Acknowledgments:

SilRain- thank you so much for your support, but I'm afraid there is one more chapter after this until the Clan cats and gods meet. Please don't kill me, LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter!:)

Whitestorm13-thanks! I'm glad you love the story.

Nine Lives

Zeus watched in awe as Wojtuso and Glacier beckoned with their tails and raised their voices in a jubilant cry, "Bluestar, Feathertail, and Spottedleaf! Respected Council members, come and join us for this joyous event!"

On cue, three incredibly beautiful starry she-cats (in Zeus's opinion) leaped gracefully to stand beside Glacier and Wojtuso, and the five Founders. A beautiful blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes dipped her head to Wojtuso.

"Dear ruler, we are honored to take part in Zeus's leadership ceremony," her voice, strong and clear, rang through the starry clearing.

"And we are honored to have you here," Wojtuso replied graciously. And then, without warning, everything grew cold and dark. The nine cats were outlined in stars, frost, and fire. Zeus felt himself freeze up; he couldn't move! It felt as if the warmth had been sucked and of him, and he felt oddly detached from his own body. He tried to squirm, but it was all in vain.

"Lie still fool," came the voice of Shadowstar.

"But I can't move," Zeus protested.

"You're supposed to feel like that," Bluestar mewed gently. "It is part of the ceremony."

"Summon the other Council members to witness the event," whispered Glacier to Wojtuso. He obliged, and within a couple heartbeats, several more starry warriors joined the nine cats. Then all was calm and quiet. Zeus had never felt so solemn in all his life.

"Welcome Zeus," the sound seemed to belong to all the cats in the world, and yet at the same time it was one clear voice. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives and star name?"

"Yes," Zeus replied steadily. "I'm ready."

Thunderstar rose to his paws and strode toward Zeus, his head and tail high. When he reached Zeus, he stooped and touched his nose to Zeus's head. It burned against him like the hottest flame and the coldest ice.

"With this life I give you compassion and mercy," Thunderstar murmured. "Use it well when punishing your offenders and caring for your Clan."

At once, a bolt of energy seared through Zeus like lightning. His ears filled with a deafening roar and his vision dakened. Zeus realized with a guilty jolt that this was what his offenders felt like when he struck them mercilessly down with his lightning bolts. When the pain ebbed, he felt extremely weak and wretched.

How will I bear to receive eight more lives? He thought in dismay.

Thunderstar strode back into the starry ranks and Shadowstar took his place. Her fierce green eyes bore into him as she murmured, "With this life, I give you fierceness and protection. Use it well to care for your Clan as a mother cares for her kits."

The second life was not painful. Rather, Zeus liked the bolt of ferocity that now transfixed him. He felt the fury of lions and tigers defending their loved ones. Zeus at once recognized a mother's desire to protect her kits, and he wondered if this was how Thetis felt about Achilles.

Shadowstar stalked proudly back into the ranks, and Riverstar took her place. He bent his head and whispered in Zeus's ear, "With this life, I give you an open mind. Use it well to discover your new life."

The life that coursed through Zeus filled him with a yearning and desire to learn and to discover new things. It was a burning curiosity. In his old life as a god, Zeus had been very close-minded. Now he aimed to change that.

Riverstar dipped his head and bounded away. Windstar took his place next; her paw steps were fluid and graceful.

"With this life I give you stealthiness and stamina. Use it well to hunt for your Clan and provide it with food." As her head touched Zeus's, he felt as if he were racing through the forest, fur flattened by the wind. He felt the sheer joy of running and the exhilaration of the hunt.

The fifth cat was Glacier. She bent her beautiful head to Zeus's forehead and mewed in her mystical voice, "With this life, I give you courage. Use it well to defend your Clan against any enemy and especially emotional conflict." And the life that flowed through Zeus was a touching one. He felt the courage of a war hero, a magnificent lion, and many noble cats dying in battle to defend their Clans and loved ones. In that instant, he knew the true meaning of leadership. It was not just size and might that made a leader. It was the compassion, love, courage, and good judgment in the leader's heart that held a Clan together through some of the toughest times. Leaders that loved their Clan and were willing to die for it were truly great leaders. They were the rock of the Clan. Moreover, they were the Clan. When Zeus thought of the leader he had been as a god, he hung his head in shame, but ambition stirred in him. He would be that kind of leader. He would change, and he would love his Clan and die for them willingly.

As though Glacier could read his mind she whispered in his ear, "StarClan will guide you, but you must aspire to be the best you can be," and bounded away to let Bluestar take her place.

"With this life I give you wisdom," she purred. "Use it well to judge others and make decisions in your Clan." Bluestar's life flowed through him with much force. He felt the knowledge course into every fiber of his being, and when it faded, he felt like a much older cat. The life made him think of his favorite daughter Athena. The goddess of wisdom, he thought with affection, she would love a life like this. The thought made him purr with amusement, and he wondered if Bluestar and Athena would be good friends if Bluestar were still alive.

The seventh cat was a beautiful dark tortoiseshell with a lovely dappled coat, a white chest, glowing amber eyes, and a black-tipped tail. Zeus presumed it was Spottedleaf.

"With this life, I give you love," she cooed in soft tones. "Use it well, for all the cats in your care, and especially for Hera."

There was no pain in the life that poured into Zeus. It held the warmth of the sun and the beauty of a cold winter's day. It was pure love, and Zeus felt a contentment he had never felt before. He wondered what Aphrodite would feel like if she had received this life.

Spottedleaf strode away and Feathertail, a light silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes, took her place. She had a gentle look in her eyes as she murmured, "With this life, I give you loyalty to what you know to be right. Use it well to guide your Clan in times of trouble." The life that flowed through Zeus was a sad life, full of prejudice, persecution for being half-Clan, and forbidden love. An image of a smoky gray-black tom clouded his mind, and he felt an amazing sense of sadness fill his eyes. This must be the forbidden lover, he thought with amazement. But they are so devoted to each other! How come I've never felt that way with Hera? Devotion to a mate is a truly beautiful and special thing that was very remote in Zeus. Spottedleaf and Feathertail's lives had made him feel as if he had missed out on something his whole life. Now he knew what it was. Feathertail padded away, leaving Zeus emotionally drained.

Wojtuso now stood, his blue-white pelt flame, his eyes as bright as the sun. He was feline nobility. He strode toward Zeus, power emanating from him in waves. In a majestic voice as strong as a lion's Wojtuso mewed, "Zeus, you will be a great leader. I know in my heart you will." He then touched his muzzle to Zeus's head and declared, "With this life, I give you nobility and certainty and faith. Use it well to lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code."

Zeus was unprepared for the agony that shook him as he received Wojtuso's life. He shared Wojtuso's power, his nobility, his fierceness in battle after battle, terror as one chaotic, savage battle claimed his life, and the pain of never seeing his descendants. The rush of power grew stronger and stronger, until Zeus thought his pelt would never contain it. Just as he thought he must yowl his pain or surely die, it began to ebb, ending in a feeling of calmness and peace.

A long, soft sigh passed through the clearing. The StarClan Council had risen to their paws and Zeus rose to his paws as well. The darkness and cold faded, and once again, it was warm and light. Zeus felt a sense of pride and a new power. He was ready to lead DivineClan.

"I hail you by your new name Lightningstar," Wojtuso declared. "Your old life is no more. You have received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of DivineClan. 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!"

"Lightningstar! Lightningstar!" The Council chanted in rich voices that tingled the air. Lightningstar reveled in the glory.

The chanting ceased and Wojtuso strode over to Hestia. Hestia dipped her head to him, and Lightningstar wondered what Wojtuso wanted with his sister.

"Hestia, you are a gentle and patient cat. In your old life, you remained pure and chaste. You had compassion for the sick and those weaker than yourself. You have all the assets of a good medicine cat. Will you be DivineClan's medicine cat? Will you be faithful to StarClan, never fall in love, heal your Clan, and interpret prophecies we send you?"

Hestia's eyes gleamed. "I would be honored to."

"Very well," Wojtuso replied. "Your new name will be Gentleheart, in honor of your gentle disposition. Since you still have some of your divine healing powers, you do not need to have a profound knowledge of herbs. However, come back here at half-moon, and we will guide your paws in the path of the medicine cat."

He then turned to Lightningstar and explained all the necessary ceremonies he would have to perform as a Clan leader.

"I will name all your warriors for you now," he purred. "Their warrior names will be a reminder of their old lives and the powers they had."

As Lightningstar listened to the names the StarClan ruler had picked out, he found that he couldn't have agreed more with the choices. Hera became Lynxclaw in honor of her lynx-like personality, Athena became Stealthystep in honor of her defensive, war-like prowess, Poseidon, of course, became Seastorm, Hades became Darkshadow because he had been associated with gloom and darkness in his former life, Demeter became Corntail because she had been the goddess of corn and fertility in her former life, Apollo became Sunburst because he had been god of the sun (and many other things for that matter!) Where Apollo was a sun-god, his twin sister Artemis was a moon-goddess, so she became Moonshadow, Aphrodite, being a goddess of love, was dubbed Lovinggaze, Ares became Warcry in honor of his former title as the god of war, Thetis became Shellclaw and her twin sister Amphitrite became Oceanbreeze, for the pair had been sea-goddesses. Hephaestus, who had been the god of steel and fire, was dubbed Fireblaze. Hermes became Wingglider, for this youthful tomcat had been the god of travel and a messenger god as well. And he had always glided on winged sandals. Dionysus became Grapeleaf in honor of his association with wine, Hercules became Braveheart in honor of his brave nature, Persephone became Flowertail in honor of her love of flowers, Polydeuces became Pantherstealth in honor of his hunting ability, and Castor became Horsetail in honor of his distinctly feathered tail. When all was said and done, the new Clan was satisfied with their warrior Clan names.

Wojtuso turned to Lightningstar. "I have given your warriors their Clan names thus far," he rasped. "But when you reach your new home, you must appoint a deputy and make the young kits of you Clan apprentices. They are young, only four months old, but under the circumstances, they are stronger than the average kit. So I will allow you to make them apprentices."

He then addressed the new Clan. "You have Clan names and a leader with nine lives. Tomorrow is the full moon. There is a Gathering on the island by the lake. Tell the Clans you were sent by StarClan. They will understand, for their medicine cats foretold the leaders of your coming. Remember, you are DivineClan now, and StarClan will guide your path."

Okay, I admit it. I used references from Firestar's nine lives ceremony from The Darkest Hour, but I tried not to copy too much so don't kill me! If you do, then I can't finish the story:) Just so you know, Gentleheart (Hestia) will not have a forbidden love affair. She was best known as a pure virgin goddess and she shall remain that way. Also, Darkshadow will not be evil. So Anyhoo, please read and review.