Reedheart's Leader Ceremony

Reedheart shuddered. Beside him were RiverClan's two medicine cats, behind him was WindClan's rolling moors, and in front of him was Mothermouth, a yawning square hole of pitch blackness where no light shone in, and he was about to walk into its jaws. Highstones' name did not do it justice. Towers of jagged stone seemed to scrape the sky like reaching claws in the distance.

The warrior summoned up his courage and started towards the cave without a word, letting darkness swallow him. The coarse grass and rocks had scratched his pads bloody, but he hardly felt it as he moved forward. Was the tunnel getting... narrower? He felt glistening smooth stone walls brushing his whiskers, and all of a sudden another tunnel seemed to open up beside him. Branching paths?! He could hardly see in here already! He stopped, his heart in his throat. "Morningfur...?" he asked, his pelt bristling. "Which direction?"

Morningfur sighed, squeezing past him in the narrow tunnel. She paused for a second, remembering back to all the medicine cat meetings, then turned and padded down one of the tunnels. "This way."

Lichenpaw followed quietly behind. He loved coming to Highstones. It was a place to communicate with StarClan, as well as a very beautiful place.

(Lame post is lame.)

Reedheart nodded faintly, though Morningfur could not have seen it in the darkness. He clung close behind her and followed her scent, glad in his decision to bring the medicine cats along. He didn't know what he'd do without them. Still, it made him embarrassed to rely on them like this, and just hoped they couldn't sense his fear. Not just of Mothermouth and the tunnel, but of what laid ahead of him. Was Froststar right? Or was it just some delusion from her dying mind that he'd be a better leader than Silvershade? He didn't know. There's nothing I can do now but go forward. he reminded himself.

The tunnel was too narrow, and Reedheart was crushed uncomfortably close between the medicine cats and the stone walls. How far does this go? It had already felt like he'd been down there for a lifetime, yet it could have been moments for all he knew. The silence was oppressing, and the air was stale and cold.

Finally though, cold cutting wind washed through, smelling of heather. It was a breath of life in the dead halls of stone and night. The tunnel began to open up, and he suddenly stopped as silver light came into view, his breath catching in his throat.

The Moonstone sat alone in the cavern, awash with silver moonlight. It glittered prettily and he lost himself in its beauty for a short moment. Reedheart stepped forward warily as he gathered his thoughts, gazing at the mysterious and alluring rock... was it a rock? To call it that would be an insult. What did he do now? StarClan came to them in dreams, but... was he just expected to curl up and fall asleep? Was that how he would become Reedstar? He glanced back at Morningfur and Lichenpaw helplessly, feeling half a fool.

"Press your nose against it," Morningfur explained, remembering back to when she had fist visited the moonstone. The utter confusion and fear she had felt at the thought of meeting starclan, but also overwhelming excitement for he same reason.

"Then lay down, and close your eyes. You'll fall asleep instantly, and when you wake, Lichenpaw and I will be waiting," she explained. "Don't forget- you are not allowed to tell anybody what happens in this ceremony, not even us." She gave a quick, simple nod. "Good luck."

Lichenpaw nodded, excitement bubbling inside him. He laid down as closest as he could to the Moonstone without touching it, and waited for Reedheart to lay down as well before he closed his eyes.

Reedheart nodded faintly at Morningfur and scanned the cavern one last time. This will be my last waking moments as Reedheart. The warrior numbly laid down, his face not even a mouse-length away from the Moonstone. What would happen? He was bound to silence after the ritual was done. It frightened him and filled him with some kind of strange excitement all the time. With one last deep breath, Reedheart touched his nose to the crystalline stone. His eyes immediately flew closed and he let darkness consume him.

It felt like it had been a thousand moons when Reedheart dared let his eyes gently open again. He wasn't in the cavern any longer with Morningfur and Lichenpaw, he was at Fourtrees at the base of the Great Rock. The four Great Oaks that circled the clearing had lush green leaves instead of the withered and dead canopies he had seen not a day before. When he glanced up, his breath caught in his throat. Silverpelt and all of the stars he had ever known were tantalizingly close, hardly even above the treetops. They glittered and twinkled like small suns trapped in chips of ice, blazing white and cold, fire and ice. The moon dominated the sky, seeming like it filled half the world, and with wonderment Reedheart realized he could see the details of its surface. He took in a deep breath. The air was no longer stale and stagnant with a tang of dust, it was fresh and cold, with the scents of grass and earth and prey filling his senses. This wasn't a dream, he felt alive here, somehow even more alive than he had ever felt in his waking life.

An icy wind blew through the trees and stirred the grass, and Reedheart felt like it pierced his very soul. With the wind seemed to come whispers, prophecies, secrets of everything that had ever been. The voices carried were hushed, and he had to strain his ears to make out the words. It seemed one with the wind and the rustling of grass and leaves, the rest too indistinct. A thousand whispers from a thousand voices, all carried on that single wind.

...Reedheart...

Hearing his name as it passed chilled him even more, yet even though it had passed through the clearing he could hear it again.

Reedheart...

More voices, all still scarcely whispers, seeming to come come from all around him, all calling his name. His fur bristled and he dug his claws into the downy wet grass underneath his paws. He looked up again to the sky and gasped.

The stars were moving. They began to spiral downwards, even closer, and as they came great winds seemed to swirl through the clearing as well. Wind howled in his ears and tugged at the fur, the branches of the Great Oaks whipped at one another, sending flurries of leaves into the maelstrom.

As they descended, they began to take shape. They seemed to melt from orbs to cats, their pelts went from a blinding light to different colors and patterns... Soon enough, they touched down to the ground and the clearing was filled with StarClan cats. Most were entirely unfamiliar, but Reedheart thought he could make out faces and pelt colors in the crowd of cats he once knew. Awe kept him silent as he stared on, but he let his fur relax and his claws sheathe. He felt humbled in their presence, each one with eyes and pelts of blazing starfire.

"Welcome, Reedheart." a voice came. One clear voice, yet the sound of a hundred cats speaking in unison... and the mouths of the crowd in front of him did not move. "Are you ready to begin?"

His heart thumping in his chest faster and faster, he nodded. "Yes." Reedheart mewed, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "I'm ready." Was he truly ready? He wasn't really sure, but it was the only thing to say. The crowd of cats parted, and his heart soared as a pretty white she-cat came through. He'd once known her face and scent as well as his own, yet it had faded from his memory over the seasons. But she stood before him, and it all instantly returned, memories of early days in the nursery suddenly becoming crisp and clear in his mind. "Mother." he breathed.

Lilyfur smiled and looked on her only kit with a sort of sadness. He'd been small, not expected to live, without any littermates. Her health had been delicate after her kitting, and she'd died of some sickness soon after. Yet she was not sickly or weak here. Her fur was sleek and bright and she stood straight and tall. Reedheart realized with a sinking feeling that he was taller than her now, and older by a season.

"With this life, I give you resolve." she said, her voice as sweet and soft as he remembered. "Use it well to stay true to your heart and Clan, no matter how hard things get." She touched noses with him, and instantly his heart skipped a beat and he shrunk away.

Reedheart had not expected the pain. It seared him and felt like it'd set his pelt on fire, like he'd been struck by lightning. He cried out in agony, shaking on his paws, but he dared not fall over. He looked back up at Lilyfur, feeling betrayed, yet there was a sorrow in her eyes that killed the anger in him. "Resolve to stay strong, my lion. There will be worse pain to come."

He stood up straighter, blinking the tears of pain from his eyes and grit his teeth as Lilyfur disappeared back into the crowd. A brown tabby tom took her place, and Reedheart felt as if he was looking at his reflection. Happiness returned to him to once again when he recognized the father who'd taught him so much, yet he was already bracing for the pain.

"With this life, I give you justice." Rushstream said. "Use it well to seek and defend the truth." His father touched noses with Reedheart, and once again pain filled him. Invisible claws raked across his whole body, and it took all of his strength not to yell out. When he opened his eyes, Rushstream had already gone back into the crowd of StarClan cats.

Seven more lives... how will I get through this?

A gray she-cat padded up to Reedheart, a spring in each step with the free spirit she'd always possessed. Grayheart stopped in front of her old friend, a smile across her face. "With this life, I give you love. Use it well to protect those you care for." The words stung Reedheart, remembering how Froststar had exiled her for falling in love with a WindClan warrior. He sucked in his breath as they touched noses, but there was only a sensation of falling... Reedheart had begun to relax when an abrupt wall of pain hit him, and Grayheart padded away.

That was cruel... he thought to himself with a wince, struggling just to stay on his paws, when suddenly he realized. I'm experiencing their deaths. But it was even worse than death... it would be nine times over, and there was no relief afterwards. The pain still lingered after each life given.

When the next cat stepped forward, his heart sank. "Cedarfur?" he mewed in dismay. When had he joined StarClan? Sagestar had made no mention of it at any of the Gatherings. Their last meeting hadn't been so sweet, but he still felt his heart sink. Cedarfur had been a friend of his having she-cat troubles the last time he'd seen him before the battle at Fourtrees... Could he really be dead? Was there an accident? The warrior couldn't smell anything, so maybe he'd been caught unawares by some badger or fox. Reedheart's whiskers drooped, but he tried to console himself with the knowledge that he was in StarClan now, high above the troubles of the mortal Clans.

Cedarfur didn't bother explaining. "With this life, I give you perseverance. Use it well to overcome your challenges." They touched noses, and an abrupt force seemed to hit him, knocking the air out of him. Reedheart felt like he was going to get sent sprawling, yet he stayed in place. Cedarfur began to pad away, but he wasn't quite done with him yet.

"Cedarfur!" he rasped, stopping the ShadowClan warrior in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder, blinking in surprise. "Did you get her at the end?" Reedheart honestly didn't know who "she" was, but he wanted to know. Cedarfur was young when he had died, and he knew personally how death came too suddenly for most. A happy ending would be nice to hear.

That seemed to make him smile. "How do you know about that?" he asked.

"For a Clan of secrecy, rumors spread around too easily." Reedheart replied, wincing slightly from the soreness on his flank where he'd been hit by... whatever had hit Cedarfur. Still, he tried to force a smile.

Cedarfur gave a small laugh. "We were right about RiverClan, then. A bunch of lazy gossiping fish on legs." His smirk became more evident. "Three strong kits and a prickly mate. Maybe you'll get your pelt scratched off by one of them some day." At that, Cedarfur slipped back into the crowd.

A handsome brown tom took Cedarfur's place, and Reedheart gaped in surprise. "Amalric?" So the tom had found StarClan in the end. The warrior bowed his head in respect to the rogue. Amalric just stood there when Reedheart met his gaze again, his piercing blue eyes blazing bright with the strength StarClan had renewed in him.

"With this life, I give you wisdom. Use it well to guide your Clan with your mind as well as your heart." They touched noses, and Reedheart was once again met with the feeling of falling. He braced himself just in time as a sharp pain went through his back and neck, but he didn't cry out.

Reedheart's heart seemed to stop when the next cat came out. A small gray she-cat, hardly even an apprentice. Mistpaw wasted no time. "With this life, I give you courage. Use it well to stand up against your enemies." When they made contact, Reedheart felt teeth sink into his neck, and all he could do was struggle feebly as they clamped down.

By the time he looked up, another cat was there, a ginger tom with a bushy tail. "With this life, I give you humility. Use it well to empathize with others." Redfeather said. When Reedheart warily touched noses with the tom, he felt a spasm run through him, and sickness sap at his strength. It was a different pain, not as strong as the others but just as horrible. He felt helpless and small, shaking as the StarClan cat retreated back to the crowd.

Two more lives... he told himself. Just two more.

A tortoiseshell cat stepped in front of him. Her movements were no longer unsure and clumsy and her eyes weren't vacant like they had been in life. She could see. Berrysplash nodded at Reedheart in respect before starting. "With this life, I give you composure. Use it well to think clearly when faced with hardship."

Reedheart had prepared for more pain, yet when they touched noses a tranquility filled him. He felt weak and still ached from the previous lives, yet it was peace and calm. The final one. he reminded himself. He watched anxiously, both dreading and welcoming the end of the ceremony.

He wasn't so surprised when the slim and graceful calico stepped out, but it made him smile warmly all the same. Froststar was strong again, and her icy eyes reflected it best. Reedheart didn't say anything. He didn't think there was anything that needed saying. His leader, his mentor. She was at peace now, in StarClan.

"Reedheart, I know that I've made a good choice. With this life, I give you compassion. Use it well to care for my Clan. You have always been kinder than most, and there are those who need that kindness." They touched noses, and a searing wave of pain hit him. He grit his teeth, but it had taken his toll. He knew he couldn't take it. Have I failed...? he wondered faintly as his murky green eyes fluttered shut and he collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, he was awake again. Not in the grass, but on the Great Rock. Below him StarClan were all gathered, and Froststar stood in front of him. "We hail you by your new name, now. Your old life is done, and we grant you guardianship of RiverClan. You have the nine lives of a leader and StarClan's blessing. Lead your Clan well and live each life with pride and dignity."

Froststar moved out of the way, and the newly appointed leader let his gaze sweep all the cats before him. They were countless, like all of the stars in the sky.

"Reedstar!" They cried out, and began the chant. "Reedstar! Reedstar! Reedstar!"

Reedstar's eyes flashed open. He was back in the cavern and the pain was gone. Instead, fire pulsed through his veins and a new strength filled him, the strength of nine cats instead of one. He stood up wordlessly and looked to the hole in the ceiling where starlight spilled in. The moon and stars were distant once again.

He looked to Morningfur, wondering what to do now. What could be said? How long had he been asleep?

"We'll rest in the barn tonight." he finally said, his voice resonating in the cave. He longed to be out on WindClan's open territory again. There was only so much he could take of Highstones after what he had experienced. Reedstar wanted just one last night before returning to RiverClan to take up his new duties. He wanted a warm place to sleep, with Clanmates beside him instead of his new den of willow roots. Most of all, he just wanted some warm prey in his belly. "Let's go."

(And the award for the longest rp post I have everseen in my entire life goes o Sleepy. Ps I literally threw back my head and screamed "REDFEATHER!!" when he appeared)

Morningfur rose, stretching. "I take it StarClan approves of Froststar's last minute choice?" she asked, leading the way out of the cave.