Okay, Chapter 6. I would have updated yesterday, but you'll be able to look forward to an extra long and action packed chappie from me! :)

LeafxCrow (your name is too long for me to type!!): yes, we toms (human and cat) love sleeping! SLEEPING ROCKS!

Blazingfire of IceClan: Maybe……….

Laughing Rain: Nightpaw will be their med. cat, but Leafpool will always be there to lend a paw for the other MC's. (Oops, did I just write a spoiler…?)

Sunstriker: I am afraid you are thinking about the wrong gorge. No SunClan's around here, I'm afraid. However, there will be a loner called Sun (that becomes Sunpaw, then Sunstripe) that joins pretty soon. I hope that's okay…I had already written the story so I couldn't really change anything much… :(

Chapter from Crowfeather's POV…you'll see why….

Chapter 6 – Nine Lives

Oh my. My leader's ceremony. How was I supposed to live through a leader's ceremony when I have barely led my sort-of Clan for only half a moon? I know that's what I have always wanted, but I wasn't sure I was ready. But if StarClan wish it, so be it.

Leafpool had told me last night before we went to sleep. I didn't know what to expect, because the only cats that know what happens were the leaders themselves, and their medicine cats. But as much as I was dreading tonight, I was very excited. I would be a real leader!

It was now sunhigh. The prey pile had grown from its measly heights this morning, to a quarter of the way up from the GorgeRock (where I made all the announcements). I licked my lips in hunger. I needed food, so badly, but I knew to talk to StarClan, I wasn't allowed to eat. My belly groaned again, craving the sweet, juicy flavours of a fat, plump water-vole that…No! Must. Stop. Craving!

Maybe a walk will calm me down…

But it still didn't keep my mind off of food. Rabbits, voles, mice, waiting to jump into my watering mouth. MUST STOP!! I finally found some smooth, slanted rocks like the Sunningrocks back at the old forest by a small river, trickling away at the sides of the bank.

They were as warm as the Sunningrocks too, warmth filling my whole body from the tip of my tail to the tip of my nose. I don't know how long I had sat there, but the sun was getting lower and lower in the skies. I must get back for my ceremony!

I walked briskly through the forest bordering the Clan camp and walked through the construction of a new thorn barrier to keep out intruders. I was supposed to have the ceremony in the medicine cave, so I immediately went there. When I got in there, every cat in the Clan was inside. Were they all sick? I thought ludicrously.

"Good luck, Crowfeather!" They all chanted.

"I guess we'll have to call you Crowstar after tonight," Squirrelflight said to me. She was right. Could I ever get used to that?

"I know you can do it!" Brambleclaw shouted from the back. He would be a great deputy when the time came.

"Okay, Crowfeather, follow me," called Leafpool from the entrance to the StarClan cave. "You cannot to talk when we enter the cave. Remember, I love you…"

I nodded. Normally I would have said the same back, but my mouth clamped shut as I waved back with my tail to my companions and entered the cave with Leafpool and Nightpaw trailing behind. Inside was a small pool. I presumed I had to lap some water from it. I motioned to Leafpool. She nodded. I gently lapped up some of the cold water, which tasted like the salt water from the sun-drown-place journey. Then everything caved in on everything else, and I feel asleep.

-x-

I woke up to find myself at Fourtrees. Didn't this get knocked down along with our Fourtrees?

Then, I saw the sky. Where those stars…moving?! No, I must have been sent to the wrong place… But then, the stars landed on the ground and clouded up. My interest perked until I saw that they had become the starry spirits of 'our side of StarClan'. Leafpool had told me that civil war had broken out in StarClan about our departure from our birth Clans. I still had complete faith in our starry ancestors, so I wasn't too worried.

All my thinking had made me forget to concentrate. A cat cleared its throat above me as I moved my head to see who had. It was Tallstar! But not as he was in his last days, old, frail and unable to even stand up, let alone travel far from our forest, but as he was in his younger seasons; lithe, sturdy and great.

"Are you ready to receive your nine lives, Crowfeather?" he boomed.

"Y-Y-Y-es, Tallstar," I stuttered in wonder.

The first cat that stood before me surprised me greatly.

"Mudclaw?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, it's me. I have resented what I did with Hawkfrost, and got another chance with StarClan. Your first life is for certainty to know what's right. Use it when making tough decisions for your Clan."

I was surprised by the feelings that ran through my veins. Energy was surging through my body as I recognised a leader's decisions in their Clan's darkest hour.

After what seemed like an eternity of energy, the feeling ebbed away. How will I survive the other eight? I thought with a pang.

Mudclaw stepped away to reveal another starry cat. It was Deadfoot, the WindClan deputy before Mudclaw.

I dipped my head in respect as he rested his on mine.

He stood back to say, "with this life I give you tireless energy. Use it well to face the many trials you'll have to face as a Clan leader."

The life from Deadfoot was a whole lot worse than the one from Mudclaw. I felt blood pulsing through my limbs as I kept running. It felt like I had run to Highstones and back.

"I see I chose wisely when I chose a WindClan cat to lead the Clans to the lake," he added with respect.

The third cat was Morningflower, a queen who had joined StarClan not long before I left with Leafpool.

"This life is for caring. Use it to defend the smallest kit, to the weakest elder."

I expected this life to be soothing, but instead found it to be fierce, learning how fierce a mother is to protect her kits, and how it feels to defend a Clan.

The fourth cat was a cat I had never met alive, but had heard of him in nursery stories.

"Gorsepaw," I greeted.

Gorsepaw dipped his head and said, "This life is for mentoring. Use it to train the young of your Clan."

The lives kept coming; I got one from Windstar, the first leader of WindClan, and my direct ancestor and one from Mothflight, the first medicine cat of WindClan, who had discovered the Moonstone and its importance. Then one from Spottedleaf, the ex-medicine cat from ThunderClan.

Finally, it was Feathertail, my first love who had saved me and the other questing cats from Sharptooth, the mountain lion. She still had the daintiness she had in life as she rubbed noses with me. It felt so real.

"Feathertail, I…" I spluttered.

"Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I am happy to see you with Leafpool. You being happy makes me happy".

I was lost for words.

Feathertail continued, "With this life I give you love. Use it well for every cat in your Clan, but especially Leafpool.

My spell of speechlessness continued, as I had pure love, as hot as the midday sun, seeping through my body. It lulled me so much; I almost forgot I had one, important one left. A big black and white cat with a long tail walked along towards me.

"Tallstar," I dipped my head in the upmost respect to the noble ex-WindClan leader, who had served his Clan for so long and so well. I felt honoured to be stood in his starry presence.

"With this life, I give you certainty, nobility, and faith. Use it well, young one, as you fight to find the right solutions to your Clan's problems. Your old life is no more, with these nine lives you are now called Crowstar, and you are gifted the guardianship of newly named: EarthClan."

EarthClan. Nice Name!

"Crowstar, Crowstar, Crowstar!" the nine cats chanted my new name like a new warrior.

Suddenly, the chanting stopped only to be replaced by dark hisses. Behind me, the trees and bushes were on fire and I had to curl up to battle the intense heat. Then, Tallstar's voice filled the clearing.

"An unexpected enemy will rise from the ashes, one from your Clan isn't who they seem, and a great fire will be extinguished"

What could this mean? But Tallstar wasn't done yet!

"Cats will meet to battle the Clan's darkest day…"

His voice echoed.

"Tallstar! Tell me more!" I begged.

But the flames were getting bigger. They engulfed me and the heat kept on rising and rising and rising until-

"Aahhhhh!!" I woke and immediately ran out of the cave, Leafpool and Nightpaw in my wake.

"Prophecy…StarClan…fire…" I was out of breath.

"It's all right, Crowstar…" Leafpool guided me back to my den. "Let's get some sleep…"

But I didn't seem like I could. All I could think about was the inferno at Fourtrees, and the ominous prophecy towering over me like a badger…

Yay! Crowstar has his leader name! But what about the prophecy? Please tell me what you think it all means in the reviews you will give me… (hint…hint….)

Seriously, please review.

(And the dudes from India and Singapore, please please give me a review so I can thank you in my next update! And I will update my other story as much as I can, but this is my main priority!)

From Leopardstorm!