Chapter 9

Make sure to read the WHOLE thing, trust me, it gets funny.

Silverclaw jumped at a loud, shrill screeching. Something was happening in the camp.

Silverclaw arrived just in time to see Trapstar's body sprawled out on the ground. Is he dying? Silverclaw thought.

Several other cats were crouched around Trapstar, worried looks on their faces. It was right about then when Silverclaw realized why Trapstar was squealing like a kit.

He had a tiny thorn in his pad.

Just...

A tiny little thorn.

Other cats were realizing this and heading back to their dens.

"IT HUUUUUURTS! HELP ME! SOMEBODY SAVE ME FROM THIS MISERY!" Trapstar let out another earsplitting screech.

Only Silverclaw and Brambleclay remained in the clearing. Wingmoth, the medicine cat, was out gathering pointless leaves so she wasn't there.

"Guys... I'm- I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. ITS NOT FAIR! I had a family... A wife and children... Such kind children.. tell them... They'll succeed. Tell my wife... I love her... This is goodbye..."

Trapstar's breaths got more shallow and rapid.

He was actually dying.

To a thorn.

"Brambleclay, there's already a Bramblestar, so you're not my deputy anymore. Silverclaw, you will succeed me. Ok bye."

Brambleclay and Silverclaw stared on in shock as Trapstar's flanks heaved one last time, and the scent of death filled the clearing.

They exchanged a confused glance, and then everybody in the camp came out of their dens.

"Silverstar! Silverstar!" They chanted, circling around Silverclaw.

Silverclaw felt a surge of pride. He was leader now! Who cares about Trapstar?! Yeah!

"I still need to get my lives at the WeirdPool, okay? Don't call me Silverstar yet," he pointed out.

Later

Silverclaw had arrived at the moonpool. He had chosen Redstripe to be his deputy, even though he wasn't a Clan warrior anymore. This had provoked many yowls of protest, but it was the least Silverclaw could do at this point. He'd admitted to himself that he didn't actually hate Redstripe for what he did.

Touching his muzzle to the water, Silverclaw settled down and let sleep take him.

He awoke in a grassy clearing. Countless StarClan warriors were gathered around him in a circle, all with star-speckled fur. He recognized both his mother and father in the crowd, but knew better than to go up to them right now.

Soon, a warrior padded forward. It was a tortoiseshell she-cat with a uniquely striped black tail. Her green gaze somehow calmed Silverclaw, and he felt safe.

"Hello, Silverclaw. My name is Calicostar. I was the CringeClan leader before Trapstar. Also," she added in a whisper, "don't tell Trapstar, but he was the wrong choice of a leader. He kinda sucks."

Silverclaw laughed.

Calicostar raised her tail for silence, and continued. "Silverclaw, I give you a life for judgment, for knowing right from wrong, and doing what you believe is right in the many moons that you lead your Clan."

She rested her muzzle on Silverclaw's head, and he felt a surge of energy pulse through him. He had to use all of his strength to stay on his paws; the blast was so overpowering.

"You know what's right," Calicostar finished. She padded away.

Next, a gray tabby tom padded forward. It didn't take Silverclaw long to recognize his own father.

"Stormclaw! Father! I never thought I'd see you again!" He cried. Stormclaw touched his muzzle to Silverclaw's, and for a moment he just wanted to stay there forever.

"I give you a life for understanding, for accepting the truth and listening to every story. Never jump to conclusions," Stormclaw said.

This time, Silverclaw was prepared for the shock. It wasn't quite as energy-blasting this time; it felt right, as if Silverclaw had just accepted something wise.

The third cat that stepped forward was a small white tom, no bigger than an apprentice. What is an apprentice doing here?

Silverclaw ignored his curiosity as the cat spoke. "I'm Lightpaw, a ThunderClan apprentice. And no, it's not called CringeClan. You idiots are messin' up yer generation. Anyway, I died at the paws of an abusive mentor, and since then swore to help and protect ThunderClan for as long as I live in the stars."

Silverclaw nodded, and Lightpaw continued. "I give you a life for DJ. you will be da most epicest DJ. That why me gives you life for DJ."

Silverclaw's head immediately became filled with images of a cat wearing cool sunglasses and sitting at a table with lots of buttons and knobs on it. There were flashing lights and loud music. Silverclaw felt DA EPICNESS OF DJ.

Then, a wiry brown she-cat stepped into the clearing.

"I give you a life for kitties. Have seventeen litters of kits like me! You're a tom but I dont freaking care!"

Silverclaw pictured fifty-six cats of all sizes in a camp, tripping over one another and swerving around young kits that pounced at the older ones' tails. It was a hot mess.

I could never handle that many cats! Silverclaw thought as the wiry she-cat padded away.

Next up was a tom so huge that Silverclaw found himself staring up into the clouds looking for his face.

Okay, he wasn't that big.

This tom was entirely black. His fur made Silverclaw feel like he was staring into a black hole, practically. He was at least quadruple the size of Silverclaw, and his muscles rippled under his thick, glossy pelt.

"ERNGH!" He grunted.

"Silverclaw, I give you a life for ABS! GET THAT SIX PACK IN THERE! OOOOH YEAH! YOULL GET ALL THE LADIES!"

He turned and pounded away, leaving Silverclaw to stare on in confusion and shock.

The sixth cat to come up to Silverclaw was a rainbow-colored cat with a big clown nose.

"Hi! I'm Clownstar! I never existed! I give you a life for confusing stuff! Yay!

He turned and bounded away, laughing his weird clown laugh.

Silverclaw was only getting more confused as the ceremony went on.

Next, when he thought things couldn't get any weirder, a literal MOUSE came into the clearing.

"'Sup, Silverclaw? My name's Peep. I give you a life for squeak. Squeaky squeak. Feed your Clan in the moons to come. Also squeak."

Silverclaw stared. What in the actual heck?!

The last cat that came forward was none other than Trapstar himself.

"Hey, Silvy." Silverclaw hated it when Trapstar called him that. "Im giving you this last life for vibeS. You will have DA vibeS. Good vibeS. Ok byeeee!"

That was it. Silverclaw- no, Silverstar now, had received his nine lives.

To his disappointment, nobody chanted his name, just looked at him blankly as he faded out of the dream.

Silverstar was ready to lead his Clan, whether Redstripe was there or not.