A/N: I'd like to thank all my lovely reviewers, you know who you are. Without you, the story wouldn't have come this far. It's been so long since I've updated, so here's a REALLY long chapter!
TIGERHEART
Tigerheart did not look up, and kept his baleful yellow eyes focused on the ginger medicine cat apprentice, who struggled vainly to get free. He gave the dark red tom a scorching glance and gazed in the direction of the voice that had dared to defy him. It was Pantherpaw, the ThunderClan medicine cat appprentice, his dark fur bristled in shock. Tigerheart snarled in reply, tiger-like fur bristling furiously.
"Tigerheart, listen to me," The jet-black apprentice pleaded, his blue eyes flaring with alarm. He slowly padded forward until he stood next to the ThunderClan deputy. The timid tomcat looked terrified at confronting his new leader, and Tigerheart realized that Pantherpaw wouldn't defy him without reason. "I asked Ivyheart to come down here with me to collect some soaked moss for Brightfur and the elders." Ivyheart nodded, her pale orbs still wide with fear of the deputy harming her friend.
Cedarflower brushed her red tabby tail along Tigerheart's shoulder comfortingly. Tigerheart let his muscles slack, though he still eyed Flamingpaw, who had awkwardly scrabbled backwards, with suspicion. Ivyheart pressed her fur against his, and shot Tigerheart a glare full of...resentment?
"I was just gathering coltsfoot for the sick of RiverClan and wanted to say hi to Ivyheart. I swear that was all," Flamingpaw mewed timidly, though his green eyes stll burned with anger at being treated like an enemy. Tigerheart let out a small patient sigh, wondering what Swiftstar would do. Swiftstar. Unbearable grief swelled within him like a flooded river of pain. He had to get to Highstones as soon as possible. The longer ThunderClan remained without a leader, the longer they remained exposed and vulnerable.
"Get on with it then," He growled roughly, flicking his ebony and orange tail in signal to Cedarflower, who nodded to her apprentice and started after the new leader of ThunderClan. Sprinting as fast as he could, he was a blur of ginger and black fur, hurtling towards his final destination as the deputy of ThunderClan.
Yellow eyes stared down into the hole yawning down into darkness. Fear suddenly itched at his paws, and self-doubt about his own abilities to lead an entire Clan welled up within him. A red tabby tail twined with his, and the ginger tabby stared into the sympathetic green eyes of the medicine cat.
"We all believe in you," Cedarflower quietly mewed, as if reading his most vulnerable thoughts. His throat closed, and he found he could not speak. He just nodded slowly, and stared at his light orange paws. The dark ginger medicine cat meowed, "Follow me." Cedarflower delicately stepped down into the shadows, and the young deputy followed her, instantly plunged into darkness. He could not even see Cedarflower and had to rely on his sense of smell to follow her, though occasionally he felt the tip of her dark red tail brush against his whiskers. They seemed to walk forever in a long, winding tunnel of darkness. Finally, Cedarflower stopped next to an entrance to a small tunnel about one tail-length high. Tigerheart crashed straight into her, and he saw, outlined by a dim glow radiating from the tunnel, her whiskers twitch in amusement.
"When we reach the Moonstone, lie down and press your nose against it. StarClan will send you sleep," Cedarflower briefly pushed her muzzle against his side as if to remind him that he was not alone. "From now on, we must not speak." Tigerheart started to mew a reply, but then his brain processed her words, and he just nodded obediently. She crawled through the tunnel, which was emitting a faint silver glow. Tigerheart followed her, squeezing through the tight gap, and when he reached the cavern, he gasped. A small hole in the cave roof lit up the rock below it with stars. Even Cedarflower's dark red fur glowed silver under the dazzling starlight. Tigerheart cautiously crept forward, awestruck by how unworldly this place seemed. He crouched down and touched his nose to the glittering Moonstone. The stone was like ice to the touch, and the coldness swept over his whole body. Struggling effortlessly to fight off the frigid numbness, he finally gave in and shut his tired yellow eyes, bleak coldness enveloping him in sleep.
He had never been so cold in his life, and he felt as if he were a cat made of sheer ice. He did not dare to open his eyes in fear that he would see the shining Moonstone before him. For a moment, he wondered if something was horribly wrong, but then he felt a warm breeze ruffle his fur. Opening one amber eye, he saw that he was no longer in the small cavern, but seated in Fourtrees. It was the height of greenleaf, and it was then that Tigerheart realized that he must be dreaming. He fixated his yellow gaze upon the starry sky and gasped; they were moving!
Suddenly, the cats of StarClan came strutting down, their pelts ablaze with the flickering flames of starlight. Their eyes gleamed like amber and their pelts shone like the sun. In a moment that could have lasted less than a heartbeat or forever, they were all seated before the trembling cat. Tigerheart caught a sweet scent drifting towards him, and he turned his head to face a cat that he thought he would never see again. Flametears, his lost love. He hadn't seen her for many moons now, but the pain was as sharp as ever as she met his eyes. He thought he would melt under the warmth of her green gaze, but she looked away quickly, almost as if she was afraid to be close to him again.
"Welcome, Tigerheart," The voice sounded like it belonged to many cats, but at the same time, it was one clear voice. Tigerheart could not supress a shiver of awe. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" Tigerheart, trembling, rose to his paws, his heart beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird. Legs shaking slightly, he nodded solemnly, trying to meet the eyes of Flametears, who pointedly kept her gaze from him.
Then a cat rose from the ranks of the dead, and Tigerheart gasped aloud again as he recognized him. A very small silver tabby she-cat stalked forward, her swishing tail held high. Tigerheart felt a twinge of remorse as he gazed into the mahogany eyes of Shimmerleaf, a ThunderClan warrior who had died in Leopardstar's quest for power. Shimmerleaf was Leopardstar's other daugher, but had been brutally slaughtered by her father after refusing to join him. Tigerheart had tried desperately to save her , but ShadowClan cats had pinned her down, and by the time the young deputy had reached him, it was too late. Shimmerleaf looked young and strong once more, not bloodied and defeated as Tigerheart had last seen her. The much smaller cat reached up to touch noses with the massive ThunderClan deputy.
"With this life I give you loyalty," Shimmerleaf murmured, her dark brown eyes boring into the deputy, as if he knew that Tigerheart still blamed himself for her untimely death, "Use it well to do what is right for your Clan, and not your own ambitions."
At once, a bolt of ferocity shook him like a lightning bolt. He felt how Shimmerleaf had desperately tried to prove her loyalty to her Clan, and how that loyalty had ended up taking her life. She had truly been loyal, but the cost was too high. Just as he thought the pain would never end, it ebbed away slowly, ending in a feeling of calm love. Tigerheart knew now that that was what had brought the beautiful young tabby peace; her love for ThunderClan. Shimmerleaf moved away, but before she sat down, she mewed in a gentle voice, "It wasn't your fault." Tigerheart tried to respond but found he could not speak.
For a moment, Tigerheart wondered if another cat was coming. Then he noticed a pair of blue eyes blinking slowly at him, and he realized that the former deputy of ThunderClan was prowling towards him, his sleek black pelt barely visible against the night sky. Tigerheart felt his heart twist as he recognized Sootfur, Flametears's mentor and the deputy before him. Sootfur had also been slain by Leopardstar, who had hoped to be named deputy in his place. However, Tigerheart had been named deputy and exploited Leopardstar for the traitor he was. Still, Tigerheart wondered if Sootfur resented him for being leader now in Swiftstar's place. But Sootfur's blue eyes gleamed in welcome as he touched noses with the tiger-striped warrior.
"Young warrior, do not be afraid," Sootfur growled in his gruff voice. "With this life, I give you justice. Use it well to judge the actions of your Clanmates."
The life Sootfur gave him was a pang of anguish so great he thought that his heart would beat right out of his chest. He felt claws of cats he trusted tear along his flanks. He felt the anguish of making decisions that could result in a Clanmate's death. He gazed into Sootfur's dark blue eyes, which were now slits as it ended in a flash of red light, but the pain still pricked at his pelt. He knew now how it felt to be betrayed by a cat he had once trusted with his life. Sootfur gave him a polite nod, and padded away steadily.
The next cat to approach him was a surprise. He twitched his ears in recognition of Mistpelt, a small white she-cat with ginger splotches that blazed like fire. Her yellow eyes bore into his own, and he guessed that she was remembering how that in her short life, she had viewed him as more of a rival than a friend. He, however, felt claws clutch his heart in grief for the beautiful young warrior. Her amber eyes that had once burned with ambition now gleamed with a strong bond of friendship, and he felt a pang of regret that he would no longer battle alongside his friend.
"With this life I give you courage," Her voice was like the soft swaying of branches in the wind. "Use it well in defense of your Clan."
This time, Tigerheart was prepared for the suddeness of the pain that embraced him, but he did not expect Mistpelt's life to be so fierce and ambitious. He felt the bitterness that Mistpelt had felt when Swiftstar had chosen to make him and Flametears warriors before her, and the jealousy when Flametears had deserted her to spend time with Tigerheart. But suddenly, the emotions went from vengeful and fierce to soft and caring, and he knew now that he was experiencing the love she felt for Littlefish. He felt the warmth of greenleaf flood through his veins, the tingling sensation of grass tickling under paws. He felt the anguish she had suffered when she had died before telling Littlefish that she loved him. The life ended in a bittersweet pang of regret, regret for the life she could have shared with Littlefish. She moved away, and Tigerheart again felt his heart ache for her.
Tiny paws echoed against the surface of the earth, and Tigerheart swallowed the lump of apprehension rising in his throat. The fourth cat who was approaching him was a small ginger tabby with jet black stripes, but his fur stuck up in the wrong places, like a fledging's downy feathers after a nap. Tigerheart recognized one of his kits, one of his second litter that had died shortly after Flametears had given birth to him. His tiger-striped fur blazed like fire, and his eyes sparkled with the stars. Tigerheart didn't want to, but he vaguely remembered the day that his two newborn kits and Flametears had died.
"He looks like you…" Flametears had panted, her body shaking from the massive amount of blood she had lost. "His name will…will be Eaglekit." Tigerheart, distracted by his mate's worsening condition, had simply stared at her, not having the heart to tell her that her kit was dead. Tigerheart stared at Eaglekit, his amber eyes huge with sorrow. Eaglekit stretched his neck up high to touch his nose to his father's.
"With this life I give you mentoring," Eaglekit squeaked, his golden eyes sparkling with a fire that even the sun could not match, "Use it well to teach the young cats of your Clan."
The life Eaglekit gave him was very short. It started out in complete blackness, utter darkness. Then all of a sudden, coldness surrounded him. Every inch of his body was cold. His organs were surely frozen solid, colder than snow, colder than ice. He faintly felt a rasping tongue on his fur, but nothing could break the cold. Finally, he closed his eyes, letting the blackness envelope him and giving in to the warmness of death. Tigerheart blinked open his eyes, staring back at the son he would never get to know. Eaglekit nodded slowly, and trotted unsteadily back to Flametears, who purred enthusiastically at their son.
The next cat to approach him was jet-black, his pelt blacker than a sky with no stars. Tigerheart couldn't help but let out an audible gasp, his fur bristling slightly in shock. The last time Tigerheart had seen this cat, he had been an old cat, quite ready to retire to the rank of an elder, but he had been killed by Leopardclaw in his quest for power. It was Ravenfur, Flametears's old mentor. Ravenfur and Swiftstar had often trained their apprentices together, so Tigerheart had been quite close to the ebony warrior. Ravenfur now approached him like a panther prowling forth, his green eyes gleaming with pride.
"With this life I give you protection. Use it to care for all cats in your Clan," Ravenfur's green eyes flashed, as if he was hiding some secret known by StarClan. Tigerheart expected this life to be gentle, but instead he was struck by a lightning bolt of ferocity and aggression. He felt his ancestors pulsing through him, the legendary cats of LionClan, TigerClan, and LeopardClan, challenging any cat to harm their Clan with jeering roars and taunts. Tigerheart gazed up at Ravenfur, his body trembling from the pain, but recognized how much Ravenfur had wanted to protect all of them.
Ravenfur padded away swiftly, and in his place stood a large dark ginger tabby, his fur the color of the fires of the sun. Tigerheart scanned his memory, but found he could not recognize this cat. The red tabby tom stood before him, gazing deeply into Tigerheart's amber orbs, as though waiting for him to say something.
"Do…do I know you?" Tigerheart hesitantly meowed, not wanting to sound rude. The dark red tom smiled sadly, his tail drooping slightly as he meowed,"I wouldn't expect you to remember. I'm Sunfire." Tigerheart's golden eyes widened in recognition, and he took a staggering step backwards, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable once more. This cat was his father.
"With this life I give you compassion. Use it well to do what you know is right, and care for the sick, the old, and the weak," Sunfire meowed in a deep voice, a somewhat soothing voice to Tigerheart that brought faint memories of warmth. Tigerheart felt his eyes darken as he received his father's life. He felt the fierce ambition his father had secretly harbored, and he felt the anguish of giving up his ambitions to be with Leafdance, his mother. He felt the pride of being a father and the joys of being a warrior alongside his friends. It ended very swiftly, in an extremely calm state of mind. Tigerheart felt a strange yearning to ask how his father had died, but he felt that now was not the time.
Sunfire moved away, looking over his shoulder once more at his son, and Tigerheart saw pure pride fill his golden eyes. Tigerheart's golden eyes. The cat who replaced him was smaller and slighter, her pale gray fur gleaming silver underneath the moonlight. Tigerheart recognized her at once; it was his deceased mother, Lilacbreeze. Lilacbreeze gently purred when she touched her nose to her son's. Her scent was warm and comforting, like the scent of spring rain, and for a moment, he could close his amber eyes and almost believe he was a kit once more and he had no worries or responsibilities. But then he opened his eyes, and faced his mother.
"With this life I give you tireless energy. Use it well to perform your duties as Clan leader," Lilacbreeze mewed softly, her voice sounding as if it were on a distant wind. Tigerheart felt his paws scrape against every surface. He felt the pressures of running fast to pursue enemies, to save the lives of dying Clanmates, and the energy she had put into raising her kit; him. Tigerheart felt closer to his mother than ever as he realized what she had sacrificed to raise him. Lilacbreeze let out a soft purr and retreated into the throng of shimmering cats.
Even though he knew she was coming, nothing could have prepared him for it. Prowling towards him like a lion at the height of its glory stalked his lost love, Flametears. Her long ginger fur sparkled with starlight, and her green eyes shone like the sun. He melted under her gaze, and he longed to press his fur against hers, to be wrapped in her scent once more. But Flametears did not yet touch him, only stared into his golden eyes. He felt as if she was staring into his soul, down to the pits of his deepest feelings and darkest secrets. Flametears pushed her muzzle into his, and then touched her nose to his.
"With this life I give you love," She murmured softly, her voice melodic to his ears. She paused for a moment, a shadow fleeting across her dark jade eyes so swiftly that Tigerheart doubted that it was even there to begin with. Flametears added quietly, "Use it well for all of the cats in your care. Use it, most of all, for Poppytail. It will be many, many moons before we can be together, and I want you to love her."
Tigerheart's heart caught in his throat, and he gazed into her eyes, wondering if she meant what she said. But he saw the fire burning in her eyes, and remembered the sincerity in which she lived, and nodded. The life Flametears gave him was full of all the feelings she had given him. His fur was warmer than the sun at the peak of greenleaf, and his paws tingled with the alertness of being around Flametears—or Poppytail. He felt the love Flametears had felt; love for ThunderClan, love for Sunningfur, Firestripe, and Redtail; love for her unborn kits; and, most of all love for him. He did not want this moment to ever end, but he felt the warmth and security slowly slip away from him, just as Flametears had slowly slipped out of his life and into death, just as now his affections would slip from her and to Poppytail. Flametears slowly padded away from him, towards Eaglekit and Ravenfur, but she gave him one last look over her shoulder, all of her love for him contained in that stare. That stare that would forever stay imprinted in his mind.
The last cat to approach him was Swiftstar, restored to his former glory and strength. No longer weak and frail, his newfound strength made him seem even larger than Tigerheart, though in reality, he was only about as big as an apprentice. Tigerheart watched as his former mentor and leader pushed his nose to his, his pale green eyes shining with peace at last.
"Welcome, Tigerheart. With this life I give you nobility and faith and strength," Swiftstar meowed in a strong voice, his gray, almost silver tabby fur sparkling in the moonlight. "Use it well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code." Their eyes met, as if the burden of Swiftstar's mistrust of his Clan passed between them in that brief moment.
Agony shook Tigerheart, so much agony that he thought his frail body, weakened from the other eight lives, would never contain it. He thought his heart would burst. He felt the burdens of ordering cats to fight, knowing some of them would die. He felt his mind weaken as Leopardclaw betrayed him, as Birchpelt betrayed him. He felt the agony of giving up children to other Clans, of watching his grandkits grow up in a rival Clan. That was news to Tigerheart, but his mind barely registered it as he felt the rush of power grow stronger and stronger until he thought it would never end. He felt his faith in his Clan weaken, and he felt everything he had ever worked for shatter like ice cracking on the first warm spring day. Finally, as the rain poured down, he felt his life end in a bloody calmness. Tigerheart merely stared at him, muscles slack and trembling, his golden orbs wide with shock. Swiftstar motioned for him to stand up. Tigerheart stood up, shaking, more exhausted than he had ever been but strangely rejuvenated.
"I hail you by your new name, Tigerstar," Swiftstar mewed, his green eyes sparkling with pride for his former apprentice. "Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. 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."
Swiftstar pressed his muzzle against Tigerstar's as the cats of StarClan chanted, "Tigerstar! Tigerstar!" Tigerstar gave Swiftstar a long, searching gaze, wondering if now was the time to ask about the RiverClan grandkits. However, the former ThunderClan leader seemed determined not to look at him. Tigerstar felt as if this tiny piece of information could somehow impact the entire fate of the Clans, but if it did, Swiftstar obviously thought Tigerstar should find out by other means.
Tigerstar saw Flametears watch him with admiring green eyes, and he caught her gaze. For a moment, he felt the agony of tearing himself away from her love, but then he thought of Poppytail and her soft tortoiseshell fur, and his paws itched to see her again.
Tigerstar blinked his golden orbs slowly, and he felt himself slowly fade away from his dream and back into reality. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he found the cavern empty and the moonlight slowly fading from the Moonstone. He stared at his paws briefly, feeling the burdens of a leader shift onto his shoulders. Then he turned to leave the Moonstone, to leave his doubts, to leave Flametears.