Sorry this took so long to get out! It's harder than you think trying to think up 36 different characters who've already died to give out lives. I ended up making some characters give out multiple lives and sort of skipped over Mossyfoot's ceremony (sorry Mossyfoot). Still, this chapter is about 3x my usual length-6,410 words! :O Anyway, I hope you enjoy this super-long chapter! :)
walkswithwheels: Yeah, sorry I didn't address SkyClan in my last review reply. Generally speaking I read the reviews in detail when the notifications first pop up in my inbox, then skim-read the reviews as I write the replies. It works well, except I do miss some points in the longer reviews. So I'm not sure I'll bring SkyClan in, as they're so far away and peace has already come to the lake, plus Sootthorn, Cinderstrike, and Rainsky now have Clans to take care of. And I have something like that with soy-if soy oil is in something not baked, I'll have to be careful about eating it. If it's baked, then I can eat it fine. And I put in that scene because some people said they could see Rainsky as a medicine cat. But yeah, it was really unexpected, so the idea definitely didn't take hold with him. And they might start learning old techniques once they settle down into their own Clans, but if they do it won't be for a long time.
Silverkitty16: Yeah, Sootthorn will probably be fine. XD I like your description of Cinderstrike. Mules don't listen to people, do they?
ShadowHawk540: He might need to learn how to run faster and for longer periods of time, but I think he'll do fine. As you'll learn this chapter, he has WindClan blood in him.
ilovewarriorcats: I didn't know that about medicine cats. That's interesting. And yeah, Cinderstrike's name was a mistake, but we'll just say she told them. She doesn't get the chance in this chapter before Sootthorn starts calling her Cinderstrike. And I think Rainsky's name sounds much more like WindClan, as WindClan cats see much more of rain and sky, as there aren't any trees in the way. Also, Sootthorn's name is more suited to ThunderClan (no thorns in WindClan!). And I sure hope this chapter isn't as rushed! I was trying to get all four leader ceremonies in this chapter, but it ended up becoming super-long, as I'm sure you've already seen. And Tigerstar may have gotten his lives from StarClan, but I saw somewhere that one of the Erins said Tigerstar got his lives from the DF. I might be wrong about that.
QLKwriter: I would be that person who ate four cinnamon buns. :) Don't feel bad, you're just getting more deliciousness than your friend. Though it might be bad if you don't exercise regularly.
Willowdream of ForestClan: Yeah, Cinderstrike is pretty perfect for ShadowClan. :) The only problem with her is she can't really stalk quietly. And nope, this certainly isn't the last book! (or last chapter, but I'll get to that later)
Shadows of Weeping Wolves: :D I missed you! And sausage-pancake sandwiches sound yummy. :)
EradrinSkyleaf: :) Glad you liked the last line. And Rainsky will soon be... Rainstar. :O Does it have the same ring to it as Rainsky? Or Rainpaw? Or Rainkit? :P
The Guardian of the Sky: According to you, the cats will have to change their personalities quite a lot (except for, well, Sootthorn). But I'm sure that can still happen. :)
Nightfeather: Good luck with your testing! I don't mind that you haven't been reviewing. And Rainsky gets a bit of a slap in the face in this chapter. :P And I'm glad you were surprised Nightstar only had one life left! It always makes me... proud, maybe?... that I was able to surprise my readers. :)
Sootthorn's POV
The Moonpool glimmered in the light of the newly risen crescent moon. I wondered as I followed Mossyfoot down into the hollow, treading the well-worn path, if the stars I saw within the water were actually there, a tail-length below my paws, or if they were just reflections of the sky above.
Good thing the sky isn't cloudy, Rainsky thought as we began lining up around the edge. Otherwise StarClan might not be able to reach down long enough to give four leaders their lives.
Yeah, I replied vacantly. My thoughts weren't focused much on my brother, but rather on Silverpelt. I wondered if Ashthorn would give us each a life. I wondered if one cat could give multiple lives in one night. They're StarClan, I reminded myself. They can do anything. Right?
"You three know what to do, right?" Mossyfoot asked briskly. Honestly, this she-cat was all business and no chitchat. How could her Clan stand her?
Rainsky hesitated, then shook his head. I followed suit but Cinderstrike stood firm, acting as though she hadn't heard Mossyfoot.
Goldenwing padded up between me and Mossyfoot. "You just have to drink from the pool," she whispered. "Then you'll fall into a deep sleep."
I heard a murmur from farther along the pool as Stormtuft relayed the message to both Rainsky and Cinderstrike. Of course, Alderpaw was also new to this. He wouldn't know what to tell Rainsky.
Crouching, I lapped up a mouthful of water. It tasted like cold wind, much better than the slightly muddy taste of the streams in ThunderClan's territory. My last thought before I crumpled onto the bank was that it might be worth it to trek all the way up here just to drink the water, and if the Moonpool would still put you to sleep during the day.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself floating in a mass of darkness. Twisting around, I gazed in all directions, but couldn't see a speck of light. Am I falling? I wondered. Then: Rainsky? Cinderstrike? Where are you?
Their replies were immediate. I'm here, came Rainsky's voice. Cinderstrike's thoughts were slightly more clipped, as though she were constantly annoyed at something. Right over here. You?
Um… I'm here, wherever that is. I felt Rainsky laughing.
Then, as if emerging from a thick mist, I saw stars appear. They swirled around me, catching me if I really had been falling, forming a flat, grassy plain beneath my paws. I glanced to one side and saw Rainsky and Cinderstrike standing there, both looking rather excited. Turning to the other side, I saw Mossyfoot wearing her normal expression of calm expressionlessness, if that was even an expression.
Ahead, cats began appearing. They padded forward, their benevolent gazes meeting mine as stars swirled through their transparent, cloudlike bodies. I couldn't help but smile back at them as they formed a semicircle around us, their ranks fading endlessly back into the mist.
"Mossyfoot," came a booming voice. I looked wildly around for the source but none of the StarClan cats were talking. "Step forward and receive your new lives," the voice continued.
Mossyfoot padded forward to stand in front of the StarClan cats. Framed by the stars as she was, she looked rather small, like a wet kit. Nonetheless, she held her chin high as she stared down all of StarClan. Then, suddenly, her knees buckled and she hit the ground hard.
"Your old life is no more," the voice said. "Rise to receive your new lives."
As Mossyfoot clambered to her paws, a cat emerged from the crowd. Even I could recognize her—this was Rushstar, the previous RiverClan leader. I hadn't known her well but she had been brave in the battle, taking down the NightClan deputy to save Mistheart's life.
"Mossyfoot," she meowed, smiling proudly. "You've had a tough life. Yet here you stand, ready to serve your Clan still more." She stepped forward to place her nose on Mossyfoot's head. "With this life I give you sanity. May you never sink into depression as I did, shunting the burden of leadership onto another's shoulders."
Mossyfoot ducked her head, her ears pressed flat against her head and her tail tucked between her legs. Her jaws opened wide but no sound came out. It occurred to me that she must be in pain. Did getting lives hurt?
A second cat padded forward. He paused in front of her just as Mossyfoot lifted her head to look at him. "With this life," he meowed, "I give you trust. May you never doubt your Clanmates without proof of their wrongdoing."
Mossyfoot screeched in pain, all her fur standing on end, as though witnessing a horrible nightmare. The second cat retreated into the crowd just as a third stepped forward.
The ceremony progressed with Mossyfoot growing steadily weaker and weaker from the ordeal of receiving lives. As StarClan gave her lives for love, logic, stealth, strength, patience, peace, and mentorship, I grew more and more nervous. Now I knew why leaders got their lives in a solitary ceremony. It was worse anticipating pain than actually experiencing it.
Finally, Mossyfoot was finished. StarClan stood as one and chanted, "Mossystar! Mossystar! Mossystar!" The medicine cats behind us joined in, but Cinderstrike, Rainsky, and I kept quiet. I glanced over at them and saw expressions of trepidation and slight queasiness on their faces identical to my own.
"Sootthorn, step forward and receive your new lives," the source-less voice said. I swallowed my butterflies and padded forward, trying my best to keep my chin held high. As soon as I reached the spot where Mossystar had once stood, it was as though my legs had been knocked out from underneath me. I hit the ground chin-first, but the pain in my jaw was instantly eclipsed by the pain in my chest. It felt as though my heart was being ripped out with razor-sharp claws.
"Your old life is no more," the voice continued. "Rise to receive your new lives."
I pushed myself to my paws, panting. If this wasn't even the first life, what would the rest of this ceremony be like?
A cat stepped forward. I blinked, then realized who it was. It was Cherryfall.
"With this life I give you peace of heart," she whispered, pressing her nose to my forehead. "May you never take the blame for cats of your Clan dying in battle again."
Peace of heart. It didn't sound so bad. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as much as—oh, StarClan, that hurt! I dropped to the ground, covering my head with my paws, feeling the same ache in my heart that I'd felt when I first found out Cherryfall had died. I'd sent her into battle. It was my fault Molewhisker no longer had a sister.
But if this gift worked, I'd never feel this again. As the pain ebbed away, I stood on shaky paws, glancing up to see who would be next.
It was Aspentail. The dark brown tom strode forward, glaring at me in his typical fashion. "With this life I give you forethought. Never rush into any decision, but always take time to think about the consequences." His nose touched my forehead and I felt rigidness spread from that spot through the rest of my body. My paws were tied because of my own stupidity. It didn't hurt, exactly, but it was certainly uncomfortable. I wished it would be over quickly.
Aspentail padded away, to be replaced with Larkwing. My aunt. She smiled down at me, her pelt not ripped as it had been after the battle, but instead smooth and unscarred. I grinned up at her, then remembered what she had come to give me. A life, yes, but also a lake's worth of pain.
"With this life I give you confidence. Always stand by your decisions, because your first instinct is generally right." My knees buckled the instant her nose touched my fur, sending me to the ground once more. I rolled onto my side, my legs twitching as all the strength was sucked painfully away. If this was what it was like to be indecisive, I'd certainly be confident in my decisions later. As Larkwing padded away, I sucked in a breath, trying to calm my frantically beating heart. Six lives left.
The next cat was Shadepaw. I blinked down at her, remembering her death with a pang of sadness. She was so young. But if I blamed myself for it, I'd already be betraying Cherryfall's gift.
"With this life I give you strength. Not the physical kind, you've got plenty of that," she meowed quickly, eying my broad shoulders. "I mean mental strength. You need to learn to stand alone, even with your brother and sister so close. You can't rely on them to come back for you anymore." She reached up as high as she could, but I still had to duck to let her touch her nose to my forehead.
At once, I felt a weight drop onto my shoulders. Gasping, I staggered sideways, just barely managing not to fall over yet again. Instead, my paws shaking with the immense weight, I kept standing.
Shadepaw smiled. "See? You're already getting the hang of it." She backed into the crowd and the weight lessened enough for me to lift my head and see Scorchblaze come forward.
"With this life I give you strength in battle," she whispered. It shocked me to see the brash she-cat so soft-spoken. She dipped her head as a wave of pain swept over me. It felt like claws were ripping my fur apart. I moaned, but, remembering Shadepaw's gift, I stood tall against it. Scorchblaze grinned and turned to bound back into the ranks of StarClan cats.
Next was a tiny, golden kit. I gazed at him in confusion for a moment before realizing he must be one of Amberwing's kits.
"With this life I give you energy," he meowed, his voice incredibly solemn for a kit. I wondered what the StarClan cats had promised him later to get him to act this reserved. I had to crouch, flattening myself to the ground, for him to reach somewhere near my forehead that was actually more my nose.
I thought this life would bring on an onslaught of weakness, but instead I felt like I was flying. I opened my eyes and saw a hazy vision of stars swooping past me. Then I looked down at the ground far below and cried out in terror.
"Don't be scared," the kit laughed. "It's fun!" His image twirled through the air beside me and I followed him, soaring confidently over the lake.
Then the vision disintegrated and I was back in my ceremony. I watched as the kit padded away, rubbing affectionately against another cat. At first, I didn't recognize him. Then, staring curiously into his eyes, I realized I'd seen those eyes before. They were Snowclaw's eyes. So this must be his brother, Dewclaw.
Dewclaw pressed his nose to my forehead. "With this life I give you flexibility. Never be afraid to look at a problem with new eyes and never give up on something that looks impossible. There's always a way."
I felt myself freezing in place. It was uncannily like Aspentail's life, except that it was cold, so cold. I felt like a block of ice, like I was a tiny stream frozen in the middle of Leaf-bare. Finally, as Dewclaw turned away, I was able to shake myself out and let warmth rush back into my body. StarClan, was that uncomfortable.
Then I froze. I'd spotted who was to give me my last life.
Ashthorn.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed under my breath, unconsciously moving into a battle crouch, the fur along my spine standing on end.
"I've come to give you your ninth life," Ashthorn said calmly.
"You refused me my leader ceremony before," I growled. "Why have the privilege of giving me a life? Why my last life?"
"I am your father. A family member or previous leader is most likely the one to give a last life," Ashthorn said, his voice growing slightly colder. "I happen to be both." Before I could duck away, he darted forward and pressed his nose against my forehead. "With this life I give you…"
Ashthorn hesitated. I glared at him. You'd better give me a good gift.
"…independence," he finished.
I leaped backwards, away from Ashthorn. "I have plenty independence already!" I spat. "Stop telling me not to follow in your pawsteps. I've already broken away from you."
Ashthorn dipped his head, then turned and padded back into the crowd as my muscles seized up painfully, moving in uncontrolled directions. My heart sped up, racing inside my chest. As the seizure left my body, I lay panting on the ground. Then, realizing Ashthorn might be watching, I scrambled to my paws again. I couldn't show weakness in front of him.
He made me so angry whenever he showed up. Why couldn't he just leave me be?
But as the cats began cheering my new name, my anger seemed to melt away. I was independent already. Ashthorn must know that. And if he didn't, well, that wasn't my problem. I was Sootstar, leader of ThunderClan.
As I padded back into my spot, I reflected that I could see why leaders had new warriors lick their shoulders. If I had another cat touch their nose to my forehead, I might just have a heart attack.
Cinderstrike's POV
I watched as Sootth—no, Sootstar padded wearily back to his position between Mossyfoot and me. Brushing past him, I made my way confidently to the front of the crowd as the voice began speaking again. Sootstar must just have been being a wussy. I could handle any pain they threw at me.
I was Cinderbloodscarfighterstar, after all.
Something knocked me to the ground, a heavy weight pressing on my back. I struggled, trying to get up, but I felt too weak to move. What was this madness? The great and powerful Cinderstrike, unable to get up? I'd been getting up since I was a kit!
"Rise to receive your new lives," the voice said. My paws found a minimal amount of strength and I scrambled to find my footing. Then I looked up to see the cat who would give me my first life.
A cream she-cat stepped forward. "You may not remember me," she meowed. "My body was thrown in the river after I died to keep my kit from catching the disease. Thank you for taking Brightkit back to the lake." She approached me and reached up to press her nose against my forehead. "With this life I give you selflessness. Use it to think not only of yourself when presented with danger."
I felt a sudden rush of agony sweep through my body. It felt like I was being tossed in a river, slammed against sharp rocks, exactly the same path the she-cat had no doubt traveled. I braced myself, clenching my teeth against the pain, my ears flattened against my head. I will not crumple I will not fall I will not show weakness. I can't.
The aftershock wore off and I paused, taking deep, controlled breaths. By the time I looked up, the next cat had appeared. It gave me only a slight shock to see it was Rushstar.
"I would give you nobility, as is traditional for leaders," she began, purring, "but I think you've got enough pride to suffice. So instead, with this life I give you open ears. Use it to always listen to others instead of just yourself."
Her nose touched my forehead and I shuddered as a second spasm of pain shot through my body. How could Sootstar bear it as easily as he did? Maybe his lives hadn't been as painful as mine. He was more open to change than I was.
Next up was a large tom with huge white paws. I'd never seen him before, yet he still gazed on me with fond eyes. "My name is Blackstar," he said in a deep, rumbling voice. "I was the last official leader of ShadowClan, killed in the bloodbath that murdered the peace." He stepped forward, leaning down (he was a huge cat) to touch his nose to my forehead. "With this life I give you caution."
The pain ripped through me like a set of badger teeth. I dropped into a crouch, pressing the backs of my paws to my chest, feeling as though my heart were being ripped out. Why was gaining nine lives so hard? Maybe it toughened up leaders so they could deal with an entire Clan.
I glanced up to see who was next, but yet again I didn't recognize the tom that appeared. He dipped his head to me. "I was Ashthorn's father. My name is Breezepelt, and I was also killed in the battle that destroyed the peace. With this life I give you joy. Never be afraid to show weakness through a good laugh." He touched his nose to my forehead. Through the sudden shiver of pain, I heard him murmur, "Don't become coldhearted like I was. It wastes precious moments."
I stood tall against the pain this time. It seemed somehow more bearable than the other ones. It passed in a few heartbeats and I glanced up to see who was next. I hoped I'd actually know who they were.
It was a brown tabby she-cat with white patches on her nose. I squinted at her. I couldn't place her face, but I got the strange feeling I knew her. "My name is Fallingwhisper," she meowed. "I was a RiverClan cat. You tried to save me with the deathberries but I was too weak."
Oh. That's right. Now I remembered her. I watched as she padded closer to reach up and press her nose against my forehead. "With this life I give you patience," she whispered. "It is a virtue necessary in finding cures as well as leadership."
My paws quivered. This time the torture seemed to be welling up inside me like water, traveling up my legs and tail to my body. I leaned my head up, instinctively trying to keep my muzzle above the surface, but the pain swallowed me anyway. I couldn't breathe for a moment. I watched Fallingwhisper pad away, brown tabby tail sweeping the ground behind her, silently begging her to help.
Then, even faster than I had filled up, I felt as though drains had opened in my paw pads and the "water" drained away. I glanced around to see who would be next. Five lives down, four to go. I'm over halfway there.
Of course it was a complete stranger again. Why was I continually getting cats I didn't know?
"My name is Heathertail," the she-cat smiled. "I was Breezepelt's mate. With this life I give you humility. Use it to curb your incessant pride, or else you're in for a rough time." She leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Just ask the older warriors for stories about Breezepelt."
My sixth life felt like thorns dragging me down. I struggled to free myself, but the more I wriggled, the tighter the thorns hung on.
Heathertail watched me with calm eyes. "Let it," she murmured. "Let it drag you down."
"No," I spat, trying to wrench my paws free. If only I could get them free, I might be able to claw at the rest of the tendrils, forcing them to—
"That won't work," Heathertail meowed.
I glared up at her. Then my gaze turned to pleading. "Help me," I begged.
Heathertail smiled. "Better, but not quite. You can't fight this, Cinderstrike. There are some things you just can't fight."
My paws slipped and I fell to the ground. I tried to get up again but couldn't—the thorns were just too tight. Finally, I collapsed, giving up.
Immediately the tendrils shrank away, leaving no trace behind that they were ever there. Heathertail grinned. "That's it, Cinderstrike," she said. "I know you like winning but sometimes you just have to accept that you can't win."
I bared my teeth at her as she bounded away. I thought her gift was rather stupid, whatever she thought. I glared around at the crowd of StarClan cats, waiting impatiently for the next cat.
I didn't recognize her, of course, but I didn't mind as much this time. What intrigued me was how young she was. I didn't even think she was old enough to be an apprentice!
"My name is Pantherkit," the inky black kit squeaked. "I used to be in NightClan but StarClan let me and my brothers in anyway because we're kits." She leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially in my ear, "If they hadn't, I would've clawed them to bits!"
I felt myself unintentionally softening toward this kit. She reminded me a bit of… well, me. I even thought that, after knowing her affiliation, I remembered her from my brief trip to the NightClan camp. So I bent rather willingly to receive my next life from her.
"With this life I give you a soft heart. Never let kits like me die unnecessarily again." She backed away, eyes suddenly wide as I began writhing in pain. Again, I felt pain in my chest, as though claws were ripping into it toward my heart. Except that this time, the claws were trying to break the hard shell around myself. I hadn't even noticed it was there before.
Instinctively I pushed the claws out, but they continued to dig deeper. Heathertail's face flashed before my eyes and her voice rang in my ears. Let it drag you down. There are some things you just can't fight. Sometimes you have to accept that you can't win.
I relaxed as best I could. Immediately, I felt the claws release their hold. I blinked over at Pantherkit, who was looking rather spooked. "Are you hurt?" she asked anxiously, sniffing at my face in a worried sort of way.
I purred. It seemed that Pantherkit, just like me, had a soft spot in her heart of hearts. "I'm fine, little kit," I meowed softly. "Now go back to your brothers. I expect they're waiting for you to show them some awesome fighting moves!"
Pantherkit's face lit up with a wide grin and, without another word, she bounded away. Another cat, this time fully grown, stepped forward to take her place.
"I'm not sure if you remember me," the she-cat meowed. "I died while you were gone saving RiverClan. I'm Lilyheart."
I blinked. The name sounded familiar, at least. I waited as she reached up to press her nose against my forehead. "With this life I give you love."
This life was somehow easier to bear than the other ones. It still hurt, but I only had time to flinch and it was gone. I wondered if Pantherkit had somehow brought a change in me. Nah, a kit couldn't do that! But then again, what if one could? What if one did?
The last cat was Ashthorn again. I wondered if I should be surprised. I figured I shouldn't. He had given Sootstar his last life, after all.
"My only daughter," Ashthorn whispered, so quietly neither of my brothers could hear him. "I never should have treated you the way I did. I hope that someday you can find the will to forgive me." He stepped back and, pressing his nose to my forehead, said in a louder voice, "With this life I give you strength in the face of doubt. You will always stand strong, I know it."
A weight descended onto my shoulders. Ashthorn smiled encouragingly and murmured, "Press through it. You can do it."
The pressure seemed to vanish in one big rush, leaving only a small amount behind. StarClan got to its paws, joining Ashthorn in calling my new name. "Cinderstar! Cinderstar! Cinderstar!"
Grinning, waving my tail in the air like a leafy branch in a high wind, I trotted back to my spot. Only Rainsky was left.
Rainsky's POV
I was the only one left without a leader's name and nine lives. But I knew Cinderstar especially would be much more irritated than me if she was last, so I padded forward with a smile on my face, focusing on my littermates' happiness more than my feeling of being left out.
Ashthorn had vanished back into the crowd by the time I reached the place where all three of the other leaders had gotten their nine lives. I glanced around expectantly, waiting for my first life to be given.
I'd forgotten about the voice. It knocked me to the ground with such force I rolled over several times before finally coming to a halt. Glancing down at my paws, I saw they had become starry and transparent. StarClan had taken my life.
"Rise to receive your new lives," the voice boomed. I pushed myself to my paws, staring around to see who was going to give me my life.
I didn't have to wait long. Only a few heartbeats had passed before Larkwing slipped out of the crowd and padded toward me. I purred at the sight of her; Lightwing would be pleased that her older sister had made it to StarClan safely, as well as giving both Sootstar and me lives.
"With this life I give you courage," Larkwing meowed, pressing her nose against my forehead. "The time for mouse-heartedness has come and gone, Rainsky. You need to face your fears."
It was as if a star had exploded at the spot where her nose touched me. I dropped to the ground, my head splitting in a searing headache, pain spiraling down through the rest of my body. I lay on the ground in a quaking heap, my eyes tightly shut.
Finally, the pain ebbed away. I opened my eyes a little and saw my siblings sitting nearby. Sootstar looked like he'd just eaten a too-large mouse in one swallow and was about to start choking on it. Cinderstar had her eyes shut and her face was partially turned away, as though she couldn't stand the sight of me hurting.
My first life had been given. I shook my head and stood up, glancing around to see who would give me the next. I wasn't sure if I could stand eight more lives like that, but at least my paws were solid again.
I didn't recognize the next cat. I squinted at her, trying to remember her name. Something about her fur and the way she walked was familiar.
"My name is Featherpaw," the she-cat meowed. Then, in explanation, "I'm Dawnshine's sister."
Oh. So this was the cat Dawnshine wanted to bring back. I waited in slight trepidation as she leaned up to press her nose against my head. "With this life I give you tireless energy to face the responsibilities of leadership," she meowed.
My muscles seized up and I toppled to the ground, twitching. As I lay there, my mind and body swamped with agony, Featherpaw leaned down and whispered, "Tell Dawnshine I was here. Let her know she can't grieve for me anymore. It's been too long." Standing up again, she nodded and retreated, and with her went the pain.
I staggered upright, determined to take all nine of my lives standing on my own four paws, not lying down like a newborn kit who couldn't walk yet. I blinked the haze of pain out of my eyes and glanced around to see Crowtail stepping forward.
His battle scars were gone and he looked healthy. There was even a spring in his step as he walked over to meet me. "Hey Rainsky," he grinned. Then the smile melted from his face and he said quickly, "Tell Robinchest I miss her, but I'm safe."
I nodded and leaned forward, closing my eyes to receive my next life. Crowtail's nose pressed against my fur and I heard him say, "With this life I give you decisiveness. When you choose to do something, stick with it until the end."
Pain flashed through me once more and I crumpled to the ground, panting as my heart raced in my chest. It felt like something intensely painful was invading my body and my heart was trying to get away.
Finally, it vanished. I dropped my chin to the surprisingly solid ground, panting so heavily I thought I might taste blood. And this was only my third life. I groaned—how could I make it through six more of these? I was only a third of the way done!
The next cat was another familiar face. Voletail, the father of Adderpaw.
"With this life I give you the ability to build a shield around your heart," he meowed. I stared at him, aghast. What a terrible gift!
Catching my expression, Voletail narrowed his eyes. "You might not think you need it, but trust me. As a leader, you sometimes need to hide your true feelings for the greater good." He touched his nose to my forehead like all the others.
Pain overtook me once more and I dropped to the ground like a bird killed as it tried to fly away. I writhed on the ground, the agony somehow stronger than for my other lives.
Voletail's eyes gleamed above me. "Build a shell," he whispered. "Fight it out. Get rid of it."
I shivered, my body spasming. I tried to wrap myself up into a ball, protecting my weaker parts from the worst of the pain.
"No! Try again, Rainsky. You can do it."
I imagined a hard shell forming around my heart, around my mind, around my entire body. The pain suddenly became little flickers of red and orange light, almost like flames, breaking through the shell. I forced them out, thickening my wall.
"Good," Voletail purred. The pain faded away, but the shell remained, locking me inside. "Just never let that encasing get too thick, okay?" I nodded and he padded away. I stood and watched him leave.
"Rainsky," a voice purred. I turned, my heart leaping into my throat at the sound of that voice. Sure enough, a certain silver tabby she-cat had stepped out of the ranks of StarClan. I gazed at her, struck dumb by her. Silverdapple looked, if it was possible, even more beautiful as a spirit, with stars glittering in her fur and eyes.
She padded over to me and lifted her muzzle. I could feel her warm, gentle breath tickling my ear fur. "Breathe, Rainsky," she whispered.
I hadn't realized I was holding my breath. I took a deep gulp of air, feeling the fuzziness fade from the edges of my mind. I'm here to get my next life from her, I reminded myself. My fifth life.
Silverdapple pressed her nose to my forehead. "With this life, I give you…" She hesitated.
Love, I found myself thinking. Give me a gift of love, Silverdapple. I know you will.
"…strength," she meowed. "Strength to get over your grief."
I dropped to the ground, the pain perhaps a little less severe than for my other lives but still overwhelming in its intensity. Through the agony, however, I managed to still be confused. Why was Silverdapple giving me a life to get over my grief? Why wasn't she giving me her love? Did she no longer love me?
No, that couldn't be it. Silverdapple would never stop loving me, as I would never stop loving her. I watched as she padded away, already feeling a gap open in my heart where she had stood for a moment. I was still staring after her when the next cat appeared.
She was a complete stranger, but she had an air about her that seemed to radiate power and, strangely enough, pride. I must be mistaken about that last part, because how could a stranger be proud of me?
"My name is Wind," the wiry brown tabby cat meowed in a strong, decisive voice. "I was the first leader of WindClan. Or, as some in my time called it, Wind's Clan."
She padded forward and, like all the others, pressed her nose against my forehead. "With this life I give you love. You might need it sooner than you think." She winked at me before turning to leave.
I felt myself being dragged backward by invisible claws. Lashing out behind me, I managed to wriggle free just in time to look up and see a tiny kit trotting toward me.
He was white with almost indistinguishable gray flecks on his back, tail, and ears. He plopped his haunches down on the ground and stared at me with a doleful eye. "My sister got to give Cinderstar a life all by herself," he complained.
"Well, don't you get to give me a life?" I tried to console him.
The kit sniffed. "Yeah, but I have to share you with my brother!"
I suppressed a smile. Something told me the kit wouldn't appreciate a grin. So instead I tried asking the kit about himself. "What's your name?"
The kit puffed up his chest. "I'm Frostkit," he meowed. "Coldspike said I'm the biggest of my siblings, so I'm most likely to be a good fighter." He glanced around. "I haven't seen her in days, though. I wonder where she went?"
My heart twisted for this poor little orphan kit. But I wasn't here to comfort, I was here to receive my nine lives and leader's name. So I bent down and nudged my muzzle under Frostkit's chin. "Don't you have a job to do, Frostkit?" I reminded him.
Frostkit's eyes went huge. "Oh, right!" he squeaked. He pressed his paws and nose to my forehead and meowed in his high-pitched voice, "With this life I give you pride."
I felt sharp fox teeth tearing away at my hard shell, but with a low growl, I stood tall against the pain, pushing it away whenever it broke through, which was actually pretty often. Frostkit bounded away, casting one last, anxious glance at me over his shoulder. As soon as he vanished, so did the pain. I glanced up and saw a light brown tabby kit padding out of the crowd.
"I'm Thornkit," he proclaimed. "I'm going to give you your seventh life."
Several cats behind him hissed, "Eighth! It's his eighth life!"
"Eighth life," Thornkit amended. Then he grinned up at me and reared up on his hind legs to press his nose against my forehead just like his brother had done. "With this life I give you awesome fighting moves, like Pantherkit!"
This life, strangely enough, was not painful. It was exhilarating. I felt energy flood my paws and I balanced easily on my toes, ready to spring aside in an instant if any cat chose to attack me. Or, I supposed, my Clan.
That's right.
I had to defend a Clan now. WindClan. My Clan.
The last cat was, big surprise there, Ashthorn. I watched as my father padded forward, strolling easily toward me, his eyes alight with a gleam that may or may not be from starlight. "Rainsky," he purred. "Look at how far you've come from that stuttering deputy you once were. I'm so proud of you."
I felt my chest swell, but turned quickly to glance over my shoulder at Sootstar. He appeared not to have heard Ashthorn. Though he could be just ignoring him. I turned back to face Ashthorn.
"With this life," he murmured against the fur on my forehead, "I give you wisdom to lead with your mind rather than your heart."
I crumpled, my heart feeling like it was being constricted by tight bands while my mind expanded into the space my heart normally took up. I fought against the change, trying to keep my heart where it was.
Ashthorn stood watching me struggle. "Being a leader is hard," he whispered. "But you can do it. I believe in you." He quirked a smile. "Rainstar."
Panting, I glanced up as the feeling receded. Ashthorn was standing back with the rest of StarClan, all of whom were on their feet, cheering. "Rainstar! Rainstar! Rainstar!"
I backed up to stand next to my siblings and Mossystar. StarClan's voices doubled in volume, screaming our new names. "Mossystar! Sootstar! Cinderstar! Rainstar! Mossystar! Sootstar! Cinderstar! Rainstar!"
I blinked happily, my eyes welling up with joyful tears. We were leaders!
Then, Stormtuft stepped forward. "StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. He will train hard to understand your ways and I ask for you to accept him as a full medicine cat."
The cheers quieted. I blinked away the wetness and saw Alderpaw standing nervously beside the black tom.
A gray she-cat with an oddly flattened face stepped forward. "My name is Yellowfang," she rasped. "I speak for StarClan in accepting this apprentice. I will train him in his dreams to know the herbs and I trust you three," she shot the other medicine cats a glare, "will do your utmost to help him also." She dipped her head and retreated.
Stormtuft smiled. Then, turning to Alderpaw, he meowed, "I, Stormtuft, medicine cat of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He will train hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons. Alderpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"
Alderpaw's paws shook but his meow was firm as he replied, "I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Alderpaw, from this moment you will be known as Alderleaf. StarClan honors your determination and willingness to accept challenges, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of WindClan."
The cheers began again, except that this time they were for Alderleaf as well. They rang in my ears as my vision faded to black and I fell back down to the Moonpool, to my new life as a leader.
As Rainstar.
THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER.
Well, technically it is, but I'll be posting an epilogue of sorts that will be set at the first Gathering. The epilogue does not mean that there won't be a third book, though. But the third book will skip several moons before starting again... in Leafbare!
AOTD: Well, I think they'll do fine. Yes, it will take a lot of adjusting, but after their lives and gifts, they probably have the skills they need to be leaders.
QOTD: It's summer break for me! How about you? :) Any summer plans or anything? (if this gives away where you actually live, please don't answer! Anyone can see anything on the Internet... O.O) (Just say like "I'm going to the beach, it might be crowded or a little cold or something but it'll still be fun! and I'm going with my family" or you could say "I'm going to twenty camps" or something. But yeah, something nonspecific like that)