"Don't be afraid."

Leopardfur padded silently behind her father through the pitch black tunnel of the Mothermouth. Mudfur's tail brushed the tip of her nose every so often, her only guide through the chasm. She was not afraid, but she was glad that her father was there with her.

What other leader has their father present for their ceremony? Leopardfur thought proudly . She padded forward confidently, feeling all her exhaustion melt away as she walked on, as though StarClan itself were helping her forward. The flood had been a terrible shock, certainly, but there was a silver lining. Finally, it's my turn to lead the Clan. Leopardfur had waited with painstaking patience. She had endured Crookedstar's foolish embracing of slothfulness and rule breaking for moons, even as a simple warrior.

No more, she thought. Leopardfur would shape RiverClan into the strongest Clan of all—no more would the other Clans look upon them as lazy slobs. In due time, she reminded herself. It took time to shape an apprentice into a mighty warrior, and it would take time to refine her entire Clan.

Eventually, the tunnel widened into a cavern, and Mudfur stepped aside to let Leopardfur in. The moon was not yet high enough to illuminate the Moonstone, but Leopardfur's heart still began to race with anticipation. Everything I've had to do get here… it's all been worth it. She glanced towards her father, though she still couldn't see him clearly. "What now?"

"Now, we wait," Mudfur meowed. "Don't worry. It shouldn't be too long. Once the Moonstone is bright, you will be able to dream with StarClan and receive your nine lives."

Leopardfur nodded silently. She stared straight ahead, muscles tensed, ready to pounce upon the Moonstone like prey. Her tail twitched back and forth. I'm sorry, Crookedstar, she thought. I respected you for a long time. You were the leader RiverClan needed for a while...but they need strength and resolution now. Determination, not guilt, was what burned in her belly. I swore I would do anything for RiverClan. I meant it.

Mudfur's tail brushed her side. "When we return, the Clan will struggle," he quietly meowed. "Crookedstar was leader for many seasons. It will be a challenge for them to accept you as leader immediately… don't take it out on them. They will need time to adjust."

Leopardfur's pelt bristled in the slightest. "I am their leader now," she firmly replied. "I won't let them dawdle on the past. Not when there is so much else at stake!"

Mudfur sighed softly. "Patience, daughter," he meowed. "You're beginning to sound like a ThunderClanner. Respect takes time. RiverClan does not give it on demand."

Leopardfur felt a burst of annoyance. RiverClan could stand to learn a few things from ThunderClan! She thought. Leopardfur had long been loath to admit any strengths that ThunderClan had—but the last few moons had changed her way of thinking. We fight with them because they think us weak. Yet no one calls ThunderClanners the weak ones! They demand respect and so they have it. Her tail lashed. I will demand it, too!

"They need to respect me," She finally meowed "It's not for my sake! Accepting my leadership means we can all focus on growing stronger. The other Clan laugh at us! I'll have no more of it." She let out a passionate hiss. "If that makes me a ThunderClanner, so be it!"

Mudfur was quiet for a few moments. Eventually, he let out another sigh. "Perhaps."

Leopardfur could tell he disagreed. She bit her tongue and narrowed her eyes. Fine. You'll see.

A flash of light drew her gaze, and her breath caught in her throat. Leopardfur looked towards the Moonstone in time to see a cool glow spread across it as the moon shifted over the throat of the Mothermouth above, sending moonlight down below. In a heartbeat, the glow became a bright, nearly blinding light. Leopardfur narrowed her eyes against it. Her heart began to pound again. She took a step forward, pushing her irritation towards her father aside. It's time. She could feel it with all her being.

"It's time," Mudfur meowed, echoing her thoughts. "Go forward. I'll be beside you."

Are you proud of me? Leopardfur wondered briefly. She didn't glance at him as she walked forward. She couldn't afford to. Do you know what I had to do to get here? Something ugly and sour stirred in her belly. Would you still love me if you knew?

Leopardfur crept closer and closer, until she was only a mouse-length away from the stone. Cold seemed to be emanating from it as strongly as the light was. Its chill swept through her, making her hackles rise.

"Go on," Mudfur quietly encouraged. "Touch it, and meet StarClan."

Leopardfur closed her eyes, took a breath, and leaned forward until her nose pressed against the smooth surface of the Moonstone.

Immediately, she went still, gripped by an icy cold that shocked through her veins. She wanted to shriek in surprise and pull back, but she was frozen in place. Leopardfur's vision was plunged into darkness as the cold overwhelmed her.

And then, in a moment, the cold was gone. Leopardfur stood, eyes closed, basked in warmth. She could feel a gentle breeze stir her short pelt. She took a slow breath, and opened her eyes.

She was surrounded by total darkness. It was unlike walking through the tunnel—she could see her own paws clearly, but everything around her was black as night. Fear crept up her spine as she looked around desperately. "Hello?!" she called. "StarClan? Are you there?"

Far away in the darkness, she caught sight of movement. A cat was walking through the inky blackness towards her. A dark ginger molly with starlight glittering in her fur. Where she walked, she left a trail of lush grass sprouting through the darkness. Leopardfur felt soothed by her presence. Memories of milk-scent and gentle grooming washed over her.

Leopardfur had never known Brightstream—she was too young for proper memories when she had died—but somehow, she knew beyond a doubt the cat padding towards her was her mother. Leopardfur's throat was tight. "Mother?" she breathed.

Brightstream did not speak as she approached. Her eyes were dark—as pure of black as the surrounding air. She strode forward, ears back. She did not smile or lift her tail in greeting for her long-lost daughter. Her black stare pierced straight through Leopardfur.

Leopardfur stepped forward. "Mother—you are my mother, aren't you? Are you here to give me a life?" Does Mudfur see this? She was sure he would be overjoyed to see his mate.

Brightstream lifted her chin. Her brow furrowed. When she parted her jaws, she spoke not as one gentle queen, but with the thousands of voices of all warrior ancestors like her.

"No."

The single word hit Leopardfur like a blow from an enemy warrior. It boomed in her ears, made bile rise in her throat. "What?"

Brightstream curled her lip. "We know what you have done." She let out a hiss, and it sounded as though a lion itself was snarling at Leopardfur. "You are UNWORTHY. We REJECT you."

Hot pain tore through Leopardfur's belly as though she had been ripped open by a dog. She choked and staggered backwards. Pain, real pain, burned through her flesh. She let out a yowl of fright. "Brightstream!" she cried. "I am your daughter! Help me!"

For the briefest of moments, the darkness in Brightstream's eyes cleared. Leopardfur could see the clear blue that Mudfur had always described. The queen looked sad; her eyes glistened as she looked at her daughter with disgrace. "You are my daughter," she agreed. "And I am so disappointed with what you've become."

Her gaze darkened, and her voice rose again to a crescendo of ancestors, dozens of voices layered over one another. "You are BANISHED from this sacred place!" Leopardfur felt the surface beneath her paws give way, and she began to plummet into nothingness. "BEGONE!"

And with that, Leopardfur awoke with a yowl. She stumbled away from the Moonstone, bristling and panting with fright. For a moment, she looked down at her belly to be sure she wasn't actually clawed apart. But there was no blood, only the ebbing agony.

Mudfur, who had been crouched beside the Moonstone, pulled away, blinking rapidly. He caught Leopardfur's panicked gaze, and his eyes widened.

"Did—did you—" Leopardfur's teeth chattered. Both the cold of the stone and her fear made her stammer. "Did you see—"

His horrified expression was all the confirmation Leopardfur needed. Mudfur parred his jaws wordlessly, his eyes dark with confusion. "What… what have you done?" his voice was hoarse.

Leopardfur crouched low to the ground, her vision swimming. Bile rose in her throat. She was not one usually gripped by fear, but now her heart was beating like the paws of a racing rabbit. Her chest hurt. She could hardly breathe. The words of her mother—of all the ancestors—rang in her ears.

Unworthy.

Unworthy.

"Leopardfur!" Mudfur hissed. "What did you do?"

"I…" Leopardfur's eyes were wide. "I did what I had to."

Mudfur's pelt stood on end. His eyes narrowed and widened, clearly trying to make sense of what had happened. "I don't understand…" his tail whipped back and forth. "Never, I have never seen such a thing…" He fixed his daughter with a piercing stare. "Only the highest betrayal of the warrior code could have brought such a reaction from StarClan!"

Leopardfur's mind was racing. I can't return to the Clan like this! She lashed her tail frantically. They need me. Crookedstar is most certainly dead. They need me to be strong… . If I am not to lead, then my choice in Blackclaw will be challenged, too… they'll fall apart into arguments! Leopardfur could recall the old elder's tale about a Clan left with no leader. In it, many cats had killed each other when pushed to determine their next leader. They can't handle it. Not after the flood… She felt as though any moment the ground could drop away beneath her again. Her claws slid out, trying to grip at the packed earth beneath her, to keep it from betraying her. Not with all the Clans pressing on our borders… Leopardfur gritted her teeth. I am the only one who can guarantee a truce with ThunderClan!

"Leopardfur!" Mudfur snapped. "Answer me!"

Leopardfur took a breath. Get ahold of yourself! She allowed herself one heartbeat to push down her panic. She swallowed back the bile in her throat, and then sat up and met her father's gaze. "I told you," she replied, her voice now even. "I did what I had to. I've only ever made my decisions for the good of RiverClan."

"You haven't told me anything," Mudfur retorted, his voice taking a hard edge.

Leopardfur forced her fur flat. I can't condemn you, too, she thought. But I won't give up, either. "Knowledge will only hurt you," she meowed. "I have to bear this alone. I will make sure RiverClan stays strong, father, and I won't give up my rightful title."

Mudfur's eyes widened in realization. "You… Crookedstar…" His ears flattened. "His illness… it was no accident, was it?"

Why won't you listen? Leopardfur gritted her teeth. I won't let StarClan cast you out for my actions. "Mudfur," she hissed. "You must let me lead. RiverClan can't handle inner conflict! Not now. But if you allow it and you truly know all that I had to do… our ancestors will look at you the same as they see me."

Mudfur closed his eyes. He was quiet for many heartbeats.

Leopardfur flicked her tail. "Father, think. The flood devastated us. Our Clan needs clear leadership! If they are allowed to bicker about who should really lead… it could be chaos." She let out a growl. "The other Clans will use it as an opportunity to attack us!"

Mudfur's eyes clenched tighter. Then, finally, he opened them. "Very well, Leopardstar. I cannot stop you." He sat up and furrowed his brow. "But do not think I am blind to your actions anymore. I don't know what you did to him… but you hurt Crookedstar, didn't you? You made him weak… the fresh-kill you always brought him… what did you put in it? Deathberries?"

Water hemlock, Leopardstar thought, feeling her heart clench. I didn't want to.

Mudfur let out a rare, furious snarl. "A cruel death," he hissed. "Wasting away like he did until he didn't have the strength to climb a tree! You should have at least done him the kindness of giving him enough to kill him immediately."

Leopardstar gritted her teeth. I couldn't be caught, she told herself. Who would have replaced me? She did not give him the answer he wanted. Instead, she stood. "I'm going back to RiverClan," she meowed. "They need us."

"Go," Mudfur spat. He looked away and would not meet her gaze again. "I will stay here and pray to StarClan they do not curse us all for your crimes."

Claws of anguish tore at Leopardstar's heart, but she steeled herself against them. I should have known he would react like this, she thought. My clanmates don't understand the way it pains me to see us mocked… to have our territory stolen… to watch our cats cut down over and over by our enemies. She turned away. "Do what you must," she meowed. "I'm going home."

Leopardstar padded away, leaving her father behind. Once again, she entered the dark tunnel, and began the journey to the outside. I'm sorry, Crookedstar. But you didn't do enough for our Clan. Fiery determination soothed the ache in her heart as she pressed on. Father… I swore to you long ago that I would save the Clan. I will always stand by that. I cannot waver… I won't! Even if you can't understand… I just hope you can forgive me, someday.

A cool breeze eventually greeted Leopardstar, and she breathed in the fresh air. She quickened her pace, hurrying along until she could see the grass outside the Mothermouth. She darted out from the tunnel, relieved to be free of the underground.

A deep voice spoke from behind her. "Shame about Crookedstar, isn't it?"

Leopardstar whirled around. Sitting just beside the Mothermouth was Tigerclaw, the deputy of ThunderClan. He was inspecting the claws on one paw nonchalantly, at ease, as though the pair of them were old friends.

"What are you doing here?" Leopardstar demanded.

"Hemlock worked, didn't it?" Tigerclaw replied, glancing up. "Or was it the flood that got him?" His amber eyes glittered in the moonlight.

Leopardstar narrowed her eyes. "You could say it was both."

"Hm," Tigerclaw grunted. "And here you stand with nine lives?"

Leopardstar couldn't hesitate. Not even to Tigerclaw. She lifted her chin. "Yes."

Tigerclaw grinned eagerly at that. "Very good!" he let out a deep purr. "I was right. Not even StarClan approves of our mouse-brained leaders anymore…" His thick tail lashed in pleasure. "Congratulations, Leopardstar."

Leopardstar did not return his smile. She felt disgusted by his very presence. "Don't pretend we are friends just because you told me about hemlock," she spat. "I hold no love for you, Tigerclaw."

"Nor I you," Tigerclaw replied evenly. "But we have one thing in common—we want the best for our Clans. I haven't forgotten our little deal, Leopardstar." He stood up. "Thistlestar won't be leading for much longer." He spoke with a grim certainty that made Leopardstar shudder. "Come, let me join you on your journey home. We have much to discuss."


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