Life 4:9
The moon rose high in the sky illuminating the marsh Shadowclan called home. Tigerstar looked upon Shadowclan with a new feeling of pride. Instead of the loosely organized mess how once knew it as, his cats were sitting in rows and at attention for his announcement. To confirm his power, he yowled out 'the tiger watches'. The response was immediate with cats raising their left paws in salute and repeating it back to him. It made him crack a rare smile. It was everything he could have ever wanted. Tigerstar gave a nod that signaled to go at ease. The straight posture of the cats in attendance relaxed as they waited for Tigerstar's announcement.
"Tonight is an auspicious night. Tonight is the Gathering where we'll reveal the alliance with Riverclan. No! Rather tonight, we reveal the union of our two clans. Leopardstar has agreed to merge our two clans into one after some persuasion. We will be known as Tigerclan. With Tigerclan's unity, we will pressure the other clans into joining us. While I am sure they will resist to a degree, we will show our power through unity. Leopardstar is to be treated with the same respect as Blackfoot. With the clans combined, we will unite the entire forest. No longer will we have to worry about our neighbors stealing our territory or trespassing. No longer will one of us go hungry. Nor will we lose cats because our neighbors did not want to share herbs. There will be peace in the forest under my rule. This is my dream, for there to only be one clan in this forest and for them to be Tigerclan." Tigerstar presented with zealous vigor.
While Snakepaw himself had seen this many times over throughout his many lives, he always had to marvel at how well tyrants were able to frame their conquests as righteous. Tigerstar was especially skilled at this wordsmithing. Without the context that Tigerstar basically strongarmed Leopardstar into the union of clans and that Tigerstar had a repeated history of using underhanded tactics to get what he wanted, the idea seemed to have merit. The problem was most certainly the means. Tigerstar got everything he owns through deception, trickery, or violence. Even his position as leader was only made possible because Nightpelt was dying and Tigerstar convinced the ill cat in his fevered mind that he was the best option to succeed him. Nightpelt was not to be blamed for this. He'd never received the nine lives of Starclan. It was that Tigerstar did receive them that added credence to Tigerstar's claim, but Snakepaw had his doubts. He'd never heard of a case where nine lives had been entirely withheld. Worst he ever heard of was with Sunstar's lives since he only received eight instead of the full nine. Snakepaw himself killed Brokenstar twice, so Nightpelt should have at minimum got two. Then Tigerstar got his nine, but to Snakepaw, they felt off. Snakepaw was a rather spiritually tuned cat, and Tigerstar didn't quite feel like a leader. There were certainly nine lives, but they lacked the attribute based nature that other leaders' nine lives felt like. It was as if they were given by some beings that didn't really understand the nine lives ritual. In the end, it made Tigerstar's soul feel unstable, like too much was crammed into it. Leaders usually have some level of healing that is supernatural, but Snakepaw knew that Tigerstar healed at the speed of a normal cat. His nine lives were imperfect, which made no sense. Starclan had carefully created the nine lives ritual using something akin to Snakepaw's nature. For them to suddenly have messed up meant they did it imperfectly on purpose, or there's a pretender who granted Tigerstar his nine. Snakepaw didn't know which one seemed worse.
It was after Tigerstar's address that Tigerstar callout who'd be in attendance for the Gathering. Snakepaw was surprised that he would be going seeing as Tigerstar was weaponizing Snakepaw's health on Leopardstar. Then again, if Tigerstar knew Snakepaw had relations with other clans, who was to say if he'd abuse them?
Before they took off, Tigerstar pulled Snakepaw aside. His look and tone were serious. "Snakepaw, I want you sitting up with the deputies." He commanded.
"That's against tradition. I'm an apprentice. Even if I can do more than others and know more than others, that doesn't changed that I am physically in the body of an apprentice." Snakepaw questioned.
"I do not care about traditions. I want you right where all the other clans will see you. You do not have a choice in the matter." Tigerstar growled.
"No Tigerstar. It is you who does not understand. I always have more choices than anyone else. What can you do, kill me, hurt me, imprison me? I've felt pain you cannot fathom. Death is not my end. I've died to suffocation enough times that I can do it by holding my breath long enough. I've done it before. I can leave at any time I want. The only reason I remain is because of the chance to see Shadowclan become something like it used to be, proud and organized. I am using you just as you are using me. I'll play your games for now but know I can leave at any time I feel like." Snakepaw snapped back.
Tigerstar let out a vicious chuckle at Snakepaw's rebuttal. "Oh you twisted marvelous anomaly. Even now you tell me all your intensions and remain honest while working with me despite considering me an unpleasant cat. If only I could steal this immortality from you, but given that look you're giving me, I can tell that it's worthless to try."
"You wouldn't want it anyways. I'll never get to grow up. I am not immune to pain or physical damage. Ambitious cats nearly always get it in their heads that they can somehow learn how I got my immortality or steal it from me. I've been tortured more times than I can count. I've lost lifetimes of cats I knew. I've seen cats I once called friend only see me as a stranger barely two moons later. This is not a blessing Tigerstar. If I somehow knew how to give this to others, I would not. It would be far too cruel to do to some cat. All I do is teach and play because to do otherwise would leave me in an endless spiral of misery. Do you understand?" Snakepaw hissed back.
Tigerstar chuffed at Snakepaw's anger. "Fine. As long as you continue to support Tigerclan, I will ensure that you continue to enjoy it. Just imagine if the clans unified. You'd come right back to the same clan like it never happened."
Snakepaw couldn't help but scoff. "I've seen many cats make the same claim and try for the same thing. If you can do it, I'll be impressed, but I won't be shocked if you fail. I will admit that you've gotten farther than anyone else did, but that's not saying much when Brokenstar is the second closest, having driven out Windclan."
Tigerstar grumbled in response but ultimately kept silent, instead signaling for the selected cats to leave. Snakepaw did as Tigerstar asked and sat with the deputies. Of course, this was a major point of tension between the four leaders, with three of them wanting to get the apprentice as far as possible from Tigerstar but having no means to do so. Tigerstar twisted the knife by bragging that Snakepaw was his apprentice who shared with him many ideas. He also mentioned a 'training accident' that cost me most of an ear. The only major thing of note to Snakepaw besides Tigerstar's declaration of Tigerclan was the demand that Thunderclan give him his kits, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw. With a sixth sense, Snakepaw could just tell that this issue would go further soon enough.