Spottedleaf as she came up beside the brown tabby, resting her tail on his shoulder. Runningwind's eyes burned for a moment longer, then he looked down to his paws. "The time will come for Fireheart to confront Tigerstar and avenge your death, and the deaths and injuries that he has caused to so many others." She paused – and Silverstream thought she could see a glimmer of worry – then added, "I will give him a life, as well. I hope that when the time does come for him to face Tigerstar, he will be ready."

"Yes," meowed a dappled gray tabby she-cat, her green eyes glowing with a sad, painful memory. "But right now, it is most important for Fireheart to have the power to defend his own Clan instead of looking for a battle." She looked to her paws briefly, then looked up again, her gaze more fierce. "I will give him a life. If he is to be the guardian that ThunderClan needs, he will need our protection as well."

Many cats mewed their agreement with Brindleface's words, while one black-and-white tom, smaller than the rest, clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, as though trying to ward off a nightmare. When he opened them halfway, Silverstream spotted a flash of terror in their amber depths before he squeezed them shut again. The tom meowed softly, so that Silverstream could just barely hear him, "I will give Fireheart a life."

"Swiftpaw?" mewed Bluestar, her ears flattened sideways. Guilt flickered in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

The black-and-white tom nodded slowly, his eyes still closed for a few moments longer. Finally, when he opened them, he turned to Bluestar and nodded, as both an answer and an assurance. Silverstream looked on as the blue-gray she-cat noticeably relaxed.

"I will also give a life to Fireheart," meowed a thick-furred gray she-cat. Silverstream noticed several ShadowClan cats looking at Yellowfang, some bowing their heads and others only staring with interest. "Fireheart was a friend to me when I needed it most, he showed me compassion when no other cat would, and he was… more of a son to me than… any other cat." She broke off, uncharacteristically emotional. Silverstream's tail twitched. She did not think she had ever seen Yellowfang so bothered by anything before. When the medicine cat started again, a wise, joking gleam glowed in her yellow eyes, "Fireheart is a good cat, but he sometimes lacks common sense. I hope that with a little of me in him, he might be able to fix that."

Several cats purred good-humoredly. Silverstream's own tail curled up with amusement. A moment later, though, a serious hush fell over every cat again, as each looked to the others as they realized that their job was not yet done.

"That is eight lives so far," meowed Sunstar, looking back at the cats who had already volunteered.

Silverstream's ears twitched as she realized that all eight cats were of ThunderClan. She supposed it made sense, as Fireheart would have been most familiar with cats from his own Clan; in the same way, cats from his own Clan would be most familiar with Fireheart and more willing to give such power to him. At the same time, though, she remembered that Fireheart had not been with ThunderClan as long as some other cats, and the number cats he had influenced or been influenced by might not be as high as that of a different cat. Perhaps he really only did have eight cats from his own Clan that cared about him in such a way to give him a life.

But what about cats from other Clans? A nagging question swam through Silverstream's thoughts. Surely Fireheart, out of all cats, would have ties to others after everything he has done…

A sudden thought pricked her. What about me?

"Surely there must be someone else…?" Sunstar looked questioningly at each silent ThunderClan warrior. Silverstream looked from cat to cat, almost willing one of them to step forward.

Fireheart was the first cat to find out about my relationship with Graystripe. He was the first to tell us that what we were doing was against the warrior code. He even tried to talk me out of it when Graystripe wouldn't listen! But he knew how much we loved each other and he knew we meant no harm to either of our Clans. He decided that it was not his place to expose us. He had wisdom enough to realize that doing so would only cause pain for everyone – for his Clan, for my Clan, and even more for both Graystripe and I. How many other cats would have made that decision, and taken on that burden in the way that he did?

Not only that, but when my Clan was starving for prey, I didn't even hesitate to tell Fireheart. Somehow, somehow I knew that he wouldn't take advantage of it. He wouldn't challenge us and he wouldn't try to exploit our weakness. Fireheart has always been very direct with me, very honest, but he has shown me more kindness than I could ever have expected a cat from a rival Clan to.

Maybe now I can begin to show some of that kindness back…

"I will give Fireheart a life," Silverstream meowed suddenly. She got to her paws and stepped forward, ignoring the shocked hisses from her father and uncle. She could feel several pairs of eyes staring at her and could almost taste the running emotions clouding the air – some only surprised, others confused, and yet others openly hostile to the RiverClan cat who had dared to step forward into what seemed like a ThunderClan ritual.

"You?" meowed Runningwind; one darkly tipped ear folded back uneasily as he stared quizzically at her. Brindleface narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, but her expression was neither approving nor hostile. Instead she looked curious.

"You were Graystripe's mate, not Fireheart's," Bluestar interjected, silencing Brindleface with a flick of her tail. Silverstream bristled at the coldness of her voice. "Surely you were not…"

"Not what, exactly?" Silverstream hissed, fluffing her dark tabby tail up and lashing it from side to side. "I know that I knew Fireheart better than many of your own Clan."

"But you never cared about him. He was always a thorn in your beautiful world of roses," growled Yellowfang, her voice gruff as she stared challengingly at the silver tabby. "What have you to say to him now?"

Silverstream stared defiantly back, struggling not to flinch under the orange glare. Questions flitted up in her mind again: Am I… reading too much into this? Will Fireheart even want to see me? She steeled herself. No, I cannot doubt myself. I know Fireheart cared – about Graystripe and, in some way, about me. Even if I was too blinded to realize it before…

"If I could speak to Fireheart," Silverstream meowed calmly, "I would tell him that I understand now… and I would thank him." She dropped her gaze and lowered her head. "I do care about Fireheart, even if we were never friends."

When the silver tabby looked up, she could see Bluestar's blue eyes boring into her. The leader mewed, "And why do you want to give him a life?"

"I believe that giving Fireheart a life will be a beginning," Silverstream meowed, her voice quavering slightly. "Perhaps he will begin to… forgive me."

As the slender silver tabby looked around, she could still see some cats staring derisively back at her, and even heard one snort skeptically. But there were far fewer cats opposing her than before. Instead, the clearing was muffled, near silent, as Sunstar stepped forward to meet her. The yellow tabby looked down at her, unblinking, as Silverstream stared up into his bright green eyes, a hard look coming across her face, as though she was daring him to tell her to stand down.

Instead, Sunstar dipped his head to her. "You are nine." He raised his head and called out to the gathered cats, "When Fireheart comes tonight, he will be granted his nine lives. He will be hailed as the new leader of ThunderClan."

A chorus of chanting rose from the cats, starting soft and growing into a roar. Some cats yowled their support for the Clan – "ThunderClan! ThunderClan!" – while most others instead showed their approval for the new leader – "Fireheart! Fireheart!" Silverstream watched them for a moment, then looked back at her father, Crookedstar. The light brown tabby was staring back at her, his expression vague. As she watched, he gave her a curt nod, then raised his voice to join the others.

I'm doing the right thing, Silverstream thought. Fireheart will be a great leader…

"Fireheart! Fireheart!" meowed the silver tabby, her voice rising until it was among the loudest of the cats.