Chapter 57
"Jaysong, are you scared at all? According to Leafpool when a leader receives their nine lives it is one of the most life changing experiences." Jaysong really wished Applefrost would shut up because the light brown tabby had done nothing to ease the golden brown leader's nerves. Leafpool had stayed with the rest of ThunderClan to help with some of the wounded so Jaysong was left alone with her apprentice, Applefrost. Jaysong liked Applefrost a lot, but the medicine cat apprentice seemed to be more nervous than the cat who was actually receiving the nine lives. Once the two cats were outside the Moonpool, Applefrost meowed, "Well this is where I must leave you, Jaysong. Leafpool says you must be alone when you enter the cave. You should have a dream and then- well you know what happens next."
Jaysong nodded before padding down the small slope, leading to the Moonpool. Even though Jaysong had briefly been a medicine cat apprentice, she had never journeyed to the Moonpool so she was amazed by its beauty. The stars seemed to shine in the water and as Jaysong padded closer, the stars glittered as though persuading her to come closer. Feeling slightly stupid, Jaysong crouched beside the sparkling water and took a small lap of the cold liquid, her eyes closed. Jaysong didn't feel any different and wondered if something had gone wrong. Jaysong didn't know if she could face her Clan if she didn't receive her nine lives from StarClan. After waiting a couple heartbeats, Jaysong opened her eyes. What she saw shocked her more than anything else ever had.
Jaysong was sitting in the center of the island which seemed empty without the dozens of cats that occupied it on Gathering nights. Jaysong glanced around, realizing this must be the dream that Applefrost had told her about. Jaysong then glanced at Silverpelt above her and realized the stars were moving. As though on cue, the stars began raining down from Silverpelt and cats appeared, their furs sprinkled with a hundred sparkling stars. There were nine cats all together and Jaysong realized she knew them all. As though by a silent signal the first cat padded forward. It was ThunderClan's deputy before Jaysong: Brambleclaw.
"Brambleclaw?" Jaysong meowed in shock, almost not believing what she was seeing. Brambleclaw didn't say respond, but touched his nose to Jaysong's, meowing, "With this life, I give you the gift of courage to defend your Clan with." Jaysong gave a gasp of shock as the hottest fire seared at her pelt and then a second later she froze as the coldest ice touched her. The whole process lasted now more than two seconds, but Jaysong was left trembling after. Brambleclaw was already retreating back to the group of cats while the second StarClan warrior came forward. It was Graystripe, deputy before Brambleclaw.
"With this life, I give you the gift of friendship to judge your Clan from your heart, not from what is in plain sight," Again Jaysong felt the fire and ice, but it wasn't as terrible as before. Maybe the life wasn't as painful, but Jaysong suspected that it was because she had been able to brace herself this time. When Jaysong opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Graystripe looking at her, his amber eyes filled with warmth, "Thanks for bringing Featherpaw to the Clans. Without her, the future would be very different." Jaysong wanted to ask more, but Graystripe was already padding away and a new cat- a younger cat- was taking his place. It was Flowerpaw, Jaysong's friend, Toadflower's, old mate.
"With this life, I give you the gift of love to follow your heart for it will surely tell you to do the right thing," When Jaysong accepted this life, she noticed that there was barely any pain. Jaysong wondered if Flowerpaw had chosen this life because of her and Toadflower's love. Even though Flowerpaw had died before anything happened, she had loved Toadflower even though he was a ThunderClan cat when she was from ShadowClan. Like Graystripe, Flowerpaw had something to say, "When you return to the Clans tell Toadflower I love him, but tell him that he has to not see me as every cat's face. There is a cat who will make him happy until we are united in StarClan."
Jaysong nodded as Flowerpaw retreated back towards the line of cats while Dustpelt- the ThunderClan warrior who was killed in the fox attack- padded forward. "With this life, I give you the gift of knowledge so you can serve your Clan with your mind as well as your claws and teeth." Jaysong felt her brain whir as she received Dustpelt's life and knew that this life wouldn't have any pain. Instead, Jaysong got the first taste of what would happen when she was leader of ThunderClan. Dustpelt was already retreating backwards just as Sorreltail was padding forward. Jaysong felt her chest swell at the sight of her mother who had joined StarClan only a couple hours ago.
"With this life, I give you the gift of reliability to help your clanmates through dark times," Jaysong stretched forward, eager to accept Sorreltail's life, but almost pulled back as pain shot through her. Jaysong suddenly realized as well as helping her clanmates, she would have to fight tooth and claw to save them. Jaysong wanted to spend a little bit more time with Sorreltail, but the tortoiseshell she-cat was already returning to the group of cats surrounding them. The cat who took Sorreltail's place had the same small frame, but her fur was a golden brown just like Jaysong's. It was Jaysong's sister, Honeyfern, who had died from a snake bite a couple seasons ago.
"With this life, I give you the gift of hope to guide your Clan." Like Brambleclaw and Graystripe's life, Honeyfern's gift made Jaysong's fur burn with the hottest fire, but a second later it was so cold that the golden brown she-cat wanted the fire back. Honeyfern pulled away and blinked her blue eyes at Jaysong, shocking the golden brown she-cat with the amount of love and pain in her sister's eyes. Love for Jaysong- and the golden brown she-cat knew Berrynose- and the pain for leaving them so early. Jaysong wanted to tell Berrynose that Honeyfern watched over him still, but knew she would be breaking one of StarClan's many laws. As Honeyfern retreated back to the group of cats, the next cat padded forward, looking very much like Jaysong and Honeyfern. It was Brackenfur, Jaysong's father who had died the day Jaysong and Stripepool gave birth to their kits. In a low meow, Jaysong mewed, "Oh Brackenfur. I'm so sorry you had to die. I should've been able to stop Russetfur."
But Brackenfur's blue eyes showed no anger as he dipped his head towards Jaysong's and touched his nose to hers, "With this life, I give you the gift of light to carry your Clan through any darkness that lies ahead." Jaysong barely felt the fire or the ice and instead drank up all of Brackenfur; his courage and love for his Clan, his mate, and his daughters. Brackenfur nodded to Jaysong before padding back towards the group of cats, dipping his head as the next StarClan warrior stepped forward. Jaysong felt her heart flutter as she recognized the sparkling white fur and glowing gold eyes. The new cat padded forward on large black paws before stopping in front of Jaysong. It was Blackstar, Jaysong's mate.
"Oh Blackstar! I missed you so much!" Jaysong meowed, stretching forward to touch Blackstar's nose. This was not the giving of a life, but an act of affection. Blackstar paused for a moment- staring into Jaysong's eyes- before mewing, "With this life, I give you the gift of miracles so that you will be safe in battles both of claws and of the heart." Jaysong eagerly accepted Blackstar's life, feeling all the love they felt for each other flowing in that single moment. Jaysong almost expected Blackstar to pad backwards, but instead the former ShadowClan leader meowed, "There is someone I would like you to meet, Jaysong."
At Blackstar's words, a small bundle of golden brown fur scrambled away from the group of cats and stopped at Blackstar's paws. The kit's fur glittered with stars, but it was the same shade as Jaysong's and his amber eyes were exactly like Sorreltail's. It was Amberkit, Jaysong's son who had been born did, but apparently was allowed to grow up in the stars of StarClan. Amberkit looked up at Jaysong and mewed, "Father told me that I was going to get to meet my mother today. Are you her?" Too choked up to speak, Jaysong nodded and gave Amberkit a gentle lick in between the ears. Amberkit purred and scrambled around Jaysong's paws before returning to Blackstar's side. Saying a silent goodbye to Jaysong, Blackstar returned to the group of cats, Amberkit bouncing behind him.
The next cat was Firestar, but he wasn't the cat Jaysong had known her whole life. Firestar's flame-colored fur glowed in the starlight and his dark green eyes shined with a youngness that Jaysong had never seen in her former leader. Stopping in front of Jaysong, Firestar meowed, "Jaysong, I am so honored to have known you and I thank you for serving me as my warrior and my deputy. Somehow, I think I always knew it was you who would lead ThunderClan when I am gone. With this life, I give you the gifts of purity, power, and kindness. Use these gifts to lead ThunderClan in the ancient laws of StarClan."
Jaysong suddenly was racing through time, fighting beside all of Firestar's battles. She felt the anger of being mocked about being a kittypet, but then they pride at rising to ThunderClan's leader. In between those times, Jaysong felt the everlasting kindness that would earn Firestar a spot in the Clans' histories for generations to come. Once Jaysong opened her eyes, Firestar mewed, his green eyes glowing with warmth as he looked at his successor, "I know greet you by your new name. Your old life has been stripped away and you have been given the nine lives of a leader. I now am honored to call you by Jaystar, leader of ThunderClan."
Just as cats would welcome a new warrior, the warriors of StarClan yowled Jaystar's name. When Jaystar opened her gray eyes, she was in the Moonpool, but everything had changed. She had fallen asleep as Jaysong, deputy of ThunderClan, but now she was Jaystar, leader of ThunderClan.
